John Force |
If there had been a script written for the Top Fuel versus Funny Car eliminator at the inaugural Winston Showdown, it might have read like this: Neither side dominates; close racing decided by less than a car-length despite a .037-second headstart afforded the floppers; Top Fuel versus Funny Car racing in just about every round; the two low qualifiers make it to the final; all topped by a dramatic final.
The fans at Bristol Dragway, who outwaited persistent rain that delayed the event numerous times from its scheduled Saturday finish, got everything in the script and a lot more.
It was not just a classic matchup between the sport's two quickest classes, but also of the sport's winningest nitro driver, eight-time Winston Funny Car champ John Force, and Bob Vandergriff Jr., who has yet to win a national event, with $200,000 on the line for the winner.
Vandergriff, who grabbed the Top Fuel pole with a 4.559, rocketed to a 4.61 in round one to easily handle troubled Al Hofmann, whose attempt at starting-line trickery after four failed qualifying passes were wasted on the steely-nerved Georgia. Vandergriff then engaged in one of just two all-Top Fuel races in the 25 heats and defeated Tony Schumacher, who smoked the tires almost immediately, with a 4.70.
Bob Vandergriff |
That victory moved Vandergriff into round three, where he faced Tommy Johnson Jr., who had lost in round two to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Cory McClenathan but was reinserted in the third round due to having the quickest losing time of the round, a 5.01 Vandergriff then hammered Johnson with a 4.585 to the Funny Car driver's losing 5.119. Chuck Etchells then red-lighted to Vandergriff in the semi's, ironic because Etchells had won his first three rounds on red-lights by former Winston Top Fuel champs Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein, as well as by Doug Kalitta.
Force, the No. 1 Funny Car qualifier with a 4.944, began his trek to the final by overcoming Cristen Powell's .410 light with a 5.06 after she smoked the tires, a fate that also befell Force's second-round opponent, Jim Head, whose smoky 5.05 fell to Force's 5.01.
Force then edged Doug Kalitta by just .07-second, his 4.941 holding off Kalitta's 4.623 by just over a car-length, and followed with a devastating 4.879 to dash Cory Mac's hopes despite a .415 light and a 4.672.
Coming into the final, the dragsters had won 12 of the 22 head-to-head battles, and with $200,000 on the line, the last thing either team wanted to come to the starting line without was enough power to win, and both had too much. Both drivers smoked the tires, but, as any longtime fan will tell you, Force is seldom out-backpedaled, and he was not in this case, recovering better to capture the big money.
Top Fuel results -
Funny Car results
Jeg Coughlin Jr. |
Although there were no points available to the Pro drivers at this special exhibition race, you wouldn't know it by the intensity of the battles.
The Coughlin brothers, Jeg Jr. and Troy, who battled for the title at the season opener, squared off again in the final round of the 16-car Pro Stock field.
Troy, who had to qualify at the event to participate in the field, ran 7.036 against Tom Martino's narrow red-light then 7.04 to eke out a win over Kurt Johnson's 7.04 thanks to a .408 to .430 holeshot. Troy then got another gift when Allen Johnson -- whose 7.06 to 6.97 holeshot win by just three-thousandths of a second over Warren Johnson in round two stunned the crowd - fouled with a .372 red-light after rolling through the staging beams.
Jeg opened with a 7.03 victory over Mark Osborne's 7.11, then stepped up to a 7.01 to trailer "Tricky Rickie" Smith's 7.06. In the semi's, Jeg ran even quicker, a 7.00, to drive around Greg Anderson's holeshot to win by .014-second, 7.008 to 7.031.
After near-identical lights, .417 to .418 favoring Jeg, he blasted ahead for a 7.00 win after Troy got loose and had to abort his run, similar to the outcome at the Winternationals.
Pro Stock results
Matt Hines |
The eight-bike Pro Stock Bike field figured to be another Matt Hines versus Angelle Seeling grudge match but took a wild turn in the semi's. Hines, who had run 7.36 in round to beat Greg Underdahl and 7.37 to beat red-lighting John Smith, had to be stunned when Seeling red-lighted by just .002-second against Dave Schultz in the semi's. In turn, both Schultz and Seeling had to be stunned when Schultz's Suzuki bogged just off the starting line as he had left the starting line in third gear.
There was no such magic in the final round though as Hines' 7.34 easily handled Schultz's 7.46.
Pro Stock Bike results
Randy Daniels |
Randy Daniels scored his third Pro Stock Truck title of the season when Brad Jeter fouled by just four-thousandths of a second. Daniels had defeated David Spitzer with a 7.77, Don Smith with a 7.741, and engine builder Steve Johns, behind the wheel of Osborne's truck this weekend, 7.73 to 7.74.
Jeter had let loose a steady barrage of winning times, running a pair of 7.743s to trailer Dominic Surace and Tim Freeman, then taking a quicker-still 7.73 bye run in the semifinals, but his .396 foul denied him his second win of the season.
Pro Stock Truck results
The final round in Federal-Mogul Dragster pitted Federal-Mogul Allstars champ Bill Reichert, the No. 4 qualifier, against two-time 1999 runner-up Michael Gunderson, the No. 2 qualifier. Gunderson collected the win with a 5.62 when Reichert crossed the centerline behind him.
Federal-Mogul Dragster results
Former season champs Frank Manzo and Tony Bartone, the No. 1 and 2 qualifiers in Federal-Mogul Funny Car, squared off in the final round in a rematch of their money round at the Mopar Parts Nationals, won by Bartone. Bartone repeated that feat in a close race decided by just .007-second, 5.70 to 5.71, to score his third win of the year over Manzo, the reigning Federal-Mogul champ who already has three wins this season.
Federal-Mogul Funny Car results
Steve Ambrose and Jason Coan, the Nos. 2 and 3 qualifier, faced off in the Comp final. Ambrose, who had been nailed with a .06-second CIC penalty in defeating David Rampy in the quarterfinals, got the free pass to the winner's circle when Coan red-lighted. Ambrose had been runner-up twice already this year.
Comp results
Former season champ Peter Biondo, a winner in Super Stock already this season with a victory at the Pennzoil Nationals in Virginia, showcased that skill with an unbeatable package in the final round, tying a .505 light to a 10.365 on a 10.36 dial to force Larry Stewart to break out.
Super Stock results
In Stock, Randy Parker scored his first national event victory, driving his L/SA entry to the winner's circle with a final-round win over Scott Welborn, who broke out in his G/SA machine.
Stock results
Mark Hutson scored his first career title in Super Comp, tying a 8.994 to a .411 light to defeat the 9.00 of Steve Witherow, who had upset Edmond Richardson in the semifinals.
Super Comp results
Mitch Smith also collected his first national event title, using a final-round 10.01 in the final round of Super Gas to defeat veteran David Tatum.
Super Gas results
