For some at the 15th annual Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, it was retribution for a season-opener gone bad. And for others still, the trip to Firebird Int'l Raceway in Phoenix provided affirmation of their weekend at the AutoZone Winternationals three weeks ago.
Five-time Winston champ Joe Amato, who had yet to make it down the track this season in his new Tenneco dragster, through pre-race testing and his disappointing failure to qualify at the Winternationals, the Pennsylvania Pro had it rough.
But Amato showed why he has five championships to his credit by thundering back into contention in Arizona and topping it with a solid 456 to 464 final-round victory over Kenny Bernstein.
The race was highlighted in round one by Tony Schumacher, who blasted to the sport's first 330-mph clocking, a 330.23-mph blast against Dave Grubnic, but Schumacher was unable to back up the number for a new national record.
Amato opened his account with a stout 4.558, 321.04 thrashing of Paul Romine's cylinder-dropping 4.76, then followed with a consistent 4.564, 323.35 to easily dispatch Cory McClenathan's 5.132 198.47. All eyes were glued to the track as Amato squared off against Schumacher in the semifinals, but the race proved anticlimactic as Schumacher puffed the tires at 100 feet and watched Amato disappear into the distance with a 4.60, 318.24.
Bernstein lost traction at midtrack against Bruce Sarver in round one, but it mattered little as Sarver double-stepped the throttle and red-lighted. Bernstein also should have been in trouble in round two against Mike Dunn, who was well ahead of the Bud King at half-track, but then broke something. Dunn could only coast to a 5.02 at just 202 while Bernstein thundered to victory with a 4.73, 300.86. Bernstein's driving decided his semifinal match as his 4.631 defeated Doug Herbert's cylinder-dropping 4.634 by a larger margin than indicated thanks to a holeshot.
"They had me down and out in Beverly Hills," said Amato, "but when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Our team worked hard to get us back, and we got a little payback. It's always exciting to win, but even more so when you beat the Bud King." Top Fuel results
Cruz Pedregon also failed to qualify at the Winternationals, but the 1992 Winston champ fell one round shy of Amato's feat as he lost in the final round of Funny Car to longtime rival John Force, who set low e.t. of 4.84 at 317 mph to defeat Pedregon, whose mount spun the tires at the top end and dropped cylinders.
Force was solidly in the 4.80s through all four rounds with the Castrol GTX Mustang, opening with a 4.896, 301.40 to defeat Randy Anderson then a 4.855, 308.43 to beat up-in-smoke Al Hofmann in round two. Force then advanced to the final round with a4.893 305.70 to defeat his teammate, Winternationals champ Tony Pedregon, who shook the tires to a 6.26 loss.
Pedregon ran a solid 4.89 in the opening round to defeat Mitch McDowell, then followed with a 4.946, 305.42 to wrestle away a second-round win from Jerry Toliver, who red-lighted in the WWF Pontiac after a short burndown. Pedregon then ran 4.918, 299.13 to end car owner Chuck Etchells' hopes of a repeat with new driver Whit Bazemore, who slowed to a 5.052, 305.42. Funny Car results
Troy Coughlin, who lost in the final round of the Winternationals to his younger brother, Jeg Jr., fell for the second straight event in the money round and again as the result of handling problems. Kurt Johnson, who had defeated Ron Krisher, Steve Schmidt, and Jeg Jr. with runs of 6.95, 6.99, and 7.00, powered to a 6.97 at 197 mph as Coughlin, whose best run in eliminations was a 7.02, got out of the groove and had to lift in the middle of the track.
The results were a direct contrast to Johnson's Pro Stock debut in Phoenix back in 1993, when he overbraked at the top end, lost control and hit the guardrail after going upside-down. That was not lost on K.J.
"In 1993 we were upside down in the guardrail," he recalled, "but you have to forget those things and head to the winner's circle." Pro Stock results
In Federal-Mogul Dragster, reigning U.S. Nationals champ Darren Nicholson nailed a clutch .409 reaction time and followed with a 5.50 at 255 mph to hand Winternationals runner-up Dale Carlson his second straight final-round defeat at 5.55, 251 mph.
It was a great day of racing for Nicholson, who defeated No. 1 qualifier Rick Henkelman in the semi's and No. 2 qualifier Rick Santos in the second round. Federal-Mogul Dragster results
Reigning Federal Mogul Funny Car champ Frank Manzo, gunning for his third straight title at this event, showed why he is so tough as he slapped a holeshot on Winternationals runner-up Pete Swayne and relegated him to a second straight second place, 5.71, 252 to a quicker 5.70, 251.
Manzo made it to the final round by defeating another three-time event winner and former Winston champ, Pat Austin, 5.73 to 5.77. Federal-Mogul Funny Car results
Winternationals Comp champ Alan Freese, who won this race last year as a crewmember on Bart Price's team with this same car, made it two straight when he defeated John Linton in the final round, (-.48) 8.370 to the D/ED driver's (-.464) 7.716. Comp results
Veteran Abe Loewen won Super Stock in his SS/DM entry with a 9.48 on his 9.47 dial-under to defeat SS/GA pilot Fred Moreno's 10.10 on a 10.07 effort. Super Stock results
Bernie Cunningham took the Stock title in his H/SA entry in a near heads-up, double-breakout go with I/SA driver Chad Loge. Cunningham ran 11.929 on his 11.94 dial to beat Loge's close 11.928 on an 11.95 target. Stock results
Local favorite Tom Yancer came within two-thousandths of a second of taking a popular win in Super Comp, but his 8.968 was just under the 8.97 index, handing the win to veteran Mike Ferderer, who won with a safe 9.015. Super Comp results
Larry Marshall scored his first career win in Super Gas when he defeated Division 4 hitter Frank Kohutek with a great final-round package, hitting a .406 reaction time and a 9.985 on the 9.98 index to drive Kohutek way under with a 9.947. Super Gas results
The Super Street final also was decided by inches, as Glendale, Ariz., drivers Keith Manogue and Tim Landis squared off. Landis got the better light, .512 to .526, but pushed too hard and broke out by seven-thousandths of a second with a 10.983 on the 10.99 index. Manogue was safe for the win with an 11.013. Super Street results
