Final eliminations for the 30th annual Mac Tools Gatornationals got off to a slow start Sunday morning when a small rain shower passed over Gainesville Raceway, but the event quickly gathered speed and thundered to an historic finish. Fans who helped make Friday and Saturday the biggest days in NHRA event history, returned to overflow the Florida facility and helped make the four-day crowd an event record as well.
The fanatic Florida fans saw all-time bests and national records shattered and a hint of high-dollar drama in Top Fuel to boot.
Mike Dunn
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Mike Dunn scored a popular win for Florida-based team owner Darrell Gwynn and his second victory of the season when he defeated Doug Herbert in an exciting final round. Herbert, who could have cashed in on a $100,000 bonus from the Winston No Bull Challenge program, fell just short, his 4.56 falling just shy of the 4.55 registered by the AutoZone Winternationals champ.
The victory for Dunn was the 18th of his career and came in his second Gatornationals final round; he lost the 1997 final to Joe Amato. Top Fuel results
John Force, who was on the receiving end of some verbal jabs from his peers after he lost his low qualifying spot late in qualifying, had the last laugh when he scored his 72nd career victory. Force turned back the upset bid of Cory Lee, in Tom Hoover's entry, in the final round. Force, who set the a new national speed record of 324.05 in the semifinals, ran a stout 4.819, 311.92 to defeat Lee, who smoked the tires. Funny Car results
Warren Johnson
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Warren Johnson repeated his 1998 Gatornationals triumph with a final-round defeat of his son, Kurt, winner of the recent Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, to claim his 73rd career victory.
Johnson's GM Goodwrench Service Plus Firebird set the national elapsed time record at 6.866 seconds and the speed record at 201.37 mph, eclipsing the 6.867, 201.34 mph marks he set in Dallas in October, 1998. W.J.'s record-setting run also erased the Gainesville Raceway track records he set at 6.873/201.20 at last year's Gatornationals.
Johnson defeated his son easily with one of his slowest efforts of the weekend, a 6.97 at 199-mph, as Kurt had troubles and slowed to a 7.25. Pro Stock results
Pro Stock Bike low qualifier Angelle Seeling completed a dazzling day of eliminations by running 7.22 in the final round to chase down John Smith's holeshot-aided 7.26 by just .004-second. Seeling earlier had set the new national record at 7.212 while Smith made the fastest run in class history, 192.22. Pro Stock Bike results
Mark Osborn
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Mark Osborne, competing in just his second career Pro Stock Truck race ran the table, setting the national e.t. record at 7.529 in the semifinals and winning the event from the No. 1 qualifier's position. Osborne sealed the win with a 7.53 to 7.59 victory over Todd Patterson. Pro Stock Truck results
Troy Buff took the Federal-Mogul Dragster title with a 5.50 to defeat Gary Parks Jr.'s 5.57 in his A/Fuel Dragster entry. It was the second career win for Buff, who won his first last year at the Pennzoil Nationals in Memphis. Federal-Mogul Dragster results
Todd Paton scored his third career Federal-Mogul Funny Car victory victory and his first at the Gatornationals with a daring 5.99, 286.61 as he car got loose, but he hung on to defeat former season champ Tony Bartone, who also got loose and slowed to a 7.38. Federal-Mogul Funny Car results
Steve Ambrose, who won the Gatornationals in 1996 and '91, was denied his third win by 1998 Sears Craftsman Nationals champ Don Stratton, whose better reaction time and a (-.48) 8.12 earned him his second career title over Ambrose's quicker-but-later (-.54) 7.88. Comp results
Lincoln Morehead defeated Scotty Richardson in a double-break out Super Stock final. Morehead, winner of the 1997 Fram Nationals, was .004-second under his dial in the final while Richardson just missed his 28th career title by going .005-second under. Super Stock results
Lee Bannister defeated Floridian Ron Ortiz by just .002-second to take the Stock final round. Both drivers broke out, Bannister by .012-second and Ortiz by two-thousandths more for the loss. Stock results
Frank Kohutek, who defeated Edmond Richardson in the semifinals, ran an 8.91 to defeat first-time finalist Paul Naumenko, who broke out with an 8.89, in the final round of Super Comp. Super Comp results
Ricky Hall, gunning for his third career victory, red-lighted by just .003-second in the final round to give John Gant his first career NHRA national-event win, Super Gas results
