The 30th annual Mopar Parts Nationals finally roared to a conclusion after a two-day rain delay after wet weather saturated Old Bridge Township Raceway Park and the surrounding New Jersey area.
Sunday's racing ended after two rounds of Professional eliminations, and Monday was a complete washout. Pro racing finally resumed at 11 a.m. Tuesday and the resulting two rounds continued some familiar themes.
John Force |
John Force won his sixth race in eight starts this season, continuing his Castrol team's complete domination of the 1999 Funny Car season. Joining Force in the Pro winner's circle were Joe Amato (Top Fuel), Richie Stevens (Pro Stock), Angelle Seeling (Pro Stock Bike), and Mike Coughlin (Pro Stock Truck).
Force was solidly in the fours throughout eliminations, taking a stunning 4.86 first-round victory from Del Worsham, who lost traction, pedaled the throttle, then had five rods exit the block in a fiery blast. Force then ran 4.952 to defeat Ron Capps, who a round earlier had scored his first win of the season; Capps smoked the tires almost immediately.
Force showed no ill effects of the two-day delay, blasting an up-in-smoke Tim Wilkerson with a 4.934 despite losing the engine on the top end.
Pedregon also suffered engine woes in his 5.02 semifinal conquest, which came at the expense of his younger brother and Force's teammate, Tony Pedregon, who lost traction immediately. Ironically, Cruz earned the right to race Tony by beating their older brother, Frank, in the second round Sunday with a 4.88 after a 4.933 defeat of Bob Gilbertson in round one.
Force won the final on a holeshot, defeating Pedregon, 4.878 to 4.873 after a .520 to .545 holeshot.
Funny Car results
Joe Amato |
Joe Amato won his second straight Englishtown Top Fuel title, defeating an up-sin-smoke Doug Herbert in the final round.
Herbert had been deadly consistent in Sunday's first two rounds, using a 4.58 to hold back Connie Kalitta's game 4.65 and a 4.59 to trounce Bob Vandergriff Jr.'s 4.71. Two days later, Herbert eked out a narrow 5.90 to 6.40 victory over Winston champ and low qualifier Gary Scelzi on a tricky track in the semifinals.
Amato had blasted Randy Parks in round one, 4.61 to 4.73 before beating points leader Mike Dunn with an awe-inspiring 4.552 to Dunn's 4.633. Come Tuesday, Amato looked a lot better than Herbert, using a 4.62 to end Kenny Bernstein's hopes for the Winston "No Bull" $100,000 bonus (Bernstein smoked the tires) and a 4.61 in the final.
Top Fuel results
Richie Stevens |
Stevens, runner-up at the last two events, finally made good with his second career victory, defeating Tom Martino in the final.
Stevens opened his account Sunday with an easy 6.96 to 7.213 conquest of Larry Nance, then dispatched the field's other Dodge, that of Allen Johnson, with a 6.97. Stevens then ended Dominator Duel champ Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s hopes for a rich double in a tight 6.94 to 6.96 semifinal duel.
Martino, who had lost in five straight first rounds this year, including three to Jim Yates, made sure those numbers would not escalate when he dropped Yates in round one with a 6.987.
Martino then ousted Terry Adams - who had defeated No. 1 qualifier Warren Johnson in round one - on a close 7.03 to 7.04 count. Two days later, Martino was back in the sixes for a 6.98 semifinal rout of Steve Schmidt, who shook the tires.
The final was a close one, as both drivers recorded e.t.s of 6.959, but Stevens' .444 to .458 holeshot proved the difference.
Pro Stock results
Seeling won her third title in four starts this year when she beat Greg Underdahl in a lopsided, 7.29 to 7.97 final-round tilt.
Seeling had defeated Jim Carter, 7.27 to 7.60, and Gary Tonglet, 7.23 to 7.38, before beating Tony Mullen Tuesday morning, 7.33 to 7.40.
Underdahl opened his run to the final by edging Steve Johnson in a close battle, 7.38 to 7.40, the cut a .403 light en route to beating John Smith, 7.33 to 7.37. Craig Treble, appearing in his first-ever semifinal, then red-lighted to Underdahl's 7.38 in the semi's with a .395 reaction.
Pro Stock Bike results
Coughlin's victory in Pro Stock Truck was his first, and he became the last of the four Coughlin brothers to win an NHRA national-event title. He certainly didn't take the easy route.
Coughlin opened his run by defeating last weekend's winner, Randy Daniels, 7.631 to 7.643, in a race that was not as close as the numbers might indicate thanks to a large Coughlin holeshot.
Coughlin then trailered points leader Mark Osborne with a another great light, a .410, that he coupled to a 7.664 to beat Osborne's .466-launched 7.624. Coughlin then beat red-hot Brad Jeter, 7.617 to 7.618 after both drivers had excellent lights of .408 and .412, respectively.
Coughlin's final-round opponent was Tim Freeman, who got steadily quicker as eliminations progressed, running 7.68, 7.63, and 7.60 to beat Larry Perkins, Jerry Haas, and Bob Panella Jr.
The final was a thrilling near dead-heat finish, with Coughlin again using a superior driving job, .448 to .471, to emerge with a 7.637 to 7.614 victory by less than a thousandth of a second.
Pro Stock Truck results
Rick Santos won his second straight race in Federal-Mogul Dragster as the Atlanta champ defeated Michael Gunderson in the final round, 5.42, 256.60 to a slowing 6.24, 169.64.
Federal-Mogul Funny Car results
In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Tony Bartone defeated low qualifier Frank Manzo in the final round with a 5.69, 253.33 after Manzo slowed to a 6.32.
Federal-Mogul Dragster results
John Frech, denied victory in the final round of Comp at the Pennzoil Nationals, didn't let a second win slip through his fingers as he powered his F/D past the street roadster of Santo Volpe in the final, (.596) 8.234 to (-.561) 8.059.
Comp results
Super Stock racers completed five rounds of eliminations Tuesday to determine a winner which ultimately proved to be former Winston Comp champ Sal Biondo, who defeated Jim Harrington in the final round, 10.85 (10.83 dial) to 10.19 (10.18 dial).
Super Stock results
After four rounds of Stock racing Tuesday, Joe DeMarzo emerged the champ, running an 11.76 (11.73 dial) to defeat Bill Tague, who ran 11.521 on an 11.52 dial but gave it away on the Tree with a .553 light to DeMarzo's .513.
Stock results
Local driver Marty Jones used a .403 light in the final round of Super Comp to force Californian John Spar into an 8.88 breakout. Spar's .442 light doomed him against Jones' fine 8.911.
Super Comp results
Frank Miller won a strange Super Gas final as Jim Fordyce's car was rocking back and forth, turning the staging light on and off, triggering a red light when the tree was activated.
Super Gas results
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