Gone Racin��.to the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

Rain, that four letter curse word among car racers everywhere, raised its head at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, on November 7, 2002, and continued to pour out its wrath for two more days. Torrential downpours doomed the race for Friday and Saturday. NHRA was forced into repeated staff meetings as they tried to determine how to bring this season ending race to a close. The weather abated on Sunday and the racing began in earnest. Qualifying was impossible and the officials went with the best solution to an impossible scenario, in order to get the race finished, and the year�s champions crowned. Using a mix of best qualifying times from Thursday, with the top ten season leading teams, a field of sixteen was arrived at, in the four professional categories. This produced as orderly a race as could be expected under the circumstances, leading to a few surprises, but keeping the integrity of the race intact. Andrew Cowin, the Aussie from downunder, started in the number 16 position, but rallied to upset topseeded Darrell Russell. Cowin gamely hung in there and beat Jim Head before falling to eventual winner, Cory McClenathan. Yuichi Oyama, starting in the number 11 position, upset Kenny Bernstein, Doug Kalitta and Doug Herbert, to reach the finals. In a close race, Cory �Mac� beat the newcomer from Tokyo, Japan, to claim the Finals in Top Fuel.

Funny Car saw the end of a nerve-racking season for John Force, as he battled both of his team members for the championship. First came the challenge from Gary Densham who surged toward the top at the beginning of the season, only to see Force come back and reclaim the lead. Then it was the turn of Tony Pedregon, who came into the Finals trailing by only 31 points. In the end, Tony just ran out of rounds in which to overtake his boss and claim the championship. Force beat Pedregon in the semi-finals and then beat Tommy Johnson Jr, to claim the Funny Car trophy, as well as his 12^th Funny Car Title. Kurt Johnson won the Pro Stock race, while Matt Hines raced through a strong Pro Stock Bike field to earn his trophy. The Sportsman categories ran until dark on Sunday, and then continued on into Monday, finishing up just in time for the winning teams to rush to the Kodak Theater, in Hollywood, for the presentations of the season championship winners. During the rain delays, and especially on Friday night, spectators, fans, drivers, sponsors and crews met over at the NHRA Motorsports Museum, at the far end of the Fairplex grounds, to see the exhibits and visit with friends. A special tribute was held for Kenny Bernstein, and his �Forever Red� final tour, before his retirement from driving. Kenny will be back next year as a team owner, and will hire his son, Brandon, to drive the car. The Friday night open house is held twice a year and attracts over a thousand drag racers and fans.

The NHRA Awards Ceremony ended the season on a dry and warm autumn evening, at the Kodak Theater, in Hollywood, California. This is an event all drag racers ought to make the effort to attend. Entry to the Ceremony is free, providing that you call for reservations, and business attire is required. The Awards Ceremony is quicker, wittier and much more enjoyable to watch than the Academy Awards, which also used the Kodak Theater for its site. Announcers such as Bob Frey and Parker Johnstone, are outstanding. Short movie videos of John Force, Kenny Bernstein and other drivers and crew members are hilarious, including a scene of a concerned Force looking for alien crop circles, and encountering Kenny, tamping down the hay in order to make a �Forever Red� Budweiser logo. Honors were given to Buster Couch (posthumously), for his lifetime of dedicated service to the sport, and to Powerade and GM. Angelle Savoie accepted the check and Trophy for her 3^rd consecutive championship, and gave a profound and deeply felt acceptance speech. Jeg Coughlin Jr, won the points championship in Pro Stock, which was his second one overall. John Force won his 12^th Funny Car Crown, and acknowledged that he owes it all to the 47 employees, including the two other drivers on his team, for his success. Force gave no indication of when he will step down and turn the keys over to younger drivers, though he is very proud of the racing achievements of his daughter, Ashley, and plans on helping her learn the craft. Larry Dixon accepted the championship trophy and check from Powerade, and praised the crew, sponsors and fans for helping him to reach his first championship. A special tribute was given to Kenny Bernstein, with a video of �The King� from the very beginning of his career to the present.

Gone Racin� can be reached at [email protected] or visit our website @ www.oilstick.com

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