Posted: Monday July 28, 2003 10:50 AM
Updated: Monday July 28, 2003 1:07 PM
KENT, Wash. (AP) -- John Force won his second straight Funny Car
race Sunday at Pacific Raceways near Seattle.
Force won at Bandimere Speedway last weekend and will try to win
the three-race Western Swing at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
He beat Whit Bazemore in the Funny Car final Sunday for his
108th career victory, covering the quarter mile in 5.036 seconds at
300.80 mph in his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang.
Bazemore, in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus, recorded a 5.215 at
272.28 mph.
"I'm not thinking championship," said Force, winner of the
last 10 NHRA Funny Car titles. "I can still win the championship,
but I feel my job is to take out the other contenders for Tony
(Pedregon). I got so far behind early in the season that I am still
in the role of the helper. Tony won't be down for long."
Larry Dixon and Greg Anderson also were winners in their
respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the 14th of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Dixon claimed his seventh victory of the season and 32nd of his
career by clocking a 4.672 at 316.82 mph to defeat Doug Kalitta,
who ran 4.739 at 306.95 mph.
Dixon also is in position to win the Western Swing, which
includes consecutive races in Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.
Only three drivers have won the Western Swing in NHRA history.
(Cory McClenathan, 1997, Top Fuel; Force, 1994, Funny Car; and Joe
Amato, 1991, Top Fuel).
Anderson won his sixth race of the season and 10th of his career
and increased his points lead by defeating Larry Morgan in a
Pontiac vs. Dodge final round. Anderson's Pontiac Grand Am powered
to a run of 6.858 seconds at 202.09 mph to hold off Morgan's
charging Dodge Stratus, which clocked a 6.910 at 200.14.
Carquest Auto Parts Nationals Results
Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon. 2. Doug Kalitta. 3. Kenny Bernstein. 4. Tony Schumacher. 5. David Baca. 6. Scott Weis. 7. Darrell Russell. 8. David Grubnic. 9. Cory McClenathan. 10. Paul Romine. 11. Mike Strasburg. 12. Doug Herbert. 13. Don Sosenka. 14. Rhonda Hartman-Smith. 15. John Smith. 16. Ron Smith.
Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang. 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus. 3. Cruz Pedregon, Pontiac Firebird. 4. Johnny Gray, Firebird. 5. Arnie Karp, Firebird. 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Camaro. 7. Gary Scelzi, Stratus. 8. Del Worsham, Firebird. 9. Scotty Cannon, Firebird. 10. Tim Wilkerson, Firebird. 11. Frank Pedregon, Firebird. 12. Tony Pedregon, Mustang. 13. Bob Gilbertson, Camaro. 14. Ron Capps, Camaro. 15. Gary Densham, Mustang. 16. Dean Skuza, Firebird.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am. 2. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus R/T. 3. Warren Johnson, Grand Am. 4. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cavalier. 5. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am. 6. Greg Stanfield, Dodge Neon. 7. Allen Johnson, Stratus R/T. 8. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier. 9. Dave Connolly, Cavalier. 10. Scott Geoffrion, Ford ZX2. 11. Mike Edwards, Grand Am. 12. V. Gaines, Cavalier. 13. Terry Adams, Cavalier. 14. Gene Wilson, Stratus R/T. 15. JR Carr, Cavalier. 16. Barry Grant, Cavalier.
Driver Standings
Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon, 1,345. 2. Doug Kalitta, 1,094. 3. Darrell Russell, 826. 4. Cory McClenathan, 746. 5. Tony Schumacher, 721. 6. John Smith, 654. 7. Doug Herbert, 650. 8. David Baca, 638. 9. Brandon Bernstein, 629. 10. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 546.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, 1,174. 2. Whit Bazemore, 1,111. 3. John Force, 933. 4. Del Worsham, 887. 5. Gary Densham, 826. 6. Ron Capps, 798. 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., 727. 8. Johnny Gray, 655. 9. Cruz Pedregon, 634. 10. Frank Pedregon, 632.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, 1,239. 2. Kurt Johnson, 1,127. 3. Warren Johnson, 943. 4. Jeg Coughlin, 865. 5. Ron Krisher, 639. 6. Allen Johnson, 633. 7. Mike Edwards, 593. 8. Scott Geoffrion, 584. 9. Bruce Allen, 547. 10. Greg Stanfield, 509.
