Sun, Feb 7, 01:57 PM Weather Ideal for Sunday Eliminations

by Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Good morning from sunny Pomona Raceway, site of the 39th annual NHRA AutoZone Winternationals. Racing today will wrap up eliminations in all the Professional categories and at least some of the Sportsman categories. However, with the rain delays Thursday and Friday and the oildowns Saturday, some Sportsman categories may have to return Monday to finish their portion of the event.

Weather should not be a factor today - it's sunny but cool, the forecast high this afternoon predicted to be around 62 degrees. That should produce almost ideal racing conditions for the high-horsepower categories and we could easily see the first-ever run in the 4.40s today.

The buzz in the pits is "five-disk clutch." Most of the Top Fuel teams and some of the Funny Car teams are now using the five-disk variety, which offers more potential for downtrack control. As Mike Dunn explained after his rocket-ride 4.503 second, 313.22 mph number-one qualifying run, the quickest elapsed time ever, the four-disk clutches are "welded together" by half-track. The five-disk assemblies dissipate the heat a little better and allow the crew chiefs to delay full lockup a little longer. If you look at the Top Fuel qualifying sheet you can see the result, quicker elapsed times at lower top-end speeds.

Cory McClenathan has recovered from his intestinal distress and will compete today. He's in the first pair out today, against Doug Herbert.

John Force not only laid down two great passes yesterday, he was also in rare form in the media center afterward. He is lean (15 pounds lighter) and mean, demonstrating a much more focused approach than in years past. For a complete story of Force's media interview, check out Phil Burgess' fine article at www.nhraonline.com. While you are there, check out the "towercam" and follow the links to broadcast.com for a RealAudio broadcast of the track PA announcers. Combined with our reports, it's almost as good as being here. Well, not really, but it's a good alternative.

Two of the big off-season stories will meet in the first round of Funny Car eliminations today, with Frank Pedregon, the surprise driver of the new Penthouse car, racing IHRA Pro Mod champion Scotty Cannon. No matter how that one comes out, it will make a good story.

Warren Johnson dominates the Pro Stock ladder. WJ is running in a class by himself, with a 0.037 second advantage over his son Kurt. That's an eternity in Pro Stock, where lane choice and one or two-hundredths holeshots often determine the outcome. If he drives as well as he did last year, the only question will be, "Who was the runner-up?"

Pro Stock Truck competition this year will feature two rounds of eliminations on Saturday, with the final two rounds on Sunday, "with the big boys." Because of the rain delays, the trucks will run three rounds today, and if they continue running the way they did yesterday, Tim Freeman and Larry Kopp will give us a show. Freeman nipped Kopp for the number-one-qualifier spot, but then Kopp nipped Freeman for the new national ET record in round one.

The start of eliminations is set for 11:00 AM PST. Check back later today and we'll let you know how it all comes out, and whether or not we'll have to come back tomorrow to finish up Sportsman eliminations.



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