Wed, 22 Oct 2003, 09:59 AM ACDELCO Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Fact Sheet

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

LAS VEGAS -- The Third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, the 22nd of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in four categories earn points leading to 2003 NHRA POWERade championships.

Sportsman competitors in five categories earn points leading to 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.

WHERE: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada. From the Las Vegas Strip or McCarran International Airport, take I-15 north approximately 15 miles north of downtown to Speedway Blvd. Turn right.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 23-26.

PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $1.6 million.

SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, Oct. 23 -- Sportsman qualifying and time trials, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, Oct. 24 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 7:30 a.m. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct. 25 -- Sportsman eliminations begin at 7:30. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Oct. 26 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Saturday, Oct. 25, ESPN2 will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 11:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 26, ESPN2 will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at noon (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 26, ESPN will televise two hours of early eliminations at 5 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 26, ESPN2 will televise two hours of final eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET).

2002 EVENT WINNERS: Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Jeg Coughlin, Pro Stock; Angelle Savoie, Pro Stock Bike.

WHAT TO EXPECT: With two of the four 2003 POWERade championships and bonus checks in the hands of Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), all eyes will be focused on the battle for the Funny Car championship between points leader Tony Pedregon and second place driver Whit Bazemore. After losing his season-long points lead to Bazemore in September a week later, Pedregon regained his place atop the standings after winning his seventh race of the year at Joliet, Ill. Entering the fall event at The Strip, Pedregon holds a 114-point edge over Bazemore and his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus. Bazemore can't be solely focused on chasing down Pedregon because Pedregon's teammate and 12-time series champion John Force is only 63 points behind Bazemore after earning his 109th career victory at Dallas. Dixon clinched his second straight Top Fuel title with a semifinal finish at Texas Motorplex earlier this month. The Miller Lite driver has 58 round wins this season and looks to reach his goal of 60 round victories in 2003. If Dixon is to reach his goal, he needs to avoid the likes of Tony Schumacher, who set the E.T. record at 4.441-seconds in his U.S. Army dragster earlier this month; Scott Kalitta, who clocked the fastest run in NHRA history (333.95-mph) in Dallas; and legend Shirley Muldowney, who will make her next-to-last career start at LVMS following a 30-year career in Top Fuel. In the Pro Stock Bike ranks, points leader Geno Scali holds a 151-point margin over second place rider Shawn Gann. Scali must leave the Vegas event leading by 139 points in order to earn his first career POWERade championship. Greg Anderson has dominated the factory Hot Rods the entire 2003 campaign. Anderson has won a category-best 10 races, set both ends of the performance records in New Jersey in May (6.670 seconds at 207.18 mph) and secured his first NHRA championship at Dallas. Now, the only thing left for Anderson to accomplish is the category single season win mark set by Darrell Alderman with 11 victories in 1991. If Anderson hopes to win the final two events, he'll need to hold off 2002 Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin and second place driver Kurt Johnson.

FAST FACTS: Larry Dixon is the fifth driver in NHRA history to win at least two consecutive NHRA series championships inTop Fuel. Dixon joins Gary Scelzi ('97-'98), Scott Kalitta ('94-'95), Joe Amato ('90-'93) and Don Garlits ('85-'86). Amato is the only driver to win three consecutive Top Fuel championships...Either Tony Pedregon or Whit Bazemore will become only the 10th different NHRA Funny Car champion since 1974. Pedregon could join his brother Cruz as the only two drivers other than Force to win the Funny Car title since 1990... NHRA POWERade champion Greg Anderson has already had one of the most impressive seasons in NHRA Pro Stock history. In addition to establishing the national record for both time (6.670 seconds) and speed (207.18 mph), 10 victories on the year (one shy of the NHRA Pro Stock single-season record, Darrell Alderman, 1991), 13 final round appearances (one shy of the NHRA Pro Stock single-season record, Jeg Coughlin, 2001; Alderman, 1991) and has 12 No. 1 qualifying positions (third all-time to Warren Johnson, 15, 1999). He also has established the track record for time at nine events this season, and at 12 tracks for speed...Geno Scali could capture his first NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike championship of his career if he can leave the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 139-point lead or greater over his closest competitor in the standings. Scali would break a streak of three consecutive titles won by Angelle Savoie. Prior to Savoie's three straight crowns, Matt Hines won three consecutive championships in the two-wheel category.

ABOUT THE TRACK: The state-of-the-art Las Vegas Motor Speedway is regarded as one of the premier motorsports facilities in the country. Located on 1,600 acres, LVMS officially opened in 1995. The multi-purpose motorsports complex includes a 1.5-mile Superspeedway, half-mile dirt oval, a 3/8 mile paved oval, a quarter-mile drag strip, road courses and various go-kart and motocross tracks. Speedway Motorsports Inc., purchased the facility in 1998. The drag strip, which is called 'The Strip', was completed in the spring of 2000, featured the first of its kind corporate suites located along the back of the spectator grandstands. A foot tunnel underneath the drag strip allows spectators easy access between the west and east grandstands.

TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel-4.499 seconds by Doug Kalitta, April 2003; 332.75 mph by Larry Dixon, April 2003
Funny Car-- 4.748 seconds by Whit Bazemore, Oct. 2001; 326.56 mph by Gary Densham, April 2003
Pro Stock-- 6.875 seconds by Greg Anderson, April 2003; 201.73 mph by Kurt Johnson, April 2003

NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel-- 4.441 seconds (Oct. 2003, Reading, Pa.), 333.00 mph (Sept. 2003,Joliet, Ill.) by Doug
Kalitta
Funny Car-- 4.721 seconds (May 2003, Joliet, Ill.) by John Force; 329.18 mph (Sept. 2003,
Joliet, Ill.) by Gary Scelzi.
Pro Stock-- 6.670 seconds (May 2003, Englishtown, N.J.) by Greg Anderson; 207.18 mph (May 2003,
Englishtown, N.J.) by Anderson.
Pro Stock Bike -- 7.049 seconds (May 2002, Englishtown, N.J.) by Angelle Savoie; 194.10 mph (May
2001, Englishtown, N.J.) by Matt Hines.

TICKETS: For tickets call The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, (702) 644-4444. Tickets also available at www.lvms.com.

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Thursday: Adult, $10; Junior (6-12 years), free. Friday: Adult, $25; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Saturday: Adult, $40; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $50; Junior (6-12 years) $15; Child (5 years and under), free with paying adult in general admission and pit access areas each day.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $35; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years and under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $50; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years and under), $10. Sunday: Adult, $60; Junior (6-12 years), $25; Child (5 years and under), $10.