Tue, 30 Sep 2003, 04:31 PM Third annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals Special Awards

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

JOLIET, Ill. -- Special awards from the Third annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

Best Appearing Car - Doug Gumbert's Super Gas entry. Driver: Doug Gumbert, Amelia, Ohio.

Best Appearing Crew - Champion Packaging Top Fuel entry. Driver: Tony Zizzo Jr., Round Lake, Ill.

Hedman Hedders Best Engineered Vehicle Award ($1,000 to the best engineered vehicle) - B.R.E. Incorporated Competition Eliminator entry. Owners: Bob and Suzanne Book. Driver: Richard Bourke, Norwood, N.J.

Budweiser Shootout At Pomona Award ($4,000 to the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel) - Doug Kalitta, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mac Tools dragster, 4.428 seconds, 333.00 mph.

Budweiser Shootout At Indianapolis Award ($4,000 to the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car) - Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T, 4.725 seconds, 324.05 mph.

NHRA King Demon Crown Award ($3,000 to the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock) - Greg Anderson, Concord, N.C., Vegas General Const. Pontiac Grand Am, 6.739 seconds, 205.01 mph.

Motel 6 "Who Got the Light" Award ($1,000 to the individual Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock driver who earns a round win in eliminations by the narrowest margin.) - Jim Yates defeated Gene Wilson by .0037-of-a-second margin of victory in the first round of Pro Stock eliminations.

Strange Engineering "Perfectly Strange" Performance Award ($250 bonus to the first racer in Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street who wins an elimination round by running dead-on their dial-in or index) -Mark Faul, Super Comp; and Terry Eckard, Super Gas.