Fri, 18 Jan 2002, 03:22 PM CHANDLER - Friday Preview -The 2002 Drag Racing Season Begins

By Dave Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - The winter downtime is over! It's time to get back to racing again. The first test session of the 2002 season starts today at Phoenix International Raceway, with the National Time Trials this weekend.

We will have three days of test and tune from many of the top drivers and race cars from across the nation.

The weather is a little on the cold side with the temperature currently at 54 degrees, humidity at 41%, and the barometer at 30.17 inches and falling. It was cloudy earlier, but the track is starting to warm up with bright direct sunlight.

As I drove through the pits this morning, we already have a good turnout of professional racers. Among the early arrivals were the 2001 number one and two Top Fuel Dragsters of Kenny Bernstein and Larry Dixon. Among the other dragster present are Bill Miller and his new driver Ken Zeal, Don Schumacher and the Army Team, Doug Herbert, Russell and Amato's new Bilstein Engine Flush dragster, and Robert Reehl dragster with a new paint job.

The Funny Car contingent is represented so far by the three John Force cars (plus Ashley Force's Super Comp dragster), Bazemore and Cannon, Cruz Pedregon, Gary Scelzi in Allen Johnson's car (no paint yet), Ron Capps and Tommy Johnson, Del Worsham and Johnny Gray, Jerry Toliver, and Al Hofmann in Jim Dunn's new K&N car.

The only Top Alcohol cars so far were the Funny Cars of Dennis Taylor in the new Cooner livery, Jon Capps in the Jackson Racing Team's car, and Jay Paine in the Valvoline car.

The rest of the sportsman pits were virtually empty with only a few local Super Comp dragsters, so far.

It's been very quiet so far, with less than a dozen sportsman cars making runs. However, things are starting to get noisy in the Professional pits, as the teams start their warm up procedures.

I've seen a number of additional trailers pulling in the gates, so the pace should start to pick up soon.

I'll be posting any significant events during the day and a recap of the day's activities this evening.