Sun, 13 Jan 2002, 06:46 AM Congratulations To The Champs!

By Bob Frey

One sure way to know that a new drag racing season is about to begin, is when you see all of the NHRA divisions holding their annual banquets and award’s presentations. Most of those will take place this weekend, and I’ll have the privilege of hosting the Division 1 festivities, while other notables like Leo Taugher, Bruce Kamada and Ken Stout will be holding court in the other divisions. On behalf of all of us who follow the sportsman racing, I’d like to say congratulations to all of the champions, from the Top Alcohol Dragster drivers to the Jr. Dragster kingpins.

Rick Santos

Speaking of champions, one champion has told me that he will return to racing action in an attempt to defend his title in 2002 is Rick Santos. After lots of rumors about him going to Top Fuel, rumors which seem to crop up every year, Rick told me that he will be at the Winternationals in the Jack O’Bannon dragster next month. Running a refurbished version of the champ car from last year, Rick, his dad and Mr. O’Bannon will start the season off at a track that has been extremely good to them over the past few years. How good? Well, Rick has won the Winternationals every year since 1998, and has won the "Finals" at Pomona for the last three seasons. Throw in a 1996 title at the season opener and you have the most dominant car at the fairgrounds in any class. And, just for the record, Rick won his first national event ever at Pomona back in 1991, when he beat the great Blaine Johnson in the final round. Rick loves Pomona! Still, it will be interesting to watch the team run, since their crew chief of the past few years, Norm Grimes, has, indeed, signed up to work with Jerry Toliver this year. Of course, as good as Norm is, and he is very good, I do seem to recall the Santos family doing rather well on their own for quite a few years. Anybody who wants to win the Winternationals will certainly have to contend with Rick, his dad and the rest of the team at Pomona, Good luck, you’re going to need it. And, while the team will not have the backing of Oakwood Homes this year, I’m sure that some smart company president will give them a call before too long. That’s just too good a team to go unsponsored for any period of time. Now that I think about it, how’s this for a scenario? Norm goes over to Toliver’s team, with the blessing, and maybe the financial support, of Mr. O’Bannon, he learns lots of stuff about the fuel motors and the class in general, and then returns to be the crew chief on a Rick Santos driven, Jack O’Bannon owned top fuel car? Hey, I like it!!

With Rick staying with the O’Bannon team, that leaves the seat in the Edgecombe family car open, a seat which Rick helped to build by the way. If everything goes according to what I’m hearing, look for former U.S. Nationals’ champion, Darren Nicholson, to get that ride this year. I’m not saying that it’s a done deal, I’m just saying that that’s what I’ve heard. Darren is a great driver and the Edgecombe car has shown great potential over the past couple of seasons. Together, they cold be a formidable combo in 2002 Of course, Paul Jones in the Darien and Meadows car may be the early line favorite to win the Winternats…Jon Capps, the brother of Funny Car driver, Ron Capps, should also be at Pomona racing in the alcohol class. He’ll be in a funny car and the team should make a formal announcement real soon, if they haven’t by the time you read this….And look for one of the long time, great west coast teams to announce soon that they’ll be back together. All in all, the alcohol classes on the west coast should be very exciting this year.

Frank Manzo has his car ready and he is raring to go racing this year. The "Ace," the undisputed champion of the class for the past five years, will get his 11^th divisional championship trophy this weekend in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Bob Newberry and Paul Gill will be honored for finishing second and third respectively. For any aspiring alcohol funny car drivers out there, I have a word of advice for you, don’t begin your career in Division 1….Wouldn’t it be great if Frank decided to go to Pomona this year? He’s done it in the past and it always makes for a better show when Frankie gets to mix it up with Pat Austin, Bucky Austin, the Gasparrelli’s and the rest of those D-7 guys. Of course, a lot of us remember the year when Bob Newberry headed west and ripped through the Winternationals’ field. It was 1991 and the "Newb" qualified number one, and then beat Hugh Kelly, Brett Williamson, Lou Gasparrelli and Bucky Austin to win the race. The very next year, he won the World Championship. Manzo last won the season opener in 1997, and he did so by qualifying right behind Tony Bartone, and then by beating Bernie Harrington, Wayne Stoeckel, Pat Austin and John Geyer. A guy by the name of Von Smith was the first alternate at that race, by the way.

So, as the banquet season wraps up, and the new year swings into high hear, let’s congratulate the 2001 champions and tell them to enjoy the weekend, because starting real soon, the rest of the sportsman racers are coming after you. And let’s all be glad that Rick Santos will be at Pomona, because it just wouldn’t be the same without him, would it?