Tue, 16 Nov 2004, 03:33 PM Notes from Jim Luikens Reporter's Notebook

by Jim Luikens Photo copyright 2004 FastNews Network, Inc. at the 40th Annual NHRA Auto Club of Southern California Finals

POMONA, Calif. --

Doug Kalitta

The Top Fuel bump here, 4.640 seconds, came within .001 seconds of tying the all-time record T/F bump. The record, 4.639 seconds for 16 cars, was set at this event last year. Interestingly, that record was set using the then-allowed 90% nitro formula. The fact that this year's bump time was recorded using the now-required 85% formula makes the accomplishment all that more noteworthy. For the 23rd time in his career Doug Kalitta was the pole position winner in Top Fuel.

By contrast, the all-time Funny Car bump record was set more recently, having been recorded just last month at Joliet, Illinois. That record, 4.862 seconds was eclipsed here by Tony Bartone's 4.854 16th-place time. Ironically, Bartone was also the 16th-place driver at Joliet.

Greg Anderson (near lane) and Jason Line

This was the final event that cast aluminum engine blocks were permitted in NHRA's premier classes. Henceforth, the much stronger forged aluminum engine blocks will be required.

It was all Force, all the time during Funny Car qualifying. Gary Densham, carrying the colors of event-sponsor Auto Club of Southern California, held down the F/C pole position with his 4.706 elapsed time until the very last run of qualifying. With the sun long-gone behind the mountains on Saturday evening, John Force stole the pole from him with a great 4.698 elapsed time. Meanwhile, Force team member Eric Medlen continued to hone his comedic skills. A very serious-appearing fire kept him from improving upon his earlier best of 4.764 seconds during his final qualifying attempt. He broke up the spectators by declaring over the PA system after the run that Force had told him not to worry about a fire. After all, said Force, "we have Auto Club insurance."

In comparison to their nitro brethren, the Pro Stockers did not have a memorable weekend here, elapsed-time-wise. The all-time P/S record bump, 6.718 seconds, was also set at Joliet last month. A 6.718 time slip here would have qualified here in third place as a mere 6.770 was good enough to make the field. Pole winner Greg Anderson set another record here with his 16th P/S pole of the season. The fact that the previous record holder was his old boss, Warren Johnson, made it just a little sweeter according to Greg. He also holds the NHRA records for most season victories in any Pro category, most final rounds in single season and most elimination round wins.

Warren Johnson

Speaking of Warren Johnson, he announced here on Sunday that next year will be his last behind the wheel. His longtime sponsor General Motors Service Parts Organization (GM SPO) plans to mark Johnson's final season as a driver with a multifaceted marketing program called "The Professor's School's Out Tour." For his part Johnson offered that he will continue to run his car after he steps out of the driver's seat with a new driver to be selected in the latter part of next year. He even hinted that the team might run a third car in 2006.

Fernando Cuadra qualified for his second-straight Pro Stock race here. Fernando says he owes his recent successes to his racing "Godfather", Kenny Koretsky. Kenny recognized Fernando's two-season struggle to qualify with no results so he dispatched his crew chief, Ed Guarnaccia, and a Frank Iaconio engine over to the Cuadra camp to see if that was what was needed to turn the Cuadra car's qualifying results around. When the Cuadra car improved significantly after just two races of assistance a more permanent arrangement was crafted, one that will include all of next year as well. Cuadra's 2004 season ended with a narrow first-round loss to Ron Krisher at Pomona.

Fernando Cuadra (far lane) vs Ron Krisher

Championship-winning Harley Body Up for Bids

Andrew Hines claimed the only undetermined 2004 Pro championship when he clinched the Pro Stock Bike title here with his Harley-Davidson V-Rod. However, it was not nearly as simple as that statement would indicate. Despite only having to qualify to lock up the title, Andrew entered the final P/S Bike qualifying session just 14th on the sheet as the result of two blown engines and then a broken chain during Saturday's first session. His first complete run of the weekend (which came during the final qualifying session) saw him move up to 12th in the final qualifying standings. At just 21 years of age he becomes the youngest NHRA Pro class champion ever, taking that distinction away from his older brother, Matt, who was 24 when he won his P/S Bike title.

Andrew's 11th hour qualifying heroics would not have been possible without some last minute assistance. For the first time ever, they had a V-Rod show bike (that had been touring the country for the last two years) in their pits. When Andrew's chain departed, it destroyed a significant amount of body work. With only two hours to repair the mount for final qualifying, and a potential

Mitch Myers Defeats Hillary Will to Clinch Title

championship on the line, the team did what it had to do to adapt the show bike's body work to the race bike. As Andrew put it, "some of the Dzus mounting fasteners lined up and we just drilled new holes for the ones that didn't." Andrew then autographed the damaged body work that had been removed from his bike and donated it to that evening's Darrell Russell Memorial Auction.

Chip Ellis ran his Pro Stock Bike pole qualifying average to 50% when he qualified first for the second time in just four races for G-Squared Motorsports. His pole-winning run of 7.024 seconds is the fourth-quickest elapsed time in Pro Stock Bike history. For the record, Chip qualified second and fourth at the two races where he did not claim the pole.

Mitch Myers became the new Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion when his second round win, combined with Bill Reichert's second round loss, moved him around Reichert and into the points lead after Reichert had led the points chase for the last seven weeks. Earlier in the weekend Mitch had set a new T/AD elapsed time national record. His 5.102 on Saturday backed up an earlier 5.118 elapsed time that he had recorded on Friday. In the final round Mitch was defeated by Ashley Force. Her victory, combined with a John Force win in Funny Car, notched the first ever father/daughter win at the same NHRA race.

Coffee Table That Drew Top Bid

Customized Golf Cart

The social event of the weekend, The Darrell Russell Memorial Auction, was successful beyond all expectations. After the organizers had optimistically set $100,000 as their goal an overflow crowd of bidders saw more than $270,000 raised by the live and silent auctions. Some big ticket items included a connecting rod coffee table that had been constructed by Randy Green (to Kenny Bernstein for $14,000), the body work from Andrew Hines 2004 Championship-winning Harley-Davidson V-Rod (to Terry Vance for $10,000), and a custom painted golf cart (to John Force for $9,000).

Subsequently, Bernstein gave the table to Rob Geiger, Force gave the golf cart to Julie Russell, and the mangled V-Rod body is reportedly destined for a museum. Several autographed fire suits and helmets sold in the $5,000 to $7,000 range, with miscellaneous framed paintings and artwork selling in the $3,000 to $4,000 bracket. Nearly 50 other items have been set aside and will be offered in online auctions over the next several weeks. Special kudos to Larry and Ali Dixon as well as Rob Geiger for their work in organizing this event.