First Norwalk Race a Big Success
Written by Sheila Scarborough · June 30, 2007
Fuller, Hight, Anderson and Smith are low qualifiers in the first-ever Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, on a 44 year-old track refurbished by the Bader family.
NHRA.com Saturday recap.
Good evening, race fans. Unfortunately I’ll have to keep this short because I’m in central Texas where all of that rain/flooding is going on — we’re all fine but my cable Internet access is rather squirrelly (presumably from all of the moisture.)
Bottom line:
** Top Fuel pole winner “Hot Rod” Fuller is doing great and needs a major sponsor so he can quit driving a pristine white dragster. Kim Richards has bandaged hands from burns apparently caused by a pit fire, in case you see her working on Brandon Bernstein’s rail and wonder what’s up.
** Robert Hight and tuner Jimmy Prock seem to have rebounded from their recent stumbles (bummer for the rest of the Funny Car field.) Del Worsham’s car had an explosion that literally blew the flopper off, but they think they can fix it before facing Hight first round Sunday morning. Gary Scelzi DNQ’d and snapped a 30 race qualifying streak, but was typically philosophical about it:
“You just can’t get this tight of a field and have that one shot Friday night. I’m not making excuses. It’s just that we broke a clutch lever in the Friday night run and that cost us. It went 4.93 in the first run today, which was the fifth quickest run of that session,” said Scelzi.
“In this last try, we had to go 4.85 or .86 to get in and it just didn’t happen. ESPN’s Gary Gerould asked me, ‘How can you put this into perspective of how bad this field is?’ You know, it is what it is, but after Friday when we had all those kids here from Team Braveheart who have heart problems, it’s pretty easy to deal with not qualifying right now. Life’s not bad. I’m still Ok, the team’s still OK, I still love [crew chief] Mike Neff, and I’m sure Mopar and Oakley are going to understand what happened. We’ll go to Bristol and try to not let those things happen, get qualified and go win us another race. This track is a good track. It’s a little bumpy, but, you know what, a lot of people here spent a lot of money. It’s been a few years since I’ve been here for a match race and I think it’s going to be a hit. I think it’s way better than Columbus was and it’s going to be a great venue for NHRA.”
** I would say “hom-hum” about Greg Anderson at the Pro Stock pole again, except that he got there on the strength of one Friday run and struggled today, so who knows what could happen in eliminations. Newcomer Tom Hammond is looking better and better, and Erica Enders finally made a field (albeit on the bump) after 3 DNQs.
** Pro Stock Motorcycle low qualifier Matt Smith tunes his own Buell bike and that of Chris Rivas; you have to admire a guy who can keep that many wrenches in the air.
Finally, a great story about Top Fuel’s “Rod Father,” Luigi Novelli, courtesy of NHRA senior editor Rob Geiger and his Geiger Counter column (I can’t link to it directly since there’s no permalink such as those in a blog:)
6/28/2007
Chair 1 is open
Sixty-four-year-old Top Fuel driver Luigi Novelli estimates he’s been growing his ponytail for about 40 years. But he says he’s dreamt of running a 4.5-second pass for 50 years. Novelli finally realized his dream in Friday’s first qualifying session when he chugged through the timers in 4.598 seconds at 322 mph. Now, due to a bet he’s had with his crew, he’ll be losing his ponytail.
“What did I run?” Novelli asked at the top end. “A 4.59,” announcer Alan Reinhart said. “There goes my ponytail,” he said immediately, filling in everyone on his bet. “It’s a bet. I have to do it.”
Novelli’s hair currently reaches down to the middle of his back.”
I guess it’s sort of drag racing’s equivalent to NASCAR’s Kyle Petty hairstyle.
Final eliminations start Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
Top Fuel Qualifying Positions
1. Rod Fuller 4.533 (ET) 323.50 (mph)
2. Clay Millican 4.538 328.06
3. Brandon Bernstein 4.554 325.37
4. Larry Dixon 4.561 323.89
5. Cory McClenathan 4.564 323.89
6. Scott Palmer 4.572 306.12
7. Doug Herbert 4.577 326.56
8. David Grubnic 4.583 329.58
9. Luigi Novelli 4.598 322.65
10. Whit Bazemore 4.607 324.90
11. J.R. Todd 4.611 322.42
12. Bob Vandergriff 4.614 312.13
13. Doug Kalitta 4.618 320.13
14. Tony Schumacher 4.633 311.92
15. Hillary Will 4.661 320.58
16. Melanie Troxel 4.666 321.35
——— Not Qualified ———
17. Morgan Lucas 4.677 321.65
18. Alan Bradshaw 4.717 305.91
Funny Car Qualifying Positions
1. Robert Hight 4.713@ (ET) 313.73 (mph)
2. Ashley Force 4.734 320.13
3. Tony Pedregon 4.757 320.81
4. Tommy Johnson Jr. 4.759 305.42
5. Jack Beckman 4.773 326.16
6. Tim Wilkerson 4.775 324.67
7. Ron Capps 4.775 317.42
8. Mike Ashley 4.778 329.58&
9. Jim Head 4.804 318.47
10. Kenny Bernstein 4.813 315.12
11. Jeff Arend 4.830 318.54
12. John Force 4.832 315.19
13. Cruz Pedregon 4.862 301.60
14. Tony Bartone 4.866 317.49
15. Gary Densham 4.870 311.05
16. Del Worsham 4.873 290.76
——— Not Qualified ———
17. Gary Scelzi 4.891 313.80
18. Jerry Toliver 4.893 309.56
19. Scott Kalitta 5.108 259.31
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track Speed Record
Pro Stock Qualifying Positions
1. Greg Anderson 6.654 (ET) 207.59 (mph)
2. Richie Stevens 6.659 206.42
3. Allen Johnson 6.660 205.79
4. Dave Connolly 6.663 206.70
5. Tom Hammonds 6.664 206.51
6. Jason Line 6.667 207.18
7. Max Naylor 6.670 206.57
8. Kurt Johnson 6.673 206.76
9. Jeg Coughlin 6.673 206.67
10. V. Gaines 6.673 206.35
11. Justin Humphreys 6.676 206.64
12. Greg Stanfield 6.679 205.82
13. Warren Johnson 6.683 206.76
14. Jim Yates 6.689 206.13
15. Larry Morgan 6.692 206.35
16. Erica Enders 6.705 205.35
——— Not Qualified ———
17. Mike Edwards 6.707 205.22
18. Kenny Koretsky 6.708 205.76
19. Ron Krisher 6.722 205.01
20. Ben Watson 6.730 203.86
21. Tony Rizzo 6.741 204.66
22. Craig Hankinson 6.759 203.55
23. Bob Benza 6.760 204.88
24. Larry Nance 6.786 203.55
25. Jim Cunningham 6.900 199.23
Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Positions
1. Matt Smith 6.965@ (ET) 189.60 (mph)
2. Chip Ellis 6.983 191.21
3. Andrew Hines 6.995 191.46
4. Angelle Sampey 6.997 190.86
5. Chris Rivas 7.001 189.07
6. Antron Brown 7.005 190.65
7. Karen Stoffer 7.008 189.76
8. Peggy Llewellyn 7.014 190.43
9. Craig Treble 7.017 192.60&
10. Eddie Krawiec 7.036 190.30
11. Steve Johnson 7.050 189.36
12. Geno Scali 7.053 189.60
13. Michael Phillips 7.062 191.13
14. Paul Gast 7.073 188.23
15. Hector Arana 7.077 187.00
16. Matt Guidera 7.084 185.41
——— Not Qualified ———
17. Tom Bradford 7.093 188.10
18. Barry Henson 7.097 187.89
19. Mike Berry 7.103 186.61
20. Shawn Gann 7.127 187.39
21. Scott Lewis 7.173 184.60
22. Joe DeSantis 7.198 187.86
23. Wes Wells 7.266 185.31
24. Brian DeLong 7.422 173.65
25. Dean Frantz DQ
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track Speed Record
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