FORD MUSTANGS OUSTED IN FIRST ROUND AT SEASON OPENER

BY TEAM FORD RACING CORRESPONDENT

Pomona, Calif. — John Force’s bid for a 14th NHRA Powreade series Funny Car championship got off to a slow—and surprising—start Sunday when drag racing’s biggest winner was upset in the first round of the 45th annual CarQuest Auto Parts Nationals at Pomona Raceway.

He wasn’t alone.

Funny Car teammates Eric Medlen and Robert Hight also were gone after a single round and veteran Steve Federlin beat daughter Ashley, the No. 2 qualifier in Top Alcohol Dragster, in the semifinals.

It was a far cry from the scene three months earlier when father and daughter shared a emotional Pomona Winners’ Circle at the 2004 season finale, the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals.

“It definitely wasn’t what we expected,” Force said, “but the one thing we don’t have on this team right now is experience and I think [the lack of] experience hurt Eric and Robert, maybe even Ashley. They have everything you need to be champions—except seat time.

“It’s not a disaster. It’s just racing. We’ll go back and study the data and talk about what went right and what went wrong. And then we’ll go to Phoenix and try to put things back on track.”

Too much Austin Coil horsepower victimized Force, who was bidding for his 12th win at Pomona Raceway. The result was tire shake and loss of traction that forced him to pedal (feather the throttle) three different times in an effort to keep his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford ahead of Jim Head’s Dodge.

The third time the drag racing icon stepped off the gas, the supercharger expired sending a fireball through the cockpit and ending the day for the 114-time tour winner.

“If it had been anybody else [other than Head], I might have gotten away with it,” Force said. “[The car] was trying to run a mid-4.60 and then it shook and spun. Most guys would have just shut if off after I was so far ahead. But not Head, he always goes to the finish line and that’s where he got me—right in the lights.”

It was just the second time in history that all three of the John Force Racing Mustangs were sent packing in the very first round. The last time that happened was at Atlanta, Ga., in 2001 when Force, Gary Densham and Tony Pedregon failed to make the field at the Summit Racing Southern Nationals.

Force immediately seized on the fact that, after suffering that first round wipeout four years ago, Pedregon came back to drive the Castrol Syntec Mustang in the next two events in the series—the SuperNationals at Englishtown, N.J., and the O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Topeka, Kan.

The race results certainly didn’t mirror the team’s performance during pre-season tests at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Firebird Raceway (Phoenix) in which the Force-owned Ford Mustangs dominated.

That was cause for concern according to chief mechanic Dean Antonelli.

“It seems like every time we test well, we have a bad Winternationals,” Antonelli said. “And when we struggle in testing, we come back and do well. So I was nervous all week. I don’t know what to make of it.”

As it turned out, it was a bizarre race day all around. Although they did manage to survive the first round, the sport’s other two reigning Powerade World Champions—Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) —were ousted in the second stanza and the Funny Car final matched not the No. 1 and 2 qualifiers, but the No. 11 (Tommy Johnson Jr.) and No. 12 (Phil Burkart Jr.) starters.

Despite the early ouster, Force and Medlen managed to make the Top 10 in points with Hight just a point out of the that grouping.

FINAL WORD
Final round results from Sunday’s 45th annual CarQuest Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona Raceway:

FUNNY CAR – Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.741, 327.59 mph, def. Phil Burkart Jr., Yorkville, N.Y., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 7.069, 123.34 mph.
TOP FUEL – Scott Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., 4.487, 328.46 mph, def. Doug Herbert, Cherryville, N.C., 5.371, 181.84 mph.
PRO STOCK – David Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.711, 204.98 mph, def. Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.802, 203.31 mph.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER – Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.331, 263.46 mph, def. Hillary Will, Scotia, Calif., 5.768, 237.46 mph.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR – Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., Pontiac Firebird, 5.530, 259.81 mph, def. Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., Pontiac Firebird, 5.567, 257.63 mph.

TO THE POINTS
Unofficial NHRA championship points after the first of 23 races in the 2005 Powerade Drag Racing Series:

FUNNY CAR – 1. Tommy Johnson Jr., 112; 1. Phil Burkart Jr., 92;3. Tie, Cruz Pedregon and Whit Bazemore, 73 each; 5. Tony Pedregon, 58; 6. Tie, Bob Gilbertson, Del Worsham and Jim Head, 51 each; 9. John Force, 37; 10. Eric Medlen, 36; 11. Robert Hight, 35.
TOP FUEL – 1. Scott Kalitta, 116; 2. Doug Herbert, 92; 3. David Grubnic, 77; 4. Morgan Lucas, 75; 5. Tony Schumacher, 58; 6. Tie, Brandon Bernstein and Larry Dixon, 54 each; 8. Clay Millican, 52; 9. Tie, Doug Kalitta and David Baca, 33 each.
PRO STOCK – 1. Dave Connolly, 115; 2. Warren Johnson, 94; 3. Kurt Johnson, 77; 4. Ron Krisher, 72; 5. Jim Yates, 58; 6. Larry Morgan, 56; 7. Allen Johnson, 54; 8. Greg Anderson, 53; 9. Mike Edwards, 33; 10. Tie, Richie Stevens Jr., Ben Watson and Jason Line, 32 each.

HERE WE GO ROUND-BY-ROUND
Round-by-round results from Sunday’s 45th annual CarQuest Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona Raceway:

FUNNY CAR
Round 1 – 1. Tony Pedregon, Chino Hills, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.734, 323.12 mph, def. 16. Terry Haddock, Hackettstown, N.Y., Chevrolet Camaro, 6.304, 146.80 mph;15. Jim Head, Columbus, Ohio, Dodge Stratus, 4.979, 311.70 mph, def. 2. John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang, 5.097, 240.59 mph;14. Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 7.346, 136.43 mph, def. 3. Eric Medlen, Indianapolis, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang, foul; 13. Bob Gilbertson, Gastonia, N.C., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 5.525, 280.43 mph, def. 4. Robert Hight, Anaheim Hills, Calif., Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, 5.778, 172.21 mph;12. Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, NT, NS, def. 5. Frank Pedregon, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Dodge Stratus, disqualified; 11. Phil Burkart Jr., Yorkville, N.Y., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.769, 315.56 mph, def. 6. Gary Scezi, Fresno, Calif., Dodge Stratus, 4.717, 331.53 mph; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.828, 260.51 mph, def. 10. Jeff Arend, San Dimas, Calif., Pontiac Firebird, 5.615, 176.37 mph; 8. Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Dodge Stratus, 4.810, 308.78 mph, def. 9. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Dodge Stratus, broke.
Round 2 – Burkart, 4.734, 321.42 mph, def. Worsham, 4.874, 320.05 mph; T. Bazemore, 4.780 321.19 mph, def. T. Pedregon, 4.785, 321.04 mph; C. Pedregon, 4.792, 284.33 mph, def. Head, 4.905, 323.07 mph; Johnson Jr., 4.761, 326.71 mph, def. Gilbertson, 8.281, 113.66 mph.
Semifinals – Johnson Jr., 4.761, 328.22 mph, def. Bazemore, 4.782, 313.29 mph; Burkart, 4.787, 318.39 mph, def. C. Pedregon, foul.
FINAL – Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.741, 327.59 mph, def. Phil Burkart Jr., Yorkville, N.Y., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 7.069, 123.34 mph.

TOP FUEL
Round 1 – 1. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., 4.458, 331.77 mph, def. 16. Andrew Cowin, Saugus, Calif., 4.681, 266.21 mph; 2. David Grubnic, Ennis, Mont., 4.448, 331.45 mph, def. 15. Rod Fuller, Las Vegas, 4.688, 270.00 mph; 3. Scott Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., 4.498, 328.54 mph, def. 14. Scott Weis, Ashland, Va., 5.798 154.23 mph; 4. Morgan Lucas, Upland, Calif., 4.509, 316.08 mph, def. 13. John Smith, Williamston, S.C., 6.986, 133.62 mph; 5. Brandon Bernstein, Lake Forest, Calif., 4.500, 238.67 mph, def. 12. Brady Kalivoda, Seattle, Wash., 4.727, 241.32 mph; 6. Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, 4.509, 330.15 mph, def. 11. Cory McClenathan, Anaheim, Calif., 4.575, 316.23 mph; 10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., 4.532, 326.16 mph, def. 7. Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., 4.474, 328.86 mph; 9. Doug Herbert, Cherryville, N.C., 4.557, 323.04 mph, def. 8. David Baca, Brentwood, Calif., 5.857, 249.28 mph.
Round 2 – Lucas, 4.498, 319.14 mph, def. Bernstein, 8.525, 77.59 mph; S. Kalitta, 4.471, 329.91 mph, def. Dixon, 9.969, 93.16 mph; Herbert, 4.552, 326.00 mph, def. Schumacher, 11.252, 76.27 mph; Grubnic, 4.491, 324.83 mph, def. Millican, 4.593, 317.72 mph.
Semifinals – Herbert, 5.035, 254.38 mph, def. Lucas, 18.855, 41.41 mph; S. Kalitta, 4.555, 331.04 mph, def. Grubnic, 7.409, 112.16 mph.
FINAL – Scott Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., 4.487, 328.46 mph, def. Doug Herbert, Cherryville, N.C., 5.371, 181.84 mph.

PRO STOCK
Round 1 – 1. Jim Yates, Occoquan, Va., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.711, 204.85 mph, def. 16. Bruce Allen, Arlington, Texas, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.777, 203.43 mph; 2. Kurt Johnson, Lawrenceville, Ga., Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.693, 205.57 mph, def. 15. Kenny Koretsky, Richboro, Pa., Dodge Stratus, 6.813, 203.89 mph; 3. Larry Morgan, Newark, Ohio, Dodge Stratus, 6.708, 205.19 mph, def. 14. Greg Stanfield, Bossier City, La., Chevrolet Cavalier, 13.036, 67.50 mph; 4. Dave Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.710, 205.01 mph, def. 13. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, Dodge Stratus, 8.766, 106.72 mph; 5. Allen Johnson, Greeneville, Tenn., Dodge Stratus, 6.735, 204.14 mph, def. 12. Jason Line, Terrell, N.C., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.823, 205.13 mph; 6. Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.751, 204.54 mph, def. 11. Ben Watson, Concord, Calif., Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.762, 203.46 mph; 7. Greg Anderson, Concord, N.C., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.710, 204.73 mph, def. 10. Richie Stevens, Metairie, La., Dodge Stratus, 6.782, 205.51 mph; 9. Ron Krisher, Warren, Ohio, Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.716, 205.82 mph, def. 8. Mike Edwards, Broken Arrow, Okla., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.732, 203.95 mph.
Round 2 – Connolly, 6.701, 205.19 mph, def. A. Johnson, 17.262, 49.03 mph; Krisher, 6.714, 205.82 mph, def. Yates, 6.733, 204.85 mph; W. Johnson, 6.736, 204.94 mph, def. Morgan, 6.733, 204.51 mph; K. Johnson, 6.692, 205.79 mph, def. Anderson, 6.786, 203.80 mph.
Semifinals – Connolly, 6.708, 205.07 mph, Krisher, 6.757, 204.86 mph; W. Johnson, 6.734, 204.39, def. K. Johnson, 6.706, 205.04 mph.
FINAL – David Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Chevrolet Cavalier, 6.711, 204.98 mph, def. Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., Pontiac Grand Am, 6.802, 203.31 mph.