| | Associated Press
Results
COMMERCE, Ga. -- John Force got the 84th victory of his NHRA career, winning the Funny Car title Sunday in the Advance Auto Parts Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
Force covered a quarter-mile in 4.929 seconds at 289.14 mph to defeat Ron Capps in the final round for the second straight event. Capps' pass of 5.023 at 291.70 wasn't fast enough to beat the nine-time series champion.
With the win Force inched closer to Bob Glidden's all-time national event win record of 85. Forced achieved the victory by driving past Bob Gilbertson, and both WWF drivers, Jim Epler and rival Jerry Toliver before
his meeting with Capps. Force is in second place in the points standings, 30
behind Toliver.
"It was good racing today," said Force. "(Toliver) is doing the talk of the WWF. It's a gimmick to create excitement. In the WWF they yell and scream, throw each other off stages and beat up their mom and dads. It's
just what they do, but this is drag racing.
"Sometimes if you hype too much it can bite you. I do think Toliver has brought some real excitement to the
NHRA. Hey, I can't beat him up, he's bigger than me."
Gary Scelzi, Jeg Coughlin, Angelle Seeling and Randy Daniels also were also in their divisions at the $1.7 million event, the seventh of 23 this season.
Scelzi won for the second time this year in Top Fuel. His elapsed time was 4.629 at 310.70. He beat points leader Tony Schumacher, who went 307.44 with an ET of 4.697. Scelzi also won his second event in a row at Atlanta Dragway and it was
the second straight year Team Winston has won in both the Top Fuel and Pro
Stock Motorcycle categories.
Scelzi is now 5-0 versus Schumacher in final round competition. He defeated him earlier in this year at the season-opening AutoZone Winternationals. The victory didn't come easy because Scelzi had to defeat
Doug Herbert, Kenny Bernstein and Joe Amato before facing the defending NHRA
Winston champion in the final.
"We didn't have a duck all day," said Scelzi. "We took out all the hitters today. When you win like that and you took out every big dog there is, what's left. Tony is a good kid and he won the championship. I want it
back. We work really hard at it and I know they go down the track every time
but they have had some breaks.
"If they win it again I'm going to drink beer with him and I'll have a party because I like his team and I like Tony. Tony
didn't win the race today. Team Winston, (Crew chief) Allan Johnson and Gary Scelzi did so let's leave it at that."
Coughlin continued his season of dominance, winning for the sixth time in Pro Stock. His pass of 6.957 at 198.12 was more than enough to hold off Bruce Allen, who went 7.099 at 199.85.
Seeling won her second straight Pro Stock Motorcycle final when
her opponent, Dave Schultz, left the line early and fouled.
Daniels won for the fourth time this year in Pro Stock Truck,
turning a 7.661 at 177.93 to defeat Bob Panella.
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