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KIRKERSVILLE, Ohio -- Tony Schumacher claimed his second Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday, defeating veteran Joe Amato at the 36th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals.
Schumacher's Exide Batteries dragster pulled away for the victory when the parachute on Amato's machine mistakenly deployed near mid-track. Schumacher covered the quarter-mile in 4.648 seconds at a top speed of 316.15 mph, while Amato's slowing dragster ran 5.165 at 178.10.
Tony Pedregon, Mark Pawuk, Angelle Seeling and Randy Daniels also were winners at the $1.9 million race, the 11th of 23 events in the $45 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.
"It's Father's Day and this is a great present for my dad," said Schumacher in a post race tribute to his team owning father Don, a pioneer in the sport of drag racing. "It's an awesome feeling. We really stepped on
it that last run. Our car left great and I didn't see Joe during the entire
run. We knew he was going to be tough because he had been running 4.62s all
day. Dad made a great call for the final and we got by him."
With the victory, Schumacher closed the gap on Gary Scelzi's Winston
points lead, cutting the margin to 32 points.
"It's going to be a battle, no question," Schumacher said. "Every
single point counts in this deal and we have to earn every one that we can."
Pedregon used a holeshot start to hold off Jerry Toliver for his first Funny Car victory of the season. Pedregon covered the distance in 4.893 at 316.08 in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang, defeating Toliver's quicker WWF Racing Pontiac Firebird, which posted a 4.876 at 310.20.
"I guess being persistent pays off," said Pedregon of his first win in four finals this season. "I owed Toliver that one for beating me earlier in the year at Pomona (Winternationals). I think that final was the first
full run down track we made all weekend. Fortunately it came at the right
time."
Toliver, who defeated John Force in a rare first round meeting, moved into the Funny Car points lead with the runner-up finish, 11 ahead of his rival.
Pawuk ended a five-year winless streak by claiming a Pro Stock victory against Ron Krisher. Pawuk, who last won in 1995 at Memphis, Tenn., left the starting line first in his Pontiac Firebird and never looked back, clocking a winning 6.980 at 197.33 to Krisher's quicker, but losing 6.975 at 197.51.
"This race has been on my wish list for a long time," said Pawuk,
who lives near Akron. "I'm glad to finally win here close to home for my
family, friends and sponsor. We're having a great year and
I'm certain that this team is on the verge of exploding for even more wins."
with the win, Pawuk earned a guaranteed starting spot in the 16-car Pro Stock order for the second annual Winston Showdown, July 7-9, at Bristol Dragway. Prior to the race he wasn't qualified for the $742,000 NHRA
all-star event.
Hometown favorite Jeg Coughlin was upset by Krisher in the semifinals, but managed to increase his Winston points lead to 284 over Warren Johnson.
Seeling claimed her third win of the season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, riding her Team Winston Suzuki to victory over Tony Mullen. Seeling posted a track-record time of 7.196 at 182.28, beating Mullen's Suzuki with a 7.281 at 183.00.
"I think this is my most emotional win ever," Seeling said. "I was so shocked that the bike went 7.19 in the final. Everyone said that you couldn't run that good under these conditions. Team Winston has been working
so hard and I just drove my heart out today."
Seeling, who outran Brian DeLong, Matt Hines and Antron Brown during eliminations, increased her Winston points lead to 79 over second place rider Dave Schultz. Hines, who fouled against Seeling in the second round,
dropped to third in the overall standings, 98 points back.
Daniels claimed his fifth Pro Stock Truck victory of the season, defeating Bob Panella in a battle between Chevy S-10s. Daniels also used a holeshot to win, recording a 7.554 at 178.42 and holding off Panella's quicker truck, which ran 7.546 at 178.00.
The next NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series event will be the fourth annual Sears Craftsman Nationals, from June 22-24 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. | |
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