2007 NHRA NATIONAL EVENT SCHEDULE
Listen to Trackside Interviews with Champions, Drivers and Crew Chiefs
Robert Hight
Hillary Will
Bob Vandergriff
Dave Connolly
Ed Iskenderian
Cory McClenathan
Robert Hight
Jim Yates
Tony Bartone
Hillary Will
Whit Bazemore
Byron Hines
 SCELZI
TODD AND ANDERSON EARN VICTORIES AT CARQUEST WINTERNATIONALSStory by NHRA Photos by Jim Kelso, Les Welch & Joel Gelfand  POMONA,
Calif. -- Four-time series champion Gary Scelzi quickly erased memories
of a disappointing 2006 season by winning Sunday's CARQUEST Auto Parts
Winternationals after final-round opponent Robert Hight crossed the
centerline. Reigning Rookie of the Year J.R. Todd also found Pomona's winner's circle, while three-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson successfully defended this race title from one year ago. After it appeared that Hight had beaten Scelzi for the Funny Car title, NHRA officials quickly determined that Hight's Auto Club Ford Mustang touched the centerline, resulting in automatic disqualification per NHRA rule. It was Scelzi's 34th NHRA win and ninth in Funny Car. It was a well deserved victory for Scelzi's team as the four-time series champion had trouble with his parachutes in the semifinals and ended up in the sandtrap. As his final-round run of 4.716 at 332.26 mph proved, the crew got his Mopar Oakley Dodge Charger R/T repaired in time. "We didn't think we had anything for [them] in the final," Scelzi said. "We thought we'd try to run a high 4.6 and see what happened. I didn't see him until 700 feet and then he just went right by me. I saw the win light in his lane and it was a letdown. The guys on the radio told me he beat me on a holeshot and here I was thinking I'd cut a good light. Then they said he was DQ'd and I thought that was a really cruel joke to play on me." After a dramatic day of qualifying on Saturday, both John and Ashley Force lost in the opening round. Todd's victory was his fourth in 20 career Top Fuel starts. This one was extremely impressive as he followed up a 4.699-second, first-round pass on a freshly-washed track with a pair of 4.47s and a 4.482 at 324.98 mph in the final round. "I never expected things to happen as suddenly as it has for me," Todd said. "It's pretty surprising to me, to be honest. When you have a guy like [crew chief] Jimmy Walsh in your corner you're going to be good. That guy is the first one in the shop every day and the last one to leave each night. He's relentless." Last July in Denver, Todd became the first African-American to win a Top Fuel race. Since then he has won four times in five final rounds in those 12 starts. |
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