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NHRA Communications
06/29/2008 - 06:09 PM
Norwalk, Ohio
Doug Herbert's first Top Fuel win of 2008 was especially poignant, because it was also the first since his two sons were killed in a traffic accident in January. (NHRA photo) ยป More Photos
Doug Herbert, who has been trying desperately all year to win one “For My Boys,” sons Jon and James, who were killed in a traffic accident Jan. 26, had a good-luck angel with him in Norwalk in daughter Jessie and scored his first Top Fuel win of the season at the 2nd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.
Tony Pedregon, who earlier in the day warned his opponents that “the road to the championship still goes through the Pedregons,” made that stand up by defeating Robert Hight in the Funny Car final. Greg Anderson was the hero for event and car sponsor Summit after defeating Larry Morgan in the final round to claim the 55th title of his impressive career. Eighteen-year Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Hector Arana, twice a runner-up in his 149 career starts, finally collected his first career victory, defeating Craig Treble in the money round.
Herbert, whose last win was in Reading last year and his last final in Memphis two races later, had lost 12 times in 14 races with Bernstein, including two previous final rounds, but won this one on a holeshot, 4.63, 311.70 to 4.61, 313.58. Both finalists were appearing in their 26th Top Fuel money round
Herbert reached his first final of the season by powering his Kevin Poynter-tuned SnaponFranchise.com dragster to a 4.69 and a pair of 4.66s to defeat Tory Buff, Dave Grubnic, and low qualifier Rod Fuller, who shook the tires a round after setting low e.t. of 4.54 in conquering friendly rival Tony Schumacher in a rematch
Bernstein made it to his second straight final after his runner-up a week earlier in Englishtown. Bernstein qualified the Tim Richards-guided Budweiser dragster No. 3 with a 4.64 and took down Luigi Novelli, Antron Brown, and red-lighting Cory McClenathan with a 4.68 and back-to-back 4.65s to reach the final, the 26th of his Top Fuel career and his third of the season.
With the winner guaranteed to take over second place in the standings from Ashley Force, Pedregon turned back low qualifier Hight on a wire-to-wire 4.88, 306.26 to 4.90, 304.74 count. Pedregon, a winner earlier this season in Gainesville and Chicago, was gunning for his third victory of the season, racing his Dick Venables-led Q Horsepower Chevy from the No. 6 qualifying spot. He survived a first-round pedaling contest with Jim Head, winning with a 5.48, then beat points leader Tim Wilkerson and Ron Capps with back-to-back 4.96s to reach the 65th final of his career.
Hight, who opened the season with a win at the Winternationals and was runner-up in Phoenix, had never beaten Pedregon in a final round, but pushed his Jimmy Prock-wrenched Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang past teammate Mike Neff, former teammate Gary Densham, and Cruz Pedregon with runs of 4.92, 4.92, and 4.95 to earn the right to face another former teammate, Pedregon, in the final round, the 19th of his young career. Ten of 12 races this season have featured at least one Force Racing car in the final round.
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