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NHRA Communications
06/22/2008 - 05:42 PM
Englishtown, N.J.
Tony Schumacher extended his Top Fuel points lead with a win at Englishtown, but everyone's thoughts were with the Kalitta family. (NHRA photo) ยป More Photos
The mood was understandably somber and the winner’s circle celebration subdued as champions were crowned at the 39th annual Lucas Oil SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, a day after the qualifying accident that claimed the life of popular Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta. Following a day of tears and tributes, Tony Schumacher, Tim Wilkerson, Greg Anderson, and Chip Ellis emerged as the professional champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle respectively.
The most poignant tribute of the day came during the opening round of Funny Car eliminations, where Kalitta was scheduled to take on Robert Hight’s Auto Club Ford. As Hight staged in the right lane, members of the Kalitta team, many of them wearing their bright yellow DHL attire, stood silently on the startling line in the left lane while Hight slowly idled down the quarter-mile, receiving a warm ovation from the fans.
During the abbreviated pre-race ceremony, Pro Stock champion Anderson spoke eloquently of Kalitta and urged the fans and his fellow competitors to “wear a smile today because Scott wouldn’t have wanted us to do anything else.”
Schumacher extended his lead in the POWERade standings with his fifth win in 11 starts this year and his first in Englishtown, beating Brandon Bernstein in the final round on a holeshot, 4.58 to 4.56. The U.S. Army driver also became the first pro to crack the 1,000-point mark this season.
“I’ve never been shy about saying that when you win against Kalitta, Dixon, and Bernstein, that trophy shines because you know you’ve earned it," said Schumacher. "Today, we were missing three of the greatest cars out there but that doesn’t mean that we were going to give up. There’s not one of us out here who would have considered not racing today.
"This win is for our brave soldiers and Connie [Kalitta] understands that because he flies home all of their comrades every week. He takes it to heart because he sees what is going on in the world. Today, I knew that someone was
After surviving a scare in round one when he hazed the tires against rookie Steve Torrence, Schumacher and his Alan Johnson-led team put the hammer down and reached the final round for the seventh time in 11 events this season.
After defeating teammate Cory McClenathan in the semifinals, Schumacher drove past Bernstein in the final, 4.56 to a quicker 4.58. Schumacher gained a significant lead at the start with a .034 to .018 reaction time advantage.
Wilkerson also padded his lead in the Funny Car standings after downing rookie Mike Neff in a rematch of the Madison final, which also went Wilkerson’s way. Wilkerson, who began the season with back-to-back round-one losses, won for the third time in the last seven races when he downed Neff’s Old Spice Mustang in a thrilling side-by-side match. Wilkerson gained a slight lead at the start and held on for a 4.87 to 4.88 victory.
“Knowing Scott the way I knew Scott I know he would have wanted us to keep racing today," said Wilkerson. "We came to the track this morning with the intention of winning because that’s the only way you get through these kinds of things. We put our heart and soul into it and hoped for the best and it all worked out. We had a good car today. Actually, it has made me look good all year long. This is a result of our alliance with Don Prudhomme Racing. I don’t think that can be overstated.
"For all fathers, today was a tough day but whoever said that life goes on was absolutely right. We all reflect on how tough and how fragile life is. In the coming weeks, I think that Connie will need all of us. He’s a pretty strong individual, but I think he’ll need us and we’ll be there for him. I invited the whole DHL crew to join me in the winner’s circle and I’m going to give them all a big hug."
Wilkerson, the No. 9 qualifier, also defeated Bob Tasca III, Hight, and Del Worsham to reach his 17th career final.
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