They can still drive at 55

Monday, April 10, 2000 | 9:33 a.m.

Results Sunday from the NHRA $1.8 million SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Top Fuel: Kenny Bernstein, Lake Forest, Calif., 4.907 seconds, 282.78 mph def. Joe Amato, Exeter, Pa., 5.213 seconds, 260.46 mph.

Funny Car: Jim Epler, Phoenix, Chevrolet Camaro, 4.983, 302.21 def. Tony Pedregon, Chino Hills, Calif., Ford Mustang, 5.417, 197.02.

Pro Stock: Jeg Coughlin, Columbus, Ohio, OldsCutlass, 7.072, 195.56 def. Warren Johnson, Buford, Ga., Pontiac Firebird, 7.100, 195.51.

Pro Stock Bike: Angelle Seeling, Matthews, La., Suzuki, 7.405, 177.28 def. Tony Mullen, Bradenton, Fla., Suzuki, 11.866, 66.73.

Pro Stock Truck: Bob Panella Jr, Stockton, Calif., Chevy S-10, 7.680, 176.24 def. Randy Daniels, Grantsboro, N.C., Chevy S-10, 7.719, 175.75.

Anew era dawned for the National Hot Rod Association with the opening of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But the inaugural SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals took on the flavor of an old-timers day during Sunday's final eliminations.

A pair of 55-year-old racing legends, Kenny Bernstein and Joe Amato, rekindled some fond memories among the crowd estimated at 30,000 by squaring off in the Top Fuel final, with Bernstein prevailing and snapping a 23-race winless streak.

"We're still kicking a little bit," Bernstein said. "(The media) and everybody kind of talks about these youngsters -- and they are great kids and great drivers -- but when you've got the package together on a certain day ... you can get it done."

Bernstein, a five-time NHRA champion, earned his 53rd career win (23rd in Top Fuel) with a 4.907-second run at 282.78 mph in the final. More importantly, as far as Bernstein was concerned, was the fact that it was his first victory since November of 1998 in the NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif.

"It's been a little bit of a dry spell," Bernstein said. "This is a big (win) because we've had a year-and-three-month drought and that's a long time to go. This isn't your normal deal for us; this takes the heat right off of us now and the guys can take a breath now and say, 'OK, we got it.'

"We've been saying now for four or five months, 'We just need to win one, we need to get that accomplished.' "

Not that Bernstein ever doubted he would find the winner's circle again.

"I never lost confidence in anything we were doing ... and I never lost confidence that we could win," he said. "We just couldn't get a break here and there."

Bernstein was not the only driver to snap a winless streak on Sunday. Funny Car driver Jim Epler earned his first victory since the 1993 Winston Finals by defeating Tony Pedregon with a 4.983-second pass at 302.21 mph in the final.

"It has been six and a half years (since I won) -- I don't want to dwell on that and I tried not to think about it," Epler said. "It has been a long time but I never really gave up the hope that we would win and confidence in myself; I knew I could do it."

Epler's win was the third in four races this season for Jerry Toliver's World Wrestling Federation Racing Team; Toliver having won the season opener at Pomona and three weeks ago at Gainesville, Fla.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. continued his dominance of the Pro Stock category by defeating five-time champion Warren Johnson in the final for his third win in four starts this season. Coughlin was able to take advantage of a shaky start by Johnson and posted a 7.072-second run at 195.56 mph to Johnson's 7.100 at 195.91.

"We're extremely excited about the win," Coughlin said. "This spectacular event here and new facility ... it's just spectacular -- I don't have any other words for it. And then to beat Warren Johnson in the final, it just doesn't get any better than that."

Bob Panella Jr. earned his second Pro Stock Truck title in three starts this season by edging Randy Daniels in the final. Panella's 7.680-second, 177.28-mph pass was the quickest and fastest of the weekend and topped Daniels' 7.719-second, 175.75-mph run.

"We had our work cut out for us today," Panella said. "The four guys we beat are the class of the field and by no means did we have a performance edge over any of them.

"This Chevy truck has never felt like it has felt this weekend ... it was just flawless and all I had to do was hang on and not make any mistakes."

Angelle Seeling captured her 11th career victory in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 7.405-second pass at 195.56 mph to defeat Tony Mullen.

"I heard Matt (Hines, three-time NHRA champion) say in an interview (Saturday) how sweet it is to win an inaugural race and I didn't know what he meant until a few minutes ago," Seeling said.

"When I saw the win light come on, I just screamed and screamed and screamed. I've gotten used to losing, so I've been able to handle the tears pretty well, but the first win in a while after what I went through last year, I just burst into tears down there."