Marnell disappointed in showing at home

Monday, Oct. 28, 2002 | 10:05 a.m.

After testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in preparation for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Pro Stock driver George Marnell said he felt he had a good chance to win his hometown event.

Marnell, a 52-year-old Las Vegas businessman, couldn't get a handle on the track conditions Sunday and lost to Allen Johnson in the first round of eliminations.

"We overestimated the racetrack a little bit," Marnell said. "With the heat, the racetrack actually went away more than what we had anticipated.

"We took a bunch of clutch out of the car for that run -- we just didn't take enough. We just didn't make the right call and we didn't adjust well enough to the racetrack."

Marnell, who qualified ninth for Sunday's eliminations, smoked his tires at the start and could never recover. He ran a 7.006 elapsed time at 197.05 mph to Johnson's 6.976 at 198.55.

"As soon as I let the clutch out, I knew I was in trouble," Marnell said. "It was pretty ugly through first gear. The car went right so I made a correction and drove it right through the groove and into the left and into the marbles. I danced around out there through third gear and finally got it back in the middle of the racetrack but it was all done at that point."

Although Marnell did not advance past the first round, he was able to move from 11th to 10th in the Pro Stock points standings.

"We knew this was going to be a battle to the end (to finish in the top 10) and that prediction absolutely came true," Marnell said. "We know we're going to have to do well in Pomona to stay in the top ten but we are so close to ninth place.

"All we have to do is do our job in Pomona and we could easily be ninth or tenth. It's going to be a good ol' Vegas crapshoot right to the final wire."

Kalitta not only had won two straight coming into Las Vegas, he had won three of the previous four Top Fuel finals.

Landram drove her '72 Chevelle to the quarters in Super Street while Farmer advanced to the quarters in Stock in a '70 Barracuda.

The third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals will be held Oct. 23-26, 2003.