Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Schumacher, Force can clinch titles Sunday

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004 | 10:37 a.m.

Tony Schumacher and John Force are in position to clinch championships in their respective categories when the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series returns to Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania this weekend to complete the rain-delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Schumacher holds a 273-point lead over Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel and can wrap up his second NHRA championship if he leaves Maple Grove with a 277-point advantage.

Force, who is seeking his 13th NHRA Funny Car championship, likewise can clinch the title if he increases his lead over Del Worsham by 40 points this weekend. Force has a 237-point lead over Worsham heading into this weekend's event.

Both Schumacher and Force are coming off final-round losses Sunday at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., but Force still managed to gain ground on Worsham last weekend. Force earned 20 bonus points for lowering the NHRA Funny Car record to 4.665 seconds in an event in which he also set the national speed record with a run at 333.58 mph.

"We made a statement, but we didn't finish the job," Force said of Sunday's final-round loss to Worsham. "We could have closed everybody out. I just want to get it done. We're taking a good race car to Reading, so I feel pretty good."

With Greg Anderson already having clinched the NHRA Pro Stock championship, the possibility exists that the championships in the top three professional categories could be wrapped up before the series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway later this month for the fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

The closest championship battle in the pro ranks is in Pro Stock Bike, where Andrew Hines leads Antron Brown by 153 points with three events remaining. Both Hines, 21, and Brown, 28, are looking to capture their first NHRA championship.

"Right now we're just focusing on going rounds and qualifying well so that we have a better shot of clinching the championship," Hines said. "We have 12 rounds of racing left and a seven-plus round lead, so as long as we do well in Reading and go a couple of rounds the rest of the way it should be locked up.

"We want the bike to be consistent, not set the world on fire, but do what we've been doing."

Hines was the top qualifier through one round before the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals was postponed due to rain on Sept. 17.

FATHER-SON DAY: NHRA Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly and his father, Ray, last weekend became only the second father-son duo to win titles at the same NHRA event.

Ray Connolly won the Super Gas class in the Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette and Dave Connolly earned his third victory of the season when Greg Anderson red-lighted in the Pro Stock final.

Kenny Bernstein (Top Fuel) and Brandon Bernstein (Top Alcohol Dragster) became the first father and son to win at the same national event, the NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in April 2001.

"Both of us winning on the same day is something we've talked about doing ever since we started racing," Dave Connolly said. "We both had a chance to win in Memphis last month, but I lost in the final and dad went out in the semis. It was great for us to get another chance at it so soon and for us to make it happen.

"I'll never forget my first Pro Stock win, but this weekend was just as special. This is definitely the best weekend the Bullet Motorsports team has ever had."

CARRIER BOYZ SIGNS SPONSOR: Carrier Boyz Racing owners Andy and Mark Carrier announced last weekend that Honeywell Consumer Products Group, which manufactures Fram automotive filters, will sponsor their Top Fuel dragster and driver Cory McClenathan beginning in 2005.

"The future looks exciting with Honeywell on board," Andy Carrier said. "Being with a Fortune 500 company means a lot to this program. This team has jelled and Cory McClenathan is one of the reasons for our success and he is one of the reasons that Fram believes in Carrier Boyz Racing."

McClenathan is seventh in NHRA Top Fuel points and has one victory this season.

AT THE STRIP: John Phlegar (Super Pro), Nick Ariotti (Pro), Scott Parsons (Street), Kahea Woods (Motorcycle) and Bill Dudley (Sport Compact) are the 2004 Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series champions at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.