Thursday, April 14, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.
Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Thursday
7 a.m. -- Pit and spectator gates open.
9 a.m. -- Sportsman qualifying.
7-8 p.m. -- Free NHRA driver autograph session at ESPN Zone (New York New York Hotel & Casino).
Friday
7 a.m. -- Pit and spectator gates open.
8 a.m. -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations.
9 a.m. -- Sport Compact qualifying.
Noon -- Sport Compact qualifying.
1 p.m. -- Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying.
2:30 p.m. -- Pro Modified qualifying.
3 p.m. -- Pro Stock (car) qualifying.
3:30 p.m. -- Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.
4:30 p.m. -- Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying.
5:30 p.m. -- Pro Modified qualifying.
6 p.m. -- Pro Stock (car) qualifying.
6:30 p.m. -- Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.
Saturday
7 a.m. -- Pit and spectator gates open.
8 a.m. -- Sportsman eliminations.
11 a.m. -- Sport Compact qualifying.
Noon -- Pro Stock (car) qualifying.
12:30 p.m. -- Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.
1:30 p.m. -- Pro Modified qualifying.
2 p.m. -- Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying.
3 p.m. -- Pro Stock (car) qualifying.
3:30 p.m. -- Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.
4:15 p.m. -- First round of Pro Modified eliminations.
4:30 p.m. -- First round of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminations.
5:15 p.m. -- First round of Pro Modified eliminations.
Sunday
7 a.m. -- Pit and spectator gates open.
9 a.m. -- Sportsman eliminations.
10 a.m. -- Pre-race ceremonies.
11 a.m. -- Final eliminations.
When the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series returns to Las Vegas in October, two competitors will be honoring this city's centennial celebration with special paint schemes.
Whit Bazemore's Matco Tools Funny Car and Craig Treble's Matco Tools Pro Stock Bike will carry red and blue Las Vegas Centennial-themed graphics for the fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.
Action Performance designed both paint schemes and will produce authentic die-cast replicas of the vehicles. The collectibles will be in stores in late summer.
"The Las Vegas Centennial is thrilled to have partnership with the NHRA and Action Performance," Las Vegas Centennial Committee executive director Stacey Allsbrook said. "It will be wonderful to see a piece of Las Vegas history on the racetrack."
Treble, who won The Pro Stock Bike race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2003, said he wished he didn't have to wait until October to race the Las Vegas-themed bike. Pro Stock Bike is not competing in this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip.
"The bike being unveiled this week, I'm really excited about it;" Treble said. "It's a great looking motorcycle ... and I can't wait to get that bike out there and show Matco colors and celebrate the centennial."
FOUR OF A KIND: Kalitta Motorsports will campaign a fourth Top Fuel dragster in Las Vegas this weekend for the team's test driver, Ben Marshall.
Marshall will pilot the black and pink StriVectin-SD dragster in its only scheduled appearance of the season. Marshall, who also serves as the team's marketing manager, got his Top Fuel dragster license upgrade at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October.
"I've been looking forward to this weekend for almost my whole life," Marshall said. "I've wanted to drive a Top Fuel car for as long as I can remember and now I get to with one of the NHRA's all-time best teams at one of the best tracks in the sport.
"It really is like a dream come true."
Marshall will join fellow Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel drivers Doug Kalitta, Scott Kalitta and David Grubnic in the field for this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals.
StriVectin-SD is a high-end skincare product formulated to reduce existing stretch marks and help reduce fine lines, wrinkles and crow's feet, according to a team release.
DOUBLE DUTY: In addition to piloting his Mopar/ Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car this weekend, Gary Scelzi will be driving an Alcohol Funny Car in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
"I'll be doing double duty and that's going to be exciting," Scelzi said. "I haven't driven an Alcohol Funny Car in nine years, but the priority is the Mopar/Oakley Dodge; that's the car we need to win in and the other one is just fun.
"When I was with (crew chief) Alan Johnson in Funny Car in 2002 and we needed a new car, I sent (chassis builder) Brad Hadman some money to build us a new Fuel Funny Car and this car is actually that car. When Alan and I split the sheets, I kept the car and about eight months later, Ron Meer bought it and made an Alcohol Funny Car out of it."
Scelzi is the only driver to have won in all four of the NHRA's top classes (Top Fuel Dragster, Top Fuel Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car) and is a three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion. He has 25 career victories in Top Fuel and four since moving to Funny Car in 2002.
VEGAS ODDS: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel, 2-1), John Force (Funny Car, 5-2) and Greg Anderson Pro Stock, 8-5) have been installed as the favorites by Station Casinos oddsmaker Micah Roberts to win their respective classes in this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals.
Las Vegas resident Rod Fuller is a 35-1 long shot to capture his first NHRA Top Fuel victory.
archive
