A Jolly Time for Some in Joliet

Words by Pete Wickham
Photo by Jeff Burk
6/6/03

ony Schumacher's struggling U.S. Army Top Fuel team isn't struggling any more. Buoyed by the arrival of three-time NHRA champion crew chief Alan Johnson, Schumacher scored his first victory since September on his home track, winning the Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals title.

"The turnaround for this team happened fast," said Schumacher, whose team brought Johnson in to replace veteran Wes Cerny last Monday. "But we didn't hire Alan Johnson to find a tune-up, he already had it. He didn't rack up all those wins and championships without knowing how to tune a dragster. We just gave him the budget to do what he needs to do and we have a very talented pool of guys over there helping him."

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Whit Bazemore (Funny Car), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock), and Angelle Savoie (Pro Stock Bike) also were winners at Route 66, located in Joliet, Ill.

During Saturday's qualifying, both halves of the Funny Car national record were broken, with John Force running a 4.721-second quarter-mile, while Scelzi had a top speed of 327.98 mph. Both those drivers, however, were eliminated in the early rounds Sunday.

Schumacher, who started the weekend in 10th place in the points standings, knocked off reigning NHRA champ and current points leader Larry Dixon with ease at 4.530 seconds (321.50 mph), well ahead of Dixon's 4.615 (321.42 mph).

Schumacher, who won his title in 2000, scored his eighth career event win and first since last September's U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Bazemore, who drives the Matco Tools Dodge for Schumacher Racing, made it a good weekend all around for the Chicago-based squad. Bazemore, from Indianapolis, was quicker off the lights than Tommy Johnson Jr. of Indy and got the win despite a slower E.T. (4.872 to TJ's 4.839). It was the third win in four starts for Bazemore, who is trying to catch Tony Pedregon in the Funny Car points chase.

In Pro Stock, Kurt Johnson (photo) of Lawrenceville, Ga., survived an almost-perfect reaction time to beat defending Gateway and NHRA champion Jeg Couglin of Delaware, Ohio.

KJ's ACDelco Chevrolet was clocked in 6.791 seconds (203.40 mph) to a 6.833 (201.91 mph) for Coughlin. The win is the 27th overall for Johnson and his fourth of the season. It puts him two points ahead of Greg Anderson in the overall standings.

Savoie, the reigning NHRA and Sears Craftsman Nationals winner from New Orleans, regained the points lead with her third win of the season and 31st of her career. She is now third on the all-time list, and two out of the second position.

Savoie and Showers, competing in his first NHRA final, were even off the starting line. But Savoie's bike had more muscle in the Team 23 Suzuki and covered the quarter-mile in 7.123 seconds (187.16 mph) to Showers' 7.238 (184.30 mph).

Showers, from Philadelphia, is a double amputee who lost his legs in an accident as a youngster, and rides with the aid of prosthetic devices built by the company that sponsors his bike.

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