Scelzi Starts Fast at Pomona

When the National Hot Rod Assn. reduced horsepower in its top-fuel and funny car classes by cutting the amount of nitro permitted in the fuel, they were hoping speeds would be lower and parts would last longer.

After half of qualifying for the season’s opening event, the 40th Autozone Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, they got half of what they wanted.

Speed is only marginally lower, and it has come with such ease that the top competitors are looking to run as fast with 90% nitro as they did when it was unlimited.

Gary Scelzi, seeking to regain the top-fuel championship he lost last year to Tony Schumacher, raced through the quarter-mile Friday in 4.656 seconds to gain the provisional No. 1 position.

“Whoever made the call [to reduce horsepower] was right on,” said Scelzi, who won Winston titles in 1997 and 1998 for Alan Johnson’s Santa Maria team. “I’m all for it. We’re running much smoother now, and from a business standpoint, the parts attrition is down.”

Already the fastest cars are faster. Joe Amato reached 320.05 mph Thursday, bettering last year’s qualifying record of 313.22 by Mike Dunn in top fuel. Scelzi ran 316.60.

“I think before long we’ll see runs in the mid-4.50s at 325 or maybe 326 mph,” Scelzi said.

During funny car qualifying, nine-time champion John Force paired off with Jerry Toliver, who upset him in last year’s NHRA Finals at Pomona, and the result was the same.

Toliver, in a sleek new 2000 Camaro, replaced Force at the head of the field with a pass of 4.916 seconds. Force, who shut off before the finish line, dropped to third in the qualifying order, standing on his first-round 4.958. Dean Skuza slipped between him and Toliver with an impressive 4.927 in a new Dodge Avenger.

“Considering this was only the third full pass in this car, we were pretty pleased,” said Toliver, a former drag boat racer from Huntington Beach. “Any time I get a chance to compete against John Force, I get pumped up. He’s a true champion, but that’s what we’re here for, to try and beat him. I don’t mean just to beat him, but to win the championship you’ve got to beat him, and that’s our goal this year.”

Two-time pro stock champion Jim Yates found conditions ideal for his ’00 Pontiac Firebird, running a Winternationals record of 6.878 seconds to take the halfway lead in qualifying.

“Today was a pro stock driver’s dream,” said the veteran from Alexandria, Va. “With the crowd cover we had today, I don’t think it could be possible to have better conditions.”

Pro stock truck drivers also found the track receptive to speed. Ten drivers surpassed defending champion Bob Panella’s first-round time of 7.611 seconds.

Fastest was Steve Johns of Mountville, Pa., whose 7.527 elapsed time was complemented by a track-record speed of 178.99 mph. Panella, who did not improve on his Thursday time, slipped to 11th in the tight field.

Another objective of reduced horsepower was to prevent--or cut down--on oil leaks that delayed action. Three drivers were fined $500 each Thursday and four more--funny car drivers Larry Huff and Tony Pedregon and top-fuelers Melanie Troxel and Cory McClenathan--were docked Friday.

If anyone drops too much oil during Sunday’s eliminations, it will cost $1,000 and 10 championship points--half a round’s worth.

Two time trials today, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., will set the 16-car professional fields for Sunday’s eliminations.