Force picks up emotional Funny Car win; Bernstein, Coughlin take victorys at Thunder Valley Nationals
Monday, Jul 09, 2007 - 04:30 AM
BY Allen Gregory
Sports Writer
One of the most successful weekends in Bristol Dragway history ended with a blast of emotion and tradition.
John Force earned his 123rd career Funny Car win in the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, while second-generation star Brandon Bernstein manhandled his Top Fuel dragster to victory.
The near-capacity crowd lingered long into the evening to celebrate with Force, Bernstein and Pro Stock winner Jeg Coughlin.
Force was the happiest person at Thunder Valley as he finally ended his mysterious 2007 winless streak with a final round pass 4.993 seconds at 284.62 miles per hour.
That was good enough to stop No. 10 qualifier, Cruz Pedregon.
"We went from being one of the greatest teams ever in the sport, if I can pat my own back, to being the worst, right there in the cellar," said Force, who hadn’t advanced past the quarterfinals. "This [car] was the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met in my life.
"We spent a month going through the car from one end to the other. The only thing left was the chassis and [crew chief Austin] Coil. I can’t get fire Coil because he’d just write a book about me and make a lot of money."
Force’s crew actually spent all of the July 4th holiday searching for answers on the familiar Castrol Mustang.
It was not an easy day for Bernstein, who had to fight his ill-handling Budweiser dragster in both the second round and semifinals.
"We started the day with a strong [4.538 second] run and I was blown away," Bernstein said. "Then we go out and we’re pedaling like crazy just to get to the other end. Tim Richards [crew chief] made a great call in the final to just back it down and get it to run from A to B."
Bernstein’s opponent in the finals, No. 12 qualifier Bob Vandergriff, smoked his tires in the final. It was the fourth win of the season for Bernstein, who trails only Rod Fuller in Top Fuel points.
The victory was emotional for Bernstein, considering that a section of the Bristol Dragway grandstands is named in honor of his father Kenny.
"It’s a great feeling every time I walk up to those grandstands and see that picture of dad," Bernstein said.
There was almost a major upset in Pro Stock as unheralded veteran Kenny Koretsky, nicknamed Captain Chaos, advanced to his first final since 2004.
Coughlin, the two-time Pro Stock champ and No. 1 qualifier in his Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt, finally stopped Koretsky with a pass of 6.809 at 203.22. Koretsky stunned points leader Greg Anderson ad Dave Connolly en route the final in his Nitro Fish Cobalt.
The margin of victory for Coughlin was a scant two-thousandths of a second.
"To go coast to coast from a No. 1 qualifying effort to the winner’s circle, what a great win," Coughlin said. "I think the last [six or] seven finals a Cagnazzi team car, either Dave Connolly or myself, have been in it."
"Kenny raced the wheels off his car and he was hammering the [starting line] Tree. I just barely, barely [won]."
Before the final round, NHRA founder Wally Parks, Bristol Dragway co-founder Larry Carrier, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, and all-time Bristol Dragway winner Rickie Smith were honored as the inaugural class of inductees into the Legends of Thunder Valley.
Monday, Jul 09, 2007 - 04:30 AM
BY Allen Gregory
Sports Writer
One of the most successful weekends in Bristol Dragway history ended with a blast of emotion and tradition.
John Force earned his 123rd career Funny Car win in the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, while second-generation star Brandon Bernstein manhandled his Top Fuel dragster to victory.
The near-capacity crowd lingered long into the evening to celebrate with Force, Bernstein and Pro Stock winner Jeg Coughlin.
Force was the happiest person at Thunder Valley as he finally ended his mysterious 2007 winless streak with a final round pass 4.993 seconds at 284.62 miles per hour.
That was good enough to stop No. 10 qualifier, Cruz Pedregon.
"We went from being one of the greatest teams ever in the sport, if I can pat my own back, to being the worst, right there in the cellar," said Force, who hadn’t advanced past the quarterfinals. "This [car] was the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met in my life.
"We spent a month going through the car from one end to the other. The only thing left was the chassis and [crew chief Austin] Coil. I can’t get fire Coil because he’d just write a book about me and make a lot of money."
Force’s crew actually spent all of the July 4th holiday searching for answers on the familiar Castrol Mustang.
It was not an easy day for Bernstein, who had to fight his ill-handling Budweiser dragster in both the second round and semifinals.
"We started the day with a strong [4.538 second] run and I was blown away," Bernstein said. "Then we go out and we’re pedaling like crazy just to get to the other end. Tim Richards [crew chief] made a great call in the final to just back it down and get it to run from A to B."
Bernstein’s opponent in the finals, No. 12 qualifier Bob Vandergriff, smoked his tires in the final. It was the fourth win of the season for Bernstein, who trails only Rod Fuller in Top Fuel points.
The victory was emotional for Bernstein, considering that a section of the Bristol Dragway grandstands is named in honor of his father Kenny.
"It’s a great feeling every time I walk up to those grandstands and see that picture of dad," Bernstein said.
There was almost a major upset in Pro Stock as unheralded veteran Kenny Koretsky, nicknamed Captain Chaos, advanced to his first final since 2004.
Coughlin, the two-time Pro Stock champ and No. 1 qualifier in his Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt, finally stopped Koretsky with a pass of 6.809 at 203.22. Koretsky stunned points leader Greg Anderson ad Dave Connolly en route the final in his Nitro Fish Cobalt.
The margin of victory for Coughlin was a scant two-thousandths of a second.
"To go coast to coast from a No. 1 qualifying effort to the winner’s circle, what a great win," Coughlin said. "I think the last [six or] seven finals a Cagnazzi team car, either Dave Connolly or myself, have been in it."
"Kenny raced the wheels off his car and he was hammering the [starting line] Tree. I just barely, barely [won]."
Before the final round, NHRA founder Wally Parks, Bristol Dragway co-founder Larry Carrier, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, and all-time Bristol Dragway winner Rickie Smith were honored as the inaugural class of inductees into the Legends of Thunder Valley.