And we can't forget the newest cars in NHRA sportsman racing. The alky-burning, fuel-injected, small-block Jr fuel dragsters and the nitrous oxide-injected Pro Mods, both of which are competing in Competition Eliminator for the first time. The most successful of these new cars is the Vette of San Diego racer Randy Hagerty. Hagerty's '63 split-window qualified at all of last year's West Coast national events and points races, running consistent 6.50s. He has gone at least a couple of rounds at every event to put himself solidly in the Competition Eliminator World Championship points race.
NHRA's Bow-Tie contingent started the 2001 season just like they ended the 2000 season, with members of the brigade in the winner's circle at the first two races of the season. In fact, the winner's circle at Pomona looked like a Chevy dealer's lot as no fewer than six Chevy-bodied cars and their drivers picked up their "Wallys" as event winners.
Kurt Johnson made it three straight NHRA national event wins in a row over two seasons by driving his Chevy Cavalier to the Winternationals Pro Stock title. The younger Johnson got the win driving around the Mopar of Darrell Alderman with a 6.912/200.44 final round lap. Kurt credited much of his early season performance to the Chevy engineers saying, "My hat's off to GM for putting this project together."
At Pomona, the first race of the 2001 season, Johnson's sleek Cavalier made eight straight passes at more than 200 mph and set the track record at 202.18.
Kurt Johnson wasn't the only Chevy driver to win a professional class at Pomona. Randy Daniels drove his Chevy S-10 pickup to the victory in the Pro Stock Truck class.
In an all S-10 final round Daniels drove his Mouse motor-powered truck to a respectable 7.527/179.97 for the victory over Greg Stansfield. It was Daniel's eighth national event title. Bob Panella, also driving an S-10, didn't earn a trophy, but he did set the new NHRA speed mark for the class at a blistering 181.42 mph during qualifying and backed it up.
In the Sportsman classes, Bucky Austin drove his alky-burning, blown Camaro to the win over Bret Williamson's Vette.
In the gas-burning Super Stock Doorslammer category, Jimmy DeFrank's late-model Camaro got the win over former World Champ Dan Flutter's Summit Racing Equipment-backed '69 Camaro with a 10.42/127 lap.
In the bracket classes Chevys also scored well. Larry Scarth pulled off a minor upset when drove his Beretta to the win in the normally dragster-dominated Super Comp division. Scarth beat the Chevy-powered dragster of Kyle Rizzoli. In the 9.90 indexed Super Gas class Ed DeStaute's Chevy Vega got the win over Sheldon Gecker's Dodge Dakota truck.