NHRA News: National DRAGSTER's 2001 Performance Awards (12/16/2001)

National DRAGSTER's 2001 Performance Awards

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
12/16/2001

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An annual tradition at National DRAGSTER magazine, the long-time publication of NHRA drag racing, is for the staff to come together just before their month-long winter break and decide the previous year's performance highlights. The results are published in the season-ending edition -- which hit mailboxes late last week -- and are always cause for celebration and reflection of the season that just concluded.

This year, in an effort to reach an even broader audience, the 2001 National DRAGSTER Performance Awards make an appearance here in cyberspace on NHRA.com. From the Pro Driver of the Year winner to the Hard Luck award recipient, the crack staff of ND once again out-did themselves with their special tribute to 2001.

TOP FUEL

Kenny Bernstein was named National DRAGSTER's Pro Driver of the Year.

Just as they have many times in the past, the "Kings of the Sport" in the Top Fuel class found numerous ways to distinguish themselves during the course of the season. One of the easiest decisions went to none other than newly crowned Top Fuel champion Kenny Bernstein, who walked away with Driver of the Year honors. Bernstein took advantage of crew chief Tim Richards' flawless tune-up and reeled off a season-record 61 elimination-round wins en route to his sixth championship.

Bernstein also got the staff's approval for the Outstanding Run by a Top Fueler for his jaw-dropping 4.477 at 330.88 mph that occurred during the final qualifying session of the first Chicago race. His overall performance that same weekend, which included the aforementioned national record e.t., a low qualifier honor, the meet's top speed, and the win on Sunday was also tabbed as the Outstanding Performance by a Top Fueler for an event.

Bernstein, far lane, beat Larry Dixon, 4.511 to 4.510, in the second round in Reading to become ND's Top Fuel race of the Year.

The champ's season-long battle with points runner-up Larry Dixon also drew some attention, specifically the 4.511 to 4.510-second holeshot win the Bud King took over his Miller Lite beer rival in the second-round of Reading. It was named the Outstanding Top Fuel Race of the Year.

The award for Outstanding Performance, Period, also belongs to Bernstein, but he'll have to share this one with son Brandon. In one of the voting's few unanimous decisions, the father-son duo's double victory in Las Vegas -- Kenny in Top Fuel and Brandon in Top Alcohol Dragster -- was the first of its kind.

The biggest Upset of the Year for any single round of racing belonged to Top Fuel as well. In what many assumed would be just another round win for Dixon, 2000 Rookie of the Year driver Don Lampus Jr., who had just returned to action after being off most of the year with sponsorship woes, took advantage of Dixon's loss of traction in the second round of the second to last race of the season to effectively end Dixon's title hopes in the Nevada desert.

The National DRAGSTER staff didn't forget the men (and women) behind the scenes either, handing Team Budweiser's Tim Richards the Comeback Season of the Year award. Richards helped Bernstein to national elapsed time and speed marks, eight wins, and the championship. Along with wife Kim, Richards was also recognized as one the best Mechanical Men on the circuit, an honor also bestowed on rival Dick LaHaie of Team Miller Lite.

Don Garlits, right, made one of the highlight runs of the season with his first four-second and 300-mph pass.

It wasn't the quickest or the fastest by any means, but "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' personal-best pass of 4.720 at 303.37 mph was everyone's Outstanding Run of the Year. Garlits, the sport's No. 1 driver of all time, had dreamed of his first four-second, 300-mph pass for year's and he finally got it done at the sport's biggest race, the U.S. Nationals, in September.

Mirroring the award ceremony, first-year driver Darrell Russell, who replaced legend Joe Amato in the seat of the Valvoline/Keystone dragster, was painted as the Rookie of the Year.

FUNNY CAR

John Force's amazing weekend in Reading, topped by this final-round victory over Whit Bazemore, earned him multiple National DRAGSTER awards.

The flopper category had one of its most exciting seasons ever in 2001, a fact not lost on ND's scribes. Understandably, 11-time champion John Force was at the front of everyone's mind when the awards went to a vote. The colorful Force was recognized as posting the Outstanding Run by a Funny Car for his national-record-setting 4.731 in Reading. Aside from setting the record, the run was special because it came on the heels of nemesis Whit Bazemore's pole-grabbing 4.760 earlier in the session and just one week after Bazemore had set the national mark himself in Chicago.

Force's weekend in Amish Country where he followed his 4.731 from qualifying with the first all-4.7-second streak to the winner's circle also was labeled the Outstanding Performance by a Funny Car for a single event.

The loquacious Force actually came up on the losing end of the staff's Funny Car Race of the Year. That distinction went to Force and Del Worsham's 4.80 to 4.81-second final round in Chicago, which Checker-Schuck's-Kragen pro Worsham took on a miniscule holeshot.

Gary Densham was named National DRAGSTER's Most Improved Pro driver.

That wasn't all of the hardware Team Force collected. No. 3 driver Gary Densham was named Most Improved for his performance over the course of the season, including two wins in the last five events. Prior to 2001, Densham had never won a national event.

After dropping from third to 15th in the points, the biggest decline of any pro, Funny Car ace Jerry Toliver received the dubious distinction of earning the Oh No! Award for the season. A championship contender in 2000, Toliver recorded just two round wins in 2001.

For guiding Bazemore to the best second-half of any pro, Matco Tools Funny Car crew chief Lee Beard joined the Richards' on the list of Mechanical Men. One of the few laps Beard probably wished he could forget -- the red-light start by Bazemore in the season-ending finals -- earned his driver the Oh No! Award for a race.

PRO STOCK

Mark Osborne's sizzling 6.75 run was recognized in the National DRAGSTER awards.

With 15 winners in 24 events it wasn't easy to pick the best of the best in Pro Stock this year but the scholars of National DRAGSTER managed to get the job nonetheless. Proving the parity in the class, the award for Outstanding Performance by a Pro Stocker went to the entire 16-driver field at the Reading event. Every driver racing on Sunday used a career-best elapsed time or speed to make the show and every one of them ran at least 201 mph. The group also combined to post 24 6.7-second runs.

That same weekend, Mopar Parts driver Mark Osborne made the year's Outstanding Run by a Pro Stocker when he shocked the world with a 204.35-moh, 6.754-second blast, the fastest ever recorded.

No professional race, regardless of class, was closer than Jim Yates' second round match-up with Brad Jeter in Denver. Not even the newly installed timers that record margins of victory out to the 10-thousandth of a second could determine a winner -- it showed .0000 -- but Yates got the nod, $25,000 from Motel 6 and the Who Got The Light program, and the staff's nod for Pro Stock Race of the Year.

Jim Yates saw both the good and the bad in 2001.

Yates was also noted for the Comeback of the Year for a single event after his weekend in Atlanta. The two-time series champ used the final qualifying session to sneak into the field and then took advantage of three red-lights and a holeshot to win the event. Unfortunately, Yates also grabs the Hard Luck Award for his heart scare in Memphis that caused him to miss the elimination rounds after he had earned the No. 1 starting slot.

After declaring his retirement from the National Basketball Association in September, former NBA power forward Tom Hammonds earned Pro Stock's Most Improved award. Hammonds closed the year with eight successful qualifying attempts and a runner-up finish in Dallas.

David Reher, the legendary engine builder and crew chief, helped his driver Bruce Allen win two events and secure a third place finish in the points. For that the staff of National DRAGSTER named him one of the sport's best Mechanical Men.

PRO STOCK BIKE

Angelle Savoie also took home multiple awards from the ND staff.

Season champ Angelle Savoie won half of the season's 14 Pro Stock Bike events, but nowhere was she more dominant then at the tour's second stop in Pomona where she qualified No. 1, was the only rider in the 7.2-second range, and tied Shirley Muldowney with her 18th professional victory. Truly, the Outstanding Performance by a Pro Stock Bike.

Wacky rider Shawn Gann manufactured the Upset of the Year for a single event by zipping away with the $15,000 top prize at this year's Holley Pro Stock Bike. Dominator Duel in Indy. Gann powered by heavyweights Matt Hines, Savoie, and Antron Brown that memorable day.

The Vortex II cylinder heads built by Rick Ward provided the power for Savoie to run away from the competition and win her second successive championship. Ward's heads also helped Gann and Geno Scali, who recorded a surprising 7.17 on a Kawasaki. For that, Ward was named to the coveted Mechanical Men list.

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