Baytown, Apr 14: Doug Kalitta completed a dominant weekend by getting his 12th career NHRA victory Sunday at the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. Tony Pedregon, Kurt Johnson and Angelle Savoie also won their categories at the $1.9 million event, the fifth of 23 this season.
Kalitta earned his first win of the year when he powered his dragster to a time of 4.580 seconds at 323.43 mph to beat Cory McClenathan. Kalitta led Top Fuel qualifying for a record-tying fifth straight race Saturday at Houston Raceway Park.
Pedregon won his third race of the season by narrowly defeating Del Worsham in the Funny Car final. Pedregon had a run of 4.969 (313.07 mph) in a Ford Mustang to hold off Worsham's Pontiac.
Johnson, who set the NHRA national speed record at 205.57 mph in qualifying, drove a Chevy Cavalier to his second win of 2003 and 25th of his career when he edged Scott Geoffrion at the finish line.
Savoie, the three-time consecutive NHRA Pro Stock Bike champion, rode to her 30th career victory and second of the season by beating rival Craig Treble in an all-Suzuki final.


Bureau Report