| | Associated Press
ENNIS, Texas -- Gary Scelzi won his third NHRA Top Fuel
championship, and Bob Panella Jr. earned his second career NHRA Pro
Stock Truck title at the O'Reilly Fall Nationals on Saturday.
Scelzi, from Fresno, Calif., lost to eventual event runner-up
Melanie Troxel in the semifinals, but finished with a 226-point
lead over Larry Dixon to clinch the championship at the Texas
Motorplex.
Panella lost to eventual winner Steve Johns in the semifinals,
but mathematically eliminated Randy Daniels from winning the
championship.
Cory McClenathan, John Force and Kurt Johnson won their events
at the $1.8 million race, the 22nd of 23 events in the $45 million
NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.
McClenathan, from Anaheim, Calif., had a run of 4.659 mph at
314.02 mph to beat Troxel, who lost traction, in the Top Fuel
final.
Force, from Yorba Linda, Calif., recorded his 10th victory of
the season, beating Jerry Toliver with a run of 4.863 seconds at
302.55 mph in his Ford Mustang in the Funny Car category.
Johnson, from Lawrenceville, Ga., used a 6.966 at 196.73 mph run
to edge Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin. The win was Johnson's
fifth this season in his Chevrolet Camaro. With the win, Johnson
took sole possession of second place in the standings, 80 points
ahead of his father Warren.
Johns, from Lancaster, Pa., beat Randy Daniels with a run of
7.566 at 178.05 in an all Chevy S-10 Pro Stock Truck final.
The NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway in Pomona, Calif., begin
Thursday.
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NHRA Results
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