MOTOR RACING : Same Names, but It’s No Drag

The 27th annual Winston Finals, which wrap up the 1991 National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing season this weekend at the Pomona Fairplex, look very much as they did when the 1990 season ended.

Joe Amato, the top-fuel champion from Old Forge, Pa., is on the verge of winning a record fourth championship. John Force, the funny-car champion from Yorba Linda, is close to taking his second consecutive title. And Darrell Alderman, the pro-stock champion from Lexington, Ky., already has repeated in his class.

All of which won’t detract from the $959,800 event, because all three face serious challenges for individual event honors.

Kenny Bernstein, who left funny cars two years ago to drive top fuelers, can become the only top-fuel driver in NHRA history to win seven events in one season if he can bag Sunday’s prize. He shares the record at six with Amato, in 1990; the late Gary Ormsby, in 1989; Darrell Gwynn, in 1988, and Don Garlits, in 1985.

Bernstein was frustrated by another former funny car driver, Don Prudhomme, in the final of the Chief Nationals two weeks ago when Prudhomme ran 5.0 seconds at 282.57 m.p.h., beating Bernstein’s 5.125 at 283.19.

That loss all but knocked Bernstein out of a chance to catch Amato. The defending champion needs to win only one round Sunday to earn the $150,000 champion’s bonus, even if Bernstein wins everything else. Amato has won four events and can be the first four-time top-fuel champion, breaking him out of a tie with Shirley Muldowney and Garlits.

Amato also will be seeking to extend his record streak to five in the seventh annual Budweiser Top Fuel Classic on Saturday, in which the top eight drivers compete in an all-star elimination. Amato has won five of the six held and the last four in a row.

Qualifiers, besides Amato, Bernstein and Prudhomme, are Frank Hawley, Eddie Hill, Lori Johns, Gene Snow and Jim Head. The winner will receive $50,000.

In funny cars, Force needs only to qualify in the 16-car field to beat Jim White, the Tulsa, Okla., driver who has startled drag racing followers with a series of record-breaking runs this year.

White became the first funny-car driver to exceed 290 m.p.h. when he ran 290.13 in Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Punch Dodge at the Chief Nationals in Ennis, Tex. White, who defeated Force in the U.S. Nationals, has also put together the year’s fastest elapsed times, 5.148, 5.153 and 5.156 seconds.

When Al Hoffman scored his first victory by upsetting White in the finals of the Chief Nationals, Force was so elated that he gave Hoffman a victory kiss.

“That was the first time I’ve ever been kissed by a man,” the startled Hoffman said.

Had White won, it would have moved him another 200 points closer to Force and brought about a championship showdown at the Winston Finals.

“We’re happy as hell to win it any way we can,” Force said. “White and his crew made us sweat, but we finally won it all.”

Force also will collect a $150,000 bonus when he qualifies his Castrol Oldsmobile for Sunday’s eliminations.

Alderman has completely dominated pro stock in his Mopar Dodge Daytona, winning a record 10 events, reaching the final round a record 13 times and winning the Budweiser Pro Stock Challenge and its $50,000 first prize in July. He will pick up another $100,000 at the NHRA banquet Monday night at the Red Lion Inn in Ontario.

The records he has broken were set by Bob Glidden, but Alderman is quick to deflect comparison between himself and the veteran pro stocker from Whiteland, Ind.

“Years ago, I used to come to the races and stand behind the ropes and watch Bob work on his car,” Alderman said. “I admired him even then and really wanted to be as good a driver as he was. And just because we can break his records doesn’t mean I’m as good (as) or better than he is. Remember, he’s won 10 Winston pro stock championships and I’ve got two.”

Pro category qualifying, including pro stock bikes, is scheduled at 1 p.m. today and Friday and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday. Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Racing Notes

WILLOW SPRINGS--The American IndyCar series, designed as an affordable way for race drivers and teams to prepare for the Indianapolis 500, will complete its fourth year Sunday with the running of the Los Angeles Grand Prix, a 100-mile race around the 2.5-mile, nine-turn Willow Springs Raceway road course. Favored is Bill Tempero of Fort Collins, Colo., founder of the AIS series and defending Willow Springs champion. Among the leading challengers are Kevin Whitesides of Columbia, Mo.; Robby Unser, youngest son of three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser; and Johnny Unser, Robby’s cousin.

Also set for Sunday is Round 7 of the United States Auto Club’s Formula 2000 series, a 22-lap race featuring Randy McDaniel of Orange, winner of two races this season at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway.

MIDGETS--The Pacific Coast Nationals, for years a fixture for midgets and three-quarter midgets at Ascot Park, are scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights at Bakersfield Speedway in Oildale. Sleepy Tripp, Robbie Flock and the Jones brothers, P.J. and Page, are expected to drive in the 30-lap midget main event.

SPRINT CARS--The 24th annual Western World championships will be held this weekend at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix. Non-winged sprint cars of the California Racing Assn. will run Friday night, winged cars tonight and Saturday night.

DROPOUTS--Alfa Romeo, after three uneventful seasons in Indy cars, announced it was dropping its program after last Sunday’s season finale. Danny Sullivan, the Alfa driver, had already announced a switch to the Galles-Kraco team next year. . . . Porsche, which shut down its Indy car project a year ago, has done the same in Formula One. Porsche officials said its $35-million annual budget was not producing desired results.

WINNERS--Bryan Herta, 21, of Los Angeles, will represent the U.S. this weekend in the Formula Ford World Cup at Brands Hatch, England. Herta clinched the Barber Saab pro series championship with a second-place finish at Del Mar. Page Jones of Rolling Hills finished fourth, Leo Parente of Los Angeles fifth and David Pook of Long Beach, son of Chris Pook, the Long Beach Grand Prix founder, ninth in Barber Saab standings. . . . Jean-Michel Bayle, the French rider who lives in Redondo Beach, completed a grand slam of American motocross by adding the 500cc national championship to the 250cc and Supercross titles he won earlier.

VINTAGE CARS--Ak Miller, 71, is ending a 13-year retirement from racing to drive his El Caballo in this week’s revival of the Carrera Panamericana--the Mexican Road Race. Ray Brock, who was on Miller’s pit crew in 1953 and 1954, will be the co-driver. The 1,800-mile rally will start Saturday in Tuxtla Gutierrez in the south of Mexico and finish next Thursday in Nuevo Laredo on the Texas border. Also entered are Loyal Truesdale of Studio City, Don Dierking of Anaheim, Drew Sidaris of Beverly Hills, Aliester Cowan of Malibu, Chuck Fausel of Palm Springs, Charley Rau of Newport Beach and Jon Ward of Littlerock.

MISCELLANY--The final stock car race in the NASCAR Western Challenge is scheduled Sunday at Las Vegas Speedway. . . . Ventura Raceway will feature motocross and desert buggies Saturday night. . . . Mud bog races are scheduled Saturday night at San Bernardino’s Glen Helen Park.