MOTOR RACING : One Race Could Make a Top Fuel Season

After 18 National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing events and 270 match races, this year’s top fuel championship race might come down to the final quarter-mile pass in the fading sunset on Sunday afternoon at the Pomona Fairplex strip.

That’s how close four-time defending champion Joe Amato and four-time funny car champion-turned-top fueler Kenny Bernstein are going into the 28th annual Winston Finals, which begin today with qualifying time trials.

Amato leads Bernstein, who became the first driver to exceed 300 m.p.h. this year, by 54 points, 11,706-11,652. The winner of each round collects 200 points, so if the two were to meet head-to-head, the winner would collect the $150,000 champion’s bonus.

That is, unless both go out in the opening round and longshot Cory McClenathan--an independent driver from Anaheim--hangs on to win. McClenathan, who set a national elapsed time record of 4.799 seconds last month, trails Amato by 696 points.

Bernstein switched from funny cars to top fuel dragsters in 1990.

“From an experience standpoint, Kenny (Bernstein) and I have been through it all,” Amato said. “We’ve each won four championships, so, from a mental standpoint, we’ve learned how to adapt to the pressure. After all season, it’s going to come down to consistency, not making a mistake.”

Even though Amato is the points leader, Bernstein made the biggest noise this season when he ran hot rod racing’s milestone 301.70 m.p.h. last March in Gainesville, Fla. Last week, he also bettered McClenathan’s elapsed-time national record with a run of 4.792 seconds at the Chief Nationals in Ennis, Tex.

“In a way, I feel like I’m the underdog,” Amato said of his quest for a third consecutive championship. “Bernstein’s had the fast speeds and low elapsed times. He’s been quick all year.”

Bernstein has also been inconsistent. He has lost six times in the first round of eliminations and even lost at Gainesville to Eddie Hill after the record-smashing 300 run.

The funny car championship race between rookie Cruz Pedregon of Moorpark and defending champion John Force of Yorba Linda is close, but not as close as top fuel.

Pedregon, in his first year as a funny car driver after one season as a professional top fuel driver, has won five consecutive races to equal Don (Snake) Prudhomme’s record, set in 1976, and that streak has enabled Pedregon to catch and pass Force.

To clinch his first championship, Pedregon needs only to win his first-round match, unless Force wins and also betters Pedregon’s national elapsed time record of 5.076 seconds set last month. If Force sets the record--and he has run 5.079 this season--Pedregon would need to win his first two matches.

Warren Johnson, after three decades of trying, has clinched his first pro stock championship, but the Duluth, Ga., veteran says he wants to climax his season by winning the final race.

Johnson, 49, has won seven races in his Oldsmobile Cutlass and has set track records at 16 of 17 events. Scott Geoffrion of Huntington Beach is second after have lost six times in the finals. He also set the national record of 7.099 seconds in the Keystone Nationals in Reading, Pa., but has yet to win his first national event. Also Saturday will be the Budweiser Top Fuel Classic, matching the eight leading drivers in a shootout for a $50,000 first prize. Pairings are Bernstein, the defending champion, vs. Doug Herbert, McClenathan vs. Michael Brotherton, Hill vs. Pat Austin and Amato, a five-time winner, vs. Ed McCulloch.

Last year, Bernstein defeated Prudhomme in the finals. Prudhomme failed to qualify this year. Curiously, in the seven previous races, only once has the Budweiser winner come back the following day to win the Winston Finals. Amato did it in 1990. Qualifying rounds for the professional classes will be at 1:30 p.m today and Friday and 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Final eliminations will start at 11 a.m. Sunday for sportsman and pro categories.

Motor racing notes

STOCK CARS--Richard Petty has been getting so much attention for his Fan Appreciation Tour that one of the closest points races in Winston Cup history has been somewhat overshadowed. With only two races remaining--the Pyroil 500 on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway and Nov. 15 at Atlanta--there are five drivers only 113 points apart. Bill Elliott, the 1988 champion, leads Davey Allison by 70 points, 3,818-3,748, closely followed by Alan Kulwicki, 3,733; Kyle Petty, 3,724, and Harry Gant, 3,705. All but Elliott are looking for their first championship.

In a race within a race, the Winston West championship will be decided during the Pyroil 500 between four-time series champion Bill Schmitt of Redding and defending champion Bill Sedgwick of Granada Hills. Schmitt has a four-point lead. In 1990 the same two went to Phoenix with only one point separating them, and Schmitt emerged the champion--by one point. Schmitt drives a Ford, Sedgwick a Chevrolet.

Also at Phoenix, on Saturday, the Goodwrench/AC Batteries 300, final NASCAR Southwest Tour race of the season, will be run. Ron Hornaday Jr. of Palmdale holds a 55-point lead over Doug George of Atwater, Calif., with Rick Carelli of Denver another 32 behind. Carelli has eight victories to only three for Hornaday and two for George. . . . Sportsman and street stocks will run Saturday night at Blythe Speedway.

INDY CARS--The championship of the American International IndyCar series--the affordable alternative to PPG Cup Indy cars--will be decided Sunday in the Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix at Willow Springs Raceway. Contending in the season’s final race will be rookie Rod Bennett of Campbell, Calif., in a March-Pontiac; 1991 top rookie Jimmy Santos of San Mateo in a March-Chevrolet and two-time series champion Bill Tempero of Ft. Collins, Colo., in a March-Pontiac. Bennett leads Santos by three points and Tempero, who founded the series and was the 1990 winner at Willow Springs, by four. Qualifying Saturday will set the field for Sunday’s 152-mile race around Willow Springs’ 2.54-mile road course.

OFF ROAD--After a year of going their separate ways, SCORE International and High Desert Racing Assn. officials have combined their resources, with SCORE emerging as the sport’s sanctioning body and promoter. Sal Fish of SCORE will serve as chief executive officer and Danny Cau of the HDRA as president.

MIDGETS--When Sleepy Tripp won his 150th United States Auto Club main event last week at Ventura Raceway, it also clinched his seventh Western States regional championship in USAC. The Costa Mesa veteran also has won two national championships.

MISCELLANY--Pat Owens, an L.A. Community College district trustee, will host a display of racing cars and motorcycles Saturday at Hansen Dam Park in Sylmar. The event is designed to highlight the success of community college graduates, including Dave Arnold of American Honda, manager of the U.S. motocross team that recently won its 12th consecutive world championship. . . . The all-Harley Drags will be held Saturday and Sunday at L.A. County Raceway, near Palmdale. Time trials begin at 10 a.m. both days.