After 27 Years, Series Goes Off Tobacco Road

After 27 years as title sponsor for the National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing season, Winston will be making its final appearance in that role this weekend at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, last of a 24-event season.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. brand was forced to give up either the NHRA or NASCAR’s Winston Cup program next year under provisions of the Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry and the states attorneys general, and RJR choose NASCAR.

No replacement has been named, but sources close to the NHRA indicate that the favorite is Powerade, a Coca-Cola product. An announcement is expected later this month. McDonald’s, Budweiser and Coca-Cola have been mentioned in the past, but Powerade is expected to expand its competition with Gatorade by joining the NHRA.

When the late Ralph Seagraves first proposed involving Winston with the NHRA, the tobacco company financed a $100,000 points fund for what became the Winston Drag Racing Series. It has grown consistently, reaching $2.3 million this year with the top fuel champion, either Kenny Bernstein or Larry Dixon, and funny car champion John Force each collecting $200,000.

Force has already clinched his 11th funny car crown, his ninth in a row.

“We hate to leave, but we have to,” said Denny Darnell of Sports Marketing Enterprises, the racing arm of RJR. “We think we have been good partners for 27 years and whoever comes on, we hope they will take drag racing to the next level and continue its growth.”

The NHRA plans to honor its longtime sponsor in pre-race ceremonies Sunday and at the annual awards banquet Monday night at the Universal Amphitheater. Rick Sanders, RJR vice president and head of Sports Marketing Enterprises, and Greg Littell, SME vice president, will represent Winston.

In addition to the NHRA losing its title sponsor, former top fuel champion Gary Scelzi and pro stock motorcycle champion Angelle Seeling will lose their individual team backing from Winston.

In the meantime, the NHRA is winding up celebration of its 50th year as drag racing’s premier racing organization with its 37th annual season-ending event on the county fairgrounds racing strip. Qualifying starts today at 3 p.m. for the top fuel and funny car classes.

A family feud--and a beer feud--exists in the top fuel category, where Bernstein holds a narrow 54-point lead over Dixon with 138 points available at Pomona.

Dick LaHaie is crew chief for Dixon’s Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite top fueler. His daughter, Kim, is married to Tim Richards, Bernstein’s crew chief, and Kim also does all the clutch work on Bernstein’s Budweiser King dragster.

“It’s almost too bad there has to be only one champion,” Kim said.

As it stands now, Bernstein would win his sixth NHRA championship by winning two rounds in Sunday’s eliminations, even if Dixon won the Auto Club event. However, a variable is the 20 points awarded any driver who betters the NHRA elapsed time record, which is now held by Bernstein at 4.477 seconds. Dixon’s best was 4.486 two years ago in Houston. His quickest this year was 4.504 at Chicago, but the Pomona track has traditionally been one of the quickest in the country and with cool weather predicted, a record run is a possibility.

Bernstein, who has won one top fuel and four funny car titles, has made a record 11 final-round appearances this season, with seven wins. Dixon has six wins in nine final-round runs.

“It may appear that we have a little bit of breathing room, but it’s still anybody’s championship,” said Bernstein, 57, who has announced he will retire after the 2002 season and turn the Budweiser King car over to his son, Brandon.

Dixon said: “I am not quitting. I am racing to win. I race every race to win. Until they tell us that we are out of it, we’re in it.”

Also on the Saturday schedule is the Bud Shootout, an eight-car top fuel event for the year’s top qualifiers that pays $100,000 to the winner. Bernstein, a four-time winner, is the No. 1 qualifier.

At a Glance

What: Auto Club NHRA Finals, last event of season

Where: Pomona Raceway

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4:45 p.m.; Friday, qualifying, 4:45 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 4 p.m.); Sunday, eliminations, 2 p.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m.).