Drag Series Titles on the Line

With five races to go, and three in three weekends, the nitro-fuel classes in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series couldn’t be much closer.

Two-time top-fuel champion Larry Dixon, who grew up in Van Nuys, carries into this weekend’s race at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., the momentum of winning the 52nd Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. It was his third victory in drag racing’s marquee event.

Dixon’s dragster clocked 4.561 seconds at 326.71 mph in beating series leader Tony Schumacher, who was going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title at Indianapolis. Dixon pulled within 79 points of Schumacher, within 39 of Doug Kalitta.

“To make up any ground in the points, we had to win,” Dixon said. “I’d like to be within 40 going into Las Vegas.... If we have the same car and package that we had at Indy, then we should be able to do that.”

With 18 of 23 races completed, Vegas precedes the Nov. 6 series finale in Pomona. Each round victory is worth 20 points.

“There’s probably eight cars that can win an event legitimately, without anyone’s bad luck,” Dixon said. “It’s still in our control.... I would rather race that way.”

It’s even closer among the funny cars.

Gary Scelzi leads Robert Hight by one point, Ron Capps by 36, John Force by 47 and Eric Medlen by 55. Medlen was 213 points behind six races ago.

“I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but there are a lot of good race cars out here,” said Force, a 13-time champion. “This is the best field I’ve ever seen.”

The perfect example: Del Worsham beat Frank Pedregon in the U.S. Nationals; they are eighth and 17th, respectively, in the points.

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The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its California Speedway debut this weekend with Pacific Division competition. Top-alcohol dragsters and funny cars will qualify today at 4 p.m., Saturday at noon and 4 p.m., with eliminations beginning Sunday about noon.

With two events remaining, Dennis Taylor of Anaheim Hills holds a 43-point lead over reigning funny car champion Steve Gasparrelli of West Covina, and dragster pilot Chris Demke of Sunland holds a 37-point lead over Robert Perkins.

Racing in super comp dragsters are Brittany Force, 19, and Courtney Force, 17, the daughters of John Force. Brittany won two rounds in her debut last week in Fallon, Nev., but Courtney’s car was unable to make it to the starting line.

NASCAR

Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kasey Kahne, three of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, will continue racing through the season finale but are ineligible for the playoff that deprived Gordon of a fifth Nextel Cup Series title last year but elevated interest in the sport.

Although finishing 11th is worth a $1-million bonus, 12th-ranking Gordon already has plenty of millions in his bank account and will focus on 2006.

“I really don’t care where we end up in the standings, we just need to get prepared for next year,” he said. “Preparation for that begins this weekend.”

That preparation will not include Gordon’s crew chief, Robbie Loomis, who left owner Rick Hendrick’s stable Wednesday to oversee day-to-day race operations at Petty Enterprises. Steve Letarte, 26, will be crew chief of Gordon’s Chevrolet, beginning this weekend at Loudon, N.H.

Earnhardt said after another abysmal finish at California Speedway two weeks ago that he wasn’t about to let his program enter the research-and-development stage, but wiser heads prevailed. This weekend, his cousin, Tony Eury Jr., will debut as crew chief of Earnhardt’s Chevrolet in preparation for next season.

Earnhardt is still looking for his first title, but Gordon can draw on some precedent: He was essentially out of the title hunt for the final 10 races of 2000, then came back to win the title in 2001. The same thing happened to Dale Earnhardt, Junior’s father, who finished 12th in 1992 and won consecutive titles afterward.

Southland Scene

Andrew Phipps of Simi Valley holds a 38-point lead over Rod Johnson of Canyon Country in the Lucas Oil Super Late Models, which will run a makeup event Saturday at Irwindale Speedway, the series’ finale.

Rip Williams of Yorba Linda and Damion Gardner of Concord are still locked in a battle for the Valvoline USAC/CRA sprint car championship. Williams leads Gardner by 11 points. Cory Kruseman of Ventura won last week’s race at Ventura Raceway. Williams was fourth, Gardner eighth. The battle continues Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway.

The VRA Sprints headline the card Saturday at Ventura Raceway.

Last Laps

Californian Scott Speed has been named Team USA’s driver for the inaugural A1 Grand Prix, an off-season World Cup series of races pitting country against country. The 12-race season begins Sept. 25 at Brands Hatch in Kent, England; the U.S. stop will be race 11 at Laguna Seca on March 19.

The late Nick Nicholson, a versatile motorcycle rider who grew up in Los Angeles and became dominant on off-road tracks in the 1950s, will be inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame next month. Nicholson died in 1994 at 70.