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NHRA: Whitely Wins Top Alcohol Dragster Race At Pomona
Jim Whitely stood by his car in the gathering darkness at Auto Club Speedway and grinned.
Whitely, the Grand Junction, Colo. resident, was celebrating victory with his teammates after winning the Top Alcohol Dragster category in the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals. It was his third straight win at Pomona.
"It was a hoot," Whitely said. "It was a hoot because the Goodyear tires hauled the mail."
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Whitely drove to victory on a pair of Goodyear D1022 rear drive tires he bought in February specifically for use in this race. The decision paid off when he beat Courtney Force in the final round. Whitely’s elapsed time, 5.262 seconds, and speed 270.75 mph, were the best of his career.
Bill Reichert, who Whitely beat in the semi-finals at Pomona, won his fourth straight TAD national championship in 2009 while racing on Goodyear tires and Goodyear-shod cars have won more TAD races than all other tiremakers combined this season.
Whitely, who finished second in the national championship standings, said of Reichert, "We’ve beaten him every time we’ve raced him this year. He’s a great competitor and he’s a great racer."
Goodyear-shod competitors filled seven of the eight openings in the quarterfinal round and all four of the semi-final spots. Force earned her berth in the final round when she beat her sister, Brittany, in the semi-finals.
Drivers racing on Goodyear rubber won 11 times in TAD competition during national events in 2009, a total far and away above all other tiremakers combined.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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