Chicago Sun-Times: Bernstein tops Dixon before 10,000

Cooler weather led to hotter drag-racing times Sunday, but the record-breakers and near record-breakers weren't around for the Carquest NHRA Nationals championship finals before about 10,000 fans at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet.

Gary Selzi, who set back-to-back Funny Car speed records of 328.7 mph and 329.18 mph, only could muster 314 in a semifinal defeat.

"We got the whole page in National Dragster, and that feels good," Selzi said. "We might have reached elapsed-time [ET] record, too, but I was rolling in it deeper because we needed a good reaction time."

Doug Kalitta, who briefly held the ET Top Fuel record Saturday, smoked his tires in Sunday's quarterfinals.

The highlight of Sunday's action, then, was Kenny Bernstein beating Larry Dixon for Top Fuel after coming out of retirement in mid-May for injured son Brandon.

"This one's for Brandon, who suffered so much," said Kenny Bernstein, who moved ahead of legendary Don Garlits for second in Top Fuel wins with 36.

"Garlits is a legend," said Bernstein, 59. "He's still the man."

Tony Pedregon had an easy path to the Funny Car title. He won his round-of-16 race, but teammates Gary Densham and John Force smoked their tires, and surprise finalist Phil Burkart Jr. killed his engine before the title race.

"I feel like a blackjack player in Las Vegas, holding a 16 and the dealer busts," Pedregon said.

Force said he was going for the ET mark, thus ending speculation there was a team conspiracy.

Pedregon replaced Whit Baze-more atop the Funny Car points standings because Bazemore's car veered toward the centerline in the first round of eliminations.

"It shook itself out of the groove, and I couldn't get it back," said Bazemore, who won Funny Car at Joliet on June 1 when Pedregon and Force smoked their tires. "Things change so quickly. We went from wishing the season was over to wishing we had 20 more races to go."