LAS VEGAS — Tim Wilkerson denied Ashley Force a historic milestone Sunday at the National Hot Rod Ass’n’s Summit Racing.com Nationals.
More satisfying to him was the fact his $40,000 Funny Car victory that put him in the winner’s circle with Top Fuel’s Cory McClenathan and Jason Line at The Strip @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway and lifted him to second in the standings, was undeniably a boost for the one-car teams.
“It’s kind of cool for the single teams, don’t you think?” he said, citing the victories of fellow owner/drivers Tony Pedregon and Del Worsham among the first five of the season.
Although Wilkerson won with a 4.962-second elapsed time at 292.58 miles per hour in his Levi Ray & Shoup Chevy Impala SS against Force’s 4.993/313.95 in the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, he spent a fair amount of time speaking graciously about the runner-up.
Force was bidding to become the first woman in NHRA history to win a Funny Car final, but is 0-2 so far. Far more than simply the fetching young star featured in the upcoming issue of Men’s Health magazine, the 25-year-old daughter of drag-racing icon John Force is the point leader — the first for her gender — heading into the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

SURPRISE: A happy Tim Wilkerson pops out of his Funny Car after defeating Ashley Force in the final round of eliminations. (LVMS Photo)

Moreover, Wilkerson’s 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, is an ardent Ashley Force fan, although he said with a wry smile that “she’s OK with Dad winning.” Wilkerson said John Force, Ashley’s famous Funny-Car-icon father, inquired about Rachel.
“He asked me, ‘How’s your daughter?’ And here I just got done beating his,” Wilkerson said. “No wonder Ashley’s a class act. She has a good teacher. I’d like to see Ashley get her first win, but I wouldn’t want to be the guy in that deal, I can tell you that. We have a lot of good girls in this deal, like Ashley Force and (Top Fuel turned Funny Car driver) Melanie Troxel. Every time I’m around those two, I’m more impressed with them.”
Pro Stock winner Line shored up his self-assurance in an impressive way, beating Greg Stanfield in the final to tie Jeg Coughlin for the points lead. Line ran a 6.782-second, 203.83-mph pass in his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP for Las Vegas-based team owners Ken and Kenny Black. Stanfield, trying to snap a seven-year drought, chased Line with a 6.816-second e.t. at 203.16 mph in his Bart Price-owned Attitude Apparel Pontiac GXP.
Line had won only once since he earned the 2006 series championship, last spring at Houston and said he doubted himself.
“It’s been so long since I had won a race that you lose some confidence. I finally got some back, and it feels really good,” he said, $25,000 richer. “I get beat on about my driving — or lack thereof — so to win is…redeeming. I can’t help but smile — I think my face has been stuck this way, like, forever.”
He credited his Pontiac GXP and his crew for the victory. “It was the car today. The engine did not perform as well as we would have liked. The chassis department definitely saved us.”
Top Fuel’s McClenathan, who experienced an even longer winless streak than Line, said of his $40,000 final-round victory over Antron Brown, “It’s…about…time. It has been a couple of years since we’ve had a competitive car.”
His Fram Dragster carried him to a winning 4.654-second e.t. at 315.86 mph, topping Brown’s 4.703-second, 315.93-mph performance in the Matco Tools Dragster. In earning his first Wally trophy since the 2006 race at Richmond, Va., and his 30th-career victory in 52 final rounds, McClenathan denied Brown, the Pro Stock biker-turned-dragster-driver, his second-straight victory.
“We beat some good teams, but lane choice meant a lot today,” the 17-year veteran said after advancing past J.R. Todd, Morgan Lucas and Brandon Bernstein to end his 30-race winless streak.
McClenathan improved to fourth place in the standings. “This points battle is shaping up to be an incredible season,” he said. “It’s going to be dog-eat-dog all year.”
Sportsman winners were Jeff Isbell (Top Alcohol Dragster), Jay Payne (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Lou Ficco (Competition Eliminator), Greg Luneack (Super Stock), John Shaul (Stock Eliminator) and Randy Balough (Super Gas).