2002 Nitro Nationals
Updated 2-11-08 Added pics to bottom

Jerry Kutz would  move from ME to TE in 2002 but would trade his driving suit in for a capsule suit as he made the big jump to Top Fuel during the year. Here he is behind the wheel for what might have been his last laps in the Top Eliminator machine.

Kevin Felkins (owner Canyon Boats ) was behind the wheel of the Wild Child PE entry. What a great looking machine!

Greg Tedesco made the change to dual props in 2002 in his Deaver hulled machine. The Loose Cannon machine was a handful off the line and Greg put on quite an airshow for the huge Nitro Nationals crowd.

Frank Carter made the jump to Top Fuel in his Kurtis 501 single prop entry and he and his team made the trip to Red Bluff.

Dale Ishimaru drove the A Fuel Vendetta entry for Bob Pisciotta and took the TFH win.

Rick Davis bought the 2001 TAF championship winning machine and on his first qualifying attempt at Red Bluff got too much air under the machine and went over. Rick was banged up and bruised in the extremely violent wreck.


Tom Wright added a second prop to his Cuckoos Nest TAH machine in 2002 and like many of the other dual prop entries it was spectacular off the line. On this run he did one heck of a wheelie. The dual prop concept did not last long as Tom and his team switched back to a single prop not too long after.

The Mighty Mouse PM entry of Toby Mewharter was one of the the nicest looking machines in the pits.

A pair of Modified Eliminators running down the Red Bluff track as a huge crowd was on hand.

A pair of naturally aspirated PE entries during qualifiying as Eric Sanders lined up next to Brian Cummings(?)..

The Super Stock competition is always tough at Red Bluff as the awesome race draws the biggest names in the class. In this heat Larry Hamilton, Ty Newton, Dave Bryant, Scott Nish, and Dennis Rankin sqaure off.

The late Randy Johnson in his Intoxicator Pro Mod machine. Randy campaigned a very competitive PE machine before stepping up to PM. Then he spent some time running a blown entry in TAD with the NHRA.

Jamie Leppenan drove this turbo powered machine in PM. It is my understanding that he currently is running funny car on the west coast.

Andy Dement provided many photo ops off the start line in the twin prop ATTA Special TAF. Yep..The second prop is not a photo chop deal!

I would be lying if I did not say I got a little worried when Dave Ferguson got some air off the line and was heading right towards the photo barge I was standing on. I wasn't the only one who was ready to jump ship to get out of the way.

Troy Ferry had his awesome looking You're Next TAH Fineline hulled machine running very well on this lap.

One of the wildest runs I have ever seen as Greg Tedesco gets major air, then submarines, then gets even more major air, and proceeds to hammer the throttle like nothing happened and run his Loose Cannon machine through the quarter mile.


Some TE action.

Eric Morris saw the desctruction of his championship winning machine and almost went over in Blurred Vision machine as he rode out a good wheelie.

Rex Childers in the Whiskey River machine.

Mark Atkinson met up with Tim Morgan in the first round of eliminations.

Don Ney drove his Ford powered Bodashus machine in the TAH class.

There was an awesome turnout of race teams at the 2002 edition of the Nitro Nationals as the Super Stock racers (and there were a lot of them!) practiced the wave as they waited on the holding rope.

Troy Ferry made an ugly run as he got all out of shape and tossed the blower belt off the line. If I remember correct he also turned on the red light.

Todd Plate in his Glory Days TAH.

Mark Santar used a Deaver hull by RB in the TAH class.

Greg Gilday in his Anger Management TAH.

Josh Hayden took on Lonnie Mills in this eliminations round of PM.

Brad Hagberg got some serious air off the line in his PE flatty.

Dale Ishimaru in getting ready to run in the Vendetta machine.

Two props in an alcohol hydro makes the launch much more like a flat. Tom Wright in his Cuckoos Nest entry.

Hannes Wernhart in his State of Shock TAH. The 2002 Nitro Nationals fielded an excellent TAH class.

Fred Hart in the 002 Alcohol Abuse team machine.

Andy Dement showing some left side prop in the twin screw ATTA Special.

Kim Davidson made the long haul from Texas to compete in the extemely tough PM class. Davidson would take home the big win!

The always tough Blow'n Feathers machine of Stan Tweedy going rounds in TE.

Scott Cone was another of the TE racers who was on his game at the Nitro Nationals.

Two blown alcohol flatties doing battle in Pro Eliminator.

Lester Bradley in the Coyote Ugly SE entry.

The TE final pitted Tweedy against Cone.

The PE final featured a pair of blown flatbottoms.

Getting lined up for another exciting Super Stock Racing Association final.

Frank Nagore in his open cockpit Blue Thunder entry in the PCE class.

Dale Ishimaru drove to the win in TFH with an injected Nitro powerplant.

The Show n Shine is always awesome as the crowd gets up close and personal with many of the race teams and machines.

Craig Caulk lights the fuse on his Nitro Fish sponsored TFH during the show and shine.



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