Madison: Doug Herbert finals summary

Weekend results please Herbert even though he didn't win race.

MADISON, Ill., June 30, 2002 - Doug Herbert found several positives despite losing in the second round of the Sears Craftsman Nationals Sunday on another hot, humid day of racing at Gateway International Raceway:

-- He qualified No. 2, his highest starting position this year;

-- He hired Wes Cerny as tuning advisor on his Snap-on Racing Top Fuel dragster;

-- And he finds himself 19 points away from sixth place and 23 out of fifth in NHRA Powerade standings at the halfway mark of the 2002 season.

"It was a good weekend because we were able to add Wes to our team to help crew chief Johnny West," Herbert said. "We continue to make progress working together as a team."

Herbert wanted to give Kenny Bernstein a real challenge in the quarterfinals but an apparent clutch malfunction caused the tires to spin almost immediately after Herbert whacked the throttle at the starting line. The result was a Bernstein victory with a run of 4.809 seconds at 302.48 mph to Herbert's coasting 10.323 at 80.61 mph. Bernstein went on to win the race.

"It was disgusting that we didn't get to give him a good race for the win," Herbert added. "The drive-shaft speed just went way up when I hit the throttle."

Herbert's best run of the weekend - 4.653 seconds, a clock malfunction prevented a speed - came during Friday night's cooler qualifying round and had him in first place until the last run, when Andrew Cowin ran 4.635.

Herbert eliminated Bruce Litton in the first round with a 4.834 at 300.60 mph.

With 12 of 23 events completed, Herbert has 596 points. Sixth-place Darrell Russell has 615 and fifth-place Doug Kalitta has 619.

The next event, the Mopar Mile-High Nationals, takes place July 19-21 at Denver.

Qualified: No. 2, 4.653 seconds, no speed recorded; First round: Herbert, 4.834 at 300.60 def. Bruce Litton; Quarterfinals: Kenny Bernstein def. Herbert

-sor-