Pomona: Mopar preview

WHAT'S THE SCOOP

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 1, 2001) - Darrell Alderman's Team Mopar Dodge R/T is sporting a new hood scoop for this weekend's NHRA AutoZone Winternationals at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway.

The new scoop, a creation of chassis builder Rick Jones, has been tabbed the Formula One Scoop.

"The new scoop is just a little faster on the back half of the track," said Nickens Racing crew chief Mark Ingersoll. "We had the scoop on the new Pro Stock Neon in the wind tunnel and it showed some nice numbers. We wanted to try it on the R/T's"

Alderman, a three-time NHRA Winston Pro Stock World Champion, likes the performance edge.

"It adds about two-tenths of a mile per hour at the top end," Alderman said. "It looked pretty good when they tested it. I hope it works well."

The new scoop is much smaller than last year's version. The F-1 Scoop features a triangular shape and has a much smaller frontal area. Testing also revealed an increase in the airflow over the carburetors.

Alderman's new teammate Mark Osborne, driver of the other Team Mopar Dodge R/T, will also have the new scoop in the future.

A GOOD BEGINNING

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 1, 2001) - Dodge Motorsports R/T Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan turned a few heads in pre-season testing. The Ohio resident ripped off an impressive 6.794-second elapsed time at 201.89 mph in Bradenton, Fla.

"The conditions were just perfect," Morgan said. "We figure that if we were in Memphis (Tenn.) last year, we would have run a 6.78 or 6.77-second run. The air was just that good."

At last year's Auto Zone NHRA Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park, Morgan clicked off a 6.830-second pass in qualifying. The run was the fifth-quickest elapsed time in NHRA history.

"It was a nice way to start the season,"said Morgan, who is preparing foe this weekend's Auto Zone Winternationals at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway, the first race of the 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing season. "We have found more horsepower over the winter with this Hemi engine.