Abruzzi finishes runner-up

Staff/wire report

NORWALK

Warren’s Marco Abruzzi finished runner-up to Jeff Pittman in the Top Sportsman category at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series action on Sunday at the seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Several other Mahoning Valley racers competed. Canfield’s Phil Smida was eliminated in the second round of the Super Gas category.

Rob Harvischak of Warren won a first-round race in the Top Sportsman category while John Frech of Cortland won a first-round Competition Eliminator race.

Ed Toolis of Lisbon won a first-round race in the Super Comp class while Ed Apple of Beloit won a first-round race in the Super Gas category,

The dragster of Tom Martino of Youngstown suffered a breakdown at the starting line and was unable to compete.

In other events, Johnny Gray won his fourth Funny Car title of the year.

Gray and Ron Capps drove their Dodge Chargers to identical times of 4.103 seconds in the championship round.

But Gray posted the quicker reaction time to get the victory. Gray’s Charger went 314.02 mph in the final round, compared to 314.09 for Capps in his 400th career start.

Khalid alBalooshi (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

It was the seventh career victory for Gray, who has won each of his four finals this year. He beat Alexis DeJoria, Chad Head and defending Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman to reach the final round.

“Everybody said it was back-and-forth all the way down the track, and it was just a great drag race,” Gray said. “You just can’t say enough for what my crew does for me and [Sunday] was my day. We came to Norwalk and the car never missed a step.

“When I get a race car like this, it’s really hard to screw it up.”

AlBalooshi claimed his first victory of the season and second of his career, knocking off top qualifier Doug Kalitta in the final round. He covered the distance in 3.935 seconds at 271.30 mph while Kalitta’s numbers were 4.215 seconds and 268.54 mph.

Edwards, the current points leader in Pro Stock, grabbed his fourth win of the year by knocking off defending world champion Allen Johnson.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Smith claimed his first win since 2011, a span of 34 races.

Smith went 6.594 at 192.44 on his Buell en route to the victory against Scotty Pollacheck, who had a final round time of 7.008 at 191.16.