ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (UPI ) -- Tom McEwen, coming out of retirment from the funny-car ranks, earned his first top-fuel victory Sunday by defeating Lori Johns in the finals of the NHRA Summernationals.
In the other finals, Del Worsham earned his second funny-car victory of the season and Darrell Alderman rolled to his sixth triumph of 1991 in the pro-stock category.
McEwen is a long-time veteran of the funny-car class who came out of retirement this year to drive in top fuel for team owner Jack Clark, the Boston Red Sox designated hitter. He won four funny-car events, the last in 1986, after competing in top fuel from 1963 to 1972.
McEwen's victory was assured when Johns lost traction halfway down the quarter-mile track. He crossed the finish line with a time of 5.004 seconds at 283.55 mph. Johns, of Corpus Christi, Texas, struggled with a time of 12.591 seconds at 77.66 mph.
Despite losing to Johns in the semifinals, Don Prudhomme of Granada Hills, Calif., held onto his lead in the top fuel standings.
Worsham, a 21-year-old from Orange, Calif., also took advantage of his opponent's misfortune. He defeated Mark Oswald of Cincinnati, Ohio, when Oswald smoked his tires. Worsham closed with a time of 5.299 seconds at 273.09 mph to Oswald's 9.845 seconds at 84.74 mph.
Alderman, of Lexington, Ky., the defending pro-stock champion and current points leader, has dominated the category since the year's first race. He ran a time of 7.294 seconds at 186.08 mph in the finals, defeating Rickie Smith of King, N.C., who finished in 7.364 seconds at 187.42 mph.
