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NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Round 1 : Gainesville Raceway STORY By KEVIN McKENNA GAINESVILLE, FL, MAR. 16·19 re two hats better than one? When it comes to being both a rider and a tuner, Dave Schultz has few peers. The 51-year-old Sunoco Suzuki rider has long maintained that his biggest attribute is his ability to get the most out of his bike, and to get it from point A to point B as quickly as possible. That fact became readily apparent as the six-time NHRA Pro Stock Bike champ put both skills to good use in winning his 44th national event title at the season-opening Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. For some riders, the air and track conditions in Gainesville, which included a stiff headwind and high humidity, might have provided an insurmountable challenge, but for Schultz, it provided a perfect arena in which to showcase his ample skills. "I have never claimed to be the best rider out here, but I do have a lot of experience, especially when it comes to dealing with headwinds," Schultz said shortly after he posted the quickest run of eliminations in a 7.28 to 7.34 win over Tony Mullen. "And I know for a fact that my bike is the only one that has ever been in a wind tunnel. I believe that my bike and Antron Brown's bike, which I built, are the two most aerodynamic bikes out here. On a day like today, that was a definite advantage. It's times like this when I'm glad to be the old man out here. I feel like I have a lot more patience than the other riders." Having one of the fastest bikes in the field didn't hurt either. Schultz took delivery of a new engine from Byron Hines' Freedom Motorsports shop just days before the start of the race, and despite a lack of testing time, he was gradually able to improve his performance throughout the weekend. Schultz qualified third in the field with a 7.27, slightly behind number-two qualifier Matt Hines, but well off the pace set by Team 23's Mullen, who blistered the clocks with the best run of his career, A 48 APRIL 12, 2000' 0: U 0: • (Above) In the final of the Gatomationals, Dave Schultz claimed the 44th NHRA victory of his career, with a convincing 7.28 to 7.34 win over Team 23's Tony Mullen. Schultz holds the earty season points lead for the first time in three years. (Below) Even at 51, Schultz has shown that he has the drive, and the desire to challenge for what would be his seventh NHRA Pro Stock Bike championship. e n e vw s a 7.21, to grab his first pole as a professional. ·We had the engine apart every night, trying to learn what it liked and improve the package,: Schultz said "I was looking to get into a rhythm, and to take small steps. As a rider, I had fallen into sort of a rough cadence, and I was trying to smooth myself out. People don't realize what a big part the rider plays in making these bikes run fast. They are so sensitive to rider input that it is critical to be smooth and steady." Schultz, the homestate favorite in Gainesville, was just that in eliminations as he mowed down Brian Delong and Fred Collis in the first two rounds with runs of 7.33 and 7.31. Schultz faced his toughest challenge in the semis in the form of three-time and reigning class champion Hines, who wasn't posting the 7.J-second, J90 mph performances many had expected to see in lUainesvilie. But after downing Chris Reuter and rookie Shawn Gann in the first two rounds, it became obvious that he was capable of winning the race. Hines did make his best run of eliminations in the semis with a 7.35, but Schultz was long gone with a 7.32 for the win, and a spot in his 69th career final. "I thought I could pull that one off," Hines said. ·We just didn't have the combination today. My 60-foot times were okay. In fact, I was ahead of Dave until half-track, but he drove around me before the finish line. We still had a good weekend. We changed engines after the first round. We started at 12:05 p.m. and were ready to go at 1 p.m. I'd say we thrashed pretty hard at this race." Mullen, who admits that he idolized Schultz while winning five series championships in IDBA and AMA Prostar competition, enjoyed his finest outing since winning his first event last October in Houston. The Team 23 rider not only qualified on the pole for the first time in his career, but he also advanced to his second career final with wins over Reggie Showers, Team 23 teammate