As the tree dropped, Tran got the early advantage with a 0.48-sec. reaction time against Kubo's 0.50. From the sidelines it was hard to tell who was winning; the cars were virtually side-by-side. At the finish line Tran stopped the timers with an 8.61 at 170.58 to take the win and set a new class record. Lisa ran an 8.26, but ran into problems. The Nitto Civic seemed to stand on its nose and then swerved wildly out of control before contacting the wall. As the dust settled, the track staff raced to the scene and the driver was immediately taken to a local hospital for treatment. Kubo's injuries were minimal, but the Nitto Civic was the worse for wear.
"I don't really know what happened," Lisa said later. "Something locked up at the front and the car tried to do a handstand. I was more concerned with keeping the car away from Kenny than anything else. I didn't want to take him out."
Tran was happy for the win but was obviously concerned for Lisa. "I hope she's OK," he said in the pits. "It's great to get the win and set a new class record, but Lisa is my friend and that is more important than anything else."
Lisa Kubo's performance was enough to clinch the championship honors for the year, and Gary Kubo hinted at some changes that may be made next year. "I'm not sure what the problem was, yet, but obviously we have to eliminate it before next year. The car is going faster than ever, so we're in uncharted territory. I'm sure we'll figure it out and be back faster than ever in 2003."
APC Pro Outlaw
Chris Rado was totally unopposed in the Pro Outlaw Class, but in typical Rado style he was having fun in the World Electronics Toyota Celica. Having to make only one pass to win the event meant that Rado could have cruised to the finish line and headed straight home with the prize money. Thankfully, he decided to give the fans a show and blasted to a personal best time of 8.46 at 170.06 mph.