Competition.(auto racing)

Bernstein closes the gap

* With the riverboat gambling casinos on the Mississippi River only a few miles away, the sixth NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway just outside St. Louis would have cost any high-roller a lot of money had he played the favorites.

Larry Dixon, who has run up a triple-digit points lead in the Top Fuel standings, failed to qualify for the first time since the 1999 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Andrew Cowin, driving Darrel Gwynn's New York Yankee-sponsored dragster, came into the race with only a single round win this year. He qualified No. 1 and advanced to the final round to meet Kenny Bernstein, who was making his 400th career start.

With a large gallery of supporters from Anheuser-Busch, Bernstein's longtime sponsor in attendance, Bernstein beat Cowin in a tire-hazing final round, 5.05/293.22 to 5.29/ 263.87. Bernstein, halfway through his final season behind the wheel, now trails Dixon by 157 points.

In Funny Car, John Force won for the first time since the Houston race in April and retook the points lead from teammate driver Gary Densham. Force beat Scotty Cannon in the final when Cannon left too soon and fouled out. Force now has 101 career victories.

Jeg Coughlin won for the first time in 2002 in Pro Stock, beating two-time '02 winner Greg Anderson in the final, 6.92/199.52 to 6.93/199.91. Coughlin's win marked the 10th different driver to claim a Pro Stock title in the 12 events so far this season.

Pook roughs in a schedule