DEAN ANTONELLI
Co-Crew Chief: John Force Racing (John Force)
Antonelli is a product of a system that has won 17 NHRA Funny Car championships in the last 21 seasons. Although he grew up around racing as the son of the late Joe Antonelli, driver of Funny Cars and fuel altereds including "Nanook," the native of Tucson, Ariz., has spent his entire professional career at John Force Racing, studying the sport under the tutelage of All-Star crew chiefs Austin Coil, Bernie Fedderly, John Medlen, and Jimmy Prock. Antonelli served as Team Leader on John Force’s Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang before taking the helm of Ashley Force Hood's Funny Car in 2007 and directing her to two consecutive Mac Tools U.S. Nationals titles (2009-10). With tuning partner Ron Douglas, Antonelli led Force Hood to a third-place points finish in 2010. His wife, Kelly, is Marketing Director at JFR, Inc. In 2011, Antonelli will be reunited with John Force as teh tuner of his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang. |
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DONNIE BENDER
Assistant Crew Chief: Kenny Bernstein Racing (Brandon Bernstein)
Bender served as crew chief at Don Prudhomme-owned Snake Racing from 2006-2009. In his first two seasons as crew chief, he guided driver Larry Dixon to finishes of seventh and fourth place in the Full Throttle Series standings. In 2010, Todd Smith and Bender led Brandon Bernstein to three final-round appearances, seven semifinals, and a top 10 finish in the points. Before racing, Bender worked in the oil industry for 10 years dealing with pipeline equipment. |
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KENNY BERNSTEIN
Team Owner: Kenny Bernstein Racing (Brandon Bernstein)
While he is largely known as one of only two drivers (Gary Scelzi) in NHRA history to win championships in both nitro categories and as the first to surpass the 300-mph barrier (Gainesville 1992), Bernstein also has left his mark in racing through his skill as a businessman. Bernstein, who returned to competition as a driver in 2007 for one year after retiring in 2002, continues to be the mastermind behind the team. The team entered into a new chapter in 2010 when Copart replaced longtime sponsor, Budweiser. Bernstein, a six-time NHRA world champion (1985-88 FC, 1996, 2001 TF) has owned teams on the NASCAR and Champ Car circuits as well. He also was voted No. 6 on NHRA’s 50 Greatest Drivers list in 2001 and filled in for son Brandon in the Budweiser dragster in 2003 after an injury sidelined the young driver. |
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KEN BLACK
Team Owner: KB Racing (Greg Anderson, Jason Line)
After first getting involved in drag racing as a part-owner in the late '90s, the Las Vegas-based Black struck out on his own in 2002, founding the KB Racing Pro Stock team. Using the same principles that helped him build Vegas General Construction into a multi-million dollar business, his organization quickly developed into one of the most successful Pro Stock teams in the NHRA, winning 92 national events entering 2011 as well as five Full Throttle Series championships with drivers Greg Anderson (2003-2005, 2010) and Jason Line (2006). From 2006-2008, Black also fielded a Top Fuel team, helping former Top Alcohol Dragster racer Hillary Will become the 11th female in NHRA history to win a national event with her Top Fuel title in Topeka in 2008. After battling severe health issues through most of the 2010 season, the big man in the cowboy hat made a triumphant and popular return to the track at last year's fall Las Vegas race, where his team welcomed him back with an all-KB Racing final, propelling Anderson to the 2010 Pro Stock championship. |
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NICK BONINFANTE
Co-Crew Chief: Kalitta Motorsports (Jeff Arend)
Boninfante is in his second stint at Kalitta Motorsports. He first worked for the team as a clutch specialist on team owner and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta's Top Fuel team in 1991 and 1992. From 1993 until 1996, Boninfante served as clutch specialist on Scott Kalitta's Top Fuel machine and won back-to-back world championships (1994-1995). Boninfante rejoined Kalitta Motorsports in August of 2008 as co-crew chief on the Doug Kalitta-driven Top Fuel dragster. Boninfante has worked with several NHRA contenders including Ron Capps, Doug Herbert, Bob Gilbertson, and Bruce Litton. |
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VICTOR CAGNAZZI
Team Owner: Cagnazzi Racing (Erica Enders, Dave Connolly)
Cagnazzi, a native of New York City, is a distinct blend of high-powered business executive and sportsman. Complementing his corporate achievements, Cagnazzi has always been a racer at heart. Cagnazzi spent much of his youth competing in amateur drag racing events around the New York region. As his business interests grew, so did his involvement in the sport. In the early 1990s, Cagnazzi took several critical steps towards a career as a professional drag racer and team owner, working his way up through several amateur and professional classes at the dragstrip. In so doing, he built a first-class team of engine, aerodynamic, and chassis experts. In August 2000, Cagnazzi Racing was formed in "Race City USA," Mooresville, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte. Confident that locating in North Carolina would provide the necessary support, infrastructure, and central location for his team, Cagnazzi constructed a new headquarters building in 2003. Since its formation, Cagnazzi Racing has earned two NHRA Pro Stock championships and 35 national event victories. |
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BRIAN CORRADI
Co-Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Antron Brown)
One of the younger tuners in the nitro ranks, Corradi will again team with former NHRA Funny Car champion Mark Oswald to call the shots on the Matco Tools dragster of Antron Brown. The Ohio native cut his teeth in the high-speed sport working for Dean Skuza's Funny Car team. He previously has worked with Frank Pedregon, Whit Bazemore, Mike Ashley, and Melanie Troxel. Corradi has tuned winners in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car ranks. In two seasons with Brown, the Matco Tools team has won seven races and earned 12 No. 1 qualifying awards. |
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CHRIS CUNNINGHAM
Crew Chief: Tasca Motorsports (Bob Tasca III)
Cunningham joined driver Bob Tasca III in 2008 after logging years with Worsham Racing. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of drag racing mechanics. Cunningham started his career with Gwynn Racing and has since played a vital role with several teams, including those of Alan Johnson, Whit Bazemore, and Jerry Toliver. After a lengthy career as a line maintenance mechanic at US Airways, Cunningham now concentrates on drag racing full time. |
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TOMMY DeLAGO
Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Matt Hagan)
DeLago led the resurgence of second-year Funny Car driver Matt Hagan and the DieHard Funny Car team in 2010. DeLago tuned Hagan to three victories, including his first professional win at Houston Raceway Park in April, and four No. 1 qualifying awards last season. The DieHard Funny Car team also set the NHRA national e.t. record twice, including a 4.011-second blast in Reading in October. Hagan raced to a second-place finish in the 2010 NHRA Funny Car standings. DeLago has also worked for Kalitta Motorsports, Darrell Gwynn Racing, and Don Prudhomme Racing. |
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RON DOUGLAS
Co-Crew Chief: John Force Racing (John Force)
After more than 10 years of working with a number of veteran drag racers, Douglas accepted an entirely different challenge and point of view when he was hired in 2007 to work with the then-rookie crew chief-driver tandem of Dean "Guido" Antonelli and Ashley Force Hood. Douglas, who had crewed for such drivers as Cruz Pedregon, Doug Herbert, Dean Skuza, and Don Schumacher Racing, proved to be a perfect partner for Antonelli at John Force Racing. Similar leadership views and personality traits allowed Douglas and Antonelli to bond instantly. Their chemistry helped Force Hood become the first woman to win an NHRA Funny Car race in 2008 and the first to win the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals in 2009, a season in which she finished second in points behind brother-in-law Robert Hight. In 2011, Douglas will assist Antonelli in tuning John Force's Ford Mustang. |
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ROB DOWNING
Crew Chief: Ken Black Racing (Greg Anderson, Jason Line)
Downing will continue his tuning efforts in 2011 for the four-time NHRA Full Throttle world championship car driven by Greg Anderson and the 2006 Pro Stock championship-winning car driven by Jason Line. Downing joined the KB Racing team prior to the 2003 season and guided Anderson to a then record-breaking campaign. The team earned 12 victories and established 19 track records en route to the 2003 championship before upping those numbers to 14 wins in 19 final rounds with 15 No. 1 qualifying awards in 2004. In 2005, he again tasted championship glory with Anderson and in 2006 helped Line realize his championship dream. In mid 2010, Downing formed an immediate bond with newly hired Tommy Utt, with the two talented crew chiefs combining to fuel Anderson's second-half championship charge. Downing started his drag racing career with Mark Pawuk's Pro Stock entry in 1998. After spending one season as a crew member, he was promoted to crew chief in 1999. Downing stayed with Pawuk through the 2002 season, earning two victories in six final-round appearances. In 2001 Downing was honored as the Pro Racing Crew Chief of the Year by Car Craft Magazine. Downing graduated from the University of Nebraska with a mechanical engineering degree in 1993 and worked as a project engineer until he started working on the NHRA circuit. |
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JIM DUNN
Team Owner/Crew Chief: Jim Dunn Racing (Paul Lee)
A pioneer of the sport of drag racing, Dunn began racing in Southern California in the 1950s, first as a driver and later as one of the most experienced and dedicated team owners and crew chiefs in the business. The Long Beach, Calif., native guided Kenji Okazaki and Frank Pedregon to victories and is regarded as one of the most respected mentors in the sport. Dunn earned two victories as a driver and eight wins as a team owner/crew chief. Dunn retired from driving in 1990 to focus his efforts on his duties as crew chief and team owner. |
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BERNIE FEDDERLY
Co-Crew Chief: John Force Racing (Mike Neff)
Fedderly, a member of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, shares with tuners Dale Armstrong, Leonard Hughes, and Rahn Tobler the distinction of being one of only four crew chiefs to have won NHRA series championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Before coming on board with John Force in 1992, Fedderly won the 1983 NHRA Top Fuel championship with driver Gary Beck and car owner Larry Minor. He first came to prominence in 1980, when he and fellow Canadian Terry Capp combined their talents to claim the Top Fuel championship at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. From there, Fedderly moved to the Larry Minor team in 1982, serving as crew chief for Beck and for Funny Car driver Ed "Ace" McCulloch. Coincidentally, Fedderly began the 1992 season with Minor and driver Cruz Pedregon, who beat Force for the championship that year. Fedderly and Coil guided Force to his 14th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world championship in 2006. In 2011, Fedderly will assist Mike Neff on the Castrol GTX Ford. |
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MIKE GREEN
Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Tony Schumacher)
Green returns for a third season as crew chief for the U.S. Army team in 2011. After tuning Tony Schumacher to a sixth consecutive Top Fuel championship in 2009, the Army team won six races and clocked the fastest speed at 1,000 feet at 325.61 mph (Las Vegas 2) last season en route to a second-place finish in the Top Fuel standings. Green, who has tuned winners in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car ranks, joined DSR before the 2008 NHRA season. He has also worked for Don Prudhomme Racing, Darrell Gwynn Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing. |
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RICHARD HARTMAN
Crew Chief: Terry McMillen Racing (Terry McMillen)
Hartman returns for his second NHRA Full Throttle season tuning the Amalie Oil/UNOH Top Fuel dragster driven by Terry McMillen. Hartman began tuning in 1998 and joined McMillen after leading Bruce Litton as crew chief or co-crew chief to 14 IHRA victories, including Litton's 2007 IHRA championship. Hartman comes from a family of drag racers, including father Virgil, sister Rhonda Hartman-Smith, and brother-in-law John "Bodie" Smith. Hartman's drag racing career began in 1975, at the age of 8, working with his father Virgil and continued when he took the wheel of the family's nitro Funny Car in 1988. As a driver, he finished in the NHRA top 10 two seasons in a row (1990-91). He was also the sixth Funny Car to join the 4-Second Club in 1996. |
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BYRON HINES
Team Owner: Vance & Hines Motorsports (Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec)
When Byron Hines got back from his tour of duty in Vietnam, he quickly found a career in racing. Hines met up with Terry Vance and the two have formed one of the most successful programs in drag racing. Hines helped tune Vance to 24 victories. Hines also put some time in as a rider, earning one victory (Topeka 1992) in less than two seasons of competition. The duo formed Vance & Hines Motorsports, producing engines for several NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle teams as well as equipment for motorcycle racers all over the world. Once Vance retired, the two stayed in the industry and continued to produce winning results. Hines helped guide his oldest son, Matt, to three NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships and 30 wins in seven seasons of racing before Matt retired after the 2002 season. With Hines playing the role of engineer and tuner, the Vance & Hines team introduced Harley-Davidson into drag racing in 2002 with GT Tonglet as the lead rider. The youngest Hines, Andrew, made his racing debut mid-way through the 2002 season. Andrew won three consecutive Full Throttle Series world championships — the first championships for a Harley-Davidson entry (2004-06). The first Harley to have factory support, the Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team, features Andrew Hines and Krawiec on the V-Rod squad. |
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MATT HINES
Crew Chief: Vance & Hines Motorsports (Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec)
After spending a highly successful seven years competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, Hines made the transition to assistant crew chief in 2003, helping his father tune his younger brother's Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod. As a racer Hines became the first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer to earn the NHRA championship in three consecutive seasons (1997-99). He earned 30 career wins in 47 final rounds along with 44 No. 1 qualifying awards. Hines took the victory at the final race of his career (Pomona 2 2002) before dedicating his time to engineering improvements for the V-Twin entries. With his help, the factory Harley-Davidson riders have earned 32 wins as well as three consecutive series championships from 2004-06 and one in 2008 (Krawiec). |
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BRIAN HUSEN
Crew Chief: The Al-Anabi Racing Team (Del Worsham)
Husen was promoted to crew chief of Del Worsham's Top Fuel team prior to the 2011 season after two highly successful seasons as assistant to crew chief Jason McCulloch on Larry Dixon's Top Fuel team. During the 2010 season, Dixon's Al-Anabi team was undefeated in final rounds with a 12-0 mark, an NHRA first. In addition, the team advanced to at least the semifinals in 17 of 23 races. Husen came to the Al-Anabi Racing team in 2009 after eight highly successful seasons with Don Schumacher Racing. There, he worked for current team manager Alan Johnson, who was then the crew chief on the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Schumacher that won five consecutive NHRA Top Fuel championships. At Schumacher Racing, Husen worked alongside then-assistant crew chief McCulloch in coordinating the team management and logistics. Husen worked at Alan Johnson Racing on Bruce Sarver's E-Moola Funny Car in 2000 but joined Schumacher Racing later that same season to work on Melanie Troxel's Exide dragster. From 1997 through 1999, he worked on Cory McClenathan's Top Fuel dragster at Joe Gibbs Racing, focusing on short blocks and the bottom end; it was his first job in NHRA Drag Racing. |
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MARK INGERSOLL
Crew Chief: J & J Racing (Allen Johnson)
Like so many of NHRA's greatest tuners, Ingersoll went to the track first as a child, where he watched his father Buddy win multiple titles in several sportsman categories. Ingersoll began his first full-time job with an NHRA Full Throttle Series team in 1992, with Steve Schmidt. He started with "odds and ends," like driving the team truck. In 1995, Ingersoll became his crew chief. He worked with drivers Darrell Alderman and Scott Geoffrion before joining current driver Allen Johnson in 2001, where he took the helm for Richie Stevens Jr.as well. Ingersoll has plenty of experience behind the wheel too, with thousands of testing and competitive runs to his credit. In 2007, he was voted Best Crew Chief, Other Than My Own by Pro Stock drivers polled by National DRAGSTER. |
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ALAN JOHNSON
Owner: Alan Johnson Racing/Manager: The Al-Anabi Racing Team (Larry Dixon, Del Worsham)
Johnson now has 13 NHRA national championships to his credit. The latest came in 2010 when the Al-Anabi Top Fuel team won the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship just one year removed from a second-place finish in the team's inaugural season in 2009. In the process, driver Larry Dixon recorded his third-career Top Fuel championship, having also won titles in 2002 and '03. The Al-Anabi team was 12-0 in final-round appearances in 2010, an NHRA first. In addition, the team advanced to at least the semifinals in 17 of 23 races and qualified in the top three at 19 of 23 races. Before the Al-Anabi team's inception in 2009, Johnson emerged as one of the most innovative and successful crew chiefs in NHRA Top Fuel racing. He ended his crew chief career after earning a fifth consecutive Full Throttle Series Top Fuel championship with driver Tony Schumacher. Although 2008's ending was one to remember, the 2006 campaign will be forever remembered for "The Run," a final-round, national record-setting run at the last race on the final pass that gave the U.S. Army team the championship title. The memorable 4.428-second pass is widely regarded as the greatest single run in NHRA history by many drag racing historians. Johnson joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2003 after the Tony Schumacher-driven U.S. Army dragster struggled in the first nine events of that season. The hire immediately paid off as Johnson guided the Army dragster to a win in his first event. Schumacher earned the Top Fuel trophy four times in 2003 en route to a third-place finish in the final points standings with Johnson's help. Johnson and Schumacher earned a record 10 Top Fuel victories en route to the championship in 2004, and then the duo won nine races in 2005 on the way to another world title. The 2007 season was another miracle finish for Schumacher, who claimed the inaugural Countdown to the Championship title on the final run of the final race of the year. While serving as team owner and crew chief, Johnson also guided Gary Scelzi to three NHRA championships (1997-98 and 2000) in the Team Winston Top Fuel dragster. During the early 1990s, he and his late brother Blaine dominated Top Alcohol Dragster competition, winning four consecutive championships and five straight NHRA divisional crowns. Away from the track, Johnson owns and operates Alan Johnson Performance Engineering in Santa Maria, Calif., which specializes in building cylinder heads for automobile, motorcycle, and boat racing teams. |
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ROY JOHNSON
Co-crew chief: J&J Racing (Allen Johnson)
Providing the horsepower for son Allen's Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car is just the latest role in the long and successful drag racing career of Johnson. A sportsman racer since 1962, Johnson earned championships in Super Stock competition and received factory backing for his Super Stock cars from Mopar in the '70s and '80s. He relinquished the wheel to head the J&J Racing shop back home in Greeneville, Tenn., and build engines for Allen, who began driving a Mopar car in the NHRA Pro Stock class in 1996. The father-son duo have racked up eight NHRA national event wins in Pro Stock and five consecutive top 10 finishes in the points standings heading into the 2011 season. In 2010, Johnson ended a nearly 30-year retirement to compete in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak in the NHRA Stock Eliminator class. In his first event, at his home track of Bristol Dragway, Johnson qualified No. 1 and advanced all the way to the semifinals. He will compete in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak at select NHRA events in 2011. |
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CONNIE KALITTA
Team Owner/Crew Chief: Kalitta Motorsports (Doug Kalitta, David Grubnic, Jeff Arend)
A lot more than elapsed times have changed since the days when Connie Kalitta raced a 1951 Willys on an abandoned Michigan airstrip for pink slips. One of only a handful of racers from the early days still active in the sport, he has had a front row seat for some of the more significant developments that have helped shape the sport of drag racing. While flatbed trailers and front-engine dragsters have been replaced by semis and 7,000-horsepower nitromethane-burning machines, one thing remains the same — Kalitta's desire to win. In addition to 22 NHRA final rounds with 10 wins as a driver, Kalitta also has three Full Throttle Series world championships to his credit. The first came in 1977 and the other two came as team owner of Kalitta Motorsports when his son, Scott, earned NHRA Top Fuel titles in 1994 and 1995. Tragically, Scott died after a racing accident in Englishtown in 2008. Continuing the family name will be Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta, who will be at the wheel of the camp's Top Fuel dragster. The uncle-nephew duo has combined for 30 victories, finishing second in the points standings in 2003, 2004, and 2006. Connie also serves as the crew chief on the David Grubnic-drive Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster. When he is not at the track, Kalitta keeps busy running Kalitta Leasing and Kalitta Air. Based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Air transports cargo worldwide, utilizing several B-747s. Kalitta Leasing specializes in buying, selling and leasing aircraft and aircraft related equipment. |
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FORREST LUCAS
Team Owner: Morgan Lucas Racing (Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon)
Lucas began his foray into Top Fuel racing midway through the 2004 season when his youngest son, Morgan, took over the seat of drag racing legend Joe Amato's rail. Within a year, the Lucas family bought the operation outright and began racing under the Lucas Oil Products banner. In 2009, the group picked up title sponsorship from GEICO Powersports, an arrangement that continues in 2011. Together with his wife, Charlotte, Lucas founded Lucas Oil Products in 1980 and has since grown the company into a leader in the oil and lubricants industry. He also has become a prominent sponsor across the sports world, including the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. |
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JASON McCULLOCH
Crew Chief: Al-Anabi Racing (Larry Dixon)
McCulloch earned his first NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship as a crew chief when he led the Al-Anabi Racing team to its first championship in just two years of racing. During the 2010 season, the Al-Anabi team was undefeated in final rounds with a 12-0 mark, an NHRA first. In addition, the team advanced to at least the semifinals in 17 of 23 races and qualified in the top three at 19 of 23 races. McCulloch came to the Al-Anabi Racing team in 2009 after six highly successful seasons with Don Schumacher Racing, where he was the assistant crew chief for current team manager Alan Johnson, who was then the crew chief on the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Schumacher. In 2009, his first season as crew chief, McCulloch guided Dixon to a second-place finish in the battle for the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship and was just two points away from winning the title. McCulloch directed the team to five wins in nine final-round appearances during the 2009 season. He gained experience in the sport in the 1980s when he served as crew member for his father Ed's team, owned by Larry Minor. Larry Dixon was also on that team as a member of the crew, and it was the first full-time job in drag racing for both. |
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JOHN MEDLEN
Co-crew Chief: R2B2 Racing (Melanie Troxel)
Medlen joined R2B2 Racing as the team's head of research and development as well as a co-crew chief following about a one-year stint at Don Schumacher Racing, where he worked with Matt Hagan's DieHard team before joining Ron Capps' NAPA team in the summer. Medlen helped tune Capps to his only win of 2010, at the Sonoma race in July. Medlen also directed DSR's in-house CNC machine chop. The veteran nitro tuner previously was a key member of John Force's tuning braintrust where he guided Tony Pedregon to the 2003 NHRA Funny Car championship. He has tuned drivers to wins in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories, including six wins with his son Eric. Medlen managed the Eric Medlen Project at John Force Racing to improve drag racing safety and lead research and development projects at JFR. |
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JIM OBERHOFER
Crew Chief: Kalitta Motorsports (Doug Kalitta)
Oberhofer has been with Kalitta Racing for over 20 years, serving as crew chief, handling team manager duties, and dealing with daily operations. He is a second-generation drag racing enthusiast whose father campaigned a Jr. Fueler as well as a Top Fuel dragster in the 1970s. Oberhofer got his first job in drag racing in 1983 when he was hired by Kalitta Motorsports to be a part-time crew member. His brother Jon also is a crew chief for Kalitta Motorsports. |
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JON OBERHOFER
Co-Crew Chief: Kalitta Motorsports (Jeff Arend)
Oberhofer, like his brother Jim, crew chief on Doug Kalitta's Top Fueler, has been involved with NHRA Drag Racing for most of his life. While growing up in Plano, Texas, Oberhofer watched his quarter-mile heroes, including his dad, Dave, who spent some time behind the wheel of a front-engine Top Fuel rail, and dreamed of someday pursuing his own drag racing ambitions. Oberhofer, just like his brother, has worked his way from the bottom-end up. |
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TODD OKUHARA
Co-Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Spencer Massey)
The Hawaii native will again serve as the co-crew chief of the Fram dragster in 2011. Working closely with Phil Shuler, Okuhara will make the calls for 2009 rookie of the year Spencer Massey, who takes the reins of the Fram dragster in 2011. Last season, Okuhara helped tune veteran racer Cory McClenathan to three wins, five No. 1 qualifiers, and the quickest elapsed time in 1,000-foot racing, 3.752 seconds (Englishtown). Okuhara began his drag racing career working for NHRA icon Don "the Snake" Prudhomme before joining DSR in 2005. |
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MARK OSWALD
Co-Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Antron Brown)
The 1984 NHRA Funny Car champion will again team with Brian Corradi to call the shots on Antron Brown's Matco Tools dragster in 2011. The Cincinnati native earned 20 wins and 19 No. 1 qualifying awards as a driver. He is one of just 14 drivers to have won races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Oswald, who drove for the legendary Candies & Hughes team, helped tune Brown to a win at the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals along with five No. 1 qualifiers last season. |
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MARK PICKENS
Team Owner: MPE Motorsports (Clay Millican)
In 2008, Memphis businessman Mark Pickens took on a new business challenge and became owner of an NHRA Top Fuel team. After a few years sponsoring Clay Millican’s Top Fuel team, Pickens decided to take on the race team business with his wife Lauren. Pickens, a successful Top Sportsman racer, understands what it takes to win on the racetrack and in the boardroom. His boardroom success stems from several businesses, such as the Armstrong Relocation’s family of companies where the Pickens family and their partners are recognized leaders within the industry. Mark also owns Motorvation, which specializes in electronic fuel injection products and services, as well as custom paint and fabrication. |
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JIMMY PROCK
Crew Chief: John Force Racing (Robert Hight)
In 2010, Prock guided Robert Hight to a top 10 points finish in the Funny Car class coming off his 2009 championship in the category. Prock joined an exclusive fraternity in 2001 when he directed veteran Gary Densham to Funny Car victories at Memphis and Dallas to become just the 10th crew chief to win races in the sport's top two categories. He enjoyed his biggest day at the 2004 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, where he directed Densham to the double-up bonus as winner of both the U.S. Nationals and the Funny Car bonus race. After guiding Densham to eight wins in four years for JFR, Prock has won 18 times in his six seasons with Hight, who was the 2005 Auto Club Road to the Future winner. Prock distinguished himself as a Top Fuel crew chief, first with Cory McClenathan during his "Cinderella run" of 1992 and later with five-time NHRA series champ Joe Amato, with whom he won 18 times. A Detroit native, Prock grew up in drag racing as the son of 1970s and 1980s Funny Car driver Tom Prock. |
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DON SCHUMACHER
Team Owner: Don Schumacher Racing (Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Spencer Massey, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman, Johnny Gray)
The NHRA multi-team owner was one of the pioneers of the sport of drag racing. Remembered as one of the most fierce match racers to ever compete in a Funny Car, Schumacher won five NHRA national events, including the 1970 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Piloting his famous “Stardust” Funny Cars, the Chicago native set numerous records. In 1974, Schumacher retired from driving to develop his family business, Schumacher Electric Corp., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of battery chargers. He returned to NHRA drag racing in 1998 as team owner of the Exide Batteries Top Fuel dragster driven by his son, Tony. A year later, DSR partnered with the U.S. Army as the primary sponsor on Tony’s dragster, a partnership that enters its 11th year in 2011. In 12 seasons, Schumacher has seen his teams win eight NHRA championships (seven Tony Schumacher, one Gary Scelzi) and more than 150 NHRA national events. Schumacher owns three Top Fuel dragsters and four Funny Cars in 2011. |
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PHIL SHULER
Co-Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Spencer Massey)
Shuler returns to DSR as the co-crew chief on the Fram dragster where he will team with Todd Okuhara as co-crew chiefs on Spencer Massey’s car. The South Carolina resident raced motorcycles before transitioning into Pro Mod and then into the nitro ranks with popular racer Scotty Cannon in 1999. After working at both John Force Racing and Don Prudhomme Racing, Shuler joined DSR in 2006. Shuler helped tune the Fram dragster to four wins over the last two seasons and the quickest 1000-foot Top Fuel pass in history at 3.752 seconds in June 2010 (Englishtown). |
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TODD SMITH
Crew Chief: Kenny Bernstein Racing (Brandon Bernstein)
Smith, son of two-time NHRA Comp Eliminator world champion Charlie Smith, began his career racing motorcycles. He moved to the NHRA circuit in the 1980s, working his way up the crewmember ranks to the title he holds now. Todd has worked with several professional drivers and tuners, including driver Cory McClenathan and Kalitta Motorsports’ founder and legend Connie Kalitta, as well as Don Prudhomme. |
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JOHN STEWART
Crew Chief: Morgan Lucas Racing (Shawn Langdon)
Crew chief Stewart will team with driver Shawn Langdon for a third straight season on the Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster. Over the years, Stewart has worked with some of the giants of the sport: Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta, Shirley Muldowney, Joe Amato, Ron Capps, Cory McClenathan, and Tim Wilkerson. Stewart has been with Morgan Lucas Racing since its inception in 2006 and in 2010, Stewart guided Langdon and the Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster to a fifth-place finish, a career best for the pairing. Stewart got his start in the NHRA as the youngest Top Fuel driver in history. At just 16, Stewart beat “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in his first career elimination round. During his driving career Stewart won eight times, was Division 7 champion twice, and in 1973 became with seventh member of the Cragar 5 Second Club. |
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GARY STOFFER
Crew Chief: (Karen Stoffer)
Although Gary Stoffer backs his wife Karen as tuner of her GEICO Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gary’s racing memories stretch “as far back as I can remember,” from bicycles, to motorcycles, to cars. In the late 1970s, Gary became hooked on drag racing when he saw his first Super Chevy Show at Orange County Raceway. In 1986, Gary began bracket racing on a motorcycle and has been involved with NHRA since. He currently races a 1968 Pontiac Firebird Super Gas entry in five to six events per year. |
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RAHN TOBLER
Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Jack Beckman)
Tobler enters his second season at DSR in 2011 where he will again call the shots for his Jack Beckman-driven Funny Car. In his first season with Schumacher Racing, Tobler tuned Beckman to one win (Phoenix) in five final-round appearances and a fourth-place finish in the Funny Car rankings. Before joining DSR, Tobler tuned veteran racer Cruz Pedregon to the 2008 NHRA Funny Car championship. He also had experienced success in the Top Fuel ranks with Kalitta Motorsports and motorsports icon Shirley Muldowney, whom he crew chiefed to 13 wins and three Top Fuel championships in the early 1980s. |
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TOMMY UTT
Crew Chief: Ken Black Racing (Greg Anderson, Jason Line)
Utt joined the KB Racing team in mid-season last year, working with Rob Downing to form a remarkable combination that tuned Greg Anderson to the 2010 Full Throttle championship. Utt has been a fixture on the drag racing scene since 1973, working in nearly every aspect of the industry, including driver, instructor, and car builder before establishing himself as one of the top crew chiefs in the highly competitive Pro Stock category, working with such noted drivers as Dave Connolly, Richie Stevens Jr., and Gene Wilson. The quiet-spoken Hillsville, Va., native will once again add his considerable talents to the KB Racing crew in 2011, working with co-crew chief Downing on the championship-contending rides of Anderson and Jason Line. |
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DICKIE VENABLES
Crew Chief: Don Schumacher Racing (Johnny Gray)
Venables joined the Don Schumacher Racing operation in late summer 2011 following a sting with the Forrest Lucas-owned GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team for Morgan Lucas. Venables is a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion having won a title in 2007 as a crew chief at Pedregon Racing and in 2003 as an assistant crew chief at John Force Racing. Despite his success in Funny Car, Venables always has fancied himself as a “dragster guy” having worked primarily on Top Fuel dragsters in his formative years with the likes of legends Shirley Muldowney, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Connie Kalitta, and Gary Ormsby. He acquired a new appreciation for Funny Cars in 2000 when he signed on to work with John Force Racing. In 2002 when co-crew chief John Medlen was sidelined for one race due to medical reasons, Venables distinguished himself by directing Pedregon to a wire-to-wire victory in Seattle that paved the way for the team’s run to a second-place finish in the Funny Car standings. He helped Medlen guide Pedregon to the 2003 Funny Car championship and made the move to Pedregon Racing in 2004. |