Sunday's View from the Valley
Sunday, June 17, 2012
The ritual of the pre-race engine warm-ups prior to the first round of eliminations proved to be a big attraction for the fans that flooded the pit area. |
(Above) Father’s Day was the theme for this Sunday morning’s popular pre-race track walk, which included, from right, Englishtown Funny Car winner Johnny Gray and son Pro Stock campaigner Shane with his wife, Amber. (Below) Another Father’s Day duo participating in the track walk were Pro Stock driver Vincent Nobile, being interviewed by NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart, and his father, former Pro Stock racer John. |
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Al-Anabi racer Shawn Langdon continued to make progress at this race. In the Top Fuel opening round, he set low e.t. of the weekend with a track-record 3.796 to dispatch Bob Vandergriff Jr. Langdon was then on the losing end of an incredibly close 3.82 to 3.84 second-round race with Antron Brown. |
John Force celebrated his Father’s Day with daughter/fellow Funny Car racer Courtney. The Forces had little to smile about after first round, in which all four of their team’s cars shockingly went out. |
After making three solid runs during qualifying to make the Pro Stock field in the No. 10 position, Jeg Coughlin Jr. defeated No. 7 qualifier, Englishtown winner Greg Anderson, on a 6.684 to 6.671 holeshot in round one. |
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Even though Erica Enders didn’t make the Pro Stock field until Saturday’s final qualifying session, she aggressively drove her way to the semi’s with wins over Rodger Brogdon (on a holeshot) and Kurt Johnson. |
Doug Kalitta enjoyed his best outing of the 2012 season. Kalitta qualified fourth on the Top Fuel ladder, his best starting spot in 19 races; he posted runs of 3.79, 3.83, 3.83, and 3.80; and he had a runner-up finish. |
After posting career-best numbers in Englishtown two weeks ago, Alexis DeJoria added another line to her racing résumé when she advanced to her first Funny Car final. DeJoria, who started from the No. 15 spot, defeated Mike Neff, Jeff Arend, and Jack Beckman en route to the title round. |
Ron Capps continued his recent domination of Funny Car, advancing to his sixth straight money round. Capps won for the second time this year and closed the gap between himself and points leader Robert Hight to less than four rounds. |
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Tony Schumacher celebrated with his dad, Don, at the top end after he outlasted the Top Fuel field. Schumacher had the car to beat all weekend, stringing together four 3.8s in qualifying and running a 3.79 and three 3.81s to score his first victory since the fall Las Vegas event in 2010. |
In the closest NHRA national event final round ever, Mike Edwards, near lane, left on Allen Johnson by a .005 to .018 margin and won the race with a 6.674 to A.J.’s 6.661. The margin of victory was .0000-second, making the Pro Stock contest a virtual dead heat in which only the computers could determine the winner. |
Funny Car dominator Ron Capps, far lane, capped off a strong day of racing, which included low e.t. of the weekend in the first round, with a 4.076 victory over Alexis DeJoria, whose car spun the tires midway through the run. |
Tony Schumacher, far lane, erased a win drought of 32 races when he defeated Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel final. In the title round, Schumacher got the jump at the Tree, .023 to .065, and he parlayed the advantage into a 3.81 to 3.80 holeshot win. |
The three Full Throttle winners, from left, Mike Edwards, Ron Capps, and Tony Schumacher celebrated together in the winner’s circle. |