Saturday's Mile-Highlights
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Colorado fans filled Bandimere Speedway for the second day of racing at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. |
Matco Tools Top Fuel crewmembers Tony Derhammer, Wayne Waite, John Benshoof, Mike O’Guin, Jason Thomas, and Cameron Moore (from left) showed off their traditional Western Swing beards that they will continue to grow through the Seattle event in two weeks. |
A track walk down the Bandimere Speedway dragstrip took place at 8:30 a.m. to support “Go Red for Women,” an organization aimed to fight heart disease in women. |
Denver native and John Force Racing shop employee Zak Seedroff was called into action on the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car driven by Courtney Force when bottom-end specialist Austin Lambright sustained an injury prior to the Norwalk event. Seedroff is staying onboard through the Western Swing. |
Even though mechanical problems kept Hector Arana Sr. from running in Saturday’s final session, he ended up second in the Pro Stock Motorcycle field with a 7.243, just .005-second behind his son’s 7.238, which equaled the Bandimere Speedway track record. |
 |
Eddie Krawiec, who is looking for his first win since his back-to-back victories in Atlanta and Englishtown, was fourth quickest in Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying with a 7.298, right behind Harley-Davidson teammate Andrew Hines’ 7.283. |
One of the biggest surprises in Pro Stock Motorcycle on Saturday was Jerry Savoie, who jumped up from Friday’s No. 12 effort of 7.408 all the way up to the No. 5 position with a 7.300. |
Ron Krisher’s Valvoline-backed Pontiac made good use of the Mike Edwards power under the hood to reel off times of 7.01, 6.99, 6.97, and 6.98 to finish fourth in Pro Stock qualifying. |
After running a best of 7.00 on Friday, Chicago winner Erica Enders picked up the pace on Saturday with clockings of 6.98 and 6.99 to nail down No. 6 position in the Pro Stock order. |
Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s Mopar Dodge Hemi program continues to show signs of recent progress; he qualified eighth in Pro Stock with a best of 7.010, marking the first time that he has ended up in the top half of the field this year. |
Scott Palmer moved up to No. 13 in the Top Fuel field during the final session and will face Terry McMillen in the opening round. |
Bob Vandergriff Jr. was the only Top Fuel driver besides Khalid alBalooshi to make four full pulls during qualifying. Vandergriff starts at No. 10 and races Morgan Lucas in round one. |
Doug Kalitta ended Top Fuel qualifying with the quickest run of the day, a 3.97. His Technicoat Industries-sponsored dragster qualified No. 3 with his 3.92 from Friday. |
Jeff “the Surfer” Diehl, who plans to run the whole Western Swing, watched Todd Lesenko bump him out of the Top Fuel field in the pair ahead of him and returned the favor by bumping Lesenko out with a 4.90 that locked him into the No. 15 position. |
Though he didn’t qualify in the top half of the field, Johnny Gray had the best car in the heat with a session-best 4.34 followed by a second-quickest 4.31 in the final session. He faces Mike Neff in the Funny Car opening round. |
Ron Capps and the Rahn Tobler-tuned NAPA Dodge Charger posted the quickest run of the day with a 4.28 during the final Funny Car qualifying session. |