Friday's AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals live photo gallery
Friday, September 21, 2012
It’s day two of the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex, and another glorious "Don’t Mess With Texas" day. After back-to-back events affected by rain in Indianapolis and Charlotte, racers looking at this weekend’s forecast see a welcome 0 percent chance of rain throughout the weekend, with temperatures in the low 90s, just as it was last year. Sportsman time trials, qualifying, and class eliminations are on tap early in the day, with the Full Throttle teams taking to the track at 2 p.m. for the first of two scheduled sessions today. |
Before sitting down to watch the action on the Motorplex's world-famous all-concrete dragstrip, be sure to pick up your official event program; Jasmine Balderas and Martha Padron will be happy to help you. |
Mini-Cacklefests will be taking place in the pits throughout the weekend, featuring several southwest favorites, like the Scorpion of Bobby Langley, the Gizzle Hopper modified coupe, and others. |
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One of the many great Sportsman-racing traditions in the sport involves the transfer of a symbolic champion's BMX-style No. 1 plate, a tradition that began in 1996 with Sal Biondo. Since then, the plate has been handed down and signed by Bo Nickens, Andy Manna Jr., Bob Andrews, Jerry Arnold, Don Stratton, Mike Saye, Dean Carter, Jeff Taylor, Bo Butner III, Frank Aragona Jr., Dan Fletcher, Bruno Massel Jr., and Al Ackerman.
Lou Ficco Jr., right, with his father, Lou Sr., are the current possessors of the plate, but they'll soon turn it over. Massel and Aragona are the current frontrunners in the 2012 points race. |
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[2:20 p.m] Despite an NHRA-mandated 10-pound increase to their minimum weight just before the event, Harley-Davidson teammates Eddie Krawiec (left) and Andrew Hines (above) had the two-quickest passes of the first session of Pro Stock Motorcycle with respective runs of 6.906 and 6.918. Points leader Krawiec's purple Harley also set top speed at 194.30 mph. Hector Arana Sr. also picked up a bonus point for his third-best 6.937.
The track records are 6.828 seconds by Hector Arana Jr. and 197.22 mph by Michael Phillips, both set at least year's event. |
[3 p.m.] Allen Johnson continued to set the performance pace in Pro Stock with his Mopar Dodge Avenger. The points leader ran 6.858 to qualify No. 1. Vincent Nobile (6.597, 210.21) was second quick, and Erica Enders (6.597, 209.79) was third. Mike Edwards was fourth with a 6.608 but set the track speed record at 211.33, bettering the incoming mark of 211.20 held by Johnson. Jason Line holds the track e.t. record at 6.553. |
Pro Stock racer Shane Gray bounced back from his wild eliminations-day crash last weekend in Charlotte with his new Camaro and is fielding the Service Central Pontiac GXP, in which he began the year. He ran 6.686 on his opening pass. Gray collected his first NHRA Wally at the Motorplex in 2009 when he won a Division 4 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Comp. |
In the home state of primary sponsor Traxxas, rookie phenom Courtney Force ran a 4.18 to grab the early qualifying lead with her Mustang, which also sat on the pole at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. The track records are 4.062 seconds by Matt Hagan, set in 2010, and 309.63 mph set last year by Jack Beckman. Cruz Pedregon (4.187) and Johnny Gray (4.193) had the next-best passes. |
[4 p.m.] Even though he's not among those taking part in the Countdown playoffs in Top Fuel, Khalid alBalooshi is determined to make it hard on those who are. He piloted the Al-Anabi gold dragster to a 3.882, almost three-hundredths quicker than No. 2 qualifier Spencer Massey. Antron Brown's 3.915 was the third-best pass. |
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Former NHRA Chief Starter Rick Stewart, right, a resident of Texas, dropped by to check out the progress of the man who replaced him this season, new starter Mark Lyle. Stewart obviously liked what he saw. |
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If there’s anything of a true hometown favorite this weekend, it’s David Barron, who hails from Waxahachie, Texas, just a few miles down Highway 287 from Texas Motorplex.
Riding a Suzuki prepared by Greg Underdahl in his national event debut, Barron’s career-best 7.42 was not among the day’s Pro Stock Motorcycle quickest 12 passes, but the rider from the Gingerbread City will have two more shots Saturday to improve and learn. |
[5:15 p.m.] In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the Hectors took over the top spots from the Harleys; Hector Arana Sr. (pictured) meted out a 6.898, just a thousandth of a second ahead of his son, Hector Jr., who ran 6.899. Bonus points for the day were exclusively but equally distributed between the Fab Four, with Eddie Krawiec, who slipped to third place, and Andrew Hines, in fourth, each earning three points, Hector Sr. netting four and Hector Jr. two. |
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[5:35 p.m.] Charlotte winner Jason Line (above) was not able to pass first-session Pro Stock leader Allen Johnson's 6.585 nor A.J.'s second-session-leading 6.568, but his 6.586 was the round's second-best time.
Mike Edwards (left) might not be knocking 'em dead with his elapsed times, but he's clearly Pro Stock's speed demon. He bettered the new track record of 211.33 mph he set in the first session with a 211.49-mph blast in the second on a 6.590 pass that has him qualified No. 4. |
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[6:30 p.m.] Tim Wilkerson (above), who won this event in 2008, took over the Funny Car qualifying lead early in the second session with a 4.089 in the Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby and held it until the final pass of the session where incoming leader Courtney Force regained the No. 1 spot with a 4.085. Jack Beckman (left), who has recorded six top-two qualifying efforts in a row, is currently third with a 4.109, also recorded in the final session, in the Schumacher Electric Dodge. |
[6:45 p.m.] Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher (above) took over the qualifying lead with a 3.829 in the U.S. Army dragster. Doug Kalitta (below) was just a few ticks behind with a 3.836 in the Mac Tools entry. |
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