RACE-DAY NOTES

The heat is on: The big challenge for the Full Throttle teams in their first rounds this morning and early afternoon is the disparate condition from which they’ve seen running during qualifying. Sessions Friday and Saturday were held in relative cool weather at 4 and 7 p.m. (5 and 8 p.m. for the nitro teams), so when the Top Fuelers fire up for round one at 11 a.m. today, it will be in conditions in which they’ve not run this weekend.

Todd Okuhara (pictured), crew chief for Spencer Massey, who set the track speed record in Friday qualifying, said, “You have to go back and look at all of your records on track temperatures and other conditions from races past. You guesstimate what you have to do, and hopefully you’re in a position where you qualified well enough so you can be further back in the pack and see how cars ahead of you do then make final adjustments at the starting line.”

“It’s not that you don’t learn anything,” added Funny Car’s Jack Beckman. “It certainly is that what you learn on that racetrack isn’t going to apply to that same racetrack on Sunday, but it applies at the next night session at the next racetrack.”

Track records: Three track records were broken in qualifying. In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher (pictured) ran 3.763 Saturday night to break the track record that was co-held by Larry Dixon (2010) and Antron brown (earlier this year in qualifying). Spencer Massey broke Tony Schumacher’s two-year-old 323.12 speed record Friday with a run of 326.79. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana Sr. broke his own two-year-old e.t. mark of 6.894 with a 6.884. The Funny Car track records, both set in 2010, are 4.022 seconds by Matt Hagan and 314.61 mph by Jack Beckman. The Pro Stock marks are 6.586 by Greg Anderson (2011) and 210.08 mph by Mike Edwards (2010). The Pro Stock Motorcycle speed record is 195.68 mph by Michael Phillips (2010).

Humphrey’s in: Despite being outqualified by Rodger Brogdon, Ronnie Humphrey earned enough points to hold onto the seventh spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge standings and guarantee his spot in next Saturday’s $50,000-to-win Pro Stock shootout in Norwalk. Humphrey led Brogdon by 65 points entering the event, but Brogdon gained just 35 points on Humphrey by outqualifying him by seven spots, No. 5 to No. 12. The field is based on qualifying efforts over a calendar year, with the top seven spots being earned by points. The eighth position is set by fan vote, won this year by Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Intriguing matchups: There are a number of “fun” pairings to look forward to in round one of eliminations. In Top Fuel, Chicago neighbors Tony Schumacher and TJ Zizzo will square off, and Brandon Bernstein (eighth place) and David Grubnic (ninth) face one another in a battle crucial for each’s hopes to stay in the top 10. In Funny Car, third-place Mike Neff races fourth-ranked Johnny Gray. “It’s a double-edged sword,” said Gray. “If we beat him, we’ll go around him in points, but if he beats us, he’s going to get a little further away. Gray stopped Neff in the semifinals earlier this season en route to the final round in Gainesville, and last year Gray halted Neff twice during eliminations during the Countdown playoffs. The winner will face the battle between DSR teammates Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan.

In Pro Stock, low qualifier Allen Johnson’s horsepower will be tested by the quick clutch foot of No. 16 Jeg Coughlin Jr. (pictured), and Brogdon will get the chance for a little revenge on Humphrey. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Karen Stoffer will have to race former SoCal cruising pal Steve Johnson with the backup engine in her GEICO Suzuki after wounding her No. 1 bullet on her final pass last night. “Unfortunately, it was our brand-new motor, and it only had six passes on it, and you hate to have that happen,” Stoffer said. “And of course, it always runs best before it blows, right. But if you look at the numbers, it actually let loose about 650 (feet) into the run. Before that, it was on a pretty decent pass.”

Join the club: With two round-wins Robert Hight will join the list of Funny Car drivers with 250 career round-wins. Current drivers already in the club are John Force (1,103), Tony Pedregon (503), Cruz Pedregon (451), Ron Capps (448), and Tim Wilkerson (261).

Hight could achieve this feat in only 172 races (including this one), a pace of nearly 1.5 round-wins per race. The only driver who has a better round-win-to-race ratio is Force (1.85).

A Nitro Generation Track Walk got things off on the right foot Sunday when several two- and three-generation NHRA drivers walked the Route 66 Raceway track surface with Chicago fans.

	(Above) A couple of Chicago legends. Seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher posed with a couple of faux Blues Brothers, representing actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. (Left) Yes, it's "Belushi" and alBalooshi, as Top Fuel rookie Khalid alBalooshi, right, posed for a photo with his thin-tied friend.

[11:15 a.m.] TJ Zizzo (above), the No. 16 qualifier, upset his Chicago neighbor, No. 1 qualifier Tony Schumacher, in round one of Top Fuel, thanks in no small part to the massive engine explosion (below) that Schumacher suffered. The Army driver was not injured. It's his third first-round loss at his home track in the last four years.

[noon] With seven of eight first-round pairings complete in round one of Top Fuel, NHRA officials called a temporary halt to the action in advance of a major thunderstorm approaching Route 66 Raceway. Second-round Top Fuel pairings so far (lane choice first): Spencer Massey vs. Steve Torrence, Antron Brown vs. David Grubnic, and Doug Kalitta vs. Shawn Langdon. Still to run is Khalid alBalooshi vs. Hillary Will; the winner of that pairing will race TJ Zizzo in round two. Zizzo's winning time was a 3.872.

Update, 1:10 p.m.: Still raining but less fiercely now. Should stop within the hour we're told.

[2:15 p.m.] A welcome sight, for sure. The NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA hard at work already.

[3:10 p.m.] Hillary Will and Dote Racing team and the Al-Anabi/Khalid alBalooshi car ready to complete round one. [3:30 p.m.] Will collected the win with a 3.852 and will have Top Fuel's second-round lane choice against TJ Zizzo.

[3:50 p.m.] In Funny Car, Johnny Gray won a huge first-round match against Mike Neff and took third place from Neff in points with the victory. Gray has 687 points, Neff 686, and Jack Beckman, who also won, has 681 and could pass Neff next round.

Alexis DeJoria ended Ron Capps' string of six straight Funny Car final-round appearances, defeating the tire-smoking Capps with a wild 4.31 pass. She'll take on John Force in round two; Force has lane choice. Other second-round pairings (lane choice first): Robert Hight vs. Courtney Force, Jeff Arend vs. Tim Wilkerson, and Jack Beckman vs. Johnny Gray.

[4:05 p.m.] Larry Morgan pulled off a major upset in round one of Pro Stock, beating Jason Line — the No. 2 qualifier and second in points — on a holeshot, 6.678 to 6.625. He'll have round-two lane choice over V. Gaines.

Vincent Nobile advanced the Intrepid Fallen Heroes/Mountain View Tire Dodge to round two of Pro Stock, where he'll give up lane choice to two-time event runner-up Erica Enders. Other second-round pairings (lane choice first): Allen Johnson vs. Greg Anderson, and Mike Edwards vs. Rodger Brogdon.

[4;30 p.m.] In Pro Stock Motorcycle Karen Stoffer had to resort to a backup engine in her GEICO Suzuki after wounding her new engine last night, but she still advanced past Steve Johnson with a 6.98 and will have lane choice in round two against low qualifier Hector Arana Sr., who could only muster a 7.00 on his Lucas Oil Buell.

Hector Arana Jr. had low e.t. of Pro Stock Motorcycle's round one at 6.921. He'll face Shawn Gann in round two, with lane choice. Other second-round pairings (lane choice first): Eddie Krawiec vs. LE Tonglet and Andrew Hines vs. Chip Ellis.

Hillary Will put the Dote Family Racing Top Fueler in to the semifinals with a 3.858 second-round conquest of TJ Zizzo. She'll take on Steve Torrence, who will have lane choice. Will has four career final-round appearances in Top Fuel, with one win, recorded in Topeka in 2008.

Antron Brown had low e.t. of the second round of Top Fuel, a 3.801, which will earn him semifinal lane choice over Shawn Langdon, who's gunning for his first win of the season in the Al-Anabi dragster.

[5:15 p.m.] Courtney Force (above) reached the third Funny Car semifinal of her rookie season by beating her teammate Robert Hight in round two. She'll have lane choice when she takes on fellow female rookie Alexis DeJoria in the semi's; the two have raced just once before, in Houston, where Force prevailed. (Left) Jack Beckman moved into third place in points by defeating the guy who held that spot entering the round: Johnny Gray. Beckman ran 4.09 and will have semifinal lane choice over Jeff Arend.

[5:30 p.m.] Erica Enders (left) had low e.t. of round two of Pro Stock with a 6.607 in defeating Vince Nobile. She'll have lane choice in the semifinals against V. Gaines as she continues to pursue her first career win in the class. Greg Anderson (below) defeated low qualifier Allen Johnson on a holeshot in their second-round race, 6.634 to 6.612. He'll forfeit lane choice in the semifinals to the tour's most recent winner, Bristol champ Mike Edwards, who ran 6.629.

[5:30 p.m.] Former world champ LE Tonglet (left) reached the final four in Pro Stock Motorcycle for the second straight event with the Nitro Fish Suzuki, edging reigning world champ Eddie Krawiec on a holeshot, 6.993 to 6.971. The margin of victory was .004-second. He'll have to face low qualifier Hector Arana Sr. without lane choice in the semifinals. The other Pro Stock Motorcycle semifinal will pit Hector Arana Jr., with lane choice, against the Harley of Andrew Hines after respective passes of 6.954 and 6.959.

[6:20 p.m.] Steve Torrence's Richard Hogan-tuned Capco Contractors car has reached the Top Fuel final for the third time this season after defeating Hillary Will in the semifinals. Torrence will take on Antron Brown in the final. Brown defeated Shawn Langdon by .004-second in the other semifinal, 3.79 to 3.80, to earn lane choice.

[6:30 p.m.] Jeff Arend put the DHL Toyota into his first Funny Car final of the season by defeating Jack Beckman with a 4.106 that has earned him final-round lane choice over Courtney Force, who's appearing in her first final.

[6:35 p.m.] Erica Enders put her GK Motorsports Cobalt into the Pro Stock final, the seventh of her career, after beating V. Gaines in the semifinals with a 6.62. She'll be seeking to make Pro Stock history as the first woman to win in the class. The final round will be a rematch of last year's money frame, where Greg Anderson denied her a victory. Enders will have lane choice over Anderson, who ran 6.63 against Mike Edwards. Interestingly, Enders' first career Pro Stock final was at the fall Chicago event in 2005, where she lost to Anderson's teammate, Jason Line.

[6:40 p.m.] Andrew Hines, winner earlier this year in Houston, reached his third final round of the season in Pro Stock Motorcycle by defeating Hector Arana Jr. with a 6.96 that will give him final-round lane choice over LE Tonglet, who upset Arana's father, Hector Sr., in the other semifinal. Tonglet is the two-time defending champ at this event. Hines previously won this event in 2007. Brother Matt won it twice, in 1998 and 1999.

LE Tonglet, near lane, red-lighted away the Pro Stock Motorcycle final to Andrew Hines.

Erica Enders made NHRA history as the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock event when she outran Greg Anderson in a rematch of last year's final, 6.62 to 6.64.

Jeff Arend, near lane, denied Courtney Force her first Funny Car win in her rookie season.

Steve Torrence red-lighted in the Top Fuel final to give the win to Antron Brown.

The Full Throttle winners, from left, Erica Enders, Jeff Arend, Andrew Hines, and Antron Brown.