Friday's Mile-Highlights
Friday, July 20, 2012
The 11th annual Mopar Big Block Party drew a huge crowd in Golden, Colo., on Thursday. Fans were treated to car displays, an autograph session, and live music. |
The Pro Stock Dodge Avengers driven by Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Allen Johnson and Matt Hagan’s Mopar Dodge Charger were on display for fans to see. |
Mopar-affiliated NHRA drivers took the stage to rally fans leading up to the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. |
Terry McMillen shook off his first DNQ of the season at the Norwalk event by opening Top Fuel qualifying with an impressive 3.94. He bettered that with a 3.93 in the second session to end up at No. 4. |
Cruz Pedregon made the best run of the Funny Car afternoon session with a 4.236 in his Snap-on Masters of Metal Tour Toyota Camry. His 4.16 in the evening session placed him No. 4. |
After just making the Norwalk field on the No. 16 bump spot two weeks ago, Littleton, Colo., resident Mike Berry was the surprise No. 6 qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a best of 7.321. |
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Andrew Hines was the quickest of the Harley-Davidson V-Rods with a third 7.290 best time, followed by teammate Eddie Krawiec’s 7.314 for fourth place in Pro Stock Motorcycle. |
Hector Arana Jr. opened up with a great time of 7.249 in the first Pro Stock Motorcycle session to qualify No. 1, then improved with a track record-matching 7.238 in the second. His father, Arana Sr., was right behind him with a 7.243. |
Local Lakewood, Colo., resident V. Gaines added to the delight of the Mopar fans when he put his Dodge Avenger Pro Stocker in the No. 3 position with a 6.975. |
Defending event champion Mike Edwards improved from a fifth-best 7.024 in the afternoon to a 6.966 to nail down the No. 2 spot in the Pro Stock order. |
Allen Johnson, who has dominated Pro Stock at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals for the past few years, finds himself in familiar territory; he was No. 1 in both of Friday’s sessions with respective times of 6.982 and 6.962. |
In a touching tribute to honor of the victims of the mass shooting at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater early Friday morning, track owner John Bandimere led a moment of silence followed by a prayer before the second session of Funny Car qualifying. |
Robert Hight set the pace in the Funny Car evening session with a 4.135 in the Auto Club Ford Mustang that was a tenth quicker than the quickest run from the afternoon session. He stayed No. 1 until the final pair. |
Jack Beckman and the Valvoline NextGen team had a strong day. They put his Dodge Charger in the No. 1 Funny Car spot with a 4.131 and collected five of a possible six bonus points. |
Antron Brown broke in a brand-new chassis that was built in-house at Don Schumacher Racing headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind. His 3.923 in the second Top Fuel session equaled the best time of the round and put him in the No. 2 spot. |
Spencer Massey, who won the most recent event and is the defending event champion, made the two quickest runs of the day in Top Fuel with a 3.914 in the opening session and a 3.923 in the final session. |
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The exciting day of racing ended with a pair of jet dragsters blazing down the racetrack and a fireworks display that fans enjoyed.
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