Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Indianapolis, Ind.
(Sept. 1-6)
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50th annual |
| Friday |
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Line, Tonglet front Pro Stock packs |
Veteran nitro racers Doug Kalitta and Gary Densham opened the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in grand style Friday evening with impressive runs in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively. Kalitta capped the day with a 4.54 at 320 mph to lead Top Fuel, while Densham thrilled the capacity crowd with a quick 4.79 at 320 mph in Funny Car.
A pair of up-and-coming racers, Jason Line and GT Tonglet, shined in the Pro Stock ranks. Line followed his Memphis win of a fortnight ago with a steady 6.81 at 201 mph in Pro Stock car, while Tonglet used a 7.19 at 186 mph to pace Pro Stock Bike. There are four more qualifying sessions on the schedule, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. Saturday's action will also include the 14th annual K&N Pro Bike Klash.
Jeg Coughlin's quest to collect three trophies at the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is off to a great start after his big victory in the prestigious Mopar Performance Parts Super Stock Hemi Challenge. Coughlin took care of class veteran Rick Houser in the finals by just one hundredth of a second.
Kalitta maintains his recent string of torrid qualifying efforts with his class-leading 4.544 at 320.51 mph. The Mac Tools racer has qualified first or second at the last three national events. Joining Kalitta at the top of the chart was his cousin Scott, who used a 4.573 at 318.99 mph to make it a clean sweep for the Mac Tools contingent.
 Doug Kalitta
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"It's great to be here at Mac's biggest race and see my car on all the flags," Kalitta said, "but it's even better to get a good lap in right from the start and get away from the bump spot. I'm not going to let the fact this is a Mac race put any extra pressure on me. I'm just going to race like we normally do and hope we can get some luck, or at least a little consistency, on race day so we can get a win.
"The guys are definitely on a roll. They've found something that's working really well for us and it's showing with our performances on the racetrack. That was a good start for us and we hope to continue with a memorable weekend."
Doug Herbert posted a huge 4.574 at 318.09 mph in his Snap-on rail to earn the No. 3 position on the ladder. Herbert undoubtedly benefited from crew chief Ed "the Ace" McCulloch's tune-up. McCulloch won this event six times in the past, five times in a Funny Car and once in a dragster.
Larry Dixon, who won two weeks ago in Memphis, is fourth here with a 4.608 in the Miller Lite rail. Defending event champion Tony Schumacher has the U.S. Army team fifth with a 4.616.
Luigi Novelli earned the bump with a 5.137 at 244.65 mph in his National Machine Repair dragster. He is the only qualified car in the five-second range.
There are 10 drivers who failed to qualify Friday, including Brandon Bernstein, Morgan Lucas, and Cory McClenathan. Top Fuel results
Densham was the only Funny Car driver to record a 4.7-second pass Friday, placing his Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang on the provisional pole for at least a day. His 4.795 at 320.28 mph has him in line for his third low qualifier award of the year and ninth of his career.
 Gary Densham
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"Every Indy is special, but the 50th is really something," Densham said. "I don't think I've ever been so nervous before a first round of qualifying before. You just look around this place and feel all the history. Then you see the crowd and it all hits you that you're racing at Indy.
"I clearly remember the 25th anniversary of this race and at that point I had never been east of Denver. I did all my racing on the West Coast. But I thought I'd better go to Indy because I was sure they'd be getting rid of drag racing real soon. I figured people would get tired of these stinky, loud hot rods. Now we're here for the 50th anniversary and I'm No. 1, at least for now. Our sport didn't dry up and blow away after all."
Densham's boss, 12-time series champion John Force, has the Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang guarding his teammate's flanks after a second-best 4.802 at 322.27 mph. Former champ Cruz Pedregon follows with a 4.844 at 315.93 mph in his Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo, while Whit Bazemore put the Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T in fourth place with an opening salvo of 4.860 at 295.92 mph.
Bazemore's new stablemate Johnny Gray, who is now driving Schumacher Racing's third Funny Car, had a strong return to action posting a sixth-best 4.862 in the Wonder Wagon.
Jim Head's fluorescent yellow Menards hot rod is 16th on the grid with a 5.081 at 308.21 mph. There are eight drivers who failed to make the first day field, including hot shots Del Worsham and Ron Capps. Funny Car results
Memphis winner Line remains the hottest driver in Pro Stock after posting a class-leading 6.810 at 201.64 mph Friday evening. The Rookie of the Year candidate is sporting a special-edition Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Tribute Team paint scheme on his Pontiac Grand Am this weekend. Line has three wins this year but just one low qualifying effort.
 Jason Line
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"That's only the second time ever that the win light has come on in my lane when Greg [Anderson, teammate] was in the other lane," Line said. "The other time was in the final at Chicago when he red-lit and I won. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had to look over a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
"My win in Memphis has been a real big boost for me mentally. I have the same equipment as Greg but I wasn't driving as well. We switched back to my old car and I won. I doubt there was anything wrong with the newer car I'd been driving but drivers are head cases and I just felt like I couldn't drive it right. The crew guys are teasing me and saying they'll have to bury me in this car one day."
Larry Morgan has his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T in second place with a 6.816 at 202.18 mph. POWERade points leader Greg Anderson is next with a 6.821 at 201.13 in his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac, while Mike Edwards' Young Life Cavalier is fourth after a 6.824 at 201.49 mph.
Valvoline's Ron Krisher parked his Cavalier on the bump with a 6.859 at 200.77 mph, which was quicker than 20 of his peers, including Ken Koretsky, Dave Connolly, Jim Yates, and Warren Johnson. Pro Stock results
There is a Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod at the top of the Pro Stock Bike ladder but it's Tonglet, not his teammate, current POWERade points leader Andrew Hines, who occupies the No. 1 position. Tonglet ran a 7.193 at 186.92 mph in the day's lone session, the only pass in the "teens." Hines settled for fifth place with a 7.224.
 GT Tonglet
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"It makes the whole weekend so much easier when you come right out of the box and everything is together and working right," Tonglet said. "It's a big mental advantage. That wasn't a perfect run by any means but it's a good start and now we can work on tomorrow's K&N Klash and trying to win that race for Vance & Hines and Harley-Davidson.
"Everyone's gunning for Andrew because he's No. 1 in the points but we are a two-bike team. I'd love to be the low qualifier here at Indy. This is the biggest race of the year."
George Bryce's newest rider, Chip Ellis, was somewhat of a surprise in the No. 2 slot on the G-Squared S&S V-Twin. He turned a 7.201 at 184.27 mph in his first NHRA pass. Bryce hasn't fielded a bike since the St. Louis event.
Craig Treble has the Matco Tools Suzuki in the third position after a 7.208 at 185.41 mph, while Shawn Gann of the rival Mac Tools camp finished fourth with a 7.217 at 185.87 mph. Another tool-sponsored pro, Cornwell Tools rider Blaine Hale, set the opening-day bump of 7.349 at 182.95 mph. There are 17 riders outside the top 16, including frontrunning pros Karen Stoffer and Matt Smith. Pro Stock Bike results
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