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Antron Brown, Mike Neff, Greg Anderson, and Eddie Krawiec took race wins, and Tony Schumacher and Hector Arana scored season championships at the year-end Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

The sky-high championship drama that remained after Robert Hight in Funny Car and Mike Edwards in Pro Stock earned their season titles Saturday evening ratcheted up in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle before Schumacher and Arana claimed the respective titles. Although the Top Fuel title officially was decided when Schumacher, with a two-point lead, and Larry Dixon both unexpectedly lost in the semifinals, in essence it was won Saturday night when Schumacher took the No. 1 qualifying berth from Dixon and the points that went with it to go from a two-point deficit to a two-point lead entering race day, a margin that ended up being the difference between No. 1 and No. 2. Arana won the championship in the semifinals when Krawiec, who needed to win the race and set a national record, was unable to make a backup run in the semifinals. He did win the race and, like Dixon, finished second by two points. [Final 2009 points]

Antron Brown

The stage had long been set in everyone's mind that Schumacher and Dixon would square off in a winner-take-all title round, but someone forgot to tell Spencer Massey and Brown, who worked their way to a surprising final. The contest was short-lived, though, as Massey left .008-second too soon, then smoked the tires on Don Prudhomme's machine. Brown raced to the title, his eighth in the class, with a strong 3.801.

"Of all my years racing, this was a career year," said Brown. "We won a lot of rounds and got a lot of points, but we just have to tackle this Countdown a little different way next year, and we're going to work real hard on that. This was a whole new package we were running this weekend and not the stuff we were running earlier this season, and it kind of bit us in the Countdown. We got our car turned around this weekend, so hats off to Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald, crew chiefs]. We'll have a lot more resources next year [being with Don Schumacher Racing] and be back at this race next year running for the title like [Schumacher and Dixon] were this year."

Brown, an early favorite to contend with Dixon and Schumacher for the world championship before he fell on lean times in the playoffs and had to deal with his team being sold for the third time in less than a year, had a great rebound race with the Schumacher-owned Matco Tools dragster. Brown, a 16-time winner in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks, was appearing in his 15th Top Fuel final and got there by beating Urs Erbacher, Brandon Bernstein, and Schumacher. His 3.82 to 3.83 defeat of teammate Schumacher meant little other than who would hold the event trophy as Schumacher had already won the championship on Dixon's semifinal loss the pair before.

Of his race against Schumacher that could have cost his teammate the championship, Brown said, "I wasn't nervous because it was Larry and Shoe that had everything to lose, and the pressure and stakes were high. We don't have team orders because even though we have the same team owner, we all have different sponsors, so we go out there and race. Brian and Mark tuned it up to see what it would handle, and it ran 3.82. We stepped it up even harder for the final but not all the way because we didn't want to smoke the tires and give it away, so we were looking for a .79 or .80, and that's what we got."

Massey, who replaced Dixon behind the wheel of Prudhomme's dragster, was the guy who put an end to Dixon's hopes in the semifinals after Dixon's Al-Anabi dragster smoked the tires. Massey, who had beaten Scott Palmer and Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals champ Doug Kalitta, moved into the final round, the fifth of what surely will be a rookie-of-the-year-winning season, with a 3.810. Massey also has three wins in seven final rounds in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster competition.

Mike Neff

Neff, a former world champion crew chief with Gary Scelzi, finally posted his first win as a driver in a wild Funny Car final-round battle with teammate Ashley Force Hood. Neff smoked the tires at 60 feet and appeared dead in the water until Force Hood smoked her tires 200 feet out. Neff recovered better, and while Force Hood was sashaying wildly all over the track and eventually tagged the wall, Neff was long gone to a 5.13 to record his first victory.

"It feels awesome to get our first win. We've been to a lot of finals and had some bad breaks and just couldn't seem to get it done, so your confidence starts to get rattled, and you start wondering if you're ever going to get a win. Today we got a lot of breaks, but we ran good at the right time.

"[In the final] I thought I was dead because it smoked them so early, then I saw her out there having problems. I pedaled it a couple of times, and it hooked up, and I got past her. It's the perfect ending with Robert winning the championship, Ashley finishing second, and for me to get my first win. It turned out to be a great weekend."

Neff, who reached the final earlier this year in Phoenix and in Reading, came from the No. 10 spot with his Drive One Mustang by getting past Jim Head, team owner John Force, and Tim Wilkerson, running as quick as 4.12 in the second-round conquest of his boss.

Force Hood didn't win the championship that was locked up by teammate Hight Saturday, but her run to the final did lock up second place despite the best efforts of several other drivers to take it from her. After qualifying her Dean Antonelli- and Ron Douglas-tuned Castrol GTX Mustang No. 1, she raced past Bob Bode, Del Worsham, and Ron Capps to reach the final, the 13th of her Funny Car career.

Greg Anderson

After a late season full of Edwards domination in Pro Stock – capped by Edwards' coronation as the new champ Saturday evening – Anderson and Kurt Johnson had final 2009 outings that gave them hope after a pair of disappointing seasons. In a rematch of last season's final round here, Anderson won again when Johnson turned on the red-light with a -.017 foul. The win is Anderson's milestone 60th in 88 finals.

Anderson, unaccustomed to playing second fiddle, can go into the off-season confident that Ken Black's Summit team is back as it outran Edwards all day, including in the semifinals, where Anderson beat the new champ , 6.57 to 6.66. Prior to that, Anderson had run 6.580 and 6.575, outperforming Edwards in both of those rounds in defeating Dave Northrop and red-lighting Greg Stanfield.

"Mike did a whale of a job this year, and he deserves to be the champion," Anderson acknowledged, "but we found a way today to outperform him. The years I won the championship, I always wanted to win this race, too. You think, 'If I don't win this race, it will be a hole in that championship season' because when you're the champion, you want to be standing on that last stage. It makes the title complete. I certainly don't want to take anything away from Mike because he had 24 great races, but right now, I'm the last guy standing tonight and the happiest guy right now. Tomorrow night [at the awards ceremony], he'll be the happiest guy, but right now, I'm the happiest guy.

"It's been a very, very, very interesting season for me, kind of a trying, up and down year for me with a few too many valleys and not enough peaks. We had a few flashes of brilliance, like today, where we showed what we can do; we just didn't do it often enough."

Johnson was appearing in his milestone 75th final and looking for a 40th win racing his ACDelco Cobalt – in the last event with that livery – but, perhaps just as importantly, looking to extend to 15 his streak of winning at least one national event per season. Johnson began his run to the final by upsetting No. 7 qualifier Johnny Gray, who got loose in the favored left lane in round one, then defeated late-leaving Ron Krisher and, on a huge semifinal holeshot, Jason Line. K.J.'s .001 reaction time and 6.624 held off Line's low e.t. blast of 6.556 by just .0064-second.

Eddie Krawiec

Krawiec, who won the Pro Stock Motorcycle season title last year without winning a race, finished in second place with his fifth win of the season when Doug Horne turned on the red-light by .001-second. Krawiec ran a dazzling 6.905, low e.t. of the meet and a run he could have used the round before.

Krawiec needed a near miracle to catch Arana in their battle for the season championship, even after Arana went out unexpectedly in round two on a red-light. By that point, Krawiec had already beaten Steve Johnson and Jim Underdahl with a pair of 6.95s but needed not only to beat teammate Andrew Hines in the semifinals but also to run at least 6.918 to get a backup for the national record and the 20 bonus points and win the final to squeak past Arana. Hines went -.010 red against Krawiec, but Krawiec's third straight 6.95 was nowhere close to the necessary backup, and it didn't even earn the Harley rider lane choice against Horne in the final, the 17th of his career.

“If I had had that final-round e.t. [in the semifinals], I think Hector would have been sweating it out a little bit,” said Krawiec. “My bike was on a rail there in the final, finally. That was the first pass of the weekend that I could say that my bike made a respectable pass down this track, and I’m pretty excited.

“Last year, I was fortunate to come up here and not have the race win and have the championship, but this year, I still am a very lucky person to be in here talking about getting the race win and not the championship. It came down to two points. It shows you how important qualifying is. We bobbled a little bit this weekend in qualifying, which ultimately could have cost us. We were trying to keep Hector from getting to that three-round deficit, and unfortunately for us, we didn’t, and it shows in the end. But our Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson bike has been running really well the second half of the year. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to next year. This year’s behind us already, so looking forward to 2010.”

Horne, who reached the final twice in his first three outings this season – in Houston and Gainesville – reached his third final by racing his Buell past Fred Camarena, Doug Hope, and Junior Pippin with a pair of 6.99s and a fine semifinal 6.94 to earn final-round lane choice

Related stories:
Thursday: Schumacher, Hight, Edwards in championship form; Stoffer also leads
Friday: Dixon, Force jump to nitro leads; Edwards, Stoffer remain on point
Saturday: Dramatic Saturday sets up championship Sunday at NHRA Finals

Schumacher, Arana clinch Top Fuel, Pro Stock Motorcycle world championships

NHRA — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:37:00 GMT

Tony Schumacher clinched his sixth consecutive and seventh overall NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel world championship, and Hector Arana earned his first in Pro Stock Motorcycle during a dramatic day of racing at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Both titles were decided during a stunning semifinal round.

Tony Schumacher

Schumacher collected the Top Fuel crown when Larry Dixon, racing directly in front of Schumacher, smoked the tires of his Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing dragster and lost to Spencer Massey. In a surprising twist, Schumacher also lost his semifinal match with Antron Brown, meaning the final points result was just two points in favor of Schumacher and his Mike Green-led U.S. Army team, earned on their low qualifying pass late Saturday.

“Having to rebuild and go through the adversity of a new team, it’s outstanding to be standing here on the podium,” said Schumacher. “That run [Saturday] night was bone-crushing, weight-of-the-world pressure, and that U.S. Army team came through — unbelievable.

“You can’t mention it before the race because you don’t know if you’re going to win it, but this thing’s going to sit at Fort Hood for the families. I don’t think there’s a question about it; it has to be there. They deserve it. This is an Army Strong trophy, and it’s going to sit there and be beautiful.”

Schumacher won his first Top Fuel championship in 1999. He added a second title in 2004 and has carried the No. 1 every season since. That string will continue into next year after he outlasted Dixon in another nail-biter (in 2006, Schumacher won the championship by winning the final round and setting the national record at the season finale, and in 2007, Schumacher won it by winning the final round in Pomona).

Schumacher entered the Auto Club NHRA Finals just one point ahead of Dixon, and the two put on quite a show throughout the weekend, swapping the lead several times. Schumacher added one point to his lead on the opening day of action, but Dixon rebounded on day two and jumped to the front by two markers. Schumacher made a comeback on the final qualifying day, running low e.t. of the weekend, 3.772, to grab three bonus points for the session and the No. 1 spot on the ladder. Those points lifted Schumacher back into the lead by two. Those two points were the deciding factor when both lost in the semi’s.

Hector Arana

Arana joined Robert Hight and Mike Edwards as a first-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world champion when Eddie Krawiec was unable to run quick enough for a backup to a national record in the semifinals. Arana could have clinched the title with a win against Krawiec’s teammate, Andrew Hines, in round two, but Arana red-lighted, leaving the competition somewhat open. At that point, Krawiec needed to win and set a national record to pass Arana and claim the title. Without a backup run earlier in the weekend, that meant that Krawiec needed to run 6.918 or better in the semi’s to have the backup; Krawiec only mustered a 6.953 to end his hopes.

Racing in his 20th season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition, Arana had a career year aboard his Lucas Oil-backed Buell. Arana won five times in six final-round showings this season, and he qualified No. 1 eight times, including at the final three events of the season. Prior to this year, Arana had just one win (2008 Norwalk) and one top start (1994 Gainesville).

“It feels good,” said Arana. “It hasn’t really hit me yet. I do feel better, lighter now that the stress is over and the worries. It’s an awesome feeling to have this accomplishment this year. A lot of things happened this year that I accomplished: I won five races, I won three in a row, I set the national record, and I won the championship. This is awesome.

“Quitting never crossed my mind; that’s not me. I’m going to stick to the end and find a solution for it,” added Arana of his challenges over the years. “I just started going five, six races a year for a while, and I would stay home and work on the bike. If I was going to quit, that would have been the time to quit, but I just could not see myself quitting. I knew I had it, I knew it was there, and with Lucas Oil behind me, how can you quit? When things were going harder, I just worked harder. My determination was even more.”

Arana is the 10th rider since Pro Stock Motorcycle became a Professional class in 1989 to win a championship.

Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals event notebook

NHRA — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:29:00 GMT

News and notes from Sunday at the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Compiled by the National DRAGSTER staff.

SUNDAY (Previous: Thursday | Friday | Saturday)
Last update: 3:35 p.m. Pacific (click to latest)

This is it (9 a.m.): Welcome to Day 4 of the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals and the final day of the 2009 season. After an action-packed day here yesterday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona that included the coronations in Funny Car and Pro Stock of new NHRA champions Robert Hight and Mike Edwards and a well-worth-the-wait moment of drama in the final pair of Top Fuel qualifying, the stage is set for the crowning today of two more champions, in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Right now we're under a totally cloudless, clear-blue-sky kind of day, the kind they feature in those cool Southern California postcards. The high temperature today is supposed to be around 74 degrees, perfect for high performance. Pre-race ceremonies will begin in about an hour, at 10 a.m. local time, with the first round of Top Fuel at 11.

Tony Schumacher

The Top Fuel scenario: With his dramatic pole-stealing blast last night, Tony Schumacher -- who entered the event with a one-point lead in Top Fuel over Larry Dixon, then increased it to two markers Thursday, then dipped to a one-point deficit Friday and a two-point deficit Saturday morning -- again leads Dixon by a two points heading into final eliminations. Those two points may as well have been a complete round as it means that, to win his seventh straight NHRA Top Fuel crown, he'll only need to match Dixon's finish today.

However ...

Both drivers have backup runs to break Schumacher's 3.771 national record and snatch the 20 bonus points. Schumacher's 3.772 yesterday will back up a record anywhere between 3.770 and 3.734. Dixon has a much smaller target window, as he can set the record with a pass between 3.770 and 3.762. Those ranges, of course, are based solely on their qualifying numbers and could change with today's early rounds. The two could meet in a winner-take-all final round, much like the 1990 final between Joe Amato and Gary Ormsby. We'll keep our fingers crossed for that!

Hector Arana

The Pro Stock Motorcycle scenario: It's a little more clear in the two-wheel world where Hector Arana has a 62-point edge on defending champ Eddie Krawiec. Barring a national record -- which seems out of reach here -- only 80 points are on the table today so Arana needs only to win his first-round race with Bailey Whitaker to all but certainly claim his first championship.

The national record, currently held by Arana, is 6.851, set last month in Memphis; Arana's field-leading pass this weekend is 6.918 and Krawiec's best pass is just 6.959 so a record seems unlikely but, just to be sure, Arana can lock his crown away for good by winning in the second round or if Krawiec doesn't win the event.

So that's the deal entering the first round. Anything could change between now and the final rounds later this afternoon, so stay tuned.

Pre-race: An extensive pre-race ceremony covered a lot of ground including a parade of three dozen classic and custom cars that have been named winners during the year at the NHRA Motorsports Museum Twilight Cruises featuring everything from classic '57 Chevys to all manner of rat rods, a Boss 302 Mustang, a blown Olds 442, a Willys, Chevy Nomads, and more. It was a true California classic hot rod moment.

The fans on hand also were introduced to the 2009 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series champions as well as the 28 bracket racers taking part in today's final eliminations for the Summit National Championships.

Special awards were given to Chris Krejewski (Best Appearing Car), Ron August Jr. (Best Appearing Crew), and Michael Piranio (Best Engineered Car) and legends Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen were welcomed as the event's grand marshals.

Video tributes also were played for super veterans Connie Kalitta and Jim Dunn, who received special gifts from NHRA's Tom Compton and Graham Light celebrating their decades in the sport. Compton and Tom McKernan of the Automobile Club of Southern California also were acknowledged by the Beat The Heat for their contributions to battling illegal street racing

The ceremony closed with the acknowledgement of the end of Kenny Bernstein's long sponsorship relationship with Budweiser. The world-famous Clydesdales were on hand for a last ride with the Bud King down the return road to the appreciative roar of the crowd.

"I could stand here and name hundreds of names, from August Busch III and IV on down who have helped us over the years, and I thank them so very much. This is a special moment for us and a little bittersweet at the same time because we're happy that we do get to go on with Copart next year. Were very appreciative of what this company has allowed us to do, which is follow a dream I had from the time I was 15 years old to where it is today."

Bernstein was on the verge of choking up, but what came next really pushed him over that edge as he received the very rare honor of being given his very own Clydesdale horse. The presentation was made by Corey Christanell, Director of Sports and Entertainment Marketing at Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

“We are overwhelmed, “said Bernstein. “This is a huge honor and we’re looking forward to the ever present reminder of 30 years of Budweiser association.”

We're racing (11:05 a.m.): The first pair of Top Fuelers, Morgan Lucas and Dave Grubnic, are on the track ... it's time to award the final event Wallys of the year.

Top Fuel round one (11:35 a.m.): Cory McClenathan kept his championship hopes alive by beating Bob Vandergriff Jr. but only after swapping lanes, from the right to the left after watching Dave Grubnic light 'em up in the right just ahead of him. Cory Mac also got fortunate in that his engine only lasted until halftrack before expiring, forcing him to coast to a 4.43.

“We’re just trying to let the drama all unfold itself,” said McClenathan. “Just about the time you’re getting comfortable thinking, ‘This thing’s going to haul the mail,’ boom, there it goes. We used a little bit of Valvoline up on it, but thanks to Nordic, Jegs, Prestone, we’re going to get it cleaned up. Sorry about the track. A little bit of delay here, but we’re going to see some more drama unfold. I can tell you one thing, we turned our win light on, now the rest of them have to do it.”

McClenathan's slowing pass will cost him lane choice against Larry Dixon in a must-win for both. Dixon beat Del Cox Jr. with a 3.822, low e.t of the round, while Tony Schumacher kept the championship a three-way fight when he easily advanced over Mike Strasburg with a 3.838.

“We’re just holding point,” said Dixon. “This is the Super Bowl. The first quarter’s down. We both scored touchdowns, and it’s on to the second quarter.”

“It’s not that I’m looking forward [to a final-round showdown with Dixon] because they’re a tough team over there; it’s just what I expect,” said Schumacher. “But they’re going to have to get by my teammate, Cory, now, and you can be assured, that’s what teams are all about. We’re going to go over and make sure that car can go fast and give us a chance to knock him out this next round. The reality is they just made an outstanding run, and we made an outstanding run, and it’s probably going to be a battle today.”

Six of the eight cars in the right lane smoked the tires, the exceptions being the fabled "Greek," Chris Karamesines, who gave Brandon Bernstein a run in a 3.87 to 3.95 battle, and Steve Torrence, who lost a 4.04 to 3.84 battle with Doug Kalitta.

Second-round pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Schumacher vs. Lucas; Brown vs. Bernstein; Dixon vs. McClenathan; Massey vs. Kalitta.

Funny Car round one (12:05 p.m.): All four Force team cars advanced into round two, but just barely: Ashley Force Hood survived an offpace 4.24 after Bob Bode's machine took a hard right to the wall, which he lightly brushed; newly crowned world champ Robert Hight became one of the few to lose traction in the favored left lane but survived a pedalfest with Jerry Toliver; Force himself survived a close 4.24 to 4.16 battle with longtime pal Gary Densham; and Mike Neff became the first driver to win in the right lane when higher-qualified Jim Head smoked the tires against him.

Tim Wilkerson's victory over Jack Beckman moved him around "Fast Jack" and into fourth place and Ron Capps moved up a spot to third by edging Bob Tasca III despite nearly collecting the left wall. Both could finish as high as second place.

Second-round pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Force Hood vs. Worsham; Hagan vs. Capps; Force vs. Neff; Hight vs. Wilkerson.

Pro Stock round one (12:35 p.m.): The left lane that the Pro Stockers all favored in qualifying briefly turned against them in eliminations as No. 7 qualifier Johnny Gray got really loose at halftrack and lost to Kurt Johnson, keeping alive K.J.'s hopes of extending his record of at least one win in each of the previous 14 seasons. Seeing Gray's plight, Allen Johnson switched to the right lane and benefited as Vinnie Deceglie also got loose in the left.

The real highlight of the round followed, a minute-plus staging burndown between Greg Stanfield and rookie Ryan Ondrejko that didn't faze either much as they had near identical lights before Stanfield edged ahead to win, 6.61 to 6.62.

The fact that Ondrejko went down the left lane convinced Greg Anderson, who with lane choice was already lined up in the right lane behind them, to switch back to the left against Dave Northrop. It paid off with a 6.580 at top speed of the meet, 210.73, and convinced new champ Mike Edwards also to choose the left, but surprisingly couldn't match Anderson as he netted "just" a 6.587.

Jason Line has the final say though by tying low e.t. and running top speed with a blast of 6.562 at 210.77.

Second-round pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Edwards vs. Brogdon; Anderson vs. Stanfield; Krisher vs. K. Johnson; Line vs. A. Johnson.

Pro Stock Motorcycle round one (12:40 p.m.): Both Hector Arana and Eddie Krawiec did their jobs to keep the title bout alive (barely), and Arana did his half in spectacular fashion with low e.t. of the meet, 6.910. Krawiec advanced over Steve Johnson with a 6.950 at 194.91 (top speed), better than his qualifying effort, but now he needs Arana to lose in the next round and will have to win the event and reset the national record to repeat as champ.

Andrew Hines will get a chance to help teammate Krawiec as he'll take on Arana in round two. Krawiec will take on Jim Underdahl.

Second-round pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Arana vs. Hines; Krawiec vs. Underdahl; Pippin vs. Cook; Hope vs. Horne

Top Fuel round two (1:35 p.m.): The track temp is 91 degrees and Massey opens the frame by showing that the right lane can produce a winner as he defeats Kalitta, the Winternationals champion, ending his Pomona win streak at five rounds.

Schumacher's almost routine 3.83 dismissal of tire-smoking Morgan Lucas ends Cory McClenathan's slim title hopes before Cory Mac even gets to the line to face Dixon at round's end.

After Antron Brown runs 3.85 to defeat Brandon Bernstein to end the Budweiser era in Top Fuel and align his name with Schumacher in the first semifinal pairing, the pressure's all on Dixon and the Al-Anabi team now and Cory Mac has a chance to help his DSR teammate clinch by eliminating Dixon.

Dixon earns a season's paycheck on one run, keeping alive his title hopes with a holeshot win over Cory Mac. Dixon's .048 to .062 edge and 3.842 defeats McClenathan's low-for-the-round 3.829 by just .0014-second, but gives up lane choice to Massey by .001-second.

We're one round closer to a winner-take-all final.

“There is nothing easy about winning a Full Throttle championship. Guarantee, there’s nothing easy about it,” said Schumacher. “Fun? Absolutely. Heart’s pounding. You know, I’m like a little kid in a candy store. It’s amazing to be in the position.”

“There’s two more on the table today,” said Dixon. “That just keeps us on point. Like I said, this is like the Super Bowl. That’s two quarters down. We both scored a touchdown, and now it’s halftime."

Semifinal pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Schumacher vs. Brown; Dixon vs. Massey

Funny Car round two (1:45 p.m.): New champ Robert Hight won't celebrate a double win as Wilkerson, with an eye on second place, defeats Hight, but Ashley Force Hood edges Del Worsham to better protect her second spot. She joins her sisters, Brittany and Courtney, who are in the semis in Alcohol Dragster.

Capps, also with an eye on second place, beats DSR teammate Matt Hagan on a holeshot, 4.14 to 4.12. Capps, wearing a championship medal won by his 8-year-old son Caden in soccer yesterday beneath his firesuit, will face Force Hood next round and will have lane choice.

The round concludes with Mike Neff beating his boss, John Force, who ends up nosing into the sandtrap, but with little damage to his Mustang.

Semifinal pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Force Hood vs. Capps; Neff vs. Wilkerson.

Pro Stock round two (1:55 p.m.): K.J. keeps alive his hopes for a season-salvaging win when No. 2 qualifier Ron Krisher misses the Tree with a .142 light.

Edwards keeps alive his dream weekend by driving around Rodger Brogdon's .003 light with a 6.579 but Greg Anderson, also looking for some offseason salve, will have lane choice against him in the semifinals after meting out a 6.575 on red-lighting Greg Stanfield.

For the second straight round, Line has the final word, racing to a 6.571 to beat an out of shape Allen Johnson. When's the last time that Mike Edwards had the third quickest of four cars?

Semifinal pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Edwards vs. Anderson; K. Johnson vs. Line.

Pro Stock Motorcycle round two (2 p.m.): After Doug Horne defeats David Hope and Junior Pippin advances on Larry Cook's foul, here's the big show: Eddie Krawiec keeps his hopes for the title alive with a 6.95 beating of Jim Underdahl, but his teammate, Andrew Hines, will need to stop Hector Arana here for Krawiec to still have a chance.

Arana, with a chance to clinch, red-lights with a -.012 reaction, keeping Krawiec's hopes alive. A win for Krawiec over teammate Hines in the next round might seem like a foregone conclusion, but it's the least of his worries. Krawiec needs to win the event and reset the national record which, at 6.851, seems pretty far out of reach. He'll need to run at least 6.918 in the semifinals to get a backup to run 6.850.

“It’s a little bit of a bittersweet feeling,” said Krawiec. “Unfortunately, we stumbled a little bit out here in qualifying. To set the national record, it’s a tough task to do. But we’re going to just give it our best shot and maybe make Hector sweat it a little bit. Hats off to those guys, and hats off to our crew. We’d like to get a Wally and hopefully bring that back to Indiana.”

Semifinal pairings, lane choice denoted in bold: Hines vs. Krawiec; Pippin vs. Horne

NHRA honors firefighters (3:05 p.m.): As part of today’s activities at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, NHRA honored members of Los Angeles County Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, and CAL Fire for their outstanding service to Southern California during the recent wildfires that swept through much of the region. More than 25 members of the three agencies are at the track today as special guests of Don Schumacher Racing and include LACFD Battalion Chief Ken Wiles, U.S. Forest Service Battalion Chief Eric McCormick, and CAL Fire Division Chief Arnie White. The group paraded in front of the grandstands just prior to the semifinals in Top Fuel.

Top Fuel semifinals (3:20 p.m.): Here it is, the most important round – so far – this season. Larry Dixon needs to beat Spencer Massey to keep alive his hopes for a third world championship. Massey, of course, drives for Don Prudhomme, whose team Dixon left this season. Ironic, eh?

If Dixon wins, right behind him, Tony Schumacher will need to beat Antron Brown to keep his chances alive. If they both lose, Schumacher, with a two-point lead, will be the champ. Here we go!

It's over. Dixon smokes the tires early, and Schumacher's crew goes wild. Schumacher is the world champion again, his sixth straight.

“You know what, I came into this race with an opportunity to win a championship, and I hadn’t had that for quite some time,” said Dixon. “I want to say thanks to Sheik Kalid for forming this team. We’ve got two cars out here when there’s a lot of cars going away and sponsorships going away. There’s two cars out here because of him. We didn’t get the No. 1 on the car, but I promise you we’re going to go harder at it for No. 1 next year.”

And then ...

Another stunner! Schumacher also loses, falling to Brown, 3.82 to 3.83, butwins the championship by two points over Dixon, 2571 to 2569.

Massey will have lane choice over Brown in the final.

Funny Car semifinals (3:25 p.m.): It'll be an all-team Force final as Ashley Force Hood beats Ron Capps and locks up second place in the standings behind teammate Robert Hight and she'll race her other teammate, Mike Neff, who bested tire-smoking Tim Wilkerson. Neff will be seeking his first career win, but Force Hood will have lane choice.

Pro Stock semifinals (3:30 p.m): World champ Mike Edwards won't double up as his Pontiac gets loose on the launch and he watches Greg Anderson advance to the final with a 6.576. Jason Line tries hard to make it an all-Summit final and has the car with a dazzling low e.t. 6.552, but he's way behind K.J.'s .001 light and loses to Johnson's 6.624 by .0064-second.

Pro Stock Motorcycle semifinals (3:35 p.m): Doug Horne reaches his third final of the year, but all eyes are on the pair behind him as Eddie Krawiec needs to beat teammate Andrew Hines and run at least 6.918 for a national record backup to keep his title defense hopes alive. Hines goes red (-.010) and Krawiec makes a full run, but it's not near enough with a 6.953.

Hector Arana is your 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle champion!

The finals (5 p.m.): Krawiec didn't win the championship by did win the event, scoring on Horne's close -.001 foul. Krawiec, like Dixon, finishes two points behind his class champion. Greg Anderson also scored on a red-light in Pro Stock when Kurt Johnson turned it red by .017-second. With the failure of both John Force (22 seasons) and Johnson (14 seasons) to extend their streaks of consecutive years with at least one win, Anderson is the new leader in that category with wins in nine straight seasons.

In the Funny Car final, Mike Neff smoked the tires at 60 feet and appeared dead in the water until Ashley Force Hood smoked her tires 200 feet out. Neff recovered better and while Force Hood was sashaying wildly all over the track and eventually tagged the wall, Neff was long gone to a 5.13 to record his first win.

Antron Brown collected the Top Fuel win when Spencer Massey, a terror on the Tree all year, left .008-second too soon. It might not have mattered as his car also went up into hard smoke shortly thereafter while Brown steamed to the win, his eighth in the class.

We've still got 45 minutes to an hour of Sportsman competition to wrap up the 2009 season but, well see you again here in less than 90 days for the spectacular 50th Anniversary Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals.

SATURDAY

Welcome to Saturday (10 a.m.): Welcome to the third day of the Auto Club NHRA Finals.in Pomona. Today we'll set the fields for the final race of the season, which may go a long ways toward deciding this year's world champs.

Yesterday's Top Fuel qualifying had everyone shaking their heads as Larry Dixon turned a two-point deficit to Tony Schumacher into a one-point lead over "the Sarge" by earning three bonus points as the session's quickest driver while Schumacher got shut out after smoking the tires. As both Dixon and Schumacher pointed out on consecutive days, if you enter eliminations Sunday with even a one-point lead it's the same as having a full-round lead because at that point all you have to do is match the finish of your pursuer.

Even though Mike Edwards' provisional points total in Pro Stock has given him an insurrmountable lead, we won't be able to officially crown him until the close of qualifying. It's close to the same situation in Funny Car where Robert Hight needs to just just finish qualifying 101 points ehad of teammate Ashley Force Hood. He's leading by 110 points right now, but with six bonus points available today plus the actual qualifying-position points, if she scooped all six and qualified four positions ahead of him, she could drag the drama out to Sunday. Hight is currently qualified second so she's got her work cut out for her, and she'll need some help from others to bump him down.

Force, on Force (10:45 a.m.): He hasn't qualified No. 1 since the 2006 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the longest drought of his career, but John Force is leading Funny Car qualifying halfway through, giving some hope for what's been a tough season. This is the furthest that John Force ever has gone into a season without at least reaching one final round – he's made at least one final the last 25 years straight and won at least one race in 23 straight – and he's the only driver in the Funny Car Top 10 who hasn't gone to a final round this season (he's reached the semi's six times).

His history in Pomona might well be what gets him over the hump. He's won 12 races and 101 rounds at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and has gone to the final round 11 times with seven wins over the years at the Finals and, interestingly enough, all of his wins at the Finals came in even-numbered years, the most recent in 2006, the last time he won the championship.

"I haven't been all that good since I crashed [in Dallas in Sept. 2007]," he admitted to the media yesterday. "I've been trying to get back up here to see you guys. It's gotten so bad that Densy [longtime publicist Dave Densmore] started asking me, 'Any chance of a fire?' but I couldn't even run fast enough to get a good fire where you'd at least feel sorry for me and let me in here.

"But I think I'm back okay. In 2010 I can run for the title. I got asked if Robert or Ashley wins the title if I'm going to be passing the torch and I got mad. What, that means I'm done? I kicked him out of my bus. I've got some years left.

"I love this; I love being out here and knowing that I’ll have cars to stand next to even when I'm done driving. On the way over to Vegas my wife said, 'You know, they even stuffed Trigger. You love all this, I just figure that when [you die] we'll just stuff you.' I'll go on tour like Prudhomme's Hot Wheels car. They'll just take me around in my box and set me up to sell some t-shirts. For me, this is the greatest life in the world."

Schedule update (10:55 a.m.): Things are just a little behind schedule this morning, and the third qualifying session for the Pros will be a little delayed. The first pair of Comp cars, Allan Ellis and Jay Payne, are rolling up for their first-round match. Following the first round of Comp, Pro Stock Motorcycle will then be up.

Summit National Championships (11:05 a.m.): Bracket racers from across the country are getting a chance to showcase their skills on the "big stage" this weekend at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship. The champions from the seven geographic divisions in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Motorcycle will compete in three-round eliminators tomorrow to determine the national champ in each of those classes. For more on the Summit National Championship event, click here.

Pros ready to go (11:50 a.m.): That took a little longer than expected as a nostalgia Funny Car exhibition was also run in between Comp and the Pros, and one of the nostalgia cars had troubles and oiled the track. After the clean up and another pair of cars, we are now getting ready for Pro Stock Motorcycle. Rhett Lougheed and Dawn Matthews Baugues are sitting in the waterbox. We will still have a little bit of a wait because it appears one of the nostalgia cars had some troubles and is still sitting on the track. Once that is cleared, we will go into the third qualifying session for the NHRA Full Throttle Pros.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session three (12:20 p.m.): Hector Arana just hammered the field with a 6.918 that gave him three bonus points and the No. 1 spot on the ladder. Arana leads the field by nearly four-hundredths with rookie of the year candidate Doug Horne in second spot at 6.956. Matt Smith was third-quickest at 6.963. Karen Stoffer, the leader after the first two qualifying sessions, improved to a 6.969 but slipped to fourth. Arana's points rival Eddie Krawiec struggled on his run and slowed to a 7.16; that means Arana added three to his lead and is now up by 57 points.

Pro Stock, session three (12:45 p.m.): In somewhat of a surprising twist, Mike Edwards was not the top runner in the third session. That honor went to Ron Krisher, who ran a 6.587. Jason Line also ran 6.587, but the higher spot and three bonus points went to Krisher on his better 209.69 speed (Line ran 209.49). Edwards was third-best with a 6.592. Though he wasn't best of the round, Edwards remains No. 1 on the sheets thanks to his 6.575 from yesterday.

The round did have a strange ending when Greg Anderson's parachutes popped out when he rolled up to the waterbox. Anderson's crew scrambled to pack them back up. The team was thisclose to missing their chance to run (officials had begun to walk to the car to tell them they would not make it) when they got the 'chutes packed back up and the car fired. Edwards in the lane next to him showed how much of a champion he really is by waiting for Anderson. Though there was much distraction, Anderson still made a strong run, posting a 6.604.

Funny Car, session three (1:25 p.m.): A tough session for the floppers as most of those in the right lane weren't able to make a full pull, and few in the left lane were able to really step up. Tim Wilkerson improved on his earlier 4.154 best with a 4.089 that jumped him from 10th to fourth to earn three points as the session's best run. Jack Beckman's 4.140 was the second best of the round and those two points moved him past Cruz Pedregon into third place.

"I made some mistakes the last couple of runs and just needed to get our stuff tuned up a little bit," said Wilkerson after his run. "The air's coming to us a little bit. We're just trying to catch up to the tune-up really. I just didn't do a good job the first couple of days. I'm really very proud of my crew. We went all year, and I tell ya honestly, we've only lost one motor all year. For a team to make 160, 170 runs in a nitro Funny Car and lose one motor, I'm pretty proud of my guys. They do an excellent job."

John and Ashley Force closed the session with a popular pairing and though both failed to make it down the track, Force still remains atop the qualifying pack based on his career-best 4.060 yesterday. Cruz Pedregon is on the bump with a 4.31.

A quick run down the track with the tractor after Force shutoff with a small blower backfire, then we're into the fuel diggers.

Top Fuel, session three (2:10 p.m.): Although the actual position shuffling went on well down in the field and the top eight went untouched, and there were plenty of uncompleted passes, there was a lot to talk about.

While many teams struggled for traction, Tony Schumacher made a "message" run of 3.822 to improve on his Thursday 3.832 and it looked like that might be the session's big highlight until the final pass, where Larry Dixon not only ran 3.802 (just a tick off his leading 3.801) but also became the first driver to exceed 320 mph at the 1,000-foot distance with a trap speed of 321.58. Because his was the best run of the session and Schumacher's was second-quick, Dixon extended his lead from one to points over Schumacher.

Denmark's Stig Neergaard sits on the bump spot with one session to go with a 4.087.

"Well, 321, man, that's awesome -- awesome, Al-Anabi," said Dixon. "Alan [Johnson, team owner] ain't leaving nothing on the table because it ain't going to do no good to take it back to Indianapolis over the winter. That 321 is awesome. The 3.80 is big just from the fact to be able to out-point Tony in the session. There's six points given away today, and we're trying to get six; we got three and we'll try to get three later."

Alcohol incident (2:45 p.m.): A huge accident in round one of Alcohol Funny Car as Steve Gasparrelli loses on oil line on his launch against Mickey Ferro. The car made a near-immediate right turn from the left lane, a pivot so quick that he takes out the 60-foot clocks on its two left wheels. The car makes one complete barrel roll and impacts the right guardwall with a crunch. Gasparrelli, whose father, Lou, experienced a wild midtrack crash at the 1984 Winternationals here, gets the engine quickly shut down and exits the car unhurt, testament to NHRA's strict safety rules.

The Gasparrelli family, Pomona favorites for decades, are met with well wishes on the starting line from fellow alcohol racer as they assess the damage. Family partiarch Lou, who is battling health issues, checks out his son, as does John Force. As he climbed into the crewcab, the younger Gasparrelli turned and, in half-joking fashion typical of drag racers, asked "What was my light?"

We're down for a two-lane cleanup.

Looks like we're postponing the first round of Alcohol Dragsters as they're all towing away. Just one pair left in Alcohol Funny Car and then we'll be quickly back into the final Pro session of the day.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session four (3:40 p.m.): Hector Arana once again paced the field with a 6.943 that gave him three more points. Shawn Gann was second-best with a 6.951, and Eddie Krawiec did limit the damage a little by gathering one bonus point with a 6.959. The three bonus points here combined with regular eight qualifying points he earns as No. 1 qualifier gives Arana a 62-point lead entering race day. Though not completely out of reach for Krawiec, this does put the championship into unlikely territory as that means Krawiec needs to go four more rounds than Arana to win (or three more rounds plus a national record). That means without a record, Krawiec needs Arana to lose first round and he needs to win the event.

Pro Stock, session four (4:05 p.m.): Mike Edwards did it again, punctuating his championship-clinching qualifying effort with a 6.562 that was not only the best run of the final session but the best run of the weekend. Jason Line had the second-best run of the final session at 6.589, and Greg Stanfield was third-best at 6.604. Edwards is now officially the 2009 Pro Stock world champion.

Funny Car, session four (5 p.m.): She may have lost the war, but for today, Ashley Force Hood won the battle. Force Hood paced a spectacular final Funny Car session with a 4.059 that gives her the No. 1 starting spot. Force Hood's father, John Force, also ran a 4.059, but she got the nod on speed, 310.20 to 209.20. Robert Hight, who sealed the championship when he qualified No. 3, was the third-quickest of the round with a 4.067, his best run of the weekend.

Top Fuel, session four (6:45 p.m.): With multiple oildowns, the final Top Fuel session took quite a while, but it was well worth the wait. Tony Schumacher clocked the second-quickest 1,000-foot time ever at 3.772 to not only grab the three bonus points for the sesson but the No. 1 spot as well. Larry Dixon struggled on his final run, so Schumacher's three bonus points combined with the eight points he gets for No. 1 gives him a two-point advantage (Dixon finished second on the sheets for seven qualifying points). Antron Brown was the second-quickest driver of the session at 3.813, and Spencer Massey's 3.819 was third-best. Interestingly, both Schumacher and Dixon have the numbers for a national record back up, so if conditions are good enough for one tomorrow, that could make things even more interesting (if that's even possible) in the title chase.

FRIDAY

Welcome to Friday (9 a.m.): Welcome back to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and Day 2 of the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. We're in the middle of the first round of Stock eliminations, and we'll continue with Sportsman eliminations until about 11 a.m., when we'll run comp qualifying, followed by alcohol, and then the second round of Pro qualifying at 1:30 p.m.

Thursday's action brought the cream to the top, so to speak, with points leaders Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight, and Mike Edwards earning provisional No. 1 berths in their classes. The final Top Fuel pairing of No. 1 Schumacher and No. 2 Larry Dixon yesterday brought the house down as they qualified 1-2 within a thousandth of a second of one another.

There were plenty of folks who struggled yesterday, including perennial qualifiers Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, and Matt Hagan, but yesterday's pass was just the first of four they're allotted, so there's plenty of time to turn their situation around.

Skies today are partly cloudy with a reported 10 percent chance of rain. There's a slight headwind blowing up the track, ruffling the flags atop the grandstands. The rest of the weekend looks good, but it's going to be cool.

Update (noon): Just a quick update as we race along. We had some very brief sprinkles here about an hour ago, not even enough to stop the action, though it's still plenty cloudy around. I don't think it's going to drop any wet stuff, but it's doing a good job of keeping the air and track cool.

Right now, the division winners from the Summit Racing Series are getting their first time trials in preparation for their National Championships competition on Sunday. It's pretty cool to see these bracket bombers getting to show off on the big stage.

After this, we're supposed to go into alcohol and then into the second Pro session.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, second session (2 p.m.): In somewhat of a surprise, Larry Cook, who made his first PSM appearance in nine years at the Las Vegas event two weeks ago, was low of today's lone session, clocking a 6.987 to steal the three bonus points and move up to third in the order. Doug Horne was second-best with a 6.989 that places him fourth. After struggling yesterday, Eddie Krawiec rebounded today with a 6.995 that gives him one bonus points and moved him up to fifth on the sheets. Hector Arana, who is now back to a 54-point lead, struggled on his run and slowed to a 7.091. Polesitter Karen Stoffer also had troubles on her run as did Krawiec's teammate, Andrew Hines.

Pro Stock, second session (2:10 p.m.): The session gets kickstarted with outgoing season champ Jeg Coughlin, who didn't get down the track yesterday, but goes straight to the top of the pack witha 6.632. More to come.

Pro Stock, second session (2:30 p.m.): Though Jeg Coughlin's run early in the session, it ultimately wasn't good enough to keep him at the top of the heap. Mike Edwards punctuated yesterday's championship-clinching run with a 6.575 today that moved him back to the No. 1 spot and earned him another three points. Allen Johnson jumped up to second with a 6.611 that banked him two points, and Rodger Brogdon maintained his hold of third when he improved to a 6.621.

Top Fuel, second session (3 p.m.): Huge cheers for "the Greek," 81-year-old Chris Karamesines, who powers to a career-best 3.891 to make the field for now.

Dutch pilot Lex Joon also made a pass that looked like it night get him into the quick 12, but he brushed the left-side wall near the finish line and lost a 3.952 pass. More soon.

Top Fuel, second session (3:25 p.m.): We have a new points leader in Top Fuel -- Larry Dixon is now in front by one after he scored the three points with his 3.801 run that gave him the provisional No. 1 spot. Points rival Tony Schumacher struck the tires on his run and slowed to a 5.255. Though he didn't improve his time, Schumacher still sits third on the ladder. Rookie of the year frontrunner Spencer Massey was second-best in the session with a 3.809 that puts him second in the order, and Brandon Bernstein was the third-quickest driver with a 3.832. Bernstein's time tied that of Schumacher, but "the Sarge" was faster, relegating Bernstein to fourth overall.

Funny Car, second session (4:10 p.m.): John Force paced a spectacular session, posting a career-best 4.060 to grab the provisional No. 1 spot. Ordinarily, Force would collect three points for the run but because he is over the testing limit, he is not earning points this event, and those three points go unclaimed. Robert Hight was second-quickest with a 4.069 that gives him two more points and the second spot on the sheets. Ron Capps was the third-best driver with a 4.076. After struggling yesterday, Ashley Force Hood got back in the groove, posting a 4.098 that just put her outside the bonus points, in fourth. Hight is now 110 points ahead of his teammate.

THURSDAY
Welcome to Pomona: Welcome to Day 1 of the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, the final act of the 24-episode NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. We're going to crown four Professional champs this weekend, two of which should come pretty early in the event and two that could go the distance.

In a beautiful, cool morning here in SoCal and the forecast for race weekend is California Awesome. It looks like Mother Nature wants to pay us back for all of the grief she's been giving us all year. Today's forecast calls for highs in the high 60s the first three days and the low 70s on Sunday. Can you say national records? There is a very, very, very (did I mention very?) slight chance of some very, very, very (did I say very yet?) light rain around 4 p.m. At least that's what the weather guy said last night.

Right now we're running some Super Gas time trials. Comp is scheduled for 11:30, alcohol at noon, and the first of four Pro sessions at 1:30 p.m. There's one Pro session today, one tomorrow, and two Saturday.

Cory's story: Somewhat overlooked in all the hoopla of Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon being separated by just one point in their battle for the Top Fuel crown, Cory McClenathan is just 48 points behind his teammate, Schumacher, and still very much in the hunt for what would be his first crown after four second-place finishes, so he's well-versed on championship drama.

"Tony has been here before, too, and won the whole thing, set a record to do it and went on to win the championship that day [in 2006], so anything can happen," he said. "I can guarantee one thing: We're going to be throwing down. We want three points per qualifying session, they're up for grabs, so that's going to make a big difference right now with Tony and Dixon one point apart. Right now I need one qualifier to go my way. Those are precious points. The three two one deal that they brought in for the qualifying thing has really made a big difference, bigger than I thought it would actually.

"It's one of those deals, we're going to have to go out there and take it day by day. Looks the weather is definitely going to be there. We all know Pomona, you can run some big mile an hour and some low ETs and I wouldn't be surprised to see a record here this weekend.

Like Schumacher's U.S. Army team, McClenathan's Fram Tough Guard team stayed over in Las Vegas after the last event to use up their last of four allotted test days and made two passes Monday, including an early shutoff 3.85.

"Both Tony and I both ran good during testing, and that's something we have to look at," he noted. "We have to look not only just to the next race but on to next year. Everybody is kind of being careful in the economy we're sitting in right now, but at the same time you have four days of testing; better use them.

"I don't know what's going to happen, I just want it to happen. It's time. Let's get with it, let's get down there."

Methanol madness (12:50 p.m.): We just completed Alcohol Funny Car and raced right into Alcohol Dragster as the Pros begin to assemble for their first qualifying pass. It's downright cool here, with a heavy but slightly scattered cloud cover. A less optimistic person might be afriad it was going to rain.

Double duty (12:55 p.m.): As he did at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Ron August Jr. is again competing in both Mitch King’s Top Fuel dragster and his family's Ford Mustang-bodied Top Alcohol Funny Car, which just made its first pass of the weekend. Both entries are once again flying the colors of his long time sponsor, The Lesecure Co.

“To be completely honest, this weekend is all about having fun for us,” he admitted. “On Friday, we will be celebrating my father’s 70th birthday and I’d love nothing more than to give him a great birthday present by putting both Lesecure Co. cars in the field. We know it’ll be very difficult but I think we have a puncher's chance.”

This will be August's third NHRA national event in Top Fuel. He'll again be driving one of Mitch King’s dragsters, tuned by Paul Smith.

Into the Pros (1:30 p.m.): The first pair Pro Stock Motorcycles are being fired up right now, so we are now into the first Pro qualifying session of the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session one (1:50 p.m.): Though all eyes were focused on the two championship contenders, Hector Arana and Eddie Krawiec, two other riders stole the spotlight. Karen Stoffer jumped to No. 1 in the order after posting a 6.982. Andrew Hines finished second at 6.986. Arana was able to add one point to his lead when he ran a third-best 6.997. In a surprising twist, Krawiec had troubles on his run, slowing to a 7.164 that has him outside the top 12.

Pro Stock, session one (2:20 p.m.): Mike Edwards added three more points to his total and now has enough points to claim the 2009 NHRA Pro Stock world championship. The title will not be officially given to him until Saturday because points are not awarded until qualifying is over. However, his 6.637-second run that gives him the provisional No. 1 also will help him breathe easier as it has for all intents and purposes also given him his first Pro Stock championship. Greg Anderson made a valiant effort to keep his hopes alive, posting a 6.647 that puts him second on the sheets. Rodger Brogdon currently holds down the third spot with a 6.648.

Funny Car, session one (3:05 p.m.): Robert Hight put the championship further out of reach when he led the first qualifying session, banking another three points. Hight blasted to a 4.093 that put him far above everyone else. Hight's nearest points pursuer, teammate Ashley Force Hood, could only muster a 4.21 that places her eighth on the sheets, meaning Hight extended his advantage from 105 points to 108. Hight's teammate Mike Neff was second in this session with a 4.137 that was more than four-hundredths behind Hight. Jack Beckman finished third with a 4.145.

Hight-ened awareness: Robert Hight enters the season finale with a basically insurmountable lead in Funny Car. After nearly missing the Countdown to 1 playoffs, he entered the race 105 points ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood as they battle one another for what would be a first championship for either. Hight's Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang has been one of the series' hottest entries since the playoffs began, but Hight isn't donning his crown prematurely.

"[People are calling this] an insurmountable lead; I wouldn't say that," he cautioned before th event. "We failed to qualify twice this year with my car. So that's first and foremost. We've got to get out there and qualify well, and when you see the conditions that we might have, it is possible to set a record. That's what it's going to take for somebody to get us if we qualify well.

"Ashley has had a great race car all year long, and then they just stumbled last weekend, and it ended up being some parts problem. That's the kind of stuff that can keep us from winning this weekend. So we've got to stay focused and just worry about every run and do our best because it's not that easy. These cars are tough. There's a lot of tough competition, and just do our best to try to get qualified. That's No. 1 for us right now.

With both the event and the venue sponsored by his sponsor, the Automobile Club of Southern California, this is virtually a home game for Hight.

"It couldn't be better if we could win this championship here and celebrate with all the Auto Club folks," he acknowledged. "I know a lot of them are going to be out at the races. They've been with us for nine years, and they've been waiting for this as well as we have. It couldn't be better for me. This is going to be perfect if we can actually clinch this thing and go on to win. But in front of all of our family, because they are family, it's not just sponsors, they love coming to the races. This is a perfect opportunity for us right now."

Top Fuel, session one (3:40 p.m.): The much-anticipated and much-hyped final pair in Top Fuel lived up to expectations with runs within one-thousandth of a second. Tony Schumacher was the better of the the pair with a 3.832 that allowed him to add another point to his advantage, doubling it to two markers over Dixon, who finished just behind "the Sarge" with a 3.833. Doug Kalitta is third on the sheets with a 3.836.

A familiar spot (3:45 p.m.): Tony Schumacher enters the season finale in a familiar spot, in a tight battle for the championship that very well could come down to the final run just as it did in 2006 when Schumacher won the title on “the Run” in the final and 2007 when he won the championship by winning the final round. Schumacher entered this year’s Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in first place but just a single point in the lead. “Every day is just going to be brutal,” said Schumacher. “It’s going to go back and forth. We all have great cars, and it’s not just us three; there’s 10 good cars out there right now. If you guys watch the racing, it’s pretty intense. So we look forward to it. I look forward to not knowing the outcome on Sunday; I look forward to creating it. I look forward to waking up every morning and living it and making it so that the outcome is caused by hard preparation, dedication, and intense work.

“The pressure is always big, but our car has always been one that’s performed the best under pressure, so I enjoy it. I kind of look forward to that pressure. And all my friends, 2,500 people texted me and said, ‘Wow, Cory beat you and now it’s one point; you love that stuff.’ No, I don’t. Uh-uh. I’d rather have showed up here with it closed up. I want it known right now that if Dixon doesn’t show up and lets me and Cory and battle it out, I’m fine with that. We’re all clear on that. [Laughs]

“But it’s been fun. We’ve had five wins this year. He’s had five wins this year. Separated on our teams, he got my whole team from last year and five championships’ worth of my guys, and we’re one point coming into the last race. You couldn’t have written that in a better script. NHRA couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Comp crash (4:30 p.m.): Comp eliminator racer Jim Cowan, from Dewey, Ariz., was transported as a precaution for observation Thursday to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Cowan’s Chevy Cobalt went out of control and crashed at the top end of the track during qualifying. Cowan exited his car under his own power and was complaining of pain in his lower back when he was checked by NHRA emergency services officials prior to being transported.

Dramatic Saturday sets up championship Sunday at NHRA Finals

NHRA — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:48:00 GMT

Tony Schumacher, Ashley Force Hood, Mike Edwards, and Hector Arana locked up the top qualifying spots on a dramatic and championship-crowning Saturday at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Half of the Full Throttle championship battle drama was concluded with the close of qualifying as Funny Car racer Robert Hight and Pro Stock veteran Mike Edwards had gained enough points even prior to Sunday's final eliminations to lock out all pursuers. The focus on Sunday now turns to the remaining two classes, Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, where the battle rages on. In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon are separated by just two points in a war that surely will be decided solely based on who goes the most rounds on race day with Cory McClenathan still maintaining an outside shot. The fight in Pro Stock Motorcycle is a little more one-sided as points leader Hector Arana needs only to win one round Sunday to become the third first-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champion crowned this season.

Tony Schumacher

Schumacher and Dixon brought an oft-delayed day to a stunning conclusion under the lights at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona when Schumacher took away Dixon's low qualifying berth and his two-point point lead with a wild 3.772, the second quickest pass in NHRA history behind his own 3.771 from last year's Richmond, race. Schumacher's speed, 320.58 mph, was the second fastest in history, behind the 321.58 Dixon recorded earlier in the day to reset the national speed record. Although just two points separate them, both also have backups for new national records that would earn 20 bonus points and could complicate the situation.

"We've only had one other No. 1 this year and I think Larry has had nine, but if I had to pick one this was so monumental and so important at that exact time," said Schumacher, "but neither of us wants to win it by the other guy going out. It would be great to win, but not the gratifying moments we've experienced in the past from winning the race. I think that both is us plan and anticipate on digging deep and meeting in the final to crown a world champion. This is the ultimate dream for us to be in this position. We're both going to have to get in the car and cowboy up."

Addressing the possibility of an all-or-nothing final, Dixon commented, "There are 14 other guys out there racing for trophies and cash, and I wouldn't take anyone for granted because neither of us has won in a couple of races. There are good cars out there and a tight field. And drivers are chopping Trees. A perfect scenario for me is that I still have a chance to win the championship. Neither of us is looking past first round, but tomorrow when they pull the mag wires and light 'em up, it's game on."

Schumacher owns the national e.t. record with that 3.771-second pass and obviously has a backup to better it, but Dixon's second-place 3.801 also could potentially be used as a backup towards breaking Schumacher's record -- he could run anywhere between 3.770 and 3.762 to get what could be 20 very important points. Schumacher will face No. 16 qualifier Mike Strasburg, while Dixon will take on Del Cox Jr.

Spencer Massey did not to hurt his rookie of the year bid by qualifying No. 3 with a 3.809, while Antron Brown finally overcame an event-long series of woes to take the No. 4 spot with a 3.813. Brandon Bernstein (3.832), Doug Kalitta (3.836), Cory McClenathan (3.838), and Morgan Lucas (3.844) round out the top eight. McClenathan also still has a shot at the title, but he's 61 points behind Schumacher. Cory Mac could face Dixon in round two if they both win their first-round matches.

Strasburg held onto the final spot in the field with a 3.995 that was matched by Troy Buff, but Strasburg's better speed, 300.66 to 274.50, earned him the final spot.

Rookie of the year contender Shawn Langdon suffered his first DNQ of the season after posting just a 4.016 best. He had lots of company as 24 Top Fuel dragster tried to make the 16-car field.

Ashley Force Hood

Force Hood may have seen her dreams of a first Funny Car championship end when her teammate, Hight, locked her out with a solid qualifying performance of his own, but she can have some solace in being the No. 1 qualifier at the season finale and leading a John Force Racing sweep of the first three spots after punching out a dramatic 4.059 on her final pass. Her father matched her e.t. a few seconds later, but her superior speed, 310.20 to 309.20, earned her the top spot, her sixth of the season.

“I told my team tonight, ‘This is so bittersweet, isn’t it? We just ran our best time and we’re No. 1 at the last race of the year and yet we missed [the championship],’ ” said Force Hood. “Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Robert could win the race and we could go out first round, but there’s a chance if we do well we could have missed it by that much. We’ve never been in this situation before where we’re right at the end fighting for it. We didn’t buckle under the pressure. We had a slump in Vegas, but it was all a mechanical thing. It wasn’t the guys messing up or me messing up. It just happened. It happened to us at the wrong time of the year. I told them, ‘We can do it. We can run with the big guys and stick with it right to the end.’

“Tonight, the conditions set up perfect. I’m sure a lot of people were going for it, trying to get a record or just see what they could push it to do. You can’t lose anything by trying. We were real excited that it actually went and that we got No. 1 and that, most important, we got our car back on track. It might have been a little too late for the championship, but at least we got it back, that’s all that matters. We’ll go into tomorrow and try to get in that winner’s circle.”

Hight also improved in the final session with a 4.067 from his Auto Club Mustang and slid a spot to third, but still had the day's biggest prize. Behind the Force triumvirate are a pair of Don Schumacher Racing cars of rookie of the year contender Matt Hagan (4.073) and Ron Capps (4.076).

Tim Wilkerson's Mustang is qualified sixth with a 4.080, and he's followed on the grid by Jim Head and outgoing world champ Cruz Pedregon to round out the top eight. Bob Bode qualified No. 16 with a 4.172 to seal the field and will race Force Hood in round one.

Mike Edwards

Edwards put the finishing touches on his first Pro Stock championship, a title that was a mere formality entering the event but needed to be seen through to the conclusion of qualifying for it to become official, and did that in emphatic style with a 6.562-second blast on his final qualifying pass to improve on his already field-leading 6.575. Edwards was officially crowned the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champ in a ceremony after the conclusion of Pro Stock qualifying.

"We went into 2010 test mode for the run this morning," Edwards said of his first-pass 6.592, which was "only" the third-quickest pass of the round. "but we came back tonight and made an extremely good run, a nice clean run. It's just everyone doing their job and trying to get another Wally.

"Right now, though, I'm not really thinking about 2010. I'm thinking about tomorrow and doing my job. Lane choice will absolutely be a priority tomorrow. I prefer the left lane – I think most guys do – because that lane has always been better here. Hopefully we can make good runs and keep lane choice all day."

Ron Krisher, who utilizes Edwards power, surprised a lot of people by leaping up to the No. 2 spot with his Valvoline Chevy in the day's first run with a session-leading 6.587. Jason Line improved in the final session to a 6.589 that pushed his Summit Pontiac to the No. 3 position just in front of his teammate, Greg Anderson, who's qualified fourth at 6.604. The Dodges of Allen Johnson and Johnny Gray are qualified sixth and seventh, while Ronnie Humphrey, in the third Summit entry, rounds out the top eight.

Las Vegas winner Larry Morgan, in his last event in a Dodge, made the field on his last run, bumping Warren Johnson's 6.639 with a 6.637. W.J. had a chance in the next pair to get back around Morgan but ran another 6.639. Morgan will open eliminations Sunday against low qualifier Edwards.

Hector Arana

Arana's 6.918 in the opening session powered his Lucas Oil Buell to the top of the Pro Stock Motorcycle field -- and broke Chris Rivas' 6.929 record set here last year. Arana then had the quickest run of the second session, a 6.943, to earn the maximum six bonus points on the day while his closest points pursuer, Eddie Krawiec, earned just one, extending Arana's points lead to 62 entering race day. Although Arana and Krawiec are on the same side of the ladder, they couldn't face one another until the semifinals, at which point the championship already would have been decided. Barring a national record, Arana would have to lose in the first round and Krawiec would have to win the race to steal the championship from Arana.

“To have a chance to win the championship, that’s what my dream, my focus point is,” said Arana. “It’s been a hell of a year, I know I’ve said it before. I’m just thankful for this opportunity to run for the Full Throttle championship, and I’m thankful to Full Throttle for sponsoring the NHRA and allowing us to do what we love. This is what we live for, what we breathe.

“I’m being surrounded by excellent people, not just Larry [Morgan] and Forrest [Lucas], but there’s a bunch of other people that has been there for me at all times. I’ve been the small guy, the underdog, but to win this race and win this championship, the biggest thing for me would be for Lucas Oil. They’re the ones that never gave up on me. I’ve struggled through many years, and he did sponsor other racers but he never abandoned me, he never let me go, he never said anything. He just kept pushing me. To win the championship for Forrest and Charlotte [Lucas] and everyone at the plant would be great.”

Shawn Gann has the second-quickest pass of the final session, a dazzling 6.951 aboard the RumBum Buell to take the No. 2 spot, while rookie of the year contender Doug Horne is third with a 6.956, also on a Buell. Krawiec, the reigning world champ, is fourth with a 6.959 recorded on his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley Davidson in the final session.

In all, 11 riders qualified in the six-second zone. Bailey Whitaker's career-best 7.047 wound up on the bubble, just shy of the record 7.033 bump established at the 2007 Englishtown event. His reward will be a first-round date Sunday with low qualifier Arana. Krawiec will race Steve Johnson.

Related stories:
Thursday: Schumacher, Hight, Edwards in championship form; Stoffer also leads
Friday: Dixon, Force jump to nitro leads; Edwards, Stoffer remain on point

Hight, Edwards clinch 2009 Funny Car, Pro Stock NHRA world championships

NHRA — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:09:00 GMT

Mike Edwards

Mike Edwards in Pro Stock and Robert Hight in Funny Car claimed their first NHRA Full Throttle world championships at the close of qualifying for the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

The points Edwards earned for his No. 1 starting spot combined with 10 qualifying bonus points gives him a 150-point lead over second-place Greg Anderson, which is more than enough to mathematically eliminate Anderson from championship contention (only 100 more points are available at the event). Though it is his first Pro Stock title, this is Edwards’ second overall NHRA crown; he also won the Modified championship in 1981.

Edwards had the dominant car of the 2009 season, wheeling his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP to five wins (Atlanta, Bristol, Seattle, Charlotte, and Richmond) in 10 final-round appearances. He was also the No. 1 qualifier 15 times during the season, including at the eight events leading into the season finale. He held both ends of the national record during the season (he is the current e.t. holder at 6.509, but his 212.03-mph speed mark was bettered by Anderson). Edwards also tied Anderson’s single-season record for No. 1 starts at 16.

"I can say words, but they just don't describe the feeling I have," said an emotional Edwards. "It's so exciting for me, and it's been such a long time coming, but it's all worth it. It's Roger Stahl and a bunch of guys who got together a couple of years ago and decided to give it our best effort. We decided we'd try one time to do it the right way and started our shop, and we've all just kept pulling at the same end of the rope, and here we are, living our dream.

"We knew over the winter we were a lot better, but until you get out here and run against the Summit team, the Jegs team, the Johnsons, and everyone, you just don't know. We started off well here and got on a roll. It wasn't until the middle of the summer when we got four or five runners-ups and a couple of wins that I thought if we could keep our momentum going and keep fighting adversity that we knew we had a good chance. We made a lot of good decisions on the car and just tested and tested and tested. We did everything we could this year to make it happen, and it's all paid off.

“There are a lot of people behind this, and they all give me great opportunities,” said Edwards. “It’s been a long time coming, but it sure feels good right now. [Our final run] just goes to show you what Terry Adams, Josh Robinson, Al Lindsay, and Nick and Paul and Carl and just the whole team can do — they’re fabulous. I feel like there were times I let them down, but they never gave up on me. They kept encouraging me and telling me that I could do it, and somehow I guess I believed them a time or two. I can’t forget my backbone, my friend, the one that keeps me in line and keeps encouraging me when I lose a little bit or get stressed out: my wife, Lisa. Thank you, Lisa, and thank you to my sister, Marilyn.”

Edwards is the 15th driver in NHRA history to win a Pro Stock championship. His previous best finish in Pro Stock was third, in 1996, when he also set his previous best mark for wins in a season at three. This is Edwards’ ninth top 10 finish.

Robert Hight

Minutes after Edwards accepted the Wally trophy emblematic of his title, Hight became the second of two first-time NHRA Professional champions crowned when he earned enough points in qualifying with his Auto Club Mustang to mathematically eliminate his closest points rival, teammate Ashley Force Hood, to claim the Funny Car championship, the 16th for John Force Racing.

For Hight, who moved from clutch specialist on Force's Funny Car to the cockpit in 2005, it has been a relatively short ride to glory -- a path that has included his being named the winner of the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award as 2005's top rookie and second-place points finishes in 2006 and 2007 – but it has been a rocky ride this season.

The fifth-year pilot struggled through the season's first two-thirds, winning just 12 rounds at the first 17 events and twice failing to qualify, and he needed a last-second near-miracle to qualify for the Countdown playoffs, which he got with a runner-up finish to Force Hood at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

"We started with the same team we had last year, and I was so excited, and that's how John won so many championships. We started struggling, but I still think that's what got us through it. We never doubted each other and worked through the hard times. I've had a lot of time to think about this but never really got emotional about it until that last run. We've all worked so hard and so long for it.

"Coming so close so many times before makes this really special, but it's really all about this team. It's a whole team behind this, starting with John Force, who put me with the best people. The best advice he gave me was to team up with [crew chief] Jimmy [Prock] and become his buddy, like he and [Austin] Coil and just live with him, and that's what I've done. He's like my brother. I can't thank John enough for taking a chance on a guy who'd never driven anything but a Ford F-150 truck and for the sponsors like AAA for supporting John."

After Indy, Prock found the magic that had eluded him all season and turned up the wick on his Prock Rocket. They won back to back in Charlotte and Dallas to kick off the playoffs, then returned to the winner's circle in Las Vegas with a performance that all but sealed the championship.

Hight, a son-in-law of Force (who has won 14 championships and was team owner for Tony Pedregon's Funny Car title in 2003), is a former championship trapshooter and finally has zeroed in on another title target.

McNeal, Kadar, Crutcher, and Herrera crowned 2009 Summit national champions

NHRA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Sunday

POMONA — James McNeal (Super Pro), Tibor Kadar (Pro), Tracy Crutcher (Sportsman), and Augustine Herrera (Super Pro Motorcycle) won the three-round eliminators in their respective categories to score top honors at the 2009 NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship, held in conjunction with the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Division 4’s McNeal made the tow from Paris, Texas, pay off when he turned on the win light against Division 5 runner Tom Williams in the Super Pro final. McNeal got off the starting line first, .015 to .044, and carried the advantage all the way through the quarter-mile, winning with a 7.703 (7.67 dial). Williams settled for runner-up honors with a 7.640 (7.52).

Kadar, the Division 7 titlist, added the Pro national title to an impressive resume that includes two national event wins in Stock. In the final, both Kadar and Division 1 champ Andy Anderson broke out with Kadar’s 10.746 (10.76) getting the nod over Anderson’s 9.706 (9.73).

Crutcher added the Sportsman national championship to the one he earned in Division 3 when he bested Darrel Goheen, the Division 5 champ. Crutcher scored the title at the Tree when he jumped to a huge .011 to .102 lead. That allowed Crutcher to slow to a 12.226 (12.19) and win. Goheen ran closer to the dial with a 12.021 (12.00), but it wasn’t enough to move him around Crutcher.

Herrera, the Division 7 champion, defeated Division 3 ace Bruce Damewood to claim the Super Pro Motorcycle national championship. Herrera paired a .013 reaction with an on-the-dial 8.498 to claim the crown over Damewood, who cut a game .019 light and clocked an 8.960 (8.90).

Preview

POMONA — The top Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Motorcycle racers from NHRA’s seven geographical divisions will journey to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to vie for a national title in the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship. Summit Racing Series national champions will be decided in each of the four classes following three-round eliminators held during the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Event sponsor Summit Racing Equipment is an industry leader in the distribution of racing parts and equipment through catalogs and the Internet. The company also sponsors the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, and several Pro and Sportsman drag racers, including Pro Stock drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line.

This year, bracket racers competed for points and cash awards during qualifying events at NHRA’s 140 member tracks throughout North America. Each track’s top drivers then moved on to compete for individual and team honors at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals, which were held in each of NHRA’s seven divisions. Twenty-eight champions — seven each from Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Motorcycle — were determined and will compete for national titles in Pomona.

Each of the 2009 national champions will receive $5,000, an NHRA Gold Card, a champion’s trophy, and a jacket. All qualifiers who attend the Pomona event are guaranteed a minimum of $3,500.

Indexes for the classes are as follows: Super Pro (7.00-11.99 seconds), Pro (10.00-13.99), Sportsman (12.00-19.99), and Super Pro Motorcycle (7.50-15.99). Competitors in Super Pro and Super Pro Motorcycle are permitted to use delay boxes; those in the Pro class are limited to a transbrake, two-step ignition, and four-wheel line-loc. Competitors in Sportsman are not permitted to use any electronics and must employ mufflers. All racing is done on a five-tenths full Tree; the Compulink Cross Talk feature will be used in Super Pro and Super Pro Motorcycle.

NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony available via the Web

NHRA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:24:00 GMT

NHRA is excited to announce that the NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony will be available to viewers worldwide on the Internet at NHRA.com and the NHRA channel on YouTube beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. It marks the first time the event will be available to NHRA fans via the Internet.

The NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony will be available via webcast nearly in its entirety. The webcast will feature five to six 30-minute segments, for a total running time of up to three hours. The NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony, showcasing the world champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, will take place Monday, Nov. 16, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The webcast also will include the crowning of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner, the winner of the Full Throttle Moment of the Year in each of the four Professional categories, and the acceptance speeches from the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle world champions.

Dixon, Force jump to nitro leads; Edwards, Stoffer remain on point

NHRA — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:40:00 GMT

Larry Dixon took over the qualifying lead and the provisional points lead in Top Fuel and John Force became the new front man in Funny Car, and they, Mike Edwards, and Karen Stoffer lead qualifying at the halfway point of the drama-filled Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

The white-knuckle drama in Top Fuel continued as Dixon, who came into the event trailing Tony Schumacher by one point and lost another point Thursday when he qualified one spot behind the field-leading U.S. Army driver, vaulted right past him by scooping up three bonus points Friday for having the quickest pass of the day's lone session while Schumacher earned none, giving Dixon the one-point lead heading into the final qualifying sessions of the season at the 24th and final race of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Larry Dixon

Dixon's 3.801 blast in the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi dragster came alongside Schumacher, who smoked the tires early and watched Dixon's maroon marauder roar to the No. 1 spot to cap a great session. Dixon already has nine pole positions this year and 40 in his great career. Dixon's speed on the pass, 318.99 is a new track record; Spencer Massey originally broke Schumacher's year-old 317.42-mph track speed mark with a 317.94-mph blast on a 3.809 ripper that finished second.

“Provisionally [I’m in the lead]; obviously, it could all flip tomorrow,” said Dixon. “We got two points yesterday and three today, and obviously, we just try to do as much as we can for the given day. Tomorrow, there’s six points on the table, so you want to try and get as much as you can and go into Sunday hopefully a round up as opposed to a round down.

“It’s exciting to come to the last race of the season and have a chance to win a championship. As a driver, unless you’ve wrapped it up with three to go, you definitely want a shot at it. I haven’t been in that position for a while, so I’m enjoying it. This is fun. If you’re not having fun now, you’re never going to have fun.”

Behind Massey's Don Prudhomme-owned rail is Schumacher with his Thursday 3.832, a number matched by Brandon Bernstein, but Schumacher's superior speed, 316.52 to 312.28, gives him the higher position. Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals champ Doug Kalitta is fifth with his Thursday 3.836, while championship contender Cory McClenathan sits sixth with a 3.838, also record Thursday.

Antron Brown recovered from a subpar 4.59 Thursday to run 3.853, the fourth-best pass of the session behind Dixon, Massey, and Bernstein, while the fifth-best run of the round was a pleasant surprise as Chris "the Golden Greek" Karamesines ran a career-best 3.891 that moved him into the No. 10 spot.

Twenty-four fuel dragsters filled the staging lanes today, including Europeans Urs Erbacher (Switzerland), Lex Joon (The Netherlands), Stig Neergaard (Denmark), and Thomas Nataas (Norway).

John Force

Force, who knows that one of his drivers — son-in-law Robert Hight or daughter Ashley Force Hood — will win the season championship, has his own agenda as he is trying to extend to 23 the number of consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA national event, and his stunning 4.060 Friday evening puts him in his best position to do so all year. Force hasn't qualified No. 1 since the 2006 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, a span of 72 races, the longest drought of his career.

"It's nice to come up and see you," Force told the media, "instead of following Robert or Ashley up here, which is what I usually do. We're just trying to get back in the game. Castrol and Ford pay us good money and we just haven't done our job. This is probably the second-worst season of my career. It's just good to see something come out of this season for me. Being No. 1 qualifier means a lot, and I used to take them for granted.

"There's a lot going on in our camps and where we're going in the future with this economy, so I'm a little tired, but I'm excited. No complaints; I have a pretty good race car, and I'll be in the show. Tomorrow is a new day and guys will run faster; I know Jimmy Prock [crew chief for Hight] will."

Hight, Thursday's leader at 4.093 in his Auto Club Mustang, improved to a 4.069 to take the No. 2 spot and the two bonus points he earned over Force Hood now puts his lead at 110 points. Force Hood is qualified fourth at 4.098 with only Don Schumacher Racing pilot Ron Capps and his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge breaking up the John Force Racing stranglehold with a third-quickest 4.076.

Rookie of the year contender Matt Hagan is qualified fifth with a 4.107, and he's followed on the sheets by the fourth JFR pilot, Mike Neff, who dropped from second to sixth while standing on his Thursday 4.137 pass.

Jeff Diehl is the surprise guy in the No. 12 position with a 4.192 ahead of regular qualifiers such as Del Worsham, Cruz Pedregon, Jeff Arend, and Jerry Toliver. Twenty Funny Cars are competing this weekend for 16 spots.

Mike Edwards

Wholesale changes were the order of the day in Pro Stock as by the time they ran late in the session, Thursday leaders Edwards and Greg Anderson had been bumped down to Nos. 8 and 12, respectively. Edwards climbed right back to the top with a stunning 6.575 from his ART/Young Life Pontiac, more than three-hundredths ahead of his closest rival.

"It's hard to believe we're that far ahead of everyone, but I don't think it will be that way when qualifying ends," Edwards admitted. "There's quite a difference between the lanes, and some cars didn't run real good in the right lane today.

"The conditions were a little bit better because we got a second full day of racing on the track so it should be even better in the morning tomorrow. We run at about 11 o'clock, and I think I'll have to run better than that 6.57 if I want to stay No. 1. I'm always ready for the season to be over, but we're running so good I almost don't want it to end."

If Edwards stays No. 1, he'll tie Anderson's class record of 16 No. 1 qualifying positions in a season, set in 2004.

Anderson ran 6.630 to improve on his Thursday 6.647 but still slipped to fourth behind Allen Johnson's Dodge (6.611) and Rodger Brogdon's Pontiac (6.621), who earned bonus points for the second- and third-quickest passes of the session.

Anderson's Summit teammate Jason Line is right on his heels with a 6.630, while three drivers — Greg Stanfield, Ronnie Humphrey, and Jeg Coughlin — round out the top eight with matching 6.632s. Coughlin, who didn't get down the track Thursday, opened the session by zipping from No. 22 to No. 1 with a 6.632 but eventually fell back to eighth.

Johnny Gray's Dodge holds down the 12th and final transfer spot to Saturday's qualifying with a 6.642. Among those outside the top 12 are Kurt Johnson, Las Vegas winner Larry Morgan, Warren Johnson, Ron Krisher, V. Gaines, and several others.

Karen Stoffer

Thursday Pro Stock Motorcycle leaders Stoffer and Andrew Hines remained 1-2 in the field, but they got a more serious challenge Friday as the list of six-second qualifiers doubled to six. Stoffer's GEICO Suzuki still leads with a 6.982 and Hines' Screamin' Eagle Harley is still No. 2 at 6.986 though neither picked up any bonus points in the session as they ran respective passes of 7.03 and 7.46.

“The GEICO Powersports Suzuki was on a good run. I think if we had been in the other lane and had the same setup on it we would have bettered our 6.98,” said Stoffer. “For the Pro Stock Motorcycles, there happens to be a little bit of a difference in the lanes. The top end actually was pretty good; it was the first half of the track that we saw the difference in the track. But we’re happy with it, and we learned a lot about those lanes and the differences — at least for these two days there were some differences.

“Gary was able to come out here yesterday and hit the tune-up pretty darn close, and that put us into the first position. I think tomorrow the conditions are going to be a little bit better, and I think that now that we all have data on both lanes, I think we’re probably going to see even more of those Larry Cook amazing runs come out, and I don’t think the 6.98 is going to hold. I think we’re going to have to better ourselves. I definitely think there’s room for us to improve.”

Larry Cook was the surprise session leader with a 6.987 aboard the Guidera Racing/Mohegan Sun Buell with a 6.987 that ranks him third, while rookie of the year contender Doug Horne rebounded from a Thursday 7.42 to post a 6.989 for the fourth spot, also aboard a Buell. Reigning season champ Eddie Krawiec, trying desperately to catch points leader Hector Arana, got around his foe by one position with a 6.995 that slipped past Arana's Thursday 6.997 and earned Krawiec one bonus point. Arana spun the tires to a disappointing 7.09 Friday.

Jim Underdahl holds down the all-important 12th position with a 7.075 that will carry over to Saturday. Outside the field and needing to make a top-16 pass Saturday are former world champ Matt Smith, Steve Johnson, and 10 others.

Related stories:
Thursday: Schumacher, Hight, Edwards in championship form; Stoffer also leads

U.S. Army to continue partnerships with Schumacher, Stewart-Haas

NHRA — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:43:00 GMT

Tony Schumacher

The U.S. Army Accessions Command has announced that the U.S. Army will continue its sponsorship of Tony Schumacher’s NHRA Top Fuel dragster and will return as a primary sponsor of Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS for 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2010.

“Tony Schumacher and Ryan Newman are not only outstanding drivers, they are also powerful and effective advocates for the great men and women of our Army. Both drivers possess and demonstrate a passion for our Army Strong soldiers and their families. They and their teams share our Army values and demonstrate the mental, emotional, and physical strength which are the hallmark of our soldiers,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commanding general U.S. Army Accessions Command. “We are very excited about the opportunities our participation in the National Hot Rod Association and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series present us to tell our soldiers’ stories and connect with Americans across the country.”

The 2010 season will mark the Army’s 10th with Don Schumacher Racing and NHRA since its return to the sport in September 2000. Schumacher has won five consecutive championships while piloting the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster. He enters the weekend as the points leader for the 2009 championship. Should Schumacher capture the crown, it will be the Army’s 10th, including four in the mid-1970s as the sponsor of Don Prudhomme’s Funny Car.

“I am extremely proud and humbled to represent the U.S. Army and the brave men and women who make it possible for us and our families to live in freedom,” Schumacher commented. “My team and I are motivated by the dedication, sacrifice, and service of our soldiers and their families. It is also an honor to team up with Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart to help tell young Americans about the wonderful opportunities the Army offers.”

The U.S. Army will serve as the primary sponsor on Schumacher’s Top Fuel dragster for all 23 NHRA national events and as an associate sponsor on all Don Schumacher Racing cars. In addition, the Army will return as an official partner of NHRA and presenting sponsor of the NHRA Youth & Education Services Program (YES).

Harley-Davidson extends official status; naming rights on Sportsman Motorcycle series

NHRA — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:51:00 GMT

Harley-Davidson Motor Company has extended both its official program with NHRA and its title sponsorship of the NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series through the 2012 season. Harley-Davidson, the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of motorcycles, became the official motorcycle of NHRA and title sponsor of the popular NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series in 2006.

“When we first signed this deal three years ago, it was the first of its kind for Harley-Davidson,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, NHRA. “Since that time, Harley-Davidson’s interactive display at NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events have become a destination attraction for our fans. It allows Harley-Davidson to engage NHRA fans and provide them the opportunity to be a part of the Harley-Davidson experience.”

Harley-Davidson first entered NHRA in 2004 with the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team. Since that time, Harley-Davidson and the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team have claimed four NHRA Full Throttle world championships, including three consecutive with rider Andrew Hines (2004-‘06) and last season’s title with Eddie Krawiec.

“We’re proud to continue our relationship with the NHRA as its Official Motorcycle and excited to maintain our outreach to its diverse and dedicated fan base,” said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. “Harley-Davidson’s multiple championships in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing are part of a long and proud history of motorcycle racing and performance. Our official sponsorship enables us to tell that story and provide a taste of the Harley-Davidson experience to NHRA fans.”

Since 2007, Harley-Davidson’s interactive display in Nitro Alley, NHRA’s fan interactive area on-site at NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, has been one of the featured attractions for fans of all ages. The display engages NHRA fans into the Harley-Davidson experience through product displays, fun activities for all ages, and a special dyno-drag racing simulator using V-Rod motorcycles.

As part of the agreement, NHRA and Harley-Davidson will continue to partner in giving away a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle at select events on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour.

The NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series is contested in four of NHRA’s seven divisions within the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The sponsorship provides Harley-Davidson with the opportunity to extend its brand across the country through NHRA’s sportsman racing community.

Schumacher, Hight, Edwards in championship form; Stoffer also leads

NHRA — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:02:00 GMT

Mike Edwards inched closer to locking up his first NHRA Full Throttle world championship by qualifying No. 1 in Pro Stock and is joined atop the leaderboard at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals by Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight, and Karen Stoffer.

The event, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, is the final race not only of the 24-event NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, but also the sixth and final event of the Countdown to 1 playoffs and will determine the four Professional-class champions. Edwards had the Pro Stock crown all but mathematically locked up entering the event, and Hight in Funny Car also needs only a few good passes to score his first championship. The scenarios are a little different in Top Fuel, where Schumacher came into qualifying leading Larry Dixon by just one point and Cory McClenathan by just 48, and in Pro Stock Motorcycle, where Hector Arana entered with a lead of just 55 points.

Tony Schumacher

Schumacher and Dixon entered qualifying one point apart and finished the first qualifying session one-thousandth of a second apart, underscoring the tightness of their battle for the final Top Fuel championship of the decade. Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster doubled his points lead — to two — by outqualifying Dixon's Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi dragster, 3.832 to 3.833, to pick up three bonus points to Dixon's two.

"If you had asked me earlier this year to write a script to surpass 'The Run' [his record-breaking, championship-clinching pass in the final round of the 2006 Finals], I wouldn’t have thought there was one, but here we are, 23 races later with a one-point lead coming in going against my old team. Two great teams, two great drivers, two great crew chiefs, and a rivalry you couldn't have written or faked.

"We've been just missing it all year, down 6-7 mph on most cars at the eighth-mile, and gave up a lot of races that way, but we stayed and tested in Vegas and figured it out, made some huge changes, and it ran great. Every point right now is so important. One point is a round now, really. If we go out in the same round, that's the championship."

Doug Kalitta, who opened the season in Pomona with a Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals victory, continued to show some SoCal magic by qualifying third with a 3.836. He's just two-thousandths in front of McClenathan, who clocked a solid 3.881 for the fourth spot. Behind them are Bob Vandergriff Jr. (3.881), Steve Torrence (3.891), Morgan Lucas (3.909), and Brandon Bernstein, whose 3.919 in his last event in Budweiser livery has him qualified eighth.

European ace Urs Erbacher has the 12th position with a 4.033. Twenty Top Fuelers made passes, though more are on the grounds. Among those needing major improvements Friday are perennial qualifiers Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon, who are 14th and 19th, respectively.

Robert Hight

Looking every bit like the champion he probably will be crowned by the end of the weekend, Hight fronts the Funny Car field with his Jimmy Prock-tuned Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang after pounding out a 4.093 at 3.09.34 mph, more than four-hundredths ahead of his closest pursuer. Hight has four previous No. 1 qualifying spots this season and 32 in his career.

"That was huge; I'm pretty sure that 4.09 will stay in the show, and that's the first step," said Hight. "This last week and a half has gone by so slow since Vegas. We want to get out there and get going. We're focused – Jimmy Prock and my whole team is – and we're not going to let our guard down and act like we have this all sewn up because that's when you make mistakes.

"Jimmy did something on that run that he's never done before. He opened the box and changed some clutch settings after the burnout. He's never done that before. He just really knows what he's doing right now, and his confidence is what I'm feeding off of now. As a driver, I can see he knows it's going to run well, and I can go out there and do my job."

Hight's teammate Mike Neff is second with a 4.137 from his Drive One Mustang, and he's followed on the grid by Jack Beckman's Valvoline/MTS Dodge, which ran 4.145. Beckman's teammate Ron Capps is right behind him with a 4.149 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge. Tim Wilkerson clocked the fifth-best pass of the session, a 4.154 in his Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang, and John Force occupies the No. 6 spot with a 4.165. Hight's other teammate, Ashley Force Hood, the only person who can get past him for the championship, opened with a disappointing 4.21, good only for the No. 8 position.

Del Worsham holds down the 12th spot with the Al-Anabi Toyota at 4.541. Among those on the outside are Memphis winner Jeff Arend, Jerry Toliver, and five others who will need to bump their way into the quick 16.

Mike Edwards

Edwards unofficially locked up his first Pro Stock championship after posting a solid 6.637-second pass in his Young Life/ART Pontiac. Edwards needed only to be one of the top three runners in any qualifying session to attain an insurmountable lead, and he got the drama over by leading the first session and picking up three bonus points. The results of qualifying won’t be official until the end of business Saturday, so, barring an event disqualification or otherwise unlikely scenario, his official coronation will come Saturday evening.

"It's good to qualify No. 1 and get those precious bonus points, which have really helped us in the Countdown," said Edwards. "We still have a ways to go to get that, but it's been a huge part of racking up those points.

"The pressure's off a little. I had a week to think about the disappointment I had in [not wrapping up the championship] in Vegas and get my stuff together and do a better job and hopefully win our first championship. It's not officially done, but I've never been this close in my dreams, and it's pretty special."

As he is now in the points and has he has been most of the season, Greg Anderson is second behind Edwards after powering his Summit Pontiac to a 6.647. Behind him is Rodger Brogdon and the Charter Communications Pontiac with a 6.648.

The Dodges of Johnny Gray and hometown favorite Vinnie Deceglie break up the Pontiac lovefest at the top after qualifying fourth and fifth. Gray, in his last event in a Dodge before switching to Pontiac next season, placed his SKI Racing Stratus in the No. 4 spot with a 6.649, and Deceglie cracked off a 6.652 for fifth with Nick Mitsos' Mountain View Tire Stratus.

The 12-car cutoff after one session is a healthy 6.663, held by Ronnie Humphrey. Among those who will need to fight their way into the top 16 in the next two days are perennial qualifiers such as Las Vegas runner-up Rickie Jones, Warren Johnson, and Ron Krisher.

Karen Stoffer

After charting a field-leading 6.982, Stoffer is looking for her first No. 1 qualifying berth of what has been a disappointing season for her GEICO Powersports Suzuki, and she's simultaneously trying to fend off Shawn Gann in their battle for seventh place. He began the event four points behind her, but the three points she earned as the session's best qualifier nearly doubled the gap.

"Those three points are nice, but it's kind of a melancholy feeling because this is the last race, and we want it to be good," said Stoffer, who has one No. 1 qualifying berth. "And we're just getting our momentum up, so we wish there was another pass today and another race next weekend so we can maintain that. I'm proud of the team, and the GEICO Powersports bike is running good right now, and, although this isn’t a home race, we have the conditions down because it's on the West Coast, so I hope these conditions continue.

"That's just one hit and the first time out and a lot of people were spinning the tire, so I don’t think this really shows anything about the potential. But the next three qualifying runs will show us more. Our Suzuki inline fours can do better in these conditions than we do in the hot, sticky stuff, so there's going to be more parity."

Andrew Hines placed his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson No. 2 with a 6.986, just ahead of points leader Arana, who ran a 6.997 aboard his Lucas Oil Buell. Arana earned one bonus point for the session's third-best run and upped his lead over Hines' teammate, defending world champ Eddie Krawiec, to 55 points. Krawiec is a disappointing 14th after a 7.16 opener.

Countdown runner Michael Phillips continued his strong playoff effort with a fourth-best pass of 7.021, but there's more than three-hundredths-of-a-second gap between him and fifth-place David Hope's 7.054.

The 12-bike cutoff after one session is 7.142 by Bailey Whitaker. Joining Krawiec on the outside looking in are notables such as rookie of the year contender Doug Horne and former world champ Matt Smith.

Torrence and Tuttle back full time in Top Fuel in 2010

NHRA — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:41:00 GMT

Steve Torrence

Top Fuel driver Steve Torrence and team owner Dexter Tuttle will return full time to the NHRA Full Throttle tour in 2010. The return will mark Torrence's first full season in Top Fuel competition. Torrence joined Tuttle in the middle of 2008 and has been running a partial season in 2009.

"It has always been my dream to race for a Top Fuel championship," Torrence said. "When I first started racing in Super Comp, I always had the goal of someday being a Top Fuel world champion. Next year, I'll get that chance."

Both Torrence and Tuttle, who also tunes the car, will be using this weekend's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals as a springboard into their bid for the 2010 Full Throttle world championship.

Always a man of few words, Tuttle is humble about the performance potential of his race car.

"I think our car runs pretty respectable," Tuttle said in his usual understated tone.

The Dexter Tuttle-owned, Steve Torrence-driven ColorFast dragster has qualified at all three events entered this season and has a semifinal finish in Memphis and a No. 2 qualifying berth in Vegas.

The fact that Tuttle's team consistently qualifies in the top half of the field and typically goes rounds on race day substantiates Tuttle's comments. This year, the team scored a season-best semifinal finish in Memphis and qualified No. 2 in Las Vegas. The team is competing at only its fourth race this year.

The team will enjoy continued support from longtime sponsors Fram/Autolite, and Clevite but will also be seeking associate sponsors to add to its program.

"We have a really good team and can offer companies one heck of a value," Torrence said. "Dexter knows how to make every dollar count, so we can do this more affordably than most teams. That is really important in an economy like this. I do know that 2010 is going to be a blast; I'd like to invite Corporate America to come along for the ride."

NHRA members to test NHRA Boost Mobile Live Timing beta this weekend

NHRA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:33:00 GMT

A lucky group of NHRA members will have the opportunity to test a beta version of NHRA.com’s much-anticipated NHRA Boost Mobile Live Timing feature during this weekend's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15. The free sneak peek has been made available as a special bonus to those members who have agreed to receive e-mail from NHRA.

“Our hope is that this group of valued NHRA members will take advantage of this extra benefit and put the Boost Mobile Live Timing through its paces to help our Internet team address any remaining issues before we offer it to the public in 2010,” said Gary Raasch, NHRA director of marketing & client services. “Our members are our most loyal and knowledgeable fans, so there’s nobody better to help us fine-tune Live Timing and make it the best it can be.”

The beta was opened up to this group of about 20,000 of NHRA’s members after a smaller group of members gave it a test run during the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. To learn more about all the benefits of NHRA membership, CLICK HERE.

Last call for Budweiser dragster at season finale

NHRA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:49:00 GMT

Brandon Bernstein, left, and father Kenny, joined by Kenny's wife, Sheryl, have won 86 races and six world championships flying Budweiser colors.

After three decades, the familiar red Budweiser Top Fuel dragster owned and driven by six-time NHRA world champion Kenny Bernstein, and now piloted by son Brandon, will take its final bow at the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, and the Bernstein family would like to end its 30-year Bud involvement with a trip to the winner's circle.

“This final race is going to be very emotional for our family,” said Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all the executives, brand management and sports marketing team members and wholesalers who have touched our lives during our tenure at Anheuser-Busch. All of these folks made it possible for a young man from Texas to follow his dream. We have enjoyed success that was way beyond my wildest imagination when I was a teenager reading hot rod magazines in high school. It’s been a great ride.”

While flying the Budweiser banner, the Bernstein duo has combined for 86 national event wins: 68 Top Fuel and Funny Car victories for Kenny, 18 Top Fuel trophies for Brandon. Kenny won four consecutive Funny Car world championships from 1985-1988, then capped that achievement with Top Fuel world championships in 1996 and 2001. Kenny will forever be remembered as the first to surpass the 300-mph barrier in Gainesville March 20, 1992.

The Bernsteins made history in 2001 as the first father-son tandem to share the winner's circle. Kenny won in Top Fuel and Brandon in Top Alcohol Dragster.

Kenny won four consecutive NHRA Funny Car world championships from 1985 to 1988.

One of the Bud team's defining moments was the shattering of the 300-mph barrier at the 1992 Gatornationals.

They became the first father and son in NHRA history to win at the same national event in Las Vegas in April 2001 when Brandon won in Top Alcohol Dragster, sharing thw winner's circle with his father, who won Top Fuel honors driving his Budweiser dragster.

Brandon was in the hunt for the 2007 championship, which came down to the deciding round between Bernstein and Tony Schumacher in the semifinals at the season finale in Pomona. Bernstein finished third in the NHRA points standings that year for the third time.

Brandon’s last event win was two races ago in Richmond. He has also taken runner-up honors four times this season and has five semifinal showings.

“We started the season strong,” said Brandon, “and then bogged down a bit during the summer. We have had a resurgence these last several events and think we have a good chance to take Budweiser to victory circle one last time. It would be the icing on the cake if we could make that happen.

“After this event, we’ll be trading paint. The team will hotfoot it back to our race shop in Brownsburg, Ind., and by the end of that week, we’ll be applying our first coat of Copart blue paint.

“We were fortunate enough to obtain Copart sponsorship for 2010 with the help of NHRA and our friend Vacaville, Calif., restaurateur Joe Murdaca. We are looking forward to a new chapter with Copart, an online vehicle auction company. This is their first experience with NHRA Drag Racing, and they are energized! We are all excited about the coming season.

“We are also thrilled that Lucas Oil will remain with us, and we’re looking forward to the debut of the Copart/Lucas Oil dragster. Mac Tools will also be celebrating their 23rd year with us, and La Paz will commemorate their 32nd season.”

Top Fuel soap opera takes center stage on NHRA’s championship Sunday

NHRA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:33:00 GMT

Larry Dixon

Tony Schumacher

Nine months ago, the biggest story line entering the 2009 season revolved around Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher, who had combined to win the last seven Top Fuel titles and nine of the last 10.

In what was as compelling an off-season as NHRA had seen in some time, decorated crew chief Alan Johnson parted ways with the U.S. Army team to create his own team with the backing of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Johnson took most of the U.S. Army crew with him, and he hired Dixon, who had won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003 with NHRA icon Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, to take the seat.

The questions swirled as to how this would affect the balance of power in Top Fuel: Would Schumacher and the new U.S. Army team with crew chief Mike Green continue to dominate or would Johnson and Dixon assume the alpha position in Top Fuel?

The battle for the Top Fuel title will pit not only two great drivers, but two great teams: Schumacher's Mike Green-led team (above) and Dixon's Alan Johnson-owned, Jason McCulloch-fronted group (below).

With one event left in the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle Series season – the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona – it’s as close to a toss-up as you can get: Schumacher and the Army team have 2,485 points as they seek to win a sixth straight title; Dixon and the Al-Anabi team have 2,484 as they seek to unseat "the Sarge."

And by no means out of the mix — lurking 48 points back — is the David against those two Goliaths, Fram Tough Guard dragster driver Cory McClenathan, whose 31 victories make him the second-winningest driver in NHRA history to have not won a championship.

Schumacher and then-crew chief Johnson delivered arguably the greatest single performance in NHRA history at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in 2006 to win their third straight championship.

Schumacher never led the points during the entire 2006 season, and he still trailed Doug Kalitta by 26 points as he staged against Melanie Troxel in the final round of the final race of the season. Drivers earn 20 points per round-win, so the only way he could get past Kalitta was to win the race and set the national record (and earn the 20-point bonus).

Known simply as “The Run,” Schumacher delivered a stunning 4.428-second pass as dusk fell at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to win the race (earning 20 points) and set the national record (earning a 20-point bonus) to win the championship.

Now Johnson and Schumacher are on opposite sides of the starting line, and it would seem only fitting that the two rivals should begin the race on opposite sides of the ladder and meet in a winner-take-all final for the ages as dusk falls on Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Nov. 15.

In Funny Car, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team have all but wrapped up their first world championship. Hight leads teammate Ashley Force Hood by 105 points, and if he maintains at least a 101-point lead through qualifying, he will be the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car world champion.

In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards and the ART/Young Life Pontiac team have, for all intents and purposes, an insurmountable 139-point lead over three-time champ Greg Anderson. Edwards, who leads all drivers with 15 No. 1 qualifiers this season, just needs to qualify to clinch his first championship.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, it’s a two-man race between Hector Arana and defending world champion Eddie Krawiec, who trails Arana by 54 points.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 14. On Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. ET and three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Limited number of $20 Race Fan Relief tickets available for Auto Club NHRA Finals

NHRA — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:19:00 GMT

A limited number of $20 Race Fan Relief tickets are available for this weekend’s Auto Club NHRA Finals (Nov. 12-15), the season finale for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. A limited number of the $20 Race Fan Relief tickets remain for Thursday's and Friday’s racing at famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, where the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle world champions will be crowned in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Saturday's and Sunday’s allotments of the $20 Race Fan Relief tickets are sold out.

To take advantage of the NHRA Race Fan Relief ticket program, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) and reference “RELIEF” or log on to www.ticketmaster.com and enter the password “RELIEF.” The Race Fan Relief $20 ticket offer is only valid on advance purchase tickets. As announced previously, NHRA and Ticketmaster have partnered to eliminate service fees on Auto Club NHRA Finals tickets purchased through Ticketmaster.

There are many other ways for fans to save on tickets for the final NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event of the 2009 season.

• On Friday of the event, any active-duty military member is eligible for a complimentary reserved-seat ticket. These tickets are only available for pickup at the on-site box office.

• NHRA will provide general-admission tickets for any day of the event to children 12 and under when accompanied by a paid adult.

Great seats remain available at regular price for all days of the event. For more ticket information about the Auto Club NHRA Finals, call 800-884-6472 or purchase your tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Lex Joon's American Dream blog: Hello from home

NHRA — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:21:00 GMT

He calls it his "American Dream," and European Top Fuel racer Lex Joon of the Netherlands plans to pursue it passionately as he competes with his MPM Oil Top Fueler in the final two events of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and the season-concluding Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 in Pomona. Joon will chronicle his adventures for NHRA.com readers through this blog.

Monday, Nov. 9

Hello from home. Our plane arrived at Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport) at 7 a.m Tuesday morning after the Las Vegas event. after a journey that took us almost 20 hours. In Las Vegas, the clock will tell you it is 10 p.m. It’s a strange phenomenon, traveling over the world and going through all those time zones. In the Netherlands, my daily job was ready to begin but in Las Vegas, it was almost midnight. Getting back to the shop I found there was a pile of work and before I knew it was 7 p.m. Gerda came back from Vegas with a pretty heavy flu; I hope she will be better in time for our Pomona trip!

Later that night it was time to go over the past weekend with Kevin Poynter. He and I have contact on a daily basis; his job is to get the car ready for Pomona, together with the crew who traveled back to L.A. were our U.S. shop is located.

The culprit

After our DNQ in Vegas, it was time to go over the facts and data we gathered after four rounds of qualifying. The data showed us a really good-performing car. In the second qualifying session next to Larry Dixon we ran a 3.93 at 270 mph, showing us what we are capable of running. The speed at the eighth-mile was 271 mph at 3.10 seconds. After 3.3 seconds into the run our blower belt broke, which is the same as aborting the run. All of our four runs were aborted by blower belts, which broke sooner or later.

Going over all data, we could not find any problem in the tune-up. When a belt lets go there are several things to look at to find the reason that caused the problem. I believe the problem can be found in an old-type blower belt we were using which gave no problems at the European tracks but didn't work at the much more fuel-demanding US tracks. This problem will be fixed before we roll through the Pomona Raceway entrance, that's for sure.

We missed the No. 12 qualifying spot by just .02-second during the first day of qualifying which would have secured our 3.93 time and a spot in the field on race day with a 3.96 bump spot. Being the only European in Top Fuel not making the field is some kind of frustrating, especially when you know the car is capable of running the numbers to qualify. I knew we had the odds against us going into this race because our team had a couple of things to sort out which the other European teams did not have to worry about. We had to form a team with people that had never seen each other before. I must say I am so proud to have a crew that worked so well together from the first day on. I really enjoyed working with them. It was great to see how my crew started working together with an absolute devotion. Seeing the American and Dutch nationalities working together was just awesome.

My crew chief, KP had seen the car for the last time five years ago when it was shipped from David Baca's shop. He needed to find a baseline to get the car running. Normally you go through some test sessions before racing starts. I tried to get KP to Europe earlier this year, the same as the Danish team did with their consultant, Jim Brissette, but our budget didn't allow us to do so. I'm sure we will be fine. Our four runs at Las Vegas made us more than motivated to set the record straight in Pomona. After all, you are as good as your last race, what would be better than to be on the top at the last race of the season.

Gerda and Terri in our crew shirts.

Fixing the rear axle

Our disappointment of not being qualified went a different direction when we got the message from the NHRA that our team won a Wally for the Best Appearing Crew. Wowie, I think we are the first team to win this award coming from outside the U.S. I told my guys that we as men didn't pull it off; it was what our women -- Terri Poynter and Gerda -- did. Terri made the team shirts and Gerda made the design. The Wally has a prominent place in my shop beside the other trophies I won in Europe.

We had a setback when the crew found a damaged rear axle when they serviced the car. With our limited budget, it gave us a hard time to find a way to get this problem sorted out. The good news from L.A. came later in the week that the problem of the breaking blower belts is solved and the rear axle is fixed. I have a great bunch of guys who work day and night to get our race program ready. With the help of Grant Downing, we managed to get the thing fixed again. This is what drag racing is all about: helping each other where there is a need to do so.

I enjoyed the hands-on facilities that are set-up at an NHRA track that we don’t have in Europe. Goodyear was there with a big trailer loaded with tires. It was great to have XRP there to fix our fuel lines; normally this would take three weeks, in Vegas it took 15 minutes. Simpson was there with all the latest model shoes and helmets. Tim Hyatt, who does the annual SFI tour, was at our disposal with a trailer filled with all kinds of small parts and other goodies. We damaged one cylinder head, and normally it would take $700 with freight and everything, now it is just an hour drive. Racing in the U.S. gives me an idea of how American teams experience our sport. I must say it’s a lot easier in many ways but perhaps that is part of the charm of racing in Europe.

I had a really great weekend with the fans that came by our pits. Some of them emailed me already; others sent me messages after the weekend. What a great bunch of fans our team has; it’s really awesome. My blogs give people a chance to look inside our endeavors. I know from the blogs I write on Eurodragster.com, I have a huge amount of followers in Europe. Now with blogging on the NHRA website I attract fans all over the world including Australia, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil. It’s amazing to see how many American fans are rooting for our team. It really gives me the extra push when things are difficult. I met a lot of people who have their roots in the Netherlands. I hope I continue to hear from all the nice people. Please email me at www.fanclub@lexjoonracing.nl.

Tuesday morning we will fly to Los Angeles to meet our crew and go through the latest details before we leave for Pomona. We are working full time on our business programs to attract American partners, which are interested to market their products and hospitality through our program in 2010. One thing is for sure: our American Dream Tour made it clear that we can add something to what fans are looking for and companies can use to market their products. The American- European connection is something that other teams in the U.S. don’t have and can be the key for us to stay racing in the U.S. with the American fans.

Monday, Nov. 2

Finally, we arrived in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Our first flight took almost nine hours from Amsterdam to Chicago, where we transferred to the flight to Vegas, which lasted three and a half hours. Altogether, it took more than 20 hours to arrive at our destination, but those things need to be done in order to live the life many other people can only dream about. We arrived in our hotel where our crew was already waiting for us. It was a great moment to see all my guys again, the Dutch crew I just saw a couple of weeks ago, and Kevin (Poynter) and his wife Terri. The last time we were with them was more than a year ago. Our USA crew, George and Del, gave me a real good first impression. These guys sent me the right vibes and I'm happy to have them on board. It was amazing to see how both teams worked together as one. It looked like they knew each other for a very long time.

Wednesday morning we left for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the dragstrip is a part of all the race venues, and is only situated 15 minutes from the strip of Las Vegas. It’s just great; you take the exit off the highway and there is the track. No long small roads as we know in Europe. It is a beautiful facility. When we got there, the trailer was already parked in the pits and we got started working on our pit layout by taking out the awning and all the equipment, tools and the race car. Then we started working to put the car together so it would be ready to be scrutinized. Because the rules we use in Europe are slightly behind the NHRA rules, it was a bit of a nail biter waiting to see how the car will do when it was inspected by the NHRA officials. I guess we did our homework because the car passed tag. I can tell you I'm proud we received the green light to start our weekend of racing.

Bob Frey introduced and interviewed me at the FanFest.

Ready to go!

Under the famous arch

On Thursday the Goodyear trailer opened its doors so we could buy the rear tires we needed for the weekend. This is something I never have done before. When I need tires for our racing activities in Europe, I order the slicks from Gary Burgin, who is located in California. He organizes and collects all the parts I need and sends them to my shop in Europe. Standing between piles of tires and having a chance to pick the sets I like is something special.

Thursday night we attended the Fan Fest and it was a great experience. A huge amount of fans came to this event to get in touch with us drivers and after almost two hours the session was stopped. I had signed more than 500 posters and had the opportunity to chat with a lot of nice people.

Friday finally arrived. Our first qualifier was something I was looking forward to. Finally, I would get the chance to drive my car over the dragstrip in Las Vegas. The NHRA official told me I was the first pair out, something that is always difficult because there are no other cars in front of you that can give you an idea what kind of numbers the track can hold. It was a thrill to finally sit under the arch that I dreamed of for so long, strapped in the car and ready go out with the best in the world. After a decent burnout, the car launched hard but the track seemed too green to hold the power and we smoked the tires. After we pulled the car back into the pits everything was okay and we prepared the car for the evening session.

It can’t get any better than to have a chance to race your car in an evening session at the Las Vegas dragstrip. KP told me to get ready for the ride of my life, and he was right. I never experienced a run like this before; the car left the line as a missile. Larry Dixon was in the other lane and had a slightly better 60-foot time but then we drove together down the track. I ran 3.10 at 276 mph to half-track. The car was really pulling, when it made a hard turn to the left caused by the fact that a cylinder in the left bank lost fire. I managed to get the car back in the groove and then the blower belt snapped after 3.3 seconds. The result was a 3.93 at only 270 mph. Dixon passed me when the blower belt broke and he ran low e.t. of the session with a 3.80. For a long time it looked like my e.t. was secured as No. 12 on the list but Urs Erbacher ran .02-second better and pushed me to No. 13, which meant we lost our time and we had to start all over again on Saturday.

Saturday the temperatures went up and the track changed. We had no data yet to run the car on under these different circumstances and we missed the opportunity to set a decent time on our last two qualifying attempts. Because we lost our 3.93, which would have qualified 14th, we missed the field for Sunday. It was a big disappointment after all that happened and knowing we were able to run good even without making a full 1,000-foot pass.

Still I will return home with a Wally. My team received the Best Appearing Crew award, something no other team outside the USA has ever won. You can imagine how proud I am.

We had a great time. We met so many great people and it was very special that they stopped to say hello and wish us good luck. It was fun to meet all the fans that had a connection with my home country, the Netherlands. Some of them had Dutch last names and it was fun to give them the right pronunciation of their name.

I would like to thank all the readers that sent me emails to wish me good luck. It is amazing to see how many people are reading my blogs and are following my well-being. Please continue to keep in touch at fanclub@lexjoonracing.nl. I enjoy hearing from you.

Between Vegas and Pomona, I will fly home to get my work done at the shop. The rest of my team will travel back to L.A. to service the car and get ready for Pomona. I know things will work out for us; it’s just a matter of time.

Time to go; thanks for reading.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Hello from Europe. The moment is almost here for Gerda and me to grab our suitcases and head to Schiphol, which is our International airport. Finally, my dream is becoming a reality and will be set in motion when our plane leaves the runway heading to Las Vegas. We hope we remembered to pack everything we need and taken care of everything here at home. Besides our horses, Gerda and I have a dog, a Giant Schnauzer called Rossi. We have taken him to an animal pension (inn or boarding house) for the time we are in the USA. He is used to going there because when we are racing our European tour we are not allowed to bring him to the tracks were we are racing. He likes to play with all the other dogs that are in the pension during his stay. We always say Rossi is getting a deserved vacation because the place looks like a holiday camp.

Ever since 2000 when I ran an Alcohol Funny Car in Pomona, I had the feeling I wanted to come back to the U.S. to race again. I never expected then that I would return with a Top Fuel dragster in the trailer, ready to race. This type of car is only driven by professionals and was out of my reach at that time. Our relationship with MPM International Oil Company that started in 2004 was the beginning of my career as a Top Fuel driver and team owner. Peter v.d. Meer and Michiel van Wilgen, founders of MPM, have always stood behind our program and made it possible for us to perform and act to the level where we are right now. Without them, this would not have been possible. Michiel will join us at the Las Vegas race, together with some clients and friends that are also supporting us in this great adventure.

For me drag racing has everything to do with an American lifestyle, in the place where it all began. As you read in my first blog, my interest for American cars started more than 30 years ago. For you it is not a big deal to see American-made cars driving around. For me, back then it was a huge investment and statement to own and drive American cars. I bought my first Chevy van from the American bookstore in Amsterdam and converted it to a custom car, which won many prizes as best appearing car. I like the way people work and live in the U.S. It is the land of unlimited possibilities and that is what attracts me.

I still find it hard to believe that this dream of mine if going to happen. I have been in Las Vegas before, sitting in the grandstands looking at the cars that were sitting under the Las Vegas Strip arch with the drivers facing the length of the dragstrip from their cockpit. It must be a great moment to go through the experience. It can only be a short moment because duty quickly calls and the engines get fired up and concentration becomes be the name of the game.

With 26 Top Fuel cars entered for this event, we know that we have a tall order to accomplish. We have no possibility to go testing before the race, which means we have to go with what we can put together on paper based on previous runs. With Kevin Poynter as crew chief, I believe we have a good chance to make the field on race day.

He spent the last weeks preparing the car and going over the tune-up to get the best opportunity to qualify. Once in the field anything is possible.

I'm really looking forward to meeting all the fans. I have had a huge amount of emails after my two blogs on the NHRA website. This encourages me even more to keep on writing. It’s great to have contact with all the people who have an interest in drag racing and the people who try to chase their dreams as I do mine. If you are visiting the race at Las Vegas, I hope to meet you at the NHRA Vegas Style Fan Fest. It will mark the official kickoff to the 2009 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and will take place Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. I'm proud to participate in the autograph session along with all the big names in today's drag racing.

Please stay in touch at fanclub@lexjoonracing.nl. Talk to you soon.

Monday, Oct. 26

Loading up at Zandaam

All of our stuff

The container arrives in the U.S.

Checking everything out

In our U.S. shop

After we made the decision to go racing in the U.S. a lot of things needed to be arranged. There were questions to be filled in and work to be done, such as transportation, crew, shop space, truck and trailer, getting the race car ready according to NHRA specs, marketing, and so on.

The first thing I did when the American Dream Tour came together was call Kevin Poynter (KP) to bring him the good news. He knew we were working hard to get the deal finalized and when it would be a done deal, he was the man to tune the car for us. In Europe, Sebastian Visser, and myself tune the car but because we need to hit the nail right on the head the first time out we knew we needed a tuner that’s up to speed. To be honest even if we knew the settings I would have hired Kevin because for me he is a tuner that understands what it takes to go rounds and keep the engines alive at the same time. Besides that, KP is a great guy to work with; his attitude is one out of a million. You can win any type of war with him and that’s exactly what we need if we want a chance to go rounds with our MPM Top Fuel dragster.

Going over the transport the decision needed to be made if we would send our truck and trailer or a 40-foot container. The trip to Los Angeles by ship takes around 21 days all together it’s almost a month with loading and customs added up. When I got the information of what it would cost to send the truck/trailer combination the decision was not too difficult; the container was the right choice when we wanted to have some money left for racing. A container was ordered and a date set when it would be delivered at our shop in Zaandam. Because we have no loading dock, one of our sponsors, EWF, organized a trailer with a side loader to put the container on the ground, which made the loading a lot less complicated. One week before we started loading the container we made all kind of crates and wooden boxes to pack all our equipment, tools and spare parts to keep them safe and dry during the crossing over the sea. As I said in my previous blog, a lot of work was done to get all our papers ready for customs. Although most of the items in the container came originally from the USA, the U.S. Customs needs to know all the facts concerning the content of the container.

Overseeing our U.S. marketing situation is difficult especially when you are living and working in Europe as we do. The time difference is between 6 and 9 hours. When our working day has come to an end the people in California are having their first cup of coffee. Also, the way of doing business can be really different when you look at the U.S. and European cultures. Therefore, we hired two great people who do an outstanding job for us in the U.S. Ed and Joanne Dawson keep track of all our marketing and PR-related issues and I’m really happy to have them in our camp. The time we spend at the track during our race weekends is just a fragment of the time that is invested to get everything in place to make it possible to go out and race. The time where sponsors are willing to spend money on your team because they like your blue eyes are far behind us. You need to have a strong program were a business partner or client will benefit from the program you put on the table. That is why I think the word “sponsor” is not correct anymore. We have to sell our product, even in this difficult economy. When a business partner will do better business when they go with your program, they will stay. It’s a far better deal because then you earn your own money and that pays off at the end of the day.

Tuesday (Oct 20) the container arrived at our shop in Los Angeles. KP and Arjan have unloaded everything and they told me all was in perfect order. This seems to be rather normal but I had some bad images about the container lost at open sea or hanging upside down from a crane during unloading. Now it is time to get everything ready for the first race of our American Dream Tour, the Las Vegas Nationals. Because we didn’t have a chance to test we have the very difficult task to go full throttle into the first round of qualifying. We need to take every opportunity to run the numbers which will give us a spot in the field on race day.

That’s it for now, thanks for reading. If you want to keep in touch, please email me at fanclub@lexjoonracing.nl.

Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

Hello race fans. Perhaps you have read about it already; we are attending the last two races in Las Vegas and Pomona with our Top Fuel dragster that has been shipped from Europe about a month ago.

I am very honored and thankful to get the chance to send in blogs on the famous NHRA website. Blogging is something I have been doing for a couple of years at the one and only European drag racing website, www.Eurodragster.com. The idea is to keep you informed about the impressions we encounter and the differences and similarities there are between America and Europe. I hope you enjoy.

The idea to start blogging started when we bought our race car from David Baca in 2004. Eurodragster.com asked me if I could give the fans updates on how everything was going. Since I started my blogs, it appeared our fans were very interested to read about our well being. It gives them the idea they can have a look behind the scenes of a Top Fuel team. When we are at a race people stop by to tell me they enjoy reading my blogs. I must admit it gives me a humble feeling when people tell me I help their family going through an illness because I give them an opportunity to keep in touch with what’s going on outside their hospital bed. It’s great when you can make a positive contribution to the quality of people’s lives. That is one of the reasons we as racers don’t like empty seats in the grandstands. We enjoy the fact we can perform in front of a big crowd, but that could be a subject for another blog.

My wife Gerda and I enjoy riding horses.

My first race car was this '68 Camaro, called Dutch Treat.

My first Alcohol Funny Car was this car, which I bought from Bucky Austin and competed with at the 2000 Winternationals.

My first nitro Funny Car didn't last very long ...

The American Dream Tour as we call it is about a wish I have to start racing in the USA with the best teams and drivers on our planet. Some people dream about entering the Olympic games, for me this it.

My home country is The Netherlands (Europe) and I’m working and living together with my wife Gerda near Amsterdam in a place called Zaandam. We own and run a car dealership and maintain all type of cars with a specialism for American-made cars. Gerda and I have a common hobby besides drag racing, and these are our two horses.

I started my drag racing career 25 years ago in a time when just a handful of people in my home country ever heard of drag racing. My first race car was a ‘68 Camaro, which I bought from a farmer who had it parked in his back yard. The only type of racing we knew back then was heads up without any type of index. I was really successful but I’m the type of guy who is always pushing the bar to the next level. In 1995, I bought my first Alcohol Funny Car. At that time there was not a lot of knowledge to fall back on. The only way to learn everything about alcohol racing was to drive and tune the car by myself. We did a pretty good job but never had the funding to run for the FIA Championship.

In 2000 a good friend of mine bought an Alcohol Funny Car from Bucky Austin. We hired a van from U-Haul and transported the car and parts from Seattle to Pomona where we entered the Winternationals that year. We ended up being the 17th qualifier including losing a motor.

When I left Pomona after that race I knew I wanted to come back one day to give it another try. The years went by and every year we visited the Auto Club Finals at Pomona I was entering through the spectator gates but I knew my place was not sitting in the grandstands but working in the pits.

In 2003 I bought my first nitro Funny Car. For me a dream came true because I love Funny Cars and what’s better then a nitro-burning one. It didn’t last long. During my third run in the car the rods came out and the complete car went up in fire. It was totally destroyed. I barely could save myself getting out of the car in time. That was the last time I drove a fuel Funny Car.

In 2004 I got the opportunity to hire a Top Fuel dragster, which at that point looked like a good opportunity to get acquainted with nitro burning engines. MPM International oil company located in the Netherlands, had started working with us when we bought our Fuel Funny Car, and they were interested to put their name on a Top Fuel dragster. Not a lot of people know this but here in Holland we have many drag racing teams but not a permanent track to race. The highest class you will find my other countrymen to race is Pro Modified. You can imagine that when we offered MPM a Top Fuel deal they were very interested.

After the first year of racing we came to the conclusion that we needed our own operation to be successful. At the end of 2004, we bought a complete car with spares from David Baca. During this visit we met Kevin Poynter who was car crew chief for David at that time. Our first year with our own team was very successful, with all the new equipment we imported from the USA. We managed to become FIA European Champion in 2005. We had more success when we were runner up in the Championship in 2007 and 2008, becoming one of the most successful Top Fuel teams in Europe.

At the beginning of this year we decided that this would be the year to race in the USA. We launched the Lex Joon Racing American Dream Tour. It wasn’t easy but during our biggest race in Europe at the Hockenheim track we got the green light to start living our American dream. You can imagine we were thrilled but at the same time it meant a lot of work to be realized in a short amount of time.

In Europe we race under the same technical rules as in the U.S. with the only difference being that we are one year behind the NHRA rule book. Before shipping the car I needed to go over the latest changes to be sure we could run the car without making any last moment corrections. I ordered a 40-foot container that was delivered at our shop in Zaandam by EWF, one of our sponsors of our American Dream Tour. They take care of all the shipment and custom business. Since the September 11 tragedy, importing and exporting has become a lot more difficult because of the security the American government has enforced. After we had loaded the container with the race car, tools and spare parts, we had to produce a list with all items stored in the container. Meanwhile the container has arrived in Los Angeles, and we have rented a shop in L.A. to have a place to service the car and get everything in place for the races in Las Vegas and Pomona. Kevin Poynter will be the crew chief and our crew will exist of Dutch and American boys and girls.

With all of my equipment waiting for me in the United States, you can imagine I can’t wait to get started on what I hope to be one of the most exciting times of my life.

I will say good bye for now; I have to go start to pack. I will write again soon.

Reichert wins fourth championship in four years

NHRA — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:17:00 GMT

Q&A with U.S. Army Top Fuel team crew chief Mike Green

NHRA — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:50:00 GMT

As the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season draws to a close, U.S. Army Top Fuel team crew chief Mike Green is attempting to lead driver Tony “the Sarge” Schumacher to his sixth straight world championship and the seventh of his career.

Following the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Sunday, Green sat down to discuss the year to date while looking ahead to the season finale at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Q: As we approach the race in Pomona, you have to be ecstatic the team is in the position it’s in, right?
A: Yes, we’ve had a very good year so far with five wins in seven final rounds while leading the points. Last December, Don [Schumacher] asked me to put together a team with Tony driving that could win another championship, and that’s what is left to accomplish. Tony has driven like the champion he is, and our team has performed to the high standards set by previous teams as well as the Army Strong soldiers that we represent.

Q: How did you and Tony manage to make a new team come together so quickly?
A: We only hired one team member outside of the Don Schumacher Racing organization, so we knew we had very good personnel going into the season, and most of us had some sort of a relationship with Tony as a teammate. A major part of the maturation process was Tony’s experience and the positive attitude he brought to the team from day one. All the guys were amazed with his openness to a new team and his willingness to accept our way of doing things. We’re still improving and continue to work to be the best team out there.

The U.S. Army team's highlight was winning the U.S. Nationals for a record-tying eighth time. Tony Schumacher, left, and Mike Green, right, were joined in the winner's circle by NASCAR star Tony Stewart.

Q: What have been some of the highlights for you this year? Perhaps winning the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil for the first time as a crew chief is one of the bigger ones?
A: It was amazing that by the third race of the year people were asking if Tony was ever going to win another race. Of course, then we went to Houston and won. We were even lucky enough to beat Alan Johnson’s team along the way, which was very satisfying. It was also great to be a part of Tony’s eighth Indy win, which matched Don Garlits’ record. Not only was it my first win at Indy as a crew chief, but it was the first Indy win for most of the crew guys. A lot of us had family and friends there to help celebrate, which made it even more enjoyable.

Q: Have you thought about how it would feel to win your first world title?
A: I’ve spent most of my adult life working on fuel cars and have been lucky enough to have experienced winning a Top Fuel championship. To have the opportunity to win one as a crew chief and for all of the guys on the team would be great. We work hard at preparing the race car for Tony to drive and take a lot of pride in knowing it’s capable of taking him to another championship.

Celebrating together after yet another win, this time in Dallas.

Q: How would you describe your working relationship with Tony?
A: It continues to grow. The more time you race together, the better your racing knowledge of each other becomes. Tony just has a great attitude about our team and what it takes to win races. Our relationship is pretty loose, meaning we joke around more than we’re serious about things. We’ve both raced a long time, so there aren’t a lot of surprises.

Q: Given your experience with other drivers over the years, how would you grade Tony in the mix?
A: Tony’s ability to handle pressure is a big advantage over a lot of other drivers, and his positive attitude is second to none. He has a lot of experience that keeps him calm and focused. He doesn’t complain or worry – he just gets in the car and drives. My grade for him would be A-plus.

Q: Now that you’ve had a year with the U.S. Army as your sponsor, how has it felt to work with them?
A: Having the U.S. Army as a sponsor has been a lot different than I thought it would be. The pride really hits you after a three-star general tells you that you have the support of the entire U.S. Army behind you. They treat racing like everything else they do – with seriousness and extreme conviction. That’s what makes them the elite fighting force that they are. I’m very proud to be associated with men and women who risk their lives every day to protect our freedom.

Q: Would it be fair to say there’s a sense of inspiration being around Army Strong soldiers on a continual basis?
A: They continue to remind us how fragile freedom is and how much pride and dedication it takes to protect it in a way that constantly provides motivation and determination to accomplish our goals in life and on the racetrack. It’s hard not to be inspired when a group of soldiers is at the track rooting us on one week, and the next week they might be in Afghanistan risking their lives to protect us. To me, that’s the ultimate sponsor and the best team someone could be associated with.

2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule change

NHRA — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:42:00 GMT

Affording fans in the greater Phoenix area a chance to partake in two of the biggest sporting events in the region in February, NHRA has announced, in cooperation with the owner/operator of Firebird Int'l Raceway, that the 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals will be moved up one week to Feb. 19-21, 2010, which is historically Firebird’s traditional date for this event.

As a result, the event will take place the weekend after the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and three weeks prior to the East Coast opener, the NHRA Gatornationals at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway.

Below is the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule for the first four races of the season:

50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals	Feb. 11-14	Pomona
26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals	Feb. 19-21	Phoenix
41st annual NHRA Gatornationals	March 11-14	Gainesville (PSM)
Inaugural NHRA Nationals	March 25-28	Charlotte

PSM = Pro Stock Motorcycle competition

NHRA seeking vintage doorcars for 50th Winternationals

NHRA — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:01:00 GMT

In preparation for a major display at next year's 50th anniversary Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals, NHRA is trying to locate vintage/restored door cars – stockers, gassers, Factory Experimentals, etc. -- that competed at past Winternationals events to participate in the festivities.

If you have one of these cars or know someone who does, contact Steve Gibbs, sgibbs@nhra.com.

The 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals kicks off the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Feb. 11-14, where NHRA will pay tribute to its past throughout what figures to be one of the most memorable and nostalgic race weeks in the sport’s history as many of the legendary cars, drivers, and magical moments will be honored.

Buy tickets now

NHRA Winternationals Legends featured at NHRA SEMA Show Breakfast

NHRA — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:29:00 GMT

The 2009 edition of the annual NHRA Breakfast at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas featured six of NHRA’s top 10 drivers of all time as a special attraction to help promote next year’s 50th anniversary of the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals.

On hand were Don Garlits, voted No. 1 by a select panel of NHRA experts in 2001, John Force (No. 2), Don Prudhomme (No. 3), Bob Glidden (No. 4), Shirley Muldowney (No. 5), and Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins (No. 8), all of whom recorded multiple wins at the traditional season-opening Pomona event.

Veteran NHRA announcer Bob Frey acted as the ringmaster during the lively exchange of hilarious tales and anecdotes about past Winternationals exploits and other racing adventures that kept the large audience of drag racing fans thoroughly entertained. Although many of the panel members claim to have mellowed, it didn’t take long for the intensity of the old rivalries to resurface. A few of the examples included Muldowney taking Garlits to task for “always wanting to have his own way” in lane-choice decisions in their frequent match races and Glidden reminding Jenkins how the rules makers always seemed to add weight to his Fords but never to “the Grump’s” Chevrolets. Force took a more complimentary tone when he told Prudhomme how he had patterned his career after “the Snake's” by copying everything that Prudhomme did, from his burnouts and staging procedures to even his “cool way of walking.”

Following the breakfast, the all-star cast of drag racing legends gathered in the expansive hallway area of the Las Vegas Convention Center for an autograph session near a display that featured many historic cars. Well before the drivers arrived, fans had formed a line that stretched as far as the eye could see, providing yet another example of how the thrills of NHRA Drag Racing have deeply touched so many motorsports enthusiasts.

NHRA competition, tech departments conduct test with help from Cruz Pedregon Racing

NHRA — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:44:00 GMT

NHRA, working with Cruz Pedregon Racing, recently conducted a series of test runs following the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was part of NHRA’s Competition and Technical Departments’ continuing initiative to find a new combination designed to reduce power in the nitromethane categories in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

The combination tested with Cruz Pedregon’s team included a single magneto, one less clutch disc, and a smaller fuel pump. Currently, nitromethane race vehicles employ two magnetos in their engine setups. Overall, the test was encouraging, although further testing will continue in the weeks and months ahead. NHRA’s Dan Olson, Pedregon, and his crew chief, Rahn Tobler, worked together on tune-up changes and strategies between each test run.

“I was very encouraged by the test,” Pedregon said. “We obtained some good data that will give us a great starting point for further tests. We were pleased that NHRA allowed us to participate, and Dan Olson, Rahn, and the entire team worked hard to yield some great results.”

NHRA will work with Cruz Pedregon Racing to schedule more testing during the off-season. In addition, NHRA will continue to work with Tim Wilkerson and his team on the combination tested earlier in the season, which included decreasing displacement, use of a smaller-capacity fuel pump, decrease in percentage overdrive in the blower, a change on the rear-end gear ratios, and the use of 90 percent nitromethane.

NHRA reiterated that this is strictly a testing and research project at this point. It remains too early in the process to discuss any implementation plans or dates. Once any decision is finalized, NHRA will give ample time for teams to adjust accordingly. There is no completion date scheduled for the research/testing phase of this project.

NHRA, Full Throttle Energy Drink unveil new series logo

NHRA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:07:00 GMT

NHRA and primary sponsor Full Throttle Energy Drink will put a new face on drag racing’s premier series in 2010 with the unveiling of a new series logo.

NHRA’s top Professional series, consisting of Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, first partnered with The Coca-Cola Company in 2001, and the association will continue through at least 2013. Full Throttle Energy Drink assumed the title sponsorship from POWERADE beginning with the 2009 season, launching what is arguably one of the strongest synergies between brand and sport in the sports and entertainment industry.

The association between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, with support from Coca-Cola Enterprises, represents one of the longest-running series sponsorships in motorsports, and the move to Full Throttle Energy Drink marks the lead sports marketing association for the beverage company’s lead energy drink, which has been the official energy drink of NHRA since 2005.

NHRA’s top Professional series features 23 races from February through November, all of which are broadcast by ESPN2 in HD.

NHRA Fan Fest hosted by UTI scheduled for Auto Club NHRA Finals

NHRA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:32:00 GMT

NHRA Fan Fest hosted by Universal Technical Institute (UTI), the official kickoff to the 2009 season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UTI campus at 9494 Haven Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series cars and drivers will be in attendance, and the U.S. Army High School Automotive Challenge presented by Universal Technical Institute preliminaries will take place. There will also be campus tours, food, prizes, and giveaways and a raffle for tickets to the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Mopar unveils 2010 NHRA Pro Stock Dodge Avenger

NHRA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:39:00 GMT

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Mopar will launch a new Pro Stock Dodge Avenger to compete in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Attendees at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3-6, will get the first glimpse of the new Pro Stock Dodge Avenger. The 2010 NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger of Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson will be on exhibit in the Mopar display at SEMA, booth No. 43127.

The new Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger has been officially approved for competition by NHRA. The Dodge Avenger is targeted for its competition debut at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Feb. 11-14, 2010. The Mopar Dodge Avenger replaces the Dodge Stratus R/T body, which had been in use by Mopar Hemi-powered NHRA Pro Stock competitors since the midpoint of the 2003 season.

The new Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger was developed in-house at Chrysler Group LLC. The project utilized Chrysler Group LLC tools and resources also employed to build the production Dodge Avenger, creating a connection between the street and the quarter-mile.

“The introduction of the new NHRA Pro Stock Dodge Avenger will invigorate our Mopar-powered Pro Stock racers,” said Jim Sassorossi, director-Mopar Global Parts Sales and Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC. “The production Dodge Avenger is a perfect template for the dragstrip. The Dodge Avenger’s bold styling and aggressive looks communicate the performance capability of the Dodge brand’s midsize sedan. ”

The greatest challenge to the Dodge Motorsports Engineering team tasked with the project was maintaining maximum identity of the Dodge Avenger in the new body without forsaking performance on the dragstrip.

“Our team worked within NHRA’s rules to balance aerodynamic performance goals and maximize Dodge Avenger identity,” said Joe Vitous, SRT & Motorsports aero-thermal manager. “The new Mopar Dodge Avenger meets or exceeds the aero goals we established.”

Mopar-powered NHRA Pro Stock drivers, including Team Mopar driver Johnson, worked closely with the Dodge Motorsports Engineering team to ensure that the new Pro Stock Dodge Avenger was large enough to accommodate all safety features, such as the roll cage and quick ingress and egress in case of an emergency. The size of the front door of the Avenger was adjusted to maximize driver safety.

“I’m very excited to race the new Mopar Dodge Avenger,” Johnson commented. “We’ve been racing the Stratus since mid-2003. Just having a change is an upgrade. We feel we’ve been at a disadvantage with some of our competitors who have been racing in newer bodies for the last few years. I was fitted for the new body in late September. NHRA was there, and we spent a lot of time going over the templates. That was exciting. I’m glad we’re going ahead full bore.”

The computer image shows aero streamlines for the new NHRA Pro Stock Dodge Avenger.

NHRA opens fan voting for the Full Throttle Moment Of The Year

NHRA — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:07:00 GMT

NHRA announces creation of new NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series

NHRA — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:47:00 GMT

New series will be recognized as the third competing at national events in 2010

NHRA President Tom Compton, right, and Roger Burgess of ProCare Rx and Get Screened America announced the new series in Las Vegas.
Photo by Roger Richards

What began as an exhibition in 2001 has become a full-fledged series for 2010, it was announced today by NHRA. Made possible by funding from ProCare Rx and its current Get Screened America initiative, the 2010 NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will compete at 10 NHRA Full Throttle Series events and be televised on a tape-delay basis on ESPN2.

“We have been conducting Pro Mod exhibitions for quite some time,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “Clearly, they bring entertainment value to our fans, and we believe now is the time to highlight this popular form of drag racing. Now, competitors can race for the coveted Wally trophy and an NHRA world championship title.”

The formation of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series wouldn’t have been possible without the financial commitment of ProCare Rx and Get Screened America. A multiyear commitment by the group to fund the series made the series possible.

“I want to thank NHRA for working with us and especially Tom Compton for making the bold decision to add a new series that has been talked about for many years,” said Roger Burgess. “I look forward to working with NHRA to grow the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series into a fan favorite for many years to come.”

An integral part of the series will be 10 half-hour broadcasts on ESPN2 on a tape-delay basis. The half-hour shows will air around current NHRA programming on the worldwide leader in sports and will feature competition from the 10 series events. Talent for the shows will be announced at a later date.

With body styles ranging from ’41 Willys to '53 Corvettes, ’57 Chevys to ’70 'Cudas, and first-generation Camaros and Firebirds to profiles as racy as the latest Dodge Viper along with show-quality themed paint jobs, Pro Mods have been crowd-pleasers at NHRA events for several years as an exhibition. With huge slicks at the rear and superchargers poking through the hoods, there’s no doubt that these cars are a whole lot more than souped-up classics.

The inaugural NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will kick off in Gainesville. The schedule includes stops at some of the biggest events on the circuit, including Houston, Madison, Atlanta, Englishtown, Bristol, and Norwalk. In the second half of the season, the 240-mph machines will race at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis and the second Charlotte event and conclude their series at the second Las Vegas event in October.

The series will conform to the NHRA Rulebook, and competitors will race to the quarter-mile. Each event will feature 16-car fields, in which, thanks to the Get Screened America sponsorship, racers will compete for world championship points and an overall purse, including event purses and year-end bonus monies, of $470,000.

In addition to the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA national events feature the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the premier series of the sport, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

2010 NHRA Get Screened Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Schedule
41st annual NHRA Gatornationals	March 11-14	Gainesville, Fla.
23rd annual O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals	April 9-11	Houston
14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals	April 30-May 2	Madison
30th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals	May 14-16	Atlanta
41st annual United Association NHRA SuperNationals	June 10-13	Englishtown
10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals	June 18-20	Bristol
4th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals	June 24-27	Norwalk
56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals	Sept. 1-6	Indianapolis
3rd annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals	Sept. 16-19	Charlotte
10th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals	Oct. 28-31	Las Vegas

Points leads unchanged following Las Vegas event

NHRA — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 GMT

Hight closes on title with win; Massey, Morgan, Hines also victorious

NHRA — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:32:00 GMT

Robert Hight all but locked up his first NHRA Funny Car title when he drove to victory at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, a win that put him 105 points ahead of the rest of his competitors. Hight was joined in the winner’s circle by Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Larry Morgan (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

The championship picture got much clearer in Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle and a lot more complicated in Top Fuel at the second-to-last event in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season. The most interesting race heading into the final event is in Top Fuel, where just one point separates leader Tony Schumacher and second-place Larry Dixon. Cory McClenathan is just 48 markers out of the lead. Hight very likely put the Funny Car title out of reach when he went the distance and his closest competitors fell early. His biggest boost came in round one when he defeated second-place Ashley Force Hood, who is 105 points back. In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards all but clinched the championship. Edwards left Las Vegas 139 points in front of Greg Anderson, the only driver in mathematical contention, meaning Edwards can clinch the title during Pomona qualifying. The Pro Stock Motorcycle championship is now down to two riders, Hector Arana and Eddie Krawiec. The pair met in the semifinals, where Arana came out on top. Though Arana lost in the final, he holds a solid 54-point advantage over Krawiec heading to Pomona.

Spencer Massey

Though he realistically is out of the Top Fuel championship hunt (he has not been mathematically eliminated but would need a miracle), Massey may very well have locked up the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award when he drove Don Prudhomme’s U.S. Smokeless rail to his second win of the season; Massey also won in Chicago. Massey was on a roll through eliminations, capping the day with a 3.827, low e.t. of eliminations, to defeat Dixon in the final. This was a rematch of the Reading final, in which Dixon prevailed.

“I don’t like to think that I should or shouldn’t [win rookie of the year]; I don’t really think like that,” said Massey. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I would like for it to happen, but Shawn [Langdon] is an awesome racer, and so are Matt Hagan and Doug Horne. Obviously, we’ve got a couple of wins now and the points are the points, but there’s a whole lot of different situations and things that happen for the rookie of the year. I don’t know if it draws a line under it or puts a check by my name or whatever, but I’d love to find out at the end of Pomona that it happened that way.

“It’s just unbelievable just being able to get to the final round. Every race car out here is capable of winning races. The competition is so tight out here. Every round was a key round and meant something because for points, we’re down to the wire. And not only for points, but we’re also going for the Wally at the end of the day. It means a whole lot to me personally and to ‘Snake’ and everybody because we’ve been struggling here in the Countdown; we just haven’t been on our game. So it’s nice to come in here and throw down these good numbers and go A to B and not beat ourselves because that’s what we’ve really been doing all year long. We got a handle on it, and now we’ve got some momentum.”

Massey advanced to his fourth final round on the strength of 3.83- to 3.87-second passes. He opened with a 3.83 to oust fellow rookie Langdon, then clocked 3.87 and 3.84 runs to defeat No. 2 qualifier Steve Torrence and Richmond champ Brandon Bernstein.

Dixon just missed taking over the points lead when he came up short in the final, his ninth of the season and 92nd of his career. Dixon, who now sits one point out of first, had a perfect day leading up to the final, in which he smoked the tires. Dixon ran low e.t. of the first two rounds as he dispatched Morgan Lucas and Doug Kalitta. In the semi’s, he had the second-best time of the round, a 3.845 that was only bettered by McClenathan, whom Dixon beat on a holeshot.

Robert Hight

Hight couldn’t have scripted his Las Vegas outing any better. His Auto Club-backed Mustang was the class of the Funny Car field on Sunday, running low e.t. of every round. In the final, Hight powered to a 4.125 to edge Jack Beckman by .012-second for the win. Beckman, who got the jump at the Tree, .058 to .075, finished with a 4.154. The win is the third of the season for Hight and third during the Countdown to 1 playoffs and the 14th of his career.

“To have a 105-point lead going into Pomona, it gives you a lot of confidence, but it’s still not over,” said Hight. “You hate to make predictions, but back when we didn’t qualify in Bristol, I said, ‘This car is too good. This team is too good, and we will still contend for the championship.’ We weren’t even in the top 10, and you wonder when you say that, you know, ‘Ah, those predictions will come back and bite you.’ But anything can happen. We could not qualify in Pomona, and that could be it. But with the way my car is running right now, I’m very confident, and I just know we can go out there and qualify and seal this deal up.

“[Tuner] Jimmy Prock has just done a great job since the Countdown started, really since Indy. Three wins in the Countdown and we’ve only been to five races, so that is stout. It’s all been on performance. We have not gotten lucky, and I’ve not had to pedal the race car; we have just outmuscled these guys. That was a close race in the final. I think our car fell off a little bit. It hurt itself, so we probably got a little lucky there in the final. All the rest of the runs this weekend, though, it was on performance.”

Hight’s big points day got off to a high-pressure start when he was matched with second-place points runner and teammate Force Hood. Hight was up to the task, running a 4.11 to defeat Force Hood, who faded on the top end and slowed to a 4.33. Hight then clocked a 4.12 to defeat boss John Force, who smoked the tires and crossed the centerline while trying to get his car to recover. Hight advanced to his fourth final of the year and 26th of his career when he powered to low e.t. of eliminations, 4.080, to trailer Tim Wilkerson.

Beckman kept himself in mathematical contention with a clutch final-round performance that moved him up two spots in the standings, to fourth. Beckman’s day was the polar opposite of that of Hight as the Don Schumacher Racing driver struggled most of eliminations. In round one, Beckman outpedaled Mike Neff to win the tire-smoking affair on a 4.43 to 4.69 count. The following round, Beckman and teammate Hagan both had troubles; Beckman ultimately came out on top with a 4.21. Beckman’s sluggish runs continued in the semi’s when he clocked a 4.35 to oust a tire-smoking Del Worsham and advance to his fifth final this year and the 17th of his career.

Larry Morgan

Morgan snapped a dry spell that dated back to Sonoma 2002 when he defeated Rickie Jones in the Pro Stock final. Morgan led the final wire to wire, cutting a .012 light and outpowering Jones, 6.72 to 6.79, to claim his 10th win.

“My guys have worked so hard to get where we’re at, but now with this Ford program that we’re working on, I’m not sure how we could keep this Dodge running like we have,” said Morgan. “The best win I ever had was when I won Indy and the [NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge] in 1989 and my oldest boy was born the week before, but this ranks right up there. It was just a great win for us.”

“I threw a hundred dollars in a slot machine and won $1,200, and I thought I might be pretty lucky here. I felt relaxed all day, and everything was going our way. We put ourselves in a position to win, and I guess I drove well enough to beat the bad guys out here.”

Morgan may not be part of the championship chase, but he played a key role in it during eliminations. In round one, Morgan defeated Jason Line, eliminating the Summit driver from championship contention. He then denied Edwards the 2009 world title when he defeated the points leader on a holeshot, 6.72 to 6.67. Morgan advanced to his first final of the year and the 32nd of his career when he drove his Lucas Oil-backed Dodge past Greg Stanfield.

Jones combined solid driving with a solid-running car to advance to the first final of his young career. Jones began the day with a holeshot victory against Vinnie Deceglie, combining a .020 light with a 6.72 to better Deceglie’s .072-initiated 6.69. Jones then ran back-to-back 6.71s to defeat Rodger Brogdon and Ron Krisher to advance to the money round.

Andrew Hines

Hines was mathematically eliminated from Pro Stock Motorcycle championship consideration in the semifinals, but he gave his teammate, Krawiec, a big boost in his bid to win back-to-back titles when he defeated Arana in the final. Arana made things easy when he left with a very early -.144 light. Hines also left before the green with a -.014, but at that point, it didn’t matter. Hines punctuated his win, the third this season and 18th overall, with a 6.998.

“I felt really good today,” said Hines. “For some reason, I get into these races and get all caught up in the battles and rivalries, but today I was relaxed. Today, I didn’t really care. I just went out there to ride and have fun. I had no pressure today.

“In the final, Hector must have been rattled. He did a neutral burnout. He didn’t put the bike in gear, and that’s never a good thing. When I heard that, I had a feeling that I was going to get the win light."

Hines really was the class of the field in eliminations. Though he wasn’t the quickest of the class in his round-one victory over Fred Camarena, Hines was the best of the following three rounds. He clocked a 7.00 to trailer Horne in round two, then blasted to a 6.992, low e.t. of the day, to defeat Matt Smith in the semi’s and advance to his fourth final of 2009 and 31st of his career.

“That was a big round against Matt Smith in the semi’s because he’s my biggest rival," added Hines. "That was for third place, and I think I’ve got it. For some reason, I just knew I needed to get to the final today. It was a little bittersweet to see Hector beat Eddie in the semi’s, but for me to come back and take out Hector gives Eddie a glimmer of hope for the championship.”

Arana extended his lead, boosting it to 54 markers, with his final-round showing. Starting from the No. 1 spot, Arana clocked a series of 7.0s en route to the final, beginning with a 7.05 to defeat Mike Berry. He then put a 7.02 on the boards to end David Hope's day. In the semi’s, Arana won an important match with second-place Krawiec and did so on the starting line, turning a .016 to .032 reaction-time advantage into a 7.039 to 7.028 victory. That gave him a spot in his sixth final of the year and ninth overall.

Related stories:
Friday: Hagan, Dixon, Edwards, Arana lead opening day in Las Vegas
Saturday: Friday leaders remain on point in Las Vegas

NHRA Las Vegas Nationals event notebook

NHRA — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

News and notes from Sunday at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Compiled by the National DRAGSTER staff.

SUNDAY (Previous: Friday I Saturday)
Last update: 5:20 p.m. Pacific (click to latest)

It's race day! (9:45 a.m. Pacific): It's Sunday, time to crown some champions at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, and it's another beautiful day in Las Vegas. Top Alcohol Funny Car just wrapped up their first round of eliminations, and Top Alcohol Dragster is now on the track pairing down the field. Pro Mod round one is next on the agenda, then it's into the first round of the Professional classes.

Schedule update (10:30 a.m. Pacfic): Well, things were going along pretty well and then trouble struck. Racing into the second to last pair of TADs, Dale Carlson oiled the top end of the track pretty good, putting things in a delay. Jim Whiteley and Justin Davis, the final pair of cars are behind the water box at the ready, but the Safety Safari is still working. It appears we are getting closer to running the final pair, but the Pro Mods have been sent back to the pits and will not run before first round of Pros. So, once the track is cleaned up, Whiteley and Davis will run, then it's time for the Pros.

We're racing (11:10 a.m. Pacific): The first pair of Top Fuelers, Thomas Nataas and Doug Kalitta, are on the track.

Top Fuel, round one (11:40 a.m. Pacific): The top five points guys -- Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon, Cory McClenathan, Antron Brown, and Brandon Bernstein -- all advanced out of the opening round, keeping all their title hopes alive. Dixon was best of the round with a 3.834 that gives him lane choice over Doug Kalitta in round two. While those five remain in the championship hunt, first-round losses by Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon mathematically eliminated them from contention. Kalitta was also eliminated when Schumacher won round one.

Second-round pairings (lane choice in bold): Dixon vs. Kalitta, Schumacher vs. McClenathan, Steve Torrence vs. Spencer Massey, and Brown vs. Bernstein.

Funny Car, round one (12:15 p.m. Pacific): Robert Hight won the highly anticipated match with teammate Ashley Force Hood to highlight the opening round. Hight ran low e.t. of the round, 4.114, to defeat Force Hood, who slowed to a 4.33. Hight has another high-profile race in round two, facing boss John Force, who ousted Cruz Pedregon. Mike Neff also fell in the opening round and, as a result, is now mathematically out of the title chase.

Second-round pairings (lane choice in bold): Matt Hagan vs. Jack Beckman, Tony Pedregon vs. Del Worsham, Ron Capps vs. Tim Wilkerson, and Hight vs. Force.

Pro Stock, round one (12: 30 p.m. Pacific): The championship chase is officially down to two drivers: Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson. Jason Line lost to Larry Morgan in round one, eliminating himself from competition, and when Edwards defeated Kurt Johnson in the opening frame, that mathematically ended Jeg Coughlin's hopes. Anderson defeated brother-in-law Ronnie Humphrey, who red-lighted by a huge .145-second margin, to keep his slim hopes alive. Edwards was low of the opening round at 6.655 and will choose his lane against Morgan. Anderson, who posted a 6.679, will have lane choice over Greg Stanfield in round two.

Second-round pairings (lane choice in bold): Edwards vs. Morgan, Anderson vs. Stanfield, Rickie Jones vs. Rodger Brogdon, and Ron Krisher vs. Coughlin.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, round one (12:45 p.m. Pacific): The top four in points -- Hector Arana, Eddie Krawiec, Matt Smith, and Andrew Hines -- all advanced out of the opening round, and they are now the only drivers with a mathematical chance to take this years Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. Karen Stoffer, Shawn Gann, and Craig Treble were all taken out of championship contention based on qualifying results. Doug Horne was eliminated when Arana won the opening round, and Michael Phillips' first-round loss took him out of the championship chase. Krawiec was low of the opening round with a 7.025.

Second-round pairings (lane choice in bold); Arana vs. David Hope, Krawiec vs. Stoffer, Hines vs. Horne, and Smith vs. Gann.

Top Fuel, round two (1:35 p.m. Pacific): The title chase just got a little more interesting after Cory McClenathan defeated points leader Tony Schumacher in a thrilling 3.86 to 3.86 match. Larry Dixon also advanced and is now just 21 points behind Schumacher in the standings. If he is able to go on and win the race, Dixon will take over the points. But first he must get through McClenathan, who is his opponent in the next round; Dixon has lane choice thanks to a 3.84 run. Two other drivers who are still mathematically alive for the championship, Spencer Massey and Brandon Bernstein, will square off in the other semifinal pairing; Massey will select his lane.

Wild start to Funny Car (1:40 p.m. Pacific): The second round of Funny Cars got off to an interesting start when teammates Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan both experienced troubles on their runs. Beckman got the win, but his car started going away on the top end, and he got extremely close to the wall. He was able to keep it off the wall, but the damage done to the engine as he legged it through the finish line left stuff on the track. We are now temporarily on hold while the Safety Safari does its thing.

Funny Car, round two (2 p.m. Pacific): Points leader Robert Hight continues to march on, extending his lead over the field. Hight ran the second-quickest time of the day, 4.125 (only his own 4.11 in round one was better today) to defeat boss John Force, who smoked the tires early then crossed the centerline as he tried to get his car to recover. Hight will have lane choice in the semi's against Tim Wilkerson, who defeated Ron Capps on a holeshot. On the other side of the ladder, Jack Beckman will select his lane against Del Worsham, who won on a huge holeshot against Tony Pedregon, 4.23 to 4.17. With Hight's win, two more drivers, Bob Tasca III and Force, who officially eliminated from contention.

Pro Stock, round two (2:10 p.m. Pacific): The championship will have to wait until Pomona for Mike Edwards. Edwards had a chance to clinch the title when Greg Anderson lost to Greg Stanfield on a holeshot, but he suffered the same fate as his championship rival, losing to Larry Morgan on a holeshot. Edwards still virtually has the title sewn up as he leaves here with a 139-point lead, but he will have to wait two weeks to make it official.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold): Morgan vs. Stanfield and Rickie Jones vs. Ron Krisher.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, round two (2:15 p.m. Pacific): The top four points guys are the final four remaining in competition. Hector Arana defeated David Hope to advance, while Eddie Krawiec bettered Karen Stoffer. Andrew Hines ousted Doug Horne, and Matt Smith defeated Shawn Gann. In the monster match of the semi's, Arana will have lane choice over Krawiec. In the other pairing, Hines, who was low of round two, has lane choice over Smith.

Top Fuel, semifinals (3:30 p.m. Pacific): We have the potential of having a new points leader leaving Las Vegas. Larry Dixon defeated Cory McClenathan in a great 3.84 to 3.84 match and pulled to within one point of leader Tony Schumacher. That means if Dixon wins the final,he will be the points leader heading into the finale in Pomona. To do that, Dixon will need to defeat Spencer Massey, who got past Brandon Bernstein. Massey also clocked a 3.84 on his winning run, but his 3.849 was four ticks slower than Dixon's 3.845, giving Dixon lane choice for the final.

Funny Car, semifinals (3:40 p.m. Pacific): Robert Hight may have just put the championship out of reach of everyone. Hight ran a stunning 4.080 at 312.57, the second fastest speed in 1,000-foot history, to dispatch Tim Wilkerson. The win extends Hight's lead to 85 points at this point; he could potentially enter the final race with a 115-point edge. Hight will have to get past Jack Beckman to do so. Beckman was quite a bit slower than Hight, posting a 4.35, but it was good enough to defeat Worsham, who smoked the tires early. With his loss, Worsham was mathematically eliminated from contention.

Pro Stock, semifinals (3:45 p.m. Pacific): A very unlikely duo makes up the final in Pro Stock: Larry Morgan and Rickie Jones. Morgan defeated Greg Stanfield to advance, and Jones bettered Ron Krisher to earn a spot in his first career final. Jones earned lane choice, 6.716 to 6.729.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, semifinals (3:50 p.m. Pacific): Hector Arana gave himself a huge boost to his title hopes when he defeated points rival Eddie Krawiec on a holeshot, 7.039 to 7.028, to advance to the final. Arana's win eliminated Andrew Hines and Matt Smith from championship contention, leaving just Arana and Krawiec to duke it out in Pomona. Arana enters the final with a 54-point edge, and if he is going to push that to 74, he will need to defeat Hines, who clocked low e.t. of the day, 6.992, to defeat Smith in their semifinal match.

Final rounds (5:20 p.m. Pacific): Spencer Massey, Robert Hight, Larry Morgan, and Andrew Hines claimed top honors at the Las Vegas Nationals. Massey ran low e.t. of the day, 3.827, to defeat Larry Dixon, who smoked the tires early in the Top Fuel final. Hight and Jack Beckman put on quite a show in the Funny Car final with Hight edging Beckman by .012-second, 4.154 to 4.125. Larry Morgan outran Rickie Jones, who was forced to put his own engine in his car for the final after Morgan took back the engine he was leasing to the newcomer, in the Pro Stock final, winning on a 6.72 to 6.79 count. The Pro Stock Motorcycle final was decided on the starting line when Hector Arana went extremely red (-.144).

SATURDAY
Welcome to Saturday (10 a.m. Pacific): It's another beautiful day at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with conditions being a repeat of what we saw yesterday. Racers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series are presently running the first rounds of eliminations in advance of the two Pro qualifying sessions today. Super Stockers are on the track and will be followed by Comp round one and the second qualifying session of Pro Mod, which will also include round one of the Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash. The Pros are scheduled to hit the track for the first of two qualifiers at 11:30 a.m.

A little behind schedule (11:45 a.m. Pacific): Though we aren't quite as delayed as yesterday, we are behind nonetheless again, and the Pro session will be a little later than anticipated. Pro Mods are currently running, and after that, the Pro Stock Motorcycles will be up. The bikes are in the lanes right now getting ready.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session three (12:20 p.m. Pacific): With sun on the track, Hector Arana's 6.979 was never in jeopardy. Eddie Krawiec was best of the session with a 7.023 that bettered his 7.029 from yesterday (he still stays No. 4 on the sheets, though). Krawiec's teammate, Andrew Hines, was second-quickest with a 7.028, and Arana had the third-best time, a 7.069. Entering the final qualifying session later today, Mike Berry sits on the bump at 7.194.

Pro Stock, session three (12:45 p.m. Pacific): Stop us if you've heard this before ... Mike Edwards was best of the session, bringing his bonus qualifying points total to nine out of a possible nine thus far. Edwards clocked a 6.664 that was about two-hundredths better than Ron Krisher, who is leasing an engine from Edwards. Krisher ran a 6.685, while Jason Line was third-best with a 6.698. Steve Spiess holds the all-important 16th spot with a 6.747.

Top Fuel, session three (1:40 p.m. Pacific): Larry Dixon once again showed the way, running a session-best 3.837 to bank three more points. Brandon Bernstein was the second-quickest with a 3.853, and Cory McClenathan was third-best of the session with a 3.862. Troy Buff's 4.035 is the bump spot heading into the final session.

Funny Car, session three (2:10 p.m. Pacific): Matt Hagan continues to show the way in Funny Car; his 4.153 was best of the third session. A couple of surprises behind him as two of hsi fellow non-Countdown drivers earned the rest of the bonus points. Cruz Pedregon was second-best at 4.161, and Jim Head earned one bonus point as the third-quickest driver at 4.168. Bob Bode is the current bump driver with a 4.281.

The semifinals of the Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash is next, followed by qualifying session No. 2 for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. The final qualifying session for the Pros will follow TAFC.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session four (5:20 p.m. Pacific): Hector Arana will start race day from the No. 1 spot as his 6.97 was never seriously challenged. Arana wasn't the quickest of the final session, however. That honor went to Matt Smith, who posted a 7.058. Junior Pippin was the second-quickest rider at 7.087, and Arana was third with a 7.089. Mike Berry remained on the bump.

Pro Stock, session four (5:25 p.m. Pacific): Mike Edwards swept qualifying, posting the quickest time of the final session (6.682) to claim all 12 bonus points. Greg Anderson was next best with a 6.684, and Ron Krisher added another point to his tally with a 6.689 that ranked third. Kurt Johnson landed on the bump at 6.742.

Top Fuel, session four (5:45 p.m. Pacific): Antron Brown was the star of the final session, posting a 3.834 that moved him up to the No. 3 starting spot. Cory McClenathan posted the second-quickest time of the round (3.841), and Tony Schumacher was the third-best driver (3.847). Larry Dixon remained No. 1, and Morgan Lucas slipped down to the bump.

Funny Car, session four (6:35 p.m. Pacific): Matt Hagan's 4.030 remained untouched. Robert Hight was low of the round with a 4.089, followed by Tony Pedregon (4.113) and Bob Tasca III (4.130). The final session included high drama when Ashley Force Hood, second place in points, had to battle her way into the program. She was successful, posting a 4.197 to secure the 14th position. Interestingly, that pairs her with points leader and teammate Hight in round one.

FRIDAY
Welcome to Friday (11:45 a.m. Pacific): Welcome to Friday, day two of the 2009 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at the beautiful The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Currently, the Top Alcohol Funny Cars are ontrack for their first qualifiying session of the weekend. The Alcohol Dragsters will follow their flopper brothren, then it will be Pro Mods for their first shots at The Strip. Pro Stock Motorcycle is after Pro Mod, scheduled right now for 12:30 p.m., though it appears things are a little behind at this point so that may change. Skies are beautiful and sunny with a few whispy, white clouds overhead. Air temps are in the low 60s and the track temperature is listed at 79 right now, leaving many to excitedly wonder what may happen in the coming sessions.

Pro session delayed (12:30 p.m. Pacific): Due to a series of troubles and delays in the two alcohol classes, things are running behind in Las Vegas, and the Pro session, which was slated to begin right now, will be delayed. TAD is still on the dragstrip, making their first qualifying attempts. Pro Mod will follow, then it's into Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Pro Mods on the track (1:05 p.m. Pacific): The Pro Mods are now making their first qualifying passes of the weekend, and Pro Stock Motorcycle is in the lanes.

Pros are running (1:40 p.m. Pacific): The NHRA Full Throttle Pros are now getting their opportunity to run down the dragstrip here in Las Vegas. Eight motorcycles have made their runs, and the remaining riders attempting to make the field are sitting in the lanes waiting to go.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session one (2 p.m. Pacific): Familiar faces are the leaders following the first qualfiying session in Pro Stock Motorcycle with the Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle team and Hector Arana occupying the first three spots. Andrew Hines leads the pack with a 6.990, while points leader Arana is second at 7.020. Eddie Krawiec is currently third at 7.029 seconds. Larry Cook's 7.127 is the 12th spot heading into the second session later today.

Pro Stock, session one (2:20 p.m. Pacific): No big surprise here: Mike Edwards is No. 1 again. Edwards clocked a 6.650 to claim the provisional No. 1 spot. Greg Anderson, who was in the lane next to Edwards, is second at 6.670, and Ron Krisher currently sits third with a 6.676. Steve Spiess holds the 12th spot with a 6.729.

Funny Car, session one (3:15 p.m. Pacific): Robert Hight added to his points lead when he collected the three extra points as the quickest driver in the first session. Hight was far and away the best of the floppers, running a 4.090 that was more than three-hundredths quicker than his nearest competitor. Jack Beckman, the No. 1 qualifier in Richmond, sits second currently with a 4.121, and Tony Pedregon earned an extra point for his 4.133 that was third-quickest of the session. Jeff Diehl enters the second session today in the 12th and final transfer spot with a 4.439.

Top Fuel, session one (4:20 p.m. Pacific): A surprising start to Top Fuel with Steve Torrence, who is making just his third appearance of the year, leading the pack. Torrence ran a 3.831 early in the session, and his run was never really threatened with Shawn Langdon coming closest with a 3.855. Cory McClenathan finished third with a 3.860. Antron Brown is the current No. 12 driver with a 4.227.

Comp is now on the track for a qualifying session. Once Comp is completed, the Pros will be back up.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session two (5:30 p.m. Pacific): Hector Arana jumped to the top of the sheets with a 6.979. Andrew Hines slipped to second after he didn't bettter his 6.990 from earlier in the day; he was third-quickest of the session with a 7.015. Matt Smith was second-quickest of the second session with a 7.000 that places him third on the sheets. Steve Johnson is the final racer whose time with transfer over as he occupies the No. 12 spot with a 7.106.

Pro Stock, session two (6 p.m. Pacific): Mike Edwards just delivered a knock-out blow to his competitors with a track-record 6.623 that was close to four-hundredths better than everyone else. Vinnie Deceglie is a surprising No. 2 at 6.660, and Ron Krisher sits third with a 6.668. Greg Stanfield earned the final transfer spot with a 6.693.

Funny Car, session two (6:40 p.m. Pacific): Matt Hagan led a blistering Funny Car session that included some of the quickest and fastest runs in 1,000-foot history. Hagan clocked a 4.030 to grab the pole. On the run, he also posted the fastest speed in history, 313.88. Hagan's teammate Ron Capps was second-quickest with a 4.041, and Robert Hight, the leader of session one, was third best at 4.065.

Top Fuel, session two (7:35 p.m. Pacific): Larry Dixon, who has qualified No. 1 at all Countdown to 1 events so far is once again leading the dragsters after he powered to a 3.805 in the second session. He leads first-session frontrunner Steve Torrence, who had troubles on his second run and didn't better his 3.831. Tony Schumacher jumped to third with a 3.839, and Shawn Langdon, who began the session in second, slipped to third. Norwegian competitor Thomas Nataas ended up fifth with a 3.859.

Friday leaders remain on point in Las Vegas

NHRA — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:35:00 GMT

Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) helped their bids for the 2009 world championships in their classes when they held onto the No. 1 qualifying spots at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Rookie Matt Hagan also maintained his hold of the top spot in Funny Car.

All four drivers kept their leads on the runs they posted in the quick late-day session Friday, runs that were never really in jeopardy on Saturday. Antron Brown posted the best time of the day in Top Fuel, running a 3.834, but he was still about three-hundredths off the 3.805 Dixon ran Friday to grab the pole. Robert Hight had the best Funny Car lap on Saturday, but his 4.089 was well slower than Hagan’s 4.030. Edwards was the best car of Saturday with a 6.664 that lagged about four-hundredths behind his pole-setting 6.623. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec was tops of the day with a 7.023 in the early session, but as was the case in the other classes, that was quite a bit below Arana’s No. 1 time of 6.979.

Larry Dixon

Dixon remained perfect in qualifying in the Countdown to 1 races, collecting his fifth straight No. 1 start, his ninth of the season, and the 40th of his career. He also added another three bonus points for a total of six on the weekend, which is the amount by which Dixon was able to trim Tony Schumacher’s lead, from 47 points to 41.

“You can pick up the nickels and the pennies and all that kind of points in qualifying, but you get 20 points a round on race day, and that’s what makes a big chunk,” said Dixon. “At this point, I’m not looking any further than Morgan Lucas [in the first round]. It’s a great car. It’s a Countdown car, so you’ve just got to go in there and race your own race and not get ahead of yourself. We’ve just got to go up there and race Morgan Lucas and go to the next round and just hope that you can get the round-wins. If we’re fortunate enough to go on to win the race, then obviously we’ll have made up some ground.

“This is a great racetrack. You get to see some great numbers go up on the board, whether the sun’s out or it’s nighttime. And the fans are great. We obviously love what we do, but when you roll up to the starting line, you’re sitting up in the water, and you look out and see the stands full, that makes you proud of what you do for a living.”

Though he struggled on both runs Saturday, Steve Torrence remained second thanks to his 3.831 Friday. Brown jumped up to third, and Tony Schumacher slipped to fourth when he couldn’t better his 3.839. Cory McClenathan grabbed the fifth spot when he improved to a 3.841 in the final session. Brandon Bernstein, Shawn Langdon, and Norway’s Thomas Nataas round out the quick eight. Nataas is one of three European races who made the field; Switzerland’s Urs Erbacher qualified 13th, and Denmark racer Stig Neergaard secured the 14th position.

Morgan Lucas was the final driver to qualify for the program, posting a 16th-best 3.978; he faces Dixon in round one. Points leader Schumacher has Erbacher in round one. Dixon and Schumacher are on the same side of the ladder, creating a potential meeting in the semifinals.

With 26 Top Fuelers on the grounds, 10 were relegated to the sidelines after qualifying. Among them were Mike Strasburg, Troy Buff, and Chris Karamesines, a regular qualifier this year.

Matt Hagan

With rookie of the year balloting underway, Hagan made a strong push for voters to consider him when he secured his second No. 1 start of the season; he was also the top qualifier in Sonoma in July. Hagan showed his strong run Friday was no fluke when he paced Saturday’s early session with a 4.153, setting him up for what he hopes will be another good day on Sunday.

“We’ve had a great weekend so far, and the only way for us to top this off is with a win tomorrow,” said Hagan. “This is a good team and a good car, and we showed that we can run in the heat this morning and we’ve got a good tune-up. I think that’s what Tommy [DeLago, crew chief] is going to do tomorrow. I think he’s going to go right back to what we did this morning and make it go right down the track. That’s what I’m looking forward to, and hopefully our plan will come together and work for us.”

“I would love to come out here and win [the rookie of the year award], but if it doesn’t happen, you know that you got beat by the better guy — that’s the same way as winning on the dragstrip in the morning. I think there’s definitely some talent out here. I think all the rookies are learning and growing together. As the year has gone along, I think you can see us all polish our driving skills and really focus more on what we have to do to get these cars and motorcycles down the track.”

Ron Capps stayed No. 2 on the strength of his 4.041 Friday. Robert Hight held onto the third spot at 4.065, and Tony Pedregon will start Sunday from the fourth position thanks to a 4.098 run Friday. Bob Tasca III, Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, and Jack Beckman are the other top-half starters.

Saturday’s final session included a fair amount of drama when Ashley Force Hood had to battle her way into the field. Force Hood moved into the top 16 in the first session of the day, but by the time she pulled up for her final attempt, she had been bumped out. Force Hood’s team was up to the challenge, clocking a 4.197 that places her 14th on the sheets. Interestingly, that gives her a first-round date with teammate and points rival Hight.

Grant Downing ended up on the bump with a 4.211. Downing, who also qualified for the field in Indy, will face Hagan in round one. There were 19 floppers at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leaving three drivers outside the field: Jeffrey Diehl, Bob Bode, and Jerry Toliver.

Mike Edwards

Edwards swept the qualifying points for the weekend, running the quickest time of every session. The 12 bonus points he earned added to the regular qualifying points extended Edwards’ lead to 139 points, meaning he needs to go just one round further than Greg Anderson and Jason Line, who is 168 markers back, to clinch the world championship. All three are on the same side of the ladder, meaning there could potentially be some high-stakes pairings on Sunday. If all three advance out of round one, Edwards and Line would meet in the second round. Edwards and Anderson would square off in the semi’s if both are able to advance that far.

“We’re looking to try and seal the deal,” said Edwards, who has 15 No. 1 starts this season. “This is a huge thing for us, and we’re all excited about it. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, and hopefully we can fulfill our dreams. No matter the outcome, it’s been an extraordinary year for us. We’ve worked real hard, and now we’re in a position to do something we’ve never been able to do. Maybe we can get it done tomorrow.

“You just go into it like it’s another first round, like you’ve done all season long. You just have to focus, do your job, and hope for the best. It’s just like every other race. There’s a lot riding on it, but that’s just what you’ve got to do.”

Vinnie Deceglie remained second overall with his 6.66 from Friday; it is the best starting spot in his short Pro Stock career. Ron Krisher, who leases engines from Edwards, starts race day from the third spot. Anderson is fourth, followed by Johnny Gray, Allen Johnson, Rodger Brogdon, and Larry Morgan. Line qualified ninth and thus has Morgan in round one.

Kurt Johnson struggled during the weekend but still managed to slip into the field, occupying the 16th and final starting spot with a 6.742. Johnson will have the task of battling Edwards in round one. Anderson meets brother-in-law and quasi-teammate Ronnie Humphrey.

Five racers missed the field: Matt Hartford, Steve Spiess, V. Gaines, Gordie Rivera, and Danny Gruninger.

Hector Arana

Arana will lead the two-wheel contingent into race day for the seventh time this season and the fifth time in the last seven events. More importantly, Arana added to his lead in the championship chase, using a combination of qualifying bonus points and regular qualifying points to push his advantage from 28 points to 34 entering the first round.

“Every point counts,” said Arana. “We did try something new for today, and we struggled a little bit. The power is there. Now, I need to sit down and analyze everything and make a decision on what I want to do for tomorrow.

“Everything’s happening so fast this year. I qualified No. 1 in 1994, I believe, and then I went through a dry spell, and now I have seven this year, so it’s awesome. I know that Eddie Krawiec is on my side of the ladder, so I just got to stay focused. All I need to do is stay consistent on my lights, and I should prevail.”

Andrew Hines, the quickest rider in the third qualifying session, remained second on the strength of his 6.99 from Friday night. Matt Smith, who had the best run of the final session, stayed third with his 7.00 run from Friday. Eddie Krawiec improved during the third qualifying session, posting a 7.023 that bettered his 7.029, and that kept him fourth on the sheets. Karen Stoffer, Junior Pippin, Michael Phillips, and David Hope round out the top half of the field.

Mike Berry earned the final spot in the field with a 7.194 and will face Arana in the opening round. Also of note, Larry Cook returned to competition after a nine-year break and successfully made the show, posting a 7.165 to claim the 14th starting spot. Cook will pair up with Smith in round one. Six riders missed the field, including regular Bailey Whitaker.

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Friday: Hagan, Dixon, Edwards, Arana lead opening day in Las Vegas

Hagan, Dixon, Edwards, Arana lead opening day in Las Vegas

NHRA — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:33:00 GMT

While much focus was on Countdown to 1 contenders entering the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, a non-Countdown racer stole the headlines Friday. Matt Hagan jumped the top in Funny Car on the strength of the fastest run in history. Joining Hagan as No. 1 qualifiers were championship runners Larry Dixon, Mike Edwards, and Hector Arana.

The penultimate event in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series got off to a somewhat slow start with a series of delays throughout the day spacing the action out and pushing the second session from a late-afternoon one to a night affair. That meant cool temperatures — track temps were in the upper 70s when the two Pro Stock classes ran and dipped into the low 70s when the nitro cars rolled up — and quick conditions on which many racers capitalized. Track records fell in nearly every class. In Funny Car, both track marks were reset by Hagan, who posted a 4.030 at 313.88 mph. Hagan’s speed was the fastest ever recorded in NHRA 1,000-foot history, and his e.t. was the fourth quickest ever. Edwards’ pole-setting 6.623 at 207.75 mph reset both ends of the Pro Stock track record. Andrew Hines set a new standard for speed in Pro Stock Motorcycle at 192.25 mph, and Arana matched the e.t. record with the 6.979 that garnered him the No. 1 spot.

Larry Dixon

Dixon has been perfect in qualifying in Countdown to 1 races, and he kept his hopes of keeping that record intact when he powered his Alan Johnson Racing/Al-Anabi dragster to the top spot in Top Fuel with a 3.805. If Dixon’s run holds through Saturday, it would be his ninth No. 1 of the season and 40th of his career.

“I didn’t know it was going to run that good,” said Dixon. “When we spun the tires the first run today, I figured they might calm it down just to make sure we got down the track and got qualified and all that. That’s a great run for the Al-Anabi team. His Highness Sheik Kalid is in the house this week. There’s a lot on the line the next two weeks, so we’re out there trying to do our best.

“Without the qualifying bonus points, being more than two rounds of racing out against a car like [Tony] Schumacher’s, you couldn’t make up the points in two races. I know there was one race where we made up 12 points, there was one where we made up seven points, and they obviously start adding up. It would be tough to make up ground if we didn’t have that. Alan [Johnson, team owner] and Jason [McCulloch, crew chief] and everybody on the Al-Anabi team is really trying to do everything we can. We’re trying to not leave anything on the table because it’s not going to do any good to talk in the wintertime about what-ifs.”

Steve Torrence, who is making just his third appearance of ’09, is the surprise No. 2 qualifier. Torrence led the first session with a 3.831, and although he couldn’t better it in the night session, it was good enough to stay second. Tony Schumacher moved to third with a 3.839, and Shawn Langdon, the second-place driver after session one, slipped to fourth when he didn’t improve upon his 3.855. Norwegian runner Thomas Nataas made his presence known with a 3.859 that places him fifth entering Saturday.

Another foreign driver, Urs Erbacher, holds down the final transfer spot after posting a 12th-best 3.927. Countdown to 1 racer Morgan Lucas is among the 14 drivers who head into Saturday not yet qualified. Dave Grubnic is also on the list of nonqualifiers at this point.

Matt Hagan

Hagan continued his strong history at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that began with a final-round showing at the Spring event and continued with the provisional No. 1 spot after Friday night’s lightning-quick session. After Hagan’s teammate Capps set the bar with a blistering 4.041 in the very first pair of Funny Cars, the rookie of the year contender one-upped him with the 4.030 that puts Hagan on his way to his second career No. 1 start.

“This track has always been good to me,” said Hagan. “I’ve raced here before in Pro Mod, and I got my license here, so this track has got quite a few memories for me. Hopefully, we can take a Wally home this weekend. We’ve got a great race car. Tommy [DeLago, crew chief] is doing his job tuning the car. Hopefully, I can do my job driving the car, and when we put two and two together, it ought to add up. I know we’ve got a fast hot rod, and we’ve got a lot of good data from when we were here at the beginning of the year, so hopefully we can go out there and run some good numbers.

“It was a great, smooth run. I didn’t have to drive it around a whole lot. It just went out there and did what it was supposed to do; it went right down the track. I drove it a little bit far, but when it feels that good, it’s hard to pull your foot out of it. Tommy DeLago, I can’t say enough about that guy. I got the easy job. I just hang on to this thing. Sometimes it can be more difficult than you think, but other times, it just runs right down through there, and that’s what it did tonight.”

Capps’ 4.04 held for the second spot on the sheets. First-session leader Robert Hight bettered his earlier time, running a 4.065 under the lights, but he still dropped to third. Tony Pedregon was the final driver to dip in the 4.0s, clocking a 4.098 to secure the fourth spot for now. Bob Tasca III, Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, and Jack Beckman round out the quick eight.

The 12th and final transfer spot went to Del Worsham, who posted a 4.155. The list of nonqualifiers includes one big surprise: Ashley Force Hood, the second-place points runner who has been a consistently strong qualifier all season long. Joining Force Hood on the list of racers who enter Saturday outside the field is Memphis champ Jeff Arend and series regular Jerry Toliver.

Mike Edwards

Edwards continued his reign of terror in Pro Stock, wheeling his Young Life/ART Pontiac to a crushing 6.623 that put him nearly four-hundredths ahead of his competition. Edwards is now halfway to his 15th No. 1 start of the season and a possible eighth straight start from the top of the ladder. The six bonus points he collected today also put him within 19 points, or less than a round, of clinching the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world championship.

“Our lead isn’t very big — this is Pro Stock, and there’s no quit in these guys out here,” said Edwards. “It’s not over. I promise you Greg Anderson and Jason Line and Jeggie they’re still after this, so we’ve just got to keep focused and try to do our best. We’ll come out here tomorrow and race the track and race the conditions and hopefully we can stay in front.

“It’s been quite a season, and to come here and run like this tonight, hats off to my guys. They’re doing a really great job here. Ever since Richmond, my guys at the shop have been fired up and they’ve been nonstop and they found some more for us. It’s just unbelievable what those guys are doing right now. This car is extremely fast, and I’m just so proud of my whole team. It’s a great feeling to work with a bunch of great guys. Like I’ve been telling you guys, I’m living my dream, and it’s close to coming true.”

Vinnie Deceglie, who sat out much of the season to be with his ailing wife, is the big surprise in Las Vegas, sitting second with a 6.660. Ron Krisher slid into the third spot with a 6.668 and is followed by Greg Anderson’s 6.670 and Johnny Gray’s 6.677.

Greg Stanfield’s 6.693 was 12th-best of the day and will be the final time that will carry over to Saturday. Among the drivers who enter the final qualifying day not in the show are consistent qualifiers Kurt Johnson, Ronnie Humphrey, Ryan Ondrejko, and Steve Spiess. Rickie Jones, who is making his return to competition after a three-race hiatus, is also on the outside entering the final two sessions.

Hector Arana

Arana parked his Lucas Oil-backed Buell in a familiar spot, atop the Pro Stock Motorcycle sheets. Beginning with the Brainerd event in August, Arana has qualified No. 1 or No. 2 each outing, and if his 6.979 holds through Saturday’s two sessions, it would be his seventh No. 1 of the year and fifth in seven events.

“Running the .97, it released a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” said Arana, who added four more points to his lead when he collected five qualifying bonus points to one for second-place Eddie Krawiec. “On the first run, the bike stalled, so [new crew member] Dan Gonzales had his challenge right there to go and change the starter and make sure the motor was in the right position and get it started, so he passed that test. Then, we studied the run and made the adjustments necessary.

“For 20 years, I’ve been working at this and wanting this. I’ve wanted to do well and have the fans love me and to know who Hector Arana is, and I am accomplishing those things. It’s an awesome feeling. I’m not going to worry about [the championship] too much because I don’t want to lose my concentration. I just want to keep my focus.”

First-session leader Andrew Hines dropped a spot to second after he was unable to improve on his 6.990, though his 7.015 was good enough to give him one qualifying bonus point for the second session for a total of four for the day. Matt Smith jumped from fifth to third when he powered to a 7.000 on his second run, and Krawiec slipped from third to fourth when he couldn’t better the 7.029 he clocked in session one.

Steve Johnson’s 7.106 was good enough for the 12th spot, making it the final time that will transfer over to Saturday. Twenty-two bikes are in Las Vegas, meaning 10 enter Saturday outside the field and needing to make a strong run to qualify for the 16-bike show. Among those who enter Saturday not yet qualified are Fred Camarena, who ran a career-best 7.111 that put him just outside the top 12, and Bailey Whitaker, who has been a regular fixture on the Full Throttle tour this season.

New starts times for Vegas TV, NHRA Raceday show

NHRA — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:56:00 GMT

NHRA statement regarding the closure of Memphis Motorsports Park

NHRA — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:49:00 GMT

With the announcement by Dover Motorsports Inc. today that it will close Memphis Motorsports Park, NHRA has released the following statement:

“On behalf of all NHRA racers, fans, and sponsors, we are very disappointed to learn about Dover Motorsports Inc.’s decision to close Memphis Motorsports Park. We had been in discussions with the management team at Dover Motorsports regarding the track’s future in recent weeks and were aware that this action was a possibility. We appreciate the great support we received from the fans throughout the western Tennessee region as well as the cooperation from all those who worked at the facility.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Dover Motorsports group and conducting the national event at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison. At this time, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule for 2010 will be reduced to 23 events.”

Honeywell Consumer Products Group extends multilevel sponsorship program with NHRA

NHRA — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Honeywell Consumer Products Group has extended its association with NHRA, it was announced today by NHRA officials. In the contract-extension agreement, Honeywell has renewed two official sponsorships and will continue to sponsor the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

As part of the multi-tiered contract, Fram automotive filters has extended its association as the official filter of NHRA, and sister brand Prestone will continue its status as the official antifreeze/coolant of NHRA.

As NHRA official sponsors, the Fram and Prestone brands will receive visibility at all NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events.

“Honeywell Consumer Products Group has been a proud sponsor of NHRA for nearly 25 years,” said Kelley O’Donnell, director of Global Coolants/ Motorsports Products at Honeywell CPG. “We know NHRA fans are passionate about this sport, and so are we. Our engineers are dedicated to providing technology that helps vehicles on the track and off.”

“We value Honeywell Consumer Products Group’s commitment to the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president-sales & marketing, NHRA. “As one of NHRA’s longest participating sponsors, Honeywell has clearly demonstrated how to effectively utilize event, team, and official sponsorships in promoting its numerous brands. We are looking forward to continuing to provide the Fram and Prestone brands optimum marketing value and return on investment through their association with NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing.”

Honeywell has been a major sponsor of NHRA dating back as far as 1985, marking more than two decades that the Fram, Prestone, and Autolite brands have been in the sport. Fram and Autolite started sponsoring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event in Sonoma in 1991, making next season the 20th year of the association with the Northern California event that is a part of the famous Western Swing. In 2010, the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals is scheduled for July 16-18.

“Our relationship with Honeywell and the Fram and Autolite brands is among the most valued and long-standing in the raceway’s history. We appreciate their terrific support of our NHRA Full Throttle event and are delighted to see this sponsorship extend into future seasons,” said Steve Page, president and general manager, Infineon Raceway.

Honeywell Consumer Products Group, a division of Honeywell International Inc., has headquarters in Danbury, Conn. Its leading automotive-care products include Fram oil, air, transmission, and fuel filters; Autolite spark plugs, ignition wire sets, and glow plugs; Prestone antifreeze and car-care products; and Holts car care. It maintains R&D capabilities in the United States and Europe and has a manufacturing footprint in 10 countries. For more information, log on to www.honeywellcpg.com.

Elite Motorsports to sponsor Jones for final two events

NHRA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:10:00 GMT

Rickie Jones and his Quarter-Max Pro Stock team have entered into a two-race partnership with Elite Motorsports, beginning at this weekend’s NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and extending through the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona in two weeks. Elite Motorsports (www.DallasMotorsports.net) is a leader in sales and purchases of complete race operations as well as a major dealer of race cars, trailers, haulers, engines, and more. It is also the exclusive dealer of RJ Race Cars.

“We’re excited to have Elite Motorsports onboard for Vegas and Pomona,” said Jones. “They run a quality operation, and they are great people to work with. Elite Motorsports is a one-stop shop for many of your major racing needs. Richard Freeman [owner of Elite Motorsports] has really made a presence for himself within drag racing over the last few years, and I’m happy to have Elite Motorsports along for these last two events.”

Said Freeman, “We’re proud to sponsor Rickie Jones. He is a talented young driver with an up-and-coming team, and I am glad we can be a part of that for the remainder of the 2009 season.”

Jones opted to take a break from the tour following his appearance at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in September. After his three-race hiatus, Jones is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel.

“I’m really glad that we are coming back for the final two events. We haven’t been out since the Charlotte race, but we’re ready to jump back in and finish the season out strong. Hopefully, with the help of Elite Motorsports, we can do just that.”

Golden Boy Promotions, Quaker State to stage Rumble at The Strip Oct. 31

NHRA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Boxing icon and current Welterweight world champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley, Junior Welterweight contender “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, and world-renowned boxing promoter Golden Boy Promotions will stage a boxing exhibition at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway pits Saturday, Oct. 31, the final day of qualifying at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

Mosley will be joined by fellow Golden Boy boxer Ortiz and two-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world champion Tony Pedregon for a meet-and-greet with fans from 2 to 3:30 p.m. that will coincide with a series of sparring sessions by up-and-coming Golden Boy Promotions boxers in a full-size boxing ring in the southeast corner of the pits near the grandstand.

The boxers participating in the sparring session will be Fight Night Club series fighters Luis Ramos Jr., Charles Huerta, Ronny Rios, and David Rodela.

After the meet-and-greet, Mosley and Ortiz will be escorted to the starting line to get an up-close-and-personal taste of NHRA’s nitromethane-powered, 7,000-horsepower Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters.

The event is made possible by Golden Boy Promotions and Quaker State and is being hosted by NHRA and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Plenty of drama as title battles come into focus in Vegas

NHRA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:36:00 GMT

As the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs, comes to the season’s penultimate race in Las Vegas, each Professional category in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series features its own dramatic storyline.

In Top Fuel, every championship contender is gunning to remove a category dominator from the throne he has held for the past five seasons.

In Funny Car, a female driver is trying to make history and become the first of her gender to win a world championship crown in the wildly unpredictable category that her father has dominated for most of two decades. To do it, she’ll need to stop five other men who are also in contention, including one multi-time champ, her former driving instructor, a teammate, last season’s series runner-up, and a driver who has finished second in the championship standings three times.

In Pro Stock, a highly spiritual and mild-mannered journeyman in the 200-mph category is having a dream season and is on the verge of winning his much-sought-after first series title. Only a three-time champ stands in his way.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, another popular veteran has emerged as the rider to beat in the competitive two-wheel category and is eight rounds from making his lifetime dream come true. He will need to hold off the defending world champ to make it happen.

Those story lines and many more will unfold at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, at the spectacular Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, is the 23rd of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series for 2009, and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs.

Tony Schumacher

Tony Schumacher is in a familiar place as the series leader in Top Fuel with two races to go. The U.S. Army dragster driver has won the last five championship titles and six overall and appears poised to add another trophy to his collection. He has raced to five victories this season and holds a 47-point advantage over two-time champ Larry Dixon entering the final two races. Veteran driver Cory McClenathan (68 points back), regular-season champ Antron Brown (81 back), and Virginia winner Brandon Bernstein (120 back) are all realistically in the championship mix.

“Legitimately, there's two or three, probably four cars that can still win the championship, and it’s going to come down to, you know, you’re still in charge of your own destiny,” said Dixon, also a five-time winner this season in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster. “If you go out there and you win out those two races, you’ve done as much as you can do and hope it’s enough and try and get the Full Throttle championship.”

Though Schumacher was the driver who won the championship the past five years, Dixon’s current teammates were the ones who provided Schumacher with the outstanding car.

“I’ve read and heard [Tony] say he gets pumped up when he races us, and a lot of the guys on that team are his old team,” Dixon said. “But for me, when I look over, it’s still the Army car, and he’s still got the No. 1 on it. So I’m trying to do everything I can to help change that.”

Robert Hight

Robert Hight has made an incredible leap in the playoffs, powering his Auto Club Ford Mustang from 10th to first in the Funny Car points standings with victories in Charlotte and Dallas. He holds a 13-point lead over Ashley Force Hood, his teammate, who is trying to become the first woman in NHRA history to win a championship in the 7,000-horsepower category. Her father, John Force, has won 14 series championships since 1990.

Also in the mix are two-time champ and former Force teammate Tony Pedregon, three-time series runner-up Ron Capps, last season’s series runner-up Tim Wilkerson, and former drag racing instructor Jack Beckman.

All six drivers are separated by 86 points. Bob Tasca III is also still hanging by a mathematical thread in his Motorcraft Quick Lane Shelby Mustang at 103 points back.

Force Hood knows the competition for the title is insane, arguably the most intense of any of the four Pro categories. She’s just glad to be in position to be a part of it.

“It’s the best spot that we could be in,” Force Hood said. “At the beginning of the year when we have our big team meetings and we get ready to head off to the Winternationals, that’s always our goal. Obviously Robert and I are not the only ones, but we are 1 and 2. So [the others] are going to have to catch up and go around us. If we can just keep doing what we have been doing and not have anything go wrong, no mistakes, no mess-ups, the tuners can get Vegas and Pomona figured out as far as the tune-up and how they want to set up the car, we will just better our chances of getting the championship.”

Mike Edwards

Mike Edwards can wrap up his first Pro Stock world championship in Las Vegas if he can go two rounds more than three-time champ Greg Anderson. Edwards, who earned a perfect 150-point race total at the last event in Virginia by producing a stunning national record elapsed time of 6.509 seconds, has had an incredible season behind the wheel of his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP. He has earned five race victories and 14 No. 1 qualifying positions to hold a 128-point advantage over Anderson entering the final two stops on the tour.

“I’m thinking [championship], but I don’t have it yet,” Edwards said. “It’s close, but you’ve still got to stay focused. You’ve still got to keep your goals ahead. Those two Summit cars are going to be burning the midnight oil to try and get back up there with me. I’m not going to count my chickens yet before they hatch. But I’m living my dream right now, and I’m real close to it.”

Hector Arana

Like Edwards, Hector “the Hammer” Arana can make his lifelong Pro Stock Motorcycle dream a reality with strong performances on his Lucas Oil Buell at the final two races. He leads defending series champ Eddie Krawiec by 28 points. Much like Edwards, he is a veteran in his category who has always showed promise but never claimed the big prize. Also like Edwards, he is producing amazing performances on the track this season. In Memphis earlier this month, he lowered the national elapsed time record to 6.851 seconds.

“I’m really pleased with the performance of the bike and this S&S motor,” said Arana, who has won five races this season, including the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil and the first two playoff races in Charlotte and Dallas. “It's a helluva piece, and [Pro Stock driver] Larry Morgan’s guys are working hard to keep me winning rounds and races and the title, something we’ve always dreamed of. It’s amazing how everything has turned around for me to win five races this season; now I just need to win [two] more and I’ll be good.”

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 31. On Sunday, Nov. 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will feature NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 2:30 p.m. ET and three hours of eliminations coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET.

August to double down in Top Fuel, TAFC this weekend

NHRA — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:03:00 GMT

Ron August Jr. will be pulling double duty by driving in two classes at this weekend’s 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. August will make his second Top Fuel appearance behind the wheel of one of Mitch King’s entries and drive his family-owned Top Alcohol Funny Car. Both entries are backed by Lescure Co.

“This is a dream come true,” said August. “I never really thought I’d get a chance to compete in Top Fuel, let alone in two classes at the same race. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

August earned his Top Fuel license in one of King’s entries shortly before the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil and drove a brand-new McKinney dragster at the event, missing the field when Clay Millican knocked him out of the No. 16 position in the final qualifying session. His odds of getting into the show in Las Vegas won’t be much better with 26 drivers entered, but August has faith in King’s Paul Smith-led team and has one clearly defined goal for the event.

“I want to be racing both cars on Sunday,” said August. “It’s not going to be easy in either class, but I know what both teams are capable of. I’m not going into this race with delusions of taking on someone like [Tony] Schumacher in the final round, but I think we can get the dragster in the show and be competitive. We’ve had a tough year with the alcohol car, and I’m trying to get that back to the level we were at before.”

August has been successful with the alcohol car in Las Vegas, winning the spring event in 2006 and scoring a Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event win in 2007. He will join Pat Austin (who twice doubled with wins in Top Fuel and Top Alcohol Funny Car), Morgan Lucas, Gary Scelzi, and Mitch King Motorsports teammate Del Cox Jr. as drivers who have competed in a nitro and alcohol category at the same event. His doing so this weekend and two weeks later at the season-ending event in Pomona will be especially frantic for the 45-year-old from Pleasanton, Calif., because he works on and tunes his alcohol car in addition to driving.

“I’m sure there will be times when it gets busy,” said August. “Fortunately, there are good people on both teams, and I don’t have to worry about anything except driving on Mitch’s car. Going back and forth between driving each car shouldn’t be too bad. I have so many runs in the alcohol car that it’s kind of second nature, and I’m getting more comfortable in the dragster. I just have to remember not to release the clutch when I’m staging the alcohol car or reach between my legs for the reverser in the dragster.

“I’m just really grateful for the chance to do this. Mike and Susan Lescure have stepped up a bunch for me, and Mitch has given us a great opportunity. I also couldn’t do this without the support of my parents; my son, Christian; and our business, California Air. We’re working on next year, and I’d love to be able to race Top Fuel at five to seven races and still run the alcohol car at Division 7 races and a few national events. Whatever happens, I’m just lucky to be out here doing this.”

This story is copyright 2009 National Hot Rod Association. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted in any form without the express written permission of NHRA.com.

Don Schumacher Racing acquires assets of Matco Tools Top Fuel team

NHRA — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:25:00 GMT

Tony Schumacher, left. will reunite with former Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown following DSR's purchase of the Matco Top Fuel team.

Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) has acquired the racing assets of the Antron Brown-driven Matco Tools Top Fuel team from Mike Ashley Racing. The sale is effective immediately and continues the long-standing relationship between Matco Tools and Don Schumacher Racing.

The Matco Tools team will remain intact with Brown piloting the bright blue Matco-backed rail tuned by Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald. The team will next compete at the ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Matco Tools Iron Eagle Club hospitality also will remain unchanged for the remainder of the 2009 NHRA season.

"The opportunity recently arose to purchase the assets of Mike Ashley Racing, and it was something we felt we couldn't pass up," said Schumacher. "We at DSR have had a longtime association with Matco Tools, and to be able to continue our relationship with that company through a primary sponsorship of one of our teams is invaluable to everyone involved.

"I welcome back Antron to our team as well as Brian Corradi. Antron did a wonderful job riding the U.S. Army motorcycle, and he has since developed into an outstanding Top Fuel racer. He has always been a great representative for his sponsors, so I know he will continue to be an excellent spokesperson not only for Matco Tools, but for DSR as well.”

Brown returns to DSR following five years of riding the U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle Suzuki to six wins for Don Schumacher Racing from 2003 to 2007. The former college track star won 16 races and earned 11 poles on his Suzuki during 10 seasons in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks before making the jump to Top Fuel in 2008. Corradi also has worked with DSR, as tuner on two Top Fuel dragster teams.

Brown has driven the Matco Tools dragster to five wins in nine final-round appearances this season. In July, he became just the seventh Professional driver to sweep the grueling Western Swing (Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma). Brown also has seven No. 1 qualifying awards and has posted top speed of the meet at 13 races this season. Brown clocked the fastest run at 1,000-foot racing at 319.75 mph in Bristol in May and holds the NHRA national speed mark at 319.60 mph. He has 23 wins and is the only racer in NHRA history to win races and lead the standings in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

“This is a great opportunity to make this Matco Tools Top Fuel team even stronger,” Brown said. “I worked at DSR, and Don gives his teams everything they need to win championships. It’s great to have some stability for our team, and joining DSR is going to give our Matco team even more resources to win this championship this year and for many years to come. We’re excited to get back to racing for Matco and DSR this weekend at Vegas.”

'Aussie Dave' Grubnic returns to Top Fuel ranks in Las Vegas

NHRA — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:46:00 GMT

Dave Grubnic

Dave Grubnic will return to Top Fuel competition at this weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to helm the Hawaiian Industrial Structures Top Fuel dragster for Kalitta Motorsports.

In 2006, longtime Kalitta Motorsports supporter Dan Hayes founded Hawaiian Industrial Structures Inc., of which he is president and CEO, to meet the needs of the growing metal building industry in Honolulu. The company has a dynamic erection crew, excavation and site work crew, sales and office staff. Its success is attributed to maintaining employment of qualified and experienced employees who have the knowledge and skills to provide professional results and to maintaining a quality line of vendors.

Grubnic, 47, drove a Top Fueler for Kalitta Motorsports at three NHRA national events (Brainerd, Reading, and Indianapolis) in 2009 and full-time from 2004 to 2008, but he has been sidelined for much of this season due to budget constraints. He has two NHRA national event wins in 14 final-round appearances in his 14-year Top Fuel career. In May 2005, he became the first racer born outside of North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He resides in Ennis, Mont.

“I can’t say thank you enough to Dan Hayes and everyone at Hawaiian Industrial Structures for giving me and this team the opportunity to get back on the track,” Grubnic said. “It’s truly an honor to drive for this team and for Connie Kalitta [team owner and drag racing icon]. We’re very excited about racing the Hawaiian Industrial Structures dragster this weekend and hopefully getting a win for Dan and Connie and the entire team.”

Joining Hawaiian Industrial Structures on the sides of Grubnic’s entry is Donate Life America. Donate Life America assists in mobilizing the transplant community to educate the American public on the need for organ, eye, and tissue donation and motivating the public to make an actionable donor designation. For more information about Donate Life America, log on to www.donatelife.net.

Longtime Kalitta Motorsports race car mechanic James Riola will assist engine tuner Kalitta as crew chief on the Hawaiian Industrial Structures dragster.

2010 NHRA rules amendments released

NHRA — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:27:00 GMT

Harris, Bateman lead NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series champions

NHRA — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:41:00 GMT

Top Fuel champion Brett Harris

Funny Car king Garrett Bateman

Bud Hammer, Jr. Fuel champion

A/Fuel champ Kin Bates

Sean Renteria, AA/Gas champ

The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series put a close to the 2009 season with the California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. Brett Harris and Garrett Bateman locked up season championships in Nostalgia Top Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car, respectively.

Harris, of Kaysville, Utah, came into the event trailing Rick White by 59 points, but when White failed to qualify, it left the door open for Harris. Harris qualified No. 1 and beat Mike Chrisman and Brad Thompson in rounds one and two before losing to Troy Green in a semifinal match.

Advancing to the semi's gave Harris 78 points, which moved him past White for the championship. White finished second, nine points back.

The Nostalgia Funny Car chase was between teammates Bateman, of Tacoma, Wash., and Bucky Austin. Both qualified well, with Bateman on top and Austin in the No. 3 position. In round one, upsets claimed both Bateman and Austin, who suffered mechanical problems and dropped out of competition early.

Bateman held on with a 26-point lead to take the championship and team bragging rights for the year, and Austin held on to the No. 2 spot.

Bud Hammer, of Oxnard, Calif., clinched the Jr. Fuel championship in July with a win at the Fremont Reunion in Sacramento, Calif., his third win of the season in his fourth final-round appearance. He followed up at the Hot Rod Reunion with another final-round appearance but fell short of the win to Bob Lander. Don Enriquez finished second in points after advancing to the semifinals at the Reunion.

Kin Bates, of Anderson, Calif., came into the event having the championship all but wrapped up in A/Fuel, basically needing just to qualify; Bill Wayne sat in second, 106 points behind. Bates qualified No. 5 to secure the championship and, after winning in round one, fell to Wayne in the semifinals. Wayne went on to win the race and finish second in the points standings.

In AA/Gas, Sean Renteria, of Hollister, Calif., entered the event leading the points with one win in three final rounds. Mike Lenard was the only one who could catch Renteria, but a loss in round one ended Lenard’s hopes and gave the championship to Renteria.

The final championship was not decided until the final round of the 7.0 Pro class. Mike Cross, of Culver City, Calif., held a 72-point lead prior to the event but failed to qualify, opening the door for Bob Murphy and Will Martin. Murphy went out in round two, dropping him out of contention, but Martin, of San Dimas, Calif., who had to win the event, marched through eliminations and into a final-round matchup with Joey Steckler. Martin, son of former NHRA Funny Car competitor John Martin, saved his best run of the day, posting a 7.083-second run at 187.65 mph to take the win and the championship by just one point. Cross finished the year in second with one win.

Other NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series champions crowned earlier in the year were Austin Frye, Taft, Calif., in NE I; Doug Davenport, Las Vegas, in NE II; Lindsey Lister, San Pedro, Calif., in NE III; Rob Patten, Tracy, Calif., in A/Gas; Jim Teague, Sanger, Calif., in B/Gas; Nick Kendrick, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in C/Gas; Mike Williams, Bakersfield, Calif., in D/Gas; and Billy Teague, Reedley, Calif., in Hot Rod Eliminator.

Safety initiatives for 2010 announced

NHRA — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

NHRA has announced its technical initiatives for 2010, which are designed to improve safety as well as reduce unwanted downtime at events due to leakage on the track.

Highlighting the changes in 2010 will be the implementation of a new Eject Helmet Removal System in all four Professional categories, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The system uses an inflatable bladder located in the top of the helmet to make removal of the helmet by safety personnel after an incident easier and safer.

In addition, all participants in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will be required to use an Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Receiver. The device, when used in conjunction with the Electrimotion Shut-off Transmitter and Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Box, will automatically shut off fuel and ignition as well as deploy the parachutes once the driver has passed the finish line if the driver has not done so already. The system will activate when the car passes a wall-mounted transmitter.

Other safety measures in NHRA’s top two classes include fireproof tubing on brake lines and, in Top Fuel, a required cable wrapped around the rear wing main element that will deploy the parachutes automatically in the event the rear wing becomes separated from its supports. The same mechanism will be required in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.

Beginning March 11, 2010, in Pro Stock, cars will be required to have formed and foamed seats as well an NHRA-accepted lateral head-support system, the same that is required in Top Fuel and Funny Car and in the two Top Alcohol classes. In addition, an rpm limiter set at 4,000 rpm will be activated after eight seconds into a run to slow the car in the event the driver is unable to do so. Finally, drivers will be required to wear SFI Spec 3.2A/15 firesuits.

The Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Box, which was made mandatory in Funny Car and Top Fuel in late 2008 and 2009, respectively, will be mandatory in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car in 2010. Also in the alcohol classes, requirements for oil catch-can systems will be similar to those in the nitromethane-burning categories to reduce track oildowns.

Affecting all classes in 2010, where applicable, and to reduce the chance of fuel leaks, all NHRA-accepted fuel lines will be required to use ends that are specifically designed for the type of fuel line being used to reduce fuel leaks. To prevent transmission leaks, all cars running 10.99 seconds or quicker must have an NHRA-accepted locking-type dipstick in the transmission.

To improve the strength-mounting point of parachutes on all vehicles running more than 150 mph, NHRA announced that parachutes must have their own independent mounting sleeved half-inch-minimum steel bolts or pins. Material around the holes for the bolts/pins must be equal to or greater than the bolt/pin size.

The Sportsman classes will have increased requirements for firesuits. All drivers in cars running 7.49 seconds or quicker will be required to wear SFI Spec 3.2A/15 firesuits. In addition, E.T. Motorcycle riders will be required to use Kevlar-lined gloves or gloves equipped with slide buttons, the same requirement currently in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. For improved fire protection, Super Street drivers will be required to wear SFI Spec 3.2A/1 pants in addition to the SFI Spec 3.2A/1 jackets already worn.

Despite difficult season, Pedregon remains a contender

NHRA — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Tony Pedregon’s turbulent 2009 season has included the departure of longtime crew chief Dickie Venables and assistant Kurt Elliott, a much-publicized top-end skirmish with former boss John Force, and a violent body-destroying engine explosion in Memphis, yet with two events remaining, the streetwise and battle-ready Pedregon finds himself in contention for a third Full Throttle Funny Car world championship. He is just 48 points behind leader Robert Hight and 35 behind second-ranked Ashley Force Hood with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.

“When I look at where we are, I wouldn’t use the word surprised,” said Pedregon, who has three wins this season, including a memorable victory in Brainerd that came just days after the departure of Venables and Elliott. “I think most people are more surprised than I am. That being said, I do feel that we are fortunate that after three [recent] first-round losses, I’m still even within two rounds of first place. In that regard, I would say that I’m a bit surprised.

It has been a season of highs and lows for Tony Pedregon. (Above) He was overcome with emotion after winning in Brainerd just days after losing his crew chief and assistant crew chief. (Below) The team had a setback in Memphis a few weeks ago with a body-tossing blower explosion.

Rahn Tobler, left, and Tony Shortall have gamely stepped in to help keep Pedregon's Funny Car in the championship hunt.

“Make no mistake, this has been a tough year,” he said. “Financially, it has been very challenging to keep up with some of the other teams. I think that says a lot about our team and people that have stuck with me. We do not have a lot of depth, but there is a lot of loyalty and determination and a lot of untapped talent here. That has made the difference in the second half. When Dickie and Kurt left, I think most people expected that we’d fall out of contention. That wasn’t the case. [Crew chiefs] Rahn Tobler and Tony Shortall along with the guys who stayed and knew our routing were able to refocus and carry on. I called on them in Brainerd to dig deep, and they have. The people who stuck with me are our biggest asset.”

Despite the upheaval, Pedregon is nothing if not optimistic as he prepares for next weekend’s NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, and why shouldn’t he be? Pedregon has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three wins and two runner-up finishes. He also fondly recalls the 2007 Las Vegas event, where he nearly clinched his second NHRA Funny Car world championship. Pedregon entered that race locked in a multi-way battle for the top spot. In a bizarre twist, all of his rivals lost early, and Pedregon won the event. As a result, he had to do little more than qualify for the final race in Pomona to secure the title.

“Based on what happened in 2007, I know the possibility exists for a repeat [championship],” Pedregon said. “One of the reasons why I’m so optimistic is that there are so many good cars in the class right now. We can’t rely on ourselves to beat either Ashley or Robert, and I’m not going to try and go after either one of them. Our goal is simply to qualify and earn as many points as possible. Robert is very strong right now, but he’s not untouchable. The same goes for Ashley. They are both very good, but so is Del [Worsham], and so is Tim Wilkerson, and so is Jeff Arend. Any one of them could win one of the last two races. That being said, going into Las Vegas, I feel like we have a good opportunity to get to the final, and if we can do that, we have a fighting chance.”

With his close ties to the Palms Casino Resort and his love for competitive poker, Pedregon doesn’t need many additional reasons to look forward to the two annual stops that the NHRA Full Throttle tour makes in Las Vegas, but his career stats certainly help add to the track’s appeal.

“Sure, I have a good history in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean a lot,” said Pedregon. “I’m not superstitious, but maybe I should be. What matters now is what happens this year. If I do have an edge, it’s that I’ve got experience. I’ve been in this situation several times before, and I know what it takes to get it done. Now, we just have to execute. This sport has a tendency to mentally weigh on you. It can make you better or worse. I just need to rely on that experience and use it to my advantage.”

With his mind firmly focused on the job at hand, Pedregon won’t allow himself to look too far into the future. However, he does acknowledge that if he were to claim a third championship, it would rank as the greatest achievement of his career.

“That would be an amazing thing, and I hope that is the case Sunday night in Pomona,” he said. "We have put in our time and paid our dues, but I’m really not thinking that far ahead. For now, the game plan is to make the final Vegas and get close. If I can go to Pomona and still have a fighting chance, I’ll gladly take it.”

Revell to release model kits bearing NHRA logo

NHRA — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:14:00 GMT

Revell Inc. and NHRA have announced that Revell will introduce nostalgic drag racing model kits in the very near future bearing the NHRA logo.

Revell in the early 1970s started as a major player in drag racing sponsorships and worked hand in hand with NHRA and introduced many Funny Cars, Top Fuel dragsters, Pro Stockers, and more bearing some of the most well-known names in the history of drag racing.

With the advent of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series and the Reunions, Revell will be rereleasing a number of its model kits of the cars that have been a force in the long history of Funny Car, such as Roland Leong’s Hawaiian and the well-known Chi-Town Hustler of Farkonas, Coil, & Minick. These cars will be joined by many other of Revell’s most popular drag racing model kits down the road.

Revell will have a booth at some of the upcoming Reunions and will display numerous drag racing model kits as well as how a model kit is first designed and tooled. Future drag racing releases will be announced at these shows as well. Examples of current kits such as the Stone, Woods & Cook Willys Gasser can be seen at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California.

“We are excited and look forward to a continued relationship with the NHRA and Revell leading the way to create interest and excitement for the drag racing enthusiast as well as the model-kit builder,” said Bob Sutalski, senior vice president of product development, Revell.

“NHRA welcomes the return of Revell and their classic model kits,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president-sales & marketing, NHRA. “The Revell models were synonymous with the sport of NHRA Drag Racing, and reintroducing these classic model kits to today’s fans will reinforce the long and storied history of the sport and its partnership with Revell.”

NHRA Countdown teleconference: Larry Dixon and Ashley Force Hood

NHRA — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Larry Dixon

Ashley Force Hood

Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon and Funny Car star Ashley Force Hood took part in a national teleconference Wednesday to discuss the final two championship-deciding races in the 2009 season, the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals (Oct. 29-Nov. 1) and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Nov. 12-15).

Dixon, driver of the Al-Anabi dragster, is a two-time world champion (2001-02) who joined forces with renowned crew chief Alan Johnson this season. Dixon and his team have won five races and are just 47 points behind Johnson’s former team, the U.S. Army dragster piloted by Tony Schumacher. Dixon’s five wins tie him with Schumacher and regular-season champ Antron Brown for most Top Fuel wins this season, and his eight final rounds are second-best in the class.

Force Hood, daughter of NHRA icon John Force, is seeking to become the first woman in NHRA history to win a championship in the ultracompetitive Funny Car class. Force Hood has two victories this year behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX Mustang and has been to seven final rounds. She trails teammate Robert Hight by 13 points.

Q: Larry, it’s been a crapshoot all year with you, Antron Brown, and Tony Schumacher winning five races each. What do you expect over these final two races, and what do you think will be the difference?

Dixon: Well, it has been kind of an open season as far as being able to get wins. Last week just saw Brandon [Bernstein] get his first win in almost two years, so that’s just kind of how the season has been going. If one car kind of falls off, the other one steps up to the plate and gets it done.

You know, legitimately, there are two or three, probably four cars that can still win the championship, and you know, you’re still in charge of your own destiny. If you win out those two races, you’ve done as much as you can do and hope it’s enough to get the Full Throttle championship, and obviously bringing it home to the Al-Anabi team is what we are looking for.

Q: Ashley, can you share with us the mood of the team entering these final two championship-deciding races in Vegas and Pomona?

Force Hood: We are really pumped. We have had a really great season. We are right where we want to be up there in the top couple of spots, but a lot can change in these final two races, and obviously we are aware of that. We know that we are second; Robert is first, and we are only a few points behind him, yet there are a handful of guys that are right behind us. So we are just going to try to do the best we can and enjoy this. It can get easy to get caught up in the stress of it all and get nervous about it and anxious, but we are really trying to look at it from another point of view and say, our third year in, we are battling for the NHRA championship. That’s a pretty neat spot to be in, especially as a relatively newer team compared to a lot of the teams we compete with. So we are trying to enjoy this and not let the stress and nervousness of it take over the fun of it, which is getting to be in this competition and having the car that has the capability of winning a championship.

Q: Larry, how satisfying is it for you being the first year with this team doing as well as you have done because a lot of people thought, ‘OK, new team, you have to have break-in time, learning time, seasoning among all members of the team.’ How are you feeling about your great performance so far this year?

Dixon: I’m feeling great about it. You know, winning five races so far I mean, I had not won five races in three years, so to be able to do that in one season is good. But you know, the rest of the guys on the team, Alan and Jason [McCulloch, crew chief] and the rest of the Al-Anabi team, this is an off year for them. Last year, they won 15 races, so they are sorting things out and getting things going, and probably since maybe Brainerd just before Indy, the cars really stepped up their performance. If we have not been on pole, we have been close to pole just about every event. And I really think that we have contended for wins at every event we have gone to. So it’s good. This season is not over with, but a lot of the guys on the team are looking forward to this winter. It’s going to be a lot calmer. Last year, they didn’t even have a shop to work in at this point in the season. Everybody was still on their old jobs. So to be able to still have the opportunity to win a championship in the fashion that Alan and the guys have done in the past where they are not leading the points, and there’s two races to go and we are certainly in the mix of it. You know, we are certainly going to do our best to try and bring it home to the Al-Anabi team.

Q: Ashley, you seem to adapt to the Funny Car, which is a very difficult car to drive as we all know. How have you accommodated adapting to the Funny Car so quickly and so well?

Force Hood: When I started in ‘07, I think I had five years of racing some type of a car or another under my belt, so I had the basics of the burnout and the staging and all those kind of things. And I also tested for about a year and a half before I jumped into the Funny Car, which I don’t know if a lot of people realize. We would stay because I was racing my A/Fuel Dragster and other teams were racing the Funny Car, and we would stay on Mondays, and I would jump into Dad’s car or Robert’s or Eric [Medlen]’s and test. It wasn’t that I was getting 10 runs a day or anything, but a couple here or there every week after the national event. I think that really helped me to kind of get a good baseline for once our 2007 season started and we went to testing and went all-out with that.

When I look at a lot of other teams and a lot of other drivers, you know, people moving in the ranks and teams that have struggled, a big advantage that I have is that we have the financial backing. They give me a really good new car, good new parts, and we have all of the great pieces together, and I think it lessens [my learning curve] a lot because I can really focus on my driving and learning those mistakes, and you’re not trying to learn how to drive a car while it’s having motor problems and parts failure and that sort of a thing. I think it’s unfortunate for the teams that do have lower budgets that I think they get maybe picked on a little more because their car isn’t performing. A lot of people want to look at the driver, but a lot of times it is just if you just don’t have the right pieces together, your car is not going to be able to go down the track and make good runs. The car, the seat that I was able to move into in ‘07 and the same seat that I’m in now, they have always given me all of the tools that I need. It really lessens I think the mistakes that I was making. As usual, I still made plenty of mistakes. That’s not to say anything about that. But I think it would have been a lot harder if I didn’t have the tools and just the right parts and pieces in this Funny Car. It made my learning curve easier.

Q: Ashley, how about you racing your teammate for a possible title here in Funny Car?

Force Hood: It’s the best spot that we could be in. At the beginning of the year when we have our big team meetings and we get ready to head off to the [Kragen O’Reilly NHRA] Winternationals, that’s always our goal. If we can at the end of the year when we are back in Pomona for the [Auto Club NHRA] World Finals, if we can have our own teammates battling for the championship, there’s no better scenario because we are going to win no matter how the day ends up. Obviously, Robert and I are not the only ones, but we are 1 and 2, so they are going to have to catch up and go around us. So if we can just keep doing what we have been doing and not have anything go wrong, no mistakes, no mess-ups, and the tuners can get Vegas and Pomona figured out as far as the tune-up and how they want to set up the car, we just better our chances of getting the championship.

It’s fun and it’s exciting for both Robert and me. He’s been close so many years. This is my first time really being right in the mix of it being down to the last two races, so it’s exciting for both of us and for our team — for my team, being a newer team to be in this, and for his team from the other angle of being out here a lot of years and yet having such a tough season that they were able to kind of come around and do what they can do. All of the guys are pumped up, and we are ready to head off to Vegas. We still have to wait another week, but we are excited.

Q: Larry, what kind of relationship, if any, do you have with Tony Schumacher? Is he a guy you enjoy racing against, or is he a guy that is just tired of being at the top of the game for so long?

Dixon: I get along great with Tony. You know, we will trade texts during the week and the like and at the end of the day for the last five years, he’s had the No. 1 on the car, so everybody has been trying to take him out. So for me, it’s the same thing. I mean, you can be buddies in the staging lanes, but as soon as you throw the helmet on and light the car up, it’s game on. We are going to go out there and do everything we can to bring the Al-Anabi team home a win. But he’s got the same thing on me. I’ve read and heard him say, you know, he gets pumped up when he races us, and a lot of the guys on that team is his old team. But for me, when I look over, it’s still the Army car, and he’s still got No. 1 on it. So I’m trying to do everything I can to help change that.

Q: For both of our guests, the three-week break before Las Vegas, would you prefer to have moved this up a little bit, or is this break coming at just the right time to kind of regroup and get things together for the final two races?

Force Hood: All of the team, especially the crewmembers, they really needed a break, just to go home, get their mail, see their wives and their kids, and just to have a little time to kind of relax and get ready so that we are all ready to go and pumped up and ready to focus for the final two races. So it is kind of the perfect timing. It is a little strange when we get back to Vegas; that first day is odd when you have not been to the track for a couple of weeks to get yourself organized and get back into your routine of a race day and qualifying and everything like that. But I think it was well-needed, and I think it really adds to the excitement that the fans have had to race a couple of weeks, and now you’ll get to see the final two big championship races. It was perfect — I think it was right what everybody needed.

And a funny thing I was actually thinking a couple of minutes ago during one of my answers that was rambling on, I thought, ‘You know, I haven’t done an interview in about a week, and it really shows.’ That’s probably the one thing about the drivers, it seems when you jump right back in your race car, it comes right back to you because it’s not something you’re thinking about, it’s more your body is reacting in a race car. But the talking side of things, I’ll definitely need to be warming up and finding my words in the next week to be ready for Vegas because I feel like I’m mumbling a lot today.

Dixon: You know, it is what it is. I think if you ask most racers, they would like to race every weekend because they love racing. But it certainly affords a team, you know, after four in a row — I mean, you’d have to go back to the few years to go into even rainouts where we run four in a row; it’s been a while — it lets the teams go over the cars and go over all of the engines and just have everything restocked up, lets them catch their breath, check in with their families, pay their bills, and get ready to head out west and go to Vegas and Pomona. It’s nice to have everything restocked and have all of your batteries recharged and get back out there for those last two events because everything is on the line for those two.

Q: And one of the things on the line is the chance for Ashley to become the first woman to win a championship in the Funny Car division. Of course, women have won championships in NHRA. Shirley Muldowney won three in Top Fuel, and Angelle Sampey won three in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Ashley, would you talk for just a second about if you’ve thought about that and what historically it would mean in the sport for to you win a championship in Funny Car?

Force Hood: I think it’s not such a big deal to me, and the main reason is, I am a female driver, I had nothing to do with that, God makes that decision, and my parents, and I also have a team of 10 men that work on my car. If you’ve ever seen me trying to work on an automobile, you know I would not be second in the points for the championship if I was working on it. But it’s them and me together as a team. We are the ones going out for the championship, not just me as an individual. Now, someday, I think if we could get an all-female team, that would be pretty amazing to have the mechanics, the tuners, and the driver. That would be something, really. I hope that I get to see that in my lifetime, and I think it will happen. More and more women are just moving up in the ranks. There are so many girls in Jr. drag racing and Sportsman categories, and those are the ones that will move up into the Professional level. I think that will come. I happen to be the one in Funny Car right now and with a great team, so we have all of the variables that we need to go after a championship. But I think if it wasn’t me, there will be another girl that will come along over the years, and I think it will happen eventually. It’s just a matter of when, and hopefully it will happen for us this year.

Q: Larry, you’re 47 points behind with these eight rounds of racing left; are you of the mind-set that you have no margin for error and that you must really sweep points and qualifying?

Dixon: I mean, you know, the way we have been going in qualifying, we have been able to make up over the last couple of events, make up more than a round of races, just in those bonus points for qualifying. Seven points back on that side of things, you know, so if you made up four points per event, now you’re less than two rounds [40 points at 20 points/round] back, and if you went out and you’re racing Tony [Schumacher], then you’re still in charge of your own destiny. I know our team has very high standards, and as all the teams that are competing out there whether it’s for the championship or not, everyone is going to go out there and try and win. But if we do win out, then we don’t need anything to happen to anybody. You know, they give us 24 events to get it done, and the rules are the same for everybody, and so we’ll do our best and hope it’s enough.

Q: Ashley, you often get questions about your dad, and you were talking about being the first woman to get a Funny Car title, but what’s a comment you would have maybe about being a member of a family of racing daughters, and what do you think about the different personalities of your sisters [Brittany and Courtney], and what do you share with your sisters about racing?

Force Hood: Well, they grew up at the races just like I did — there are photos of all of us in diapers at the track and everything — so they have the same memories and upbringing really of drag racing as I did, and I think that’s really why the three of us are racing. I know to the outside world it might seem a little strange that three sisters race cars, but to anybody who knows anything about drag racing, that’s not such a far-fetched idea because we grew up around it, and it’s what we love to do and what we want to do on our weekends off and our summer breaks. There are a lot of kids, whether they are boys or girls, that grew up in racing that ended up having a career in it. So it’s pretty common when you look even in the Professional pits — the Worshams, Morgan Lucas, Bernsteins — there are a lot of families and a lot of drivers that grew up around the tracks and ended up in seats or tuning on cars or are somehow involved in the sport.

So it’s neat to be able to share that with them and also with our dad; it’s not like we had very much in common with him when we were in kids. We were all at cheerleading and dance and school and everything, and he was off racing. But now it has come full circle, and we are out at the tracks a lot on weekends together, and I get to see them a lot more, and my mom comes to every one of our events. And it’s fun for us, and it’s really allowed us to spend a lot of time together that you wouldn’t have if your family wasn’t out there on the road with you. They are both in college right now, Brittany and Courtney, and so I’m impressed that they are able to balance both.

When I moved up to A/Fuel Dragster, which is what they race now, I had just graduated from college a month earlier, and then I started the season. So I never had to do the homework at the track and all that with the A/Fuel car, and they somehow managed to make it happen. I saw Brittany this morning, and she was like, “I was up till 3 in the morning doing homework.” And I remember those days. But when you throw in that a lot of your weekends are spent around the country, it does make it hard. But they are enjoying it. They seem to like it. It is a crazy schedule that they live, but they seem to enjoy it, and they like doing both, and they do really well in the dragster, and the fans are excited to see them out there racing. So it’s been fun to watch as they have moved up the ranks. They did Super Comp, and they are in A/Fuel now, and I love the A/Fuel Dragster that I raced. It’s a really, really fun category, and they are really enjoying it as well.

Q: Larry, you talked about competing against Schumacher, but [Cory] McClenathan has come up strong; how much of a spoiler might he be in these last two races?

Dixon: Well, as tight as the fields are — and I can’t think of which one it was over the last three or four, where the whole field was within a tenth of a second, which I think was tighter than Pro Stock at that point — anybody can win. But obviously, Cory’s car, with him driving and Todd [Okuhara] and Phil [Shuler] tuning, yeah, they are in the mix every week. That car is always real close to running top speed. So, yeah, he’s definitely another guy that you have to look out for. If you can roll up and you can stage your car on Sunday, you’ve got a car that can win the event. You just hope you’re driving the right one and you’re in the right lane for it when it happens. But certainly Cory is doing real great.

Q: Larry, which of the Top Fuel rookies has been most impressive, Shawn Langdon or Spencer Massey?

Dixon: I’m glad I’m not voting for rookie of the year because I think both of them have done an unbelievable job in the car. You know, Spencer, you’d have to give him the nod because he’s won. But as far as driving goes, the driver doesn’t have control of the tune-up of the cars. You can’t shut down Shawn because he was not won an event. And he hasn’t not won an event because it’s been his fault; he’s done a great job. I mean, both of those kids are doing great in the car. They are going down the center of the track, and you know, when the car starts to nose over, they are clicking it off. They are doing everything right. I think it’s a pick ‘em. As a former rookie of the year, I’m kind of excited to see who gets to join the class because I think they are certainly deserving and very, very representative.

Las Vegas, Pomona events boast largest entry lists of season in Top Fuel and Funny Car

NHRA — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:24:00 GMT

The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series draws to a close in just a few short weeks with the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15.

The competition in all four Professional categories is expected to be heated, with Full Throttle world championships hanging in the balance for the final two races. In Top Fuel and Funny Car, the number of spoilers will in some cases double the number of NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship participants as NHRA announced that both nitromethane classes have the largest number of entries for any race this year.

For the Las Vegas event, the entry totals in Top Fuel and Funny Car are 25 and 20, respectively. For the season finale at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, 24 Top Fuel cars are entered, and 20 are registered in Funny Car. For the Las Vegas event, pre-entries total 721 race vehicles in the Professional and Sportsman ranks, compared to 562 in 2008.

Also significant is the number of Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars entered in both races to compete in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. To date, 27 Top Alcohol Dragsters and 25 Top Alcohol Funny Cars are entered for the Las Vegas event, and 25 Top Alcohol Dragsters and 27 Funny Cars are registered for Pomona.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana, rider of the Lucas Oil Buell, has a 28-point lead over defending world champ Eddie Krawiec and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team heading into the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

Mike Edwards, who drove the ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP to a dominating performance in Richmond and earned the maximum 150 points, all but clinched the NHRA Full Throttle world championship in Pro Stock. The only team with a legitimate shot to prevent that is the Las Vegas-based Ken Black Racing team, led by Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP, who trail Edwards by 128 points.

In Funny Car, six drivers can still stake legitimate claims to the NHRA Full Throttle world championship, led by points leader Robert Hight. Hight, who drives the Auto Club Ford Mustang, sits 13 points ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood. Force Hood is trying to become the first female world champion in the Funny Car class. Tony Pedregon, Ron Capps, and Tim Wilkerson are in a logjam in third through fifth. In sixth is Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger, who is 86 points behind Hight with two races remaining.

Top Fuel is a four-driver battle for the championship. Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army dragster team are 47 points ahead of Larry Dixon and the Al-Anabi Racing dragster. Cory McClenathan and Antron Brown trail Schumacher by 68 and 81 points, respectively.

For ticket information about the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 702-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com; for ticket information about the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, call 800-884-4762 or log on to www.ticketmaster.com.

Las Vegas Super Stock, Stock class eliminations to run Thursday

NHRA — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:45:00 GMT

NHRA has announced a scheduling change for Super Stock and Stock class eliminations at the upcoming NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Due to a total pre-entry in excess of 700 cars, including more than 130 entries each in Super Stock and Stock, it has become necessary to run Super Stock and Stock class eliminations Thursday. All Super Stock and Stock competitors will be given one qualifying run Thursday morning, and round one of class eliminations is scheduled for approximately noon Thursday to avoid the potential of cold temperatures in the evening.

Tech and registration will still be open all day Thursday.

Castrol launches teaser site for upcoming John Force 25th anniversary

NHRA — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:22:00 GMT

Brown on The Race Reporters radio show Wednesday

NHRA — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:29:00 GMT

Antron Brown

NHRA Top Fuel star Antron Brown will be the Newsmaker of the Week on The Race Reporters radio show Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. EDT on www.PowerUpChannel.com.

The Matco Tools dragster driver is fourth in the Full Throttle Series points standings with two races to go. He has five wins, seven poles, and a 46-17 round-win-loss record this season. Brown swept NHRA’s traditional Western Swing races. Before moving up to Top Fuel in 2008, Brown raced in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class, where he won 16 times.

Host Michael Knight will be joined for the journalists’ roundtable by Bobby Bennett, editor of Competition Plus.com; Corinne Economaki, president and publisher of National Speed Sport News; and Larry Henry, host of Pit Pass USA on the Power Up Channel.

The Race Reporters can be heard live, downloaded into an iPod, or accessed for listening on a delayed basis by clicking on the show icon at www.PowerUpChannel.com. Listeners can bookmark the show and sign up to receive a free e-card with news on upcoming guests at the show’s page, www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1549. The show also will re-air several times later in the week (check PowerUp’s daily programming listing).

For more information on The Race Reporters, log on to www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1549.

The Race Reporters podcast on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=319558548.

Pro Stock Motorcycle stars Smith, McBride wed

NHRA — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Photos by Cara Marie

Matt Smith, rider of the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle for Don Schumacher Racing in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and fellow rider Angie McBride were married In Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Oct. 16.

Smith, of King, N.C., and McBride, originally from Winston-Salem, N.C., were wed at the Proximity Hotel. The service and reception were attended by 130 people, and "It was very pretty, and Angie was very beautiful," said Smith. "She's been planning the wedding all year long, and now she's officially a Smith."

The two have known each other for seven years, after meeting while they were both competing on motorcycles, and been dating the last two. Smith has been campaigning a Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle for McBride for select events throughout the 2009 season.

"It was fabulous," said McBride, "but I'm glad it’s over. It was the day that I dreamed of and more. Ten months of planning came together, and it was over in six hours. It was a fabulous thing."

As for where they will spend their honeymoon, "We're going on our honeymoon after the season is over and after the banquet in California," said Smith. "I know where we're going, but she doesn't. It's going to be a surprise.

"Angie will race again next year, but I'm going to focus on the Nitro Fish/DSR Suzuki for the last two races of the season. As a team, we want to win, so we're really going to try to focus on that. We're just going to do the best we can and try to finalize everything for next year."

D. Wilkerson on the sidelines but eager to get back in the game

NHRA — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Daniel Wilkerson

Daniel Wilkerson walked away totally unscathed from one of the more incredible accidents in recent NHRA history with nary a scratch and no soreness whatsoever despite a nearly head-on impact with the Memphis Motorsports Park wall. Wilkerson's first reaction was the one any team owner or crew chief would want to hear: He wanted to get back in the race car. Unfortunately for Wilkerson, he has no race car to get back in.

Driving his father Tim's 2008 Funny Car in Memphis, which was sporting a Levi, Ray & Shoup-adorned Shelby Mustang body, loaned to the team by Bob Tasca III, Wilkerson entered the race with an ample amount of spare parts and support but no spare race car and no spare Ford body. Once he climbed from the wreckage at the top end of the track, he knew that his 2009 rookie season was over.

"I guess you could say none of it was mine to begin with, since the car is my dad's and the body came from Bob Tasca," Wilkerson said. "I felt so bad for both of them after the wreck. I demolished a great race car and tore up a body that didn't even belong to us. But still, once I climbed out and everything was still attached, still working, and nothing hurt, the first thing I wanted to do was get right back in.

"Nobody needed to talk to me about respecting the race car because I grew up watching how my dad respects his, and I've seen how bad things can get. That wreck was about as bad as anything I could imagine, but I still want to drive more than anything. If you would've offered me another car to drive right there in Memphis right after it happened, I'd have jumped right in. As a matter of fact, one of the first questions a reporter asked me, no more than 15 minutes after the wreck, was whether I wanted to get back in the car. I told her, 'If I could somehow get Dad out of his car, I'd drive it right now,' and that's exactly how I felt."

The specific cause of Wilkerson's crash, which clearly came about after both rear wheels came off the car, is still under investigation, although the video replays also clearly illustrated that the young Illinois driver was doing all the right things despite being simply along for the ride. His father even went so far as to say he couldn't think of anything he would've done differently had he been in the car and that he was proud of his son for how he handled the situation. Now, both father and son have to reevaluate the future and come up with a new plan to get Daniel on the Full Throttle tour.

"We did Topeka and Memphis this year, and we raced about as cheaply as you can do it," Daniel said. "The goal was to enter a couple of races that weren't too far away from home, where we also thought we'd have the best shot to qualify, and then hopefully help my dad by maybe taking out another contending team. We were on our way to doing that, beating Ron Capps, when the wheels came off. But as cheaply as you can run one of these cars is still a lot of money, even when you don't have the wheels come off, hit the wall, and demolish everything.

"As much as I'd love to be out there, we're going to have to rebuild, and we're going to have to put a sponsorship together. We have people working on that full-time, and hopefully we can land a deal that works for everyone, and then we can get back to racing. Then, if we can do that, the first step is to put a real organization together with our own full-time crew. I don't think we want to do it the other way anymore. We want to take the next step."

Wilkerson's place in a family led by a famous and very popular father brings with it a unique set of sponsorship benefits, all of which are being trumpeted by Team Wilkerson's full-time marketing department. Packages are being presented on a consistent basis, and the team has custom designed programs to fit almost any corporate budget. Offering packages that integrate a primary marketing partnership with the younger Wilkerson while delivering a major associate program with the senior Wilkerson allows the team a way to provide far more bang for the buck, and potential sponsors have been listening.

"Our marketing guy, Dave Jacobsen, says the response has been more and more positive lately, with just about every company he talks to," Daniel reported. "I guess a lot of that is the economy coming back, but we think we have some great ideas to show people, where you can combine a primary deal for me with a major associate spot on my dad's car. That's a lot of exposure, and it means a company won't have to completely rely on a young driver and a new team in order to make it worth it for them. They get a relationship with my dad, his team, and Levi, Ray & Shoup, too.

"Like I said, we know it has to make business sense for anyone to get involved. They're not going to sponsor you because they like you or because they think drag racing is fun. The numbers have to be right, and you have to show them how it will help their business. We'll just keep working at it, and hopefully we can put a deal together to get me back out there for at least part of next season. Until then, I'm just going to have to dream about driving because I love being in that race car, and I can't wait to do it again."

Young men fitting the description "Ready to race, just need a race car" can be found just about everywhere. What separates Daniel Wilkerson from the pack are his racing genes and his instinctive ability to handle a Funny Car. That, and his last name. If any 21-year-old has the talent, charisma, and audacity to land a major sponsor, it might just be young Wilkerson.

Spiess inks two-race sponsorship with Billet Specialties to finish season

NHRA — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:18:00 GMT

Steve Spiess Racing has inked a two-race sponsorship with Billet Specialties Inc. through the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona with the possibility of a long-term deal for 2010, a year that marks the 25th anniversary of Billet Specialties in the world of aftermarket wheels and custom equipment for vehicles.

Pro Stock racer Spiess uses Billet Specialties’ new line of drag-race-only wheels, the Comp 5 Series. “Billet Specialties owner Glenn Grozich has always been a front-runner in the world of custom cars and equipment, and these new wheels will undoubtedly raise the bar for others to follow,” said Spiess.

Spiess ranks 14th in NHRA points and has qualified at 14 of 17 events attended this season. His best effort was at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Charlotte, where he reached the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Greg Stanfield.

“We’re really doing well,” he added. “And our engine program keeps getting better and better. If there’s an opportunity to do well, it’s going to be next year. We are going to run a tight ship like we did this year.”

Buoyed by Richmond win, Bernstein eager to begin new chapter

NHRA — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:55:00 GMT

With longtime sponsor Budweiser on its way out and the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championship seemingly out of reach, Brandon Bernstein is ready to turn the page. The last two seasons have been a struggle for the second-generation racer, his recent victory at the NHRA Virginia Nationals notwithstanding. But with a new sponsor, Copart, signed for 2010, Bernstein can’t wait to begin the next chapter in his family’s voluminous drag racing history.

“The last two seasons haven’t been the best,” admitted Bernstein, whose overdue victory in Richmond ended a 52-race winless streak. “We finished seventh last year, and who knows where we’ll finish this year, but next year is going to be a new chapter for Kenny Bernstein Racing, and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Bernstein, who took over the driving duties for his father’s team in 2003, was runner-up eight times between his victory in Brainerd in 2007 and his 18th and most recent triumph in Richmond, which tied him with the legendary Shirley Muldowney for Top Fuel victories. Prior to his two-year slump, Bernstein had won in 17 of his 23 final-round appearances, including eight of his first nine. He won five of his first 13 races, the best start in Top Fuel history, en route to winning the 2003 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, which recognizes NHRA’s top rookie.

“I don’t know that I can really explain it,” said Bernstein, who won three of the first eight races in 2003 before a crash in Englishtown ended his season. “We just had really good success in the final. When we’d get to the final, it just seemed like Tim [Richards, former crew chief] had a really good handle on the racetrack, and he knew what to do. But we knew that was going to end eventually; we knew the time would come when we wouldn’t win every time we got to the final. You need some luck, too, and we were just unfortunate that for the longest time, we didn’t get the break that we needed.”

Brandon Bernstein has been to five finals this season and sits fifth in Top Fuel points.

Though Bernstein would likely have won the final in Richmond anyway – he was nearly six-hundredths of a second quicker out of the gate and ran a 3.84 – but when his final-round opponent, Antron Brown, blew the tires off at the hit of the throttle, Bernstein’s long-awaited victory was assured.

“It feels great,” said Bernstein, who after finishing third in 2006 and 2007 with a combined nine wins in 14 final rounds dropped to seventh last year with an 0-4 final-round record and was 0-4 this year before his win. “It’s just one of those deals where we’ve tried for two years to win one, and we’ve been in situations where we’ve had a chance, but we just hadn’t been able to kick that door down and get the win. Sometimes you just get in a rut, and you can’t get out of it. Hopefully, now that we’re out of it we can move on and get a lot more.”

Bernstein’s victory in Richmond was the team’s 86th under the Budweiser banner. Budweiser was with Bernstein’s father, Kenny, for all six of his NHRA world titles – four in Funny Car (1985-88) and two in Top Fuel (1996 and 2001) – and that relationship continued when Bernstein took over the driving duties in 2003. Now in its 30th and final year, Budweiser’s relationship with the team is the longest sponsorship in motorsports history, surpassing the 28-year relationship STP had with Richard Petty.

“To be with one sponsor for 30 years is unheard of,” said Bernstein. “The people at Anheuser-Busch were like family to us, and to see our relationship finally come to an end is kind of sad. It’s going to be different to not put on a red shirt and go out there and try to sell Budweiser, but we’re really excited about Copart, and they’re really jazzed. Jay Adair, the president, is new to the sport, but he’s really latched on to it. His whole team is excited about the sport and about being affiliated with Kenny Bernstein Racing. It’s a one-year deal, but hopefully we can get them to stay on. Heck, maybe we can get them to stay for 30 years just like Budweiser.”

At the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, Brandon and Kenny Bernstein flanked Copart President Jay Adair and CEO Willis Johnson after they announced Copart's new sponsorship of the Bernstein team beginning in 2010.

Eight months after InBev, a Belgian beer company, purchased Anheuser-Busch in July 2008, the American beer giant announced that it would no longer sponsor the team after the 2009 season. Six months later, the team named Copart, an online vehicle remarketing company, as its primary sponsor beginning in 2010. That announcement, made during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, ended months of uncertainty about the team’s future.

“We had an inkling that we might not get renewed,” said Bernstein. “Still, it was a little bit of a shock when they actually told us. We had everybody and anybody trying to find something because without a major sponsor, we weren’t going to go on. Once we knew we had a sponsor, it was a huge relief.”

Though Bernstein admitted that not knowing whether he would be racing in 2010 was a distraction, he doesn’t believe it affected his or his team’s performance under first-year crew chief Rob Flynn, who replaced longtime tuners Tim and Kim Richards this season after three-plus years with David Powers Motorsports.

Crew chief Rob Flynn, right, and Bernstein would like to finish out their 2009 campaign, the team's last with Budweiser, with more wins.

“The money was still there for this year, so it’s not like we didn’t have the funds to perform at the level that my dad wants us to perform at,” said Bernstein. “It’s just part of racing. Obviously, it affects you because you’re thinking about it and wondering if you’re going to have a job next year, but I tried to put that out of my mind. I think I can honestly say that I was more concerned about trying to win a championship. If we didn’t have something by October or November, that’s when I was really going to start worrying.”

With his RIchmond victory, Bernstein jumped from seventh to fifth in the Countdown to 1. But with just two races remaining and a 120-point deficit to overcome, Bernstein knows his odds of winning the championship are not good.

“We have to go to Vegas and Pomona and win; that’s the bottom line,” said Bernstein. “We have to win both races, and we have to have some help. We just need to do our part and see where the cards fall.”

NHRA Vegas Style Fan Fest Oct. 29 on Fremont Street

NHRA — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:32:00 GMT

NHRA Vegas Style Fan Fest, the official kickoff to the 2009 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, will take place Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series stars Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Tim Wilkerson, Larry Dixon, Johnny Gray, Michael Phillips, Jeff Arend, Bob Bode, Lex Joon, Bob Tasca III, Allen Johnson, Tony Pedregon, Antron Brown, Katie Sullivan, Jeg Coughlin, Doug Horne, Ron Krisher, Jim Yates, Jack Beckman, Ryan Ondrejko, Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec, V Gaines, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon and Urs Erbacher. and others will participate in the autograph session.

The first 500 fans in the autograph line will receive a free special-edition poster featuring select drivers in NHRA's Countdown to 1 playoffs.

The Fremont Street Experience is an incredible entertainment complex that treats visitors to a captivating display of imagery and pulsating music via its 12.5 million LED Viva Vision screen and 555,000-watt sound system.

The Fan Fest will take place on the 3rd Street section of Fremont Street near the Four Queens Hotel & Casino, FitzGerald Casino & Hotel, and the Fremont Hotel and Casino. The Fremont Street Experience is at 425 Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. For more information about Fremont Street, log on to www.vegasexperience.com.

Introducing the new-look National DRAGSTER

NHRA — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:55:00 GMT

NHRA drivers show off their 'Sounds of Coke'

NHRA — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:06:00 GMT

Coca-Cola has long been committed to creating fun ways to engage the racing fan base and recently filmed an entertaining video featuring NHRA drivers Antron Brown, Clay Millican, Cory McClenathan, Steve Johnson, Hector Arana, Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec, Full Throttle TV host personality Jessi Combs, and Jegs chef and NHRA.com columnist Nicky Morse, who are helping to generate interest in the brand’s latest promotion, Sounds of Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola is known for some of the world’s most iconic advertising and is turning to Facebook to find the stars of its next big commercial. The company is taking an unconventional approach to casting the new high-profile spot, offering NHRA fans and people from around the world the opportunity to audition by submitting short videos through an application available only on Facebook through Thursday, Oct. 15. The new commercial, called Sounds of Coca-Cola, will feature people demonstrating their own renditions of the distinct sounds that occur every time they enjoy a Coca-Cola.

For more information on Sounds of Coca-Cola, go here.

NHRA Mobile launched: Live timing, news, and notes now available for NHRA fans

NHRA — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:11:00 GMT

To see more, click here.

NHRA has officially launched NHRA Mobile, a mobile application that will bring live racing action from all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events into the palms of NHRA fans’ hands around the globe.

NHRA Mobile will be anchored by the live timing and scoring that will give fans access to real-time results, but it will also deliver news, blogs, track overviews, race schedules, team reports, points standings, and much, much more.

“Our fans have asked for this technology for quite some time, and we are excited to launch NHRA Mobile, our first major mobile initiative,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president-sales & marketing. “We believe the new NHRA application will add tremendous value to our loyal fans seeking access to live race features as well as news and information on a 24/7 basis.” In the coming weeks, NHRA will launch a live timing component on NHRA.com.

The service is currently available on popular mobile handsets worldwide. The simplest way to find NHRA Mobile is to check your carrier or device content portal and search “NHRA” to find the download. If it’s not currently available for your device, please check back shortly.

The initiative involved some of the biggest names in the mobile industry, including Boost Mobile and Hands-On Mobile, the world’s leading developer and publisher of connected games and applications.

“Partnering with NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is a great opportunity for Boost Mobile to broaden our brand and product appeal to new audiences with an application that provides real value to the fans,” said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer, Boost Mobile.

Boost customers can find the Java-based application in the application’s store via Boostlive. It costs a onetime fee of $5.99 for unlimited use.

In addition to the mobile application, Boost Mobile will have a presence on NHRA.com, display and fan engagement activities at select NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, and broadcast elements through NHRA’s broadcast on ESPN2/ESPN2HD.

“We are proud to have Boost Mobile as a partner on NHRA’s first major mobile initiative,” said Darcy. “We believe the new NHRA application will add tremendous value to our loyal fans seeking access to live race features as well as news and information on a 24/7 basis.”

In 2009, NHRA has implemented a multi-pronged new-media and social-networking initiative to reach out not only to technical-savvy fans, but also to NHRA’s young fan base -- recent surveys identify NHRA as having one of the youngest fan bases among major sports properties in the United States.

In addition to the launch of NHRA Mobile, NHRA earlier this year launched pages on three of the most popular social-networking platforms: Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Edwards closes on championship as he, Bernstein, and Worsham are victorious in Virginia

NHRA — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:39:00 GMT

On the record-setting final day of the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, Brandon Bernstein, Del Worsham, and Mike Edwards enjoyed much-needed get-well moments at the fourth event of the six-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Countdown to 1 playoffs.

Both ends of the Pro Stock national record were reset, and the points scenarios in the nitro classes got a shake-up. There wasn’t a top-two car in the semifinals of Top Fuel or Funny Car; Funny Car’s final four was staked out by drivers in positions 5 through 10. Top Fuel’s top two, Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon, went to the trailer in back-to-back races in round two, and Funny Car points leader Ashley Force Hood was a first-round casualty to red-hot Jeff Arend, who beat her for the third time in their last four meetings. Though her teammate Robert Hight, who entered the event in second place, fell in round two, he nonetheless passed Force Hood for the points lead.

Brandon Bernstein

Bernstein had been winless in Top Fuel for more than two years and eight straight final rounds, since the 2007 Brainerd event, until Antron Brown smoked the tires in the final. Bernstein, who entered the event in seventh place, reached the fifth spot with the win, the 18th of his Top Fuel career. He sealed the win with a 3.84, 307.09 pass while Brown coasted to a nine-second run.

“We needed a win for our team and for our confidence,” said Bernstein. “I can’t say enough about our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team because with that long of a drought, it could get easy to get really down on themselves and not get out of that funk, but they just stayed positive. Our whole team, my dad, everybody was just so positive, and we just kept at the grind. We knew that eventually we were going to knock down that door and get that win again.

“We had a great race car today, and it was real consistent. Rob [Flynn, crew chief] did a great job of tuning this thing today, and it was just fun to drive. It was just so smooth, and it just stayed dead straight all day long. It didn’t move around. We just had it hooked up; we really did.”

Bernstein’s path to the final round, the 32nd of his Top Fuel career and his fifth this season, was made quite a bit easier when first-round opponent Scott Weis had to shut off on the line against him and second-round foe Scott Palmer, who had upset No. 3 qualifier Spencer Massey with a fireballing pass in round one, was unable to make it back to the line to oppose the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. Bernstein then moved past engine-blowing Cory McClenathan in the semifinals on a 3.85 to 3.90 score to reach the final.

Brown, who led the points for 13 of the 18 regular-season events but had won just one round in the first three playoffs events and fallen to fourth place, got a big outing when he needed it. He raced to his ninth final of the year by driving his Matco Tools digger past Chris Karamesines, Schumacher, and Doug Kalitta with a steady blitz of low-3.8-second passes. Brown’s win over Schumacher was especially important in Brown’s bid for the title, and he did it on a holeshot, 3.833 to 3.827, in a race decided by just .004-second.

Schumacher still leads the points battle by 47 over Dixon, with McClenathan third and Brown fourth, just 68 and 81, respectively, behind Schumacher.

Del Worsham

There were a lot of similarities between Funny Car finalists Worsham and Tim Wilkerson beyond the first letter of their last names. Both had been shut out from the winner’s circle after back-to-back wins earlier this year, in Madison and Bristol for Worsham and in Seattle and Sonoma for Wilkerson. Both needed a good outing to maintain any hope of a championship – Wilkerson entered the event in eighth place, Worsham in 10th -- and both got it, but Worsham’s turned out just a bit better when he beat Wilkerson’s fading entry on a 4.09 to 4.17 decision for his milestone 25th win.

“I had a good feeling this morning,” said Worsham. “You know, things were just kind of going my way. I was in the car right before first round, and I was just running through everything, and I felt the reverser. It felt OK, and then all of a sudden, it just felt too loose, and the reverser cable wasn’t hooked up. Right before they started the car, I’m screaming for the clutch guy, ‘Hook up the reverser cable.’ When you find things like that, it’s just kind of your day, and you can’t make a mistake.

“Dickie Venables and Kurt Elliott brought just an enormous amount of experience to the team — all the championships and all the runs — and all their dedication to the car just showed today. Conditions were changing all day, and they were able to stay with it. Nothing but experience can get you there, and they were able to do that.”

While his opponents were struggling, Worsham’s Venables-tuned Al-Anabi Racing Solara made three passes within two-hundredths of a second, besting tire-smoking Matt Hagan with a 4.10, blower-banging Memphis champ Arend with a 4.12, and tractionless Ron Capps with a 4.11 to reach the 38th final of his Pro career and his third this season.

Wilkerson reached his 23rd Funny Car final by moving his Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang past defending event champ Cruz Pedregon, new points leader Hight, and Mike Neff, each time with the best pass of the round: 4.064, 4.097, and 4.106.

Worsham moved up one spot to eighth place, 135 points out of the lead; despite finishing second, Wilkerson is fifth, just 82 markers behind Hight. The top six drivers are separated by just 86 points.

Mike Edwards

The Pro Stock final had a lot riding on it, too, as it featured the top two points runners, Edwards and Greg Anderson, each shooting for his second win of the playoffs. Charlotte winner Edwards, whose driving had come under fire this year, all but put the lock on his first Pro world championship with a huge win, and he surprisingly did it on a holeshot, 6.526, 211.43 to 6.522, 212.03 after gaining a .019 to .027 starting-line advantage. With the win, scored by a narrow .004-second, Edwards leads the points by 128 markers, or six rounds, with only eight rounds of racing left.

Although Dallas champ Anderson was 30-7 career against Edwards coming into the final, he was 1-3 this season, and Edwards had the better car entering the money round. Edwards, the No. 1 qualifier at the last seven races and 13 of 22 this season, scored his fifth win of the season and the 20th of his Pro Stock career.

“This day was near-perfect,” said Edwards. “It’s unbelievable what I did here today, what my team did here today. My team was phenomenal. I know it sounds like the same ol’ story, but they’re just so good at what they do. To come out here and have this kind of performance and this kind of day is unbelievable, but I’m the same ol’ redneck I’ve always been. If I win or I don’t win, I’ll be the same person. I’m going to enjoy it while I can because my daddy always told me, ‘One day it will start raining, so get ’em while you can.’

“I’m thinking [championship], but I don’t have it yet. It’s close, but you’ve still got to stay focused. You’ve still got to keep your goals ahead. Those two Summit [drivers] are going to be burning the midnight oil to try and get back up there with me. I’m not going to count my chickens yet before they hatch. But I’m living my dream right now, and I’m real close to it right now.”

Edwards got his day off to a big start by pounding out a 6.509, the quickest pass in class history and a new national record (backed up by his 6.53 qualifying pass), to dismiss V. Gaines. After running 6.53 in round two, the sixth-quickest pass in class history, to trailer Rodger Brogdon, Edwards caught a real break when Jason Line red-lighted against him in the semifinals. Edwards’ ART/Young Life Pontiac experienced tire shake and got very loose, almost crossing the centerline, but he hauled it back under control and coasted to a 17-second win to reach his 10th final of the season and the 39th final of his Pro Stock career.

Anderson, who was going for his 60th win in his 87th final, had reached the money round, his fifth of the season, with a strong car of his own. Anderson’s Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac had been spectacularly consistent in the first three rounds, running a career-best 6.517 at 212.36 in round one to defeat Dave Northrop and reset the national speed record. Anderson then beat his brother-in-law, Ronnie Humphrey, in a narrow 6.528 to 6.55 battle, then raced past upset-minded Larry Morgan, the 12th-place driver in points, with another 6.528, both of which were the third-quickest passes in class history.

Lucas Oil Sportsman wins went to Bucky Hess, who collected his first win in Super Stock, as well as Brad Zaskowski (Stock), James Antonette Sr. (Super Comp), and Michael Ruff (Super Gas).

Related stories
Friday: Cory Mac, Force Hood, Edwards are opening-day leaders in Virginia
Saturday: Beckman, Dixon, Edwards lead after a quick day in Virginia

Beckman, Dixon, Edwards lead after a quick day in Virginia

NHRA — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Larry Dixon, Jack Beckman, and Mike Edwards will lead their fields into Sunday’s final eliminations at the Virginia NHRA Nationals, the fourth of six events in NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs, after a record-setting day of qualifying Saturday.

Morning rain showers delayed the start of action at Virginia Motorsports Park by about two hours, and after a get-acquainted session with the newly rain-washed track, the Pro Stock teams especially took advantage of the cooling temperatures in the evening session to record the kind of performances for which this track has become known. In all, 13 Pro Stock drivers ran quicker Saturday than Edwards’ Friday field-leading pass and Edwards himself recorded the second quickest pass in class history to lead the field. In Top Fuel, Antron Brown reset the national speed record in Top Fuel with a pass of 319.60.

Larry Dixon

Dixon is now a perfect 4-for-4 in pole positions during the Countdown playoffs after powering his Jason McCulloch-tuned Al-Anabi/Alan Johnson Racing dragster to a career-best 3.783, the fifth quickest pass in the 1,000-foot era, in the day’s first session despite losing an engine in the process. Dixon had the second quickest pass of the final session, a 3.791, to earn five bonus points on the day. The No. 1 spot is the eighth of the season of Dixon, a personal best. With just 15 dragsters on hand, Dixon will earn a crucial first-round bye and he tries to track down points leader Tony Schumacher and vie for a third world championship.

“It kind of exploded maybe 850, 900 feet — I felt the car put a hole or two out,” said Dixon of his pole-setting run. If you took a back-half of what say Antron ran that time, it would probably have been a low .76, high .75, but it didn’t make it. I think we made a great run the second run just the fact that it was all put together. It knocked the blower off of it, and it made a mess of the drivetrain, but credit goes back to the team because they replaced everything from the firewall back. To go out there with new blowers and injectors and short blocks and anything that you’ve got and run a .79 and have it all together that time, all the credit goes to the Al-Anabi team. They’re great to watch. They do a great job.”

“I’m obviously happy to be on the pole here. I’ve never run a 3.7 before, so getting two of them in was cool. With 15 cars here, low qualifier gets a bye run, and that’s 20 points right there. And, when this bonus point program came into effect this year, that really put an emphasis on getting poles. You need poles because it’s not so much the one point between No. 1 qualifier and No. 2 qualifier, but it’s being low of sessions. You need to be low of those sessions to get those extra bonus points because that adds up. We made up almost a round last week. We didn’t do it this week, but we still gained ground on Tony [Schumacher]. If you can do that at the next couple of races, including this one, you could make up a round of racing. From where I’m at, a round of racing would be real nice right now.”

Friday leader Cory McClenathan bettered his previous-day best of 3.815 and slotted his Todd Okuhara-wrenched Fram Tough Guard dragster No. 2 with a 3.784, the best pass of the final session and also a career-best pass for the veteran. Spencer Massy made it three career-best passes atop the field as he wheeled Don Prudhomme’s Donnie Bender- and Todd Smith-tuned U.S. Smokeless rail to a 3.789. Defending event and series champ Tony Schumacher, whose 3.771 here last year still is the sport’s quickest pass, finished fourth with a 3.796 and record setter Antron Brown was the final driver in the 3.7-second zone with a 3.797; his best is a 3.778, recorded at the Winternationals in February. Brown’s new speed record at 319.60 bettered his own 319.22-mph record established in Indianapolis.

Jack Beckman

Beckman lived up to his “Fast Jack” moniker by grabbing the No. 1 spot in the final session of Funny Car qualifying with a 4.044 to earn his first No. 1 spot of the season with Don Schumacher’s Johnny West-tuned Valvoline Engine Guarantee Charger. The run is a career best by .004-second.

“There were some quality cars behind us, but that was a stout number,” said Beckman. “I knew we didn’t leave a whole lot on the table that run, so they were going to have to be darn-near perfect for them to get around us. It’s always interesting watching the television monitor down [at the top end] and watching all these cars flames roof high, right down the middle of the lane, charging. In your mind, you’re thinking, ‘That’s going to be pretty close.’ A lot of them came close after they ran.

“I think Tommy DeLago [teammate Matt Hagan’s crew chief] can take a bow for helping us run that number because he showed us what the track was capable of. When people go out there and run a 4.09, you think, ‘OK, if we can hit a homerun, we can run a 4.08.’ Well, he goes out there and runs a 4.05 in the third session, so I think Tommy D. showed us what the bar was set at. We knew that the track was going to give us low-4.04s if we hit the tune-up right.”

DSR teammate Ron Capps, trying to make up ground after a disappointing playoffs outing so far, pushed his special-edition Susan G. Komen NAPA Auto Parts Dodge to the No. 2 spot with a 4.046, also in the spectacular event session, while Matt Hagan, who led the field after three sessions after posing a career-best 4.051 in the day’s first session, finished third with the Tommy DeLago-wrenched Fram/Shelor Charger to make it a 1-2-3 finish for Schumacher Racing.

Tin Wilkerson wheeled his Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford to a career-best 4.052 for the fourth spot while Robert Hight, who holds the track e.t. record at 4.005, set here last year, finished fifth with a 4.059. Hight’s teammate, points leader Ashley Force Hood, led Friday's qualifying but will start from the No. 6 position after booting her Dean Antonelli- and Ron Douglas-tuned Castrol GTX Mustang to a 4.066 at 311.27 mph, the third fastest speed in the 1,000-foot era and a track record. She picked up another two bonus points Saturday to go with her six from Friday and could reset the national record Sunday if she can better her own 312.13 record.

Former Top Fuel racer John “Bodie” Smith qualified in his Funny Car debut on the bump spot with a 4.82 and will take on Beckman in round one.

Mike Edwards

Edwards completed yet another clean sweep of qualifying bonus points as his ART/Young Life Pontiac was the quickest car in both sessions and, most importantly, when it counted most in the incredible evening session. Edwards, who had run 6.587 in the first session to better his Friday 6.606, scorched the VMP quarter-mile with a track-record 6.531, the second quickest in Pro Stock history behind Greg Anderson’s 6.528, recorded at the season opener in Pomona in February. Edwards’ speed of 211.26 grabbed the other end of the track standard. Edwards scored the maximum points for the two days, 12 for leading each of the four sessions and eight for again finishing in the No. 1 spot, his 14th pole position in 22 events this season.

“What a scary qualifying session for Pro Stock,” said Edwards. “When you pull up there and guys are making their career best runs and it’s the last session, it gets a little nerve-wracking. We were low with a .58 last session and I bet that’s not even in the top half now. Hats off to my guys. We made another really fantastic run and I’m just so proud of them and everything that they’ve done. I praise the Lord and give him all the glory.

“We’re extremely happy with the way that things turned out for us. When it comes down to one run like that, it can make or break you. We’re really pleased.”

Kurt Johnson continued his recent improvements with his ACDelco Cobalt and zipped into the No. 2 spot with a career-best 6.546 just ahead of Anderson, whose Summit Pontiac finished third with a 6.547. Anderson’s teammate, Memphis winner Jason Line, slid into the No. 4 spot with a 6.556, just ahead of Greg Stanfield, who clocked a career-best 6.559 for the fifth position. Ronnie Humphrey, in the third Summit Pontiac, finished sixth with a 6.566. Five of the top eight qualifiers all recorded career-topping passes. In all, nine drivers ran career-best e.t.s.

The quick day ended up shy of last year’s record 6.590 bump, as V. Gaines wound up in the final spot with a 6.616 and will face Edwards on round one. The biggest surprise of qualifying, however, was Dodge campaigner Allen Johnson’s failure to qualify after posting just a 6.621 best with his Mopar Stratus. It’s Johnson’s second DNQ of the season and probably puts an end to his championship aspirations.

Related stories:
Friday: Cory Mac, Force Hood, Edwards are opening-day leaders in Virginia

Racing under way in Richmond

NHRA — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:57:00 GMT

Cory Mac, Force Hood, Edwards are opening-day leaders in Virginia

NHRA — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel, Ashley Force Hood in Funny Car, and Mike Edwards in Pro Stock finished the opening day of qualifying at the Virginia NHRA Nationals atop their respective fields.

The event marks the beginning of the second half of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Countdown to 1, the six-race playoff section that will determine the year’s champions in mid-November in Pomona, Calif. Virginia Motorsports Park, just outside of Richmond, had traditionally offered mineshaft conditions for quick runs but Mother Nature did not cooperate Friday as temperatures in the low 80s held back performance, especially in the naturally aspirated classes like Pro Stock, where incoming hopes had been high for the class’ first 6.4-second pass. The track was the site of the first 200-mph pass in class history in 1997 and the host to numerous national records and record-quick fields. The quickest 1,000-foot runs in both nitro classes were recorded here last year: Tony Schumacher's 3.771 (the current national record) and Robert Hight's 4.005. Also, last year's race featured the first all-6.5-second Pro Stock field ever.

Cory McClenathan

McClenathan, one of the winningest drivers in the history of this event, having won in 1995, 1998, 1999, and in 2006, already has one 2009 Countdown win to his credit, in Charlotte, and is putting himself and his Fram Tough Guard team in prime position for another after grabbing the Top Fuel pole with a solid 3.815 Friday evening. Cory Mac’s only other No. 1 spot this year came in Bristol.

“We need those three points,” said McClenathan. “That was nice to see. We’re also looking at cooler conditions tomorrow and if we don’t have any rain, then there is still an opportunity to run quicker, and obviously my teammate Tony [Schumacher] will try to do so. There are 15 cars here, and that puts us in a great position for lane choice. At the same time, we come here to Richmond and for some reason we just happen to do well. It’s good mojo.”

“Lanny Miglizzi said that this is probably the best we’ve seen this track in a lot of years. When I was running down through there and got to about half track, I thought, ‘This is on a very good run. I thought an .82 or an .83, so when they said .81, I was a little bit surprised. I think it’ll hold for tomorrow, but if it gets cooler, you know what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to try to run quicker.”

No Top Fuel driver earned bonus points in both sessions as the first-session leaders struggled a bit in their later try, allowing three new drivers to take the top spots. Brandon Bernstein snagged the No. 2 position with his Budweiser/Copart dragster at 3.832, just ahead of points leader and defending event champ Schumacher, who clocked a 3.835 in his U.S. Army dragster.

Antron Brown, who led the first qualifying session with a 3.856 from his Matco digger, slipped to fourth when he was unable to better than number while second-place points runner Larry Dixon did likewise after he couldn’t improve on his earlier 3.859. Spencer Massey, third quickest in the opening frame, slid to sixth.

Just 14 dragsters made passes Friday and comebacking homestate Scott Weis sits with the 12th and final e.t. that will transfer into Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions with a 4.076. Terry Haddock is on the grounds but did not make a pass, so if only 15 cars are on hand, drivers will be battling for the No. 1 qualifying position and a first-round bye run.

Ashley Force Hood

Force Hood came into the event leading teammate Hight by just three points and doubled that edge by earning six bonus points to his three in the first two sessions. Force Hood’s Castrol GTX Mustang was the quickest in both sessions with runs of 4.140 and 4.094, the latter of which has her halfway to what would be her sixth No. 1 position of the season.

“Every little point here and there is going to help,” said Force Hood. “It could be today’s few points that could make or break the championship at the end of the year, so we’re trying not to give away any run, especially when the conditions are just so nice, the track’s so nice, and it’s all there. It’s a frustrating thing when you don’t make it down the track when it could have been a stellar run. We made both runs A to B really strong today. We’re really pumped up for this weekend. We started off really strong, but we’ve got to keep going.

“I know going up there when ‘Guido’ [Dean Antonelli, crew chief] tells me right before he starts the car, ‘Make sure you get real tight in your staging,’ I knew he’s obviously going out for something. He’ll also say when they’re making last-minute adjustments in the staging lanes, ‘The hamster’s happy,’ which I think means everything’s good and they’re very confident in how they’ve tuned it and are ready to go up there. [On this run], he did say, ‘The hamster’s happy,’ and then right before we started the car, he said, ‘Make sure to keep it staged tight,’ so I knew we didn’t want to give any little bit away.”

Upstart Memphis winner Jeff Arend and the sky-high Kalitta team are showing their victory was no fluke as Arend piloted the team’s DHL Toyota to the No. 2 spot with a 4.10 and sits one spot ahead of Hight’s Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang. Hight’s 4.15 was the second quickest pass of the first session, and even though he improved to a 4.110, it was the round’s third best run and dropped him back one spot. Behind them in Cruz Pedregon, who at this point last seasons began a three-race win streak that carried him to the season championship. Pedregon’s Advance Auto Parts Toyota ran a best of 4.119.

Mike Neff sits in the No. 12 spot with his special-edition Ford Drive One Mustang after clocking a 4.144. Five other drivers, including championship hopefuls Tim Wilkerson and Ron Capps, will need to bump their way into the quick 16 if they want to make the field for eliminations.

Mike Edwards

Edwards gobbled up another six qualifying bonus points by powering his ART/Young Life Pontiac to the best passes of each session, opening with a 6.620 and following up with a 6.606 that has him halfway to his 13th No. 1 spot in the season’s first 22 events.

“It has been a phenomenal year and a dream season,” said Edwards. “I’m literally living my dream with this sport that I’ve enjoyed doing for a long time. We did accomplish our goal of the day and that’s to pick up those valuable six points. We feel good about that. We didn’t make the best run that last run there, but it was good enough.

“I just go out and try to race the track and the conditions and make the very best run we possibly can. Whatever it ends up being, we just hope it’s good enough.”

Summit teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line closed the gap on Edwards in the evening session, but their respective 6.627 and 6.630 passes still left them second and third. Anderson also was second-quick in the first session, netting him four bonus points on the day; Line got one and Johnny Gray, whose Dodge was the third quickest of the opening session got one. Gray improved on his morning 6.644 with a 6.634 to grab the No. 4 spot.

Steve Spiess holds the all-important No. 12 spot with his Spiess Construction Cobalt with a 6.657. With 20 teams on hand, including Ryan Ondrejko in hometown favorite Jim Yates’ machine, there will be much battling for the final 16 positions.

NHRA announces Fan Relief program for Auto Club Finals

NHRA — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:15:00 GMT

NHRA has announced that a limited number of $20 Race Fan Relief tickets – a savings of up to $29 per ticket – will be made available for the Nov. 12-15 Auto Club NHRA Finals, the climactic race in NHRA’s six-race playoff, the Countdown to 1.

The offer is available for advance purchase only on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to 1,500 tickets for each day of the four-day event. To purchase fan-relief tickets, enter the password “relief” on the appropriate Ticketmaster page or call 800-884-NHRA (6472) and mention “fan-relief offer.”

NHRA has also partnered with Ticketmaster to eliminate service and convenience fees on tickets purchased through Ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster phone lines, or at Ticketmaster outlets. Fans purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster may pick up their tickets at the ticket office will-call window on race day or they may have their tickets delivered for a fee.

NHRA is also reaching out to families and fans in the military: Children 12 and younger accompanied by a paying adult will be admitted free on any of the four days of the event to general-admission areas, and NHRA is offering any active U.S. military personnel a free reserved-seat ticket on-site Friday, Nov. 13.

Great seats remain available at regular price for all days of the event. For more ticket information about the Auto Club NHRA Finals, call 800 884-4762 or purchase your tickets online at ticketmaster.com.

NHRA provides preliminary information after Funny Car incidents in Charlotte, Memphis

NHRA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:21:00 GMT

Preliminary results of NHRA’s investigation into two separate incidents involving Funny Car at both the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Charlotte and the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Memphis suggests the problems are not related in any way, according to NHRA technical officials.

The first incident involved Bob Tasca III and his Ford Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang. The wheel was immediately examined by NHRA Technical Department personnel and after the event was sent to the SFI Foundation Inc. for further inspection. The wheel has also been examined by the original fabricator. Based on initial inspections, NHRA issued a technical bulletin advising teams of wheel inspection and maintenance issues. In the meantime, the wheel is continuing to be examined by SFI and has been sent to a metallurgist for further evaluation.

In Memphis, NHRA tech officials examined the wheel components in the incident involving Dan Wilkerson and his Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang. After initial examinations and discussions with team owner Tim Wilkerson, NHRA has determined that the wheel was not properly installed.

“We believe that both wheels' lug nuts were not properly torque due to misaligned wheel spacers,” said Wilkerson. “That contributed to the loss of the wheels during the run.”

This week, NHRA’s Technical Department issued a technical bulletin on proper installation of the wheels with and without spacers. Further metallurgical analysis is planned on the wheel studs from the Wilkerson vehicle to determine if any other factors were involved in the incident.

As in all incidents, NHRA will also examine data recorded by the Ford Accident Recorders and the onboard data-acquisition systems from both cars to further analyze these incidents.

“While we have some strong preliminary information from both incidents at this time, it is important to make sure that a thorough analysis is done,” said Glen Gray, NHRA vice president-technical operations. “If any additional information is obtained from the investigations of either incident, it will be shared immediately with our Top Fuel and Funny Car teams.”

NHRA contingent headed overseas again to visit U.S. troops

NHRA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:39:00 GMT

Top Fuel drivers Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Spencer Massey, and Cory McClenathan, along with Pro Stock racer Erica Enders, will spend eight days this off-season visiting U.S. troops overseas as part of a morale-boosting USO tour.

The visit will receive corporate support from GEICO Powersports, Lucas Oil, Toyota, and Mach 1 Global Services.

"We're very excited to have this opportunity to visit our troops," Lucas said. "I consider this a huge honor, and I can't wait to get over there and meet all the soldiers, Marines, and Air Force personnel that have dedicated their lives to protecting our country and preserving the American way of life."

The Randall Shughart Chapter of the Army Special Forces Association, based in Carlisle, Pa., will again serve as host for the NHRA tour, which has been conducted for the last four years with support from General Motors. Retired Sgt. 1st Class Howard W. Reed Jr. and retired Maj. Dieter H. B. Protsch will lead the contingent when they arrive in country.

"They've done a great job in the past, and we're proud to take the torch from them and move forward," Lucas said. "I've talked to many of the drivers that have been over there, and they tell me it's a life-changing experience. I know they plan to keep us real busy so we can visit as many people as possible, so we'll hit the ground running."

The NHRA group will visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the Wounded Warrior Center, the 1st Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group in Stuttgart, the 435th Security Forces Squadron, Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, the Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division, the 86th Services Squadron in Weisbaden, the 435th Contingency Response Group, the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility, the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron, the 21st Operations Weather Squadron, and the Ramstein PAX Terminal.

At each stop, goody bags filled with NHRA items will be distributed to service personnel. Lucas is requesting donations from his fellow drivers and team owners to help fill the bags.

"We're looking for T-shirts, stickers, autographed hero cards, small diecasts, key chains, really anything that's race-related that we can fit into a regular-sized souvenir bag," Lucas said. "The racing community always comes up big in situations like this, and I'm asking everyone to support this cause. It's all for the troops."

Interested parties should ship donations to:

Morgan Lucas Racing
Attn: USO Tour
481 Southpoint Circle
Brownsburg, IN 46112-2205

McClenathan still in Countdown title hunt as series heads to Virginia

NHRA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Now that veteran Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan is in the hunt for a world championship title, he’s not changing anything about his approach to race weekends.

McClenathan has experience in championship battles. He has finished second four times during his great career. He has finished third three other times, including last season.

After winning the first playoff race in Charlotte and finishing in the quarterfinals in Dallas and Memphis, McClenathan is certainly capable of hoisting the trophy at the NHRA awards ceremony.

He knows from experience that patience and consistency are the necessary ingredients as NHRA Professional category teams make the stretch run to glory in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

McClenathan will continue his quest to win that elusive first world championship crown with a strong showing at the 4th annual NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond. The race is the 22nd of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

McClenathan, who sits third in the points standings following the recent event in Memphis, has had great success at VMP over the years. He is the winningest Top Fuel driver at the track with four victories, his last in 2006. He was runner-up there in 1997.

“As soon as we rolled in there the first year in Richmond, we've done well ever since,” McClenathan said. “I go in there very comfortable. I go in there thinking we're going to go rounds on Sunday. I don't go in there thinking we’re going to win every single race, but obviously, I'm very comfortable going in there, and I can't wait to get there this time because right now, every point matters, and we need them.”

He says his Fram Tough Guard team will head to Virginia with a familiar strategy.

“Our goal is the same as always,” McClenathan explained. “Go in there, get qualified well on Friday afternoon, try to run good Friday night, and pick up some of those extra qualifying points that they're now offering [three, two, and one for the top three qualifiers in each qualifying round] to give us a little cushion points-wise before eliminations on Sunday.”

He says his team, made up entirely of a crew with the majority of experience tuning Funny Cars, has bonded and done an awesome job this season tuning a Top Fuel dragster. He says the team will be focused on making the dragster as consistent as possible and not worrying about counting points.

“[Crew chiefs] Phil [Shuler] and Todd [Okuhara] and the Fram Tough Guard boys will do exactly what they're supposed to, which is forget about the points deal and go in there and get qualified well and work on it for Sunday,” McClenathan said. “We've attacked every single race that way this year, and I don't want to change things. It's just about going in there and taking one round at a time on Sunday, and if all goes well, we'll go the semi's or to the final, keep on earning points, and make the last [few] races of the playoffs very exciting.”

In addition to McClenathan, the favorites in Top Fuel are six-time and defending world champ Schumacher, who won this race last year as he marched to the season title. Schumacher, the points leader, has won five times this season in his U.S. Army dragster and recently won a playoff race in Dallas and was runner-up at the Memphis playoff stop. Larry Dixon, who is second in the points standings in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster, has also won five times this season and sits poised to make a run for his third championship crown.

Defending race winner and world champ Pedregon didn’t qualify for the Countdown to 1 playoffs this year, but he will be at the event working hard to defend his race win. His brother, Tony Pedregon, has been near the front of the pack all season in his Quaker State Chevy Impala and has won three races and is third in the standings. Points leader Ashley Force Hood holds a three-point lead over teammate Robert Hight. Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman and Ron Capps are also major contenders for the race win and the championship.

In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards has come on strong in the playoffs and took over the points lead with a win in Charlotte and strong showings in Dallas and Memphis. He is ahead of three-time world champ Greg Anderson, who recently won in Dallas, and Jason Line, the Memphis winner. Others to watch in the 200-mph category include past VMP winners Jeg Coughlin and Greeneville, Tenn.’s Allen Johnson.

SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions for the NHRA Virginia Nationals are scheduled for 1:30 and 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, and noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

TICKETS: For tickets for the NHRA Virginia Nationals, call 804-862-3174 or log on to www.ticketmaster.com.

ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 10. On Sunday, Oct. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will feature NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. ET and three hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET.

Capps, NAPA team to showcase Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Richmond

NHRA — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:34:00 GMT

Ron Capps

On behalf of NAPA, Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Funny Car team will showcase Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer advocacy organization, at this weekend's 4th annual NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, outside of Richmond.

The body of the NAPA Dodge will sport a brilliant paint scheme as part of a unique initiative designed to raise $250,000 by highlighting the importance of preventive maintenance for both the body and the vehicle.

"We recognize the devastating effects cancer has on both the mind and body and are excited to actively join the millions fighting for a cure each day," said Bob Susor, NAPA president. "Our $250,000 donation is made on behalf of everyone affiliated with NAPA, as all of us care deeply for those affected by this debilitating disease."

The partnership includes a number of initiatives designed to help raise awareness:

* Consumers who spend $25 or more at participating NAPA Auto Parts sores or NAPA AutoCare Centers in October receive a unique NAPA/Susan G. Komen for the Cure travel mug free.

* The NAPA No. 55 NASCAR Sprint Cup car will feature a Susan G. Komen for the Cure paint scheme Oct. 17 in Charlotte (broadcast on ABC), and the NAPA NHRA Funny Car will feature a similar paint scheme Oct. 9-11 in Richmond (broadcast on ESPN2).

"Our service technicians preach the importance of regular preventive maintenance for your vehicle, and the same principle applies for the attention your body needs," added Susor.

Approximately 87 percent of donations, like the one from NAPA, go directly toward Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s promise to end breast cancer forever by funding live-saving research and community outreach projects. For more information, log on to www.NAPAOnline.com or www.komen.org.

"I am proud to be a part of this unique initiative to support a great cause," said Capps, who has helped raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure through his racing efforts apart from competing in the NHRA Full Throttle Series.

As for his effort this weekend to keep himself in the hunt for his first Funny Car world championship at the fourth of six events of the Countdown to 1 playoffs: "We're pretty sure the weather conditions in Richmond are going to be much like they were last year," said Capps, who is fifth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs standings, just 88 out of first place. "There were some outstanding runs last year when the track cooled off. We really needed a great run in Memphis [last weekend plus Monday] to get back in the hunt, and that's what we got.

"And now it's encouraging for us, and we're just hopeful the track can hold the power the teams are expected to put down. But, personally, I feel 'Ace' [crew chief Ed McCulloch] and the NAPA guys gave a good handle on our race car after bringing our 'old' chassis back out.

"Robert Hight went 4-flat there last year, and there were some low 4.0s. It could be risky, but there are 20 points looming out there for anybody who can break the national record, which we hold right now [4.023 seconds], and back it up by 1 percent that same weekend.

"Don't think there's not going to be some teams shooting for that. Those extra 20 points could decide a championship," added Capps, who was runner-up in Virginia in 2000 and 2007.

Nominees named for 2009 Auto Club Road to the Future Award

NHRA — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:55:00 GMT

Four NHRA rookie drivers, representative of three Pro categories, have been selected as nominees for the 2009 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, it was announced by officials from NHRA and the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The nominees for the prestigious award are, in alphabetical order, Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Doug Horne (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), and Spencer Massey (Top Fuel).

The award, which recognizes the top rookie competitor in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and offers a $20,000 prize and traditional trophy to the winner, will be presented during NHRA’s annual championship awards ceremony Monday, Nov. 16, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

“For more than 100 years, the Automobile Club of Southern California has represented outstanding commitment and professionalism to our millions of members. The Road to the Future Award has come to symbolize these same attributes in the sport of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing,” said Thomas V. McKernan, chief executive officer of the Automobile Club of Southern California. “To be nominated recognizes not only that a rookie driver had a noteworthy first season, but also that they demonstrated exceptional potential for the future. We congratulate all four of the nominees for this year’s award and look forward to enjoying their achievements both on and off the racetrack for many years to come.”

Matt Hagan	Doug Horne
Shawn Langdon	Spencer Massey

Hagan, 26, from Christiansburg, Va., drove his Valvoline/Shelor.com Dodge Charger to runner-up finishes in Las Vegas in the spring and Charlotte. He also posted a No. 1 qualifying effort in Sonoma.

Horne, 21, from Aberdeen, Md., rode his Horne Concrete Buell to back-to-back runner-up finishes in Houston and Atlanta and claimed his first No. 1 qualifying position in Chicago. He qualified for the Countdown to 1 in Pro Stock Motorcycle and is sixth in the points standings with two bike races remaining.

Langdon, 27, from Mira Loma, Calif., powered his Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper dragster to a runner-up finish in Charlotte and a No. 1 qualifying performance in Las Vegas in the spring. Langdon qualified for the Countdown to 1 in Top Fuel and is sixth in the standings with three races to go.

Massey, 27, from Fort Worth, Texas, raced to three final rounds, including a victory in Chicago, in his U.S. Smokeless dragster. Massey qualified No. 1 in Atlanta and posted a runner-up finish at that event. He also was runner-up in Reading. He qualified for the Countdown to 1 and is eight in the points standings with three races to go.

In 2002, the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award and the NHRA Rookie of the Year Award were combined to create one award recognizing the future stars of the sport. Past winners of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award have developed into some of NHRA’s biggest stars, including Tony Pedregon (1996, Funny Car), Ron Capps (1997, Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (1998, Top Fuel), Antron Brown (1999, Pro Stock Motorcycle), Melanie Troxel (2000, Top Fuel), GT Tonglet (2001, Pro Stock Motorcycle), Gene Wilson (2002, Pro Stock), Brandon Bernstein (2003, Top Fuel), Jason Line (2004, Pro Stock), Robert Hight (2005, Funny Car), J.R. Todd (2006, Top Fuel), Ashley Force Hood (2007, Funny Car), and Mike Neff (2008, Funny Car).

NHRA Rookie of the Year winners prior to the merger of the two awards included the late Darrell Russell (2001, Top Fuel), Don Lampus (2000, Top Fuel), Scotty Cannon (1999, Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (1998, Pro Stock), Gary Scelzi (1997, Top Fuel), and co-winners in 1996, Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Rookie drivers in all four of NHRA’s Professional categories are eligible to win the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award. More than 125 of the nation’s most distinguished auto racing journalists will select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events participated in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.

In addition to the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, the company is the title sponsor for the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The company also is a major sponsor for John Force Racing, providing primary sponsorship for the Mustang driven by Hight as well as associate sponsorship for the Ford Mustangs driven by John Force, Force Hood, and Neff. In addition, the company is the presenting sponsor for the California Hot Rod Reunion and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

The Automobile Club of Southern California is the largest affiliate of AAA. Today, the Auto Club’s members benefit by the organization’s emergency road service, financial products, travel agency and trip-planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying, and financing programs, and automotive testing and analysis.

Arend's win highlights Memphis on Monday; Lucas, Line, Phillips also shine

NHRA — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Jeff Arend scored an emotional win in Funny Car, and Morgan Lucas, Jason Line, and Michael Phillips boosted their championship hopes with victories at the rain-delayed conclusion to the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Arend, who was named the successor to the late Scott Kalitta at midseason 2008, last won in 1996 in Reading, where he defeated Tony Pedregon in the final, and it was Pedregon, gunning to close on the points leaders, also in the final this time, but the results were the same. Lucas in Top Fuel, Line in Pro Stock, and Phillips in Pro Stock Motorcycle used huge wins to jump to fifth, second, and third, respectively, as the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs reached their midpoint. Eliminations, which were canceled Sunday due to persistent rain, began an hour late Monday but finished with a fury in front of a weary but thrilled crowd.

Morgan Lucas

Lucas, who entered the season without a Top Fuel win on his résumé, scored his third of the year in an upset over Tony Schumacher after both drivers had trouble. Lucas persevered best, riding his Jimmy Walsh-tuned GEICO Powersports machine to a 5.13 to 8.21 victory.

“It’s funny how wins happen,” said Lucas. “Sometimes the car is on; sometimes you’re on; sometimes you’re both on. I felt like everything was working today. The last thing I thought about in the final was the car shaking, smoking the tires, or doing anything stupid. When it did, it was awesome, because it got sideways, got out of it, and I thought I was going to go over the centerline for a second. It’s so intense and emotional for only happening within a couple seconds.

“I went five years without winning one of these. When you get used to not winning, you learn how to keep persevering, lose gracefully, and enjoy the times when you can win. The championship isn’t something I even considered at the beginning of the year, but we hope this is the momentum change that we needed.”

Lucas, who also scored in Atlanta and Brainerd, reached the final after sitting down teammate Shawn Langdon and points front-runner Larry Dixon with a pair of 3.87s, then picked up to a 3.849 in the semifinals to defeat upset-minded Steve Torrence.

Schumacher, winner a week ago in Dallas, continued his hot streak, reaching his third final round at the last four races with his Mike Green-tuned U.S. Army dragster. Schumacher opened eliminations with an uncontested 3.82 win when Terry Haddock couldn’t return after his burnout, then pounded out a 3.83 in the second round to defeat Bob Vandergriff Jr. and a 3.843 in the semifinals against Doug Kalitta that earned him lane choice for his 95th title bout.

Jeff Arend

Arend, who until the Reading event this season had not won a round in more than a year behind the wheel of Connie Kalitta's DHL Solara Funny Car, won three at the last four events and continued to only get better in Memphis, collecting the second national event of his career and his first in 13 years when Pedregon smoked the tires in the final. Arend looked good in winning, running a solid 4.09 at 310.41 mph, the fourth-fastest pass in class history at 1,000 feet.

“Everyone had tears in their eyes at the end of the track, myself included,” said an emotional Arend. “I know how big this is for Connie [Kalitta, team owner] after continuing to run this Funny Car after going through the ultimate tragedy. He did it because what he and Scott wanted to do was to have a competitive Funny Car. I think we proved today that we have one now.

“[Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing crew chief] Aaron Brooks has been helping us a little bit. [Crew chiefs] Jim Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante [Jr.] were close, but we would run good and then go back up and not run good. It’s been 13 years since I last won in Maple Grove. The funny thing is, that win in 1996 was in the same chassis that Scott won with in Houston in 1989.”

Arend opened with an easy win over tire-smoking Jack Beckman and followed with victories over John Force and Ashley Force Hood. Arend beat Force in a tight 4.10 to 4.17 second-round clash, then won an even closer duel with Force's daughter in the semifinals, 4.10 to 4.11. Despite her loss to Arend, Force Hood took over the points lead and is ahead of brother-in-law and teammate Robert Hight by just three points.

Pedregon, the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs, had lost in the first round of both Countdown events but bounced back in spectacular fashion in Memphis. Pedregon's route to the final round was a wild one, including his opening 4.10 blast to defeat Mike Neff's Mustang and his second-round conquest of tire-smoking Matt Hagan. Pedregon exploded the supercharger downtrack, sending his car's Nitro Fish-themed body soaring, causing Hagan to get back on to the throttle, but Pedregon still tripped the win light, 5.22 to 5.31. Pedregon and team popped their Herzog-branded body on their machine, then calmly beat Ron Capps, 4.10 to 4.11, to reach the final, Pedregon's 75th. Pedregon moved up one spot to third place, just 26 points behind Force Hood.

Jason Line

With his final-round victory over red-lighting Ron Krisher, Line moved past teammate Greg Anderson and into second place in the Pro Stock standings behind Mike Edwards. Line posted a solid 6.567, 210.05 in his Summit Pontiac for his fifth win of the season in nine final-round appearances. The win is the 20th of Line's Pro Stock career.

“For us, it’s just about winning races,” said Line. “Fortunately, they pay someone else to count the points. We came through today somehow. We haven’t done a great job in the last couple weeks. I didn’t do a great job behind the wheel today, but it was good enough, and my car carried me through.

“It was a lucky win in a lot of ways. We didn’t have the performance advantage by any means; Mike Edwards was crushing us. Greg and I still have a great shot at winning the championship. We need to be perfect from here on out, but it’s still possible.”

Line, who had recorded just one round-win in the first two races of the Countdown playoffs, got better in a hurry Monday by racing to the 43rd final of his Pro Stock career in victories over Steve Schmidt, Allen Johnson, and Anderson with passes of 6.61, 6.60, and 6.59.

Krisher, winner earlier this year in Houston, entered the event needing a solid performance to keep his championship hopes alive and got it from his Valvoline Cobalt, qualifying fifth and racing past Kurt Johnson and Rodger Brogdon with runs of 6.60 and 6.65, then taking down No. 1 qualifier and points leader Edwards in the semifinals with a stunning 6.59 to Edwards' slowing 6.69. Despite the loss, Edwards, who had run a strong 6.57 in round two, held on to his points lead, which now stands at 78 over Line and 81 over Anderson.

Michael Phillips

Phillips, who entered the Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown playoffs on a hot streak with runner-ups in Reading and Indy, used a huge weekend that began with top speed of the meet in qualifying and ended with a stunning conquest of second-place Eddie Krawiec, 6.93, 193 to 6.94, 192.22, to vault to third place in the standings. The win was Phillips' first since the 2003 Reading event and his third in eight finals.

“This is great,” said Phillips. “We’ve been struggling for the last three years. I lost the whole setup on my bike in 2006. Craig Treble rewired my bike in the middle of the year. I got to studying my computer, and everything started coming together. After qualifying this weekend, I took my clutch to Jerry Eckman, and he showed me some things that helped my bike with the short times. I’m just trying to be a player with these guys.

“I don’t have a big rig; I have a real small trailer, and I’m out here in my ‘Underdog.’ I didn’t know I had so many fans, but they all came over and told me they like to cheer for the little guy. I won two divisionals here in Memphis, so this track has been good to me.”

Phillips reached his third in the last five finals by racing past Treble and GT Tonglet with matching 6.93s, then getting a huge break when Hector Arana, winner of the last three events, red-lighted for the eighth time this season (but for the first time in the playoffs) with a -.007 reaction. Arana, whose 6.85 in qualifying was the quickest pass in class history, backed it up with a 6.91 (and later a 6.88) to set the new record and left the event with his points lead intact by 28 markers on Krawiec.

Krawiec, who went to seven straight runner-ups and earned the 2008 world championship without winning a single event, was denied his fifth win in his 10th final this season and a chance to close on Arana. Krawiec had powered his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley past Bailey Whitaker with a 6.97, then ran a 6.95 after rookie of the year contender Doug Horne fouled against him. Krawiec got quicker still in the final four with a 6.92 to win a close match by just .009-second over fellow championship hopeful Matt Smith and his Suzuki, 6.92 to 6.94.

Related stories
Friday: Track records tumble in Memphis; Dixon, Hight, Edwards, Hines lead
Saturday: Arana's blast highlights final qualifying in Memphis; Dixon, Hight, Edwards also lead

Former NHRA Pro Stock, Sport Compact racer Carlson dies

NHRA — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Former NHRA Pro Stock and Sport Compact racer Shaun Carlson died Oct. 4. He was 35. Carlson had been diagnosed with Brugada syndrome, also known as Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome (SUDS), a genetic disease that is characterized by abnormal electrocardiogram findings and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, but it is unknown whether that contributed to his death.

Carlson, a talented fabricator who was the car owner for former world drifting champion Samuel Hübinette in the Formula Drift series, had been ill the last few years yet continued to field his team.

Carlson, owner of NuFormz Engineering in Ontario, Calif., had been racing since 1999 but first came to national prominence on the sport compact scene, where his front-wheel-drive machines were strong and innovative runners; he built the first sport compact drag car with a tube chassis.

Carlson set NHRA Sport Compact Racing Series Pro FWD records for e.t. and speed in May 2003 in Gainesville, where he captured his first NHRA victory. He finished third in the standings on the strength of four semifinal finishes. He also scored a victory at the inaugural Palm Beach NHRA Sport Compact Nationals in Florida in 2005 and drove to final-round appearance at the 2004 NHRA Sport Compact Fall Nationals in Englishtown. He also was the No. 1 qualifier at Texas Motorplex in August 2004; he finished fourth that season. Outside of NHRA, he was the 2002 Xbox Cup champion in the Pro Outlaw class.

Carlson got his first taste of NHRA Professional racing in 2004, when he subbed for an injured Darrell Alderman in Pro Stock at the season opener, where he grabbed a first-round win and nearly advanced to the semifinals in his debut.

Two years later, he piloted the Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T for Don Schumacher Racing in the NHRA Pro Stock class for the 2006 season. He competed at 15 events but only qualified at one, in Las Vegas in the spring, and finished 25th in the standings. Carlson used his mechanical skills to assist Allen and Roy Johnson, owners of J&J Racing, in tuning friend Richie Stevens Jr.’s Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T during the latter part of the season, helping Stevens earn two late-season wins in 2006.

After leaving drag racing, Carlson became involved in professional drifting. NuFormz Racing maintained the Mopar Viper Competition Coupe that Hübinette piloted to the 2004 inaugural Need for Speed Underground Formula D Drift Series championship. Hübinette earned two wins for NuFormz Racing in 2005 and scored a runner-up finish in the Formula Drift standings, then won the 2006 Formula D championship on the strength of three wins. Hübinette captured a fifth-place finish in the final 2007 Formula Drift points standings and finished second again in 2008 after three podium finishes in his NuFormz Racing-prepped Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10.

Carlson was named as one of the Top Ten Innovators of All Time in the sport compact and drifting scene by Super Street magazine.

Services for Carlson will be on Monday Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. at Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, 12205 N. Pipeline Avenue, Chino, CA. 91710

Racing underway again in Memphis

NHRA — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Rain still has Memphis final eliminations on hold

NHRA — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:42:00 GMT

Final eliminations for the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals were rained out by persistent showers Sunday. The race is now scheduled to complete Monday, with the resumption of eliminations at Memphis Motorsports Park beginning at 9:30 a.m. local time (10:30 a.m. Eastern).

Sunday’s ESPN2 program will air as planned at 7 p.m. Eastern, and eliminations will air Monday night at the same time, 7-10 p.m. Eastern.

The Full Throttle Pros had a day of sitting and waiting Monday, and found ways to kill the time until officials were forced to call off the day’s activities at 3 p.m.

Jack Beckman

Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car, who qualified second and faces Jeff Arend in the opening round of eliminations, commented, "Today I’ve done the driver intros that we have in the Don Schumacher Racing hospitality area and met with the honorary crew members who bid at that auction we had to raise money for a special cause. Since we haven’t done anything on the race track, I took them on an extensive tour of the facility here.

"I’ve signed some autographs for the fans who were hearty enough to come by in the rain. I signed a stack of items for our Mail Terminal Services employees who are going to one of the terminals soon, and hung out with the crew for awhile.

“A lot of people put so much into the psychology. It’s simple, if it rains we don’t race and if it dries up, we do. Drag racing is interesting. For most other forms of motorsports, once the car starts you keep going until the race is over. With drag racing, on a good day, you are in the car four different times so you’ve got to kind of even out your temperament or it can be a roller coaster ride sometimes. So I don’t care about the rain, really.”

Ron Capps

Ron Capps, driving the NAPA Adaptive One Brakes Dodge Funny Car, who faces rookie Daniel Wilkerson, 21-year-old son of Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson, in the opening round, commented, "It doesn't disrupt us. This is what we do for a living, so it's not like we need to go back to work on a Monday. It's unfortunate for the fans. You try to go out there and sign autographs even though it's in the rain and everybody is getting wet. But you want to make sure that the die-hard fans that come out to walk around in the rain and get soaking wet at least go home with some autographs. It's good to see all the drivers out there.

“From a standpoint of getting ready for the racing, I've learned from hanging out with the people who have been in the business for a long time that you can't control it, so there's no reason to get that excited.

"I did, however, tell some of Daniel Wilkerson's guys that I think Daniel has to be back in school on Monday," Capps said, with a laugh. "If he doesn’t, I'm going to call his teachers and tell them that he needs to get back in class on Monday.

"All joking aside, we were hanging out here all day waiting to see what the weather was going to do."

Rebutted father Tim, "All of a sudden, Capps became all worried about Daniel's education. He said an education is the most important thing in a young person's life, and that Daniel should absolutely not miss school on Monday just to be in a drag race. That was pretty funny, but we'll let the kid play hooky this time. This weather was just miserable today, so hopefully things are a lot better on Monday and we can get the whole race in without any more delays."

Cory McClenathan

Cory McClenathan, who qualified No. 4 in the FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel dragster and faces TJ Zizzo in the opening round of eliminations, said, “When we’re on a four-week swing like this, I just think it makes it that much harder on the families, the fans, and all the guys working on the race cars. It kind of brings us down to crunch time. There is no time to be sitting here during the week while we’re supposed to be traveling to Richmond.

"I think the weather is going to be OK tomorrow, so I think that’s what we’re going to be looking at. But we need to get it in because we need to get everything packed up and sent down the road.

"When you’re running an operation like Don Schumacher Racing with three Funny Cars, two Top Fuel cars and a motorcycle, it’s a lot of work to do.

"Right now everyone’s just hanging out and getting fed. Our normal deal on days like this is I’ll get up and work out, have breakfast with (fiancée) Debi and the kids, come over here, and then I play my PS2 for the rest of the day. So, that’s been my day so far.

"We also do all our pre-race introductions with DSR. All the drivers are introduced and they say a few words. That’s always a fun thing because we all make fun of each other, so I spend most of my time making fun of Jack Beckman!" he said, with a laugh.

Clay Millican definitely saw a bright spot in Sunday's gloomy skies, forcing NHRA officials to postpone NHRA's Mid-South Nationals eliminations to Monday at Memphis Motorsports Park.

"Coming from the 16th qualifying position and watching the rain fall on the track all day, I don't think it hurt our chances in the first round," said the native of nearby Drummonds, Tenn. "The rain changes track conditions and the differences may throw off (No. 1 qualifier) Larry Dixon's tune-up. We'll be working on our combination, too, going for the upset win.

"Not only that, but we get one more day to race at our home track."

Antron Brown

Antron Brown qualified his Mike Ashley-owned Toyota/Matco Tools dragster second at 3.836 seconds at 318.99 mph. and will face off against No. 15 qualifier Tim Cullinan in the first round of eliminations.
"Mother Nature got us today," Brown said. "It was a beautiful weekend here at Memphis until today. It got really cold out. This is a bummer because the fans have been great here at Memphis this weekend and our Toyota/Matco Tools car has run great. We're excited to hit the track and go some rounds and make up some ground in the Countdown and we'll have to wait until Monday for that to happen."

U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher, who qualified third, will line up against 14th-place qualifier Terry Haddock.

“Man, we were all ready to go and now we’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” said the six-time world champion and defending event champ. “There’s certainly nothing you can do about it. We’ll come back on Monday just as focused. We’d love to get us another win down here in Memphis,” he added. “Of course, we also want to keep rolling along in the Countdown to 1. The real goal is another world championship.”

Greg Anderson

Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson, who qualified second, will take on No. 15 qualifier Mark Hogan, while his stablemate Jason Line will open against veteran Steve Schmidt. Despite the 24-hour delay, it will be business as usual for talented tandem.

“I’ve seen this happen a million times before, and I’ve been shocked that every time it happened this year it always seemed to miraculously stop when we need it to,” said Anderson. “Although it unfortunately our luck ran out today, there’s really nothing we can do about it. The Summit Racing team will just have to go home, regroup and come back tomorrow ready to race like it’s Sunday.”

“We certainly can’t control the weather, so we’ll just come back tomorrow and try again,” added Line. “I do feel bad for the fans who came out today – hopefully they’ll be able to come back tomorrow and see us race. Other than having to wait until Monday, the job remains the same – win rounds and do whatever we can to put one of these Summit Racing Pontiacs in the winner’s circle.”

Matt Hagan

New father Matt Hagan, driver of the Valvoline Engine Guarantee/shelor.com Dodge Funny Car, who is qualified 12th and will face Cruz Pedregon in the first round of eliminations, added, "I'm excited to be here racing, but I'm also excited to get back home to see my wife, Rachel, and our new daughter, Penny Louise (born last Monday). I'm kind of torn. I love racing, I love my family. It's a tough situation to be in.

"I think it's definitely going to make the lanes a lot more equal. The track surface probably has a lot of peeled rubber on it and a lot of water coming up. I think it's anybody's ball game. We just have to go down there and go down the race track and have a good race."

As for what he did all day in the rain, "I've been playing chess up in the lounge on the Internet," he said. "There's nothing to do right now. You kill time, you meet fans, you sign some autographs, you say hi, you try to make these fans have as an enjoyable day as they can and you try to have some fun yourself."

Matt Smith

Matt Smith, rider of the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle, who qualified No. 2 and faces Redell Harris in the opening round of eliminations, concurred.

“I’ve been resting, browsing the internet a little bit," he said of his waiting day in the rain. "Just hanging out with the guys and that’s about it. I’ve got a little game on my iPod that’s called Cubes, and I’ve been playing that a little bit. Just taking it easy, really. There’s not much we can do in this situation.

“The only thing I’m worried about now is I have a little boy (son Tristan) that I’m supposed to get tomorrow evening and I’ve got dogs at home, too. I’ve got to figure out plans to get them taken care of, so that’s all I’m really worried about.

"We’ve still got a good bike and it doesn’t matter; we just want to run this bike.”

NHRA Virginia Nationals team reports

NHRA — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:24:00 GMT

Arana's blast highlights final qualifying in Memphis; Dixon, Hight, Edwards also lead

NHRA — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:51:00 GMT