AMKUS Rescue Systems to continue as Official Rescue Tools of NHRA
Summit Racing Equipment renews as title sponsor of NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League
Vote for NHRA U.S. Nationals in USA Today's best motorsports event poll
Jonathan Johnson joins NHRA as South Central Division Director
Ida Zetterström continues testing ahead of official NHRA Top Fuel debut
Tony Schumacher to be inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Austin Prock goes behind the scenes at All Elite Wrestling 'Dynamite' show
Tim Erdmann named NHRA Vice President Of Finance
NHRA Movers and Shakers; Pomona, Phoenix coverage highlight new issue
In Memoriam
NHRA returns to Chicago for Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Drag and Drive exhibition returns to NHRA national event at Route 66 Raceway
Unofficial Mission Foods points standings
NHRA set to celebrate 70th anniversary of historic U.S. Nationals in Indy
The Holley EFI Factory X era officially dawns in Las Vegas
Friday News & Notes from the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals
Jim Dunn Racing and Buddy Hull roll out KGC Funny Car for Vegas event
NHRA 4-Wide Nationals Friday preview
BAM Weather unites with NHRA to provide event weather data, forecasting
Super Grip named title sponsor of Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol
Second straight sellout at Firebird Motorsports Park for Arizona Nationals
Despite broken leg, Caruso looking forward to future Pro Stock return
Pro Stock and Pro Mod will run three sessions on Saturday in Phoenix
NHRA stars sound off on the chance to win multiple times this weekend
Virginia NHRA Nationals to feature three qualifying sessions on Saturday in shift to two-day event
Jim Dunn Racing and Buddy Hull to rep USD at Arizona Nationals
NHRA returns to Firebird Motorsports Park for NHRA Arizona Nationals
Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta will fly SealMaster colors in Phoenix
NHRA wins Innovation of the Year award for ticketing at PACnet Star Awards
FES Lighting renews as Kalitta corporate partner and car sponsor
Force keeps Western Swing sweep hopes alive at highlight-filled Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals
Schedule | Tickets | Entries | Results
Team reports | Photos | Race Notes | Points
John Force continues his midseason surge and raced to his second consecutive Funny Car win of the year in front of a sold-out crowd at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
J.R. Todd (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were winners of the 15th NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event of the season in Sonoma.
Force secured his 145th career victory in the category when he defeated Ron Capps in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T in a tightly contested race. Force powered his Realtree Peak Antifreeze Camaro to a winning pass of 3.948 seconds at 324.59 mph to the losing run of Capps at 3.960, 320.13.
“We won Denver and that got me motivated,” said Force. “My daughter [Courtney] and Robert [Hight] were outrunning me in Denver, but we got the win. We knew it was going to be a different animal here. We got down here, and I was amazed.”
John Force
J.R. Todd
Greg Anderson
LE Tonglet
This is his second win in the daunting three race stretch of the Western Swing, which concludes next weekend in Seattle. In 1994, Force became the only Funny Car in NHRA history to sweep all three events.
Capps, who raced to his third runner-up finish on the season, along with his category leading four wins, retains his points lead in Funny Car. Capps, along with Courtney Force of John Force Racing who is second in the points, become the first two Funny Car competitors to earn berths in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Todd piloted his SealMaster Top Fuel dragster to his first win in nearly a year when he defeated Richie Crampton in the final. His winning run of 3.745 at 324.83 to the losing effort of Crampton with a 3.806 at 313.07 earned Todd his ninth career Top Fuel victory. This was the first win for Todd since he defeated Shawn Langdon in Seattle last season.
“It has been a long time coming for these SealMaster boys,” said Todd. “We have been to a few finals and haven’t been able to close the deal. I had all the faith and confidence in Connie Kalitta and Rob Flynn, and they made the right calls all day.”
Steve Torrence, the No. 1 qualifier who raced to a semifinal appearance, and Brittany Force, who has two wins on the season, also gained entry in the Countdown to the Championship on Sunday.
In Pro Stock, Anderson continued his dominating season in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro when he defeated his KB Racing teammate Bo Butner for his seventh win of the season. Anderson, who notched his 85th win, raced to victory with a pass of 6.580 at 210.54 to the trailing run of 6.622 at 210.70 by Butner.
The win ties Anderson with Bob Glidden as the second winningest Pro Stock racer in history behind Warren Johnson with 97 victories. This is the fifth career win in Sonoma for Anderson, and he is the Pro Stock points leader.
“This track has been magical to KB Racing, not just to me but Jason Line, too,” said Anderson. “This place is special to me and magical. It is everything a Pro Stock racer wants. It is a great racetrack, great weather conditions, and full grandstands. You don’t get any better than that. It cranks us up and gives us a lot of energy.”
Butner retains his third-place position in the points and joins Anderson and Line as the first three racers in Pro Stock to lock in a position in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Tonglet won his first race since the Brainerd event in 2011, defeating Andrew Hines in the final. Tonglet, who is the 2010 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion, had the winning run of 6.813 at 196.73 to the losing run of 6.864 at 194.52. Tonglet faced Katie Sullivan, Hector Arana, Eddie Krawiec, and Hines to secure the win.
“It has been five years since we have won, and to bring home the Wally after beating Andrew and Eddie back to back is just huge for our team,” said Tonglet. “We just come out here to have fun, and it wasn’t getting fun. We had to change somethings up and started getting round-wins, and it is just great.”
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will resume Aug. 5-7 with the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle.