After a tough day Friday, things went much smoother Saturday at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals with both Pro qualifying runs completed. Rookie Shawn Langdon led the way in Top Fuel, Tony Pedregon jumped to the lead in Funny Car, and Mike Edwards is tops in Pro Stock.
Sunny skies and low winds were a very welcome sight to racers at fans at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and after a few growing pains early, the Full Throttle Pros put on quite a show, more than making up for the lack of action and tough going Friday. Both ends of the Pro Stock track record were reset — Edwards taking the e.t. mark with his pole-winning 6.656 and Greg Anderson’s 206.70 setting the speed mark — and the top spot in all three categories changed hands multiple times by day's end.
Shawn Langdon
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After a rough go of things in their first session today, the Top Fuel crew chiefs got a good handle on the track in the afternoon session, and what followed was a slew of three-second runs and a complete reshuffling of the field. Langdon led the three-second parade with a 3.874 that gave him the first No. 1 start just five races into his Top Fuel career.
“My first No. 1 is a great feeling,” said Langdon, a two-time national champion in the Super Comp class (2008-09). “The car’s been running really good, and we’ve had the potential. We’ve run good and consistent in qualifying, and we’ve just struggled a little bit in eliminations. I think Stewie [crew chief John Stewart] is onto something. He showed a little bit today, and hopefully we can get four good runs tomorrow.
“I’ve been trying to adapt as quickly as possible so as to not slow anybody down. Being a rookie driver, I didn’t want to hold the team back. I’ve got a great team and a great crew chief and great sponsors, and I’ve just been trying to do my part.”
Antron Brown, who ran with Langdon in the final session, powered to the second spot with a 3.878. Larry Dixon is third at 3.907, followed by first session leader Tony Schumacher, who ran a best of 3.908. Cory McClenathan, Spencer Massey, David Baca, and Morgan Lucas round out the top half of the field. Steve Chrisman finished on the bump with a 4.243.
Tony Pedregon
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With the grandstands shielding the track from the sun, the Funny Car contingent put on quite a show in their final qualifying session with the No. 1 spot changing hands several times. In the end, Tony Pedregon finished at the head of the class with a 4.100.
“It was just good conditions going into that last session,” said Pedregon, who now has 35 No. 1 starts, including two at this event and three overall at this track. “I’m surprised that some other cars didn’t take advantage of the conditions. It was a good racetrack out there. The car finally did what we told it to do. We’re getting back on track, and I feel really confident about the car.
“We’ve got a pretty good history in this town. I love it. This is without question one of the nicest facilities that we race at, and if the weatherman’s right, we should have the same conditions tomorrow, so I feel good. If you have different conditions Saturday and Sunday and there’s a 10- or 15-degree change in temperatures, it’s going to be a different ballgame, but we should have similar conditions.”
A trio of John Force Racing drivers is next on the sheets. Robert Hight is second at 4.115, followed by teammates Mike Neff (4.125) and Houston winner Ashley Force Hood (4.139). Bob Bode, who led the field through the earlier session today, dropped to fifth after being unable to improve on his 4.145 from Friday. Ron Capps, John Force, and Cruz Pedregon round out the top eight.
In his second Funny Car attempt, former Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Brian Thiel qualified for his first field, running a 4.182 best to nab the No. 11 spot. Del Worsham anchors the field with a 4.278.
Mike Edwards
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When the day started, the track record at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was 6.703, but with cooler track and air temperatures, it never stood a chance of staying there. There were seven runs in the 6.6s, including Edwards’ 6.656. It is Edwards’ third No. 1 start this season — he was also tops in Phoenix and Gainesville — and the ninth of his career.
“The conditions were really good, and the track was really good,” said Edwards. “The conditions were really close to when we tested here [in February]. There were several cars running .68, .69 when we were testing, and we went a .67 with a real, real strong headwind that day, so we felt like we could at least run that quick. To run .65, that was real surprising to me, too, but we’ve been making really good calls at the right time, and it’s worked for us. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going.
“We’ve had an awesome start this year, that’s for sure. All my guys are doing an outstanding job. I’ve never really done good on Sunday here, but hopefully tomorrow I can turn that around.”
Greg Anderson, Friday’s leader, will start race day from the No. 2 spot after recording a 6.668 best. Greg Stanfield is third (6.690), and Jason Line, who became the first driver to ever run in the 6.6s at The Strip, is No. 4 with his 6.697. Allen Johnson is the only other driver to run in the 6.6s and will start fifth. Steve Spiess anchors the 16-car field at 6.759 and will have a first-round date with Edwards.
The most intriguing first-round match is that of Jeg Coughlin and Kurt Johnson, who qualified eighth and ninth, respectively, after entering the day not qualified. Also of note, Line will face Dave Connolly, who is making his first Sunday start of 2009.
After winning in Houston last weekend, Ron Krisher’s fortunes turned in Las Vegas, where he came up short of making the field. Krisher made a valiant attempt in the final session, but a wiggle in low gear cost him dearly, and his 6.782 fell short of the then-6.764 bump.
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Friday: Bode, Anderson lead provisional fields on shortened opening day in Las Vegas