NHRA Story » Friday's Charlotte Shots

NHRA 101: Your Guide to NHRA Drag Racing

In basic terms, a drag race is an acceleration contest between two vehicles over a measured distance, but what is a holeshot? Or a breakout? Welcome to NHRA 101, your complete guide to the world of NHRA Drag Racing, from the terminology of the sport to what you need to enjoy a day at the races to info on the many different vehicles that take to the track during a race weekend.
NHRA.com Features and Columns

There's more to drag racing than just two cars streaking down the strip. NHRA.com has a wide assortment of regular columns, including the DRAGSTER Insider -- in which ND Editor Phil Burgess treats you to "the stories behind the stories" from yesterday and today -- exclusive Driver Blogs that take you into the homes and trailers of the sport's top stars, and the NHRA.com Notebook. From this area, you also can access previous Special Sections, including special-edition websites and blogs as well as memorial pages.
Meet the Stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series

Want more information on your favorite NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers? NHRA.com has full bios on all the series regulars, including major accomplishments, best runs, hobbies, and more, plus team and driver website addresses and contact information in the fan-club sections.
- Quarter Mile Club 3-day package
- Pomona Suite and Skybox
Watch NHRA Drag Racing on TV

All 22 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events feature same-day television coverage on ESPN2 of the Professional-class action with play-by-play from motor racing veteran Paul Page and expert color commentary by former Top Fuel and Funny Car racer Mike Dunn. ESPN2 also offers coverage of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. NHRA Drag Racing also is aired in Canada on TSN.
The Sights and Sounds of NHRA Drag Racing

NHRA.com offers a wide array of multimedia features for you to enjoy the sights and sounds of NHRA Drag Racing. With video clips and photos from the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the popular National DRAGSTER Photo of the Week, and a gallery of .wav files for your computer, there's lots to see and hear in NHRA Multimedia.
Get Your Official NHRA Apparel and Merchandise

A wide range of NHRA-themed items is available for purchase online. The NitroMall is your one-stop spot for official NHRA merchandise, products from some of the teams of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and more. The NHRA Store is the place to join NHRA and purchase specialty items and DVDs, and the NHRA Museum Store has items to satisfy history buffs, from vintage T-shirts to historical books.

NHRA Story

Home

NHRA Stories

Friday's Charlotte Shots

Friday, September 16, 2011

News and views from the
O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals

Last update 10:20 p.m.
Click for latest post

After 80-plus-degree temperatures Thursday, the opening day of the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals that featured NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action, racers, officials, and fans were greeted this morning with temps in the upper 50s and low 60s and overcast skies after a low front moved through the area overnight. There is a slight chance of rain today, but overall, things are expected to be OK. The cooler weather could mean some quick times when things kick off for the first race of the 2011 Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series competitors will have a late start today with Pro Stock Motorcycle riders getting their first shot at the track at 4:30 p.m., but the zMAX Dragway quarter-mile has been active since 10 a.m. with Lucas Oil action, including the Super Comp class, which made its final time run just after noon in preparation for the first round, which is scheduled for about 2 p.m.

Bob Gilbertson, left, who hails from nearby Gastonia, N.C., is making a return to Funny Car competition this weekend. Fliby Street Wear is backing Gilbertson this weekend, and the company’s founders are at the event cheering on their driver. Gilbertson last competed in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series during the 2010 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

In addition to running a special paint scheme honoring the 9/11 first responders this weekend, John Force’s team also has a special helmet on display in the pits. The helmet was worn by Tim Fabrisi on Sept. 11, 2001. Fabrisi was in the Marine Corps at the time and was deployed to the Pentagon after it was attacked. Fabrisi currently is part of the John Force Racing team, doing the superchargers on Mike Neff’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

Fifteen-time and reigning NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion John Force, left, and “TV Tommy” Ivo, the event legend, visited the media center before the first session of qualifying and regaled the gathered media with stories of racing over the years, showmanship and entertaining fans, Ivo’s influence on Force, Ivo’s days as an actor, and much more.

[4:45 p.m.] Eddie Krawiec, who ended the regular season as No. 1 in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points, placed his Vance & Hines Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson atop the sheets after one session, clocking a 6.833.

[4:45 p.m.] Matt Smith finished the opening Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying session second by posting a 6.871. Wife Angie made a nice run that registered a 6.90 on the scoreboards, but Shawn Gann in the lane next to her hit the timing cones when he crossed the finish line negating both his and Angie’s run.

[4:50 p.m.] Reigning NHRA Full Throttle world champion LE Tonglet’s bid for a second straight Pro Stock Motorcycle title got off to an unceremonious start when his Nitro Fish Suzuki lost power after the burnout, and his team could not get it restarted.

[5:05 p.m.] The Pro Stock session is producing a bevy of quick 6.5 runs, which was evident by the career-best 6.581 Buddy Perkinson recorded behind the wheel of Mark Wolfe’s Mustang in one of the first pairs of cars.

[5:15 p.m.] Kurt Johnson, who again has Total Seal on the side of his Pro Stocker, led much of the session with a 6.555. Allen Johnson, who ran in the third-to-last pair, bumped K.J. off the top spot with a 6.541. Perhaps Allen Johnson got a little karma boost from donating $10,000 to Doug Herbert’s B.R.A.K.E.S. foundation at a fund-raising dinner Thursday night.

[5:20 p.m.] The Summit Racing Pro Stock duo of Jason Line (pictured) and Greg Anderson picked up right where they left off in Indy two weeks ago, crushing the competition with a pair of 6.51s that are three-hundredths better than the next-best driver. Line was five-thousandths quicker than his teammate to take the provisional lead after the first session.

[5:55 p.m.] If the crew chiefs weren’t already salivating over the cool conditions at zMAX Dragway they probably are after Paul Lee ran a 4.118 at a career-best 309.49 mph in Jim Dunn’s Rislone-backed Funny Car.

[6:05 p.m.] As expected, Paul Lee’s 4.11 didn’t stay atop the sheets long. Several Funny Car drivers have dipped into the 4.0s, including Matt Hagan, who, with two pairs remaining, leads the pack with a 4.055. The final four drivers all had troubles on their runs, so Hagan's time ultimately remained No. 1, giving him three qualifying bonus points.

[6:10 p.m.] Bob Tasca III finished second in the Funny Car session, just four-thousandths behind leader Matt Hagan. Non-Countdowner Johnny Gray was the third-quickest driver with a 4.087.

[6:35 p.m.] Terry McMillen may have missed the Countdown, but he may just have an impact on the 2011 Top Fuel world championship if his opening shot in Charlotte is any indication. McMillen reset both ends of his career-best numbers with a 3.856 at 321.50 mph that has his Amalie Oil entry in front of the pack early.

[6:50 p.m.] Defending Top Fuel event champion Larry Dixon laid down quite a run, posting a 3.784 that is about six-hundredths quicker than second-place Doug Kalitta. Terry McMillen’s 3.85 remained in the top three.

[8 p.m.] The second Full Throttle session began at about 7:30 p.m., but after seven Pro Stock Motorcycle riders made it down the track, Mother Nature decided to intervene, dropping rain on zMAX Dragway and putting the action on hold.

[8:25 p.m.] After a delay of about half an hour, racing has resumed at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. The NHRA Safety Safari did its usual good job of getting the track back in working order, which is evident by the 6.937 run by Michael Phillips in the first pair of Pro Stock Motorcycles down the track.

[8:30 p.m.] While his teammate, Eddie Krawiec, is doing quite well, ending the opening day as the Pro Stock Motorcycle No. 1 qualifier, Andrew Hines had a rough opening day, running a 6.986 best that placed him 13th in the order. Hines will enter Saturday outside of the field.

[8:40 p.m.] Karen Stoffer paced the final Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying session with a 6.88 that, though it didn’t better her 6.87 earlier, earned her three qualifying bonus points. The husband-wife team of Matt and Angie Smith also earned bonus points after posting the second- and third-best runs of the round, respectively.

[8:50 p.m.] Erica Enders entered the second Pro Stock session on the bump spot but was able to move up in the order when she improved to a 6.551 that is the best run of this outing so far.

[9 p.m.] Allen Johnson moved up to the third spot In Pro Stock with a 6.529, which ended up being the second-best run of the session behind polesitter Jason Line’s 6.520.

[9:15 p.m.] Melanie Troxel, who qualified second in Indy, just moved to the top of the Funny Car order and set up what could be a fast final session. Troxel, who was in the first pair in the second session, posted a 4.049 to move around Matt Hagan (4.055) for the top spot. Troxel's car oiled the track on the run, but she had a credit, so the time counts.

[9:25 p.m.] Melanie Troxel’s reign atop the Funny Car order was short-lived because Jack Beckman, in the pair behind Troxel, bettered her time with a 4.044. Beckman also blasted to a speed of 318.92 mph, the fastest run ever in the flopper class.

[9:40 p.m.] Matt Hagan and his Tommy DeLago-led DieHard team made history during the final session, posting the first three-second Funny Car run in history. Hagan’s Dodge registered a 3.995 at 316.23 mph to enter the history books and take the provisional No. 1 spot. Hagan is about four-hundredths better than Mike Neff, the No. 2 qualifier at 4.038.

[10 p.m.] Indy champ Antron Brown and his team’s strong performances have continued in Charlotte. With four pairs remaining in the final Top Fuel session, Brown is the leader of this round so far with a 3.802. That’s one of four 3.80s recorded thus far: Del Worsham ran 3.803, and Tony Schumacher and Spencer Massey clocked a 3.808. Brown's run ultimately held up as low of the session.

[10:20 p.m.] After struggling on his opening run, Tony Schumacher rebounded during the second Top Fuel session, posting a 3.808 that earned him a qualifying bonus point and placed him fourth after the first day. Schumacher’s teammate Spencer Massey also clocked a 3.808, but Schumacher earned the bonus point and higher qualifying position on speed, 321.80 to 321.42.

Send Print