Friday's Motorplex Memories
Friday, September 23, 2011
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Welcome to day two of the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. After weeks of 100-degree-plus temps, Thursday in Texas was pleasantly in the low 80s, but the thermometer is going to inch back up for the duration of the event. Today's temps should reach the mid-80s, and Saturday's mercury will stretch into the 90s and as high as 97 degrees Sunday. (Above) Sportsman qualifying has been underway all morning, and the alcohol cars are set to take the track at about 12: 30 p.m. |
Alexis DeJoria and her father, John Paul, debuted her new Tequila Patrón Funny Car at a grand gala in downtown Dallas Wednesday night in anticipation of her nitro debut this weekend. (Below) John Paul and Eloise DeJoria, Connie Kalitta, Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer, and NHRA's Tom Compton, Graham Light, and Gary Darcy. |
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Celebrities, friends, family, and media were all at the upscale venue The Apartment, where the Patron flowed freely, to celebrate DeJoria's debut and view her new Toyota Funny Car. |
Courtney Force, right, who will battle DeJoria for rookie honors next year in Funny Car, also was on hand. |
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The announcing booth at Texas Motorplex has been named in honor of longtime Division 4 announcer Lynn Nickerson, who passed away earlier this year after a long and brave battle with cancer. |
A collection of nostalgic hot rods are on display in the pits for fans to enjoy. |
[1:30 p.m.] AAA Texas hosted a Legends Q&A, allowing fans to interact with the NHRA Legends at the event, Texas nitro heroes, from left, Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, and Billy Meyer. |
[2:30 p.m.] Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Eddie Krawiec picked right up in the first qualifying session where he left off last Sunday in Charlotte: in front of everyone. The Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson rider powered to a 6.867 at 195.79 mph to lead the pack and earn three bonus points. Matt Smith had the second-best run at 6.872 for two points, and Krawiec's teammate, Andrew Hines, wound up third with a 6.882.
Krawiec's pass broke his own incoming track records of 6.899, 195.03 that he set last year. |
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[3:10 p.m] Allen Johnson has changed horses mid-Countdown, debuting a new Jerry Haas-built Avenger this weekend. The car is so fresh that the Mopar crew didn't even have a chance to apply graphics, but that should be rectified by Saturday. A.J. ran 6.604, good for the No. 5 spot after one session of Pro Stock. |
Charlotte Pro Stock runner-up Jason Line, who was runner-up here in 2005, qualified the Summit Pontiac No. 1 with a track record 6.656 (old mark: 6.578) to grab three bonus points, just ahead of teammates Greg Anderson (6.571) and Ronnie Humphrey (6.600). Line's speed of 211.20 mph set a new track mark, breaking the 209.79 standard set last year. |
[3:20 p.m.] Alexis DeJoria acquitted herself well on the first official pass of her Funny Car career, a 4.281 for the No. 8 spot. |
[3:30 p.m.] Cruz Pedregon, who won this event in 1992 and 1994 but has settled for runner-ups in three subsequent finals, put the Snap-on Toyota on the provisional Funny Car pole with a 4.183. Charlotte winner Matt Hagan qualified No. 2 with a 4.200 to earn two bonus points. Tim Wilkerson qualified No. 3 with a 4.209. |
[4:10 p.m] Texan Troy Buff was the surprise of the first Top Fuel qualifying session, thrilling the home-state fans with a 3.942 that qualified the Bill Miller Engineering dragster No. 2 behind only Doug Kalitta (below), who paced the field with a 3.912. Larry Dixon, last year's No. 1 qualifier here, was third with a 3.972. |
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Andrew Hines took the No. 1 Pro Stock Motorcycle spot from teammate Eddie Krawiec with a 6.859 at 194 mph in the day's second session and picked up three bonus points. Karen Stoffer was No. 2 and Krawiec No. 3. Points leader Krawiec earned a session point (four for the event so far compared to second-place Stoffer's two). |
| [5:50 p.m.] The track record continues to take a beating in Pro Stock; Jason Line again lowered the boom by blasting to a 6.553 to lead the second session and garner another three bonus points. Teammate Greg Anderson again had the round's second-best time, a 6.559, to sit second. Mike Edwards was third quickest with a 6.568. |
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[6:15 p.m.] An NHRA Mobile Vision shot shows Alexis DeJoria getting "heat treated" for the first time in her nitro career. The plucky newcomer shook off the minor fire and blower backfire on her second Funny Car qualifying pass in fine form. "It was on a good run and pulling me through there when it happened," she said, "but you have to be prepared for that kind of thing." Damage seemed limited to a broken windshield. |
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[6:30 p.m.] For much of the second Funny Car session, Jon Capps (left) had the Cinderella story, leading the field on car owner Dave Beisenbach 's birthday with a career-best 4.152. The pass held until the final few pairs when first Johnny Gray (above) ran a 4.141 and then Cruz Pedregon regained the top spot he held after the first session with an improved 4.086. Pedregon gained another three bonus points — six for the event and a class-leading 60 for the season — while non-Countdown contenders Gray and Capps earned two and one points, respectively. |
| [7 p.m.] Del Worsham, who won Funny Car races at Texas Motorplex in 2002 and 2004 and also during the second round of last year’s race set the track's Funny Car speed record at 309.49 mph, is No. 1 in Top Fuel at the end of Friday after rocketing the Al-Anabi car to a 3.869 in the evening session. Tony Schumacher finished the session second with a 3.880, and Brandon Bernstein was third with a 3.882. |
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