Friday's Reading Recap
Friday, September 30, 2011
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After some very wet days leading into the event, sunny skies have greeted racers and fans for what is now the first day of the Auto-Plus® NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. According to local forecasters, temps today should be in the low to mid-70s with a mix of sun and clouds. Forecasts also call for breezy conditions throughout the day. Conditions will change dramatically for the rest of the weekend with temperatures dipping about 20 degrees with highs expected in the low to mid-50s and more cloud cover expected. The jacket-required weather could make for some very quick and fast times during the weekend, including the potential of some record-setting passes. |
[noon] Due to the postponement of Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, and Super Gas after wet weather saturated the pits in the days leading up to the event, Friday's action got off to a later than normal start with Comp hitting the track for the first qualifying runs at 11 a.m. Top Alcohol Funny Car drivers are currently on the track for their first qualifying session. The Top Alcohol Dragsters will follow, and Comp will get a second qualifying run before Pro Stock Motorcycle takes to the track at 2 p.m. |
| [1:40 p.m.] Fans attending the event will have several opportunities this weekend to get autographs from a number of the legends of the sport, including Shirley Muldowney and Don Garlits, who greeted fans at event sponsor Auto-Plus’ booth this afternoon. The event was a very big draw with the line of autograph seekers stretching far into the pits. |
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[2:55 p.m.] Pro Stock Motorcycle Points leader Eddie Krawiec added three more points to his total by pacing the opening session with a 6.826 at 197.97 mph, both are new track records, and his speed was the fifth fastest in NHRA history. His 6.82 was about four-hundredths quicker than the rest of the field. |
[2:55 p.m.] Hector Arana Sr.’s Lucas Oil Buell is second in the Pro Stock Motorcycle order after one session after he clocked a 6.86. He is followed by Andrew Hines, whose 6.87 earned the Vance & Hines Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson rider a qualifying bonus point. Matt Guidera’s 7.032 is No. 12. |
| [3 p.m.] For much of the season, the Summit duo of Greg Anderson and Jason Line and Mike Edwards have had the top three cars in Pro Stock, and that again proved to be the case in the first session when the trio had the top runs of the session. Incredibly, all three ran 6.541s, requiring a speed tiebreaker to determine which position each would occupy and how many bonus points each would accrue. Edwards (right) got the top spot and three points thanks to a 211.66 mph speed. Anderson (below) enters the evening session in second after he recorded a 211.43-mph lap. Line’s speed was 211.06. |
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[3:15 p.m.] Leah Pruett is making her debut behind the wheel of Roger Burgess’ ProCare Rx Toyota Funny Car this weekend, taking over for regular team driver Melanie Troxel for this race only. This is not the first time Pruett has attempted to qualify in Funny Car; she entered the season opener in Pomona in 2009. Pruett’s first attempt here in Reading did not go as well as the team had hoped after the car shook the tires immediately and drove into tire smoke. |
[4 p.m.] It was at this event last year that Matt Hagan took over the points lead in Funny Car, using a national record run of 4.011 and a runner-up finish, and the driver of the DieHard Dodge is hoping to do the same again. Hagan got things off to a good start when he was low of the opening session, running a 4.07 that earned him three bonus points and moved him a point closer to leader Mike Neff, who was second quickest with a 4.08. |
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[4 p.m.] Robert Hight, who has struggled since his semifinal run in Seattle in August, got his Reading outing started on the right note with a 4.09 that has him third on the Funny Car sheets after one session. |
| [4:10 p.m.] Spencer Massey, who entered the event seven points in front of teammate Antron Brown, added slightly to his advantage when he powered to a 3.817 to grab the provisional No. 1 in Top Fuel. Brown ended up third in the order, meaning Massey’s advantage is now nine. |
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[4:10 p.m.] In between Spencer Massey and Antron Brown in the Top Fuel order is two-time, defending event champion Larry Dixon, whose Al-Anabi mount ran a 3.820 that was five-thousandths quicker than Brown. |
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[5:20 p.m.] Though he didn’t improve on his 6.82 from earlier in the day, Eddie Krawiec continued to show the way in Pro Stock Motorcycle in the second session, posting a 6.832 that again was about four-hundredths better than everyone else. Hector Arana Sr. and Andrew Hines were once again the second and third quickest, respectively. |
| [5:20 p.m.] It was a somewhat tough opening day for two of the Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown contenders. Both Jerry Savoie (pictured) and reigning world champion LE Tonglet were unable to break into the quick field despite clockings in the six-second range. The No. 12 time, the cutoff for today, was 6.97. |
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[6 p.m.] Mike Edwards was once again the leader in the Pro Stock clubhouse, nearly matching his polesetting run from earlier today with a 6.548 that was only seven-thousandths slower than the run that has him No. 1 after day one. Jason Line and Greg Anderson once again rounded out the top three for the session, but they finished in reverse of last session with Line getting two points and Anderson one. |
[6 p.m.] After missing the first session due to electronic issues in her car, Erica Enders rebounded nicely in the second Pro Stock session, wheeling her ZaZa Energy Cobalt to a 6.570 that ranked as the fourth-best run of the session and moved her solidly into the field. |
[6:45 p.m.] A large crowd of fans has descended upon Maple Grove Raceway for the opening day of the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals, evidenced by the packed pits throughout the day. |
[7:40 p.m.] The final Funny Car qualifying session was all about the Don Schumacher Racing team. Three DSR drivers showed the way, fronted by Matt Hagan, who powered to a 4.012 that is the fourth-quickest run in history. Hagan was followed by Johnny Gray, who wheeled the special-look Alex’s Lemonade Stand entry (pictured) to a 4.023, a career best for Gray. Ron Capps was the third quickest with a 4.059 at 315.27 mph, a career-best speed. |
[7:40 p.m.] After sitting out the first Funny Car session, Blake Alexander, right, made his debut in the second session behind the wheel of Paul Smith’s flopper, and he was solid, posting a 4.182 that could have been quicker because Alexander clicked the car off early after it drifted toward the wall. Though this is his Pro debut, Alexander has a long record in drag racing. He began his career behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster and has progressed through the Sportsman ranks, including a stint in the ultra-competitive Comp class. |
[7:50 p.m.] Antron Brown jumped to the front of the Top Fuel order when he powered his special-look Matco Prepaid Debit Card dragster to a 3.797 under the lights at Maple Grove Raceway. The run just edged Larry Dixon’s 3.798 for the top spot. The run continues his strong showing as of late, which has included five wins and three semifinal finishes in the last eight races. |
[7:50 p.m.] Brandon Bernstein was the third-quickest driver of the final Top Fuel session, running a 3.822 that has the Copart-backed driver fourth in the qualifying order heading into Saturday. |
[7:55 p.m.] After the day’s Pro qualifying wrapped up, fans were treated to a jet car exhibition. |