NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Jack Beckman finished off a dominating weekend at the 2015 NHRA Sonoma Nationals by racing to the Funny Car victory. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Chris McGaha (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Sonoma Raceway. It is the first time in NHRA history that all four No. 1 qualifiers went on to win the race.

 

Beckman kept alive his hopes of becoming the eighth driver to sweep the Western Swing and only the second in Funny Car to accomplish the feat when he sped past Tommy Johnson Jr. to claim his fifth victory of the season and 20th of his career.

 

In Top Fuel, Brown claimed his fourth win of the season and 51st of his career by outrunning first-time finalist Dave Connolly. Brown took his fourth Sonoma win by powering to a final-round effort of 3.787 at 320.74 in his Matco Tools dragster and crossing the finish line just in front of former Pro Stock racer Connolly, whose C&J Energy Services dragster clocked a 3.808 at 319.14. The win was former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Brown's 35th in Top Fuel, a mark that ties him with legendary "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.

 

Texas native McGaha earned his first Pro Stock victory by racing past Jonathan Gray in the final round. McGaha powered his Harlow Sammons Racing Chevy Camaro to a 6.531 at 212.13 to hold off Gray’s Gray Manufacturing Camaro, which trailed with a 6.560 at 211.03. McGaha, who was a runner-up in his two previous finals, defeated V. Gaines, Erica Enders, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the first three rounds.

 

Krawiec, who also won the NHRA Pro Bike Battle on Saturday, earned his second consecutive Pro Stock Motorcycle win of the season and 29th of his career by riding past Jerry Savoie at the finish. Krawiec rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to his second consecutive victory and third overall at this event with a performance of 6.881 at 191.00 to hold off Savoie’s Alligator Farm Suzuki, which finished in 6.891 at 194.13.