BELLE ROSE, La. (March 19, 2010) – In the first rounds of qualifying at No Problem Raceway and the NHRA JEGS Cajun Sportsnationals, New Jersey racer Frank Aragona leads the Comp Eliminator field in his ’01 dragster with Steve Szupka, Willow Springs following in the No. 2 spot.

More than 400 cars came out this weekend from across the United States with all seven of NHRA’s divisions being represented.  Coming out of the Southeast Division and Montepelier, Vt., is John Benoit who qualified No. 1 in Top Sportsman with a pass of 6.473 seconds at 211.89 mph.  Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., and Mike Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, are second and third at 6.614 and 6.689 seconds respectively.

 

No. 1 Comp qualifier Frank Aragona Jr.

Top Dragster low qualifier Tom Elliott

John Benoit, No. 1 qualifier in Top Sportsman

Tom Elliott posted the quickest time of the day in Top Dragster at 6.149 seconds, 226.09 mph in qualifying No. 1 and is followed by Michael Kile, Westlake, La., 6.331, 213.87 mph.

Arthur Leong of Richmond, Ga., put his ’95 Dodge on top in Super Stock followed by Rock Hass, White Lake, Mi., in his ’08 Shelby GT Mustang.  In Stock Eliminator, Wade Owens leads the field out of Cape Cirardeau, Mo., in his ’66 Chevelle.  All three racers, along with local runner Jeff Teuton, Houma, La., took home trophies today for winning there respective classes within Stock and Super Stock.

Ronnie Harris topped the Sportsman Motorcycle class presented by Harley Davidson with a perfect 0.000 second reaction time on his ’03 Harley Davidson.

This weekend’s event actually kicked off on Thursday with the annual Celebrity/Media Drag Race including various local officials from Assumption Parish and local law enforcement agencies.  Sterling Automotive brought out six new Dodge Chargers for the event with Ray Traigle of the Assumption Sheriff’s office driving one to the win over Gene Becnel of Crescent Crown Distributing.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at No Problem Raceway at 9 a.m. with Top Sportsman and Top Dragster making their final qualifying runs at 10 a.m. and noon.  The top eight cars in each class will come back for a specialty shootout event in the afternoon.  Comp Eliminator will make runs at 1 and 4 p.m. for their final qualifying.  Also on tap for Saturday is the King of the Bayou race for the super classes and Stock/Super Stock CIC race for those racers.  Mixed in with all the action will be exhibition runs by a pair of Jet Dragsters, along with some Top Fuel Harley Motorcycles and a pair of Pro Stock Motorcycles.  Gates open at 8 a.m. 

Tickets are $20 each day and kids 10 and under are free.  For more information, call No Problem Raceway, (985) 369-3692 or visit www.noproblemraceway.com.

The following are Friday’s qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals event at No Problem Raceway:

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Frank Aragona Jr., Freehold, N.J., dragster, F/ED, 8.013 seconds, -0.777 (under index)
2) Steve Szupka, Willow Groove, Pa., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.110, -0.720
3) Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., '07 Cobalt, B/SMA, 7.983, -0.707
4) Keith Hall, Ravenna, Texas, '05 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.289, -0.691
5) Charles Watson, Humble, Texas, '07 Cobalt, D/SM, 8.311, -0.669
6) Steve Holloway, Lakewood, Colo., '06 GTO, B/AA, 6.982, -0.638
7) Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '08 Cobalt, A/SMA, 7.923, -0.637
8) Chase Williams, Carthage, Texas, '07 GTO, C/A, 7.347, -0.623
9) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Springs, La., dragster, C/D, 6.820, -0.620
10) Charles Watson, Humble, Texas, '07 Cobalt, A/SMA, 7.942, -0.618

SUPER STOCK
1) Arthur Leong, Richmond Hill, Ga., '95 Neon, SS/GS, 12.692 seconds, -1.158 (under index)
2) Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., '08 Mustang, SS/DA, 9.087, -1.113
3) Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '90 Calais, GT/MA, 10.640, -1.110
4) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.323, -1.077
5) Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, '05 Cavalier, GT/DA, 9.425, -1.075
6) Gary Summers, Franklin, Ky., '85 Mustang, SS/N, 10.883, -1.067
7) Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, Ark., '78 Volare, SS/JA, 9.957, -1.043
8) Allan Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '66 Nova, SS/KA, 10.210, -1.040
9) Jeff Dona, Gordonville, Mo., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.565, -1.035
10) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 8.672, -1.028

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Wade Owens, Cape Girardeau, Mo., '66 Chevelle, M/SA, 11.726 seconds, -1.124 (under index)
2) Billy Lynn, McRae, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.542, -1.108
3) Steve Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., '85 Camaro, J/SA, 11.359, -1.091
4) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.573, -1.077
5) Dempsey Pendarvis, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, A/SA, 9.959, -1.041
6) Robert Holmes, Englewood, Ohio, '77 Firebird, J/SA, 11.409, -1.041
7) Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.383, -1.017
8) David Buckner, New Waverly, Texas, '72 Plymouth, F/SA, 10.844, -1.006
9) Kent LaPorte, Lafayette, La., '91 Camaro, I/SA, 11.301, -0.999
10) Lenny Williams, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '71 Gran Sport, F/SA, 10.857, -0.993

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) John Benoit, Montpelier, Vt., '68 Camaro, 6.473 seconds, 211.89 mph
2) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '07 GTO, 6.614, 207.34
3) Mike Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, '06 Cobalt, 6.689, 207.66
4) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '06 GTO, 6.738, 208.97
5) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '06 GTO, 6.791, 203.55
6) Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., '06 Cobalt, 6.818, 200.71
7) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '01 S-10, 6.818, 198.82
8) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '08 GXP, 6.819, 201.16
9) Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., '68 Camaro, 6.834, 200.59
10) Vince Hoda, Diamondhead, Miss., '00 Firebird, 6.865, 203.06

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Tom Elliott, Brooks, Ky., dragster, 6.149 seconds, 226.09 mph
2) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 6.331, 213.87
3) Phil Unruh, McPherson, Kan., dragster, 6.532, 210.21
4) Jenifer White, Conroe, Texas, dragster, 6.617, 203.37
5) Loretta Eckert, Calhoun, La., dragster, 6.618, 204.70
6) John Angelle, Breaux Bridge, La., dragster, 6.628, 203.00
7) Todd Schumert, LaPlace, La., dragster, 6.646, 203.25
8) Robert LeJune, Eunice, La., dragster, 6.666, 206.54
9) William Kruse, Alvin, Texas, dragster, 6.671, 203.58
10) Robert Cool, La Place, La., dragster, 6.678, 199.70

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Ronnie Harris, Metarie, La., '03 Harley, ETMX, 0.000 seconds reaction time
2) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.003
3) Ricky Leblanc, Prairieville, La., '80 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.005
4) Mike McCullah, Houston, '00 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006
5) Raegan Gentili, Crosby, Texas, '83 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006
6) James Enloe, Prairieville, La., '86 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006
7) Robert Sanders, Houston, '04 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.007
8) Todd Blanchard, Napoleonville, La., '91 CBR, ETMX, 0.012
9) Tyson Dufrene, Des Allemands, La., '01 Honda, ETMX, 0.015
10) Randal Guitreau, Prairieville, La., '75 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.021

 Event preview: NHRA Lucas Oil racers ready for JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Tommy Johnson, Jr. scored two wins Friday evening at Yas Drag Centre behind the wheel of his Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragster during the Inaugural Yas Drag Festival. Teammate Rod Fuller notched one win light during the three match races in Abu Dhabi. Johnson also posted the quickest elapsed time of the day at 3.899 seconds.

Johnson, a nine-time NHRA winner with wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, outraced Fuller on Friday’s opening match using a run of 3.917 seconds at 499.17 kph (310.16 mph) to hold off Fuller’s lap of 3.988 at 486.78 Johnson’s speed was the fastest of the day. Fuller, a seven-time NHRA Top Fuel winner, evened the score during the second race at the spectacular Yas drag strip clocking a run of 3.908 at 497.48 to edge Johnson’s 3.938 at 488.27. In the rubber match, Johnson powered to the win with a pass of 3.899 at 496.72, while Fuller’s teal and white rail lost traction and slowed to a pass of 4.177 at 488.17.
“This is exactly what we came here to do,” Johnson said. “We wanted to put on a great show for everyone here at Yas Marina and really show the world what Top Fuel drag racing is all about. It was a great day.”

Johnson set both ends of the Yas Drag Centre track records at 3.899 seconds and 499.17 mph. On Saturday, Johnson and Fuller look to clock runs in the 3.8-second range and surpass the magical 500-kph mark. “We made three great side-by-side runs in a country that has never seen Top Fuel racing,” Fuller said. “The crowd response was overwhelming. Now, our goal is to go out and break the 500-kph mark on Saturday. It would be so cool if both Tommy (Johnson) and I could put a 500-kph speed on the board on the same run.”

The Yas Drag Festival continues on Saturday with the two Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragsters scheduled to make runs at 6:30, 8:30 and 10 p.m.

Run 1
Johnson, Jr. (.065) 3.917 ET, 499.17 KPH def.
Fuller (.063) 3.988 ET, 486.78 KPH

Run 2
Fuller (.083) 3.908 ET, 497.48 KPH def.
Johnson, Jr. (.060) 3.938 ET, 488.27 KPH

Run 3
Johnson, Jr. (.083) 3.899 ET, 496.72 KPH
def. Fuller (.099) 4.177 ET, 488.17 KPH

Related stories:
Yas Marina dragsters make full runs in first day of testing
T.J. Jr., Fuller back behind the wheel as Yas Drag Festival kicks off
 

History makers will witness history in the making at zMax Dragway when the four gold-medal-winning U.S. bobsledders serve as honorary grand marshals for the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, March 25-28.

As honorary grand marshals, the crewmembers of the famous Night Train bobsled will be honored during pre-race festivities with a commemorative plaque, participate in a question-and-answer session during opening ceremonies, and experience 30,000 horsepower firsthand as they stand on the starting line for the first four-wide pass during Sunday's eliminations.

"It's an honor to be named grand marshal for this event," said Steven Holcomb, pilot of the gold-medal-winning bobsled. "The support of the racing community has been instrumental in our success, and it's great to have this opportunity. Now I get to cheer for some of our biggest advocates that have supported us over the last few years. They've earned this gold medal, too."

The team, led by driver Holcomb and consisting of pushers Steve Mesler, Justin Olsen, and Curt Tomasevicz, made history as it piloted the Night Train to a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C. The victory marked the first time in 62 years that the U.S. won an Olympic gold medal in bobsled competition.

The Night Train entered the 2010 Olympic Games favored to win, but the journey back to Olympic gold began long ago. After watching the 1992 Winter Olympics and learning that the Americans' lack of performance was in part due to the secondhand European equipment they were using, NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine partnered with Chassis Dynamics to form the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. Their goal was to reinvent the U.S. sleds using racing technology and to provide the bobsled teams with American-made machines.

The Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project has attracted major interest from the motorsports community. NHRA racers Morgan Lucas, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Shawn Langdon, and Melanie Troxel are major supporters of the project through the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, which raises funds to build state-of-the art bobsleds, including the Night Train.

The Challenge pits drivers from NHRA and NASCAR in competition in a charity event each January in Lake Placid, N.Y. This year, Troxel edged out Coughlin to take the gold in the Olympic-style race, and NASCAR driver Joey Logano was victorious in the NHRA vs. NASCAR portion of the event.

In addition to their honorary grand marshal duties, the four bobsledders will have an autograph session during zMax Fan Fest in the pavilion behind the John Force Grandstand and adjacent to the staging lanes.

"I am so excited to be honored in this way by the racing community," said Mesler. "The NHRA has been such a key supporter of the Bo-Dyn project, so I can't wait to get down to zMax Dragway and share the medal with the entire racing world. This will be my first NHRA event, and I can't wait to see these athletes compete."

Single-day tickets for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals start at only $25 and can be obtained by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267), or logging on to www.zmaxdragway.com. Convenient, interest-free payment-plan options and affordable multiday ticket packages are available.
 

Top Fuel dragsters are the fastest-accelerating vehicles on the planet, and in just hours, Top Fuel racing will launch worldwide as the Yas Drag Festival, March 19-20, begins at the spectacular Yas Drag Racing Centre at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The two Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragsters, built and managed by Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) and driven by Tommy Johnson Jr. and Rod Fuller, will highlight the two-day inaugural drag racing event that will feature more than 100 race cars and motorcycles, including Pro Mods. Yas Marina Circuit is the first NHRA Worldwide member track.

“You’re absolutely blown away by the facility, just the size of the place is awe-inspiring, and the quality is over the top; it’s bigger than anything I’ve ever seen,” Johnson said. “When it was first announced, I was thrilled to be able to come over here and show what drag racing at the Top Fuel level is all about and to show this part of the world what real drag racing is. It’s just an honor and a great experience to be one of the first ones down this amazing facility.”

“I never would have dreamed that something like this would have been built and built into a racing facility,” Fuller added. “It’s all first-class and so modern. It’s hard to describe. It really does give you goose bumps.”

The partnership between DSR and the Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) was announced Jan. 16, 2010, but it was just 60 days earlier that the project began. Led by championship crew chief and DSR team manager Lee Beard, the two Yas Marina Circuit race crews assembled two entire Top Fuel operations in just two months. Every piece of the Yas Marina Top Fuel operation was brand-new, including four Top Fuel dragster chassis and two Volvo transporters and trailers assembled by Competition Trailers.

Following a successful test session in West Palm Beach, Fla., in late January, crew chief Rip Reynolds oversaw the transition of the race haulers to Hoegh Lines for a monthlong journey from Baltimore to the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, which is about 50 miles from Abu Dhabi. The two Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel teams pulled in to the stunning facility March 17, and just a few hours later, the teams were parked next to a modern, air-conditioned hospitality villa that will accommodate 500 VIP guests during the inaugural race weekend.

After setting up the race pits, the two Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragsters, with race team leaders Reynolds (Fuller dragster) and Mike Domagala (Johnson dragster), will make a few test laps before a private exhibition performance for ADMM officials on the evening of March 18. The teams then will make three runs per day during the March 19-20 Yas Drag Festival.

“It was a sigh of relief to see the trucks roll through the gate here at Yas Marina Circuit, but the excitement level immediately went up even higher,” Johnson said. “You can’t describe what kind of destination this is going to be in the future, and I can’t see why anybody wouldn’t want to come here as a worldwide travel destination. Yas Island is an amazing place. With the Yas Marina Circuit track, the hotel, and Ferrari World, this is a place that people will flock to.”

“There’s a huge amount of excitement, and now there’s an extra sense of excitement knowing the two Yas Marina dragsters have arrived, and the people of the U.A.E. are going to see something they’ve never seen before,” Fuller added. “This entire region has really embraced drag racing, and they want to learn the sport, and one of my goals is to help develop drag racing at a competitive level here in the U.A.E.”

Fuller and Johnson had the unique opportunity to play a few holes on Yas Island’s brand-new links golf course. "This place is amazing," said Johnson. "To have a championship golf course right next to Yas Marina Circuit, where else in the world would you find that?"

Along with Beard, Reynolds, and Domagala, DSR has amassed a strong tuning contingent that includes U.S. Army Racing (Tony Schumacher) crew chief Mike Green and assistant crew chief Neal Strausbaugh and Fram (Cory McClenathan) co-crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. Former Maple Grove Raceway general manager George Case is the general manager of the Yas Drag Racing Centre, and workers from Penhall Equipment and Freeburn Track Finishing aided in the track preparation.

“When we first got here, we looked at the track surface, and it was in fabulous shape; it needed a few minor tweaks, and as the week progressed, it’s a near-perfect track surface,” Johnson said. “I’m confident that we can run comparable numbers to what they’re running in the United States in similar weather conditions. It is quite warm here already. It’s that good a facility, and they’ve done a great job of preparing the track.”

Johnson is a nine-time NHRA winner and one of just 14 drivers in NHRA history to have won races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He also is a member of the exclusive Four-Second and 300-MPH Clubs. Fuller has seven Top Fuel victories and has won races in Super Comp and Super Gas. He finished second in the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel standings in 2007.

“Tommy and I are friends, and we’ve had a great time here at the U.A.E. this past week, but when we get in these two beautiful white and teal Top Fuel dragsters, the gloves come off,” Fuller joked. “I’ve been down the track in street cars and haven’t lost yet, and I want to keep that streak going this weekend against T.J.”

 

O'Reilly Auto Parts and zMax Dragway are revving up the savings for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, March 25-28. Fans can save eight dollars on $45 tickets for Saturday and Sunday, resulting in a final purchase price of $37 per ticket.

The offer is available now through the event at participating O'Reilly Auto Parts stores throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, and
Ohio.

After purchasing tickets at the store, fans will receive a receipt that can be redeemed at the zMax Dragway ticket window on event days or at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office in advance.

The historical event marks the first time that the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will race four-wide, unleashing 30,000 horsepower down the "Bellagio of dragstrips." 

Qualifying and eliminations for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be run four-wide during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals instead of in the traditional two-wide format.

"We knew when Bruton [Smith] built zMax Dragway this was going to happen," said Cory McClenathan, 2009 NHRA Carolinas Nationals Top Fuel champ. "I think for fans, it's going to be unreal. The qualifying is going to be pretty crazy and interesting. We're there to put a show on, and obviously everybody wants to win the race. If I could be in the final round and be the first one to cross the finish line, that would be more than cool. I think the roar of three other dragsters, when you're in your own car, is going to be a real rush."

Tickets can be obtained online at www.zmaxdragway.com or by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267). Four-day ticket packages are available starting at $99. Connect with zMax Dragway and stay up to speed with all the happenings at the "Bellagio of dragstrips" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zmaxdragway.

 

Perhaps NHRA President Tom Compton said it best at the official announcement Jan. 21, when he told everyone in attendance, “Once again, the NHRA is making history at zMax Dragway. It’s certainly going to be spectacular to see.”

Compton was making reference to the new format that he, alongside Speedway Motorsports Chairman Bruton Smith, announced for the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals March 25-28 at the "Bellagio of dragstrips." For the first time in NHRA history, all four Full Throttle classes will race four-wide for all qualifying sessions and eliminations.

The announcement created a buzz like never before among NHRA drivers, who were quick to respond with excitement and anticipation for what promises to be a landmark event.

"We've got to grow," said 14-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car world champion John Force. "Like Obama says, we've got to have change.

"It’s going to be exciting. You're talking over 30,000 horsepower at one time. You're talking over 1,200 mph out there on that racetrack.”

Force participated in the first modern-day, four-wide exhibition race at the second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals last September at zMax Dragway. Mike Neff, Force’s teammate, won the exhibition, but it was Force who couldn’t contain himself in the media center after the race.

"Let me tell you, I embarrassed myself at the press conference,” Force continued. “We came right back in to talk about what had taken place. When I drove this four-lane race, I ran in here, and I was like Tom Cruise on Oprah, jumping up and down, screaming. Everyone said, 'He went nuts,' because it was that exciting and thrilling."

Fellow Funny Car competitor and 2003 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil champion Tim Wilkerson also participated in the four-wide exhibition and echoes Force’s excitement looking ahead to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

“The whole thing was a gigantic hit with the fans, and it was fun to be a part of it,” Wilkerson said. “Side-by-side Funny Car racing is pretty impressive on any track, but going four-wide just doubles everything up, and it's kind of hard to believe. Maybe somebody ought to talk to Doublemint gum about this. You know the old slogan, ‘Double your pleasure; double your fun.’ This is going to be a pretty historic deal, and it's just another example of how innovative Bruton Smith is when it comes to promoting the sport.”

When the Top Fuel dragsters went four-wide in September, one of NHRA’s brightest stars, Antron Brown, turned in a surprisingly competitive pass from lane four, one of the lanes that wasn’t used during regular competition. Brown, who now drives the Matco Tools dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, shares the sentiment of his nitromethane brethren.

“When we go to zMax Dragway and NHRA gets there and lines everything out, they will take all the variables out,” Brown said. “This is just going to be another challenge along the road as we try to get to the Countdown. I never saw the day coming that we would have four-wide drag racing, but I’m glad to be a part of it. This is definitely going to take our sport to the next level.”

Top Fuel pilot Doug Herbert had a strong showing last year at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals and brought his dragster to zMax Dragway to participate in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals announcement. The Cornelius, N.C., resident is genuinely excited about having such a monumental event at his home track.

“I think it’s awesome the NHRA is going to run four-wide,” said Herbert. “They’ve been doing the same thing for a long time, and this is really different. I’m glad we’re getting the chance to do it right here in Charlotte at the best dragstrip in the whole world.”

"I think the roar of three other dragsters, when you’re in your own car, is going to be a real rush,” said second-place Top Fuel challenger Cory McClenathan, who will be participating in his first four-wide racing.

Defending NHRA Carolinas Nationals Top Fuel champion Cory McClenathan wasn’t able to participate in the four-wide exhibition in September because he was too busy winning the event, but the NHRA veteran is looking forward to the adrenaline rush he’s sure to feel next week.

“We knew when Bruton built zMax Dragway this was going to happen,” McClenathan said. “I think a lot of people were thinking we would qualify four-wide and then race a normal 16-car deal on Sunday. It was a little bit of a surprise to me to how they’re going to do the race on Sunday, and I think for fans, it’s going to be unreal. For drivers, I think the biggest thing is the staging process is going to be a little bit tough. These cars are temperamental, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the staging process is going to be handled.

“The qualifying is going to be pretty crazy and interesting. We’re there to put a show on, and obviously, everybody wants to win the race. If I could be in the final round and be the first one to cross the finish line — that would be more than cool. I think the roar of three other dragsters, when you’re in your own car, is going to be a real rush.”

While fans got a taste of four-wide drag racing from the nitro ranks in September, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will be the first opportunity for Pro Stockers and Pro Stock Motorcycles to run four-wide down the "Bellagio of dragstrips."

Jeg Coughlin Jr., far lane, took part in opening ceremonies at zMax Dragway in August 2008 and is looking forward to the four-wide experience.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. drove his Pro Stock machine through the ribbon during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at zMax Dragway in August 2008. The four-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion was overjoyed with the news of Pro Stockers going four-wide in March.

"I am excited to run four lanes wide," Coughlin said. "It will create a lot of excitement for the fans at zMax Dragway. I want to applaud NHRA and its Competition Department for making Bruton Smith's vision a reality.

"When I first saw the renderings of the facility and took a tour when it was under construction, it was fun to imagine four cars running side by side. Now we will get to see it and live it. I am sure it will be some of the most exciting drag racing we have ever experienced. This is exactly why Bruton built zMax Dragway.”

Fellow Pro Stock competitors Greg Anderson and Jason Line, from Mooresville, N.C.-based KB Racing, also were excited to hear the news.

"The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway promises to be a spectacle unlike any other in the sport of drag racing, and it will be interesting to see the fans’ reaction,” said Line, the 2006 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion.

“It should be particularly exciting in Pro Stock, where our races are often decided by 10-thousandths of a second. One of the biggest challenges for the drivers will be simply being able to see the staging bulbs for all four cars, especially if you’re in the lane where you have to look around the hood scoop. Lane choice also promises to be more important than ever, especially considering we’ll only get one run in each lane during qualifying.”

Three-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion and Summit Racing teammate Anderson recognizes some of the challenges but is working to alleviate some of those issues and is hoping to put his name in the record books.

“There’s the matter of timing and scoring, and since the announcement, I’ve been in contact with the folks over at Compulink [who are in charge of NHRA’s timing and scoring], providing whatever input I can to help them design a viable solution,” said the Concord, N.C., resident.

“They not only have to find a way to effectively stage four cars but also have to determine the finishing order at the top end with competitors often separated by just a few thousandths of a second.

“However, knowing Bruton Smith and his staff, I’m confident they’ll find a way to get it done. I’m certainly going in with an open mind and am ready to accept the challenge.  After all, everyone will be gunning to be the first to win a four-wide competition, and we’re going to do whatever we can to make sure it’s one of our Summit Racing Pontiacs.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle is generally the tightest of all Full Throttle categories. The close races place an even greater emphasis in getting off the line first, which makes red-lighting a frequent occurrence.

Steve Johnson won Pro Stock Motorcycle at the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals in 2008 and would love to add an NHRA Four-Wide Nationals title.

Steve Johnson became the first rider to win at zMax Dragway at the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals in 2008, and he can’t wait to be in the lanes when the motorcycles go four-wide on the concrete quarter-mile.

“I, for one, am happy that our sport is trying new things and that the NHRA is a forward-thinking company,” said Johnson. “Bruton Smith is revolutionizing drag racing with his facility in Charlotte. It’s no longer drag racing, it’s drags racing!

“We do all we can on the bikes to try and slow down our reaction times, but it’s safe to say you’ll probably see the first-ever race with three red-lights and one green. I think the NHRA has hit it out of the park on this one, and fans will be the true winners. This is going to be great.”

Built in 2008, zMax Dragway is the only four-lane, all-concrete dragstrip in the world. Located across U.S. Highway 29 from Charlotte Motor Speedway and adjacent to The Dirt Track at Charlotte, zMax Dragway seats 30,000 spectators, covers 46.5 acres, and features two pedestrian tunnels under the strip and a 34,000-square-foot starting-line tower.

Tickets for the history-making inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, March 25-28, can be obtained by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267), or logging on to www.zMaxdragway.com. Convenient interest-free payment-plan options and affordable multiday ticket packages are available.

Crew chief Rob Flynn and assistant crew chief Mike Guger were released from their duties tuning the Brandon Bernstein-driven Copart/Lucas Oil Kenny Bernstein Racing Top Fuel dragster Tuesday. Todd Smith will take over as the team's crew chief.

“We’ve been struggling and felt a change was necessary,” team owner Kenny Bernstein told NHRA.com. “Rob Flynn and Mike Guger tried as hard as they could, and we appreciate their efforts. We have been in a tailspin and just needed to go a different direction."

Brandon Bernstein currently sits ninth in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings after posting just two round-wins in the season's first three races.

Smith, who has worked for a number of top teams, will assume sole tuning responsibilities for the car beginning with the upcoming NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte.

“Todd has a wealth of experience and some new ideas that we felt might be beneficial, so we are going to try a new path,” explained Kenny Bernstein.
 

No Problem Raceway Park will again serve as host to the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, the popular program designed to showcase NHRA’s Sportsman racers. This year’s event marks year seven and is slated for March 19-21, featuring drivers in six NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories who will vie for valuable points leading to divisional and national championships.

The JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals boasts a guaranteed purse of more than $50,000, and competing classes include Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. The event will also feature the popular Top Sportsman and Top Dragster categories as well as Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley-Davidson. Jet-car and Top Fuel Harley Motorcycle exhibitions are also planned.

“We’re glad to be able to offer our premier Sportsman racers a national event to call their own,” said Eric Lotz, NHRA director of field marketing. “The three JEGS SPORTSnationals events are an opportunity for NHRA and some of our member tracks to put the spotlight on the dedicated men and women who make up the Lucas Oil Series. That’s also why JEGS makes the perfect partner for these events. The folks at JEGS know and understand these racers and what goes into fielding a car week in and week out.”

Though the focus of the event will be on competition in the core NHRA classes, other special attractions include Super Stock and Stock class eliminations, the Top Sportsman and Top Dragster Shootout, and the King of the Bayou Shootout for Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street.

NHRA reintroduced the SPORTSnationals seven years ago at No Problem Raceway Park to rave reviews from racers and spectators. Prior to that, NHRA had hosted the SPORTSnationals from 1974 to 1986 at a trio of tracks, Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky. (1974-80, 1985-86), the old Houston Int'l Raceway (1981-82), and O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (1983-84).

This season, NHRA will host two other SPORTSnationals events, the JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals in Fontana, Calif., in May and the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals in Hebron, Ohio, in September.

TICKETS: General-admission tickets for the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals are $20 each day, $50 for a three-day pass, and $35 for a two-day ticket. For ticket information, call No Problem Raceway Park, 985-369-3692. For more information about the event, log on to www.NoproblemRaceway.com.

JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals

WHAT: Seventh annual JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, a national event exclusively for competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Racers in six categories will be featured in competition, and racers in five of those categories will earn points leading to 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national championships. Featured NHRA Lucas Oil Series categories are Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley-Davidson will also run in conjunction with the event.

Exhibition runs by jet cars and Top Fuel Harleys are slated throughout the weekend.

WHERE: No Problem Raceway Park, Belle Rose, La. Exit 1-10 at Sorrento (Exit 182). Follow exit to Highway 70 (Sunshine Bridge-Donaldsonville). Cross Sunshine Bridge and remain in the left lane. Follow Highway 70 for 12 miles toward Morgan City. Three miles past the intersection of Highways 70 and 1, turn right onto Highway 996. Track is 1 mile on the right.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, March 19-21

PURSE: Guaranteed purse of more than $50,000

SCHEDULE
Friday, March 19
Qualifying and time trials, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Stock and Super Stock class eliminations, noon
Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Comp qualifying, 2 and 4 p.m.
Jet-car and Top Fuel Harley exhibitions, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 20
Qualifying and time trials, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Top Sportsman and Top Dragster qualifying, 10 a.m. and noon
Comp qualifying, 1 and 4 p.m.
Top Sportsman/Top Dragster Shootout, 2, 4, and 6 p.m.
Jet-car and Top Fuel Harley exhibitions, throughout the day

Sunday, March 21
Final eliminations, 9 a.m.
Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Comp round 1, 10 a.m.
Opening ceremony, noon
Jet-car and Top Fuel Harley exhibitions, 5 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENTS: Stock and Super Stock class eliminations, Top Sportsman/Top Dragster Shootout, jet-car and Top Fuel Harley exhibition runs

DEFENDING CHAMPS: Kevin Self (Comp), Brad Zaskowski (Super Stock), Austin Williams (Stock), Tommy Phillips (Super Comp), Tommy Phillips (Super Gas), Mike DeSio (Super Street), Jeffrey Barker (Top Sportsman), Casey Spradlin (Top Dragster), Alex Barmettler (Motorcycle)

ABOUT THE TRACK: No Problem Raceway Park is a 200-acre, multiuse motorsports park 55 miles southwest of New Orleans in Assumption Parish on Highway 996. Nestled on a ridge in the backwoods of southern Louisiana, the quarter-mile track sits 12 feet above sea level. In addition to the dragstrip, the facility features a 14-turn, 1.8-mile road course. The track was built in October 2001 by four drag racers  with a $5 million initial investment. Pat Joffrion is the track's general manager.

TICKETS: No Problem Raceway Park, 985-369-3692, or log on to www.NoProblemRaceway.com

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass): Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $20; three-day pass, $50; two-day pass, $35
 

Tony Schumacher added a fourth Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals trophy to his collection to highlight a record-setting day in Gainesville. He was joined in the winner’s circle by Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Those victories capped an incredible day of action that included two national speed records, a national e.t. record, numerous runs that rank in the top 10 of all time, and more career bests. The speed records in both nitro classes fell during the day. After his teammate Cory McClenathan posted a 322.50-mph lap in the opening round, Schumacher blew it away with a 324.98-mph shot in the semifinals. He backed up the run with his 322.04 in the final to set a new national mark for speed. Matt Hagan, who had the previous best speed in Funny Car, became the new record holder with his 316.15-mph pass in the first round. After predicting a new Pro Stock Motorcycle national record after qualifying No. 1, Karen Stoffer made good on her word, clocking a 6.847 in round one to reset the national e.t. mark and earn the 20 bonus points that go with it.

Tony Schumacher

It was fitting that the Top Fuel final came down to Don Schumacher Racing teammates Schumacher and Antron Brown because they had the two best cars all weekend. Unlike in qualifying and the other rounds when Brown was just a tick better than Schumacher, in the final, the U.S. Army driver came out on top, wheeling his dragster to a 3.797 to beat the tire-smoking Brown and collect Wally No. 62. This was also the fourth Gainesville win for Schumacher, tying him with Joe Amato, Larry Dixon, and Don Garlits for the most Top Fuel wins at this event. The victory also moved “the Sarge” into the points lead, by 11 markers over McClenathan.

“This is absolutely special,” said Schumacher. “First of all, this is the Gatornationals; it’s Gainesville. I’ve won it four times now. But my lights have been bad at the first two races. We’ve had a car that could win, and I’ve been doing everything I can. We finally started working on it hard, and we needed that confidence; I needed that confidence again. That was perfect. It was exactly what we had to go out and do at the exact right time.

“The [DSR] crew chiefs are doing a great job, but they’ve been asking us, the drivers, to focus on driving the same, and we’ve worked on that for quite a while. We’re trying to keep it the same. Cory goes out yesterday and runs an .83, then he turns around and the crew chief says, 'This is what we have to fix.' We change it and go out and run an .82, turn around and tell Antron’s crew, ‘This is what we got to do.’ It was just perfect — better, better, and best. That’s what teams can do. When they really work well together and jell and they’re not out there doing stupid things, they just get stronger and better.”

Starting from the No. 2 spot on the ladder, Schumacher was consistently quick all day. In the opening three rounds, he clicked off passes of 3.81, 3.83, and 3.82 to defeat Terry McMillen, Doug Foley, and Dixon and secure a spot in his 96th final.

Brown and his Matco Tools-backed team couldn’t have scripted their Gainesville weekend any better. After destroying their primary car in their first-round accident in Phoenix, Brown and his team returned to competition with a brand-new car, and the new dragster performed flawlessly. Brown qualified No. 1, then ran low e.t. of two of the three rounds to advance to his 49th overall final and 16th in Top Fuel. He defeated Todd Paton, Steve Torrence, and Shawn Langdon on his way to the title round.

Tim Wilkerson

After losing in the first round of Funny Car at the first two events, Wilkerson more than made up for it here. Racing with the new ’10 Mustang body on his Levi, Ray & Shoup entry, Wilkerson was steady and strong during eliminations, capping the day with a 4.09 to 4.19 defeat of defending Gainesville winner Bob Tasca III. The victory is Wilkerson’s 14th and his first at the historic Gatornationals.

“When you run well and you run consistent, people will show you enough respect to try pretty hard against you,” said Wilkerson, who credits a switch from a three-rail to a two-rail chassis with helping him win. “We did have a good day today. I’m not going to say we were world-beaters, but we made some pretty darn good runs to keep them on their toes.

“I knew we could run better after we blew through the clutch in the first round. If [Matt] Hagan would have run another .06, he would’ve beat me, but I thought we could run good enough to keep him honest. I haven’t figured out how to run an .06 yet, but we go down the track every single run.”

Wilkerson began the day from the bottom half of the field, in the No. 9 position, but he quickly emerged as a contender. After clocking a 4.18 in round one against Jeff Arend, Wilkerson blasted to a 4.09 to defeat new national speed record holder and low qualifier Hagan. He then earned a spot in the 21st final of his career when he defeated Tony Pedregon in the semi’s.

Tasca made a valiant push to defend the title he won here last year, his first victory in the nitro ranks, but he came up just short. Tasca lived in the 4.1s all day, running a pair of 4.13s and a 4.12 as he ended the hopes of Jack Beckman, Robert Hight, and Ron Capps in the early rounds.

Jason Line

Line entered the Pro Stock final knowing that he would need a sizable advantage at the Tree if he had any chance of defeating Mike Edwards, who again dominated the competition. The Summit-backed driver took just that, cutting a nearly perfect .004 light to take a more than .05-second lead out of the gate, and he parlayed that into a 6.58 to 6.55 holeshot win. It was the 21st Pro Stock victory for Line and his second straight in Gainesville.

“It really wasn’t a good weekend, actually,” said Line. “We started out awful, and I didn’t think we were going to qualify. Going into the third session, I really felt like this was going to be the time we didn’t qualify. Some fan came up to me and said, ‘I just wanted to meet you because I read in the [NHRA] Fan Guide that you’re the only guy who hasn’t not qualified.’ It’s like, ‘Thanks a lot, buddy.’ But we got it done somehow. We didn’t run great, that’s for sure, but I guess right now the only way to beat Mike is with your left foot because you’re not going to outrun him. Fortunately, he gave us the opening, and we managed to get it done somehow.

“Ken [Black, team owner] is definitely improving, and hopefully, this is going to help. This Wally has his name written all over it. I talked to him on the phone last week, and he’s really doing good. He’s working hard. The rehab has been tough, but he’s working really hard at it. We want him out there, and he wants to be out here, so we’re just hoping for the best.”

After a rough qualifying outing, in which he entered the final session not in the field, things came together for Line on race day. He began his day with a 6.55 to defeat Greg Stanfield, then trailered Ron Krisher with a 6.58. Line then got the better of teammate Greg Anderson to advance to his 44th final.

Edwards appeared to be well on his way to doubling up for the weekend — he won the delayed NHRA Arizona Nationals during Saturday’s qualifying — and keeping his record perfect for the season with low e.t. of every round of competition. He ran the third-quickest time in history, a 6.520, in the opening round and followed with 6.54 and 6.56 clockings in respective wins against Rickie Jones, Ronnie Humphrey, and Allen Johnson. This was the 13th Pro Stock final for Edwards and second in Gainesville; he was also the 1997 runner-up.

Eddie Krawiec

Krawiec began the 2010 Pro Stock Motorcycle season the way he ended the 2009 one, hoisting the Wally in the winner’s circle. Racing in his 18th final, Krawiec put the whole package together, leaving the starting line first and outrunning Shawn Gann, 6.899 to 6.908, to score his sixth victory.

“Gainesville is very special to me,” said Krawiec. “Years ago when I first started out, I wanted to win here. To finally get a win here, I can’t be any more excited. We ended 2009 with a win in Pomona, and to start 2010 with another one is awesome.

“I guess it showed this weekend that all the bikes were pretty close. Everybody did their R&D this winter, and that is great for the class. This time, a Harley-Davidson was fortunate enough to get the win, but it turned into a rider battle, not just a contest to see who had the fastest bike. I almost gave it up in the semi’s against Craig Treble, but I got lucky.”

Krawiec’s Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson was one of the best bikes on the property throughout the weekend. He qualified No. 2 with a 6.868, and he stayed at or near that mark through the four rounds. Krawiec opened with a 6.864 to defeat Angie Smith, then posted a 6.856 and 6.903 en route to respective wins against Steve Johnson and Craig Treble.

After a mostly forgettable last couple of years, Gann got his 2010 campaign off to a strong start, advancing to his 13th final and first since Indy 2004; his last win was in Denver in 2004. Gann, the No. 9 qualifier, began his march to the final with a 6.893 victory over Junior Pippin. He then used low-6.9 runs to oust new national record holder Stoffer and a red-lighting Hector Arana.

Canadian flags waved in the grandstands as Manitoba’s Kenny Lang made drag racing history as the first to win a Wally in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Lang became the first winner in NHRA’s newest national touring series as he drove his green '53 Corvette to victory over Sweden’s Michael Gullqvist, who drove the ProCare Rx '68 Camaro owned by series supporter Roger Burgess.

“This is a great event, and I am thrilled to win it,” said Lang, who qualified sixth and defeated a tough group of drivers in earlier rounds including JEGS.com’s Troy Coughlin, In-N-Out Burger ’63 Corvette driver Melanie Troxel, and Qatar’s Khalid Balooshi.

Lang powered his ’53 Corvette to a 5.908-second run at 243.68 mph to earn the victory in the final round but ultimately didn’t need the strong performance when Gullqvist fouled at the start.

“It definitely hasn’t all sunk in yet,” said Lang about being the first official Pro Mod winner in NHRA history. “We are one of the lesser-funded teams out here, but we do a good job, and we do it because we love it. I wasn’t surprised to see those flags out there because we get a lot of support wherever we go. We had a great car today.”

The Pro Mod Series continues April 9-11 at Houston Raceway Park.

Though much of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action is still under way, the final rounds were completed in the alcohol classes and Comp. Duane Shields defended his Top Alcohol Dragster event title, defeating Darren Nicholson in the final round. Frank Manzo scored his 85th national event Wally when he bested Mickey Ferro in the Top Alcohol Funny Car money round, and Arnie Marel defeated Floridian Glen Treadwell to win Comp.

Related stories:
Saturday: Brown, Hagan, Edwards, Stoffer lead after super-quick day in Gainesville
Friday: Schumacher, Hight, Edwards, Pippin lead rain-plagued opening day
Edwards wins delayed Arizona Nationals Pro Stock title
 

News and notes from Sunday at the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals from Gainesville Raceway. Compiled by the National DRAGSTER staff.

SUNDAY (Previous: Thursday I Friday I Saturday)
Last update: 6:30 p.m. Easterm (click to latest)

It's race day! (8:50 a.m.): Another beautiful morning at Gainesville Raceway. It's a cool start to the day with temps in the high 40s to low 50s, and it's not expected to warm up too much today (about 70 at the highest), so we should see quick, fast racing again today. The previously water-logged Lucas Oil racers are finally getting their chance to run this morning. Stock racers already got a qualifying hit, and the Super Gas contingent is currently ontrack running a time trial. The plan for the Lucas Oil classes right now is to try and finish everything today -- if all goes according to plan and there are no major delays, that should happen with a finish time of about 9:30 tonight. More Sportsman qualifying and time runs will continue this morning leading up to first round of Top Fuel, which is at 11 a.m.

Darrell Gwynn track walk (10:25 a.m.): A very cool scene here in Gainesville right now as a mass of people are walking down the right lane behind the special edition Coors Extra Gold dragster, which is being towed by a golf car. Racers and fans alike all donated $20 or more to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation to take part in the walk down the Gainesville Raceway strip.

Here we go (11:05 a.m.): The first pair of Top Fuelers have just made their way down the track -- Steve Torrence defeated Morgan Lucas. More to come ...

Special awards (11:10 a.m.): Arnie Martel, Doug Kalitta, and Mike Castellana were special-award winners in Gainesville. Martel's Comp Eliminator Speedco GTO was named Best Appearing Car. Kalitta and his crew were judged the Best Appearing Crew for their throwback Coors Extra Gold uniforms, and Castellana's Al-Anabi Pro Mod was judged Best Engineered Car.

Darrell Gwynn Foundation wheelchair giveaway (11:15 a.m.): As part of today's abbeviated pre-race ceremonies, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation once again presented a wheelchair to an individual who otherwise couldn't afford one. This year's recipient was Brian Robinson, who has a form of Muscular Dystrophy. The wheelchair, which was custom built by DMR, costs $25,000. Since 2002, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation has given away over $1 million worth of wheelchairs.

Top Fuel, round one (11:45 a.m.): As expected, the quick and fast runs continued to come up on the scoreboards in the opening round of competition. Cory McClenathan recorded the fastest speed in history, 322.50 mph, en route to victory against Bobby Lagana Jr. McClenathan's teammate Tony Schumacher also put up a big speed, 320.81, as he dispatched Terry McMillen with a low-of-the-round 3.810. While many of the usual suspects advanced, there was also a couple of surprises, including a win by Doug Foley and his new Dote Racing team.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
Antron Brown vs. Steve Torrence
Shawn Langdon vs. McClenathan
Schumacher vs. Foley
Larry Dixon vs. Brandon Bernstein

Funny Car, round one (12:10 p.m.): First we got the fastest run ever in Top Fuel, and now we have a new best in Funny Car as well. Matt Hagan made a monster 316.15 mph run, bettering his previous mark of 313.88 mph. Hagan's qualifying speed of 313.58 backs up the 316, so Hagan's speed is a new national record. While Hagan's run was impressive, the most interesting and entertaining match of the round was that of Melanie Troxel and Ashley Force Hood. Both women had troubles on their runs and smoked the tires, and both pedaled in an attempt to get traction back. What ensued was a wild pedalfest with both cars getting extremely sideways and really close to the wall. Troxel was so close at one point, in fact, officials had to review the video to ensure she didn't slap it. The review showed Troxel's run was clean, and she came out the winner with a 5.32.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
Hagan vs. Tim Wilkerson
Tony Pedregon vs. Troxel
Robert Hight vs. Bob Tasca III
Ron Capps vs. John Force

Pro Stock, round one (12:30 p.m.): Mike Edwards' quest for a double up for the weekend continues, and as usual, he's doing so in convincing fashion. Edwards clocked a 6.520, the third-quickest time ever, at 212.23 mph, the third-fastest speed ever, to easily defeat Rickie Jones and advance to round two. The next-best run of the round was Ron Krisher's 6.542. There were also several 6.55s put on the boards during the round.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold);
Edwards vs. Ronnie Humphrey
Allen Johnson vs. V. Gaines
Krisher vs. Jason Line
Jeg Coughlin Jr. vs. Greg Anderson

Pro Stock Motorcycle, round one (12:45 p.m.): And the killer performances continue -- Karen Stoffer just set a new national e.t. record, running a 6.847 en route to victory over Redell Harris. "That record isn't exactly safe," said Stoffer after the run. "We've still got the good conditions out there that we had yesterday, and everyone's got the nerves out after the first round. I'm not sure it can go any lower than that, but I'm not going to set it in stone just yet." Stoffer was head and shoulders ahead of everyone else, holding almost two-hundredths over Eddie Krawiec, whose 6.864 was second best of the round.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
Stoffer vs. Shawn Gann
Hector Arana vs. Andrew Hines
Krawiec vs. Steve Johnson
David Hope vs. Craig Treble

Top Fuel, round two (1:35 p.m.): The Don Schumacher Racing team continues to show the way in Top Fuel, but this time it was No. 1 qualifier Antron Brown leading everyone. Brown blasted to a 3.812, low of the round by nearly two-hundredths, to defeat Steve Torrence and advance. The closest race of the round was Cory McClenathan and Shawn Langdon. Langdon got the jump at the Tree and used the advantage to defeat McClenathan on a holeshot, 3.852 to 3.840. On the other side of the ladder, Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon advanced, setting up a much-anticipated match in the semi's; Dixon earned lane choice by ust .008-second.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Brown vs. Langdon
Schumacher vs. Dixon

Funny Car, round two (1:45 p.m.): Bob Tasca III still has a shot to defend his Gatornationals title after he defeated reigning world champ Robert Hight in round two. Hight got out of the gate first but then struck the tires, opening the door for Tasca, who clocked a 4.131. Tasca will surrender lane choice to Ron Capps, who was the best of the second round with a 4.066.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Tim Wilkerson vs. Tony Pedregon
Tasca vs. Capps

Pro Stock, round two (1:55 p.m.): Mike Edwards just continues to march, once again running low e.t. of the round, to oust Ronnie Humphrey, who was the round's second-quickest driver with a 6.571. Edwards easily earned lane choice for the semifinals against Allen Johnson, who clocked a 6.600. The other side of the ladder is all Summit with teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson both advancing. Both ran 6.58s with Line edging Anderson for lane choice, 6.582 to 6.587.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Edwards vs. Johnson
Line vs. Anderson

Pro Stock Motorcycle, round two (2:05 p.m.): Karen Stoffer's amazing weekend came to an early end when she had a challenging ride in the second round. Stoffer was fighting to keep her Suzuki in the groove all the way down the quarter-mile and that cost her tremendously. Stoffer slowed to a 6.979, opening the door for Shawn Gann, who won with a 6.945. The other three second-round races were decided by red-light starts: Andrew Hines red-lighted against Hector Arana, Steve Johnson fouled out against Eddie Krawiec, and David Hope turned on the red against Craig Treble.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Gann vs. Arana
Krawiec vs. Treble

Top Fuel, semifinals (3:05 p.m.): The first pair out was the highly anticipated Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon, and they lived up to the hype and put on a great show. Both drivers run 3.82 with Schumacher's 3.822 edging out Dixon's 3.825. Schumacher's run was also incredibly fast, 324.98 mph, far and away the best 1,000-foot speed in history. Schumacher will not have lane choice in the final, however, because his DSR teammate Antron Brown was quicker with a 3.801 that easily outpaced Shawn Langdon's 3.909.

Funny Car, semifinals (3:15 p.m.): The Top Fuel final is a battle of teammates and so is Funny Car. Defending event champ Bob Tasca III and Tim Wilkerson will battle it out for this year's Gators Wally. Tasca advanced to the final by defeating a tire-smoking Ron Capps, and Wilk ousted Tony Pedregon, who also had troubles on his run. Tasca has lane choice for the final thanks to his 4.125 clocking.

Pro Stock, semifinals (3:20 p.m.): And Edwards marches on ... the reigning champ powered to a 6.564 to defeat Allen Johnson, who ran a game 6.596, and earn a spot in the final. If Edwards is going to keep his season record perfect, he will have to get past Jason Line. Edwards has the performance edge by a bunch; Line ran a 6.606 in his semifinal victory over teammate Greg Anderson.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, semifinals (3:25 p.m.): Eddie Krawiec and Shawn Gann are the final riders standing in the two-wheel ranks. Krawiec dodged a bullet in the semi's against Craig Treble. Treble got a .065-second off the starting line, but Krawiec was able to just run him down and win 6.903 to 6.971. Krawiec will have lane choice against Gann, who got a free pass to the final when reigning world champ Hector Arana red-lighted.

Full Throttle Series final rounds (6:30 p.m.): Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) came out on top in the Full Throttle class final rounds. Schumacher defeated teammate Antron Brown, Wilkerson stopped Bob Tasca III, Jason Line used a .004 light to beat Mike Edwards, and Krawiec got the better of Shawn Gann.

SATURDAY
Sun in the Sunshine State (10:35 a.m.): Now this is more like it! The sun is out, the sky is blue, and cars are running. Comp is on the track for their final qualifying session before the first round later today. The two alcohol classes will also make qualifying runs this morning before we head into Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying session two. Pro Stock racers will follow, and for eight, it will be extra busy as they also complete eliminations from Phoenix.

Pairings for the second round of those Phoenix eliminations, which will happen during the first qualifying session today are (lane choice in bold): Mike Edwards vs. Greg Anderson, Allen Johnson vs. Jason Line, Ron Krisher vs. Greg Stanfield, and Rodger Brogdon vs. Bob Yonke.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session two (12:20 p.m.): Cooler weather created ideal conditions for improvement this morning, and most of the Pro Stock Motorcycles took full advantage of it. The biggest proof of this is Junior Pippin, who entered the session in the No. 1 spot but fell to eighth when he was unable to improve on his 6.95 from Friday. Karen Stoffer jumped to the head of the pack with a 6.869 on a run that wasn't completely perfect, meaning there's room for improvement. David Hope jumped up to the second spot with a career-best 6.874,  and Craig Treble snagged the No. 3 position when he posted a 6.889. Eddie Krawiec also dipped into the 6.8s, knocking out a 6.890 for the fourth spot. Angie Smith sits on the bump spot heading into the final session; she ran a 7.083.

Pro Stock Arizona Nationals eliminations, round two (12:55 p.m.): After a couple weeks plus an extra day after Mother Nature was uncooperative yesterday, the second round of the NHRA Arizona Nationals is finally in the books. Mike Edwards was low of the round, giving him both a ticket to the semifinals and the No. 1 spot on the sheets for the Gainesville qualifying Edwards clocked a 6.537 to edge Greg Anderson, who ran a game 6.561. The suprise of the round was Bob Yonke, who turned a .006 light into a 6.623 to 6.561 holeshot win against Rodger Brogdon.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold): Edwards vs. Allen Johnson and Greg Stanfield vs. Yonke.

Pro Stock, qualifying session two (1:05 p.m.): Mike Edwards remains No. 1 in the field thanks to his 6.537 run that paid double dividends with both an Arizona round-win (see above) and the top qualifying spot. Jeg Coughlin Jr., who was one of the drivers not running in the Arizona eliminations, was second quickest of the session with a 6.551. Ron Krisher ranked third with a 6.555. Those runs were part of a spectacular session that included 11 6.5-second runs and numerous career bests.

Top Fuel, session two (2:05 p.m.): Antron Brown took the top spot in an exciting second round of Top Fuel qualifying. Brown unloaded a monster 3.819 at 320.28 mph. Surprisingly, Brown’s 320 mph speed was not the fastest of the session. That honor is bestowed upon Dave Grubnic, who equaled the fastest speed in the history of 1,000-foot racing at 321.58 mph at the tail end of his 3.832-second lap. Grubnic is qualified No. 4, while Tony Schumacher and Shawn Langdon maintained their respective Nos. 2 and 3 positions with their runs from Friday night qualifying. The third-best run of the second session was Larry Dixon’s 3.834, moving the Al-Anabi team up to the No. 5 spot.

Funny Car, session two (2:15 p.m.): John Force Racing continues to show the way in Gainesville, but this time it was Ashley Force Hood who was tops for the session. Force Hood powered to a 4.093, bettering her 4.096 from yesterday. The run moved Force Hood up a spot in the order, to second, above her father, John Force, who also has a best of 4.093 but loses the spot on the speed tiebreaker, 308.43 to 307.72. Tim Wilkerson was the second-quickest driver of the session with a 4.128, and defending event champ Bob Tasca III earned one additional point for his third-quickest 4.138.

WFO Radio in Gainesville (2:30 p.m.): WFO Radio with Joe Castello continued its coverage of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals today. The show, which originally aired live from 10 a.m. to noon ET, is available on demand at www.wforadio.com. Today's guests were Darrell Gwynn, Doug Kalitta, Ashley Force Hood, Rodger Brogdon, Craig Treble, Kenny Koretsky, Paul Lee, Jeff Arend, and Tony Pedregon.

Pro Mod (3:30 p.m.): Roger Burgess jumped to the No. 1 spot on the ladder and will lead the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series racers into the first round. Burgess jumped to the top spot with a 5.856 that pushed Jay Payne down to second. Melanie Troxel ended up third, followed by Burton Auxier, Mike Knowles, Ken Lang, Khalid Balooshi, and Michael Gullqvist.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session three (3:45 p.m.): Things got even better during the final qualifying session with improvements pretty much across the board. Karen Stoffer stayed No. 1, clocking the second-quckest time in history, 6.855, to move back to the top of the charts. Eddie Krawiec momentarily bumped Stoffer down with a 6.868 earlier in the session but was shifted down one spot when Stoffer improved in the final pair. Hector Arana was the third-quickest rider of the session with a 6.881 that moved him up to fourth, just behind David Hope. Redell Harris was the final rider to qualify, with a 16th-best 7.032.

Pro Stock Arizona Nationals eliminations, semifinals (4:20 p.m.): Wow, an interesting final round has shaped up for the Phoenix Wally. No surprise, Mike Edwards will race for the title after easily taking care of Allen Johnson, who had troubles early and had to shut off. However, his opponent is a shocker: Bob Yonke, who qualified for the first time at the Phoenix event and followed it up with his first round-win before eliminations were postponed, added another round-win when he bested Greg Stanfield in the semifinals. As he did in the second round, Yonke again won on a holeshot, this time defeating Stanfield by a scant .0007-second, 6.590 to 6.573. Edwards will have lane choice when he and Yonke return after the nitro cars wrap up qualifying.

Pro Stock qualifying, session three (4:30 p.m.): Bob Yonke making the NHRA Arizona Nationals final wasn't the only surprise of the final qualifying session/semifinal round; Mike Edwards also wasn't the quickest of the round, the first time this year he hasn't paced the field. Ron Krisher, who leases engines from Edwards, just outran the defending champ, clocking a 6.540 to Edwards' 6.544. Jeg Coughlin Jr. was the third-quickest driver of the session with a 6.554. Rickie Jones ended up on the bump with a 6.601.

Top Fuel, session three (5:10 p.m.): An absolutely spectacular day of action continued in Top Fuel with a lot of shuffling and many career numers put up as the final field for tomorrow was set. The names atop the charts did not change, but the times did. Antron Brown improved to a 3.803 to take the pole. Tony Schumacher remained No. 2 on the strength of a 3.805 that bettered his 3.823 from yesterday. Larry Dixon jumped up to the third slot with a 3.820.

Funny Car, session three (5:40 p.m.): The Funny Cars also put on quite a show to cap a spectacular day of racing. Matt Hagan was the best of the bunch, clocking a 4.060 to grab the No. 1 spot on the ladder. Hagan's teammate, Ron Capps, moved up to No. 3 with a 4.070, and Tony Pedregon grabbed the fourth starting spot with a 4.078. John Smith is the bump boy with a 4.231.

Pro Stock Arizona Nationals eliminations, final (5:45 p.m.): The clock struck midnight for Cinderella Bob Yonke, who, though he got the starting-line advantage, didn't have enough power to keep up with Mike Edwards. Edwards powered to a 6.552 to score another victory and further extend his series points lead.

FRIDAY
Not looking good (10:30 a.m.): Unfortunately, Mother Nature isn't being very kind once again today. Things cleared up for a bit last night, but the rain has returned in Gainesville. Currently, rain is falling at a pretty steady pace, and local forecasters are calling for the wet stuff to continue throughout the day. Though there is a chance for "severe thunderstorms" in the afternoon, the weathercasters are saying there may also be some breaks this afternoon. Overall, though, things are not looking good at this point. More updates to come as the day rolls on and things change (hopefully for the better).

Looking a little better (1 p.m.): The rain hasn't completely stopped, but it has eased up enough that the NHRA Safety Safari has made it's way out to begin the drying process. The Safety Safari is using everything its arsenal, from the big tractor and trucks to brooms and handheld blowers to try and dry the track so we can get something in the books. The skies are still overcast, but they do seem to be lightening up a little, so perhaps we may be heading towards better weather.

Looking even better (1:45 p.m.): The rain has completely stopped, and the Safety Safari is making good progress on the track. The activity has slowed some as a lot of the water has been removed; now, the jet dryer is the lone thing on the track, working its magic to both dry the strip and heat things up some. Some crew guys have also started to come up to check things out.

Like a kid at Christmas (2:45 p.m.): The downtime due to the wet weather this morning opened the door for a couple of press conferences, including one with NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, who is running in Super Gas with his '70 Dodge Challenger this weekend. Though the former Sprint Cup champ hasn't had a chance to make a run this weekend due to the weather, he says he is having a great time and very much enjoying the experience.

"The fun meter has been pegged, and I'm having a great time doing do it," said Busch. "It’s been an honor and a privilege to be part of the Gatornationals. Normally, you can’t just show up and run a national event. I’d like to thank Graham Light as far as allowing me to come and participate. As many off weekends as we don’t have in the NASCAR circuit, I’d love to come run some regional events and get our feet wet and just get the mojo started. It’s just tough to really commit full time to running the program. We’re here, we’re enjoying ourselves. Mother Nature hasn’t quite cooperated just yet for us, but hopefully we’ll get a pass, whether it’s later today or tomorrow. Running the Super Gas division, it’s really neat.

"Wednesday, we went through tech inspection, and that was a big moment for me, going through tech and getting that little decal that says, ‘Participant of the Gatornationals;’ I kind of felt like an 8-year-old schoolboy when they gave me that decal."

Good news (3 p.m.): There's finally some positive news to report out of Gainesville. The Safety Safari is spraying traction compound on the dragstrip, and there are cars rolling into the lanes. Comp will be out first, followed by Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, Funny Car, and Top Fuel.

And, we're running (4:10 p.m.): Comp is on the track right now, making their first qualifying attempts. Pro Stock Motorcycle is in the lanes and will be next ontrack.

Pro Stock Phoenix eliminations (4:35 p.m.): Due to the rain this morning and the delay that it caused, today will be limited to just one qualifying session for the Full Throttle categories. As a result, Pro Stock eliminations from the NHRA Arizona Nationals will have wait yet another day. Today's run will be just a qualifying pass, then the first run tomorrow will double as the second round of the Phoenix event. The second qualifying session tomorrow will also serve as the semifinals from Phoenix. The final two racers will then come back later to run the final round and determine the NHRA Arizona Nationals champ.

Pro Stock Motorcycle, session one (4:45 p.m.): A surprise at the top of the charts after one run in the two-wheel class: Junior Pippin, who has never qualified No. 1, is the leader with a 6.959. Pippin is a hundredth and a half ahead of the rest of the pack with Shawn Gann's 6.972 ranking second. Matt Smith is third quickest with a 6.986. Darin McCurdy finished in the important 12th spot with a 7.140, the final time that transfers into tomorrow.

Pro Stock, session one (5:15 p.m.): The Mike Edwards reign of terror over the Pro Stock field continues as he again sits No. 1 in the field after posting a 6.610. The up side for his competitors is his advantage over everyone else isn't as large as normal; he sits just six-thousandths ahead of his engine customer Ron Krisher. Rodger Brogdon is third with a 6.629. Allen Johnson holds down the 12th spot with a 6.670.

Honoring Gwynn (5:45 p.m.): Prior to the start of the first nitro qualifying session today, Darrell Gwynn was honored with a video presentation. In addition, those in attendance and listening online were encouraged to text DGF to 50555 to donate $5 to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. This is one of several tributes to Gwynn scheduled this weekend. Doug Kalitta is running a special Coors Extra Gold scheme on his dragster in honor of Gwynn, and on Sunday morning (March 14 at 8 a.m.), prior to the elimination rounds, drivers and team owners will join Gwynn for a special “Track Walk for Those Who Can’t” on the quarter-mile Gainesville Raceway strip. Fans will be able to get “up-close and personal” with Gwynn and top drivers by walking with them on the famed track for a donation of $20 or more to the Foundation.

Funny Car, session one (6 p.m.): A good start for the John Force Racing trio, who occupy the top three spots on the ladder after the first of three qualifying runs. Robert Hight is first with a 4.060. Boss John Force is second after posting a 4.093, and Ashley Force Hood is No. 3 with a 4.094. Matt Hagan ranks fourth thanks to his 4.104. Jeff Diehl is in the 12th spot with a 7.705.

Lucas Oil Sportsman update (6:15 p.m.): Due to the water in the pits and the troubles it has created in getting cars out of trailers, most of the Lucas Oil Sportsman classes will have to be put on hold until a yet-to-be-determined time. The only Lucas Oil categories that will run Saturday will be Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Comp. The other categories are in wait-and-see mode; if conditions are good enough, they will begin making passes Sunday. If conditions don't allow for racing Sunday, action will be pushed to Monday.

Top Fuel, session one (6:35 p.m.): Tony Schumacher is the leader in the dragster class after posting a 3.823 at 318.02 mph. Shawn Langdon isn't far behind with a 3.829, and Doug Kalitta, who is flying the Coors Extra Gold colors in honor of local hero Darrell Gwynn, continues his hot start to 2010 with a 3.846 that places him third. Terry McMillen's 8.085 is the final transfer time heading into tomorrow.

Pro Mods are up with a qualifying session next, and the two alcohol classes will also get a shot at the track to wrap up today's activities.

Pro Mod (8 p.m.): The Get Screened America Pro Mod Series is making its debut this weekend, and its competitors got their first run of the event tonight. Jay Payne paces the group with a 5.887 run. Melanie Troxel, who is also competing in Funny Car, is second at 5.888. Mike Knowles is third, followed by Ken Lang, Michael Gullqvist, Tony Pontieri, Rickie Smith, and Chip King.

Saturday schedule (8 p.m.): Due to the change in the Lucas Oil classes, Saturday's activities will start a little later than usual. Comp will be on the track first, with a run scheduled at 10:30 a.m. TAD and TAFC will follow in advance of the first session of the day for the Full Throttle classes, which are scheduled to begin at noon. The Pro Mod racers follow Funny Car, and Comp round one will also run between the two Full Throttle qualifying sessions. The second session, which begins at 2:45 p.m., will include Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, Top Fuel, Funny Car, and finally the NHRA Arizona Nationals final round in Pro Stock. The day will then wrap up with round one in Pro Mod, TAD, and TAFC.

THURSDAY
Over and done: Persistent rain showers and a forecast for more showers and thunderstorms throughout the day forced NHRA officials to postpone Thursday’s scheduled racing at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway.

Weather permitting, racing will begin Friday at 8 a.m.  Friday’s Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for noon and 2:45 p.m. Saturday’s two qualifying sessions also are set for noon and 2:45 p.m. Sunday’s eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

Among the highlights of the weekend include the completion of three rounds of Pro Stock eliminations from the weather-delayed Phoenix event; NASCAR champ Kurt Busch’s NHRA debut in the ultra-competitive Super Gas category in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series; the debut of NHRA’s newest touring series, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Series; the first race of the 2010 season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category; and plenty of exciting racing in the NHRA’s marquee Full Throttle Series as points leaders Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) race to build on their championship point leads.

WFO radio at Gainesville: Race fans have the opportunity to experience more unprecedented coverage of the NHRA Full Throttle Series when WFO Radio with Joe Castello broadcasts live from this weekend's NHRA Gatornationals.
 
WFO Radio will broadcast live 10 a.m. - noon ET on both Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 from the media center at the Gainesville Raceway. To listen live, on-demand, or to download, go to http://www.wforadio.com
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch is scheduled to appear on Friday's edition of WFO Radio. Busch will be coming off his first day of competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas category.
 
Drag racing stars appearing on the special live edition of WFO Radio include Ashley Force Hood, Darrell Gwynn, Doug Kalitta, Tony Pedregon, Melanie Troxel, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Allen Johnson, Angie Smith, Matt Smith, Kenny Koretsky, Jeff Arend, Rodger Brogdon, and Paul Lee.
 
In addition to celebrity guest appearances, WFO Radio will be providing race fans with on-location reports from the Gatornationals throughout the race weekend. Check WFORadio.com for updates.
 
Gainesville TV update: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will air its coverage of Full Throttle Series qualifying from the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals Saturday evening at midnight Eastern (9 p.m. Pacific) but will rebroadcast the show the following morning, Sunday, at 10 a.m. Eastern for the convenience of race fans.

The qualifying show also will include highlights from the continuation of Pro Stock eliminations from the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which was postponed last month due to track conditions and weather. The second round of Pro Stock from Arizona will be run during Friday's second qualifying session and the semfinal and final rounds completed during Satudary's first and second sessions, respectively.

The repeat qualifying showing will lead right into the NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil pre-race show at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

Final eliminations will air in prime time on the East Coast, from 6-9 p.m. and air again on March 17. Highlights of Lucas Oil Series competition from the event also will air March 17 while coverage of the kickoff race of the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series will air March 21.
 

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) shined during a spectacular second day of racing at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The day was particularly good for Edwards, who also won the delayed NHRA Arizona Nationals event, defeating surprise finalist Bob Yonke in the final.

After two days of rain and little activity on the track, the Sunshine State finally lived up to its name with a glorious day filled with blue skies, light cloud cover, and sunshine. Though the sun came out, temperatures remained cool with air temps staying in the 60s and track temperatures in the low 90s or below, and that created perfect conditions for performance, particularly in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The track speed record was eclipsed in Pro Stock, and new marks in both e.t. and speed were set in Pro Stock Motorcycle. In addition, the Pro Stock Motorcycle field is the quickest in history with a 7.032 bump, and many drivers set new career bests. The nitro classes were also filled with numerous career bests and impressive performances, including a 321.58-mph speed by Dave Grubnic that ties the fastest 1,000-foot run ever; Larry Dixon is the other driver to record that speed, doing so at last year’s season finale.

Antron Brown

With a new car underneath him after his original car was destroyed in an accident in Phoenix, Brown had a much-needed get-well day that included running low e.t. of both sessions. Brown’s best was a 3.803 in the final session that was a new track record and gave the Matco-backed driver his first No. 1 start of this year and 22nd of his career.

“My hat’s off just to my team; man, all the stuff that we’ve been through since we just transitioned over to DSR and just getting all the new stuff and putting it all together and then the stuff that happened in Phoenix and putting a whole another group of new things together,” said Brown. “To come out here and do this is definitely a blessing. I just want to take it one step at a time, and being No. 1 qualifier is definitely putting a foot in the right direction, and I’m stoked about that.

“It feels good to get two solid laps back to back. It’s not just being No. 1; it’s just getting two solid laps back to back because that gives you confidence going into race day where you can go round to round.”

Friday’s leader Tony Schumacher made a strong push for the top spot, but his 3.805 came up just short, relegating him to the No. 2 starting position. Dixon is right behind his on-track nemesis with a 3.820. Shawn Langdon, who finished Friday in the second slot, slipped to fourth when he couldn’t better his 3.829. Phoenix winner Cory McClenathan nabbed the No. 5 spot and is followed in the order by Grubnic, Doug Kalitta, and Steve Torrence.

Todd Paton landed on the bump with a 7.542. Only 16 cars made the trip to Gainesville, meaning all will be part of Sunday’s show.

Matt Hagan

After making headlines off the track earlier in the day when his team added John Medlen as a co-crew chief, Hagan made some news on the track when he powered his DieHard Charger to a 4.060 to earn his third career No. 1 start. Robert Hight also ran a 4.060 but lost the top spot on the speed tiebreaker, 313.58 to 310.13.

“First of all, it’s great to snag the No. 1 spot,” said Hagan, who has qualified fifth or better for six straight events. “I have a little history here [in Gainesville] with the Pro Mod car, and this is big. I knew Tommy [DeLago, crew chief] was going for it because we were already qualified. When the clutch went one-to-one, I knew it was gonna run.

“As for John Medlen, I’m not sure what his impact is yet. He’s feeling his way through everything. I’m sure he had some input, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of stuff from him and Tommy. I’m really excited and can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow. We need to put four runs together on race day. We always qualify well, but we need to get that Wally on Sunday.”

Hagan’s teammate, Ron Capps, moved up to third behind Hagan and Hight with a 4.070. Tony Pedregon finished fourth with a 4.078, and Ashley Force Hood grabbed the No. 5 spot with a 4.081. John Force, Bob Tasca III, and Jeff Arend are the final three drivers in the top half of the field.

John Smith was the final driver to make the field with a 4.231. Jeff Diehl and Paul Lee both missed the field.

Mike Edwards

The pressure of trying to qualify for the Gatornationals while simultaneously trying to win the NHRA Arizona Nationals didn’t seem to affect Edwards, who shined doing both. Not only did he win the Arizona Nationals to extend his points lead, he also stayed on point in the Gatornationals qualified field. Edwards extended his No. 1 qualifying streak to 12 straight events, dating back to Brainerd last August, with a 6.537 from his Penhall/Interstate/K&N GXP during the super-quick morning session.

"We were struggling, but today was much better," said Edwards. "We have a real consistent car and a consistent team. I made a really good run earlier today [6.53], and that was a turning point for us. I can’t really put my finger on one thing; it’s the whole team, I’m just a small part of it.

"In regards to qualifying, and eliminations on the same run, the feeling today was to go as quick as we could, but it’s a different mindset for sure. Then the conditions changes and that was something else we had to deal with but it all worked out."

Ron Krisher, who is an engine customer of Edwards, moved up to the No. 2 position when he recorded a 6.540 that was the best run of the final session; it was the first time this year Edwards did not pace a qualifying session. Jeg Coughlin Jr. posted back-to-back 6.55s in the final two sessions to lock in the No. 3 starting spot. Allen Johnson begins race day from the No. 4 position, and Rodger Brogdon, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, and Vinnie Deceglie follow to round out the quick eight. Rickie Jones ended up on the bump with a 6.601.

Eight drivers missed the show, and the biggest surprise of the bunch was Larry Morgan, who opened the season with a semifinal finish in Pomona. The father-son team of Warren and Kurt Johnson also couldn’t break into the field. Other non-qualifiers were Justin Humphreys, John Nobile, Erica Enders, Bob Benza, and John Gaydosh.

Karen Stoffer

Stoffer was the star of the second day of the 2010 Pro Stock Motorcycle season, running low e.t. of both qualifying sessions. The GEICO Powersports Suzuki rider opened with a 6.869, then followed it with a 6.855, the second-quickest pass in NHRA history, to secure the second No. 1 start of her career; her first came about a year and a half ago in Sonoma.

“It was kind of nerve-racking when you see Eddie [Krawiec] go out in the pair in front of me and beat the low e.t.,” said Stoffer. “We knew we had a fast bike, and I just had to do my job. I was excited that they gave me the performance, and I was able to do my job and put the package together and get that No. 1 back. I’ve had the No. 1 before, but I’ve never had to fight for it like that, so it was pretty cool to be able to do that.

“I definitely think there’s more out there, and I think you’re going to see other teams step up. The Suzukis had a little bit of a performance increase this year, and I think that had a big benefit to us. Also, we had the tailwind today and some cloud cover and a wonderfully prepared racetrack, so we had all these great conditions. I think people were just getting a handle on it, so I definitely think there’s more. I think there’s going to be a record broke, that’s my prediction. We’re in the batter’s box, and we want to take a swing and try to get that. That would be a first for me, so that’s a goal of mine. I’d love to be able to do it here in Gainesville where the conditions are the way they are. I don’t know if we’re going to see these conditions again this year, so I think this is going to be critical to get it done here.”

Eddie Krawiec, the 2008 world champ, will begin race day from the second spot thanks to his 6.868 recorded in the final session. David Hope, who is flying a special Iron Man 2 paint scheme to start the season, will enter Sunday with his best ever starting spot, third, after posting a 6.874, and reigning world champ Hector Arana begins his title defense from the fourth spot thanks to a 6.881 recorded on his final attempt. Andrew Hines, Craig Treble, Steve Johnson, and Friday leader Junior Pippin round out the top half of the field.

Redell Harris was the final rider to bump into the field, clocking a 7.032 to grab the 16th spot and a first-round date with Stoffer. The 7.032 bump makes this the quickest field in history, bettering the 7.033 bump from the 2007 Englishtown event.

With 23 bikes on the property, seven riders were left outside the field when all was said and done. Surprisingly, Doug Horne, who last year finished fifth in the Full Throttle standings, was on that list. Horne’s best time for the weekend was a 7.067 that left him 18th. Also missing the field were Darin McCurdy, James Surber, Katie Sullivan, Wes Wells, Joe DeSantis, and Bailey Whitaker.

Roger Burgess earned the first official No. 1 qualifying position of the new NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. After nine seasons as an exhibition category, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Series became an official NHRA touring series with 10 races on the 2010 schedule and is making its much-anticipated debut this weekend.

Burgess earned the historic top spot with a performance of 5.856 at 248.39 in his ProCare RX Corvette.
Jay Payne was second in his FireIce ’68 Camaro with a 5.887 at 241.28.

Burgess and Payne were both among the first-round winners during Saturday’s first round of eliminations. Eliminations for the category will continue on Sunday.

Related stories:
Saturday: Edwards wins delayed Arizona Nationals Pro Stock title
Friday: Schumacher, Hight, Edwards, Pippin lead rain-plagued opening day

Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world champ Mike Edwards made it two for two on the season after defeating Bob Yonke in the final round of the resumption of eliminations from the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which were contested during qualifying at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

Edwards, who also won the season opener in Pomona, made it eight straight round-wins to begin his season when he bested first-time finalist Yonke, 6.55, 211.16 to 6.60, 209.36. The win is the 22nd of Edwards’ Pro Stock career.

Racing was postponed in Arizona three weeks ago after the Pro Stock racers experienced handling problems in qualifying and eliminations. Although Top Fuel and Funny Car were completed Monday at the rain-battered event, the decision was made to contest the remainder of Pro Stock eliminations in Gainesville.

Initial plans were to run the second round during Friday’s second qualifying session of the Gatornationals, but rain Friday limited the teams to just one session, so plans were changed to run all three rounds Sunday. The second round was run concurrently with the day’s first qualifying session and the semifinals during the second. The final round was contested after the remainder of Pro qualifying was completed.

"I didn’t like waiting three weeks, but a win is a win," said Edwards. "I’m just really thankful to do it. We ran well. There were some changes in the rules, but we adapted to those, and it seems like we’ve managed to keep up. We have a new weight limit on the rear tires [1,090-pound minimum] and some changes to the front spoiler and wickerbill. Those three may not sound like a lot, but they really do affect these cars. We tested in South Florida. When we got there, we were in the grave at first, but we had a pulse when we left. We don’t make a lot of changes, but that was a big one."

It was no surprise to see Edwards advance to yet another final round. He was the low qualifier in Phoenix and had the quickest time in Friday’s qualifying resumption in Gainesville. On Saturday, Edwards, who had defeated Warren Johnson in round one in Phoenix, opened round two with low e.t of the meet, a 6.537, to fend off Greg Anderson’s 6.56, then defeated Allen Johnson’s Dodge in the semifinals with a 6.54.

Yonke reached his first final round in his third start in this class. After failing to qualify at two events in 2008, the former Pro Stock Truck racer sat out the 2009 season but has begun 2010 with a strong start. After missing the field at the season opener, he qualified No. 6 in Phoenix and defeated Rickie Jones in round one. When action resumed in Gainesville, Yonke upset Rodger Brogdon in round two on a giant holeshot, 6.62 to 6.56, after gaining a .006 to .076 starting-line edge and winning a round in which both drivers reset their career-best elapsed times. Yonke reached the final on yet another holeshot, beating his engine builder, Greg Stanfield, in the semifinals, 6.590 to 6.573, after a .027 to .044 gatejob.

Results for Round One

Phoenix - Summit FastNews - Results of round-one eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals: 
 W/L  Driver                                     R-Time    E-Time  Speed
 
 (W) Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment GXP) 0.021      6.646 207.66
 (L) Ronnie Humphrey (Pro Stock Grills/THM GXP)        0.075     12.898  67.04

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 28.68 inches, adjusted altitude 2,531 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.
Anderson is 3-0 against Humphrey in prior events. Anderson with a great light and was straight down the groove for the win. Humphrey with a lot of tire spin right off the starting line and pushed in the clutch.

 (W) Greg Stanfield (Nitro Fish GXP)                 0.021      6.656 206.29
 (L) Jeg Coughlin Jr. (JEGS.com Cobalt)              0.037      6.649 201.31

Coughlin is 16-2 against Stanfield in prior events. Stanfield is out of the gate first and had the power to hold on for the holeshot win. Greg Stanfield's MOV: 0.0095-second (approximately 3 feet). Stanfield with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 (W) Bob Yonke (Adrenaline Motorsports GXP)      0.024      6.675 205.16
 (L) Rickie Jones (Elite GXP)                                      0.052     14.598  58.41

Yonke making his first NHRA start, and he wins his first round of competition. Jones with a lot of tire shake right off the starting line.

 (W) Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment GXP)    0.034      6.777 207.34
 (L) Kurt Johnson (Mark Christopher Cobalt)             0.052      6.909 183.92

Line is 16-12 against Johnson in prior events. Line is out of the gate first and never trailed to take the win. Johnson had the chutes out early.

 (W) Allen Johnson (Mopar/J & J Racing Avenger)  0.121     14.342  58.30
 (L) Larry Morgan (Lucas Oil/Summit Mustang)     -9.999(R) NT-Broke Before Staging

Morgan did a long burnout but then lost fire as he was moving in to stage. Johnson with violent tire shake as soon as he let the clutch out and clicks it off. Johnson will give up lane choice to Line in round two.

 (W) Rodger Brogdon (Kent Services & Trucking GXP)  0.059      6.652 208.59
 (L) Vinnie Deceglie (Mountain View Tire Avenger -9.999(R) NT-No Show

Deceglie not able to make the call after that horrible crash yesterday. Brogdon with a real nice pass and will have lane choice over Yonke in round two. Rodger Brogdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.997 sec., 330ft-2.792, 660ft-4.284/165.09 mph, 1,000ft-5.567.

 (W) Ron Krisher (Valvoline Cobalt)              0.059      6.619 208.84
 (L) Shane Gray (Gray Motorsports GXP)           0.069      6.697 205.69

Gray is 1-0 against Krisher in prior events. Krisher is out of the gate first and then runs the quickest e.t. of the round and his quickest pass of the weekend. He will have lane choice over Stanfield in round two.

 (W) Mike Edwards (Penhall/K&N/Interstate GXP)    0.071      6.617 209.82
 (L) Warren Johnson (K&N Filters GXP)            0.036      6.706 206.83

Edwards is 22-15 against Johnson in prior events. Johnson with the starting-line advantage, but Edwards has the difference made up by 200 feet. Edwards runs the quickest pass of the round and fastest pass of the weekend. Edwards' incremental times: 60ft-0.987 sec., 330ft-2.772, 660ft-4.258/165.94 mph, 1,000ft-5.536. Edwards will have lane choice over Anderson in round two.

Results for Round Two

GAINESVILLE - Sumit FastNews - Results of round-two eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals: 
 W/L  Driver                                     R-Time    E-Time  Speed
 
 (W) Allen Johnson (Mopar/J&J Racing Avenger)  0.036      6.559 211.16
 (L) Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment GXP)    0.035      9.900  92.48

Weather conditions: air temperature 56 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.82 inches.
We are finally finishing up the NHRA Arizona Nationals. They leave together, but then Line has a big wiggle and pushes in the clutch. Johnson with a great pass here for the win, and this is a career-fastest pass to move into the semifinal.

 (W) Bob Yonke (Adrenaline Motorsports GXP)      0.006      6.623 209.79
 (L) Rodger Brogdon (Kent Services & Trucking GXP)  0.076      6.561 210.77

Yonke with a great light and the power to hold on for the holeshot win. Yonke's MOV: 0.0082-second (approximately 3 feet). Yonke with a career-best pass for the win. Brogdon runs his career-quickest and ties his career-fastest pass in a losing effort. Yonke's incremental times: 60ft-1.015 sec., 330ft-2.793, 660ft-4.276/166.52 mph, 1,000ft-5.550. Rodger Brogdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.992 sec., 330ft-2.754, 660ft-4.225/167.47 mph, 1,000ft-5.493.

 (W) Greg Stanfield (Nitro Fish GXP)              0.016      6.590 209.75
 (L) Ron Krisher (Valvoline Cobalt)              0.150      6.555 210.44

Stanfield with a big starting-line advantage and the power to hold on for the holeshot win. Stanfield's MOV: 0.0991-second (approximately 31 feet). Krisher with his career quickest pass in a losing effort. Stanfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.993 sec., 330ft-2.766, 660ft-4.244/167.09 mph, 1,000ft-5.517. Ron Krisher's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.757, 660ft-4.220/167.51 mph, 1,000ft-5.487. Stanfield will have lane choice over Yonke in the semifinal.

 (W) Mike Edwards (Penhall/K&N/Interstate GXP)    0.040      6.537 211.53
 (L) Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment GXP) 0.029      6.569 211.86

Anderson with the starting-line advantage, but Edwards has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas Tree and runs low e.t. for the win. Edwards' MOV: 0.0213-second (approximately 7 feet). Edwards will have lane choice over A. Johnson in the semifinal.

Results for Round Three

GAINESVILLE - Summit FastNews - Results of round-three eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals: 
 W/L  Driver                                     R-Time    E-Time  Speed
 
 (W) Bob Yonke (Adrenaline Motorsports GXP)      0.027      6.590 209.98
 (L) Greg Stanfield (Nitro Fish GXP)              0.044      6.573 210.50

Both of these two won on holeshots in the previous round. Yonke is out of the gate first and has the power to hold on for the holeshot win. Yonke's MOV: 0.0007-second (approximately 3 inches). Yonke's incremental times: 60ft-1.001 sec., 330ft-2.764, 660ft-4.242/166.89 mph, 1,000ft-5.516. Stanfield's incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.761, 660ft-4.234/167.36 mph, 1,000ft-5.504.

 (W) Mike Edwards (Penhall/K&N/Interstate GXP)    0.028      6.544 211.56
 (L) Allen Johnson (Mopar/J&J Racing Avenger)  0.050     17.110  47.69

Edwards is out of the gate first and never trailed as Johnson has problems right off the starting line and pushes in the clutch. Edwards will have lane choice in the final. Edwards' incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.746, 660ft-4.215/167.88 mph, 1,000ft-5.479.

Results for Final Round 

GAINESVILLE - Summit FastNews - Results of final, round-four eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals: 
 W/L  Driver                                     R-Time    E-Time  Speed
 
 (W) Mike Edwards (Penhall/K&N/Interstate GXP)    0.045      6.552 211.16
 (L) Bob Yonke (Adrenaline Motorsports GXP)      0.021      6.604 209.36

Yonke is out of the gate first, but Edwards is able to chase him down by 500 feet and just drives away for the win. Edwards' MOV: 0.0289-second (approximately 9 feet). Edwards just continues to dominate the Pro Stock category.

Related stories:
 McClenathan, Beckman take delayed Arizona Nationals wins

A former race car and race boat driver, Medlen is best known as a designer, fabricator, and tuner. In the mid-1980s, he designed and built clutch systems and later developed one of the first multilever clutch systems and a fuel-volume-control device. As a crew chief, he claimed the 2003 Funny Car crown with Tony Pedregon and has scored 42 NHRA national event victories in Top Fuel and Funny Car, winning six times in three full seasons with his late son, Eric.

"John brings a tremendous depth of experience and knowledge to DSR in many areas of Funny Car competition and development," said team owner Don Schumacher, "and we're privileged to have him onboard. We're confident that his contribution to the team and Tommy DeLago's ability to tune a very fast race car will be very beneficial to the performance of the DieHard Dodge Funny Car."

"It's a grand opportunity for me to join DSR," said Medlen. "Don Schumacher is an aggressive marketer. I've always admired the job he's done at running his teams and conducting the business of drag racing in a professional and businesslike manner. And, in a very difficult economy, his operation continues to grow.

"The DieHard Dodge Funny Car team is a very successful and well-managed team, and Tommy and I are both looking forward to working together. We both feel that two heads are better than one, and maybe some of the past experience I've had will fit in with the program."
 

Bobby Lagana Jr. will drive the Paul Richards Racing/Tire Kingdom Top Fuel dragster at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

“We’ve sponsored Paul Richards Racing for a number of years and look forward to continuing this relationship,” stated Bob Crostarosa, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising, TBC Retail Group. “This team embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Tire Kingdom. Their perseverance and commitment to this sport led them to a great season last year and we look forward to even better things this year.”

Crostarosa went on to mention that Lagana will drive the Tire Kingdom Top Fuel dragster for Paul Richards Racing in an additional two NHRA series competitions, in Atlanta and Charlotte.

"We've had the pleasure of representing Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, and Merchant's Tire and Auto for the past couple of years, but nothing compares to kicking off the season at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals," said Paul Richards, President, Paul Richards Racing. "Florida is our home and the home of Tire Kingdom. This is going to be an awesome season."
 

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Junior Pippin (Pro Stock Motorcycle) grabbed the provisional poles in their respective classes following a rain-shortened opening day at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

After rain washed out all of Thursday’s activities, it appeared the same fate awaited competitors today with rain starting early in the morning and continuing until about 1 p.m. Fortunately, skies cleared around 1:15, and the NHRA Safety Safari was able to get the track dry and in fine condition for a single qualifying run to kick off the annual East Coast opener. Though competitors and fans had to wait several hours after the original start time it was well worth it because conditions were fantastic and the runs put on the boards reflected that with both ends of the track records being broken in both of the nitro categories.

The rain did create a little more havoc than just the limiting of runs today. It further postponed the remainder of Pro Stock eliminations from the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which will now be completed entirely on Saturday. In addition, due to water in the pits, most Lucas Oil Sportsman classes have been put on hold indefinitely. Only Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Comp will make runs Saturday. If conditions permit, the other classes will return on Sunday; if not, they will be pushed to Monday.

Tony Schumacher

Running alongside on-track nemesis and defending event winner Larry Dixon, Schumacher and his U.S. Army team made a statement with a 3.823 at 318.02 mph pass that gave him the No. 1 position and both ends of the Gainesville Raceway track record.

“The track was fine, actually a lot better than what we just ran,” said Schumacher. “There was definitely room in the car, no questions asked. That was a good run, and it was fairly soft; just a nice, easy run down the racetrack. I’m kind of surprised the other cars didn’t do better. There’s probably a lot more track than they thought. It’s a good track, a good facility.

“Three No. 1 qualifiers are defending champs? That’s a great stat that I won’t even think about on Sunday because we’ve won this race before. This is a big race. It’s like Indy and Pomona, the list of people who have won this one is amazing. People spend extra time and energy to win this one. I don’t know how we dig any deeper than we dig normally, but this is Gainesville. It’s an amazing place, an amazing crowd, a great track, and I just love winning this one. It’s a great trophy to put on your shelf.”

Sophomore runner Shawn Langdon grabbed the provisional No. 2 spot with a 3.829, and Doug Kalitta, who is running a special Coors Extra Gold scheme in honor of local hero Darrell Gwynn, is currently third after posting a 3.846. Doug Foley and the Dote Family Racing team made a strong debut with a fourth-best 3.891. Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Morgan Lucas, and Pat Dakin occupy the fifth through eighth spots. Terry McMillen landed in the 12th spot with an 8.085.

Only 14 cars made runs today, but more, including Chris Karamesines, are expected to make attempts on Saturday. Cory McClenathan and Bobby Lagana Jr. were the two drivers who were unable to crack the top 12 and will start from scratch on Saturday.

Robert Hight

Hight reset both ends of the Gainesville Raceway Funny Car track records when he powered his Auto Club-backed Mustang to a 4.060 at 310.13 mph to nab the No. 1 spot in the ladder for now.

“A lot of guys went out there and shook, but Jimmy Prock has got a good handle on this race car,” said Hight. “We were hurting it a little bit in Phoenix, so he decided to put a new fuel pump on it, and he was even second-guessing himself a little after we had the threatening weather and one run today. But he stuck with it, and as you can see, it ran 310. It was a flawless run. If we can get some more conditions tomorrow, maybe we can lower that a little bit because there’s a lot of other cars out there that can do that. An .06 is a great start, and it’s definitely going to stay in the top four, five.

“This was the start of our big problems last year, and we learned a lot. That’s why I’m not going to get overconfident and too excited about what we’re doing now because this sport is very humbling; you can change in a hurry. We’ve just got to work hard and stay doing what we’re doing. We’re not changing a whole lot and refining what we have, and it’s awesome. That No. 1’s also a target out there because there’s a lot of Funny Cars that want that on the side of their car next year, so we’re going to have to do a good job to regain that this year.”

Hight’s teammates, John Force and Ashley Force Hood, follow the reigning champ on the charts with respective runs of 4.093 and 4.094. The John Force Racing trio is followed by the three Don Schumacher Racing entries: Matt Hagan (4.104), Ron Capps (4.110), and Phoenix winner Jack Beckman (4.135). Jeff Diehl landed in the important No. 12 spot, and his 7.705 will be the final time that will count towards the final order.

Del Worsham, Jim Head, defending event champ Bob Tasca III, Jeff Arend, and Paul Lee are the five drivers who enter Saturday not qualified and needing to bump into the field.

Edwards continues to just make it look easy, once again pacing the Pro Stock field with a 6.610 from his Penhall/Interstate/K&N GXP that gives him the provisional No. 1 after the first qualifying day. If it holds, this would be Edwards’ 12th straight start from the top spot, dating back to Brainerd last August.

Mike Edwards

If there is a bright spot for Edwards’ competitors it’s that his advantage over the rest of the field isn’t too big, just six-thousandths over engine customer Ron Krisher. Rodger Brogdon ranks third with a 6.629, and Vinnie Deceglie is the current No. 4 qualifier with a 6.631. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Warren Johnson, Shane Gray, and Greg Stanfield round out the quick eight. Allen Johnson is the final driver whose time will carry over the Saturday after he posted a 12th-best 6.670.

“We figured the track would be pretty good,” said Edwards. “Of course, it rained most of the day, but when it did dry off, we had cloud cover all day, so we knew the track would be cool. So we thought the track would be pretty good, and it was. It’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t get both runs in, but tomorrow looks a lot better, so tomorrow will be a different day. I think conditions will be a whole lot better, so I think today is a little premature of what you’re going to see tomorrow.

“[With Phoenix eliminations tomorrow], the focus does change. You’re doing two things at once. It’s different. You know, you’re qualifying but you’re also racing, so your mindset’s going to be a little different, that’s for sure. It’s going to be a little nerve-racking because if conditions change a lot, we’ll have to make a lot of changes to these cars, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

One of the surprises of the first qualifying session was Greg Anderson, who had troubles early and slowed to a 12.818 that places him 22nd out of 24 cars at the event. Bob Yonke, one of the eight drivers still in contention for the NHRA Arizona Nationals title that will be up for grabs Saturday, also struggled on his run and enters Saturday outside the field. Others on the outside looking in include Kurt Johnson, Justin Humphreys, and Steve Spiess.

Junior Pippin

Pippin’s best start in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition is sixth, a position he started from in Reading and Las Vegas last year, but he is on his way to his first pole after posting a 6.959 that is a hundredth and a half better than the rest of his competitors.

“We just threw a Hail Mary at it to be honest with you, and, by golly, she went on down the boulevard, so I guess we’ll throw more Hail Marys at her,” said Pippin. “For the first pass I’ve made since Pomona [in November], we’re really happy and surprised. It felt good. I short-shifted a couple of gears, so there’s more in it. We’ll come out tomorrow and see if we can’t get faster because I’m sure the .95 won’t stand up, but it’s the best start we’ve had.

“We put the Pomona setup in it. This is a brand new engine and a brand new motorcycle, I mean, it’s a new chassis and everything. We’ve only made three pulls on the dyno. Rick Maney and Trent Griffin, I just can’t say enough about how hard they worked on it. These guys have worked so hard on the Pirana Z Buell. For the last two years, we’ve really worked hard on it. We’ve had some little glitches here and there, but hopefully it’s all coming together now. It’s not because of lack of effort, I’ll tell you that.”

Shawn Gann sit second after posting a 6.972 and is followed on the sheets by former world champ Matt Smith, who debuted his new Al-Anabi Racing program in fine fashion with a 6.986. Another former season titlist, 2008 champ Eddie Krawiec, is another thousandth back with a 6.987. David Hope is fifth, followed by reigning champ Hector Arana, Jim Underdahl, and Angie Smith. Darin McCurdy earned the 12th spot — the final time that transfers into Saturday — with a 7.140.

Three-time world champ Andrew Hines is among the riders who enter Saturday not qualified after he was only able to muster a 7.174. Also among those on the nonqualified list at this moment are last year’s seventh-place points finisher Karen Stoffer and veteran competitor Steve Johnson.

Jay Payne raced to the qualifying lead in the debut of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Payne covered the quarter-mile distance in 5.887 seconds at 241.28 mph in his supercharged 1968 Camaro, which is tuned by Brad Anderson.

Payne, who has 36 career NHRA victories in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car competition, will try to earn his first official Pro Mod victory Sunday when Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals eliminations begin for NHRA’s newest national touring series. Payne has seven wins in NHRA Pro Mod exhibition racing.

“It was absolutely awesome,” Payne said. “There's going to be more rubber on the track tomorrow, which is going to make it better for the guys who run in front of me. If it makes it better for them, it makes it better for us. We just have to make the power to race with them. I really didn't drive it good, but I'm not going to complain because it went real fast. There was room for improvements on my end, because it was dark and I was really amped up.”

Troxel, who also is competing in Funny Car at this event, was second in her In-N-Out ’63 Corvette with a 5.888 at 236.71. Mike Knowles powered his ’63 Corvette to the third spot with a 5.909 at 244.60.

 

Angelle Sampey, the winningest woman in professional motorsports history, has announced her retirement as a professional drag racer.

Sampey, who totaled 41 victories during a 13-year NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle career, said she’s planning to pursue other career opportunities while looking to start a family with her fiancé, Seth Drago.

“I’m ready for a new challenge, including opening Coral Fever, a store specializing in fish, coral, and aquariums,” said the 39-year-old. “I made the ultimate sacrifice to postpone starting a family when I began racing. Now, I’m going to make the ultimate sacrifice to stop racing to get married (in June) and then try and start a family.”

The Louisiana native made her NHRA debut in 1996 at Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver and immediately raised eyebrows by advancing to the semifinals. She recorded her first win in her first final round later that season in Reading at the fourth event of her career.

“I will take away so many great memories from racing,” she said. “I’m certainly going to miss being around my fellow racers and, of course, the fans. I really enjoyed meeting the fans at every race. They were always there for me through the good times and the bad times.”

To be sure, Sampey did not experience many bad times since 1996. In fact, she captured three world championships and banked 18 wins between 2000 and 2002.

“Obviously, that was an extraordinarily exciting time period,” she offered. “I never imagined I could have that kind of success. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of talented people, including George Bryce [her crew chief during each championship season].”

In 2001, Sampey became the winningest woman in NHRA history, moving past Shirley Muldowney on the list. She went on to pocket seven wins that season, which remains the most wins recorded in a single season by a female competitor in NHRA history.

“To be honest, it was tough to comprehend what I had done after I surpassed Shirley’s win total [18],” she said. “After all, Shirley is one of the sport’s legends. I look up to her.”

Among Sampey’s final stats is a staggering 364 round-wins in 506 rounds of competition, or a win roughly 72 percent of the time she blasted down the quarter-mile.

“Again, I want to emphasize that I had a bunch of people help me along the way,” she related. “I could spend a day or more thanking each and every one. I’ll never forget any of them.”

Perhaps the one mark Sampey wishes she could have broken before exiting the sport was the most wins in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class – 45 – as established by the late Dave Schultz.

“That’s probably true,” she said. “I clearly could’ve hung around just to try and break that record. But, as I stated, it’s time for a change.”
 

The repeat qualifying showing will lead right into the NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil pre-race show at noon ET.

Final eliminations will air in prime time on the East Coast from 6 to 9 p.m. and again March 17.

Highlights of Lucas Oil Series competition from the event also will air March 21 from 10-11 a.m., and coverage of the kickoff race of the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will air directly afterwards.

Complete 2010 NHRA TV schedule
 

After a national search, NHRA has hired motorsports executive Tony Driscoll to become vice president of sales and business development. Driscoll will be based in Charlotte and will report to Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Driscoll has spent more than 10 years working in motorsports, most recently as senior director of partnership and integrated media sales for International Speedway Corp. (ISC). ISC, whose primary business is the ownership and management of 13 NASCAR racetracks, is a leading promoter of motorsports activities. In his role as senior director, Driscoll was responsible for developing integrated partnership for Corporate America. Driscoll has worked in ISC’s corporate office in Daytona, Fla., since 2003 and spent the last six years working in various capacities, including as director of licensing business development.

“Bringing somebody of Tony’s caliber with his background and experience to our sales team rounds out our commitment to increase NHRA’s visibility among Corporate America and increase sponsorship development,” said NHRA President Tom Compton.

“NHRA offers an incredible value proposition, and we believe we have a significant opportunity to expand our sponsorship base both at the league and team level,” said Darcy. “With the addition of Tony, coupled with IMG and our current sales team in-house, we are poised to aggressively and proactively make an immediate impact on the national sports sponsorship community.” NHRA’s internal sales team will report directly to Driscoll.

NHRA will maintain its strategic alliance with IMG, which began in 2008, as its exclusive outside sponsorship marketing agent at the league level. Driscoll will split time between NHRA’s corporate headquarters in Glendora, Calif., and his permanent location in Charlotte. Coupled with IMG’s strong presence in New York, NHRA now boasts a strong sales effort presence in New York, Charlotte, and Southern California.

The list of companies that Driscoll has worked with is a who’s who of Corporate America and includes some of the most recognizable brands in the world. His relationships with key decision makers in sports sponsorships are ideally suited to support NHRA’s recent commitment to drive broader awareness for the sport in corporate boardrooms.

“I’m excited to join NHRA and am anxious to get started on meeting the current partners and immediately make an impact on developing new partnerships,” said Driscoll. “This is an incredible opportunity, and I believe my experience will allow me to contribute to the continued success of NHRA.”

Driscoll graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing.
 

Earlier this year, NHRA announced a new environmental management policy for NHRA events and/or facilities. Teams are now fully responsible for following all laws and regulations and the NHRA rule. Teams must maintain separate waste streams and maintain an environmental management system in their respective pit areas.

NHRA and Safety-Kleen Systems will provide containers and secondary containment devices as well as proper labels for segregation and accumulation of waste generated by the teams. Safety-Kleen also will service its disposal. Although NHRA and Safety-Kleen are providing the containers and waste disposal, all teams must follow the policy announced by NHRA earlier this year. Under the new policy, teams are encouraged not to generate any hazardous waste. Although nonhazardous materials will be removed without cost to teams, any team generating hazardous waste will be subject to management and disposal costs that will be its sole responsibility. In addition, any team found in violation of the rules and procedures will be subject to governmental fines as well as penalties under the NHRA rule.

Related stories:
NHRA announces environmental management responsibility for all participants

Craig Treble returns to Don Schumacher Racing to ride the Valvoline Motorcycle Oils Suzuki at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Motorcycle season opener this weekend, the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville.

Treble last rode a DSR motorcycle in a limited season in 2008, winning once in one final round and reaching the semifinals two times. In his career, he has won 14 national events in 29 final rounds, including two victories in three final rounds in 2009 running his own team.

Longtime DSR Pro Stock Motorcycle crew chief Steve Tartaglia will tune the Valvoline Motorcycle Oils Suzuki.

“I’m thrilled to be back with Schumacher and with Steve Tartaglia,” said Treble, who will relocate from New Orleans to Brownsburg, Ind. “The NHRA has given the Suzukis 100ccs, which is a huge deal. The way I see it, I’m pretty much on the fastest Suzuki in the class, if history repeats itself. And the 100ccs may be what we need to get a real shot at coming after the V-Twins. They’ve been beating the class up pretty good for the last couple of years.” Matt Smith rode the same Suzuki to one final round in 2009 and qualified No. 1 twice, ending the season fourth in the standings on the top Suzuki in the class.

“We’re pleased to have Valvoline Motorcycle Oils come onboard to sponsor the Suzuki in the first two races of the 2010 season,” said team owner Don Schumacher. “It will help raise the awareness among motorcycle owners that Valvoline offers a high-quality motorcycle oil that is available in retail auto-parts stores. We will continue to pursue other sponsorship for Treble to continue to compete for the rest of 2010.”

“It ought to be a very interesting year, to say the least,” added Treble. “We have to come out swinging and kick some butt in the first couple of races. Hopefully we can give Valvoline Motorcycle Oils a good value for their investment. I know we’re going to have a fast bike, and Steve is a very smart man.”

“We at Valvoline love racing and love engines of all types — cars, trucks, and certainly motorcycles,” said John Stotz, Valvoline global brands director. “Having Valvoline on and inside Craig’s bike is a great way to remind users of Valvoline Motorcycle Oil that they’re using the best.

“Being with Don Schumacher Racing in Pro Stock Motorcycle brings together two winners,” Stotz continued. “When it comes to drag racing, DSR is unmatched, and when it comes to motorcycle oil, Valvoline is the No. 1 brand in retail auto channels. It’s a perfect fit.”
 

After a decade as an exhibition class, the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will make its official debut as a full-fledged NHRA series at this weekend's Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, and team owner and driver Roger Burgess couldn't be happier.

"A lot of people contributed a lot of time and effort to make this happen," Burgess said. "By becoming an official class, it legitimizes everything we've been doing. Racing for Wally [trophies] is going to be very exciting. Everyone wants one of those little gold men. They are the NHRA's iconic symbol of success."

NHRA President Tom Compton lauded Burgess' effort and dedication to make the new series a reality.

"The Get Screened America Pro Mod Series wouldn’t be possible without Roger Burgess, and I'm not talking about his obvious sponsorship of the series through his business," said Compton. "I'm talking about Roger Burgess himself.

"We don’t take launching a new series lightly, and without our belief in Roger Burgess and what he brings to the relationship, both personally and professionally, this would not have been possible. We owe a great deal of appreciation and gratitude to Roger for his belief in the NHRA and his belief in the class. He's very passionate about the Pro Mod class, and he's very genuine. We're thrilled and excited to begin a new era with the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series in Gainesville."

According to Burgess, since the announcement of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, requests for a spot in the elite field have gone off the charts.

"It's a historic time for Pro Mods, and we've been overwhelmed with requests from teams that want to take part in the series," Burgess said. "The NHRA was kind enough to push our number of entries for Gainesville from 24 to 28, and we still have several more wanting in.

"Being on ESPN2 also will help tremendously, especially with bringing corporate sponsors to the table for all of our competitors. This is a big year for us."

Burgess will be among the drivers looking to claim the first Wally at the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals beginning Friday at Gainesville Raceway.

"We have a brand-new '67 Camaro we wanted to use in 2010, but it hasn't tested very well, so we've decided to start the season in one of last year's cars, a '63 Corvette," he said. "We obviously still have quite a bit of confidence in that car. We'll get the new one figured out and have it on track as soon as it's ready.

"If the weather cooperates, we could see the first all-five-second field at this track. Every car on the entry list has run in the fives and half have run 5.8s. The fans are in for a treat."

When not at the racetrack, Burgess manages several businesses, which he says makes the downtime between seasons go quickly. But once the season gets close, the owner and founder of ProCare Rx and R2B2 Motors says he takes steps to get in a racing frame of mind.

"When the off-season first arrives, you have to kind of forget about driving if you can," Burgess said. "When I'm out of the car, I have a lot of other interests to keep me occupied, so it's not too tough to get through it all.

"When the season gets closer, I begin training. I do a lot of visualization. I'll try to remember the best run we've ever made and just relive it over and over in my mind. You want to train yourself to instinctively do all the things that make it a good run."

Part of that instinct is to get the feel for what it's going to be like on race day.

"I put my firesuit on at the shop and just wear it around," Burgess said. "It's important to be as comfortable as possible in your gear, so I'll wear it until I realize I forgot I was wearing it, then I know I'm used to having it on.

"We have a practice Tree as well. It doesn't replicate the car completely, and it certainly doesn't react like the car, but it keeps you mentally sharp and gets your mind to focus.

"We've got a big season ahead of us. It's about to start, and we're all very excited. I can't wait to fire up the car on Friday."
 

During March, consumers will receive a free NAPA racing cap with any purchase at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores (while supplies last) and will receive 40 percent off the regular price of NAPA Gold Filters (air/oil/fuel/cabin air). At NAPA AutoCare Centers or any installer using NAPA parts, consumers will receive a $20 mail-in rebate when they purchase a NAPA Gold Air or Cabin air filter in conjunction with an oil change using a NAPA Gold or ProSelect oil filter.

"I've been talking about the NAPA Know How that has helped us get to the final round in Pomona and to the quarterfinals in Phoenix, in the first two races of the 2010 season," said Capps, who is third in the points standings, "and that's the theme this season. NHRA racing fans should take advantage of this promotion and root us on in Gainesville. We won the race in Topeka last year with the Adaptive One Brakes NAPA body, so we're hoping for the same results with the NAPA Filters body."

“We are looking forward to seeing Ron run the NAPA Filters paint scheme this weekend at the Gatornationals. We couldn’t think of a better place to showcase the above promotions than this historic event. We hope the fans enjoy the paint scheme and are able to take advantage of our special offers during the month of March," commented Mike Rearden, NAPA director of events/sponsorships.

The NHRA Rulebook is an online benefit for members that in 2010 replaced the print version, previously distributed in membership kits or as a ride-along to an issue of National DRAGSTER. For those who prefer a traditional print version, a limited number is available for sale. NHRA members will receive a 30 percent discount on one copy by calling 800-308-NHRA (6472) to order.

HOW TO ACCESS THE RULEBOOK: Members and associate members who are already registered to use the secure Members section need only log in at the top left of any NHRA.com page as usual and then click on Member Features to access the Rulebook.

Members and associate members who haven’t yet registered to use the secure Members section must first register to be able to access the online Rulebook and all of the other online member benefits. To register, log on to NHRA.com and click on Member Website Registration at the top of any page.

DOWNLOAD RULEBOOK
 

Multicar team owner Roger Burgess has announced that driver Melanie Troxel will race the team's Funny Car at the upcoming NHRA races in Gainesville and Charlotte.

Original plans that reflected available sponsorship dollars called for Troxel to park the car until April 9-11 for the national event at Houston Raceway Park, but Burgess decided to pay for the next two events out of his own pocket to help the newly formed Funny Car team find a rhythm.

"Racing six national events in a row gives everyone the best chance to find a good, solid tune-up," Burgess said. "In this way, by the time we get to Houston and the first Las Vegas race, we'll be ready to put the In-N-Out Burger body back on the car and really show them something on the racetrack.

"We've had a good start, but the team did come together late in the off-season, so the guys have been working overtime to get on pace with the other top teams. Everyone wanted to keep the momentum going, so I made the call. Like everyone else, I love seeing Melanie race."

Troxel and Burgess did sign In-N-Out Burger to a title sponsorship deal in the off-season; however, they only race for In-N-Out Burger during eight select races in the western United States. The team continues to look for support for the other 15 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

"We're running the Vietnam Veterans Tribute body in Gainesville and Charlotte, which is something that's very dear to my heart," Burgess said. "But if we find a suitable corporate partner before then, we can definitely get their name in front of millions of drag racing fans right away. Hopefully, we can get a deal done for all the races we have open and Melanie can truly run for the championship. She's as good as they come; she just needs the chance."

The only woman in history with victories in Funny Car and Top Fuel, Troxel was thrilled with the decision to run two extra events. In Gainesville, she'll also have her first chance to run Pro Mod, which she'll do as a teammate to Burgess and Ray Commisso.

"The Funny Car already has shown so much promise," Troxel said. "We're all excited about running the first six in a row. Now we can really put our minds to making the car quicker and more consistent. But, to be clear, we're not testing; we're trying to win.

"Gainesville will be my first time running both cars at the same event. I admit I was getting a little nervous about that prospect, but after Phoenix, we went testing, and it all came together for me. I've definitely figured out that I need some time before each run to gather my thoughts and mentally go through the procedures for each race car because they are very, very different. When you're in the car, you want everything to be instinctive and automatic.

"It's also going to be a lot of fun racing with Roger and Ray again. They haven't raced since last November, so I know they're excited, and that will lift the mood of the entire team to an even higher level. Gainesville is going to be a blast."

Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, will return to his drag racing roots during the 41st running of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 11-14 at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing is set to get behind the wheel of his rebuilt '70 Dodge Challenger next weekend to compete against a field of between 70 and 90 veteran Super Gas racers who no doubt will be champing at the bit to line up against one of the biggest names in motorsports.

Busch will make a minimum of three time-trial passes Thursday, March 11, and will return Friday morning to begin eliminations.

“Gainesville is one of the marquee events on the NHRA calendar, and it’s a privilege to compete against the best Sportsman racers out there,” Busch said.

Busch bought the Dodge Challenger in 2008 and began the process of getting it into race shape in March 2009. The car is powered by a stroked 6.1-liter Hemi, weighs 3,000 pounds, and puts out 1,167 horsepower. 

Though Busch feels at home behind the wheel of his Sprint Cup car, he is aware that this will be a new and exciting environment for him.

“Sportsman racing is no different than any other type of racing; you need seat time. I spent over 30 hours at Roy Hill’s drag racing school and have had two tests in my own Challenger, but that’s nowhere compared to the seat time many of these guys have in their own cars. We are going to go out there and do our best competing against these talented Sportsman racers,” Busch said.

Busch’s love affair with drag racing began in the early 1990s when he met a pair of Las Vegas-based NHRA racers, George Marnell, a Pro Stock racer, and Dave Bush, a Super Comp competitor. When Busch began driving in the Sprint Cup Series for Penske Racing, he also got to know NHRA Top Fuel world champion Larry Dixon as both were sponsored by Miller Lite. 

He got the idea to compete at an NHRA event after taking part in the opening night of zMax Dragway in Charlotte in September 2008, and one of the rare off-weekends on the NASCAR schedule coincided with next weekend’s 41st running of the prestigious Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

For tickets for the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, log on to www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-884-NHRA (6472).
 

TBC Retail Group has announced that it is expanding its footprint at NHRA national events with display space on the midway and a partnership with the Youth & Education Services program presented by the U.S. Army.

TBC Retail Group, which operates under the well-known Tire Kingdom, Merchant’s Tire & Auto Centers, National Tire and Battery (NTB), and Big O Tires retail tire and automobile service brands, recently joined the NHRA community via its title sponsorship of the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, which will be held March 11-14 at Gainesville Raceway.

The display space on the midway and the partnership with the YES program presented by the U.S. Army will debut at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals and will be utilized by TBC Retail Group as an education and branding tool as well as for employee recruitment, emphasizing the company’s search for qualified ASE certified techs and store management personnel.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the YES program as it provides us with the opportunity to engage the youth and opens the door to finding, training, and keeping the best of the best,” said Orland Wolford, president and CEO, TBC Retail Group. “As an employer of choice in our industry, we provide an exceptional work environment, intensive training programs, and a career growth plan like no other.”

TBC Retail Group also recently announced that it will sponsor the two-car Pro Stock team of Johnny Gray Racing and a Top Fuel dragster for Paul Richards Racing. Its NTB brand is the primary sponsor of Johnny Gray’s Pontiac GXP, and its Tire Kingdom and Big O Tires brands will share primary space on rookie Shane Gray’s GXP. Richards' Top Fuel dragster will fly the Tire Kingdom brand.

NHRA started the YES program presented by the U.S. Army in 1989 as a way to educate kids through drag racing, and today it reaches more than 23,000 students at the 15 NHRA events that host the YES program.

 

It’s March Meet time, and that means one thing: Racing. The world-famous 52-year-old drag race, now the season opener of the nine-race NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, continues its historic run March 5-7 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield, Calif. Five hundred cars from around the globe, the country, the state, and Kern County are set to compete in 14 classes during the festival of speed.

“For fans and racers, the March Meet is all about drag racing and always has been,” said Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operator of Auto Club Famoso Raceway and producer of the March Meet. “This year, we again have a full field, and all the top racers in nostalgia drag racing will be here. It’s going to be a great show – don’t miss it.”

The Nostalgia Funny Car field has 32 entries, making it the largest field since 1980, and NHRA Funny Car legend and 14-time world champion John Force is the event's grand marshal.

“It’s a real blast from the past for nostalgia drag racing fans,” said Bowser. “Fans love the wild looks and sounds of these famous, colorful Nostalgia Funny Cars from the 1960s and ’70s. The fact that this year’s March Meet will have the largest field of Nostalgia Funny Cars in 30 years is incredible.”

Among the stellar field of Nostalgia Funny Cars is one that teams two-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon, multi-time NHRA championship runner-up Ron Capps, and 10-time NHRA Division 6 champion Bucky Austin. Pedregon, the 2009 March Meet grand marshal, will drive a replica of the Joe Pisano '78 Plymouth Arrow Funny Car. Capps will drive a Plymouth Arrow Nostalgia Funny Car owned by Steve Plueger.  Austin, who won Nostalgia Funny Car titles at the 2008 and 2009 March Meets, will be the crew chief this time.

Other notable Nostalgia Funny Car entrants include 2009 Hot Rod Reunion champion Kris Krabil; Troy Green, who has jumped from Nostalgia Top Fuel and is tuning the Bomb Squad with stand-in driver Chris Bennett; Mendy Fry, who will be in Gary Messenger’s Future Flash; Mark Sanders driving the Mr. Explosive car; and Ed Dougan in the Fighting Irish car.
 
Others drivers include Mike Halstead, Jim Adolph, Nathan Bugg, Bob Godfrey, Dan Horan Jr., Dale Van Gundy, Roger Garten, and Craig Michael. Newcomers include Paul Romine and Jason Rupert.

Competition is going to be tough in all categories, especially Nostalgia Top Fuel. A field of 20 to 26 drivers will by vying for the title, including local favorite Brad Thompson in his new ride from Highspeed Motorsports.

Thompson, runner-up at the 2008 March Meet, will face a top-notch field that includes four-time March Meet winner Jim Murphy; Rick White; RB Entertainment/Champion Speed Shop driver Adam Sorokin; Mr. Boston with Tom Steed; Nitrodiction with Howard Haight, Bob Bradley, and Lincoln Hassel; and Running Wild with Brendan Murry.

Though Nostalgia Top Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car are the big draws, the lure of competing in any class at the March Meet brings racers from everywhere. “What a field of cars and competitors,” said Bowser. “All I can say is 'Let’s race.' ”

Called the jewel of nostalgia racing, the March Meet includes a hot rod car show, swap meet, and vendors’ midway.

Fans can purchase a Super 3-Day Pass for $75 online at www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com and pick it up at the track the week of the event. There are no service charges for tickets purchased online.
 
Individual day tickets for the event went on sale March 1 and will be available only at the track. Ticket prices are $25 for Friday, March 5; $30 for Saturday, March 6; and $30 for Sunday, March 7.

Auto Club members will receive a $2 discount for daily admission tickets by showing their cards when they purchase tickets at the track. Daily tickets for children ages 7 to 12 are $10, and kids 6 and younger will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.

Mohegan Sun Racing Marketing Director Brian Bozsum announced the partnership plans to promote the movie, which opens in theaters May 7.

“David Hope will be our Stark Motor Racing Iron Man 2 rider, and he definitely fits the bill,” said Bozsum.  “David is very dedicated to fitness and has a daily rigorous workout regiment. As you will see at the track, it has paid huge dividends, leaving him without an ounce of body fat. You combine that Iron Man fitness look and his persona, and what you end up with is a real-life Iron Man, no sequel needed.”

The partnership with Royal Purple’s Stark Motor Racing Buell began a couple of months ago with Patrick Burris, motorsports marketing coordinator of Royal Purple Oil.

"The Royal Purple Oil family has been an associate sponsor for the past several years, and that relationship has now blossomed into this great opportunity for David and the team," said Bozsum. "We take pride in the fact that Royal Purple Oil has chosen our team to promote their products as well as the Iron Man 2 movie.”

"When rumor of the Stark Motor Racing Buell promotion came to my attention, I was pumped up," added Hope. "I felt like a kid getting his first comic book or action figure. I'm looking forward to the moment, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun with this.
 
"I was already a big fan of the original Iron Man movie. Now I can be a true advocate for Iron Man 2. I couldn't think of a better way to start the season than riding the Stark Motor Racing Buell with the backing of Mohegan Sun and Royal Purple Oil. I'm excited for our race debut in Gainesville, and I'll definitely be at the theater on May 7 for the release of Iron Man 2."

“The team is in Franklin, Tenn., this week to shoot a special airing of PowerBlock TV to air May 1, prior to the release of the movie,” said John Hammock, owner of Vroom Racing. “After the taping of the show, we’ll get loaded up and prepare for the 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals season opener in Gainesville, Fla. We’re looking forward to opening the season with an action-packed theme just like the Iron Man 2 movie. We can hardly wait to get the season started."

The NHRA recently announced a new environmental policy beginning with the 2010 Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. All competitors are required to complete an online training program by logging into their accounts at www.nhraeventreg.com.  Those who fail to complete the training in advance will be prohibited from completing the registration process on site and will be subject first to on-site training. The NHRA strongly encourages all competitors to complete the training online to prevent any lengthy delays during the registration process. In addition to completing the online training, teams will be required to handle all waste materials according to state and local laws. Additional information on future national events will be provided as it becomes available. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING FOR GAINESVILLE: 

Teams electing to remove their own nonhazardous, recyclable/reusable materials will be required to follow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) rules concerning regulated waste activities for hazardous waste and used oil.

All containers of fuel, solvent, oil, or any other liquids or materials that would constitute a pollutant if spilled onto the ground must meet all of the following criteria:
**must be in an EPA/DOT-approved, locking-lid container
**must be on an EPA-approved secondary containment device at all times in the pits
**must remain closed when not in use
**containers will not be provided by Gainesville Raceway but may be purchased from the on-site waste vendor or provided by the team

Nonhazardous material with a continued use to the team may be taken with the team when the team leaves the facility. The team is responsible for ensuring that the material is stored and transported in accordance with all applicable EPA/DOT regulations. Teams electing not to remove their own nonhazardous, recyclable/reusable material, or who have generated hazardous waste, will be required to make arrangements with the on-site provider, in advance of the event, for the proper testing and disposal of this material. The team is responsible for all costs associated with the handling of this waste. The approved provider for Gainesville Raceway is:

SP Petroleum Transporters Inc.
3854 Grant Road
Ellenwood, GA
800-798-2726
info@sppetroleum.com

The inaugural NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, which begins at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 11-14, will be featured on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 10 30-minute highlight shows of the racing action from select NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events. The shows, to be aired on a taped-delay basis, will recap the weekend’s events, including final elimination coverage of the 16-car fields.

In addition, ESPN International will televise the events around the world through English-speaking networks in Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Rim. In all, 102 countries and more than 9.4 million households will receive NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series coverage worldwide.

All NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series broadcasts will be aired the following Saturday or Sunday of the race, except for the Norwalk event, which will air on a two-week delay. 

Calling the action on the telecasts will be longtime NHRA announcer Dave Rieff, who will be joined by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn, providing expert analysis and insight on the racing action.

The formation of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series wouldn’t have been possible without the financial commitment of Pro Care Rx and Get Screened America. A multiyear commitment by the group to fund the series made the series possible.

Following the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, the schedule includes stops at some of the biggest events on the circuit, including in Houston (April 9-11), Madison (April 30-May 2), Atlanta (May 14-16), Englishtown (June 10-13), Bristol (June 18-20), and Norwalk (June 24-27). Later in the season, the 240-mph machines will race at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (Sept. 1-6), the second Charlotte event (Sept. 16-19), and the second Las Vegas event (Oct. 28-31). 

With body styles ranging from ’41 Willys to ’53 Corvettes, ’57 Chevys to ’70 'Cudas, and first-generation Camaros and Firebirds to profiles as racy as the latest Dodge Viper along with show-quality themed paint jobs, Pro Mods have been crowd-pleasers at NHRA events for several years as an exhibition. With huge slicks at the rear and superchargers poking through the hoods, there’s no doubt that these cars are a whole lot more than souped-up classics.

ESPN2 is now available in nearly 99 million households.

Complete Get Screened America Pro Mod Series TV schedule

Former NHRA national-championship-winning Top Fuel and Funny Car crew chief Dale Armstrong, along with Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwicki, Jeremy McGrath, Ken Squier, Jerry Titus, and Rich Vogler, will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction ceremony Aug. 25, 2010, at The Fillmore Detroit.

Armstrong, who also had an outstanding driving career, winning 12 NHRA national events in the 1970s, is credited with numerous innovations in drag racing technology. He was the first crew chief to use wind tunnels for improved aerodynamics. This mechanical genius tuned Kenny Bernstein to four consecutive Funny Car championships (1985-1988) and 28 national event wins. Later, with Bernstein in Top Fuel, he became the first crew chief to break the 300-mph barrier.  The 1996 Top Fuel title placed Armstrong among the elite crew chiefs to have won championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel.

“The Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2010 features champion drivers who doubled as an innovative crew chief, a showman and stunt man, a race team owner, and a magazine editor. Joining them are an all-time win leader in sprint cars and midgets, a groundbreaking broadcaster, and a legendary Supercross rider whose nickname was ‘Showtime.’ Their exploits on and around the racetracks of America make them true Hall of Famers,” said Ron Watson, president of the Hall of Fame.
 

Drag racers Morgan Lucas, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Shawn Langdon, and Melanie Troxel had a thrilling Saturday night, even though this is an off weekend for the NHRA tour.

The popular foursome joined the rest of the United States in celebrating USA-1's long-awaited gold medal in Olympic four-man bobsled competition, one of the Olympic Games' premier events. USA-1 driver Steve Holcomb, pushers Justin Olsen and Steve Mesler, and brakeman Curt Tomasevicz will go down in history as the men who got it done, although the world of motorsports played a vital role in their victory.

Lucas, Coughlin, Langdon, and Troxel -- along with Lucas Oil Products and JEGS Mail Order -- are major supporters of the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, which raises funds to build the state-of-the-art bobsleds the team used to earn its first Olympic four-man gold medal in 62 years. Their participation in the annual Lucas Oil NHRA vs. NASCAR charity event in Lake Placid, N.Y., also offered them the chance to become friends with many of the U.S. athletes. Drag racers Bob Vandergriff Jr., J.R. Todd, and Phil Burkart Jr. also have supported the project.

"Our athletes deserve all the praise," said Coughlin, a five-time world champion in his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt, who spent the past week in Vancouver as a guest of the bobsled team. "They got it done, and it was a real thrill to watch the events and see how happy the guys were. A tip of the hat to Erin Pac for her two-man bronze the other night as well.

"Geoff Bodine should be very proud of what he's done for USA bobsledding. More than a decade ago, he watched our U.S. team struggle with castoff sleds from the Europeans, and he decided to step in and make a difference. By bringing racing technology to sled building, he's elevated the entire sport to a level many thought they'd never achieve. It's so awesome to see his dream realized."

Lucas Oil founders Forrest and Charlotte Lucas along with Coughlin and his brothers have offered financial support to the Bo-Dyn Project for the last few years, and the racers donate their time for the annual fundraiser, where they race one another and their NASCAR rivals down the Olympic course on Mount Van Hoevenberg.

"We knew the guys had a shot at making history," said Morgan Lucas, driver of the GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. "They were among the favorites, but racing, whether it's on a bobsled course or the dragstrip, can be unpredictable. No matter what the expectations are, you still have to go out and make it happen, and they did.

"I bet Geoff is the happiest guy in the world, and he should be. The guy put his heart and soul into this project to make sure our athletes have the best equipment, and now the world knows we're No. 1. It's a real honor to know these guys and to be even a small part of their success."

Related stories:
Troxel takes bobsled gold in Lake Placid; Coughlin slides to silver
Coughlin quickest member of Team NHRA at Bobsled Challenge
12 drivers set for Bodine Bobsled Challenge

 

Pro Stock competitors only completed one round of eliminations on the scheduled weekend. The remaining three rounds will be conducted during qualifying at the upcoming Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-14 in Gainesville. NHRA officials had hoped to complete the Sportsman portion of the national event Friday, Feb. 26, but continuing problems prevented that.. A day later, offiicials scrubbed all of the weekend's activities.
 

NHRA is furthering its mission of promoting safe driving by hosting 12 B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) Teen Pro-Active Driving Schools in 2010 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, beginning March 13-14.

B.R.A.K.E.S., a 501(c)(3) safe-driving charity founded by NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert, has already put hundreds of teenagers through the school, which is designed to give young drivers the dynamic experience of handling a vehicle in adverse driving conditions and in a controlled environment.

“B.R.A.K.E.S. has been an extremely successful program in the southeast United States, and we are honored to bring the program and what it stands for to Southern California,” said NHRA President Tom Compton.  “The program’s success can be directly attributed to the passion and commitment of Doug Herbert to educate young drivers on safe-driving skills.”

The B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School presented by NHRA will be conducted free of charge for all participants. The school utilizes professional driving instructors to educate students on the proper way to handle skids, panic stops, accident-avoidance maneuvers, and driving with distractions.

“Being from Southern California, I know the teenagers in this area will benefit from what we’re already doing in the southeast,” said Herbert, who is an NHRA veteran with nine national event wins. “I’m looking forward to taking the program out there and training hundreds of teens in the SoCal area. I really appreciate Tom Compton and NHRA for getting behind this program and helping us make these schools possible.”

Schools will be held at Fairplex March 13-14, June 12-13, and Dec. 11-12. Parents are required to attend and are invited to experience the various courses; however, the focus remains on the teens. Two sessions of the school will be held each day; the morning sessions will run from 8 a.m. to noon and the afternoon sessions from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The B.R.A.K.E.S. school is not a state-certified driver-training course, which authorizes a teen to obtain a license. It is additional training in defensive-driving techniques, and therefore, teens are required to have a valid learner permit or driver license to participate.

To register or obtain more information about the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School presented by NHRA, parents and teens should log on to www.putonthebrakes.org/driving-school or call 704-732-8950.

 

The  NHRA Arizona Nationals had to be postponed last weekend due a mixture of rain, tricky track conditions, and other factors. Only Top Fuel and Funny Car racing were completed at the event, the second of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, and those had to be completed on Monday.

Pro Stock only was able to complete one round of eliminations on the scheduled weekend. The remaining three rounds will be conducted during qualifying at upcoming Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11 in Gainesville, Fla.
 

NHRA has added two more incentives for fans who purchase tickets by March 10 to the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, one of the most tradition-rich events in the 23-event NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Fans purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster to NHRA’s traditional East Coast kickoff event, March 11-14 at Gainesville Raceway, will not have to pay the convenience or service fees usually associated with Ticketmaster purchases (a ticket-delivery fee may apply depending on which delivery option the ticket buyer selects).

The elimination of the fee applies to tickets purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster phone lines, or at Ticketmaster outlets, including Florida f.y.e. (for your entertainment) stores.

Additionally, NHRA will send to all fans who purchase tickets by March 10 a Gatornationals Collector’s Card. The 8.5x11 Collector’s Card, which will be delivered 30 to 45 days after the event, will highlight the top moments from the 2010 Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

One card will be distributed to each ticket account. However, fans purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster outlets, such as f.y.e., will not receive a Collector’s Card.

For tickets for the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, log on to www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-884-NHRA (6472).

Related stories: 
Top Eliminator Club autograph sessions at Gatornationals
Limited number of $41 GA tickets available for Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals 
 

At each of the 23 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national events during the 2010 season, the diligence and extra effort of crewmembers on NHRA teams will be saluted with the NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew Award. The award will pay tribute to the crews whose perseverance makes an impact in every race, whether it’s to overcome an obstacle or the odds to propel their team to a difference-making performance.

After each race, ESPN NHRA analyst Mike Dunn will choose that week’s winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew Award in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Car, and, when competing, Pro Stock Motorcycle. The NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew Award of the Year will be determined by fan vote via NHRA.com. Online voting will begin the Monday after the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals and conclude the Monday after the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew Award of the Year winners will be honored in each of the four classes at the season-ending awards ceremony.

Throughout the year, NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew winners at each event will be awarded $3,000 each in Top Fuel and Funny Car, $1,500 in Pro Stock, and $750 in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The NHRA Full Throttle Hardworking Crew Award winners from the previous series event will be recognized during pre-race ceremonies on Sunday at each series event and recognized in National DRAGSTER and on NHRA.com.

POMONA WINNERS

Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta’s Kalitta Motorsports crew, for reaching its second straight Winternationals final

Funny Car
Ron Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts crew, for reaching the final after replacing a broken rear end

Pro Stock
Larry Morgan’s Lucas Oil crew, for reaching the semi’s after switching to a Ford Mustang during the off-season

PHOENIX WINNERS

Top Fuel
Steve Torrence’s Tuttle Motorsports crew, for defeating Tony Schumacher in round two

Funny Car
Tony Pedregon’s Nitro Fish team, for reaching the semi’s from the 14th spot
 
Pro Stock
Greg Stanfield’s Nitro Fish Apparel crew, for stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in round one and supplying the engine used by Bob Yonke to score a round-win
 

Twenty years after Darrell Gwynn’s final NHRA national event win as a driver, his famed Coors Extra Gold Special Top Fuel dragster colors will streak down Gainesville Raceway during the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. This time, Doug Kalitta will be in the cockpit.

As a tribute to Gwynn’s second consecutive Gainesville victory at the 1990 Gatornationals, Kalitta Motorsports donated a dragster to bear Gwynn’s marquee paint scheme during this year’s race. The special dragster not only will honor Gwynn’s on-track achievements, but it also will recognize the Darrell Gwynn Foundation’s ongoing work to provide education about spinal-cord-injury prevention, offer support to those with spinal-cord injuries and debilitating disease, and raise funds to help find a cure.

Gwynn was paralyzed from the chest down in an on-track accident one month after his 1990 Gatornationals victory.

“I’ve known Darrell and the entire Gwynn family for a long time. We had some fun races together, and I have always respected him as a racer and a person,” said team owner and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta. “It’s an honor for us to be able to run this dragster for Darrell and the Darrell Gwynn Foundation in Gainesville.” 
 
In addition to the Kalitta tribute car, a meticulously replicated 20th Anniversary Coors Extra Gold Special show version of Gwynn’s 1990 Top Fuel dragster will be displayed on the track Midway. The show car, which was sold three times during the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., in January, was given back to Gwynn first by Ron Pratte, then by Bill Gannon. Its final purchaser, Floridian Joe Riley, also returned it to Gwynn so that it can be auctioned again at the West Palm Beach Barrett-Jackson Auction in April. Fans are invited to visit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation display, take photos of the car, and contribute to the foundation’s goal of raising $1 million through the show car. Nearly $500,000 already has been raised.

On Sunday, March 14, at 8 a.m., prior to eliminations, drivers and team owners will join Gwynn for a special Track Walk for Those Who Can’t on quarter-mile Gainesville Raceway. Fans will be able to get up close and personal with Gwynn and top drivers by walking with them on the famed track for a donation of $20 or more to the foundation. 

“I raced against Connie and the Kalitta team, so our relationship goes back decades,” said Gwynn. “I am so grateful for what Kalitta Motorsports is doing through the donation of one of its cars to mark the 20th anniversary of my last national event victory and, more important, for helping raise awareness and money for my new race – winning the battle against spinal-cord injury and debilitating disease on behalf of all those afflicted by them.”

The foundation’s public outreach will be readily apparent to drivers and fans Sunday afternoon when Gwynn presents a custom motorized wheelchair to racing fan Brian Robinson. A Juno Beach, Fla., resident who has a form of muscular dystrophy, Robinson will receive his new wheelchair at the starting line in front of 50,000 fans right before Sunday’s eliminations.

“We are so glad that Darrell and Kalitta Motorsports joined forces to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his last win in Gainesville. Darrell’s contributions to our sport and now to help those with spinal-cord injuries are truly remarkable,” added Doug Kalitta. “The last time the Coors Extra Gold dragster was on the track in Gainesville, it went to the winner’s circle with Darrell. We hope we can return it there again for him.” 
 
Gwynn won 28 national events and made the quickest run in drag racing history at the time. In his famed Coors Extra Gold Special, Gwynn won the 1989 U.S. Nationals and 1990 Gatornationals, among other races, and on March 2, 1990, set an elapsed time record of 4.909 at Houston Raceway Park. One month later, his career was cut short by his tragic crash at England’s Santa Pod Raceway.

But Gwynn wasn’t ready to stop competing. Through the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, he is committed to raising awareness and money to help children and young adults who are living with spinal-cord injuries and debilitating disease. His organization spearheads spinal-cord-injury education programs, supports long-term health-care services for new spinal-cord-injury patients, and raises funds for a cure. As part of its Wheelchair Donation Program, the foundation has given approximately 100 custom power wheelchairs (each costing between $10,000 and $30,000) to individuals in need across the country.

For Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals ticket information, call 800-884-6472 or log on to www.nhra.com. Fans wishing to take part in the Darrell Gwynn Foundation Track Walk can sign up at the Darrell Gwynn Foundation booth behind the Top Eliminator Club at Gainesville Raceway.

For more information on the foundation and the programs it supports, log on to www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org or call 954-792-7223.

NHRA has unveiled its rules supplement for NHRA Unleashed, an experience unlike any other, both on and off the track. The Pure American Horsepower event debuts June 11-13 at Atlanta Dragway.

The 2010 NHRA Unleashed rules supplement is available here. Racers in all categories will compete for the coveted NHRA Wally trophy and bragging rights among their peers. 

Classes scheduled to compete at NHRA Unleashed events include Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street, EZ Street, Modified Street, and 8.5, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, and 13.0 index classes. These are the cars that race at every dragstrip across the nation and are the backbone of drag racing. They include a wide variety of muscle cars, compact cars, trucks, and even station wagons. A high-octane addition to the track excitement will be exhibition Pro Mod cars. 

Complementing the activities on the track will be vast a manufacturers’ midway with a number of national and local sponsorship exhibits and interactive displays, Kids Zone, automotive swap meet and seminars, autocross, car show, and the NHRA Unleashed Center Stage. 

NHRA and Disrupt/ive Studios plan to announce a television partner for the four events soon.

 

NHRA officials have announced exclusive driver autograph sessions for fans with tickets to the Top Eliminator Club at the tradition-rich 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, the third of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2010, is scheduled for March 11-14 at historic Gainesville Raceway.

Appearing in the TEC Friday, March 12, at 10:30 a.m. will be Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, and “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon will sign autographs in the TEC Saturday, March 13, at 10:30 a.m. Both autograph sessions are only open to fans with TEC tickets.

As always, TEC members will enjoy great amenities during race weekend, including the deluxe members-only hospitality center, complimentary breakfast and lunch buffets Saturday and Sunday, complimentary beverages and snacks every day, live on-track action via closed-circuit television, members-only souvenir store, private restrooms, no-host bar, gift bag with exclusive TEC cap, event pin, official Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals program, and TEC preferred parking with purchase of four full-event tickets.

A limited number of TEC tickets remain available. To purchase TEC tickets for the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, call 800-884-NHRA (6472).

 

Tire Kingdom has made available a limited number of $41 adult general-admission tickets for the Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, sessions of the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals (March 11-14) is the third of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

A total of 1,500 tickets per day will be available in the special promotion through Tire Kingdom. This promotion is only available via advance purchase.

To take advantage of the special ticket promotion, fans can purchase their special $41 adult general-admission tickets by calling 800-884-NHRA (6472) and mentioning the Tire Kingdom offer. These tickets also are available at Ticketmaster.com by using the password “KINGDOM.”  There are no service fees on Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals tickets purchased through Ticketmaster.

Great seats remain available at regular price for all days of the event. For more ticket information about the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, call 800-884-6472, or purchase your tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com.
 

Cory McClenathan and Jack Beckman completed a Don Schumacher Racing sweep of the delayed final rounds Monday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. McClenathan's win gives him the Full Throttle points lead in Top Fuel.

Weather delays Sunday had moved racing into the early evening, and deteriorating conditions forced the postponement of action. NHRA officials called a halt to Sunday’s racing after three rounds of Top Fuel and Funny Car and one round of Pro Stock and scheduled completion for Monday morning. More rain Monday delayed the final outcome, and the nitro cars didn't hit the track until 2:45 p.m. local time.

The quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds of Pro Stock will be run during qualifying at the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The unfinished rounds will be completed during the second, third, and fourth rounds of qualifying for the event in two weeks at the historic Florida dragstrip. Lucas Oil Sportsman eliminations will be completed Friday, Feb. 26, during the Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event.

Cory McClenathan

Despite a cool racing surface (82 degrees) that had not been run on since the previous day, McClenathan collected his 32nd Top Fuel victory with a strong 3.813 at 316.67 to defeat Doug Kalitta, who shook and smoked the tires before recovering to a 4.73, 219.47 runner-up.

McClenathan, who won in Phoenix 20 years ago in Top Alcohol Dragster and has won two other times in Top Fuel (1994 and 1998), powered his Fram dragster past Mike Strasburg, Troy Buff, and a broken Steve Torrence with consecutively quicker blasts of 3.84, 3.82, and 3.81 to reach the final, the 58th of his Top Fuel career.

"The FRAM dragster has become a bracket car," said McClenathan. "[Crew chiefs] Todd [Okuhara] and Phil [Shuler] have got the car running well enough that we know whoever we're racing has to step up to beat us. Getting our car in stride this early is a big deal for us."
 
"We lost in Pomona, because we didn't take Doug Kalitta seriously when we raced him in the semi's. This time, they obviously took him seriously to run a 3.81, 316 on what was really a green track after the rain. After the run, I told Doug, 'We weren't taking you lightly,' and he said, 'We were throwing the whole trailer at it.' I expect that out of [car owner] Connie Kalitta."

Kalitta, runner-up at the season-opening Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline in Pomona, reached his second straight Top Fuel final of the season by defeating Chris Karamesines, teammate Dave Grubnic, and Morgan Lucas with a 3.99 and two 3.98s.

Eliminations in Top Fuel were full of upsets. Independent runner Steve Chrisman notched a win against tire-shake-plagued Larry Dixon in the opening round, and Torrence put away No. 1 qualifier Tony Schumacher in the second round by virtue of a holeshot.

Sunday got off to a rough start in Top Fuel with rain interrupting the first round, which concluded with a crash involving Antron Brown. Brown was not injured in the accident, but a woman who was struck by a tire from Brown's dragster was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital that evening. NHRA is investigating the incident. The entire NHRA community is deeply saddened by the incident and sends its thoughts and prayers to the woman's family and friends.

Jack Beckman

Beckman got back into the win column in Funny Car for the first time since last summer when he drove his MTS/Valvoline Charger to a 4.12, 301.13 to defeat John Force, who shook to a 6.31. The two drivers engaged in a mini burndown before fully lighting the Tree, but neither got a substantial advantage from it at the green.

“We’ve had a lot of luck against John Force, and I don’t care what you say, that guy is still the man in nitro Funny Car,” said Beckman. “The fan in me is so happy to see him back in top form. The racer in me was glad they weren’t perfect against us in the final. But to go out beat those guys as dominant as they have been for both races this year is pretty cool.”

“The other cool thing is that you kind of want to make that statement early in the year that you’re a team capable of winning races. If you can go the final round and rack up a lot of points, that’s cool, but the trophy symbolized a lot of stuff, and when you get that trophy early in the year I think everybody on the team knows that we can be the best on any given day, and that’s the attitude that it’s going to take to run for the championship at the end of the year.”

With the exception of a semifinal pedalfest win against Tony Pedregon, past Phoenix champ Beckman wore out his opposition Sunday with remarkable consistency. Tuner Rahn Tobler dialed in the car with a pair of 4.13s to start eliminations after running a 4.13 during qualifying. Beckman turned away Bob Tasca III and teammate Matt Hagan before using his cunning in the cockpit to survive a tire-smoking affair against Pedregon.

Force opened his eliminations account Sunday by escaping with a narrow .001-second victory against Cruz Pedregon, then powered to low e.t. and a career-best 4.044 blast in round two to defeat Jim Head. Force reached the final by defeating his teammate, reigning world champ Robert Hight, with a 4.08 in the semifinals.

Second-round pairings in Pro Stock -- Mike Edwards vs. Greg Anderson, Allen Johnson vs. Jason Line, Ron Krisher vs. Greg Stanfield, and Bob Yonke vs. Rodger Brogdon -- will be contested during the second round of qualifying in Gainesville Friday, March 12; the semifinal pairs will run during the third round of qualifying Saturday, March 13; and the final round will be held during the final round of qualifying Saturday. The runs will occur during the scheduled qualifying sessions of the event, and the times posted on those runs will count toward qualifying for the event.  

Related stories
Friday: Kalitta, Hagan, and Edwards are opening-day leaders in Phoenix
Saturday: Force back atop the field; Schumacher, Edwards also front Phoenix fields
Arizona Nationals Sportsman racing to complete at Firebird LODRS
NHRA community saddened by loss in Phoenix
 

"Safety is NHRA’s top priority, for not only our racers, but the millions of fans who attend events around the country.  The set of circumstances that led to Sunday’s tragedy is being investigated by NHRA and the race team.     

"We ask everyone to keep the family in their thoughts and prayer."

Don Schumacher Racing, which owns the dragster driven by Brown, also issued the following statement Monday:

"Don Schumacher Racing would like to offer its condolences to the family and friends of a woman who was fatally injured Sunday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway.
 
"On behalf of everyone at Don Schumacher Racing, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victim in yesterday's tragedy," team owner Don Schumacher said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the woman. There are simply no words to adequately express our feelings, but we can assure you that we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine how this happened.  
 
"Don Schumacher Racing is one of the leading advocates for safety in the NHRA, and we will continue to be at the forefront of safety. Safety is and always has been our paramount concern. Therefore, we intend to do everything in our power to carefully investigate this matter as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. We ask for your patience and assure you that we will have more to report as information becomes available to us. In the meantime, we extend our sympathies and ask everyone to keep the victim of yesterday's tragedy, as well as her family and friends, in your thoughts and prayers."
 

Competitors in the six classes being contested for the NHRA Arizona Nationals will have one time trial beginning at 8 a.m. and go straight into eliminations. The run Friday will count for qualifying toward the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, and all cars entered in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event will be eligible to make the run Friday morning. All competitors in all classes for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will only have one run allotted Friday.
 
Stock and Super Stock eliminations for the NHRA Arizona Nationals will be random-paired for the first round and laddered for the second round based on furthest-under-the-index runs during first-round eliminations. Competitors in Top Dragster and Super Street had already been paired and will remain with those pairings as eliminations are already under way. The first round of Super Gas had already been completed, and laddered second-round pairings will be retained for the completion. 
 
In addition to the six classes being contested for NHRA Arizona Nationals eliminations, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp, Top Sportsman, and Sportsman Motorcycle competitors will have a single qualifying session Friday.  All 11 classes will receive two qualifying sessions Saturday, and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations will be run in their entirety Sunday.

FULL EVENT SCHEDULE

Mountain View Racing driver Vinnie Deceglie emerged unhurt following a high-speed accident during Pro Stock qualifying at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix.

Deceglie was in the left lane, attempting to better an earlier 6.66-second run, when the team’s Dodge Avenger lost traction and made contact with the left retaining wall. The car turned over and slid across the finish line on its roof before coming to a stop in the shutdown area. Deceglie was able to get out of the car under his own power. He was checked by trackside medical personnel and released. After a detailed inspection, the team has determined that its two-race-old Avenger is likely not salvageable.

"I had no warning at all; no indication that anything was wrong," Deceglie said. "The car was on a rail. We even had the second-best half-track time of the session, but when I put the car in 5th gear, all hell broke loose. The next thing I knew, the rear end came around and hit the left wall, and then it turned over and slid on the roof for several hundred feet. I hit the wall pretty hard, but all of the safety equipment did what it was designed to do. Other than being a little sore, I’m OK. I just hate that we crashed a brand-new race car."

Once initial concerns for Deceglie’s safety had been addressed, the team quickly set about evaluating its options for the remainder of the weekend and the upcoming Full Throttle events. Deceglie is qualified 14th for the Phoenix field and is scheduled to race Rodger Brogdon in Sunday's opening round of eliminations.

"We have last year’s Dodge Stratus sitting in our shop in California and had a plan to get it here and have it together in time for tomorrow’s race, but we ultimately decided against it," said team manager Chris Mitsos. "I’m sure we could have pulled it off, but after talking it over with Vinnie and my father [team owner Nick Mitsos], we felt the best thing to do would be return home and regroup. Our plan now is to race our Stratus in Gainesville while [chassis builder] Rick Jones builds a new Avenger."

Deceglie has been racing in the Pro Stock class for three seasons. He is ranked 11th in the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock standings.

 

John Force scored his first Funny Car pole in more than three years and was joined by Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) atop their qualifying fields at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second of 23 events on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule.

Racers and fans sat through a rough second day of qualifying as forecasted rains showed up early and cut the final two qualifying sessions to one, which began, unusually, with Top Fuel at 1:45 p.m. followed by Funny Car and Pro Stock; typically, Pro Stock runs before the nitro cars. The day was further slower by another brief rain shower partway through Funny Car, a couple of long oildowns, and a Pro Stock crash.

Tony Schumacher

Schumacher took over the qualifying lead from Friday front man Doug Kalitta after powering his Mike Green-tuned U.S. Army dragster to a detuned 3.818 at 317.05 that hopscotched around the Michigan veteran. The No. 1 position is the 59th of Schumacher’s career.

“We missed it by a mile – everybody did,” said Schumacher. “The car was shaking early but cleared up. Man, we’re the No. 1 qualifier, but it was so off. The track is better than we’ve been giving it credit for. The .81 was still a pretty darn good run for how soft it was.

“That was one of those runs where we should’ve gone for a 3.75. We were already No. 2 qualifier. Mike [Green, crew chief] knew when we ran that it was off. He just didn’t have time to change the tune-up before we had to run.”

Kalitta’s Technicoat fueler slid a spot to second, relying on his sizzling Friday pass of 3.825. Behind him in the top-four qualifying order, as he was Friday, is Larry Dixon (3.837), and Antron Brown moved the Matco Tools dragster up a couple of spots with a half-tenth improvement to a 3.838 for fourth.

Cory McClenathan (3.841), Shawn Langdon (3.857), Brandon Bernstein (3.863), and Steve Torrence (3.871) round out the top eight. Langdon will square off in the first round with teammate Morgan Lucas for the second time in their careers; the first was in Memphis last season, where Lucas went on to win the event.

The session’s highlight may well have been Terry McMillen's run. His Amalie Oil dragster launched into an exciting wheelstand midway through his pass. He stayed in the throttle and posted the second-best run of his career, a 3.896, good for the No. 9 spot.

Englishman Andy Carter holds down the final spot in the field with his ProCare Rx/Garlits Museum of Drag Racing entry. He’ll be Schumacher’s first-round opponent Sunday.

John Force

Coming off his most frustrating season in decades, Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals champ Force continued to look strong in 2010 as he powered his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang to the top of the field in the final run of Funny Car qualifying, charting a 4.063 to take the No. 1 spot from Friday leader Matt Hagan, who was in the other lane. It is the 132nd pole position for Force, his seventh at this event, and, remarkably, his first since Indy 2006.

“It feels great considering the last few years have been kind of tough,” said Force. “We shook up our teams a little bit with [crew chiefs] Mike Neff, Austin [Coil], and Bernie [Fedderly], and I’ve got the new Eric Medlen chassis built by Ford Motor Company and John Medlen and the Boss 500. I’ve finally got an all-Ford car, and I’m still getting her down the lane, so I’m pretty excited.”

“Conditions weren’t what they were [for Friday’s second session]. I knew it’d run an 0, but I didn’t think it’d run an .06. I saw Neff turning on some screws when he went over the car after I backed up from the burnout. He took a long time, and I said, ‘Don’t run me out of gas.’ I don’t know what he did – they never tell me – but I have a lot of confidence.”

Hagan’s DieHard Charger sits second on the strength of his Friday 4.068, 311.34, and Del Worsham leapt to third with the Al-Anabi Toyota with a strong 4.084 pass Saturday. Defending series champ Robert Hight’s Auto Club Mustang is fourth with a 4.094, also recorded Saturday. Ashley Force Hood slid one spot to fifth and Ron Capps to sixth after being unable to improve on their respective Friday passes of 4.119 and 4.120. Jack Beckman (4.133) and Jim Head (4.145) round out the top eight.

After missing the field in Pomona, Paul Lee earned his first spot in the field in his new ride in Jim Dunn's Canidae/Lucas Oil Impala in the 15th position. Former world champ Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 4.364 and will resume his three-decade-long rivalry with Force in round one, and Force’s daughter will take on the field’s other female competitor, Melanie Troxel.

Terry Haddock suffered through a fire during his sole qualifying attempt; he was not injured but did not make the field.

Mike Edwards

Edwards, the reigning Full Throttle champ, collected his 11th consecutive No. 1 qualifying position, an achievement that ties Greg Anderson's 2003-04 streak, which ranks third in the all-time Pro Stock annals. Bob Glidden's 23-race steak is the high mark, followed by another 15-race streak by Glidden. The pole is the 24th of Edwards' career. Although he didn't improve on his Friday number of 6.609, his 6.625 was the quickest of the round, making him a perfect seven for seven this season in session-best passes. Early in the run, Edwards recorded an unreal .962 60-foot time before shutting off early.

“It’s almost unbelievable. We just keep riding the wave. Hats off to my guys. We’re just making incredible runs every time. It’s a credit to my team and my sponsors: Penhall, Interstate Batteries, and K&N.”

Ron Krisher’s Valvoline Cobalt remained second with a 6.627, making it a 1-2 sweep for Edwards powerplants. Rodger Brogdon ripped his Attitude Apparel GXP into third with an impressive 6.632  208.04. Allen Johnson’s Mopar/J&J Racing Avenger rounds out the top four with a 6.635.

Behind the fast four are Jason Line (6.638) and a surprising Bob Yonke, who drove his Adrenaline Motorsports GXP to a 6.639 for sixth. Defending event champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. is seventh at 6.641, 208.94 and Ronnie Humphrey is eighth at 6.647. Humphrey will race his son-in-law, Anderson, who qualified ninth, in round one.

Warren Johnson qualified on the bump with a 6.668 and will face Edwards in round one. Johnny Gray was a surprise nonqualifier but his son, rookie Shane, made the field for the second straight race, qualifying 15th.

The session was slowed after Vinnie Deceglie crashed in Nick Mitsos’ Mountain View Tire Dodge. Deceglie walked away in an accident that was eerily similar to Gordie Rivera’s crash during Friday qualifying.
 
Related story
Friday: Kalitta, Hagan, and Edwards are opening-day leaders in Phoenix

Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, and Mike Edwards are the low qualifiers halfway through qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int’l Raceway outside of Phoenix.

The event is the second of 23 events in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and comes just a week after the spectacular season-opening 50th anniversary Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

Teams had to quickly regroup and make the six-hour drive across the state line to set up for the unprecedented back-to-back event launch of the season. Teams will get two more qualifying shots Saturday, with final eliminations scheduled for Sunday.

Doug Kalitta

Winternationals runner-up Kalitta grabbed the No. 1 qualifying spot from the man who beat him in Pomona, event champ Larry Dixon, who led after the first session, supplanting Dixon’s 3.837 with a 3.825 to take the No. 1 spot. Kalitta’s last No. 1 qualifying effort occurred at the 2006 NHRA Finals.

“I wasn’t sure if the No. 1 qualifiers were still brought up here, because it’s been so long for me,” said Kalitta. “The guys have been doing a great job. I’m real happy with the run. [Crew chiefs] Jim [Oberhofer] and Troy [Fasching] usually aren’t bashful in night conditions like this.

“So far, I’m happy to be in this position in only the second race of the season. It’s early yet, but we’re ready to start going rounds and winning races. It’s nice to have Bob [Frey, NHRA announcer] talking about us.”

World champ Tony Schumacher also slid past Dixon, posting a 3.827 with his U.S. Army dragster to take the No. 2 spot. Dixon tried to fire back in the night’s final run, but the Al-Anabi dragster went up in smoke at the green and settled for third with his earlier run.

Cory McClenathan’s Fram dragster checked in fourth with a 3.841 and is followed on the grid by Shawn Langdon’s Lucas Oil entry (3.870), Steve Torrence in Dexter Tuttle’s Simple Mobile dragster (3.871), and Antron Brown’s Matco Tools machine (3.884). Brandon Bernstein rounds out the top eight with his Copart/Lucas Oil dragster at 3.904.

Legendary racer Chris Karamesines, 81 years young, hold down the 12th and final time that will transfer into Saturday’s qualifying with a 4.098.

Matt Hagan

Hagan grabbed the top spot in the first session with his a 4.135 from his new DieHard/DSR Dodge, lost its in the second session, but pulled to the line at end of the session and promptly took it back with a 4.068, going from fourth to first in a heartbeat.

“I think it’s definitely safe to say that we have pretty fast race car after being No. 1 in both sessions,” said Hagan. “To have DieHard on the car makes it even sweeter. To go out there and be able to run for that company like that and get them the pole is huge. I think we’ve got a good baseline on everything and hopefully it doesn’t rain tomorrow, but if it does we’ll be ready for Sunday.”

“I think Tommy [DeLago, crew chief] took into consideration that we were already in the field and decided to go out there and see what the track would hold, so having run that .13 was definitely beneficial. Both lanes feel great. There’s a little bump in the right lane that you have to watch out for, but other than that it’s a real nice racetrack.”

Hagan’s blast took the top position away from Winternationals champ John Force, who had clocked a 4.074 two pairs earlier to take the pole from his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, who had zipped to a 4.119 in the pair just before that. Hagan’s 311.34-mph speed on the pass is a new track record.

Ron Capps sits fourth with a 4.120 from his NAPA Auto Parts charger while reigning word champ Robert Hight is fifth with the Auto Club Ford with a 4.139 that started the session in the No. 2 spot began Hagan. Behind them are the Toyotas of Jeff Arend (4.150) and Del Worsham (4.153). Bob Tasca III’s Mustang rounds out the top eight with a 4.160

Former world champ Tony Pedregon rides in the No. 12 spot with his NitroFish Chevy after clocking a 4.211. Seventeen Funny Cars made runs Friday.

Mike Edwards

Edwards is now a perfect six-for-six in leading Pro Stock qualifying sessions in 2010. The reigning Full Throttle champ was the quickest in four qualifying round sin Pomona and again was so in Friday’s two sessions here, clocking an opening 6.609 and following it in the afternoon with a 6.614 to keep his Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac atop the field. Edwards has been the low qualifier at the last 11 events back to mid-2009. An 11th consecutive No. 1 qualifying position would tie Greg Anderson's 2003-'04 streak that ranks third all-time in the Pro Stock annals (Bob Glidden's 23-race steak is the high-mark, followed by another 15-race streak by Glidden).

“Eleven in a row would be pretty awesome,” said Edwards. “Those are Greg Anderson stats right there. It’s so hard to do that considering that we race in all kinds of conditions from 4,000 feet to sea level.

“I try to get every inch of the track I can get. The 60 foot numbers are as important as the numbers downtrack. Finding the right setup comes from making a lot of laps, just like any of the other racers will tell you. Hats off to my whole team.”

Engine customer Ron Krisher is right on Edwards’ heels with a 6.627 best from his Valvoline Cobalt, a run also clocked in the day’s first session. Behind him is the fast-improving Dodge Avenger of Allen Johnson, which ran a 6.635 for third; Johnson’s subsequent 6.647 was the second best run of the second session. Defending event champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. sits fourth in the JEGS.com Cobalt with a 6.64.

Greg Anderson (6.652), Greg Stanfield (6.660), Rickie Jones (6.660), and the Lucas Oil Mustang of Larry Morgan (6.663) round out the top eight. Jason Line sits in the 12th and final transfer spot with a 6.670.

Veteran Arizona campaigner Gordie Rivera crashed his new Gordies Speed Center GXP early in the second session when the car made a sudden right hand turn and then flipped on to its roof and into the righthand wall. Rivera was not injured.
 

Electrimotion Shutoff Receiver

NHRA has temporarily suspended mandatory use of the Electrimotion Shutoff Receiver while NHRA works with the manufacturer to meet driver requests.

Top Fuel and Funny Car teams, after the just-concluded Pomona event, raised certain concerns about the automatic shutoff process, including potential wear on certain engine components, and a desire among some drivers to keep their traditional routine in place at the end of the track and manually shut down the car when they were fully capable of doing so. As a result, NHRA and Electrimotion are working to develop an override to the Shutoff Receiver when both parachute handles have been enabled. When both chutes have been pulled, the driver will be able to shut down according to his or her normal procedures rather than having the automatic device shut off the vehicle. The override kit is expected to be available prior to the Gainesville event, which begins March 11.

The automatic shutoff procedure was implemented as a safety measure to stop a vehicle in the event of driver inability to do so. NHRA still encourages the use of the automatic shutoff even during this time period when its use is not mandatory. Therefore, NHRA will install Electrimotion Shutoff Transmitters to accommodate those teams wishing to continue to use the shutoff receivers.

The Electrimotion Safety Shutoff Controllers on Top Fuel and Funny Car vehicles, activated in the case of burst panel rupture, fire bottle activation or activation by the driver, will remain mandatory.

Alan Johnson Performance Engineering (AJPE) Superchargers

The NHRA Technical Department impounded superchargers on Top Fuel and Funny Car vehicles at the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals last weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. This week in Phoenix, NHRA inspected each impounded supercharger with a representative from the applicable team. It was determined that certain AJPE Superchargers do not meet certain NHRA specifications. In addition, the NHRA Rulebook states that all engine component development, including superchargers, must be submitted to the NHRA Technical Department for review. The subject AJPE Superchargers were not submitted to the NHRA Technical Department for review. Therefore, AJPE Superchargers that do not meet the current specification cannot be used in competition. This information has been conveyed to all affected teams and to the manufacturer, and NHRA is informed that they are working to resolve the issue. 

Tire Kingdom, a leading brand of service centers for Florida-based TBC Retail Group Inc. (TBC), has signed an agreement to become the title sponsor of the tradition-rich NHRA Gatornationals, held at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-14, is the third event in the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2010. The race will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

It is the first event sponsorship for Tire Kingdom and TBC with NHRA.

“We are pleased to welcome TBC Retail Group and its Tire Kingdom brand into the family of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event sponsors,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We feel this sponsorship is a perfect fit for a Florida-based company like TBC to promote its Tire Kingdom tire and automotive service centers, and we are confident the partnership will help the company achieve its marketing objectives.”

The Gatornationals entitlement will increase the company’s profile in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series; TBC also recently announced that it will sponsor the two-car Pro Stock team of Johnny Gray Racing. Its NTB (National Tire and Battery) brand is the primary sponsor of Johnny Gray’s Pontiac GXP, and its Tire Kingdom and Big O Tires brands will share primary space on rookie Shane Gray’s GXP.

“During our recent visit to Pomona to finalize our contract with Gray Motorsports, we experienced the excitement of the 50th anniversary of the NHRA Winternationals,” said Lynn Parker, TBC senior vice president. “We felt it was important to increase our exposure, and we are very pleased to be the title sponsor of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. We are convinced that our decision to team up with the NHRA will help us meet our marketing objectives.”

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., TBC Retail Group Inc. operates more than 770 tire and automotive service centers under the brands Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires locations. The contingent of more than 1,250 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in more than 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate the nearest store, call 800-NEW-TIRES (639-8473).

 

Motivation has never been a problem for Summit Racing GXP pilot Greg Anderson. Despite posting the highest eliminations round-win percentage in NHRA history, a combination of respect for his Pro Stock competition and fear that the success will end drives the three-time champion to continually find new ways to elevate his program.

However, as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Phoenix for this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals, Anderson is inspired by a cause much closer to his heart. Following a most eventful season, he looks to use a win to elevate the spirits of team owner Ken Black, who continues his recuperation from a December stroke, and those of his family, who are in North Carolina working to recover from a devastating house fire.

“I have to make something positive happen for this Summit Racing team,” said Anderson. “We’ve had too many negatives lately, and I need to bring some happiness to some very important people, namely Ken and my family.

“Ken Black means the world to me and to this entire KB crew, while my family has allowed me to come out here and do what I love to do while they put up with the mess created by the fire. That’s why I need to finish the deal this weekend in Phoenix, doing what we need to do, which is winning races. That will help everybody heal.”

Anderson and his crew took advantage of the short week between races to head to the Nevada desert and visit their team owner. It was a stop that proved to be welcome therapy for all involved as well as further fuel the desire of the Concord, N.C., driver to deliver good results for his friend and benefactor.

“The top thing on my mind after Pomona was blasting over to Las Vegas and seeing Ken,” said Anderson. “I hadn’t seen him since his stroke, and the whole team was itching to get there. It was great to spend some time with him. We had hoped to take him a trophy and put a smile on his face but came up three-thousandths shy in the final, so hopefully, he’ll just have to wait another week for it.

“Ken’s working hard to rehab himself back into condition so he can get back to the racetrack, and we need to get this Summit Racing Pontiac back to winning races to help him do it. That’s our goal, so I can’t wait to get going in Phoenix.”

For the KB Racing crewmembers to achieve their goal, they will have to conquer a track that has given them trouble in the past. Throughout his career, Anderson has posted an incredible record of success across the NHRA circuit, scoring wins at 20 tracks and multiple victories at 17. Firebird Int'l Raceway, site of this weekend’s race, is among the few where he has won once (2003), a statistic he is more than ready to change.

“There’s no doubt that Firebird Raceway has been a challenge to the KB Racing crew,” agreed Anderson. “However, we’ve really been studying to see what we’ve done wrong in Phoenix and think we have a pretty good idea of what it is. Among other things, you have to run the car completely differently than we did in Pomona last weekend.

“We’ve also worked on our cars since last weekend, testing in Las Vegas, trying to make them better. Therefore, I think we’re going to be in better shape when we get there this weekend. However, we are not going to rest until we conquer that racetrack and put one of our Summit Racing Pontiacs back in the winner’s circle. After all, we have a lot riding on it.”

NHRA Funny Car legend John Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang can cover a dragstrip’s race distance in a little over more than seconds at more than 300 mph. However, that isn’t the performance that the 14-time world champion is most proud of.

To hear him tell it, the 60-year-old Force is just giddy over his newfound ability to master the treadmill.

“I remember I got on the treadmill, and I couldn’t run for two minutes,” said a reenergized Force, winner of the season-opening Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline. The current points leader has committed himself to a rigorous physical-fitness program to increase his stamina and build back lost muscle following his harrowing 2007 crash at Texas Motorplex. “Now I can go for an hour.

“I read in the paper that 60 is the new 40, and I’m going with that.”

Force will try to keep his energy level up and his early-season momentum on the track going at the 26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway, Feb. 19-21. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event near Phoenix, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

Before the 2007 accident, Force was a top contender in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, looking to add to his world-championship trophy collection. Since then, however, he has struggled on the track like never before. Last year, he went winless for the first time since the 1986 season, and it was the first time he didn’t advance to a final round since the 1984 campaign.

“My legs were broken, and they said I might not walk again or win again, and that gets in your head,” Force said. “Just coming out of the hospital and winning again in Topeka [2008], that was awesome. To win [the 50th Winternationals], was special because it’s my home. I’ve worked hard and got back on my game because I really want it.”

Force said there were times when he took pity on himself, but he never lost hope. He said he received plenty of encouragement from family and friends.

“My trainer told me if I kept working, I could get my legs back,” Force said. “He told me I had to keep building my legs so I could push on that gas… Over the winter I hit it harder, and all of a sudden, I had strength to get through the day. It is awesome.”

During his aerobics filled off-season, Force also made some changes to his race team. He parked the team’s fourth car, which Mike Neff drove the last two seasons. Neff was then named co-crew chief on Force’s car alongside longtime tuner Austin Coil. Former co-crew chief Bernie Fedderly received a new title, special projects manager, and will work with Coil and Neff as his travel schedule allows.

“You used to think that winning was easy, and then it got real tough,” said Force, who has earned eight of his NHRA-record 127 victories at the Phoenix track. “Then you start to think that maybe it’s me that’s the problem, and that maybe I’m not a good driver. But sometimes a little bit of change gets a team moving again, and this team is moving again. I’ve got a good brain trust and a good race car, and we’re going to win.”

Standing in the way of a ninth FIR victory and a 15th world championship crown for Force is a large contingent of talented Funny Car drivers, including two-time and defending NHRA Arizona Nationals winner Capps, who finished as runner-up to Force in Pomona in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger. Third-year driver Bob Tasca III is also looking like a title contender this season in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang, and Ashley Force Hood and defending world champ Robert Hight have also been highly touted as preseason favorites in the 7,000-horsepower category. Del Worsham, Jack Beckman, and Cruz and Tony Pedregon are all past Phoenix winners and will be in the hunt as well.

Two-time world champ Larry Dixon is setting the early pace in Top Fuel. The two-time Phoenix winner powered his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to victory at the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals and holds a 26-point lead over Doug Kalitta, a winner here in 2001. Tony Schumacher looks strong again in his U.S. Army dragster and will try to add a fourth NHRA Arizona Nationals trophy to his collection. The seven-time world champ posted wins here in 2005, 2002, and 2000. Other past Phoenix winners who are among the pre-race favorites include red-hot Cory McClenathan in the Fram dragster, Copart/Lucas Oil dragster driver Brandon Bernstein, and defending winner Brown in his Matco Tools dragster.

In Pro Stock, defending world champ Mike Edwards picked up where he left off in 2009 with a victory at the season opener in Pomona in his Penhall/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP. Three-time world champ Greg Anderson, who was runner-up last weekend, will try for his second win at FIR. Others to watch in the 200-mph category include defending winner Coughlin, Team Mopar’s Allen Johnson, and Larry Morgan, who looked strong with the debut of his Lucas Oil Ford Mustang in Pomona.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 2 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 21. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 21. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 21.

The National Hot Rod Association has announced the formation of the NHRA State Championships, a special-event program for its member tracks and E.T. bracket racers beginning in the 2010 season. With member tracks across the country as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico, the program will recognize and award grassroots racers with a unique, specially designed NHRA State Championships Wally plaque.

Much like state high school athletic associations that conduct state championships in school sporting events, NHRA will designate and recognize one annual event per state that boasts NHRA member tracks as the official NHRA Drag Racing State Championships.

NHRA State Championships events will be held at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., Sept. 5; Coles County Dragway USA in Charleston, Ill., July 12; Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wis., July 17; and Kearney Raceway Park in Kearney, Neb., July 31-Aug. 1. Other states and provinces will be listed on the NHRA divisional Web sites and NHRA.com.

E.T. bracket categories that are part of the NHRA Summit Racing Series and a Jr. Dragster class contested in the state and NHRA geographic division will receive official NHRA State Championships designation.

The new program joins NHRA’s National DRAGSTER Challenge, NHRA Aerospace Components King of the Track, and NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge lineup of special events.

For more information regarding your NHRA State Championships event, contact your NHRA division office.

Northeast Division: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Quebec, Canada

Southeast Division: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico

North Central Division: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada

South Central Division: Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

West Central Division: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Northwest Division: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Canada

Pacific Division: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico
 

Johnny Gray has signed an agreement with TBC Retail Group as the major sponsor of the SKI Racing Inc. two-car Gray Motorsports Pro Stock team.

TBC Retail Group, headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., operates more than 1,250 automotive service centers in 40 states. United under Service Central, the brand name of the automotive services offered exclusively at Tire Kingdom, NTB-National Tire and Battery, Merchant’s Tire and Auto, and Big O Tires, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks.

“The Gray Motorsports team is a first-class organization that runs an exceptional program,” stated Orland Wolford, president and CEO of TBC Retail Group. “We look forward to developing this relationship and reaching the NHRA fans with our products and services.”

For the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, Gray will campaign the NTB Pontiac GXP Pro Stocker, and his teammate and son, Shane, will drive the Tire Kingdom Pontiac GXP. Additionally, Shane will drive the Big O Tires Pontiac GXP at the Las Vegas and Pomona events.

“It is an honor to be associated with Tire Kingdom, NTB, Merchant’s, and Big O Tires,” said Gray. “We have taken on such a big project this year that to have such a respected company believe in us and look to work with us means a lot to me. We are currently working on ways to make our sponsorship program reach and even exceed the goals we have set for our relationship. Shane and I and everyone on our teams will be proud to represent them the very best we can and in every way we can.”

Gray has raced in seven classes during his NHRA career and finished the 2009 season No. 9 in the Pro Stock points standings. This year, he took a big step in that career. He formed a two-car team with Shane, built a shop in Denver, N.C., and began his own engine-development program.

Shane, 37, is a relative newcomer to drag racing, having spent the past two years in Comp. He earned his Pro Stock license 10 days ago and made his Professional debut last weekend at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline.

The sponsorship program will begin at the 41st annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, March 11-14.

 

The program involves three primary rules that must be followed regarding the use, possession, and disposal of regulated waste. First and foremost, each participant must participate online in a mandatory training session regarding environmental uses as they relate to racing. The training presentation will be available on the National Event Registration Web site after participants log in to their account. Second, no halogenated or chlorinated brake cleaners may be used at NHRA events or facilities. And, finally, the responsibility of compliance with federal, state, and local regulations belongs to the participant.

NHRA will post information provided by tracks on the national registration Web site when provided by the national event facilities.

NHRA intends to work with government entities, agencies, and tracks to monitor and enforce the new environmental management program. Penalties, for noncompliance, will be assessed by NHRA, with a minimum $1,000 fine imposed for any violation.

The entire environmental management responsibility program as well as the training session will be posted on the registration Web site. When competitors log in to their account, they will be required to complete the training and sign the agreement before they can complete the registration process.

 

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The Funny Car victory at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, during a weekend filled with nostalgic moments and memories, is Force's record 127th, and it came in his 203rd final, but it was his first since the 2008 Topeka event, 623 days ago. The Top Fuel win by Dixon also marked a bit of a comeback as his team didn't even qualify at last year's race, where qualifying was shortened by rain. Edwards' win continued the dominance that the reigning Pro Stock world champ showed in closing out his successful 2009 campaign.

John Force

Force, coming off his first winless season since 1986 and celebrating the 25th anniversary of his longtime partnership with Castrol, showed that he's still in fighting form by winning the Winternationals title, his fifth, on a holeshot, 4.124 to 4.123 against Ron Capps. The last time that Force led the points was Nov. 12, 2006, when he won his most recent championship.

“This is really huge,” said Force. “You know, people say, ‘What’s it like to win?’ It wasn’t so much the winning but coming back from the cellar, and I was in the cellar. When you win all those championships, you just think that winning was easy, and then it got real tough. We scrambled everything around. Obama said change, and that word just stuck in my head. I don’t know if it’s working for him, but Mike Neff, Bernie Fedderly, and Austin Coil, that group is really jelling together, so change has worked for us. To be here at the Auto Club Raceway and win this race, that won’t ever come again, and the 100th, I may not be here for the 100th.

“My gym guy came in one day, and I was down, and I was just crying, and I was just worn out. I said, ‘No matter how hard I work, I’m just not going to be who I used to be,’ and that hurts. When your kids are out here like, ‘Dad, you’re Superman. We saw you beat the dragsters.’ Well, you’re not Superman, you’re just a man. But we jelled this team, and I got back on my game because I really wanted it.”

The win also proved that Force's decision to add sidelined tuner-cum-driver Neff to the tuning mix with Coil and Fedderly was a wise one. His Mustang never seemed challenged  with consistent passes of 4.132, 4.120, and 4.125 to defeat Bob Bode, daughter Ashley Force Hood, and Jack Beckman.

Capps, the defending event champ who also won this race in 1998, powered his Ed McCulloch-tuned NAPA Auto Parts Dodge back to the final the tough way, having to win without lane choice in round one, in which he beat Jim Head, then defeating former champ Cruz Pedregon, who had upset low qualifier and defending season champ Robert Hight in round one. Capps reached the final, the 60th Funny Car title round of his career, with a semifinal triumph over Bob Tasca III after a heroic thrash to repair a broken rear end. The car had to be transported back to the trailer on a flatbed, but with help from teammate Matt Hagan's DieHard crew, they had the rear end and a new engine block installed in just 35 minutes.

Larry Dixon

Dixon's victory, scored in a 3.80, 316.60 to 3.84, 310.05 decision against defending event champ Doug Kalitta, was his 49th win, tying him with his former car owner, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, for eighth place among all Full Throttle winners and 14th among all NHRA drivers. Dixon also won the Winternationals in 1998, 2002, and 2003.

"It's beyond words," said Dixon, a student of the sport who understands the significance of winning the Winternationals. "It's a huge event in its own right whether it's the fourth or the 12th or whatever, and to win the 50th with all of the hype and everything and the gold Wallys, just having a shot at running for it and then doing, I feel very blessed.

"[Tying Prudhomme] I feel like I felt when I passed Don Garlits' 35 wins; it's not even fair to compare me with them. When 'Snake' was racing, there were only three or five races in the season, so he didn’t get to run his numbers up, and when he stopped driving the car, the car was winning, and if he hadn't put me in the car, he would have kept winning. It's apples and oranges to me. If I had the kind of season record that Prudhomme had [in 1975 and 1976], I'd have more wins than John Force. I'm still grateful to get my first win back in 1995; it's more than I ever thought I'd have the opportunity to do. You can wish for it, but you can't make it happen, That's why I feel so very lucky to have been in some great cars and had some great crew chiefs and the opportunity just to hold my end up."

Dixon, who lost his low-qualifying berth to Cory McClenathan in Saturday's final qualifying session, looked nearly flawless en route to the final round, chalking up low e.t. of eliminations at 3.799 in round one to defeat Steve Chrisman, followed by a 3.85 conquest of longtime rival Brandon Bernstein. Dixon's semifinal bash with Tony Schumacher, to whom he lost the season championship last year by a mere two points, was another legendary clash between the modern-day Top Fuel titans. They ran identical e.t.s and identical speeds – 3.836s and 317.05s a pair – and only Dixon's .068 to .085 reaction-time edge made the difference 999 feet later for the Al-Anabi team.

Kalitta, who last year joined his uncle Connie (1967) and cousin Scott (2005) as Winternationals Top Fuel champs, raced back to the money round, the 59th of his career, by overcoming first-round engine woes that slowed him to a 4.51 before the Jim Oberhofer-led crew responded with passes of 3.92 and 3.84 to defeat tire-smoking Troy Buff and McClenathan.

Mike Edwards

Twenty-nine years after winning his first Winternationals title in Modified eliminator, Edwards, frustrated twice by Summit teammates Greg Anderson (2006) and Jason Line (2009), scored his first Winternationals Pro Stock title by besting Anderson, 6.57, 210.47 to 6.61, 209.62. Anderson got the holeshot, .031 to .069, but Edwards ran him down to win his 21st Pro Stock Wally by just .003-second.

Prior to beating Anderson, Edwards' Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac was the quickest car in all four qualifying sessions and had low e.t. of every preliminary round as he motored past Justin Humphreys, Greg Stanfield, and Allen Johnson with blasts of 6.604, 6.610, and 6.615 to reach the final, his 40th in the class. It's the second time that Edwards has racked up the maximum points available at a race; the first was in Richmond, Va., late last year.

“It feels good to come out here and win a race right off the bat,” said Edwards. “It’s a major win. I was telling Lisa last night before we got to go to bed I won this race 30 years ago in Modified; it’s been a long time. What a way to start the season. Interstate Batteries is outrageously dependable, and that’s what my team is. They just make this car go up and down the track. It’s just a pleasure to be a part of this team. These guys are just that good. We’re just fortunate to have what we have.”

“I needed every bit of that last run there. Greg, man, he walloped me on the starting line. It was a great race in the final there in Pro Stock. My hat's off to Greg, Jason, and all those guys with the tough winter there. Ken Black, we all want to see him back out here because we all miss him. Those guys are an awesome team, and we love the challenge they give us because they’re the best — they’ve got a lot of championships.”

Anderson continued his Pomona love affair by reaching the final again. He won the 2009 season finale here, won the Winternationals three straight years (2006-2008) and four times overall, and at this race last year reset the national record. He reached this final, the 89th of his career, with his Pontiac after defeating Kurt Johnson with a 6.608 in round one in a rematch of the final of the last event here, then beat good-looking rookie Shane Gray with a 6.626 and ended the great debut of Larry Morgan's Lucas Oil Mustang in the semifinals with a 6.632.

The Top Alcohol Dragster final pitted the runners-up from the last two years, and 2009 second-place finisher Chris Demke finished first this time with a 5.33 victory against Joey Severence. Sean O'Bannon handed Doug Gordon his second straight Top Alcohol Funny Car Winternationals runner-up by beating the 2003 champ on a 5.54 to 5.64 count.

A pair of former Winternationals Comp champs battled for their second victories in a rematch of their 2006 final, and the outcome was the same: Lou Ficco Jr. collected the win when 2004 champ Dean Carter went -.117 red. In Super Stock, 2003 Winternationals champ Jeff Lane scored again, handing reigning world champ Jimmy DeFrank Jr. his fourth straight Winternationals final-round loss, and Brad Burton defeated Ryan McClanahan for Stock honors.

Kevin Wright got a bye run in the Super Comp final when 2003 Super Gas runner-up Ed Olpin's dragster wouldn't fire. The guy who beat Olpin in that 2003 final, Brad Pierce, also won his second Winternationals title when he beat former world champ Jimmy Lewis in the Super Gas final.

Related stories:
Thursday: Champs Hight, Edwards lead their fields in Pomona; Cory Mac fronts Top Fuel
Friday: Dixon takes Pomona Top Fuel lead as other Thursday leaders remain No. 1
Saturday: Cory Mac, Hight, Edwards take top spots in Pomona qualifying  

News and notes from Sunday at the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Compiled by the National DRAGSTER staff.

SUNDAY (Previous: Thursday | Friday | Saturday)
Last update: 4 p.m.Pacific (click to latest)

It's raceday! (9:45 a.m.): Setup is underway for pre-race ceremonies as we prepare to launch the final day of the 2010 Full Throttle season opener. There's a full slate of stuff scheduled for the pre-race -- and throughout the day for that matter -- including the unveiling of the top three Winternationals Memorable Moments.

There's going to be a push-start Cacklefest, special tributes, nostalgia passes, autograph sessions and, oh yeah, we're going to run some Full Throttle racing, too.

Temps are expected to hit 80 degrees (sorry East Coasters) under beautiful sunny blue skies. The track's been a little tricky throughout qualifying -- very good for some, very difficult for others -- and a warm day today won't help that, which could make for some pedalfests and a real driver's race.

Special awards (10 a.m.): Brian Hough, Melanie Troxel, and Johnny and Shane Gray are the special award winners at the 50th Anniversary Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline. Hough's Top Alcohol Funny Car was judged Best Appearing Car. Troxel and her In-N-Out team were named Best Appearing Crew, and the Gray Motorsports Pontiac GXPs driven by Johnny and Shane Gray received Best Engineered Car honors.

We're racing (11 a.m.): The first pair of Top Fuelers, David Grubnic and Shawn Langdon, are on the track ready to do battle.

Top Fuel round one (11:35 a.m.): The right lane was the lane of chocie, but not always the lane of winners as both Antron Brown (vs. Steve Torrence) and Troy Buff (vs. Morgan Lucas) won out of the left. Buff Tree'd Lucas with a stout .019 light and advanced when the GEICO dragster dropped cylinders and then lost traction on the big end.

Brandon Bernstein got his first win for new sponsor Copart and will face former beer wars nemesis Larry Dixon, who bashed out a 3.799, low for the round. Oddly enough, this time around Bernstein will be the one in blue and Dixon in red.

The biggest jaw dropper came near the end of the round when reigning series champ Tony Schumacher smoked the tires at the hit and should have been dead in the water against fan favorite Chris Karamesines, but "the Greek" had already turned the Tree red with a way-early -.302 leave. Karamesines added insult to injury by smoking the tires, too, then leaving some stuff on the track in the left lane.

"Those young guys get a little jumpy at the Tree sometimes," joked a relieved Schumacher of his 81-year-old opponent. "It felt like a bit of a long Tree, but those things happen. I thought we were going to have to have a pedalfest there. We're just glad to be going to round two."

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
Cory McClenathan vs. Shawn Langdon
Doug Kalitta vs. Buff
Dixon vs. Bernstein
Schumacher vs. Brown

Funny Car round one (12:10 p.m.): The right lane again was the lane of choice. Matt Hagan moved there after first saddling up in the left, then won a thrilling pedalfest with Gary Densham. Densham was up in smoke just beofre the 330-foot timer but expertly pedaled it and got back into contention when Hagan's DieHard Dodge, which hadn't made it down the right lane all weekend, broke traction not long after. The second-year racer did a great job to recover as well and emerge with a car-length win.

Reigning champ Robert Hight, on the other hand, chose the left lane and paid for it when his Auto Cub Ford got loose 400 feet out and then hooked hard right across the centerline just past halftrack behind Cruz Pedregon. His teammate, Ashley Force Hood, also picked the left lane but made it work (and how!) with a 4.121, low e.t. of the round. Ironically, she'll face her dad, who had the round's second quickest pass, a 4.132, in the next round..

In the the closest race of the frame, Del Worsham won a battle of Toyotas by driving around Jeff Arend's holeshot to win by just .002-second.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
C. Pedregon vs. Ron Capps
Bob Tasca III vs. Hagan
Worsham vs. Jack Beckman
Force vs. Force Hood

Pro Stock round one (12:35 p.m.): Interesting spectator on the starting line for Pro Stock: Joe Amato, who was standing behind the right lane checking out the factory hot rods. The Pro Stock racers put on a great show for Amato and everyone else. Mike Edwards was once again low with a 6.604 against Justin Humphreys, but he didn't have the huge performance advantage like he enjoyed on other runs because Greg Anderson was just four-thousandths behind in his win against Kurt Johnson.

The round included a couple of firsts: Shane Gray notched his first career round-win in Pro Stock, defeating Ron Krisher. Also, Larry Morgan got his first round-win in his new Mustang, getting the nod over Jeg Coughlin Jr., whose car got squirrely off the line, forcing him to click it off.

Round 2 pairings (lane choice in bold):
Edwards vs. Greg Stanfield
Allen Johnson vs. Rodger Brogdon
Morgan vs. Ronnie Humphrey
S. Gray vs. Anderson

Top Fuel round two (1:45 p.m.): Lane choice doesn't mean anything in the first two pairs as Troy Buff (against Doug kalitta) and Antron Brown (against Tony Schumacher) both smoke the tires in the favored right lane, Buff almost immdiately and "the Brothaman" at about 300 feet. Both Kalitta, the defending event champ, and Schumacher, the defending season champ, advance with 3.92s.

Cory McClenathan makes it down the right lane to low e.t of the frame, 3.855 and will face Kalitta, then Dixon goes him one better with a 3.854 to ,ove into a monster matchup with Schumacher. Dixon is super late staging, almost on the verge of being fouled out, and apologizes publicly to Bernstein for being so late as he was pre-staged too shallow and had a long way to roll

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
McClenathan vs. Kalitta
Dixon vs. Schumacher

Funny Car round two (2 p.m): Defending event champ Ron Capps takes out "the Cruzer" with a 4.153 and will face Bob Tasca III in the semi's. Tssca's red rocket ran 4.196 in besting Matt Hagan.

High drama! The father-daughter matchup starts ugly as Ashley Force Hood's parachute pops out as she rolls through the water box. They whoa her down before she can burn out and the crew frantically starts repacking it. Fortunately for her, it's her dad in the other lane, and he's slowing down his routine. Meanwhile, Capps' car is locked up on the top end with a broken rear end and the Forces are milliseconds from being shut off  before Capps' car gets rolling! Crazy! The Family Feud is back on, but AFH will do it without a burnout.

Who needs a burnout? Ashley runs 4.187, but her dad is there well ahead with low e.t. of the round, 4.120. He'll face Beckman, who beats an up-in-smike Del Worsham.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Capps vs. Tasca
Beckman vs. Force

Pro Stock round two (2:10 p.m.): Round two looked much like round one with Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson showing the way. Edwards was tops again with a 6.610 to defeat Greg Stanfield, and though Anderson was No. 2 again but this time was further back, posting a 6.626 against Shane Gray.

Edwards and Anderson will each face a new-for-2010 car as Larry Morgan wheeled his new Mustang ride past Ronnie Humphrey and Allen Johnson put his new Avenger in the semi's when he defeated a red-lighting Rodger Brogdon.

Semifinal pairings (lane choice in bold):
Edwards vs. Johnson
Morgan vs. Anderson

Top Fuel semifinals (3:10 p.m.): Doug Kalitta makes it two straight Winternationals final-round appearances in a row as he beats low qualifier Cory Mac, 3.84 to 3.86. He'll face off with another former Winternats winner either way in either Larry Dixon or Tony Schumacher.

The two guys who finished just two points apart in last year's championshop race are thisclose again as they run identical e.t.s and speeds -- 3.836 at 317.05 -- and it's only Dixon's .068 to .085 holeshot that separates them at the win stripe.

Dixon will have lane choice.

Funny Car semifinals (3:20 p.m.): It's been more than a year since John Force last won an event, but it looks like he plans on fixing that in a hurry. The 14-time world champ has lived in the 4.12s all day, and he does it again here to defeat a tire-smoking Jack Beckman.

Force's win prevented an all-Don Schumacher Racing final because in the first pair of the round, Ron Capps defeated Bob Tasca III, who hazed the tires immediately.

Capps clocked a 4.15 on his winning run, meaning Force will get lane choice in the final.

Pro Stock semifinals (3:25 p.m.): Nothing unexpected here as Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson get the better of Allen Johnson and Larry Morgan. In the first pairing, Morgan cut a stellar .007 light, but it wasn't enough to move him past Anderson, who put a 6.63 on the boards.

Edwards continues to be the star of the class with a 6.615 that easily defeated Johnson and gives him lane choice for the final.

More nostalgia runs (4 p.m.): The tribute nostalgia Funny Cars returned to the track for another round of racing. Josh Crawford made it to the line this time in the Blue Max Mustang alongside James Day and the L.A. Hooker Arrow and ripped to a new low e.t./top speed for the weekend with a 5.92 at 243.24. Day ran a respectable 6.23, 233.92. Crawford's number didn't last long as Leah Pruett LeDuc powered the Plueger & Gyger '71 Mustang to a stunning 5.70, 243.11,the quickest pass in nostalgia Funny Car history. Jon Capps and the Jungle Jim '71 Camaro got loose in the other lane and had to shut off.

Ed Schwartz powered the Beach City Corvette to a 6.22 at 232.79 while Twig Zeigler struggled to an 8.56 in his Pizza Haven Satellite. The round closed with a smoky single by Ed Dougler in the Fighting Irish Camaro and a solid 7.06, 207.75 pass by Mike Boyd and the Marcellus & Borsch Winged Express fuel altered.

Up next: Cacklefest!!
 
Final rounds (5:15 p.m.): Mike Edwards earns a Winternationals Pro Stock title to go with his 1981 Modified Wally by defeating Greg Anderson, who beat him in the 2006 final here, 6.57 to 6.61. Right behind that breakthrough, John Force breaks a 20-month winless drought by defeating Ron Capps for Funny Car honors on a holeshot, 4.124 to 4.123. We conclude a magnificient weekend with another "comeback" of sorts as Larry Dixon, who didn't qualify here last year due to rain-shortened qualifying, goes the distance by beating defending event champ Doug Kalitta in the final, 3.80 to 3.84.

That's it from the incredible 50th anniversary Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals. More amazing memories have been built that no doubt also will be celebrated in the years ahead.

SATURDAY
Saturday, at the track (11 a.m.): While much of the East Coast (and Dallas!) tries to shovel its way out of record snowfalls, it's another glorious day in Pomona, where the sun is shining and the temps is already 67 on its way up to a race-engine-happy 71, and t-shirts and shorts are even the uniform of the day for many. If that's not enough to make your shivering bones jealous, there'a all of the nostalgia goodness going on everywhere.

The Golden 50 Corral is just swamped with people checking out the vintage iron and being entertaiend every few minutes by various cars being started (or "cackled," in the venacular of the group). The line for the Legends autograph session, which just started, began forming a good 90 minutes early and snakes around the huge Golden 50 compound.

We're running Super Comp right now with the first round of Comp just around the corner and the first of two Pro sessions after that, at around noon, That number is a bit optimistic based on the schedule now; figure closer to 12:30 or maybe even 1 p.m.

Pro Stock, session three (12:50 p.m.): Wow, another demoralizing run by Mike Edwards, who goes low for the weekend with a 6.578. Edwards was one of only four of yesterday's top 12 to improve. The other three were the Summit cars. Bump right now is V. Gaines at 6.661.

Funny Car, session three (1:50 p.m.): Matt Hagan led the flopper contingent with a  4.091 that moved him up to fourth on the sheets. Polesitter Robert Hight, who was the first car out after struggling in yesterday's lone session, was second best with a 4.10, and Ashley Force Hood, who got bumped to fifth by Hagan, was the third-quickest driver with a 4.12.

Top Fuel, session three (2:25 p.m.): Though it did not improve his position in the field, Tony Schumacher's 3.828 was the best run of this TF qualifying session. Thursday leader and Schumacher's teammate Cory McClenathan was next best with a 3.838, and defending event champ Doug Kalitta ran the third-quickest time, a 3.871. Steve Faria is the current bump driver at 5.610.

Nostalgia passes (3:05 p.m.): We've seen a few of the running nostalgia cars making passes down the fabled Pomona quarter-mile. Earlier, Mike Boyd made an easy 7.13, 201.52 pass in the famed Winged Express fuel altered, which was followed to the track after the first Pro session by eight of the "tribute" nostalgia Funny Cars.

Leah Pruett LeDuc steered the Plueger & Gyger Mustang to a stout 5.97, 228.85 alongside the 6.41, 163.72 of Mike Savage in the Candies & Hughes Barracuda. Ed Schwartz then powered the cool Beach City Corvette to a career-best 6.28 at 237.28 next to Jeff Utterback and the Pisano & Matsubara Vega, who smoked the tires to a, 11.77. Both Ed Dougan in the Fighting Irish Camaro and Twig Ziegler in his Pizza haven Satellite had woes and ran 8.31 and 9.11, respectively. The round closed with Jon Capps, brother of Full Throttle star Ron, in the Jungle Jim '71 Camaro against Josh Crawford in the Blue Max '69 Mustang. Crawford was shut off behind the line and watched Capps motor to a 6.73 202.27.

Delayed (4:35 p.m.): An oildown during the nostalgia Funny Car session as well as two crashes in Comp have put us behind. Pro Stock was originally slated for 3 p.m., but we are still in Comp. Pro Stock will be up once Comp is completed.

Pro Stock, session four (5:20 p.m.): Mike Edwards swept the qualifying bonus points, nabbing the final three on the table with a 6.589 run in the final session. Allen Johnson was equally impressive on his pass, clocking a 6.595 that moved him up to fourth. Jeg Coughlin Jr. was third quickest at 6612. Justin Humphreys ended up in the 16th and final spot in the field with a 6.650.

WFO Radio Saturday show (5:45 p.m.): The On-Demand audio from this weekend's special editions of WFO Radio with Joe Castello live from the 50th annual Winternationals in Pomon is now available at: http://media.wforadio.com/archives/archivefiles/20100213-joecastello-tue.mp3. Saturday's special guests include John Force, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Bob Tasca III, Thomas Nataas, Graham Light, Bobby Bennett, Susan Wade, and Louis Brewster.
 
Funny Car session 4 (5:50 p.m.): Early inthe session, which is now being run under the lights, Terry Haddock has a moderate-sized fire trying to bump into the field. He's OK, but we're down for oil.

Bob Tasca III went from clinging to life as the bubble sitter to top-four qualifier with a 4.075 that was best of the round. John Force ranked second in this session with a 4.09 clocking. Jack Beckman was next with a 4.104. Robert Hight smoked the tires on his final pass but remained No. 1 thanks to his 4.059 from Thursday. Cruz Pedregon jumped into the show with a last-ditch 4.300 that earned him the 16th spot and a first-round match with Hight.

Top Fuel, session four (6:45 p.m.): Cory McClenathan led a spectacular night session that included much improvement and a lot of shuffling. Cory Mac clocked a 3.787 to jump back to the top of sheets. Larry Dixon, who was No. 1 after Friday, also improved, to a 3.788 to hold on to No. 2. Tony Schumacher improved a position, to third, with a 3.801 that was third-quickest of the final session.

FRIDAY

TGIF (9:50 a.m.): Welcome to Friday, Day Two of the season-opening Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals from sunny Pomona, Calif., where the only snow is on the mountains behind the track.

Right now, Super Stock eliminations are underway, which will be followed at 11 a.m. by the event's final Comp qualifying session then the first of two alky sessions. The Pros take to PArker Avenues at 3 p.m.

Later today, aorund 3:30 p.m. local, just before today's lone nitro session, we'll unviled Winternationals Memorable Moment No. 5. Tomorrow we'll reveal No. 4 and then Sunday we'll have a hig-three countdown. With each announcement, we'll post a story and photo of the revealed moment(s) on the Winternationals Web site.

Force play: Yesterday was a pretty stellar day for John Force Racing with Robert Hight taking the pole wth the second fastest 1,000-foot speed and Ashley Force Hood No. 3. Team boss John Force, with the addition of sidelined driver Mike Neff turning wrenches with Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly, hit a sour note with a disqualified time, NHRA issued statement the read, in part, “In review of the data, it was determined by Compulink Timing System representatives that Force’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang left the starting line prior to the timing system activating. Once the timing system started Force’s car had advanced forward and the rear-wheel on his car was recognized by the beams at the starting line and initiated the elapsed time clock in his lane, thus resulting in the 3.800 second elapsed time.”

Hight's speed on his 4.059 low-qualifying pass was 312.86, second only to Matt Hagan's 313.88 last fall in Las Vegas. Hight, who owns the quickest 1,000-foot e.t. at 4.005, set in 2008 in Richmond, also has the third-fastest speed, 312.57, also set last year in Vegas. Del Worsham's 312.35 from yesterday is the fourth fastest in 1,000 speeds.

Pro Stock, session two (3:20 p.m.): No surprise here -- Mike Edwards was low in the second qualifying session, clicking the lone 6.5, a 6.599. Edwards stays No. 1 on the strength of his 6.58 from yesterday. Jeg Coughlin Jr. remains second, and Ron Krisher, who had the second-quickest run of this session, is third. Allen Johnson, who ranks fifth heading into tomorrow's final two qualifiers, was the third-quickest driver.

WFO Radio live at Pomona (3:30 p.m.): WFO Radio's Joe Castello has been broadcasting live from the event today at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. He just wrapped up a show that included Brandon Bernstein, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Robert Hight, Larry Dixon, Del Worsham, and National DRAGSTER editor Phil Burgess. You can listen to an on-demand rebroadcast of the show here.

Tomorrow, Castello will have Ashley Force Hood, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Jeg Coughlin, John Force, and Antron Brown on from 10 a.m. - noon Pacific (1 - 3 p.m. ET). If you miss it, that show also will be available for later listening.

WFO Radio with Joe Castello covers all forms of motorsports, and airs live every Monday - Thursday, 7 - 8 pm ET (4 - 5 pm PT).  Every show is available for download and listen within 15 minutes following the conclusion of each show. Tuesday is reserved for NHRA topics only.

Top Fuel session 2 (3:45 p.m.): The going as slow as we have back-to-back boomers in the right lane, first with Steve Chrisman and then with England's Andy Carter. Carter has "Big Daddy" Don Garlits with him this weekend as a sponsor and consultant and, after his fiery ride, Carter probably is thanking Garlits for putting the cockpit ahead of the engine. We're down for a big cleanup.

Top Fuel, session two (4:30 p.m.): Larry Dixon shot to the top of the sheets with a 3.795, the lone 3.7-second clocking of the weekend. That bumped Cory McClenathan, who was unable to improve his 3.809, down to second. Morgan Lucas jumped up to the third spot with a 3.823 that was second quickest of this sesssion. Tony Schumacher was the third best of the session with a 3.835 that seeds him fourth heading into tomorrow's final two sessions. Troy Buff, who finished fourth yesterday, slipped to the No. 12 spot, and his 3.950 is the final time that transfers to Saturday.

A dream opportunity (5:05 p.m.): Having grown up in the sport, including many trips to the Winternationals, Top Fuel low qualifier Larry Dixon is ecstatic to be part of the golden anniversary of the fabled event. "As a kid growing up, my dad won this race, so being able to compete in it and race in it was almost realistic goals, said Dixon. "You had the Big Go in Indy and the Big Go West, and everybody who was somebody would come to this event. These races at Pomona and obviously at Indy, the races that have been on the tour 50-plus years now, they mean a lot, certainly to me. I’m 43 years old now, and I can honestly say every year of my life I have been to the Winternationals, and that’s cool. It’s a part of my life, so to be able to compete at the 50th and know that you have a chance to win the race now that you known that you’re qualified is an honor. I feel privileged to be able to do this."

Funny Car, session two (5:20 p.m.): That was a tough session with many drivers struggling to make it downtrack, including polesitter Robert Hight. The lone exception was Hight's boss, John Force, who clocked a 4.066 early in the session to move up to the third spot. The next-best run in the qualifyng round was the 4.167 by Ron Capps. Tony Pedregon was third quickest with a 4.189 that places him 12th, the final time that transfers to Saturday. Del Worsham remains No. 2.

Another round of qualifying in the Alcohol classes is next on the agenda, followed by a Super Comp time-trial session, then that will be a wrap for today.

THURSDAY
9:30 a.m.: Welcome to the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and what proimises to be an outstanding curtain lifter to the  23-race campaign. Just three months after leaving this historic venue following the 2009 curtain closer, we're back at fabulous Parker Avenue, under a gorgeous blue Southern California sky. It had rained hard here all last week and again on Tuesday, clearing just in time for pit parking and to set the stage with the traditionally spectacular snowcapped-mountain backdrop we've come to expect.

There's an awful lot of tap this weekend with nostalgia running deep and thick. The Golden 50 Corral is packed with vintage iron, heroes of the sport are just around every corner, the new paint schemes are glistenening, and we're running race cars. You can find a detailed schedule of special events and appearances here, which includes autograph sessions and Cacklefests.

Tomorrow we'll unveil Winternationals Memorable Moment No. 5 from the remaining finalists, then No. 4 on Saturday. We'll have the representatives for the top three onstage Sunday as we count down to the top moment.

In case you haven't seen it, check out the 50th Winternationals Web site, which is packed with info about this event's great history, and includes some great video. You can also buy cool stuff from the store there, like the History of the NHRA Winternationals book or the DVD. The book also will be on sale near the Golden Corral for anyone who's here and wants a copy. There are daily specials on the book, too, if you're among the first buyers each day!

Burgers are back: Helping to celebrate the return to NHRA Drag Racing of Southern California's iconic and much-desired burger chain In-N-Out, Melanie Troxel and her new In-N-Out Burger Funny Car made a guest appearance last night at a local store just a few miles from the racetrack.

There was a strong turnout of NHRA fans who came by to wish Troxel well, and the stunning new Funny Car also drew hordes of interested onlookers from the restaurant's normal clientele.

It's not the first time that Troxel has shoed an In-N-Out machine as she also drove for the popular chain back in the late 1990s, in Alcohol Dragster, and scored a national event win in Seattle.

Golden 50 photo gallery (12:35 p.m.): We just posted a photo gallery of some of the magnificent machines in the Golden 50 display. Check it out here.

Pro Stock, session one (4 p.m.): It may be a new year, but things it's the same ol', same ol' in Pro Stock. Mike Edwards, who is sporting the big No. 1 on the side of his GXP, sits atop the sheets after the first qualifying session of the weekend. Edwards wheeled his car to a 6.580 to grab the provisional pole. Jeg Coughlin Jr. ranks second with a 6.591, followed by Ron Krisher (6.595), Rodger Brogdon (6.603), and Allen Johnson (6.611). John Nobile is in the 12th spot at 6.660. Surprisingly, Summit drivers and former world champs Greg Anderson and Jason Line both had troubles on their runs and sit outside the field with respective 13.51 and 7.23 clockings.

Funny Car, session one (4:40 p.m.): The floppers are currently on the track, and the first session of the year is off to an odd start. John Force and Matt Hagan just ran, and when the two went through the finish line, a 3.80 flashed on the scoreboards in Force's lane. Considering the best Funny Car 1,000-foot time to date is a 4.00, so Force's time is not legit and will be thrown out. It's unfortunate because Hagan clocked a 4.10 next to Force and the two were glued together all the way downtrack. Official word is Force's run was a rear-wheel start, and that's why the faulty time came up. More on the session to come.

Sold out (4:40 p.m.): All of the more than 350 tickets to Saturday night's Legends Dinner have been sold. The Legends Dinner will feature drivers from each of the five decades that the Winternationals has been contested. The drivers slated to be formally involved in the panel discussion include Garlits, Dixon,  Bob Glidden, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, Shirley Muldowney, Kenny Bernstein, John Force, Joe Amato, and Tony Schumacher.

Funny Car, session one (5 p.m.): Another class and another reigning champ sitting No. 1. Reigning Funny Car world champ Robert Hight joined Pro Stock champ Mike Edwards as a No. 1 qualifier, pacing the field with a 4.059. Del Worsham ended up second with a 4.06, and Ashley Force Hood sits third with a 4.09. Tony Pedregon holds the 12th spot at 4.377.

Top Fuel, session one (5:50 p.m.): Cory McClenathan let the Top Fuel contingent with a 3.809 at 320.05, the fourth fastest speed in history. Shawn Langdon sits second after posting a 3.847, and Norwegian runner Thomas Nataas is a surprise No. 3 with a 3.88. Antron Brown is the current No. 12 driver after posting a sluggish 8.361.

The near end of Don Garlits’ driving career marked the beginning of a new era in Top Fuel after the cagey Florida veteran, horribly injured in an early-1970 transmission explosion that cut both the chassis of his front-engine Top Fueler and his right foot in half, went back to the drawing board to try to improve on the previously unworkable rear-engine Top Fuel chassis design.

Although rear-engine Top Fuelers had been tried for years, they were cursed, ill-handling machines, and even Garlits’ first passes in the car that he designed from his hospital bed were white-knuckle trips during late-1970 testing. He finally hit upon the right steering ratio, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Just days before the Winternationals, at the same AHRA event at Lions Drag Strip where he had been injured a year before, Garlits rolled out the car to much derision from his fellow stars yet scored runner-up honors.

Then in Pomona and still running without the rear wing he would later add, Garlits qualified No. 9 in the 32-car Winternationals field with a 6.80. He ran progressively quicker in each round before the final, posting low e.t. in three of the five rounds.

Garlits defeated Tommy Allen, 6.85 to 6.89; John Nichols, 6.72 to 6.85; Carl Olson, 6.72 to 10.61; Jim Dunn, 6.70 to 7.58; and, in the final, spun the tires to an uncontested sixth NHRA national event victory at 7.03 against a broken Kenny Safford.

Garlits showed them all the way home and the way to the future, and within two years, the front-engine dragster was extinct in Top Fuel.

With the increase in national events from four to seven to create the Super Season, anticipation had reached unprecedented heights for the 1970 Winternationals, a fever stoked by the debut of the newly created Pro Stock class.

The Mopar teams had worked feverishly during the off-season to prepare the ’70 Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda entries for the elite factory drivers, and the remaining Mopar competitors showed up with their equally potent reworked ’68 Darts and Barracudas. The Ford factory campaigners arrived with Mustangs, Mavericks, and Mercury Cougars, and the underdog independent Chevy contingent consisted primarily of ’68 and ’69 Camaros.

The Sox & Martin team, which had scored three Super Stock victories at four events in 1969, was heavily favored entering the event and proved those touts accurate by qualifying No. 1 with a 10.006, easily outperforming the No. 2 qualifier, Chevy stalwart Bill Jenkins, who posted a 10.088 at the wheel of the same big-block-powered Grumpy’s Toy IV ’68 Camaro that he had raced in Super Stock.

Jenkins, though, showed the mastery of the class that would reward him well throughout the decade and opened Sunday’s first round with a 9.98, low e.t. of the meet, then roared through the field to face Ronnie Sox in the final.

Jenkins was the only driver to dip into the nines, wheeling to three sub-10-second runs in eliminations. He sandwiched a pair of 9.98s around an early-shutoff 10.26 in respective victories against Bill Hielscher, Mike Fons, and a red-lighting Dick Landy. In the final, Jenkins left first and never looked back, running 9.99, 139.53 (top speed of the meet) against Sox’s 10.12.

Fresh off a remarkable 1988 season in which his bright yellow Super Shops/Pennzoil Nuclear Banana Top Fueler had become the first to run in the four-second zone, Eddie Hill’s career continued to rise at the 1989 season opener, but not so much in a great way.

During Friday qualifying, the front wings on Hill’s dragster slipped into an upright position as he approached the finish line, lifting the front end. As air got under the nose, lifting it even higher, the rear wing tripped the clocks at 5.210, 236.15, then the dragster did a backward somersault, rolled right side up, and struck nose first, deploying the parachutes and slowing as it tumbled down the track. Except for the roll cage and driver’s compartment, the car was destroyed, but Hill suffered only bruised knees.

“It happened so suddenly, it was out of my hands,” said Hill, who had plenty of crashes in a long career in asphalt and boat drag racing. “Once I started crashing, I covered up my pretty parts [face] with my hands and closed my eyes. I tried to ball up like I learned in boat racing; you know, whatever sticks out goes in the water. My sore knees were self-inflicted when I jerked up to get into the ball position and hit the control panel. It wasn’t any problem getting out of the car. I was gonna sit there, and then I saw the fuel tank on fire and got right out.”
 
Amazingly, Hill returned in a car borrowed from Darrell Gwynn to qualify for the event and stage an amazing comeback, making the field at the eleventh hour. Ironically, his effort paired him against Gwynn in round one, but Hill discovered a four-inch crack in his last engine block that morning that left him unable to race but with the admiration of the Pomona fans.

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The third day of the golden anniversary event was highlighted again by autograph sessions with the heroes of the sport, as well as runs by tribute nostalgia Funny Cars and the famed Winged Express fuel altered, and a static Cacklefest of early iron  in front of the main grandstands just before the final Pro qualifying session.

Cory McClenathan

McClenathan, who led qualifying Thursday, returned to the top spot with a 3,787 from his Todd Okuhara- and Phil Shuler-tuned Fram dragster. McClenathan's 320.05-mph speed matched his previous best here.

“We saw the air getting better and better as the time went on,” said McClenathan. “What did we have to lose? We had nothing to lose here. We knew both cars would run good here. We knew Tony’s car would run just about like ours if not just a tick better. We knew Larry would be out there trying to run hard. Todd [Okuhara] said, ‘It’s going to be all or nothing. It’s going to go all the way, or it’s going to go about 60 feet, so be ready.’ By the time it got to half-track, I knew it was on a good run. It’s gratifying. I owe it to Todd and Phil [Shuler] and all the guys who work on this Fram car. They’ve done an awesome job through the off-season and into testing and were very prepared for this weekend.

“To be able to go out there and get the No. 1 back on the last shot and have it for tomorrow, that’s awesome. Now the big thing is can you take that No. 1 and parlay that into a win tomorrow. That’s the big question, so we’re going to try and do that, be very consistent and go out there each run and don’t race the guy next to you, race the racetrack. That’s what we’re going to do tomorrow."

Cory Mac had to hold off the final pair of the night, Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher, who blasted side by side down the track and ran impressively, 3.788 and 3.801, but both fell just short of McClenathan. Defending event champ Doug Kalitta raced up into the No. 4 spot with a strong 3.822, the fourth best run of the round.

Morgan Lucas is qualified fifth with a 3.830 recorded Saturday night. Behind him to round out the top eight are Steve Torrence and Norway's Thomas Nataaas, who both ran 3.844 (the higher ranking went to Torrence based on a superior speed), and Lucas' teammate, Shawn Langdon (3.847).

Former Alcohol Dragster racer Steve Faria qualified for the field for the second straight season with a 5.610. He'll face McClenathan in the first round Sunday.

Robert Hight

Hight maintained his perch atop the Funny Car roost, a position he has owned with his Jimmy Prock-tuned Automobile Club of Southern California/John Force Racing Mustang since his opening lap of 4.059 Thursday. It's his 33rd No. 1 qualifying effort.

“I didn’t think it would hold,” said Hight. “We were definitely trying way too hard tonight. I just saw our data, and it was a moon shot, but last night when the conditions we’re cool, our car was a little weak and shook, so Jimmy Prock was not going to make that mistake again. He said actually the dragsters don’t have a driveshaft that was as high as mine, so it didn’t have a prayer. What is awesome is we got one good run in today. We were second the first session; [Matt] Hagan ran .09 and we ran .10, and ours was backed off pretty good. That’s really what’s going to win this race tomorrow, runs like that and going down this racetrack. You know, 4.09, 4.10, that will win this race, so I think we’re set up for that.

“But there are no easy rounds. I’m racing the 2008 Funny Car champ, Cruz Pedregon, first round. We know he’s always tough. We’re just going to do the best we can. I definitely am surprised the .059 held up. There’s a lot of good cars capable of doing that, and this racetrack is premier, probably too good and that’s why guys are having trouble shaking."

Several drivers took final shots at Hight's top spot, including fellow Ford runner Bob Tasca III, who when from 15th to fourth with a 4.075 with the Quick Lane/Motorcraft Shelby. Between them are No. 2 qualifier Del Worsham and the Al-Anabi Toyota at 4.062 and John Force, in his best showing in quite some time with his 25th anniversary Castrol GTX Mustang (4.066).

Matt Hagan sits fifth with his new DieHard Dodge at 4.091 with Ashley Force Hood (4.093), Jack Beckman (4.101), and Jim Head (4.131) rounding out the top eight.

Former world champ Cruz Pedregon bumped his way into the field from the No. 18 spot with a last-ditch, early shutoff 4.30 and landed his Snap-on Toyota on the bump spot. He'll take on Hight in round one Sunday. Among those missing the show was Paul Lee, in his debut with Jim Dunn's Canidae entry.

Mike Edwards

Edwards had the quickest run of both qualifying sessions as he did on both Thursday and Friday to sweep all four bonus qualifying points and lock up his 10th straight No. 1 qualifying berth dating back to the middle of last season. Edwards' final effort, a 6.589 in his Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac, was slower than his run of a record, 6.578, but still the quickest of the final session

“When you work all winter and everybody else works all winter, you don’t know where you stack up, so you don’t really know what to expect,” said Edwards, who earned his 23rd career No. 1 spot. “My guys just did an awesome job today. They just made some really, really good calls. We made a really good run the first run today and kind of tried some things there tonight and just didn’t feel like we got what we needed, but I’m really proud of my guys and the effort they put in. It feels real good to come out here and run good starting off the year

“It’s a long season, but any time you can come out here and perform the way we did this weekend and run good, that’s our goal, to be as competitive as we can and run as fast as we can. We’ve done that for the last couple days. Tomorrow, it’s a different kind of approach, but you’ve still got to go out there and race. But we’re very, very pleased with our performance."

Jeg Coughlin (6.591) and Ron Krisher (6.595) held onto their Nos. 2 and 3 positions in the field with their Chevy Cobalts. Coughlin's final effort, a 6.612, was the round's third quickest. The round's second-best run belonged to Allen Johnson, who joined the Pomona 6.5-second club with a strong 6.595 from his new Mopar Avenger to grab the No. 4 spot. Behind him are Rodger Brogdon (6.603), Greg Anderson (6.608), Vinnie Deceglie (6.613), and Greg Stanfield (6.617).

Larry Morgan qualified in his Ford debut, putting the Lucas Oil Mustang in the No. 15 spot with a 6.645 best. Justin Humphreys, who began the final session in the 15th spot, got knocked down one place by Johnny Gray and ended up on the bump at 6.650. He'll face off with Edwards in round one. Gray's son, Shane, qualified for the field in his Pro debut in the No. 14 position. Among those not making the field were Warren Johnson, V. Gaines, and top 10 finisher Rickie Jones.

Related stories:
Thursday: Champs Hight, Edwards lead their fields in Pomona; Cory Mac fronts Top Fuel
Friday: Dixon takes Pomona Top Fuel lead as other Thursday leaders remain No. 1
 

Typically, the winner of a major event such as the NHRA Winternationals would be eager to see his or her name in print and to bask in the glory and adulation of friends and family, but such was not the case for 1963 Top Gas winner Bob Muravez.

A big win at the 1962 March Meet at the wheel of the famed John Peters/Nye Frank twin-engine Freight Train had earned him notice and a severe reprimand from his father and a demand that he stop racing if he hoped to be part of the family’s Maytag dealership franchise.

To continue racing and to stay under the radar, Muravez — like Don Prudhomme, Tommy Ivo, and other famous California racers a member of the famed Burbank Road Kings car club — adopted the pseudonym Floyd Lippencott Jr. and competed at the 1963 event under that name.

A young Steve Gibbs, in his pre-NHRA days, was the Drag News reporter for San Gabriel Drag Strip, and after Muravez won a race there, he implored Gibbs to use an alias. Hence, Floyd Lippencott Jr. was “born.”

“The Floyd part came out of thin air, but I borrowed the name Lippencott from a college textbook that was on my shelf,” recalled Gibbs. “I threw in the Jr. part as an afterthought. The track announcer, Mel Reck, started using the name at subsequent events, and it stuck.”

After piloting the Train through the tough Winternationals field that included 1961 Top Eliminator winner Jack Chrisman, 1962 champion Jim Nelson (with Danny Ongais now driving his Dragmaster Dart), Connie Kalitta, and Gordon “Collecting” Collett, Muravez reached the final, where he faced off with Kalitta’s impressive single-engine Chrysler mount.

Although his final-round 8.82, 178.21 was far from his meet-best performances of 8.36, 185.18, Muravez won the race and faced the dilemma of how to keep his name from the spotlight.

Initially, team owner Peters was listed as the winner, and Muravez’s roommate, Rex Slinker, was photographed holding the trophy standing next to a “Who me?” Muravez.

Not until years later were records amended to officially reflect Muravez, who also won Top Gas at the 1967 and 1969 Springnationals, as the rightful champ. 

The tradition-rich season-opening event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series takes place Feb. 11-14 at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

As NHRA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Winternationals, the showcase of speed and high performance continues. More than 500 competitors in 12 racing categories are expected to perform in front of a standing-room-only crowd during the much-anticipated event at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, hot-rodding’s birthplace.

Elliott Rothman, Pomona mayor, presented the proclamation.

“Drag racing has been a great success across the country, but everyone knows that the heart and soul of all hot rodding is right here in its birthplace in Southern California, at Pomona,” Rothman said. “The city of Pomona is extremely proud to take part in the celebration of the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals by offering this well-deserved proclamation, and we look forward to many more years of exciting and successful NHRA Full Throttle Series Drag Racing at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.”

In 1961, NHRA held the first NHRA Winternationals event at what was then known as Pomona Raceway at the Los Angeles Fairgrounds. At that time, it was the second NHRA national event in addition to the U.S. Nationals. Today, a victory here is one of the greatest achievements for any drag racer.

 

Three-time Winternationals champ Larry Dixon grabbed the reins in Top Fuel at the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona while reigning season champs Robert Hight and Mike Edwards held onto their Thursday leads in Funny Car and Pro Stock, respectively.

With two qualifying sessions and two days now in the books at the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season opener, the nostalgia-filled event reached its halfway point. Two qualifying sessions remain Saturday to set the fields for Sunday's final eliminations. The golden anniversary event is also highlighted by a display of nostalgic race cars from the event's long history and exhibition runs, Cacklefests, and autograph sessions with the sport's heroes that will take place throughout the weekend.

Larry Dixon

Dixon, who didn’t even make the field due to last year's rain-shortened qualifying, got well in a hurry after losing traction on his Thursday pass, powering the Jason McCulloch-tuned Al-Anabi/Alan Johnson dragster to a 3.795 at 317.79 to take the No. 1 spot halfway through qualifying. If he holds onto the top position, it will be the 41st of his career.

“Before the weekend started, Alan [Johnson, crew chief] said, ‘Every race this year, we just need to do a little bit better,’ and I said, ‘Well, we’ve got a pretty big cushion to work with. We just need 11 points at this event to be able to do better than we did last year,’ ” said Dixon. “That was a nice run there and it will stay in the show, so we’re going to race this year at the 50th Winternationals, so I’m thrilled about that. It was a nice, clean, straight run, not a lot to talk about. It was just nice.

“Yesterday we ran into the night — the sun was gone and the track temperatures were a lot cooler — so today is probably more realistic of what we will see through the weekend. You have a little different grip. For us, it stuck, so it was nice that Alan and Jason both made the necessary adjustments needed to get the car down the racetrack. So far, so good. Hopefully, we can keep running good for the rest of the weekend.”

Morgan Lucas also got healthy quickly with the GEICO Powersports car, running 3.823 after an eight-second pass Thursday to move into the No. 3 spot behind Dixon and Thursday leader Cory McClenathan, who smoked the tires and couldn't improve on his earlier 3.809. Lucas' pass was the second quickest of the round. The third quickest belonged to reigning season champ Tony Schumacher, who marched the Army dragster to a 3.835 for the No. 4 spot.

Behind the top four are Shawn Langdon, who slipped from Thursday's second-place ranking after failing to better his 3.847, and Dave Grubnic, whose 3.854 was the round's fourth best and a step up from his earlier 3.954.

Troy Buff, who sat a lofty fourth yesterday, fell all the way to 12th with his Thursday 3.950 to hold the final transfer spot heading into Saturday's final qualifying.

Robert Hight

Funny Car qualifying was an interesting endeavor as after John Force's stout 4.066 in the round's second pair moved him to the No. 3 spot, everyone else struggled, with the majority being unable to make it all the way down the track under power, leaving Robert Hight's 4.059 in his Auto Club of Southern California Mustang and Del Worsham's 4.062 in the Al-Anabi/Alan Johnson Toyota in the top two positions.

“It’s just exciting always to be back, and we’ve worked real hard over the winter,” said Force. “We weren’t able to get a lot of testing done. Mike Neff coming over to our team with the loss of our fourth car, I’m excited that [ Austin] Coil, him, and Bernie [Fedderly] are working together. Coil’s loving it, having a young kid with a lot of energy to run around. Neff said, ‘That’s where I came from, tuning, and that’s where I really wanted to be,’ so no problems there. Robert ran low last night with John Medlen over there helping Jimmy Prock and Eric Lane, so we’ve got good rounded deal. We’re just excited about it. I’ve still got some life in me.

“I never realized how overloaded I was, running between cars. When you take away a car, it just takes a whole chunk of the load off of you. It’s just amazing that I can focus on my car. I’m still running around crazy, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Ron Capps' 4.167 in the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge was the round's next best time, but it was a run that left him just ninth in the field.  Former world champ Tony Pedregon has the 12th position with his 4.189 in his Nitro Fish Chevy, which was the session's third-best time.

Ashley Force Hood is fourth, just behind her dad, with her Thursday 4.09 and is followed on the grid by Don Schumacher Racing teammates Jack Beckman (4.101) and Matt Hagan (4.109). Nineteen Funny Cars have made runs so far at the event.

Mike Edwards

Edwards not only maintained his traditional position atop the Pro Stock field, but the reigning NHRA Full Throttle champ also had the session's best pass, a 6.599, from his Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac. If he remains in the top spot, which he now holds with his Thursday 6.580, it will be his 10th straight No. 1, dating back to the middle of last season.

“These things are aspirated so they breathe what conditions are outside, so any time the temperature goes up, we slow down just a tick,” said Edwards. “Tomorrow morning could possibly be a good pretty run, but the hotter it gets it definitely affects the engine. So you’ve just got to make the adjustments and try to race the track and try to get all you can get. The conditions, by all means, could get worse if the temperature keeps rising.”

Ohioans Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Ron Krisher remained Nos. 2 and 3 with their Thursday passes of 6.591 and 6.595 as few drivers were able to improve on their times from Thursday's cooler session. Rodger Brogdon remained fourth and Allen Johnson's Dodge fifth.

Two drivers who did improve were championship favorites and Summit Racing teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line. Anderson, who struggled to a 13.51 pass Friday, was the quickest of those outside yesterday's top 16 after clocking a 6.623 in his Summit Pontiac which boosted him to 8th. Line, who ran just 7.23 Friday, also improved substantially with a 6.640. Anderson's pass was the fourth quickest of the session.

Their unofficial teammate, Ronnie Humphrey, holds down the No. 12 spot, the last that will transfer into Saturday's qualifying, after posting a 6.644 in his ProStockGrills.com Pontiac. Big names outside the top 12 include Warren and Kurt Johnson, Larry Morgan, Johnny Gray, and Rickie Jones. Twenty-three Pro Stockers have made passes to date this weekend.

Related stories: Champs Hight, Edwards lead their fields in Pomona; Cory Mac fronts Top Fuel

 

The return of the use of nitromethane in Top Eliminator was only part of the big news at the third Winternationals. NHRA had lifted its seven-year nitromethane ban for the event (though NHRA returned to a gasoline-only format at the 1963 Nationals, it was nitromethane forever from 1964 on), but the event also is where “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, arguably the greatest drag racer of all time even at that early point in the sport’s history, won his first of 35 NHRA national event titles.

With a wing mounted over the engine, the first on a Top Fuel dragster, Garlits’ Swamp Rat V entry attracted considerable attention. Garlits had predicted, and proved correct, that the wing, whose design was taken from a Piper Cub airplane, would increase traction for his lightweight but high-powered dragster, but it initially was rejected in tech inspection.

Recalled Garlits, “They called [NHRA’s] Jack Hart over, and he said, ‘Garlits, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be dangerous. We’ll just let you run it, and everyone can have a nice laugh.’ ”

Garlits countered, again presciently, “Jack, when the smoke clears, every dragster in competition will have a wing on it someday. Trust me.”

Garlits worked his way through the field and defeated fellow Florida campaigner Art Malone in the final with an 8.26, 186.32 and set low e.t. at 8.11.

“The track was a little slick, and Malone and I started marching through the field. Malone is a little heavier, which helped with traction on the rear wheels. We were even at the eighth-mile, and the pressure from the wing started kicking in and helped me pull away. It was my biggest win at that time. With [NHRA founder] Wally [Parks] still at Hot Rod, whoever won a major NHRA national event automatically got on the cover, and that was tremendous publicity. Not everybody looked inside the magazine, but everyone saw the cover.”

Garlits later removed the innovative wing, but he reemployed it eight years later on his first rear-engine car, Swamp Rat XIV, which he debuted with a victory in 1971 at the Winternationals, a race he would win five times.

Reigning season champs Robert Hight in Funny Car and Mike Edwards in Pro Stock lead their fields after the first day of qualifying at the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Cory McClenathan grabbed the No. 1 qualifying spot in Top Fuel on the day, which featured just one qualifying session. Another qualifying session is scheduled for Friday, and the final two are slated for Saturday. The golden-anniversary event is also highlighted by a display of nostalgic race cars from the event's long history and exhibition runs, Cacklefests, and autograph sessions with the sport's heroes that will take place throughout the weekend.

Cory McClenathan

McClenathan jumped to the top spot in Top Fuel late in the day's only session with a 3.809 at 320.05 mph – the fourth-fastest speed in the 1,000-foot era – with his Todd Okuhara- and Phil Shuler-tuned Fram dragster and held on to the No. 1 spot when perennial championship challengers Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon experienced woes on their initial passes. Schumacher, whose run was punctuated by a flash of fire at the top end, finished seventh, and Dixon, who lost traction, wound up 10th.

"I can guarantee you one thing: It won’t stick," said McClenathan. "Somebody’s going to run definitely in the .70s with this cool weather, and it doesn’t have to be that late. The track and the conditions are really there. To run over 282 mph to half-track is pretty good. The Fram car’s flying. Everybody said we looked like the flying pumpkin.

"We plan on making some noise early. We’re going to make our presence known. In the past, I like listening to all the hype for everybody else, but I’m tired of lurking and kind of waiting to see. We’re just going to come out here and try to go toe to toe with these guys from day one. I think Todd and Phil are thinking the same thing. The guys did a great job. The car was prepared right, and everything looked fantastic."

Shawn Langdon, in the first race of his sophomore season in the class, is qualified No. 2 with the Lucas Oil dragster at 3.847, just ahead of the surprise No. 3 qualifier, Norway's Thomas Nataas, who clocked a strong 3.88 in his Andersen Racing entry. Behind Nataas are three other top-half surprises: Troy Buff, who ran 3.950 in the Bill Miller Engineering entry; returning David Grubnic, who ran 3.954 in Connie Kalitta's second dragster; and 82-year-old Chris Karamesines, who is sixth with a 3.997.

Antron Brown, who qualified No. 1 here in his Top Fuel debut two years ago, holds the 12th and final time that could transfer into Saturday's qualifying, an aborted 8.36 pass.

Robert Hight

As at this event last year, reigning NHRA Funny Car world champ Hight grabbed the No. 1 qualifying berth with his Jimmy Prock-wrenched Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang, blasting to a 4.059 at a career-best 312.86 mph, the second-fastest Funny Car speed of the 1,000-foot era. Hight's effort continues his great string of outings at this event. He was the Winternationals champ in 2006 and 2008 and was runner-up in 2007.

“I figured it would run 4.05. That’s what we did in testing, and we didn’t change it a whole lot,” said Hight. “Probably my No. 1 qualifier here last year was the highlight of the season up to Indy for me. We were terrible. It’s definitely nice to get off on the right foot, especially looking at the rest of the weekend, it’s going to be great weather. I do kind of feel bad for my buddy [Del] Worsham. It’s his 40th birthday, and I bumped him down, but that’s what we got to do here. That won’t stick. There’s going to be a lot more better runs later in the weekend, but it gives us a start that we can really get after ours and maybe get close to national-record stuff.

“Since Indy last year, Jimmy has a whole new confidence, and you can just see it in him. He’s not second-guessing himself, going back and forth to the box making changes. He leaves the pit with a good tune-up and sticks with it, so he has a lot of confidence right now. As a driver, that gives me confidence, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Worsham celebrated his 40th birthday by powering the Al-Anabi Toyota to a stout 4.062 at 312.35 for the No. 2 spot, and Hight's teammate, Ashley Force Hood, finished third with a 4.093 with her Castrol GTX Mustang. Both Hight and Worsham exceeded Hight's track record of 310.55, set at last year's Finals. Only Matt Hagan's 313.88, recorded last fall in Las Vegas, is faster than Hight's run.

Hagan's new DieHard Dodge is qualified fourth at 4.10, and 2009 event runner-up Jim Head is fifth at 4.167, a number matched by fellow veteran Gary Densham. Head got the higher seed based on his superior speed, 304.74 to 293.60.

Former world champ Tony Pedregon holds the 12th spot after charting a 4.37 in his Nitro Fish Chevy. John Force, beginning his 25th season with Castrol GTX, lost what may have been a high-4.0-second pass after a red-light, rear-wheel start posted an eye-popping 3.80 on the scoreboard; Force received no official elapsed time for the run. Nineteen Funny Cars attempted passes today.

Mike Edwards

Edwards also opened 2010 the way he ended 2009: atop the Pro Stock pack. The driver of the Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac roared to a 6.580 to take the provisional pole position. His speed on the run, 210.47, was also the best of the session. Edwards, who first competed at the Winternationals in 1982, surprisingly has never qualified better than fourth at this event. If he maintains the top spot, it will be the 23rd of his career and his 10th straight dating back into 2009.

“The track is pretty tricky on the first day, so we’re pleased with that,” said Edwards. “We’ve been testing and everything, but it’s different when you come out here and start competing and try to qualify. We’re excited. We made an OK run, and we’ll just try to build on that and see what happens tomorrow.

“I’m not sure where it would have stacked up if the two Summit cars had gotten down the track, but we’re happy with our start. We’re ready to start the new season, and hopefully, we can build on this first run and get better as the weekend progresses. We’re excited. Man, it feels good to get to come out here and race again with all these guys and see where we can stack up this weekend.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr., whose mail-order company also is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, is certainly off to a golden start after clocking a 6.591 in his JEGS.com Cobalt for the No. 2 spot. Ron Krisher, using Edwards horsepower in his Valvoline Cobalt, was just a few ticks behind Coughlin with a third-best 6.595 at 209.75, the round's second-fastest time.

Behind those frontrunners are Rodger Brogdon and his Attitude Apparel Pistonator at 6.603 and Allen Johnson with the field's fastest non-GM car at 6.613 in his new Mopar Avenger, just ahead of engine customer Vinnie Deceglie's 6.613. John Nobile has the quickest Ford after clocking a 6.66in his new Mustang, but it's only the 12th-quickest time.

Summit teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line, who with Coughlin are expected again to give Edwards his toughest battle for the title, both had disappointing opening laps. Anderson, who holds both ends of the track record, slowed to a 13.51 at just 64 mph, and Line also had troubles and could muster just a 7.23.

Active-duty military with proof of status also will be able to purchase up to two $10 adult general-admission tickets for the Friday sessions of the NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-14 at Gainesville Raceway, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 14-16 at Atlanta Dragway, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, Sept. 1-6 at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 11-14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Just as with this weekend’s offer, the military discount for the other three races will only be redeemable at the track ticket offices on the Friday of the race weekend.

For more ticket information about the military discount at NHRA-owned venues, call 800-884-4762.

Live timing from NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events is coming to NHRA.com.

Beginning Thursday, Feb. 11, with the start of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the 50th running of the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, live timing will be available to all NHRA.com visitors. Motorola NHRA Live Timing can be accessed through the NHRA.com home page or at www.nhra.com/livetiming/livetiming.aspx.

Motorola NHRA Live Timing will feature live timing from NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events so fans at home can follow the action as it is happening on the track, including all competitors and categories, full listings of incremental times and speeds, updated qualifying and elimination ladders, current weather and atmospheric conditions at the event, and complete race archive data back to the 2009 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Through the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Houston, in addition to the live data, NHRA is making available the complete archive timing data to all NHRA.com visitors. After this introductory period, NHRA members will have access to the archive data as a benefit of their NHRA membership. Non-NHRA members can purchase complete archive data for a special introductory price of $19.95. All visitors to NHRA.com will have access to free real-time data.

Additional features that will be added in the coming months include comprehensive downloadable crew chief data from all NHRA Full Throttle and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional events. The crew chief package for NHRA members will be priced at $99.95 per year and $168.95 per year for non-NHRA members.

The new NHRA.com live timing complements last year’s launch of the NHRA mobile application. For more information on the NHRA mobile application, log on to www.nhra.com/multimedia/mobile.aspx.

Two-time NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon will begin the 2010 season Thursday driving the Nitro Fish Funny Car at the 50th anniversary of the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline in Pomona, Feb. 11-14.
 
“This new design fits well with the exciting atmosphere surrounding the first race of year and the special tribute to the Winternationals,” said Pedregon, who made the announcement with Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear owner Kenny Koretsky.

Koretsky has been active in drag racing for more than 25 years as a team owner and former Pro Stock and Top Fuel driver. His apparel company is an associate sponsor of Pedregon’s team. The two teamed up at four races in 2009, including for Pedregon’s victory in Englishtown.

“We are pleased to be associated with Tony again this season, and we are all looking forward to the Winternationals,” said Koretsky.

 

Advertising Edge has signed a multiyear agreement to become the official uniform of NHRA. The terms of the agreement call for Advertising Edge to provide NHRA with hats, staff uniforms, shirts, event winner jackets, and other special apparel items.

“Advertising Edge is proud to be the official uniform supplier to the NHRA,” said Don Roe, president, Advertising Edge. “We look forward to providing the most technically advanced apparel to the racing industry. Our staff is excited to be working with NHRA for the next three years.”

Also in the agreement, NHRA will provide Advertising Edge with recognition in National DRAGSTER and on NHRA.com, track signage at all NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, and video spots on the track JumboTron.

“Advertising Edge is a welcome addition to the growing family of NHRA official sponsors,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, NHRA. “We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Advertising Edge offers a branding solution for businesses or organizations through the use of imprinted and promotional products. Its USA factories continually offer customers the most advanced sublimation, screen printing, and embroidery technology available for more than 30 years.
 

Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards has been busy in the off-season on the sponsorship front. For the 2010 season, he will again fly the distinctive Penhall Co. logo and colors and has added the identifiable orange, red, and black colors of K&N Filters.

“At Mike Edwards Motorsports, we are excited to have the Penhall Co. back as part of our team and to be able to compete under their brand name during the 2010 season and beyond,” said Edwards, who also championed the Penhall name in 2007 and 2008. “The Penhall Co. has played a major role in my team's mission of reaching kids around the country," Edwards continued. "We are honored to represent the Penhall Co. and again be part of that group's marketing strategy in the drag racing arena.

"K&N has been a sponsor of many in the series and is the title sponsor for the K&N Horsepower Challenge, and we are excited to be able to join forces with such a company," Edwards added.

K&N will be found prominently on the scoop of Edwards' car as well as have a presence on the side of the vehicle.

"We have some special projects in the works with the group at K&N, and these marketing strategies will be noticed throughout the course of the season," said Edwards. "It is really an honor for them to continue to expand their motorsports efforts with Mike Edwards Motorsports. This partnership will help our team to continue to move our operation in a certain direction and allow us to gain even more knowledge using the company's expertise in engine airflow."

 Related story: Interstate Batteries partners with 2009 Pro Stock champ Edwards

The newly formed NHRA Funny Car team of Ideal Racing has signed apparel maker PiranaZ, a longtime NHRA supporter, as its primary partner for the opening races of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, in Pomona and Phoenix. PiranaZ will also continue to partner with Ideal throughout the rest of the season through sponsorships and B2B-driven programs. Additionally, platinum-selling rocker Stephen Pearcy, founder of the rock band Ratt, will join the team as its promotional front man for the season. The partnerships will kick off at the 50th Anniversary Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline.

"We are excited about being involved with the soon-to-be winning combination of Jeff Diehl and Tony Shortall," said Jason Caldwell, director of marketing, PiranaZ. "Jeff is a cool character, hard-core racer, and will be a great representative of the PiranaZ brand of Motorsports Lifestyle Apparel, and as for being tied in with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, well, that speaks for itself."

"We're gonna light the candles on the PiranaZ hot rod this weekend, stick it in the show, then see what happens on Sunday," said Pearcy. "It's exciting to see a start-up team with such good talent and a promising future."

Pearcy will also bring his record label and recording artists from Top Fuel Records (www.stephen-pearcy.com) along with band members from Ratt to Pomona to welcome the fans and Ideal Racing marketing partners and to rekindle his longtime passion for NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing.

"I am proud for our clients at Ideal Racing to have such an opportunity with the longtime, well-known brand of PiranaZ Motorsports Lifestyle Apparel," said Dan Pikarsky, owner of iMagine marcom. "This is why we see the world of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing as a land of opportunity for Corporate America. Our marketing programs allow us to bring our retail relationships to our clients and create unmatched B2B opportunities, which bring almost instant ROI for our marketing partners. The PiranaZ partnership goes way deeper than the two- race primary partnership we are announcing here, it's about opening the door  to many value-driven marketing opportunities with Corporate America and submerging our partners in it together."

Since 1961, the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals has been NHRA’s official season kick-off event. For 50 years, drag racers have flocked to venerable Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to show off their new race cars, paint schemes, sponsors and new drivers. With each new season world championship hopes begin anew.

Since then, a lot has changed on the drag racing landscape. There’s big money on the line for the race victory as well as the season championship. There’s worldwide television exposure. There’s bigger sponsors and bigger race car transporters. On the track the performances are quicker and faster. And did we mention there’s more pressure on each driver to win?

While the days of racing for fun and driving cross-country with your hot-rod affixed to the back of a flat-bed trailer are long gone, the memories for several of the sport’s biggest icons remain.

Many of NHRA’s legendary drivers will be participating in various special events and autograph sessions at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 11-14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and sharing their stories from hot-rodding’s glory days. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD. 

For Bob Glidden, seven-time winner of the Winternationals and 10-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion, the race always meant the first opportunity to see how the competition stacked up for the season.

“Certainly it was proven to us that Pomona was a great springboard to the whole season,” Glidden said.  “And if we could go and run well at Pomona, we ordinarily ran well throughout the season.  Fortunately, for us, the track there at Pomona was just a great place for us to be, because we were lucky enough to win a lot of races there.”

“Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who annually towed his race car from Florida, claimed Winternationals trophies in Top Fuel five times, and always loved to check out the latest gadgets and gizmos in Pomona.

“The Winternationals was a special deal because that’s where we saw the new cars,” said Garlits, voted the greatest drag racer of all time in 2001 during NHRA’s 50th anniversary season. “That’s where we tested our new stuff like that rear engine car was tested.  Well, I tested a lot of stuff there.  The first port nozzles in drag racing were tested there in Pomona.  The wing on the car in 1963 was tested there in Pomona.  It was a test bed.  Of course if it didn’t work real well, you went home and regrouped and you had time because there wasn’t a race real soon afterwards.  But it was just a great deal because we loved it.  It was out in California where all the manufacturers were, all the equipment was out there.  The track was great, and there were lots of competitors.”

According to Garlits, sometimes the real adventure was actually making it to the track, not making it down the dragstrip.

“We towed on open trailers and four door sedans,” Garlits said. “The used ones I might add.  We were all good mechanics. Most of those cars ran real good.  They didn’t look all that good, but they were pretty sound automobiles.  We could make that trip from Tampa to Los Angeles in 54 hours, me and Art Malone and Connie Swingle.  And we did it many times just like that.  It was fun.”

A young Kenny Bernstein advanced to the final round in his very first race, at the Winternationals in 1973, where he lost to Don Schumacher. Now with six world championship crowns and 69 victories to his credit after an amazing career behind the wheel, Bernstein reflects on those early days with a big smile. Bernstein went on to win the Winternationals in both Funny Car (1987) and Top Fuel (1992), one of only three drivers in NHRA history to accomplish the feat.

“You know, the Winternationals for me, being from Texas, we called it the ‘Big Go West’ back in the early days,” Bernstein recalled.  “That’s what they named it.  For all the kids back when we were growing up, we couldn’t wait to have our chance to go to Pomona for the Winternationals.  Then later when I did become able to do this as a profession, the Winternationals always marked the start, obviously of the season.  But it was almost a welcome race in the sense that you had been off for a couple of months and you were anxious to get back to it.  You wanted to see all the new cars, all the new looks, all the new teams -- whatever was coming would always show up at Pomona.”
 

Every season, Jeg Coughlin Jr. says that he anxiously counts the days until the beginning of the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline. So you can imagine the popular Ohio Pro Stock driver’s eagerness to be a part of the 50th annual edition of one of NHRA’s most tradition-rich and historic races.

Not only does the event mark the beginning of a new season, but for Coughlin, it marks an event at a track where the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt driver has excelled since he turned pro in 1997.

Maybe Auto Club Raceway at Pomona just fits the eye of Midwestern-based Pro Stock drivers. Just like Indiana’s Bob Glidden, the winningest pro driver in Winternationals history with seven victories, Coughlin has put together a strong performance record at this track. Of his 10 finals and six wins in Pomona, two wins and four finals have been at the Winternationals.

Coughlin will be among the Pro Stock favorites at the 50th edition of the season opener, Feb. 11-14. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

“Pomona and the Fairplex are always electric at the Winternationals,” Coughlin said. “When you roll onto those historic grounds for the first race of the year, there is just a lot of excitement in the air. All the new teams, new colors, and, most importantly, everybody has a fresh start in the points. There is a lot of media coverage, and the fans literally come from all over the world to attend that race. It just really makes you want to focus that much more to go out and perform and win the Winternationals.”

He says the secret to success at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is essentially the same as at all tracks: preparation. Last year he didn’t win the Winternationals, but Coughlin’s JEGS.com team’s preseason preparation paid big dividends. He raced to seven victories in nine final rounds in the first 18 events to finish the regular season as the top seed for the Countdown to 1 playoffs.

“Without question, being prepared is the key,” Coughlin said. “You have almost three months to prepare for the first race, and getting out of the gate with momentum is very important to having a good season.”

Last season, veteran driver Mike Edwards ultimately won the championship, his first as a driver. He will be back this year to defend his title with a new sponsor in Interstate Batteries. He is one of the drivers Coughlin figures to battle in the championship hunt. Others include four-time Winternationals winner Greg Anderson, defending winner Line, Team Mopar Avenger driver Allen Johnson, fourth-place points finisher Greg Stanfield, and the always-tough veteran drivers Ron Krisher and Johnny Gray.

“It will be interesting to see how our off-season efforts stack up within the Pro Stock ranks,” Coughlin said. “There are three or four teams with multiple cars that have been awesome, and we feel as though we will be back in the mix again with them. We will approach the season similar to 2009, and that is to be prepared, drive aggressive, and put ourselves in a position to win rounds and win races.”

ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 13. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14.
 

Former NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith has signed a major sponsorship deal with Al-Anabi Racing for the 2010 season.

“We’re back on our program that won the title in 2007 and nearly did in 2008,” said Smith, son of drag racing legend Rickie Smith. “I’m really excited. I want to thank Sheik Khalid Al Thani and Al Anabi Racing for this opportunity.”

Smith confirmed that he will return to his Buell this season and resume his engine research and development program, which he suspended with the end of the Torco sponsorships.

“We’ve already gone to work, working on cylinder heads and the valvetrain,” said Smith. “We’ve really got a lot of neat things going on right now. We won’t have everything finished before Gainesville, but we will still be very competitive.”

Smith said that his resumed program will include noted mountain-motor Pro Stock engine builder Sonny Leonard. He believes that Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, primarily those on the Buells, will begin to align themselves with Pro Stock car engine builders.

Last season, Hector Arana won the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle championship using an engine with cylinder heads prepared by Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan.

“I started that trend, and it paid off in 2007 and almost again in 2008,” Smith added. “These V-Twin engines aren’t far off of what these Pro Stock guys are building.”

Smith said this sponsorship could signal the beginning of a Pro Stock Motorcycle program in Qatar. He has already traveled to the country within the United Arab Emirates training riders.

“I sold one of my bikes to a racer over there, and I’ve been over there a few times to teach him how to ride the bike,” said Smith, who leaves for Qatar today. “We’re working towards having them out here next season.”

When that happens, Smith could be aligned with as many as four bikes on the NHRA Full Throttle tour.

Smith’s wife, Angie, will be a full-time rider on the tour in 2010, and he will tune and build engines for the Karl and Kim Klement bike.

Smith has also added a new engine client in Doug Horne, a 2009 NHRA rookie of the year candidate. Needless to say, Smith’s schedule will be both full and challenging.

“It’s going to be a wide-open season,” Smith said. “This is one of those seasons you can’t wait to get started on. I am ready to start tomorrow.”

Ever since Shirley Shahan raced past Ken Heinemann for the 1966 Top Stock victory and became the first female winner of a national event in NHRA history, the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline has become a race that’s known for the girls beating the boys.

In Top Fuel, four women have visited the winner’s circle at the tradition-rich event at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The legendary Shirley Muldowney was the first woman to win a Top Fuel title and raced to two victories here, in 1980 and 1983. She was runner-up in 1982. Lori Johns won in 1990, Shelly Anderson in 1994, and most recently Melanie Troxel opened with a Winternationals victory in 2006.

There has never been a woman in a Funny Car final round at the Winternationals, but that could change this season. Ashley Force Hood, who finished second in the Funny Car points standings last year with two wins in eight final rounds, comes into the much-hyped 50th anniversary event Feb. 11-14 as a heavy favorite to win the race as well as the preseason favorite for many to win the world championship crown.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. 

Force Hood, who has claimed many firsts during the past three seasons, including first woman in her category to go to a final round, win a race, lead the points standings, and hold the national speed record, to name a few, seems poised to make more history in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. She understands what it would mean to be a part of the great Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals legacy.

“It’s just a huge event,” Force Hood said. “The first race of the year kicks off everything.  Everybody new out there, new sponsors, new fans, it’s the race you want to do well at and start your year strong. It definitely gives you a great confidence boost if you are able to start your season on such a great note. And I think it’s going to be a big deal. I know that NHRA is promoting a lot and doing a lot of special events and activities. It’s going to be exciting. I hope we can do well there. It is a tough one to win because you are coming back after a few months off. You might have a change in crewmembers or changes with your car. But we’re all out there. That’s what’s on everyone’s mind in their off-season is to go out and win that race. Especially this year.  It’s such a special one, it’s going to be cool.”

Though she has heard the rumblings that she may have the car to beat this season, she puts it all in perspective. It may be an overused cliché, but she’s taking them one race at a time. Her car may top 310 mph, but her focus on the season is slow and deliberate.

“We’ve got to go out there for the Winternationals, and we’ve got to qualify,” she said. “We’ve got to utilize every qualifying run. Get that info that we need. I need to get my experience in the car, and then go out there hopefully on Sunday and have a strong race. That is the way that we believe, and every team might have a different philosophy for how they do it. But we try to not even get so far ahead to where we’re thinking of the championship points. For now, we want to win the Winternationals. We want to qualify and win the Winternationals. So that’s where our goals are set as of today.”

After finishing 10th in points in her rookie year and sixth in 2008, her second-place run last year came up a few points short of teammate Robert Hight, who claimed his first championship title. Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang will be just one of the very tough competitors that she’ll have to face to win the Winternationals and the season title.

In addition to Hight, other top contenders in Funny Car include her father, 14-time world champ John Force; last year’s third-place finisher, Capps; 2008 champ Cruz Pedregon in his Snap-on Tools Toyota; fellow Ford drivers Tim Wilkerson and Bob Tasca III; two-time champ Tony Pedregon; and the always-tough Del Worsham.

“I believe in Funny Car the competition has gotten so close,” Force Hood said. “That’s why the fans love to see the Funny Car category. There are so many different teams, every pair that goes up there is a car that can run a great time. There is nobody really dominating anything. So it’s exciting to watch, and obviously, it’s exciting to be a part of that.”

And in terms of the Full Throttle Series championship hunt, Force Hood isn’t putting any extra pressure on herself or her race team.

“Maybe the championship will be ours, and maybe it won’t,” Force Hood said. “You know, the talent, the skill, all those things are so important. Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck, and that is part of this racing thing as well. We can just do the best that we can do. And not let the pressure that media or fans might want to put on us on this championship, not let it get to us because it doesn’t help you at all. Every time you go up to run that car, we’re all doing the best that we can do. Whether it’s your day to win or not, you know, it’s how it’s going to be. You can’t get too ahead of yourself.”

ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 13. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14.
 

Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s iconic brand DieHard will be the primary sponsor of the Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Funny Car driven by Matt Hagan in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

The DieHard brand has been marketed by Sears since 1967. To help promote the DieHard battery chargers, portable power and inverters, Don Schumacher Racing will campaign the DieHard Dodge Funny Car, with associate sponsorship from shelor.com, in the 2010 NHRA series.

"We at DSR are proud to welcome DieHard into our family of outstanding supporters of our team," said Schumacher, DSR team owner. "The brand has been synonymous with automobile racing for 43 years, and we expect to continue to add to DieHard's long list of racing accomplishments during the 2010 NHRA season."

"The agreement between DieHard, one of the most trusted names in the automotive industry, and Don Schumacher Racing is a perfect match," said Erik Rosenstrauch, general manager of DieHard brand business unit, "Our involvement with one of the premier racing teams in NHRA further enables us to drive our business and engage consumers about the excitement behind DieHard.”

"Wow," said 27-year-old Hagan, in his second year with DSR and no longer a rookie after his first full NHRA season in which he landed in two final rounds in 2009 and qualified No. 1 twice. "It's awesome to have DieHard on the side of the Funny Car I'll be driving for DSR in 2010. They've been around longer than I have and their racing reputation speaks for itself. I'll do all I can to maintain their outstanding racing tradition this season."

Crew chief Tommy DeLago will continue to tune the DieHard Dodge in 2010, as the 23-event season begins in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11-14.
 
DieHard recently launch the all-new DieHard.com, which includes a help center, battery selector, maintenance guide and a series of videos documenting DieHard’s performance inside the DieHard Torture Labs.

 

With seven Top Fuel world championship trophies on his mantel, including the last six in a row, some might think it’s a chore for Tony Schumacher to pump himself up for yet another season, another title run, to try to keep his dominating streak going.

But Schumacher says he doesn’t have those problems. He’s a racer, pure and simple. He says he was ready to race the weekend after last year’s final event. It’s been a long winter for the Chicago-based speedster.

So as his U.S. Army team rolls to the starting line for the first time in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, Feb. 11-14 at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Schumacher, arguably the greatest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history with 61 victories, will be itching to get the season started like never before.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

As an A-plus student of drag racing, Schumacher knows the importance of this milestone event and all the legends who have come before him. To know that his name is now mentioned alongside Don Garlits, Kenny Bernstein, and Don Prudhomme, to name a few, as one of the greats, gives Schumacher even more motivation to succeed.  

“It all starts at the Winternationals,” said Schumacher, who won NHRA’s prestigious season-opening event in 2004 and 2008. “The biggest names that have ever won championships in racing and just races in general started right there. So that’s the place. The history of racing comes from California. To go out and perform at that race from the first get-go, man, you just can’t beat it. It was an amazing thing to be able to accomplish.”

Schumacher’s Winternationals titles came during some amazing championship runs during the last decade. He claimed world championship titles in 2006 and 2007 in dramatic fashion during the closing moments of the season. In 2008, he had one of the most dominating runs ever, ultimately capturing the prestigious Driver of the Year title for all of motorsports. However, his title last year – a two-point thriller over rival Larry Dixon – may be his most satisfying. He won the title with a new crew chief and new teammates, defeating former tuner Alan Johnson and most of his former crew.

“It was an amazing year last year to be able do what we did,” Schumacher said. “To be able to go out there after losing Alan Johnson and my whole Army team and beat them by two points, which is what everyone in the world showed up to watch.”

Schumacher expects another tough battle with Dixon and the Al-Anabi Racing team. However, many other drivers will be in the championship hunt as well, including Antron Brown, who swept the Western Swing last season in his Matco Tools dragster, veteran Cory McClenathan in the Fram Tough Guard dragster, a reenergized Brandon Bernstein in the Copart dragster, and Morgan Lucas, who won three times last year in the GEICO Powersports dragster.

“We’re giving them the best show I’ve ever seen,” Schumacher said of the competition in NHRA Top Fuel. “It is brutal right now, the hardest thing I’ve ever been a part of. Best show I’ve ever been a part of.”

Schumacher still gets a chuckle at all of those prognosticators who predicted his downfall last year. And he knows there may be a few who still think last year was a fluke. No matter, he plans to keep his expectations in check and focus on the task at hand, just as he’s done for the last six championship-winning seasons.

“I never expected to win six championships in a row,” Schumacher said.  “And I don’t expect to go on and win every championship from here on out. The competition’s too tough. We’re going to show up, qualify the best and run the best we can each round. At the end of the season, we’ll know where it falls.”

ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 13. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14.
 

On a day when cold and overcast conditions made full runs a rarity, Justin Humphreys was crowned the winner of the annual Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After making just one qualifying attempt, Humphreys was the star of Sunday’s event, making three runs in the 6.7-second zone in his Pontiac GXP, including a 6.74, the quickest pass of the day. In the final round, Humphreys posted a 6.79 while Johnny Gray, like many other drivers before him, shook the tires as soon as he dumped the clutch.

“It wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it,” said Humphreys, who credited his ability to get down the tricky surface to the tuning abilities of 10-time Pro Stock world champion Bob Glidden. “We only made one qualifying run because my truck wasn’t here, and then we had to put the car together. Considering how rushed we were, it turned out pretty well. It’s great to have ‘Mad Dog’ [Glidden] back out here with us. He’s going to be a big help this year.”

The chilly conditions made it difficult for many Pro Stock racers to get down the LVMS quarter-mile, and there were multiple aborted runs. Several drivers, including reigning Full Throttle world champ Mike Edwards, Allen Johnson, Ron Krisher, and V. Gaines, decided to sit out eliminations altogether.

“Believe me, I came here to race and I want to race, but there is just too much at stake to risk something going wrong, especially this close to Pomona. I appreciate the effort [of the LVMS staff] to prep the track, but it’s just too cold out there. Even if you can make a full run, you won’t learn anything useful.”

Rodger Brogdon, who won his first-round race when Bob Yonke was a no-show, would have had a bye run into the semifinals but also elected to retire for the day. Brogdon had qualified seventh with a 6.74 in his Attitude Apparel entry.

“I’d like to make some runs because we’re still sorting out our new car, but I’m going to wait for Monday and hope that the sun comes out and the track warms up a bit. I’ll also stay Tuesday if I need to because we’ve made some progress, but we’re not close to where we need to be.”

The absence of several of the top qualifiers juggled the ladder; the final round between Humphreys and Gray was actually supposed to be a semifinal pairing. Earlier, Humphreys got a single run when Krisher was a no-show, and he later defeated Greg Stanfield’s new Nitro Fish entry. Gray did not have to race anyone until the final round but made three half-track passes in his new GXP, a twin to the car that will be raced by his son, Shane.

“We were more interested in gathering data and making runs than we were in winning this race,” said Gray. “Now, don’t get me wrong. I would like to have won, but we’ve got a lot of work to do before Pomona, so that was our main focus."

 Related story: Full Throttle champ Edwards tops qualifying in Las Vegas
 

Second-generation racer Shane Gray completed his Pro Stock licensing runs during the Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gray hopes to make his debut at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. He will join his dad, veteran driver Johnny Gray, in the second Gray Motorsports Pontiac GXP.

The younger Gray needed to make three full runs to upgrade his license and accomplished the task under the watchful eye and advice of his dad.

“Getting in my car for the first time felt good,” he said. “Making runs was a little scary the first day; I was really nervous and actually did a terrible job. But the second day was much better. We made three good runs, and everything worked out well.

“Now that I’ve made a small handful of runs, everything is much better. My feelings have now changed to excitement. I’m decently comfortable in the car, but we definitely need to make more runs and plan to do so over the next few days. So hopefully, we should be OK by the time we get to Pomona.”

The Winternationals marks the opening of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle season and is being billed as one of the greatest single events in NHRA history. A race of this caliber carries high excitement and expectations, and everyone hopes to shine.

“I’ll try to shine as much as I can when I get there,” said the younger Gray, “but I know it’s a tall order. The Pro Stock field is the toughest field of classes I know of in any form of motorsports, and I will be honored just to get to race with them on Sunday. If I can pull up and race one of the guys that are in the class on Sunday, it will be an honor for me.”

The race car and driver are not the only things that are new on Gray’s team. The crew is also new. Each is experienced, but the newness lies in their working together as one. Under the watchful eye of the elder Gray’s crew chief, Craig Hankinson, things will run smoothly. Mike Earle was promoted from the existing team to be the car chief.

“I really appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given,” expressed Earle. “I’m still not sure how it happened, but I’m committed to making them proud. Now that we’ve made a few runs, I’m feeling good. I think he is a good driver. He’s hard on himself, but he’s doing a great job. The guys are all doing a good job, and I think everything will work out, and we’ll be just fine.”

Gray is comfortable with his team and also sees good things happening for them.

“I have good faith in all of my guys,” he said. “Craig oversees both cars and both teams. Mike is a very smart individual, and I think he’ll do great. He came off my dad’s car and knows how our deal works. And everything has been running smooth so far. We know we need to take baby steps, and hopefully we’ll be right in the midst of things in no time.”

The father and son racing duo have taken on a big project. While creating a two-car team, they have built an engine and race shop in Denver, N.C., taking on the task of creating their own engine program.

“We’ve put so much together in a short time,” said Gray. “Right now, we’re in the beginning stages of our engine program, and as with any new business, it’s tough. We have to get it organized and get it up to where it’s making good horsepower for the class. We’re hoping that it will be a long-time deal and that in the very near future we’ll have championship-contending cars and engines.

“My wife and children have committed to move from New Mexico to North Carolina. We have found a house that we’re supposed to close on March 1, so it’s a serious deal for us.

“I really appreciate the opportunity I have been given. My mother and father have put me in this position because they believe in me. And I’m blessed by God that I have a wonderful wife, Amber, that is my best friend and also allows me to do this. She supports me 100 percent and is kind of my mentor in the deal, poking me along with a sharp stick to keep up my confidence and keep things rolling. My wife and my children have to put up with a lot when it comes to my racing, from moving away from the only home they’ve ever known to my being absent from games, school activities, birthdays, quality time, and everything else. It’s a very selfish sport that I choose, but luckily I have wonderful parents and a wife that allow me to be selfish and do this.”
 

Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock champ Mike Edwards leads qualifying.

“It remains to be seen where we stand compared to the rest of the field but it’s good to get back in the car and make a few runs,” said Edwards. “This winter, we did a little R&D but for the most part, everything is basically the same as the last time we ran it in Pomona. Most of the runs we made today, including that 6.68, were pretty good so I’m happy.”

Edwards’ Pontiac GXP arrived in Las Vegas sporting a new paint scheme that prominently features a variety of sponsors including Penhall, A.R.T. Interstate Batteries and K&N Filters.

“For a while, we were a little uncertain about our future, but it was a big blessing to have everything come together with Penhall and Interstate Batteries joining us.”

Allen Johnson is just a few thousandths behind Edwards with a 6.684 in his Mopar Avenger and Ron Krisher, who uses engines supplied by Edwards, is third with a 6.685 while Vinnie Deceglie turned in a 6.709 best in the new Mountain View Tires Avenger for the fourth spot.

One of the busiest drivers in Las Vegas was former national champ Jeg Coughlin Jr., who spent the day shuttling between his Jegs.com Pro Stock Cobalt and the new Dodge Drag Pak Challenger that he will be racing in Stock eliminator. In Pro Stock, Coughlin is fifth-quickest with a 6.712.

“Three of the four runs I made today were nice and straight,” said Coughlin. “The car feels a little loose but it’s running straight and I’m not at all unhappy with our performance. I’m also having a lot of fun with the Challenger. It’s a really nice car.”

The Pro Stock field also includes the father-son combination of Johnny and Shane Gray. Johnny struggled with his blue GXP, running just a 6.89 for the 13th spot in the field. Shane, who is one of the early favorite for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, posted a pair of 6.7-second runs including a 6.774 while completing his license upgrade. The former Comp eliminator driver is qualified 11th and will take on Deceglie in tomorrow’s opening round.

While the primary focus of Saturday’s activities was on Pro Stock qualifying, there was plenty of other action on track. Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Mike Berry and David Hope were testing their Buell V-twins, with Hope riding John Hammock’s Mohegan Sun Buell to a best of 7.10. Melanie Troxel also made a practice run in her new In-N-Out Burger nitro Funny Car but smoked the tires right at the start.

 

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will again be televised in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, with coverage from select NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national events. In addition, the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlights, focusing on NHRA’s member-track network, will air on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD as part of the race coverage.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will air on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, which enters its 10th year as the exclusive home of NHRA Drag Racing. All 16 telecasts will air Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Returning as anchor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts will be longtime NHRA announcer David Rieff, who will be joined in the booth by popular NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Rieff has been involved for many years with NHRA coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. ESPN2 is available in 98.7 million households.

In addition to his race-coverage duties in the booth, Frey will host the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlight segments, which will be featured within the race broadcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The segments will showcase unique and interesting stories from NHRA member tracks in each of the sanctioning body’s seven divisions. Frey’s schedule of appearances includes Atco Raceway in Atco, N.J. (Aug. 4, Division 1); Orlando Speed World Dragway in Orlando, Fla. (March 6, Division 2); the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (April 24, Division 3); the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La. (March 20, Division 4); Cedar Falls Raceway in Cedar Falls, Iowa (July 31, Division 5); Portland Int'l Raceway in Portland, Ore. (Aug. 28, Division 6); and Kauai Raceway Park in Kapaa, Kauai (July 4, Division 7).

Complete 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series TV schedule
 

Respected crew chief Tony Shortall and NHRA Funny Car driver/owner Jeff Diehl have partnered to form Ideal Racing and will make their NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series debut at the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline.

Diehl competed in IHRA Funny Car in 2009 and raced at NHRA events in Sonoma, Las Vegas, and Pomona in the later part of 2009.

“The car kept getting better and better every run we made," said Diehl. "Tony and I expect a continuation of that same progress at the upcoming NHRA Winternationals."

“Where can we possibly find a better place to start this team than the 50th anniversary of the NHRA Winternationals?" said Shortall. "What we are doing today is no different than what Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, and John Force did when they pursued their dreams in their beginnings. Hopefully we can have a glimmer of their success in our future."

“I’m excited to team up with Tony and do what we have talked many times about doing: starting an NHRA Funny Car team," added Diehl. "We have been friends for a long time and understand what motivates one another; it’s not complicated, it’s just racing, and that’s how we intend to approach this.”
 

All participants in the Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car classes will be required to use an Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Receiver at the season-opening 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline.

The Safety Shut-off Receiver, small enough to fit into a shirt pocket and weighing less than 6 ounces, is installed near the rear of the car on both dragsters and Funny Cars and will activate the previously mandated Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Box when it receives a unique digital message sent to it by the Electrimotion Safety Shut-off Transmitter. The Shut-off Transmitter, which is only slightly larger than the receiver, will be mounted to the guardwall approximately 400 feet past the finish line.

The complete system will initiate a vehicle shutdown sequence – turning off both the ignition and fuel systems and deploying the braking parachute – in the event that the driver is not able to do so.

Only a car passing in close proximity to the transmitter can receive the message, which will help ensure that the receiver does not trigger the system prior to the finish line. A second redundant transmitter will be mounted 600 feet past the finish line on the opposite guardwall from the first transmitter. This redundant transmitter will act as a backup to the primary transmitter in the event the receiver does not receive the message from the first transmitter.

NHRA worked closely with Electrimotion during the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season to test this new safety system. First tests were performed with a few Top Fuel and Funny Car teams using their cars' existing onboard data-acquisition systems to help monitor performance of the transmitter and receivers. Based on the results of that testing, adjustments were made to both the transmitter and receiver design to optimize performance. Final full-system testing was done during competition at the last two races of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.

Recently, several teams successfully used the system during preseason testing at Firebird Int'l Raceway. “The system worked flawlessly for us during our preseason testing,” said reigning NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world champion Robert Hight. “It is a comfort knowing that this system can shut down my engine and deploy my parachutes if I am unable to do so for any reason.”
 

“I think our test session went quite well,” said Anderson. “We’re obviously pleased to have run better than everyone else, but our primary goal for the week was to learn as much as we could, and we did. We have a new Rick Jones-built GXP that is slightly different from our last three RJ cars, and from the first run off the trailer, it performed flawlessly. It came out of the gate very smooth, without any of the usual new-car gremlins, and was fast and consistent.

“This new Summit Pontiac seems to have a very wide tuning window because even though we threw a lot of things at it, it still went down the racetrack every time. Comparing it to the previous-design cars driven by Jason and my brother-in-law Ronnie, it pretty much acted better in every aspect. Whenever you bring out a new car, you always wonder when it’s the right time to use it in a race, but we’re not at all nervous to start the season with this particular car.

“We ran for five days straight, made a lot of runs, and learned quite a bit. Having gotten through most of our list of things we wanted to do and try, we’re going to skip going to Las Vegas before the season, allowing us to save a little money in travel that we can use elsewhere. This will be the first time we miss the Vegas test session, but we’re comfortable enough with our race cars that we can spend the time fine-tuning our engines before heading to Pomona.”

For 2006 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Line, the Bradenton test also offered a welcome chance to strap into his race car and shake off any rust accumulated during the two past months.

“It was good to get back in the race car and get reacclimated,” said Line. “You’re always a little out of sorts when you haven’t driven for a while, so I welcomed the opportunity to get in some practice. We may not have set the world on fire, but we weren’t there to win the test, and we learned a few things about my Summit Racing Pontiac that we can use moving forward. You always want to go faster, but all things considered, it was as good a test session as we could have hoped for. We’re ready to get the season started.”

 

Interstate Batteries will serve as the major sponsor for 2009 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards' Pontiac during the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock season.

The partnership with Mike Edwards Motorsports marks Interstate Batteries' return to NHRA competition.

"Our racing organization shares Interstate Batteries' core values ... and with that alliance behind our team, we believe this will be a winning combination in 2010," Edwards said.

The distinctive Interstate Batteries logo will grace the front hood of Edwards' car. The partnership will also carry outside the NHRA arena as Edwards will be part of Interstate Batteries' marketing approach in other areas in 2010.

"Interstate Batteries has been a familiar brand in motorsports for almost 20 years, and we're pleased to return to NHRA to be a part of Mike Edwards Motorsports' continued success this season," said Interstate Batteries Chairman Norm Miller. "Mike's outrageous dependability as a competitor fits Interstate Batteries' promise to consumers. This sponsorship is also a great opportunity to build upon the excitement of the I Am Second campaign that continues to spread virally."

After finishing fourth in the NHRA Pro Stock world championship standings in 2008, Edwards rewrote the record book in 2009; he earned five victories, become the first Pro Stock driver to eclipse the 212-mph barrier, set the national e.t. record at 6.509, and qualified low at 16 events, including the last nine of the season. With the additional support, expect Edwards and the entire team to be in contention for the 2010 championship.

Edwards and team plan to begin preseason testing in preparation for defense of the NHRA title during this weekend's Pro Stock Shootout at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They will test additional days following the event before heading to the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline the following weekend in Pomona.
 

NHRA unveiled the logo for its newest exciting and interactive experience for spectators and participants, NHRA Unleashed, and further details on the event concept.

NHRA Unleashed, an experience unlike any other, both on and off the track, embraces a new breed of drag racing enthusiast who is looking for pure, doorslammer heads-up competition on the track and a festival environment off the track. NHRA Unleashed will be featured in a series of televised specials that celebrate pure American horsepower.

NHRA Unleashed will be a race event with entry fees, purse payout, and an NHRA Wally for the winners.  The drag racing activities will include 10.5 Outlaw competition in four classes on the eighth-mile: Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street, EZ Street, and Modified Street. In addition, Heads-Up Weekend Warrior Sportsman Index Racing will feature five classes: 8.5 index, 10.0 index, 11.0 index, 12.0 index, and 13.0 index. These are the cars that race at every dragstrip across the nation and are the backbone of drag racing. They include a wide variety of muscle cars, compact cars, trucks, and even station wagons. A high-octane addition to the track excitement will be exhibition Pro Modified cars.

Off the track, fans will be able to enjoy a multitude of activities and events. In keeping with the interactive theme, NHRA Unleashed events will offer a fun and challenging autocross course, where fans can race their own cars against the clock. For muscle-car enthusiasts who don’t want to actually race on the dragstrip, NHRA Unleashed will offer a chassis dyno on which fans can monitor their cars’ engine performance. A Show & Shine car show for all makes of muscle and classic cars will be at all NHRA Unleashed events.

Additional spectator activities include a vast manufacturers’ midway with a number of national and local sponsorship exhibits and interactive displays and a Kids Zone with inflatables and other children’s activities. In addition, a large automotive swap meet and automotive seminars will be held covering various aspects of muscle-car restoration and high-performance secrets.    

Car clubs will be encouraged to attend and be assigned special parking corrals with the dragstrip properties. It will represent a great way for car clubs to show their club and vehicle brand pride and get a premium parking space.

A centerpiece of the events will be NHRA Unleashed Center Stage. Strategically located in the middle of all the action, a center stage will be set up to provide a venue for television hosts to interview the drag racing stars and their families, car owners, manufacturers of automotive products, and, of course, spectators. 

NHRA and Disrupt/ive Studios plan to announce a television partner for the four events in the near future.

The first of the 2010 NHRA Unleashed events will be June 11-13 at Atlanta Dragway. On Aug. 6-8, NHRA Unleashed will visit O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio, will host an NHRA Unleashed event Sept. 10-12, and the final event on the 2010 schedule will take place at Gainesville Raceway Nov. 5-7.

For more information and event details including rules and entry, click here.

When the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season begins, Rodger Brogdon and the Steve Kent Racing Pro Stock team will have a whole new Attitude when they roll through the gates for the first race of the year in Pomona.

The team's new Jerry Haas Pontiac GXP will feature the bold new colors, look, and logo of Attitude Apparel, the clothing line that Brogdon purchased midseason last year.

“Haas delivered our new car less than two weeks ago, and we’ve already had it on track for some testing," said Brogdon. "We’ll do some additional testing before the Pro Stock preseason race in Las Vegas and then roll into Pomona ready to go. With a new car and a new look, we’re looking forward to a solid start to the season.

“We plan to hit the ground running in 2010. We missed the season opener last year and then struggled for a few races before we started getting it together. After running one of the few six-second runs at Bandimere, we knew we were on the right track, then from Indy on, we were as solid a race team as just about everyone else. We plan on carrying that late-season momentum with us along with our new Attitude into Pomona.”

NHRA will launch its 10th anniversary season with ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports television, with a prime-time telecast of the most highly anticipated Full Throttle Series race in many years at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona: the 50th Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, Feb. 14 from 8 to 11 p.m. ET.

Highlighting the complete 2010 schedule, released today, is a commitment to consistent broadcast times for Sunday’s race-day action, with 17 of the 23 events scheduled in the coveted Sunday night prime-time slot on ESPN2. Once again, the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, will feature more than 10 hours of wall-to-wall coverage beginning with qualifying Sunday, Sept. 5, and concluding with a five-hour broadcast Monday, Sept. 6, from 1 to 6 p.m.

In all, the network will dedicate more than 100 hours of original programming to the world’s quickest, fastest, and most intense motorsport with live or same-day coverage of qualifying Saturday and eliminations Sunday. All broadcasts will be aired in high definition on ESPN2HD.

Not only does the season open in Southern California, the Series will also return to Pomona for the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 11-14, the sixth and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Countdown to 1.

Additionally, the popular pre-race show that debuted in 2007, NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, will be back in 2010, again being produced on-site to allow fans attending the Sunday race a chance to watch – and participate – in the show. It will air on each of the 23 Sundays of the NHRA Full Throttle Series.   

The shows are developed by the production team at ESPN, which has been producing NHRA programming since 2001. Paul Page returns to the broadcast booth as host alongside former drag racer  Mike Dunn, who will provide expert analysis and insight on the racing action. Dave Rieff and Gary Gerould will return as pit reporters. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA broadcast team in 2007, will serve as a third pit reporter at select races. 

NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil will be hosted once again by Rieff and Dunn and originate from NHRA’s Nitro Alley. NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil sets up the day for fans at home with must-see matchups, interviews with the stars of the sport, driver features, news and analysis, a review of qualifying, and what to watch for during the all-important Sunday action.  

In addition to coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing will be aired and distributed internationally through ESPN International. ESPN2 is now available in 98.7 million households.

 Complete 2010 NHRA/ESPN TV schedule

Antron Brown enters his third season behind the wheel of the Matco Tools dragster in 2010. The only driver in NHRA history to win races and lead the standings in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, Brown looks to improve on his third-place finish in 2009 and earn his first NHRA Full Throttle world championship. The Matco Tools flagship driver has 24 NHRA wins, including a category-best six Top Fuel wins in 2009. With the 2010 NHRA season just around the corner, Brown talked about the upcoming 23-race NHRA journey.

Q: What are you thoughts entering the 2010 NHRA season?
Brown: I’m very confident in our DSR [Don Schumacher Racing] Matco Tools race team. I feel that we’re going to have a very competitive race car, and I think becoming a part of the DSR organization gives us the maximum resources available, along with stability for our race team. I’m very excited to get to Pomona and to get the 2010 season going.

Q: After leading the standings for most of the season and not winning the championship last year, does that make you and the Matco team hungrier to win in 2010?
Brown: Yes, it does. It makes us hungry from the start, and we’re focused to improve on our performance last year. We really want to make sure we’re on point when the Countdown [to 1] begins at Indy because the last six races is where it all really counts. Last year showed you can just make the Countdown, but if you peak at the right time, you can still win the championship, but we want to be consistent all season long.

Q: You won a category-best six races in 2009. Can you repeat that performance?
Brown: Sure we can. We don’t just want to repeat, though. We want to do better each year. Last year, we went to 10 final rounds, which is awesome, but the idea is to improve in 2010. The goal is to win as many races as we can, but it will be tough because the competition is outstanding in Top Fuel.

Q: What’s new for the Matco Tools Top Fuel team in 2010?
Brown: We’ve got two brand-new race cars that were built in-house here at DSR in Brownsburg [Ind.]. And I think the Fram team showed last season how well the DSR chassis works and with how the [U.S.] Army team ran during testing in Florida. The most important thing is that we have a new start at winning the 2010 NHRA championship.

Q: How has being part of the DSR stable affected the Matco team?
Brown: It’s a very good thing for us. Now we have teammates that we can work with and bounce ideas off of. We can work and grow together; we’re not just a one-car team. We have the benefit of sharing information. And we have a blower dyno and in-house fab shop. Whatever we want to create, the possibilities are endless. It’s a good thing to be here at DSR.

Q: Were you surprised about the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals announcement for the spring Charlotte race, and how do you feel about it after being part of the first four-wide exhibition at zMax Dragway last September?
Brown: I wasn’t surprised, but I’m very excited. After participating in the exhibition last year, there’s nothing like having four nitro cars going down the track at the same time. It’s kind of like going four-wide around a superspeedway. I think it will be great for our sport to have a different style race at the Charlotte venue and something fans can look forward to each spring.

 

What a difference a year makes. 365 days ago, Tim Wilkerson was readying his troops and his equipment for the season opener in Pomona with more question marks than exclamation points in his head. He'd not only made the switch to a new chassis during the off-season, he'd moved from the familiar two-rail style to the newer three-rail configuration, and in addition, he was putting a sleek new Shelby Mustang on the car for the first time. If making changes can create challenges, Wilkerson had gone for the gusto.

This year, after a slow start in 2009 finally evolved into a successful campaign that featured two race victories, one runner-up result, and a fourth-place finish in the points, Wilkerson and his Levi, Ray & Shoup team are approaching the 2010 season with a different and more calculated approach. This year, it's all about continuity and confidence, as the team aims to take the momentum they built during the second half of the 2009 season and translate that into a solid start to a long and successful 2010 Full Throttle run.

"We learn lessons all the time in this sport, or at least we try to, and that was probably one last year," Wilkerson said. "We just made a lot of changes, and those can be tough enough when you're doing them one at a time, but they're really hard to sort out when you're doing multiple new things at once. We had to dig through it and keep our confidence up early on because it was a struggle. Once we started to find our groove a little, things got a lot better, and the car became our friend again. By midsummer last year, we were feeling like ourselves again, and we carried that right to the end of the season.

Tim Wilkerson scored back-to-back wins last season in Sonoma and Seattle.

"This year, the emphasis has been more on making sure we have some shiny new parts in the trailer and everything is serviced and ready to go so that we can hit the ground running in Pomona with the same confidence we had last fall. Same approach, same people, same stuff. That doesn't mean everything will just fall into place because cars are cars, and they can go Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on you over the course of a single weekend, but I think we're a lot better off than we were at the beginning of last year, just by having a better grip on things and because of the strong finish we had last season."

Never a big preseason testing fanatic (the LRS team made only a couple of days worth of runs in West Palm Beach, Fla., last year), Wilkerson's version of spring training in 2010 has been more about "getting in shape" than it's been about tune-ups. He and the LRS team spent half a week in Phoenix recently, but the vast majority of their on-track work was centered on further testing of the spec motor NHRA is investigating and developing. Once those laps were complete, the team made an on-track effort with its standard setup.

"We agreed to go out there and make some laps, trying out some stuff for NHRA and giving them the feedback they need on this deal, so it wasn't a normal preseason test in that sense," Wilkerson said. "The benefit for us was just getting in game shape, if you know what I mean. You can't simulate the effort it takes to make a lap, service the car, and get it back out there again, so it was good for the guys to be doing that work at a racetrack and getting back in rhythm that way. It's like a football team running the plays, really. We'll have that under our belts on the first day in Pomona, so that was very worthwhile.

"Then, we did have the chance to put our regular stuff back in it there at the end, just to make sure we still knew what we were doing and the car was happy. We might've stayed and made a few more laps that way, but the weather moved back in, and that was it. We've never been one of these teams that will go set up and run for days on end in January anyway because we'd rather spend our budget on winning rounds and races, and we're pretty good at adapting on the fly, so I think we'll be fine. We're ready to go."

In preseason testing in Phoenix, Wilkerson helped NHRA test its spec engine.

The 2010 season won't be completely without change for Wilkerson, as his team will soon take possession of its first '10 Shelby Mustang bodies. The new '10 Ford was developed to build on the aerodynamic advantages of the 2009 version, making it even sleeker and faster. Wilkerson's new bodies are still in the process of being mounted and completed, though, so fans shouldn't expect to see the '10 Shelby in Levi, Ray & Shoup colors until Gainesville at the earliest.

"Our new bodies aren't quite done yet, and with Pomona and Phoenix back to back this year, there's no way to make that change between races," Wilkerson reported. "We'll start the season with the same body we ran at the end of last year, and that will be fine for a couple of races. Once we get the 2010 Shelby Mustang on there, it should just give us one more reason to go faster.

"Looking back on 2009 and ahead to 2010, I'd have to say the switch to Ford and teaming up with the Tasca group have really been huge advantages for us. The people at Ford Racing are in this to win, and you can feel that dedication and excitement anytime you're around them. They give us support in a lot of ways, but just having a company like Ford behind you means you've got an advantage over a lot of teams out here. I'm proud to have the blue oval on my firesuit, I can tell you that, and we hope to get our LRS Ford back in the winner's circle a bunch of times this year."

Starting the year with continuity and momentum should give Wilkerson and his Levi, Ray & Shoup team a head start on the road to a successful season.
 

Responding to an unpredictable economy, drag racing icon John Force on Thursday outlined a plan to ensure both the competitive and financial viability of John Force Racing Inc. for years to come. The plan has been a work in progress for more than a year.

The cornerstones of Force’s initiative are a reduction in the number of cars the team will support next season in its bid for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world championship, relocation of all JFR racing resources to its Brownsburg, Ind., facility, creation of new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis, and personnel consolidation.

“In this economy,” Force said, “I’m having to reevaluate my programs and my people to create a game plan for the future. It’s all about the Next Generation.

“I have invested with the IMG group, headed by George Pyne, to help look for new sponsorship opportunities, but I also know that I need to ensure that my current sponsors, primarily Castrol, in our 25th year together, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource, and Mac Tools, are getting more value than they expect. We will continue to hit the media hard and work with them to make sure that our message along with our sponsors’ messages reach the fans.”

Whereas JFR has fielded four Ford Funny Cars the last three seasons, Force said he is parking, at least temporarily, the Drive One Mustang directed to a season-ending victory by 2008 rookie of the year Mike Neff.

His team’s 2010 lineup will feature only three Ford Mustangs: his own Castrol GTX High Mileage entry, the Auto Club Mustang in which Robert Hight will defend his Full Throttle world championship, and the Castrol GTX Mustang in which reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood will try to become the first woman to win the Funny Car title.

Mike Neff, right, will step out of the John Force Racing team's fourth Funny Car  this season and work with crew chief Austin Coil on Force's Mustang.

The 126-time tour winner said that Neff, crew chief for Gary Scelzi when they won the 2005 Funny Car world championship, will join Austin Coil, the most successful crew chief in drag racing history, in support of Force's bid for a 15th NHRA driving championship.

Bernie Fedderly, Coil’s partner for the last 17 years and one of only three crew chiefs to have won NHRA titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, will continue to be in the mix but will adjust his travel schedule after 30 years. He will also assume the new role of special projects manager at John Force Racing Inc. as well as contribute to the Coil-Neff alliance.

As Fedderly’s role changed, it opened the door to one of the most intriguing crew-chief partnerships in recent history. After winning the 2005 NHRA world championship as crew chief to Scelzi, Neff spent the last two seasons at the wheel of the Ford Drive One Mustang, earning 2008 rookie of the year honors before winning the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals last November at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Coil has won more NHRA races and more championships than anyone – including Force. The man who started as a line mechanic at a Chicago dealership enters 2010 with 16 championship trophies and 133 tour victories. Before joining Force in 1985, he won seven races and two NHRA championships (1982 and 1983) with his own car, the Chi-Town Hustler, driven by Frank Hawley.

Significantly, the makeover of Force’s team extends well beyond the crew chiefs. In fact, all but one crewmember will be new to the team with the start of the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, in Pomona.

In addition, the car itself will be new, front to back, utilizing JFR’s in-house chassis that Neff took to victory for the first time last year; the Ford BOSS 500 nitro engine developed by JFR’s John Medlen in conjunction with Ford Racing; and the new, sleeker '10 Mustang body with new logos and new metallic paint featuring silver highlights that recognize the 25 seasons Force has shared with Castrol.

Neff’s crew chief, Medlen, will concentrate on managing The Eric Medlen Project, which will continue to focus on racing safety, as well as the in-house engine and chassis programs he helped create that will generate new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis. Medlen will also be available to team with crew chief Jimmy Prock and car chief Eric Lane to create a potent tuning triumvirate for the 2009 Funny Car championship Auto Club Ford Mustang team.

“I am dropping the fourth car for the 2010 season strictly as a business move,” Force said, “because in this economy, we haven’t been able to fund it properly through new sponsorship.”

After a long tenure with Don Schumacher Racing, noted racetrack expert Lanny Miglizzi, left, will join Dan Hood as JFR's track specialist this season.

Moreover, to underscore the seriousness with which his teams are pursuing the 2010 title, Force has added track specialist Lanny Miglizzi to work with his crew chiefs and with son-in-law Dan Hood, who last year served as track specialist while developing as a backup for Fedderly in his role as inventory manager and personnel manager. The combination of Hood and Miglizzi also gives JFR more personnel to monitor the ever-changing track conditions as race cars compete throughout the day in Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster.

Miglizzi will also work out of the Brownsburg shop leading the JFR in-house clutch program. For years, he operated one of the sport’s most successful clutch-management businesses with his late father, Tony. He is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable, detail-oriented experts in the field of track-mapping.

Another change is the consolidation of all race car operations in Brownsburg. The last of Force’s race cars to make the move from the West Coast facility in Yorba Linda, Calif., was his own Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford. Furthermore, the machine-shop operation, which previously was split between the two facilities, has been centralized in Brownsburg.  

Force’s attention has not just been focused on on-track performance. One of the strongest brands in motorsports has also been looking at ways to ensure that his corporate backing can weather the up-and- down economy with his teams.

“I’ve had to reevaluate everything from show-car programs to midway displays to help activate programs for the sponsors and help cut costs,” Force said.

“I’ve talked a number of times with Tom McKernan, the CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, who helped keep the Auto Club profitable even in tough times, to help me reevaluate our JFR business plan,” Force said.

“Last year, I started talking with Brian Wolfe, who came over from Powertrain where he was instrumental in managing Ford’s mass-production capabilities. We talked about how to produce products in-house not only for our team but also to generate revenue by selling to other teams. I will continue to speak to Brian in this area as time permits because he is the expert. In Phoenix, I had the chance to speak with Jamie Allison, the new director of Ford Racing, and it was business as usual. We have to continue to be cost-efficient, but at the end of the day, Ford wants to win.

“One of my biggest losses was the recent passing of Bob Tasca Sr. He introduced me to Ford in 1997, and he wrote the book You Will Be Satisfied, about how to sell to the next generation of consumers. He was one of the icons with Ford, and I pray that I listened enough.

“I listen to these individuals because they’re successful in what they do, and with the 25th anniversary of JFR and Castrol and the continued growth of the NHRA, we need to know where we’re going for the next 25 years,” Force said.

“My priority right now is to execute this business plan and make sure existing sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource, and Mac Tools can activate trackside and elsewhere. I am investing in show-car trailers to help make that happen.

“It’s a tough economy, but these are exciting times, too, because of the way we are responding to the challenge. For me,” Force said, “the key word is ‘activate.’ We need to activate for our sponsors, but we need to activate for ourselves, too.”

 

NHRA has signed a contract extension with K&N Engineering Inc., locking in the company’s sponsorship of the popular K&N Horsepower Challenge, a lucrative bonus event for Pro Stock competitors, through the 2012 event.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a special race-within-a-race bonus program for the top Pro Stock drivers in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The K&N Horsepower Challenge is contested during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk.  The race features a special elimination pairing with eight Pro Stock drivers in the field: seven who accumulate the most points in qualifying during the 23-race Challenge series and one who is selected to the starting lineup for the event via a special fan vote.

As part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge, K&N will conduct a fan promotion during the running of the series and will present a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle to a lucky fan during the final of the K&N Horsepower Challenge. In the promotion, eight lucky fans will receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Summit Motorsports Park for the event, where one fan will be selected as the winner of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Each finalist will be paired with a K&N Horsepower Challenge driver during the pre-race ceremony and will be introduced on stage with the driver.

“We are pleased to extend the sponsorship of this important bonus event for Pro Stock racers with our friends at K&N Engineering,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president-sales & marketing. “The K&N Horsepower Challenge certainly brings an increased level of excitement to the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.”

The winner of the K&N Horsepower Challenge will earn $50,000, and the runner-up will earn $10,000. The two semifinalists will earn $3,000 each, and the four first-round finishers will receive $2,500 each.

“K&N is committed to making the Horsepower Challenge the premier Pro Stock event at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park,” said Steve Williams, K&N Engineering vice president. “This year, we are paring up eight lucky fans with the top eight drivers for a chance to win a Harley-Davidson Street Bob motorcycle; all they have to do is go to KNfilters.com, vote for their favorite driver, and register to win.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge features an overall purse of $145,000. In addition to the $76,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge, K&N also will award $69,000 in qualifying bonuses to quick Pro Stock qualifiers throughout the K&N Horsepower Challenge series. Low qualifiers earn $3,000 at each of the 23 events in the Challenge series.

Last season, Jeg Coughlin Jr. claimed his third title in the prestigious race-within-a-race bonus event.  Other past winners of the K&N Horsepower Challenge include Greg Anderson, Dave Connolly, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Larry Morgan, Jim Yates, Bruce Allen, and Bob Glidden.

K&N Engineering has been a major NHRA contingency sponsor for many years and has been the title sponsor for several NHRA national events in the past.

K&N is in Riverside, Calif., and has more than 700 employees. Its 400,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facilities produce the world’s best air filters that are reusable. Besides creating the first reusable performance air filter, K&N also produces the Wrench-Off oil filter and complete replacement air intake systems, adding horsepower for most cars and trucks.

Popular Pro Stock team owner Kenny Koretsky will partner with driver/engine builder Greg Stanfield and Indicom Electric owner Greg Hill, focusing on a 2010 season they believe could be as bright as the familiar multicolored race cars that run under Koretsky’s Nitro Fish Apparel banner.

This alignment also includes Koretsky’s longtime friend/crew chief Eddie Guarnaccia and is the melding of teams that, as one, have everything necessary to challenge for the coveted NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series title.

“I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do this year,” said the gregarious Koretsky, aka "Captain Chaos." “In fact, I was contemplating sitting out the season when Greg Stanfield and I began talking. He is one of the best engine builders in the sport, and that is something our team has been without in recent years.

“As it turned out, Greg wasn’t sure if he was going to race in 2010 or just build motors. I’m happy we were able to work things out.  Greg had his best Pro Stock finish last year when he was fourth, so we definitely have a solid foundation to build on. 'Captain Chaos' is going to race for the championship.

“We haven’t been able to put together a solid engine program,” Koretsky continued, “and now we’re associated with a very good one. The Nitro Fish/Indicom Electric Pro Stock team will be at all 23 races.”

Stanfield  is enthused about this opportunity.

“We’re excited,” he said. “It shouldn’t take long for us to get things working right. One good thing is Eddie has raced for a long time, and so have I.

“Pro Stock is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Stanfield continued. “Things have been improving for us each year, but we’ve never had the resources to really do the things I want to do. It’s a slow process because you have a lot of teams that have a lot of money, and they are working hard, raising the bar every day. It’s not only about the money; it’s about the work you need to do to keep up the performance.

Stanfield’s father taught him how to build engines. “He got me involved in racing,” he said. “He always built his own engines . . . so one thing led to another. I spend a lot of time in the shop. It is seven days a week for us.”

Greg Stanfield

Stanfield also has an impressive – and varied – resume that includes four Super Stock championships, a second-place finish in the 2001 Pro Stock Truck standings, and four top 10 Pro Stock finishes in the last five seasons.

“I’ve won races in every class I’ve raced in – Stock, Super Stock, Competition eliminator, Pro Stock Truck, and Pro Stock,” Stanfield added. “There aren’t many of us who have won races in that many categories.”

Guarnaccia said that the team will attend the preseason test session in Las Vegas (Feb. 4-6). “We’d like to start the season on a good note. This is our best opportunity to win races in about five years. Stanfield is obviously an excellent driver, and his motors put out excellent power. 

“He had his best Pro Stock season last year, and they should be proud of what they did against the tough competition. I’m hoping we can do better things for them.  With the horsepower they have, it’s a real good opportunity for all of us.”

Stanfield’s fourth-place finish was “one of the most efficient team efforts in Pro Stock,” said Hill. “Greg did a great job driving, and we fought our way through the season. 

“I think having Eddie as crew chief is a huge plus for our team,” Hill continued. “I respect him and think he’s one of the smartest tuners out there.  He’s dedicated to making the car go down the racetrack. I think this season is going to be a lot of fun.”

Ultimately, Stanfield hopes to give Koretsky his first Pro Stock national event victory and, perhaps, a taste of what it’s like to be involved in a championship race.