NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals
Dallas, Texas
by Susan Wade and Brian Lohnes; Photos by Roger Richards

SUNDAY FINAL - FORCE, SCHUMACHER, ANDERSON WIN AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

Perennial world champion John Force reclaimed the lead in the tightest Funny Car points chase in NHRA history by winning the event at the Texas Motorplex on Sunday.

Force won the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals after his opponent Frank Pedregon’s Toyo Tires Dodge Stratus R/T broke on the starting line. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won their respective categories at the $1.5 million race, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Force, who drove his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang to a 4.797-second finish at 324.05 mph, now holds a 36-point edge over former frontrunner Gary Scelzi. Scelzi fouled out for only the second time in his nine-year career in the first round of eliminations.

“I actually felt kind of bad for him, because I’ve been there,” Force said. “He’s trying real hard. He’s under pressure like all of us. I consider him one of the best, and when the best pushes it to the edge, that’s when you win. Sometimes it catches you, and that’s how it caught him today.

“Next week it can be turned back around. Next week I can come out here and lose in the first round and they’ll take the points lead again.”

Schumacher piloted his U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster down the track in 4.523 at 331.77 to defeat No. 1 qualifier Doug Herbert and his Snap-on Tools dragster. Herbert stopped the clocks in 4.629 at 320.05 in his final pass.

Schumacher, the defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel world champion, needs only to make a qualifying attempt at the next event, in Las Vegas, to earn a third title.

“What an awesome team,” Schumacher said. “Our team’s running so great. I am deep in the Funny Car battle, and I’m just a spectator over there. It’s just fun to watch. It’s so much fun to be a part of it.”

Following a lengthy burndown, Anderson defeated teammate Jason Line with a 6.690 at 206.61 effort in his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO.

Anderson, the defending two-time NHRA POWERade world champion who clinched his ’04 world championship at the Texas Motorplex, extended his lead in the POWERade point standings and inched closer to his third consecutive series crown.

“The way we started this season (so poorly), now we’re back in the game,” Anderson said. “I think a lot of people, a lot of our competitors, thought ‘you know what, we’ve got him this year. He’s done.’ We really had to find something extra this year, and obviously we did. My hat’s off to my crew. I can’t say enough about them. They are the three-time defending champions.

“Points are almost secondary to me. They certainly are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the reason why people come out. For me, it’s going to that race and winning that race and getting that Wally trophy at the end of the day. It means everything to me. To me, you go to win the race and prove you’re the baddest dog out there.”

With only two events remaining on the 2005 schedule, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series enters the final few weeks of the season. The 23-race series returns to the Nevada desert for the fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 20-23, at The Strip at the state-of-the-art Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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Sunday's final results from the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec at Texas Motorplex. The 1.5 million race is the 21st of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Tony Schumacher, 4.523 seconds, 331.77 mph def. Doug Herbert, 4.629 seconds, 320.05 mph.

Funny Car -- John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.797, 324.05 def. Frank Pedregon, Dodge Stratus, broke.

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.690, 206.61 def. Jason Line, GTO, 6.713, 206.48.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Steve Torrence, 5.259, 268.71 def. Aaron Olivarez, 5.316, 266.32.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Steve Gasparrelli, Pontiac Firebird, 5.668, 256.70 def. Jimmy Jones, Chevy Camaro, 5.679, 255.10.

Competition Eliminator -- Richard Freeman, Chevy Cavalier, 8.471, 162.08 def. Craig Bourgeois, Dragster, 6.935, 181.52.

Super Stock -- Hagen Gary, Chevy Camaro, 10.982, 95.13 def. Kevin Helms, Olds Achieva, broke.

Super Comp -- Tommy Phillips, Dragster, 8.920, 161.96 def. Rodney Costlow, Dragster, 8.935, 167.28.

Super Gas -- Carl Cochran, Roadster, 9.897, 148.25 def. Gary Free, Chevy Lumina, 9.892, 144.30.

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Final round-by-round results from the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec at Texas Motorplex, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Doug Kalitta, 4.502, 328.30 def. Cory McClenathan, 5.869, 156.19; Larry Dixon, 4.583, 320.97 def. Scott Kalitta, 4.621, 318.84; Morgan Lucas, 4.543, 323.04 def. Jack Beckman, 6.125, 139.62; Melanie
Troxel, 4.597, 319.75 def. Scott Weis, 4.772, 271.30; Doug Herbert, 4.551, 324.28 def. Bill Ancona, 4.774, 281.48; Tony Schumacher, 4.484, 331.28 def. Mitch King, 4.915, 247.43; Rod Fuller, 4.580, 316.23 def. David Grubnic,
5.777, 194.21; John Smith, 5.512, 236.55 def. Brandon Bernstein, 6.230, 214.38;
QUARTERFINALS -- Troxel, 4.558, 327.43 def. Dixon, 4.817, 311.27; Fuller, 4.609, 325.61 def. Smith, 7.246, 134.20; Herbert, 4.567, 321.81 def. D. Kalitta, 5.663, 190.54; Schumacher, 6.081, 299.00 def. Lucas, 6.572, 275.62;
SEMIFINALS -- Herbert, 5.237, 253.14 def. Fuller, 12.709, 77.04; Schumacher, 4.550, 327.51 def. Troxel, 7.127, 123.56;
FINAL -- Schumacher, 4.523, 331.77 def. Herbert, 4.629, 320.05.


FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Frank Pedregon, Dodge Stratus, 4.870, 306.88 def. Mike Ashley, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.891, 299.80; Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.893, 322.34 def. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 6.483, 143.35; Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.852, 324.67 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.906, 308.28; Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.831, 318.92 def. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 5.151, 226.77; Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.942, 279.38 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 7.707, 116.70; Phil Burkart, Toyota Celica, 4.865, 313.80 def. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, foul; Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.855, 321.42 def. Bob Gilbertson, Monte Carlo, 8.421, 111.87; John Force, Mustang, 4.835, 325.53 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.895, 304.46;
QUARTERFINALS -- Bartone, 5.478, 186.25 def. Bazemore, 15.108, 77.80; F. Pedregon, 5.680, 191.73 def. Capps, 8.309, 120.35; Force, 4.838, 322.88 def. Wilkerson, 4.840, 319.75; Worsham, 4.906, 315.19 def. Burkart, 4.953, 312.57;
SEMIFINALS -- F. Pedregon, 5.033, 307.23 def. Worsham, 6.821, 160.75; Force, 4.834, 322.34 def. Bartone, 4.871, 317.34;
FINAL -- Force, 4.797, 324.05 def. F. Pedregon, broke.


PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Warren Johnson, Pontiac GTO, 6.709, 206.45 def. Mark Pawuk, GTO, 6.745, 205.41; Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.730, 204.91 def. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.735, 204.88; Jeg Coughlin, Stratus, 6.710, 205.32 def. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.707, 205.69; Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 8.410, 115.24 def. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, foul; Jason Line, GTO, 6.674, 206.64 def. V. Gaines,
Stratus, foul; Erica Enders, Cobalt, 6.698, 205.47 def. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.763, 204.88; Greg Anderson, GTO, 6.669, 207.15 def. Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, broke; Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.719, 205.35 def. Greg Stanfield, Chevy Cavalier, 6.729, 205.07;
QUARTERFINALS -- Coughlin, 6.786, 205.10 def. K. Johnson, 17.495, 72.83; Enders, 6.741, 205.29 def. Krisher, 7.523, 127.81; Line, 6.701, 206.35 def. A. Johnson, foul; Anderson, 6.694, 206.51 def. W. Johnson, 6.750, 205.94;
SEMIFINALS -- Line, 6.728, 206.13 def. Coughlin, 6.787, 204.85; Anderson, 6.692, 206.35 def. Enders, 6.729, 205.35;
FINAL -- Anderson, 6.690, 206.61 def. Line, 6.713, 206.48.

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SUNDAY NOTES

Club Smith – Much hoopla was made about the “Don Beverly Club” as he was the only Pro Stock driver ever to loose to a female driver, until Rickie Smith met the same fate when Erica Enders took him out in Reading, PA.

Smith was quick to tell Enders that his car had broken during the pass and things would not turn out as well for her whenever they met again. Essentially he said that she got lucky.

Instead of exacting his revenge during the first round here in Ennis, however, Smith instead became a historical footnote as the first male Pro Stock driver to ever be beaten by a female driver… twice.

Let’s not mention the fact that it was the same female driver on both occasions, but it was. Enders simply out-powered Smith down the entire quarter mile, blistering the pavement with a 6.698-second, 205.47-mph lap that put Smith back on the trailer early in the day.

Smith managed a decent pass of 6.76, 204, but that was not near enough to handle the Slammers machine with Enders at the wheel.

Considering that this is still a male dominated sport, it is not exactly Earth shattering that Enders is beating men. It is interesting to see that she’s rewriting a chapter of the drag racing history book, however.

Show of Force – Entering this weekend’s race only seven drivers were mathematically still eligible to win the 2005 Funny Car championship. Of the seven, John Force was the only one who advanced past the second round.

Points leader Gary Scelzi had a red light foul in the first round against Phil Burkart, who qualified in his final attempt. No. 4 Robert Hight and No. 5 Eric Medlen, the youngest drivers in the John Force Racing stable, were also gone at the conclusion of the first round. So was Tommy Johnson, who entered the race No. 6 in points. Force defeated him in the first round.

Don Schumacher Racing teammates Ron Capps and Whit Bazemore were Round 2 losers.

Mathematically, no one in the class could have clinched the championship at Ennis.

Top Fuel title tension – Tony Schumacher, driver of the U.S. Army Dragster needed to complete this event with a 277-point lead to clinch the championship. His teammate Melanie Troxel helped him by eliminating Larry Dixon, his closest competitor in the quarterfinals. However, Schumacher still would have had to win the race and set a national E.T record along the way to defend his title.

Number 3 Doug Kalitta was the only other driver in contention for the championship, and he lost to Doug Herbert in the second round.

Red Light Bandit – Dave Connolly’s first round red light disqualification certainly disappointed the Skull Gear Chevy Cobalt driver. It also stalled Greg Anderson’s championship march.

Like Schumacher, Anderson needed a 277-point lead after this event. He could have done it had Kurt Johnson not qualified or not won in the first round. But Johnson benefited from Connolly’s mistake. That means that just as in Top Fuel the Pro Stock championship chase heads to Las Vegas.

Carrier Boyz change chiefs – It was announced this afternoon that the Carrier Boyz racing team has released tuner Todd Smith. The team did not announce who would be taking over the duties.

In an official statement, Andy Carrier said, “Carrier Boyz Racing and Todd Smith have mutually agreed to a separation of their business relationship effective immediately.”

The team has not been running well of late and their bad luck continued here in Ennis as they were defeated in the first round by Doug Kalitta when McClenathan smoked the tires hard.

McClenathan said, “Over the course of my career I’ve seen this happen numerous times. Most of the time it’s in the best interest of the parties involved that each go in a different direction. Such is the case for Carrier Boyz Racing and Todd Smith.”

The reason for Smith’s release was not disclosed, as mentionsed, but the release contained the following: “This is a results-oriented business. The bottom line is the nature of the business.” In reading the release it is difficult to discern who is responsible for the quotation, but it is safe to assume it was a member of the Carrier Boyz Racing organization.

New points leader – John Force has retaken the lead in the Funny Car category. He achieved this feat by making it to the final round. Along the way he knocked out Tommy Johnson Jr., Tim Wilkerson and Tony Bartone.

There are two possible situations as far as the points are concerned. If Force wins the event he will be leading by 36 points. If Frank Pedregon is able to defeat Force he will still leave with a 16 point lead.

With only two races left and less than 40 points making the difference between Number 1 and Number 2, it is going to be a wild finish out West.

Stevens racing for peanuts – Richie Stevens has a unique perspective on his inability to catch a break this season in Pro Stock. He thinks that he is Pigpen, the character from the Peanuts comic strip that travels around with a cloud over his head.

It is a joke," said Stevens of the Pigpen reference. "That cloud is still there. I think somebody is burning a candle somewhere on me.”

Today, his foil was Jeg Coughlin, another guy who has not been having the year he wanted to have.

Stevens wondered aloud why everyone seems to be so keyed up when he faces off with them. Normally, drivers catch a break out here on the tour now and then. For Stevens it has been a while.

“I had a good light. His was a tad bit better. What do you do? I don't know. I can't catch anybody making a mistake. Any time I run somebody, it seems they're on their best game, and I don't get any slack,” Stevens said. "Not that there's any slack cut in this class at all, but I cannot catch a break to save my life. It's unreal.”

The Force is real – “My car was junk this weekend, we only made one good run. Then all of a sudden Coil finds his magic and here we are,” that was the story of John Force’s weekend. He and his team created success from turmoil, both personal and mechanical.

“I feel bad for Gary Scelzi right now because I have been there,” Force said. “I consider Gary Scelzi to be one of the best. I really do. When the best push it to the edge that’s how you win. He was out there trying to do that,” Force said in reference to Scelzi’s red light in the first round. Amazingly, that was the second red light of Scelzi’s professional career.

The left lane of the racetrack had been giving most of the other competitors trouble all day long, but the Force team never wavered from their decision to run on the left side of the track.

“They don’t tell me about the decisions they make when they read the track,” Force said. “I don’t read the track, they do. I asked them about it and they told me that we were going to run that lane and that’s what we did.”

The team worked their way to the final round and was able to run unopposed because frank Pedragon had a mechanical issue and had to shut his car down. Force ran 4.79, 324.05.

Force said the emotional impact of the weekend was what carried him to the winners’ circle. He and daughter Ashley had recently been arguing about the load of work she has been carrying lately. Between her media appearances, learning to drive the funny car, and dealing with all of the other associated business as a member of the Force Racing universe.

“We got really emotional yesterday,” Force said. “Ashley got overloaded and we had a fight. We got emotional because I feel like I am just trying to give her the life here. I need to understand that she hasn’t been doing this for 30 years like I have. She has been thrown in the middle of all this stuff. She wrote me a note and it really got to me. I was able to find the young guy inside me and that is what’s important to win.”

The contents of the note were kept private, but Force’s appreciation of the letter were very public and the inspiration he got from it was more than anything he could remember in the past.

“One of the things she said to me was that ‘She couldn’t be me and that she wasn’t like me’. Well, after I read the letter I went up to her car in the staging lanes and I held it up and told her that she was just like me,” Force remembered. “It is your heart that carries you out here. That’s what makes you who you are. It is not easy to do this. My time is running out here and I am putting together a next generation that can win.”

Force won the race today and took the lead in the Funny Car Points chase. To be brutally honest, he didn’t seem too phased by it. It was not the cool nature of a multi-time champion, brushing off a feat that others would be ecstatic with. It was the simple realization of a father who shares a special bond with his daughter.

All father-daughter relationships have snags. Dealing with those snags can either strengthen or weaken that bond. Today John Force, the superman of NHRA, the hero of all things drag racing, was just a man. A mortal who bleeds and cries like everyone else.

“Someone said that Ron Capps and Scelzi were throwing up behind the bleachers, well I was crying,” Force said.

Schumacher’s Army is unstoppable – Tony Schumacher and his world-beating Army Top Fuel Dragster were winners again today in Ennis. The team defeated Doug Herbert in the final round with a blast of 4.523/331.77.

“The real story out here is that you have to grab your youth,” Schumacher said. “That’s what I told Scelzi and Capps. You cannot out-think a race car, it’s impossible. You have to react and to do that you have to think back about when you were just dying to get in the car and drive it. You can’t be thinking about all of the other things.”

That strategy has netted the team seven final round appearances in nine races and has powered Tony to nearly clinching the NHRA Top Fuel Title.

“If you look back to Indy we were tied with Doug (Kalitta) point for point. Now we are 268 points up. That’s because of my crew and because of Alan Johnson. We are very serious about the Bud Shootout and our team really wants to win that race.”

Schumacher said that his team really wants to win every time they pull through the gates and that adds to their success as a racing outfit. “We did a great job in our crisis time this year. When things were tight we did not make mistakes and we got the job done.”

The race today was not without hiccups, though, as the second round match against Morgan Lucas nearly went up in smoke before it ever started.

“That car was smoking the tire before it went thirty feet,” Schumacher said. “I loved it though. I loved it because of the outcome. Whenever we are able to win one like that it is great. To be a championship team you have to win those rounds. That’s what makes you better.”

Schumacher said that the tire smoking incident was the first time the car had done that in nearly 25 rounds of competition. He seemed proud and amazed at the same time when relaying that statistic. As it looks right now, all Tony Scumacher has to do is show up to Las Vegas and make one qualifying attempt to secure the 2005 Top Fuel Championship. By the way things have been going at their camp, that one shot may be one for the ages.

Anderson is readying for big finish – Pro Stock is a class that has been defined by its people more than its machinery over the course of time. There has been the “Grumpy” Jenkins era, the Bob Glidden era, the Warren Johnson era and now we are in the middle of the Greg Anderson era.

Anderson captured the Pro Stock victory here in Ennis with a 6.69, 206.61 pass against Jason Line. The run was preceded by an 81-second “burn down” between the teammates. Ken Black even approached the starting line and motioned to the competitors to stage their cars.

“You know I just made up my mind not to go in first,” Anderson said. “I usually don’t do that, but this time I did. Normally, I give up first and just go in, but I thought Jason would do that because he is a little newer out here, but we were both thinking the same.”

When asked if Ken Black’s waving prompted him to stage, Anderson said, “You know I didn’t even see him. I was just looking at the tree and trying to concentrate because if he went in I did not want to be counted out.”

This will be Anderson’s third title in a row and according to the defending champion, his proudest achievement.

“I think this one is very rewarding because it was kind of a come from behind thing. We really had to work for this one and it took the whole team to get it done,” Anderson said. “I am just a small part of the equation. I have people that have dedicated their lives to this program and I cannot thank them enough.”

The Summit driver said a love for winning was the fire that drives the team’s success. “That’s why we all show up, to win these races. We do not come out here and count points. That’s almost secondary to me. We look at each race as it’s own entity,” Anderson explained. “The points are the gold at the end of the journey, but we come out to win every race, not necessarily make up points.”

Anderson reflected on his success over the last couple of seasons and said that that he really would like to clinch the championship in Las Vegas because it has special meaning to the team.

“It is Ken Black’s home town and all of his friends and family will be there. We probably could not have scripted it any better than the way it will work out. I just have to avoid getting hit by a bus for a couple of weeks and we will be ok I guess,” Anderson joked.

SATURDAY - CAPPS, HERBERT, ANDERSON TOP QUALIFIERS AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

(10-8-2005) - Ron Capps broke a lengthy drought at Texas Motorplex on Saturday, when he claimed his first Funny Car No. 1 qualifier award in five years.

Doug Herbert (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also topped their respective categories at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec. The $1.5 million race is the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Series. Professional eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Capps piloted his Brut Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car to a track record time of 6.694 seconds at 327.82 mph. Essentially, Capps earned eight points for his leading qualifying effort and passed fellow championship contender John Force in the point standings with his track-record time.

“It’s great timing (to qualify No. 1),” said Capps, a seven-time No. 1 qualifier. “We’re getting hot right now, and we picked a good time for it. It seems like a home game when conditions warm up with Ace (Ed McCulloch) as a crew chief. I feel pretty confident.

“It’ll be another night of not being able to sleep and throwing up breakfast in the morning.”

Capps faces No. 16 qualifier Jack Wyatt in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations. Capps entered the Fall Nationals third in the point standings, 45 points behind leader and teammate Gary Scelzi and two points behind Force. But Force earned only three points for qualifying seventh and Scelzi earned four points for qualifying fifth as the battle for the NHRA POWERade world championship continues.

“You look in the mirror, and it’s like, this is it. This is what it comes down to,” said Capps, who will begin Sunday feeling carefully optimistic. “Fighting for a championship, when the pressure is on, to qualifying where we did.”

Herbert passed by his category’s points leader with a track record time of 4.441 at 328.06 in his Snap-on Tools dragster for his first No. 1 qualifier since the fall race at Las Vegas in 2002. Tony Schumacher, who leads the point standings, qualified No. 3 after Herbert and Melanie Troxel, who became the sport’s fastest and quickest female with a 4.458 at 330.31-mph pass during Friday’s first qualifying session in her Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels dragster. Larry Dixon and Doug Kalitta remain second and third in the point standings, respectively, after qualifying No. 7 and No. 8.

“We just haven’t had our act together,” said Herbert, whose crew is beginning to gel after several late-season changes. “We’ve been good enough; we just haven’t had our act together. I think it’s just really coming together. (Crew chief) Wayne Dupuy is awesome. He’s aggressive. I’ve never met a more intense guy. We just have a team that’s really coming together. It’s a shame it’s late in the season, but we’re setting the stage for next year.”

Anderson set the track records for both time and speed in his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO when he shut the clocks off in 6.647 at 207.40 for his sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and the 39th of his career.

He will race unopposed in the first round. Bruce Allen, who was involved in an accident on Friday, would have been his opponent as the No. 16 qualifier but will be unable to compete. Allen qualified in his first attempt Friday afternoon and remained one of the 16 quickest vehicles in the 22-car field.

“It’s not what we want,” Anderson said. “We don’t want a bye run first round tomorrow, but that’s the way the rules are written. It allows us a chance to take a free shot at the track and get in tune with it (for the later rounds). That doesn’t ever happen in this class. It’s a battle from first-round on.

“That’s going to be, I think, good for us, but it can also come back to haunt us. You need to get up for every race you go to, and certainly I won’t be up for that first-round no-match. You’ve got to make sure somehow you rebound and get up for that second-round one.”

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec at Texas Motorplex, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Herbert, 4.441 seconds, 328.06 mph vs. 16. Bill Ancona, 4.935, 229.35; 2. Melanie Troxel, 4.458, 330.31 vs. 15. Scott Weis, 4.906, 234.09; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.474, 332.02 vs. 14. Mitch King, 4.862, 292.52; 4. Rod Fuller, 4.493, 328.94 vs. 13. David Grubnic, 4.774, 287.41; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 4.494, 328.62 vs. 12. John Smith, 4.674, 287.60; 6. Morgan Lucas, 4.509, 320.81 vs. 11. Jack Beckman, 4.636, 305.08; 7. Larry Dixon, 4.514, 329.34 vs. 10. Scott Kalitta, 4.570, 324.90; 8. Doug Kalitta, 4.518, 328.94 vs. 9. Cory McClenathan, 4.558, 327.74.

Funny Car -- 1. Ron Capps, Dodge Stratus, 4.694, 327.82 vs. 16. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 4.869, 287.72; 2. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.698, 322.96 vs. 15. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.846, 319.22; 3. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.711, 330.31 vs. 14. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.844, 306.67; 4. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.711, 326.71 vs. 13. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.820, 324.51; 5. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.716, 326.40 vs. 12. Phil Burkart, Toyota Celica, 4.811, 308.07; 6. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.731, 326.08 vs. 11. Bob Gilbertson, Monte Carlo, 4.806, 317.27; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.737, 326.40 vs. 10. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.772, 323.89; 8. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo, 4.766, 327.27 vs. 9. Frank Pedregon, Stratus, 4.768, 320.89.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.647, 207.40 vs. 16. Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.714, 204.76; 2. Jason Line, GTO, 6.662, 207.24 vs. 15. V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.708, 205.69; 3. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.663, 207.15 vs. 14. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.706, 205.85; 4. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.679, 206.51 vs. 13. Greg Stanfield, Chevy Cavalier, 6.705, 205.91; 5. Erica Enders, Cobalt, 6.683, 206.42 vs. 12. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.703, 205.72; 6. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.688, 205.91 vs. 11. Jeg Coughlin, Stratus, 6.700, 205.57; 7. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.693, 205.19 vs. 10. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.700, 205.91; 8. Warren Johnson, GTO, 6.696, 206.86 vs. 9. Mark Pawuk, GTO, 6.699, 206.04.

SATURDAY NOTES

(Motel6 Vision)

Accident update -- A nursing supervisor at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas told Competition Plus that Bruce Allen and Kenny Koretsky were listed in stable condition Saturday morning following their fiery crash Friday night during qualifying. But Allen was released Saturday afternoon, while Koretsky remained hospitalized "at least until tomorrow" because of concern about possible internal injuries.

Allen, who was runner-up at the Texas Motorplex in last year's event, was expected to return to his home in nearby Arlington to recover from numerous bruises.

Miraculously, neither suffered any broken bones in the crash in which Koretsky's Nitro Fish Wear Dodge Stratus T-boned Allen's Reher-Morrison Pontiac Grand Am that had skidded into his lane on its side.

The index and middle fingers of Allen's right hand were mangled. He told Dave Densmore, his longtime friend and current John Force Racing public-relations representative, that he had been reaching for the parachute lever when his out-of-control car flipped on its right side and the hand was caught between the cage and the concrete track surface. An unidentified foreign body was removed from his eye, and he sported a black eye, a cut above his eye, and facial bruises.

"He looked like he'd been in a prize fight and lost," Densmore said of the 55-year-old veteran racer. However, Densmore said fellow Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards, who visited Allen at the hospital along with wife Lisa, was holding Allen's helmet and marveling that it did not bear one scratch, scrape, dent, or ding.

Koretsky, 47, suffered a small burn on his buttock and a deep bone bruise in his arm. He said his entire body was sore.

"It feels like my chest is crushed," he said. "My neck, right arm, and hand hurt, and the doctors think I might have a bruised heart. The doctors want to run a few ore tests before they release me."

Koretsky said he didn't see Allen's car before the impact. "All I remember is Bruce's motor coming through the windshield," he said. "It was such a hard hit. That's the hardest hit I've ever experienced. I was moving along real well and all of a sudden I came to a dead stop. I didn't even see him."

He said he realized it is a miracle neither he nor Allen were more seriously injured. "The seat belts did their job," Koretsky said, "but they left serious marks on me."

Eddie Guarnaccia, Koretsky's crew chief, testified about the ferocity of the collision. "The computer that measures the g-forces in Kenny's car showed a plus-2 reading, but it immediately went to minus-6.5 -- the highest it reports -- when they hit each other," he said.

The Richboro, Pa., resident also told several people that he planned to put a driver in his Stratus but would not drive the car again. However, he has made no formal announcement. Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan said Koretsky told him that he had had a dream a couple of weeks ago that he was involved in a racing accident.

Koretsky's wife, Karen, was a patient in a Philadelphia-area hospital, recovering from surgery, when she received news of the accident in Texas.

Allen remained 15th in the lineup after Saturday's first qualifying session and was bumped down to the 16th and final spot in the fourth and final session. That means Greg Anderson, Pro Stock's top qualifier, automatically will advance to the second round Sunday.

Koretsky had not qualified at the time of the accident and officially ended up 18th of the class' 22 entrants.

Texas hexes redux -- This might not have been a desirable time to be the runner-up from last year's event. Pro Stock's Bruce Allen is recovering at his home in Arlington, Texas, from two severely damaged fingers and bruises from his violent accident during Friday night qualifying. David Grubnic struggled to make the Top Fuel field, taking the No. 13 position on his final chance. And Cruz Pedregon failed to qualify for the third time in four races.

Hot or cold -- On paper, Funny Car veteran Cruz Pedregon has had wild performance swings. He missed the Indianapolis and Reading races, then qualified No. 1 at Chicago before missing the field this weekend. The best he could coax from his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo was a 4.911-second elapsed time at 319.37 mph, which left him 18th and out of the field, along with Gary Densham, Jim Head, and Terry Haddock.

Studded tires? -- The grinding process that took place at the Texas Motorplex this summer might be becoming an issue this weekend. Cars in several classes have experienced rock sticking to the tires and pulling the aggregate rock from the racing surface, leaving divots in the track and pieces of the track stuck to their slicks. An NHRA official brought the problem to Competition Plus' attention.

Shootout field set -- Top Fuel drivers Doug Herbert and Melanie Troxel denied Tony Schumacher his seventh straight No. 1 qualifier position Saturday. However, the U.S. Army Dragster driver claimed the No. 1 seed for the Budweiser Shootout as qualifying ended for the $100,000-to-win event.

The top seven drivers automatically qualify for the 22nd annual specialty race that will take place Saturday, Oct. 22 as part of the ACDelco Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After Schumacher, those drivers are (in order) Doug Kalitta, Larry Dixon, Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein, Cory McClenathan, and Scott Kalitta.

The drivers who are ranked eighth through 15th must attend a drawing Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Hard Rock Café Casino and Resort in Las Vegas for the eighth and final "wild card" berth. Those drivers (in order) are defending champion Dave Grubnic, Doug Herbert, Scott Weis, David Baca, John Smith, Rod Fuller, Melanie Troxel, and Clay Millican.

So it is possible that, by the misfortune of the draw, Grubnic would not be able to defend his title and compete for the double-up bonus that the sanctioning body would pay if the Budweiser Shootout winner also wins the Top Fuel final of the event. Grubnic and teammate Scott Kalitta were vying for the seventh spot. Kalitta qualified 10th for Sunday's O'Reilly Fall Nationals eliminations, and Grubnic wound up 13th. They had entered this event tied for seventh, 60 points behind Cory McClenathan, Sunday's No. 9 starter.

The Kalittas, Dixon, Lucas, Bernstein, and McClenathan must draw for their pairings at that Thursday party at Las Vegas.

Jack Beckman was the highest-ranked driver to miss the cut.

Top Fuel drivers competed during qualifying at national events from the 2004 Finals at Pomona, California, through this weekend's race.

Cory Mac still ailing -- Top Fuel's Cory McClenathan said he won't know for sure what exactly is troubling him physically until he keeps his 7 a.m. Tuesday doctor's appointment in Southern California. But the best assessment at this point is that the Carrier Boyz/FRAM Air Hog Dragster driver is suffering from a lower hernia and kidney stones. He said last week in Joliet that he had thought he had a double hernia.

Although he cannot get into or from the cockpit without help, McClenathan said he is hoping to be able to complete the Las Vegas race and attending Budweiser Shootout the October 21-23 weekend. He said he wants to do it for his team owners, crew, and sponsors -- and because he wants to finish eighth instead of ninth or worse in the final Powerade standings.

"I don't know if it’s a thing of age," the 42-year-old said with a laugh, "or f I moved wrong. He said I've had a small hernia for three or four years. I knew it, but he said it wasn't worth going in and doing an operation."

He and his family are moving to a new house in Lake Havasu, Arizona. And during the move, McClenathan was carrying his toolbox when it slipped from his grasp. He said he thinks he might have aggravated his ailment when he reached suddenly to grab it and keep it from fall into the floor.

He said the doctor told him that if they can wait to have the surgery, they will wait.

In the meantime, McClenathan said, he has been taking medication only at nighttime. "I would never jeopardize myself or my competitors. That's a big thing for me," he said. "I just live with the pain during the day. I'm actually good in the morning. But the more I walk and the more I do during the day, the more I feel it." He said tire shake and the moment he throws the parachutes out to stop the car cause the most pain."

He said if he had to proceed with the surgery after the Las Vegas race and skip the season finale at Pomona, California, then longtime and trusted pal Kenny Bernstein is the one he would ask to do that. The two had discussed the possibility of Bernstein, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster team owner, driving the FRAM car in the fourth qualifying session at Joliet, Illinois, last weekend. But Graham Light, the sanctioning body's senior vice-president of racing operations, told them that if they used that arrangement, Bernstein would have to drive the car in Sunday's eliminations.

Will on the go -- Hillary Will is competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class today at a Northwest Division race at Champion Raceway in Eagle Point, Oregon, but is expected to arrive at the Texas Motorplex in time to watch Sunday's final eliminations. The California native, who will drive a Top Fuel dragster for team owners Connie Kalitta and Ken Black in 2006, will study, among other aspects of drag racing, how Doug Kallita, Scott Kalitta, and Dave Grubnic stage their cars.

She might also stay at the Ennis facility Monday and test-drive Scott Kalitta's Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragster. Grubnic will test-drive his own Zantrex-3/StriVectin car and Doug Kalitta's Mac Tools Dragster. Will uses what the Kalitta Motorsports team jokingly calls a "booster seat," because at 5-feet, 2-inches tall, she otherwise cannot see out the windshield.

Satisfied -- Tony Schumacher said he isn't upset about not recording his seventh low-qualifier award in a row. After he took third place in the lineup with his U.S. Army Dragster, he said, "That's all right. We've got a good starting spot just the same. We're really looking at the big picture -- winning the race and clinching the championship." He'll face 14th-place qualifier Mitch King in the first round Sunday.

Schumacher is 205 points ahead of second-place Larry Dixon in the standings and has 208 more than No. 3 Doug Kalitta. If he adds 72 points to his lead by the end of Sunday's action, he will clinch his third series title.

"First and foremost, we have to take care of Mitch King," he said. "If we don't do that, nothing else matters."

Department of Corrections -- Ron Capps' top speed Friday -- 327.82 mph -- was not his career best, as originally reported. The fastest the Brut Dodge Stratus driver has driven is 329.02, which came last weekend at Route 66 Raceway.

Herbert Captures Top Fuel Pole – Doug Herbert captured his third career Top Fuel pole position today in Dallas. It is the first time he’s captured No.1 qualifier honors since the second Las Vegas race of 2002.

Herbert credits teamwork and an aggressive tune-up for the team’s success to this point in the weekend. “Wayne Dupuy is an awesome guy, he’s aggressive and intense,” Herbert said.

“It is a shame that this is coming together so well this late in the year, but we are setting the table for next season and things are going well in that respect.”

Herbert told the assembled media that the team of Jim Brisette and Wayne Dupuy were a bit slow to mesh in the beginning, but now that they have come together the world is their oyster. “Brisette is a Hall of Fame guy and a legend,” Herbert said. “He was a little taken back when Wayne came onboard, but I pulled him aside and told him that they needed to work together. If they couldn’t work together then they wouldn’t work for me. I needed this to be a team effort.”

Success tends to breed success and that is just what has been happening for the Snap-On Team. “Things got a lot easier between the two guys when the car started to run better,” said Herbert.

“That makes the tension drop pretty quick. They are working together like a couple of brothers now. We have been running so well since St. Louis that the only person who has gained more points than us is Tony Schumacher.”

All that remains is for the Snap-On team to win four rounds of competition tomorrow on this quick but tricky surface in Ennis. “The groove is always really narrow here so it requires a lot of finesse,” Herbert said. “The driver has to be precise when guiding the car down the track. There is no room for mistakes here.”

Capps is confidant but cautious – “Just another night of no sleep and another morning of throwing up breakfast.” That’s how Ron Capps described being in the middle of the points chase for Funny Car and grabbing the top qualifying spot here in Texas.

Capps was brimming with anticipation and excitement about his team’s position in both this weekend’s race and the season-long points standings. “We just passed Force with our qualifying points out there,” Capps said.

“I learned a lot of lessons from the people that I have worked with over my time as a driver. One of the first things Roland Leong taught me was to be careful and respectful of all the people out here because the ones you see on the way up are the same ones you see on the way down.”

Capps is clearly on the way up in terms of his confidence level and his recognition of the prize that may be within his grasp. “Being in the position we are now is awesome. Being able to run at the back of the session and watch other cars go down the track is just a great thing.”

The Brut team went out in the last qualifying session with the goal of seeing exactly what this concrete palace was capable of holding. “We went out there and tested the edge of that cliff this afternoon. If it held it we probably could have been the low E.T. of the season, but it didn’t hold,” Capps said. “We went out with a race day setup and went for it.”

Capps is very careful to put his success into proper context and not get too far ahead of himself in his thinking. “The goal is to go out there and not be cocky, but to be optimistic and confident. That is a lesson I learned a long time ago.”

Now is crunch time for the Brut team. Starting with the first round tomorrow they hold their own destiny in their hands. They are in a place that every team on the tour would like to be. Now they have to execute.

When asked if he actually went back to his motor home and jumped up and down when no one was looking last night, Capps said that he did.

“You know, I really did do it.”

The next place that Ron Capps hopes to be jumping up and down is the winner’s circle at Texas Motorplex tomorrow afternoon.

Anderson leads yet another field – It seems that whatever the outcome of Pro Stock this weekend in Texas, the race will be remembered for “the crash.” Thankfully both Kenny Koretsky and Bruce Allen are okay and will fully recover.

Greg Anderson recognizes the impact that the crash had, not only on the drivers involved but also on the entire Pro Stock class. “It's absolutely, positively, without a doubt, a relief to hear that Bruce and Kenny are all right," said Anderson. "You go and look at that car that Bruce was in last night, and you can’t help but think that he's lucky to be alive. The driver's compartment is really the only salvageable part of the car. They're very, very lucky, and we're very, very happy for them.”

All things being equal, however, there is still the important matter of winning the race that Anderson has worked so hard to qualify for. Like the other two top qualifiers in the pro ranks, Anderson put a lot of weight on the track and atmospheric conditions during eliminations.

“The last session was definitely the hottest, and the air was the worst of all four sessions," said Anderson, "but the track was probably the best. The track needed heat yesterday. It was cold all day and it was cold last night, and the cars were over the edge last night. They were shaking and vibrating all the way down the track. You saw what happened to a couple of them. We needed a little heat in the track, and we got it today and that helped. You've got to have the perfect temperature - you can't be too cold and you can't be too hot. Yesterday was too cold, today was perfect, and tomorrow will probably be too hot. We'll see what happens.”

Normally what happens on Sunday is that Greg Anderson and Jason Line begin a march early in the day and end it in the winner’s circle. Their goal is to do the same thing tomorrow. However, there is a slight caveat. Anderson will have a bye run in the first round because Bruce Allen is qualified number 16. It is not something that Anderson is very excited about. He said, “We don't want a bye run first round tomorrow with Bruce qualified 16th, but that's the way the rules are written and it allows us a chance to take a free shot at the track and get a tune-up for it.”

“That doesn't happen often in this class. It's a battle from the first round on. It might be good for us, but it can also come back to haunt you. You need to get up for every race you go to, and certainly I won't be up for that first-round bye, so you've got to make sure somehow you rebound and get up for that second round. You don't want to get into a lull because you didn't race anybody first round,” Anderson added.

Pro Stock will be intense tomorrow and Anderson is ready for the challenge. Mentally, it may be one of the toughest races any of the drivers have found themselves in.

Tomorrow’s winner will need to be strong mechanically, mentally and physically to endure the rigors of the day and come out on top.

FRIDAY - HERBERT, CAPPS, ANDERSON LEAD QUALIFYING AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

(10-7-2005) - Doug Herbert rocketed to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in his Top Fuel dragster during the opening day of action at the Texas Motorplex that was highlighted by record-setting times and a spectacular crash.

Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) paced their respective fields at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals. The $1.5 million race is the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Series.

Herbert blasted his Snap-on Tools dragster down the quarter-mile in a track record time of 4.441 seconds at 328.06 mph.

“Wayne [Dupuy, crew chief] told me to hold on because we were going for the (No. 1 spot),” Herbert said. “He told me, 'Don't shut off early.' I said I'd drive it to the turn-off (end of the track) if he wanted me to. At 400 feet (the car) lifted the front tires and started scooting around and I knew I was on a run. I had to drive quite a bit but I wasn't gonna lift.

“This proves a fat boy can go fast. I probably have 60 pounds on the nearest driver but Wayne has this thing balanced just right and we were able to run a great big number. If it's overcast and cool again tomorrow we'll go for the record. Why not swing for the fences?”

Capps also posted a track record for time with his pass of 4.694 at 327.82 in his Brut Dodge Stratus R/T. He is currently third in the tightest Funny Car points race in NHRA history, 45 points behind leader and teammate Gary Scelzi.
“(John) Force is only two (points) in front of me (in the standings),” Capps said. “We’re getting down to it. There are so many little things going on right now that you never would even have imagined with three races left. It could be so important just to get one qualifying (point) or an oil-down penalty. There’s a lot of weekend left.”

Two-time defending series champion Anderson set both ends of the track record when he shut the clocks off in 6.654 at 207.18 in his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac.

“Tomorrow is probably going to be a completely different day,” Anderson said. “It’s probably going to be 75 degrees and sunny, so it’s going to be completely different conditions. It’ll be more real-time, it’ll be more what we’re going to see on Sunday.”

Two Pro Stock drivers with escaped major injuries after a spectacular crash during the second round of qualifying.

The two cars made contact, with Koretsky’s car driving through the rear end of Allen’s car, resulting in a fiery explosion which sent debris across the track.

Both drivers were conscious and alert following the accident. As a precautionary measure, they were taken by emergency helicopter to Parkland Medical Center in Dallas.

Results Friday after qualifying for the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec at Texas Motorplex, 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Herbert, 4.441 seconds, 328.06 mph; 2. Melanie Troxel, 4.458, 330.31; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.474, 332.02; 4. Rod Fuller, 4.493, 328.94; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 4.494, 328.62; 6. Morgan Lucas, 4.509, 320.81; 7. Larry Dixon, 4.514, 329.34; 8. Doug Kalitta, 4.518, 328.94; 9. Scott Kalitta, 4.570, 321.88; 10. Cory McClenathan, 4.635, 327.74; 11. Jack Beckman, 4.636, 305.08; 12. John Smith, 4.674, 287.60; 13. Mitch King, 4.862, 292.52; 14. Scott Weis, 4.906, 234.09; 15. Bill Ancona, 5.214, 218.65; 16. Joe Hartley, 6.358, 134.39.

Funny Car -- 1. Ron Capps, Dodge Stratus, 4.694, 327.82; 2. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.698, 322.96; 3. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.711, 330.31; 4. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.711, 326.71; 5. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.716, 326.40; 6. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.731, 326.08; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.737, 326.40; 8. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo, 4.766, 327.27; 9. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.772, 323.89; 10. Phil Burkart, Toyota Celica, 4.811, 308.07; 11. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.822, 324.51; 12. Bob Gilbertson, Monte Carlo, 4.837, 317.27; 13. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 4.869, 287.72; 14. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.876, 308.00; 15. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.893, 319.22; 16. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.911, 319.37.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.654, 207.18; 2. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.663, 207.15; 3. Jason Line, GTO, 6.673, 206.92; 4. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.679, 206.51; 5. Erica Enders, Cobalt, 6.683, 206.42; 6. Mark Pawuk, GTO, 6.699, 206.04; 7. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.700, 205.79; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Stratus, 6.700, 205.35; 9. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.702, 205.29; 10. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.703, 205.54; 11. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.706, 205.54; 12. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.708, 205.38; 13. Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.714, 204.76; 14. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.716, 204.94; 15. Jim Yates, GTO, 6.718, 205.35; 16. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.721, 205.19.

Allen, Koretsky involved in Dallas crash

(10-7-2005) - During the second Pro Stock qualifying session, Bruce Allen and Kenny Koretsky were involved in a nasty two-car crash. Apparently, Allen's car, in the right lane, got loose and nearly brushed his retaining wall before turning 90-degrees in front of the path of Koretsky.

Allen's car was already on its side and Koretsky T-boned it in the undercarriage. The force of the crash broke Allen's car into hundreds of pieces and ignited a flash fire. The
engine and steering column broke from the vehicle and bounced down the race track.

Allen was said to be conscious and answering questions from medical personnel before being taken by helicopter to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. An EMT aboard the flight sent a message back to NHRA officials stating that Allen's vital signs were "good."

Koretsky was also transported to the hospital, complaining of pains in his arm.

Both drivers were kept in hospital for observation, but are expected to be released soon.

Rough Day in Top Fuel...

It was a hard day at the office for two Top Fuel competitors in Dallas on Friday. Scott Weis, top, exploded an engine at the 1000-foot mark during the day's second qualifying session. John Smith, bottom, lost a fuel line on his first attempt to make the field, and then he also made an expensive deposit in the junk bank when he torched an engine his next time out.

Fortunately, neither driver was hurt, and both are in the show heading into the second day of preliminary action. Smith is currently No. 12 and Weis holds down the No. 14 spot.

Friday Notes

The Blue Max lives – The legendary Blue Max funny car is officially no longer a fond memory. Brought back to life by Del Worsham with the blessing and permission of Raymond Beadle, the stunning blue Mustang made a pass tonight in Ennis.

The CSK team lit the nitro-powered Hemi after the last pair of “modern” Funny Cars ran. As the car rumbled to life it quickly became apparent by the crisp, deep nature of the cackle emanating from the pipes that the car was running very close to a full load of “pop.”

Worsham lit the tires up in a classis Beadle-esque burnout and carried it well past the 330’ cone before coasting to half-track. Before staging the car Worsham launched into two viscous dry hops and the crowd loved every second of it.

The car left the line well and tracked straight over the first half of the quarter-mile. It made a slight move to the left at roughly 1000-feet and Worsham shut it down at that point, coasting to a mark of 6.68 at 156 mph. It was a great pass and a nice piece of driving from the savvy veteran. With all the history this car represents and the fantastic fit and finish of the re-born flopper, it was wise on his part to take a conservative approach on the car’s maiden voyage.

Worsham’s admiration for the car is very clear. "When I decided I wanted to do this, there was absolutely no question it would be a replica of Beadle's Blue Max," he said. “It's my favorite car of all time, and I think it's one of the most famous and most popular Funny Cars to ever compete. I knew we needed a real 1977 Mustang II body and I wasn't sure how hard it was going to be to find one, but once we landed this one, it was on. The body is 30 years old but it's in good shape. It was actually found at a swap meet in Riverside. Once we got the process in motion, I talked to Fred Miller and he immediately got Raymond Beadle's blessing. That was key, as I wanted this to be something Raymond would be proud of.”

Anderson number one in Pro Stock, with a heavy heart – Greg Anderson is happy about his current number one qualifying position, and his 6.654/ 207.18 mph run, but he was not too enamored with the physical racing surface here in Ennis, TX.

“We had a very serious conversation with Graham Light and let him know that they needed to do something about the track before we ran (after the wreck),” Anderson said. “We told them that if they did not spray the track they were placing us all in grave danger. Thankfully they did listen and went along with us, but I feel they probably should have done it before the class ran.”

Anderson’s assertion was that if the track had been heated with the jet dryer or sprayed with traction compound before the Pro Stocks began running, the risk of a wreck like the one Bruce Allen and Kenny Koretsky were involved in would be far lower.

“Concrete tracks tend to have a very narrow groove and anytime you vary from it at all it gets very loose out there,” Anderson added. “You have to treat the track differently for cars that are not running with any down force (Pro Stocks) like we are. I was over-center out there and luckily I got it between the goal posts, but it was not friendly out there. These cars are tricky to drive and with these conditions it gets even trickier.”

Anderson was very pleased with the performance of his car and took a realistic approach for the rest of the weekend. “We had the Disneyland conditions today,” he said. “That’s over tomorrow and we will be in conditions like we will see on race day. Things will be totally different tomorrow.”

In comparison to other race teams, Anderson’s operation appears to be running in the “Disneyland” conditions at just about every venue they race at. The Summit team now owns both ends of the track record with their 6.654/207.18 mph run.

He took the speed record away from Kurt Johnson by three one hundredths of a mph.

Capps on top after two sessions – Ron Capps is a happy man, but he is doing his best not to show it. The driver of the Brut Funny Car ran 4.694, 327.82, career bests on both ends.

“I can’t wait to get back to the motor home tonight and jump up and down where no one can see me,” Capps said. “It is a career best E.T. and speed, but I really can’t celebrate too much because I know how hard it is out here.”

Capps could not recall the last time that he was on the top of the heap on Friday night, and since records are not kept on such facts it can’t be verified when he was, but it has been a while.

“This is a really good time of the year to be on fire,” Capps said. “Who would have known that it would come down to the last couple of races and that just a couple of points would be separating all of us at the top. We know that John Force is out of oil-down credits and every single point is just so important.”

Capps was reserved in his mood, but solid in his resolve to win this weekend’s race. It is very clear that he recognizes how close he is to attaining a goal he has spent his entire career chasing, to become the world champion.

“I am just so excited to have lane choice this weekend,” he said. “Normally when I don’t have it I get stuck in a lane that is impossible to get down. The track felt really good tonight and I noticed that the bumps I used to feel were not there anymore. There really is no groove out there yet, but it will keep getting better as the weekend goes on.”

Although he projected a stoic and collected personna on the outside, it was obvious by the wry smile and the spark in his eyes that Ron Capps is absolutely focused on the goal of attaining a world championship for the Brut team.

Doug Herbert, world beater – Doug Herbert made the run of the meet so far during the second session of Top Fuel qualifying. His 4.441-second, 328.06-mph pass was good enough to grab the top spot in the class.

“Wayne Dupuy is an aggressive guy and that’s good,” Herbert said. “There is no tip-toeing around with our team these days. That man chases ants with a sledgehammer.”

With Herbert unleashing the monster run in the cool Texas night air, he leads second place qualifier Melanie Troxel by almost two hundredths of a second. The Snap-On dragster has been on a tear since the experienced Dupuy picked up the tuning duties on the car in St. Louis.

“We have gotten the second most points of any team besides Tony Schumacher since St. Louis,” Herbert said. “That’s when Wayne came aboard and we have been running strong since then. There was a little tension between the two (Jim Brisette and Wayne Dupuy) when we first had them working side by side, but they are working as a team now and it really shows.”

Pacing a field of this caliber of is no small feat and Herbert recognizes that. “These are the best cars in the world, with the best people in the world and we beat them tonight,” he said. “I also realize that just because we did this, we do not automatically win the race. The guy who makes the least amount of mistakes over the course of the weekend is normally the person who wins the race.”

With a grounded attitude and a lot of momentum behind them, the Snap-On team looks to better their already impressive mark tomorrow. “Out here you are only as good as when you roll up to the light. Every run is a new ball game and we realize that to win this race we need to keep doing the things we have been doing to get to this point,” Herbert added.

Many would consider Herbert a dark horse in the race this weekend. That may not be warranted because of the noise the team has been making since St. Louis, but there is one thing for certain. Doug Herbert is a big man, and right now he is wielding the biggest nitro-powered stick in the country. Only time will tell if he can use it to demolish his opponents for the remainder of the weekend.

Milestone for Melanie -- Melanie Troxel became the fastest woman in drag-racing history in Friday's first qualifying session with her 330.31-mph blast down the Texas Motorplex quarter-mile in the Don Schumacher-owned Torco Race Fuels Dragster.

With her 4.509-second pass last month at Reading, she passed Rhonda Hartman-Smith as the sport's quickest woman. Friday's feat moved her past Shirley Muldowney, who had had the speed distinction with a 327.66-mph run in 2003.

Troxel's 4.529-second elapsed time on Friday's first pass put her third on the 16-car grid, behind early low qualifier Rod Fuller and his 4.993-second E.T. and No. 2 Morgan Lucas at 4.509. She closed the day in second place with a 4.458/328.86 in her second opportunity.

"Honestly, there are a lot of passes like that that you can't necessarily tell them apart from the other really good passes," Troxel said. "Obviously, the car was on a great pass, but I think my focus was a little bit more on how the car was handling, since we struggled with that a little bit.

"I think we've just made a lot of little subtle changes, but they’ve all added up," she said. "That felt like an entirely different car. It went perfectly straight down the course. Of course, there's no such thing as perfect, but that's about as good a hookup as you could hope to get.

"Honestly," Troxel said, "we're more happy with the fact the car is handling well than (we are with) the speed mark."

She said she was looking forward to the night session, adding that she wanted "to step up a little bit more" and go for the provisional No. 1 position. She didn't get it, as Doug Herbert turned in the fourth-quickest time in Top Fuel history at 4.44 (at 328.06 mph) in his Snap-On Tools Dragster. But she did improve one spot.

U.S Army Dragster driver Tony Schumacher had a 4.474-second pass in the night session to make up for his 12.914/73.49 showing in the first run to jump into the No. 3 slot. Rod Fuller was fourth at 4.493 and Brandon Bernstein joined the 4.4-second parade with a 4.494/328.62.

Hight rebounds -- Robert Hight led the Funny Car standings for five weeks, but he slipped to fourth place, 70 points behind leader Gary Scelzi and 25 behind No. 3 Ron Capps.

The Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang driver said the problem that led to his costly first-round loss last week at Joliet, Ill., started before eliminations. "Qualifying is critical," Hight, the newest John Force Racing representative, said. "We can't afford to do what we did last week. We got behind in qualifying and lost lane choice."

He solved that problem in the first session of Friday qualifying, taking the early Funny Car lead with a 4.711-second, 330.31-mph pass that set both ends of the track record. Don Schumacher Racing's Capps came along in the second session and rewrote the E.T. mark with a 4.694-second run (at 327.82 mph) to replace Hight at the top of the order, and Hight's teammate, Eric Medlen, slid ahead of him, too, with a 4.698 that he called "my biggest run."

Hight, who still has two sessions Saturday to reclaim the lead, downplayed the fact he has had a sensational rookie season, no matter what else happens.

"I've made mistakes," he said. "I still have an awful lot to learn. Scelzi and John and the rest of these guys have been down the race track thousands of times. They have a feel for the car that you only get through experience.

"Jimmy Prock is the reason we're still in the championship chase," Hight said, referring to his crew chief. "This is a veteran team, and for the last 12 months this car has been the best car out here. All I'm trying to do is not mess it up."

Hight might be new behind the steering wheel, but he spent five championship seasons as Force's clutch specialist (1995-1999). He also has drawn from his experience as a champion trapshooter, but he said he wasn't prepared for the level of pressure he has faced.

Nevertheless, his competitors say they're impressed with Hight's calmness and grace under pressure. "He hasn't blinked," Scelzi said of the rising star who has been No. 1 qualifier six times, more than Force and Scelzi combined. "I don't think he's going to go away."

Busy weekend -- Ashley Force, the defending event champion in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, will stay at the Texas Motorplex through at least Monday to make another series of starting-line launches in her father's Castrol GTX® Start Up™ Ford Mustang Funny Car. The John Force Racing plan is for Ashley Force to switch to the nitro class as early as the 2007 season.

"I've only gone 350 feet so far," she said of her experience in the Funny Car that set the national elapsed-time and speed records a year ago in Joliet, "but I am getting more comfortable (in the car). I'm doing better on the warm-up and better on the burnout and the launch. After that, though, things have been crazy. I can see why they say (Funny Cars) are so hard to drive."

For now, she is focusing on the dragster, especially after an uncharacteristic failure to qualify last week at Joliet. "We had a problem with the ignition," she said. "We improved by four-tenths of a second on the last (qualifying) run, but we missed the show by four-thousandths. Dad said that's part of the learning experience, too, but it doesn't make it any easier."

Hexes in Texas -- For Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Funny Car driver Del Worsham, all his hexes live in Texas.

Never mind the crazy circumstances he has encountered in previous seasons. The last two weeks have been wild enough.

He and his crew needed to test the Blue Max re-creation before bringing it to Dallas. So, despite knowing that Hurricane Rita was on its way, he and the team took an optimistic risk and took the car to Houston Raceway Park. Then they became stuck in the monumental traffic jam leaving Harris County.

"We were right in the middle of the exodus from Houston," Worsham said. "It was every bit as bad as what you saw on television and maybe worse. The good news was that, after Katrina, people took the evacuation warnings seriously. The problem was, it didn't look to us like anyone had much of an idea as to how you're supposed to move a couple of million people all at once. It was gridlock."

The Dallas event was postponed, but Worsham's troubles in Texas weren't over.

"We were all for the postponement, even though we knew there was a chance Rita might never even rain on Dallas," he said. "As it turned out, that's exactly what happened, but the problem wasn't so much the weather, as it was the mass movement of all those people. There were hundreds of thousands of people from southeast Texas up in Dallas. It would have been difficult, and wrong, to try to hold a drag race. Now we're seeing that the problem isn't over. There are still a lot of people stuck in Dallas-area hotels, waiting to go home."

After competing at Chicago, he didn't relish trying to find hotel accommodations back in the Metroplex. "To be honest," Worsham had said earlier in the week, "we're heading down there today and we're still not sure where we're staying."

Their eight-vehicle convoy was forced to make three hotel arrangements en route from Joliet, Ill., but they did find a hotel near the track. "Our booking agent is the best," Worsham said. He said he knew the tem would "end up someplace" but said, "We just feel bad for the people who are still there."

Worsham might have been disappointed with sitting 11th on the 16-car grid with a 4.822-second E.T. at 324.51 mph heading into Saturday's action. But he did have a respectable outing in the "Blue Max" (6.668, 156 mph and shut off at about 1,000 feet as the car made a move toward the wall).

No nail-biting now -- Larry Dixon, who's No. 2 in the Top Fuel standings and trails Tony Schumacher by 205 points, was the lone man out among 17 entrants after Friday's opening session of qualifying. He had trouble right at the hit of the throttle, as his Miller Lite/Ameriquest Dragster pitched its blower belt and the car rolled about only 10 feet. But the 2001 winner here vaulted to the top half of the field with a 4.514-second run at 329.34 mph on his next try.

NHRA and Ashley recognized by U.S. Navy - In a small ceremony that took place at Mike Ashley’s Funny Car pits the United States Navy recognized the NHRA and Ashley’s team for their support of our troops abroad. Attending from the NHRA were Graham Light, John Siragusa, and Greg Darcy. The three men were awarded special framed Blue Angles plaques in recognition for the organization’s dedication to helping US armed forces personnel.

Master Chief Lee McKinney led the gathering. A veteran of the conflict in Iraq he is well aware of the stresses placed on soldiers in the line of duty, “While you’re out, you do whatever you can to keep your focus and remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. I’ve been a drag racing fan since I was a kid, so while I was overseas, my wife sent me tapes of the NHRA events so I could keep up on what was happening in the sport I loved.”

McKinney was the impetus behind a program that has been supplying our fighting forces with NHRA items to help them deal with the stresses that come with being away from their homes and family for long periods.

The ceremony took place at Ashley’s pit because Mike had the biggest impact on getting the whole NHRA community to participate in the program. “Things really started to pick up momentum when I got a call from Pro Modified driver Mike Ashley, asking me what I was trying to accomplish and what he could do to help,” McKinney said. “A few days later I received several boxes of t-shirts, posters and hero cards, all courtesy of Mike Ashley’s Gotham City Racing. One thing lead to another, and Mike and his team became one of my key contacts for the whole NHRA, helping me put together care packages with everything from baby wipes and sun tan lotion to t-shirts and notes from drivers and teams.”

The whole Torco Skull Gear Funny Car team received plaques as well as Del Worsham. The men were obviously moved by the gesture from the Navy and all of them commented on how proud they were to help our men and women overseas.

Ashley said, “Supporting our troops is something I think everyone should do, and Lee gave me a way to help. The NHRA and all of the people out here recognize the sacrifices that our armed forces make for us on a daily basis. This was just something we could do for them as they are helping us.”

Enders qualifies strong and gets ready to party – Erica Enders continued to build on the momentum she built last weekend at Chicago with a strong 6.683/206.42 pass and a top half qualifying position after two sessions. That run has her solidly in the field and sends a clear message that this team has found their sea legs.

She was one of only five racers to make a pass into the 6.6-second range. The team has high hoped entering into this weekend for their first national event victory in the Pro Stock category.

Enders has already passes the milestones of her first round win and her first final round appearance, so all that is left is for her to make her imprimatur on a national event.

“The past two races have been awesome,” Enders said. “The whole team has been working so hard all year, but going to the first eighteen races without any wins was rough. Winning my first ever-professional round at Maple Grove helped a lot. Then making it to the final last weekend in Chicago really got our team pumped up.”

Enders is celebrating her 22nd birthday this weekend in a public party on Saturday night at the racetrack. The party should be a big fan attraction and Enders is happy to oblige her sponsor Slammers.

"When they moved the race it happened to fall on my birthday," Enders said. "I was just hoping for a win as my birthday present, but then Slammers Ultimate Milk decided to throw this party for me too. They told me they are going to open it up for the fans, and I thought wow how cool. It should be a blast."

Students from a local culinary school have been charged with making some unique cakes for the party. According to Enders’ team the cakes will resemble a 3-D version of a Slammers bottle, one will be fashioned to look like Enders herself and the third will be made to look like the Slammers Chevrolet Cobalt.

Lynn Mattie was the instructor at the school that oversaw the construction of the cakes. "The students were happy to help," Mattie said. "They are just forming a new club and this was a perfect project for them. Everyone is having fun and we are all excited to see the final outcome. I can honestly say this is the first time we have ever made a giant milk bottle out of cake and taken it to a racetrack."

The party will be held on Saturday night when qualifying ends at the GMC/Pontiac trailer. Reports from the team state that there will be enough food at the soirée to feed 600 people. It should be a happening affair with Erica, her team, fans, and media all in attendance.  

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