NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals
Denver, Colo.
By Jon Asher, Bobby Bennett and Jim Samuel; Photos by Roger Richards

SUNDAY FINAL - TODD BECOMES FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN IN TOP FUEL
Scelzi, Connolly and Hines also claim victories at Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals

(7-16-2006) -- Rookie J.R. Todd upset Tony Schumacher Sunday afternoon at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals to score his first NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel victory in just his ninth career start.

Todd, who with the victory becomes the first African-American to win an NHRA Top Fuel title, never trailed in the race at Bandimere Speedway,
dismissing the three-time series champion with a performance of 4.906 at 291.63 mph in his Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels dragster to Schumacher's
4.966 at 306.33 mph in the U.S. Army dragster.

"You never expect to get your first NHRA win by outrunning Tony Schumacher in the final," Todd said. "I didn't even know how to act down
there. I was stunned. To beat that team straight up is almost
unbelievable. They were talking about me being the first
African-American to win in Top Fuel but out here it's all equal, especially when the helmet goes on."

Gary Scelzi scored his first Funny Car win of the season to join Todd in the winner's circle of the $1.5 million race, the 13th of 23 in the 2006 season. Pro Stock winner Dave Connolly and Pro Stock Motorcycle victor Andrew Hines also won in their categories to close out a weekend that ended with three new POWERade points leaders.

Ron Capps was the only POWERade points leader to retain his top ranking through the weekend although his first-round loss to Bob Gilbertson allowed second-place runner John Force, who lost in the quarterfinals, to gain a round on him. Doug Kalitta took the Top Fuel points lead from Melanie Troxel, Line emerged with the Pro Stock lead and Hines moved in front of Angelle Sampey to regain the series lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Prior to this weekend, four-time champion Gary Scelzi had never even reached the final round at this event. Now Bandimere becomes the 19th different racetrack where he's won a race as he took care of Cruz Pedregon with 5.132 at 301.94 mph in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger to
Pedregon's 5.820 at 202.82 mph in his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo.

"This is a tough place to race," said Scelzi of his 33rd career victory."This weekend was the hardest we've ever had. The track temperatures were higher than anywhere we've ever been, including last year in St. Louis. To get through all that and win my first race here, especially with it being a Mopar race, it's pretty special.

"It's been a long time since I've won. You get that feeling like you're the weak link, and that's not a good feeling to have. Mike Neff (crew chief) and Jim Jannard (Oakley founder) stayed behind me and kept me pumped up. I got to the final and I just decided I wasn't going to let Cruz take it away from me."

Connolly became the first three-time winner this season in the Pro Stock
class and he's moved to within 51 points of the POWERade lead. Since a DNQ in Bristol, Connolly has won three times in four finals and gone from 12th to third overall.

Top qualifier Line had the better car in this final, but Connolly's .008-second reaction time delivered a .05-second holeshot win.
Connolly's 7.173 at 193.07 mph in his Skull Shine Chevy Cobalt was more than enough to hold off Line's 7.141 at 194.13 mph in his Summit Pontiac GTO, which was made irrelevant by his .093-second late start.

"If you had told me six races ago that we'd be a couple rounds out of the lead I wouldn't have believed it," Connolly said. "But ever since Atlanta when Tommy Utt came on board we've just taken it to a different level. Plus, Greg [Anderson] has stumbled a little and that's given us
all a chance to catch up."

Defending back-to-back series Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Hines
finally recorded a win this season in his third final-round appearance. Hines gave up a .058-second head start to Guidera, but his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson made up the gap by mid-track and he cruised away for the win in 7.435 seconds at 179.97 mph to Guidera's 7.566 at 176.63 on his Rocklin Motorsports Buell.

"We had an absolutely dismal qualifying effort but what a Sunday," Hines
said. "The team did such a great job making the adjustments and my V-Rod went right down the track every pass today like it was on a rail. I was hoping this race would be the turning point of our season and it's looking like it really might be."

The NHRA POWERade Series continues with the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, July 21-23 at scenic Pacific Raceways near Seattle.

Sunday's final results from the 27th annual Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.  The $1.5 million race is the 13th of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- J.R. Todd, 4.906 seconds, 291.63 mph  def. Tony Schumacher, 4.966 seconds, 306.33 mph.

Funny Car -- Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 5.132, 301.94  def. Cruz Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.820, 202.82.

Pro Stock -- Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 7.173, 193.07  def. Jason Line, Pontiac GTO, 7.141, 194.13.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.435, 179.97 def. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.566, 176.63.

Competition Eliminator -- Dean Carter, Dragster, 7.412, 179.21  def. Richard Freeman, Pontiac GTO, 10.365, 84.73.

Stock Eliminator -- Ryan McClanahan, Pontiac Firebird, 11.061, 124.27 def. Scott Burton, Firebird, 11.471, 115.50.

Super Comp -- Gary Wamboldt, Dragster, 9.460, 159.02  def. Steve Johnson, Dragster, 9.452, 161.81.

Super Gas -- Duane Kohl, Chevy Corvette, 10.548, 146.97  def. Tim Landis, Corvette, 10.542, 144.47.


Final round-by-round results from the 27th annual
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the 13th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:


TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- David Baca, 5.171, 268.49 def. Rod Fuller, 5.237, 256.94; Hillary Will, 4.992, 291.19 def. Bob Vandergriff, 5.201, 259.21; Larry Dixon, 4.835, 307.65 def. Doug Herbert, 5.007, 276.75; Mike Strasburg, 5.194, 273.83 def. Brandon Bernstein, 5.274, 215.72; J.R. Todd, 5.488, 265.06 def. Cory McClenathan, 5.523, 219.61; Tony Schumacher, 4.802, 321.04 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.930, 289.76; David Grubnic, 4.847, 304.19 def. Melanie Troxel, 5.247, 220.44; Doug Kalitta, 4.937, 302.89 def. Scott Palmer, 6.283, 151.95;

QUARTERFINALS -- Todd, 5.070, 289.14 def. Will, 5.070, 265.01; Kalitta, 5.023, 302.28 def. Baca, 5.013, 295.01; Dixon, 4.967, 302.62 def. Strasburg, 5.319, 229.66; Schumacher, 4.827, 318.92 def. Grubnic, 4.917, 305.91;

SEMIFINALS -- Todd, 4.943, 295.59 def. Dixon, 4.964, 301.60; Schumacher, 4.783, 322.27 def. Kalitta, 4.912, 300.53;

FINAL -- Todd, 4.906, 291.63 def. Schumacher, 4.966, 306.33.


FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- John Force, Ford Mustang, 5.163, 293.92 def. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Charger, 5.484, 243.72; Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 5.878, 234.09 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 6.085, 230.65; Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.154, 299.06 def. Mike Ashley, Stratus, foul; Cruz
Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.311, 292.77 def. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 5.344, 276.18; Gary Scelzi, Charger, 5.092, 298.21 def. Scott Kalitta, Monte Carlo, 8.114, 105.61; Robert Hight, Mustang, 5.148, 301.07 def. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 5.208, 294.24; Eric Medlen, Mustang, 5.234,
303.30 def. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 6.830, 139.63; Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.268, 292.77 def. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 5.276, 273.33;

QUARTERFINALS -- C. Pedregon, 5.588, 268.49 def. T. Pedregon, 6.866, 137.12; Johnson Jr., 5.567, 224.43 def. Medlen, foul; Scelzi, 5.284, 270.54 def. Force, 6.871, 128.98; Gilbertson, 5.332, 289.45 def. Hight, 6.139, 179.14;

SEMIFINALS -- C. Pedregon, 5.610, 273.27 def. Gilbertson, 5.961, 269.35; Scelzi, 5.182, 298.47 def. Johnson Jr., 5.328, 290.32;

FINAL -- Scelzi, 5.132, 301.94 def. C. Pedregon, 5.820, 202.82.


PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Richie Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 7.183, 192.82 def. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GTO, foul; Jim Yates, GTO, 7.196, 192.49 def. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 7.147, 193.65; V. Gaines, Stratus, 7.174, 193.29 def. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 7.169, 193.79; Greg Anderson, GTO, 7.120, 194.07 def. Tom Lee, Cobalt, foul; Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 7.175, 192.85 def. Erica Enders, Stratus, 7.227, 191.67; Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 7.132, 194.13 def. Max Naylor, Stratus, foul; Jason Line, GTO, 7.094, 194.46
def. Mike Thomas, Stratus, 7.210, 192.52; Greg Stanfield, GTO, 7.177, 193.05 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 7.174, 193.68;

QUARTERFINALS -- Stanfield, 7.221, 191.70 def. Yates, 7.231, 191.78; Connolly, 7.144, 193.82 def. Gaines, foul; Anderson, 7.107, 194.38 def. Krisher, 7.315, 192.03; Line, 7.120, 193.68 def. Stevens, 7.193, 192.36;

SEMIFINALS -- Connolly, 7.150, 193.88 def. Stanfield, 7.189, 192.22; Line, 7.124, 194.04 def. Anderson, 7.157, 93.77;

FINAL -- Connolly, 7.173, 193.07 def. Line, 7.141, 194.13.


PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.430, 180.36 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.533, 178.59; Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.482, 177.81 def.Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 29.244, 21.45; Ryan Schnitz, Buell, 7.468, 178.73
def. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.652, 157.87; Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.469, 179.52 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.441, 177.18; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.436, 179.06 def. Marco Andreano, Buell, 7.491, 176.81; Tom Bradford, Buell, 7.423, 179.23 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.498, 178.05; Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.370, 179.59 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki,
7.688, 175.34; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.447, 180.16 def. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.459, 181.03;

QUARTERFINALS -- Scali, 7.473, 180.02 def. Schnitz, 7.487, 177.93; Brown, 7.420, 180.38 def. Sampey, 7.446, 178.24; Guidera, 7.480, 177.93 def. Bradford, 7.483, 180.38; Hines, 7.419, 180.74 def. Ellis, 9.087, 100.27;

SEMIFINALS -- Guidera, 7.508, 176.44 def. Brown, 7.449, 180.43; Hines, 7.424, 180.74 def. Scali, 7.465, 179.71;

FINAL -- Hines, 7.435, 179.97 def. Guidera, 7.566, 176.63.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK -

Hey Dad, This is how it's done - NHRA POWERade Funny Car racer Mike Ashley fouled in the first round of final eliminations. His 11-year old son won the NHRA POWERade Fan Nationals.

Flexing his competitive muscles behind the wheel of a Funny Car racing simulator at the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals, Justin Ashley beat out hundreds of participants to become the local POWERade Fan Nationals Event Champion. Now, Ashley will travel to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at the end of the season to compete for the national championship.

Ashley will ultimately be one of 23 Event Champions from drag strips across the country to compete to become the Series Champion. He and one guest will travel to the 42nd Annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. the weekend of Nov. 9-12, 2006. There, Ashley will compete in a series of qualifying rounds for the chance to claim the title of POWERade Fan Nationals Series Champion.

“The Fan Nationals and the POWERade Funny Car simulators give fans a great opportunity to experience the thrill of NHRA drag racing,” Ashley said. “Now I know what my dad feels in his Funny Car.”

The second season for the POWERade Fan Nationals Series, the competition is a dream come true for NHRA fans like Ashley who have longed to race behind the wheel of an NHRA Funny Car. The competition lets fans power a simulated Funny Car to feel what it’s like to roar down the track. Each simulator is equipped with a high-performance, hydraulic racing simulator system that creates a realistic experience for fans.

Similar to NHRA drag racing rules, contestants tear down a virtual quarter mile boulevard to compete for the best time. Drivers are eliminated in a series of qualifying rounds throughout the race weekend until one ultimate POWERade Fan Nationals Event Champion is crowned. At the end of the NHRA season, each of the Event Champions, along with two “Wildcard Winners,” will meet up in Pomona to face off in a series of side-by-side races until one driver emerges victorious and becomes the POWERade Fan Nationals Series Champion.

“The Fan Nationals event lets NHRA fans like Justin take the wheel in our specially-designed POWERade Funny Cars and feel what it’s like to roar down the track at 300 mph,” said Ben Reiling, Senior Manager, Sports Marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “Justin raced hard and we’re excited to crown him as our Denver champ. He is in for an incredible experience at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and we wish him the best of luck competing for the overall POWERade Fan Nationals Championship title.”

As for dad, there was not even a thought of the early departure from Funny Car eliminations.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Mike said. "This is the exclamation point for any parent to see their child do well in the same profession."

TOP FUEL

You've come a long way - J.R. Todd's final round actually marked the second time in Todd’s brief career that he’d reached a final round. He finished runner-up at the 2000 IHRA Northern Nationals to Paul Romine in only his third race as a professional driving a second car for Bruce Litton. Todd only drove in four IHRA races that season.

Todd’s story of determination couldn’t have found a better storyline than he did in Denver. The brief driving job ran its course six years ago and despite a lengthy dry spell, he never lost sight of his dream to race in NHRA competition. Todd did what he had to do by accepting a tour of duty as a go-fer and crewman. A year ago on this very weekend, Todd was turning the wrenches for Bob Gilbertson.

Todd got the opportunity to drive for Dexter Tuttle during the 2006 pre-season.

“I sort of knew Jimmy Walsh, the team’s crew chief,” said Todd. “While I was in Las Vegas last year I heard that [former Menards driver] Jack Beckman was going to pursue a ride elsewhere, so I went to talk to Jimmy in Pomona. He had me go talk to Dexter Tuttle. When I spoke with Dexter he said that I was about the 20th driver to approach him. I wasn’t sure anything would come of our talk, but on Monday morning I got a call from the team. They wanted me to come down to the race shop for a meeting, and now here we are today.”

Todd is a fan of the NHRA's diverse mix of gender and race but refuses to dwell much on the ethnicity issue. He does admit to a sense of pride in becoming the first-ever African-American to win an NHRA POWERade Top Fuel event.

“It’s a neat stat to have and I am honored to have it, but the reality is racing is equal for everyone out here,” Todd said. “When you put on the helmet, everyone is the same all across the board.”

The one secret element Todd had always possessed for much of the season is now gone as he travels next week to Seattle.

“I was kind of an unknown quantity when we started this season,” Todd said. “I was the quiet guy who could sneak up on everyone. I guess after today you can kiss that goodbye.”

Oh, in case you’re wondering, Todd’s name is really Mario Todd Jr., but he has been known as “Junior” by friends and family since childhood. Junior eventually became JR, and then J.R., which is what he goes by.

Muldowney to go under the knife - Four-time champion (three in NHRA and a fourth in AHRA competition) Shirley Muldowney is still suffering from the aftereffects of her stunning 1984 crash in Sanair, Montreal, Canada.  As a result of her lower leg injuries she’s had increasing difficulty in walking because when her right leg  healed the alignment between her upper and lower leg was no longer correct. 

The result is that she needs a right knee replacement, and will undergo surgery at the Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan on August 4th.  Dr’s. Plagens and Hausner will perform the surgery, after which Ms. Muldowney will receive rehabilitation treatments at her home in Michigan.  How long she will be forced to remain away from the track remains to be seen, but she does have several appearances slated for the U.S. Nationals that she may be forced to cancel.  After her surgery Shirley would welcome cards and letters at P.O. Box 248, Whittaker, MI 48190.

Speaking of Shirley - While we’re discussing drag racing’s most well known woman driver, a new remastered DVD of the film “Heart Like A Wheel” will go on sale at WalMarts nationwide on August 15th.  Those who have seen the new disc say the colors appear sharper than the original theatrical release.  The first run of the DVDs is said to be 250,000 units.

Speaking of Shirley, again - J.R. Todd earned his first Top Fuel victory here in Denver this weekend in just his ninth start as an NHRA rookie.

It was undoubtedly a great moment for the young racer, but there have been others for Todd, who actually kicked off his Top Fuel career in 2000 as driver of Bruce Litton’s second IHRA car.

In his very first competitive pass at an event in Cordova, Illinois, Todd, then 19, faced none other than Shirley Muldowney. He lost to the legendary star, but she was so impressed with the young man that she gave him a new set of tires for his dragster after the race. Not many people can say that, we’ll wager.

Go West Young Man - Johnny West, recently let go from his position as crew chief on Scott Kalitta’s Funny Car (assistant crew chief Larry Meyer resigned at the same time) will reportedly be making the next few races with Kenny Koretsky’s Top Fuel team and driver Clay Millican.  Crew Chief Mike Kloeber has asked West to come aboard as an observer/advisor in the hopes that the experienced tuner might pick up on some small thing that Kloeber might be missing – that little error that could be keeping Millican out of the winners circle.

Lucas the Double Dipper - Morgan Lucas has confirmed to Torco’s Competitionplus.com that in addition to his regular Top Fuel ride in the “family hot rod” Lucas Oil dragster he’ll do double duty during the next two weeks by also wheeling their nitro injected Top Alcohol Dragster. 

Lucas won two Top Alcohol Dragster national event titles in 2002, and claimed four more national event victories and two divisional wins on his way to the Division 7 championship in 2003.

“Yeah, I decided I wasn’t busy enough, so I’m going to drive two cars next weekend in Seattle,” Lucas said. “We’re going to try and change the combination a little bit in the A/Fuel car that Aaron Oliveraz has been driving. We’re going to make some test laps at the next couple of races, and we’ve got Tom Conway coming in to help us straighten some things out. We’ll have some fun, and who knows, we might win a race or two. I haven’t gotten to drive it in a while, and I’ll drive anything I can get my hands on. I’ll race anything you put in front of me. I’ll try anything once, and even if I break it or roll it I’ll try it.”

“This will just be for the next couple of races while we try to work some of the bugs out of that car,” Lucas said.  “Aaron will probably drive it for the rest of the year, but it’s been a while since I’ve driven an A/Fuel car and I’m kind of excited about it.”

Lucas also believes that “the more interaction you have between yourself, the race car, the track and the Tree, the better you’ll be as a driver.  I don’t know why it is, but when I’m racing two cars it kind of takes some of the pressure off me.  For some reason it just makes me feel more confident.

“I had some pretty good fortune in that class, and Tom Conway’s coming in to tune the car.  We’ve already changed the combination all around, so it ought to be a pretty interesting weekend.  First thing first, of course, we’ve got go out there and qualify and try and get both cars in the show. We want to go rounds with both cars, and I think that’s very possible. (Watch the complete video at 1320tv.com)

“My perception of our Top Fuel season so far is that it’s been up and down, but I think any new team is going to have those issues.  At the beginning of the year we didn’t lose in the first round until Columbus, and we had some very good runs in that stretch.  We’ve had some small, quirky little things happen since then, but our guys are working hard to straighten everything out.  John Stewart and Ronnie Thompson (co-crew chiefs) are doing a good job, so I think we’ll be all right.”

Lucas admits that “after my redlight in St. Louis there’s certainly room for improvement in me as a driver.  In my opinion the best driver on the grounds right now is Doug Kalitta.  He’s the best leaver and the best peddler.  He’s just the best all around driver out here, ad that’s the kind of guy I’ve got to try and keep up with.  It’s not easy, but you’ve got to set a standard and a goal for yourself, and I’m just trying to meet it.”

Lucas will admit that he still has an interest in Funny Cars, but for the immediate future his career will remain in Top Fuel.  “When the money’s right, and the support’s there we’ll look at a Funny Car, but not right now.  It’s not even in our plans.  But in my opinion, the sooner the better, because I’ve got a couple of crew chiefs who like Funny Cars, too!  From the time I was 12 until I was 16 all I was around was (alcohol) Funny Cars, so I like ‘em.”

Lucas has the tools to be a champion, and he’s made good progress in this, his first year as a team owner, although technically this is a family-owned operation.  He has the potential to break through and win before the year is out.

The Landlord - Last year Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon let it be known that he was building a race shop for rent in Brownsburg, Indiana next to mentor Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s facility.  It quickly filled with viable tenants, so still approaching life from the long term aspect, Dixon is in the midst of building a second such facility, also in Brownsburg.

“This one will be 42,000 square feet, and we’ve got room for you if you need office space for your new sanctioning body!” (There is no new sanctioning body folks!)

We asked Dixon if the news of the departure of Miller Brewing as a sponsor had been a shock to him.  “I haven’t had anybody tell me this, but I guess you could say it really wasn’t a shock.  I think it was common knowledge that they were underspending on the NASCAR side, and with new management in the company, who were they going to spend the money with, NASCAR or NHRA?  NASCAR’s as big as the NFL so it makes a lot of sense that they have everything they need over there first and foremost, and then, after that, you’ve got to go elsewhere.”

COMPPLUS:  Is it going to be difficult for you to transition to a new sponsor?

DIXON:  I just hope I’m in that position.  There’s no guarantees in this sport, there’s no guarantees that we’ll have a sponsor for next year.  One, I hope that we get hooked up with a company, and two, I hope we get with someone who wants to be with NHRA and wants to be with our team, and wants me as a driver.

COMPPLUS:  How do you think your first year has gone with new crew chief Donnie Bender?

DIXON:  I think Donnie’s done a great job.  I’m disappointed that there’s been two or three races where I was at fault, and two or three times when it’s been the team’s fault.  I’m bummed that we haven’t gotten him his first victory yet.  We talked about this earlier this weekend, that if I had a lineup of guys to choose from to tune this car, Donnie’s still my guy. I want him tuning this car, and I want him to do well.

COMPPLUS:  What’s the difference between the way you deal with Donnie as opposed to how you dealt with Dick LaHaie?

DIXON:  I guess there’s just one less link in the chain.  Dick kinda ran the ship and didn’t necessarily need to hear from the driver, so I spent a lot of time even then talking to Donnie.  We had a good talking, working relationship, and now he’s moved up that link in the chain and we still talk so I think from a communications standpoint it’s all good.  From that standpoint I think I have a better relationship with Donnie than I did with Dick.  To be honest, Dick didn’t really need me.  I’m not slamming him or slamming myself, but there just wasn’t anything that Dick hadn’t seen in his lifetime tuning one of these cars, so what was I going to tell him?

We still talk all the time, and we saw him last week at a party in Michigan, which was the first time I’d seen him since our Christmas party in Indy.  But, we definitely still talk every week on the phone.  He’s still watching us, still making sure his kids, his students, are doing the right thing while he’s away.

FUNNY CAR

Do What? - ESPN2 pit reporter Dave Reiff asked Whit Bazemore if there would be a possible retaliation for the reported burndown accusations he leveled against John Force after St. Louis.Bazemore was quoted on NHRA.com as saying, "For the first time in five years I stage first and that @%#$& burns me down!" Then he commented on the video allegedly showing taking Force four minutes to stage by saying, "It will never, ever, ever happen again."

"I don't know where you get your information from," Bazemore told Reiff. "That's a great team and they have won a lot of championships. We've got to be on our game."

Television announcer Paul Page added, "In the time off, it looks like Whit has thought some more about answering those questions."

Reiff carried the situation one step further and asked Force about the reported situation.

"Nothing took place in St. Louis," Force said. "The rules give us so many seconds to get in there and if you look at the tapes, I went in there in half the time. He's got the problem and I don't have time to think about Bazemore. He's not my issue. My issue is to win the championship. Somebody can win this round, win or lose, that don't name the championship. Right now, I'm going after winning. He's not even an issue for me right now. He's just a headache to a lot of people."

PRO STOCK

(7-17-2006) - Dave Connolly hotter than the race track on Sunday.

His hole-shot win over new POWERade Series point leader Jason Line emphasized how strong his performances have been since Tommy Utt became crew chief of Evan Knoll’s SKULL GEAR Chevy Cobalt those seven races ago.
 
Connolly bolted from the starting line with a near-perfect .008 second reaction time and clicked on the win light 7.173 seconds later (at 193.07 mph) in the thin air here.  Line, who beat Connolly in the title round at Englishtown, N.J., two races ago, had the quicker elapsed time at 7.141 seconds at 194.13 mph, but his .091 second start doomed him against one of Pro Stock’s best at the line.
 
“We kind of had a rocky start to the season and it’s kind of funny to find ourselves in the points chase now,” said Connolly.  “But ever since Tommy Utt came aboard the team has really turned around and we’ve been to four finals and we got three wins.  It’s good we got the win up here especially because it is one of those races that is so important in the championship chase.
 
“We came up here two weeks ago and tested for a week and then come back and it’s 103 degrees takes a toll on the crew. You want to do the best you can and I’m glad to pay them back with a win.”
 
Thus Connolly, who became the first driver to win more than one race in 2006, becomes the first to triple up.  His other victories came at Atlanta (in Utt’s first race calling the shots) and Topeka, Kan.  He added another runner-up at Las Vegas.
 
The stellar showing also boosted the Elyria, Ohio native closer to teammates Line and defending champion Greg Anderson in the championship chase.  Connolly remains third with 846 points and now trails Line by 51 points and runner-up Greg Anderson by 30 with 10 of 23 series event to go.
 
Best Pro Stock Race Ever? - Given the rarified air of Bandimere Speedway’s 5,800 foot altitude, which more than once during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals read out to a corrected altitude of over 10,000 feet, only the extremely naïve would have expected six second elapsed times.  For the record, going in to the event the Bandimere Speedway Pro Stock record was held by POWERade champion Greg Anderson at 7.106 seconds, with arch rival Warren Johnson holding the speed mark at 194.24 mph.

Friday afternoon’s qualifying session gave a slight indication of things to come, but the evening session was simply hard to believe.  No, we’re not even remotely suggesting there was anything wrong with the elapsed times and speeds, only that the overall performances were nothing short of stunning considering the conditions.  Let’s put it this way:  It was so hot we’re amazed the spectators managed to sit (make that stand) through the whole show, but NHRA fans are true diehards, so they slugged down gallons of Dasani water and POWERade and witnessed a truly amazing demonstration of racing skills.

When the dust finally settled Friday evening Allen Johnson sat on the pole with a remarkable 7.064/194.60.  No less than nine drivers drop kicked the old track E.T. record, with eight of them also smashing the speed record.

As impressive as all of that was, what happened Saturday morning was nothing short of astonishing.  Under what would have to be considered brutal conditions Jason Line took the pole away from Allen Johnson when his Summit Racing GTO unloaded an otherworldly 7.062/195.65.  Reportedly, Line’s sea level corrected elapsed time would have been deep into the 6.50s!

We know what you’re thinking, because we’re all used to those 6.7 and even 6.6 second elapsed times, and if you’ve never been to the Mile-High Nationals, it’s hard to truly appreciate seven second numbers, so just trust on this:  If you weren’t in Denver for Pro Stock qualifying you may well have missed the single greatest session in class history.

And as for former track speed record holder Warren Johnson, he failed to make the cut.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Paying Off - They've been working toward this since last
summer.

The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines team earned a victory Sunday during
the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
It wasn't just any win, it was the win the team has been waiting for.
Andrew Hines rode his V-Rod entry to the win over Matt Guidera – the
first win for Hines since the August event in Memphis last season.

"It was a complete team effort," Hines said. "We worked so well in the
hot conditions that we faced here this weekend and we tuned the bike
correctly from the first hit (Sunday). My dad and brother stared at the
computer nonstop through qualifying, trying to figure out what it would
take to make this bike go fast. It worked."

It was the sixth career victory in 13 final round appearances for
Hines. Not only did Hines earn the win, but he also jumped back into
the points lead. It's the first time the two-time defending NHRA
POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle has held the top spot in the point
standings this season.

"It feels so good to have the first win of the season over and done
with," Hines said. "I've had a longer winless streak before, and that
was tough on everyone. We still have a lot of races left this season so
this is a great time to get a victory in and gain some momentum."

Hines beat Karen Stoffer and the Geico Suzuki team in the opening round
of eliminations. Hines posted a 7.430-second pass at 180.36 mph over
Stoffer's 7.533 at 178.59. Hines then went on to beat Chip Ellis in
Round Two. Hines went 7.419 at 180.74 to top Ellis' 9.087 at 100.27 on
the G Squared S&S Buell.

Hines earned a trip to the final round for the third time this season
with a semifinal round win over Geno Scali. Hines turned in a 7.424 at
180.74 over Scali's 7.465 at 179.71 on his Performance Machine Suzuki.
Hines beat Guidera and the Rocklin Motorsports/Rocklin Harley-Davidson
team in the first final round meeting between the two riders. Hines
used a 7.435 at 179.97 to grab the win over Guidera's 7.566 at 176.63.

"The V-Rod was so consistent I had a great time riding it," Hines said.
"The bike performed so well I didn't have to make a single correction.
We earned four win lights in one day for the first time this season and
it's even better because the V-Rod was just awesome to ride.

"Beating Chip Ellis was almost like winning the race itself. He had
been running in the 7.30s all weekend and it was great to get past him
that round. This is going to be a great upswing weekend for this team."

Hines was in second place of the standings before the weekend started,
28 points behind Angelle Sampey and the U.S. Army team. Hines now has a
28-point lead because of the win combined with a second round loss for
Sampey.

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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - LINE CLAIMS PRO STOCK POWERade POINTS LEAD; KALITTA KEEPS CLOSING GAP ON TROXEL

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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK

(7-15-2006) - Blame it on Global Warming- At exactly 2:30 PM, the temperature in Morrison, Co., reached 100 degrees and it climbed several more digits before cooling. The track temperature rose as high as 147 degrees.

This could leave a mark - Don’t look now, but is one of IHRA’s flagship tracks seriously contemplating a jump to NHRA?  We’ve heard from usually reliable sources that Norwalk Raceway Park management has had serious conversations with the Gang from Glendora about switching allegiances and picking up a new POWERade Series national event.  The sticking point in the negotiations appears to be NRP’s infamous Night Under Fire Funny Car show on July 4th weekend, which is not only a fantastic show for an estimated 35,000 fans annually, but is a major money-maker for the track, and they aren’t likely to give it up.  NHRA reportedly feels the event would detract from one of their national events.  If any of this is really true, bet the farm that NRP won’t give up the Night Under Fire for any inducements offered by the sanctioning body, for why would any track voluntarily give up a million dollar payday.  Or should we say “pay evening!”

The NHRA’s 2007 POWERADE schedule will be announced later in August, according to NHRA president Tom Compton.  He said that he would like to make the announcement earlier, but there are some details and adjustments that must be worked out.  In response to our question regarding a possible change in sanction by IHRA standard-bearing Norwalk Raceway Park, Compton said, “I can’t comment on that.”  With a large smile he then added, “You know we don’t speak to those IHRA people!”  We’ll have more on this in the coming days.

More Hemi Challenge? - David Hakim, Portfolio Manager for Mopar Parts, has informed Torco’s Competitionplus.com that the extremely popular Hemi Challenge, which has become an integral part of the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend, will be even bigger in 2007.  Two more events will be added to the series, including the Pacific Sports Nationals and the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway.  Competitors running those races will begin earning points towards the ’07 championship, which will climax with the running of the U.S. Nationals, just as it has in the past.  In addition t the two new races there’ll be additional Hemi Challenge races as part of the Jeg’s Sports Nationals events in Columbus, Ohio and Bel Rose, Louisiana.  Each race will include a $5,000 winner’s purse, while the Indy affair will remain the Big Enchilada with a ten-grand-to-win purse.  The overall series champion will pocket an additional $5,000.  That’s definitely good money for Super Stock racing – until you realize that a competitive Hemi Dart or Cuda can easily tip the financial scales at $250,000, but these guys aren’t racing for money, they’re competing for pride.

More Exposure - Look for a four page insert in USA Today on NHRA POWERade drag racing to hit the newsstands on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, just as the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals gets underway.  The section will have added impact because the paper’s Friday edition will remain on the stands through Saturday and Sunday.  This could be a very big hit for the quarter mile sport.

TOP FUEL

From the Kalitta Camp - Super-tuner (and take our word for it, this guy is a super tuner) Rahn Tobler says he’s hoping for a better second half to the season than he and driver Doug Kalitta suffered through last year.  In an effort to keep things on the straight and narrow the team has a brand new Attac race car engineered by the very capable Chuck Lett.

“We’re trying to get him to move from Lansing (MI) to our shop in Ypsilanti because he’s already pretty much our in-house chassis guy,” Tobler reports.  Lett recently completed a new body for David Baca’s car while also having front-halved Doug Foley’s fueler.

For the first time all of the Kalitta teams have spare cars at their disposal, whereas in the past there was a single spare that had to be “shared” as needed.  The one constant appears to be roll cage design and execution. Tobler reports the cage on Doug’s car is the one used on Scott’s car in 2004.

After last week’s IHRA Funny Car outing in Milan that saw Doug reach the finale in Scott’s absence, Tobler had some concerns that he could lose his driver to the other class.  However, Doug reportedly hurt his back driving the car, ”which is a good thing because I’d hate to lose him,” Tobler said.

The decision to race in Milan wasn’t made by Connie until late Thursday afternoon.  A fuel system gremlin had the team stumped, so track time was called for.  In Denver, the senior Kalitta said “We’re just trying to get this Funny Car to go down the track decently.  We solved some problems in Milan, so I think we’ll be okay up here.

“Doug is so focused when he’s racing that he did a great job in the Funny Car last week just like he’s doing a great job this week in the dragster.  He was really something in those sprint cars back in the 90s.  I’ll tell you how good he was.  A couple of years ago when he and (Ron) Capps were going to roundy-round race on the dirt.  Capps came up to him and said Do you want some tearoffs, ‘cause I’ve got extras.  Doug said, I ain’t gonna need ‘em (because when you’re out front no one’s throwing up dirt and rocks in your face).”

The senior Kalitta is hoping for the Top Fuel championship this year if for no other reason than he figures it’s Doug’s only chance of being invited to participate in the IROC series in which championship caliber drivers from various disciplines compete against one another for a million dollar prize.

Doug’s reported reaction to driving the Funny Car (a first for him) was that it “was like driving a really, really, really powerful sprint car – on steroids!”

Troxel Hot On First Anniversary - Melanie Troxel is celebrating her first anniversary and it couldn't be much hotter. The Top Fuel points leader is marking the anniversary of her first year with Don Schumacher Racing in
100-degree weather that is the hottest the team has faced so far this year.

Troxel, who holds an 18-point lead of Doug Kalitta, qualified in the number 12 spot in the order for eliminations in Denver. Kalitta qualified in the number one position.
 
After setting her low ET of the four qualifying sessions the first time out, Troxel was able to make it down the track on once in the final three sessions. In the fourth session, she took her Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster down the track in  5.206 seconds at 221.42 mph.

"In that last pass we made it closer to making it down the track, but we seem to have a problem with dropping holes (cylinders)," Troxel said. "I think that could be our biggest issue. If we could get it to stop dropping cylinders, then I think we'll be OK. This track is tricky, and tomorrow it's supposed to be the hottest day of the weekend, so it's going to be tough on everybody. Anybody can win tomorrow."

In addition to making the car run well in the heat, Troxel said she is also paying attention to her own physical condition. "I've been drinking a lot of fluids to be ready for all of this heat. I don't normally drink a lot of fluids, but when it's hot it has a cumulative effect. You have to stay ahead of it, and then it won't catch up to you on Sunday. It's tough out here for the drivers, crews and fans alike," she said. Troxel faces qualifier David Grubnic in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

The Points Race Tightens - By winning four of the previous seven NHRA national events, Doug Kalitta has cut Melanie
Troxel's lead in season championship race to just 18 points. Kalitta helped himself even more when he took the number one qualifying spot for the NHRA event in Denver with a 4.631-second pass at 2319.60 mph. It was the first time this year Kalitta took the top spot in the qualifying order.

"It's great to be low qualifier, but we hope we can break the jinx," Kalitta said. So far in the 2006 season, no Top Fuel driver has won from the number one qualifying spot. "We've got a brand new car this weekend, and it seems to be working out good so far. Tomorrow is supposed to be about the same as far as weather conditions, so we'll just see what happens. Hopefully we can go
rounds and maybe leave here with the points lead."

Destiny - It didn't take J.R. Todd long to recognize he had a destiny in life. Upon parking the Dextel Tuttle rig, he realized fate was taking a ride down memory lane. It was 12 years ago that Todd parked in the same exact location at Bandimere Speedway for the Junior Dragster Nationals.

Todd was one of 1220 Junior Dragster drivers at that race. He can only hope that he's as successful now as he was back then. Todd fought his was through 200 entries in his class. He ended up in 6th place after a marathon weekend.

Taking Things For Granted - After fighting some of the most difficult weather conditions he and his team have faced all year, Larry Dixon says he s confident his team will give him a good race car. "I take for granted that they'll give me a good race car that's capable of winning," Dixon said. "If
something goes wrong, then I'll do what I can to try and help the team win the race." Dixon qualified in the number six position with a low qualifying ET of 4654 seconds.

"We made three nice runs, but on two of them, we went down the track on seven cylinders," Dixon said. "Donnie (Bender), Todd (Smith) and the guys will work hard to try and get the car to run on eight cylinders, which makes things tricky because then it will have more power and want to spin the tires.

FUNNY CAR

Big Jim Speaks - International Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Jim Dunn was in fine spirits at the Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, but then again, when is this 70-plus-year-old not?  Oh yes, when he’s discussing what it takes to compete in today’s Funny Car arena.

“We’re having some clutch problems,” he told Torco’s Competitionplus.com.  “If we can get down the track it’ll run a five-oh, which will be good enough to make the show.”

Dunn feels that NHRA has “put too many restrictions on these cars, and that’s really increased our costs.  We’re like Super Stock now because of the rules, and we have to run much harder than in the past to produce the same results.

“There are 18 Funny Cars that can run 4.70s (under the right conditions), and that breaks parts.  I’m still a ‘little guy’ even with the Lucas Oil sponsorship.  Now it’s a mater of who can spend the most money.”

Dunn gives John Force a great deal of credit for being where he is.  “He earned his success,” says Big Jim.  “He’s not like some of the other guys who have become successful simply because they had the funding to do it.”

Right now Dunn believes that  it “takes a minimum of $2 million if you want to be in the Top 10.

“ It cost us $100,000 more for parts in 2005 then it did in ’04, and it’s going to be even higher this year because of the nitro restrictions.  The lower percentage of nitro we run, the harder it is on parts.  Just ask anybody out here and they’ll tell you that’s true.”  (We did, and they did!)

According to Dunn, right now Brad Anderson has 60 engine blocks awaiting repairs, and there’s a 12 week wait to secure a new one from BAE.  Dunn has four on order, and he’s certainly not alone.  Again according to Dunn, Bill Miller Engineering is 900 connecting rods behind on his orders for no other reason than the fuel teams are running through more parts than ever before.

“I’ll tell ya how bad it is,” he said.  “We hurt an engine block at the Phoenix race (in mid-February), and we just got it back from Brad on Thursday!”

Once considered the scourge of his drivers, Dunn’s relationship with Tony Bartone remains remarkably cordial.  “I’ve never had an argument with him, about anything.  The way things are, he doesn’t bitch at me when the car doesn’t perform, so I don’t yell at him when he’s late (on the lights).

“The one thing I do know is that you can’t run one of these cars unless you’re really intense about it, and I still feel that way every time we go to the track.”

Densham Reminsces - “It’s like old-time racing,” he said.  “There are no multi-car teams, but there re still plenty of good cars running over there.  The Creasy kid is doing a very good job, for example.  I think he’ll win the championship because he’s going to run all the races, and there’s a points bonus if you do.  That could be the difference maker.

“There’s no 75-minute rule between rounds, so you’ve got time to help your friends if they need it, and there’s also plenty of time to visit with the fans.

“There’s really not enough prize money (It pays $20,000 to win, half of an NHRA POWERade Series race), but at the same time there are fewer qualifying runs and one less round of eliminations, and that makes a difference.

“One of the things I’d like to see over here are more sponsor mentions from the tower and on TV.  I think it would help everyone if, instead of just saying, Here comes Tommy Johnson, Jr. in Don Prudhomme’s car if they said, Here comes TJ in Prudhomme’s Skoal Chevy, or Here’s Gary Scelzi in the Oakley/Mopar Charger instead of Here’s Scelzi in one of Don Schumacher’s team cars.  I don’t mean anything negative about Snake or Shoe, but those guys are the team owners, not the sponsors, and that’s who we need to get the exposure.”

Speaking of Prudhomme - We’re hearing that the legendary Snake has two potential sponsors on the line to replace Miller Brewing, which will depart NHRA drag racing and driver Larry Dixon at the conclusion of the season.  He’s told his employees not to worry about anything, and that he hopes to make a formal announcement of a new backer during the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend.

A Bit Confused? - It appears that Gary Scelzi may be a bit confused about what really goes in Hollywood. While being interviewed after fourth qualifying pass, Scelzi saw Force walking by and called out.

"You're taking Capps with you to Hollywood but you're not taking me?" Scelzi yelled to Force. "I'll be your waterboy."

Waterboy?

Force-fed Media - John Force and his daughter, Ashley, have been dealing with an almost non-stop media assault as the debut hour for the A&E reality series nears.  On Thursday prior to the Mile-High Nationals the duo spent almost six hours doing various local television program uplinks from Yorba Linda, California, and then spent an additional hour or so handling interview with the AP.  The race in Denver wlll actually provide a respite of sorts for the senior member of the family.

Ready to Rock? - While it didn’t garner much publicity, Ashley Force made her unofficial debut behind the wheel at Norwalk Raceway Park’s infamous Night Under Fire event over July 4th.  Before a packed house the poised young lady made two runs against teammate Eric Medlen, but failed to reach the finish line under power.  Inside sources at the team tell Torco’s Competitionplus.com that Ms. Force is likely to make her official competitive debut at the NHRA AC Delco Nationals in Las Vegas in October. Let the hype begin!

Missed It By That Much - Gary Scelzi came close but fell just 0.003 seconds short of taking the number one qualifying spot in Denver. Instead, Scelzi had to settle for the number two spot in the order with a 4.896-second elapsed time at 310.20 mph.

"We tried to steal it," Scelzi said of the top spot in the order. "We're not going to race in conditions like this tomorrow. It's going to be hot and miserable, and so we said, You know, let's just shoot our shot and see if we can get the pole." Instead of getting the pole, the setup the team used led to a lost cylinder. "We put a cylinder out about 900 feet or we would have had it," Scelzi said.

Another Mountain To Climb - Three days after he rode his bicycle up a mountain, Funny car driver Whit Bazemore is looking to take a new car and team with some new people to the top of another peak.the Funny Car title at Denver.

"We've had a great weekend so far," Bazemore said. "We have a new car here and some new crew guys. Phil Shuler came on board and a really good mechanic, Tom Boyington." Shuler joined the team as assistant crew chief to Todd Okuhara and replaced Brian Corradi, who moved over to Mike Ashley's Funny Car team, which is managed by DSR. Bazemore will start from the number 7 spot in the order and will face John Force in the opening round. "We have lane choice tomorrow, we're working on a lot of things and it's all coming together."

PRO STOCK

If you think the last shirt was a doozie - Pro Stock stalwart Larry Morgan has received what reads as a threatening letter from NHRA regarding his now infamous “Can’t Fix Stupid” T-shirts that were banned from the Pro Stock souvenir trailer at the St. Louis race.  The letter cites an alleged, potential copyright infringement on a third party.  In other words, NHRA’s legal team appears to be trying to frighten Morgan with legal action that they wouldn’t even be a part of.  Regardless, Morgan’s latest wearing apparel reads, “Maybe I Was Wrong…(But I Doubt It).”  Better get ‘em before they’re added to the banned list.

Always Looking For More - When Jason Line earned his third number one qualifying spot of the season in Denver, it wasn't enough for the Pro Stock driver. "We actually expected to be running better than what we are," Line said at the end of qualifying for the event. "We had done some things with our Summit Racing Pontiac that we thought would pay off, and until the run this morning, it didn't look like it was."

But even he and his team wanted more, Line said that he was happy with the day's result. "I'll have to admit, it was one heck of a run," he said. "I don't think anyone thought something like that was possible this morning, including myself, and I'm an eternal optimist. It was really a stout run and it was fun to be the guy driving the car."

Line drove his car to the pole position under very hot conditions. In fact, in the Saturday morning session, only Line and Greg Stanfield improved on the qualifying ETs they had set the day before.

But Line did more than just get the top spot in the order. He set both ends of the Bandimere Speedway track record with a 7.062-second ET at 195.65 mph.

"It felt really good. I got down to the end of the track and Dave Connolly was standing in front of my car shaking his head, and then he told me what I had run," Line said. "I was as surprised as he was. I thought a good pass for that session would have been a 7.09, but not a 7.06."

It was the seventh number one qualifying spot in Line's career and his first in Denver.

Mopar Maven Resurfaces - Mike Sullivan, who rose to fame as the co-owner of the Wayne County Speed Shop (which fielded the championship-winning Dodges of Darrel Alderman and Scott Geoffrion), is back in action as, in his words, “the flunky” for new Schumacher Pro Stock team manager David Nickens. In actuality, Sullivan provides a sounding board for Nickens’s engine building ideas, and also keeps  the computers in first class operation.  His input will ultimately prove to be as important as Nickens’, and they’re off to a flying start with strong performances from all four entries during the early going at the Mile-High Nationals.

Attaboy Girl - Pro Stock driver Erica Enders, in her first race under the DSR banner, qualified No. 13 for Sunday's eliminations with a qualifying pass of 7.127 seconds at 192.96 mph.

"I'm getting more used to the car. My first pass was on Friday, and it's taken my a little time to get used to it. I told the guys to just bear with me for a little while, and they've been great," she said.

"I feel like getting into the show is hard enough in itself. This class is so competitive. I'm happy to be in the show, and tomorrow is going to be tough in the heat."

Enders faces Ron Krisher in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

So what if it's mid-season? - Things are booming at Jerry Haas Race cars.  Having just completed a GTO for Mark “Cowboy” Pawuk, and nearing the completion of a new Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing, Haas is also hard at work on a new Dodge Stratus for Bob Panella, a Pro Modified GTO for Tommy “Undertaker” Gray, another GTO that Haas will drive in IHRA Pro Stock for Dean Goforth and a Mustang for Elijah Morton.  That’s not all folks!  Steve Barker has an IHRA Pro Stock Stratus on the way, there’s another IHRA Mustang in the pipeline for Brian Gahm and a monster twin turbocharged GTO for Pro Mod that will be driven by Troy Coughlin.  And you thought everyone ordered new cars after the season!

Fun while it lasted - Pro Stock driver Gene Wilson, in a one-time effort driving under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella, missed qualifying the Scott Geoffrion Tribute Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T car this weekend at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals His 7.153-second elapsed time pass at 192.33 mph placed him in the No. 17 spot, just one position from making the ultra-competitive 16-car NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series field.

"This was quite an occasion running the Geoffrion tribute car. I feel like we made pretty good runs this weekend, and we were out here to have a really fun time. I believe we performed fairly well, but this is a tough track to figure out. You really have to have your combination together," said Wilson, the NHRA Pro Stock Rookie of the Year in 2002.

Wilson will make a silent pass during tomorrow's opening ceremonies at Bandimere Speedway in honor of the late Mopar driver.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

The toughest year – Two time and defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Andrew Hines is happy to be back home in Colorado, although he admits that it has its pros and cons. “It’s great to come back here, you know. I spent ten years of my life here, so it’s kind of a homecoming for us. Some of the drawbacks are that you get a lot of friends come out, and it’s just a little added pressure when you go out there and have to pop the clutch and get those round wins. But it’s also fun to come out and put on a good show for all the family and hopefully get in the winner’s circle. My brother has done it a few times and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps.”

For Hines, the 2006 season, and his quest for a third straight title, has been a struggle. His once-dominant Harley-Davidson V-Rod currently sits in the No. 2 spot in championship points behind the Suzuki of long-time Hines family rival Angelle Sampey. Rule changes for 2006 created a level of parity seldom seen in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, as Hines was quick to point out.

“The rule changes didn’t really hurt us that much; they just made us look worse than we actually were. The Suzuki teams picked up roughly ten percent over the off season, which is huge. Sometimes you can’t find that over two years. We were able to pick up three or four percent, and just that offset has allowed them to get just a little ahead of us. Now we’re having to play catch-up in the middle of the season.

“It’s definitely the toughest year. The last two were nothing to sneeze at, but this is definitely the toughest one.” ( Watch the complete video at 1320tv.com).

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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - KALITTA LOOKS TO CONTINUE CHARGE ON TOP FUEL POINTS LEAD

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK

TOP FUEL

Pretty Good - The soft-spoken Doug Kalitta will be the first to admit his Friday low qualifying performance was "pretty good."

“We’ve been qualifying towards the front, but so-far-so-good with this.  I would imagine tomorrow it would be pretty tough to run a .63, but you never know with this crowd out here.  I think Hot Rod ran a .67.  It was a good run for us.  Plenty of people out here hanging out in the heat, so it’s kind of cool.  It seemed like it was a pretty good session for everybody; it was a pretty good show.”

Can I buy a break? - If Cory McClenathan can ever arrange a meeting with the seller, he'll buy it - a break, that is.

It wasn't enough to be racing in the mile-high altitude of the Denver area in temperatures that topped out at 100 degrees, but McClenathan and the Carrier Boyz Fram Boost Top Fuel team encounter another problem that consumed most of Friday's qualifying for Sunday's Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

"We had a huge unknown Friday," said the veteran driver.  "For some reason metal shavings were in the fuel system.  They clogged the nozzles, bypasses . . . everything on our first run. It was miserable.

"We took it apart and flushed the system between runs and still made it up to the staging lanes in time for the second session."

The tires lost traction virtually at the hit of the throttle in the opening run and McClenathan had to call upon his 15 years of experience to get the car down the track on the last turn.

The spun early in the run and McClenathan pedaled the throttle once, trying get the tires to hook up.  He was prepared to do it a second time, "but the front end came up too far and I knew I couldn't keep doing that."

The result: his time of 6.034 seconds at 150.16 mph was, surprisingly, good enough to put him 16th in the provisional starting line-up.

"We had the car fixed at (builder) Brad Hadman's shop during our two weeks between races," added McClenathan. "Our guys have worked real hard.  We'll come back Saturday in the heat."

Testing Pays Off – Thank goodness for St. Louis. That’s exactly what Larry Dixon was saying after test sessions at Gateway International Raceway provided somewhat comparable conditions to what the Miller team experienced today.

The 38-time NHRA winner opened qualifying with a solid run of 4.866 seconds at 303.03 mph to claim the fourth quickest time of the first qualifying session in his Miller-backed rail. Then, under the lights at the scenic Colorado drag strip, the veteran Top Fuel racer powered his Don Bender-tuned dragster to a pass of 4.654 at 314.90 to capture the provisional No. 6 qualifying position.

“Both runs were nice today,” Dixon said. “Some of the stuff that we learned during testing after St. Louis, we applied here and it worked. We ran a 4.65 tonight and had much better conditions at St. Louis and didn’t run that quickly there. The car seems to be responding to the things we’re doing and we’ll keep going in that direction.”

Still Inspiring Us – Young Erica Hoffman was on the receiving end a tremendous gift courtesy of the Quickie Wheelchair company and the Darrell Gwynn Foundation prior to the first round of qualifying. Hoffman endured an accident this past March which rendered her a quadriplegic at age 18. Her resiliency in the face of adversity is what gained her the gift of a high-end wheelchair.

“We had to replace that thrill of racing and winning with the things we are doing here today,” Gwynn said. “Giving this wheelchair away on behalf of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation and the Quickie Wheelchair Foundation is a great day for us. Giving this wheelchair to her and watching it change her life is incredible. She’s got the most beautiful smile and is a perfect recipient. If you could see her eyes, you’d know she is the perfect one for it.”

Gwynn, the 1983 Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion, was paralyzed in a racing accident in 1990.

“We’re giving away these wheelchairs now, but inevitably we’d like to find a way to throw these wheelchairs away by finding a cure for paralysis,” Gwynn added.

Gwynn was an attendee during the 14th annual Motorsports Day at nearby Craig Hospital earlier in the week.

FUNNY CAR

If only I had gone all the way...- Gary Densham's mind was full of "would've and should've" thoughts on Friday evening.

“The car was running great.  I just wish I could have drove it all the way through, but it got so close to the guard rail I had to shut it off.  It would have run probably .84 or .85, but Greg and the whole crew has really done a great job all year with the car.  We really have run well, just look at the stats at the first half the year.  We’re about the fifth fastest car, we just haven’t had any luck.  But, Bandimere is such a great place to race.  It’s such a challenge for everybody, the crew, the drivers, the track tough.  Being No.1 even for Friday night is pretty thrilling.”

Off weekend? – Just one weekend ago, Funny Car veteran Gary Densham and Top Fuel standout Doug Kalitta met for the first time in competition during the final round of an IHRA event in Milan, Michigan. Densham has established his value on the IHRA tour this season by reaching the winner’s circle twice, including a victory in Milan.

Kalitta was just happy to go a round after beating low qualifier Del Worsham in the first round. He was using the weekend to test for cousin Scott Kalitta who was on vacation.

Today they were both low qualifiers.

Up There - Del Worsham was way up there in Friday qualifying and we're not talking about Bandimeere's high altitude, either.

Worsham made the 4th-quickest Funny Car run in Friday's first session (a 5.268 under a scorching Denver sun,) and then made the 7th-best lap under the lights on Friday night, completing a pair of good laps under difficult conditions. The later run, a 4.983, landed him 7th with two sessions still to go on Saturday. His top speed of 317.64 mph was the best by a long way, with his teammate Phil Burkart posting the second fastest speed at 313.37.

"I'll admit we were even a little timid on the night run," Worsham said. "You're looking at a team that's made a few mistakes on Friday night this year, and we've paid a price for it. I sure as heck wasn't going to smoke the tires there, so we put a bit of conservative front-half on that lap, making sure we got it going without being edgy. Then, we laid the coals to it pretty hard in the second half. The big speed shows we had it running well from half-track on. The only downside to that, was that we let a little bit of ET get away by being soft at the hit.

"This race has a bit of an odd schedule, in that the last session tomorrow could stretch into the evening pretty easily if there are any delays at all. I don't see much shuffling going on in the top half during the first session on Saturday, but I'm also pretty sure we'll see some changes all over the place on the last run, if we get any shade and break from the heat at all. The good thing about this high/dry air is that it cools off fast once the sun goes behind the mountain."

Pedalfest in Qualifying - Tim Wilkerson might have thought he was at a match race for a moment.

On his first qualifying attempt, Wilkerson smoked the tires, but in a rare turn of events for the talented Funny Car driver, he pedaled the car and it hooked back up.  Wilkerson posted a 6.133 at 207.56 mph.

"Fred (Mandoline) got on the radio and told me that the track was really bad," explained Wilkerson, "so I was just going to grab a handful of brake when I got out there a little way.  But it didn't make it a little way before it smoked the tires.  And I wanted to be a little further back in the pack for the second run, so I got back in it and drove it down through there."

On his evening pass, Wilkerson was on a decent run when it looked as though something went away on the car as he clocked a 5.440 at 210.54 mph.

"It was going along pretty good," said Wilkerson, "when it looped the tires just a little bit and dropped a cylinder.  When it did that and I was on seven cylinders.  Then it popped the burst panel off it because it was just ugly down there.

"We'll try again tomorrow and see if we can get it to run down through there.  But it's typical Denver; when it's in the nineties, it's ugly out there.  But we still should be able to go 5.0 something even during the day, I believe in my heart."

Interesting Week – As Gary Scelzi and Whit Bazemore rolled to the starting line for the first session, announcer Bob Frey pointed out the vast difference in the way they spent their time in the days leading up to the event.

“One driver performed a wedding ceremony and the other rode to the top of a mountain,” Frey said. “You just have to love these Mopar drivers.”

Interesting Week 2 – Tommy Johnson Jr., didn’t mind tagging along this week as the guest of his wife – Top Fuel driver Melanie Troxel – who was nominated for two ESPY awards this year. Johnson accompanied her to the ESPY ceremony.

Johnson admitted this week was a great one for the sport.

“To get a drag racing video up in front of all those sports people at the ESPY Awards was incredible,” Johnson said. “It was hard to check out of that Hollywood world and return. I could get used to that lifestyle real easy.”

The Toughest – Faced with the prospect of 95-plus degrees and 27 percent relative humidity, Whit Bazemore attacked the atmospheric challenges of Bandimere and went immediately to the top. The Matco Tools-sponsored driver admitted that a driver can always tell when he’s running at this track.

‘I can’t tell you just how slow this thing was in the first four to five hundred feet,” Bazemore said. “After that it was a handful and really exciting. It’s always fun to be racing up here on the mountain and it is a challenge to everyone. This is probably the worse conditions and altitude we’ve had this season.”

Bazemore jumped out to the early lead with a 5.174 at 294.24 miles per hour on a track that reached 129 degrees. His top spot lasted for two pair until nemesis John Force snagged it away.

Just Add Fuel – Tommy Johnson Jr’s recipe for Friday qualifying success included a heaping helping of nitromethane.

On his opening effort of the weekend, the seven-time NHRA winner’s Chevy flopper spun the tires as Johnson coasted to a 6.810-second elapsed time. Johnson then used a tune-up from veteran crew chief Mike Green to blast his newly painted silver-and-blue Skoal Racing Monte Carlo to a performance of 4.907 seconds at 307.37 mph to claim the second qualifying position on a hot day where the adjusted altitude exceeded 9,300-feet.

“It’s always tough to run up here at Denver,” Johnson said. “We ran pretty good here last year, so we went back to our records from a year ago. We were actually too lean on the first run and it chattered the tires. We gave it some more fuel and a little more tune-up and the weather came to us and we made a nice run. That puts us solidly in the show for Sunday. This certainly isn’t a bad way to debut our new special edition Skoal Racing Monte Carlo.”
 
Feels Like The First Time – Up until Mike Ashley arrived in Denver, he had no idea what it felt like to drive the new Funny Car he's driving this weekend.

Ashley drove the Evan Knoll-owned, Don Schumacher Racing-managed entry to a 5.139 elapsed time at 299 miles per hour in his first full run ever in the car. In fact, up until today Ashley hadn’t even sat in the car.
 
“That’s not a bad run for seven-cylinders and when you add in the fact that it was the first pass on the car, it serves as a testament to my team,” Ashley, a New York mortgage banker by trade, said. “My crew took this from a bare chassis two-and-a-half weeks ago to this and nothing fell off, blew up or went bad outside of the normal course of wear and tear associated with running a nitro engine.
 
“Unfortunately we put a cylinder out while chasing the fuel curve up here on the mountain. I think Brian Corradi did a great job when you add in the fact he was tuning for 9,000 feet of air. I think we are off on the right foot and I’m happy to be in the field after the Friday session.”
 
Ashley admitted a special source of inspiration for the evening session
 
“Of course it got the adrenalin pumping,” Ashley said. “You can’t help but look around this whole team and get pumped. It’s contagious our pits. Don Schumacher has a great operation and we have a great team here.
 
“Even though it is going to be really hot tomorrow, I really think we’ll be able to step it up. Tomorrow is always a new day.”

 PRO STOCK

Father knows Best - Allen Johnson walked into the press room and immediately shifted the praise to his dad and engine builder Roy Johnson.

“My dad is on a roll with the motors.  Every race it gets better and better.  We make a good run in the right session just like that we can nab the No. 1 spot.  Every week we have a new motor in the car.  He’s just building on it every week.  The crew’s really got a handle on the power.  On Sunday if we can turn it into something, that’s what we like.”

I told you so - Dave Connolly knew Friday night's qualifying session would be the one most likely to produce the quickest elapsed times for Sunday's race.  And they were right, so far.

As predicted, times dropped and speeds increased as the temperatures dropped from a high of 100 degrees to the low 90s.  Connolly improved from 7.130 seconds at 194.16 mph to 7.709 at 194.88 to claim third place going into Saturday's final two sessions. 

"That was about what we thought we'd run," said Connolly.  "It was definitely a good start to the weekend.  Nothing stupid happened and we're in the show. Now we'll just work on Sunday's tune-up on Saturday's runs."

Connolly was second after the first attempt. He was runner-up here last year.

That’s a Wiley Deal - Wiley X Eye Wear will become the primary sponsor for Jim Yates during the next three races –Denver, Seattle (July 21-23) and Sonoma, Calif. (July 28-30).

“Wiley X has been involved with our program for more than a year. The company was pleased with the response and exposure it received during that time,” said Yates, a two-time NHRA POWERade champion.  “It plans to expand into the retail market and we are happy they chose our team and drag racing to help raise brand awareness. I wear their glasses.  They have been instrumental in improving my starting-line reaction times.”

Wiley X makes protective eye wear, supplying glasses to the U.S. Military in the Middle East.

Yates, who has a win in two final rounds this year) is in the midst of a tense championship chase.  He currently is fourth in points, just 93 points out of first place.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Target Practice - Chip Ellis pointed out a rider doesn't have to have the #1 plate to become the one every competitor guns for.

“Everybody’s a target out here.  I’ve said it 100 times and I’ll say it again.  If you can get in you can win.  It’s tight out there.  It’s good to be fast today and tomorrow, but it’s better to be fast on Sunday.”

Better Watch Out - Antron Brown settled for the ninth position with his U.S. Army Suzuki at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals following the first day of qualifying at Bandimere Speedway. Brown recorded a 7.505-second run at 179.56 mph to just miss a spot in the upper half of the order.

"The good news is that there's plenty more left in my motorcycle," said Brown. "I'm definitely confident we can move up in the field tomorrow. Come Sunday, I'm looking forward to finally closing the deal in Colorado."

Brown lost in the finals of the 2005 Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

Better Watch Out, Part 2 - Ryan Schnitz is planning an attack on the rest of the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.

"We're taking baby steps right now to try and get on this tune-up that we need to get. We're about a tenth off from (number 2 qualifier Tom) Bradford and Chip (Ellis, the number 1 qualifier), so we have some room to improve and we need to do that. The bike seems to back-half with some of the top runners, so I don't necessarily think it's a power issue. I just think we need to work on our front half-our clutch, basically, and gearing.
 
"We have two motors with us this weekend, and they're both fresh from the little break that we had. We're trying a few new small little things with the bike in hopes that we'll get some better performance, but right now we're not showing any of that, so we've gotta work a little harder.

No Fluke - Tom Bradford, who qualified on the pole last time out in St. Louis, sits second after day 1

"That (7.525, 177.18) was our first ever pass down Bandimere Speedway on the mountain, and we're really happy with that," Tom said about round 1. "We felt like we knew what we needed to do, so the boys Rob Schopf and Jim Schneider went to work. You know, they always seem to turn the right screws. I think they're using 'No-Name Tools' here, but whatever tools they're using, they're using them right."
 
The tools were working as he picked up the pace to the tune of a 7.421 at 179.76 mph
 
"We set the track record on that pass, which lasted about 5 minutes until Chip Ellis came out and reset the record," laughed Bradford. "But what a fantastic day-just awesome. An outstanding, outstanding round of qualifying-I just can't say enough. I want to thank all the guys back at Hal's Speedshop who are working hard.
 
"We're real excited about some potential marketing partners we've been talking to. The performance is there and I'm really looking forward to the future with this team."

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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK -

TOP FUEL

Happy Anniversary, Dahlin' - Melanie Troxel has had the kind of year that makes people jealous. Just to think...it all started at Bandimere in front of her home crowd.

This weekend's event at Bandimere Speedway will mark her one-year anniversary with DSR and will bring Troxel home to her native Colorado, where she was born and raised in Littleton.

Driving the Skull Shine/Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster, Troxel has led the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points standings since the first race of the season, became the first NHRA Top Fuel driver to reach the final round in the first five events of a season, has won twice, and has received an unprecedented amount of media attention throughout the sports and mainstream worlds.

Despite the media frenzy, including a trip to Los Angeles for Wednesday night's ESPYS Awards, where she's been nominated for Driver of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, Troxel is firmly planted on earth and focused on winning her first Top Fuel championship. With 11 races remaining in the season, she is 24 points ahead of a hard-charging Doug Kalitta.

"It's been an incredible change of events in the past 12 months," said Troxel. "I got the call a couple of weeks before last year's Denver event to come drive for Don Schumacher and Evan Knoll. Not only did I get the opportunity to get back into a Top Fuel seat with a first-rate team, but we've really topped that off with the incredible season we are having so far."

With the start of this upcoming three-race, back-to-back Western Swing and the last half of the season beginning to wind down to the finish line, this is a crucial time for Troxel.

"This is really when it starts to get down to crunch time," she said. "A lot of people also seem to build up momentum on the Swing. You can make huge changes in the points over this period of time. I think it is important to get that momentum moving in the right direction right off the bat with a win in Denver.

"We're heading into my hometown track and we've got a season's worth of experience. I'm looking forward to continuing on, and winning here would obviously be great.

"It's always nice to return to your hometown track and see everybody. It does add a little extra pressure because you don't always get to spend as much time with people as you would like. But, I'm looking forward to catching up with some friends and family, and hopefully we can put on a good show for them."

When Life Gives You Lemons - David Baca just can't get enough of helping others this summer. The second-generation Top Fuel driver has been on a mission this summer, using his Mach 1 Air Services race team to support various charities while he competes on the NHRA drag racing tour. This weekend, Baca will be inviting everyone to stop for some lemonade at one of 540 Alex's Lemonade Stands that will be set up at neighborhood Big O Tire stores across the country. Big O Tires is a major associate sponsor on Baca's 330-mph dragster.

The Denver-based tire industry leader has set aside the week of July 10-17 to support the 501c3 charity that raises funds for pediatric cancer research. Each Big O Tire store will set up an Alex's Lemonade Stand in the customer waiting area with 100-percent of the proceeds going to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Alexandra “Alex” Scott was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer, at the age of 4. She decided to open a lemonade stand to help her doctors raise money to find a cure for all kids with cancer. Although Alex later succumbed to the illness, she knew that her lemonade stand, with the help of many others started in her name, had raised more than $1 million. The charity has continued to grow and donates millions of dollars each year in Alex's honor.

"We are excited to help in the cause of finding cures for childhood cancer," Big O Tire president John Adams said as he announced the in-store program and his company's donation of $50,000. "Partnering with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation provides opportunities for all Big O associates and our customers to become aware of this wonderful cause started by an inspired child in her own fight against cancer. This is also an opportunity to give back to the communities that have supported Big O Tires."

As a big part of Baca-Windham Racing (Baca's partner Bill Windham owns several Big O Tire centers in Northern California), Big O Tire's association with Alex’s Lemonade Stand prompted the Baca to get involved. Throughout the race weekend at Bandimere Speedway, Baca will display a giant Alex's Lemonade Stand logo on his race vehicle.

"This is one of the coolest things we've ever done and we're more than happy to help Big O Tires and Alex's Lemonade Stand raise awareness on a national level," Baca said. "It's inspired everyone on the team to get this Mach 1 car on ESPN2 as much as we can so everyone can get an idea of what Alex's Lemonade Stand is all about.

"We've had friends from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation for the kids of 9/11, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation out to the races this year as our guests and we're thrilled to add the folks from Alex's Lemonade Stand and, of course, Big O Tires this weekend.

Feisty Fuller - A decade ago, Top Fuel driver "Hot Rod" Fuller walked away from a Top Fuel ride because it wasn't the right one for him. Today the former sportsman world champion is a strong contender for the 2006 championship at the halfway point of the season. The 35-year-old former sportsman all-star has won two races in his Valvoline/David Powers Homes dragster and finds himself fourth in the world rankings after 12 of 23 events.

"There is nothing in our way," Fuller said. "We have the car, a great crew, and a team owner in David Powers that gives us everything we need to succeed. We may have surprised a lot of people with our performance so far but everyone on this team already knew what we were capable of. Now the rest of the world is figuring it out."

With 11 races left on the schedule, Fuller is approximately 11 rounds of racing action behind season-long points leader Melanie Troxel. He knows the journey to the top must be taken in measured steps.

"You can't make it all up in one race," said Fuller, the Super Gas Driver of the Decade in the 1990s. "I've been driving long enough to know that the best way to make up ground is to stay steady and keep the pressure on the people in front of you. Our car has been consistently quick. Even when we have a bad weekend it's usually just been a case of rotten luck rather than an area where we're lacking in something.

"So far we've qualified in the top half of the ladder nine out of 12 times. That's a pretty good ratio. If we can concentrate on going rounds at each event, and eliminate those first-round losses that just crush you in the points, then we'll be there at the end. All you can ask for is a chance and we have a very legitimate chance right now."

Never Surrender - Tony Shumacher says his team may not have had a stunning first-half of the season, but they never gave up looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. The U.S. Army-sponsored crew got a glimpse of it when they won the last event in St. Louis.

“Like our soldiers, the guys showed plenty of loyalty and would never accept defeat,” he added. “Collectively, we never gave up on one another.”

With 11 races remaining on the schedule, the defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel world champion would like to continue his rise in the standings. Holding sixth-place, he’s within immediate striking distance of fourth-place.

“Ultimately, we would love to get close enough to challenge Melanie (Troxel) and (Doug) Kalitta for the top spot,” he offered. “If there’s a team that could knock off a bunch of wins in a row, it’s the U.S. Army team. If we can do that, who knows where we might be by the time we get to Pomona (Calif.) in November.”

Comfort Zone - Morgan Lucas gets energized as the NHRA Western Swing begins. The three back-to-back-to-back events covering the entire northwest have Lucas in his own element. His first stop will be the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, where his final-round finish from last year has Lucas focused on completing the job at hand.

"It's my favorite time of the year, said Lucas, who was the runner-up to Tony Schumacher in the 2005 finals. "The air is so thin there you have to be on top of your game. Fatigue is easy if you don't pace yourself, but I'll tell you it's still a lot of fun. It's a beautiful setting along the side the mountain packed with die-hard drag racing fans. I remember going there when I was 13 or 14 years old with Jason Rupert and his alcohol Funny Car. We went to the semis there one time with that car and I thought then how cool the track was. You won't get any arguments out of me - I'm ready for it."

Under these rare conditions of trying to control 8,000 horsepower in such thin air, the NHRA has reduced some of the normal race rules to aid the teams in combating the circumstances.

"They are letting us have our wing back if we so chose to use it and they raised the percentage of our nitromethane fuel to 90 per cent," said Lucas. "You have to change your tune-up around a little bit for that, but it's one of those things where they want to make sure we put on a good race for the fans. Therefore, giving us those things back will help provide a good show. That race track is a lot of fun because it offers us a new challenge and tests the crew chiefs. It's cool also in its own right with things like Joe Amato still holding the speed record there (318.54 mph 1999). How many other racetracks can say that?"

Being part of a racing family himself, he appreciates the Bandimere family and all they have done for sport.

"The Bandimeres are drag racing fanatics," Lucas said. "They put a lot into that race track to give us a good quality facility. The area and community around there supports them and with one visit, you can see why."

Could Be Better - Bob Vandergriff Jr. probably envisioned a better first-half of the season in the opening year of his UPS sponsorship. Although his team has qualified for 11 out of the first 12 national events, Vandergriff is looking forward to the car going rounds at future events.

"We have a very competitive car," said Vandergriff. "We are ready to go rounds and take the UPS car further on raceday. We have qualified well at most of the past events, and now we need to be able to capitalize on Sunday. My crew has done a remarkable job and we are hoping the parts failures that plagued us early in the season are behind us now."

Vandergriff enjoyed the two-week break at his shop in Alpharetta, Ga., preparing his Jim Dupuy-tuned UPS Top Fueler for this weekend's Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver, Co., and the rest of the famed Western Swing.

"Our goal is to be able to climb into the NHRA POWERade top 10," Vandergriff said. "Let's see how we can use the Western Swing to propel us." Vandergriff currently sits in the No. 13 position in the NHRA POWERade Championship points battle.

FUNNY CAR

Not Banking on Anything - Ron Capps isn't counting on anything being safe as the season progresses, not even a his 44-point
lead over John Force in the championship chase.

Capps has collected five wins so far this season, two runner-ups and one semifinal finish, but 13-time champion Force is nipping at his heels and the season is only half over.

"We talk about the points chase in almost every interview," says Capps. "Everybody wants to talk about it. And once you're halfway through the year, like we are now, it does become more apparent that you are in a pretty good battle for the championship. But, it's still so early. You don't want to play on it too much.

"If you start looking down the road too far you could get bitten. And that's what happens to a lot of teams on race day. You start looking at who you are going to run second round or semis or who you're going to possibly match up
with in the final, and you overlook your first-round opponent, and you get beat.

"It's going to be fun. This little break we had after St. Louis was great for everybody. We had three races in a row. It's good to get a little time off for the whole team, get our batteries recharged and just get ready, because it's going to be pretty much on from now on. You get through the West Coast Swing, you get a quick break and then it's Brainerd (Minn.), Memphis and all of a sudden you're in Indy (U.S. Nationals in September). And then you can really see (final event) Pomona at the end of the tunnel."

Number Seven - John Force will be starring in an A&E reality show on Monday. If he has his way about things, he'll be starring on ESPN2 Sunday night.

"(Driving Force) gives us a chance to take drag racing to a new audience (on the A&E Network)," Force said, "but ESPN takes care of the hard core fans and they're the ones that keep us out here (on the NHRA POWERade drag racing tour)."

Having driven his national record-holding Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to the final round in six of the season's first 12 races, Force has put himself solidly into contention for an unprecedented 14th NHRA Funny Car championship.

Down 44 points to pacesetting Ron Capps, he is seeking his sixth win in the last 13 years at Bandimere Speedway, a track whose 5,300 foot elevation creates challenges for drivers and crew chiefs unlike those anywhere else on the circuit.

"It puts a strain on the motor and it puts a strain on the driver," Force said, "because neither one of them can breathe."

Crew chiefs compensate for the thin air by turning up the overdrive on the supercharger and, in effect, creating more "artificial air." Drivers just deal with it.

"I take oxygen," Force said, "but I take oxygen at every race, just to keep up with Capps and all these kids. I do anything that'll help. I coffee up. I drink Coke Blak, which is like coffee and Coke. I drink POWERade. I work the practice tree (a miniature version of the Christmas Tree starting system). Whatever it takes."

Force has been doing "whatever it takes" for 30 years and it's worked out pretty well for the 57-year-old icon. In fact, he rolls into the Mile-High Nationals having qualified a Castrol Funny Car for 381 consecutive races dating back to the start of the 1988 season. That's 19 consecutive years without a qualifying failure, a record considered by many to be the one most unlikely to be eclipsed.

Winner of at least one NHRA tour event for 20 straight seasons, Force has said that retirement isn't an option even though his 23-year-old daughter, Ashley, is being groomed to drive a John Force Racing Funny Car either next year or the year after.

"What would I do (if I retired)?" he asked. "I've been on the road for 30 years. Besides, I'm under contract with Castrol and Ford (to drive) through 2011."

Each time someone has mentioned the "R" word, Force has responded by pointing out that drag racing's requirements are different from those of other motor sports.

"We're not out there driving around for three hours like NASCAR," he said. "As long as you've got your health and your vision and can keep up your leave times (reaction times), there's no reason you need to get out of the car when you're 40 or 50 like they do in NASCAR and Formula. Look at Warren Johnson. He's 62 and still winning races in Pro Stock)."

According to crew chief Austin Coil, Force is driving as well this season as he ever has and his experience makes him a threat on any track under any conditions.

"I've been down more racetracks than anybody out here," said the 13-time Auto Racing All-America selection. "I think that gives me an edge, but we'll see. There's a lot of great drivers and teams out there."

Sharpening his pencil - Gary Scelzi still has that short list of venues on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit at which he can't claim he's won. And Denver - actually Morrison, Colo., where Bandimere Speedway is located - is one of them. The others are Englishtown, N.J., and Gainesville, Fla.

So, he'd like to cross Denver off that list and win this weekend's Mopar Mile-High Nationals for Mopar, the primary sponsor of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger Funny Car he drives for Don Schumacher Racing.

The Fresno, Calif., native finally has his rocket ship back performing like it used to, following strong results in the last three events, including two semifinal finishes, one runner-up and a solid move into seventh in the point standings after struggling the first half of the year. He is just 101 points out of third place.

"I have never been past the semis in Denver," said Scelzi, who has won four NHRA world championships, 32 national events and has set 23 top speeds since joining DSR in the Funny Car class in 2003. "I at least have been to the final round at the other race tracks where I haven't won at.

"And now, with Mopar being my sponsor and the sponsor of a race I've never won, and having a car that's running well, we've got everything on our side to cross this one off the list.

"We've got a good race car and we don't look for Denver to cause any problems. We're going to be running our new lighter Dodge Charger body, so everything has the makings for a great weekend."

Physical Demands - Bandimere Speedway presents challenges that are not limited to the automotive arena. it can be tough on the body as well.

Ron Capps' crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch is back at the helm this weekend following the successful cancer surgery he elected to undergo during the two-week break.

"Ace had his surgery, he's pumped up and he's excited to go racing," Capps says. "And Denver is always a place that is not for the weak of heart. You make your own power up here and if you're underpowered it will definitely show. And we've always come here with plenty of power and I always feel that we can win here."

Capps' best result at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals was a runner-up to Tony Pedregon in 1998.

"It's going to be a very grueling race," he adds, referring to the altitude. "Just walking up the stairs from the staging lanes to the pit area will tax your body and you won't realize it. All of a sudden you'll feel a little bit fatigued. If you don't take it all into consideration and you don't pay attention and drink a lot of water, it could affect you. You just have to
stay on top of everything, and not just with the race car. Everybody has to take care of his or her body and get through the weekend. And I think that is why Denver is such a crucial race."

Half Full or Half Empty? - Only Mike Ashley, the motivational columnist for Torco's CompetitionPlus.com, would field a nitro Funny Car with a drum of nitro half-full or half-empty, depending on one's outlook. Headed into this weekend's NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals, he's focused on the task at hand - return to winning.

"I know what it takes to win and how to get to the winner's circle," Ashley said. "We will have a large pool of assets, the same caliber of the assets that we used to win two Pro Mod championships and the last Pro Mod race at St. Louis. We have that to draw from this weekend, and when I look at that vision, I see success, and I'm excited about that."

"The first half of the season was an incredible learning experience under the guidance of Del [Worsham] and Mark [Oswald - former crew chief]. I learned a lot about driving, the tuning of one of these nitro beasts, and how some of the decisions are made. I'm going to use that experience to springboard into our new program. It was an excellent growing experience.

"You can't expect to come into a class of this caliber and expect to go right to the top. Arguably, this class is the toughest it has ever been right now. You have to pay your dues, and I was ready to pay mine."

Ashley's winning attitude has proven to be anything but idle chatter. He opted to forgo driving the Funny Car in St. Louis to prepare for this weekend's debut. The off-weekend was short-lived, however, as Ashley decided to race the same Pro Modified car he piloted to the 2004 championship. The end result was a career ninth national event victory despite not having been behind the wheel of a Pro Mod car in eight months.

"Winning is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity, and that win was a momentum builder for me," he said. "The team was prepared for the weekend the same as they were when we won our championships. I haven't forgotten how to win and it doesn't matter which class I drive. Winning is winning - you still have the same core components.

Ain't Skeered - Robert Hight's crew chief Jimmy Prock has his share of phobias, but fear of heights isn't among them.

On the mountain that is Bandimere Speedway Prock rules.

Not only has he led Hight to victory in Denver, but he was also crew chief on the Top Fuel dragster in which Joe Amato set a track record that stands today as the oldest on the books.

It's been seven years since Amato stopped the Bandimere timers in 4.584 seconds during the 1999 Mile-High Nationals. In fact, it wasn't until last year, when Brandon Bernstein qualified No. 1 at 4.596, that anyone else even broke 4.60 seconds at the highest track (5,300 feet) in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

That means that Prock owns the unique distinction of preparing the cars that hold the Bandimere records in each of the top categories, the result of Hight's jaw-dropping, pole-winning 4.796 second effort last year, the first sub-4.80 effort in the Funny Car division.

Hight, who earned the Auto Club's Road to the Future Award as the 2005 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year, went on to win the Mile-High Nationals, wire-to-wire, in a strong second half run during which he led the Funny Car points for five races.

That Funny Car victory was Prock's third in the last seven years at Bandimere. He won with Amato in 1998 and 1999 before moving to John Force Racing in 2001 as crew chief on the team's third Ford Mustang.

Bit of Payback - To repay the loyalty of three of their devoted associate sponsors, NHRA’s Kalitta Motorsports is giving longtime associate sponsors Technicoat Companies, Fischer Honda, and Red Line Oil primary sponsorship signage on the normally Kalitta Air-decorated race car free of charge for one event each during the NHRA’s Western Swing in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif.

This weekend’s running of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver marks the first event of the Western Swing and the Kalitta Motorsports Associate Sponsor Appreciation Swing. Kalitta’s 7,000 horsepower, nitro-fueled flopper will be adorned with primary sponsorship for Technicoat Companies for the weekend event in the mile-high city.

 “I think this is a great way to reward our associate sponsors,” Kalitta said. “Each one of these companies, and all of our associate sponsors, are terrific to work with, and I can’t think of any that I don’t consider some of the folks involved with that company to be friends with as well. Take for instance, ‘the Cowboys’, Bob and Glen at Technicoat. Those guys are great. They come to a lot of events and there’s always a good time waiting to happen around them. We hope we can go out there and put up some good numbers so they’ll have something extra to cheer for.”

Time for a Turnaround - Del Worsham's first half was full of incomprehensibly close losses, most of which came against a short list of drivers who are currently battling for the top spot in the Funny Car class, followed by a disheartening loss in St. Louis, where tire smoke surprised the team in the first round of competition after not having been much of a factor all weekend (or, for that matter, all year.)  It was enough to give the still-young driver a few gray hairs, and more than a few sleepless nights.

"We spent the first half losing races the hard way," Worsham said.  "It's been getting so old, I don't even like talking about it anymore.  I was trying to think of an analogy to other sports, but it's hard to compare.  I mean, in football, if you run the ball well, you'll gain yards. In basketball, if you shoot well, you will score points. I always say this is more like golf, where all you can do is shoot your best score, and if someone beats you by a stroke, there's nothing you can do about it.

"For us, we had a few races where we were shooting our best rounds ever, making every shot, and we'd still get beat by a stroke.  It was kind of like making an unbelievable eagle on a hole, and then seeing the other guy make a hole-in-one. Maybe it's also a little like baseball, where you can hit line drives but the other guys catch them all.  We've been hitting line drives, but we haven't had any of those broken-bat bloop hits fall in for us at all.  We know we just have to keep swinging, and the good results will come."

Heading into this weekend's Mopar Mile-High Nationals at scenic Bandimere Speedway on the outskirts of Denver, Worsham looks forward to the mountain air, the challenges of tuning at altitude, and a fresh start for the second half. Getting back on the NHRA tour also allows Team CSK to continue its development on a number of fronts.

"We're not just sitting around doing nothing here, hoping it will all come together, so we're all excited to get to Denver and get going again on all the things we're working on," he said.  "We've been phasing in some new stuff that will help us now, and help us down the road, but doing that's never an instant fix.  It takes time to change the way you run the car, but we know we're headed in the right direction.

Whit's Mountain - Whit Bazemore knows a good place when he races at. The veteran Funny Car driver has an outstanding record at Bandimere Speedway: two Funny Car wins, one runner-up finish and five No. 1 qualifiers.

Bazemore has had the car to beat in recent NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events after struggling early in the season. He's qualified No. 2 four times this year, but has yet to turn the car's improvement into his first
national-event victory of the year. He came close in Columbus, earning his first runner-up finish of 2006.

His No. 1 goal for this weekend, he says, is to win for his longtime sponsor
Matco Tools.

"We have always done very well here. Bandimere Speedway is a great facility and the fans are awesome, especially on Friday night when the place is just jam-packed the way it always is," says Bazemore. "It's an event
for the city of Denver, and when you're really proud to be an NHRA drag racer is when you're racing at Bandimere Speedway. It makes you proud of the sport. Personally, it makes me proud to have won this race twice, because it's such a great place and they really do it right.

"We like coming here and trying to reward the fans with a good show."

Great Equalizer - It doesn't matter how much of an advantage you may have on flat land. When you come to Denver, you no better than the next admits Cruz Pedregon.

"Denver is a great equalizer. There are a lot of teams who have great setups for sea-level conditions, but it is different there," Pedregon said of the unique atmospheric conditions. "The air isn't pushing on the spoiler as much, so it's a challenge for our crew chiefs. As drivers, we've got to be on our game -- we'll all get winded easier because of the thin air. We're looking forward to the challenge of that additional element of running in different conditions. We won in '93, and we've been runner-up in 2003 and 2004, so we know we can do well in Denver. The Advance Auto Parts Team is looking forward to the start of the second half of the season."

PRO STOCK

The Tribute - Gene Wilson will driver a Dodge Stratus honoring Team Mopar driver Geoffrion, who passed away on May 8.

"It's an honor to be selected to drive a car in tribute of Scott [Geoffrion]," Wilson said. "There are several great drivers who have been part of the Mopar family that could have been chosen, but I'm really looking forward to getting to being a part of this effort. Don Schumacher Racing and Mopar have a great pro stock effort put together, and I'm looking forward to getting back to racing as part of a great team."

Wilson is no stranger to the NHRA Pro Stock ranks, having earned the series' Rookie of the Year title in 2002. He also won the 2001 IHRA Pro Stock championship, winning a record-tying eight events en route to the title. Wilson is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a pro stock machine and feels the Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the perfect event to do so.

"I'm really looking forward to returning to the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals this week," Wilson said. "Being in Golden, Colorado, for the Mopar Big Block Party and being in the Denver area for five days is really a great way to start the weekend. This event is really an all-Mopar event, and it's going to be great to get reacquainted with a lot of people. I'm really excited to drive the tribute car, and we're going to work hard to run well all weekend. I'm looking forward to racing on Sunday."

Team owner Don Schumacher is also pleased that the Geoffrion Tribute car will take part in this week's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals event with Wilson behind the wheel.

"We at DSR are proud to field a car at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals which will commemorate the outstanding contributions made by the late Scott Geoffrion to the sport of NHRA drag racing as part of the Mopar racing family," Schumacher said. "He was a remarkable competitor and we hope this special entry will help Scott's friends, family, fans and fellow racers remember him as warmly as we do."

The tribute paint scheme that Wilson's car will carry for the 27th Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals was designed by Competition Graphics of Farmington Hills, Mich. Competition Graphics is one of America's premier motorsports graphics suppliers.

It's Old School Daddio - Arriving in the Centennial State as the defending Mile-High Nationals winner, Warren Johnson credits his early days of competing at tracks across the Rockies with his skill for adapting to racing in the thin air.

“I’m not entirely sure there is a secret to our success on the mountain, because we’ve had an equal amount of success racing in Gainesville, where the conditions are the exact opposite end of the spectrum,” related Johnson. “I guess you could say that I’m good at racing under extreme conditions, because I love a challenge. It’s just that I’ve raced there for so long, including in Pueblo, where it’s five to six hundred feet higher and Continental Divide, which is also over 5,000 feet.

“I also competed in the altitude before the advent of computers, so I had to learn to race under these conditions using the tried and true method of reading spark plugs, retarding timing and doing whatever it takes to make the car run faster. Without having all the modern day tuning tools at my disposal, I developed a better feeling of what needed to be changed, instead of relying on a computer to tell me what to do.”

Gearing Up - Greg Anderson begins his last half push for his fourth consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock championship this weekend.

Entering the event that marks the start of the second half of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Anderson, who has led the 2006 Pro Stock point standing from the season-opening race, has a tenuous two point lead over teammate Jason Line. In fact, only 105 points separate the top five drivers. This has Anderson on edge.

“It’s kind of been tough on us,” said Anderson at the second quarter NHRA teleconference for the four professional NHRA POWERade point leaders at the midpoint in the 2006 season. “Everybody’s so even. We don’t have the advantage we’ve had over the last couple of years. We’re pressing harder and trying to make that perfect run every time, which we didn’t necessarily have to do before. Usually when you do that you make a few mistakes. Everybody is pressing really hard in this class right now; everybody is running well but at the same time making mistakes along the way because the competition is so tough.

“It’s an ulcer creator for us right now as drivers, and as teams, and for me coming off the last couple, three years where we had a kind of cushion on the field. We don’t have that cushion anymore and now it’s down to we have to execute perfectly. And the bottom line is that we haven’t executed perfectly since Pomona and we’re lucky to still have that point lead to be honest with you. We’ve had too many first round and second round losses where either I didn’t do a good job driving or the car didn’t perform like it should of. So, anytime you’re going to make a mistake in this class right now you’re going to get beat.”

Changin' - Pop music singer Sheryl Crow must have crooned her famous "A Change will do you good" tune with the Mile High Nationals in mind. Changes occurring in NHRA Pro Stock ranks in the past two weeks have nothing to do with positions in the top 10. It’s more about switching gears, rear ends, transmissions and anything else short of installing a supercharger that will generate horsepower in naturally-aspirated engines.

Crew chiefs, teams and drivers face a totally different set of parameters when they compete at Bandimere Speedway, in the rarified Denver-area air. The 13th stop on the POWERade Series tour isn’t called the Mopar Mile-High Nationals for nothing.

Jim Yates, son/crew chief Jamie Yates and their wily engine builder/tuner Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins tested Yates’ Bayshore Power/SeaRay Boats/B&W Pontiac GTO at the track two weeks ago. While he wasn’t particularly pleased with the way the car ran, Yates nonetheless says he is “definitely looking forward this race and the stops at Seattle (July 21 23) and Sonoma, Calif. (July 28-30)”, the traditional Western Swing that launches the second half of the season.

“We didn’t do too well testing,” added Yates. “We were running in the back half of the field but we were working on our basic combination. Racing here requires the most changes because we only race in conditions like this once a year. Seattle and Sonoma have conditions similar to what we see at certain tracks.”

Having Jenkins – a Pro Stock icon who has more than 40 years of tuning experience – on board gives the Occoquan, Va.-based driver a confidence boost. “ There’s nobody better than Jenkins when it comes to knowing what engine combination will work in conditions like we’ll have this weekend,” Yates said. “ He carries his bible of information with him, and that tells him what he needs to do to the tune-up.”

While Jenkins does his motor mojo, Jim and Jamie Yates will be fine-tuning the GTO chassis.

“Conditions we had during testing were different than what we will see this weekend,” he said. “The last run we made testing was in conditions very similar to what we expect to see in Friday’s first qualifying session. The air was warm and the track was hot and slick.”

Two of Yates’ 25 career wins came at Bandimere (1996-97). He was runner-up in 1995.

Don't Believe the Hype - Kurt Johnson feels that Denver offers no more of a challenge than any other facility. “A lot is made of the conditions at Bandimere, but in reality, it’s just like anywhere else,” opined Johnson. “You have a starting line, a finish line, and win lights. We had a good test there a few weeks ago, so we should be in good shape. We found what direction not to go in, which will be helpful heading into this weekend. Hopefully, we can be strong from Q1 (the first qualifying session), put it on the pole or near the top and have lane choice for round one on Sunday. We’ll start from there and work our way forward. We’ve won in Denver before, so we have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done. Now, it’s a matter of doing it.

“We’d certainly like to get the second half off to a good start, but we’re not putting any extra emphasis on any of these next three races. After all, they will neither make you nor break you. We’ve used the time since the St. Louis race to get everything ready, and have what we feel is a solid inventory of race motors ready to run. Our ACDelco Cobalt is fully prepared, the crew is focused on the task ahead, and we’re ready to get the job done. I guess you could say we’re ready to climb the mountain.”

The New Milkman - Tommy Lee is ready to make his debut as driver of the Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevy Cobalt at this weekend's running of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver. Lee is no stranger to success on the race track. Lee's impressive credentials from his IHRA days include winning six national events, and earning seven No. 1 qualifiers. Lee also just missed winning the 2000 IHRA Pro Stock National Championship by two rounds.

Lee has also enjoyed previous success on the NHRA circuit, qualifying for 11 NHRA Pro Stock national events while driving for Allen Johnson's team in 2002.

Since joining Cagnazzi Racing, Lee has remained active as a driver for the past several years, serving as test driver for the team.

"Victor [Cagnazzi] believes there is no substitute for on-track testing," Lee said. "So we spend a lot of time making runs, and I'd expect I've made 75 laps or better as the test driver. In fact, counting when I raced last, I think I have 15 to 20 laps down Bandimere Speedway alone."

Lee's driving experience is sure to pay off, in what many consider to be the most challenging Pro Stock race on the 23-Event tour due to the high altitude of the track. Lee feels confident that his Slammers Ultimate Milk team will do everything they can to "knock any rust off" the seasoned pro.

"I was with Dave Connolly's guys while they tested in Denver right after St. Louis," Lee said. "And then we spent two days testing the Slammers Ultimate Milk Cobalt at Rockingham. We have been keeping busy for sure, and I'm getting back into race mode.

"This is a dream come true," Lee continued. "When you take a team like this, one that does everything in-house, and has the best people, equipment and sponsors in the sport, you can't help but feel proud to be the driver. I've driven a lot of cars in my days, but to have the chance to drive a true championship-caliber car is something special. Starting at mid season we may not have any chance of winning the championship this year, but this whole team is going to race just like we are right in the middle of it."

Still Movin' Up - Dave Connolly has gone from cool to hot in NHRA Pro Stock racing. With two victories, one runner-up and a semifinal finish in the past six races, Connolly has taken the express elevator from 12th to third in points as the POWERade Series prepares for its final 11 races of the season.

Connolly’s reversal of fortune in the very competitive Pro Stock field – this is the closest title fight in several years – coincided with Tommy Utt’s arrival as crew chief of the Skull Gear Chevrolet Cobalt. Connolly won at Atlanta in Utt’s first race and came back two races later to claim victory No. 2, making the Elyria, Ohio native the category’s first multi-race winner of 2006. He added the runner-up at Englishtown, N.J. and a semifinal finish at St. Louis last month.  

The impressive numbers Connolly and crew compiled over the past half-dozen outings tell the story:

A 15-4 round record; a series increase of 503 points (227 to 730), the most in the category; and a 239-point deficit to leader Greg Anderson chopped to 71. “Six races ago, when we were in the 12th spot, if you had asked me if I thought we had a shot at the championship, I would have said no way,” Connolly said. “But you don’t expect Anderson to stumble like he has. We just kind of took advantage of the situation because we’ve gone some rounds at every race.”

The traditional Western Swing – stops Denver’s Bandimere Speedway (July 14-16), Seattle’s Pacific Raceways (July 21-23) and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. (July 28-30) – sets the stage for contenders who are battling for the right to be the driver taking the final bow at the Nov. 13 championship awards ceremony.

“It’s a different (racing) world up in Denver,” said Connolly of the only high-altitude track on the schedule. “We got to the finals there last year. It would be nice if we could pick up a win there and move up in points.”

The team tested at Bandimere two weeks ago to fine-tune its high-altitude, less oxygen tune-up for the aptly-named Mile-High Nationals, and Connolly admitted he was “definitely happy with way we ran.  It was a hot day and the track was pretty tricky – like we expect it to be during the race. We had the fastest car on the last day.

“This is probably the most important part of the season,” he continued. “ It takes a lot of manpower and a well-prepared team to go out and run three races in a row and keep up with the motors. The guys in (team engine builder) Victor Cagnazzi’s shop have been busting their tails, working on new motors so we should be in pretty shape equipment-wise.

“This has been a different year in Pro Stock.  Every time you look, there’s someone else running good. There are 10-to-12 cars that can qualify number one – it’s usually the one who makes the good run in the good session.”

Tested and Ready - Pro Stock Rookie Shaun Carlson has a chance to start the season over and a new Jerry Haas-built Dodge Stratus R/T provides the perfect opportunity.

Carlson and his Mopar team took full advantage of the two-week mid-season break and tested at Bandimere Speedway immediately following the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. They also tested this week for one day back at Gateway International Raceway before heading west on I-70 towards Denver.

The California native is pleased with the test results and his new Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T. "The testing at Bandimere went well. All of the DSR team drivers tested great, and we continue to find things out about our cars," said Carlson. "My new car is 35 pounds lighter than my old car, and one of the problems we have figured out is that we didn't have the weight located the best way possible on the old car. Jerry (Haas) put a lot more carbon-fiber pieces on this new car, so we can arrange the weight similar to Richie's (Stevens Jr., teammate). We think that is really going to help us with our 60-ft. time, which has been a constant problem for us all season."

As for the July 11 Gateway test session, "Yesterday we worked with the small things. With a new car there are so many things that can go wrong, and the last thing we would want is to have something like brake lines go bad, or have the car turn left or turn right real hard, or something weird. Terry (Adams, co-crew chief) worked with the four-link suspension as well," he said.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Just down the road - When Matt Hines says that the Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines V-Rod team has some experience with winning at Bandimere Speedway, he's just being modest. The current crew chief of the two-bike factory supported Harley-Davidson team earned four wins in five final round appearances throughout his NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle career. This week Hines and the rest of the crew is aiming to put one of the two 23-year-old riders, Andrew Hines and GT Tonglet, in the winner's circle at the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

"I won a few races there so I might give the guys some tips or ideas about the track but usually I don't have to say too much," Hines said. "From time to time we talk about what they need to do to improve their consistency in their performance, but to be honest, I have two great riders to work with and they know how to do their jobs."

The Screamin' Eagle squad should have an advantage over the competition because of the history they have with the location. Bandimere Speedway sits 5,860 feet above sea level. The Vance & Hines Motorsports shop was at 6,000 feet in Trinidad, Colo., for years.

"We have a lot of experience with the altitude at this track and we have good baseline data that we can start with that will immediately keep us competitive," Hines said. "Then we can make any necessary adjustments as we go along. Being based in Trinidad for so long has given us lots of information to work with. We did all of our dyno testing there for a long time before we moved to Indianapolis recently."

While Andrew Hines has earned the top qualifying position at Bandimere during the previous two events, Tonglet and Hines each rode to second round finishes in 2005 – something the youngest Hines would like to avoid.

"These Screamin' Eagle V-Rods were built in Trinidad and they respond well to the altitude," the Trinidad High School graduate said. "It's been a great track to us over the years but neither GT or I have won there yet. We always have a lot of friends there and it would be great to celebrate in winner's circle there this time."

Happy Anniversary Dahlin', Part 2 - Angelle Sampey, who leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings after seven events, is returning to a track that holds a special place in her heart.

It was in 1996 at Bandimere Speedway that Sampey made her NHRA debut. She qualified fifth and advanced to the semifinals.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years already,” said the three-time world champion. “It seems like yesterday that I was just starting out. Boy, how time flies when you’re having fun.”

After winning three races during the first half of ’06, the Louisiana resident would like nothing better than to start the second half off on the right foot.

“Absolutely,” she said. “We’ve got to keep our eye on the ball. There are a lot of hungry drivers and teams out there that are prepared to attack should we falter a bit.”

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