2011 NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS - AUDIO NOTEBOOK
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WE'RE BREAKING NEW GROUND
CompetitionPlusAudio's Joe Castello will take you behind the scenes at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals in this unique feature brought to you by the staff of CompetitionPlus.com. We'll still have the written word available but this new feature will allow you to listen firsthand as the drivers discuss what's going on behind the scenes at the legendar Bristol Dragway.
FIRST ROUND
QUARTER-FINALS
SEMI-FINALS
FINALS
TOP FUEL
FUNNY CAR
PRO STOCK
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - OF RAIN, FAST TIMES AND THE INSIDE STORIES
TO THE TOP - Drag racing has its peaks and valleys, the competitors always say. For Funny Car's Bob Tasca III, he experienced his Mount McKinley and Grand Canyon all within seconds of each other Saturday at Bristol Dragway after regaining his status as No. 1 qualifier.
Tasca, whose Rhode Island-Massachusetts car dealership network is one of Ford's largest in the nation, understandably was joyful for rebounding from the No. 7 spot with his career-best, track-record performance in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
He had to climb back to the top ahead of Matt Hagan, Mike Neff, Jack Beckman, Tim Wilkerson, Robert Hight, and Johnny Gray.
"It's pretty humbling, sitting in that car and you're No. 1 and you end up seventh. We were seventh when we pulled up to the water box," Tasca said. He told crew chief Chris Cunningham, "You got nothin' to lose." Cunningham, unruffled, said, 'don’t worry -- it’s going to go fast."
And, the driver said, "It did. One of our missions coming into this racetrack was to qualify better. And I told him, 'You can check that box.' "
THE WAIT IS OVER - Top Fuel's Brandon Bernstein had to wait 58 races, a couple of typical East Tennessee June showers, and his final turn at the starting line Saturday nail down his first No. 1 qualifying position since the 2008 Memphis race.
With a 3.828-second, 316.52-mph pass on the 1,000-foot Bristol Dragway course, in the Copart Dragster he insisted was about to show its full potential, Bernstein earned the honor of leading the field for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Although his 3.859 elapsed time held up through three qualifying sessions, Larry Dixon and Doug Kalitta landed big punches of their own Saturday evening as they took aim for the top spot.
Dixon slid Bernstein down a notch when he registered a 3.831, 319.37 run in the Al-Anabi Dragster in the fourth and final session. Kalitta, driving the Kalitta Air entry, followed with a blast of 3.856, 320.66 to improve to the No. 2 spot. That forced Bernstein to battle back from third place in the order.
HE DID IT AGAIN - Mike Edwards knew better than to celebrate his Friday provisional No. 1. The former Pro Stock series champion had an idea Allen Johnson was lurking in the shadows.
Edwards’ intuitions were spot-on.
In a replay of last year’s NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying at Bristol, Johnson waited until the final qualifying session to knock Edwards from his perch and score his first pole position of the season.
Johnson’s 6.668, 206.89 pass put .01 between him and Edwards headed into final eliminations. Edwards ran a 6.678 during Friday’s evening session.
“Our Mopar Dodge Avenger, is that an awesome car?” Johnson asked. “This car is getting more and more awesome each week. The guys are just tweaking it and we did it at good ol' Bristol. This track has been good to us.”
Johnson said he believes the greatest attribute of his car throughout the course of the last two events isn’t horsepower but consistency.
ABOUT THAT OTHER TREE … - Jeff Foster of Compulink Timing Systems discusses the evolution of the starting line Christmas tree, adding a second tree at Bristol, facing the grandstand, so that fans can better see the staging bulbs, which are less visible since the addition of the new LED stage bulbs at z-Max Dragway earlier this year.
Jeff details the research, development, and man hours required for creating the new LED stage bulbs, and the unintended positive consequences resulting for the drivers.
THUNDER VALLEY 101 - Joe Castello speaks with Bristol historian and author David McGee along with co-host Mike Lester who are broadcasting “live” on Bristol Dragway's second FM radio frequency (100.1 FM) to help educate fans about the sport of NHRA Drag Racing.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - RACING UNDER THE LIGHTS IN THUNDER VALLEY
ARE WE ALRIGHT? - Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III could hear the Pro Stock cars running their second qualifying session of the day at Bristol Dragway. Then he kept glancing at the damage-control commotion going on in his Motorcraft/Quick lane pit. And he was getting antsy.
"We put a brand-new motor in the car, and [crew chief Chris] Cunningham didn't like the cylinder temperatures when it warmed up," Tasca said. "We downloaded the data, and they got the valve covers off. They're adjusting valves, changing coil boxes, changing wires. And then they found an oil leak. We started the motor up on gas, just to make sure everything was good. And they're thrashing to fix the oil leak. Pro Stock's running, and I knew were either first or second pair."
He turned to Cunningham and asked, "Are we all right?"
IT'S ABOUT TIME - Brandon Bernstein almost giggled Friday night.
His No. 1 qualifying position for the Top Fuel field at the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway isn't official.
But his 3.859-second elapsed time was plenty quick enough overnight to put him on track for his career 14th top spot -- but more important for his first of this already-taxing season for the Copart Dragster team and his first since September 27, 2008, at Memphis.
HEY, I'LL TAKE IT - Mike Edwards wasn’t going to argue with his good fortunes, but wondering what happened to the competition during the final session is still mike_edwardsopen for debate.
During Friday qualifying at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards expected a quick and fast Pro Stock session only to find out he was in a world of his own. Edwards was the quickest Pro Stocker on the property with a 6.679, 205.94, nearly .023 over second quickest Rodger Brogdon.
YOUTH AND ENTHUSIASM - Vincent Nobile is one of drag racing's bona fide up and coming Pro Stock stars. He's the front-running and overwhelming candidate for the Rookie of the Year award. This up and comer talks about watching the legends of the sport including his father John Nobile.
AN EVERYWHERE KINDA GUY - Jeff Arend gets around in the nitro pits. Not only does he race a nostalgia car on the off weekends for Dale Pulde, he also fills in on warm-ups for double-duty drivers. On Friday, he helped friend Aaron Brooks by filling in for Melanie Troxel. Arend describes his first run (4.22) at Bristol.
TRYING TO IMPROVE - Pro Stock racer Greg Stanfield is off to his best start to a season so far. He's admittedly learning lessons from last year's close second place finish. Words of wisdom from a driver who has won in five different categories.
A LUCKY MAN - Jack Beckman has the greatest job in the world, talks about packing his parachute, predicts his Q2 run. Delve into the world of "Fast" Jack and Funny Car racing.
THE WEAK LINK? - The Edge Pain & Performance Pro Stock driver, Rodger Brogdon, discusses his car's strong performance over the past couple of NHRA National events but blames the driver for the team's lack of success. Brogdon details recent cockpit changes that will allow him to be more comfortable in the race car.
BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES - Bristol Dragway has a storied history. Funny Car driver Paul Lee recounts his first experiences at the famed track in the 1980's, how much has changed since then, and his team's ability to qualify well in the early sessions.
THE REAL THIEL - Funny Car driver Brian Theil discusses his comfort level in his Nitro Funny Car and describes the feeling of an 8000 HP launch as "violent". Unfortunately his Funny Car burst into flames following the first qualifying session.
OH DEER, HE'S A STAR - Diehard-sponsored Funny Car driver, Matt Hagan, gives "behind the scenes" insight about his recent CompetitionPlus.tv deer video, his preparation for Bristol, and his workout regimen.
IT'S TOPS IN HIS BOOK - Ford Motorcraft Funny Car Driver Bob Tasca III has a personal list of favorite tracks and Bristol Dragway ranks amongst the best of them.
In this notebook item, the third generation of the iconic Tasca family tells why he loves the valley carved between two mountains.
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