When you race the 24-event NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series between February and early November, off weekends are, for the most devoted of drivers, are few and far between. Last weekend presented one of the rare opportunities for a handful of NHRA professional drag racers who chose to spend the downtime getting in more drag racing time.
Matt Smith overcame clutch trouble Saturday with his Viper Motorsports Buell to claim the No. 1 qualifying spot in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class for the Amalie Oil Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Florida.
Mike Edwards has looked more like a bracket racer than a Pro Stock driver during the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
During Friday qualifying, the driver of the Interstate Batteries/I am Second.com Chevrolet Camaro laid down a 6.473 world record time and followed up with four runs ranging from a 6.476 to a 6.488.
Edwards made a clean sweep of all qualifying bonus points for the event.
It has been 10 years since Doug Kalitta has put the Mac Tools Dragster at the front of the Top Fuel pack for the Gatornationals.
But with a Number 1 qualifying position in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series three weeks ago at Phoenix, the veteran from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is on a roll.
Two-time world champ Cruz Pedregon, whose only win at this event came in 1998, powered his Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry to the provisional No. 1 position with a performance of 4.047 seconds at 296.05 mph. If the effort holds through Saturday's final two qualifying sessions (11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.) it will be his fourth No. 1 at this event and the 51st of his career.
Mike Edwards moved to the top of the Pro Stock order with a national record time of 6.473 at a track record speed 214.31 in his Interstate Batteries / I Am Second Chevy Camaro. If Edwards can hold onto the national record time until the completion of this event he will earn 20 bonus points.
Matt Smith was quickest in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.804 at 197.28 on his Viper Motorcycle Company Buell.
"It feels good," said Smith, the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ. "We worked hard all winter long and made a big gain at the end of last year in the last two races and we thought we were in the right direction and proved it in testing. I think we are going to be a strong team all year long. It's going to be a fun year and I think the class is very, very equal. It will be like Pro Stock car, where you will live and die by the starting line."
Matt Smith was quickest in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.804 at 197.28 on his Viper Motorcycle Company Buell.
"It feels good," said Smith, the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ. "We worked hard all winter long and made a big gain at the end of last year in the last two races and we thought we were in the right direction and proved it in testing. I think we are going to be a strong team all year long. It's going to be a fun year and I think the class is very, very equal. It will be like Pro Stock car, where you will live and die by the starting line."
Aussie Top Doorslammer icon Victor bray recently drove his car to a runner-up finish at the ANDRA Westernationals in Perth. This video provides a behind the scenes glimpse at his team and their weekend experiences.
Tony Schumacher won a wild tire-smoking final round against Morgan Lucas Sunday to claim the Top Fuel victory at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.
Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) also were winners at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event near Phoenix.
Footage courtesy of ESPN, Photos by Roger Richards
Tony Schumacher raced to his 70th career victory and fourth at FIR when he was able to get his 8,000-horsepower U.S. Army dragster under control and finish just in front of Lucas’ charging GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster. Both dragsters lost traction early in the side-by-side race and both drivers were on and off the throttle as they navigated the dragstrip.
“When you can win ugly like that it is so much fun,” said Schumacher, who beat Sidnei Frigo, Khalid alBalooshi and Antron Brown in earlier rounds. “Both cars were set up to run really fast and we both lost it and smoked the tires. It was lift, pedal, lift, pedal all the way down. I could hear Morgan beside me the whole time. As a driver that kind of race is so much fun and I enjoy winning like that more than a record run.”
Matt Smith overcame clutch trouble Saturday with his Viper Motorsports Buell to claim the No. 1 qualifying spot in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class for the Amalie Oil Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Florida.
Mike Edwards has looked more like a bracket racer than a Pro Stock driver during the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
It has been 10 years since Doug Kalitta has put the Mac Tools Dragster at the front of the Top Fuel pack for the Gatornationals.
Two-time world champ Cruz Pedregon, whose only win at this event came in 1998, powered his Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry to the provisional No. 1 position with a performance of 4.047 seconds at 296.05 mph. If the effort holds through Saturday's final two qualifying sessions (11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.) it will be his fourth No. 1 at this event and the 51st of his career. 
Mike Edwards moved to the top of the Pro Stock order with a national record time of 6.473 at a track record speed 214.31 in his Interstate Batteries / I Am Second Chevy Camaro. If Edwards can hold onto the national record time until the completion of this event he will earn 20 bonus points.
Matt Smith was quickest in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.804 at 197.28 on his Viper Motorcycle Company Buell.
Tony Schumacher won a wild tire-smoking final round against Morgan Lucas Sunday to claim the Top Fuel victory at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.
Tony Schumacher raced to his 70th career victory and fourth at FIR when he was able to get his 8,000-horsepower U.S. Army dragster under control and finish just in front of Lucas’ charging GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster. Both dragsters lost traction early in the side-by-side race and both drivers were on and off the throttle as they navigated the dragstrip.
