This is the “Recliner Report”, the blog which highlights amazing moments and outstanding insights during the ESPN broadcasts of NHRA events during the 2013 season.

Life happens. Maybe you were out of town and not able to watch the broadcast. Perhaps you forgot to hit the Tivo button. Or, it could be that taking the kids to the zoo for day of lions and tigers meant a nap at the end of the day, causing you to miss the show. It’s OK. Reclineer Report will bring you up to speed. Whether it was Dave Reiff’s insightful interviews, Lewis Bloom’s amazing facts, or Mike Dunn’s ability to breaks down a mechanical topic in a way we can all understand, you will find it here!

Welcome to Seattle, the home of specialty coffees and lots of over-caffeinated folks! We’re at the third and final stop on the Western Swing during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and this week’s ESPN2 coverage featured cooking steaks with car parts, a Funny Car mystery involving the Three Stooges, and a broadcaster who might want to get himself a bodyguard!


Dude…this fish was huge!  Shawn Langdon went salmon fishing with members of the Al-Anabi crew during the week. His catch? Ummm…zero. However, Asst. Crew Chief Ronnie Thompson, crew member Jim Marcellus and Crew Chief Brian Husen landed winners, with photos to prove it. When asked by Gary Gerould about the lack of fish on his line, Langdon laughed and answered, “I was O-fer. The line broke…the line broke. It was that big. You know what I mean?”

Top of the charts—Here’s a Countdown stat that Shawn Langdon should love. According to “Stat Guy” Lewis Bloom, on four of six occasions in Top Fuel, the number one seed has gone on to win the championship, including 2010 and 2011 for Team Al-Anabi. Where is Langdon currently ranked? You got it. Numero uno.

The Recliner Riddle No.1—Prior to Seattle, how many Funny Car drivers had clinched a spot in the Countdown? Keep reading…the answer is at the end of the blog!

Let’s ride fellas--Mike Dunn, David Grubnic, and Del Worsham hit Duthie Hill Park in Issaquah, Washington, for a two-wheel adventure on Thursday, as the camera caught them riding their mountain bikes over some gnarly trails. Worsham, who Dunn called, “…an old BMXer”, wore jeans and a pair of Vans shoes, all which Dunn labeled, “…basic attire for that.” A camera mounted on Dunn’s handlebars gave viewers an up-close-and-personal shot of the commentator on the trails, and while he bounced around, Dunn stated, “Here I am, being scared. Where am I going here?” The final shot featured the group approaching a bridge that stood approximately 8 to 10 feet tall, while Dave Reiff was heard to say, “Oh my, this does not look good.” While shown going successfully up and over the bridge, Dunn commented, “That’s what I thought before I looked down.” Then, in a kid’s voice, Dunn added, “Aaahh, help me!”

I’m like..excited! T.J. Zizzo defeated Tony Schumacher in the first round of Top Fuel action, running a 3.843 to a 3.902 by “The Sarge.” After being informed over the radio of his victory, Zizzo sailed toward the top end and was heard yelling excitedly, “Wooo! Yeah…yeah, yeah, yeah. Woo, woo!” Mike Dunn added, “Well, at least he’s not excited about it!”

A classy move—Schumacher’s first-round loss was his third in the last four races. That makes five such defeats for Schumacher this season, the most for him since 2007. Despite the loss to Zizzo, Schumacher was shown on a long-range camera to be the first to congratulate his opponent on his victory.

Fantastic family feelings--Gary Gerould informed T. J. Zizzo that his win over Schumacher included a lot of firsts, including his first trip to Pacific Raceways and his first win at the track. He then asked, “How good is life this morning for T.J. Zizzo?” Zizzo replied, “You know, life was great because I woke up next to my daughter. My wife, my son, and my daughter flew in last night. So, it’s fantastic. I was worried if I was going to get a good night’s rest or not with all the family in one room. But I guess it’s paying off so far. Yeah, the Northwest is fantastic. The racetrack is fantastic. I’ve heard a lot of positives about this place, and I knew before this event…I wrote it in a blog about two weeks ago that I was gonna come here and do well, so we’re gonna continue the trail here, man. It’s great. I love it.” Dave Reiff added, “Is it fantastic, or fam-tastic?”

Who am I racing? Oh…--Funny Car driver John Hale made his very first start ever in the category, and who did he see in the other lane? Only “Top Gun” Robert Hight, who was starting his 200th race. Mike Dunn commented, “This is his first fuel Funny Car run in competition, and what does he have to do? All he has to do is take out Robert Hight and John Force Racing.”

Ouch--Hale red lit at the line, to the tune of a -.168 reaction time, causing his automatic disqualification.

Climbing the ladder--Johnny Gray started Funny Car eliminations from the number 16 spot for the third time in his career, with the Seattle event being the first time in the past 12 years. However, according to “Stat Guy” Lewis Bloom, on the previous two occasions, Gray upset his opponents, both number one qualifiers.

Hitting the trifecta--Make that record three-for-three, as Gray defeated “Fast Jack” Beckman to advance to the second round.

NEW FEATURE FOR “THE RECLINER REPORT”!!!--OK, folks, we’ve got ourselves a new feature called, “What In The World?” There’s something weird going on in the DHL Funny Car. What’s the deal on the photo of the Three Stooges in Del Worsham’s hot rod? An in-car camera shot showed that Worsham has a photo of the clown princes of comedy taped to the backside of his steering wheel, with what looks to be the phrase “W.O.B. and go” written in black marker underneath. If you have any ideas about the words, what they say, or what they mean, send ‘em to The Recliner Report at competitionplus.com. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

Saddle up--While being interviewed by Gary Gerould about his first-round victory over John Force, Paul Lee commented, “We’re high-speed jockeys, and without a good car I can’t do anything, so it’s truly a team sport, and I’m glad I just got to have a little fun and take out the ten-time or eleven-time champ, or however many it is. But, it feels great.” Ending the conversation, Gerould commented to Lee, “Ride that horse, big guy.”

Too many championships--Cutting back to the booth following the conversation with Paul Lee, Mike Dunn stated, “It’s actually 15-time champion”, while Dave Reiff added, “You think a guy with four college degrees might know that.” Dunn then replied, “Yeah, but he drives a Funny Car. That takes away points”, and Reiff quickly said, “’Nuff said.”

Cooking with pans? Nah, we’ve got car parts for that--Mike Dunn spoke with Jaqueline Gohier, the chef for Vandergriff Racing, in a segment called “Clutch Plate Cooking.”  Dunn, in the Vandergriff pit area, pointed out two clutch plates sitting on top of stove burners and said, “I was classically trained by my dad in the garage, and my specialty was clutches, you know? And the clutches, when they make a run making 10,000 horsepower, they build a lot of heat from all that friction slippin’ that clutch trying to get it hooked up. So, (pointing to a two-burner grill covered by foil with two clutch plates sitting on top) we’ve got a couple of clutch plates here, probably about 800 degrees…can we cook anything on that?” Chef Jackie answered, “I think we can try.” Next, the sounds of sizzling beef were heard as a steak was placed on the plate, followed by two slices of toast, and a pair of eggs placed on the other plate. After turning the steak over, Dunn admired the sear on the meat created by the high heat, as he commented, “I love what the clutch does right there. (Pointing to a clutch mark on the meat) That’s added flavor there.” However, the toast was a little bit charred after both pieces were turned over, and Chef Jackie asked Dunn, “Do you like your toast burnt?” to which he replied, “Aaahh, you know, I just put a little butter on it and I’m good with it.” Chef Jackie then checked the steak, found it to be “…the perfect medium rare”, and pulled it off the clutch. Finally, Clay Millican team sponsor Steve Tucker then sampled the steak and nodded his approval, while Dunn looked into the camera, smiled, and commented, “Good stuff.” Back in the booth, Dave Reiff asked Dunn, “Steak and eggs. Was it good, Mike Dunn?” to which Dunn replied, “Steak and eggs…always good. How can you go bad with steak and eggs?”

How does it feel when…--Trying to give the audience some insight into what happens during a nitro launch, drivers were asked to describe that initial moment at the starting line. Their answers?

Steve Torrence: “When you step on the throttle on this thing, it’s like sitting at a red light, and getting rear-ended by a semi.”

Morgan Lucas: “It sets you back into the seat. It’s like you’re melting into it, you know?”

David Grubnic: “It’s definitely an experience. I think everybody should have a turn to do it.”

All of us at The Recliner Report love Grubby’s idea. Let’s go for a ride, Dave!

Umm, we’re gonna need to fix that--Bob Tasca’s crew was shown tearing down the engine following his first-round Funny Car victory over Tony Pedregon. Viewers witnessed a several-inch-wide gash in the right side of the block caused by an explosion, leading Mike Dunn to state, “Well, I’m no expert, but I think they’re gonna to have to change that engine, Dave”, to which Reiff replied, “You…you must have slept well last night. That’s good stuff.” Dunn’s comeback? “I could be a crew chief”, and Reiff responded with, “Yes, you could.”

The Recliner Riddle No.2—Who owns the longest active win streak in the Mello Yello series with at least one win per season?

I’m going to my fencing class!  For most folks, having some time off might mean fishing, golfing, or imitating a potato by hanging out on the couch. However, viewers learned from Jamie Howe that for Pro Stock driver and Colorado resident Deric Kramer, time off after Sonoma meant traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for a classical fencing tournament. A participant for a couple of years, Kramer calls the sport, “…the last, true, high-speed martial arts that there is.” A photo taken in the pit area showed Kramer standing in front of his ride wearing the fencing mask along with his weapon. Following an all-night research party on the internet by the staff of The Recliner Report, we have learned that three possible weapons can be used in fencing, including the Foil, the Epee, or the Sabre. No word on which weapon Kramer was displaying in the photo. From all of us at The Recliner Report…Deric, you’re just flat-out cool.

A minor scratch--Matt Hartford crashed his Pro Stocker in Denver, only to make the necessary repairs on the front end of his ride in time so that he could appear in Seattle. Mike Dunn called the accident a “…fender bender.” How much did the repairs cost? $53,000 smackeroos, the same amount it costs to buy 22,746 Grande Zen Green Tea drinks at Starbucks. (That little coffee shop started in Seattle) All of us The Recliner Report love green tea with honey. Good stuff.

“What In The World?” Mystery No.2—Just who is that on the top of Steve Torrence’s helmet? That is one impressive paint job. Any ideas? Let us know what you’re thinking by adding comments at the end of the blog.

It’s all good--T.J. Zizzo marched into his first-ever career semifinal after defeating reigning Top Fuel champ Antron Brown. At his top-end interview with Gary Gerould, Zizzo commented, “People always call us the underdog. I get it. Trust me, two Schumacher cars in one day? We’re certainly an underdog, but at the same time we come here prepared with all the right parts and pieces to do this, but we just need to put a string together in one day. And so far…so good.”

Let’s eat some cake!  David Grubnic’s 51st birthday is on Tuesday. Hope his day is happy, happy, happy!

Shh…don’t tell Don!  Ron Capps, who joined Dave Reiff and Mike Dunn in the booth during the second round of Top Fuel, gave viewers the inside scoop that, in two weeks at Brainerd, he and Clay Millican will each be racing a Polaris at noon Friday on an off-road track with a pair of X-Games participants. The event will take place in The Zoo, the area in Brainerd known to have fans that are slightly…well, insane, but in a good way! After sharing the info, Capps added, “Don’t tell Don.” (Schumacher) Dave Reiff was heard saying, “No, no, no. We won’t tell the Shoe.”

Totally courageous--Viewers learned about Shawn Cowie, a Top Alcohol Dragster participant who, in April of 2011, was hit by an intoxicated driver in Nashville while he was out sightseeing on his motorcycle. His right knee totally crushed and his right ankle “powdered”, Cowie faced a possible amputation of his right leg above the knee. Instead, a plan was put in place to save the leg. After re-learning how to walk, a number of surgeries, and hearing from doctors that he would never walk again, Cowie, blessed with the incredible support of his wife Taylor, journeyed to Woodburn Raceway 28 months after his accident to win the Lucas Oil Drag Racing series event. Cowie stated, “We ended qualifying number one, on the first pass, which was unreal…a 5.33. Ended up going some rounds and taking home the Wally that weekend. As soon as I saw the win light I was tearing up. I thought it was a dream. I really did. I cried. I couldn’t believe it. It was surreal. A story that you couldn’t even imagine happened.” Wife Taylor added, “He is one tough cookie. I mean, I have seen him go through more than I ever want to see anybody to go through. Whatever you throw his way, he will take it and he’ll get through it and overcome it.” An amazing story about an incredible racing couple.

Just bring it--Before the Cruz Pedregon versus Bob Tasca III second round Funny Car match-up, Ron Capps was asked his thoughts regarding the outcome. Capps responded, “Well, Cruz, you don’t…you never know. He’ll go completely out the norm of every crew chief. I expect him to run a .10 (4.10) or so. I mean, he’s not afraid to just go out and run it. These other guys are trying to back it down and be safe, and that’ll work for ‘em, but Cruz will go out there and make every other crew chief cringe.”

Through the camera’s eye--Paul Page narrated an incredible segment detailing those racing photographers who, in his words, “…turn the NHRA into a work of art.” A collage of pictures were shown, including starting line images, personalities, and the unfortunate crashes that sometimes take place in a sport that walks the fine line of world-class performance and earth-shattering danger. Page concluded the piece with the comment, “They show us the things we see only because they make it possible.” Dave Reiff added, “Mike, where would we be without the photographer?” Dunn replied, “Tell you what. I depended on them back in the day when National Dragster showed up in my mailbox. I liked looking at all those pictures.” What a coffee table book that would make…

Got mustard and relish?  Vincent Nobile defeated Allen Johnson by 17 inches in second round Pro Stock action. OK, that’s about 3 hot dogs placed end to end. By the way, our staff learned recently that the world’s longest hot dog measured 668 feet, 7.62 inches in length. It was created at the Expoferia in Paraguay. No word on the guy who tried to eat it all. Hope he had major medical.

He won? Oh no! Gotta go! Speaking of health insurance, Gary Gerould might need to take out an extra top end policy to protect him from overly-enthusiastic Funny Car drivers. Following Matt Hagan’s semifinal victory over Courtney Force, Gerould found himself on the receiving end of a huge Hagan hyper-moment. After leaping from his hot rod, Hagan, while in full gear, was seen striding up to Gerould, playfully grabbing the interviewer with both hands, pushing him (All in fun!) and yelling, “That’s what I’m talking about! What do you say, man? Huh? You as fired up as I am? I’m fired up too, buddy!” Gerould turned, looked into the camera with eyes bulging and laughingly said, “I got wide eyes!” With Hagan now locked into the final, Gerould might want to invest in a quick self-defense course just in case the Virginia farmer wins. That victory celebration could be brutal!

Just say no--Following his semifinal loss to Bob Tasca III due to a red light, Tim Wilkerson commented to Gary Gerould, “Unfortunately, you live by the sword and die by the sword, and I cut my own throat right there, for sure. No excuse for that. My foot said…you know, it was time to go and my brain said no, but it was too late.”

Weekend Wow Moments—The top 3 drivers included:
No.3—T.J. Zizzo! “The Ziz” defeated not one, but two DSR cars en route to his first career semifinal, knocking out Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown in consecutive rounds.
No.2—Clay Millican, who, according to Mike Dunn, was, “…thinkin’ he was in a sprint car”, for getting his hot rod back under control after sliding completely sideways while cruising down the lane at 260 miles per hour. That Clay is one cool customer…
No.1—R.J. Torres, from the Lucas Oil Series, kept his composure while almost banging the walls on both sides of the track in his red Super Stock Mustang. Not only did Torres perform his best Clay Millican imitation on both lanes…he won the round!

Grillin’ and chillin’--Pro Stock winner Vincent Nobile has another career lined up when his hot rodding days are done. The champ took a fishing trip earlier in the week on Puget Sound and returned with a couple of salmon, which he promptly grilled after adding some lemon pepper and salt. The results? Delicious!

Gary Gerould Safety Update--Uh-oh. Hagan won the final round in Funny Car. Gary, get ready to run!

Here comes Hagan! After coming to a stop at the top end, Hagan stuck his head out of his ride and began calling out, “Gary! Gary! Gary!” Next, Hagan made a beeline for the announcer, yelling, “Gary, are you excited, man?” while grabbing the reporter (Again, playfully!) with both hands, then yelling out, “Woo! Woo! All day long, baby!” Hagan then involved the ESPN cameraman by holding and shaking the camera up and down.

Can’t…stop…shaking--After informing viewers that Hagan’s win, his ninth, tied him on the all-time win list with Gordie Bonin, Dave Reiff asked Gary Gerould, “Gary…you OK down there?” Gerould’s laughing reply? “I’m vibrating like I was on a paint shaker.”

Still having fun!  Even after the camera stopped rolling, Hagan could be heard yelling, “Yeah baby! Woo! That’s right! Yeah, baby!” That dude must be fun at parties…

Proud papa--With his Top Fuel victory, Morgan Lucas collected his eighth win, his first since Brainerd in 2012. Lucas became very emotional after mentioning that the win was his first since finding out he was going to be a dad.

Answer to The Recliner Riddle No.1—Prior to Seattle, how many Funny Car drivers had clinched a spot in the Countdown? Zero.

Answer to The Recliner Riddle No.2—Who owns the longest active win streak in the Mello Yello series with at least one win per season? Greg Anderson, with 12.

We’re already thinking about Brainerd! Hope you’ll join us in The Zoo!
Yep, we can still hear Matt Hagan woo-hooing! Run, Gary, run!

All articles and photography published in CompetitionPlus.com are protected by United States of America and International copyright laws unless mentioned otherwise. The content on this website is intended for the private use of the reader and may not be published or reposted in any form without the prior written consent of CompetitionPlus.com.