FINAL INSIDER - EXPECTATIONS MET!

Feel good for Jack Beckman and bad for Robert Hight. On an incredibly hot and difficult day at the 61st Annual Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals, Beckman dominated just as he had during the Traxxas Funny Car Shootout yesterday. And, just as he did yesterday, Robert Hight came up a little short in the finale. Give Hight credit for class, though, because he stood patiently by awaiting his chance to congratulate Fast Jack on a rare double.

How good was Beckman? He had a Reaction Time of 0.034 seconds in the final round. That’s, like, a Pro Stock R.T. The closest R.T. to Beckman’s came from Del Worsham in the second round when he had a 0.058 light against Tim Wilkerson.

Yesterday we said that Beckman was under a lot of pressure. There’s even more now because the dominant performances of the Infinite Hero Dodge this weekend make him the championship favorite, this despite the fact that he wont go into the Countdown as the points leader. But, beginning at the Brainerd race it was obvious that tuners Jimmy Prock, John Medlen and Chris Cunningham were on to something, and if they keep pushing that “something” button just right, the race to the top could be over long before the Las Vegas race, much less Pomona. But wait, just wait. We’ve made these kinds of predictions before, only to be embarrassed when our choices fell far short of the mark, and there’s no certainty that the domination the team is enjoying at this moment will continue even through the first race of the Countdown at Charlotte. There are too many good cars in the field for the other drivers to simply let Beckman & Co. walk away with the title.

 

Countdown considerations entered into today’s action in several categories, including Funny Car. Courtney Force had to get around Tommy Johnson, Jr. in the second round in order to surpass Alexis DeJoria, who fell to Ms. Force in the first round. Trackside prognosticators were predicting the dive of the year if Courtney beat TJ, Jr., because her semifinal matchup would be against another JFR car, either her dad or Hight, and few have forgotten what happened all those years ago when John clearly staged his car at an angle so that it would smoke the tires against Hight and get him into the Countdown. When TJ won the round with a 4.093 that all became moot, as Courtney trailed with a 4.117.

How cool has Courtney become? Sitting on the tailgate of her tow car with her fiancé, Indycar driver Graham Rahal, desperately trying to find a little breeze and quiet, she nevertheless hopped right up to sign a spectator’s hat as he leaned over the fence.

Anyone who doesn’t realize that the women drivers in drag racing have become the sport’s most popular apparently isn’t hearing the spectators cheering when they run and win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Courtney, Angie, Alexis, Erica, Leah, Angelle or one of the many talented young women driving in the Sportsman ranks, the fans love ‘em. Maybe it’s an overreaction from the days when men truly dominated the sport, or maybe it’s just the changing times and the realization by our fans that gender (and ethnicity, for that matter) has nothing to do with becoming a successful competitor. Drag racing fans relate to winners, period. Maybe other forms of racing need diversity programs and the like. NHRA Drag Racing has never needed anything like that, and never will. All you’ve got to do here is prove you can drive, and we’ll love your forever.

 

Speaking of Leah Pritchett, her “Lady in Red” Gumout dragster out of Dote Racing lost in the first round to Morgan Lucas’s 3.787, which was the quickest elapsed time in eliminations. Regardless, rumors have been circulating around Lucas Oil Raceway that Mrs. Pritchett might be leaving the Dotes at the end of the year for a ride in a DSR Top Fuel car. While she wouldn’t directly confirm that, she didn’t deny it either, so your guess is as good as ours as to where and with whom she’ll be racing next season.

Yesterday we kind of said that Morgan Lucas was a part-timer, and then we kind of backed off that, but in truth, he really is a part-timer. Since getting married and taking a more active role in the running of Lucas Oil his race schedule has been significantly reduced, but man, you’d never know it from the way he and tuner Aaron Brooks have that car thumping. On his way to the winners circle Lucas downed teammate Richie Crampton on a holeshot and then won the race of the weekend against Brittany Force. Both cars smoked the tires heavily, both sashayed from side to side (almost causing Morgan’s mom, Charlotte, to fall over on the starting line!), and Brittany finally crossed the centerline, giving Morgan the victory in a blistering 6.181 seconds. Yes, the fans loved it, and this begs the question: Would they rather see glued-to-the-ground, side-by-side racing, or would they prefer a whole series of tire-melters? Or maybe a little of both?

The Countdown situation involving Top Fuel was at the back of the list, as it always is in these deals, where Dave Connolly needed an exceptional outing to surpass Spencer Massey for the tenth spot – and tuner Kurt Elliott gave it to him. Even though Massey doesn’t have a ride at present, once the Countdown is locked in you can’t be bumped out, so even if he didn’t race again this season Massey would have taken the tenth place money, whatever that is, but it didn’t happen because Connolly made it to the final round before his car faltered, as Lucas took his first professional Indy title.

The first words out of Lucas’s mouth? “Holy s---! What just happened out there?” He was emotionally overwhelmed by the whole thing, as have been many, many Indy winners down through the years, for this really is drag racing’s largest and most prestigious event. A win here is something that’s never forgotten – by anyone. Twenty years from now only a few people will remember who won this year’s Gators, but they’ll remember who won Indy.

By the end of the second round there wasn’t a single Gray Motorsports fielded or powered car left in the Pro Stock show. Jonathan lost to Vincent Nobile on a redlight in the first round, and Shane lost to Drew Skillman in the second, the same round that engine customer Larry Morgan went out.

Rumors have also circulated about Gray Motorsports for weeks, with much speculation being about their plans for next year. We asked Johnny Gray if his offspring were going to hang it up at the end of the year, to which he replied, “I believe that’s the plan. They’re just burned out.” [Editor's Note] It was initially speculated the operation would close down. However, Johnny said regardless of the decision his son's make, the engine shop will remain in service and a team will be fielded. 

n the final two rounds of racing Ms. Erica had the best lights, leaving each time in just 0.013 seconds. Yes, we know there’s the occasional single digit Reaction Time in Pro Stock, but on this day, teens were clearly enough. Among the other things we like about Erica is the fact that she wears her emotions on her sleeve. When she defeated teammate Skillman in the finale with a killer holeshot 6.611 to 6.606, you could hear her screaming inside the car as she made the turnoff and was still 50 yards from the pack of photographers waiting to take her picture with the trophy and ESPN’s Gary Gerould. Watching her climb from the car, get her emotions under control and then face the cameras is also kind of fun. She really is one helluva racer, and the day may be coming when all four pro titles are won by women at the same race. The chauvinists will implode if that happens, but man, it would be cool!

Enders’ victory tied her with Shirley Muldowney at 18, about which she said, “Being tied with my childhood hero is pretty darn exciting.”

Rick Snavely’s twin turbocharged ’69 Camaro won Pro Modified over Mike Janis (he of the deflecting Camaro body – see Sunday’s coverage) in just 5.890 seconds at almost 260 MPH. Janis trailed with a 5.945/242.50.

Emotions were running particularly high in Pro Stock Motorcycle this weekend, largely due to the illness that former rider and now sponsor Junior Pippin is battling. Chip Ellis is backed by Pippin, and was clearly aboard the dominant two-wheeler on the grounds, running a ton of six-eighties when few others could match them. But, it all came to naught in the finale, when he turned the light red 0.026 seconds before it was green, handing the win to close friend Jerry Savoie. While Ellis held himself in check at the top end, Savoie spoke on camera to Gary Gerould, and then broke down. It was just one very tough deal for the motorcycle racers, but this is Indy, the U.S. Nationals, and the enormity of the event overwhelms almost everyone who participates. But this was more than about the race, it was about the personal relationships between the motorcycle teams, which are almost all very strong.

It’s easy to say that the trophies the winners receive are “just” regular Wallys – but they aren’t.  They’re representative of a marathon weekend that can easily get the better of those unprepared for how tough it is to win drag racing’s crown jewel.  And winning is something that highlights many a resume.  It’s important.  Here’s an example.  If you’re cruising through North Carolina, look for the license plate that reads (in 8 letters!) “IWONINDY.”  You’ll be following U.S. Nationals winner Shirley Muldowney!

SUNDAY EDITION - MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY

Jack Beckman just won the Traxxas Shootout for Funny Car, and he has a problem. He and team owner Don Schumacher are splitting up the $100,000 (Jack gets 1%, Don gets the 99% -- as if we have any real idea!), but Jack knows he’s in trouble. Big time. Why? How? Well, it’s not only his fault, the responsibility for the mess he’s in can also be traced back to Jimmy Prock, John Medlen and Chris Cunningham. What’s the problem? One little 12-letter word says it all – expectations. That’s what Beckman, et. al. and every member of the Infinite Hero Dodge team is facing, the expectation that their combination is so formidable, so unstoppable that not only will they win Indy, they’ll go on to mow down the competition in the Countdown to One championship run, earning Jack another ring.

Ah, but meeting those expectations is going to be far tougher than just facing them. A tiny mistake on Monday morning, a wisp of tire smoke, a single spark plug that wasn’t tightened down properly – anything could derail Beckman’s express train to the top – and he knows it. With each passing winning round, with each race victory the pressure is increasing – and it’s only going to get worse from here.

Feeling sorry for Beckman? Are you kidding? Why? The man’s at the top of his game, he’s driving a superior race car and he’s got what might be arguably the best team of tuners in Funny Car racing today. And he also knows that because of those circumstances it’s all on his shoulders. We think he can carry the load – and more.

There’s no question that the weather at Indy on Sunday was brutal. It was hot and humid, and a lot of cars simply couldn’t get down the track without smoking the tires or running into some other problem. Beckman & Co. had no such drama, putting together three runs in the four-ohs to take the Traxxas money. Courtney Force was Beckman’s first victim, then came teammate Ron Capps and finally, another JFR car, this one driven by Robert Hight. Beckman had four-ohs for all of ‘em. Hight’s 4.138 was no match for Fast Jack’s 4.051 in the finale. Good race. Really.

With the heat no one came close to Beckman’s pole position 3.936, and with just 17 cars on the grounds the bump was a rather pedestrian 4.736 by Bob Bode. Only Justin Schriefer was sent home prior to eliminations.

As was the case in Funny Car, so it was in Top Fuel, where the heat and humidity left Larry Dixon’s 3.744 simply untouchable, but there was definitely a battle at the back of the pack, with Traxxas Shootout runner-up Doug Kalitta barely scraping into the field with a 3.995. Clay Millican, whose upset of Tony Schumacher in the first round of the Traxxas Shootout yesterday really was the highlight of the event for the fans, failed to make the cut, as did legendary Hall of Famer Chris Karamesines.

Since we failed to mention it yesterday, we’ll correct that error now by including Billy Torrence among the top runners, because his 3.771 from last night has him second, and that’s pretty darn good for a part time runner. Two other part-timers, Morgan Lucas (okay, so Morgan’s a little more than a part-timer) and T.J. Zizzo, also made the field. We can only imagine how tough it is to pull a car out of a shop, load up and head to Indy when you haven’t been making the whole Mello Yellow tour. Setups change by the week, and sitting home for a few of those weeks can set your tune-up back months, yet these guys made the show. They’ve earned our respect for having done so.

While some of the part-timers made the show in Top Fuel, that wasn’t the case in Pro Stock, where only Alex Laughlin cracked the 6.636 bump. Local engine builder Steve Schmidt, once a regular on the tour, wasn’t close with his 2009 Chevy Cobalt, although Matt Hartford was somewhat closer with his Warren Johnson-powered Pontiac. If nothing else, this helps prove the point that to be competitive in this most difficult of categories requires more than just regular testing, it demands regular racing. Racing, more than anything else, forces teams to improve. No one likes going home before eliminations begin, so a few humiliations and suddenly you’ve figured out how to make your car more competitive. It’s either that or continue to look the fool, and who wants that?

The first round of Pro Mod came off Sunday afternoon, and it was a good one. The heart-stopper came in the first pair and somehow, the announcers missed what happened just past the finish line between Troy Coughlin, Jr. and Clint Satterfield. Satterfield almost lost control of his Pontiac, abruptly switching lanes and heading down the shutoff just in front of Coughlin’s Corvette. It was close. Not super-close, but close enough at about two-fifty.

What can we expect on Labor Day Monday? You know, there have been years at Indy when anyone who’d been paying attention during qualifying could call the winners before eliminations began. There were times when you could say “Bob Glidden’s gonna win Pro Stock,” and you’d be right. Ed McCulloch’s going to win Funny Car, just mark it down. Shirley’s gonna win Top Fuel, you can bet on it. Not in 2015. It’s not that there are a higher percentage of competitive cars then there were during those years, it’s the vagaries of the weather, which can and will be a major factor. Heat and humidity aren’t necessarily conducive to great drag racing, but it does test the tuners in ways that nothing else can. So, we’re predicting a tuner’s race. If the Mike Greens and Tommy DeLagos of our little world make the right calls, their cars will win. If they don’t, we could see some very unfamiliar faces holding the most prestigious trophies in all of drag racing come Monday afternoon about 4:30. That’s less than 24 hours from our hitting the computer keys.

We can’t wait.

 

SATURDAY EDITION - LET THE GAMES (FINALLY) BEGIN!

Ever have one of those good day/bad day deals? A day when a few things go oh-so-right and everything else just turns to, well, junk? Such was Saturday at the Chevrolet NHRA U.S. Nationals – and don’t forget that Friday was a complete washout for the professionals too. Oh man, was it one of those days! It was almost one of those “these are the times that try men’s souls” days. Fantastic, mind-bending elapsed times were interspersed with endless oildowns, track cleanups, exploded parts and more.

Indeed, it was one of those days that try men’s souls, and by that we mean the spectators. There was a very nice turnout of fans for the early running on Saturday, but as the seemingly endless day of running dragged on and on, well into the night (and well past – by hours – the predicted “secure track” time) a lot of the fans began drifting away, and who could blame them? But ya know what? The hard core people stuck it out, and while they might have been as frustrated with the delays as was everyone else inside Lucas Oil Raceway, what they saw was well worth those delays.

They got to see Larry Dixon, a multi-time Indy winner, blister the timers in 3.744 seconds to take the top spot in Top Fuel. They got to see Antron Brown win $100,000 with a run that in most instances wouldn’t have even qualified him for eliminations (it was a 4.147). Yes, the Traxxas Shootout was a good one – all expect that finale, when Antron sputtered and Doug Kalitta’s car simply failed. They got to see the hottest man in Funny Car racing today – “Fast Jack” Beckman – set both ends of the track record with a 3.936/323.74 -- along with four other drivers who dipped into the fours – Robert Hight (3.971), Tommy Johnson, Jr. (3.976), Del Worsham (3.978) and Tim Wilkerson (3.998). And they got to see a really competitive Pro Stock show that was headed by Greg Anderson’s 6.562. In fact, there were nine cars in the six-fifties, and if the weather warms up as it’s expected to, qualifying is pretty much over for all intents and purposes. Only those four protected spots may be up for grabs on Sunday.

The Pro Mod show was also terrific, with 9,568 cars fighting for 16 starting spots. Okay, so the field was actually just 33 cars but we should put that “just” in quote marks, because this is a very deep and very high caliber field. Right now Khalid alBalooshi (who’s also driving the Don Schumacher Top Fuel car just vacated by the discharged Spencer Massey) is on top of the charts with a blistering 5.845. Ironically enough, the guy in the second slot also has Top Fuel experience, and that would be Sidnei Frigo, whose turbocharged Corvette ran a 5.851. Turbocharged cars occupy three of the top four spots, by the way.

There were two big doorslammer finales run on Saturday, the Hemi Challenge and the Factory Stock Showdown. These cars are cool to watch, they put on a good show, and in the case of Factory Stock, they’re actually cars you can buy off the showroom. Of course, you could have bought a Hemi Challenge car new – about 40 years ago. Now if you want one, be prepared to shell out about a quarter of a million dollars. Anyway, we just wish there was some way NHRA could figure out a race schedule that would have these cars running in front of the big crowds rather than during the preliminary days, when very few people are on hand to see the action. Maybe some day.

Pro Stock driver Bo Butner climbed behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang to take the Factory Stock crown, tipping over Kevin Skinner’s similar machine in the finale, while Lloyd Wofford won the Challenge when Gus Mantas bulbed big time. It’s not often you see a guy leaving the line a full 0.216 seconds before the green! Wofford ran a competitive 8.621 in that final round.

We could go on and on, but it’s already well after midnight, and there’s another two days of racing to come, so for now we’ll let the photos that are supposed to be worth a thousands words each do the talking.

See you right back here tomorrow, okay?