Rookie Shawn Langdon did his part to
improve his status in the running for NHRA’s Rookie of the Year award
on Sunday afternoon in the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Langdon powered his way to a runner-up finish. Losing to veteran Top
Fuel driver Cory McClenathan.

Langdon, the driver of the Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster, moved to within
49 points behind the man who defeated him. Langdon, ninth in the
standings entering the first race of the Countdown, leaves Charlotte
fifth.

Following the same pattern he has all season, Langdon dominated the
line reacting to the tree better than all four men he raced. Langdon
also posted low elapsed time of the weekend running a 3.826 at 315.78
mph in his victory over defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony
Schumacher in the semi-finals.

Cory McClenathan and Robert Hight won their first races of the 2009
season Sunday at the Second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax
Dragway to make huge moves in the Countdown to 1.

Joining McClenathan (Top Fuel) and Hight (Funny Car) in the winner’s
circle at at the 19th of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series were Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock
Motorcycle).

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals is the first race in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s six-race playoff.

McClenathan, who pushed his FRAM Tough Guard dragster to a 3.857 at
312.64 mph in his final round win over rookie Shawn Langdon (3.980 at
280.49) and the Dixie Choppers/Lucas Oil team, entered the playoffs in
fifth place, but he took advantage of early exits by the drivers ahead
of him to move all the way into first place.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
Second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway @ Concord, the
19th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -

Final round-by-round results from the 2nd annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway, the 19th of 24 events in the NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Sunday's final results from the Second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals
at zMax Dragway @ Concord. The race is the 19th of 24 in the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Members of the TASCA Racing crew worked until 10:30 Saturday making sure their race car was capable of being raced on Sunday, following a potentially devastating wreck during the final round of qualifying.
 

Upon the conclusion of the first round of qualifying from today’s NHRA
Carolinas Nationals, NHRA announced the fields for the four-lane,
four-wide exhibition run.  It will mark the first time in NHRA history,
modern Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars will race four lanes, four
wide, unleashing a powerful assault of 28,000 horsepower on spectacular
zMAX Dragway.

The conspiracy theorists are already plotting what will happen if No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon and
his brother Tony Pedregon meet in the semi-finals of Sunday’s final
eliminations for the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC.

If the match materializes, bet on a Pedregon.

“If we can get to the semi-finals that will be a good problem to have,”
said the defending Funny Car world champion, Cruz Pedregon. “In this
day and age, if you can get past the first two rounds you know you’ve
arrived. The best bet is to get a couple or rounds under your belt and
then go from there. Tony will be a tough customer for tomorrow.”

Motorcraft and Ford’s growing national network of Quick Lane Tire &
Auto Centers announced Saturday they have extended their sponsorship of
Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing’s Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car.

For the past two years, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) brands –
Motorcraft and Quick Lane – have been the primary sponsors of the
Tasca’s Shelby Mustang in the NHRA Full Throttle Racing Series.   This
multi-year extension ensures the two primary brands will remain on the
car for years to come.
                      
“We are proud to extend our relationship with Bob Tasca and everyone at
Tasca Racing,” said Ken Czubay, Vice President, Ford U.S. Marketing,
Sales and Service. “Our sponsorship with the Motorcraft and Quick Lane
Shelby Mustang fits with our business plan and performance of solid
products and results.

After several successful runs with their in-house chassis by Cory
McClenathan, Don Schumacher Racing talked like they would cloak another
in-house chassis in ARMY colors for defending Top Fuel champion Tony
Schumacher at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, N.C.