Keep up with this weekend's NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga., by reading our behind-the-scenes event notebook. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the pits.

 

		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

 

 

MONDAY NOTEBOOK -

NOTHING BUT CONCENTRATION  - Mike Edwards has learned that when it rains it pours. At least that’s how it works for his Pro Stock team.

Edwards drove to his first NHRA Full Throttle victory of the 2009 season in stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a rain-delayed NHRA Southern Nationals final round.
 
The former sportsman world champion has earned four No. 1 qualifying positions in six races this season, yet hasn’t made his way past the second round in those events.

However, let it rain and Edwards has become a sure bet to reach the final round.

“It doesn’t matter if you win on Sunday or Monday … it’s an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can’t make a mistake and win in this class,” Edwards said.

Edwards will admit that he’s made more than his fair share of race day mistakes on the weekend’s he should have dominated. There have been times when Edwards has wondered if the qualifying dominance has thrown his program off-kilter at times.

Twice last season, when Edwards didn’t qualify as strong, he twice recorded .000 perfect starting line reaction times. He’s lost that many times in 2009 on a holeshot.

A man of strong faith, Edwards realized prior to the weekend that he needed to zero in on what was ailing the team on Sundays. He began his investigation with the driver.

“It's thrown something off I believe,” Edward joked. “But I don't know what it's thrown off. You just got to keep buckling up and go up there and try again. I'm not down on myself I'm just focused on what I need to be doing. I just have to get more comfortable and relax. You know when you have that many good qualifying sessions there's always a lot of pressure on you. I just think I need to stop thinking so much and go up there and react.”

Edwards had plenty of time to think and react, not to mention a good night’s sleep.

"I didn't have any problem sleeping last night because I knew I was in the final and just had to relax and race," said Edwards, who also earned rain-delay wins in Seattle in 1996 and Topeka in 1999. "We came out this morning and had the car set on kill, as it was last night, but realized the track might not be in the same shape, so we made some changes to the car, hoping it would help it get down the track. I knew I just needed to cut a light and we would have a chance."

The changes worked as Edwards finally stopped the reigning Pro Stock champion in the final, after dropping title bouts in 1998 and 2001, when he used the best reaction time of the weekend, a .019, and a somewhat conservative 6.64 to get to the stripe first as Coughlin slowed to a 7.19.
 
"Jeg has been a thorn in my side for as long as he has been competing in Pro Stock," said Edwards, who improved his record to 7-18 against Coughlin. "I guess you can say he has done the same to the entire Pro Stock field. When you can come out on the winning end against a talent like Jeg, you have done your job and know the next time you line up against that yellow and black car it is going to be even tougher."

Edwards can hold his own against the competition his worst start this season has been from the No. 4 position. This is a feat that Edwards credits to his in-house engine program in 2008 and this year he’s leasing engines to Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher. One might draw the conclusion the added duty has him spread thinner than usual in final eliminations, the one day where concentration is king.

“I think I am doing more than I ever have been but I've just been a kind of knucklehead on Sunday,” Edwards admitted.

If he gets his concentration dialed in, should the competition get worried?

“Well I really like my chances. I'll put it that way,” Edwards said, as he looked to the sky and smiled. 

PADDING THE LEAD - Coughlin's fourth final-round showing of the year helped him pad his lead in the Full Throttle points to 30 over Jason Line.

"This was our fourth final round in six events," Coughlin said. "We had a very productive week and need to keep the momentum going."

Starting eliminations Sunday morning as the No. 5 qualifier, Coughlin opened with a convincing win over Vieri Gaines as he drove his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt through a 6.648 at 208.10 mph to Gaines' trailing 6.712 at 206.39 mph.

In the quarterfinals, Coughlin faced former Sportsman star Rodger Brogdon, who recently became an engine customer of Victor Cagnazzi Racing. Knowing exactly what Brogdon had under the hood, Coughlin jumped off the line a hundredth of a second ahead of his foe and never looked back, taking the win with a 6.646 at 207.69 mph to Brogdon's 6.668 at 207.40 mph.

The titanic match-up of the race came in the semifinal when Coughlin matched-up with low qualifier Greg Anderson, a three-time world champion. After running identical elapsed times to reach the semis, the race between Coughlin and Anderson seemed destined to be decided at the Christmas Tree and it was, with Coughlin squeezing the trigger .011 seconds ahead of Anderson to take a holeshot win by .006 seconds. The final numbers had Coughlin crossing with a 6.637 at 207.56 mph to Anderson's quicker but losing 6.632 at 208.14 mph.

"We definitely get up on the wheel when we race each other," Coughlin said. "He's one of the guys that will be there fighting for the championship at the end of the year and it's always big when you can chalk up a win over that group."

The final was conducted before a sparse but enthusiastic Monday morning gathering.

"There's not much you can do about the weather but God bless these Atlanta fans who stuck it out with us this weekend," Coughlin said. "I hope we gave them a good show."

 

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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK -  

IT WASN'T PRETTY, BUT IT WAS A WIN - Morgan Lucas described it as the longest 75 feet of his life.

Lucas drove to his first career Top Fuel national event title at the rain-plagued NHRA Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, defeating rookie Spencer Massey in a pedalfest. His Geico Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster shed the blower belt sixty feet shy of the finish line and coasted to the victory.

Lucas has had nearly five years to envision his first Top Fuel victory and the traction-challenged Commerce final didn’t match his vision.

“Actually that's funny because ESPN asked me how I pictured my first win,” Lucas said. “I've had five years to envision this. It's been a while, so I've had plenty of mental pictures about how this day would look. I can say I pictured it to be a larger crowd and a prettier run but I think we'll have plenty more.”

Lucas and teammate Shawn Langdon have made overtures of improved performance with Langdon qualifying No. 1 in Las Vegas and Lucas racing to the No. 3 spot this weekend after leading provisional qualifying.

Lucas raced against Massey, a driver he has long considered a friend. A driver Lucas, 25, considers one of the youthful drivers entering the nitro ranks.

“It's fun to race against these guys. The [Top Fuel] class is getting younger every year and more competitive. It's one of those things that now I can't wait until the next race. I used to dread going to the next race because of the car we've had. But we've made a ton of progress. Jimmy Walsh has done a great job. What's most important is we have two cars and one goal that we're focused on.”

Lucas said he’s very excited to have won but even more excited for his long suffering team who have endured through many different hardships of the past few seasons.

“Honestly this is one of the most exciting moments of my life if not the most exciting moment,” Lucas admitted. “I've had the same crew for a lot of years and they've paid a lot of dues to get here so I want to thank them. I don't even know how to talk right now.

“I'm so excited. This is one of those things I've been thinking about for years. It's one of those things that I'm strapped in the car thinking about. The fact I got to race a really good friend like Spencer it was great because if it was Shawn [Langdon] I probably would have liked it a little more because I have selfish reasons with my teammate.”

In the finals, Lucas left on Massey and that should come as no surprise when most of his rain delay time was spent working his practice tree in the transporter’s lounge.

That final round experience, Lucas will admit, was something he couldn’t have practiced for.

“It's one of those things where it's a three to four second run so I won't talk about it for fifteen minutes,” Lucas said. “The car when I hit the gas -- it lifted the tires up and then it started shaking. I'm assuming Spencer's did the same thing. He told me it shook him around so bad that he didn't even know where he was.

“These cars are pretty violent at least to me. So I just kept hitting the gas and then it finally came back.

Lucas beat Joe Hartley, Bob Vandergriff, and Cory McClenathan to reach his sixth final round. This race marked his 107th career start in Top Fuel.

The only regret for Lucas was that his parents, Lucas Oil owners Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, weren't here this weekend.

"I knew that would happen," Lucas said. "This is just a message to them that they better not miss any more races. We need them here with us."

With the win, Lucas moved into the top five on the Full Throttle points and is within five rounds of leader Tony Schumacher.

Does he have a special place on his mantle for the newly acquired trophy? Not immediately, Lucas points out.

“I'm taking my new Wally golfing with me this weekend,” Lucas said.

CHARGER DISPATCHES A FORD, A FORD AND ANOTHER FORD - Jack Beckman will admit his NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals Funny Car title took his breath away – literally.

Beckman knocked off the No. 1 qualifying Ashley Force Hood in the final round. Force was seeking to defend the title she'd won at this event last season.

That’s not a bad feat considering he couldn’t half breathe and half see during the rain-delayed, night time run.

“I've got eye issues,” Beckman admitted. “I'm 42 and I had eye allergies growing up and I'm just facing the fact that I'm growing up and my eyesight is not what it used to be.”

Beckman’s right eye has been giving him problems lately and he purchased a pair of glasses hoping to rectify the issues. He learned Sunday evening that the South’s infamous humidity can be a tough adversary to overcome, especially with a pair of glasses.

“I got glasses without the coating so they wouldn't fog up,” Beckman said. “So I put them on and they got fogged up. I didn't put them on until we fired up the car. I did the burnout, backed up and did everything. I put my visor down and it fogged up too.”

Beckman held his breath and it cleared up at about eighth-mile mark.

“If it would have smoked the tires it would've gotten interesting,” Beckman pointed out.

Beckman faced a final round opponent who he felt had the superior car.

“On paper Ashley had us whooped,” Beckman admitted. “Her car has been the class of the field for about eight or nine months.”

Beckman had quite the potent car, too. Just ask Team Force and the Ford racers. Beckman single-handedly knocked off three members of John Force Racing and their Ford Racing teammate Tim Wilkerson.

Beckman wonders if the feat might accrue a special bonus from his sponsors.

“I'm going to ask Valvoline if there is any double bonus for beating those oil cars,” Beckman said. “But really a trophy is a trophy and usually you wouldn't really remember who you beat to win that race but when you have a day like today; when you beat those Force cars and Tim Wilkerson. To beat four awesome opponents it makes today real special.”

He even beat a Mustang each round on the weekend the model celebrated its 45th anniversary. Beckman races a Dodge Charger.

“Well I'm going to call Dodge and see if they have any bonuses,” Beckman said. “If you guys want to start a manufacturers rivalry or an oil rivalry I think that's something that gets the fans more into it and that is cool”

KRAWIEC RACES OUT OF THE RECORD BOOKS - Eddie Krawiec finally put an embarrassing stat to rest Sunday evening during the Pro Stock Motorcycle final round at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta Dragway.

The Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson-sponsored, Vance & Hines rider from Brownsburg, Ind., was the only NHRA Full Throttle world champion in competition who had not won a national event title. Krawiec’s victory over rookie NHRA rider Douglas Horne returns 1970s Top Fuel racer Rob Bruins as the only winless world champion.

“His crew chief actually came up to me,” Krawiec said of a chance encounter with Bruins’ crew chief Sunday evening. “He told me, ‘Congratulations and I hate you.' He was joking. It was great to meet the man who was with him to do that. I still think it was special to be one of only two people who have won a championship without a race win.”

Krawiec raced all weekend as if he were a win waiting to happen.

In qualifying, Krawiec and teammate Andrew Hines established themselves as the team to beat from the second session of qualifying. Hines and Krawiec were one-two in the qualifying order and never relented from the position.

“I’d say we had good bikes but to say we dominated is a bold statement,” Krawiec said. “Matt Smith ran well and there are four or five bikes in the pits that can run well. We made good runs when we had to and had a consistent bike all weekend. Our main focus is to go out there on Sunday and make laps down the track. That’s obviously how we won that championship.”

Krawiec said in a post-race press conference that he didn’t feel any pressure to go out and win.

“To me, I just wanted to go out there and make another lap,” Krawiec said. “That’s something that I learned last season. I went out there with the attitude that whatever was going to happen – was going to happen. That’s my mentality going to the starting line now. I didn’t put any undue pressure on myself.”

Getting the first win was a dream come true for Krawiec who defeated L.E. Tonglet, Matt Guidera and Matt Smith en route to the final round match with Horne.

“This is something that I have been waiting for … to get that first Wally and put it on my mantle,” Krawiec said. “Being out here racing is an opportunity I am just grateful for the opportunity to be out here.”

GRAY'S WILD RIDE - Johnny Gray said he crashed three or four times but just didn’t hit anything.

That’s how the Pro Stock driver described his first round loss to  Warren Johnson in NHRA Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Gray lost the first round match against Johnson following a brief rain delay.

The situation Gray faced was this. He and Johnson had burned out when they were shut-off due to light sprinkles of rain. A few minutes later, they were signaled to fire their cars and resume the race.

The NHRA did not run the track dryer on the racing surface after the delay. Both cars were sent down the track and just as the cars reached the last 100 feet of the quarter-mile, Gray nearly lost control of his Dodge Stratus. Johnson’s car wiggled a bit at the finish line but not as badly as Gray’s.

“I hate to say this but I’ve been racing for a long time and never skinned the paint on a race car,” Gray said. “My wife told me that she thought she was finally going to watch me scratch one.”

Gray told CompetitionPlus.com that he didn’t protest the race, although he did point out that he asked about the condition of the track during his race. This was the second time in 2009 that questionable top-end track conditions have caused Gray to get out of shape at the finish line. He faced a similar situation at the rain-delayed NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca.

“They told me the track was dry and there was nothing wrong with it,” Gray explained. “I’m not out there [on the track], I’m in the car. I don’t know what to say.

Gray paused and gave the NHRA the benefit of the doubt following a “cool-down” period. He was visibly shaken upon exiting the car following the race and declined an ESPN2 interview.

“You have to believe in their opinion that the track was dry,” Gray said. “There’s some kind of issue with the VHT and the temperature in these kinds of conditions. This is twice this has happened to me. There was no reason for me to lose that race other than the track conditions. It is what it is.

“It’s over,” Gray said. “You lick your wounds and go on to the next race.”

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE - John Force was a little confused but he knew what he wanted to say.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion wanted to say thanks to the owners of Atlanta Dragway for improving a track that used to provide what he described as “a gut ache” every time he watched his daughter make a run down the strip located in Commerce, Ga.

The media center was abuzz Friday eventing with reporters filing their stories when the elder Force walked in with a few words to say Friday night. The consensus was that Force was going to add commentary to the provisional No. 1 his daughter Ashley Force Hood had laid down and hour earlier.

Without a question asked, Force started to speak from his heart.

“In this economy with it being as hard as it is for budgets and everything in the whole world, safety has really become huge,” Force explained. “I just want to say in a time when people don't want to spend I go down to the end of the track this morning and I was really excited. I just want to thank Atlanta Dragway and their owners. I want to thank them for working with NHRA because it takes big bucks to do what they did.”

What Force didn’t know is that Atlanta Dragway is one of four tracks the NHRA owns.

The NHRA has installed a shutdown/sand-trap configuration at Altanta almost identical to the one installed at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park.

“The only way we learn anything is when someone gets hurt like [Scott Kalitta] did and then you think about your own kids,” Force continued. “You think you can go all these years and never get hurt and then something happens and that opens up your eyes.”

His crash and the Scott Kalitta fatality opened Force’s eyes to the reality that no one in drag racing is invincible. It also opened his eyes to the reality the NHRA is doing their best to make the sport safer.

“These are rules that the NHRA is mandating and the tracks have to use their own money to fix them,” Force said. “They need to be thanked for that because when you're a driver your life is on the line when you are out there at over 300 miles an hour.”

Force said the NHRA’s dedication to safety is apparent in the cars and at the facilities. Just seeing the cars automatically deploy the parachutes when the supercharger blows out the burst panel is something that deserves recognition.

“You see these parachutes coming out on these guys at half track they are on timers some of the guys don't like but all you need is a runaway freight train to change your mind,” Force said. “I'm glad there is someone there to help me because [in Dallas] I was knocked out. What am I supposed to do then?”

In the normal Force fashion, he covered a multitude of topics but returned to the original intent of his soapbox moment.

“If you get a chance then thank the NHRA and thank Atlanta Dragway for fixing this s*** that's been wrong for so many years and we didn't even realize it,” Force continued. “Finally everybody's starting to work together and I'm glad because I was about to quit. I was ready to take my kid and go home because we had gotten to speeds where it was just not safe.”

“[I used to be] run quick burn the car to the ground and drag the next car out Austin and we'll run low elapsed time. We knew how to do that. Then one day the world changes [for me]. Please thank those people because it takes their time.”

With that statement, to Force it really didn’t matter who owned the track. He’d made his point crystal clear.

 

 

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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -

HIDDEN POTENTIAL - When Spencer Massey was named Don Prudhomme’s Top Fuel driver last November the consensus among many was the NHRA Top Fuel rookie would shine. After all, he did win an IHRA Top Fuel title in his rookie season.

The only problem is that the U.S. Smokeless dragster didn’t get the memo. Various mechanical issues kept the team at bay.

The final day of qualifications during the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals didn’t present those challenges.

“We knew the car was capable of it,” Massey explained of his pole grabbing run. “We had just been kind of stand-offish with it trying to be consistent. On that run we were obviously trying to go from a mid-80 to a low-80 and it went 4.82. Obviously the car is capable of it and people are just now seeing it. We've been on a downward slope and we're trying to get out of it.”

The first step to recovery was using one of their three allotted nitro test sessions following their third consecutive first round defeat in Las Vegas. It didn’t make all the difference in the Atlanta performance but it didn’t hurt either.

“I'm glad that we did that,” Massey said of the six test runs they made on the Monday after the event.

“We now have two test sessions left so we'll try to save them for the countdown.”

ANDERSON’S TRANSGRESSION – Greg Anderson entered the Atlanta Dragway media center apologetic to the reporters with whom he’d spoken so confidently the night before.

“I misspoke yesterday,” Anderson said.

“I really believed that today’s conditions could match what we had yesterday and I was dead wrong,” Anderson continued. “What we did yesterday was obviously great but it wasn’t going to be enough to hold onto the top spot.”

Anderson turned in a track record 6.568 on Friday evening that many believed would hold and it did until the next session. The three-time champion returned the next day and bettered the mark with a 6.557 elapsed time, 210.93 mph.

He had no other choice considering No. 2 runner Mike Edwards bumped him down with a 6.565, 210.28.

“It became apparent early that we were going to have to run even quicker if we wanted to hold on to the top spot,” Anderson said.

Anderson admits that he’s had a tough go of overtaking Edwards in 2009. The two drivers have accounted for No. 1 positions at four of the first five 2009 events.

“He’s got a freight train,” Anderson said of Edwards, No. 1 qualifier three times in 2009. “He’s got a great race car and has been the class of the field this year. It’s tough beating him right now.”

Anderson is cautious headed into Sunday’s final eliminations because neither he nor Edwards have experienced the domination on Sunday they would prefer. He’s yet to make it to a final round thus far in 2009 and for Edwards; he’s reached one and lost.

“I need to find a way to win a race,” Anderson admitted. “There’s no question that this is a tough class. You can be beat and WILL be beat by everyone who runs this class. It feels like I have been beat by everyone in the class already this year. If you don’t make your perfect run and cut a great light, you are going to lose. It doesn’t matter who is in the other lane.”

ASHLEY MAINTAINS TOP SPOT - Defending Southern Nationals event champion Ashley Force Hood retained her No. 1 qualifying position heading into tomorrow’s eliminations. She made a solid final qualifying run and for her efforts she gets 22-time event winner Del Worsham in the first round.

When alerted about her first round opponent the 2009 NHRA O’Reilly Spring Nationals event winner was less than thrilled.

“I was all excited we got No. 1 and as I am coming into the press room I find out I have Del Worsham in the first round. They have a great team and he is a great driver. That is race day and you know you have to take the hard guys and there are no easy guys in our field. Funny Car is super competitive,” said Force Hood. “There is not going to be an easy round all day. It is all going to come down to getting down that track tomorrow.”

Force Hood was nearly flawless in qualifying except for her pass in the third session to start the day. Her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang went up in smoke at about half track and the former high school cheerleader had to muscle her 8000 hp machine back towards the center of the track.

"The groove is, from what I have learned in the last two days, pretty narrow. We watched my video of my third qualifying session. I got outside and went right up in smoke. I thought I was way outside but in the video it was just the teeniest amount that I saw. I was thinking I must have gotten out pretty good but that just goes to show you how narrow it is. You can’t make any mistakes. There is no leeway. You have to keep it where it needs to be.”

Last year Force Hood made history at the NHRA Southern Nationals as the first female to win a Funny Car title and tomorrow she could become the first female to defend a Funny Car national event win as well as put her Mustang into the winner’s circle on it’s anniversary weekend.

"This is a big weekend for us with our sponsors, mainly Ford. It is the 45th anniversary of the Mustang. To be able to have the No. 1 and No. 2 spots held by Mustangs. We are pretty excited about that. It is a great way to kick off the race. Hopefully all the Mustangs in the field can do well tomorrow and get one of them in the winner’s circle.”

Force Hood outpaced her 14-time champion father John Force on Friday but his qualifying time was also good enough to hold up through two more sessions today. Force will race veteran driver Jerry Toliver in the first round.

BOGGING DOWN THE HARLEYS – Andrew Hines remained atop the Pro Stock Motorcycle field following the second day of qualifying.

Often times Saturday’s qualifying session is a dress rehearsal for Sunday final elimination but vastly different conditions forecast for Sunday doesn’t have him concerned as much as the slow short times in his Saturday runs.

Hines bogged his bike off of the starting line and it was noticeable.

“Our sixty-foot [times] are off … we’re having issues bogging the bikes off of the starting line,” Hines said of the Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod Harley-Davidsons. “I had a 1.16 sixty-foot on that last run.”

Those familiar with Pro Stock Motorcycle understand those kinds of numbers won’t win races in a competitive class. Twelve of the 16 qualifiers were under a 7.00 elapsed time.

“We let go of the clutch and the bike nearly shuts off,” Hines admitted. “It’s as if you have to start your run over twenty feet past the starting line. We just have to get that hitch worked out of it. We’ll likely lower the wheelie bars and get a little more tire spin going.”

At this point Hines believes the bogged engines can be traced to the tuning.

“We might be a little rich when we let the clutch out,” Hines revealed. “We’re taking power out of it. A lot of teams take timing out of the engine. We could be in a position where we are pulling too much out of it. We’re going to make sure we don’t bog in the first round on Sunday.”

A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE FOR SPECIAL FAN - GEICO Powersports and their racers Karen Stoffer and Morgan Lucas provided Nick Manning, a 17-year old from Chesapeake, VA, with an unforgettable NHRA experience at Atlanta Dragway.

Manning suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a motocross racing accident on August 26, 2006.

Since the accident, Manning and his family met the folks from GEICO and participated in last year's Bikes for Tykes event in Virginia
Beach.‬‪ ‬‪Manning, along with his sister Alexis, age 9, mother Marcie Ackerman and grandmother Donna Duncan, have always been fans of NHRA drag racing.  In fact, Duncan raced NHRA Alcohol Funny Cars in the nineties.‬‪ ‬‪

This weekend provided the opportunity for Manning and his family to spend quality time behind the scenes with Stoffer, Lucas and their respective teams.  Manning and his sister both had the chance to sit in Lucas' Top Fuel dragster, followed by lunch and a inside look at a Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle with Stoffer.
 
"Nick is very special in the fact that he had an injury due to a motorcycle accident and that makes it very close to my heart," said Stoffer. "He is a triumphant example of what perseverance and passion can do because he has healed very well and is doing very well. He is an inspiration to everyone that you can overcome anything.

The Manning Family served as honorary team members of the GEICO Powersports teams.

"It's really special to have him come out this weekend to see what we do for a living," said Stoffer. "Nick is loving every minute of it."

This weekend has taken Manning's love of the sport to an entirely different level.

"The hospitality that GEICO, Karen and Morgan has given us has been amazing," said Manning. "They have really made us feel welcome and to get to sit in a Top Fuel car and meet the drivers has made this an awesome experience."

THANKS ASHLEY! - Ashley Force Hood used her dominating qualifying performance to hand Jarrett Weathers of Augusta, Georgia, a new Whirlpool washer and dryer as part of the BrandSource “Win with Force” promotion. During the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at select event when any one of the four John Force Racing Funny Cars qualifies No 1 at the event one lucky winner wins a Whirlpool washer and dryer set.

“I never thought I would come to the Southern Nationals and go home with a Whirlpool washer and dryer. I just signed up like 30 minutes before the drawing. My entry form must have been laying on top. I am a huge John Force Racing fan which makes getting to meet Ashley that much better. This is the fourth or fifth time for me to come to the Southern Nationals I love come out here,” said an excited Weathers.

The "Win with Force" promotion gives NHRA fans the chance to win valuable prizes, including a Sweepstakes Grand Prize trip on the John Force Racing Fan Cruise III, an exclusive offer from AAA Travel. The 4 Day/3 Night cruise includes a Penthouse Suite for 4 people aboard Carnival Cruise Lines(r)  Paradise and a $2,000 AAA Gift of Travel Certificate.

In addition to the Grand Prize trip on the John Force Racing Fan Cruise III, BrandSource is also offering NHRA fans a chance to win prizes from Mitsubishi Digital Televisions and Whirlpool at each of 15 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national events in 2009.

Whirlpool will give away a washer and dryer to a registered fan when a John Force Racing driver qualifies #1 overall on Saturday of designated NHRA events, and Mitsubishi will follow that  up on Sunday eliminations by giving away a 65" television if a John Force  Racing driver wins the race. This is the fourth year for Mitsubishi to participate in the promotion and the second year for Whirlpool to offer prizes to NHRA fans.

THE STREAK CONTINUES - Top Fuel teammates Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon will both enter race day in the top half of the field for the fourth time in six races. This weekend’s performance marked the fifth consecutive for Langdon.

"The car has made significant improvements this weekend," said Lucas, who was the provisional leader Friday night before settling for third place overall.

"I'm really happy with everything we're doing right now. The car's not set up to be too aggressive. It's just working the way we need it to work and going down the track every time. It's really fun to drive this thing.

"I feel so confident in the way Jimmy (Walsh, crew chief) is getting after the tune-up. We're doing it the right way, taking our time with the car and not letting little things frustrate us and force us to make bad decisions. We're putting together a solid tune-up that's going to work for a long time and win us some races."

Langdon ended up eighth, one run after pacing the Top Fuel show.

"We have a great baseline tune-up but we'll have to be up for Doug (Kalitta) because he's a great racecar driver," Langdon said. "We put up a good run in Q3 that ended up being the one we qualified with. We came back in the final session and tried to run with the big dogs and just went a bit too far and smoked the tires. So we'll go back to our reliable set-up and try to win the race.

"This is the fifth race in a row where we've qualified in the top half of the field, which is no small accomplishment. It's a real credit to my crew and to everyone in this organization. They've got it together. Now we just need to win a race to make all this hard work worthwhile."

WORSHAM’S FIRST WIN - Del Worsham was the only unqualified car after the third session of Funny Car qualifying at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga.

The Alan Johnson Racing/Al Anabi team driver entered the season with lofty expectations because of the personnel making up the team. If he’s been with another start-up operation, the outlook wouldn’t have been as great.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

Worsham can remember a day when he really had no expectations in nitro racing whatsoever. In fact, his goal in the early days of his career was just to qualify.

No one was more shocked than Worsham when he drove his family’s Funny Car to the NHRA Southern Nationals title in 1991 defeating Mark Oswald.

There were more reasons why he should have lost in the first than logic why he should have won.

“I was very young,” said Worsham, who had just turned 21. “I was new to the sport. Me and my dad only had one guy with us on the road trying to race. To go out there and win that race was something no one can ever take from me and is probably the greatest moment of my racing career.”

Winning the event proved to be a shock but not as much as the one he encountered when it came time to celebrate. If you’re from California like Worsham was at the time, you know how to celebrate.

“I was finally old enough to buy a beer but anyone who knows the south knows you can't buy beer on Sundays. But it was still awesome. It was a great time.”

Worsham admits a handful of fans walk up to him every Commerce race to let him know they witnessed his incredible feat. It’s a win that will forever be etched in his mind no matter how many big budget wins he accrues along the way on the Alan Johnson Racing/Al Anabi team.

“It doesn't seem like 18 years,” Worsham said. “But I can barely remember not driving a funny car. But time goes fast when you're doing something you love and having fun. I'm very lucky for that and I know that. It doesn't feel like 18 years but I feel like I've been an adult my whole life.”

He wouldn’t mind his first win with the new team coming at this same event where he won his first career title.

“It would be a lot different,” Worsham admitted. “No winning doubt though it would be a turning point for me. This would be a season changer. That one was a life changer.”

IMPRESSIVE OUT OF THE BOX - There are times when Bob Vandergriff Jr. surprises himself. Friday at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented one of those moments.

Vandergriff is at Atlanta Dragway making the first of two scheduled appearances this season. The first run out of the box produced a 3.895 elapsed time, good enough for fourth on the provisional qualifying grid. He later improved to a 3.878 elapsed time at 314.39 miles per hour.

“Right out of the box it was more than we hoped for,” Vandergriff admitted. “We were joking saying we need to run a 3.90 right out of the box.”  

These kinds of performances bode well for Vandergriff’s 2010 aspirations. He’s got a few positive prospects for major sponsorship in the works. Those programs revolve around Hot Rod Fuller as the driver with him serving as team owner.

“I'm pretty excited from a few things that I'm working with Hot Rod Fuller on,” Vandergriff said. “Not only is he a good driver but he has taught me a lot on the business side. He's taught me some things that other drivers can't seem to learn on the business side and we've got a good thing going. Me as team owner and him as a driver seems very promising. I'm excited about 2010.”

He’s not naming names, but Vandergriff had a few of those prospects in his pits throughout the weekend.

“That's what we use those things for,” Vandergriff said. “Driving the car is fun but it's a business and that's what we have to use these things for. I mean if no one was interested in us we wouldn't be out here doing it with us. We’ve got some agencies out here this weekend trying to gain some interest and hopefully it works out well for us.”

SHOOTIN' IN THE DARK - V. Gaines will be the first to admit that as of late, he’s become proficient at shooting in the dark. That’s about the best way the veteran Pro Stock driver can describe the success he’s encountered as he debuts his new in-house engine program.

The Lakewood, Co.-based driver didn’t even have a baseline when he entered the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals two weeks ago. The challenge didn’t prevent him from making the complex sixteen-car field.

“We've never had a Pro Stock motor on the dyno so we don’t know what it's supposed to be,” Gaines admitted. “We have nothing to relate to at this point so we're out here trying to get a baseline right now. Most of all the races we run are at sea level so it's kind of a disadvantage.”

Gaines announced after failing to qualify at the NHRA O’Reilly Springnationals in Houston, Tex., that he was breaking free of his engine lease program with Larry Morgan to embark on a new engine program based out of his Madcap Racing engine shop. Madcap specializes in fast bracket racing engines and that’s why Gaines is hoping for quick, fast and most importantly consistent engines in the years to come.

Gaines qualified 15th in Las Vegas with a 6.758 elapsed time. He’ll be the first to admit the accomplishment came as a pleasant surprise. Gaines had planned to go ahead and take his lumps.

“We had no idea where we were,” Gaines admitted. “We were shooting in the dark and had nothing to compare with. We had to play it conservative because we didn't want to break anything or burn anything but at the same time we wanted to establish a baseline there we could work off of.”

A baseline is something he hopes to have solidly implemented once the NHRA Full Throttle tour reaches the dates whether the conditions are hot and nasty, let’s say, at the NHRA Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, his home track.

“I do think once we get to Denver we will shine there,” Gaines pointed out.

Gaines admits watching the success of fellow racer and friend Mike Edwards as he converted to an in-house engine program served as an inspiration.

“That group has done very well in a very short amount of time,” Edwards said. “We've seen people out here struggle for years before receiving success like that. If we can get just a little bit of that then we'll be happy.”

He knows that success will only come with long hours and relentless dedication to improving the product. He’s not so naïve that he expects the competition to offer up tips.

“Pro Stock is a very competitive class and people aren't really willing to give up their methods so fast,” Gaines said. “We have to come out here and learn it on our own. Luckily we have been in Pro Stock for 14 years so that's taught us a few shortcuts.”

It’s taught him how to aim well in the dark as well. 

 

 

 

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - JOHN’S LITTLE GIRL KICKS HIS BUTT AGAIN; MORGAN LUCAS RACING RULES AGAIN

DOESN’T HIT LIKE A GIRL – Babe Ruth would have been jealous.

Just like the veteran long ball hitter, Ashley Force Hood called her shot and the end result was an upper deck shot.

The second generation nitro racer and defending NHRA Summit Southern Nationals Funny Car champion heard her dad tell his crew chief Austin Coil that he planned to run a 4.10 during the second session and he landed atop the field with a 4.100.

“I was two pairs behind him in qualifying,” Force Hood recalled. “He said, ‘let’s put a .10 on the board.’ He went out and did it.

“I said, ‘Is it that easy that we can say what we want and then we get it?'”

Force Hood said her comments were in jest. Figuring she would share in the fun, she offered up to crew chief Dean Antonelli that she wanted to run a 4.07.

“We all got a laugh out of it and I figured maybe a 4.08 or a 4.09 in a push,” she admitted. “I knew I had made a great pass but you never really know what it will run. As I turned off the track, my other crew chief Ron [Douglass] asked me what I wanted to run.”

He told her she ran the 4.07.

“That was pretty amazing,” Force Hood said.

If her run holds, it will mark her fourth career No. 1 qualifying position and first of the season.

Force Hood won his first Funny Car victory at this same track last year in conditions that were diametrically opposite of those on this day.
 Last season’s victory was attained in rainy, humid conditions. Friday’s qualifying was as close as one could consider heaven for drag racing conditions.

“Last year was like frizzed hair and humidity,” Force Hood said. “This weekend has been nice and cool.”

ONE-TWO PUNCH – Last race it was the hired gun. This weekend it could be the boss.

Morgan Lucas drove his way to the Top Fuel provisional No. 1 position of the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals with a 3.844 elapsed time at 308.21 miles per hour. If the run holds, it will mark his third career No. 1 qualifier since 2005. One of his two previous pole positions came at Atlanta Dragway in 2005.

Lucas’ effort follows up a No. 1 effort by teammate Shawn Langdon, two weeks ago at the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas.

“It’s been a long time since we ran this good,” Lucas said. “The car started off good and progressively got a little slower. The good thing about two cars and two crew chiefs is that they worked well together today.”

Langdon’s car is tuned by veteran nitro figure Jon Stewart.

The Lucas Geico-sponsored dragster is handled by Jimmy Walsh.

“We’ve realized that we’ve been a little too over center with the tune-up,” Lucas said. “We brought it back and it went right down the track.”

Headed into this weekend the best start for Lucas this year has been a No. 6 seeding at the NHRA Slick Mist Nationals in Phoenix, Az.

“The conditions today were awesome,” Lucas said. “The only thing I wish I could be doing better than this is golfing.”

JUST LIKE HOME – Greg Anderson spent much of his week leading up to the NHRA Southern Nationals 160 miles north of Commerce, Ga., testing in the motorsports hamlet of Concord, N.C.

There were lots of cars testing at zMax Dragway and it was as if the test session was a mini NHRA Pro Stock national event.

The conditions were identical in North Carolina to what he would eventually encounter in Georgia just days later. Had you told the multi-time champion that would be the case, he would have never believed it.

Spend time racing long enough at Atlanta Dragway and perfect weather conditions is something that likely will never come to mind.

There’s a first time for everything as the first day of qualifications yielded low 70-degree temperatures and an incredible 35% humidity.

“We’ve never had these kinds of conditions here before. When we got here and checked the weather meter, we thought it was broke,” Anderson admitted. “It’s never been this dry and the barometer this high, when we’ve raced here.”

Anderson likened the conditions on the first day of qualifying at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals to those usually encountered when racing at venues such as Houston Raceway Park or Gainesville Raceway.

“This time of the year it’s usually eighty degrees,” Anderson said. “You have high humidity. But when we saw what we had to work with this morning, we knew it was a special day. Tomorrow might not be as great, this was a one of a kind day here.”

Anderson ran a 6.574 to open the day and a 6.568 to finish up the day atop the 12-car provisional field.

A day like Friday is what Anderson has needed for a long time. He has qualified no lower than third in the first five races but has yet to last past the semi-finals.

“I have been in a bit of a funk this season,” Anderson said. “The race car has been good but I’ve made mistakes driving the car. I need a get well weekend where the car runs good and I don’t mess up.”

NEW HARLEY ENGINE GETTING CRANKED UP – Forget the fact that Friday’s weather conditions provided the optimum opportunity for the Pro Stock Motorcycles, the real story for the Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson sponsored Andrew Hines driven machine was that the team is getting up to speed on the newly introduced four-valves per cylinder engine combination.

A 6.877 elapsed time at 195.03 miles per hour was enough to put the former champion’s bike atop the 12-bike provisional field on Friday.

“The conditions were excellent and this was really, really nice for Atlanta,” Hines said. “Last year here was really hot and humid and really caught us off guard.”

Friday in Commerce, the ambient air temperature was in the low-seventies with only 35% humidity. Those atmospheric conditions are uncommon for this event which was contested in May prior to the 2008 season.

There was even a tail wind.

Hines and his teammate, Eddie Krawiec, the provisional No. 2 qualifier, learned their new engine combination loves racing in these conditions. That’s a far cry from the most recent motorcycle event in Houston, Tex., where both riders blew up their engines in the first two rounds of eliminations.

“The engines were really reliable to begin with but we found the weak link in Houston,” Hines admitted.

The crankshaft bearings proved to be the culprit.

“We knew the engines were destroyed on the inside but we just didn’t know where the problem was,” Hines said. “We went back to the shop and tore the engines apart and found the problem. We had a lot of work ahead of us.”

The Houston calamity actually delayed the team’s arrival in Commerce until late Thursday considering the rig didn’t leave their Brownsburg, Ind.-based shop until after 6 PM on Wednesday. Replacement parts expected to arrive earlier in the week didn’t arrive until Wednesday morning.

“We spent three or four days researching what parts we needed to strengthen the engine,” Hines said. “We got it all together and it seems to be bulletproof now. It obviously showed by what we ran today.”

Hines believes the Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson team has reached the point where the new four-valves per cylinder engine combination have equaled where last season’s two-valve program was at the end of the season.

“This just might be up to par with it now but then again the weather conditions out here were like candy land,” Hines said. “We are getting after this engine and that’s evident by the speed we ran. People think we hold back. But this is what we do. Harley-Davidson pays us money and they expect us to win and we want to win.

“There’s a lot of hard work that’s involved here and it hasn’t come just because we put four valves [per cylinder] in our head. There’s a lot of development that has led up to this. We are polishing the parts to get the least amount of friction. We are doing everything we can to get every ounce of performance out of it.”

A TALE OF TWO DAYS - Mike Edwards has wondered lately if his tremendous qualifying efforts this season have thrown his program off kilter. The former sportsman world champion who is known for his lightning quick starting line reaction times used that prowess to win many races while performing just well enough to qualify for the Pro Stock field.

“It's thrown something off I believe,” Edward joked. “But I don't know what it's thrown off. You just got to keep buckling up and go up there and try again. I'm not down on myself I'm just focused on what I need to be doing. I just have to get more comfortable and relax. You know when you have that many good qualifying sessions there's always a lot of pressure on you. I just think I need to stop thinking so much and go up there and react.”

Edwards, from Coweta, OK., has qualified on the pole three of the last four races. His worst start this season has been from the No. 4 position.

In those No. 1 starts, he’s lost each time in the second round of eliminations. The early losses are disappointing but knowing that he’s got the car to beat on race day eases the sting of the losses.

“You can't substitute for running good and qualifying good,” Edwards admits. “Since I've been racing this class I've never been this fortunate or been in this situation. I'm excited about having the car to beat.” 

Edwards embarked on an in-house engine program in 2008 and this year he’s leasing engines to Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher. One might draw the conclusion the added duty has him spread thinner than usual in final eliminations, the one day where concentration is king.

“I think I am doing more than I ever have been but I've just been a kind of knucklehead,” Edwards admitted. “I just have to get my act together because I just feel like I've had a chance to win some races but I haven't.”

If he gets his concentration dialed in, should the competition get worried?

“Well I really like my chances. I'll put it that way,” Edwards said.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY – Former Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith is still adjusting to his role as a hired rider for Don Schumacher Racing.

The toughest part hasn't been adjusting his riding style or learning tune-ups. It’s all about learning his new role of not being so hands-on.

The adjustment began before Gainesville when Smith acquiesced his former multi-tasking roles of tuning and riding to the full-time crew at DSR. He’s still finding ways to contribute.

“I’m looking at the computer and offering ideas to Steve [Tartaglia],” Smith explained. “I tell him what I feel on the bike that the computer doesn’t show. I’m not physically hands on working on the bike. I’m a little more relaxed than I used to be.”

“I should have it a lot easier this year than I used to in running two bikes with my own team,” Smith admitted.

Don’t get Smith wrong, he’s enjoying the arrangement.

“To me, it has been perfect,” Smith said. “The first day I came into testing, I share with Steve some of things I’d like to try. The first day were things he wanted to do and the second, we did what I wanted. Everything went smooth. I think we are going to make a good combination.”

Don’t think for a moment that Smith is sitting around twiddling his thumbs. He’s filling the spare time as an advisor to his fiancée Angie McBride, rider of his former Buell.

“We’re pitted beside each other and I will walk over and look at the computer,” Smith said. “I will tell them what to do with the bike. Angie will take the notes and she even makes the team a plate of food. It all works out well for us.”

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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK -

HARD TO BELIEVE - Two of the current NHRA pro points leaders have one common denominator outside of the fact they drive for the same team owner.

In their years of competing at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals neither nitro frontrunner Tony Schumacher or Ron Capps has won in Commerce, Ga.

It’s hard to imagine there’s a stop on the 24-race Full Throttle tour where the five-time champion Schumacher hasn’t won considering he’s won 58 races over a 14-year span.

“There’s no doubt you would assume such a thing,” said the six-time world champion.

In actuality, Schumacher has yet to win at three tracks on the tour – Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond, Va., and Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.

“It would be nice to finally get a win down there,” said Schumacher. “For some reason over the years, Atlanta Dragway has not been very kind to me.”

Capps’ drought in Commerce is surprising, as well.

He’s won 28 national events in 57 final rounds, with three of those final round appearances at the facility located 45 minutes north of Atlanta. Capps was runner-up in Funny Car in Atlanta in 2000 and 2001 and in Top Fuel back in 1995.

"When I look at the NHRA schedule now, there's not too many places left where we haven't won at. And Atlanta would be a great place to score a victory, especially this season," added Capps, who, with crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch, earned the pair's 20th victory together at Las Vegas two weeks ago. "You always want to do well in front of your biggest supporters and for us that's NAPA.

"It's very hard for the NAPA executives, with their busy schedules, to get to a race that often, so last year we had them out for the Atlanta race and they spent the whole day watching qualifying on Saturday. For some of them it was their first taste of drag racing, and I believe it confirmed to them why NAPA is in our sport. They had such a great time. So, to win there and have them open a newspaper on Monday morning in their backyard and see the NAPA car on the front page of the Sports section would be a great thing.

"But, to be honest, the Atlanta race is a very, very grueling race. The heat, humidity and other conditions can really play tricks on the crew chief. Sunday's eliminations can take their toll on a driver and a lot of times it's kind of the survival of the fittest for those who are still standing at the end of the day.”

Of the two drivers, only Schumacher reached the final round last year where he lost on a hole shot to Antron Brown.  

NO PLACE LIKE HOME - There are no long lines at the airport when you race at home, no delayed flights either. There are no rental-car shuttles, and no extended hotel stays.

Life couldn’t be grander at this moment than it is for Kurt Johnson this weekend at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga. About the toughest the travel gets for the second-generation driver is a short 30-minute drive north up I-85 from their race shop in Sugar Hill to a race venue they know very well.

"Racing so close to home makes it lot easier on everyone as far as traveling," Johnson said. "We don't have to go to the airport, we don't have to go to hotel rooms – a lot of the stuff that's been difficult lately. This is the one time during the season when we can get up in the morning, leave the house and go to the track.

"There may be a few distractions, but once you shut the door on the race car, you're 100-percent focused. You can have some friends and family running around and having a good time, but that's what being at the races is all about."

Atlanta Dragway is the de-facto home track for Johnson, who has been a resident of Northeast Georgia since 1981. He's been coming to this venue for more than 30 years either as a competitor at the Southern Nationals, testing, or as a crew member on his dad's, Warren, Pro Stock car.

"We've been coming here since 1979 when we first had fiberglass doors on race cars and we shed the outer skin on our '76 Camaro at 180 mph," recalled Johnson. "We ripped the laminate off right at the finish line."

Johnson knows this racetrack as well as any on the circuit, and he's made hundreds of laps down the strip – an accumulative distance that could probably best be measured in a multitude of miles. But he doesn't necessarily feel the extra time on the track gives him any sort of performance advantage.

"The texture of the track is always changing a little bit, so from a performance standpoint, there's not really an advantage to playing at your home field, so to speak, but the fact that the shop is just down the road, that certainly helps."

Johnson's lone win at Atlanta Dragway came in 1996 when he defeated Jim Yates in the final round. He was runner-up in 1993 to his dad, and in 1997 he was runner-up to Jim Yates. 

NO SOPHOMORE JINX - He’s not about to declare a sophomore jinx because technically he’s a freshman on the NHRA Full Throttle tour, but Spencer Massey can’t help but relive past successes headed into this weekend’s NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga.

Massey is in new territory as the driver of Snake Racing’s U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company dragster this year.

Last year at this point in the season, he could do no wrong winning the first two IHRA events of the season and also winning this event last year driving a Top Alcohol Dragster. That victory was the second in back-to-back Atlanta Dragway triumphs.

“I have some really good memories racing at Atlanta,” recalls Massey.  “Our team was based in Texas, so it was a big trip for us.  I remember the car had ran well during qualifying but we found some problems before Sunday and we were able to fix those, go four rounds and take the win. I had been to five previous finals before, so to finally win my first National Sportsman event was just huge. I had waited for that win forever, so it was really exciting.

“It will be fun to return to a place where I am used to seeing the win light come on,” said Massey. “I am comfortable racing at that track and I can’t wait to see if some of my good luck there can carry over for our team this weekend.”

Starting a string of success would bode well for Massey and the team which spent much of the day after Las Vegas testing. The U.S. Smokeless Racing team made six full laps under various track conditions, which Massey feels will help them in Atlanta.

“Our car is very capable of going rounds and winning races,” said Massey.  “We needed to work on getting a better handle on our consistency and I feel that testing was a big step in the right direction toward that.  Now, we need to take that momentum, bring that with us to Atlanta and turn on some win lights.”     

 

 

 

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WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK -

THE UNSINKABLE ROOKIE - Matt Hagan is quickly learning that being a rookie on the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car tour can sometimes be hell. The first year driver of the Shelor.com Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing has taken a few lumps along the way, but as of late, the Christianburg, Va.native has given back a few jabs in return.

Clearly the 27-year old cattle farmer knows that’s the only way he’ll survive in what has become the most competitive nitro division on the tour.

Getting tested early comes with the territory. Hagan smiles when recollecting a few drivers who have already tested his mettle in the first five events.

“I think they test you to see what works and what doesn’t – to rattle you,” Hagan admitted. “It’s one of those things where you can turn the tables and learn a bit about them too. You learn how some people are going to act towards you and you try to counteract that. Sometimes you learn who the drivers are that you are going to have to wait on and the ones you will need to start your burnout earlier for. You learn the drivers as you go along but there’s no doubt some games get played. You just can’t let that get to you.”

Just recently Hagan earned one of his battle stripes when crossing paths with a well-experienced driver who engaged in a staging battle of sorts with him. Come hell or high water, Hagan was not going to stage first. The veteran finally conceded and staged first.

“You have to go in there with a game plan and just stick to it,” Hagan explained. “You can’t let them push you around out there and it can be easy to get intimidated. You make your mind up and stick to your game plan. Don’t budge from it because it’s easy to get shook up on the starting line. You can get out of your routine and before you know it, you’re doing something you shouldn't be.
Hagan exited his car at the finish line expecting words to be exchanged. Those words never came. He was surprised because he expected a tense situation for sticking to his guns.

“You always are,” Hagan admitted. “It’s easy to get upset and hot-headed in these cars. You’re always ready for someone to get out and say something. You have to deal with tempers amongst the stress of racing. Hopefully it never escalates into a violent situation.”

In the unlikely case that Hagan were suckered into fisticuffs, he can likely hold his own considering his stature is that of a middle linebacker, a position he played about a decade ago in high school football.

A hulking figure doesn’t always suit a nitro driver.

“Right now that doesn’t work in my favor,” Hagan admitted. “Don Schumacher already wants me to lose thirty pounds and about the only way I could do that is to cut a leg off or something. I stopped wearing medium and large t-shirts a long time ago.”

Hagan drove his way to a runner-up finish at the last stop on the tour in Las Vegas, losing in the finals to teammate Ron Capps at the SummitRacing.com Nationals.

He’s earned the respect of his crew, however, he’s quickly learning that respect doesn’t make one exempt from ragging on the rookie.

“They’re non-stop and a lot of the guys on this team are pretty good practical jokesters,” Hagan admitted. “I’m okay with that because it is part of the initiation process. I’ve seen people getting hazed in fraternities and they let me off easy. Some of the stuff is pretty good and it keeps me laughing. I just try to roll with the punches.”

The best practical joke to this point has been the fake high-five and someone snapped a picture of it.

“They made this poster shot of me reaching up to give a high five and while they’re high fiving one another at the bowling alley, I’m left out in the cold with my hand in the air,” Hagan said, breaking into a laugh. “They left the picture up there for all to see. They’re all good guys. They just like giving me a hard time. That’s what they do to rookies I guess.” 

RELIVING HISTORY - On April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang made its debut at the New York World’s Fair.  This weekend Tasca will run a special 45th Anniversary Mustang decal on his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang to commemorate this significant milestone for the pony car. 

“When I was 16 years old, my first car was a brand new 1992 Mustang GT coupe with a white leather interior and we made a bunch of modifications to it,” recalled Tasca. “That’s probably my favorite street Mustang.  It was the first car I had in my garage, the first car I took down a drag strip.  Mustang is iconic; it is part of the DNA of America.  It has withstood the test of time and the ups and downs of economies.  It’s just an iconic brand; it’s like baseball to a certain extent.  It’s classic.”

RETURNING CHAMPION - One year ago Top Fuel pilot Antron Brown left the town of Commerce, Ga., one Wally heavier—his second since the start of the 2008 season—and just 26 points behind leader Tony Schumacher.

That's pretty impressive considering that Brown was in his first season behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster. Now, one year later, Brown returns to Commerce to defend his event title at the 29th annual Summit Racing NHRA Southern Nationals, April 16-19 at Atlanta Dragway.

Though Brown has 24 events and more than 100 passes down the track under his belt since his Atlanta win one year ago, many similar circumstances exist that led to his win just one year previous. In 2008, Brown entered the event third in the point standings with one win in two final round appearances and 10 round wins for the season. This year Brown heads back to Georgia second in the points, just 18 points behind leader Schumacher, with one win in two final round appearances and  11 round wins for the season.

“Atlanta was an awesome race for us last year being able to win the race over Tony (Schumacher),” said Brown. “Anytime you can beat that Army dragster, you’ve accomplished something. We hope to repeat what we did last year with this Matco team. We’re still running great, and we expect to have another strong showing.”

Though Brown’s circumstances heading into Atlanta are similar to last year, a second consecutive win could produce the one difference Sunday night Brown is hoping for—that top spot in the point standings.

Joining Brown in defense of their Atlanta wins will be Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), who is coming off her second career win two events ago in Houston, Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), who set the national record for speed in Houston (212.03 mph), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle), who hopes his second win at Atlanta Dragway will also be his first win of the 2008 season.

 

 

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