2009 NHRA ROUTE 66 NATIONALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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SUNDAY FINALS - MASSEY, T. PEDREGON, COUGHLIN AND GUIDERA WIN UNITED ASSOCIATION ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
Top
Fuel rookie driver Spencer Massey raced to his first career victory
Sunday at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66
Raceway near Chicago.
Tony Pedregon, Jeg Coughlin and Matt Guidera also were winners in their
respective categories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
event.
Massey, who drives for NHRA legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, just
edged category points leader and event No. 1 qualifier Antron Brown at
the finish line. Massey’s U.S. Smokeless/United Association dragster
posted a performance of 3.856 seconds at 308.35 mph to take the win
over Brown, whose Matco Tools/DirecTV dragster trailed with a 3.870 at
301.54.
Massey advanced to his second career final with earlier round wins over Troy Buff, Terry Haddock and Larry Dixon.
“This whole season has been a dream,” said Massey, one of four talented
rookies eligible for the coveted 2009 Auto Club Road to the Future
Award, which recognizes NHRA's top rookie driver. “I’ve been watching
NHRA racing and wanting to drive a Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA since
I was 4 years old and saw my first race. I watched Don Prudhomme win
his last Top Fuel race in Dallas in 1994, and now he’s high-fiving me
in the winner’s circle. That’s unbelievable.”
Pedregon
earned his first Funny Car win of the season and moved to second place
in the point standings by cruising to the win over Ashley Force Hood,
whose Castrol GTX Ford Mustang lost traction at the start in the final
round. Pedregon’s Q-Horsepower Chevy Impala posted a 4.114 at 303.78
to earn his 41st career victory and second consecutive at this event.
“We had good conditions, and we had tough opponents all day,” said
Pedregon, who defeated Ron Capps, Robert Hight and brother Cruz
Pedregon to advance to the final. “I’m glad we were able to pull it
off with Quaker State. (Advancing to the) semifinals and getting to
some final rounds, that’s good, but it’s really all about winning. We
feel confident that we’re going to make the Countdown, but we gotta
keep doing the work to stay there. [This is a] great track, a great
facility, and the sun came out, it went away, it rained, you name it
and the track hung in there and we were able to execute today.”
Coughlin increased his series lead in Pro Stock by claiming his fourth
victory of the season and 45th of his career. Coughlin took the
automatic win in his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt when final round opponent
Mike Edwards fouled at the start in his ART/Young Life 
Pontiac GXP.
"Mike has been in a zone of his own for the last several races and he's
such a good racer that you know you need to get up on the wheel to race
him," Coughlin said. "He was clearly quicker than us by at least
two-hundredths of a second going into the final so I was really focused
on hitting the tree. I went by it and felt like I'd really gotten it
and then as I was shifting into second gear I caught the win light
flashing in my lane out of my peripheral vision and the party started.
If you could have seen inside my helmet you would have seen a grin as
big as Texas."
Coughlin outran rookie Ryan Ondrejko, Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson to advance to his sixth final round of the season.
"We've been fortunate to go to a lot of finals and win a lot of rounds
this year but we've also had times when we've had to outright abort
some runs," Coughlin said. "Our biggest goal for the weekend was to get
this JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt to go straight every run and get to the
finish line under power. We did that, thanks to the guys in our pit,
and this win is really just a result of that effort. It's very
satisfying."
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Guidera claimed his first victory of the
season and fourth overall by outrunning series points leader Eddie
Krawiec, winner of the last two events. Guidera’s Mohegan Sun/Rocklin
Motorsports Buell covered the distance in 7.096 at 181.79, while
Krawiec’s Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson trailed
with a 7.189 at 179.66.
“That was one hell of a final,” said Guidera, who beat Craig Treble,
Michael Phillips and Steve Johnson in earlier rounds. “I had a great
bike all day. It really came around on Saturday. Before that, we were
struggling. I don’t think I snuck up on anybody this weekend. We just
sucked so bad on Friday and it left us in a big hole. On Sunday, I left
nothing on the table.”
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues next weekend with
the United Association NHRA SuperNationals, June 11-14 at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.
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SPORTSMAN RESULTS - MANZO WINS 80TH, WHITELY WINS AGAIN
Just weeks after notching his 100th NHRA divisional event win, Top
Alcohol Funny Car ace Frank Manzo scored NHRA national event win 
No.
80 this weekend at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals in
Joliet, Ill. The Morganville, N.J., racer was joined in the winner’s
circle by Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., who wheeled his Top
Alcohol Dragster to his second win in as many weeks.
In the final, Manzo squared off against Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga.
Manzo was the event’s No. 1 qualifier and Harker was No. 3, just a tick
behind second place qualifier Tony Bartone. Harker’s numbers had kept
pace with Manzo pretty well throughout eliminations but in the final
Manzo peeled off a 5.570-second, 258.96 mph run while Harker slowed to
an 11.394-second pass. Harker is fresh off a win last week in Topeka,
Kan. Sunday’s win marked Manzo’s second trip to the winner’s circle
over the weekend as he scored his seventh victory in the JEGS Allstars
event on Saturday. Manzo’s double win means that JEGS will be paying
out on the JEGS Double-up Bonus where a racer who wins the Allstars
event and goes on to win the national event gets his Allstars purse
doubled.
Whiteley started the day from the No. 4 qualifying spot and faced
Brandon Lewis of Broken Arrow, Okla., in the final. Whiteley laid down
a 5.321-second, 264.03 mph pass while Lewis slowed to a 9.176-second,
82.86 mph lap. The win marks Whiteley’s eighth in NHRA national events.
Super Gas winner Mike Sawyer of Acton, Mass., also collected on the
JEGS Double-up Bonus this weekend. In the national event Sawyer
wheeled his ’03 Cavalier to the win over Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich.,
while Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., got the win in Comp Eliminator,
beating out Todd Patterson of Augusta, Kan. Biondo was runner-up in
the Allstars competition on Saturday. Chris Chaney, Claremore, Okla.,
wheeled his ’02 Cavalier to the win in Super Stock, beating out Jeff
Niceswanger of Zanesville, Ohio. Cullman, Ala., racer Adam Davis won
in Stock Eliminator for the second time in as many weeks. After
earning the win in Topeka, Davis took his ’67 Camaro to the winner’s
circle in Joliet when he beat John Shaul, Fultonham, N.Y., in the
final. Kari Larson of Starbuck, Minn., beat Brian Forrester, Parrish,
Fla., in the Super Gas final and Phoenix’s Ryan Giacone earned his
first win of the year in Super Street, ousting Chuck Lowry, Wichita,
Kan., in the final.
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SATURDAY - DIVISION 3 WINS JEGS ALLSTATS TITLE
A trio of stellar performances by Bill Reichert, Ben Wenzel and Ricky
Shipp allowed the team from the NHRA North Central Division to 
capture
the overall team title at the 25th annual JEGS Allstars race, held
yesterday at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. Reichert, Wenzel, and
Shipp, won titles in Top Alcohol Dragster, Stock, and Super Street,
respectively, and combined to earn 900 of the North Central Division
team’s 1,100 as they prevented the Northeast Division team from winning
their fourth-straight team title. Each of the North Central division
team members shared in a $20,000 bonus from event sponsor JEGS Mail
Order. The JEGS Allstars is an annual event that is reserved for the
best sportsman drivers from each of NHRA’s seven geographic divisions.
Reichert, the reigning NHRA world champion, clinched the overall team
title when he defeated Pacific Division racer Chris Demke in the Top
Alcohol Dragster final, 5.34 to 5.36. Wenzel, who has raced in the
North Central Division for more than three decades, drove his Chevy
Camaro to a win over Southeast Division racer Robbie Shaw, and Shipp
pitched in by driving his Chevy Nova to a final round victory in Super
Street against Mike DeSio, who also represents the Southeast Division
squad.
In the Top Alcohol Funny Car class, Northeast Division racer Frank
Manzo, already the most successful racer in the history of the JEGS
Allstars race, won for the seventh time when he drove his Lucas Oil
entry to a 5.56 to 5.63 win over West Central Division racer Roger
Bateman. Bateman’s West Central Division teammate, Bruno Massel,
claimed the win in Competition Eliminator, winning a close final round
battle against reigning JEGS Allstars champ Sal Biondo.
The NHRA Pacific Division claimed a pair of wins as Greg Luneack scored
in Super Stock and Aaron Kinard win the Super Comp title. Both of those
wins came at the expense of South Central Division racers as Luneack
stopped Slate Cummings and Kinard drove past Travis Prudhomme. Finally,
Northeast Division racer Mike Sawyer successfully defended his title in
Super Gas as he defeated Southeast Division representative John Taylor
in the final.
Each of the JEGS Allstars winners are automatically eligible to return
next year as blockers in the event. Furthermore, any driver who can
back up an Allstar victory with a win in Sunday’s United Association
Route 66 Nationals will be eligible for a double-up bonus from event
sponsor JEGS Mail Order.
Final points standings
Division 3 1100
Division 1 1000
Division 7 900
Division 5 900
Division 2 800
Division 4 600
Division 6 100
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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - PEDREGON, BROWN, EDWARDS AND HORNE EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT UNITED ASSOCIATION ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
Tony Pedregon raced to his second No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 36th of his career Saturday at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
Antron Brown, Mike Edwards and Doug Horne also will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.
Pedregon powered his Q-Horsepower Chevy Impala to a 4.079 second run at 304.39 mph to earn his third top qualifying effort at the dragstrip located just south of Chicago. He will face current Funny Car points leader Ron Capps in the opening round. Capps squeezed into the field at 16th with a time of 4.228 seconds in his NAPA Dodge Stratus.
“It used to be that you qualify No. 1 and you get a pretty good draw; I won’t mention any names but not a Ron Capps,” Pedregon said. “That’s a tough draw. But we’re running good here, and they’ve got to get their problems sorted out in one run. I’d rather be in this position.
“[We had] very good conditions today. The weather rolled in and out of here. I’m glad no one took the top spot away from us. I don’t mind; I know the statistics aren’t real good that No. 1 qualifier goes on and wins the race, but I’m not superstitious. I’m pleased that our car is consistent and it’s consistently quick. I think that we’ve come a long way in a week.”
Ashley Force Hood jumped to second in the qualifying order with a 4.094-second run in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in the final session. Mike Neff, Tim Wilkerson and defending world champion Cruz Pedregon round out the top five.
Brown claimed his fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and second consecutive in Top Fuel with a performance of 3.826 at 317.94 in his Matco Tools/DirecTV dragster. He will face local favorite and veteran driver Luigi Novelli in the first round.
“Tomorrow is going to be another day, and it will be just like today,” Brown said. “It’s going to be cloudy, the track conditions are going to be great, and tomorrow we’re just going to go out and race; we’re going to take it one round at a time. That’s what you have to do out here, because every round is tough.”
Hometown favorite Tony Schumacher qualified second, while last week’s winner, Larry Dixon, was third. Clay Millican, last week’s runner-up who is still looking for his first NHRA victory, qualified fourth.
“We’ve got tough competitors out here doing a phenomenal job,” said Brown, a former Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor. “Look at us: we’re all going tit for tat right now. I’m excited because now it’s getting interesting; it’s going to be whoever leaves off the line and whoever has the hot car setup because the track conditions are actually good out there. There are a lot of good race cars out there, and I’m just stoked to be a part of our Matco Tools race car, and I’m ready and excited for tomorrow.”
Edwards continued to pace Pro Stock with his sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season. He earned this one with a performance of 6.587 at 209.88 in his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP. He was the only driver in his category to post runs of 6.5-seconds in three of the four qualifying sessions. Edwards will try for his third win of the season by opening with No. 16 qualifier Ronnie Humphrey.
“It’s an honor to be able to do this and I’m overwhelmed with everything that we’ve accomplished this year,” Edwards said. “It’s just so hard to do that in this class, and for us to come out here and have that many No. 1s, I’m amazed myself. We keep pecking away at the track; we keep getting better and better. I feel comfortable right now. We made some adjustments before that run, and hopefully we can make some more adjustments and be better even for tomorrow.
Three-time world champ Greg Anderson qualified second, while series points leader Jeg Coughlin and Topeka winner Allen Johnson were third and fourth overall.
“Where I’m at right now, I’m overwhelmed,” Edwards continued. “I’m in company where I’ve never been before: the Summit cars, the JEGS car, those kind of people, and those teams win championships. My team has overcome a lot. We made a lot of good decisions over the winter, and we made a lot of progress. A lot.”
Horne, a rookie in the two-wheel category, claimed his first career No. 1 qualifying position in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.936 at 181.84 on his Horne Racing Buell. One of the leading candidates for the Auto Club Road to the Future Award, which recognizes NHRA’s top performing rookie for the season, Horne will face Wesley Wells in the opening round.
“The conditions today weren’t as good as yesterday, so we tried some things today to learn some things for Sunday,” Horne said. “It didn’t run as good as we would have liked or quite as well as everyone else, but I think we got some data for tomorrow so we can go some rounds. Being No. 1 means a lot to me and gives me confidence going into Sunday, but it’s still not quite as good as the two runner-ups we’ve had already this season. Being No. 1 Saturday just means where you sit on the ladder; Sunday is what it’s all about.”
Hector Arana remained second on his Lucas Oil Buell, while Karen Stoffer was third on her GEICO Powersports Suzuki. Stoffer will face Katie Sullivan in the first round. Sullivan, the seventh female to qualify in the bike category is making her first start in eliminations.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 12th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the 10th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.826 seconds, 317.94 mph vs. 16. Luigi Novelli, 4.090, 289.32; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.836, 311.99 vs. 15. Terry Haddock, 4.023, 291.57; 3. Larry Dixon, 3.843, 310.84 vs. 14. Joe Hartley, 4.000, 296.37; 4. Clay Millican, 3.854, 310.20 vs. 13. J.R. Todd, 3.947, 302.35; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.872, 311.27 vs. 12. Brandon Bernstein, 3.927, 298.60; 6. Morgan Lucas, 3.875, 305.56 vs. 11. Doug Kalitta, 3.911, 306.33; 7. Spencer Massey, 3.888, 310.41 vs. 10. Troy Buff, 3.907, 293.35; 8. Rod Fuller, 3.889, 312.78 vs. 9. Cory McClenathan, 3.894, 306.60. Did Not Qualify: 17. Tim Cullinan, 4.139, 301.13; 18. T.J. Zizzo, 4.553, 174.12; 19. Chris Karamesines, 4.878, 224.10.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.079, 304.39 vs. 16. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.228, 288.39; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Ford Mustang, 4.094, 305.70 vs. 15. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.225, 299.26; 3. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.095, 305.77 vs. 14. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.212, 297.16; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.118, 300.06 vs. 13. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.198, 293.86; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.119, 299.06 vs. 12. Jerry Toliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.192, 299.73; 6. John Force, Mustang, 4.120, 303.37 vs. 11. Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.189, 297.16; 7. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.122, 301.33 vs. 10. Bob Bode, Chevy Impala SS, 4.174, 302.28; 8. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.133, 300.93 vs. 9. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.141, 300.33. Did Not Qualify: 17. John Lawson, 4.299, 282.90; 18. Justin Schriefer, 4.439, 272.12.
Pro Stock -- 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.587, 210.08 vs. 16. Ronnie Humphrey, Dodge Stratus, 6.671, 207.05; 2. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.612, 209.04 vs. 15. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt, 6.662, 208.10; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.616, 208.94 vs. 14. Ryan Ondrejko, GXP, 6.658, 205.72; 4. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.621, 208.59 vs. 13. David Beckley, Stratus, 6.653, 207.78; 5. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.622, 208.62 vs. 12. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.650, 207.82; 6. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.627, 208.81 vs. 11. Rickie Jones, Stratus, 6.646, 207.02; 7. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.627, 208.78 vs. 10. Jason Line, GXP, 6.642, 208.04; 8. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.629, 208.04 vs. 9. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.631, 208.30. Did Not Qualify: 17. Steve Spiess, 6.676, 206.80; 18. V. Gaines, 6.679, 206.32; 19. Dave Northrop, 6.694, 206.04; 20. Larry Morgan, 6.697, 206.57; 21. Steve Schmidt, 6.705, 205.88; 22. Bob Benza, 6.719, 204.85; 23. Kevin Lawrence, 6.754, 204.29; 24. Dave River, 7.013, 197.39; 25. Mark Hogan, 7.042, 196.24.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Douglas Horne, Buell, 6.936, 191.84 vs. 16. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.168, 188.54; 2. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.954, 191.89 vs. 15. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.114, 193.93; 3. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.971, 192.33 vs. 14. Katie Sullivan, Susuki, 7.113, 187.23; 4. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.978, 190.62 vs. 13. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.067, 188.33; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.989, 191.00 vs. 12. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.054, 183.07; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.001, 194.07 vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.045, 186.77; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.001, 192.80 vs. 10. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.041, 184.02; 8. David Hope, Buell, 7.005, 188.99 vs. 9. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.011, 189.04. Did Not Qualify: 17. Redell Harris, 7.173, 182.35; 18. Jim Underdahl, 7.194, 190.75; 19. Junior Pippin, 7.208, 189.66; 20. Bailey Whitaker, 7.977, 185.59; 21. Ryan Schnitz, 9.329, 183.22.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - BROWN, PEDREGON, EDWARDS AND HORNE LEAD QUALIFYING AT UNITED ASSOCIATION ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
Antron Brown raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel Friday at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
Tony Pedregon, Mike Edwards and Doug Horne also were qualifying leaders
in their respective categories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series event.
Brown posted a performance of 3.826 seconds at 317.94 mph in his Matco
Tools/DirecTV dragster to take the top spot at Route 66 Raceway near
Chicago, while local favorite Tony Schumacher, winner of three of the
last five events, was second in his U.S. Army dragster with a 3.848 at
311.34.
"That was an incredible run," Brown said. "I let go of the brake and
both bulbs came on. Luckily, I staged shallow. We kept our cool and it
was a real smooth, consistent run. We continue to run those big speeds.
There's a slice in the groove in the right lane and I saw a few Funny
Cars steer around it and I followed their lead. (Crew chiefs) Brian
(Corradi) and Mark (Oswald) got what they wanted and the run looked
great on the computer. The team is stoked. There were some good cars
behind us like Tony (Schumacher) and Larry (Dixon) and we knew they're
capable of running some stout numbers. We weren't sure if it would
hold. This is awesome though. It should be cloudy tomorrow, so we may
be able to go even quicker, but we should stay in the top three and
that's always our goal."
Last week’s winner, Dixon, was third overall in his Al-Anabi Racing
dragster, while Rod Fuller and J.R. Todd, both making their season
debuts, qualified seventh and 11th respectively.
Pedregon led qualifying in Funny Car, posting a 4.089 at 304.39 in his Q-Horsepower Chevy Impala.
“These were very good conditions,” said Pedregon, who also was the No.
1 qualifier at Las Vegas in April. “I’m actually surprised more cars
didn’t adapt to them. I’ve had a couple of butt kicking’s the last
couple of races, and it has reminded me that we can’t be too
conservative. Last year, we’d already won a couple of races by this
point and we maybe got a little spoiled.
“I really like this track. In the heat, it does not deteriorate, which
is one of the reasons why I’m really excited about coming back here. As
for the No. 1, I’m just going to enjoy it for now and if it holds,
great. If it doesn’t, I still made a pretty good run.”
The Ford Mustangs of Mike Neff, John Force, Bob Tasca and Ashley Force Hood held down positions two through five in the lineup.
Edwards topped the qualifying order in Pro Stock with a track record
performance of 6.587 at 209.88 in his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP.
“I was shocked it ran that fast, I really was,” said Edwards, who has
been the No. 1 qualifier at five of the nine races so far this season.
“I knew it was good, but I didn’t know it was that good. Tomorrow is
another day and conditions are going to change all around. That .58, no
telling, that might be eighth or ninth in the pack. I’m going to come
out here tomorrow, and I’m going to race the track and see what we can
do and where we wind up.”
Greg Anderson was second in his Summit Racing GXP, while series points
leader Jeg Coughlin was third in his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt and Topeka
winner Allen Johnson was fourth in his J&J Racing/Team Mopar Dodge
Stratus.
Pro Stock Motorcycle rookie Horne, a two-time runner-up this season,
was quickest in the two-wheel category, powering his Horne Racing Buell
to a leading time of 6.936 at 191.84.
“It was good to come right off the trailer and put that kind of lap on
the board,” said Horne, one of the top contenders for the 2009 Auto
Club Road to the Future Award. “We’ve done some testing in the four
weeks we’ve been off with (crew chief) Rick Maney and Junior Pippin,
working on the fuel maps and did something different with the clutch,
and it seems to have really paid off. It gives us all the confidence in
the world. The weather should be cooler tomorrow, and so I think
everyone will run better tomorrow. I wish could put some bigger numbers
on the board for Junior Pippin and DragStar and go some rounds Sunday.”
Gatornationals winner Hector Arana was second on his Lucas Oil Buell
and Karen Stoffer was third on her GEICO Powersports Suzuki.
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at noon and 3 p.m.
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Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 12th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, 10th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.826 seconds, 317.94 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.848, 311.34; 3. Larry Dixon, 3.857, 307.65; 4. Morgan Lucas, 3.875, 305.56; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.881, 311.27; 6. Spencer Massey, 3.888, 310.41; 7. Rod Fuller, 3.889, 312.78; 8. Clay Millican, 3.901, 310.20; 9. Doug Kalitta, 3.925, 306.33; 10. Troy Buff, 3.976, 292.84; 11. J.R. Todd, 4.006, 293.73; 12. Terry Haddock, 4.023, 291.57. Not Qualified: 13. Joe Hartley, 4.065, 276.69; 14. Luigi Novelli, 4.314, 289.01; 15. Tim Cullinan, 4.330, 301.13; 16. Chris Karamesines, 4.401, 224.10; 17. Cory McClenathan, 4.574, 222.62; 18. Brandon Bernstein, 4.717, 155.92.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.089, 304.39; 2. Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.110, 305.08; 3. John Force, Mustang, 4.124, 303.37; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.125, 300.86; 5. Ashley Force Hood, Mustang, 4.125, 292.46; 6. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.160, 298.60; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.171, 288.70; 8. Bob Bode, Chevy Impala SS, 4.175, 291.70; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.200, 280.78; 10. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.202, 270.92; 11. Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.205, 295.53; 12. Jim Head, Solara, 4.271, 255.48. Not Qualified: 13. John Lawson, 4.315, 281.30; 14. Ron Capps, 4.321, 227.65; 15. Jack Beckman, 4.323, 266.48; 16. Del Worsham, 4.669, 253.47; 17. Justin Schriefer, 4.669, 210.31; 18. Jerry Toliver, 4.996, 217.84.
Pro Stock -- 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.587, 210.08; 2. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.613, 209.04; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cobalt, 6.616, 208.94; 4. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.622, 208.59; 5. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.625, 208.62; 6. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.629, 208.04; 7. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.631, 208.30; 8. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.639, 208.78; 9. Jason Line, GXP, 6.656, 208.04; 10. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.657, 207.72; 11. Rickie Jones, Stratus, 6.662, 207.02; 12. Ronnie Humphrey, Stratus, 6.671, 207.05. Not Qualified: 13. Steve Spiess, 6.673, 206.80; 14. V. Gaines, 6.678, 206.04; 15. David Beckley, 6.680, 207.78; 16. Larry Morgan, 6.682, 206.57; 17. Dave Northrop, 6.688, 205.88; 18. Steve Schmidt, 6.696, 205.88; 19. Ryan Ondrejko, 6.708, 205.72; 20. Ron Krisher, 6.709, 208.10; 21. Warren Johnson, 6.713, 208.23; 22. Kevin Lawrence, 6.775, 204.29; 23. Bob Benza, 6.791, 203.77; 24. Dave River, 7.019, 197.39; 25. Mark Hogan, 7.023, 190.94.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Douglas Horne, Buell, 6.936, 191.84; 2. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.954, 191.89; 3. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.971, 192.33; 4. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.978, 190.62; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.989, 191.00; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.001, 194.07; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.001, 192.80; 8. David Hope, Buell, 7.005, 188.99; 9. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.028, 185.82; 10. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.045, 186.77; 11. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.054, 183.07; 12. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.067, 188.33. Not Qualified: 13. Michael Phillips, 7.071, 193.93; 14. Matt Guidera, 7.073, 183.05; 15. Junior Pippin, 7.077, 189.66; 16. Wesley Wells, 7.093, 188.54; 17. Katie Sullivan, 7.109, 187.23; 18. Bailey Whitaker, 7.124, 185.59; 19. Ryan Schnitz, 7.201, 183.22; 20. Redell Harris, 7.201, 182.35; 21. Jim Underdahl, 7.226, 190.75.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
EVENT PREVIEW - HOMETOWN FAVORITE SCHUMACHER LOOKS TO GIVE CHICAGO FANS A VICTORY AT UNITED ASSOCIATION ROUTE 66 NATIONALS
One-third
of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season has crossed
the finish line at more than 300 miles per hour and despite what many
prognosticators had forecast during the last off-season, six-time Top
Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher, the 2008 Driver of the Year, is
still right there, at the top of the championship points order.
It is a comfortable position for the driver of the U.S. Army dragster,
who with 59 victories is the all-time wins leader in the 7,000
horsepower category. With 91 final round appearances he is quickly
tracking the final class record that he doesn’t already own: Joe
Amato’s mark of 99 career finals.
Schumacher won’t admit it, but his body language says otherwise: that a
championship title this season would mean way more to him than any of
the others, including his unlikely first in 1999 and the five-straight
that he and super-tuner Alan Johnson reeled off together during a
remarkable run from 2004-2008.
Besides, he wasn’t supposed to be in this position. Without Johnson
calling the shots in his pit area, Schumacher was supposed to return to
mortal status. At least that’s what all of the sport’s expert analysts
had determined prior to the start of the season.
However, Schumacher and new crew chief Mike Green and the new U.S. Army
team have refused to listen to the experts, and instead have won three
of the last five races and moved from fifth to first place in the
series standings. The Lake Forest, Ill. resident will try to maintain
his momentum and give his hometown crowd a reason to cheer at the
United Associates NHRA Route 66 Nationals, June 4-7 at Route 66 Raceway
near Chicago.
Schumacher is the defending race winner in Top Fuel, along with Tony
Pedregon (Funny Car), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock), and Chris Rivas (Pro
Stock Motorcycle). The race will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.
“To be back in the points lead is outstanding,” said Schumacher, a
three-time winner at Route 66 Raceway. “We started this year with
everyone telling us we'd probably never win another race. To be sitting
here now with three wins in the first eight races is very satisfying.”
He says his new team has bonded quickly and they are working well
together. They have raced to victories at Houston, Las Vegas and
Bristol, Tenn. They also earned semifinal finishes at Phoenix and
Atlanta.
“There’s not a guy on this team that would want to be anywhere else in
the world right now other than at the track working on this U.S. Army
car,” Schumacher said. “That’s really the secret to what it takes to
win. If the team is working well and loving life, it doesn’t get any
better than that. Then, all you can ask for is a chance to win.”
It is a concept that Schumacher has mastered in recent years --
winning. He says now, however, the biggest difference is that he
doesn’t hold a three-tenths advantage over the field like he did when
Johnson was his crew chief. He says now, his team must be focused and
work hard and really dig in every weekend to get the job done. He’s
enjoying the process more than ever.
“AJ is the greatest crew chief in the world -- I get it,” Schumacher
said. “We all understand it. But he doesn't win all the races by
himself, because it takes eight guys to do it. It takes a driver to do
it. It takes a whole select group and AJ understands that. It's
everyone else who says he is the only one who can win races.”
Schumacher knows to win the championship this season he will have to
overcome perhaps his toughest competition. Antron Brown has won two
races in his Matco Tools dragster and is highly motivated for a
championship run. Brandon Bernstein has been powering to final rounds
in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster and is a win waiting to happen.
Veteran Cory McClenathan is back on the scene hungry as ever to get
that elusive championship in his FRAM Tough Guard dragster. A
revitalized Morgan Lucas has a new attitude and determination to win in
his Geico Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. And Larry Dixon, who is now
driving the Al-Anabi Racing dragster for Johnson, has proven he can win
for the brand new team led by crew chief Jason McCulloch.
“We won 15 races last year and right now there are a variety of teams
winning,” Schumacher said. “That’s great for the sport. NHRA has a
great product right now and races are being won by a few thousandths of
a second. That’s outstanding. You just have to step up, sit up in the
seat, drive the car well and the crew has to do their job well.”
In Funny Car, Ron Capps has led the points order all season in his NAPA
Dodge Charger and claimed four victories along the way. However,
hard-charging Del Worsham posted back-to-back victories in St. Louis
and Bristol in his Al-Anabi Racing Toyota Solara and is a three-time
winner at Chicago. Tony Pedregon and John Force also have strong
records at this track and will be in the mix, as will Ashley Force
Hood, Jack Beckman and Illinois native Tim Wilkerson.
Jeg Coughlin, Jason Line, Mike Edwards and Greg Anderson are the
front-runners in Pro Stock, while defending series champ Eddie Krawiec,
a two-time winner this season, Andrew Hines, Matt Smith and rookie Doug
Horne are the favorites in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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