2009 NHRA TOYO TIRES NATIONALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
Held in mid-September since its inception in 1985, the race moved to an August date in 2006. Maple Grove Raceway has a long history of record performances, including the first side-by-side quarter-mile four-second and 300-mph Top Fuel passes. It’s also the final event for Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors to earn points toward participation in the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle bonus event, held at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
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SUNDAY FINAL RESULTS - TASCA, DIXON, COUGHLIN AND KRAWIEC SCORE VICTORIES AT TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS
Bob Tasca raced to his second Funny Car victory of the season Sunday at the Toyo Tire NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
Larry Dixon, Jeg Coughlin and Eddie Krawiec also were winners in their
respective categories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
event. Only one race remains in the NHRA regular season before the
six-race playoffs – the Countdown to 1 – begins Sept. 18 at zMAX
Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.
Water seepage continued to be a problem on the racing surface Sunday,
delaying eliminations for more than four hours. NHRA and track
officials worked throughout the day to keep the track dry for the
safety of the participants and were able to complete eliminations
throughout a long day of racing.
Tasca, earned his second win of the season and his career in his
Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang with a 4.239 second run at
292.71 mph to hold off challenger Mike Neff in the final, whose Ford
Drive One Mustang finished just .008 slower with a 4.247 at 264.13.
Tasca also beat John Force, Robert Hight and Ron Capps on his path to the final round.
“This is a pretty meaningful race for me on a multitude of levels,”
said Tasca, a two-time finalist in Top Alcohol Funny Car in Reading.
“This was the race John Force ran my grandfather’s body on his car.
This was the first race I ever hit the throttle on my Alcohol Funny Car
to compete at a national event. I beat Frank Manzo here in my Alcohol
Funny Car to win the Richmond race in the third qualifying session — so
I don’t know if that counts against Manzo in Reading, but the man’s
lost on this property to Tasca.
“For us, we don’t come out here to compete; we come out here to win.
It’s about winning a championship. It’s about putting yourself to win.
Someone said to me, ‘Man, you got a lousy draw. You have to run Ron
Capps first round.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t think it’s a lousy draw at
all.’ We’re here to win a championship, and if we’re going to win a
championship, we’re going to have to beat Capps and [John] Force and
[Tony] Pedregon, so we were up for the fight.”
In Funny Car, Tim Wilkerson, Tasca, Del Worsham and Force all clinched their spots in the Countdown to 1 playoffs.
In
Top Fuel, Dixon earned his fifth Top Fuel victory of the season when
rookie Spencer Massey struck the tires early on coasting to an 8.691 at
76.36. Dixon covered the distance in 3.899 at 306.05 in his Alan
Johnson Al-Anabi Racing dragster for the win. This was the first win
for Dixon at Maple Grove Raceway.
“This is such a historic racetrack, and I’ve always wanted to win
here,” said Dixon. “My dad won here, running points races back in the
day. I just love coming to this track, and for one reason or another,
we’ve just never been able to close the deal. I’ve been halfway down
the track thinking we’re going to win and then break an input shaft and
lose, so just to see the win light come on, it was awesome.
Rookie, Spencer Massey made a convincing stride for the Automobile Club
of Southern California Road to the Future award by making his third
final round appearance of the season.
In Pro Stock, Coughlin and Johnny Gray met in the final round, but it
was Coughlin who drove his JEGS. com Chevy Cobalt to an easy win at
6.634 at 207.05. It was Coughlin’s fifth win of the season and 47th of
his career.
“We struggled in the two qualifying runs we had and ended up eighth,
but we knew we had a lot under the hood and the car to do it,” said
Coughlin. “First round was pretty much the same story as the first two
runs, and then we just tried to get aggressive and more aggressive with
the setup to give it what it wanted. My dad and Roy Simmons just did a
fantastic job. It went .64, .64, and .63 coming down the stretch.
“This Countdown points battle is just incredible. It’s unbelievable
from eighth to 10th, and right now, there’s three of us within a round
and a half of remaining in the No. 1 spot going into the Countdown to
1, so that was exciting to take Mike [Edwards] out and come right back
and beat Jason [Line]. We had two goals this year: One was to perform
better in the Countdown to 1 segment, the first 18 races, and we’ve
certainly done that with six huge wins and a K&N Horsepower
Challenge win. And we definitely would like to finish out Indy in the
No. 1 spot and enter the Countdown to 1 with the 30-point lead.”
Greg Stanfield and Ron Krisher both clinched a spot in the Countdown to
1, there are three spots in the top 10 for Pro Stock remaining.
In
Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec earned his fourth victory of the season,
with a victory over Michael Phillips. Krawiec had the faster run on
his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson with a 7.138 at
185.13.
“It’s great being secure going into Indy that I am going to get those
extra points for being in that No. 1 position, and we all know how
valuable round-win points are,” said Krawiec. “It could get me the
championship at the end of the year. We’ve just went out here and
worked after it to try and get as many wins as we can, and hopefully, I
can do that for the second half of the season.
“I have a lot of respect for Michael. Michael is one of the most
underestimated riders out there, and he does this on his own budget. To
see him come out here and do well, I’m really excited. He got himself
in the top 10, which is a good thing. The class needs more of that.
It’s a good shot in the arm and a big boost for a new guy to get into
the hunt. And you can’t count him out. He could win the championship,
too. Just because he’s an underfunded team doesn’t mean he won’t win
it.”
Matt Guidera secured his positions in the Countdown to 1, the three
remaining invitations will be issued after the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series concludes the NHRA regular
season the week after next (Sept. 2-7) with the Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The Countdown to 1
– begins Sept. 18 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.
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SATURDAY FINAL QUALIFYING - BROWN, FORCE HOOD, EDWARDS AND ARANA EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING HONORS AS RAIN AND WATER SEEPAGE DELAYED QUALIFYING FOR A SECOND DAY
Antron Brown raced to his sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season Saturday in a rain-delayed day at the Toyo Tires Oil NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
NHRA officials were forced to set the field after two complete qualifying sessions for the weekend when persistent showers moved into the area during Friday’s qualifying and persisted through Saturday’s sessions. The amount of rain overnight caused a water seepage problem on the racing surface, further delaying qualifying. NHRA and track officials worked throughout the day to keep the track dry for the safety of the drivers and riders.
Ashley Force Hood, Mike Edwards and Hector Arana also will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations as the No. 1 qualifiers at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, the 17th of 18 races in the NHRA regular season.
Brown powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.854 second run at 315.71 mph to earn his 20th career No. 1 effort. The Full Throttle drag racing series point’s leader is looking to add a sixth win to his impressive season gaining momentum as the Countdown to 1 is only one more race away.
“The weather conditions threw us for a curveball yesterday, but we made adjustments for it,” said Brown. "[Crew chiefs] Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald] gave the car a little more power. They said, ‘Hold on, 'Tron!’ That Matco Tools car motored right on through there and squeaked out a No. 1 spot.
“Our main focus right now is to prepare for the Countdown by racing like we’re in the Countdown. Our main deal is going rounds at each and every race. We attack each race like it’s our last one. We’re not saving anything extra.”
Morgan Lucas was moved into second as Brown defeated his 3.867 at 307.37. Defending event winner and six-time world champ, Tony Schumacher was sixth in his U.S. Army dragster with a 3.931 at 280.78.
Force Hood, remained No. 1 qualifier on Saturday with a 4.114 at 301.47 despite an engine blow that will require her to use a back up car for Sunday’s eliminations. Force Hood was fine and kept her No. 1 position with Friday’s 4.114.
“It’s in pretty bad shape, and I don’t think it’s fixable for tomorrow,” said Force Hood about her damaged race car. “That’s OK; that’s what spare cars are for. It’s a little bit of an uneasy feeling to start tomorrow in a car we haven’t run before, but it looks like that’s the path we’re going down. My guys are ready to get the car together and make a comeback tomorrow.
“It took me by surprise. It felt like it was going right down the groove before it banged. The vision was the biggest issue for me. The fire flashed and then went behind me, but the body and injector were blocking the view in front of me. It was hard to gauge where I was on the track, but we got it stopped right near the wall. The car looked like abstract art when we got back with the injector sitting sideways and the windshield cracked.”
Tony Pedregon jumped into second in the final order with a 4.133 at 299.53 in his Wicked Quick/Q Horsepower Chevy Impala and defending event winner Jack Beckman was third in his Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Charger with a 4.134 at 297.68.
In Pro Stock, Edwards held the No. 1 qualifier honor from Friday’s pass as he was unable to complete a pass without problems on Saturday. He took his category-leading ninth No. 1 effort of the season with a 6.640 at 207.78 in his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP.
“Like I’ve said before, all the credit goes to my team. They do it all, not me,” said Edwards. “It’s challenging when the weather is changing and you don’t get four decent shots, but my team made a good decision when we got a chance to race.”
Points leader and defending event champion, Jeg Coughlin improved upon his Friday qualifying position to move into the eight spot with a 6.712 at 206.42. Surprisingly Allen Johnson did not qualify, breaking a 52-race qualification streak.
Arana rode his Lucas Oil Buell to his fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the year in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a performance of 6.982 at 190.11.
Eddie Krawiec, the series points leader who had a seven-race final round streak on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, broken last week in Brainerd by Hector Arana qualified fourth.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th 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, 3.854 seconds, 315.71 mph vs. 16. Brandon Bernstein, 9.315, 76.95; 2. Morgan Lucas, 3.867, 307.37 vs. 15. David Grubnic, 5.552, 120.08; 3. Larry Dixon, 3.889, 310.20 vs. 14. Chris Karamesines, 4.029, 299.46; 4. Cory McClenathan, 3.903, 312.21 vs. 13. Clay Millican, 4.011, 302.89; 5. Spencer Massey, 3.916, 304.05 vs. 12. Terry Haddock, 3.994, 287.35; 6. Tony Schumacher, 3.931, 280.78 vs. 11. Dom Lagana, 3.981, 303.03; 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.933, 310.84 vs. 10. Doug Foley, 3.972, 305.01; 8. Doug Kalitta, 3.943, 286.25 vs. 9. Joe Hartley, 3.972,306.67.
Funny Car – 1. Ashley Force Hood, Ford Mustang, 4.114, 301.47 vs. 16. Jeff Arend, Toyota Solara, 5.010, 232.63; 2. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.133, 299.53 vs. 15. Justin Schriefer, Chevy Camaro, 4.521, 252.95; 3. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.134, 297.68 vs. 14. Jerry Toliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.289, 276.52; 4. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.137, 293.66 vs. 13. Jim Head, Solara, 4.214, 286.13; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.138, 299.26 vs. 12. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.208, 289.57; 6. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.145, 299.60 vs. 11. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.193, 287.05; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.146, 295.21 vs. 10. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.174, 299.26; 8. John Force, Mustang, 4.159, 299.00 vs. 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.167, 292.14. Did Not Qualify: 17. Gary Densham, broke.
Pro Stock – 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.640, 207.78 vs. 16. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.746, 203.68; 2. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.679, 207.11 vs. 15. Rickie Jones, Dodge Stratus, 6.742, 204.73; 3. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.680, 206.80 vs. 14. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.731, 204.08; 4. Jason Line, GXP, 6.689, 206.35 vs. 13. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.728, 203.95; 5. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.694, 205.26 vs. 12. Ryan Ondrejko, GXP, 6.727, 204.26; 6. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.705, 205.76 vs. 11. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.721, 205.54; 7. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.707, 205.51 vs. 10. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.718, 205.57; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.712, 206.42 vs. 9. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.713, 206.99. Did Not Qualify: 17. Bob Benza, 6.787, 203.68; 18. V. Gaines, 6.822, 202.64; 19. Kenny Delco, 6.890, 201.16; 20. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.961, 199.35; 21. Allen Johnson, 13.354, 63.78; 22. Dave Northrop, 19.291, 204.14.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 1. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.986, 190.11 vs. 16. Geoff Godfrey, Suzuki, 7.685, 166.42; 2. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.020, 192.30 vs. 15. Neil Jacobs, Kawasaki, 7.627, 172.76; 3. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.023, 188.65 vs. 14. Bailey Whitaker, Buell, 7.240, 174.87; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.041, 187.91 vs. 13. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.211, 183.42; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.042, 189.95 vs. 12. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.108, 185.95; 6. Junior Pippin, Buell, 7.053, 188.02 vs. 11. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.105, 187.39; 7. Douglas Horne, Buell, 7.056, 188.44 vs. 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.080, 187.36; 8. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.059, 188.10 vs. 9. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.076, 187.05.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - LUCAS, FORCE HOOD, EDWARDS AND ARANA RACE TO QUALIFYING LEAD AT TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS
Morgan Lucas raced again to the Top Fuel qualifying lead Friday at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
Ashley Force Hood, Mike Edwards and Hector Arana also were qualifying leaders in their classes at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, the 17th of 18 races in the NHRA regular season.
Morgan Lucas powered his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster to a 3.867 second run at 307.37 mph to lead the field. Lucas just came off the second win of his career at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. If the time stands through tomorrow’s qualifying, it will be Lucas’ second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position and third of the season.
“We’ve been close all year long to having this kind of race car,” said Lucas. “We battled cylinder dropping earlier in the year, and we kind of worked through it. Jimmy [Walsh, crew chief] noticed what some other teams were doing and kind of just paid attention to it and fixed it. Now, we have a responsive race car, and when a car is doing what you want it to do, they’re a lot easier to work around. The problem we had earlier this year kind of created a level of inconsistency and unpredictability, and I think now we’re not 100 percent around it but I have confidence when we go to the starting line it’s not going to do that.
“The playoffs are definitely on everybody’s mind, but to be completely honest with you, after last weekend, it’s going to be really hard to top that unless the championship is around the corner. There’s a lot of good cars still, and it’s still a long season left. We’ve got to mind our P’s and Q’s, and we’ve got to keep the wins out of our head and just keep focused on what we need to do to win. To be honest with you, the Countdown is going to be huge, and I’m just happy to have made it. Anything on top of this is a cherry on top of the sundae.”
Antron Brown, winner of the famed Western Swing races and current points leader, was third overall in his Matco Tools dragster, posting a 3.895 at 313.07.
Ashley Force Hood led Funny Car with a performance of 4.114 at 301.47 in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, while fellow teammate Robert Hight, who is in a tight battle to make it into the NHRA playoffs, was second in his Auto Club Ford Mustang with a 4.137at 293.66.
"All of us in the camp were really happy with that run," said Force Hood, who leads all Funny Car drivers with four No. 1 spots this season. "We're glad to have all four Mustangs get down the track A to B. I didn't want to tie up the line on the radios by asking how everybody did, but I was trying to listen in and happy to find out that all four did well."
"It's really nice to get back to racing," Force Hood said when asked about the hoopla surrounding Force and Hight switching teams. "We all want to come out here and do the best we can do, and we don't want to let ourselves get distracted by getting into all the stuff happening with our teammates. We're up here trying to get back into that No. 1 spot. With everything else going on in our category, it's nice that our team and I can just go into our own cocoon and do the best we can. That's part of drag racing - there's always something going on."
John Force, who has six wins at Maple Grove Raceway, was fifth in his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Mustang, posting a 4.159 at 299.00. Tim Wilkerson has become the latest Funny Car driver to clinch a spot in the Countdown to 1. Wilkerson qualified for the Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway with a 6.886 at 93.96 mph, currently qualified in the 15th spot.
Mike Edwards continued his strong season in Pro Stock, posting a leading effort of 6.640 at 207.78 in his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP. If the time stands through tomorrow’s qualifying, it will be Edwards’ ninth No. 1 qualifying position of the season.
"You never know what the weather is going to do on a day like today," said Edwards, who has qualified No. 1 at half of the first 16 event this season. "We made a game plan when we left the trailer, and it turned out that we made a good decision. It doesn't matter how much horsepower you have if you don't make a good run. I might sound like a broken record, but I have to give all the credit to my guys.”
Greg Anderson was second with a 6.679 at 207.11 in his Summit Racing GXP, while Warren Johnson was third in his K&N Filters GXP with a 6.680 at 206.80.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana guided his Lucas Oil Buell to the top spot with a 6.986 at 190.11 mph. If the time stands through tomorrow’s qualifying, it will be Arana’s second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position and fourth of the season. Arana came off of his second win of the season at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.
“Boy, this gives me more confidence definitely going into the [Countdown to 1]”, said Arana. “I see a light there that I have an opportunity there to win the championship. It’s an awesome feeling, but from what I’ve learned before, if I start paying attention to that, it seems like I start going backwards.”
Series point’s leader Eddie Krawiec is in fourth position with a 7.041 at 187.91mph.
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday’s eliminations start at 11 a.m.
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Results Friday after the first one of four rounds of qualifying for the 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, 17th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel
1. Morgan Lucas, 3.867 seconds, 307.37 mph; 2. Larry Dixon, 3.889, 310.20; 3. Antron Brown, 3.895, 313.07; 4. Cory McClenathan, 3.903, 312.21; 5. Spencer Massey, 3.920, 304.05; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.933, 310.84; 7. Joe Hartley, 3.972, 306.67; 8. Doug Foley, 3.972, 305.01; 9. Dom Lagana, 3.981, 303.03; 10. Terry Haddock, 3.994, 287.35; 11. Clay Millican, 4.011, 302.89; 12. Tony Schumacher, 4.047, 223.62. Not Qualified: 13. Chris Karamesines, 4.307, 217.39; 14. Doug Kalitta, 4.598, 191.76; 15. David Grubnic, 7.194, 86.54; 16. Brandon Bernstein, 9.978, 76.95.
Funny Car
1. Ashley Force Hood, Ford Mustang, 4.114, 301.47; 2. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.137, 293.66; 3. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.138, 299.26; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.146, 295.21; 5. John Force, Mustang, 4.159, 299.00; 6. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.167, 292.14; 7. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.174, 299.26; 8. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.177, 297.61; 9. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.178, 295.92; 10. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.180, 296.83; 11. Jim Head, Solara, 4.220, 273.66; 12. Jerry Toliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.289, 276.52. Not Qualified: 13. Gary Densham, 6.506, 132.82; 14. Justin Schriefer, 6.611, 154.32; 15. Tim Wilkerson, 6.886, 93.96; 16. Jeff Arend, 12.034, 79.66; 17. Ron Capps, 15.744, 33.64.
Pro Stock
1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.640, 207.78; 2. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.679, 207.11; 3. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.680, 206.80; 4. Jason Line, GXP, 6.689, 206.35; 5. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.705, 205.76; 6. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.713, 206.99; 7. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.718, 205.57; 8. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.721, 205.54; 9. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.726, 206.32; 10. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.731, 205.22; 11. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.731, 204.08; 12. Rickie Jones, Stratus, 6.742, 204.73. Not Qualified: 13. Ryan Ondrejko, 6.753, 204.26; 14. Dave Northrop, 6.758, 204.14; 15. Bob Benza, 6.761, 203.68; 16. Kenny Delco, 6.868, 201.16; 17. John
Gaydosh Jr, 6.887, 199.35; 18. Justin Humphreys, 7.293, 149.25; 19. Johnny Gray, 7.317, 204.60; 20. V. Gaines, 10.635, 80.83; 21. Allen Johnson, 23.206, 47.44.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.986, 190.11; 2. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.020, 192.30; 3. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.023, 188.65; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.041, 187.91; 5. Junior Pippin, Buell, 7.053, 188.02; 6. Douglas Horne, Buell, 7.056, 188.44; 7. Shawn
Gann, Buell, 7.059, 188.10; 8. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.068, 189.95; 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.080, 187.36; 10. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.105, 187.39; 11. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.108, 185.95; 12. Bailey Whitaker, Buell, 7.258, 174.87. Not Qualified: 13. Neil Jacobs, 7.687, 172.76; 14. Geoff Godfrey, 8.833, 101.17; 15. Wesley Wells, 11.023, 74.22; 16. Matt Smith, 15.859, 79.69.
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EVENT PREVIEW - COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF PICTURE LOOMS HEAVY FOR MANY DRIVERS AT TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS
The four drivers are battling for the final two spots in the top 10 point standings in Funny Car, and are separated by 70 points. Mike Neff and Cruz Pedregon are holding on to the ninth and 10th spots, respectively, entering the final two races of the regular season, while Hagan and Hight are on the outside looking in.
NHRA will set playoff fields in all four pro categories following completion of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil on Labor Day weekend. Any driver outside the top 10 after that race will not be in championship contention. Those who make the cut will have their point totals reset in increments of 10 from 10th to first and the first place driver will get an extra 20 point bonus. A six-race playoff – the Countdown to 1 – will then take place, starting in Charlotte, N.C. in September and finishing in Pomona, Calif. in November.
But first things first. These four Funny Car drivers know they need a great showing at the 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, Aug. 20-23 at Maple Grove Raceway in order to secure their position in the Countdown to 1. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Jack Beckman (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending winners of the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at the scenic Pennsylvania dragstrip, which will be televised by ESPN2 HD.
Hight, who has had his share of struggles this season, had a major curve ball thrown his way in Brainerd when qualifying was cut to three sessions due to inclement weather and his Auto Club Ford Mustang failed to make the starting 16 car lineup. At Reading, his team is employing a different strategy to try and get Robert into the Countdown to 1. He and team owner John Force will switch cars for the final two races. John will drive Robert’s Auto Club Mustang and Robert will drive John’s Castrol GTX High-Mileage Mustang. Force currently holds down the eighth position and is 78 points ahead of 10th place Pedregon.
“I said I wouldn’t shuffle my crew chiefs for three races,” Force said, “but I am moving a driver. (At Brainerd I think) I earned enough to get my Castrol Mustang into the Countdown. It’s not secure, but it’s close enough. To be safe, I should have gone one more round, but I didn’t (so) I’m going with what we’ve got. I have about a 100 point lead with two races to go. Somebody is going to really have to do some damage to catch me, but we’ve got to get Robert back in the hunt, so I’m going to move Robert over to my car and I’m gonna drive the Auto Club Mustang.”
Hight realizes he has a lot of work left to do over the next two races, starting at Maple Grove.
“We caught a break when Tony beat Cruz (in the second round at Brainerd),” Hight said. “That was big for us. We are only three rounds behind Cruz from the 10th spot. We have two races and I am up for the challenge. I have been in pressure situations before and I am confident in my abilities. Not qualifying was tough. Trust me. I want to be out there racing for Auto Club, Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools and the rest of our sponsors. We are not out of this Countdown by a long shot.”
Hight says a premium will be placed on error-free racing. One mistake at this crucial point in the season could mean the end to championship dreams.
“It all boils down to doing everything right no matter what racetrack you are at,” Hight said. “If you do that, you put yourself in position to win. We definitely need to go rounds. Winning would be nice, and that is what we are going for. What we need is round-wins, and my prediction is whichever one of us has semifinal finishes over the next two races will be in the Countdown.”
Pedregon has one win at Reading (1992) and two runner-up finishes. Hight has never advanced to a final round there and it will be Hagan’s second look at the track. He made his debut there last year but failed to qualify. Neff advanced to the semifinals there last year during his rookie season.
The favorites in Funny Car at Maple Grove include defending winner Beckman, the trio of season long dominators – Ron Capps, Ashley Force Hood and Tony Pedregon – and Tim Wilkerson, the 2003 winner here, who has made a late season charge in his Levi Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang by winning at Seattle and Sonoma. John Force is the winningest Funny Car driver at the track with six victories, his last coming in 2001.
In Top Fuel, Clay Millican holds down the 10th position, but Joe Hartley is within striking distance and as he has proven this season in Houston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Sonoma and most recently at Brainerd, he is very capable of grabbing round wins. Millican wants to maintain his position in his LifeLockRacing.com dragster and keep his title chances alive in the Countdown to 1. Following Brainerd, 24 points, or a little more than one round, separated Millican and Hartley.
“We let Hartley get one round closer (at Brainerd) . . . and we can't let him get any closer than that,” Millican said. “We know what we need to do. We need to qualify in the top half of the field and win as many rounds on Sunday as we can. And then we need to keep doing the same thing. The points are so close. It’s still good for us to be in the lead, but we would like to have more breathing room. We’ll be concentrating on each one of our runs … and checking to see what Hartley does, too.”
Red hot Antron Brown is the favorite entering the event. He leads the point standings in his Matco Tools dragster with five wins this season, including a sweep of the Western Swing. Defending winner Schumacher is always a threat to win at Maple Grove, where he’s won four times since 2003. Doug Kalitta and Cory McClenathan are the only other active Top Fuel drivers on the circuit who have also won here. Others to watch include Al-Anabi Racing driver Larry Dixon, Brainerd winner Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein and rookie Spencer Massey.
Jeg Coughlin, Mike Edwards, Jason Line and Brainerd winner Greg Anderson are the top contenders in Pro Stock, and Coughlin, Line and Anderson are past winners at this track. Two drivers – 10th place Warren Johnson and 11th place Johnny Gray – will be racing hard to secure the final spot in the Pro Stock top 10 for the Countdown to 1 playoffs, as they are separated by 46 points.
Defending world champ Eddie Kraweic has been the rider to beat in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition this year, as he has raced to three victories on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. His teammate, three-time world champ Andrew Hines, has won twice on his Harley-Davidson and is second in the points order. Both riders are looking for their first Maple Grove win. Matt Smith, Doug Horne, Craig Treble and Hector Arana are also favorites in the two-wheel category. Five riders will be racing to secure their positions in the top 10 points order and make the Countdown to 1, including Shawn Gann, Steve Johnson, Karen Stoffer, Michael Phillips and first-time finalist at Brainerd, Junior Pippin. Only 39 points separate those four riders in positions eight through 11. Pippin, who is in 12th on his PiranahZ Buell, gained major ground in the points with his runner-up finish at Brainerd, but remains a bit of a longshot to make the Countdown as he trails Stoffer by 68.
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