2009 NHRA AUTO CLUB FINALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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Arana wins first championship; Brown, Neff, Anderson and Krawiec collect race-wins
Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team won their sixth straight and seventh overall NHRA Full Throttle Series championship on Sunday by two points, the narrowest margin in NHRA history.
Schumacher’s team was on deck, sitting on a two-point lead over Larry Dixon, when Dixon was upset in the semifinals by Auto Club Road to the Future Award favorite Spencer Massey, thus clinching the title for the Army team.
“This trophy will go to Fort Hood; I don’t think there’s any question in the world where it belongs,” said Schumacher, alluding to the recent shootings at the Texas Army base. “We’ll present it to the family, the friends, everyone at that base.”
The win capped an intense week – and year – between rivals Schumacher and Dixon as Schumacher had to completely rebuild his team this past offseason after former crew chief Alan Johnson left to form his own team with Sheikh Khalid bin Hamed Al-Thani and hired Dixon as his driver.
Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also clinched a championship, his first, on the final Sunday of the 2009 season, clinching when Eddie Krawiec failed to secure a national record backup in the semis.
“It feels good,” said Arana, who steered the Lucas Oil Buell to five wins this season. “It hasn’t really hit me yet. I do feel better, lighter now that the stress is over and the worries. It’s an awesome feeling to have this accomplishment this year. This is awesome.”
The other two championships were decided Saturday as Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car team and Mike Edwards and the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac Pro Stock team clinched their titles in qualifying.
The race-winners at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
In Top Fuel, Brown (3.801 at 316.90) and the Matco Tools team won for the Top Fuel-best sixth time this season over Massey, who fouled out.
“This year was a career year, we went a lot of rounds, got a lot of points, we’ve just got to figure out this Countdown,” said Brown, who defeated Schumacher in the semifinals just moments after his championship was secure.
In Funny Car, Neff pedaled the Ford Drive One Mustang to a 5.131 at 285.05 to defeat teammate Ashley Force Hood, who was DQ’d for touching the wall. It was Neff’s first career win.
“It was hit and miss and mostly miss (Sunday). We ran good when we needed to (in the quarterfinal win over John Force),” Neff said. “I’ve got a great team, they’ve given me a great race car and that’s the difference.”
Force Hood and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang team finished the season in second place, a steady rise from her 10th place finish as a rookie in 2007 and sixth place finish as a second-year driver in 2008.
Each of the stock finals were decided by a red-light as Greg Anderson (6.564 at 210.70) defeated Kurt Johnson in Pro Stock and Eddie Krawiec (6.905 at 194.32) defeated Doug Horne in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Anderson won for the third time this season in his Summit Racing Pontiac – including a semifinal win over Edwards – and he secured his fourth straight second place finish in the standings.
“We came in here with basically no pressure, we couldn’t win the championship, and that’s obviously what my mind needs,” Anderson said. “I struggle to find that fun spot in my mind; I’ve got to find a way to get this old mind to stop wandering and have fun. Today was fun and boom, here we are (with a win).”
With John Force and Kurt Johnson not winning Sunday, their streaks of winning at least one race per season ended at 22 and 14, respectively, and Anderson now holds the longest streak at nine straight seasons.
Amazingly, after winning the 2008 championship with not a single race win, Krawiec led the category aboard his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson with five wins in 2009, but finished second by a mere two points to Arana.
“It came down to two points, shows you how important qualifying is,” Krawiec said.
The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season opens with the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, 2010 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
SATURDAY - HIGHT, EDWARDS CLINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS
Schumacher takes two-point lead over Dixon into final Sunday
By safely qualifying into tomorrow’s 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals, Funny Car’s Robert Hight and Pro Stock’s Mike Edwards clinched their first respective NHRA Full Throttle Series world championships on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the dramatic Top Fuel race, after Larry Dixon took the points lead with the quickest pass in the third qualifying session, Tony Schumacher stole it back in the fourth session with the second-quickest pass in Top Fuel history, a 3.772 second run at 320.58 mph, to take a two-point lead into Sunday’s final eliminations, which start at 11 a.m. (PT).
“That was exactly what we needed. I couldn’t ask for anything more. That’s Army strong,” said Schumacher, who will meet Mike Strasburg in the first round Sunday.
Dixon spun the tires on his final qualifying pass, but said the Al-Anabi Racing team gathered valuable data from that pass and that their strategy for Sunday was unaffected by the aborted final pass.
“Up two or down two, we’d still have to beat him tomorrow to ensure that we win the championship … and that’s still the case,” Dixon said.
Schumacher and Dixon – who will meet Del Cox in the first round – qualified 1-2 so they’re on opposite sides of the draw and couldn’t meet until the final round. Each controls his own destiny: Win the race and win the championship.
“It’s playing out exactly how you would have scripted it. You can’t tell me you’re not enjoying it,” Schumacher said.
Joining Schumacher as No. 1 qualifiers at the 24th and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the sixth and final race in NHRA’s six-race playoff, the Countdown to 1. The race will be televised on ESPN2 HD at 7 p.m. (ET).
Hight, the son-in-law of 14-time champ John Force, entered the six-race NHRA playoffs in 10th place – he was the 10th and final driver to get in – and he proceeded to win three of five playoff races to complete the improbable run to his first championship.
“Almost not making the Countdown – and some of the championships we’ve come close to winning of the years – is what makes this so special,” said Hight, the 2005 Auto Club Road to the Future winner who has twice finished in second place in the final point standings (2006, 2007)
“This is all I’ve wanted to do,” said Hight, who drives the Auto Club Ford Mustang and was awarded the $500,000 Funny Car champion’s check. “Once I saw these cars – I saw two Funny Cars run in a match race in Sacramento, it was John Force and Jim Dunn – and from that moment on I knew this was all I wanted to do (but) I never thought I’d get (to the point of winning a championship).”
In Pro Stock, Edwards put the exclamation point on the first career championship with the quickest pass of the weekend, a 6.562 at 210.64 mph in his A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac. It was Edwards’ 16th No. 1 this season, matching the all-time single-season high in NHRA history (Greg Anderson in 2004).
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m surrounded by a great bunch of guys. I feel like there’s times I’ve let them down and they’ve never given up on me,” said Edwards, who made his pro debut in 1982. “It’s been a long time coming, we’ve all just been pulling from the same end of the rope … it’s been worth the wait.”
“We gave everything we had to make this happen this year and it’s paid off, it really has,” said Edwards, who was awarded the $250,000 Pro Stock champion’s purse.
Force Hood’s top-qualifying pass of 4.059 seconds in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was matched by her father, 14-time NHRA champion John Force, but she was awarded the No. 1 by virtue of her faster speed (310.20 to John’s 309.20). It was her sixth No. 1 of 2009.
“I’ll never hear the end of it from (John Force co-crew chief) Bernie Fedderly: ‘Ahhh, had to get us by a mile-per-hour’,” said Force Hood, who qualified No. 1 for the first time since Reading. “It might have been too late for the (2009) championship, but at least we’ve got our car back.”
Force was seeking his first No. 1 since the 2006 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, points leader Hector Arana delivered a 6.918 at 193.46 aboard his Lucas Oil Buell to secure his eighth No. 1 of the season and ninth of his career.
Arana will bring a 62-point lead into Sunday’s eliminations and unless there is a national record set he will only need to defeat first-round opponent Bailey Whitaker to clinch his first career NHRA Full Throttle Series championship.
“To have a chance to win the championship, that’s what my dream, my focus point is,” said Arana. “It’s been a hell of a year, I know I’ve said it before. I’m just thankful for this opportunity to run for the Full Throttle championship, and I’m thankful to Full Throttle for sponsoring the NHRA and allowing us to do what we love. This is what we live for, what we breathe.”
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SATURDAY FINAL QUALIFYING -
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SATURDAY THIRD SESSION RESULTS -
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FRIDAY - DIXON OVERTAKES SCHUMACHER IN BACK-AND-FORTH TF RACE
Force, Edwards and Stoffer round out provisional No. 1s in FC, PS and PSM
Larry Dixon’s pace-setting 3.801-second pass at a track record 318.99 mph on the second day of qualifying at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals on Friday earned him three bonus points and moved him into first place in the dramatic Top Fuel race.
Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team entered the day with a two-point lead, but he lost traction on his second qualifying run, opening the door for Dixon and the Al-Anabi team that will now enter Saturday’s final day of qualifying with a one-point lead over Schumacher.
“If we just wanted to call it a weekend and everyone goes home, that’s fine by me,” said Dixon, who finds himself in first place for the first time all season. “We’ll just see if we can hang on to the points lead now.”
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 24th and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were John Force (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the sixth and final race in NHRA’s six-race playoff, the Countdown to 1.
Dixon entered the final race of the season trailing Schumacher by a single point and in the first round of qualifying he fell behind by two points (Schumacher and Dixon were 1-2 on Thursday) before rebounding to move around Schumacher Friday.
“As a driver you dream of winning a championship and we have a chance to do that this weekend,” Dixon said.
For Force (4.060 at 307.72), the 14-time NHRA champion who’s now 60 years old, it would be his first No. 1 in more than three years, dating back to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2006 and it would be his 132nd career No. 1, second all-time in NHRA history behind Pro Stocker Warren Johnson (138).
“Everyone’s worked on (this car), the whole braintrust … love being here, just wish old John Force could give you a better car, but we’re sure trying,” said Force, longtime driver of the Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang.
In Pro Stock, points-leader Edwards maintained his place on top of the qualifying ladder in his A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac with an improved 6.575 at 210.31 mph.
“I’ve been doing this almost as long as you’ve been driving. This is my dream. I’ve been dreaming of doing this and now it’s fulfilled,” Edwards said.
If Edwards maintains the No. 1 position, it would be his 16th and that would match the all-time single-season high in NHRA history, previously set by Greg Anderson in 2004.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, no one bettered Stoffer’s 6.982-second pass at 191.70 mph aboard her GEICO Powersports Suzuki from Thursday.
Qualifying resumes Saturday with Rounds 3 and 4 before the 16-car fields are set for Sunday’s final eliminations.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING RESULTS - SECOND SESSION
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THURSDAY - SCHUMACHER, DIXON SEPARATED BY A THOUSANDTH IN POMONA
Hight, Edwards and Stoffer earn provisional No. 1s in FC, PS and PSM
Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon entered the final race of the season separated by a single point and in the first round of qualifying the gap was just a 
thousandth of a second.
Lined up side-by-side for the final pass of the first day of qualifying at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals Thursday, Schumacher, the points leader, ran a 3.832 at 316.52 to Dixon’s 3.833 at 314.31.
“Two great teams, two great drivers, two great crew chiefs. It’s just a great battle. The fans are going to get their money’s worth,” Schumacher said.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 24th and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the sixth and final race in NHRA’s six-race playoff, the Countdown to 1.
Dixon and the Al-Anabi team have nine No. 1s – including all five in the Countdown to 1 – to just one for Schumacher and the U.S. Army team, but for a day at least Schumacher has the pace-setting run that would allow him to maintain his lead heading into Sunday’s final eliminations.
“This is the Super Bowl. This is it,” Schumacher said.
Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team all but secured their first career NHRA Full Throttle Series world championship with a pace-setting 4.093 at 309.34. He entered the weekend with a 105-point lead over Ashley Force Hood and if he maintains at least a 101-point lead through qualifying he will clinch the title.
“That was huge; I’m pretty sure that 4.09 will stay in the show, and that’s the first step,” Hight said. “This last week and a half has gone by so slow since Vegas. We want to get out there and get going. We’re focused – (crew chief) Jimmy Prock and my whole team – and we’re not going to let our guard down and act like we have this all sewn up because that’s when you make mistakes.”
In Pro Stock, Edwards and the A.R.T./Young Life team effectively locked up their first career NHRA Full Throttle Series championship with the pace-setting 6.637 at 209.46 mph. He will be crowned once points are awarded after the fourth and final round of qualifying Saturday.
“The pressure’s off a little,” Edwards said. “I had a week to think about the disappointment I had in (not wrapping up the championship) in Vegas and get my stuff together and do a better job and hopefully win our first championship. It’s not officially done, but I’ve never been this close in my dreams and it’s pretty special.”
If Edwards maintains the No. 1 position, it would be his 16th and that would match the all-time single-season high in NHRA history, previously set by Greg Anderson in 2004.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Stoffer earned the provisional No. 1 aboard her GEICO Powersports Suzuki with a 6.982-second pass at 191.70 mph.
“That’s just one hit and the first time out and a lot of people were spinning the tire, so I don’t think this really shows anything about the potential,” Stoffer said. “But the next three qualifying runs will show us more. Our Suzuki inline fours can do better in these conditions than we do in the hot, sticky stuff, so there’s going to be more parity.”
Qualifying continues Friday and Saturday with Rounds 2-4 before the 16-car fields are set for Sunday’s final eliminations.
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Results Thursday after the first one of four rounds of qualifying for the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, final of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Friday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.832 seconds, 316.52 mph; 2. Larry Dixon, 3.833, 314.31; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.836, 316.82; 4. Cory McClenathan, 3.838, 316.38; 5. Bob Vandergriff, 3.881, 308.99; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.891, 306.53; 7. Morgan Lucas, 3.909, 303.84; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 3.919, 309.49; 9. Spencer Massey, 3.922, 308.14; 10. Scott Palmer, 4.009, 261.88; 11. Tim Cullinan, 4.027, 285.35; 12. Urs Erbacher, 4.033, 270.97. Not Qualified: 13. Lex Joon, 4.349, 205.01; 14. Antron Brown, 4.592, 158.48; 15. David Grubnic, 6.914, 88.06; 16. Mike Strasburg, 7.362, 94.91; 17. Stig Neergaard, 8.086, 82.96; 18. Troy Buff, 8.099, 91.57; 19. Shawn Langdon, 8.330, 82.90; 20.
Thomas Nataas, 12.158, 72.33; 21. Chris Karamesines, broke.
Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.093, 309.34; 2. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.137, 300.00; 3. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.145, 303.57; 4. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.149, 302.08; 5. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.154, 294.18; 6. John Force, Mustang, 4.165, 303.91; 7. Jeff Diehl, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.192, 292.20; 8. Ashley Force Hood, Mustang, 4.211, 290.88; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.266, 286.38; 10. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.509, 195.34; 11. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.523, 195.25; 12. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.541, 194.07. Not Qualified: 13. Jeff Arend, 4.940, 155.92; 14. Jerry Toliver, 5.932, 112.79; 15. Gary Densham, 6.056, 130.25; 16. Grant Downing, 6.200, 110.37; 17. Bob Bode, 7.155, 97.74; 18. Jim Head, 7.724, 82.73; 19. Matt Hagan, 8.786, 75.41.
Pro Stock -- 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.637, 209.46; 2. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.647, 206.20; 3. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.648, 207.72; 4. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 6.649, 208.01; 5. Vinnie Deceglie, Stratus, 6.652, 207.88; 6. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.653, 207.85; 7. Jason Line, GXP, 6.655, 208.62; 8. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.655, 207.94; 9. Ryan Ondrejko, GXP, 6.657, 207.21; 10. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.658, 207.88; 11. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.659, 208.26; 12. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.663, 208.75. Not Qualified: 13. Rickie Jones, 6.665, 207.75; 14. Warren Johnson, 6.671, 207.88; 15. Dave Northrop, 6.698, 206.26; 16. Gordie Rivera, 6.725, 205.01; 17. V. Gaines, 6.737, 205.13; 18. Ben Watson, 6.739, 204.63; 19. Danny Gruninger, 6.792, 202.97; 20. Erica Enders, 6.798, 203.34; 21. Jim Cunningham, 7.658, 136.23; 22. Jeg Coughlin, 9.929, 92.87; 23. Ron Krisher, broke.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.982, 191.70; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.986, 192.33; 3. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.997, 189.71; 4. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.021, 193.54; 5. David Hope, Buell, 7.054, 188.41; 6. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.063, 188.81; 7. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.075, 190.57; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.086, 187.73; 9. Larry Cook, Buell, 7.094, 185.51; 10. Junior Pippin, Buell, 7.126, 189.36; 11. Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 7.142, 187.44; 12. Bailey Whitaker, Buell, 7.142, 183.97. Not Qualified: 13. Mike Berry, 7.160, 184.04; 14. Eddie Krawiec, 7.164, 192.00; 15. Redell Harris, 7.167, 184.57; 16. Joe DeSantis, 7.195, 185.92; 17. James Surber, 7.219, 182.11; 18. Gary Moreno, 7.266, 181.25; 19. Rhett Lougheed, 7.368, 178.90; 20. Douglas Horne, 7.421, 188.83; 21. Matt Smith, 25.174, 66.14; 22. Dawn Matthews-Baugues, broke.
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TUESDAY - SETTING UP FOR THE FINAL 2009 DANCE IN POMONA
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TOP FUEL SOAP OPERA TAKES CENTER STAGE ON NHRA’S CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
All four pro classes will crown their champions at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Nine months ago, the biggest storyline entering the 2009 season revolved around Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher, who had combined to win the last seven Top Fuel titles and nine of the last 10.
In what was as compelling an offseason as the NHRA had seen in some time, decorated crew chief Alan Johnson parted ways with the U.S. Army team to create his own team with the backing of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Johnson brought most of the U.S. Army crew with him and he hired Dixon, who’d won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003 with NHRA icon Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, to take the seat.
The questions swirled as to how this would affect the balance of power in Top Fuel: Would Schumacher and the new U.S. Army team with crew chief Mike Green continue to dominate or would Alan Johnson and Dixon assume the Alpha position in Top Fuel?
With one race left in the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle Series season – the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona – it’s as close to a toss-up as you can get: Schumacher and the Army team have 2,485 points as they seek to win a sixth straight title; Dixon and the Al-Anabi team have 2,484 as they seek to unseat The Sarge.
And by no means out of the mix — lurking 48 points back — is the David against those two Goliaths, FRAM Tough Guard dragster driver Cory McClenathan, whose 31 career wins make him the second winningest driver in NHRA history to have not yet won a championship.
Schumacher and then-crew chief Alan Johnson delivered arguably the greatest single performance in NHRA history at the Auto Club Finals in 2006 to win what was at the time their third straight championship.
Schumacher never led the points during the entire 2006 season and he still trailed rival Doug Kalitta by 26 points as he staged against Melanie Troxel in the final round of the final race of the season. Drivers earn 20 points per round win so the only way he could get past Kalitta was to win the race and set the national record (and earn the 20-point bonus).
Known simply as “The Run,” Schumacher delivered a stunning 4.428-second pass as dusk fell at Auto Club Raceway to win the race (earning 20 points) and set the national record (earning a 20-point bonus) to win the championship.
Now Johnson and Schumacher are on opposite sides of the starting line and it would seem only fitting that the two rivals should begin the race on opposite sides of the ladder and meet in a winner-take-all final for the ages as dusk falls on Auto Club Raceway on Nov. 15, 2009.
In Funny Car, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team have all but wrapped up their first championship. Hight leads teammate Ashley Force Hood by 105 points and if he maintains at least a 101-point lead through qualifying he would be the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car champion.
In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards and the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac team have, for all intents and purposes, an insurmountable 139-point lead over three-time champ Greg Anderson. Edwards, who leads all drivers with 15 No. 1 qualifiers this season, just needs to qualify to clinch his first championship.
And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, it’s a two-man race between Hector Arana and defending champion Eddie Krawiec, who trails Arana by 54 points.
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