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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK  - NEFF DELIVERS THE SMACKDOWN, ANDERSON FIGHTS OFF "THE GIRL"

YOU HAVE BEEN SMACKED DOWN - Funny thing happened to Mike Neff on the way to win a challenging drag race.

The veteran crew chief turned driver turned tuner/drive scored a milestone victory for the Ford Motor Company. He scored the 200th victory for a Ford Funny Car dating back to 1967 when Tommy Grove won Bristol.

“Ford Motor Company, what an awesome American company,” Neff told ESPN2 reporter Gary Gerould. “I couldn’t be more proud than to represent them and get the 200th win. I just thank them and Castrol, and John Force for giving me the opportunity to drive. This is more fun than I ever thought.”

With all due respect to Grove, and not that his 1967 win was a walk in the park, Neff’s victory was not your run of the mill trophy grabber.

Neff won a knock-down, drag out victory in the proverbial nitro mud. With track temperatures hovering in excess of 135 degrees, Neff not only tuned in conditions demanding career performances from seasoned tuners, but did so essentially in a fashion which punched the competition in their mouth.

“The heat was what was so hard for everybody,” Neff said. “We had to drink a lot of water because this heat drains you so much – drains the crew. The engine’s run way hotter than normal. The race track was pretty tricky and slippery. It was one of those races where if you wanted to win, you were going to have to go down the track.”

Neff entrenched himself in the 4.20s on race day recording a 4.257 [Justin Schrieffer], 4.223 [Bob Tasca III], 4.252 [Jack Beckman] and a 4.246 to beat Jeff Arend in the final round.

The Funny Car class had better be prepared. The self-described out-of-shape and physically drained Neff, who struggled physically earlier in the season with double-duty demands, has found his groove. After winning Chicago, he wasn’t prepared to run a marathon but then again he didn’t feel like he’d just finished one either.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Neff said. “All of these finals we’ve been in have served as training, getting us in better shape all around. We’ve done it enough lately that we’re in a groove.”

Neff has five wins in 12 final rounds. Four of his wins have come in 2011.

“Any time you see a car that consistent, you have to give credit to the team,” Neff said. “All of the guys who are changing those parts, building those motors, because they are doing everything the same and there’s no variables and that’s a key thing for a tuner. I have the luxury of not changing anything. They are so precise in what they do, that the car just keeps repeating.”

And with each triumph, so does Mike Neff.

PLEASE DON'T LET ME LOSE - Greg Anderson exited his Summit Racing Equipment-sponsored Pontiac GXP and couldn’t have been more complimentary to his opponent Erica Enders.

Anderson ran a 6.620, 207.18 to deny her a place in drag racing history during the Pro Stock final round at the O’Reilly NHRA Route 66 Nationals outside of Chicago.

Anderson said, “She is going to win some races. She is just doing a great job with that race car.”

Then he said it.

“I just didn’t want to be the first,” Anderson admitted, in reference to losing a Pro Stock final round to a female driver.

Anderson doesn’t want his comments to be interpreted as being chauvinistic. He just doesn’t prefer to be anyone’s first victory, whether it’s man, woman, cat or dog.

Losing just doesn’t appeal to Anderson and he’s done enough of it at Route 66 Raceway. Since becoming a Pro Stock racer in 1998, the facility based in Joliet, Ill., has been his albatross, the one strip of asphalt he could never conquer.
 
Sunday changed his Route 66 track record.

One day after claiming in his first No. 1 since July 2009, Anderson finally has a clean sweep victory to boast. The day he won his milestone victory was as brutal as the frustration to this point.

“The heat was brutal,” Anderson said. “You get in the firesuit, and you’re in the car with sweat dripping into your eyes, and you just feel like a worn out rag. It’s harder on the crew chiefs outside of the race car because the race track is hot.

“When the track is 135 degrees, you’re not going to get a lot of traction. It’s a crew chief’s race and somehow or another the driver has to find a way to stay in the game. When you’re 50 years old like me, sometimes that’s hard to do.”

And for Anderson, even in victory he’s reminded Pro Stock is a class where anyone who can qualify, can win.

“The class is just awesome,” Anderson said. “Everybody that qualifies in the class can win. You never know who to bet on. It’s tough as a driver but a really neat deal.”

Now Anderson understands exactly how Mike Edwards felt two races ago, when he too  beat a favored Enders  in a final round where the male driver was the clear underdog.

“At least for one week, I was able to hold the girl off from winning a race,” Anderson said. “Don’t get me wrong, it IS going to happen this year and maybe many times, she is doing a fantastic job. I was scared to death running against her in the final. She’s the real deal. At least for one week I don’t go on the record books as being the first to get beat by her.”

A dejected Enders took the loss in stride.

“I guess I’m just a bridesmaid and never a bride as they say,” Enders said on ESPN2. “Just getting here on Thursday, if you would have told me we’d make it to the finals, I would have taken that.”

SMART MOVE - The previous time National Hot Rod Association veteran Del Worsham competed at Route 66 Raceway, he was driving a Funny Car. But this past winter, his Al-Anabi Racing team owner, Sheik Khalid Al-Thani of Qatar, wanted him to drive a Top Fuel dragster.

He said he had "mixed emotions" and wasn't keen on it, for he hadn't driven one in 15 years. But one doesn't tell the boss no. So Worsham switched classes and halfway through this Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, he is dominating the Top Fuel class.

The points leader won Sunday's O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals to claim his second consecutive victory and fifth in six final-round appearances.

"It was Sheik Khalid's call. Right now, he's looking like a genius," Worsham said. "I'm just lucky to be driving this car."

He joined Mike Neff (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) in the winners circle.

Worsham capped his 400th career race by defeating Dave Grubnic in the final round. He ran a 3.978-second elapsed time at 299.40 mph on the 1,000-foot course in the Al-Anabi/Toyota Dragster.  

He added this victory to those he earned at Gainesville, Fla.; Concord, N.C.; Englishtown, N.J.; and Norwalk, Ohio.

"What a day here!" Worsham said, cooling himself off after a blazing hot day in which track temperatures rose to about 140 degrees.

"We went down the track just one out of four times in qualifying," he said.

However, he said that didn't rattle him too much: "This is a championship team I'm driving for. They know how to adapt to these things [changing conditions, sizzling track temps, and greasy racing surfaces]. It just shows you the depth Alan Johnson has with this team."

He saluted the crew, saying, "This was their day."

Grubnic countered with a 4.056, 294.50 in the Candlewood Suites Dragster as he sought his third overall victory and first since the March 2006 Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla.

In the previous 10 races this season, the Brisbane, Australia, native and Ennis, Mont., resident, had won only two single rounds, lost in the opening round seven times, and failed to qualify once. He was making his first final-round appearance since the second race of 2008, at Phoenix.

But he moved into the 10th place in the standings with five races remaining before the six-event Countdown starts for the 10 best drivers in each class.

Worsham's victory over Grubnic left the Kalitta Motorsports organization trophy-less, for Mike Neff defeated Kalitta driver Jeff Arend in the Funny Car final just minutes before.

REMEMBER ME? - Many National Hot Rod Association fans had no clue who LE Tonglet was this time last year when he wound up in the winners circle at Route 66 Raceway.

But according to Sunday's Pro Stock Motorcycle repeat winner at the O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals, they not only recognized him but they also tried all weekend long to convince him that he would win here again.

The Nitro Fish Suzuki racer said they stopped by the hauler in the pits to offer encouragement.

"Chicago's awesome," he said. "The fans kept saying I could repeat, but I really didn't think so."

But he eliminated Angie Smith, David Hope, and Matt Smith before defeating Chip Ellis for the $10,000 jackpot and his second victory of the year. He clocked a 7.047- second E.T. at 188.46 mph on the quarter-mile.

Ellis, seeking his first victory since June 2008, had a 7.153-second, 185.49-mph effort on the Harry Lartigue Racing / Kuryakyn Buell.

Despite being tied for fourth place in the standings with Andrew Hines, it's no wonder Tonglet, 21, the reigning bike champion and last year's rookie of the year, wasn't so sure about the fans' bold predictions.

He has experienced the heights and depths of drag racing this season. He won at Atlanta and qualified No. 1 twice in the previous five events. He also failed to qualify at the previous race, at Norwalk, Ohio, and has had two opening-round defeats.

Moreover, he said, he and his team hurt a motor in qualifying and they had to scramble during Sunday's opening ceremonies to get it all in order before his first-round race.

"We weren't ready for the first round," Tonglet said.

Recounting his litany of blown-up motors from the Englishtown event, all the extensive and time-consuming work they need to undergo, and reverting to the motor they used last year to blaze to the series championship, Tonglet said, "We've just got to find a happy medium."

He said with the new motor, his bike "is flyin'."

Ellis, too, was trying to break out of his doldrums. He missed the cut at the bike class season-opener in March at Gainesville, Fla., and hasn't advanced from the first round in the next four races he entered.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will compete again in two weeks as the Western Swing kicks off with a stop at Bandimere Speedway near Denver for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

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SUNDAY QUICK HITS - RACE DAY REPORTING IN RAPID FASHION

TOP FUEL

ROUND ONE

UPSETS AND SURPRISES - Hometown favorite T.J. Zizzo pulled off the upset of the class in the seventh of eight pairings, eliminating No. 1 qualifier Spencer Massey. Zizzo, in the PEAK / Herculiner / Indak Dragster, ran a 4.088-second elapsed time at 294.56 mph. Massey, who had been down the track 40 consecutive times without smoking the tires, saw the FRAM Dragster's luck run out. He smoked the tires and could manage only a 4.254, 213.91.

"That was fantastic," Zizzo said after climbing from his car. "Spencer Massey - let's face it . . . He's a great driver." But he also credited his team, saying, "We choose to work, and we work smart."

But even before he went to the starting line Sunday, Zizzo, of the Chicago suburb Lincolnshire, said, "It might be a roll of the dice. You go down the track 40 times in a row and eventually, you're going to have to smoke the tires or make a mistake. I never wish anybody bad luck, but at the same time, we're going to need a little bit of luck."

He got it -- and a chance to run in the quarterfinals against Dave Grubnic, who also won in a surprising way. The Kalitta Motorsports driver got a free pass when the right front tire went flat on Hot Rod Fuller's delicious-looking Yas Marina / DiGiorno Pizza Dragster.

Goodyear officials inspected Fuller's tire and found that it was cut.

Meanwhile, Grubnic said, "It's anticlimactic. It's relieving. I'll take it that way."

SCHUMACHER STREAK OVER - Massey's streak of non-tire-smoking runs wasn't the only Don Schumacher Racing stretch that ended in the first round. Lucas Oil/Speedco Dragster driver Shawn Langdon ended Tony Schumacher's streak of 28 races without a first-round defeat in the U.S. Army Dragster. "Tony got us in Bristol [two races ago, in June]," Langdon said. "We paid him a back a little."

NEW 400 CLUB MEMBER - Al-Anabi Dragster driver Del Worsham, making his 400th start in the nitro ranks, beat Dom Lagana with a 3.971 / 289.51. But part-time racer Lagana gave him a strong side-by-side effort with a 4.058-second, 288.09-mph effort in the Service Central Dragster.

Worsham joked about his milestone, saying, "I thought it was only 399." Then he said, "Really, that's quite an accomplishment. I'm glad to be around that long. And racing Dom Lagana, that's pretty exciting. I raced his dad 20 years ago in Funny Car."

IT'S HOT! - Antron Brown, who beat Troy Buff in the final pairing of the first round, acknowledged the effect of the heat on the performances. "The track's hot," the Matco Tools/Aaron's Dragster driver said of the 120-plus-degree track temperature. "Conditions are really tricky. These are the worst conditions we've seen all year with the heat. This is a crew chiefs nightmare." Looking ahead to his quarterfinal match-up against Brandon Bernstein, Brown said, "We've got to be poised."

Bernstein, too, said, "It's always tough when it's this hot." But the Copart Dragster racer found the positive: "At least we've got something to work with."  

The heat didn't seem to wilt Larry Dixon's chances. He recorded a scorching 3.936-second E.T. that was quickest of the round at 305.49 mph to advance past Chicago-area veteran Luigi Novelli, of Crete. It wasn't easy, he knew, for his Al-Anabi team to prep the car that well for these circumstances.

"It's real tough on teams when we haven't raced in these conditions," Dixon said. As for his team, he said, "To be able to fire a shot like that, all the credit goes to them."

QUARTER-FINALS

ZIZZO FIZZLES - T.J. Zizzo's dreams of standing in the winner's circle at his hometown track went up in smoke as Dave Grubnic won with a 4.042-second pass to advance to his first semifinal round of the season.

SKATING RINK - Antron Brown set top speed of the round (298.27 mph) in dispatching Brandon Bernstein and talked again at the top end about how hot conditions are. "The car's, like, hovering. That track is slick. It's like an ice-skating rink," he said. Brown said he watched Grubnic's car ahead of him and said, "That car was going everywhere but straight."

HONORED BUT NOT GIVING IN - The always-respectful Shawn Langdon said it is "a privilege" to race against Larry Dixon. Dixon might be saying the same of Langdon, after the Lucas Oil / Speedco Dragster driver beat him on a holeshot and trumped Dixon's 3.969-second E.T. that was best of the round. Langdon advanced with a 3.969, 297.55 -- and four-thousandth of a second margin of victory.

UH ... OOPS - Despite an embarrassing .173 reaction time, Del Worsham salvaged his run against Doug Kalitta. Said Worsham afterward that he apologized to team manager Alan Johnson for his confusion at the Christmas Tree. "It was a long light again," he said. "That was scary. The tree was ready to go and I wasn't."

 SEMI-FINALS

MEMORIES OF 400 - Del Worsham, earning his 400th career nitro start, couldn’t help but notice the similarities in the first one and the quarter-finals in today’s event.

“I got my butt kicked by Ed McCulloch and 400 races later, I’m still getting my butt kicked,” said Worsham, referring to his .173 reaction which still beat Doug Kalitta.

Worsham wasn’t as bad in beating Antron Brown. The point leader was .007 quicker off of the line and advanced to the final round with a 3.988.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER – David Grubnic earned a trip to the final round for the first time since the 2008 Phoenix event. Grubnic ran a 4.109, 221.52 to beat Shawn Langdon.

FINAL

IT’S DEL AGAIN – His driving might not have been championship form. His reaction times might have been a little off. But, for Del Worsham, the win lights came on just the same.

Worsham found a way to light the win lights four times on Sunday, culminating in his 30th career nitro victory.

His latest victory came at the expense of David Grubnic. Worsham drove his way to the winner’s circle on the strength of a 3.978, 299.40. Grubnic finished runner-up with a 4.055, 294.50.

FUNNY CAR

ROUND ONE

NIGHT TIME QUALIFYING, HOT TIME RACING – The one aspect about nighttime qualifying and heat of the day racing is the lack of data headed into the first round. Because of this, many of the tuners tend to back the car down.

As evidenced by the opening pair, Melanie Troxel and Bob Bode, the opening salvo can be a crapshoot. Troxel smoked the tires and slid to a winning 5.732 while Bode popped the supercharger early.

“I guess I did like the run but it was ugly,” said Troxel. “You know in going up there when you only have runs at night in qualifying, you’re racing without a lot of experience on a hot and slippery race track. I know that isn’t what [tuner] Aaron Brooks and John Medlen prepared for.”

One pair later, Ron Capps beat Terry Haddock with a considerably off-pace 4.476, 243.24.

“That was a hairy ride, it sashayed off of the starting line more than it had all weekend,” said Capps. “I fought it and said, ‘Please don’t come loose.”

“It pulled the front end up and I thought this is going to be good. Hopefully the NHRA will let the crew chiefs know what they are spraying. The crew chiefs are scratching their heads.”

MUST BE THE SHOES – Capps entered Sunday’s elimination wearing a pair of silver driving boots similar to those worn by the old-school Funny Car drivers. Just last week, Capps raced nostalgia Funny Car, piloting the Crop Duster Plymouth Duster Funny Car to the Eddyville Dragway low elapsed time.

“These are a throwback to my dad, he wore a pair of these when I helped him on his altered,” Capps said. 

Not really, according to Capps.

“If you want the truth, IMPACT [Safety Equipment] didn’t have any more in black,” Capps said. “

IT’S CHICAGO, CREASY’S TOWN – Just ask John Force. Dale Creasy Jr. can be brutal at Route 66 Raceway in the first round. Matt Hagan learned this reality the hard way.

Creasy, the son of legendary Chicago Funny Car icon Dale Creasy, ran a 4.396, 268.06 for his first round win of the season.

“This is a good day,” Creasy said. “I’m not crying, I’m sweating like a horse.”

HE’S THE LONE HORSE – John Force Racing will have to gamble on the horse driven by Mike Neff for a win at Chicago. Of the three JFR Mustangs in competition, Neff was the only one to survive.

Neff used a 4.257, 289.32 to easily advance past a red-lighting, Justin Schriefer.

“I think it put a cylinder out about 300 feet,” Neff said. “It’s a new day and definitely tricky out there. It’s going to take being able to go down the track to win today. This isn’t too bad of a run for now.”

Robert Hight lost in the first round in Jack Beckman while Force came up short against Jeff Arend.

THOUGHTS ELSEWHERE – Jack Beckman could have been jubilant after eliminating Hight but his thoughts were with wife Jenna, who is in the hospital. The couple are expecting a baby on August 2.

“She went in for a routine check-up,” Beckman said. “When you get in the car, you have to compartmentalize and go after the win.” 

BROTHER AGAIN? – Tony Pedregon needed points to pad his bid to race in the Countdown to 1 championship phase of the tour. He not only won the first round but also scored his 498^th career nitro round win.

His victim was none other than his brother Cruz Pedregon.

“The heat worked in our favor because Cruz is just flat outrunning us now,” Tony said. “

Tony’s entry oiled the track but had a clean run credit per the NHRA’s new oildown policy.

HERE’S A SCENARIO – Consider this. In a scenario described by NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart, Bob Tasca III beat teammate Tim Wilkerson in a key race. Tasca is ninth in the points with Wilkerson on the outside of Countdown status at 11^th.

Wilkerson made the third best run of the first round. He lost to Tasca making the second best. Tasca gives up lane choice to Mike Neff, the best run of the first round.

“That’s what makes this race exciting,” Tasca said. “I’ve been on the losing side of those close races before.”

QUARTER-FINALS

VALUABLE POINTS – Tony Pedregon rolled through the gates of Route 66 Raceway on Thursday with a keen understanding that he needed to gain as many points as he could. The two-time NHRA series champion entered the event in the 13th position, 69 points behind tenth-ranked Johnny Gray.

Pedregon earned 40 points on Gray [DNQ], Wilkerson [1rd] and Jim Head [Did Not Participate] by beating Dale Creasy Jr. in the second round of competition.

DHL KEEPS DELIVERING – Jeff Arend scored his 12th round win of 2011, his best season since joining the Team Kalitta operation in 2009. Arend ran a 4.361, 281.42 to beat a resurgent Ron Capps.

Part of his success can be attributed to race track conditions, he compares to those in Houston, Tex. Arend won the NHRA Spring Nationals last May at Royal Purple Raceway outside of Houston.

“It’s a tricky track, reminds me a lot of Houston,” Arend said. “I wouldn’t mind duplicating the outcome.”

ONE BAD HORSE – In the first round, Bob Tasca III learned the value of being on the winning side of good timing. His second quickest run of the opening round beat the third quickest.

A round later, Mike Neff showed No. 1 run trumps second.

Neff, the only remaining member of the JFR posse, laid down an incredible 4.223, 295.08 to beat Tasca’s 4.234, 294.11. The margin of victory was .008.

BECKMAN BATTLING – Jack Beckman, just like Mike Neff, became the final remaining member of his three-car Funny Car team with Capps’ elimination. Beckman beat Melanie Troxel with a 4.278, 287.53. The victory advanced him into the semis and a match against Neff.

SEMI-FINALS
 

DANGEROUS – When the track is greasy, hot and tough to navigate, Jeff Arend goes from underdog to pit bull in 4.6-seconds. Arend ran a 4.671 second elapsed time at 228.34 to beat Tony Pedregon.

“These conditions play into our hands,” said Arend. “It levels the playing field. We don’t have a 4.05 tune-up, but we can go 4.30s and 4.40s all day here.”

EVEN MORE DANGEROUS – Mike Neff had been running on mean all day with a string of 4.20s when only one of the semi-finalists had run in the 4.20s. He ran a 4.252 to advance to the final round.

FINAL

A NEFF STAMPEDE - Mike Neff dominated Funny Car from start to finish. The veteran tuner turned driver turned tuner/driver never cut the competition any slack from the first session on Friday until the final run on Sunday.

Neff, seemingly piloting at 4.2-second nitro bracket car, maintained his torrid pace in the final round with a winning 4.246, 293.22 and repelling the upset bid of Jeff Arend.

The Chicago victory marked the first time Neff has won the No. 1 qualifying position.

PRO STOCK

ROUND ONE

TESTING THE WATERS – NHRA policy states the quickest qualifier determines which pairing they run in eliminations. With final eliminations contested in considerably warmer conditions, many of the top qualifiers opted to run later.

The first two pairs, eight versus nine and seven versus ten, were handed the unenviable task of being the Guinea Pigs.

No. 8 seed Rodger Brogdon made the most of the challenge with a 6.674, 207.24 pass to beat Allen Johnson, who shook the tires and lifted early.

No. 10 runner Vincent Nobile beat Greg Stanfield by a foot at the stripe in a 6.669 to 6.674 decision.

AS EXPECTED – With the exception of Nobile, every racer who qualified in the top half advanced to the second round. Mike Edwards [Kurt Johnson], No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson [Steve Spiess], Erica Enders [Warren Johnson], Shane Gray [Larry Morgan] and Ron Krisher [Ronnie Humphrey] advanced to the second round.

PACE-SETTERS – Erica Enders [6.638] and Greg Anderson [6.655] were the quickest winners of the first round.

QUARTER-FINALS
 

THIS IS PRO STOCK, RIGHT? – When Shane Gray and Ron Krisher launched their Pro Stockers, weird things happened. Krisher went into severe tire shake, basketballing the tires on his Valvoline Pontiac GXP while Gray did his best to race on a track apparently littered with invisible banana peels.

This is generally how a Pro Stocker reacts to a 128-degree racing surface.

“That was crazy,” Gray said with a smile. “It’s hot and it’s a little tough to get these Pro Stockers down the track right now. We were fortunate in getting our car to recover first. We’ll give this one up to luck. We made it from Point A to B. It was ugly, but we made it.”

SEE WHAT HAPPENS? – When you break a No. 1 qualifying drought, good things happen and memorable accomplishments come to light. Greg Anderson found this out when he beat Rodger Brogdon in the quarter-finals. In scoring a 6.659 to 6.684 victory, Anderson scored his 500th round win and moved into tenth for all-time NHRA round wins.

“I had no idea,” Anderson revealed when talking to ESPN2’s Gary Gerould. “That’s pretty neat. A lot of things are changing for me here at Route 66. In the past, we’ve never really had success here and now that’s changing this weekend. Hopefully we can get 502.”

ELATION, HEARTBREAK – In one season, Mike Edwards scored two perfect [.000] reactions. He scored his first of 2011 against Erica Enders in the second round.

The accomplishment was short-lived as his car went dead 100 feet into the run. Enders sped by en route to her second low elapsed time of eliminations with a 6.647, 203.31.

ON PAPER, THAT’S HOW IT WORKS – With No. 2 runner Jason Line’s second round victory over Vincent Nobile, he ensured the No.’s one through four qualifiers made it to the final four.

SEMI-FINALS

A BATTLE OF FIRSTS – The semi-finals set up a final round battle of epic proportions.

Greg Anderson made a big move towards erasing his winless record at Route 66 Raceway. As Shane Gray launched into tireshake, the No. 1 seed Anderson raced to a 6.659, 207.11 victory.

On the other side of the ladder, Eric Enders reached her fifth career final round by running a 6.665, 206.76 to beat Jason Line’s 6.673, 205.98.
 

FINAL

PLEASE DON’T LET ME LOSE - Greg Anderson assured ESPN2’s Gary Gerould that Erica Enders would get her first Pro Stock win soon. He just didn’t want to be the one to hand her the milestone victory.

Anderson broke his Route 66 winless streak in a big way by beating the dominant Enders on a holeshot in the final round.

Anderson grabbed .02 out of the gate and this was enough of an advantage to drive to a 6.670, 207.18 to 6.659, 206.89 victory.


PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ROUND ONE

HOPE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE - No. 6 qualifier David Hope, on the Vroom Racing Buell, gave hope to underdogs. The 30-year-old from Nevada, Mo., had lane choice in the opening round, so technically he wasn't an underdog. But paired with three-time champion and Houston 2011 winner Andrew Hines, Hope was less experienced.

Hope said after using a 7.040-second, 187.16-mph pass to beat Hines, who got off the starting line first and ran a 7.029, 188.12.

"John Hammock has worked so hard," Hope said, referring to Vroom Racing owner and crew chief. "I owe all the success to John.

UNDERDAHL UNDERDOG? - Jim Underdahl was the only other lower-qualified bike racer to advance to the quarterfinals. He defeated Hector Arana, whose bike broke around mid-track and cost him the benefits of a .023-second light. Underdahl won with a 7.017-second time and 189.20-mph speed. Arana's son, Hector III, had said Saturday night that his father's bike has a mechanical problem and that as soon as they get it sorted out, they should be challenging each other for the top sports in the qualifying order. But for Sunday, Underdahl was the overachiever -- who earned the chance to face another Hector Arana, this time the No. 1 qualifier.

Eddie Krawiec reached the quarterfinal with a feebie pass against Steve Johnson, who was off his bike during the staging process.

QUARTER-FINALS

BITTEN AGAIN - For the second race in a row, Karen Stoffer's day ended with a mechanical glitch that kept her even from racing her Geico Suzuki down the quarter-mile. This weekend, unlike the one at Norwalk, she got to make one winning pass. But whether this glitch has anything to do with the one she and her husband / crew chief Gary Stoffer thought they had fixed was unclear right away. Either way, she left frustrated again that she couldn't go more rounds and collect more data -- and possibly her first victory in four final rounds. Matt Smith benefited from the fact Stoffer's bike wouldn’t start, and he advanced with a 7.144-seond, 181.45-mph performance on his unsponsored Buell.

MOWIN' 'EM DOWN - Jim Underdahl continued to take out the higher-ranked riders on his Suzuki Extended Protection Suzuki, advancing to his second semifinal appearance of the season by knocking off No. 1 qualifier Hector Arana III.

GRACIOUS HELPER - In this weekday routine at the Vance & Hines Motorsports shop at Brownsburg, Ind., Eddie Krawiec works on engine development and doesn't even go into the room where Matt Hines and Andrew Hines prepare the Harley-Davidsons for the weekend NHRA races. But at the racetrack, Krawiec is the Vance & Hines rep in the pits, helping their clients, who are their NHRA on-track rivals.

"It's not uncommon that I'm in somebody's trailer, helping them out Friday and Saturday during qualifying to make sure they get in the show or have assistance or even technical questions on tuning or engine stuff, and then I'm lining up next to them first round or second round or third round," Krawiec said.

"It makes me feel good, because I don't want anybody to ever say that it was easy for us because we dominated or did anything. None of us wants it that way. We want to help out all the racers and make the class really good," he said. "They're all really fast and it's great parity in the class."

Maybe he was too good for his own good, as Vance & Hines services the engines for, among others, Chip Ellis. His bike is the Harry Lartigue / Kuryakyn Buell. And it's the one that denied Krawiec his fourth semifinal appearance o the season.

Ellis won with a 7.065-second pass at 185.79 to Krawiec's 7.094, 185.36.

SEMI-FINALS

REDEMPTION – One race after failing to make the field in Norwalk, L.E. Tonglet made history by rebounding to reach the final round by stopping Matt Smith. Tonglet ran a 7.10, 186.06 to end Smith’s day.

“We’re not 100-percent back,” said Tonglet to ESPN2’s Gary Gerould. “We’re struggling in 60-foot. Each pass it is getting better.”

Chip Ellis, who has become a regular again on the NHRA Full Throttle Series, beat Jim Underdahl on a holeshot. He won by a 7.165 to 7.138 margin.

“We went from zero to hero this race,” Ellis said. “This is our “not-so-good” motor.”
 
FINAL

I'LL TAKE IT - It’s not exactly the stat he longed for, but defending series champion L.E. Tonglet will accept the notation. Sunday, in Joliet, he became the only Pro Stock Motorcycle rider to go from failing to qualify at one race and winning the next.

Tonglet beat Chip Ellis on both ends of the track to score his second national event victory of 2011. He was .019 quicker on the starting line and extended the lead for a 7.047, 188.46 to 7.153, 185.49 win.

 

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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - A HOT DAY IN CHICAGO

IT'S ABOUT TIME - Saturday, July 25, 2009 was the last time Greg Anderson participated in a No. 1 qualifier interview. The pole position came as a pleasant surprise.

Anderson seemed like light years, at the time, behind the efforts of Mike Edwards and  Allen Johnson. His 73rd career pole position was perfect timing.

Sixteen days shy of two years, No. 74 couldn’t have come at a better time.

“This makes me feel pretty good,” Anderson said. “We have whole different attitude and race car than we’ve had lately. I really have a race car right now. The pressure falls right back on me not to screw it up. That’s the way it used to be for us. I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Anderson’s momentous 6.586, 208.97 came during Friday’s second session. The four-time series champion ran a 6.628 and a 6.617 during Saturday qualifying. His first run was the quickest of the session and in the second, secured the quickest of the session on a speed tiebreaker with Mike Edwards.

Anderson got a laugh from his post-qualifying interview with the gathered media at the Route 66 Raceway media center.

“They were introducing all the big stats like someone who has done this all the time,” Anderson said, pausing to laugh. “I hadn’t been there in almost two years. The timing is perfect for this and this is at a track I haven’t won at before.”

Anderson has raced Pro Stock long enough to understand qualifying No. 1 might be more of a moral victory than a race day advantage. He understands anyone can win from any position in the sixteen car field on Sunday. Could it be tougher for a Pro Stock driver to win from the No. 1 spot?

“I don’t know about that,” Anderson said. “[Qualifying No. 1] is a different attitude, mindset. There’s no doubt about that. It doesn’t matter where your car qualifies. If you get in that field, you can win. When you outrun a guy by .01 of a second, you have the field covered. Then you can lose .01 on the starting line. There are no clear-cut favorites in this class.

“I’d still love to have the fastest car because no matter how you do on the starting line, you still have a better chance of winning. I’d rather have it that way. But, you had better be mentally tough on that starting line or you will get whipped. You can’t let down your guard. You gotta have that mindset or you will get whipped and sent home early.”

Teammate Jason Line finished second in the qualifying order with a 6.597. Headed into race day, the Summit Racing Equipment teammates race one-two for the 25th time.

Ironically, on the last race where Anderson qualified No. 1 he lost to Line in the final round.

“That son-of-a-gun,” Anderson said, smiling. “On a holeshot, [that’s] wonderful. I need to change that.”

JUST 'LOVIN' LIFE' - Spencer Massey said he is proud of his Todd Okuhara- and Phil Shuer-tuned FRAM Dragster that has made it down the 1,000-foot course 40 times without smoking the tires.

Certainly he's proud of besting Antron Brown, his Don Schumacher Racing mate and closest competitor in qualifying, by four-hundredths of a second in the fourth and final session Saturday for the O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals.

He's proud of leading the Top Fuel field for the second time this season and the third time in his National Hot Rod Association career with his 3.819-second pass at 319.29 mph that produced the class' quickest and fastest performance at Route 66 Raceway.

But what Massey might be most satisfied with comes from the rival Al-Anabi Top Fuel team.

Al-Anabi Team Manager Alan Johnson, whose converted Funny Car driver Del Worsham has won four times in five final rounds and leads the standings, remarked about the quality of the Top Fuel class this season. Johnson said at the Norwalk race that he can't remember a time when the dragsters were more competitive.

Massey said he knew Johnson was referring to he entire class and not just his team or even just the DSR trio that includes seven-time champion Tony Schumacher.

"But that had something to do with my car," he said. "That meant a lot coming from Alan Johnson. He's the man."

The streak of not losing traction is "very cool to have," Massey said. "That a good number. But I definitely like being No. 1 qualifier."

The two-time winner hopes to parlay that into a third victory in four final rounds in this 11th of 22 races on the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour.

"We're winning races. We're qualifying No. 1. I get the opportunity to drive. I'm loving life," Massey said after posting low elapsed time for three of the four qualifying sessions here in Joliet, Ill.

"It can't be any better."

He said he's following DSR headliner Tony Schumacher's advice: "Tony says you've got to be smooth. You've got to be a machine."

And no one this weekend in the Top Fuel class has been more smooth, been more of a machine that Spencer Massey. He'll meet popular hometown racer T.J. Zizzo, of Lincolnshire, Ill., in Round 1.

OH REALLY? - With all Mike Neff has already accomplished in 2011, you’d think a No. 1 qualifier would be a given at this point in the season.

For the first time in 2011, and the fifth in his short career as a Funny Car driver, Neff will head into the first round of the NHRA O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals as the top seed.

All four of the Friday provisional No. 1 qualifiers, including Neff, maintained their positions in conditions which yielded little improvement.

“We anticipated that it would be cooler and conditions would have been better than last night but as it turned out I don’t really think they were. We kept waiting for the conditions to change but they never did,” said Neff. “I think a lot of people were trying and that is why you saw so many people smoking the tires. I just backed it off there at the end. We were the last pair and there was nothing to gain. We wanted to make sure we got some points. We made sure it went down there and we got some extra bonus points.”

Neff made the quickest run of the second session picking up three more qualifying bonus points.

Track temperatures soared during Saturday’s qualifications, reaching as high as 124 degrees for the first session and barely improved for the second Saturday session.

The inability to gain better air for Saturday might work into Neff’s favor for Sunday. Qualifying was conducted at night but eliminations are scheduled for the heat of the day on Sunday.

Neff has an edge with his experience as a tuner, and also drives. Sunday is expected to test the mettle of the most seasoned tuners.

“It will make tomorrow a free for all,” Neff said. “It could be anybody’s race. It is going to be hot and the track is going to be really slippery. It is just going to be a matter of getting the car down the track under power without smoking the tires. That is going to be the guy that wins it. That could be anybody.”

Neff has raced in seven final rounds this season and eight for his career. As a tuner, he can hold his own. As a driver, he’ll need the performance of his career to this point.

“Definitely a guy like John (Force) with that kind of experience pedaling the car and trying to get it recovered from smoking the tires has an advantage of someone like me,” Neff admitted. “I haven’t had to pedal a Funny Car that much. You can probably count on one hand the number of times I have had to go out there on a race day and try to get the thing to the end smoking the tires. I don’t have the experience of someone like John or a lot of these guys. I just need to keep it from smoking the tires it sounds like.”

ARANA III: 'NOW I'M HAVING FUN!' - He thought it was 60-foot times. Or the perfect engine. Or cutting awesome lights. Or hitting shift points at the proper times.

But it turns out, maybe, that what rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor Hector Arana III needs to be successful are field trips before each event.

The 22-year-old Milltown, Ind., resident went with his family to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, on the drive to the Norwalk event. It was his dad's plan, as he had hoped to repeat his routine from the year he won his career-first race, at Norwalk.

The younger Arana qualified No. 1 there at Summit Motorsports Park, although he lost in the opening round.

This past Thursday, he and his family visited Chicago's famous Field Museum, where he especially enjoyed the "Whales: Giants of the Deep" exhibit.

"Whales are the largest mammals," Arana tutored reporters Saturday after retaining his No. 1 qualifying position for the O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals, relying on his 6.950-second elapsed time from Friday night aboard the Lucas Oil Buell.

The practice of taking pre-race field trips will continue for the Arana family, which includes his 2009 class champion dad Hector, the No. 8 qualifier Saturday.

"You're working so hard to get ready to leave [to go to each race]. This gives you time to relax and come Friday, you’re ready to go," he said

"In Denver," young Hector Arana said, anticipating the upcoming Mopar Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, "we're going to go see the missiles in the mountain."

Will his Lucas Oil Buell become a missile and give him his third straight No. 1 qualifier?

Maybe, but Arana III said he needs to focus on this race, this set of eliminations, which will start with his match-up against GT Tonglet.

"I'm going to take it one round at a time," Arana said. "That's where I messed up in Ohio. I got too confident, worying about the final round and lost in the first round."

Still, this candidate for the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award has plenty of confidence. He said he knew he would earn his second straight top spot.

"If the conditions got better, I knew I would improve," Arana said. "I was pretty confident in staying No. 1. I knew I could do it. Now I'm having fun!"

He said he decided to stop framing every performance with how it would affect his rookie of the year chances and just concentrate on the next run he has to make, whether it's in qualifying or in eliminations.

"In the beginning of the season, I was trying so hard to get that rookie of the year status that I forgot to focus on the race," he said.

No more will he do that, he said, although he said of a first victory, "hopefully that's next." And his new strategy has been working. So has the new motor, dubbed "Gracie" for his mother.

"That new motor, she's killer," Arana said. His mom, too, "is loving it," he said.

And the whole family is enjoying field trips.

OILDOWN POLICY REVISION – The NHRA has revised its oildown policy enabling teams to gain credit for clean runs. The teams were notified of the new policy on Friday in a memo distributed by the sanctioning body during the NHRA O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill.

Teams will now be able to bank an additional credit for every 25 straight oil free runs. The previous policy afforded teams with one credit for the season with each subsequent oildown resulting in loss of run, point deduction or monetary fine.

Those teams fulfilling the requirements were given credits for clean runs dating back to the first event of the season.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - Following a thrilling day of competition among drag racing’s best sportsman racers, the team representing Division 4 claimed the overall team title at the prestigious JEGS All-stars event today at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.  Tied with the Division 7 team heading into the final round, the clincher came when Division 4 Super Stock racer Slate Cummings defeated Division 7’s Tony Mandella to officially lock up the championship, and the $20,000 team bonus that accompanies it.
 
Cummings, who reached the final round in Stock, scored the bulk of the points for the Division 4 team. Tommy Phillips also did his share of the heavy lifting by driving to the Super Comp title over defending champion Michael Miller.  The Division 4 team finished with 1,300 points, 100 more than the Division 7 squad. The Division 3 team was in the running until the late rounds, ultimately finishing with 1,100 points while the teams from Divisions 1 and 2 tied with 800 points. On the other end of the standings, the Division 5 team scored 300 points while the Division 6 team was completely shut out on the scoreboard, scoring zero points for the event despite a talent-laden team.
 
For the second-straight year, Jim Whiteley claimed the Top Alcohol Dragster title as he stopped Division 4 racer Mike Manners in the final round with a 5.36. Whiteley is the first driver in 20 years to successfully defend a Top Alcohol Dragster title at the JEGS Allstars race.
 
Frank Manzo, who was honored on Friday by JEGS Mail Order for his 200 combined national and divisional event victories, claimed the Top Alcohol Funny Car title for the ninth time. Manzo drove his Al-Anabi Monte Carlo to a victory over Todd Veney in the final round, winning with a 5.59 to Veney’s 5.68. Manzo has now raced in the JEGS Allstars a record 19 times in 27 years.
 
In addition to Whiteley, other repeat winners included Mark Faul, who stopped Cummings in the Stock final, and Frank Aragona Jr., who successfully defended his title in Comp when he stopped Division 7 representative Mike DePalma in the final round.
 
Rusty Cook, representing the home Division 3, downed defending event champ Jason Kenny to win the Super Gas title while Mike Griggs picked up a win for Division 2 by beating Scotty Rienschield in the Super Street final.
 
For the second-straight year, the popular Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes were included in the JEGS Allstars race. Joe Roubicek of Division 7, earned the Top Sportsman title when he stopped Division 2 racer Ronnie “the King” Davis in the final round and James Monroe contributed to the strong weekend for the Division 3 team by stopping Art Hoover in the Top Dragster final.
 
All of the champions who were crowned today will be eligible to return to next year’s JEGS Allstars event as points blockers, and any driver who can also claim a win in tomorrow’s final eliminations at the O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals will be eligible for a double-up bonus from JEGS Mail Order

THE HARSH REALITY - Matt Smith realizes he is about to gamble with his 2011 championships aspirations. The former Pro Stock Motorcycle series champion, who won Englishtown and finished runner-up in Norwalk, has no other choice.

Smith, of King, NC, will park his championship-contending Buell until the Countdown to 1 championship phase of the season begins. Right now, he hopes to accumulate enough points to secure a spot in the top ten if he sits out Denver and Sonoma.

“I had planned to run Chicago and had budgeted for it,” said Smith, who lost his Al-Anabi sponsorship last month. “We should have won the final round at Norwalk. That was a $6,000 loss for us. Unless we can find something, we just can make it to Denver and Sonoma because it’s a pretty far drive and you have to be gone at least a month.”

Smith understands this weekend’s Joliet event will determine the odds of his gamble.

“As it stands now, it’s going to be close,” Smith said. “By looking at the points, it’s really going to be determined by how well the 11, 12 and 13 points people do. This weekend, I am just trying to gather all I can.

“We’re gambling with this, I understand. But, if there’s a company out there that wants to get a lot of bang for not so much money, we have a great opportunity. We just need someone to help us get through. We have a good bike and a good team.”

Smith said there have been a few inquiries but, as of this posting, nothing has been finalized.

“We’re just looking for a race here and race there kind of deal,” Smith said. “The money we are asking for when you look at it is really pennies on the dollar.”

Even if a potential sponsor can afford one of the four [Denver, Sonoma, Brainerd, Indianapolis] remaining regular season Pro Stock Motorcycle events, Smith will gladly put the hauler on the road.

“If only to pad our place in the points,” Smith said. “We just want to finish in the top ten and then evaluate where everything is at. If we’re running well then, we might try to get in the thick of the championship race.”

The first race of the 2011 Countdown to 1 Championship phase begins O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, September 15.

FEDDERLY HONOR MIXED BAG - Bernie Fedderly crinkled his nose, squinted slightly, and smiled that kind of a smile that warned, "Aw, it's not a big deal." But the John Force Racing crew chief's latest achievement really is a big deal. He is the NHRA's most successful crew chief with 1,121 elimination-round victories.

"Someone told me about it," Fedderly said. "They said, 'Hey, I didn't know that!' I told them, 'I didn't, either. So we're all even."

Coil left the team at the end of last season, and for that reason, Fedderly said he feels this "most successful" title deserves an asterisk beside it.

"I feel like it's winning by default," he said. "It would have been nicer if he were still here, but Coil's parked. It's a little bit like winning because your opponent didn't show up. Of course, he's not an opponent."

Mike Neff's first-round victory in the previous race, at Norwalk, Ohio, pushed Fedderly past Austin Coil, his longtime friend and collaborator and former JFR so-called dean of crew chiefs. Neff's victory that day gave Fedderly 1,121 triumphs as a tuner.

Perhaps it was fitting, for Fedderly this year works most closely with Neff, who's driving and tuning his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Together they have Neff in the Funny Car points lead and the No. 1 qualifying position this weekend.

Said Neff, "That is cool, isn't it? Bernie's a great guy. He's having fun, I think."

Dean "Guido" Antonelli, who joins Ron Douglas as John Force's crew chief in the team's matching Castrol Mustang, said, "One of the most valuable things about Bernie, aside from his tuning and [work with] fuel systems, is that he has been the buffer for many years," Antonelli said.

That means Fedderly has worn a number of hats at JFR.

He has been interpreter. According to Antonelli, "John will tell us something, and Bernie will explain it more clearly or rationally."

He has been the voice of reason. In tuning debates, Antonelli said, "Bernie would get vocal when [the discussion] would get a little over the center."

He has been a diplomat, something Fedderly attributed to marriage. "I've been married for 45 years, and I have learned that I'm not going to win any arguments. Marriage is the best teacher."

Fedderly and JFR proved to be a good marriage, when the Edmonton, Alberta, native joined the team in 1992, after 10 successful years working with Larry Minor. "We had a good roll going then," he said.

Force and Coil asked him to work with them, and he hung out with them at the 1992 Atlanta race because, he said, "I just wanted to see where I fit in the program. They had nailed down a couple of championships by that time. They had a lot of areas that needed help. We had some fun that weekend, and I thought maybe we could make something work," Fedderly said. "It turned out to be a nice balance. We collaborated on things."

Considered the sport's elder statesmen of crew chiefs, Fedderly, 67, said, "I like the statesman part but not the 'elder' part!"

 

 

CHEERING FOR A DIFFERENT REASON – Creasy Family Motorsports Funny Car driver Justin Schriefer isn’t the type of person who cheers at another’s misfortune. The low-buck Schriefer couldn’t help but smile when the heavily sponsored Service Central Funny Car driven by Johnny Gray smoked the tires and slowed to a 6.391.

Gray’s loss was Schriefer’s gain. He will race  from the No. 16 seed.

“It’s been a tough day and everything just went wrong for us,” Schriefer told ESPN2’s Gary Gerould. “Stuff wasn’t getting put together right and everybody was scrambling. It’s like a training program because our crew are volunteers. Everybody just works their butts off and wants to do good. It’s been a heck of a weekend and I love Dale Creasy Sr.”

WE FELL SHORT – Newly assigned Johnny Gray crew chief Rob Wendland made no excuses following the team’s second consecutive DNQ.

“We tried changing the tuneup on this car and obviously we are a couple of runs behind it,” said Wendland. “I feel bad for Service Central and Valvoline. With the standard of quality for this car, it should be at the top of the pack, not on the outside looking in. It’s my fault. It’s disappointing. We’ll get through this.”

The team is expected to test on Monday following the event.

NINE MORE YEARS - Bob Bode crossed his fingers and said, "I hope I'm around nine more years!" What's so magic about nine more years? The Barrington, Ill., resident won't turn into a pumpkin. Rather that's when the owner-driver plans to turn into just a team owner and let Jr. Dragster driver son Bobby drive his Alard Machine Products Toyota Solara.

 

 

FOUR STRONG PASSES - Karen Stoffer and her GEICO Suzuki team conquered the changing conditions and turned in four strong passes to grab the No. 2 spot with a best of 6.979 seconds at 190.51 mph.

"They were four good runs, but they weren't exactly the four runs we wanted," Stoffer said. "We've been pretty consistent all year, and we were a little off this weekend. The heat was tricky for us. Plus, we had to scrub in a new tire – something we didn't plan on doing. We had to throw some changes at it, and the weather was a challenge."

She will face Justin Finley in Sunday's first round of eliminations.

"We're going into tomorrow pretty confident," Stoffer said. "We've got that No. 2 spot, and we know the changes that we made are going to be fine tomorrow. I'm glad we got to have four good passes. It's much more than we got in Norwalk. They were good and straight, and tomorrow we're going to have the day of consistency we want."

 

EWWWW - “This track is going to be as slippery as a snot box,” David Grubnic to ESPN2’s Gary Gerould describing Sunday’s forecasted 90-degree temperature.

ONE RACE LATER ... - Lucas Oil Ford Mustang driver Larry Morgan could only smile at his change in fortunes.

In the last Pro Stock race in Norwalk, Ohio, Morgan had the best weekend of his season, racing all the way to the final round.

But this weekend at Route 66 Raceway, the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Route 66 Nationals have been a struggle.

Morgan raced into the field in the fourth and final qualifying session, using his third engine of the weekend. He qualified 13th with a pass of 6.649 seconds at 207.27 mph and will face Shane Gray in Round 1.

"Friday night, on the last run, we burned a piston," Morgan said. "We're just running it on the edge, and that’s why it's running real well. We put another engine in today and burned a piston in it. This is the third engine. We're going to pull it apart and work on it and get it better."

HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR, GET YOUR GAME ON - The qualified fields are now set for the 2011 JEGS All-Star race, a sportsman race-within-a-race during the NHRA O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals outside of Chicago.

Leading the Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying was the Pacific Division 7’s Chris Demke.  Demke took the number one position with a 5.351 elapsed time at nearly 270 mph.  Division 7 will also have the dragster of Jim Whitely, the 2010 TAD All-Star Champion, competing as a blocker.  Whitely qualified in the number six position, with a 5.507 elapsed time at 219 mph, keeping him on the opposite side of the ladder from Demke.  The field is set as follows: Chris Demke (Division 7), Bill Reichert (Division 3), Duane Shields (Division 2), Michael Manners (Division 4), Mike Austin (Division 6), Jim Whitely (2010 Champion), John Finke (Division 1) and Randy Meyer (Division 5).

2010 Top Alcohol Funny Car All-Star Champion Frank Manzo claimed the number one qualifying position among the All-Star field with a 5.539 elapsed time at 261 mph.  Manzo will compete as the blocker for Division 1 for Todd Veney, the Northeast Division 1 representative.  Veney, from Indianapolis, Indiana qualified No. 3 with a 5.704 elapsed time at 254 mph.  Veney’s elapsed time was identical to the number two qualifier and Southcentral Division 4 Tony Bartone. Bartone’s faster speed was the tie-breaker.

The field is set as follows: Frank Manzo (2010 Champion), Tony Bartone (Division 4), Todd Veney (Division 1), John Lombardo Jr. (Division 7), Kirk Williams (Division 5), Brent Henry (Division 3), Mickey Ferro (Division 2) and Brian Hough (Division 6).

Division 7 took another number one spot in the Competition Eliminator category.  Mike DePalma of Glendale, Arizona will start from the number one qualifying position after running a 9.010 elapsed time under the 9.64 I/SM index by -0.630.  Last year’s runner up in this race Frank Aragona Jr. will represent Division 1 with the number two qualifying position going under the 8.72 F/ED index by -0.605.  Bruno Massel, the 2009 and 2010 All-Star Competition Eliminator Champion, qualified number four [DD/AT, -.566] with a 7.144 elapsed time.  Massel will attempt to win for the third year in a row.  The field is set as follows: Mike DePalma (Division 7), Frank Aragona Jr. (Division 1), Rob Harrison (Division 6), Bruno Massel (2010 Champion), Arnie Martel (Division 2), Matt Harris (Division 5), Joey Tanksley (Division 4) and Brian Browell (Division 3).

The West Central Division 5 held onto the number one qualifying position in Super Stock as the SS/CS ’00 Firebird of Michael Mans lit up the scoreboards with a 9.470 elapsed time, -0.830 under the 10.30 index.  Tony Mandella of Division 7 will start from the number two position and face Division 2 representative Jeff Strickland first round.  Mandella and Strickland are not strangers as they met during the first round of the national event on Friday.  Strickland laid a six-thousandth package on Mandella in that meeting to take the victory so it’ll be Mandella looking to even the score in the race to crown the 2011 Super Stock All-Star Champion.  The field is set as follows: Michael Mans (Division 5), Tony Mandella (Division 7), Brad Zaskowski (Division 3), Troy Olsonawski (Division 6), Slate Cummings (Division 4), Jeff Strickland (Division 2), Joe Santangelo (2010 Champion) and A. Lincoln Morehead (Division 1).

As with Super Stock, Division 5 also leads the Stock category with the D/SA ’70 Camaro of Tyler Wudarczyk taking the number one qualifying position.  Wudarczyk went -0.718 under with a 10.832 elapsed time on the 11.55 index.  Division 1 representative Steve Szupka of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania claimed the number two position running an 11.743 elapsed time under the J/SA index of 12.45 by -0.707.  Slate Cummings, representing Division 4 in Stock and Super Stock, qualified number four after running 0.642 under the B/SA 11.25 index.  The field is set as follows: Tyler Wudarczyk (Division 5), Steve Szupka (Division 1), Tommy Mattingly (Division 3), Slate Cummings (Division 4), Joe Sorensen (Division 6), Merrill Schrimscher (Division 2), Mark Faul (2010 Champion) and Chad Loge (Division 7).

There was no lack of speed in the Top Sportsman JEGS All-Stars as the No. 1 and No. 2 both exceeded 220 mph.  Ronnie Davis, of Commerce, Ga., laid down a 6.341 elapsed time at 220.87 mph.  This would be enough for Davis to take away the No. 1 position from last year’s champion Keith Raftery.  Davis will receive a bye first round as there is no representative from Division 6.  Raftery, who will represent Division 4 as a blocker held onto the No. 2 position with a 6.424 elapsed time at 220.08 mph.  The field is set as follows: Ronnie Davis (Division 2), Keith Raftery (Division 4), Ryan Ondrejko (Division 1), Jeffery Cummins (Division 4), Joe Roubicek (Division 7), Rick Wilson (Division 5) and John Scali (Division 3).

Division 1’s Scott Luken will be competing against the field of dragsters in his unique Bantam Roadster.  Luken qualified No. 6 with a 7.130 elapsed time at 190 mph.  The North Central Division 3 representative James Monroe of Bloomington, Ind., took the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Dragster.  Monroe, in his Spitzer Dragster, ran a 6.751 elapsed time over 196 mph to land in the top spot.  Last year’s Top Dragster All-Star Champion Ray Miller, will be representing Division 2 as a blocker will line up to the Division 2 representative Lauren Freer first round.  Miller qualified No. 3 with a 6.805 elapsed time at 198 mph as Freer finished in the number seven position with a 7.301 elapsed time at 183 mph. The field is set as follows: James Monroe (Division 3), Art Hoover (Division 7), Ray Miller (2010 Champion), J.R. Lobner (Division 5), Jimmy Arabie (Division 4), Scott Luken (Division 1), Lauren Freer (Division 2) and Brian Phillips (Division 6).

The Super Street, Super Gas and Super Comp qualifying orders and ladders were set yesterday during qualifying. - Lauren Jones

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - IT'S HIGH TIME IN CHI-TOWN

TOP DRAGSTER OR TOP FUEL? - Top Fuel racer Spencer Massey needed to think for a moment to provide an accurate answer.

The reporter asked,  “When was the last time you bracket raced?”

After a moment of searching his memory, the answer became crystal clear.

“Oh yeah, it was 2001 and I ran a Super Comp dragster around Kennedale [Texas] and the Texas Motorplex [Ennis, Tex.],” Massey responded. “I just got the dragster and never ran any national or divisional races. It was my first car right after I graduated from Junior Dragster.”

Then it occurred to Massey, who has raced nitro in some fashion since 2004, why this question opened the interview.

“It’s like I’m running a nitro bracket car now,” Massey said with a smile.

As it turns out, Massey wasn’t a bad bracket racer after all, winning the Texas Motorplex Junior Dragster championship in his rookie season and a year later claiming an IHRA title in the same class.

Massey’s tradition of clean runs continued during the first day of qualifying at the NHRA O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., with the provisional No. 1 qualifying position and a 3.819 second pass at 319.29 miles per hour.

Since the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Massey’s car has made 38 consecutive runs without smoking the tires on the FRAM-sponsored dragster.

“I keep laughing at the guys, telling them, 'I’ll put a dial-in on the car and get down at the finish line and hang a wheel on somebody,” said Massey, referencing an old bracket racing finish line trick where the quicker car catches the opponent and keeps a wheel-length lead.

“The car is definitely consistent and the guys have a handle on it. If I can keep my lights consistent, with the car going down there, we definitely have a car that will run. Depending on the conditions, this dragster might make a good low 3.80 bracket car. We should have a 3.82 or 3.83 in it, run after run. If it gets cooler, we might have to break out the shoe polish and dial down to a 3.70-something.”

Massey said his tuners, Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, usually clue him in on a reasonable estimation of what the car is going to run. He adjusts his driving style to the tune-up and thus far, this has been the key to their success.

And for Massey, he’s pleasantly surprised at the success his former Funny Car tuning crew chiefs have managed to this point. In many circles, Funny Car tuners who convert to Top Fuel are generally regarded as the gamblers. They aren’t afraid to bring their aggressive Funny Car tuning to the dragster division.

“I’m really surprised we’ve made this many runs, but not because of Todd or Phil being former Funny Car tuners but because of the nature of nitro cars in general,” Massey confirmed. “They do love going for it and making the run. They want No. 1 qualifier. On race day, it’s all about going from one end of the track to the other.

“At the beginning of the season, our losses were because we beat ourselves. We’d go out and smoke the tires. We made the decision from that point just to go out, not smoke the tires, and if we get outrun, we get outrun. That’s been our philosophy.”

Massey has mixed emotions about superstition. On one hand, he believes he should shut up about the consecutive runs while the other suggests, he’s talked and its continued.

“I’m superstitious but then again I’m not,” Massey admitted. “When I first started talking about the consecutive runs, part of me said, ‘You know, you shouldn’t be talking about that. Then after a while, I didn’t have to talk about it – everyone else was.”

“When you think about it, it’s just cool we are able to do it. It just shows the talents of this team and the tuners. I guess you could say it is what it is at this point. I wish we had some way of figuring out what the real record is. I’d like to think we have it. But, it’s been going on this long, and I have been talking about it this long. I guess I’m just going to keep on with what’s working.”

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES - A 20-degree drop in temperature Friday night was just what points leader Mike Neff needed to stick his John Force-owned Castrol GTX Ford Mustang at the top of the Funny Car order after two qualifying sessions for the O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals.

He joined Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana III (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

After capturing the provisional lead with a 4.110-second, 298.01-mph pass on the 1,000-foot course, Neff said he was running a conservative tune-up because "we wanted to make sure we're qualified."

He was four-thousandths of a second quicker than No. 2 Matt Hagan, last year's winner here at Route 66 Raceway.

"The conditions did come around for that second session. The track cooled off about 20 degrees. That's pretty much where we thought we would run. We spun the tires real hard when we hit the asphalt," Neff said.

Without hesitation, he said, "It won't hold" through Saturday's two qualifying sessions.

"You'll see quite a few cars run better than that, I have a feeling," Neff said.

"We were being a little more conservative here tonight, knowing that tomorrow night we will have much better conditions than we had tonight. I just wanted to get down the track and make sure we were qualified for tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow night, we'll have a better chance to run quicker with better conditions."

Neff's performance salvaged a disappointing day for John Force Racing, wit teammates Robert Hight and Force struggling.

Force went only a few feet in his first run because of a broken throttle linkage in his first chance and smoked the tires at about 300 feet to end up 16th and in danger of missing the cut. Hight, a four-time winner this season, was only slightly better than the boss, No. 15 overnight.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN? – On the ride from his Summit Racing Pro Stock pits, Greg Anderson racked his brain. He challenged his publicists for the answer.

When was the last time he qualified No. 1?

By the time they reached the Route 66 Raceway media center, neither the defending Pro Stock series champion or those in charge of promoting him had the answer.

If his provisional No. 1 at the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals holds, it will be his first since the 2009 event in Sonoma, Ca.

“I’m not officially there yet, but it feels good for tonight at least,” said Anderson, who raced to the top of the qualifying list with a 6.586 second elapsed time at 208.97 miles per hour. His teammate Jason Line was second quickest with a 6.597, 207.66 pass.

“If it holds, great, because it’s a knock-down drag-out in this class every weekend,” Anderson said. “These Pro Stock drivers are tough, you never know who’s going to run low or win on Sunday. This is a great class and fun to be part of.”

The run goes a long way towards restoring confidence the same confidence gained in winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge.  A day later, Anderson lost on a massive holeshot to Allen Johnson in the first round.

“I had a great race car and I screwed up,” Anderson admitted.

Friday evening at Route 66 Raceway outside of Chicago went a long way towards erasing the memory of the shortcoming.

“It’s just a great feeling to have a hot rod underneath me again,” said Anderson. “It’s a confidence booster and I’ve needed that lately. This [Pro Stock] deal is a mind game. If you lose that confidence, it’s awful hard to win or run fast.”

“It kind of feels like old times.”

Beyond qualifying No. 1, Route 66 Raceway is the only track on the tour where Anderson is winless.

“There’s no excuses for that,” Anderson said. “I absolutely love this place. It’s a great race track and I run well here every year. I’m not going to worry about it. Maybe this will be my year.”

HECTOR'S BOY NO. 1 AGAIN - Young Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Hector Arana's well-wishers stood by. They beamed proudly, while he told reporters about how he lined up side by side with his father Hector during qualifying Friday night's second session and how he swiped the provisional No. 1 position from Karen Stoffer.

When he was done, one of the young ladies hugged him. While the Lucas Oil Buell rider didn't wave off the opportunity, he did caution, "It's not over yet."

It isn't. He has to hold on for two Saturday sessions at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals to claim his second straight No. 1 start.

Arana III's 6.950-second elapsed time on the Route 66 Raceway quarter-mile was enough to knock first-session leader Stoffer from the top of the order. But it wasn't enough to erase the track record of 6.894 his father set last June.

"I don't know if the number will hold," Arana said, "but I intend to improve."

His motor, nicknamed "Gracie" for his mother, is carrying him to the top of the order since he and his crew installed it just before the previous race, at Norwalk. His 60-foot times are improving. And the rookie is getting more comfortable on his bike.

"Really, I'm finally getting more seat time," he said. "We're staying consistent, and it's paying off. We got our base tune-up, and we haven't changed much."

He said he wasn't anxious about running against his dad in the second session.

"I honestly didn't know I was running against him until we were pulling up," Arana III  said. "I found out we were going against each other, so it was like a little race for the Lucas Oil team, just for fun. You always try your best, but maybe give it a little more effort to try to beat your dad. This time it paid off."

The elder Arana is sixth overnight at 7.005 seconds, 186.48 mph from his first-round pass.

"My dad's going to get a lot better," his son said. "He had some issues this last run. I look forward to seeing him improve the next session."

NOT MISSING THE ESPYS - Greg Anderson has come out of his cave. Maybe sporting fans will come out of theirs, too, and recognize the thrills of drag racing. Huh? It's all about ESPN's annual ESPY Awards.

Anderson and Funny Car's John Force are among the four nominees for Best Driver. They join NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar's Dario Franchitti. Both have been nominated before, as have drag racers Ashley Force Hood, Melanie Troxel, and Tony Pedregon, along with Tony Schumacher, who was nominated from 2007 to 2010.

"The first time I was nominated was in 2005, and I must have been living in a cave," Anderson said, "because I didn't realize how big a deal it was, and didn't go to the ceremony. I've regretted it ever since and vowed that if I got the chance again, I'd be on the first plane out, so we are definitely looking forward to going to Los Angeles.

Said the four-time Pro Stock champion, "I'm also excited to see John's name on the list of nominees. Having the two of us nominated shows that NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing is gaining ground, hanging right in there with the other forms of motorsport, which is very cool. We've known all along how exciting our sport is, and hopefully the general public is starting to realize it as well. Its an honor to represent drag racing on such a big stage, and I'm asking all our fans to get online and vote, so we can bring the award home."

Online fan voting will determine the ESPY (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) winners. ESPN will announce the winners this next Wednesday (July 13) in a live broadcast from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The last day of balloting is Saturday (July 9) at the ESPY web site, www.espn.com/espys.

"Although it’s my name up there alongside champions such as John, Dario and Jimmie, this is a testament to the performance of my entire Summit Racing team," Anderson said. "All year long, no matter what was thrown at them, they never gave up, giving me a great hot rod to drive, and helping me keep my head in the game."

His resolve in the wake of team owner Ken Black's stroke and an extensive house fire -- offset by three victories and a runner-up finish in the season's final five races is well-documented. A hauler fire the day after the awards ceremony in November capped the crazy 2010 season.

"If you had to write a script for a Hollywood movie, I don't think you could come up with what this Summit Racing team went through in 2010," Anderson said. "From everything that happened off the track to having to fight our way back into title contention and then having that incredible run in the playoffs, it was just an amazing year. All things considered, it is the most special championship out of the four that I've won, and being nominated for the ESPY only adds to it. If we are fortunate enough to win, it would be the perfect ending to a storybook season."

 

 

TAKING IT EASY - There’s little relaxation when it comes to racing a nitro Funny Car.

However, for Melanie Troxel, driving only a Funny Car will seem like a half-day. It will be literally.

For only the second time in five races, Troxel will race in only one class. The versatile driver who has won in four different categories isn’t racing a Pro Modified car this weekend in Chicago.

"On those double-duty weekends, I feel like I'm always running around crazy back and forth between the two cars,” Troxel said. “For the next few weekends, I get to slow down, spend more time with the fans, and focus on running the Funny Car."

The time to relax and focus is welcomed for Troxel, who started the season with five consecutive DNQs with the nitro burner. She’s since qualified for five straight events and won elimination rounds at two of the last three races.

"We're building our confidence every time out," Troxel said. "That's going to continue. There are ups and downs in this sport.”
 
Troxel is the fifth quickest with a 4.155, 285.29. 

 

 

 

LOVING THE NIGHTLIFE - For the first time this season, all four qualifying sessions for the pro nitro classes are scheduled to be evening runs, and that has DHL Toyota Funny Car driver Jeff Arend especially excited, expecting record-setting performances.

"If the weather cooperates, we could see some of the best runs of the season in qualifying in Joliet," he said before even leaving his home in San Dimas, Calif. "Route 66 Raceway is really quick anyway, but conditions are always better for us the later in the day we get to run. So we could see some records set Friday or Saturday." He said he is a candidate for a record as much as anyone else. "Our DHL Funny Car is certainly capable of putting up big numbers, so we hope we are right up there at the top of the qualifying sheet and then put ourselves in a position to win the whole thing on Sunday." Arend won in April at Houston and is eighth in the standings.

Bob Tasca, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Ford Mustang owner-driver, agreed with Arend about the track.

"It's a tremendous racing surface," Tasca said. "It positions itself as one of those races where you can break records. "Chicago fans are awesome, and the place is full of energy,” Tasca said. “I know a lot of people look forward to the race. On a multitude of levels, it’s a place you just love racing at."

HOME SWEET HOME CHI-TOWN - Kraft Foods, Wrigley's Chewing Gum, and Walgreen's all began in Chicago. This weekend, Amalie Oil/UNOH Dragster driver Terry McMillen, who grew up in the South Side suburb of Midlothian, said he is doing his best to make Chicago the place where he tightens his grip on the 10th and final Countdown berth.

"I know we're going to do whatever it takes to maintain the 10th spot. We've got to make up some ground. It has to start in Chicago,” McMillen said. He has a two-point margin over Bob Vandergriff, Jr. and trails Shawn Langdon by 65 points for the ninth spot.

"There's a lot of bragging rights that goes with racing around here," McMillen said. "It's  just a big drag-racing area – you want to leave here with something to brag about."

The Top Fuel class boasts several drivers from Chicago: Tony Schumacher (Long Grove), Dale Creasy Jr. (Beecher), T.J. Zizzo, Luigi Novelli and Chris "The Greek" Karamesines.

"Heck," McMillen said, "I remember delivering parts to The Greek's garage when I was a 16-year-old kid."

 

 

JOLIET MIXED BAG FOR FORCE - John Force earned his first victory at Route 66 Raceway in 2000, beating Jerry Toliver in the final. More significantly, with that 86th victory he became drag racing's most successful competitor, passing Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden, who had been the sport’s all-time winner. Six years later, he defeated teammate Robert Hight on his way to a 14th series championship.

"It's a long season," Force said this week, and he certainly was reminded of that in 2003, when he qualified No. 1 here and lost in the opening round to Joliet resident John Lawson. The reigning champion has been under pressure this year, too, winless so far (despite four No. 1 qualifying positions) while his other two teammates are stealing the show.

"Right now, Robert and Mike (Neff) are on a roll and I'm struggling," the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang driver said. "But I've got a good hot rod, two good crew chiefs (Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas), and a team of young guys that I love. When it comes time to fight, we'll be ready."

After a day of hardship, Force is fighting for a spot in Sunday's eliminations. He is unqualified after two sessions.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN 'ITCHING' - An emotional Kenny Bernstein earned the last of his four Top Fuel victories at Route 66 Raceway in 2003, subbing for his injured son, Brandon. But both Bernsteins made history here in 2001, with Kenny (Top Fuel) and Brandon (Top Alcohol Dragster) sharing the winners circle. But Brandon Bernstein, driving the Copart Dragster in front of a high-profile group of Copart guests this weekend, wants his own Top Fuel trophy from this race. And, like winless seven-time class champion Tony Schumacher, Bernstein is overdue. "There may not be a team out there itching for a win more than our Copart team," he said.

Bernstein has his eye on the Countdown, which will begin after the Labor Day U.S. Nationals eliminations at Indianapolis. "One of our goals is to earn a stronger starting position in the playoffs," he said. "We are seventh in points right now, but we can move up. There are six races remaining before the field of 10 is set for the Countdown. To make moves up the point ladder, our immediate focus has to be on every run in qualifying and every round in eliminations."

"Our Copart team is getting better and better every race. At our last race, in Norwalk, Ohio, I had a bad reaction time that cost us a round win, and I need to redeem myself to this team," Bernstein said. "We definitely have a team capable of winning any time we present ourselves at the starting line. We are gaining confidence. Now all the pieces just need to fall in place.

“We are expecting a large group of Copart employees and executives at Joliet, and we would love to bring home a Wally trophy for them, for Mac Tools, and La Paz Party Mixes and all the fans that have supported us through the years.”

STOFFER RESETS GOALS - Karen Stoffer said racers never know what to expect at this gorgeous but unpredictable facility.

"You never know if you're going to have thunderstorms, humidity, cross-winds at 30 mph or beautiful sunny, cool, fast weather," she said. "It depends on Mother Nature and how she decides to play the game. Gary (her husband and crew chief) is up for it, and we've been able to weather through just about every type of condition."

She knows what to expect from herself, and she, too, is up for that. Her goal is to take advantage of every chance to make a pass, keep an eye on the pesky part that ruined her day early at the previous race, and regain consistency aboard her GEICO Suzuki. Ultimately, how well Stoffer does all that will determine if she can regain the points lead she lost to Eddie Krawiec two weeks ago at Norwalk when her bike broke and she missed out on a single pass Sunday.

"The points lead might be the outcome, but our goal is really just to go down the race track as many times as we can on the weekend in a safe, fast, straight method," Stoffer said. "If we continue to focus on going down the track as many times as possible, then we know we're turning on the win light and we know whatever numbers come up are going to be good. It's nice when the points come out of it, obviously. But for us, every race, every round is go down the race track straight, fast, and consistent in how we do everything.

"The whole thing is to make as many passes that are available to us," she said. "We kind of blew that in Norwalk, but the team is very, very excited to get back out there in Chicago. After a diagnosis of the motor, we found a small broken part that now is part of our preventative maintenance program. We'll be looking at it more often, but it's something in the past that we've never had an issue with, nor had anyone else."

Stoffer has qualified No. 2 three times and No. 4 twice. Before the Norwalk race, she had advanced to the three final rounds.

 

 

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