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 BROWN, BECKMAN, MCGAHA AND HINES PICK UP BIG WINS AT THE NHRA KEYSTONE NATIONALS

Antron Brown increased his 2015 Countdown to the Championship round record to 12-0 with his Top Fuel victory Sunday at the NHRA Keystone Nationals.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Chris McGaha (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners in their respective categories at the third of six playoff races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship held at the facility in eastern Pennsylvania.

Brown drove his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.717 second pass at 328.46 mph victory over teammate and defending race winner Tony Schumacher. The win was Brown’s third-in-a-row, earning him the sweep of the first half of the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. His 12-0 record is the best start in the history of the Countdown playoffs, surpassing Robert Hight’s 9-0 Funny Car start in 2009. The win gives Brown, the 2012 world champ, his 54th career victory (38th in TF), seventh of the season (a career-high) and first at Maple Grove Raceway. Prior to this year, Brown finished with six wins in a season on four separate occasions.  

“You don’t go into the Countdown believing you’re going to win the first three races,” said Brown, who extends his points lead to 94 over Schumacher. “That’s what you hope to do. Charlotte was tough, but this race was also tough because you go into eliminations without any runs down the racetrack. When we came out today, it was pretty much the first session of qualifying for us. Getting a good, clean run down the track helped us a lot and the track got about eight times better by the second lap.”

Schumacher, the eight-time and defending world champ, was looking for his second consecutive Reading victory. Despite the loss, Schumacher is still the winningest Top Fuel driver at Maple Grove Raceway with five victories. He sits 100 points ahead of third place Brittany Force, who fell to Schumacher in the semifinals.

Beckman, driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T, defeated Chad Head in the quickest Funny Car final in history, driving to a 3.910 at 326.79 holeshot win over Head’s quicker but losing 3.903 at 326.16. Beckman, the 2012 world champ, earned his 22nd career win and career-best seventh of the season. In addition, Beckman reset the national record in elapsed time for the third time this year after running a 3.897 in the semifinals, giving him a 20 point bonus.

“For us, it couldn’t have ended up any better,” said Beckman, who trails points leader Del Worsham by 16 points. “We went from six rounds out to less than one round. We’re not leading, but we’ve got a car that’s clearly able to win races and I think that the lead is within sight again.”

Head, driver of the Head Racing Toyota Camry, finished runner-up at Reading for the second time in his career, the previous coming in 2013. Head’s run in the final was a career-best in both elapsed time and speed. He defeated John Force and John Hale to reach the semifinals, where he had a bye run after John Bojec failed to make the call to the starting line.

Worsham, who won the first two events of the Countdown and entered this event with a 90 point lead over Matt Hagan, fell in the first round to Tommy Johnson Jr. Hagan also lost in the first round to Bojec.

McGaha picked up his third victory of the season in Pro Stock with a 6.492 at 213.64 holeshot victory over four-time world champ Greg Anderson in his Harlow Sammons Racing Chevy Camaro. The win was McGaha’s third career win, first at Reading and moved him to third in points, 104 behind points leader and defending world champ Erica Enders.

“This week has been really something,” said McGaha, whose former crew chief Brian Self left for Elite Motorsports this week and was replaced by Tommy Utt. “Having a crew chief shuffle and what-have-you, it’s a pretty big feat to overcome. You leave the house hoping you can win and knowing you can win, but actually doing it is another deal.”

Anderson was looking for his fifth win of the season in his Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. He defeated John Gaydosh, teammate Jason Line and Larry Morgan to reach the final. Despite the loss, Anderson gained ground on Enders and sits 72 points back heading to Dallas.

Enders, who won the Countdown’s opening race at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, reached the second round before falling to Bo Butner.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hines picked up his third win of the season and second in the Countdown with a 6.794 at 197.25 win over Chip Ellis on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Hines, the four-time and defending world champ, picked up his second win at Reading and 41st of his career, which ties him for second on the all-time category wins list with Angelle Sampey.

“That win light came on for the final and I was over the moon,” said Hines, who extends his points lead over teammate Eddie Krawiec to 89 points. “I know how fast Chip had been all weekend and all year. Luckily, we were able to dip into the 6.7’s with him and put up a nice, tight final round for the fans.”

Ellis was appearing in his second final of the season on his Pirana Z/Pippin Trucking Buell, also earning a runner-up finish at Indianapolis. He is still searching for his first win since Englishtown, N.J. in 2008. Ellis is now sixth in Pro Stock Motorcycle points.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series begins the second half of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in two weeks at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, Oct. 15-18, at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.

B. FORCE, HIGHT, SKILLMAN AND KRAWIEC CLAIM NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AFTER RAIN-SHORTENED SATURDAY



Brittany Force ran career-best numbers to claim the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel at the NHRA Keystone Nationals.

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) will also start in the top spot in their respective categories at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in eastern Pennsylvania.  

NHRA officials were forced to cancel the second session of qualifying on Saturday due to persistent showers. Sunday’s eliminations are still scheduled for 11 a.m.

Force recorded a 3.725-second pass at 331.53 mph in her Monster Energy dragster. The run gives Force her first No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and fourth of her career. She will race fellow Countdown contender Dave Connolly in the first round.  Force, who reached the finals last season at Maple Grove Raceway, is searching for her first career victory.

“It’s definitely tough going into tomorrow with one run,” said Force, who entered this weekend fourth in points. “We put down an awesome run that I wasn’t expecting. We drove right through the conditions and put an awesome number on the run. I thought we were going to struggle. Our last record was here to so we obviously like Reading.”

Leah Pritchett drove her Sparkling Ice dragster to the No. 2 qualifying position following a 3.787 at 320.74. She will face Shawn Langdon in round one. Clay Millican qualified third in the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster and will matchup with Countdown contender and current points leader Antron Brown. Countdown contenders Tony Schumacher and Richie Crampton will start as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

In Funny Car, Hight drove his Auto Club Chevy Camaro SS to a 3.922 at 329.34, both track records. Hight, the 2009 world champ, earned his first No. 1 qualifier of the season, first at Maple Grove Raceway and 47th of his career. He will open eliminations against John Hale.

“You don’t get a lot of chances to run under conditions like this,” said Hight, the 2011 Reading winner. “It was kind of like the perfect storm. We hit everything just right. It’s what you have to do to have a run like that.”

Ron Capps drove his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to the No. 2 qualifying positon after a 4.218 at 318.17. Capps, who is searching for his first Reading win in his illustrious career, battles Paul Lee in the first round.

2012 world champ Jack Beckman qualified his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T in third, setting up a first round battle with fellow Countdown contender Alexis DeJoria. Countdown contenders Tim Wilkerson and Matt Hagan will begin Sunday as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. Current points leader Del Worsham qualified sixth.

Skillman claimed the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock following his 6.509 at 213.13 in a Chevy Camaro. The run gives him his second career No. 1 qualifying effort of his career. Skillman, who earned his first career win at the most recent event in St. Louis,  races V Gaines in the first round.

“As long as we have a little sun to put a little heat in the track, we will be fine,” said Skillman about conditions for tomorrow. “They will be able to work on the track tomorrow and we will be fine. They [NHRA Safety Safari] fought it all day long. It’s just the conditions we’re in.”

Chris McGaha qualified in the second position with a 6.514 at 213.03 in the Harlow Sammons Racing Chevy Camaro. McGaha, a two-time season winner, faces Val Smeland in the first round.

Bo Butner continued his strong recent qualifying efforts with the No. 3 starting position and a first round matchup with Alan Prusiensky. Four-time world champ Greg Anderson starts fourth while teammate and two-time world champ Jason Line starts fifth.

Defending world champ and current points leader Erica Enders is qualified sixth.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec earned his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season after riding his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 6.802 at 193.60. Krawiec, a three-time world champ, now has 27 career top qualifying efforts and two at Reading. He will race Brian Pretzel in the first round.

“I think the encouraging part is that the bikes left the starting line,” said Krawiec, a three-time Reading winner. “With this weather and these conditions, that’s the tough part. In these conditions, you are prone to shaking. Mine was actually a controlled and smooth run.”

Fellow Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Andrew Hines qualified second after a 6.816 at 193.16. Hines, a four-time world champ and the current points leader, looks for his second Reading victory as he opens eliminations with Chaz Kennedy.

Matt Smith qualified third on his Nitro Fish Victory Gunner and will race fellow Countdown competitior Jim Underdahl in round one. Scotty Pollacheck and Steve Johnson qualified fourth and fifth respectively.

Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 31st annual NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 21st of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel -- 1. Brittany Force, 3.725 seconds, 331.53 mph  vs. 14. Dave Connolly, 15.477, 53.23; 2. Leah Pritchett, 3.787, 320.74  vs. 13. Shawn Langdon, 14.639, 58.79; 3. Clay Millican, 4.454, 177.98  vs. 12. Antron Brown, 11.541, 103.52; 4. Tony Schumacher, 7.776, 77.15  vs. 11. J.R. Todd, 11.443, 79.41; 5. Richie Crampton, 7.995, 80.39  vs. 10. Smax Smith, 9.210, 69.14; 6. Doug Kalitta, 8.092, 99.81  vs. 9. Dom Lagana, 8.880, 79.25; 7. Steve Torrence, 8.814, 71.90  vs. 8. Larry Dixon, 8.855, 77.27.

Did Not Qualify: 15. Terry McMillen, DQ.

Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.922, 329.34  vs. 16. John Hale, Dodge Charger, broke; 2. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.218, 318.17  vs. 15. Paul Lee, Charger, broke; 3. Jack Beckman, Charger, 5.440, 203.12  vs. 14. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 13.036, 76.76; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 7.717, 84.76  vs. 13. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 11.080, 81.39; 5. Matt Hagan, Charger, 8.170, 103.23  vs. 12. John Bojec, Toyota Solara, 10.426, 69.33; 6. Del Worsham, Camry, 8.172, 84.23  vs. 11. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 10.022, 71.26; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 9.344, 65.01  vs. 10. Courtney Force, Camaro, 9.874, 66.36; 8. John Force, Camaro, 9.594, 71.07  vs. 9. Chad Head, Camry, 9.649, 69.48.

Pro Stock -- 1. Drew Skillman, Chevy Camaro, 6.509, 213.13  vs. 16. V. Gaines, Dodge Dart, 6.922, 155.33; 2. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.514, 213.03  vs. 15. Val Smeland, Chevy Cobalt, 6.854, 185.72; 3. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.517, 212.46  vs. 14. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Avenger, 6.809, 203.71; 4. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.526, 213.23  vs. 13. John Gaydosh Jr, Chevrolet Camaro, 6.797, 205.13; 5. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.536, 213.23  vs. 12. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.615, 210.57; 6. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.537, 213.13  vs. 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.606, 207.15; 7. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.550, 211.86  vs. 10. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.573, 211.30; 8. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.561, 213.03  vs. 9. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.567, 212.93.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Randy Peters, 29.529, 28.50.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.802, 193.60  vs. 14. Brian Pretzel, Buell, broke; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.816, 193.16  vs. 13. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 16.461, 39.97; 3. Matt Smith, Victory, 6.877, 193.24  vs. 12. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 14.623, 45.99; 4. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.883, 194.21  vs. 11. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 11.707, 68.38; 5. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.907, 192.47  vs. 10. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.885, 121.57; 6. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.944, 193.16  vs. 9. Hector Arana, Buell, 7.088, 166.83; 7. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.971, 193.27  vs. 8. Angie Smith, Victory, 7.010, 185.05.

FRIDAY - PERSISTENT STORMS FORCE NHRA OFFICIALS TO CANCEL FIRST DAY ACTION

Persistent rain showers forced NHRA officials to cancel Friday’s racing action at the NHRA Keystone Nationals. Rain started in the morning and showers were expected to fall  throughout the day at Maple Grove Raceway.

Despite Friday's washout, 2012 Top Fuel world champ and current points leader Antron Brown is confident that conditions on Saturday and Sunday are capable of providing national record-like runs that will thrill fans at the facility in eastern Pennsylvania.

“This track is going to be super mean,” said Brown, who is seeking his first win at Reading, a track well-known as one of the fastest on the circuit. “It’s going to have a razor edge. You have to have your power right and your combination right so you can get off the starting line. When the conditions are that good, you have to bring enough power and bring the clutch to the party to make everything happen.”

Racing is scheduled to begin on Saturday with sportsman qualifying and time trials at 9 a.m. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.