2015 NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS - ST. LOUIS RESULTS
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SUNDAY - BROWN, WORSHAM, SKILLMAN, ARANA JR. RACE TO ST. LOUIS VICTORIES
Antron Brown extended his mastery of Gateway Motorsports Park by racing to his fourth consecutive Top Fuel victory at the facility Sunday during the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Del Worsham (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners in their respective categories at the second of six playoff races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship event near St. Louis.
Brown defeated Dave Connolly in the final round to take his 53rd career victory and his fifth win overall at the track with a performance of 3.721 seconds at 325.92 mph in his Matco Tools dragster to Connolly’s trailing run of 3.753 at 328.94 in the C&J Energy Services dragster.
“There are two words: truly blessed,” said Brown. “When [track owner] Curt Francois and [general manager] Chris Blair brought this track back [in 2011], they brought it back better than ever. You can put a slew of runs together that are quick and fast, because you’re not worried about the track not being there. The class is so competitive right now that you’re going home if you throw out a high-.70.”
The win, his sixth of the season, extended his points lead over teammate Tony Schumacher by 77 points. Larry Dixon suffered a first round loss to Billy Torrence and is 159 points behind Brown.
“We have to keep marching right now,” said Brown, who beat Terry McMillen, Shawn Langdon and Billy Torrence in the first three rounds. “We had a 200-point lead in 2012 and almost lost the championship at the end. We’re off to an incredible start. Charlotte is usually our kryptonite, but we were able to get through there this year with a good start.”
In Funny Car, Worsham continued his hot streak when he defeated Matt Hagan to earn his second consecutive victory in the playoffs. Worsham defeated No. 1 qualifier Hagan in his with a pass of 3.964 at 320.13 in his DHL Toyota Camry to the defending world champ’s losing run of 3.983 at 324.20 in his Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T. Worsham took the win in spectacular fashion as the engine on his yellow Toyota exploded as he crossed the finish line.
“It made a hard dart to the right, I had full input on the wheel to the left, and it went ‘ka-boom!’ right before I got to the finish line,” said Worsham. “It blew up, the dash came up, and fire went back there. Luckily, in today’s racing, the chutes deployed themselves and slowed it down right away. In my 25 years of racing, I don’t know if I’ve ever driven a Funny Car that made that many good runs. The team assembling it, the tune-up, and what [team owner] Connie Kalitta has given us here has been unreal. When I came back to Funny Car racing [in 2012], this is the dream I had.”
Worsham also earned a 20-bonus points during the event when he set a national elapsed time record of 3.899 seconds during qualifying. He now has a 90 point lead over Hagan, the two-time and defending Funny Car world champion. Jack Beckman, who entered the Countdown as the No. 1 seed carrying a ton of momentum, fell to fourth following his second round loss to Cruz Pedregon. Tommy Johnson is third in the points standings.
Pro Stock rookie Skillman raced his Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro to his first career victory when he defeated his teammate Erica Enders. It was a rematch from the final in Indianapolis, which Enders won. In this matchup, Skillman powered past Ender’s Elite Motorsports Camaro, which lost traction early in the run, with his winning pass of 6.529 at 211.63.
“This is my fourth time to the finals and I knew that Erica has been insane on the Tree," said Skillman. "A little luck came our way and we got it done this weekend. I lost the first three finals but I don’t know how you can get frustrated when you get to a pro category for the first time and have the kind of year we’re having. This is not normal. I’m just very excited to win this today. I have a great team.”
Enders, who was in her fourth consecutive final round, increased her series lead to 113 markers over Greg Anderson.
Arana Jr. raced to his second Pro Stock Motorcycle win of the season when he defeated his father Hector Arana in the finals. Arana Jr. raced his Lucas Oil Buell to a winning pass of 6.860 at 196.50 to his father’s trailing run of 6.932 at 195.03, also on a Lucas Oil Buell. This is the first career win in St. Louis for Arana Jr. The win moves him to 34 points behind Andrew Hines and caps a significant week for the racer.
“This has been a great week; I don’t know if I could ask for anything more," said Arana Jr. "On Monday, I pulled the trigger and asked my beautiful girlfriend [Nicole Nobile] to marry me and to get this win is just icing on the cake. I tell you what, that is a bittersweet win. I watched my dad win in the semis and I said to myself, ‘I have to win’ so we can see which one of us can take home the Wally. I want to see him win and of course he wants to see me win, but at the same time I want to beat him. We also needed this to move forward in the points.”
The third of six rounds of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs is next weekend at the NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.
SATURDAY - HAGAN, TORRENCE, ANDERSON AND SAVOIE EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS
Matt Hagan continued his quest for a third Funny Car world championship as he powered to the No. 1 qualifying position with a track-record performance Saturday during the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations as No. 1 qualifiers at the second of six playoff races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Hagan earned his fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season with a performance of 3.883 seconds at 330.47 mph in his Mopar Express Lane / Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T. His E.T. is the second quickest in the history of Funny Car and his speed is the fastest run in category history.
“It took a lot of courage for Dickie [Venables-crew chief] to make big, drastic changes to this car since the Western Swing,” said Hagan. “It’s cool to see the changes that he made work and give everybody confidence. It’s one of those things you can be sitting in a rocking chair thinking back about one day and say, ‘That was badass.’
“Now that we have the data for a couple of 3.80 runs, maybe we can run low-3.90s on a consistent basis. Points matter now for everything, so it’s a bummer we didn’t get the record. For the morale, it’s a good run to have.”
Hagan entered the event fourth in Funny Car standings after his second round loss at the opening race in the playoffs at Charlotte. Hagan will face Brian Stewart in the first round of eliminations.
Points leader Del Worsham is in a position to pick up 20 valuable bonus points as his E.T. of 3.899 posted in the fourth round of qualifying is a national record. Worsham will have to retain the record at the conclusion of the event to earn the points. He qualified second in his DHL Toyota Camry and will face Tony Pedregon on Sunday.
Jack Beckman qualified third in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T and will face John Bojec and Ron Capps, who qualified fourth, will race John Hale.
Torrence sped to his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season with his track record time of 3.718 at 328.22 in his Capco Contractors dragster. This marks the first race veteran tuner Alan Johnson has been with the team as a consultant.
“It was unbelievable,” said Torrence. “The car has run really well all weekend. [Crew chief] Richard [Hogan] and Alan have brought a new dynamic to the table. It gives me a lot of confidence as a driver. I’d rather race with [Johnson] than against him.
“Alan doesn’t have a magic wand that he’s going to wave over a dragster and set records. He brings a good set of eyes and finds little things to improve on the car. The team has been doing a great job all year. We’ve qualified well the last six or seven races.”
Torrence will face Kyle Wurtzel in the first round of eliminations.
Top Fuel Countdown to the Championship points leader Antron Brown qualified second with a run of 3.736 at 322.96 in his Matco Tools dragster and will face Terry McMillen. U.S. Army dragster pilot, Tony Schumacher, who is second in Top Fuel points will start the day in the bottom half of the field in 11th and will face sixth place qualifier Clay Millican in his Great Clips dragster in the opening round.
In Pro Stock, Anderson, claimed his 79th No. 1 qualifying position in his career with his run of 6.492 at 213.27 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro. This is his third consecutive No. 1 qualifying position and the fourth of the season. Anderson entered the event second in Pro Stock points will face Mark Hogan in the opener.
“Things are going well; my car is great blast to drive,” Anderson said. “It is fast and consistent and smooth. I told my guys thank you so much. Now just keep doing what you’re doing. Any time you can get all the bonus points that are available that’s a great weekend so far. Now, I just have to do my job on Sunday.”
Anderson entered the event trailing points leader Erica Enders by 83 markers. Anderson led all four qualifying sessions and picked up 12 valuable points.
“To be honest there are probably 10 or 12 cars that absolutely could win this race tomorrow and no one would be shocked,” he continued. “We just have to learn to be aggressive. We had cloud cover today and when that happens all the cars get happy; not just mine. You can’t be shy in the playoffs so we’ll up the ante a little bit tomorrow. I know the track will take it. I’ve got the horse underneath me I just need to ride it like it should be ridden.”
Bo Butner in his 12th race of the season qualified a career best of second in his Jim Butner Auto Sales Camaro with his run of 6.502 at 212.83 and will face Aaron Strong. Points leader Erica Enders qualified third and will run Alex Laughlin on Sunday.
Defending Pro Stock Motorcycle event winner Savoie raced to his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season and second of his career with his Friday run of 6.832 at 196.50 on his Savoie Alligator Farms Suzuki. He will face Scotty Pollacheck in the first round of eliminations.
“This is good; I’ve been bumped off the pole three or four times this year by Chip [Ellis] and Eddie [Krawiec],” said Savoie. “I don’t like getting squeezed out. I want to be the guy who dominates, but we got this one by the skin of our teeth. Andrew [Hines] almost got us at the end, but we held on. Now we can go for the gusto tomorrow.”
Andrew Hines, who lead the Pro Stock Motorcycle points qualified second on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance and Hines Harley-Davidson and will face Brain Pretzel. Steve Johnson qualified third, his best starting position of the season, and will face two-time world champion Matt Smith in the first round of eliminations.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, the 20th 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. Steve Torrence, 3.718 seconds, 328.22 mph vs. 16. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.918, 309.13; 2. Antron Brown, 3.736, 322.96 vs. 15. Terry McMillen, 3.887, 319.67; 3. Larry Dixon, 3.739, 329.10 vs. 14. Billy Torrence, 3.878, 315.56; 4. Brittany Force, 3.753, 325.30 vs. 13. Troy Buff, 3.854, 312.64; 5. Doug Kalitta, 3.759, 323.43 vs. 12. Wayne Newby, 3.832, 308.85; 6. Clay Millican, 3.765, 321.12 vs. 11. Tony Schumacher, 3.825, 320.13; 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.776, 328.38 vs. 10. Richie Crampton, 3.805, 325.06; 8. J.R. Todd, 3.776, 326.87 vs. 9. Dave Connolly, 3.777, 326.00.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Luigi Novelli, 3.987, 291.89; 18. Jenna Haddock, 4.939, 174.73.
Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.883, 330.47 vs. 16. Brian Stewart, Ford Mustang, 4.397, 293.03; 2. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 3.899, 327.82 vs. 15. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.149, 293.98; 3. Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.907, 327.27 vs. 14. John Bojec, Toyota Solara, 4.132, 302.82; 4. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.937, 327.19 vs. 13. John Hale, Charger, 4.095, 305.63; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.941, 319.22 vs. 12. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.073, 305.91; 6. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 3.942, 321.12 vs. 11. Chad Head, Camry, 4.046, 313.15; 7. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.953, 325.30 vs. 10. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.998, 318.02; 8. John Force, Camaro, 3.985, 324.12 vs. 9. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.994, 313.22.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Dale Creasy Jr., 5.196, 295.92; 18. Shane Westerfield, broke.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.492, 213.27 vs. 16. Mark Hogan, Pontiac GXP, 6.680, 207.02; 2. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.502, 212.83 vs. 15. Aaron Strong, Camaro, 6.605, 209.10; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.508, 212.90 vs. 14. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.561, 211.63; 4. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.509, 212.56 vs. 13. V. Gaines, Dodge Dart, 6.556, 211.30; 5. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.514, 212.49 vs. 12. Deric Kramer, Dart, 6.545, 210.77; 6. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.514, 211.86 vs. 11. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.543, 211.79; 7. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.518, 212.79 vs. 10. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.528, 212.29; 8. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.524, 212.16 vs. 9. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.527, 212.86. Did Not Qualify: 17. Steve Schmidt, 6.700, 205.94; 18. Dave River, 6.751, 204.05.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.832, 196.50 vs. 16. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 7.028, 191.32; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.839, 196.47 vs. 15. Brian Pretzel, Buell, 7.016, 191.67; 3. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.852, 195.73 vs. 14. Matt Smith, Victory, 6.984, 192.55; 4. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.856, 194.69 vs. 13. Angie Smith, Victory, 6.953, 189.20; 5. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.861, 195.65 vs. 12. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 6.950, 192.41; 6. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.868, 196.44 vs. 11. Adam Arana, Buell, 6.929, 193.40; 7. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.886, 196.16 vs. 10. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.926, 195.48; 8. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.889, 195.22 vs. 9. Mike Berry, Buell, 6.916, 192.71.
NO. 1 QUALIFIER WHITELY RACES TO FIRST ROUND PRO MOD VICTORY
Steven Whitely powered to a first round victory over Harold Martin Saturday in J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series action at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. This is the ninth of 10 events in the 2015 season and the racing this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park is presented by Precision Turbo and Engine.
Earlier in the day, Whiteley raced his 2014 Y-NOT Racing/J&A Service Cadillac CTS-V to his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season and second in his career based on his Friday run of 5.820 seconds at 246.35 mph.
In the first round, Whitley faced Harold Martin in his Martin Motorsports ’15 Corvette and continued his dominating performance with a winning run of 5.833 at 249.10, to Martin’s trailing run of 9.484 at 99.970. Whiteley will face Mike Knowles when eliminations continue Sunday at 12:45 p.m.
Points leader Mike Janis was outside the 16 car field going into the final qualifying session but raced to the second qualifying position and he went on to win his first round matchup as he defeated Pete Farber. Janis will face Bob Rahaim in the second round.
“Indy, Charlotte and here we have been having a lot of trouble on Friday,” Janis said. “We have been saving the best for last on Saturday. This is our lively hood we are trying to win this championship and bring it home to Buffalo, New York.”
Troy Coughlin, Knowles, Rickie Smith, Bob Rahaim, Gerry Capano and Chip King were also among the first round winners. Coughlin trails Janis by 48 points and will race King on Sunday.
“Another round for us,” said Coughlin. “A lot of the guys that are way up in the top of this thing are still going so it will be a good fight clear to the end for sure. Janis is pretty strong right now and the hottest guy on the tour and a bunch of us have to take him out.”
Charlotte winner Danny Rowe, who crashed his new Corvette yesterday and qualified with his ’68 Camaro today, lost when his car failed to fire at the start of his first round pairing.
Second round pairings will also feature Capano vs. Smith.
First round-by-round results from the Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, the ninth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Knowles, Ford Mustang, 5.883, 240.59 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Corvette, 5.875, 242.93; Gerry Capano, Corvette, 5.947, 240.29 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Corvette, broke; Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 7.068, 160.35 def. Steve Matusek, Chevy Camaro, foul; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.917, 245.90 def. Danny Rowe, Camaro, broke; Bob Rahaim, Corvette, 5.954, 239.48 def. Bill Glidden, Mustang, foul; Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.851, 246.21 def. Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.926, 246.80; Steven Whiteley, Cadillac CTS-V, 5.833, 249.12 def. Harold Martin, Corvette, 9.484, 99.97; Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.889, 243.55 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 5.876, 247.70;
Final order after 3 rounds of qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:
Psn---Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type---------------Qual-ET--Qual-Spd-Top Spd
1 5200 Steven Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '14 CTS-V 5.820 249.35 249.35
2 4 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, '13 Camaro 5.848 246.39 246.39
3 394 Troy Coughlin Jr., Delaware OH, '14 Corvette 5.878 253.61 253.61
4 2 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, '15 Corvette 5.882 254.57 254.57
5 213 Chip King, Semora NC, '70 Charger 5.888 243.94 243.94
6 1 Rickie Smith, King NC, '15 Camaro 5.889 246.48 246.48
7 324 Bill Glidden, Whiteland IN, '10 Mustang 5.889 243.77 243.77
8 5011 Mike Knowles, Grand Junction CO, '67 Mustang 5.893 238.17 238.17
9 9 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, '15 Corvette 5.897 240.77 240.77
10 360 Bob Rahaim, Grosse Pointe MI, '15 Corvette 5.899 244.83 245.09
11 5 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, '15 Corvette 5.901 247.79 247.79
12 1938 Eric Latino, Port Perry ON, '69 Camaro 5.917 243.46 245.36
13 6 Steve Matusek, Olathe KS, '68 Camaro 5.918 247.20 247.20
14 1109 Gerry Capano, Greenville DE, '63 Corvette 5.927 241.54 241.54
15 8 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, '69 Daytona 5.933 247.34 247.34
16 377 Harold Martin, New Hudson MI, '15 Corvette 5.944 230.57 241.89
------------ Not Qualified ------------
17 5012 Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, '69 Camaro 5.950 245.27 245.27
18 327 Khalid alBalooshi, Doha QA, '69 Camaro 5.958 245.05 245.05
19 6718 Shane Molinari, Battle Ground WA, '70 Camaro 5.977 249.95 249.95
20 701 Clint Satterfield, Albuquerque NM, '68 Firebi 6.015 242.36 242.36
21 303 Dan Stevenson, Lisle IL, '13 Camaro 6.139 244.43 244.43
22 2105 Doug Winters, Pleasant Garden NC, '69 Chevelle 6.232 238.72 238.72
23 3382 Don Walsh, Wixom MI,t'14 Camaro 7.096 144.95 144.95
24 5087 Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '69 Chevelle 7.928 120.01 120.01
25 210 Jay Payne, Ontario CA, '13 Camaro 7.985 115.82 115.82
FRIDAY - DIXON, BECKMAN, ANDERSON AND SAVOIE LEAD QUALIFYING
Larry Dixon raced to the qualifying lead Friday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the 20th of 24 events in the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Dixon pushed his C&J Energy Services dragster to a performance of 3.756 seconds at 328.06 mph to reset the track speed record and earn the provisional lead. Dixon has five runner-up finishes this season and is currently third in the points standings.
“It was the best run of the day, so great job by (crew chief) Mike Guger and the team,” said Dixon, a three time world champion. “I’ve lost championships by two points before, so I’ll take three today. It’s kind of funny, not funny, but this is the first time I’ve ever been in this press room. I had to ask for directions to get here. I love racing here but don’t have any hardware or No. 1 qualifiers from this track. This is the first time I’ve been here in three years, so I’m grateful to be here wearing a firesuit.”
J.R. Todd, who posted a runner-up finish last weekend, powered his Jimi Hendrix Foundation dragster to the second spot with a 3.776 at 326.87. Doug Kalitta sits third with a 3.777 at 322.42 in his Mac Tools dragster while Antron Brown, who has won this event three years in a row, sits fourth.
In Funny Car, Beckman posted a 3.946 at 323.43 at the controls of his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T to earn the qualifying lead. Beckman has a category-best six victories this season along with five No. 1 qualifiers. Beckman, who won St. Louis in 2012 en route to his first world championship title, is currently third in points after entering the Countdown last weekend in the top spot.
“We couldn’t back our car down enough in Charlotte, but now we’re in the best conditions we’ve been in since Brainerd,” said Beckman. “I think this comes back into our wheelhouse. If the forecast is accurate, that’s not going to hold for low E.T. tomorrow.”
Del Worsham pushed his DHL Toyota Camry to the second spot with a 3.959 at 319.90. Worsham took over the points lead last weekend by racing to his first victory of the season at Charlotte. Tommy Johnson Jr. is in the provisional third spot with a 3.963 at 319.22 in his Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T and is followed by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan and John Force.
Anderson, a four-time world champ, sprinted to the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro Stock with a track record 6.492 at 213.20 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro. Anderson, who won at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2004, sits second in points with four wins in seven final round appearances this season. He has 78 career No. 1 qualifiers and is chasing his fourth of 2015.
“Today was a great day,” said Anderson. “This is a great racetrack. It seems to be right up the Pro Stock alley. We like to test here, and we really run good at this track. If this holds, it will be my third [No. 1] in a row. Our crew is doing a fantastic job with the car. It’s a dream to drive. It’s almost silly how good it is. I’m having a ball, but I have to parlay that into some-round wins. We’ve been dropping the ball on Sunday, and I can’t let that keep happening.”
Pro Stock newcomer Drew Skillman sits second with a 6.510 at 212.23 in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro. Skillman’s teammate, defending Pro Stock world champion and two-time event winner Erica Enders powered her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the provisional third qualifier with a 6.511 at 212.43. Jonathan Gray sits in the fourth spot and is followed by Bo Butner and Chris McGaha.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Savoie grabbed the qualifying lead with a 6.832 at 196.50 on his Savoie’s Alligator Farm Suzuki. Savoie, who raced to his first career victory at this event one year ago, currently sits third in points with two wins this season. The Louisiana alligator farmer is two sessions away from his second career No. 1 qualifier.
“All week I said that whatever you leave Charlotte with is what you’re going to have coming in here, and we have some good momentum,” said Savoie. “I’ve found that on these bikes, the fastest passes are the smoothest. After our first run, I told (crew chief) Tim Kulungian that we had more left because the bike was not graceful. On the second run, I hit third gear and I said to myself, ‘Boys, we’ve got us a motorcycle now.’”
Karen Stoffer sits second with a 6.885 at 194.21 on her Big St. Charles Motorsports/Suzuki Extended Protection Suzuki. Stoffer, who is sixth in the points standing, has two wins this season. Defending world champion Andrew Hines is third after two sessions with a 6.895 at 193.16 while Hector Arana is fourth with a 6.902 at 194.35.
Qualifying for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals resumes Saturday at 1:45 p.m. with the final two sessions to set the fields for Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, 20th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon, 3.756 seconds, 328.06 mph; 2. J.R. Todd, 3.776, 326.87; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.777, 322.42; 4. Antron Brown, 3.792, 321.50; 5. Brittany Force, 3.794, 324.28; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.802, 324.83; 7. Tony Schumacher, 3.825, 320.13; 8. Wayne Newby, 3.832, 308.85; 9. Steve Torrence, 3.837, 319.45; 10. Dave Connolly, 3.843, 321.04; 11. Troy Buff, 3.866, 312.64; 12. Clay Millican, 3.903, 316.30. Not Qualified: 13. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.913, 309.13; 14. Terry McMillen, 3.966, 309.27; 15. Billy Torrence, 4.013, 238.60; 16. Luigi Novelli, 4.111, 283.73; 17. Richie Crampton, 4.634, 163.55; 18. Jenna Haddock, 8.344, 84.21.
Funny Car -- 1. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 3.946, 323.43; 2. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 3.959, 319.90; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.963, 319.22; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.970, 323.66; 5. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.985, 322.42; 6. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.994, 313.22; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.998, 318.02; 8. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.047, 308.50; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.053, 305.22; 10. Courtney Force, Camaro, 4.058, 307.37; 11. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.073, 305.91; 12. John Hale, Charger, 4.095, 305.63. Not Qualified: 13. Chad Head, 4.154, 294.88; 14. Brian Stewart, 4.162, 293.03; 15. Tony Pedregon, 4.184, 290.44; 16. Dale Creasy Jr., 4.238, 295.92; 17. John Bojec, 7.144, 92.59.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.492, 213.27; 2. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.510, 212.43; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.511, 212.90; 4. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.514, 212.19; 5. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.521, 212.83; 6. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.522, 211.83; 7. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.527, 212.86; 8. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.528, 211.99; 9. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.534, 211.73; 10. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.545, 211.46; 11. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.548, 212.39; 12. Deric Kramer, Dart, 6.574, 209.82. Not Qualified: 13. V. Gaines, 6.586, 211.20; 14. Aaron Strong, 6.592, 209.10; 15. Alex Laughlin, 6.629, 210.50; 16. Steve Schmidt, 6.677, 205.94; 17. Mark Hogan, 6.711, 206.32; 18. Dave River, 6.814, 203.06.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.832, 196.50; 2. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.885, 194.80; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.895, 193.16; 4. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.902, 194.35; 5. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.903, 194.16; 6. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.926, 195.48; 7. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.935, 193.07; 8. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.936, 194.35; 9. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.952, 193.68; 10. Mike Berry, Buell, 6.953, 191.54; 11. Adam Arana, Buell, 6.955, 193.05; 12. Matt Smith, Victory, 6.987, 192.55. Not Qualified: 13. Brian Pretzel, 6.991, 191.67; 14. Scotty Pollacheck, 7.011, 190.54; 15. Chaz Kennedy, 7.063, 189.18; 16. Angie Smith, 9.097, 94.46.
WHITELEY RACES TO PRO MOD QUALIFYING LEAD FRIDAY
Steven Whiteley raced to the qualifying lead Friday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, the ninth of 10 events on the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series schedule. This weekend’s Pro Mod racing at Gateway Motorsports Park just outside of St. Louis is presented by Precision Turbo and Engine.
Whiteley powered his 2014 Y-NOT Racing/J&A Service Cadillac CTS-V to a leading performance of 5.820 seconds at 246.35 mph. Whiteley is looking for his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and second of his career.
“It feels good but it hasn’t quite set in yet,” Whiteley said. “We’re just trying to stay consistent. The racetrack is hot, which is working in our favor a little bit. The car seems to be working well.”
Troy Coughlin Jr. was second in his JEGS.com Chevrolet Corvette with a 5.878 at 253.61 while his father, Troy Coughlin, was third with a 5.882 at 254.57 in his JEGS Mail Order Corvette.
Danny Rowe, who won last weekend in Charlotte, N.C., was fourth, but his new Corvette received significant damage when he collided with the wall during the second qualifying session. Rowe plans to enter his ’68 Camaro in competition tomorrow and he will lose his fourth place position in the qualifying order and start fresh in the final session with the new entry.
“It definitely jarred me, but I feel okay,” Rowe said. “I don’t know which is hurting worse: my body or my pride. It is what it is. We have another car coming up, my old car, my Camaro. It’s a great car. So, we’re still in the points battle here and we want to go out and fight for everything we can get. We’re going to do everything we can to get back in it.”
Houston winner Don Walsh and Norwalk winner Mike Janis have not qualified through the first two sessions.
The final round of Pro Mod qualifying will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. before the first round of eliminations at 3:45 p.m.
Friday's results after the first two of three rounds of qualifying for the Fourth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, ninth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Saturday's first round of eliminations.
Pro Modified -- 1. Steven Whiteley, Cadillac CTS-V, 5.820, 249.35; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Corvette, 5.878, 253.61; 3. Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 5.882, 254.57; 4. Danny Rowe, Corvette, 5.901, 247.79; 5. Eric Latino, Chevy Camaro, 5.917, 243.46; 6. Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.918, 247.20; 7. Gerry Capano, Corvette, 5.927, 241.54; 8. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.936, 243.41; 9. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.941, 245.81; 10. Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.943, 246.75; 11. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 5.950, 245.27; 12. Harold Martin, Corvette, 5.951, 241.89; 13. Mike Castellana, Corvette, 5.952, 237.92; 14. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 5.956, 241.15; 15. Bob Rahaim, Corvette, 5.965, 245.09; 16. Shane Molinari, Camaro, 5.977, 249.95. Not Qualified: 17. Mike Knowles, 6.035, 216.27; 18. Mike Janis, 6.077, 244.78; 19. Clint Satterfield, 6.173, 232.51; 20. Dan Stevenson, 6.230, 241.80; 21. Don Walsh, 7.096, 144.95; 22. Jim Whiteley, 7.928, 120.01; 23. Jay Payne, 7.985, 115.82; 24. Khalid alBalooshi, 8.525, 106.84; 25. Doug Winters, 9.090, 101.75.
