EVENT RESULTS EVENT NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS SPORTSMAN RESULTS

EVENT GALLERY

SUNDAY RANDOM NOTES

BECKMAN COMPLETES PERFECT WEEKEND WITH WIN, NATIONAL RECORD AND 147 POINTS AT SONOMA - How would you describe the perfect race weekend?

A race win? Consistency? A national record? Huge ground made up in the championship standings? How about all four. In the same weekend. By one team.

That was the weekend in a nutshell for Jack Beckman and crew chief Jimmy Prock, as Beckman blasted to a new Funny Car national record of 3.921-seconds in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing and collected the win all while tying the record for the most points scored in a single race weekend during the 28th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

Beckman was quickest in seven of his eight passes during the weekend to earn his fifth Wally of 2015 and the 20th victory of his career on a historical afternoon that saw all four number one qualifiers visit the winners circle. Sunday’s other NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winners were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Chris McGaha (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

“Everything about this win makes it extra special. Getting that trophy at the end of the day is satisfaction that your team did everything better than everyone else that day. I will qualify 16th if we can get the trophy. As it turns out, we got the trophy and qualified first and set the national record,” Beckman said. “That is icing, on top of icing, on top of the cake. It couldn’t have been any better.”

Beckman completed the weekend sweep with a victory over Tommy Johnson Jr. on Sunday, finishing off the historic race with a 4.037-second pass at 310.63 mph to collect his fifth win of 2015. Johnson had a slight starting line advantage, but conceded the win by the 60-foot mark as Beckman blasted by for his second win in a row. Johnson had a 4.073 at 308.99 mph in his third final of the year.

With the national record, number one qualifier award, quickest lap bonuses and race win, Beckman compiled 147 points in one race weekend to narrow the gap between himself and his championship-leading DSR teammate Matt Hagan from 145 points down to just 57 points with three races remaining before the Countdown. 

“Prock is the favorite for the championship and I get to drive his car,” Beckman said. “Matt Hagan and Dickie Venables have been the class of the field all year. We were very fortunate this weekend. We made up a lot of points in qualifying, we made up 20 for the national record and they got beat in the second round, so we made up 90 points.You don’t do that on a car of that caliber in one race, but it happened here this weekend. You could just as easily lose them the next race, but we feel good about where we are right now.”

Beckman, who had five passes in the three-second zone during the weekend including the two quickest passes in NHRA Funny Car history, made easy work of the competition during eliminations on Sunday. Beckman recorded wins over Tony Pedregon, Chad Head and Robert Hight to reach the final, before eliminating Johnson in the deciding round. Beckman had laps of 3.993, 3.979, 4.037 and 4.037 on Sunday, quickest in each session.

Add in his 3.921-second pass Friday night, a new NHRA 1,000 foot national record, and even much heralded crew chief Jimmy Prock was taken aback by the extreme success of the car this weekend.

“We have been working on some stuff and it has obviously made us much faster,” Prock said. “And to be honest, I wasn’t doing a very good job of predicting what this car could run. You analyze all of your data and I always look at it like, if you can guess it, you know you are doing good. As stuff has improved over the years, we are getting better at being able to control the variables and predict what these cars are going to do.

“I missed it Friday night. I didn’t try to run for the record, but the thing left so good that it ran three hundredths better than we were trying to run. I knew it was running good, but when I saw it, I have to admit I was surprised.”

But it wasn’t all fun and games for the Infinite Hero Foundation team. In the first round against Pedregon, Beckman felt the car may run into trouble and his prediction almost came true.

“In the first round, I get in the car and I always go over everything. I make sure I am tightened in right, make sure the car is in the correct gear, I check all of the linkages and everything else on it. So when I go to touch the reverse lever and it goes forward more than I remember, I called my clutch guy over and he looks at it, but we didn’t have time to dig in there,” Beckman said. “I got on the radio with Jimmy and I told him I think we have a problem. I told him I am going to do a short burnout so that if I can’t get it in reverse, they can push me back.

“I did the burnout, went into reverse and then I thought, I hope it goes into forward. When I put it in forward, there was no positive stop. All 10,000 foot pounds of torque goes through the reversers and they are not that beefy and they can explode on you, but you have to blank that out of your mind.

“When we got it back to the pits, that thing was about ready to break. That was a lucky break for us. We could have been done first round, but boy did it turn out just fine.”

With wins at the last two races, Beckman will travel to Seattle next week with a chance to sweep the famed NHRA Western Swing, becoming only the second Funny Car driver and eighth overall driver in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series to accomplish that feat.

So does Beckman feel that he is the favorite next week in Seattle? Just ask him.

“I am a fan, so I am going to give you the fan perspective instead of the driver perspective. I think you would be a fool not to consider our car the favorite,” Beckman said. “Our performance has been stellar the last two races. But these cars have a 10-foot wheelbase and 10,000 horsepower and are hard to predict. But I like our chances.”

Either way, with Jimmy Prock on his side, Beckman feels there is nothing this team can’t accomplish the remainder of this year.

“It is easy to get nervous when you are racing against Jimmy Prock. But the other side of it is when you are driving for Jimmy Prock, it is easy to let that pressure and expectation get to you,” Beckman said. “I have to do my best, to do my best.” Larry Crum

BROWN WINS TOP FUEL SONOMA TITLE - What a difference a week makes for Antron Brown.

A week after losing in the first round at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Brown, the 2012 world champion, was Top Fuel royalty at the Sonoma (Calif.) Nationals Aug. 2.

Brown beat first-time Top Fuel finalist Dave Connolly to capture his fourth win of the season.

Brown clocked a 3.787-second elapsed time at 320.74 mph in his Don Schumacher Racing Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster to beat Connolly, who drives for Bob Vandergriff Racing. Connolly came across the line at 3.808 seconds and 319.14 mph.

“This was just a great race weekend,” Brown said. “Anybody who can be a part of an organization such as DSR (Don Schumacher Racing), you’re just truly blessed to be a part of an organization like this. This whole organization has just grown over the years, and it’s not only a great organization, but also a great organization for the sport of NHRA.”

Connolly, who has 26 career Pro Stock national event wins, was trying to become the fourth driver in NHRA history to win a national event in more than one Pro category. The short list consists of Brown (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Fuel), Mark Osborne (Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck) and Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock Truck, Pro Stock).

This was Brown’s 51st career national event win and fourth at Sonoma (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014). He beat Steven Chrisman, Richie Crampton, Tony Schumacher and Connolly during his victory parade.

“You know what is real special about this track, once you come from Denver and you get off the plane and you take a breathe, you have a lot of energy and the cars feel it as well,” Brown said. “Our crew chiefs Brian (Corradi) and Mark (Oswald) love sea level race tracks. The car makes great power and when you have a track like it is here at Sonoma, one of the Bruton Smith tracks, everything just works so well here. When you get off to a great start in the first round of qualifying, like we did, it sets the tone for the whole weekend.”

Brown acknowledged nothing came easy in the semifinals and finals.

“When you’re talking about the U.S. Army car, Mike Green and the whole crew, that car has been phenomenal this whole year,” Brown said. “We know if you want to try and win a championship, it goes through that team. When you race them, you better bring you’re A-plus game and that’s what we did and we snuck by them. Then when we raced Connolly in the final, that’s another Schumacher Racing car because they buy all the parts from us. I’m looking at our boss man right now (Don Schumacher) and I’m locking up our doors when the Countdown comes. Dave Connolly did a phenomenal job driving and he had lane choice in the final. We came up, I saw the tree and I hit it as hard as I could and kept the car in the groove and those boys did a phenomenal job putting the car together.” Tracy Renck

MCGAHA FINALLY A WINNER WITH FIRST-CAREER PRO STOCK WALLY AT SONOMA - Finally.

After three decades behind the wheel, countless passes, three career final rounds and six number one qualifier awards, Chris McGaha can finally call himself an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winner.

The driver of the Harlow Sammons Chevrolet Camaro put together a masterful weekend at Sonoma Raceway, culminating with a win over Jonathan Gray in the Pro Stock final on Sunday to collect his first career Wally in the finale of the 28th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

“This win is 30 years in the making. All of those years running Comp, watching my dad and then doing this myself. All those years leaving my house thinking maybe this is my weekend. I just kept coming out here and kept trying,” McGaha said. “We have had a few heartbreakers along the way. To finally get it done is pretty special.”

All three of McGaha’s finals have come in 2015, with losses to Erica Enders in the Houston finals in April and again to Enders at Bristol in June. Now McGaha finally has his win, having to defeat Enders and a number of heavy hitters along the way.

In the deciding round, McGaha had to make up a slight starting line disadvantage, but was able to power past his opponent by the 200-foot mark and easily motor by for the win. McGaha crossed the stripe with a 6.531-second pass at 212.13 mph, easily besting Gray’s 6.560 at 211.03 mph in the runner-up effort.

“I knew I was going to win as soon as I stuck it in high gear. I knew I was going to beat the car in the second round when I put it in high gear. I knew I beat Jeg (Coughlin) when I put it in high gear (in the semifinals). And I knew I beat (Gray) when I put it in high gear,” McGaha said. “I could see just enough out the window and that is probably why I am so hoarse. I started yelling before I even got to the scoreboards.

“I will never forget that picture in my mind knowing I had it.”

McGaha had little trouble in his road to the final, despite facing a number of heavy hitters along the way. The Texan recorded wins over V. Gaines, Enders and Jeg Coughlin to reach the final, and put together another stellar lap in the championship round. McGaha had passes of 6.530, 6.514, 6.531 and 6.531 on Sunday, with his closest race of the afternoon being a shootout against Enders - a 6.514 to a 6.529.

But as the afternoon wore on, things became easier for McGaha and by the time he reached the final, he wasn’t quite as nervous as he has been in the past.

“It definitely gets easier the more you are there,” McGaha said. “The first time you ever go to a semifinal, you are like wow, there are only four cars. And then the first time you go to a final it is really something realizing you are the last two cars.

“Each time I went up there it got a little bit easier. Hopefully the next time it will be even easier than that.”

Sunday’s Pro Stock battle featured another interesting kink as an above-average number of holeshot victories wreaked havoc on the class in the latter rounds. There were three holeshot wins in round two and another in the semifinals, adding an additional layer of pressure for a quick driver like McGaha.

“I knew I could have been one of those victims if I didn’t get up there and get my part done,” McGaha said. “That always goes through your mind. When you are quick, that is the only way you are going to lose is lose on a holeshot. I was not going to let that happen.”

In addition to the win, McGaha also set the Sonoma track record Friday night with a 6.499-second pass to qualify first.

McGaha’s victory has been several years in the making with a small, tight-knit crew behind the scenes guiding the team.

“Me and crew chief Brian Self, that is pretty much our engine shop. Everybody that is on my team is a crew chief in their own right. Most of us have raced our own cars completely by ourselves, so that really helps us put our heads together and get things done,” McGaha said.

Now McGaha, who made up considerable ground on the top drivers in the championship standings, will shift his focus to the third leg of the western swing next week in Seattle knowing that, no matter what happens, nothing can take away the fact that he is finally a winner in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class.

“It is like a monkey has been taken off my back,” McGaha said. “I hope it is like the number one qualifiers have turned out. It just seems like it got easier to get those the more we had. Hopefully the same thing happens here.

“But I would take just one win. If I never get another one, I will be more than content in this lifetime.” Larry Crum

KRAWIEC CONTINUES PSM ROLL AT SONOMA - It’s safe to say things have been clicking the past two weeks for Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Eddie Krawiec.

The pilot of the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson won his second NHRA national event in a row, his latest coming Aug. 2 at the Sonoma, (Calif.) Nationals.

Krawiec clocked a 6.881-second elapsed time at 191.00 mph to beat Jerry Savoie’s 6.891-second lap at 194.13 mph at Sonoma Raceway.

“We took some pictures with the broom because we sort of swept the mini swing,” Krawiec said. “We do have three races out here because one of them is the Pro Bike battle. I’m fortunate to be able to say I went to Denver and won, won the Battle and won Sonoma. That’s a testament to this facility. It sets itself apart from most because Bruton (Smith) takes care of his tracks and makes sure you have the best stuff and the best surfaces and everything to run on.”

Krawiec’s last couple of weekends have been fantastic. He qualified No. 1 at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver with a new track record and then won the race. He then qualified No. 1 at Sonoma and also won the three round Pro Stock Motorcycle battle Aug. 1 at Sonoma.

“The Aligator (Savoie) almost ate (in the finals),” Krawiec said. “Jerry is a great competitor. I’m fully aware of the (Suzuki) horsepower that he has because we supply it to him. He’s a great racer, and you can’t take that team lightly. Matter of fact, you can’t take any team lightly.”

This was Krawiec’s 29th career. He won world championships in 2008, 2011 and 2012, and he’s currently leading the point standings.

At Sonoma’s national event, Krawiec defeated Angie Smith, Steve Johnson, Scotty Pollacheck, before ousting Savioe. Last year, Krawiec also upended Savoie in the finals at Sonoma. This was Krawiec’s third career victory at Sonoma as he also won there in 2012.

“I almost didn’t have a chance to come up here and talk (after the win),” Krawiec said. “The first round was a close one for me. I actually popped the clutch lever. I don’t know if we had a little bit of clutch malfunction, but it flared the motor and then blew the tire away and the bike really didn’t move. It was kind of odd because it hasn’t done that really ever for us. We just went back and tried to keep a cool head and make the proper changes and go. I ran Jerry in the final here last year and the result was the same. It’s just great racing for the fans, that’s the best thing.”

Krawiec, who finished second in the points a year ago to his Harley-Davidson teammate Andrew Hines, likes where his team is headed.

“I think we are starting to hit our stride,” Krawiec said. “We are running the way we expect to run. We’re still picking away on Andrew’s motorcycle a little bit. Mine is in a little bit of window and his is getting there.” Tracy Renck

SUNDAY'S TOP TAKEAWAYS

REVERSE ADJUSTMENT - The NHRA Sonoma Nationals represents a return to normalcy for the racers on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. 

Last weekend, these competitors raced in Denver at an altitude of more than 5,800 feet above sea level. This weekend's challenge has been in releasing their previous restraint to take advantage of sea level conditions measuring just above 15 feet for this weekend's event.  

"You just have to hope that the combination you ran in Denver doesn't affect your normal tune-up," said driver Tommy Johnson Jr.  "It's challenging with the changing conditions." 

Matt Hagan's crew chief Dickie Venables pulls data from a similar event close to what he experiences here in Sonoma. 

"Coming back here (Sonoma) we just put everything back like it was in Chicago, looked at our notes, plugged it in and it actually ran within a half of hundredth of what we were trying to run (first qualifying session)," Venables said. 

Sonoma is a return to normalcy for the teams, Alexis DeJoria believes. 

“Like most teams do, they have a certain setup just for Denver," DeJoria said. "Once Denver comes around, we take our normal setup off the car and put in our Denver tune-up. Because of the high elevation the chutes don’t blossom as hard and we don’t make very good downforce so that can be troublesome for the driver, so when we come back down to sea level at Sonoma, we put our fast tune-up back in the car.” 

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER - Mickey Gamitch, 95, picked a good weekend to attend his first-ever drag race. He was in Sonoma as a guest of the Lucas Oil Top Fuel team. 

Gamitch, from nearby San Leandro, Ca., is one of the few Pearl Harbor survivors still alive, now down to less than 1000. 

Better late than never to experience drag racing.

“Yeah, I was always active in bowling, all kinds of sports,” said Gamitch. “Softball, baseball, and football mainly.  In fact I was going to play football against the USS Arizona to complete the football team on December 7, 1941.  We couldn’t play the game, we had a war to fight.”

His observations of drag racing?

“Oh, it’s pretty noisy,” said Gamitch. “I’ve watched some of that and it’s really amazing the way they do it and do it that fast.”

FIRST CLINCHERS - This weekend at Sonoma the first drivers of the season have secured their positions in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race postseason playoffs.
 
In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher clinched his position by taking the tree in the first round and Antron Brown clinched his spot with a second round win. 
 
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson and Erica Enders-Stevens also clinched their positions by taking the tree in the first round today. Jason Line also clinched with a second round win and a first-round V. Gaines lost.
 
In Funny Car, Matt Hagan clinched his position with his first round victory today over Paul Lee. 

UNFULFILLED - Matt Hagan ran the fastest speed in Funny Car history with a 325.77 blast but he was unable to produce the required one-percent back-up. 

THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM - Larry Dixon has been red-hot in recent races, but it was his rookie teammate Dave Connolly who advanced to the semis following their second round race. This victory was the first time Connolly has beaten Dixon in three races. 

"I didn't like losing a round but if I had to, I'd rather it be him," said Dixon. 

THE UNFORTUNATE STREAK CONTINUES - Well, it didn't work this time. Last year, when Top Fuel driver Spencer Massey was mired in a three-race losing streak, he emerged with a first round victory. Massey brought four consecutive first round losses into this event. Richie Crampton denied Massey, as Massey smoked the tires after grabbing a quicker reaction time.  

JUST UGLY - The first round match between John Force and John Hale was ugly; so ugly it would have made a train take a dirt road. At nearly the same spot at mid-track, both Force and Hale struck the tires. Force slid sideways toward the center-line but straightened out enough to limp across the finish line with supercharger askew, 4.89 to 4.98.

THREE-FEAT - Jack Beckman has more three-second runs than any other Funny Car driver in the 1000-foot era. He opened Sunday's eliminations with a "slow" 3.99 in beating Tony Pedregon. How impressive was the win? Beckman was nearly .04 quicker than the second quickest winning elapsed time, the 4.04 from Chad Head, who beat Del Worsham in the first round.  

Beckman ran 3.979 in the second round to beat Head. His second round three was his seventeenth career run under four seconds.

"I don't know what to say, I'm out of superlatives," said Beckman, after his second round win. 

KEEPING HIM HONEST - Paul Lee made defending NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan earn his trip to the quarterfinals, holding close all the way to the finish line with an .012 margin of victory. Hagan's 4.099 edged out Lee's 4.105. 

COURTNEY'S FRUSTRATION CONTINUES - Courtney Force has three races left in which to earn her way into the Countdown to the Championship, reserved for the top ten point earners. Ms. Force lost for the third time in a row, maintaining her No. 11 ranking. The loss came to the tenth-ranked driver, her teammate Robert Hight. 

“We had another huge round for our Traxxas Chevy Funny Car team,” said Force. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the win but we had a great car going up there. I am really proud of my team. We just had a really tough first round opponent with Robert (Hight) who edged us out for the win. He had the better car and got the win. It is tough for us we had the fourth quickest Funny Car of the session so it is hard to see we had one of the best cars out there today but we had to face one of the toughest guys out there. 

“We are going to move on and it feels good that we have a good race car we just have to look forward to Seattle and get back on our feet there. It has been tough throughout this Western Swing. Being in the No. 11 spot is tough but a couple of people in front of us also went out early so we have a lot of hope going into Seattle that we can still catch up and get ourselves into the Countdown.”

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK

TOP SATURDAY QUALIFYING TAKEAWAYS

JACK IS STILL NIMBLE, JACK IS STILL QUICK - Jack Beckman had a heck of a day in the office. While it could have been very tempting to celebrate with unwavering zeal, the past NHRA champion kept his emotions in check. 

"I'm the same guy here that I am in the pits that I am at home with my kids. I'm not a racecar driver. I'm a guy, I'm a husband, I'm a father and I'm lucky enough to get to drive a racecar. I don't define myself by the racecar," Jack said.

Beckman earned the third NHRA national E.T. record of his career when his shocking run of 3.958 seconds in Saturday's final session on a hot racetrack backed up the quickest run in history of 3.921 he made on a much cooler night before in the Infinite Hero Dodge with crew chief Jimmy Prock and assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham.

Beckman's last 3-second run was his third of the weekend to give him an NHRA leading total of 15.

"It's nice to be the quickest Funny Car driver ever, but I'd trade that for winning the trophy tomorrow," said Beckman, who has won two of the past three Mello Yello events and his win a week ago at Denver was his career-best fourth in one season.

"These moments are not lost on me. They are incredibly special. It does matter that we qualify the best, it does matter that we set low ET of the world, all I'm telling you is in the big picture of racing it's not our main goal. It's beyond satisfying.

"I never thought I would be here, I really didn't. I was out here in 2004 going through chemotherapy and I won the divisional race in my Super Comp car and I didn't know, we took the pictures down there and I thought this might be our last winner's circle ever. Not because I was a fatalist but because you just don't know.

"Nineteen wins, a championship and all of this stuff later it is not lost on me. This is just absolutely enormous."

ANTRON DELIVERS ANOTHER NO. 1 - Antron Brown registered a 3.707-second pass to set the Top Fuel track record and capture the No. 1 spot.

The record run gives Brown his fifth number one qualifier of the season after previously topping the time charts at Atlanta, Topeka, Englishtown and Chicago.  For the weekend, Brown led two sessions and placed second in the remaining two to earn 10 bonus points in qualifying.

"We were definitely pushing and it’s always good when the car does what you want it to " said Brown. "They (crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald) even shied back a little bit because it was getting cooler and a lot of cars weren't making it down. It feels good to put that number on the board and be number one here at Sonoma. Lord knows we're just truly blessed to have the type of team that we have here for Matco Tools, the U.S. Army and Toyota. You work hard and the results will show.”

DOUBLE UP, DOUBLE DOWN - This weekend’s number one qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec, doubled his luck today with a victory in the Pro Bike Battle. Krawiec ran a 6.787 on his Harley Davidson to take out Andrew Hines. Krawiec, who had his first season win last week in Denver, is leading in the points. 

The victory was a good one for the Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson team which has struggled with consistency earlier in the year. However hard work and patience has been paying off, even if the pay itself saw its own challenges here in Sonoma.

A sponsor fallout caused the Battle to carry was smaller purse this year but Krawiec’s priorities put the fan first. “Everybody gets caught up with a dollar figure at certain points in time but I think, when you look at the big picture, we got allot of fans that come out here and support us,” says Krawiec. “I want to put on the best show I can.” 

MCGAHA SEALS THE DEAL - Pro Stock driver Chris McGaha starts from the No. 1 seed for the sixth time in his career and fourth time this season, McGaha will race V. Gaines in the first round of eliminations at Sonoma Raceway.
 
McGaha was low in both sessions today with runs of 6.518, 212.19 and 6.527, 212.06. In all, McGaha gathered 10 bonus qualifying points. In three of the four sessions, his Harlow Sammons Chevrolet Camaro was the quickest on the property.
 
"Today's conditions were more like raceday, and that's what you want," said McGaha, who made his Pro Stock debut at the U.S. Nationals in 2011. He was a part-time Pro Stock racer until 2014, making this season just his second as a full-time competitor.
 
"Lately, we've been running late both days of qualifying, and that's kind of throwaway information that you can't really use on raceday – but here in Sonoma we got to run earlier on Saturday, and that was a lot better to prepare us for tomorrow," he continued. "The racetrack is a little greasy right now, and it will get worse as time goes on with the sun on it and everyone racing on it. That's just like raceday, so this was good to help us get ready.

TOP FUEL

AB’S SECRET SONOMA WEAPON - Antron Brown's co-crew chief Mark Oswald was an original winner at the inaugural NHRA Sonoma Nationals in 1988. He scored the Funny Car title behind the wheel of the Candies & Hughes Ford Thunderbird. 

Oswald admits he never had the foresight to believe one day he'd be the crew chief on a No. 1 qualifying Top Fuel dragster. 

"I never planned that far ahead," Oswald admitted. "I just enjoyed racing and took it where it led me.”

The road has led Oswald into a role of successful crew chief while the other winners on the same day Joe Amato (Top Fuel) and Harry Scribner (Pro Stock) are no longer involved in drag racing. 

“It makes me feel old," Oswald said with a smile. "It also makes me feel good. I know that’s what I was meant to do, and that’s what I enjoy doing and it doesn't matter what phase of it I’m in.”

SCHUMACHER VS. BRITTANY - This weekend was the first time in five events that Tony Schumacher did not qualify first or second and only the third time in 15 events that he hasn’t been inside the top three. His quest for a third Sonoma victory and fourth of the 2015 begins with a race versus Brittany Force. Force won the first two times the two met in 2015 and Schumacher came out on top last weekend in the semifinals at Denver.

The final run of the day for Force was the most important pass of the weekend. In today's first session the third year driver once again had to pedal her dragster to get it down the track under power. The 2013 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner was sitting in the No. 15 spot and stepped up to the No. 12 qualifying position with a solid. 3.872 second run as the sun set on Sonoma Raceway.

“That last run was definitely the most important run of the weekend. We struggled to get the car down there leading up to that run. We couldn’t seem to get a solid clean run in out there. We needed something to work off of going into first round of eliminations tomorrow,” said Force. “We got this Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster down there and we were trying to run close to 3.87. I am proud of the entire team and we pair up with Tony Schumacher first round. We raced him last weekend and he took us out so it is our turn tomorrow.”

FUNNY CAR

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE - While Jack Beckman's 3.92 stole the headlines, lost in the accolades was Matt Hagan's provisional speed record in the opposite lane. 

Hagan ran 325.77 mph to accompany his best career elapsed time pass of 3.967 seconds to earn the No. 2 spot on the qualifying sheets. He’ll race Paul Lee in Sunday's first round. 

“If you look at the ladder there are a lot of great cars that have laid down a lot of great numbers this weekend at Sonoma,” said Hagan who leads the Funny Car points ahead of second-place Beckman. “It’s mind blowing how these crew chiefs get these cars to go so fast and keep going even faster. I’m super proud of my guys to give me a great car last night and this weekend. 

"We have to do it on race day though. We’re going to be racing in the heat and you have to get down the track on Sunday. It’s always tricky, but I trust my team and crew. I know they’ll put a great car under me and I’m going to do my job. You can’t take anything for granted. You have to be ready for any situation on race day.”

BECKMAN ON THE MIC - Jack Beckman is a very talented Funny Car driver. However, he might be an even better speaker. 

Beckman, for the third time on Thursday, emceed the Eric Medlen Nitro Night Charity Dinner, dedicated to the memory of the popular Funny Car driver from the San Joaquin Valley who succumbed to injuries sustained from a testing accident in 2007.

Beckman and the event, held at the Bay Club Stone Tree in nearby Novato, honored the son of John Medlen, a veteran crewchief on his Infinite Hero team.  

"Even though Eric and I were buddies, I've learned so much more about him in the last six months by conversing with John," said Beckman. "John shares stories with me how fortunate he was to be the crew chief for his son, and he's relayed how many times Eric said he was fortunate to be the driver for his father. I look at that with a special fondness because I can identify with that father-son bond now that I have a son."

"John is a rock in terms of how much inner strength he has."

All proceeds from the evening, which raised more than $32,250, benefit Sonoma County youth groups through the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities in Medlen’s name.

A number of popular NHRA personalities highlighted the evening, including Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Richie Crampton, Larry Dixon, Brittany Force, Courtney Force, Ashley Force Hood, Scotty Pollacheck and J.R. Todd. More than 100 attendees turned out for the dinner, including Medlen’s mother, Mimi, and John.

SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER - Former track prep specialist turned Funny Car driver Chad Head learned a lesson last weekend in Denver he should have already known. Never mess with another man's heavy equipment. 

Chad learned the hard way last Sunday when he arrived at Bandimere Speedway to discover his trusty pit scooter smashed to smithereens. A reminder he should never mess the Larry Crispe, and his sons Cody and Cale Crispe of Bandimere Speedway.

What exactly does one do to get their scooter crushed? To hear Chad tell the story, it was just a bit of innocent mischief on his behalf.

“It’s called having good friends and having a good time and, uh, we’ll have a good time next year in Denver when we go back, hows that?” Chad said. 

Inside sources say Chad had it coming. Apparently in the middle of one night, the Funny car driver found it fitting to move around the Crispe's track prep equipment and perform other pranks.

And adding insult to injury, it might have been his father Jim who suggested the comeuppance to Larry.  Larry was initially going to put the scooter on top of Chad's trailer until Jim warned him his son didn't own the trailer. 

A source close to the situation said Jim suggested they cut the scooter in half, but later it was the suggestion of crushing that won out. 

Beware, the war is far from over as Chad has already hired an advisor of mayhem. This advisor is well practiced in the art of cherry bomb detonation. 

“Oh yeah, I’ve got a good friend named Frank Bradley who’s been giving me some tips and we’re coming up with some good things,” Chad admitted. 

THE TORCH HAS PASSED – With Head's pit ride already ascended to scooter heaven, the team at Sonoma Raceway presented Chad with a 24-inch bicycle complete with training wheels and a warning bell.

Chad has faced some challenges adapting.

“I’m a little too fat to ride it so we’ll give it to a deserving kid,” Chad said.

FINDING HIS GROOVE - Robert Hight was the quickest Funny Car of today's first session running 4.079 seconds at 317.34 mph in the heat and in the final session he stepped up running 3.057 seconds at 313.51 mph, the second quickest run of the session.

“It has been a long time since we have made four runs like this. You can’t look at what other cars are running. This is an improvement for us. I don’t care who I race first round. You have to race someone. I like the way this Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS is running,” said Hight, the 2008 Sonoma Nationals winner. 

“We gained points on every run except one and the run we didn’t get points was our career best so how can you be bummed out about that. We are starting to see a turn around and we are starting to get better at the right time. Tomorrow is a big day. We need to capitalize on how we are running, be consistent, and go some rounds tomorrow.”

Hight will face teammate Courtney Force in the first round with lane choice and a career 8-5 record against the Traxxas Chevy Camaro driver.

ON THE BENCH - Sometimes a Fuel Funny Car team needs to make tough calls, especially a one-car team with a limited supply of parts. Tim Wilkerson and his crew were that team. The Levi, Ray & Shoupe car sits at the seventh qualifying spot after running a 3.979 on Friday. With hotter conditions today limiting Wilkerson’s chances for improvement, the team chose to sit out the fourth qualifying pass and prevent any unnecessary wear and tear. 

As predicted, Wilkerson’s spot at number seven remains secure. Although delays allowed for the track conditions to be cooler than expected, the team needed to make the call hours before the pass. 

Despite the changes in temperature, Wilkerson was satisfied with the call. “Part of the decision is to keep my guys as fresh as possible on this trip, so having them thrash for Q4 and then deciding not to run it wouldn't have been very smart,” said Wilkerson, “We made the call and it was the right one. We'll see what we can do against Tommy tomorrow.” 

STEPPING UP - The past few weeks have been less than ideal for Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Parts team. The Dodge Charger R/T lost first round last weekend in Denver, as well as the two races prior in Chicago and Norwalk and qualified in the middle of the pack each time. Crew Chief, Rahn Tobler, set the focus on landing a better qualifying spot here in Sonoma. 

“The cooler thing than our run Friday night was how we did on Saturday,” said Capps. 

Despite the heat, the NAPA team was satisfied with their 4.091 ET, and even happier with the 4.058 which followed in the second pass. 

"That's the run that will tell you if you have your act together for Sunday. The sun was out beating on the track and to be third quickest was great for this NAPA team.”

THE SPECIALNESS OF SONOMA - Courtney Force usually keeps a busy schedule in Sonoma. Last week, the Traxxas-sponsored driver made an appearance at the track with fiancé Graham Rahal to promote both the 2015 NHRA Sonoma Nationals and the IndyCar GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. The future husband and wife were put through a racing skills challenge. Force and Rahal went head to head on the drag strip, road course and an old-fashioned grape stomp with Force winning two of the three events.

In the days prior to the race, two of her older sisters accompanied her in Sonoma for their annual wine tasting trip. 

“I love coming to Sonoma because I have a tradition here with my sisters of coming into town early and spending a day wine tasting," said Force. "As much as we are together, it's usually for work, so this is a special time for us to be together and do something fun. I love spending this time with them and they help get me in the right mindset before going into a big race weekend."

THE FRANCHISE - Cruz Pedregon has honored various Snap-on Tools franchise owners throughout the season. He's continued the tradition this weekend with local Snap-on franchisee Rich Feuerbach featured. 

After working as a bottling company branch manager, Rich wanted his own business, so he researched and chose the Snap-on franchise opportunity. A native Californian who enjoys fishing for trout or bass and going to car shows, Feuerbach will have customers with him at the track this weekend.

PRO STOCK

LOVE THIS PLACE - Pro Stock racer Greg Anderson loves racing in Sonoma, and considering he's a four-time winner at the facility, it isn't difficult to figure out why. 

“I have a lot of racetracks that I like, but quite honestly, I think Sonoma might be at the top of the list because of the racetrack itself and the sea level conditions,” said Anderson, who last won in Sonoma in 2011. “The track is smooth as glass, and it's just a neat, neat place to race. The area is beautiful, and I just love it there.

“I've had a lot of success in Sonoma, won a lot of races there, and it's just a feel-good place to go. Pro Stock cars love it there. Anytime you get to race at sea level, these cars really come to life. That's when it's fun. We've had a lot of fun at Sonoma Raceway for a lot of years, and it's just one you look forward to every year.”

Anderson broke a long winless streak early this year, setting off a string of dominant performances that included victories in Gainesville, Englishtown, Epping and Norwalk. Anderson has also been to seven final rounds in 2015. 

“We definitely have a certain amount of confidence going into this race,” Anderson said. “Everything about this racetrack fits our program. We, as Pro Stock racers, love a racetrack where we can make our cars run near record elapsed times and near record speeds. This is one of those racetracks. There have been years where you aren't quite as fast because of the weather, but many times you have the chance to set national records there. We race to run fast, that's why we do it – we don't like to run slow.”

WHAT CONNOLLY THINKS - Dave Connolly knows Pro Stock, still. The former Pro Stock driver, who now drives a Top Fueler, knows his would be just another opinion if he were still in the fraternity. 

“I think you could probably ask all the different Pro Stock teams their opinion, and they’re all going to have a different one, obviously," Connolly said with a smile. And, it’s probably going to be for the better of their program."

Connolly, a 26-time NHRA Pro Stock winner, admits he can form an opinion on the wholesale changes made to the Pro Stock division at Denver as an outsider. 

"I’m all for backing the cars in the pits because I’ve always thought that was kind of voodoo to have everything covered up," said Connolly. "Now it's going to give the fans a little more to look at when they’re walking through the pits.  As far as EFI, the motors turning 10,500 rpm, I don’t know that they've really done anything to help cut the cost of the class or help the participation.  

In an article published in CompetitionPlus.com on July 29, 2015, Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan said increased purses will bring forth more participation. Connolly concurs with his former fellow racer. 

"It’s going to take money to do that, money from NHRA’s side, when there’s purses and more exposure I think that’s what we really need to be concentrating on," Connolly concluded.  

HOW KB RACING FARED - Defending event winner Jason Line qualified second in his Summit Racing Camaro and will race rookie Aaron Strong in the first round. Series points leader Greg Anderson, a four-time Sonoma winner, qualified third and will meet rookie Alex Laughlin in round one.

REBOUNDING - Coming away from the Mopar Mile-High Nationals last weekend with a runner-up finish after a memorable Pro Stock final round showdown, Allen Johnson drove his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart to a best elapsed time qualifying pass of 6.535 seconds and top speed of 212.56 mph to put him tenth on the eliminations ladder. He’ll be paired up with Bo Butner for the first round.

“This whole weekend has been a bit of a challenge,” said Johnson, whose only win at Sonoma Raceway came in 2012 on route to his world championship title. “The first run we had a slow tire on it. The second run we blew the manifold off it. The third run we put an old set of tires on and blew them off and spun. But that last run was a decent race day set up. We’ll take that and work with it. I think there was at least a hundredth left in that one which gets us closer to the low car. Our goal is to try to get out of the first round with lane choice because without it we’ll have to be perfect. If that’s what it will take, that’s what we’ll have to do.”

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

AND THE WINNER IS … - Eddie Krawiec raced to victory in the NHRA Pro Bike Battle Saturday at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Krawiec, who earned $7,500 for the win in the all-star bonus race featuring the eight quickest riders from the last year, also took the No. 1 qualifying position in the two-wheel category at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. It is his second No. 1 of the season and 25th of his career.

Krawiec defeated Scotty Pollacheck and Jerry Savoie in the first two rounds of the Pro Bike Battle and claimed the win on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson when teammate Andrew Hines turned on the red-light in the final round.

“I was a little surprised that Drew red-lighted,” Krawiec said. “I actually expected him to cut the Tree down. I thought he’d be .20 or better but he said he changed way he held the [clutch] lever and we know what happens when you change your routine. His bike has come around a little and so has mine.”

Series points leader Krawiec, who won at Denver last week from the No. 1 qualifying position, hopes to keep his streak of successful runs going tomorrow when he opens eliminations against Angie Smith.

“Everyone knows we’ve struggled a bit this year and it took a lot of hard work to get down this road,” said three-time world champ Krawiec. “We ran well but we weren’t consistent. Before Denver, we went to a test session because we just didn’t know where to look. Now, we do. I can’t thank Matt [Hines, crew chief] and the rest of the Vance & Hines team enough. We have a great bike for tomorrow, and I hope we can repeat what we did today.”

FRIDAY – IT’S A RECORD-SETTING NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS IN SONOMA

TOP FRIDAY QUALIFYING TAKEAWAYS

JACK BE NIMBLE, JACK BE QUICK - Jack Beckman made history today by establishing the quickest and fastest run in Funny Car history with a 3.921 elapsed time at 325.77 miles per hour. 

Beckman knew he was on a run early, likening the experience to  “Steering one of those radio flyer wagons." 

Initially, Beckman thought the numbers on the board were typos. 

"I looked up at the scoreboard and thought, 'I didn't read that right," Beckman admitted. "Cause nobody's gonna run a 3.92 in a Funny Car. And even when John Medlen came on the radio and said it was a 3.92, I still couldn't believe it."

Just how strong was Beckman's run?  Matt Hagan, who ran a 3.967 in the opposite lane, offered, "Dude, we weren't even in the same ballpark."

THREE-FEAT – Friday’s second session of Funny Car qualifying tied the most three-second runs in a field since Topeka back in May. However, Sonoma was quicker in all aspects as Beckman’s 3.921 was quicker than Topeka’s No. 1 recorded by Chad Head (3.967). The slowest seven second run in Sonoma was nearly .02 quicker.

"We knew when we got here this morning that this had the chance to be a big day, all the way around," Tim Wilkerson said. "You're basically at sea-level here, but it can also be all over the board in terms of air and overall conditions. It can be really hot during the day, and then when the sun goes down the Bay Area fog comes rolling in and it's instantly cold. The key is to be able to judge the timing of all that and get it right. It's not easy.

THE ODDS ARE - Interesting tidbits related to an incredible night of Funny Car qualifying courtesy of Elon Werner.  Based on past history, Jack Beckman has a good shot of winning this weekend's race or at least getting to the final based on those who have made the quickest Funny Car runs ever.

In 2011, Matt Hagan made the first three-second run at Charlotte2, 3.995-seconds, and went on to win the event, beating Mike Neff in the final
the 
In 2014 at Englishtown, Cruz Pedregon made the quickest run before today, 3.959 seconds, and went on to win event by beating Del Worsham in the final

In 2012, Ron Capps made the second quickest run before today (quickest run ever in 2012) at the Englishtown race and went to the final, losing to Johnny Gray

In 2014 at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca., John Force set a national record at 3.965 with a back-up of 3.966 (the 4th and 5th quickest runs as of today) and went on to win the race defeating Matt Hagan.

AB GOES FAST TOO - Antron Brown had a bit of record-setting magic of his own Friday.  Brown tied for the fourth-quickest run in Top Fuel history with a 3.707-second run at 326.95 mph, a run that approached his three-year national record of 3.701.

"We were definitely pushing," said Brown. "Brian and Mark went back to their notes and that run right there is really satisfying when the car does what you want it to do. They even shied back a little bit because it was getting cooler and a lot of cars weren't making it down. If you don't make it down that puts you back in the field, so they backed it down a little bit. It feels good to put that number on the board and be No. 1 here at Sonoma.

"Lord knows we're just truly blessed to have the type of team that we have here for Matco Tools, the U.S. Army and Toyota. You work hard and the results will show.

"To run a (3.70), you're gettin' it. To run a .69 or better, you have to have everything go perfect. It's definitely out there. The cool thing is that that's the quickest run ever made with our DSR enclosed canopy car."

MCGAHA GETS TRACK RECORD – Chris McGaha pulled off a feat Friday no other Pro Stock driver has achieved. He ran in the 6.40s, posting a 6.499 elapsed time. 

Will the run stand through Saturday's qualifying?

“It should, but you never really know," McGaha responded. "Mother Nature could bring in a cold front, you can never tell but going in the heat of the day, it could, it’s hard to say."

McGaha admitted he was surprised to run the 6.49.

"I figured we could go a 50 or a 51," McGaha said.

200, MAYBE – MAYBE NOT – Headed into Sonoma, there was much optimism the that last great motorcycle barrier, a 200 mile-per-hour run, could be attained. 

The optimism turned to doubt for Eddie Krawiec despite running 6.843 seconds at 194.27 to claim the No. 1 spot. 

“It could if the flag turns around with the wind and goes the other way,” Krawiec said, signaling a tailwind. “I think if it does happen it will happen early in a session.”

Unofficially, Krawiec is the only bike rider to top 200 miles per hour and did so during testing in 2012 in Valdosta, Ga, when he ran 200.08. 

TOP FUEL

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH - After their first win of the year at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, the CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Dragster team has had a great week and assistant crew chief Bobby Lagana is all smiles. Lagana lit up the starting line in celebration after their win in Denver and the joy continues here in Sonoma. 

“What a great week we’ve had, hanging out, partying," said Lagana. "First race, first win, you’ve got to live it up and have a good time. We toured all of downtown Denver, just calling everybody you can call to reflect on all these thirty-seven years of good times, bad times, pain, happiness and sadness.” 

The win was sentimental to Lagana. 

“It’s a whole lifetime just built up; Steve and his mom and dad are such wonderful people," said Lagana. "We’re reflections. The way we were raised is the way Steve was raised by his parents, so that's why we work together so well.” 

The connections Lagana shares with his teammates and their loved ones wraps the recent victory in an even deeper satisfaction. 

“To get that win for his family, his mom wanted that Traxxas Shootout so bad, as soon as she wins she’s on the phone crying. This is how much a win means to those guys, it’s all about heart and emotions and for us all to be a part of it, I’m so blessed to just be over there and have this happen.”

To cap off the week, Lagana saw the Oakland A’s play the Indians and left with more than just a memory. 

“I said the other day, ‘man, I’ve got a Wally now, if I could just get a foul ball I'm good’ and first inning, there’s one out and the ball is right at my feet," Lagana explained. "It’s unbelievable. I feel like it’s a sign.” 

When asked about his title, Lagana downplayed his assistant crew chief label, saying, “Richard Hogan is the crew chief; he makes the final calls. I just help everybody out, whatever you want to call it. We don't do titles, we just have fun.” 

As the week of celebration comes to an end, Lagana takes on the Sonoma Nationals with a foul ball in his pocket and joy in his heart. -Suzanne Head

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN? - Losing stinks, just ask Spencer Massey, who has gone four races without a round win.

But, there's the savior of the season - Sonoma. 

Last season, Massey was at three consecutive first round losses when he managed to beat teammate Antron Brown in the first round.

"Last year we broke our round-loss streak at Sonoma and we're going to do it again this year," Spencer said.

Massey wouldn't mind the season turning into Deja vu all over again. 

"This season has been pretty similar to last year, but I actually think we have a better running car right now than what you're seeing on paper," Massey explained. "We've just had some bad luck these past few races. We were so close to getting that win light in Denver so that one kind of stings a little bit."

Massey is a speed merchant at the sea-level race track, having set the track's speed record of 328.62 mph back in July of 2012. He scored a runner-up that same weekend.

"Right now our goal is to qualify strong and just take it one round at a time on race day and turn on some win lights," Massey said. "I know that we'll get win lights soon. We have a great team with Phil (Shuler), Todd (Okuhara) and our crew. We just can't let ourselves get down about our luck lately."

REVOLVING DOOR - When one door closes, another opens, or at least it has for Jenna Haddock. Just weeks after announcing the departure of sponsor Patriot Grading, the sophomore Top Fuel driver has a new backer for this weekend -- support from the Sonoma County Les Schwab Tires group of stores.

Les Schwab Tires, headquartered in Bend, Ore. was founded by Les Schwab in 1952.  It has grown into one of the largest independent tire dealers with over 450 locations in the country.  The Sonoma County group is made up of four locations, Windsor, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa Montgomery and Santa Rosa Avenue.

“Les Schwab’s motto is ‘doing the right thing since 1952’ and that’s everything Jenna and her husband Terry represent,” said LST's Jessy Usher. “The hard work and devotion they put into racing exemplifies our values.  They are that one small team working hard and we were that one store that worked hard to be what we are today.  Yes, we’re a corporation but we’re family-owned and partnering with Jenna is a great way to show what we support as a company.  It’s a perfect match.”

“I am super excited to have Les Schwab join us,” said Haddock.  “We’ve known Jessy and the group for several years.  They’ve been an associate sponsor for us, and when Patriot left us, I offered them a full spot for Sonoma and they took it.  We’re a small team and losing our major sponsor was a tough blow.  So I can’t thank them enough for coming onboard to help me.

“We did a display at the Santa Rosa Avenue store earlier this week and we had a blast.  They are all such great people.  Two representatives from each store will be joining us at the track for the race, and I can hardly wait to show them a great time.  I can’t tell you how proud I am that they have chosen me to represent them, and I will do my best.”

This weekend represents Haddock’s first time racing in Sonoma.

 

FUNNY CAR

ONE BAD HOT ROD - Reigning world champion Matt Hagan earned the No. 2 provisional qualifying spot with a time of 3.967 - his quickest ever - at a speed of 325.77 mph, which is fastest ever in a Funny Car over a 1,000-foot course. The previous best was a 325.37 by Courtney Force at Las Vegas in the spring of 2014.

"We've got a bad hot rod, man," said Hagan, whose team led by Dickie Venables started the Sonoma Nationals with a 145-point lead over a surging Jack Beckman.

"We're off the mountain (at Denver where we raced last week) and our Mopar/Rocky Dodge is running really good and Dickie has a great tune-up. We're sitting No. 2, which I feel will hold unless we just have a pile of oil downs tomorrow, and delays make us run late. I think we're right where need to be, and I'm excited. The car is running great."

ON THE COUNTDOWN BUBBLE - Heading into this weekend's Sonoma race, Tim Wilkerson and Cruz Pedregon are tied at 782 points. Alexis DeJoria sits in ninth, 51 points back, while Robert Hight anchors the 10th spot, 79 points behind eighth place. Outside the cutoff line, Courtney Force is now 23, while Tony Pedregon would need to basically run the table to overcome the 153 points he'd need just to reach 10th.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL? NOT HARDLY - Ron Capps, four-time Sonoma Funny Car Champion (1997, 2010, ‘11 and ‘13), will be inducted into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame during pre-event ceremonies on Sunday.

"I'm so honored to even be mentioned with the people on the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame," he said. "I have so many great memories at Sonoma, and it's always truly felt like my home track. I love the facility, the fans, supporting its Speedway Children's Charity and it is incredibly special to be inducted."

Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway, said it is a fitting honor for Ron.

"Ron Capps is one of the greats of our sport and his record at Sonoma Raceway has been phenomenal. But beyond his success on the track, Ron understands the role pro athletes can play beyond the competitive arena, and his generous spirit is part of what has made him a crowd favorite."

SPECTACULAR THREE - Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge was crossing the finish line on his second qualifying attempt that produced a time of 3.970 (322.10) to earn the No. 4 position when an engine malfunction led to an explosion and interior fire that damaged his Charger body. He was uninjured in the spectacular fireball.

TIPPING THE SCALES - Kalitta Motorsports’ DHL driver, Del Worsham, shed some weight over the winter. However, for this Funny Car team, he wasn’t the only one. The crew was spotted swapping bodies at their pit today. While the red and yellow Toyota bodies looked identical, the scales tell a different story. 

According to Worsham's co-crew chief Nicky Boninfante, the team’s new body came out of the mold ten pounds lighter than their current one. While Worsham’s weight loss will encourage a more balanced race car and quicker times at the 60-foot mark, the new body was underweight at the scales. 

“Right now, we’re about five to ten pounds over, so with the body now being ten pounds lighter, obviously we’ll be underweight. So now we have to figure out where to move the weight to” explains Boninfante. After weighing car and driver at the track today, the team needs to shift some weight around to cap the limit. In the meantime, the DHL team plans to run their older, heavier body. 

“Tomorrow, [we’ll] put the new one on, get a couple runs on it and that’ll be our body for the countdown.” - Suzanne Head

HAVE A DRINK ON THEM - Jim Dunn Racing and driver John Hale returned to running the familiar green ALO Drink Funny Car campaign this weekend. The race is the hometown event for the aloe vera beverage based drink company, which has its headquarters in nearby San Francisco.

“We are thankful to ALO Drink for all the support they have given us in 2015 and we’re excited to show them what we can do at their hometown race,” said Jim Dunn Racing Team Manager, Jon Dunn. “We’re hosting hospitality for the president of ALO Drink, along with many employees this weekend.”

ALO Drink is a ready-to-drink aloe vera based beverage line in the U.S. It comes in 17 different varieties, with or without pulp. Fans can purchase the drinks at health food retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores and mass retail stores.

TONY PEDREGON OVERCOMING THE ODDS – After advancing to the semifinals twice in the last four races, Tony Pedregon’s small one-car team has closed to within 130 points of 11th-place Courtney Force and 153 points of 10th-place Robert Hight for the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.  

This past weekend, he defeated John Force Racing’s Hight and Don Schumacher Racing’s Tommy Johnson Jr., drivers from two of the largest teams in the sport.  Making Pedregon’s showing even more impressive is that while the larger teams reportedly have staffs of 100 or more, Tony Pedregon Racing has just a handful of full-time employees and no major sponsor.

“Denver was another good showing for us to get to the semifinals and we’re not backing into it, we’re earning it," Pedregon said. "I think we do a great job with as little as we currently have to work with.  Give a team like ours a little funding and we could be dangerous. The Toyota support with the aerodynamics, as well as the engineering feedback in reading the track conditions and telling us how much wing we need to put in it has really helped. It’s really a good team effort with a pretty modest crew.  My father told me as a kid ‘surround yourself with good people’ and I’ve managed to do that.” 

LAST MINUTE DEAL - There's no time like the last minute. On Monday afternoon, Del and Chuck Worsham asked Paul Lee to pilot the Worsham Family Funny Car for this weekend’s event. The Worshams have rebuilt the car and made progressive runs in Bakersfield. Inviting Lee to drive the car was a way to keep the momentum going. 

The team has decided only to run the two qualifying sessions on Saturday afternoon because of the Top 12 qualifying rule.
           
“It was a last minute thing to put this car together and we are excited to bring it car out and see what happens," said Lee. "We are only going to run the Saturday qualifying sessions since it doesn’t make sense for us to run the car on Friday because it is going to take a low 4.0 to make the top 12. But on Saturday we will make a few runs and hopefully spoil someone’s day during eliminations. We don’t think we are going to go out there to run a 4.0. We just want the car to run good and have some fun with it.” 
           
PARTNERING WITH JEGS - This weekend JEGS Performance is partnering up with McLeod Racing again for the Dealer of the Race. Throughout the weekend, customers will be able to receive a 10% discount through the JEGS Performance website on all McLeod products.
 

PRO STOCK

WELCOME BACK - Jeggie is back.  

After taking time off to tend to personal business, five-time champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will attempt, for the 355th time in his illustrious career, to qualify for a Pro Stock event. 

Coughlin has been there, done that many times but this weekend has the 58-time national event winner feeling as giddy as a newly-minted rookie. This weekend's Sonoma outing is the first of three fill-in races with Elite Motorsports, Stockseth Racing, and Ray Skillman Chevrolet.

"This is an extremely exciting time for me," Coughlin said. "I love Pro Stock racing, and to be returning to the class, albeit for just a three-race stint, has me very pumped up. It's a thrill to know I have the horsepower, the people, and the race car that runs right at the top of the charts."

Coughlin picked a good race to stage a comeback considering he has won at the facility two times in the past (2003 and 2010)

THINKING THE PREVIOUSLY UNTHINKABLE - For the first time in a long while, Larry Morgan is thinking sweep. Yes, his Denver victory was that strong. 

"I'm going to go get a broom," Morgan said with a chuckle. "I'm going to start using it."

Morgan is now the only Pro Stock driver who can sweep the three-race Western Swing.

"Boy, what an exciting weekend we had in Denver," Morgan said.  

Morgan qualified No. 2 in Denver, marking the highest he has qualified since 2007 in Gainesville, Fla., where he was also No. 2.

Denver was Morgan's second victory of 2015, making it the first time since 1990 that he has won more than one race in a single season. Morgan won four that year.

NATURAL BORN RIVALS - There's a natural rivalry developing between the Elite Performance team and KB Racing. 

"With the exception of two races early in the year, either Greg (Anderson), Jason (Line), or I have been in the No. 1 spot and we've swapped it around nine times already in 14 races, so it's been another super tough year in Pro Stock," said Elite's Erica Enders. "It's a huge challenge every week but that's why we race. It's stressful but fun at the same time.

Enders knew there would be rivals just based on winning last season's title.  

"We knew coming into this year with the No. 1 on the side of our Elite Motorsports Chevrolet that we were going to be the hunted, and that's proven to be true," Enders said. "Everyone takes their best shot against us, and we've had to raise our level to keep up the fight."

Enders enters this weekend 37 points behind Anderson. Line is third, 176 points behind her. To date, Enders has a 4-2 record in head-to-head matchups with Anderson and is 1-0 against Line.

 

SPORTSMAN PHENOMS, PRO STOCK EQUALS – At least on this day, Bo Butner was on Pro Stock common ground with Jeggie Coughlin, recording a 6.529. Coughlin by .40 of a mile per hour secured the No. 6 spot.
 

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

NOT EXACTLY - The Eight Pro Stock Motorcycle riders competing in Saturday's NHRA Pro Bike Battle are racing for a purse considerably less than originally advertised. Original event sponsor, Miramonte Records. according to NHRA defaulted on their sponsorship obligations.       

Instead of the specialty event featuring $25,000-to-win, $10,000 runner-up, $6,000 semis and $3500 just to qualify, the new purse will be $7,500-to-win and $2,500 runner-up.

The teams qualified for the bonus event during qualifying at 15 NHRA Mello Yello Series events, from the 2014 NHRA Sonoma Nationals to the 2015 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver. 

SHOW SCHEDULES - NHRA Pro Bike Battle elimination rounds are scheduled for 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:55 p.m. on Aug. 1. The race will be televised on ESPN2.

ON THE CUSP - Hector Arana Sr. stands on the cusp of personal drag racing history this weekend. If he can qualify and make Sunday's final eliminations, he'll join those elite drag racers who have won 200 rounds in competition. 

Arana earned career round-win No. 199 in Denver.

"It means I've been around for a long time," said Arana of the potential momentous occasion. 

Arana started his career in 1990 and began racing full time in 1994. After some lean years at the turn of the century, he partnered with Lucas Oil and began to show marked improvement in his performance.

Arana scored his first victory in 2008 and then won the 2009 Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. Of his 199 round-wins, 140 have come since the start of the 2009 season, proving he has gotten better with age, and at 57 years old he is showing no signs of slowing down.

"It means that I've still got to work hard and get a lot more," Arana said. "I've been here many years. When you hear those numbers, it throws you back. You realize how long you've been here, and it's good to have that accomplishment."

Arana also has qualified for 129 races in a row, eighth-longest among active NHRA racers and 19th all time.

NO PRESSURE … WELL MAYBE SOME - Jerry Savoie missed last year's NHRA Countdown to the Championship after missing a few races. Headed into this weekend Savoie holds on to the 10th spot in the points standings with just two races left in the regular season. He'd like to hold on to the 23-point lead over Scotty Pollacheck, but he's not sweating the pressure.

“I would like to be in the top 10, but I’m out there to race, have fun and try to win,” Savoie said. “We think we’ll do well this weekend and then hopefully we’ll go to Indy in a couple races and try to seal the deal. For me, this is all fun. I love this and I do it because I love Pro Stock Motorcycle racing in the NHRA. This is where the top racing is and where I love to be. I am having fun, enjoying, myself and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

While he might seem a bit happy-go-lucky, the chance to make a part of motorcycle drag racing history is a serious endeavor. If the conditions are right there's a chance a Pro Stock Motorcycle could top 200 miles per hour.

“I want to be the first to go 200 mph and Sonoma is one of those places where you could do it,” said Savoie, who has two career victories. “We showed some good power in Englishtown and it shocked a lot of people, us included. We’ve been working on and discussing a lot of different things, but you just have to find that sweet area and see what happens.”

THE HOMETOWN ROOKIE - Now that he's got the pressure of making his professional debut out of the way, rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Anthony Vanetti can concentrate on an even larger task - qualifying for Sunday's final eliminations. 

The rider of the third Harvest/Lucas Oil Buell failed to make the cut at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway last weekend. 

"At least all of the pressure is off," Vanetti said. "I know I can do it; I just have to be as comfortable as I can. Each run I feel more comfortable."

One of the lessons Vanetti learned in Denver was handling the pressure on the starting line. Riding a powerful Pro Stock Motorcycle in testing is one thing, but doing the same thing in front of fans and competitors is another. 

"In Q1, I'm looking to just improve from Q4 in Denver and keep the positive momentum rolling," Vanetti said. "My goal is to qualify in Sonoma."

Vanetti is from Loyalton, Calif., a little more than three hours from Sonoma Raceway. 

"I think my comfort level here is a lot higher," Vanetti said. "I'm not going to add pressure to myself, but I do have a lot of friends and family here because I am from Northern California. The only added pressure comes from me wanting to do well in front of them, but there is a comfort zone because there are a lot of familiar faces there rooting me on, so it's good."