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WILKERSON ENDS VICTORY DROUGHT WITH ATLANTA WIN - Tim Wilkerson knows how to win.

The veteran nitro Funny Car owner/driver had 17 career nitro Funny Car wins before this weekend.

Wilkerson, however, had not taken home a Wally since 2011 when he won at Seattle.

That finally changed Sunday at the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Wilkerson recorded a 4.318-second elapsed time at 260.31 mph to defeat Ron Capps who smoked the tires and slowed to 5.781 seconds.

“We had that talk with my guys after the last couple of races,” said Wilkerson, who was last in a final round in 2014 at Bristol, Tenn. “I have a young group and we are trying to keep them pumped up. They were asking me ‘Boss what do we have to do?’ I tell you what when you get beat first round and you run a 4.04 it is pretty depressing. We went back home and dug deep and everybody works hard and I told them it was going to come back just hang in there with us. We are going to win some rounds.”

The road to Victory Lane – his first at Atlanta - clearly wasn’t easy for Wilkerson. He beat Del Worsham, 2012 world champion Jack Beckman, and legendary John Force, and then Capps.

“That 4.03 the first round was pretty dang impressive and I was happy with that,” Wilkerson said. “As the track got hotter, I really did a good job until the finals. I’m really unhappy with what it did in the finals. I was trying to go about a 14 and the thing broke the tires loose out there. We fired crew chief for the finals, fellas, even though we won.”

In the midst of this long-awaited victory, Wilkerson took a moment to discuss the addition of crew member Richard Hartman to his team. Hartman had spent the last several years as the crew chief for Terry McMillen’s Top Fuel dragster.

“Richard will be the first to tell you he’s really a laid back guy,” Wilkerson said. “He doesn’t step on my toes and he never asks what do I do ever, it is the neatest thing. I’ve talked to him about things and we are just trying to get a good rapport together. So many times we try and do things with formulas and Richard and I are getting together on how things feel. How does that feel to you? Does it feel better than this or better than that? In tuning stuff, Richard does whatever I ask, he is just terrific. He’s responsible for helping the clutch guy because we have a brand new clutch guy and he was a clutch guy, so that was really a big asset when I brought him on. He’s also responsible for stripping the blowers and God Bless him, he just does whatever I ask. He has really been a God-send in terms of taking the pressure off of me and not having to go and watch the crew.”

Wilkerson also acknowledged Sunday’s win was extra special because of Hartman.

“I never knew Richard had not won an NHRA event until today,” Wilkerson said. “He had never been on a team and won an event and his sister raced all those years. He came up and gave me a big hug and said ‘Man, I love you. I never thought I ever was going to win one of these races. I told him he was a big part of it. There were tears running down both our cheeks, it was a cool day. I will give him the trophy, I don’t care.” Tracy Renck

BROWN ENDS DOMINANT WEEKEND WITH TRIP TO WINNERS CIRCLE - From the very beginning the Top Fuel Wally at the NHRA Southern Nationals was Antron Brown’s to lose.

Leah Pritchett tried to wrestle it away, but couldn’t close the deal in the final.

Brown drove his Don Schumacher Racing Top Fueler to the top of the qualifying sheet, cruised through eliminations and had a fairly easy time with Pritchett in the final round. His .047-induced 3.887 at 310.48 put him across the finish line well in front of Pritchett’s .075/4.202/260.41.

The win was Brown’s 33rd career Top Fuel victory and, after his win in Charlotte, made him the first two-time Top Fuel winner on the Mello Yello Tour this season.

“Today was good…not just today but the whole weekend,” Brown said. “We talked about it in pre-race, before we got here, and we knew what we needed to do. But doing it is another thing. We wanted to start off with a good qualifying run and keep going from there. We were able to do that all the way to the winners circle.”

Brown played spoiler in the final. Pritchett qualified for her second-career final round and was looking to give her race team something special to remember. She wanted crew chief Doug Kuch to find the winners circle for the first time since he tuned for Doug Foley on the IHRA circuit a half-decade ago.

Brown said it was a nice story, but he had a job to do.

“They had a great race car and qualified third,” he said. “The thing about it, I know with my first Top Fuel win…no one gave it to me. I beat (Larry) Dixon by a couple thou and if I had been a little late I was going home. They have a win coming. It was an honor to race her in the final round because this weekend they were outstanding.”

Pritchett, who defeated Chris Karamesines, J.R. Todd and Larry Dixon to reach the finals, knows that first win will eventually come.

“It will not only be to deliver a win for myself, but for everyone on my team as well,” she said. “You are never going to get that feeling again, to win that first final. Antron was right and the struggle is real. We thought we wanted it before…now we really want it after being that close.

Brown wanted to thank his team at Don Schumacher Racing for all the hard work over the last couple of weeks…the team tested at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis between Mello Yello Tour events.

“We wanted that win and put in all the hard work in these last couple of weeks and my hat is off to our boys,” he said. “They put in all the hard work so I have to give a lot of credit to the guys and girls back at DSR.” Mike Perry

LINE WINS BATTLE OF PRO STOCK TEAMMATES - In a battle of powerful NHRA Pro Stock teammates,  Jason Line came out with top honors.

Line clocked a 6.606-second time at 211.33 mph to defeat Greg Anderson, who got out of the groove, and slowed to 8.628 seconds.

"Today was a great day for Summit Racing and KB. It is the way you picture it going and dream of it going, and it usually doesn't work out that way, but today it did. It was a phenomenal day. I thought the final was going to be a different outcome than it was. There have been plenty of times when I've done a really good job and had a really good car and lost. Today I just got a little bit lucky and I will take one back."

This was Line's second victory of the season - he also won the Winternationals - and 37th of his career. Line's latest victory also ended Erica Enders-Stevens two-race winning streak. Anderson eliminated Enders-Stevens in the semifinals.

"I wasn't that fast today, but I had some good fortune," Line said. Greg was really fast, he had the car to beat. He was driving, without question, better than anybody else, and he should have won. I'm sure he wasn't happy. He wants to win more anybody I've ever met. That's what makes him the best."

Line acknowledged when he reached the finals against Anderson it was a win-win situation.

"For me it was anticlimatic at that point," Line said."We won in the semis. I really didn't care. Before we ever raced I told Greg we were going to give (crew member) D.J. Minter the trophy. He is a heck of a good worker and he saved our bacon today. He does a little bit of everything. In the first after Greg did his burnout he had a little bit of a malfunction and he had his thinking cap on and fixed it." Tracy Renck

ARANA SR. ENDS LONG DROUGHT - It has been a long time since Hector Arana Sr. has ended a weekend by hoisting a Wally over his head.

How long? The last time he won, Barack Obama was still the newly-minted candidate of hope and change with an approval rating of over 60 percent. The Philadelphia Phillies were reigning World Series champions, but would lose to the New York Yankees in the October Fall Classic.

The last time Arana Sr. found the winners circle, at Dallas in 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers were preparing for a playoff run that would culminate in their defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the NBA Finals.

“You don’t know what it means to me to be back in the winners circle,” Arana Sr. said after knocking off Eddie Krawiec in the final round of the 2014 NHRA Southern Nationals.

It wasn’t the smoothest weekend for Arana Sr. He drove his Buell XB9R to the No. 7 qualifying position. In the first round Andrew Hines, who had a 20-5 career won-loss mark against Arana Sr., was right beside him all the way down the track…until the elder Arana pulled away in the final 100 feet. In the second round, Jim Underdahl had a huge starting line advantage, but Arana Sr. was able to power around him down the track.

In the semifinals, Hector Arana Jr. put it on his old man at the starting line with an .017 light…only to see his father flash by for the win at the finish line.

The final against Krawiec was a bumpy ride, with both drivers fighting their way down the track. Krawiec eventually clicked his bike off at half-track.

Arana Sr. didn’t.

“I felt the bike jump and it was like a bronco out there,” Arana Sr. said. “I pulled it to the right and kept going. I wasn’t giving up unless he was way in front of me and I couldn’t catch up. You keep riding. As long as I have control of the motorcycle I’m staying in the run.”

The end of a six-year drought made Arana Sr. reflect on the long struggle.

“There were moments when I had doubts,” he said. “I didn’t have the best bike and then your confidence gets low, but I came over here and paid more attention to my bike. I worked on it myself, along with another crew member. I knew I could win again, just that I had to believe in myself.”

After working with NHRA to get a new Buell motorcycle approved, Arana Sr. and his son went back to their old bikes while things worked themselves out. He still loves the rivalry between the Aranas and the Harley Davidsons.

“The biggest rivalry out here is between the Harleys and the Aranas,” he said. I love that. It gives us fuel to keep working.

“I want more. I want more power, to dominate and win all the races. Then I’ll feel like I have enough.” - Mike Perry

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM SUNDAY’S ELIMINATIONS

ANDERSON STOPS ENDERS - The streak is over.

After winning 13 rounds in a row, including the K&N Horsepower Shootout, Erica Enders lost in the semifinal round to Greg Anderson. Her elimination round streak of 10 stands as the longest running of the four professional categories this season. 

"It's hard to be disappointed with a semifinal round showing, but I kind of feel that way because I know we have the car that can win," said Enders, driver of the Elite Motorsports Camaro. "You can't win them all, but it sure is addictive when you get on a roll. You feel so much confidence that it's really weird when you come up a little short."

DOUBLE STEPPING - J.R. Todd described the quality of his driving earlier this season to a donkey. In an odd occurrence, Todd double-stepped the starting line, then left on green and still beat former boss Morgan Lucas. 

"My foot said, 'go' but my head said, 'wait dummy," admitted Todd. "That was a long tree, and I got lucky there. It's not often you can mess up like that and still win."

Lucas, believing Todd had fouled, didn’t push his tire-smoking entry too hard.

"I'm so mad at myself right now," Lucas said. "I feel like I threw one away. I wasn't spinning enough that I couldn't have legged it out and won, which is what I should have done, in hindsight. The car was holding the track, just spinning a little bit. I just didn't want to risk destroying a motor when I thought we didn't have to.”

WEIRD, JUST WEIRD – You had to see it to believe it. In the first round of Pro Stock, Greg Anderson had completed the burnout in his race against Chris McGaha when the throttle hung wide open on the Summit Camaro. Anderson pulled his car out of the groove and shut it off. He did try a few times to crank the car and unstick throttle. 

Just as it seemed McGaha would have a single and a win, Anderson, with the help of crew and Safety Safari was able to back up.

Anderson then staged and ran his best lap of the weekend, a 6.541, as McGaha drifted out of the groove and lifted.

“I wish I could explain it,” Anderson said. 

“Who knew the key to winning was a stuck throttle?” added announcer Alan Reinhart. “If they knew that … they’d be doing it all the time.”

THAT'S GETTING IT - Tim Wilkerson didn't have the quickest car in qualifying, just the most consistent by running to the finish line under power throughout qualifying. He fired off a monster shot in the opening round with a low elapsed time 4.03 to beat Del Worsham. 

Wilkerson used a 4.08 to get around Jack Beckman in the second round. 

“Never brag about your kid or your car,” Wilkerson advised. 

THE THRILL IS STILL GONE - Tony Schumacher's inability to win the NHRA Southern Nationals will be next season's pre-event talk once again. Schumacher, the No. 2 qualifier, lost in the opening round to longtime rival Larry Dixon, 3.77 to 3.79.

RAPID TRANSIT - The first round of nitro eliminations were completed in 44 minutes with no oildowns or accidents.

YOU DID WHAT? – After leading qualifying from start to finish, Pro Stock rider Motorcycle Karen Stoffer lost in the first round to No. 16 seeded Angie Smith. Stoffer turned the red-light on, .002 of a second too quick. Adding insult to injury, Stoffer ran low elapsed time, 6.861 to Smith’s 7.19. 

THEY DO CALL THEM DOORSLAMMERS – Pro Modified No. 1 qualifier Mike Janis lost a race and the passenger side door against Houston winner Donnie Walsh. 

WE ARE SCREWED - There was a bit of excitement prior to Antron Brown's quarterfinal match versus Doug Kalitta. Brown, in his tow to the starting line, apparently picked up a screw in one of the tires. They returned to the pits and switched out tires, returned to the lanes to race Kalitta. Brown showed no ill-effects of the interruption as he ran a 3.85 for the win. 

SUPRISE SEMIFINALISTS - Terry McMillen made the most of his first round win over Dave Connolly by beating former IHRA Top Fuel nemesis, Clay Millican. 

Leah Pritchett, who has never raced in an NHRA Top Fuel final, carried lane choice into her semifinal match against Larry Dixon, on the strength of her 3.81 win over JR Todd in the semis. The lane choice worked as she advanced to her first final.
Unfortunately for McMillen, his dragster went silent at the hit against Brown. 

GUTTED – Last year’s rookie of the year, Richie Crampton, was feeling the sting of a second round loss to Larry Dixon. Adding to the pain of the red-light disqualification, Dixon would go on to smoke his tires, winning with a very beatable 6.836 at 96.76 mph. Crampton clicked off early when he realized his transgression but still drifted to a 4.390 at 191.29 mph.
 
"I'm gutted," Crampton said. "I know Dixon's a great driver and I wanted to be equal to the task and have a good light (reaction time) but I jumped early. No one to blame but myself. I feel like I let the team down and I let Lucas Oil and all our sponsors down. We should be getting ready for the semifinals right now. Instead, we're packing for Topeka (Kan.)."

TOP TEN TAKEAWAYS FROM SATURDAY QUALIFYING

SUNDAY PAIRINGS - Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 35th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, the seventh 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. Antron Brown, 3.758 seconds, 320.28 mph  vs. 16. Shawn Langdon, 4.025, 303.37; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.767, 324.12  vs. 15. Larry Dixon, 3.977, 306.33; 3. Leah Pritchett, 3.792, 321.81  vs. 14. Chris Karamesines, 3.962, 306.53; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.796, 321.35  vs. 13. Clay Millican, 3.926, 313.88; 5. Dave Connolly, 3.805, 321.58  vs. 12. Terry McMillen, 3.916, 315.93; 6. J.R. Todd, 3.807, 321.35  vs. 11. Morgan Lucas, 3.915, 289.82; 7. Richie Crampton, 3.852, 316.90 vs. 10. Brittany Force, 3.912, 312.71; 8. Doug Kalitta, 3.863, 319.60  vs. 9. Spencer Massey, 3.891, 318.84.  

Funny Car -- 1. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.010, 313.95  vs. 16. John Hale, Dodge Charger, 6.903, 130.87; 2. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.031, 317.64  vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 6.383, 112.13; 3. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.033, 310.63  vs. 14. Robert Hight, Chevrolet Camaro, 4.563, 188.78; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.040, 319.37  vs. 13. Dave Richards, Solara, 4.390, 245.90; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.040, 312.86  vs. 12. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.147, 288.58; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.048, 313.00  vs. 11. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.139, 307.30; 7. Chad Head, Camry, 4.060, 310.77  vs. 10. Courtney Force, Camaro, 4.079, 319.14; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.064, 303.30  vs. 9. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.068, 315.93.

Pro Stock -- 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.546, 211.59  vs. 16. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Avenger, 6.713, 207.27; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, Camaro, 6.546, 211.06  vs. 15. John Gaydosh Jr, Pontiac GXP, 6.699, 207.66; 3. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.551, 211.30  vs. 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.634, 208.62; 4. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.556, 210.90  vs. 13. V. Gaines, Dart, 6.609, 210.14; 5. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.560, 211.83  vs. 12. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.607, 210.57; 6. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.561, 211.69  vs. 11. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.587, 210.97; 7. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.562, 210.90  vs. 10. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.580, 211.00; 8. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.565, 211.89  vs. 9. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.580, 211.30.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.875, 195.59  vs. 16. Angie Smith, Victory, 7.047, 188.89; 2. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.880, 195.85  vs. 15. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.013, 193.54; 3. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.893, 196.73  vs. 14. Matt Smith, Victory, 6.987, 190.78; 4. Angelle Sampey, Buell, 6.893, 194.55  vs. 13. Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 6.978, 195.56; 5. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.901, 195.36  vs. 12. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.952, 192.22; 6. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.906, 193.88  vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.948, 192.41; 7. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.909, 195.62  vs. 10. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.941, 193.10; 8. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.912, 193.90 vs. 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.934, 193.40.  

MAKING THE MOST - Karen Stoffer had no long-range plans for this season. Without primary sponsorship, Stoffer and husband/tuner Gary planned to hit eight of the 16 scheduled Pro Stock Motorcycle events. In an effort to show value, Stoffer thus far has a win and now a No. 1 qualifier.

Stoffer improved during the second day of qualifying as she rode her Suzuki to a 6.875 elapsed time to leapfrog teammate Jim Underdahl, who briefly took the top spot with a 6.880.

“Yesterday’s run was really good, but there were some issues with it – some bumps in the track,” said Stoffer. “I knew I had to navigate those better. I knew the potential was out there, and the conditions were about the same. When Jimmy ran well ahead of us, I knew the potential was out there to improve.”

BROWN GETS FIRST ATLANTA TF POLE – Antron Brown hasn’t been as successful in qualifying at Atlanta Dragway as he has been on race day. Saturday, after leading all four qualifying sessions, he scored his first Top Fuel No. 1 here. 

Brown and his team have had their challenges in adapting to a new six-disc clutch combination this season. So much so, Brown took a humorous poke at them following the run.

“I got them all jacked up and said, ‘Looks like we know what we are doing after all,” Brown said.

“We have been trying to find our bearings and get back to the old form. This felt really good.”

FINAL ROUND, FIRST ROUND MATCH – Despite a heroic first round qualifying effort, Antron Brown has no easy draw in the first round. He lines up beside No. 16 qualifier Shawn Langdon,

“We’ve been there before,” Brown said. “We have been on the opposite side where we’ve come into race day from No. 16. It’s not about where you qualify in this field. We just have to go up there and do our job.”

Brown was a No. 15 qualifier when he lost to Langdon earlier this season in Vegas. 

UNMATCHED - Cruz Pedregon’s 4.010-second pass at 313.95 mph in his Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry on Friday went unmatched through Saturday’s final two sessions, earning him the top starting spot.

“It’s amazing how much we had to touch on the car to make it down the track today versus yesterday and it worked,” said Pedregon, who now has two No. 1 qualifiers at Atlanta. “We have no excuses. If we can go out there, race and not have anything goofy happen, we should be a factor.”

This is Pedregon’s second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 59th of his career. He is seeking his second win at Atlanta Dragway and first since 1998. Pedregon, a two-time world champ, will face Gainesville finalist John Hale in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations.

IN MEMORY – Mopar teams are racing with a memorial decal on their HEMI-powered race cars in remembrance of the man regarded as the “father” of the 426 Race HEMI engine, Tom Hoover, who passed away on April 30th, was laid to rest in his hometown of Huntington, Pennsylvania, on Friday. As an engineer and a racer, Hoover spent 25 years working at Chrysler Corp., leaving his mark with the 426 Race HEMI, the Max Wedge big-block racing V-8 and the Ramchargers, along with some of the most storied performance milestones in Fiat Chrysler’s history. A drag racer at heart, Hoover’s contributions helped develop the Pro Stock and Funny Car racing classes.

“Tom Hoover was an exceptional human being and an engineering genius who always wanted to go faster. Today, at Mopar, we continue to live and honor Tom’s vision. He’ll be missed,” says Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care.

TOMMORROW’S GAME PLAN - Eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Final round action is scheduled for 3:50 p.m.

TOP FUEL

LOADED FOR BEAR, LITERALLY – When Steve Torrence says he was off the grid for the last two weeks, he’s not exaggerating. The driver of the CAPCO dragster spent two weeks in the mountains of Prince George, British Columbia, hunting for bear, both Grizzly and Black, as well as wolf. 

Torrence slept in a tent the entire time in temperatures which dipped as low as the 20s and never climbed above 50 degrees. He arrived at the location, 30 miles inside the mountains, with only what he could carry and enough freeze-dried meals to feed himself, a tour guide and a photographer.  

“When you’re there, there’s no cell service, no electricity, no utilities,” said Torrence. “It’s you in survivor mode. You’re living in a tent filled with only the stuff you could bring in with you.”

Hot showers? Only if you consider bathing in a stream where the water flows barely above the freezing mark. Did we mention no towels?

Torrence bagged a black bear and killed a wolf in his hunt. The bear was donated to a local food shelter while the wolf was part of an organized hunt to thin the growing local population of wolves, considered to be major predators, and a detriment to the moose population which has suffered from attacks from wolf packs. 

“In some kind of way, I try to feel like I am in control of the Top Fuel dragster,” Torrence admits. “The wolf or bear … don’t know about that.”

 

NO RUST HERE - In only his second race of 2015, Morgan Lucas ran 3.915 seconds at 289.82 mph to qualify No. 11.

Just making it down Atlanta Dragway became a chore for the 10,000-horsepower, nitro-powered class as the track temperature hovered at the 130 degree mark.

"Job 1 was getting the E3 Spark Plugs dragster into the field because this is their home race and their first with us as the primary sponsor on the car, so we didn't want to mess up," Lucas said. "We did that, so I'm very thankful. Hats off to these crew guys, who always seem to pick up right where we left off no matter how many races we miss in between starts.

"The car still has a lot to show. We did get further down the track each run, so we're moving in the right direction. You're certainly always pecking away at problems, and these cars tend to create new problems as soon as you correct the old ones but that's the challenge of it all."

Lucas will face longtime friend and former teammate J.R. Todd in the opening session. Todd was sixth quickest, posting a best pass of 3.807 at 321.35 mph.

 

SOME LIKE IT HOT - Okay so Spencer Massey took the unconventional route to earn a berth in Sunday's final eliminations. 

Friday, with favorable cooler conditions, Massey was unable to make a pass to the finish line under power. In the worst conditions of the weekend, Massey came out swinging and delivered a 3.957-second, 307-mph lap. He improved on that in the fourth and final qualifying with a 3.891-second lap at 318.

"We really needed those good runs in the heat this afternoon," said Spencer.

"Tomorrow's conditions will be a lot like what we saw out there today and we have some great data to go off of for tomorrow. It's hot out here and hard to predict the track and what these cars are going to do, but I think we have a good handle on it for race day."

Last season, Massey smoked the tires on two of four winning rounds to claim the victory here.

WIDE OPEN RACEDAY - Qualifying has produced the hottest weather encountered so far this year on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, which Top Fuel sophomore driver Richie Crampton says levels the playing field for elimination rounds at the 35th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.

"It's going to be wide open tomorrow," Crampton said. "As we saw today, a lot of cars struggled just to get from one end to the other under power, so this won't be a race where you can just pound on the track and try to rotate the earth. We're going to have to pull out the finesse game and make absolutely certain we get from A to B every round.

"I'm glad we have lane choice because any advantage you can have at this point is huge, but on the other hand, I really think it's anyone's game. One wrong move and you're going home early. We need to be ready for anything."

Crampton's best pass in the Lucas Oil dragster was a 3.852 at 316.90 mph, which placed him seventh overall in the 16-car field. As such, he'll begin eliminations against Brittany Force

FUNNY CAR

INFINITE OPTIMISM - Jack Beckman earned the No. 3 qualifying position Friday night despite a small parts malfunction that caused a minor engine explosion that damaged the carbon-fiber body.

Although the Infinite Hero Dodge slowed to 301.13 mph, it stopped the clocks at 4.033 seconds and the number held up for the third position for Sunday's championship eliminations.

"We blew it up pretty good Friday night, and our guys were at the track late getting it ready, but they came back today and got us down the track pretty g ood,"Beckman said.

Beckman was quickest in the last qualifying session with a time of 4.106 (310.63) under racing conditions that are forecast to be similar on Sunday.

NO ISSUES AT ALL - While many of his Funny Car counterparts struggled mightily in the Q-3 session, Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables were just fine.

"Obviously they call it Hot-Lanta for a reason," Hagan said. "We've got a lot of good runs under our belt already this weekend. You can tell just by this weekend's runs that we have a great variety of data that Dickie works with to get this car down the track each run.

"The car is going down the racetrack and we're learning as we go. You have to make it down on the track on Friday night to get a good spot in qualifying but Saturday conditions are more relatable to race-day conditions and I'm pretty pleased with what I saw today from this team."

CONSISTENT WILKERSON - Throw out Friday's qualifying snafu and Tim Wilkerson had a pretty good go of qualifying.

"We really ran a 4.08 or a 4.10 in Q1, so that's four really good laps and we still have a car that's very agreeable to what we're trying to do," Wilkerson said. "I put some new parts on it here this weekend, and we had track conditions that were pretty much all over the board, so to run that well in all four sessions is a good thing.

"I'm not even going to bother thinking about the pairing. Running in the top half and then getting a top 10 car in the first round seems to be our way of doing things, so we'll just figure out what lane we want and we'll try to run exactly as quick as you can go over there. If we get to the stripe first, we win. It's a pretty simple sport, really."

Wilkerson will face Del Worsham in round one. Worsham is currently third in the Mello Yello point standings.

“I believe Wilkerson has had the best car this weekend, and we have made some great runs ourself and it is going to be one heck of a drag race,” Worsham said.

NINE IS JUST FINE - The No. 9 qualifying position; that dog will hunt for Napa Auto Parts driver Ron Capps. Earlier this season Capps went on to win his first of two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series titles this year from the same position.

"We obviously didn't qualify as good as we wanted to, but we did win at Gainesville (Fla.) from the ninth position when we didn't have lane choice in the first round," said Capps, who will start Sunday ranked first in points but is only one marker ahead of DSR teammate Matt Hagan.

"Getting lane choice is always the first goal for us. We qualified ninth, and we are going to have a tough match-up, but when I wake up Sunday morning to race I feel like we can always win no matter where we qualify."

Capps, who will face higher-qualified Alexis DeJoria in the opening round, is coming off a win two weeks ago at Houston when he qualified third.

PRO STOCK

GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN - If it ain't broke, don't fix it is an adage very common in the South. And certainly there was nothing broken about Erica Enders' Camaro, winner of the last two NHRA Pro Stock events. 

"I understand the sentiment, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,' but we had so much confidence in this new Rick Jones race car that we knew it would be better," Enders said. "And like my team owner Richard Freeman says, 'We didn't build it to sit at the shop,' so the guys put it back into service and our results speak for themselves."

Enders tied the quickest elapsed time of the weekend with a 6.546-second blast but qualified second due to Jason Line's slightly better top speed. Line, who also posted a 6.546, topped out at 211.23 mph to Enders' 210.28 mph.

"It takes a lot of self-confidence to make a car change after winning two races in a row, but the guys felt comfortable enough to give it a try. We worked out a few bugs yesterday and then they really tuned it up today and we lost out on the pole by mph, so we are super happy.

"We actually started the year with this car, but the new fuel and tires they have us running put us a touch behind, so we brought out last year's championship car and started gathering data. I have such a special place in my heart for that car, and I know how she runs and how she reacts to every little thing, so we were able to use her to figure out the fuel and the tire and apply that to this new car."

NOT BAD FOR A ROOKIE - Drew Skillman qualified third with a 6.551 at 211.30 in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Chevy Camaro.

THAT MAN IS ON FIRE - The only thing that slowed FireAde Racing driver Larry Morgan was the finish line.

Morgan posted the fastest speed of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals on Saturday at Atlanta Dragway, making a pass of 6.565 seconds at 211.89 mph in the third qualifying session. That puts him in the No. 8 spot heading into final eliminations Sunday.

"I feel real good going into the first round," Morgan said. "I feel that confident. We had top speed for the weekend, so that's good for us and for Johnny (Gray) and Gray Motorsports. I feel real good about everything."

Gray Motorsports supplies engines and technical support to Morgan's FireAde Racing team. Sunday, though, Morgan will have to line up against a Gray teammate in the first round: Jonathan Gray, son of Johnny Gray, who qualified No. 9 with a 6.580 at 210.08 mph.

PRO STOCK BIKE

A FISH TALE - Sometimes you whip the fish, and other times the fish whips you. 

And for Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie Smith, she beat both the fish and the boys. 

Smith joined husband Matt, veteran motorsports photographer Mark Rebilas and a fishing tour guide for a day of fishing at Lake Lanier on Wednesday  before the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga.

“Mark was nice enough to let us tag along with him,” said Smith. 

The fishing experience lasted about six hours with Mrs. Smith emerging as the most successful of the anglers. 

“I kicked the boy’s butts,” Smith said with a smile. “I caught 14 fish and the biggest one.” 

Smith landed an 8.25 pound Striper.

In the end, it was the big fish that got the best comeuppance.

Smith, in her bid to rub it in the face of the fellas, suffered an unfortunate injury.

“I didn’t actually kiss the fish but put my lips up there like I was going to,” admitted Smith. “The fish flopped and its fin got my nose. My nose started bleeding.”

Did the guys laugh?

“Nah, they thought it was pretty cool,” said Smith.  

MR. SPEED – Hector Arana Jr. was the fastest of the bikes with a 196.73 blast. He ended qualifying as the third quickest and races Matt Smith in the first round. 

THE CHAMP IS TENTH – Andrew Hines battled the Atlanta humidity, and pushed his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson to a 6.941. He races Hector Arana in the first round.

MISSING THE CUT – Six bikes missed the 7.047 bubble. Those who will watch from the sidelines on Sunday include Chaz Kennedy, Joe DeSantis, Mike Berry, Redell Harris, Eddie Reed and Roy Olsen. 

PRO MODIFIED 

SURVIVING THE FIRST ROUND - Four of the eight top-half qualifiers were sent packing after the first round. Houston winner Donnie Walsh (Balooshi}, Kenny Lang (Rickie Smith), Mike Castellana (Pete Farber) and Troy Coughlin (first alternate Gerry Capano) will race in tomorrow's quarter-final round. 

 

 

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM FRIDAY

GREMLINS HIT TIMING SYSTEM; WILKERSON SUFFERS – Tim Wilkerson lost what could have been the fourth quickest elapsed time during the first Funny Car session. The Atlanta Dragway scoreboards lit up with a 4.52, 309.49. The team’s computer graph suggested the run would have likely been a 4.08. 

The race was delayed by 45 minutes as NHRA’s timing technicians worked to troubleshoot the potential issues before determining an optic wire had vibrated loose.

A diplomatic Wilkerson said he understands stuff happens, and wasn’t overly upset with the situation.

“The way I look at it, if I have an oil line come loose … it cost me 5 points and $1000,” Wilkerson said. “Looks like they owe me 5 points and a thousand bucks.” 

CHERRY-FACED SCARFACE GOES TO THE TOP – Cruz Pedregon thundered to the top spot in Friday’s evening session with a 4.010

“We had a good two weeks of preparation,” said Pedregon. “Our season has been better than it has shown. We spent the last two weeks prepping the car.”

Pedregon said he and his team were gunning for a three-second run.

“We were trying for it,” said Pedregon. “The air was a bit heavy, but it was trying.”

Pedregon is running the body his publicist Caleb Cox nicknamed "Scarface" for its ability to remain in competition despite ripping the front end off following a collision with a foam block and a few more engine explosions which added to the damage. 

ANTRON’S ATLANTA MAGIC CONTINUES – Though Antron Brown has won three times at Atlanta Dragway, he has yet to qualify No. 1. He moved closer to the mark by running a 3.758 to lead Friday’s qualifying.

“This was a great day,” Brown said. “We’ve been shooting for a long time to come out of the box with a run like that. We knew we’d have some bumps and bruises with this new combination. We knew we had to work the kinks out of it to get better.”

Brown’s Matco Tools dragster is now running a six-disc clutch on a regular basis. 

“We’ve been working our tails off, and Lord knows we have been putting our work in,” Brown said. “It felt good to come out here and have it show. It was good to go down the track on the first run.”

WJ IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY – Warren Johnson is at Atlanta Dragway this weekend. However, his race car is back at the shop. 

“It’s really not tough being a spectator,” admitted Johnson. “I’ve [raced] for quite a while, so this is just kind of a rest. It’s not like I haven’t done this before and I get all excited about it.” 

Johnson spent the entire first session standing on the starting line, and watching his fellow Pro Stock racers in qualifying.

ANGELLE UNVEILS FAN SPONSOR PROGRAM – Angelle Sampey and team owner George Bryce are getting creative in their bid to keep the Star Racing Buell competing on the full Pro Stock Motorcycle tour. In a press conference on Friday morning, the past NHRA champions unveiled JoinTeamAngelle.com.

Race fans can participate in an innovative fan sponsorship campaign designed to provide fans with unique opportunities to get closer to the action and the inner workings of the team.

“When I was asked to return to the NHRA circuit last year by George and Jackie Bryce of Star Racing, the overpowering pull that ultimately brought me back to the track was my connection with our fans. At Star Racing, we believe that the time has arrived to change the dynamics involved with funding a race team. Through this campaign, we are striving to provide our fans with opportunities to enjoy unmatched experiences,” Sampey said.

BO KNOWS PRO STOCK NOW – Bo Butner keeps adding to a lengthy resume already filled with sportsman drag racing success. Friday marked his first NHRA Pro Stock start.

“In all honesty, you know how a boxer boxes 10 rounds because I feel like I’ve fought eight rounds, but I have not been in the ring yet,” Butner said. “I made three or four good hits and I made 20,000 in my head. I’m just ready. When we get that A to B shot I will be very happy.” 

On Butner’s first qualifying past he clocked a 7.726-second elapsed time at 126.44 mph. He returned in the second session with a 6.98 elapsed time. 

“I was going to cut back on my racing this year and just do the shootout for Ford, which I’m still going to do,” Butner said. “I got a call from Jason (Line) and Greg (Anderson) at Vegas last year at the end of the year and they said ‘Do you ever want to run Pro Stock?’ I said absolutely not. Well, we got to talking and (team owner) Ken Black is a great person. They were doing my Comp stuff for a couple of years. We talked about (racing Pro Stock) and it went from like an 8 to 10 race (schedule) and who knows how many we are going to do now.”

ONE FOR THE STAT BOOK – When is the last time an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event had two professional category No. 1 qualifiers determined on speed? Friday night both the Pro Stock car and motorcycle divisions went down to the speeds to determine the leaders in each. 

KAREN STOFFER RETURNS TO THE TOP – Karen Stoffer opened 2015 with a surprising win at the NHRA Gatornationals. Even with her success, Stoffer admitted unless major funding could be procured the team’s participation days were limited. 

With a reasonably bleak future, the unsponsored Stoffer team continues to deliver with a provisional No. 1 in Friday qualifying by running a 6.889. 

“This is a huge moment for us,” Stoffer said. “We are not heavily funded, racing on a lot of passion. You never know what to expect from [husband] Gary’s tune-up. When I saw Jimmy’s bike go down, and I knew I had a similar tune-up, I didn’t think our run was going to be bad. I just didn’t know it was going to be just as good. 

BEHIND THE SCENES NOTEBOOK 

TOP FUEL

ARMY OF NONE (WINS) - Tony Schumacher is the winningest driver in NHRA Top Fuel history, winning races at every stop on the tour but one. 

Consider Atlanta Dragway to be the 78-time race winner’s equivalent to the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl or the Chicago Cubs World Series. 

The storied drag strip located between the middle of upstate South Carolina and Atlanta, Ga., is the one venue on the 24-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series where the eight-time world champion just cannot catch a break in the final round. 

Schumacher is good, leading the points thus far this season, but this is the first time in 2015 the NHRA has visited Atlanta Dragway. 

“I don’t go up there and say, ‘Why don’t we win here?’ just like I don’t go to Indy and say how come we always win here,” said Schumacher, who has four runner-up finishes in Atlanta. “I’m not surprised, but I continue to be blown away by the fact that we’ve won 78 races. For whatever it’s worth, we tested a brand new car last week. 

"After winning championships and getting off to the start we have, we’re not settling. We’re bringing out a brand new car for Atlanta. The guys love it and (crew chief) Mike Green loves it.”

The last time Schumacher was in an Atlanta final round was back in 2012, a race where he also qualified No. 1. He had a strong running car then, and has one now.

“We’ve got a great car, best car we’ve had for Atlanta,” Schumacher advises. “We’ve been in the finals there before and just haven’t won. In all reality, we’ve got a great race car and a great race team. We’ll just go out and do our job." 

KALITTA MILESTONE - Doug Kalitta put himself in a good position during Friday qualifying for a career milestone. If his run on Friday holds throughout qualifying, he will make his 400th career start on Sunday. 

Kalitta has earned 17 consecutive top ten championship points finishes since 1998 with 79 final round appearances. Since 2014, Kalitta has been in the final round 11 times in just 31 events.

 “It is stunning to me that it has been 400 races,” said Kalitta. “We have had incredible support throughout my career whether it be from Connie, my team or from the Mac Tools group. We are not finished yet, and still have the ultimate goal to achieve and we look to take another step in Atlanta.”

Kalitta will celebrate his momentous occasion by leading the SealMaster Track Walk on Sunday. Fans that cannot attend this weekends’ event can send their favorite memories and congratulations via social media with the #Doug400.

LUCAS RETURNS - Morgan Lucas is behind the wheel of the E3 Spark Plugs/Lucas Oil dragster for the second time this season. 

Lucas has raced on a part-time basis the last two seasons as he learns the family business. But despite competing in just seven races last year, the 22-time national event winner scored two national event victories and two more semifinal round appearances.

"We seem to have found a way for my part-time crew to mesh really well with our full-time guys that work on the dragster Richie (Crampton, teammate) drives and we've had some great results," Lucas said. "Most of the guys have worked together for many years so the familiarity is there, which helps a bunch. Aaron Brooks and Rod Centorbi (tuners) also have the cars set-up very similarly so the data transfers well.

"Winning two times last year in just seven races says a lot about this group. I continue to be very proud of them for the hard work they put in when we call on them."

WORKING FOR THE FOUNDATION - Steve Torrence has the kind of sponsorship on his Top Fuel dragster where he doesn't get paid monetarily, and this status suits him just fine. Instead, Torrence uses his 300-mile per hour dragster as a billboard for a charitable cause -- the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation.

“Our goal in affiliating with the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation was to help raise the profile of the foundation and, obviously, to encourage our fans and others in the racing community to financially support the programs created by Chris and Taya Kyle,” Torrence said.  

“While it’s not a program from which the race team gets a single dollar, it’s a feel-good opportunity for me and for our team to give back to those who have sacrificed so much – the families of first responders and deployed members of our armed forces,” Torrence said.  “Nothing would give me more satisfaction than putting that ‘Frog’ logo in the winners’ circle at Atlanta.”
    
Torrence scored his first career Top Fuel victory back in 2012 at Atlanta Dragway.     

“It’s been too long since we hoisted one of those gold men,” Torrence said.

BROWN LOOKING FOR MILESTONE WIN – Antron Brown will arrive in Atlanta this weekend looking for a milestone victory.  The 2012 Top Fuel world champion will be shooting for his 49 th win in Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competition, tying him with the legendary Don “The Snake” Prudhomme for 10th all-time.  Brown has won a series-high 30 races since 2009 – eight more than the next highest Top Fuel driver. 

FUNNY CAR

LIVING THE GLAMOROUS LIFE - Matt Hagan understands he gets some strange looks when he tells folks he spent the last two weeks slinging poop and sowing his seed. 

Hagan, the two-time NHRA Funny Car champion whose primary occupation is a farmer, spent his off-time getting back on pace with the overwhelming chore regimen associated with a 1000-acre farm. He also found some time away from the odorous chores to participate in a Rocky Outdoor Gear commercial shoot. 

"With a farm, you never get all the chores done but I will say that I've got a lot done, and I got to give my wife a little bit of a break and helped run the kids to their activities," Hagan said. "My son, Colby, is big into baseball right now, so it's been nice to be home and see him play and take him to practice.

"Then we had the folks from Rocky out here last week and that was just awesome. I can't tell you how excited it makes me that they picked me to do their commercial. We had a great time out at the farm, and I really appreciate them picking this spot to do this. I can't wait to see how it turns out."

Hagan would like to end his Atlanta Dragway winless streak with a victory. If he does, a bit of personal accomplishment awaits him. 

"I hope I get that 200th round win," Hagan said. "It's been such a great season for this team already and we just need to get more consistent and turn on win lights on race day. It's been a couple weeks since I've seen my guys and I couldn't be more excited to get back to the track with my team and crawl back in that Mopar/Rocky Funny Car."

LESS EXPLOSIVE PLEASE - Tommy Johnson Jr. used the two weeks off between NHRA events to get in some testing at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. 
 
"We saw some very positive results," said Johnson. "It isn't like we've run bad this season; we just haven't done what we're capable of yet. It was good for us to test and see some really good results and positive steps forward. I was extremely pleased, and we're all happy.
 
"The team has worked very hard to get the new 2015 Dodge Charger Funny Car body mounted. It's a little bit of a brighter color than we had earlier this year, and it looks great. We're going to treat this body with kid gloves and make sure it's taken care of because we want to run this the rest of the season without any issues."

Johnson grenaded an engine at the last stop on the NHRA tour in Houston, destroying the body.

TIME TO MAKE HEADWAY - Chad Head is three places outside of the top ten.

Head, who announced last year his plans to run a full schedule, has never qualified for the Countdown to the Championship. He just one point shy of being two rounds out of the elite company. 
 
“We’re covering all of our bases and coming prepared to run competitively this weekend and beyond,” said a confident Chad Head.  “Dad (former nitro driver and now crew chief/owner, Jim,) has our Toyota tuned up and I just need to step up my performance in the seat.  We have all the components in place; it’s just a matter of getting the job done and winning the rounds. 

"Its’ never been more competitive out there. You can’t afford any mistakes, and the other teams feel the same way, so any advantage could make the difference in whether the win light flashes in our lane or not.”

FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS - The last time John Force was in the final round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals he was racing for his 1,000th round win at his 500th race. The year was 2008 and he was on the cusp of setting a record that no one would ever be able to touch. One more round win and he would maintain a semifinal finish average for 500 straight races. Instead, he made another mark in drag racing as history as he became the first male driver to lose in an NHRA Funny Car final against a female driver.  

In losing to Ashley Force Hood, he also became the first father to lose a Funny Car final round to his daughter.

“Seeing Ashley get that win was so special. I wanted to get that 1,000th round win so I had a lot on the line but that day was just her day," said Force. "Now I have Courtney and Brittany out here battling it out. Courtney almost won here last year and Brittany has a brand new sponsor, Monster Energy, at this race."

The last time Force stood in the Atlanta Dragway winner’s circle was after he defeated rookie teammate, Robert Hight, in 2005. In 2002 he was runner-up to Whit Bazemore but the amazing trend had ended in 2000 when his win over Ron Capps capped a streak of nine straight final rounds at the Southern Nationals. Force won six of those finals during his impressive streak in the Peach State.

FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC, AND WEIRD - Tim Wilkerson climbed as high as sixth [4.048] in a day which has been representative of his luck at Atlanta Dragway the last two seasons. Wilkerson was short-changed on his first run when a timing issue left him with a slower elapsed time than he should have received.

Wilkerson could have had flashbacks to a spectacular moment last season here. The Levi, Ray & Shoup-sponsored driver exploded a motor when its camshaft broke, completely demolishing a nearly-new Mustang body during qualifying. The weekend remained on the odd side as Wilkerson beat John Force in a Monday morning pedal-fest before losing to Robert Hight, who sat at the starting line for an inexplicable 1.4 seconds before hitting the throttle. It was a strange weekend, as well as a very explosive and expensive one.

"Last year was one of the more memorable races in a while, and it cost a bunch of us a lot of money, so I'm fine with a nice standard race where we just compete and then go home, with everything in one piece," Wilkerson said. "We had our untested window vents in the car for that lap when it blew up, and the one on my left actually worked. We saw photos of the explosion where the vent was flipped up and the flames were shooting straight out, horizontally. The one on my right, though, couldn't take the blast and the whole right side of the car disappeared. I see it a lot on promotional videos, that's for sure.

"In the session after we blew it up, my guys thrashed like mad to get the car fixed and the other body on it, but we smoked the tires. It's probably a good thing, though, because Jack Beckman was in the other lane and he shredded the body off his car with another huge explosion. Then we tried to run on Sunday night, after a long day of rain, but it was just way too loose, so we came back on Monday and finally got it in. I don't need any of that drama this time around."

This season hasn't been any more conventional for Wilkerson. 

"So far, 2015 has been a head-scratcher and I'm hoping the tide turns a little on that as soon as possible," Wilk saiderson. "Give me an inch here and a foot there and we'd be right in the middle of the top 10 and people would be talking about what a great car we have. Instead, we have a great car but we're 12th. Same car, same good runs, but a very different scenario when it comes to points and position."

PRO STOCK

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE - No one in the NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has amassed more championship points in the first quarter of the season than Erica Enders. The defending Pro Stock champion brought an 11-round winning streak into Atlanta Dragway.

"We're definitely on a roll and we want to keep it up," said Enders. 

Enders became the first woman in Pro Stock history to win the title last year, joining Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) as the only women to win major motorsports championships. She used six victories and a remarkable elimination round of 45-16 to get the job done.

Enders and her Elite Motorsports crew already are ahead of last year's pace with two victories and a 14-4 race day mark through six races.

"It's weird because it seems like we could be even further ahead than we are," Enders said. "We started the year with a beautiful new Rick Jones Camaro but had a little trouble adjusting to the new tires and fuel mandated by the NHRA so we switched back to the car we won the championship with last year. That new car is so state-of-the-art we know it's going to be even better when we get it dialed in. I really believe our best day are ahead of us."

Enders tied the provisional No. 1 qualifier Jason Line with a 6.546, but her 210.28 speed feel short of the No. 1 211.23. 

DETERMINED TO IMPROVE - Jason Line knows he needs to improve his performance for this weekend. 
 
"The last few races, I just haven't driven as well as I should have," admitted Line. "It's as simple as that, but I'm going to Atlanta to win. That's what I'm going for. I'm going there to be low qualifier and win the race, and I feel that we certainly have a good opportunity to do that. My Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro has been really fast, and even though I've stumbled a little bit on raceday, I feel really good going into this weekend. 

"Nothing lasts forever, whether it's bad or good, and there is no time like the present to get back up there. We've had a couple of weeks off from racing and a good chance to work on some things, and Team Summit is rejuvenated and ready."

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD - Shane Gray has his comfort zone back, for the second weekend in a row. The older of the two racing Gray brothers is back behind the wheel of the Camaro he won the 2013 Vegas-2 event with, and more recently was driven by his brother Jonathan. 

Gray felt he needed to do something to squelch a 60-race gap of winless efforts, even though he finished in the top-five last season.  The move worked as he rocketed the familiar Camaro to the top of the field in Friday qualifying in Houston and ultimately settled into a start from the No. 2 position – his best of the year. 

Gray was a finalist at the Atlanta event in 2013, driving the very same car and peeled off a remarkable .001-second reaction time to just barely miss the win light. 

"Right now I'm just enjoying driving this old car, and I'm happy to see my brother back to getting down the racetrack every run," said Gray. "Our team maybe went through a little rough patch there to start the year, but we're getting a handle on things and it's smoothing out. We've seen some pretty good surprises here in the past, and we know we have two very capable cars over here."  

Gray was almost .02 quicker than the car he switched from with a 6.562.

LOOKING BACK - In his final season as a full-time NHRA competitor, Gray Motorsports team owner Johnny Gray won the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in 2013 driving the Pitch Energy Dodge Charger Funny Car. He was also a finalist there 10 years earlier, in 2003, after qualifying in the lucky No. 13 position.
            
The Gray family patriarch's Atlanta win came just moments following a very, very narrow miss of the Pro Stock title by his son, Shane Gray. Shane was .001-second at the starting line to get the lead on Mike Edwards but didn't quite have enough to get the win light. The final was one of five that season for Shane, and one of four perfect final rounds for Johnny that year.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

OLD RELIABLE - Hector Arana Sr. is sentimental about his Buell motorcycle. So sentimental is he, that he's not exactly eager to park the proven scooter for new pipe. 

"That old bike is the one that gave me my first win, gave me my first championship," Arana Sr. said. "That one I want to keep forever."

Arana Sr. scored his first win in Gainesville, Fla., in 2009, and ended up winning five races and the NHRA world championship.

While the seasoned bike remains competitive, he knows it's time for a new ride. Since the Pro Stock Motorcycle class last raced in Charlotte on March 29, Arana and his team have been working on the new EBR.

"The five, six weeks we had off, we worked on the new EBR body, trying to get that going," Arana Sr. said. "We worked on the faring, and as soon as we get back from Atlanta, we're going to Indy to test to see if it goes straight."

If the test goes well, the new bike will be presented to NHRA for approval, and Arana Sr. will then race it.

ON THE OTHER HAND - Unlike his dad, Hector Arana Jr. has a new chassis but is trying to break in a new body. The situation he faces is gaining approval from NHRA's tech department for a new Buell body.
 
Arana Jr. isn't really hurting with the older shell as his current ride is the fastest motorcycle in NHRA history. He set the national speed record of 198.88 mph on March 29 at his most recent race.

A nine-time winner on the NHRA tour, Arana Jr. has two of the top three fastest runs in class history. He was hoping to be the first to 200 mph -- the sport's next big barrier -- when he switched to the new body work at the start of the year, but the development of the new design isn't complete. Until then, of course, he knows he still has a very fast bike. 

"Old Faithful is in Atlanta, the body I've been running, and racing it until the new one is totally figured out," Arana Jr. said. "We're just not ready to bring out the new body work yet. We've got some more work to do, not so much for performance but for safety. When that body takes me down the track straight, that's when we'll bring it out."

The second-gen Arana was fifth quickest with a 6.936. 

STUMBLING OUT OF THE GATE - Steve Johnson wouldn't mind a do-over. Three races into the 2015 season, the tour isn't going the way he envisioned. 

“I’m motivating myself to make good decisions this weekend,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, that’s why we don’t do well if I make bad decisions. I’m just motivated. We’re going to do the best we can with what we’ve got. We’ve never done well in Atlanta.

“It’s just a matter of not being prepared. But it’s exciting because I know what my problems are and I’m trying to tackle them every day. I know it will get better, but I just want the answer to come now.”

Johnson entered the season with high expectations but instead lost in the first round at Gainesville and failed to qualify in Charlotte. 

"There are just a lot of things that are challenging to our team," said Johnson. "We feel like we’re close to finding what works, we just need to get some more runs on the bike.”

Johnson landed on the provisional bubble after two sessions with a 6.998. 

PRO MODIFIED

NO CARBS, JUST SUPERCHARGERS - Mike Janis entered Friday's qualifying feeling less of a man, literally.

The former IHRA Pro Modified champion and NHRA national event winner has been on a strict diet, and is convincingly winning the battle of the bulge. 

"I have been on a strict diet since right after Gainesville and have lost almost 30 pounds," said Janis. "I have to credit my wife of 38 years, Michelle for really staying after me and pushing me every day. When you get in one of these 3000 horsepower cars, it doesn't matter what kind of car or engine you have. 

"You need to feel good sitting behind the wheel of that beast. I can tell you if I feel better, the car will run better. We can't just have these young guys out there knocking down the Christmas tree every run, so I changed my life and did something about it. Hopefully, the only thing our competitors will see this coming weekend is the back of the car as we are in front of them.”
 
The exercising paid off in a large way for Janis as he claimed the top spot with one session left to go with a 5.875.

NO PRIMA DONNAS HERE - Rickie Smith might be a top shelf racer but this doesn't stop the two-time NHRA Pro Modified champion from getting some grease underneath his fingernails. 

Smith doesn’t have a large crew as just he and right-hand man Chad Hester make everything work smoothly in the IDG-sponsored team's pits. 

“I drive my own truck,” Smith said. “I do a lot of my own work. I like to see the drivers stay involved where the driver has to do some work. I am 61 years old and I still do a decent job on the tree for my age. But it’s not so much my age if I’m a couple hundredths late on the tree. It’s because I’m working so hard between rounds that when I get in that car I’m just give out. Many times between rounds, especially in NHRA, Chad’s got to cut the clutch and I have to change the rear end by myself. We’re trying to get all this done in an hour. So when I get back in the car, I’m totally wore out. 

"You don’t see any, any, any drivers doing that. That’s what I want some of my fans to understand. I’m doing a lot of work in between rounds sometime. There’s not hardly any drivers doing what I do. So if I get in the car and I'm a couple hundredths late, it’s not because I’m 61 years old. It’s because I’m plum exhausted from the work in between rounds.”

Smith’s hard work paid off as he was fifth quickest after two sessions with a 5.927, and the top running nitrous car in competition. 

THIS WEEKEND'S SPONSORS - Pro Line Racing and The Real Pro Mod (RPM) Association are co-presenting sponsors for this weekend's Pro Modified competition. The race is the third of 10 events for the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series in 2015. 

“We are celebrating 10 years of business here at Pro Line Racing, and sponsoring the race in Atlanta is a great way to say ‘Thank You’ to our customers, friends and family,” said Eric Dillard, co-owner of Pro Line Racing. “We appreciate their support in making Pro Line Racing a success.” 

Located in Ball Ground, Ga., Pro Line Racing specializes in turn-key turbocharged drag racing combinations. From Pro Mods to Outlaw Drag Radial cars, Pro Line offers everything from complete racing engines and EFI Systems to just about every component racecars need to lead the pack.

There are 27 entries attempting to qualify for 16 spots. 

WINNING IS A BIG THING - Bob Rahaim understands the value of winning on the NHRA Pro Modified tour. Two months ago, he scored his first victory when he won the NHRA Gatornationals crown.

Rahaim is still in awe of the moment he visited the winner's circle. 

“This has been beyond my wildest dreams,” Rahaim said. “This is one of those bucket list things. It was really just an enjoyable moment. With the caliber of cars and drivers in this class, to get that win was really one of the special moments of my life.”

Rahaim has only eight NHRA Pro Modified starts in his career. With a strong resume of eighth-mile organized drag racing, Rahaim and his team, led by crew chief Chris Bell, made considerable strides since making their NHRA debut in 2013.  

“Our new car is a big part of it,” Rahaim said of his new Jerry Bickel C-7 Corvette. “But we’ve also got a good group of people around us. A lot of the battle is getting the right mix of people and personalities. We got some traction in the class last year, and now we’re going some rounds. Of course we would like to repeat what happened in Gainesville, but we know we’re not going to win every race. There are too many good racers and determined people in this class.”

Rahaim landed on the bubble after two sessions with a 6.006. 

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON - Nothing warms a father's heart like seeing his son excel in the family profession. Troy Coughlin, both Senior and Junior, are running strong this season in NHRA Pro Modified. 

"We're off to the best start we've ever had in Pro Mod so we certainly want to maintain that momentum. Getting both cars back to the semifinals or finals would be the perfect scenario, and I think we have the ability to do it this weekend."

With Troy Jr. ranked second in the world with back-to-back semifinal results to start the season and Troy Sr. just one round back in sixth place after posting a semifinal and a quarterfinal finish in his two starts, the timing for another big outing is perfect.

"There's been a lot to take in these first two races," newcomer Troy Jr. said. "You can visualize all you want but until you're actually racing, there's only so much preparation you can do. I definitely feel better in the car, although I also feel like there is so much more to learn.

After two sessions, Troy Sr. was ninth while Junior was still looking for a spot in the show.