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

EVENT GALLERY

 

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK

ANYTHING FOR MOM - It is 125 miles from Ypsilanti, Michigan, to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, but to Doug Kalitta it seems like a trip around the corner.

The Kalitta Motorsports driver considers Summit Motorsports Park to be his home track, and he celebrated his so-called homecoming with a victory over Antron Brown in the Top Fuel final round at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

“We have Milan Dragway up near us, but it really isn’t big enough for the NHRA to do anything there,” Kalitta said. “This is our home track and it was great to have so many family and friends here. Even my mom showed up and she’s only shown up one other time, so she really doesn’t come too often. All this family and all the friends here…it just doesn’t get much better than that.”

It didn’t get much better than Kalitta this weekend. He qualified at the top of the sheet before marching through the rounds of eliminations with relative ease. He won in a breeze in the first round against No. 16 qualifier Chris Karamasines when The Greek posted a sleepy .430 reaction time. He then dusted a tire-shaking Steve Torrence in the second round when Torrence could not put together a clean pass.

His toughest race before the final was a semifinal match-up against the surprising Clay Millican, who reverted to his IHRA days in Norwalk and put a pair of heavy hitters, Spencer Massey and Larry Dixon, into their trailers.

Kalitta got past Millican with an .032 induced 3.849 at 322.19 miles per hour against Millican’s .088 induced 3.879 at 315.64.

The final round, the 82nd of Kalitta’s career, was tight. Brown had the advantage at the tree, .046 to .069, but Kalitta got by him on the track with a 3.823 at 322.34. Brown, who was slowing at the top end of the track, clocked a 3.918 at 307.79.

“We ended up changing a couple engines out prior to the semis,” Kalitta said. “It was a scheduled engine change, then we broke a stud so we had to take that motor out and put another one in. We were kind of thrashing back there ourselves.

“Fortunately the guys on J.R.’s car, and some of the Funny Car guys, came over and we got everything caught up. We pulled it off and there was really never any doubt in my mind because I’ve seen how those guys work when they’re thrashing.”

For the final round, Kalitta was happy to have lane choice. He put Brown in the left lane, the lane that was giving some of the Nitro teams trouble during eliminations.

“I was certainly happy going into the final that I was in the right lane,” Kalitta said. “I wasn’t watching it much with the other runs and didn’t see whatever was going on and I’m sure the track was pretty even. I watched a couple of runs and it seemed like cars were getting down both lanes with no problem.”

The win was Kalitta’s first career victory at his home track, and took place in front of his mother, who was attending just her second-ever race.

“My sister actually roped her into coming out and I think she had fun,” Kalitta said. “I’m going to have to tell her she has to come out more often because we won with her here. She watches on TV quite a bit but I think she’ll start coming out a little more.” Mike Perry

BECKMAN, PROCK BEST ENTIRE JFR ORGANIZATION TO TAKE WILD NORWALK VICTORY - Oh, the irony.

Exactly one year ago, veteran tuner Jimmy Prock was tuning John Force to a victory at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. On Sunday, Prock found himself on the other side of an intense rivalry between Force and his chief rival, Don Schumacher Racing, as he helped tune DSR driver Jack Beckman to a win at the very same track.

Beckman collected his 18th career national event win and third of the season Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park, defeating Courtney Force in another tense chapter in the rivalry between the two competing organizations. Joining Beckman in the winner’s circle on Sunday were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

“If you went to every Funny Car driver out there and said give me your top two picks for crew chief, who do you want to have in your corner, he may not be first on everybody’s list, but Jimmy Prock will be on everybody’s list,” Beckman said. “He is one bad man.”

Helping fan the flames between the top two organizations in drag racing today, Beckman defeated all three John Force Racing Funny Cars on his way to the win. Beckman had wins over John Force, Robert Hight and Courtney Force, along with a semifinal victory over Tim Wilkerson, to earn his second Wally at the Norwalk, Ohio track. It is the second time in his career Beckman has eliminated a trio of JFR cars to earn a win.

After snapping a 55-race winless streak at Charlotte back in March, Beckman has now won three of the last nine races to move up to third in the championship standings.

“After going over two years without a win, I’d love to quote all of the sports psychology cliches, but sometimes you wonder - was that the last win we are ever going to get,” Beckman said. “Now, I have three wins so far this year. I have never won more than three in a year. We may never win another one again and we may win the next three. Either way, it is comforting to know that we have a car that is capable of winning every week.”

Beckman struggled from the onset during the Independence Day weekend race, qualifying 11th Saturday night. The bottom-half performance matched Beckman with John Force in the opening round and set up a tough road to the final. But Beckman was up to the challenge, going four solid rounds to put the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T back in the winner’s circle.

In the final, Beckman got off the line first, but Courtney Force took over and led through the next few segments on the racetrack. But the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car lost traction just shy of the finish line as Beckman blasted by with a 4.211-second pass at 301.67 mph to take the win. Force had a 4.609 at 199.64 in the runner-up effort.

“The interesting thing about a Nitro Funny Car, they are pretty damn fast. And the visibility is pretty horrible. So when you are motoring along, you are kind of thinking you are about the fastest thing on the planet at that point,” Beckman said. “When you don’t see the other car, you think, ‘I’ve got this,’ but I can’t tell you how many times I have thought that I have got it only to see the other win light come on and see their nose peak out.

“In that final, our car didn’t make a great lap, but I also didn’t see her either. At that point, you are like, ‘come on finish line.’ It can’t come fast enough when the car is not pulling like it should.”

Beckman’s final was made even more stressful when the team realized that they had cracked the injector in the shutdown area following their semifinal win over Wilkerson. The team thrashed to get the car ready for the final round, but with the shortened turnaround due to the live ESPN broadcast, the team didn’t have an opportunity to warmup the car prior to the run.

“Going into the final, we threw a different injector on it. We start it up and all of the cylinders, we couldn’t get the temperatures evened out. So we put a different supercharger and a third injector on it and there was no time to warm it up,” Beckman said. “We drug the car up for the final round and actually beat Courtney’s team even after making all of those changes. We had to rely on a lot of DSR employees from the other Funny Car teams to come over and lend a hand.

“When we started it up for the final, we don’t know if the idle is going to be way too low or way too high. We have to take a guess on the burnout limiter. So when I floor the throttle for the burnout, there is a lot of stuff going through my head that probably shouldn’t be going through my head going into a final.

“Fortunately, it ended up fine for us. The car didn’t run what we thought it was going to run, but it was good enough to win. With these short turnarounds, the live TV is fantastic, but it also increases the likelihood of bringing cars to the line that don’t have the best tune-up on them.”

Three of Beckman’s four opponents on Sunday ran into trouble during their runs, with John and Courtney Force and semifinal opponent Wilkerson all smoking the tires. The closest race of the afternoon took place in the second round when Hight, off of the strength of his best qualifying effort of the season, took Beckman to the wire with a 4.104 to a 4.173.

Courtney Force had an equally impressive run to the final, eliminating the top two drivers in points - Matt Hagan and Ron Capps - in addition to Del Worsham.

Hagan and Capps remained the top two drivers in points, but the gap was closed, with Beckman moving up to third. DSR teams how make up the top three spots in the championship standings, followed by Worsham and John Force.

“Man, what a year we are having. We went and won at Charlotte and that was bitching because it ended a 55-race winless streak. We went out and won Topeka with all of these delays for weather and run five three-second runs. Then we come here with a brand new front half on the car and with an entire new bell housing, completely different clutch configuration, and we win again,” Beckman said. “But that is what Jimmy Prock does. Dickie (Venables) and Matt Hagan, they have been setting the standard and we recognized that by the time we get to the Countdown, we have to have something that will play with that car.

“If this season turns out the way I think it can turn out, we have a lot to look forward to.” Larry Crum

ANDERSON REACHES THE SUMMIT - Life is pretty good for NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson.

At his sponsor’s home track during his sponsor’s national event in front of a multitude of his sponsor’s employees, Anderson won his fourth Wally of the season, taking over the points lead to boot.

He didn’t qualify well, ending up seventh on the ladder, and had a slight hiccup in the first round that could have been catastrophic, but the rest of the event was one long victory lap for the Summit Racing Equipment.

Anderson defeated Drew Skillman to win the Pro Stock title at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk. He drove his 2015 Camaro to a .022-induced 6.592 at 212.19 miles per hour to top Skillman’s .026/6.594/211.43 package by six thousandths of a second.

It was Anderson’s fourth national event title of the season (in seven final rounds) and gave him the points lead by 60 points over Erica Enders heading into Chicago.

Defeating Skillman in the final was as good as beating Enders, Anderson said.

“(Erica) went out in the first round so the entire two-team crew, and there is a lot of firepower over there, they had three rounds to get that car right,” Anderson explained. “It got better every round so you knew it was going to be no different than facing Erica in the final.

“It wasn’t like he was out there cutting bad lights, he was at a .20 every round. As far as I was concerned that was Erica over there. They have a great race team. I knew they were going to run great and knew it was going to take a great run and great reaction time from us. Luckily I was six thousandths good enough.”

The first round was almost a nightmare as Anderson had a sluggish .062 light. He was able to drive around Allen Johnson, however, to move on to the second round. Regardless, Anderson did beat up on himself for the first-round hiccup.

“I was a little off and certainly could have been stung in the first round,” he said. “I’ve got to find a way to get more mentally tough. It doesn’t matter who you race in the first round. Erica Enders, the number one qualifier, the low ET of the weekend and she lost to the number 16 qualifier.

“That’s what NHRA Pro Stock is. There are so many ways you can lose, so many ways you can make a mistake and anybody can win. You just never know.”

At the end of the day, winning the Wally in front of legions of Summit Racing Equipment employees was a feeling he had difficulty describing.

“I feel so proud,” he said. “At the end of the day when you can win your sponsor’s event…it just doesn’t get any better than that. You feel your lowest if you let them down and feel your highest if you pull through.

“It’s great to have them here and is a huge home field advantage to have all those employees that work over in Tallmadge over there.

“They show up at the race track and pull for you. They stop by and see you and cheer for you. I can’t explain what that means. It means the world to us and that’s what got us to the winners circle.” Mike Perry

STOFFER WINS SECOND-EVER ALL-FEMALE PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE FINAL - The year was 2002. Karen Stoffer and Angelle Sampey were at the top of their game in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and for one shining moment, the two women met in the first-ever, all-female Pro Stock Motorcycle final.

Fast forward 13 years later, and not much has changed.

At the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park on Sunday, Stoffer and Sampey once again found themselves matched up in the finals of the PSM class, with Stoffer finally evening the series between the two at one-apiece. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 13 years for the pair to settle the score.

“Angelle has been a champion multiple times and it is always good to lineup next to her,” Stoffer said. “This sport is probably at the forefront and leader for females across the board. Not only riders and drivers, but crew chiefs and crew members and team owners. So it doesn’t really surprise me. I think you are going to see things like this happen more and more often.”

Stoffer, atop the Stoffer Enterprises Suzuki, bested the winningest female in major motorsports competition on Sunday to become the first repeat winner in the class this season. Sampey, trying to get a jump in her Star Racing Buell, went -.014 red in the championship bout, with Stoffer powering to a 6.984-second pass at 193.10 mph to record her second win of the season and eighth of her career. Sunday’s other winners were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock).

“I am still pinching myself. Who would have ever thought that we would have these kinds of results. Somebody asked me, did you plan how your season was going to go? Well, we are not really here for a season,” Stoffer said. “We are here race-by-race and honestly we don’t know how long it is going to last. We are just here to put our best foot forward and put everything out there. If you end up winning, that is icing on the cake. It is a dream season so far, it really is.”

Both riders are coming off of lengthy breaks in their careers, taking time off for work and to raise families. This season is the first time in a long time the two competitors have moved forward with a full-time campaign, and so far the results have been more than they could have imagined.

“It is interesting because we were probably the two people who struggled the most here this weekend. We both struggled Friday and Saturday and we were both early on in qualifying and you never want to do that,” Stoffer said. “There was a lot of talk between us between each round. It was awesome. We both kind of came back after a hiatus. She had a baby and started her family and I took some time off. To come back and meet her in the final and redo what we did, it was phenomenal.

“It was a shame that she went red, you like to see two green lights all the way down, but that is how it is. We all live and die by that tree.”

Stoffer won the race from the 12th position on the ladder, eliminating four former champions to take the Wally. Stoffer beat Matt Smith, Eddie Krawiec, LE Tonglet and Sampey. All three rounds leading up to the final were close, with the closest being a second round matchup against points leader Krawiec. The pair traded the lead multiple times down the track, with Stoffer crossing the line with a 6.972 to Krawiec’s 6.997.

Sampey was 14th in qualifying and went through Jerry Savoie, Andrew Hines and Chip Ellis to meet Stoffer in the final.

“We struggled tremendously Friday and Saturday. Gary said it is like we pulled out a different bike than the one we put away in Englishtown,” Stoffer said. “He came to me this morning and told me he threw the kitchen sink at it, changed every single thing on the bike. He told me to go out and have fun and do well. That is what we did and we ended up turning on the light four times.”

A lot of drivers like to use the cliche of a “roller-coaster season” when describing a topsy-turvy year, but that is truly the only way to describe the year for Stoffer.

With plans to only run a handful of races close to home, Stoffer’s plans took a hard left when she received an offer to team with Greg Underdahl. With no plans to travel to Gainesville for the season opener prior to the pairing, Stoffer decided to make the trip and turned the gamble into a win.

But after that, things went cold. Stoffer continued to qualify well, but she fell out in the first round at the next three races and plummeted from first to fifth in points.

On Sunday, Stoffer again found that magic with her second win of the season to launch her all the way up to second in the standings.

“When we had the opportunity to acquire our equipment back in December of 2014, I really hadn’t expected to come out in March of 2015. We were trying to put a program together and get some funding and put the whole package together for Sonoma and races close to home,” Stoffer said. “Then Gary called and said, ‘we have got the bike all ready to go. I have made a flight for you and I have made reservations. If you want to change them, you can do it. But I think we should start in Gainesville.’

“Five races in, we are still going strong.”

Eddie Krawiec remains atop the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, but the gap has closed to just 45 points over Stoffer. Andrew Hines dropped to third, with Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana rounding out the top five. Sampey jumped to sixth after her first final of the year with the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Larry Crum

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK – RACEDAY TAKEAWAYS

AGE IS ONLY A NUMBER - The ‘old guys’ can still get the job done: A lot of people think drag racing is a young person’s game, but the results from Norwalk paint a very different picture. The average of the four professional winners was 50.7 years while the average age of the four runners-up was 34.2. Turns out the seasoned guys (and gal) can still teach the young bucks a thing or two.

ANTRON AND THE TEAM GETTING IT DONE - Antron Brown lost in the final round to Doug Kalitta, but he had one of the more consistent weekends in the Top Fuel class and left Summit Motorsports Park with the points lead. With Brown in the saddle and the team of Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald turning the wrenches the team is a serious threat to give Brown his second world championship in four years.

“We’re like a family,” Brown said. “When we have meetings there are times when we know what each other are thinking before we even say a word. That’s how in tune we are with each other and where we want to go.”

Brown heads to Chicago with 925 points while Tony Schumacher, in second place, has 905. Kalitta rounds out the top three with 791.

ANDERSON ROLLS ON - Greg Anderson’s 2015 Summit Camaro has been the car to beat on the NHRA Pro Stock scene this season…and not many people have been able to put him in his trailer. Anderson, with the win in Norwalk, has been to seven of 12 final rounds and has won four times. His only first round losses this season came at the season opener in Pomona and two weeks ago in Bristol. Other than the hiccup in Bristol he has been to every final round since Houston in April. Anderson passed Erica Enders in the points battle, and he sits 60 points in front of her. Teammate Jason Line is right on Enders’ tail, sitting third.

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY - After knocking off Larry Dixon in the final round of the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Richie Crampton was riding high. After struggling during qualifying in Norwalk he was packed up and ready to go home Saturday night, failing to make the show. You just never know.

LONG ISLAND THUNDER -  Vince Nobile and his Dix Hills, New York-based Pro Stock team is having a year to forget. However, his final qualifying shot Saturday night in Norwalk just might mean they have turned a corner. Nobile put down a 6.551 pass at 201.93 miles per hour, shooting him to fifth on the qualifying ladder. Though his top qualifying effort was 19 hundredths slower than top qualifier Erica Enders, Nobile may have hit on something for the first time all season. If you are racing with your spot in the Countdown on the line there are probably quite a few other drivers you would rather see in the other lane.

DSR DOMINANCE - A Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car has advanced to the final in 11 of 12 races so far this season. Ron Capps leads the quartet with five finals. Beckman moved into a tie with Hagan with four finals apiece. Tommy Johnson Jr. has one finals appearance.

FINALLY - Norwalk has not been kind to Alexis DeJoria through the years. In three previous tries, DeJoria had two first round losses and a DNQ on her Summit Motorsports Park resume.

That changed on Sunday. DeJoria finally broke through with her first round win when she knocked off Tommy Johnson Jr. in the opening round as Johnson’s car instantly went down a couple of cylinders and struggled to breathe down the track.

THEY CALL IT THE EXPERIENCE - From the famous ‘pound of ice cream for a dollar’ to the manicured grounds and perfectly-prepped racing surface, there is a reason the track called “America’s Race Track” is in Norwalk, Ohio. It was the perfect place for ESPN to broadcast the finals live  … not only because of the tight track but also because the Bader Family can be counted on to fill the stands.

How seriously does Bill Bader Jr. take his track’s appearance? As this writer walked past him talking to one of the SMP employees, he overheard Bader instructing this employee to figure out a way to make sure, next year, there would not be one cigarette butt visible in the other side of the fence near the staging lanes. It makes one wonder if there is a family anywhere in this great nation that loves a piece of property as much as the Baders love Summit Motorsports Park.

AWFUL AFTERNOON FOR ARANAS - Hector Arana and his son Hector Arana Jr. had such high hopes for the Norwalk weekend. Both riders have had a great deal of success at the Ohio track through the years, with the eldest Arana collecting his first career win here in 2008 and Arana Jr. earning his first top qualifier award at the track in 2011 and again Saturday night.

However, both riders and their Lucas Oil Buells found themselves watching the rest of the race from the stands following the first round. Top qualifier Arana Jr. lost to Angie Smith in round one, while Arana was eliminated by Jimmy Underdahl.

TONGLET TOUGH - Tonglet, trending in the wrong direction entering the Norwalk race weekend, helped put a cushion between himself and the bottom of the Countdown field by advancing to the semifinals on Sunday. It was Tonglet’s second semifinal appearance of the season.

NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP - Since making his season debut back in Atlanta, Chip Ellis has gone one extra round in every race. If that trend continues, look for the very fast rider of the PiranaZ machine to reach the finals next weekend in Chicago. Ellis lost in the semifinals to Angelle Sampey on Sunday.

HANG ON SLOOPY - Amalie Oil driver Terry McMillen showed he knows how to handle a car careening across the grassy terrain Saturday night when his ‘Instigator’ Top Fueler lost its brakes and he went for a wild ride. McMillen blew past the finish line, through the entire shut-down area, through the sand trap and into the field that sits at the end of the property. McMillen, knowing the terrain, had the presence of mind to turn left before he went through a bean field and into a small creek, coming to rest in the weeds. He was ready for the first round of eliminations Sunday.

GIRL POWER - Karen Stoffer and Angelle Sampey advanced to the Pro Stock Motorcycle final on Sunday, setting up the first all-female Pro Stock Motorcycle final since 2002. The last time it was an all-female PSM showdown for a Wally? These same two ladies battled it out in Reading, Pa. with Sampey, under her married name of Savoie, taking the victory.

On Sunday, Stoffer got her 13-year revenge.

Stoffer became the first two-time winner in 2015, defeating Sampey in the finals of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Sampey went red, as Stoffer powered to a 6.984 at 193.10 mph.

All three female riders competing in the class this weekend advanced out of the first round on Sunday in upsets. Angie Smith upset No. 1 qualifier Hector Arana Jr., Karen Stoffer defeated Matt Smith and Angelle Sampey beat Jerry Savoie. It is the second time this season the trio all advanced out of the first round.

NO SIGN OF VANCE & HINES - For the first time in 2015, the Vance & Hines duo of Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines were nowhere to be found in the semifinals of a PSM race. With Krawiec visiting a trio of finals this season and Hines adding a win and a runner-up finish, neither made it out of the second round in Norwalk. Krawiec, the points leader, lost to Karen Stoffer, while Hines, second in points, lost to Angelle Sampey.

ARCH NEMESIS - Exactly one year ago, Jimmy Prock was tuning John Force to a win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals here in Norwalk.

On Sunday, Prock helped tune former rival Jack Beckman to a victory at the very same track with the bodies of three John Force Racing drivers left behind on the dragstrip. It is the second time Beckman has eliminated three JFR teammates in the same weekend, doing the same at Atlanta in 2009.

“I feel like a sleeping giant has been awoken,” Beckman said after the run. “We struggled in qualifying, but I feel like we really found something today.”

The showdown began in a much-anticipated first-round battle against John Force, as Beckman continued his impressive streak against the winningest driver in Funny Car history.

Beckman, fifth in points entering the event, blasted to a 4.063-second elapsed time at 314.02 mph to eliminate the third-place driver in points who went up in smoke and limped across the finish line with a 4.657 at 188.70 mph.

Beckman and Prock continued their beatdown of Force Racing in the second round with a victory over No. 3 qualifier Robert Hight and a final round win over Courtney Force.

BLOWING UP SOME STUFF - The fireworks show at Summit Motorsports Park is worth the price of admission: Every year at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals they put on a fireworks display that rivals the best city fireworks show you can find. It’s a nice bonus for those fans, especially this season after a record-setting Nitro show Saturday night.

USE THE FORCE - Courtney Force was perhaps Sunday’s biggest winner in Norwalk. Force was able to make a huge dent in points with round wins over the top two drivers in points to make up major ground in the championship.

Force defeated Ron Capps in the opening round in one of the closest races of the afternoon, with just .003, or roughly 18 inches, separating the two. She followed that up with a win over points leader, No. 1 qualifier and new track record holder Matt Hagan in the second round with a 4.097 to a 4.153. Finally, Force got around a smoking Del Worsham in the semifinals to advance to her first final of the season.

“It is definitely tough going up against those Schumacher guys. We need those points bad over here in the Traxxas pit,” Force said. “Our team got it. It was a solid pass. Matt must have thought he was racing my dad; he took a while to get staged. A big thank you to my guys. We didn’t get the win, but it was a good weekend.”

UPSET CITY, PART 1 - What a weekend for Angelle Sampey.

After retiring in 2010 to start a family, the winningest female in motorsports history got a call last year to join George Bryce, the architect of her championships and most of her wins, to return to Star Racing. She returned to the strip late last year, a venture that lasted all of three races before a freak accident left her sidelined once again.

Rehabbed and ready to race in 2015, Sampey has seen solid results in qualifying this year, with three starts in the top four, but she hasn’t been able to turn those runs into round wins.

On Sunday, Sampey finally found some rhythm, advancing to the finals from the No. 14 spot and recording wins over the most recent race winner in the class, Jerry Savoie, the second-place man in points, Andrew Hines, and No. 2 qualifier, Chip Ellis. It was Sampey’s first final in eight years.

“My team has been working so hard to figure this bike out, but it hasn’t always been positive. We have all wondered if we should just give up. Thank God we didn’t,” Sampey said. “Thanks to the support from my fans and my team, I am really starting to enjoy being out here again. I am not sure how many races we are going to be able to do this year, but we are going to give it our all.”

UPSET CITY, PART 2 - For the second time on Sunday, a No. 1 qualifier fell in the first round of eliminations in Norwalk. After Erica Enders-Stevens lost to No. 16 qualifier Alan Prusiensky during the first round of Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle top qualifier Hector Arana Jr. fell out in the opening pairings to Angie Smith roughly a half hour later.

Smith got the jump at the line - a .022 to a .049 - but Arana made that ground up by the 660-foot mark. However Arana’s bike slowed dramatically at the top end as Smith, aboard her brand new Victory Gunner, blasted by with a 7.095 at 188.75 mph. Arana, who had high hopes coming into eliminations, sputtered across the line with a 7.312 at 146.32 mph.

UPSET CITY, PART 3 - The first two rounds of Pro Stock Bike eliminations were littered with upsets, with the No. 9, 12 and 14 qualifiers advancing to the semifinals. Only No. 2 qualifier Chip Ellis survived the chaos, as Angelle Sampey, LE Tonglet, Karen Stoffer and Ellis made up the final four.

GETTING TO THE POINTS - We are at the halfway point and nothing is decided: There have now been 12 races in 2015 and your leaders at the halfway point are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Bike). Drivers sitting in 10th, the Countdown to the Championship ‘bump spot,’ are Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Roger Brogdon (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Bike).

There are some surprising names sitting on the outside of the Countdown standings. To name a few, Steve Torrence and Dave Connolly in Top Fuel, Courtney Force (Funny Car) and Jonathan Gray (Pro Stock) would all be shut out of the fun if the season ended right now. The Countdown is the great equalizer, and any one of these racers could sneak into the field and contend for a championship. Only time will tell.

TOWING THE LINE - One man who needed a good weekend in Norwalk was Tim Wilkerson.

Coming into the weekend in the final spot for the Countdown, Wilkerson wanted nothing more than to find some breathing room in the ultra-competitive Funny Car class. He got just that on Sunday, advancing to the semifinals for the third time in 2015 with wins over Chad Head and Cruz Pedregon.

But Wilkerson came darn close to giving it all away.

In the second round win over Pedregon, Wilkerson got about as close to the centerline as possible, leaning heavily on the bright orange cones dotting the center of the track, but he was able to correct it and finish the run. In the other lane, Pedregon went wet from the hit and had to shut it off early.

FAST AT THE WRONG TIME - Cruz Pedregon has been extremely fast this season, qualifying in the top half of the field in nine of 12 races, but he hasn’t been fast when it mattered most. Despite three top qualifier awards and eight starts inside the top five, Pedregon has made it out of the second round only once all season. He lost in the second round again on Sunday, falling to Tim Wilkerson.

SPREADING THE LOVE - The Funny Car semifinals were represented by a Chevy (Courtney Force), a Toyota (Del Worsham), a Ford (Tim Wilkerson) and a Dodge (Jack Beckman). It is the first time in 2015 four different manufacturers have been represented in the Funny Car final four.

NEXT TIME - Del Worsham was seeking his 500th career round win this weekend and fell one shy of obtaining the historic mark. Worsham, the No. 4 qualifier, advanced past Jeff Diehl and Alexis DeJoria to reach the semifinals for the fifth time this year, but he fell to Courtney Force in the deciding round. He will head to Chicago next weekend needing one round win to reach the milestone.

LOSING RECORD - Points leader Matt Hagan raced Courtney Force for the first time all season on Sunday, falling in the second round to the John Force Racing driver. Hagan is 5-10 against Force all-time.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK

TOP FUEL

OLD SCHOOL ASSET – Antron Brown might have a slight advantage over the rest of the field when it comes to information at Summit Motorsports Park. Mark Oswald, Brown’s crew chief, has a long and successful history at the Norwalk track.

In fact, Oswald won the first national event ever held at Summit Motorsports Park, defeating Don Garlits in the final round of the 1981 Winston World Nationals.

“Any time you have Mark Oswald on your team he’s going to be an asset, period,” Brown said. “He’s an innovator and, in my eyes, is probably one of the best drivers this sport has ever seen.”

Brown’s crew had a bonus courtesy of Brown’s other crew chief, Brian Corradi. Corradi, from nearby Medina, Ohio, owns a pizza shop in his home town and brought enough pie to feed the entire crew for the whole weekend.

CRAMPTON ON THE OUTSIDE – Richie Crampton sat third in the NHRA Top Fuel standings heading into the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. After final qualifying, however, his spot in the top three would be short-lived.

Crampton failed to qualify for the 16-car field after all qualifying was done.

“Being third in the points is a good indication of how well this team has been doing, but every weekend is a new battle,” Crampton said. “We’re struggling here in qualifying after winning the last national event in Bristol. It just goes to show you can’t take anything for granted.”

TORRENCE PRESSING – Steve Torrence is hoping he can draw on the experience of his crew to make up for his mistakes as a driver.

Torrence entered the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on the wrong side of the Countdown for the Championship bump spot, sitting 11th, 14 points behind Clay Millican.

He blames himself.

“We haven’t done as well as we wanted to and it’s nobody’s fault but our own,” Torrence said. “I am talking about Richard and myself because my crew guys have worked their butts off to give us the best race car. We’ve dropped the ball. I’ve lost on some hole-shots, we’ve smoked some tires and had some bad calls from the crew chief seat.

“We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re going to keep our heads down and work our butts off to get back to where we know we can be.”

Torrence thinks he has the team in place to change things for the better.

“This is a good group of guys, it’s a good team and we’re going to get things turned around,” he said. “Right now we’re struggling to get every point we possibly can to fight our way back into the top 10 and stand our ground.

“The group of guys I have on this team…Bobby Lagana and Justin Crosslin are basically crew chiefs…and there is a lot of experience among all of us. This is the first year in a while we’ve found ourselves on the outside of that top 10, but if we can get back in it’s a great equalizer when you get into the Countdown.”

A TUNER OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS – Clay Millican came to Norwalk sitting tenth in the Top Fuel points standings…a feat he considers that much more impressive when you look into his pits.

“Being all brand new with people that have never worked on a Top Fuel car before and a crew chief that is so old he may have tuned a car for Noah or Jesus I think we’ve done really well,” Millican said. “We’re sitting tenth in points, went to a final and a couple semifinals and, knock on wood, this team has only hurt two pistons all season.

“That speaks volumes for how much the group we’ve assembled want to do this and how well they’ve done it.”

The old hand Millican is speaking of is Lance Larsen, who has knocked around the Top Fuel ranks for ages. He tuned for Millican on the IHRA circuit on the Peter Lehman Racing/ Werner Enterprises team as well as for Austrailian Andrew Cowin and Scott Griffin Motorsports.

“I love Lance,” Millican said. “He’s like the father to everyone here…there are a lot of guys out here that wouldn’t be here if not for Lance. Shoot, Brian Corradi (Antron Brown’s co-crew chief) might as well be his son. Lance has done so much for a lot of people out here that are kicking butt now.”

WELCOME TO STRAIGHT-LINE RACING – Cameron Hayley, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year, will join Kalitta Motorsports drivers J.R. Todd and Doug Kalitta for Sunday’s SealMaster Track Walk.

The 18-year-old Hayley is in his first season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for ThorSport Racing in the Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra. He currently sits ninth in the points standings with a pair of top five finishes and three top 10 runs.

FUNNY CAR

MORE 3s - Matt Hagan’s Friday night prediction of more three-second passes? Spot on.

After blasting to Norwalk's first-ever three-second run Fright night, Cruz Pedregon equalled that feat under the lights on Saturday with a 3.991-second run to rocket up to second on the Funny Car charts. One pair later, Matt Hagan bettered his own track record with a 3.973 to take his third top qualifier award of the season and 20th of his career.

It was Hagan’s career-best elapsed time and the ninth quickest Funny Car pass in history.

“I really thought there would be more three-second runs tonight. We went up there to run a 94, but Dickie (Venables) dialed it back a little bit right before our run and we still ran a 97,” Hagan said. “I have a great car and we are running strong and I can’t say enough about my group. With Dickie in my corner, I don’t really feel any pressure out there.”

Hagan will face John Bojec in round one Sunday.

THE NAKED TRUTH - A lot of people have seen Courtney Force naked.

And she is just fine with that.

This month marks the two-year anniversary since the driver of the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro Nitro Funny Car appeared in ESPN The Magazine’s famous Body Issue alongside such athletes as NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, NBA point guard John Wall and gold medal-winning volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings wearing nothing more than a smile.

While the decision was not an easy one, looking back, Force is proud to have had an opportunity to show naysayers that racers are athletes too, all while helping bring new fans to the sport.

“It is really cool to have been a part of such a huge magazine, a magazine that showcases all sports, from the NFL to professional baseball. To be able to be included in something like that was amazing,” Force said. “When they first asked me my rookie year, I turned it down. But when they asked again in 2013 I worked out really hard and took on the opportunity for myself and for the sport. I am thankful I had an opportunity to do it.”

Since appearing in the magazine, Force says she has seen an influx of new fans, some of which knew little about the sport before seeing the young racer showcasing the same physique as many of the world’s best athletes. 

“It shows the strength of our sport that people look at it and they can’t believe girls do that. They don’t just look at you and say, ‘oh, you just go in a straight line.’ When you get them to the track and can actually show them the size of the tires, the parachutes, and really give people a visual, they take a step back and realize that is really an impressive sport,” Force said. “The fact that people are still talking about it and seeing the new viewers that have come over to the sport is great. It has only meant good things.”

So after two years, how often does she see the magazine pop up in autograph lines at the racetrack?

“I probably sign one at just about every track that we go to,” Force said. “I have already signed a couple this weekend.”

O-H-I-O - John Bojec, one of only two Ohio drivers representing the Buckeye State here in Norwalk this weekend, managed to sneak into the field on Saturday as the 16th qualifier. His 4.649 at 186.18 mph was two-tenths quicker than Paul Lee, who didn’t make the cut.

FAST LIKE JACK - Going 300 mph down a racetrack is something every fan sitting in the stands and watching at home dreams of.

And you can do it with the help of Jack Beckman.

Beckman and his partners at Infinite Hero, an organization dedicated to helping veterans who are struggling with physical and mental injuries, teamed up midway through the 2014 season to bring the ride-along program to the pits of the Don Schumacher Racing team. With a donation of $100 to the Infinite Hero organization, fans will in return receive a special coin that is personalized, signed and has personally been down the racetrack with Beckman.

Fans may not be able to personally go down the track, but Beckman enjoys bringing that unique experience to as many people as he can, all while helping support a great cause.

“The entire experience has been phenomenal. Last year, I sat down with the executive director at Infinite Hero and we came up with a plan to print these military-style coins and give them to donors that give a decent amount. I said, ‘let’s make it more unique. Let’s give them some incentive to want to give $100. What if I took them with me down the track in the car,’” Beckman said. “We started it midway through the season last year and I thought if we can bring in $20,000 in coins, we would be good. We did $70,000 in coins alone. That doesn’t even count people that donate online. It is amazing.”

Already this weekend, people have lined up to donate to the Infinite Heroes cause and receive their own unique piece of drag racing memorabilia. And each time, Beckman drops whatever he is doing and rushes into his trailer to make sure each fan is personally taken care of.

“You always want to think that if you are giving money or effort to an organization there is a payoff. Well, I have actually got to follow the money that we raise and see first-hand how this money changes lives,” Beckman said. “We will have people that stop by and if they can’t give the $100, they will donate $20 or whatever they can afford. We have had people write us $500 and $1,000 checks. One veteran even donated all of the coins to other veterans.

“So to me, the big reward isn’t the raising of funds, it is knowing that those dollars change lives. And I have seen that first hand.” 

FANS, GAS STATIONS AND TIM WILKERSON - Tim Wilkerson loves his fans.

A fan-favorite everywhere he goes, Wilkerson always takes the time to sign autographs, hand out hugs and pose for pictures with the legions of Wilkerson supporters at the drop of a dime, all with a smile on his face. So how does he do it? Pactice. Lots of practice.

“I have owned gas stations my entire life. I had one gas station in particular where we would have 1,000 cars a day go through. And each day, I used to sit out and do this same thing, shaking hands and getting to know people,” Wilkerson said. “That got me liking people. Of course, it will make you dislike people too. But this is racing and it is all about the fans. This is what we are here for. It is easy to forget that you are an entertainer out here and if you forget that, you are missing the boat.”

Wilkerson, a former gas-station owner who later made the move to own and operate Wilkerson’s Service Center in his hometown of Springfield, Ill., even credits his time seeing all of those cars come and go as one of the driving forces behind getting into the sport.

“I was a big motorhead back in the 70s. I grew up in the coolest time to live with the fast cars in the late 60s and early 70s. After that, you couldn’t get it out of my blood,” Wilkerson said. 

This weekend, Wilkerson will look to continue his tremendous start to the 2015 season with a win already and hopes to hold on to a spot in the top 10 in points. Wilkerson will enter Sunday’s eliminations in Norwalk 10th on the charts with a weekend-best 4.063 and will face Chad Head in round one.

“Nobody does racing like the Baders,” Wilkerson said. “Bill has got to be Barnum and Bailey’s illegitimate child. He just does it right.”

TIME TO MOVE ON - A lot has changed at the NHRA in the past week.

Amid rampant speculation, former NHRA President Tom Compton unexpectedly announced his retirement on Wednesday and longtime vice president and general manager Peter Clifford was elevated to the status of boss of the 64-year-old series, only the fourth different president in the history of the organization.

While rumors continue to swirl around the pits, the general mood remains positive as racers come to terms with the sudden change and prepare to move on under the direction of a new leader.

“Sometimes change is good,” said John Force, a 16-time Funny Car champion and one of the sport's most popular drivers. “I have known Tom Compton for a long time. He is a friend of mine. Honestly, if a man decides to retire, then God bless him. He did his time and we move on.”

No reason was given for the 56-year-old Compton’s decision. He has been noticeably absent from NHRA events for more than three months, prompting the sanctioning body to take the unusual steps nearly a month ago to issue statements saying that Compton was “away for personal and family reasons.”

Regardless, there is no dwelling on the past in the fast-paced world of professional drag racing, so drivers such as Force are wishing Compton well and moving on with enthusiasm that Clifford can move the sport forward.

“I see growth. They are talking about a lot of stuff that is going to happen in the coming months and I am excited about that. What can I say? I believe in the NHRA because I have to. It is my whole life,” Force said. “Wally Parks started it, it evolved to Dallas Gardner and it evolved to Tom Compton. Now it evolves to Peter Clifford. Change is good and we will just keep going down the road and see what happens.”

ANYONE’S BALLGAME - John Force Racing vs. Don Schumacher Racing - the battle continues.

There are two JFR vs. DSR matchups in round one on Sunday, none more interesting than John Force taking on Jack Beckman. Force, who is currently third in points, qualified sixth on Saturday with a 4.012 at 322.04 mph and will face Beckman in the opening round. Beckman, fifth in points, struggled to find a consistent rhythm and qualified 11th with a 4.082 at 312.78 mph.

But here is the kicker - Force is 8-22 against Beckman all-time, 2-12 in their last 14 meetings and 0-3 against him at Norwalk.

In the other battle of Funny Car’s top race teams, Ron Capps will battle Courtney Force in an eight versus nine showdown. Capps was eighth with a 4.021 and Force was ninth with a 4.029.

NITRO NOSTALGIA - John Hale has a unique perspective on the Funny Car class. Only a few years into the game of drag racing, the 50-year-old Texan has seen more than 40 years worth of drag racing technology in only a few years behind the wheel.

And he has shown early that he is a quick learner. 

Hale, an accomplished driver in the nostalgia Funny Car ranks, upgraded from an older-bodied flopper to the big leagues in 2015, earning his NHRA Nitro Funny Car license in 2013 before joining the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series full-time this season. Driving for Jim Dunn in the Dipinto Logistics Dodge Funny Car, Hale has already visited a final round in his rookie season and sits just outside of the top 10 in the standings in 12th.

So how much has years of nostalgia Funny Car racing helped him in the switch to the world of 300 mph passes? More than you would think.

“There are a lot of similarities, but there are also some big differences. The main difference is, when this clutch starts getting applied, the car wants to go to the left. You have to herd the car back to the right and if you don’t have it straight when the clutch locks up, you are going to have a fight on your hands,” Hale said.

While Hale has yet to qualify in the top half of the field, he has managed to win an impressive six rounds, including visiting the final in Gainesville in a loss to Ron Capps. This weekend he will once again face an uphill battle, qualifying 15th with Cruz Pedregon up first on Sunday.

While his start has certainly been impressive, Hale admits that the sudden success in only his third race of the season may have done more harm than good.

“It makes you want to win even more,” Hale said with a laugh. “I realize this is my rookie year and a lot of guys are saying it may take a year just to learn how to drive this car, but I am ready now. I really want to be in the countdown, but I want to win a race bad.”

NOT YOUR AVERAGE FAMILY GATHERING - It is hard to imagine an evening around the dinner table at the Force household.

With dad John, sisters Ashley, Courtney and Brittany, and now accomplished Indycar driver Graham Rahal, who recently got engaged to Courtney, you would have to imagine that conversations don’t veer too far from the sport that they all share. After all, for the growing Force family, racing is life.

“In dating Courtney and then getting engaged, we are always talking racing. Specifically, we are always talking safety equipment,” Rahal said. “It sounds boring, but it is life.”

Rahal, the most recent winner on the Verizon Indycar Series at Auto Club Speedway in California one week ago, is with fiance Courtney here this weekend in Norwalk, taking in a little drag racing during an off weekend. And that is just fine for him, as he was a fan of the sport well before meeting anyone in the Force family.

“I have always been intrigued by it. When I was a little kid, I used to come out to the drag races all of the time with the Snake and Larry Dixon and Capps through my dad’s connections,” Rahal said. “I have always enjoyed it and now it is a huge part of my life.”

Rahal, son of Indycar legend Bobby Rahal, admits that even when he is traveling in packs at over 200 mph for two hours, it is just as intense watching Courtney travel at over 300 mph four-seconds at a time.

“It is pretty intense, but she has won enough of these things and been around long enough to know what to do and what not to do,” Rahal said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t tense up when that light goes green.”

VICIOUS BATTLE - There was quite a battle for the final spot in the Funny Car field on Saturday, with a handful of drivers trading the spot during the fourth and final session. In the end, it was Paul Lee who came out on the losing end of Saturday’s shootout. His 4.830 at 175.45 was not enough to put the Californian into the field.

PRO STOCK

LIVING THE DREAM – Bo Butner is having the time of his life.

The Floyds Knobs, Indiana, racer qualified 11th in the Pro Stock field and will face Roger Brogdon in the first round of eliminations. Win or lose he will leave Norwalk with a smile on his face.

The former Competition Eliminator champion is living every sportsman racer’s dream…driving in the Pro Stock class. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is his fifth race behind the wheel.

“Ken Black and the K&B guys did my Comp stuff for two years,” Butner said. “We were kicking things around and they asked me if I wanted to run Pro Stock. I said, ‘Heck no, it’s way too expensive,’ but we got to talking and worked out a deal that works for both of us.”

Jason Line, Greg Anderson, Mike Edwards and all the Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock drivers and tuners help out to make the calls on Butner’s car.

“I absolutely think I’m with the best group,” Butner said. “This is their car, I’m just lucky enough to drive it. They’ve been around for so long and have the best brains over there. They seem to do good every run for us and we seem to gain every run. It’s a great team.”

The used car salesman at Jim Butner Auto Sales in Clarksville, Indiana, said there are never any team orders…he’s there to race no matter who is in the other lane.

“In Englishtown we were running pretty good,” he said. “In the second round I had to run Greg and he was the only guy in that session that beat me. We’d have won every other round with our light and what we ran.”

Butner is going to finish out the season behind the wheel of his 2015 Camaro, then see where the chips fall. Though he missed the first five races of the 2015 Mello Yello schedule he still has big goals.

“It’s a money pit, but this is everyone that’s ever run Stock or Super Stock’s dream,” he said. “Just having this opportunity has been special. We’re going to finish the whole year and if we go some rounds or make it to a final we could make the top 10. That’s my goal.”

Line likes how things have worked out with Butner thus far.

“He’s learning fast and has been great to deal with,” Line said. “He’s a good listener and for a used car salesman that’s probably an odd quality. It’s been a lot of fun and we’ve really enjoyed him. He is going to win races.”

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

NO. 1 AGAIN - Hector Arana Jr. took the top qualifier award for the 18th time in his career and second time this season on Saturday, racing to a 6.868-second pass at 196.50 mph. Arana held off Chip Ellis by just .012 to lead the PSM field into Sunday.

Arana, who also paced the field in Charlotte, will face Angie Smith in the first round on Sunday.

“This is where I achieved my first No. 1 qualifier award and it is where my dad won his first race. There is a lot of history here and it is awesome to be back and once again on top,” Arana said.

SAVOIE SUCCESS - Drag racing is a fickle sport.

One minute you are on top of the world, the next, you are forgotten.

Jerry Savoie knows that fact all too well. The longtime rider has had a career filled with ups and downs since making his NHRA debut back in 2011, none more than what he has experienced in 2015. Struggling out of the gate, Savoie had one DNQ and two first round exits in the first three races of the year, before breaking through rather unexpectedly in Englishtown last month with his second career win. Say what?

“Everybody thinks it is so easy in this class, but I am here to tell you that just isn’t the case,” Savoie said. “We go to Gainesville and qualify in the middle of the pack. We go to Atlanta and we are middle of the pack. We go to Charlotte and we don’t even qualify. We go to Englishtown and win the whole thing. I mean, the engine we ran in Englishtown is the same engine that we beat on in Charlotte. It goes to show you how tough it really is in this class.”

Savoie qualified third on Saturday with a 6.917 at 193.27 mph as he looks for his second-consecutive win and third of his career.

“We know these engines are good. Vance and Hines have given us a really good product and when we are racing it is pretty stout,” Savoie said. “My old crew chief once told me, you have to be consistent in everything you do and everything will fall into place. We are hoping things will fall in place for us again this weekend.”

CONSISTENCY IS KEY - No one has been more consistent in the PSM class this weekend than Chip Ellis. Ellis’ worst pass of the weekend, a 6.92, would still be good for a spot in the top five. As it stands, Ellis will enter eliminations on Sunday from the second position, with a 6.880 at 195.19 mph on the PiranaZ Buell driving for Junior Pippin.

“I am just out here having a heck of a time riding this thing. I am so glad to be a part of this organization,” Ellis said.

Ellis will face Joe DeSantis on Sunday.

DIVINE INTERVENTION - Karen Stoffer isn’t even supposed to be racing here this weekend.

When the veteran rider began the 2015 NHRA season, her plans included a few stops at some tracks close to home, but for the most part, Stoffer had plans to take it easy this season.

Then she received a call from Greg Underdahl. The rest, as they say, is history.

“This wasn’t supposed to be a season to be honest with you. We had just acquired our equipment at the end of the year last year and I really hadn’t planned on coming out and doing the entire season. We just didn’t have the funding to do them all,” Stoffer said. “Then Greg Underdahl and Jimmy from Bad Boy Buggies said, ‘team up with us and we will help you out’ and I hopped on a plane and was on my way to Gainesville.”

The result from that unexpected pairing? A Wally in their first time out.

“My husband sat me down and said, ‘I am getting you a plane flight and reservations and we are signing up for the race and if you decide you don’t want to go, you can postpone it,’” Stoffer said. “We ended up going and, fortunately, we had some luck and we were able to win the race. That has allowed us to continue going on.”

Since then, things have remained topsy-turvy for Stoffer and the Bad Boy Buggies Suzuki, with solid qualifying efforts, including a No. 1 in Atlanta, offset by a lack of round wins.

“We are still running a risk. I only have one engine and that was my main reason for trying to be a little more reserved this season, trying to keep that one engine intact,” Stoffer said. “We have been qualifying good, but my riding hasn’t been up to par. I think we have actually done a pretty good job this year with what we have, but we will see how it turns out.”

Stoffer qualified 12th for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk on Saturday and will face former champion Matt Smith in the first round of eliminations.

BUMP SPOT - With the battle for the Countdown about the heat up in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, every point and every position matters. Currently, LE Tonglet is holding on to a spot inside the top ten in eighth, while Steve Johnson is just outside of the cutoff in 14th. 

The pair will square off in the first round of eliminations on Sunday with an excellent shot to move up - or down- in the championship standings on the line. Tonglet qualified ninth (6.937 at 193.32), while Johnson will roll off in eighth (6.935at 191.97).

FOUR-IN-A-ROW - After just four stops in the first 11 races on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the riders in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class are gearing up for quite a stretch.

Beginning in Norwalk this weekend, PSM riders will compete in the next four consecutive races and six of the next seven leading up to the cutoff for the Countdown in Indianapolis in September. In other words, it is time to get down to business for the two-wheeled boys and girls.

“It is a lot of fun coming out here every week, but it is also a challenge. I don’t know if you can really prepare for it, I think you just have to deal with it,” said Jim Underdahl, currently sixth in Pro Stock Motorcycle points. “When you have long breaks, you lose your rhythm, but during a stretch like this, you can get into a groove and I think that works better for riders.”

The stretch will be especially crucial for Underdahl, as he looks to continue the momentum the team has enjoyed as of late. After falling out in the first round in the first two races, Underdahl has gone more and more rounds each and every weekend, leading up to a runner-up finish to Jerry Savoie in Englishtown. During that stretch, Underdahl has climbed from 13th to sixth in the championship points.

“We have a brand new bike that we are just now getting the bugs out of,” Underdahl said. “Lately, I think we’ve been very successful having Gary and Karen on board with us. It has helped a lot with our tuning and the consistency of the bike.”

Underdahl will roll off in seventh place on Sunday, running a 6.934 at 192.36 mph.

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR - Scotty Pollacheck is tired of finishing second.

Since making his NHRA debut back in 2012, the Oregon native has had five runner-up finishes, including one this season, but he hasn’t been able to break through for that first career win. He hopes to change that this weekend.

“For us, it is just finding that little bit extra in the tuneup. We are getting closer and I don’t think it will be long before we have it figured out and we will be where we should be,” Pollacheck said. 

Pollacheck qualified 11th on Saturday, but qualifying has mattered little for the rider of the Petrolhead Buell as he continues to go rounds despite qualifying in the bottom half of the field in every race this season.

“We have good power and we have a good bike. We will get it figured out and we will get back up there where we should be,” Pollacheck said. 

LOCAL BOY SLIPS IN - Ohio’s only representative in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks, Rootstown native Joe DeSantis, just slipped into the field on Saturday, falling in line in the 15th position. The part-time racer had a weekend-best pass of 7.052 at 188.91 mph and will face Chip Ellis in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

WIN AS A TEAM, LOSE AS A TEAM - Matt and Angie Smith - motorcycle’s power couple.

They win together, and they lose together, unfortunately, the pair has been doing more losing than winning lately.

When the duo signed on with the factory team of Victory Racing back in January, both riders knew it would be an uphill battle. They just weren’t sure it would be as difficult as it has been.

“We have a new bike this year. We are running the Victory Gunner and we knew going in that they were going to be a little bit different than what we have had in the past,” Angie said. “It is still a learning curve. We are just now learning what the bike likes and the aerodynamics. It is going to take time and tuning and laps. Lots of laps.”

Since signing on with the team, the Smiths have tested nearly a dozen times between races trying to find that sweet spot and Angie is hoping those extra laps will start to turn into better runs. Between the pair, Angie and Matt have a total of four round wins, having not made it out of the second round yet this year.

But there is some hope. At a recent test in Denver, Angie had her fastest lap yet on the bike, leaving her to believe that the team is not far off from being more competitive.

“We are seeing progress. It may not show on the outside, but we are showing progress, especially with all of our testing,” Angie said. “I don’t think Victory expected us to come out and be on top and we didn’t expect to come out and be on top. So I think we are right where we think we should be.”

HEADING HOME - It just wasn’t meant to be for Roy Olsen. Struggling from the get-go, Olsen’s best pass of the weekend - a 7.442 at 178.14 mph - wasn’t good enough to get him into the 17-bike field.

FRIDAY NIGHT - ON THE EVE OF INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS FLY ON THE TRACK

TOP FUEL

SARGE'S CELEBRATION - Having driven for 15 years with 'U.S. Army' on the side of his car, it's no surprise the Fourth of July holds a special meaning for Tony "Sarge" Schumacher. His relationship with the men in uniform goes beyond racing.

"The great part about life is you continue to learn every day," Schumacher said. "Growing up you always looked forward to the summer. Vacations. Family. Friends and just having fun. I know the last 15 years have taught me so much and I appreciate the relationship I have with the U.S. Army and the relationship our team has.

"I’ve been able to do so many great things and all the while men and women from this great country have been fighting for us and keeping our nation free. I’ve seen people come in as recruits. Serve their time both here in the U.S. and overseas and then see them move on to other things in their lives. It’s an incredible honor."

On June 14, Schumacher had a special victory, claiming the Top Fuel Wally at the NHRA New England Nationals in New Hampshire. The date was significant.

"Winning in Epping on the birthdate of the U.S. Army was really special and we’re looking forward to many more great celebrations," Schumacher said. "We know we represent all Americans and we’re just working as hard as we can every race to give them something to cheer about and enjoy the passion we have."

FIGHTING THROUGH THE MID-SEASON BLUES - J.R. Todd knows the grind of a long racing season can wear a driver down. Entering the 16th event of the year, Todd stressed the importance of staying sharp.

“You have to go out and be consistent and grow with each and every run," Todd said. "Our focus all season has been to grow. Even if we’re struggling and don’t get the results we want we learn from that to be better at the next race.

"For this upcoming series of races our main focus is continuing to grow. You have to grow each and every race, and that has to continue through the Countdown so you keep working to get to a higher level. This time of the year is when you need to be getting on your Ps and Qs so you want to be polishing your combination not trying to find your combination.

"If we can come out this weekend and have everything come together we can win the race. Win or lose this weekend we still are in a great position to challenge for that world championship. We just have to keep growing every step of the way.”

LOVING IT LIVE - It's a different kind of weekend for the drivers and crew at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Sunday, for the second time, ESPN will broadcast the elimination rounds as they happen.

"Live television is great for our sport," Spencer Massey, who sits second in the NHRA points standings, said. "It makes things so much more difficult for the crews and the crew chiefs because there is so little time between rounds.

"Right now we're between our two qualifying runs and we're actually practicing some things just to hurry up for race day. We want to make sure we can definitely make it.

"There is so much technical detail the crew chiefs have to go over, and they normally have a lot more time to go over it all."

Massy said the story is different for him as a driver.

"I love it because I get to get back into the car a little faster, and the sooner I get back into it the happier I am," he said. "Knowing its on live television...if we can win a race on live television it will be that much more special for our entire team."

Massey thinks the most important thing about the live ESPN broadcast is the exposure NHRA Drag Racing will receive.

"More television time and the opportunity for people to notice NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing is the most important thing," he said. "The people that know about it are hardcore fans. The people that don't know about it? If they did know about it and would come to a race they would become hardcore fans."

SPECIAL MEANING - The Fourth of July holds an extra special meaning for Australian native, Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton. Crampton became a naturalized citizen of the United States over four years ago. Crampton loves the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

"It's a pretty special holiday weekend, being Independence Day," Crampton said. "It means a lot to me, and I know it means a huge amount to everyone. It's going to be another great weekend in Norwalk. The Bader family puts on an excellent show for everyone who comes to the race and celebrates the Fourth of July. It's going to be another good stars and stripes weekend."

BROWN LEADS TOP FUEL INTO NORWALK – Antron Brown heads to Norwalk in a familiar role - as the Top Fuel point leader, a position he’s held since the Atlanta race in mid-May.  The 2012 world champion has registered three wins and three number one qualifiers this season.  

His three 2015 triumphs give him 32 victories since the start of the 2009 campaign – nine more than the next highest total of 23.  

Overall, the long-time Toyota driver will be looking for the 51st victory of his Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career when he returns to Norwalk as the defending race champion this weekend.

CRAMPTON’S EMERGENCE – A little over a year ago, Richie Crampton was a typical rookie Top Fuel racer struggling early in his career.  Today, the Toyota-sponsored driver is one of the elite drivers in the sport and in the thick of a championship hunt.  

Over the past 13 months, Crampton has five Top Fuel victories, just one behind Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher as the three drivers with the most wins during that time-span.  

This season, the former Morgan Lucas Racing crewman (clutch specialist) is tied with Brown for the series lead in wins with three, including the most recent event at Bristol.  He previously won at Las Vegas and Topeka. He enters this weekend’s race in third in points.

TOYOTA DRAGSTERS LOVE NORWALK – Toyota Top Fuel drivers have found more reason to celebrate in Norwalk than just the Fourth of July weekend.  
In the previous six seasons, Toyota drivers have won five times with Alan Johnson Racing leading the way with three different drivers combining for four victories.  

Larry Dixon drove to wins for the team in 2009 and 2010, Del Worsham earned the Wally in 2011 and Khalid alBalooshi took top honors in 2013.  Last year, it was Antron Brown who was victorious with his first win at the Ohio track when he defeated Shawn Langdon in an all-Toyota Top Fuel final. 

FUNNY CAR

MADE TO BE BROKEN - Matt Hagan made the first-ever three second Funny Car pass at Summit Motorsports Park on Friday, recording a 3.986-second pass at 322.96 mph - both brand new track records - to take the top spot in qualifying after two rounds. 

It was Hagan’s 10th time dipping into the three-second zone in his career.

“It is just a badass tuneup,” Hagan said. “It was cool to put a three on the board for these fans. They come out here and hang with us and we put on a great show. If they are not happy with that, I don’t know how to make them happy.”

RED, WHITE AND NEW - When you think of old glory, the red, white and blue and our nation’s independence day, there is one racetrack that comes to mind - Summit Motorsports Park.

For the past four years, the track in Norwalk, Ohio has become synonymous with our nation’s colors as Norwalk hosts one of the biggest races on the NHRA calendar during one of the busiest weekends of the year. And while a lot of teams and drivers take advantage of the July 4th weekend to pay tribute to our great nation and the troops that protect it, one driver in particular always makes sure to do a little something extra during Independence Day weekend in Norwalk.

Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA Dodge Funny Car, will be graced by complementary red, white and blue graphics for a special patriotic theme in which NAPA Auto Parts honors the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to support families of U.S. military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for those severely wounded in the performance of their duties in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a tradition dating back a few years, and one Capps is proud to continue this weekend.

“There’s no greater honor than for us to celebrate our Independence Day by having the Stars and Stripes on our NAPA Dodge as a salute to American heroes and to help those who gave much more than anyone could have asked,” Capps said. “Our NAPA team works hard trying to win every race we enter, but when we’re helping NAPA help the Intrepid Fallen Heroes, we push even harder.”

The total generated by NAPA in three years is above $3 million for the not-for-profit organization.

Capps qualified fifth on Friday with a 4.021 at 321.35 mph pass.

DOUBLE-DOWN - Del Worsham has a lot going for him this weekend.

First, the driver of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car has an opportunity to be the first driver to double-down at Summit Motorsports Park in two different classes, having previously won in Top Fuel at the Ohio track driving for Al-Anabi Racing back in 2011.

Second, and more importantly, Worsham is seeking his 500th career round win if he can advance to the final. It is certainly no easy task, but Worsham says he is up to the challenge.

And he is off to a great start on his way to that plateau, sitting second in qualifying after two rounds with a 4.005-second pass at 321.42 mph.

“Wow, people have been informing me of all these stats like 500 round wins and it’s hard to believe. When I started racing I never even imagined 500 round wins,” Worsham said.

While those milestones would certainly mean a lot to the veteran driver, it is his long history racing at the Ohio track that would make another win here this weekend all that much more special.

“Man, I love this place. The Night of Fire that they have here, I was a part of that long before the NHRA came in. This is a great event. The Bader family does a fantastic job and I hope we can add another win here,” Worsham said.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION - With live television, anything can happen.

It is both a positive and the negative when it comes to showcasing any sport live, but it is especially true in the sport of drag racing. Drag racing is a sport where the perfect side-by-side, 300 mph run is truly must-see TV, but it is also one where a blown engine or just a little bit of weather can spell disaster.

For the drivers, live television creates additional challenges as teams scramble to do the same amount of work in a reduced amount of time. And that is not always an easy task.

“Our first live race ever was absolute chaos,” said Matt Hagan, current points leader and a four-time winner in Funny Car this season. “Now, we have had quite a few more of these things and we are in the groove and the guys know exactly what to do.”

This Sunday, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will be broadcast live, the fourth time this season an NHRA race has been shown live on ESPN.

“Honestly, we need to have more live races so that our viewers can see this great sport,” Hagan said. “With the TV package that we have now, it is so inconsistent and it is the only gripe I hear out here, that our TV is just awful. With a live broadcast, we can bring in more fans.”

Hagan certainly has no objections, recording two wins at live-broadcast races in the past two seasons.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS - Chad Head was the biggest winner Friday night, rebounding from a not-so-quick run during the heat of the day to jump up to fourth in the qualifying order under the lights. Cruz Pedregon was not as lucky. Pedregon was quickest during the afternoon session, but plummeted to ninth during the evening.

NO LOVE FOR NORWALK - Norwalk has not been kind to Alexis DeJoria.

In four years behind the wheel of her Patron XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry Funny Car, DeJoria has yet to win a single round at the Ohio track. But that doesn’t have her concerned. 

Lately, DeJoria has seen some unexpected turnarounds at tracks where she has traditionally struggled, including winning at Phoenix last year. So where is her mind at this weekend? Focused on exorcising her Norwalk demons.

“Past results don’t really seem to matter to us. I mean, we have won at tracks that we have struggled at in the past, some that we really struggled at. Phoenix was never a good track for me and last year we turn around and win the whole thing,” DeJoria said. “So now that that is out of the way, hopefully we can have the same kind of weekend here. I love this track, hopefully it can return the affection.”

JUST A TEASE - “Ooh, you almost had it…”

If you haven’t seen the viral commercial for State Farm featuring the man in fishing equipment, let us set the stage - there he stands, a man with a fishing rod in hand and a dollar bill hanging from the hook, teasing a young woman at the other end, refusing to let her grab the elusive cash.

That is exactly how Tommy Johnson Jr. must feel. Nearly every weekend, he finds himself qualified in the top half of the field and going rounds, but he never seems to be able to put it all together and grab the Wally. “Ooh, you almost had it…” So frustrating.

“We have been right there all year. We have had good success, we just need to find a little bit to get over the hump,” Johnson said.

Johnson remains the only driver in the Don Schumacher Racing stable without a win and the only one not locked into the Traxxas Nitro Shootout, two things he would love to check off of his to-do list this weekend.

“We probably beat ourselves more than the other guys have beaten us. We have got to quit doing that,” Johnson said.

BUCKEYE PROUD - For a traveling series like the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, there really isn’t such a thing as “home field advantage.” 

Sure there is the U.S. Nationals, which is like a home race for many of the Indianapolis-based teams, but for many teams, there really is no such a thing as a true home race. But every once in a while, the series will travel just close enough that it can serve as a defacto home event.

That is how Chad Head treats the race at Norwalk.

It is just a short drive for the Columbus, Ohio native to travel from Head, Inc. Construction and Engineering up the road to Summit Motorsports Park. And that makes this weekend extra special.

“It’s probably our biggest racing weekend of the year,” Head said. “It’s a home race for us and we couldn’t be any happier than to be racing in our backyard, especially on Independence Day. We want to run well there and after our recent races, we’re excited about what this weekend will bring.”

Head recorded the fifth quickest elapsed time in the history of Funny Car racing last month in Topeka with a 3.967-second pass, but he is still seeking that first career victory and first final of the season.

“Dad has been so on point knowing what the track will hold and accordingly the results have shown we have a race winning Toyota,” Head said.

Head had the fourth quickest lap on Friday, running a 4.019 at 314.68 mph under the lights.

NOT HERE JUST TO QUALIFY - Drag racing is an expensive sport. It takes a lot of cash, and even more heart, to bring a nitro team out for a weekend of racing in the NHRA.

And that rings especially true for the teams that operate part-time. 

While it is easy to dismiss those teams operating on a shoestring budget compared to the big buck operations such as John Force Racing and Don Schumacher Racing, don’t think for a second those drivers that compete part-time are any less hungry to win than their big budget counterparts.

Just ask Paul Lee.

“We aren’t here just to qualify. We are here to run well,” Lee said, matter-of-factly, Friday afternoon. “We don’t get to race a lot, but when we do, we come to race.”

While it may seem like an us-against-the-world situation for teams like Lee, it always helps to have other like-minded teams in your corner. This weekend, another part-time NHRA driver, New York’s Dom Lagana, is here helping crew Lee’s Funny Car, creating a nice one-two punch.

“I have known the Laganas for 30 years. Those guys are like brothers to me,” Lee said. “We have a really good team and it is a pleasure to be out here racing.”

PEDREGON PROBLEMS - Tony Pedregon failed to put together a full run on Friday, recording passes of 9.034 and 5.028, currently placing him 16th in the order. After qualifying fifth at the season opener back in February, Pedregon hasn’t qualified higher than 10th since.

PRO STOCK

BACK TO THE FUTURE - Vincent Nobile is hoping a return to the past will help him in the future.

This weekend, at the track where his father found so much success when it was under IHRA sanction, Nobile is hoping a solid showing will help turn his season around and keep him in the hunt for a spot in the Countdown to the Championship Pro Stock standings.

John Nobile won the IHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock championship in 2004 and always found success in Norwalk.

Vincent is hoping a trip to Norwalk is just what the doctor ordered for his team to get things turned around.

"The season certainly hasn't started like we wanted it to...this is our fifth season out and it's definitely our worst start yet," Nobile said. "We can't complain, though, because we're still out here racing. We're qualifying and have gone a few rounds, but we know we're capable of so much more."

The worst part of this frustrating season for Nobile?

"We have all the right parts and all the right people. We haven't had any luck," he said. "I haven't been at my best and the car hasn't been at its best. Those three factors are the most important things out there.

"If we can get one of those factors better at a time we hope all three will come along. That's when we'll be back to where we should be."

John Nobile isn't the only one to have found success in Norwalk. Vincent Nobile won the first Pro Stock Wally after the track moved into the NHRA family of tracks in 2011 and followed it up with another win in 2012.

It's always been a special place for the Nobile family.

"I grew up watching my dad here when I was a little kid and those were great memories," Vincent Nobile said. "I grew up with the Bader family, a great family that puts on a great show. I've also had a lot of success here, I've won twice and also won the K&N Shootout here.

"The first year I raced, in 2011, I won here and then backed it up in 2012. If there's any place I could turn my season around, this is the place."

John Nobile agrees.

"Coming here is like old times, the only difference is that I'm not driving," he said. "Right now we have to keep our heads on straight and get geared up for the Countdown. Coming to Norwalk, with Bill Bader and the crew, gives us an awesome feeling. To win here would be the icing on the cake."

Though his IHRA world championship happened 12 years ago, John Nobile said the time has flown by.

"It seems like yesterday and I can probably dictate every round of every race," he said. "There are so many awesome memories. Now I hope Vince some day gets the chance to win a world championship."

THE GRANDMA CONNECTION - Summit Motorsports Park's 'pound of ice cream for a dollar' deal is well-documented within the drag racing community.

What is not known is Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan's connection with the frozen dairy treat.

Morgan's grandmother, Ethel Morgan, was close friends with the matriarch of the Velvet Ice Cream Co., the makers of the famous ice cream loved by fans and competitors alike in Norwalk.

"My grandmother was best friends with the Dagers, who owned Velvet Ice Cream," Morgan said. "Josephine Dager was the mother of the family who owned the business. I was raised on Velvet Ice Cream, and I still eat it. That's the best thing about Norwalk."

Morgan resides in Newark, Ohio, about two hours from Norwalk.

PRAYING FOR A REPEAT - Elite Motorsports Pro Stock driver Erica Enders hopes history continues to repeat itself in 2015, including at this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

So far this season, the 2014 NHRA Pro Stock World Champion has repeated victories she earned last year.

She won in Las Vegas, Houston, and Bristol in 2014 and has done so this season as well. Enders added a victory in Topeka, Kan., to help her lead the points standings as she heads to Norwalk, where she is the defending race champion.

"So far this season we've been able to repeat every win we had last year," Enders said. "Vegas, Houston, and Bristol and we added Topeka. Hopefully that trend continues. We've definitely got a good race car and I've got the best team."

HIRED HAND - The Gray Motorsports team turned to an old hand to help tune Jonathan Gray's 2015 Camaro at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Veteran tuner Jim Yates was on hand to work with the team, and the effect was instant as Gray was on the provisional pole after Friday qualifying.

"Today was his first day," Gray said. "I don't think you can have somebody show up and automatically just start running better. It's a race-by-race deal with him, so we'll take it race-to-race and see how it goes."

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS - Every boy wants to follow in his father’s footsteps. And that includes racers.

Hector Arana Jr. remembers vividly the day his father won his first-ever Pro Stock Motorcycle race at Norwalk back in 2007, and he admits that it would be particularly special if he could add a win in Norwalk to his Wally collection as well.

“I mean, this is where my dad won his first race. It would mean so much if I were able to get a win here myself,” Arana said.

If he were able to notch a win here this weekend, he would have pretty much everyone in his life around to witness it.

“I really excited for this race. My whole family - minus my brother - is coming. My mom and sister and my girlfriend Nicole, they are all here this weekend. I can’t wait,” Arana said.

Arana got his campaign for a Norwalk victory off to a great start on Friday, rocketing to the top of the PSM charts with a 6.868-second pass at 195.79 mph.

“As soon as I popped the clutch and I felt it leave as hard as it did, I knew it was on a good run. I was anxious to get down to the other end of the track to see what it was going to be,” Arana said. “When I got pulled to the side of the track where they pull guys who run well, I knew that was a good sign. When they said it was an 86, I was pretty excited. I knew we could get down in the eights, but I didn’t think we would go that low.”

TRADING PLACES - Chip Ellis and Hector Arana Jr. flip-flopped the top spot in the two-wheeled category on Friday.

Ellis topped the field during the heat of the day, but dropped to second during the night session, conceding the top spot to Arana Jr. Arana Jr. topped Friday qualifying with a 6.868, followed by Ellis with a 6.905.

NORWALK MASTER - There is just something special about Norwalk and four-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Andrew Hines.

Since the NHRA began traveling to the small town in Ohio for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in 2007, Hines has won a record four times - more than double any other driver on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. The only problem is, he doesn’t exactly know why this track is so good to him.

“Something has clicked for me, but I am not sure exactly what it is,” Hines said. “When you look at other drivers, John Force is killer in Brainard and Atlanta. Greg Anderson is deadly in Englishtown. It is just the way the stars line up that weekend. I don’t think there is really any magic to a driver performing better at one track. We run the same quarter-mile everywhere we go.”

While he may not know what that correlation is, there is no doubt that there is some magic here, whether he likes to admit it or not. And the scary part is, he thinks this may be his best bike yet.

“We are bringing our best combination here this weekend.”

After two rounds, Hines sits fifth in qualifying, recording a 6.930 at 192.55 mph on Friday.

WEIGHT LIFTED - When Hector Arana flipped on the win light at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta earlier this year, it was like a giant weight was instantly lifted off of his shoulders.

After five straight winless seasons, the veteran rider was understandably frustrated with the lack of Wallys, despite finishing in the top five in points in four of the past five years. Now, with his winless streak snapped, Arana can go back to work focusing on what really matters - trying to win another championship.

“I noticed there’s a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Arana said. “It’s definitely the fuel that I needed to keep working and keep going forward. When Hector (Jr.) wins, I’m pumped too, but that win for me was exactly what I needed. I needed it so I could continue to believe in myself and keep driving forward. I want another one, I want another championship.”

This weekend could be the perfect launch pad for Arana to do just that, as he returns to the home of his very first career Pro Stock Motorcycle win back in 2007.

“This is where I got my first win in 2007, and I’ve gone to the final there again in 2010. I’m pumped.”

NO WINS, NO PROBLEM - Who says you need to win races to win championships? 

Eddie Krawiec managed to accomplish that extremely rare feat in 2008 when he won the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship without a single victory on his resume. And he is once again traveling down that path this year. Through four races, Krawiec is leading the PSM championship standings after four races despite not a single notch in the win column.

While that bodes well for the veteran rider, don’t look for him to stay out of the winner’s circle for long. While he hasn’t won, he has managed three final rounds in four tries to place him 53 points clear of his teammate in the championship standings.

“My season has been good. We have had a couple of mechanical gremlins that have cost me final round wins, but that is racing,” Krawiec said.

What has been extremely frustrating, is just how close the Vance & Hines team has come to winning, with a few minor parts failures keeping him out of the winner’s circle.

“We have had a few parts failures that have stood in our way. It was a stupid one dollar air fitting on the bike in the first race, then in the third race another stupid little part broke,” Krawiec said. “But in the end, it has actually helped us. It has made us better. The more knowledge you have now early, the better off you are going to be in the long run of the season.”

Krawiec flexed his muscle on Friday, jumping from 10th after round one of qualifying all the way up to fourth, sitting just .059 off of qualifying leader Hector Arana Jr.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS - Matt Smith was Friday’s biggest mover, jumping seven spots from 15th to eighth between sessions, while Jim Underdahl fell from fourth after round one down to 10th. Eddie Krawiec also had a nice jump on Friday, moving from 10th to fourth with a 6.927 at 193.35 under the lights.

ONE WORD - CHAZ - He is one of the fresh young faces in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 

He has the looks, he has the ride and he certainly has the name. Now, 21-year-old Chaz Kennedy has to find the success.

Debuting with the NHRA in 2014, the young rider who can’t stay off of a bike - whether making big jumps on a dirt bike or barreling down the quarter-mile at close to 200 mph - wants to climb the ranks and duke it out with the best, but knows it is going to take some time.

“We have started like any young team, up and down. It has been like a roller coaster,” Kennedy said. “We go to the first two races and do well, then we go to Atlanta and Englishtown and we just drop off. You will have that as we try to find our footing, but we are hoping we can find that groove sooner rather than later.”

Kennedy made two semifinal appearances in his rookie season on his way to a 12th place finish in the standings. In 2015, he has one round win and two DNQs, but after some extensive testing, he hopes to turn the corner this weekend in Norwalk.

“We have struggled a bit with our engine program, but we think we have got it back together,” Kennedy said. “We did some testing here recently and discovered that the bike has what it takes, we just have to make it work on raceday.”

TRENDING DOWN - After qualifying in the top four at each of the first three races, Angelle Sampey has seen her qualifying efforts dip dramatically since. Sampey qualified second, third and fourth at Gainesville, Charlotte and Atlanta respectively, but dropped to 12th in Englishtown.

Friday in Norwalk, Sampey continued that downward trend with the 14th quickest pass in Norwalk as the 41-time winner hopes to first make the field and then focus on making it out of the first round for only the third time this season.