2016 NHRA AAA FINALS - EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY - LINE AND SAVOIE CLAIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS; KALITTA, JOHNSON JR., ANDERSON AND SMITH RACE TO VICTORY AT SEASON-ENDING AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS
Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Line clinched his third Pro Stock world championship after he raced to victory in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro in the semifinal round, putting the points out of reach for second-place teammate Greg Anderson.
“It’s been a great year and thanks to all of our competitors; they kept us honest and made us work hard right to the end,” said Line, who also won the world title in 2006 and 2011. “I have to thank all the Summit guys, Ken Black, and all of them. It has been an incredible season and I can’t believe I didn’t actually mess it up. It is such an honor to be up here. We have had a great car all year. Greg [Anderson] and I have had probably the two best cars all year. If it had ended any other way, I would have been disappointed.”
Line and Anderson dominated the first year of the redesigned Pro Stock class, which features electronic fuel injection, 10,500 rev-limiters, shortened wheelie bars and flat hoods. Line finished the season with a career-high eight wins in 14 final-round appearances. He led the points at 22 of 24 events and notched a career-high 65 round wins over the course of the year.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Savoie earned his first career world championship after he advanced to the semifinals while his nearest contenders, Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines, were knocked out in the quarterfinals. Savoie, rider of the White Alligator Racing Suzuki, never led the points standings until he secured the title.
“To only dream of winning one race and to come out here and put a deal together with the support of Vance & Hines and my crew and to win the championship is amazing,” said Savoie, who won two races and notched four runner-ups. “I went to church this morning and the word was encouragement and to get encouraged from the people that inspire you. I want to thank everybody, especially the fans. Without these guys, this would not be possible; you make our dreams come true, and those guys are my family.”
Savoie made his championship intentions known early in the season by racing to runner-up finishes in Atlanta and Englishtown, N.J. The alligator farmer entered the Countdown to the Championship fourth in points but suffered a first round loss in Charlotte, N.C., and fell to sixth. After that upset, Savoie and his team hit their stride and went on to win at St. Louis and Las Vegas and post a runner-up finish in Dallas. He was also the No. 1 qualifier at three consecutive events at the end of the season.
In other racing news, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were victorious in their respective categories at the 24th and final event of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The Auto Club NHRA Finals marked the conclusion of the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Kalitta powered to a holeshot victory with a 3.745-second pass at 326.63 mph in his Mac Tools dragster to defeat J.R. Todd’s 3.704 at 327.90 in his SealMaster dragster in the Top Fuel final. Kalitta claimed his fourth victory of the season and 42nd of his career. He sprinted past Shawn Reed, eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher and Shawn Landon in the earlier rounds. The win moved him to second in points, where he will finish for the fourth time in his career.
“I’ve been trying to win this last race for a long time,” said Kalitta, nephew of drag racing legend Connie Kalitta. “The history here, for me, growing up watching Connie race over the years and to be able to win today was huge for me and for everybody on the team. It was very cool that [J.R. Todd] and I were both in the final and got to run for the money there. It will be good momentum for all of our teams and we finished off the season with some good runs.”
Todd, appearing in a career-high sixth final round, knocked down Troy Buff, Richie Crampton and world champion Antron Brown en route to the final round.
In Funny Car, Johnson notched a 3.918 at 320.51 in his Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T to outlast John Force’s 3.918 at 321.81 on a holeshot in his Peak Antifreeze Chevy Camaro in the final. Johnson tallied his third win of the season and 15th of his career. Johnson, who posted a runner-up at this event one year ago, finished a career-high second in points. He beat Dave Richards, Robert Hight and Courtney Force in the earlier rounds.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t win the championship,” said Johnson Jr., who had not finished higher than third in points before this season. “It’s so important to do well. You have six races to really make no mistakes and we had a bad race or two there towards the middle of the Countdown. It was a little frustrating because we knew we were better than that. We had fallen down to third and we came here and knew we wanted to get back to second; we knew we could do that. You want to finish strong and show you are there to contend. You want to end on a high note because it kind of sets the tone for next season.”
Force, making his eighth career final round appearance at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, outlasted Cruz Pedregon, world champion Ron Capps and No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman before losing to Johnson Jr. in the final.
Anderson was able to beat his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro teammate and series champion Line on a holeshot in the Pro Stock final round by powering to a 6.580 at 210.24, bettering Line’s 6.570 at 211.43. This is Anderson’s eighth win of the season, 86th of his career and sixth at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. He finished the season second in points.
“Great day; I can’t cry,” said Anderson. “I did all I could do today, I did everything I could possibly do today. The only thing I can kick stones about is that I didn’t do a great job on qualifying on Friday. I lost three points to Jason and those three points are a big three points. You do the best you can and sometimes you make a mistake and I did on Friday and it cost me and that was the decider. Still a great fight. Great fight all year. We had some great battles. During the last half of the year the rest of the class got in and we had some great battles with them. We overachieved this year and we’re leaving here happy.”
Line raced past Alan Prusiensky, Chris McGaha and two-time world champion Erica Enders before finding Anderson in the final.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith rode to an 8.044 at 117.34 on his Victory Gunner to beat Angelle Sampey, who left the line early to red-light on her Buell in the final. Smith claimed his first win since 2013 with the performance. The victory moved him to sixth in the points standings.
“We haven’t had the best season in the world,” said Smith, who claimed his second Finals victory. “We’ve had a fast bike but we’ve had a lot of electrical problems and transmission issues. We finally solved that about four races ago and it was good for us to run as good as we have. It struggled in qualifying but it came around today. To give Victory their first win is huge. I’m so glad I was able to get it done for them. We have big plans for next year and hopefully you’ll see us a lot more next year.”
Sampey, who won in Englishtown, N.J., beat Scotty Pollacheck, four-time world champion Andrew Hines and Savoie in the earlier rounds.
The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will begin at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 9-12.
SATURDAY - CAPPS CLINCHES FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; TODD, BECKMAN, LINE AND SAVOIE ARE NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AT AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS
Funny Car racer Ron Capps clinched his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship on Saturday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Capps, driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T, had a 92-point lead over second-place Matt Hagan when qualifying concluded and needed an 81-point lead to clinch. Before being crowned, Capps was the winningest driver, with 50 victories, to have not won a championship.
“I can’t even tell you how focused [crew chief] Rahn Tobler has been this year,” said Capps, who was the series runner-up in 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2012. “I almost gave up the chance of trying so hard and wishing so hard and just focused on winning races. With all the accolades I got this year – my 50th career win, passing some people I really looked up to in the sport with wins – that’s mind-boggling for me. This was the toughest Funny Car class ever and the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car, which was awesome. What a great, great season.”
Capps started his quest for the world championship with a win at the season-opening event in Pomona when he defeated 2015 world champ Del Worsham.
He and his NAPA team were a dominate force during a seven race span which began in Epping, N.H., and ended in Sonoma, Calif. During that time he posted victories at Epping, Englishtown, N.J., and Norwalk, Ohio; runner-up finishes at Chicago and Sonoma; and a semi-final appearance in Bristol, Tenn.
In other racing action, J.R. Todd (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 24th and final event of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The Auto Club NHRA Finals marks the conclusion of the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Antron Brown clinched the Top Fuel world title two weeks ago in Las Vegas while the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle championships are still up for grabs.
Top Fuel’s Todd navigated the track in 3.680-seconds at 327.82 mph in his SealMaster dragster to take the No. 1 spot. This is his first top qualifier of the season, ninth of his career and first at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Todd won the event in Sonoma earlier this year and has also posted four runner-up finishes this season. He will go head-to-head with Troy Buff in the first round.
“I thought maybe we would see a run like that last night or in tonight’s session, but not in the middle of the day like that with the sun on the track and the temperature up,” said Todd, who will look to earn his 10th career victory on Sunday. “It surprised me when I looked up and saw the scoreboard. This thing has been trying to run really well for a long time and here at the last handful of races it’s really come together. Hopefully we are going in the right direction for 2017.”
Doug Kalitta, Todd’s Kalitta Motorsports teammate, qualified second with a 3.709 at 327.90 in his Mac Tools dragster. Kalitta, a three-time 2016 winner, will open eliminations against Shawn Reed. Defending event winner Shawn Langdon is third and paired with Tripp Tatum while world champion Brown is fourth and matched against Morgan Lucas.
Beckman posted the second-quickest Funny Car pass in history when he raced to a 3.825 at 332.10 in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T to claim the No. 1 qualifier. Beckman has six No. 1 qualifiers this year and 21 in his career. He will face John Bojec in the first round of eliminations.
“We were the last car down the track but you heard how fanatical the people were who stuck around,” said Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion. “I think what made it really special was when we pulled back into our pits, the fans were six deep there and cheering and going crazy because they knew we did something really special. I was just one-tenth of a team that did something really special here.”
Courtney Force is second with a 3.869 at 324.83 in her Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS. She has one win in four final round appearances this season. Force will go up against Jim Campbell to open eliminations. Tommy Johnson Jr. is third and paired with Dave Richards while 16-time world champion John Force is fourth and set to battle Cruz Pedregon.
In Pro Stock, Line pushed his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro to a 6.545 at 211.33 to claim the No. 1 qualifier. This is Line’s eighth top spot of the year, 49th of his career and fifth at the Finals. He will begin Sunday’s eliminations with a 23-point advantage over teammate and second-place Greg Anderson. Line will race Alan Prusiensky in the first round.
“I’d rather be up 23 points than 19 points,” said Line, a two-time world champion and eight-time 2016 event winner. “The runs were nice. My first run this morning was very good and it was actually faster than we thought it could go. I think the track is going to be even better tomorrow. We’re pretty happy with everything. [Greg and I] are one and three in the two Summit cars and we have a chance to meet in the final. That’d be a storybook ending and it would be really fun to duke it out in the final.”
Bo Butner, teammate to Line and Anderson, is second with a 6.553 at 210.57 in his Jim Butner Auto Chevy Camaro. Butner will find Deric Kramer in the opposing lane Sunday morning. Anderson is third with a 6.555 at 210.80 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro and will go heads-up with Seattle winner Aaron Strong. Reading, Pa., winner Vincent Nobile is fourth and St. Louis winner Alex Laughlin is fifth.
Savoie sprinted to his third consecutive No. 1 spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.825 at 194.97 on his White Alligator Racing Suzuki. This is the eighth No. 1 of his career and second consecutive at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. Savoie, who raced to victory in Las Vegas two weeks, will open eliminations against Angie Smith. The Louisiana alligator farmer has a four-point lead over competitor Eddie Krawiec and an 11-point lead over Andrew Hines.
“Whatever happened here today and yesterday is all behind us,” said Savoie, who is pursuing his first world championship. “Tomorrow is another day and we’ll take it round by round. With the points, basically what is going to have to happen unless we all lose in the semis together, we’re going to have to go to the finals. We’ve got to stay focused and not get nervous.”
Krawiec qualified second with a 6.828 at 196.70 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. The three-time world champion is paired with Shawn Gann in the first round. Hector Arana Jr. is third with a 6.856 at 195.51 on his Lucas Oil Buell and will race Fred Camarena, while Hines is fourth and matched up against Cory Reed.
Eliminations for the Auto Club NHRA Finals are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. J.R. Todd, 3.680 seconds, 327.82 mph vs. 16. Troy Buff, 3.879, 305.49; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.709, 327.90 vs. 15. Shawn Reed, 3.849, 319.22; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.713, 327.43 vs. 14. Tripp Tatum, 3.815, 313.95; 4. Antron Brown, 3.713, 326.56 vs. 13. Morgan Lucas, 3.800, 322.65; 5. Leah Pritchett, 3.715, 328.62 vs. 12. Terry McMillen, 3.792, 323.89; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.716, 328.14 vs. 11. Wayne Newby, 3.766, 326.79; 7. Tony Schumacher, 3.723, 329.34 vs. 10. Clay Millican, 3.761, 321.88; 8. Brittany Force, 3.731, 323.27 vs. 9. Richie Crampton, 3.733, 320.66.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Scott Palmer, 3.953, 285.05; 18. Terry Haddock, 4.026, 235.39; 19. Steve Faria, 4.191, 212.16.
Funny Car -- 1. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 3.825, 332.84 vs. 16. John Bojec, Toyota Camry, 4.029, 310.34; 2. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.869, 324.83 vs. 15. Jim Campbell, Charger, 3.977, 302.82; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.873, 326.95 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 3.975, 316.60; 4. John Force, Camaro, 3.879, 330.96 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 3.950, 319.37; 5. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.883, 325.45 vs. 12. Chad Head, Camry, 3.945, 325.06; 6. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.889, 329.75 vs. 11. Paul Lee, Camry, 3.935, 324.83; 7. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.894, 330.72 vs. 10. Jeff Arend, Camry, 3.930, 317.19; 8. Del Worsham, Camry, 3.912, 327.35 vs. 9. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.920, 328.38.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Jon Capps, 4.053, 307.44; 18. Gary Densham, 4.071, 268.33; 19. Bob Bode, 4.103, 268.44; 20. Anthony Begley, 4.145, 286.50; 21. Brandon Welch, 4.249, 246.03; 22. John Hale, 4.390, 214.93.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.545, 211.33 vs. 16. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.659, 208.07; 2. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.553, 210.57 vs. 15. Deric Kramer, Dart, 6.636, 209.04; 3. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.555, 211.30 vs. 14. Aaron Strong, Camaro, 6.626, 209.01; 4. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.570, 211.13 vs. 13. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.610, 208.78; 5. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.570, 210.97 vs. 12. Erica Enders, Dart, 6.608, 210.05; 6. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.573, 210.57 vs. 11. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.603, 209.95; 7. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.593, 210.37 vs. 10. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.601, 209.82; 8. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.593, 209.92 vs. 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.594, 209.82.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Joey Grose, broke.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.825, 196.19 vs. 16. Angie Smith, Victory, 6.965, 193.82; 2. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.828, 196.70 vs. 15. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.952, 192.44; 3. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.856, 195.65 vs. 14. Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 6.916, 195.39; 4. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.856, 195.00 vs. 13. Cory Reed, Buell, 6.911, 192.80; 5. Angelle Sampey, Buell, 6.859, 195.73 vs. 12. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.909, 192.47; 6. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.862, 195.79 vs. 11. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.890, 195.48; 7. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.870, 196.82 vs. 10. Matt Smith, Victory, 6.889, 193.99; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.872, 194.49 vs. 9. Melissa Surber, Buell, 6.879, 193.71.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Karen Stoffer, 6.988, 194.63; 18. Chaz Kennedy, 7.004, 191.16; 19. Jim Underdahl, 7.007, 193.60; 20. Luke Crowley, 7.021, 192.00; 21. Gunner Courtney, 7.084, 186.36; 22. Scott Bottorff, 7.086, 187.99; 23. Lance Bonham, 8.322, 185.66.
FRIDAY - CAPPS CONTINUES PUSH TO CHAMPIONSHIP; BECKMAN, BROWN, LINE AND SAVOIE LEAD QUALIFYING FRIDAY AT THE AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS
Ron Capps scored valuable qualifying points and Jack Beckman sprinted to the qualifying lead in Funny Car on Friday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 24th and final event of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The Auto Club NHRA Finals marks the conclusion of the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Capps posted the lowest elapsed time in the first session of qualifying with a 3.883-second pass at 323.66 mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T. He was awarded three points for being the quickest of the session and now has an 89-point lead over teammate and second-place Matt Hagan. If Capps, the winningest Funny Car driver in NHRA history without a world championship, has at least an 81-point lead over Hagan when qualifying concludes Saturday evening, he will clinch the 2016 NHRA Mello Drag Racing Series Funny Car world championship.
Beckman raced to the top qualifying position in Funny Car with a 3.865 at 332.84 in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T. He set both ends of the track record with the performance. Beckman has five No. 1 qualifiers this year and 20 in his career.
“It was an amazing run,” said Beckman, a two-time 2016 event winner. “We had hot conditions all day but us running the new track records is a testament to how fast the Funny Car category has gotten as a whole this entire season.”
John Force, who won his fourth race of the season two weeks ago in Las Vegas, is second with a 3.880 at 330.72 in his PEAK Antifreeze Chevy Camaro SS, while Capps’ 3.883 at 323.66 in the first session was enough to put him in the third spot. Robert Hight is fourth and Hagan is fifth.
In Top Fuel, 2016 series champion Antron Brown continued his dominance by racing to the provisional lead with a 3.713 at 326.56 in his Matco Tools dragster. Brown clinched his third world title two weekends ago in Las Vegas. He has three No. 1 qualifiers this season and 47 in his career. Brown has tallied seven victories in eleven final round appearances so far this year.
“At the end of the day, it’s all for the love of this sport,” said back-to-back world champ Brown. “All the teams come out here, not because they want a lot of money or for the attention, it’s for the love of the sport. We were able to sneak back into the No. 1 spot and the whole field is so tight right now. This kind of field is what you want to see all of next year. We got our work cut out for us this weekend and it feels good to get this Matco Tools car to the No. 1 spot.”
Steve Torrence is currently qualified second with a 3.716 at 326.95 in his Capco Contractors / Torrence Racing dragster. Torrence has three wins this season – including one at the season-opener at Pomona in February. Phoenix winner Leah Pritchett is third with a 3.726 at 328.62 in her FireAde dragster. Shawn Langdon, who won both events at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in 2015, is fourth and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher is fifth.
Pro Stock points leader Jason Line sprinted to the top spot with a 6.565 at 211.16 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro. Line has seven No. 1 qualifiers this year, 48 in his career and four at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. He is a two-time world champion and has a 20-point lead over second-place Greg Anderson.
“It’ll be fun to watch and really nerve wracking for Greg and me,” said Line, an eight-time 2016 event winner. “Maybe we’ll be duking it out on Sunday. It was a nice run but could’ve been better, to be honest with you. There’s a little left. I think the racetrack will continue to get better over the weekend and you’ll see all of us go faster. Tomorrow should be interesting.”
Anderson is qualified second with a 6.575 at 210.70 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro. Anderson is a five-time world champion and a seven-time 2016 event winner. Bo Butner posted a 6.580 at 210.37 in his Jim Butner Auto Chevy Camaro and sits in the third spot. St. Louis winner Alex Laughlin and recent Las Vegas winner Shane Gray are fourth and fifth, respectively.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Savoie rode his White Alligator Racing Suzuki to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 6.844 at 195.93. Savoie won at the most recent event in Las Vegas as the No. 1 qualifier and also posted a No. 1 in Dallas. He has seven top qualifiers in his career and one at Auto Club Raceway, which came at the Finals one year ago. Savoie entered the weekend three points behind leaders Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines, who were tied, but now has a one point lead over rival Krawiec and a three point lead over Hines.
“We got a little aggressive on that first run and thought the track conditions were a little better, and same thing on the second run,” said Savoie, who rode into the sand trap in the second qualifying session. “We got all the wheels off and the bike is completely stripped down besides the engine. The way this bike is sealed up, it was kind of hard for any rocks to get inside the engine compartment. I’ll keep my composure and on Sunday we’ll go do our thing.”
Hector Arana Jr. is currently qualified second with a 6.857 at 195.65 on his Lucas Oil Buell. He is followed by three-time world champ Krawiec in third with a 6.858 at 195.53 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Krawiec is a five-time 2016 event winner and has raced to the final round at the Auto Club NHRA Finals for eight consecutive years. His Harley-Davidson teammate, Hines, is qualified eighth.
Qualifying for the Auto Club NHRA Finals will resume Saturday with the last two sessions at noon and 3 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, final of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.713 seconds, 326.56 mph; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.716, 326.95; 3. Leah Pritchett, 3.726, 328.62; 4. Shawn Langdon, 3.729, 325.14; 5. Tony Schumacher, 3.734, 325.22; 6. J.R. Todd, 3.739, 324.36; 7. Wayne Newby, 3.766, 326.79; 8. Brittany Force, 3.770, 322.19; 9. Terry McMillen, 3.792, 323.89; 10. Tripp Tatum, 3.815, 313.95; 11. Morgan Lucas, 3.892, 293.03; 12. Shawn Reed, 3.921, 303.78.
Not Qualified: 13. Richie Crampton, 4.118, 208.39; 14. Terry Haddock, 4.186, 224.88; 15. Troy Buff, 4.316, 187.36; 16. Doug Kalitta, 4.704, 142.29; 17. Steve Faria, 5.367, 103.02; 18. Clay Millican, 5.531, 121.35.
Funny Car -- 1. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 3.865, 332.84; 2. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.880, 330.72; 3. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.883, 323.66; 4. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.889, 329.75; 5. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.894, 329.83; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.918, 288.15; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.920, 328.38; 8. Jeff Arend, Toyota Camry, 3.930, 317.19; 9. Paul Lee, Camry, 3.935, 324.83; 10. Courtney Force, Camaro, 3.953, 316.67; 11. John Bojec, Camry, 4.029, 301.00; 12. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.071, 268.33.
Not Qualified: 13. Jon Capps, 4.093, 254.81; 14. Cruz Pedregon, 4.233, 226.20; 15. John Hale, 4.261, 214.93; 16. Anthony Begley, 4.309, 233.96; 17. Bob Bode, 4.490, 199.35; 18. Dave Richards, 4.611, 182.90; 19. Brandon Welch, 4.775, 185.64; 20. Chad Head, 5.583, 127.23; 21. Del Worsham, 5.979, 118.36; 22. Jim Campbell, broke.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.565, 211.16; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.575, 210.70; 3. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.580, 210.44; 4. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.587, 210.83; 5. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.594, 210.47; 6. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.597, 210.50; 7. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.601, 209.82; 8. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.602, 210.37; 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.621, 209.69; 10. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.622, 208.33; 11. Aaron Strong, Camaro, 6.642, 208.20; 12. Erica Enders, Dart, 6.645, 209.01.
Not Qualified: 13. Alan Prusiensky, 6.655, 208.07; 14. Kenny Delco, 6.664, 208.39; 15. Matt Hartford, 6.666, 208.55; 16. Deric Kramer, 6.677, 206.86; 17. Joey Grose, 6.941, 196.56.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.844, 195.93; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.857, 195.65; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.858, 195.53; 4. Angelle Sampey, Buell, 6.861, 195.73; 5. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.870, 196.82; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.872, 194.49; 7. Melissa Surber, Buell, 6.879, 193.71; 8. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.886, 195.00; 9. Cory Reed, Buell, 6.911, 192.80; 10. Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 6.916, 195.39; 11. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.917, 193.74; 12. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.919, 192.47.
Not Qualified: 13. Angie Smith, 6.922, 193.82; 14. LE Tonglet, 6.927, 195.48; 15. Matt Smith, 6.941, 193.99; 16. Jim Underdahl, 6.964, 193.60; 17. Shawn Gann, 6.979, 192.44; 18. Karen Stoffer, 7.007, 192.85; 19. Chaz Kennedy, 7.023, 190.40; 20. Gunner Courtney, 7.080, 186.36; 21. Scott Bottorff, 7.092, 187.99; 22. Luke Crowley, 7.120, 192.00; 23. Lance Bonham, 7.161, 185.66.
FRIDAY SPORTSMAN RESULTS -
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER (SESSION TWO)
1 6067 A/FD Don St. Arnaud, Edmonton AB, Hadman-BAE 5.200 285.83 285.83
2 10 TA/D Garrett Bateman, San Ramon CA, Hadman-B 5.242 263.67 263.67
3 9 A/FD Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville PA, Hadma 5.259 275.51 275.51
4 1 TA/D Joey Severance, Woodburn OR, Hadman-BAE 5.264 274.55 274.55
5 802 TA/D Monty Bugeja, Luga ML, Hadman-BAE 5.321 269.67 269.67
6 2 B/AD Chris Demke, Tujunga CA, Uyehara-BAE 5.324 272.45 272.45
7 748 A/FD Cameron Ferre, Huntington Beach CA, Att 5.347 272.78 272.78
8 7610 A/FD Derik Milanesio, Strathmore CA, Crossbo 5.382 265.85 265.85
9 76 TA/D Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita CA, Attac-B 5.395 270.97 270.97
10 73 TA/D Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre CA, McKinn 5.397 263.77 263.77
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TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR (SESSION TWO)
1 1 Jonnie Lindberg, Upplands Vausby SW, '15 Camaro 5.440 269.73 269.73
2 8 Shane Westerfield, Anaheim CA, '16 Camaro 5.500 253.37 267.32
3 2 John Lombardo Jr., Brea CA, '16 Camaro 5.507 270.16 270.16
4 15 DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford MD, '15 Camaro 5.515 265.80 265.80
5 3 Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '15 Camaro 5.522 270.92 270.92
6 77 Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina CA, '16 Camaro 5.541 263.77 263.77
7 800 Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors SW, '10 Monte Carlo 5.550 264.44 264.44
8 4 Doug Gordon, Paso Robles CA, '15 Camaro 5.553 265.59 265.59
9 6345 Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls OR, '16 Camaro 5.566 262.90 262.90
10 76 Terry Ruckman, Grand Junction CO, '16 Camaro 5.578 265.43 265.43
11 597 Greg Hunter, Castle Rock CO, '11 Monte Carlo 5.585 261.78 261.78
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
COMP (FINAL)
1 769Y H/EA Josh Lee, Lancaster CA, '32 Bantam 8.818 9.57 -0.752
2 3 A/AP Alan Ellis, Mapleton UT, '23-T Ford 6.502 7.23 -0.728
3 5622 C/AA Jim Greenheck, Schofield WI, '12 Camaro 7.219 7.94 -0.721
4 23 A/EA David Rampy, Piedmont AL, '32 Bantam 7.231 7.91 -0.679
5 705 C/TA Tony Mandella, Eastvale CA, '01 S-10 8.389 9.04 -0.651
6 7235 C/ED Scott McClay, Tehachapi CA, N&P-Dodge 7.287 7.93 -0.643
7 1781 C/EA Dan Fletcher, Churchville NY, '08 Cobalt 8.058 8.70 -0.642
8 6060 G/D Brian Hyerstay, Eugene OR, Frameworks-VW 9.068 9.71 -0.642
9 799 C/A Steve Graham, S.San Francisco CA, '12 GXP 7.321 7.96 -0.639
10 6857 A/EA Ralph Van Paepeghem, Garden Valley ID, '3 7.278 7.91 -0.632
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
SUPER COMP (FIRST RD WINNERS)
1 7817 S/C Michael Lane, Shafter CA, Undercover-Chevy 8.900 8.90 0.000
2 78 S/C Jerry Dean, Olathe KS, Worthy-Chevy 8.901 8.90 0.001
3 701Y S/C Steve Parsons, Ridgecrest CA, Undercover- 8.904 8.90 0.004
4 7796 S/C John Richardson, Santa Clarita CA, Victor 8.907 8.90 0.007
5 7585 S/C Marko Perivolaris, Petaluma CA, TNT-Chevy 8.907 8.90 0.007
6 7942 S/C Thomas Bayer, Alta Loma CA, Undercover-Ch 8.909 8.90 0.009
7 11 S/C Jason Kenny, Kutztown PA, Dan Page-Chevy 8.911 8.90 0.011
8 7851 S/C Robert Naber, Ontario CA, Adkins-Chevy 8.913 8.90 0.013
9 2709 S/C Jason Lynch, Pleasant View TN, Nelson-Che 8.916 8.90 0.016
10 194D S/C Mia Tedesco, Pittsburg PA, Nelson-Chevy 8.916 8.90 0.016
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SUPER GAS (FIRST ROUND WINNERS)
1 7379 S/G Randy Bowers, Riverside CA, '69 Camaro 9.900 9.90 0.000
2 10 S/G Michael Miller, Moriarty NM, '27-T Ford 9.901 9.90 0.001
3 7566 S/G Ray Cordeiro, Santa Barbara CA, '63 Corve 9.902 9.90 0.002
4 79 S/G Brad Pierce, Riverside CA, '58 Corvette 9.903 9.90 0.003
5 550 S/G Ed Olpin, Pleasant Grove UT, '63 Corvette 9.908 9.90 0.008
6 717 S/G Randy Balough, Newbury Park CA, '68 Camaro 9.908 9.90 0.008
7 701Y S/G Steve Parsons, Ridgecrest CA, '63 Corvette 9.910 9.90 0.010
8 605 S/G Mike Ferderer, Buckley WA, '06 Grand Am 9.914 9.90 0.014
9 574 S/G Kevin Wright, Longmont CO, '68 Camaro 9.914 9.90 0.014
10 2709 S/G Jason Lynch, Pleasant View TN, '95 Cutlass 9.915 9.90 0.015
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
THURSDAY RESULTS - ST. ARNAUD BLASTS TO NEW TAD SPEED RECORD, LEE BLISTERS COMP QUALIFYING ON FIRST DAY AT POMONA
Don St. Arnaud has an affection for Pomona qualifying. For the second time this season, the Edmonton, Alberta-based driver established a speed record in qualifying during the first day of the season-ending NHRA AAA Finals at Pomona Raceway.
St. Arnaud took the top spot with a 5.200 elapsed time, and once again established a new speed record with a 285.83, to beat his previous mark established back in February.
Garrett Bateman, after suffering a devastating engine fire in last week's LODRS event in Las Vegas, was second quickest with a 5.242, 263.67. Rich McPhillips was third with a 5.259, 275.51.
Shane Westerfield drove his way to the provisional No. 1 in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a 5.500 elapsed time at 253.37. Annie Whiteley slipped into second with a 5.522, 270.92, while John Lombardo Jr. was third with a 5.540, 264.34. DJ Cox anchors the field with a coasting 9.946, 75.63 mph lap. There are 23 Alky floppers here this weekend.
Comp Eliminator got in two sessions on Thursday and Josh Lee threw down the gauntlet in his H/Econo Altered '32 Bantam as his 8.818 elapsed time was a whopping -0.752. Also butchering his index, Jim Greenheck ran 7.233, -0.707 under the C/Altered Automatic standard. David Rampy was third with a 7.231, -0.679 under the A/Econo Altered.
The C/Econo Dragster of Scott McClay was fourth with a 7.287, -0.643.
Only one driver dipped more than a second under their index, and for Bill Skillman and his 2010 Mustang, an 8.957, -1.093 under the FSS/E index was enough to land the No. 1 qualifying position in the final qualifying list. Mike Cotten, although qualifying second, was a distant tenth behind with his Barracuda and a 9.919, -0.981 performance.
Ken Etter was third with his Dodge Shadow while second-generation Super Stock racer Aaron Stanfield was fourth. Fred Moreno's SS/GA '69 Mustang was fifth with a 9.609, -0.941.
Brad Burton's classic Pontiac paced the final qualified Stock Eliminator field as he went -1.102 under the D/Stock Automatic index with a 10.448 second elapsed time. Rich Rinke's Division 3 based Factory Showdown/D Camaro ended qualifying as second quickest, 9.521, -1.079.
AA/SA racer Chuck Rayburn (9.647, -1.053) and A/SA veteran Bobby DeArmond (9.963, -1.037) rounded out the drivers under one second in the field.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER (SESSION ONE)
1 6067 A/FD Don St. Arnaud, Edmonton AB, Hadman-BAE 5.200 285.83 285.83
2 10 TA/D Garrett Bateman, San Ramon CA, Hadman-B 5.242 263.67 263.67
3 9 A/FD Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville PA, Hadma 5.259 275.51 275.51
4 1 TA/D Joey Severance, Woodburn OR, Hadman-BAE 5.264 274.55 274.55
5 802 TA/D Monty Bugeja, Luga ML, Hadman-BAE 5.321 269.67 269.67
6 2 B/AD Chris Demke, Tujunga CA, Uyehara-BAE 5.324 272.45 272.45
7 7610 A/FD Derik Milanesio, Strathmore CA, Crossbo 5.382 265.85 265.85
8 76 TA/D Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita CA, Attac-B 5.395 270.97 270.97
9 724 TA/D Casey Grisel, Orangevale CA, McKinney-B 5.412 268.76 268.76
10 888 B/AD Fred Hanssen, Aljord NP, Hadman-BAE 5.774 261.12 261.12
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
TAFC (SESSION ONE)
1 8 Shane Westerfield, Anaheim CA, '16 Camaro 5.500 253.37 253.37
2 3 Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '15 Camaro 5.522 270.92 270.92
3 2 John Lombardo Jr., Brea CA, '16 Camaro 5.540 264.34 264.34
4 800 Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors SW, '10 Monte Carlo 5.550 264.44 264.44
5 76 Terry Ruckman, Grand Junction CO, '16 Camaro 5.578 265.43 265.43
6 597 Greg Hunter, Castle Rock CO, '11 Monte Carlo 5.585 261.78 261.78
7 757 Mike Doushgounian, San Martin CA, '13 Monte Ca 5.598 261.88 261.88
8 10 Jay Payne, Claremont CA, '14 Camaro 5.598 256.80 256.80
9 729 Nick Januik, Las Vegas NV, '16 Camaro 5.608 255.68 255.68
10 6345 Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls OR, '16 Camaro 5.631 248.11 248.11
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
COMP (TWO SESSIONS)
1 769Y H/EA Josh Lee, Lancaster CA, '32 Bantam 8.818 9.57 -0.752
2 5622 C/AA Jim Greenheck, Schofield WI, '12 Camaro 7.233 7.94 -0.707
3 23 A/EA David Rampy, Piedmont AL, '32 Bantam 7.231 7.91 -0.679
4 7235 C/ED Scott McClay, Tehachapi CA, N&P-Dodge 7.287 7.93 -0.643
5 1781 C/EA Dan Fletcher, Churchville NY, '08 Cobalt 8.060 8.70 -0.640
6 799 C/A Steve Graham, S.San Francisco CA, '12 GXP 7.321 7.96 -0.639
7 6060 G/D Brian Hyerstay, Eugene OR, Frameworks-VW 9.074 9.71 -0.636
8 3 A/AP Alan Ellis, Mapleton UT, '23-T Ford 6.598 7.23 -0.632
9 710 D/SMA Doug Lambeck, Northridge CA, '09 Sunfire 8.355 8.98 -0.625
10 6857 A/EA Ralph Van Paepeghem, Garden Valley ID, '3 7.302 7.91 -0.608
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
SUPER STOCK (FINAL)
1 373 FSS/E Bill Skillman, Greenwood IN, '10 Mustang 8.957 10.05 -1.093
2 4688 GT/GA Mike Cotten, Cave Creek AZ, '70 Barracuda 9.919 10.90 -0.981
3 7375 GT/HA Ken Etter, Riverside CA, '93 Shadow 10.076 11.05 -0.974
4 445 GT/EA Aaron Stanfield, Bossier City LA, '87 Cam 9.694 10.65 -0.956
5 7171 SS/GA Fred Moreno, La Verne CA, '69 Mustang 9.609 10.55 -0.941
6 554 GT/LA Ron Roddel, Sioux Falls SD, '02 Grand Am 10.620 11.55 -0.930
7 7420 SS/JA Eddie Leabo, Alta Loma CA, '98 Firebird 10.072 11.00 -0.928
8 6846 GT/CA Byron Setters, Red Deer AB, '14 Cobalt 9.472 10.40 -0.928
9 6 GT/HA David Rampy, Piedmont AL, '87 Camaro 10.157 11.05 -0.893
10 7856 GT/AA Jim Grossi, Brentwood CA, '05 Sunfire 9.215 10.10 -0.885
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
STOCK (FINAL)
1 6 D/SA Brad Burton, Snohomish WA, '72 Firebird 10.448 11.55 -1.102
2 362 FS/D Rich Rinke, Oxford MI, '16 Camaro 9.521 10.60 -1.079
3 7446 AA/SA Chuck Rayburn, Castro Valley CA, '64 Belv 9.647 10.70 -1.053
4 5717 A/SA Bobby DeArmond, Gallup NM, '69 Camaro 9.963 11.00 -1.037
5 4688 G/SA Mike Cotten, Cave Creek AZ, '73 Duster 11.019 12.00 -0.981
6 652 F/S Bob Gullett, Calgary AB, '68 Chevy II 10.850 11.80 -0.950
7 7401 G/SA Darren Smith, Palmdale CA, '64 Dodge 11.053 12.00 -0.947
8 5400 FS/E Al Corda, Elk Mound WI, '15 Camaro 10.005 10.95 -0.945
9 4402 B/SA Jerry Emmons, Pasadena TX, '69 Camaro 10.308 11.25 -0.942
10 7010 J/SA Duane Dickens, San Clemente CA, '66 Chevy 11.509 12.45 -0.941
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
