2017 NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS - EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY - BROWN, HIGHT AND SKILLMAN NOTCH VICTORIES AT NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
Antron Brown piloted his dragster to the Top Fuel victory Sunday at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) were also victorious in their respective categories at the 16th of 24 events in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Brown took down Terry McMillen with a 3.776-second pass at 326.48 mph in his Matco Tools dragster during the final round. He earned his fourth victory of the season and second in three events. With the victory, he takes over the Top Fuel points lead.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my guys, because the Western Swing can bring you down,” Brown said. “My team gave me a great car to allow me to go some rounds against tough competition, but this sets up some real interesting scenarios with only two races to go before the Countdown.”
Brown qualified first and defeated Ron Smith, Mike Salinas and Clay Millican before reaching his ninth final round of 2017 and fourth in a row. McMillen qualified 10th and took down points leader Steve Torrence, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pritchett before reaching his first final round of the year and second of his career.
Hight secured his second Funny Car victory of the season after a 3.890 pass at 328.62 in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS to defeat Tommy Johnson Jr. who ran a 3.978 at 323.27 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T in the final round. After earning his third No. 1 qualifier of the season on Saturday, Hight was able to secure his second victory of the Western swing, he also won the opening race in Denver two weeks ago.
“This was a weekend you can only dream about, but to have low E.T. of each of the last seven sessions gave our team so much confidence,” Hight said. “We have a good combination whether it be hot or cool weather, which shows how strong my team is able to prepare for any track in any climate.”
Hight was the No. 1 qualifier for the second consecutive race and defeated Jeff Diehl, John Force and Courtney Force before reaching his fourth final round of 2017. Johnson Jr. qualified third and took down Jim Campbell, points leader Ron Capps and Matt Hagan en route to his fourth final round of the year and third in the past four events.
Hight’s victory also marked the 250th career Funny Car victory for John Force Racing out of 254 total victories for the team in Funny Car and Top Fuel.
In Pro Stock, Skillman took the victory after driving to a 6.604 at 209.33 in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Erica Enders who ran a 6.609 at 209.49 in her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the final round. After qualifying second, Skillman earned his third victory of the season and third in the past four events.
“We definitely thought we had a car to sweep the Western swing and we missed it by two rounds, but today definitely makes up for that,” Skillman said. “Our team is working really well together right now, and I couldn’t be happier with the results over the past few events.”
Skillman moves up to fifth in the standings with the victory, as he is now tied for a category-best three victories on the season with points leader Bo Butner and Tanner Gray.
Skillman was the No. 2 qualifier and maintained his success with round wins over Alan Prusiensky and Butner on the way to his second victory of the Western Swing. Enders qualified in the fourth spot and took down Matthew Hartford, Jason Line and Tanner Gray before reaching her fourth final round of the season, as she searches for her first victory since Epping.
The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, Aug. 17-20.
SATURDAY - HIGHT, BROWN AND GRAY SECURE NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AT NORTHWEST NATIONALS
Robert Hight powered to the Funny Car No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 16th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Hight secured his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier after a 3.883-second pass at 329.34 mph in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS during the fourth and final qualifying session on Saturday. He locked down his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 53rd of his career. He will match-up against Jeff Diehl in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
“This is definitely the best qualifying effort we have had all year long,” Hight said. “We have a lot of confidence with three strong runs consecutively, and we think that if things continue to go our way we can move up to the top spot in the Countdown standings by the end of the season.”
Matt Hagan landed second in Funny Car qualifying with a 3.930 at 328.54 in his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T. Tommy Johnson Jr. rounded out the top three after a 3.930 pass at 324.05 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T.
Brown piloted his Matco Tools dragster to the Top Fuel No. 1 with a 3.735 pass at 329.10 during the second qualifying session on Saturday. He now has two No. 1 qualifiers this season as he chases his fourth consecutive final round appearance. Brown will take on Ron Smith in the first round of eliminations.
“I feel really good going into tomorrow despite the hot temperatures,” Brown said. “When you go in number one that is a confidence booster and builds up the morale for the whole team, so we just need to continue pushing for a championship and working hard.”
Doug Kalitta is second in the Top Fuel category with a run of 3.744 at 326.48 in his Mac Tools dragster during his second pass on Saturday. Leah Pritchett sits third after a 3.755 at 325.30 in her Papa John's dragster.
In Pro Stock, Gray took over the top spot after driving to a 6.565 at 210.24 in his Gray Motorsports Valvoline Chevy Camaro during his first pass on Saturday. He has now secured his second No. 1 qualifier of the season as he chases back-to-back event wins after a victory in Sonoma.
“I feel really confident with the race car my team has given me, my whole group has done an awesome job,” Gray said. “Today’s two runs have been pretty consistent, and my confidence is definitely up after the win in Sonoma last week so we are going to try and keep that up tomorrow.”
Drew Skillman is second in qualifying with a run of 6.568 at 209.75 in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro and Bo Butner is in the third spot with a 6.570 at 210.28 in his Jim Butner’s Auto Chevrolet Camaro.
Eliminations at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Catch the action live on FOX at 4 p.m. ET.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 16th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.735 seconds, 329.10 mph vs. 16. Ron Smith, 5.502, 140.65; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.744, 326.48 vs. 15. Terry Haddock, 3.999, 283.67; 3. Leah Pritchett, 3.755, 325.30 vs. 14. Shawn Reed, 3.925, 314.97; 4. Clay Millican, 3.766, 318.39 vs. 13. Scott Palmer, 3.864, 322.73; 5. Brittany Force, 3.780, 324.05 vs. 12. Troy Buff, 3.862, 309.98; 6. Tony Schumacher, 3.783, 324.12 vs. 11. Troy Coughlin Jr., 3.854, 320.43; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.791, 324.75 vs. 10. Terry McMillen, 3.835, 313.37; 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.797, 322.81 vs. 9. Mike Salinas, 3.826, 319.29.
Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.883, 329.42 vs. 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 5.998, 120.28; 2. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.930, 328.54 vs. 15. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.238, 286.92; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.930, 324.05 vs. 14. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.064, 305.08; 4. Courtney Force, Camaro, 3.943, 325.14 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.006, 311.49; 5. Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.943, 323.35 vs. 12. Del Worsham, Camry, 3.995, 318.84; 6. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.956, 319.37 vs. 11. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.990, 322.04; 7. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 3.963, 324.05 vs. 10. Jonnie Lindberg, Camry, 3.988, 318.32; 8. John Force, Camaro, 3.973, 307.23 vs. 9. J.R. Todd, Camry, 3.981, 325.22.
Pro Stock -- 1. Tanner Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.565, 210.24 vs. Bye; 2. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.568, 209.75 vs. 13. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.680, 207.30; 3. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.570, 210.28 vs. 12. Steve Graham, Camaro, 6.647, 208.46; 4. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.575, 210.31 vs. 11. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.643, 207.46; 5. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.576, 210.67 vs. 10. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.619, 208.75; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.599, 208.78 vs. 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 209.49; 7. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.600, 209.69 vs. 8. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.601, 209.52.
FRIDAY - TORRENCE, HIGHT AND BUTNER PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AT NORTHWEST NATIONALS
Friday qualifying was led by Steve Torrence in the Top Fuel category at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Bo Butner (Pro Stock) were also provisional qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 16th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Points leader Torrence piloted his dragster to a 3.791-second run at 324.75 mph. He is seeking his third No. 1 qualifier of the season after coming off a win at the most recent event in Sonoma.
“Really proud of the run,” Torrence stated. “I knew it was a good solid run. Really proud of all the Capco guys. They’ve done an excellent job all year and they continue to just keep digging. This is definitely going to be a fight to the finish.
Brittany Force follows closely behind Torrence in her Monster Energy dragster after a 3.792 pass at 323.89. Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army dragster are currently third with a pass of 3.802 at 322.96.
Hight powered his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to the top of the Funny Car class during the second qualifying session with a run of 3.894 at 329.42. He is looking for his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier and recently won in Denver.
“What I’m most impressed with is my team and how they’re able to adapt race to race,” Hight said. “It shows that my guys have a good handle on everything. It’s just a lot of fun right now. We’ve got to race better on Sunday though. Our performance is right there; we just need consistency.”
Tommy Johnson Jr. is second in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T with a pass of 3.930 at 324.05, while 16-time world champion John Force is third with a pass of 3.973 at 307.23 in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS.
In Pro Stock, Butner, the category points leader, had a pass of 6.584 at 209.36 in his Jim Butner's Auto Chevrolet Camaro during the second session to lead the field. He is chasing his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and seventh of his career.
“We put a little bit of fire down right there, that was more than I expected,” Butner stated. “The car is still halfway new, but we ran really good here last year. Very happy with the new 2017 Camaro and it’s pretty freaking hot."
Drew Skillman holds the second position in his Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro after his pass of 6.603 at 208.84. Rookie Tanner Gray follows in third in his Gray Motorsports Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro with a pass of 6.612 at 208.75.
Qualifying at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals resumes Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET at Pacific Raceways.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, 16th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Steve Torrence, 3.791 seconds, 324.75 mph; 2. Brittany Force, 3.792, 323.89; 3. Tony Schumacher, 3.802, 322.96; 4. Antron Brown, 3.813, 317.42; 5. Mike Salinas, 3.826, 319.29; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.845, 314.46; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr., 3.854, 320.43; 8. Terry McMillen, 3.861, 279.15; 9. Troy Buff, 3.862, 309.98; 10. Leah Pritchett, 3.891, 288.70; 11. Scott Palmer, 3.989, 301.60; 12. Terry Haddock, 3.999, 283.67; 13. Shawn Reed, 4.013, 267.53; 14. Clay Millican, 4.167, 210.11; 15.Doug Kalitta, 4.658, 161.77; 16. Ron Smith, 6.917, 88.58.
Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.894, 329.42; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.930, 324.05; 3. John Force, Camaro, 3.973, 307.23; 4. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 3.975, 321.04; 5. Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.983, 322.88; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.990, 322.04; 7. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.999, 322.19; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.006, 311.49; 9. J.R. Todd, Camry, 4.009, 322.88; 10. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.019, 319.37; 11. Jonnie Lindberg, Camry, 4.053, 318.32; 12. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.064, 305.08; 13. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.111, 311.41; 14. Courtney Force, Camaro, 4.187, 230.33; 15. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.238, 286.92; 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 7.177, 95.62.
Pro Stock -- 1. Bo Butner, Chevy Camaro, 6.584, 209.36; 2. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.603, 209.07; 3. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.612, 208.75; 4. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.614, 209.49; 5. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.615, 209.75; 6. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.617, 209.52; 7. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.637, 209.69; 8. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.646, 208.42; 9. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.662, 207.78; 10. Alan Prusiensky, Dart, 6.680, 207.30; 11. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.684, 207.30; 12. Steve Graham, Camaro, 9.880, 93.42; 13. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 10.955, 81.32.
