2012 NHRA SUMMIT NATS - EVENT NOTEBOOK

 

		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK PRO MOD NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK: A HOT DAY OF RACING CROWNS ITS WINNERS

DOG DAY AFTERNOON - Even an underdog has teeth.

Vincent Nobile is proof.

Sunday he used them to deliver a winning bite round after round en route to successfully defending his Summit Racing NHRA Nationals Pro Stock crown in Norwalk, Ohio. In winning Sunday’s event and Saturday’s K&N Horsepower Challenge, he scored a $25,000 bonus for team owner Nick Mitsos.

Nobile ran a 6.661-second elapsed time at 208.01 miles per hour to defeat Jason Line, who ran a 6.705, 207.88.

“After yesterday I had full confidence in my team,” Nobile said. “They supplied me with a car capable of running fast rounds and winning. This was just our weekend. When it is your time, it’s you time and it was our time to break out.”

Sunday’s victory brought Nobile’s winning record to eleven straight rounds won at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park dating back to the first round at last year’s event.

Two of those victories came at the expense of teammate Allen Johnson this weekend, and even though there was a substantial bonus available for the team with a double-up victory, Nobile said there was no strategizing in Sunday’s semifinal match.

“We both came up there to race as if we were enemies,” Nobile added. “Luckily I was able to come out on top of my first pedalfest. That was probably the coolest win all day.”

Nobile was a picture of consistency in two of his three rounds en route to the final. He used a 6.630 to beat Warren Johnson in the first round and a 6.644 to drive past V. Gaines. The only exception was the ugly semifinal match Nobile mentioned, where his 7.792 elapsed time earned lane choice over Line’s pedestrian [by Pro Stock standards] 8.211. Line edged Shane Gray’s 9.142 in a pedalfest where both drivers lost traction and encountered severe tireshake.

“I watched that race and prepared myself for the reality that could happen to me,” Nobile said. “I was prepared that if it got ugly I was going to throw it in fifth gear as quickly as I could.”

Nobile could only think back to last season when team owner Nick Mitsos, after a fair bit of lobbying from the 20-year old Pro Stock driver’s dad John, provided his first big break as a driver.

On Sunday, it was as if Nobile had two fathers in the shutdown area – his biological father and Mitsos.

“Everyone was kind of speechless,” Nobile admitted. “Nick and my dad both told me they loved me a hundred times. I love them just as much back.”

This weekend he proved their love was justified by his actions.

“We showed our true championship colors and hopefully we can just continue,” Nobile said.

SETTLING AN OLD SCORE - When it mattered most, Spencer Massey got the best of Steve Torrence.

The two NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel standouts made a friendly wager before Friday’s qualifying session under the lights at Summit Motorsports Park, a bet that Torrence won with his better reaction time and 3.829 run.

But in the finals of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, it was Massey who crossed the finish line first – and thanks to a holeshot no less.

With a reaction time of .054, Massey’s 3.916 at 312.50 mph held up against Steve Torrence and his 3.894 at 315.71 mph in an incredible drag race, sending him to the winner’s circle for a class-best fourth time in 2012.

“It was going to be huge no matter how I looked at it. He’s been running awesome all day and, really, all season. I just knew I had to be on my game,” Massey said. “We didn’t want to go out and beat ourselves. That’s still our motto. I knew I had to be on my game and stay in the groove.

“At the 1/8-mile, I could hear him and I’m looking over and I couldn’t see his nose out there. We have a stop on the throttle pedal and I think I probably bent that thing more because I was trying pushing out the front of the car, trying to get it go faster. “This is just a testament to the team. I just try to have fun and get out there and do what I do.”

Sunday’s final between the two young standouts was also the fulfillment of a race that was supposed to happen years ago in Texas during an NHRA Division IV race in Top Alcohol Dragster.

Massey, who won for the 10th time in his career on Sunday, had just been licensed earlier in the weekend and both drivers advanced to the finals of what would have been a marquee showdown of two future Top Fuel stars.

But Massey kicked the rods out in the shutdown area in his winning semifinal run, sending Torrence to victory with a bye run.

On Sunday, they officially met in the finals for the first time and it turned into the type of side-by-side beauty that both had likely envisioned for years.

“It’s just awesome how it all turns out. We’re all having fun and loving life. This is something Steve and I have dreamed about for a long time,” Massey said.

“We’re both from Texas and we grew up in (NHRA) Division IV racing alcohol dragster and it was just cool have an old-school kind of round for me. It was awesome and Steve is a great competitor.”

After qualifying No. 7, Massey turned it up a notch on Sunday with a string of epic performances.

He had a great side-by-side run with Shawn Langdon in the first round, going 3.841 at 322.73 inch by him and then added a 3.923 and 3.951 to beat Antron Brown and David Grubnic, respectively.

Torrence was right there with him, dominating all weekend after qualifying No. 1 and turning in a pair of runs in the 3.80s on Sunday.

The finals then turned into another classic duel between two outstanding leavers and sent the huge Summit Motorsports Park crowd home happy.

Massey turned it up in the finals, delivering his best reaction time of the weekend when it mattered most.

“I try to be the best on reaction time, but right now Steve is the No. 1 guy on reaction time and it’s nice to actually get one back at him,” Massey said. “I try to look at everyone light’s through qualifying and I just had to be ready.

“I had actually been off my game all weekend and when I had to step it up, I stepped it up. I’m just thankful for it to turn it out the way it did.”

THE ACCIDENTAL BRACKET CAR - Mike Neff and his hot rod are finally on speaking terms again.

They’re even singing.

On Sunday in Norwalk, Ohio, they were in perfect harmony as he defended his title.

Neff defeated fellow Ford driver Tim Wilkerson in the Funny Car final at the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals. He becomes the first two-time Funny Car winner since the NHRA came to town six years ago. This was his eighth career victory and second of 2012.

Credit a test session following last weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Route 66 Nationals as the catalyst for change in a team which has not maintained the same torrid pace it held at this time last season.

“We found a few things about the car which weren’t exactly right during the last few races,” said Neff. “We were able to get it back in line. We were able to get the car back to going up and down the track.”

Up and down the track might as well have been rocket science on a weekend when track temperatures hovered for most of the first two days in the 140-degree range. On Sunday they settled into the 120s.

“The weather conditions this weekend were so difficult,” Neff admitted. “Sunday provided a much better day for racing. It still got warm and the track went over 130-degrees and when you have that, it gets tricky. The surface gets slick and the challenge becomes more about getting the car to go up and down the track without smoking. That’s the key to winning on days like this.”

Neff saved his best run for last as he pounded out a 4.217, 298.21 to stop a determined Tim Wilkerson in the final round, who ran a 4.244. 296.96 in losing.

Neff believes it was Friday evening’s pass which set the stage for the entire weekend.

“Friday night was critical in knowing those were going to be the coolest conditions of the weekend,” said Neff. “That was the one run where you needed to make it in order to get a good place. Saturday wasn’t going to provide an opportunity for improvement. Fortunately I ran well on Friday night and it put me in the No. 2 spot.”

Neff was in a 4.2-second routine Sunday with runs of 4.289, 4.229, 4.281 to defeat Bob Bode, Jeff Arend and Cruz Pedregon en route to the final round.

However, the routine was for the most part accidental.

“I got a break in the first round when my car, which was supposed to run a 4.11, backfired,” explained Neff. “You kind of create your own luck when you qualify No. 2 and race No. 15 – your odds [of success] go up. That’s kind of the way I look at it.

“In the second round, I spun the tires at half-track to the finish line. In the semis, it put a hole out.

“The final round was a good solid run because I finally got it to run on all eight cylinders. It made a good, clean run when I needed it to.”

This was an understatement as Wilkerson had executed a winning formula all day long in eliminated two of the four John Force Racing entries. He opened with a win over John Force and then Robert Hight. Wilkerson beat former teammate Bob Tasca III to advance to the final round.

“Tim Wilkerson put up a heck of a run,” Neff said. “It had to be close at the finish line. It was just our day.”

Certain drivers have a comfort zone with particular facilities and Neff has found his groove with Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

“This is a fairly tricky track and we’ve managed to do well when it gets hot here,” said Neff. “Some places you go to, you just do well regardless. Others you go to, you can’t seem to do anything right no matter how well you have done up to that point. I don’t know how it all works, but Norwalk has been good to me.”

HOT WEATHER HOT ROD - This hot-weather thing isn’t so bad, at least if you’re NHRA Fuel Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines.

For the second straight week Hines battled extreme temperatures, but he continued to thrive in the heat, rolling to the PSM win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Hines needed a holeshot this time in the finals, and an .043 reaction time made his 6.929 at 193.43 mph stand up against Hector Arana Jr. to give Hines a second straight win and keep the Harley-Davidson team of Hines and Eddie Krawiec undefeated in 2012.

“It seems like I perform better as a rider in these conditions,” Hines said. “It seems like I win a lot of these hot ones. It’s really cool to come out here and have a consistent motorcycle again. Winning back-to-back races is something very special and it’s nice to get on a roll.”

It was a thrilling final between Hines and Arana Jr., who nearly broke through in 2012 thanks to a 6.928 at 191.84, which ended up being the quickest round of the weekend.

But an .073 reaction time was his undoing and Hines was able to hold off Arana Jr. with the fastest pass of the weekend.

“It was a good weekend all-around and we treated this like Joliet and just picked at it,” Hines said. “Conditions changed tremendously and the air dried out a lot. We struggled the first couple rounds, but we learned a lot in the semis against Eddie. We applied it to the final, and it was a heck of a race with Hector Jr.”

The new summer strategy is paying dividends for Hines, who has won two in a row and takes a lion’s share of momentum into the Western swing when conditions will likely be nearly as difficult as they were this weekend in Norwalk.

That didn’t bother Hines at Summit Motorsports Park, where he seemed to be at his best when the track temperatures approached the unbearable.

Slowly creeping up on the bike throughout the hot weekends has been crucial for the team, and it worked perfectly in Chicago and now in Norwalk.

The team re-wired the bike in recent weeks and the performance is noticeable. He picked up a 1.5 mph from the semifinals to the finals and everything seemingly went as planned all weekend.

“It’s great to see changes when we make changes to the motorcycle,” Hines said. “Having the performance pick up steadily throughout the day is really gratifying because we’re able to see the changes we make and feel good about it.

“I think that’s where we’re one step ahead of the competition.”

In picking up his 28th career win, Hines, who has been to the final 47 times, was terrific in every aspect. He went 6.974 and 6.954 in the opening rounds to set up a matchup with his teammate, Krawiec.

There, Hines had a 6.978 at 192.33 to Krawiec’s 6.982 at 192.82 mph, holding off his Harley-Davidson teammate by .008.

That set up a marquee matchup with Arana Jr., who was coming off a holeshot win of his own against his father, Hector Arana.

Hines did his part and his third win in 2012 has him feeling good.

“As long as the motorcycle is running good, I feel confident,” said Hines, who was joined in the winner’s circle by his son, Ryan. “I think I’ve progressed a lot as a rider these past two years.

“I was struggling at the beginning of my career, but I’ve come a long way with coaching from my brother (Matt Hines), Eddie and Terry Vance. I don’t pop up those red lights like I used to.”

QUICK HITS RACE REPORT

TOP FUEL

FIRST ROUND

MURT PULLS OFF UPSET FOR FIRST - Keith Murt and Doug Kalitta provided a glimpse of what could be coming on a much cooler day at Summit Motorsports Park, as they dueled in a fantastic side-by-side run. But it was Murt who clipped the finish line first, running a 3.875 at 316.90 mph to slip by Kalitta and his 3.888 at 315.05 mph in what could be termed at least a mild upset.

The opening round win was huge for Murt, as he picked up his first round win of his Top Fuel career.

“If we get to a couple more rounds, that would be great, but this day is already awesome after that,” Murt said.

ANOTHER FIRST-ROUND WIN FOR ZIZZO - T.J. Zizzo could get used to this, picking up a first-round win for the second straight week.

This time, he outlasted Cory McClenathan with a 3.901 at 301.27 mph, edging out McClenathan’s 3.947 at 298.87. Both had trouble late in the run – McClenathan spilled oil at the far end of the track – but Zizzo powered through the popping and banging to advance.

Zizzo had a solid .079 reaction time and never trailed en route to the victory.

“This is a great habit to have. Losing in the first round is never where I want to be. Cory beat me here in 2007, and that was a little bit of payback. He’s an awesome competitor and that was just two great competitors going at it,” Zizzo said.

GRUBNIC GRABS VICTORY - Through three passes, David Grubnic put together the strongest run thus far at Summit Motorsports Park with a 3.862 at 317.05 mph to easily outdistance Khalid alBalooshi and his 4.08 at 255.29 mph.

AlBalooshi ran into trouble and slowed quickly late in the car, and then the supercharger on his Top Fuel dragster blew up right before the finish line, putting a disappointing finish on what had seemed like a promising weekend.

AlBalooshi qualified No. 3, but is still without a round win in 2012. Grubnic, meanwhile, is hoping to recapture the magic that led to a win at Topeka in May.

“The car did exactly what it was supposed do and I couldn’t be happier,” Grubnic said. “Hopefully we’ll just keep going rounds.”

NO UPSET HERE - It was business as usual for No. 1 qualifier Steve Torrence, who turned in an impressive workmanlike performance against Brandon Bernstein with a victorious 3.837 at 318.17 mph.

Bernstein smoked the tires and limped to a 4.57 at 169.25 mph, throwing away an early advantage at the line and continuing a frustrating stretch. It was a solid showing for Torrence, who also joked about some panels that were blown loose during his pass.

“We had to find a way to keep it cool somehow,” Torrence said with a laugh.

BROWN BATTLES BACK, ROLLS TO WIN - Antron Brown trailed at the 330-foot mark against Morgan Lucas, but he made that up quickly en route to a winning 3.831 at 320.58 mph.

It was good enough for quickest run of the round, but it was Lucas who was ahead as late as the 330-foot mark. But he smoked hard at about the same point as his teammate Bernstein, finishing with a 4.167 at 244.25 mph, and Brown quickly cruised past.

“That was a good round and tough round against Morgan. I just kept my head down and my foot down. There’s no gimmies in this deal,” Brown said.

SCHUMACHER TRACKS DOWN VANDERGRIFF - It was a battle of attrition, but Tony Schumacher had just enough to sneak past Bob Vandergriff with a 3.95 at 301.40 mph to avoid a second straight first-round loss.

Vandergriff led at the 1/8-mile, but smoked and then slowed tremendously, ending with a disappointing 4.066 at 229.08 mph that left him obviously distraught after getting out of the dragster.

Schumacher chased down Vandergriff just before the finish line and then smoked late himself. But he had enough to move on and was thankful it was just enough.

“I saw Bob out there a long, long time,” Schumacher said. “We were hurt, but that’s the way it goes and we battled back.”

WILL WINS AGAIN - Hillary Will could get used to this. A week after advancing to the semifinals in Chicago, Will stayed hot and had just enough to nip Clay Millican with a 3.87 at 310.13 mph in a terrific race.

Millican had a .066 reaction time and a substantial lead early, but he finished with a losing 3.917 at 308.99, losing by a mere .008. No matter how close it was, Will will take it and also gain lane choice against Schumacher in the quarterfinals.

“I’m having so much fine. I was ready for everything and my team just did a great job,” Will said.

MASSEY WINS BATTLE OF HEAVYWEIGHTS - It turned into the marquee matchup of the first round and it delivered, as Spencer Massey and his 3.841 at 322.73 edged out Shawn Langdon and his stout 3.853 at 316.75 mph.

It was a hard-luck loss for Langdon, who had his best pass of the weekend and one of the top runs of the first round. They were side-by-side throughout, but it was Massey who delivered the better performance, putting together the fastest run of the weekend as well.

In the fantastic duel, Massey also stayed unbeaten in his career against Langdon.

“I try to get up there, have fun and get to the finish line first,” Massey said. “Getting a round light is always awesome.”

QUARTER-FINALS

SCHUMACHER SLIPS BY AGAIN – For the second straight round, Tony Schumacher got a fortunate break. Slowing down from a first-round he wasn’t particularly pleased with, Schumacher still advanced to the semifinals, running 3.96 at 286.98 mph to beat Hillary Will in their first match-up of 2012.

Will was looking for her second straight semifinal berth, but she smoked the tires immediately on the starting line.

Schumacher is in the semifinals for the seventh time in 2012, though he’s hoping for something better against Steve Torrence. It wasn't an awful run for Schumacher considering the warmer conditions from the first round, but Schumacher knows improvement is needed against Torrence.

“We’re getting some breaks, and when the track is as hot as it is you need some breaks, but we’re going to have to step it up no matter who we have next,” Schumacher said. “Top Fuel as tough as it’s ever been, but we’re going rounds.”

GRUBNIC GRINDS ONE OUT – In another first-time meeting in 2012, David Grubnic got the best of T.J. Zizzo, going 3.989 at exactly 300 mph.

Zizzo had the early advantage thanks to an .053 reaction time and was right with Grubnic at half-track, but he ran into major problems en route to a 4.575 at 176 mph. Zizzo’s supercharger broke during the run as he smoked the tires at half-track, allowing Grubnic to easily advance to the semifinals.

Grubnic will face off with Spencer Massey in the semifinals.

“If we’re in it, we can win it. These conditions are getting trickier and trickier, but (team owner) Connie (Kalitta) and the guys are doing a fantastic job,” Grubnic said.

TORRENCE TURNS IT LOOSE – With the rear panels fixed on his dragster, Torrence turned in a brilliant second-round performance against Keith Murt going 3.88 at 315.42 mph, the quickest run of the quarterfinals.

Murt went 4.214 at 226.39, which gave him no chance against Torrence, who left well and continues to turn in one strong performance after another at Summit Motorsports Park. Next up is Tony Schumacher in the semifinals as Torrence, the No. 1 qualifier this weekend, moves into the final four for the sixth time in 2012.

“That 3.88 was pretty good. (Crew chief) Richard (Hogan) has a real good handle on it right now. We need to capitalize on every opportunity we get,” said Torrence, who has two 2012 wins.

A WIN-WIN FOR DSR SENDS MASSEY TO SEMIS – In the sixth matchup between Don Schumacher Racing drivers Spencer Massey and Antron Brown in 2012, Massey improved to 4-2 against the talented Brown with a terrific 3.923 at 306.40 mph.

It continues the strong Sunday for Massey, who moved to 24-8 in 2012 with his sixth semifinal berth.

Brown finished with a disappointing 4.038 at 273 mph as his dragster started spitting fuel out of the headers, quickly ending his semifinal chances. Massey, meanwhile, was solid and straight throughout his run, turning in a strong run as temperatures quickly heightened from the first round of eliminations.

SEMI-FINALS

OVER AS SOON AS IT STARTS – Spencer Massey turned in another solid performance, this one coming in the Top Fuel semifinals against David Grubnic. Meeting for the fourth time in 2012, Massey picked up his third win against Grubnic, going 3.951 at 300 mph to advance to the finals for the fifth time this year and 18th time in his career. Grubnic, meanwhile, smoked the tires immediately off the starting line in the left lane and never had a chance.

Massey will meet Steve Torrence in the finals after his third straight solid run on a day where Massey also picked up his 100th round win. He’s now up to 102 for his career, setting up his fourth matchup with Torrence this season. Massey is 1-2 against Torrence in 2012.

“Steve, he’s a great competitor, and we’re both from Texas and both former alcohol competitors, so this is going to be great. I’m hoping for one more win and a Wally,” Massey said.

TORRENCE CONTINUES TORRID PACE – Steve Torrence improved to 3-1 this season against Tony Schumacher and walked away with Schumacher’s helmet in the process after advancing to the Top Fuel final with an impressive 3.900 at 312.50 mph.

Just like Grubnic minutes earlier, Schumacher smoked the tires almost immediately off the starting line from the left lane. It handed the victory to Torrence, who is trying to go from No. 1 qualifier to event winner and also win for the third time in 2012.

FRIENDLY WAGER - Torrence also won a side bet with Schumacher that was made before the run, walking away with Schumacher’s helmet.

“I told Tony a couple years ago I have a room that has a lot of memorabilia in it. We had a little side bet in this deal and I get to go home with a helmet,” Torrence said.

When asked by NHRA announcer Bob Frey if he had ever bet a helmet, world champion Larry Dixon, serving as the NHRA color commentator, quipped: “No, but if I did, I would take it before the race.”

FINALS

MASSEY MAKES IT HAPPEN – The left lane wasn’t friendly the last couple rounds but thanks to a great holeshot, that didn’t matter for Spencer Massey, who went 3.916 at 312.50 mph to beat Steve Torrence and his 3.894 at 315.71 mph by just .002 in one of the best drag races of the entire weekend.

In picking up his fourth win of the 2012 season and 10th of his career, Massey needed every bit of his .054 reaction time to squeak past Torrence, who cut an .078 light. Torrence nearly chased him down, but Massey had just enough to hold on, sending the fans at Summit Motorsports Park home with a bang in an incredible side-by-side race.

FUNNY CAR

FIRST ROUND

DOWN GOES NO. 1 – The No. 1 curse is alive and well, and Robert Hight, who fell victim to it many times, was grateful today to be only other side of it. As Johnny Gray did his burnout, one of his parachutes fell out on the starting line, effectively ending his day.

Adding insult to injury Hight went out and smoked the tires at mid-track and slowed to a winning 5.431 elapsed time.

“We must be living right or something,” Hight admitted. “Those aren’t the ones you want to win like that. You want to go out there and win by inches at the finish line. We dodged a bullet. We got in at No. 16 and No. 16 hasn’t win in a while.”

DSR FC’S TAKE A HIT FIRST RD – Having a four-car team didn’t help Don Schumacher Racing today. Three of the four team cars fell by the wayside in the first round. The one winning team car was the result of a DSR vs. DSR match.

Ron Capps beat Jack Beckman to advance with a 4.102.

Aside from Gray’s unfortunate loss to Hight, defending series champion Matt Hagan continued his frustrating championship defense by losing to Cruz Pedregon.

Hagan only has four round wins in eleven races this season and isn’t in the top ten.

TEAM FORCE IS A FORCE – With the exception of Papa Force, Team Force got all of the breaks. Hight was the benefactor of the Gray snafu while Mike Neff limped his way to a 4.289 victory after hitting the burst panel against a tire-smoking Bob Bode.

Team rookie Courtney Force admits she got a break big time in beating Todd Lesenko. Her reaction time was a .222 when she became distracted on the starting line.

“That was definitely pure luck. I screwed up big time as a driver. I went in and I pre-staged and I flickered the bottom bulb and it threw me off. I went in and staged super shallow and then I went in a little more because I wanted to get the win. By the time I pulled in, the light went down. I had a horrible light. I almost screwed up.”

The 15-time champion John Force was put in the left lane where he smoked the tires and lost to Tim Wilkerson spoiling the team’s bid to advance all four cars. The last time they pulled off the feat was in Englishtown.

TOOK AN ETERNITY – Bob Tasca III was a bundle of nerves by the time his time to run in the fifth pair. He was nervous he might become a casualty in the odd occurrences happening ahead of him.

“For whatever the reason, that first round seemed like an eternity,” Tasca said. “You hear crazy things going on. There’s no easy rounds out here. We’re just happy we’re moving on.”

Tasca did just fine with a 4.153, 305.49 to beat Blake Alexander.

I’LL TAKE THE LEFT LANE – The left lane provided a complex challenge for most teams in the first round. Jeff Arend wasn’t one of them.

Arend ran an impressive 4.154, 300.60 to defeat Daniel Wilkerson.

“Jon O., Nicky and the whole DHL team is getting better with each run,” said Arend. “A 4.15 is a great run in that lane. We are just taking this one round at a time.”

Arend has lane choice over Neff in the second round.

QUARTER-FINALS

GOT WILK, CINDERELLA? – Cinderella changed teams not auto manufacturers. Robert Hight, who was on the receiving end of a miraculous victory against Johnny Gray, saw his carriage turn into a pumpkin as he smoked the tires handing Tim Wilkerson an invitation to the semi-finals.

Wilkerson did his best to give the race away in becoming the second driver during eliminations to win with a reaction time which started with a .2.

Wilkerson quickly bridged a tenth of a second deficit against Hight and won with a 4.191 elapsed time.

DSR GONE – DSR lost their one ace in the hole when it appeared a sure win was in the cards. Ron Capps inexplicably wiped out a large lead against Bob Tasca when he crossed the centerline drawing a disqualification.

Tasca, driving a special edition scheme for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation designed by Libby Ledford, won with a 4.350, 279.04.

“I looked over and he was coming at me and then he disappeared,” explained Tasca. “That was a wild ride and I didn’t see him for a long time. Then I saw him and we came around him.”

After reaching six consecutive final rounds, Capps has only one round win to his credit in the last two events.

FINALLY, A NORMAL RACE – Both cars left on time. No one caught on fire. There was no centerline infraction.

At the stripe, Cruz Pedregon beat Courtney Force in what could be deemed as a normal race. Pedregon ran a 4.220 to edge Force’s 4.229.

SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH THE LEFT – Jeff Arend made his mark in a complex left lane during the first round by running quick, winning and earning lane choice for the second round. With lane choice, he chose the right lane. Mike Neff made him pay for the decision as he ran a 4.229, 286.50. Arend smoked the tires early in the run.

SEMI-FINALS

WILK ADVANCES – In a battle of former teammates, Tim Wilkerson got the best of Bob Tasca. The cagey Wilkerson was quicker off of the line and the starting line advantage made the difference as scored a 4.242 to 4.237 margin.

BACK ON TRACK – This weekend has been a get-healthy experience for Mike Neff. A victory over Cruz Pedregon moved him one step closer to full recovery.

“We found a few things that weren’t right for the last few races,” said Neff, who credited testing last week for the discovery. “We have it back in line. It feels good just going up and down the track.”

Neff’s 4.281 wasn’t enough to secure lane choice.

FINAL

ANOTHER TWO-TIMER – Mike Neff and Tim Wilkerson represented the Funny Car winners for the last two seasons. When the smoke cleared from an all-Ford final, Neff was branded as a two-timer.

Neff was first off of the starting line and first at the stripe with a winning 4.217, 298.21 to edge Wilkerson’s 4.244, 296.96.

This marks the second win thus far in 2012.

PRO STOCK

FIRST ROUND

I’LL TAKE THE RIGHT ONE … LANE, THAT IS … - For a while, Pro Stock appeared to be a one-lane blacktop kind of scenario. A total of four winners came from the right lane before Jason Line [Rodger Brogdon] broke the streak with a left lane win and early low elapsed time with a 6.628. The right lane was dominant by a 5-3 margin.

Ironically, the left lane was the quicker of the two as Allen Johnson [Ronnie Humphrey] scored both performance marks with a low elapsed time 6.616 and top speed 208.59.

THE GAINES TRAIN STEAMS AHEAD – V. Gaines, who won his first round of eliminations eight races into the season, scored a first round victory over Greg Stanfield. He has two round wins over Stanfield this season. In consecutive races headed into Norwalk, Gaines has a quarter and semi-final finish.

ANOTHER ONE FOR KJ  – The round wins aren’t as frequent as they used to be but for Kurt Johnson, a round win is a marvelous thing. Johnson beat J.R. Carr in their first meeting this season. Unfortunately his father Warren Johnson remains winless this season.

GET HEALTHY RUN - Still smarting from the K&N Filters Showdown loss, Allen Johnson ran his record to 5-0 versus Ronnie Humphrey to advance to the second round.

SUMMIT TWO FOR THREE – The team Summit Pro Stock cars went two for three in the first round, but not with the kind of results hoped for. Greg Anderson lost on a holeshot to Shane Gray following Humphreys loss to Allen Johnson.

ADVANCING ON – Mike Edwards extended his winning streak over Ron Krisher to two with a first round victory. The victory matches Edwards with Gray in the second round.

QUARTER-FINALS

THE ONE TO BEAT – Allen Johnson flexed his muscles in the warmest conditions of Sunday final eliminations. With an air temperature of 85 degrees and a track measuring 124, Johnson drove to a 6.628, 208.07 to grab low elapsed time of the second round and beat Kurt Johnson.

The victory set up a rematch with teammate Vincent Nobile in the semis. Nobile beat Johnson in the first round of the K&N Filters Showdown en route to winning the $50K prize.

“If I do my job, it’s our race to give away,” said Johnson.

The same could be said for Saturday’s race-within-a-race.

THE KID ROLLS – Nobile upped his consecutive round win mark to five as he beat V. Gaines. He needed only a 6.650, 207.42 when Gaines shook the tires and lifted.

THE REMAINING FLAGSHIP – Jason Line was kicking himself for about 1,000 feet and then he realized Jeg Coughlin Jr. had fouled. Line won with a 6.650 at 207.53. Coughlin was .013 red and wasted a 6.659.

“I was saying a lot of things to myself because I was not happy with my run,” Line said. “We thought our Summit Camaro would have run quicker than that. Then I looked over and realized it really wasn’t good to have a yellow rubber crank that far out in front of me. Then I looked over and saw my win-light.”

CONTINUING TO IMPRESS – Shane Gray’s phenomenal day opened by taking out the defending series champion Greg Anderson. He continued his dominance of past champions by taking out Mike Edwards.

“This is building our confidence so sure,” said Gray. “It’s not the fastest car but it’s going rounds.”

SEMI-FINALS

STRANGE DAY – Weird just wasn’t the word for the Pro Stock semis.

Pro Stockers rarely stage pedalfests and when Jason Line beat Shane Gray in an on and off of the throttle match, it was highly unlikely his winning 8.211 elapsed time shouldn’t have even been close in the battle for final round lane choice.

But it was.

As both Vincent Nobile and Allen Johnson dumped the clutch, both encountered extensive tire shake. Nobile recovered first and eased his way to a 7.792, 192.06 for the win.

Said Line, “I’ve been in a few pedalfests and to be honest, I am not too good at them. My win light came on and I guess that’s all that matters.”

FINAL

THE KID IS JUST HOT – On Saturday afternoon, Vincent Nobile might have been the underdog. Sunday was a different story.

Nobile ran down a quicker reacting Jason Line to score the victory with a 6.661, 208.01. Line lost with a 6.705, 207.88.

The victory brought Nobile’s total winning purse to $75,000.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

FIRST ROUND

JOHNSON WINS, STARTS ROUND OF QUICK RUNS - Steve Johnson quickly made it apparent that the first round of Pro Stock Motorcycle would be filled with some quick runs, as he went 6.991 at 189.07 mph to beat Chip Ellis.

It was a strong side-by-side race until Ellis ran into trouble late in the run, ensuring that Johnson would advance.

POTENT START FOR POLLACHECK - Scotty Pollacheck was the only winning rider in the first round to not run in the 6.90s, but he’s not complaining after running a 7.037 at 188.07 mph against LE Tonglet.

It was a horribly frustrating round for Tonglet, who was way late with a .108 reaction time and waved the white flag almost immediately. Tonglet was on his third motor in two weeks and the struggles were apparent as Pollacheck easily advanced to the quarterfinals.

KRAWIEC MAKES MAJOR MOVE - Eddie Krawiec’s best run before Sunday was a 7.005. But that became a distant memory when he ran a 6.961 at 192.22 to easily chase down Michael Ray.

Seeking his fourth win, Krawiec, now 15-2 in eliminations in 2012, got off to a good start, though Ray had a .038 reaction time. But his 7.063 at 192.22 mph was no match for the Harley-Davidson ridden by Krawiec.

NEVER THREATENDED, ARANA JR. ROLLS - Hector Arana Jr. had a major advantage off the starting line against Shawn Gann and rolled to a big victory with an impressive 6.957 at 191.19 mph.

Included in the strong run was a solid .049 reaction time, which gave him the lead from the outset against Gann, who had a .113 bulb and finished with a 7.044 at 189.79 mph.

STOFFER STOUT FROM START TO FINISH - Karen Stoffer started with an .016 reaction time and ended with a spot in the quarterfinals against Eddie Krawiec.

She pulled away first in a first-round matchup with Matt Smith and never looked back, going 6.982 at 191.32 mph in her best run of the weekend.

Smith went 7.06 at 187.81 in the losing effort.

HINES HELPS HIMSELF - Andrew Hines slowed slightly from his No. 1 qualifying time of 6.961, but he still had plenty in his Harley-Davidson to roll to a first round win against Mike Berry.

While Berry crossed the centerline, Hines put together a solid pass, going 6.974 at 191.43 mph.

ARANA SENDING A MESSAGE - Well, it appears Hector Arana’s electrical troubles are behind him.

Running a solo pass after Angie Smith did not run after crashing during the final qualifying session on Saturday, Arana opened some eyes and dropped some jaws after a remarkable 6.629 at 192.06, making it easily the quickest pass of the weekend.

Arana, seeking his first win in 2012, was brilliant throughout the run and hopes it’s a sign of things to come, and also a sign that the electrical problems that plagued him last week in Chicago and earlier this weekend in Norwalk are behind him.

HALL HOPS ON IT - John Hall closed out a quick first round with his best pass of the weekend, cracking into the 6-second zone with a 6.987 at 188.07 mph. Jerry Savoie had a great .030 reaction time, but trailed by the 660-foot mark as he actually slowed to a 7.076 at 188.36 mph.

QUARTER-FINALS

HOT WEATHER STILL NO PROBLEM FOR HINES – The temperature heated up for the quarterfinals, but it still didn’t bother No. 1 qualifier Andrew Hines, who qualified No. 1 in the heat of the day on Saturday. This time he was even better, topping Steve Johnson with a 6.954 at 193.02 mph.

Johnson had a nice .035 reaction time, but slowed to a 7.02 at 189 mph as Hines turned in a terrific performance.

It sets up an all Harley-Davidson semifinal, as Hines will race teammate Eddie Krawiec. The talented duo were interviewed together after their wins.

“I don’t like him,” Hines said with a sly smile.

KRAWIEC KEEPS PACE – Just moments after he watched teammate Andrew Hines go 6.954, Krawiec nearly matched him in his quarterfinal race with Karen Stoffer, running a 6.955 at 191.76 mph to beat a red-lighting Stoffer.

Coming off a 6.98, Stoffer went red by .031, handing the win to Krawiec.

Like Hines, Krawiec was equally good-natured about the upcoming matchup with his teammate, but he surely wants to put on a good performance as well. Krawiec holds the head-to-head win in their only matchup this season.

“It’s going to be a bit of a battle that's for sure,” Krawiec said.

ARANA JR. DOES HIS PART – Hector Arana Jr. thought he had lost to John Hall. Instead, he will be in the semifinals against his father.

Hall had a huge lead against Arana Jr., but only because of a huge .133 red light, which immediately handed the win to the younger Arana. He did his part as well, pairing an .029 reaction time with a strong 6.955 at 193.27 mph, which was the fastest run of the round.

“I crossed the finish line and saw my bulb light up, so I was really excited,” Arana Jr. said. “We have to get this Lucas Oil Buell to the winner’s circle and we’re going to try to do that.”

SO DOES THE ELDER ARANA – Hector Arana followed up his incredible 6.929 from the opening round with another blistering performance, putting together a 6.942 at 189.87 mph for the quickest run of the round to send Scotty Pollacheck home.

For the second straight round, nobody could top Arana as he continued to look impressive, even in the warmer conditions. Up next is a matchup with his son, Hector Jr., in the semifinals. They’ve met once in 2012, with Hector taking that victory. Arana will be looking for his second finals appearance as well.

HOT WEATHER STILL NO PROBLEM FOR HINES – The temperature heated up for the quarterfinals, but it still didn’t bother No. 1 qualifier Andrew Hines, who qualified No. 1 in the heat of the day on Saturday. This time he was even better, topping Steve Johnson with a 6.954 at 193.02 mph.

Johnson had a nice .035 reaction time, but slowed to a 7.02 at 189 mph as Hines turned in a terrific performance.

It sets up an all Harley-Davidson semifinal, as Hines will race teammate Eddie Krawiec. The talented duo were interviewed together after their wins.

“I don’t like him,” Hines said with a sly smile.

KRAWIEC KEEPS PACE – Just moments after he watched teammate Andrew Hines go 6.954, Krawiec nearly matched him in his quarterfinal race with Karen Stoffer, running a 6.955 at 191.76 mph to beat a red-lighting Stoffer.

Coming off a 6.98, Stoffer went red by .031, handing the win to Krawiec.

Like Hines, Krawiec was equally good-natured about the upcoming matchup with his teammate, but he surely wants to put on a good performance as well. Krawiec holds the head-to-head win in their only matchup this season.

“It’s going to be a bit of a battle that's for sure,” Krawiec said.

ARANA JR. DOES HIS PART – Hector Arana Jr. thought he had lost to John Hall. Instead, he will be in the semifinals against his father.

Hall had a huge lead against Arana Jr., but only because of a huge .133 red light, which immediately handed the win to the younger Arana. He did his part as well, pairing an .029 reaction time with a strong 6.955 at 193.27 mph, which was the fastest run of the round.

“I crossed the finish line and saw my bulb light up, so I was really excited,” Arana Jr. said. “We have to get this Lucas Oil Buell to the winner’s circle and we’re going to try to do that.”

SO DOES THE ELDER ARANA – Hector Arana followed up his incredible 6.929 from the opening round with another blistering performance, putting together a 6.942 at 189.87 mph for the quickest run of the round to send Scotty Pollacheck home.

For the second straight round, nobody could top Arana as he continued to look impressive, even in the warmer conditions. Up next is a matchup with his son, Hector Jr., in the semifinals. They’ve met once in 2012, with Hector taking that victory. Arana will be looking for his second finals appearance as well.

 SEMI-FINALS

HINES HOLDS TOP HARLEY IN NORWALK – In the semifinal matchup between Harley-Davidson teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec, it was Hines who stayed scorching hot, going 6.978 at 192.33 to clip his teammate by a mere .008 in a great side-by-side race.

Hines, who had an .025 reaction time, is now in his fourth final in 2012 and will be seeking out his third win after displaying another straight, consistent and fast run against Krawiec.

SON SENDS DAD HOME – Hector Arana turned in the best run of the round for the third straight round, but he won’t be around to see if he can do it in the finals.

His son, Hector Arana Jr., had a brilliant .027 reaction time in his semifinal matchup, which was good enough for his 6.96 at 192.55 mph to beat Hector and his 6.947 at 193.21 mph.

But Hector had an .077 reaction time, allowing Hector Jr. to advance to his second final in 2012.

FINALS

HOLESHOT HINES KEEP HARLEYS PERFECT - Not many might have expected Hector Arana Jr. to have the lower E.T. in his final-round Pro Stock Motorcycle matchup with Andrew Hines and his Harley-Davidson.

But it didn’t matter as Hines was quicker off the tree and then used his 6.929 at 193.43 mph to win for the third time at Summit Motorsports Park, and keep the Harley-Davidson team of Hines and Eddie Krawiec perfect in 2012.

Hines had a solid reaction time of .043, giving him a needed head start against Arana Jr., who went 6.928 at 191.84 in what was the quickest run of the weekend.

But an .073 reaction time was his undoing in an otherwise incredible run, and Hines claimed his third win in 2012, matching the win total of Krawiec this year. Hines’ win at Summit Motorsports Park also makes him the first 3-time winner in any pro class at the track.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK: AN INCREDIBLEDAY OF HEAT AND A MAJOR UPSET

WINNING FOR PEGGY - In the end, the biggest mistake the Goliaths made was in not accounting for David.

David, in this case, was a second-generation driver from Dix Hills, NY, named Vincent Nobile.

In one fell swoop, Nobile eliminated perennial favorites Allen Johnson, Mike Edwards and Jason Line to become, at 20, the youngest winner in the history of the K&N Filters Horsepower Showdown during the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Nobile pocketed $50,000 in an event in which he was a participant but not a likely wager for the grand champion.

“Maybe next year they will think differently,” said Nobile. “When it’s your day, it’s your day. All of those guys are talented and they all had a chance to win it. Usually, there’s one lucky round. Today there wasn’t a lucky round to be had. I owe it all to my crew for supplying me with a fast race car. Without them, the Mitsos family and my family, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Nobile was racing inspired. One of the special aspects of the K&N Filters Showdown is that the race-within-a-race pairs each one of the contestants with a race fan selected as part of a sign-up program.

Nobile was racing for Peggy Coleman, of Joplin, Mo., who was one of the victims from last year’s tornado outbreak. His win secured her a brand new Toyota Tundra.

“Racing for her helped me,” said Nobile. “There was no pressure. If anything, racing for her eased the pressure. I knew she needed the win more than me. For some reason, I was as cool, calm and collected as I had ever been since I started racing.”

Nobile knew when he was first paired with Peggy, without knowing her story of losing all her life’s possessions to a tornado and subsequent fire, there was something special about her.

“Then I found out her story, and it really touched me,” Nobile added. “When I won for her I was already aware it was just a trophy and money, but for her … she got what she deserved.”

Peggy deserved a David to fight for her, and in the end he slew the giants.

COMFORTABLY ONE - Steve Torrence felt comfortable that his standout 3.829 from Friday would keep him as the No. 1 qualifier in NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

As it turned out, nobody came close to challenging him on a Saturday where hot and muggy were an understatement at Summit Motorsports Park.

With track temperatures of more than 140 degrees, Torrence’s 3.829 at 319.98 mph easily held up through two qualifying sessions on Saturday in Norwalk, making him the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel for the second time in 2012.

“These conditions were just testy conditions, and they’re really hard on the crew chiefs and everybody on the teams. These guys are working their tails off turning these cars around in these hot conditions,” Torrence said. “As a driver, you’re sitting in the car and you’re soaking wet in your suit. It was a tricky track to drive to go down.

“Last night we ran well to solidify our spot in the field. We have put together this team together relatively quick and we’ve had some of the fruits of our labor in a relatively short period of time. I attribute that completely to (crew chief) Richard Hogan and this team, and the hard work they’ve put in.”

The top six spots stayed the same, with Antron Brown (3.832) ending up second and Khalid Al-Balooshi (3.836) third.

As far as what he hoped to accomplish on a brutally hot Saturday, Torrence tried to look for positives.

He smoked the tires on his first run and then put up a respectable 4.08 during his final pass.

“We were trying to see what we could get away with and we’ve got a good baseline,” Torrence said. “I don’t know if any of this data we gained was useful, but we worked on fine-tuning that hot weather tune-up for the Western swing and Denver.”

Antron Brown (3.978) and T.J. Zizzo (3.987) were the only two drivers to crack the 3-second mark during the second qualifying session on Saturday, with Zizzo’s pass drawing a large applause from the fans who watched a series of aborted runs before his pass.

Brown was also pleased with his pass in the sweltering heat.

“That was a great lap considering the conditions,” Brown said. “The track was as slippery as slippery can be (on Saturday) and hopefully it will cool down a little bit tomorrow.”

No major moves were made other than Spencer Massey jumping to No. 7 with his 3.923 at 310.05 mph on his first qualifying pass of the day.

Out of the No. 1 position, Torrence will meet up with Brandon Bernstein in the first round of eliminations after Bernstein slipped into the field with a 4.04.

Conditions will be remarkably different on Sunday in Norwalk, but Torrence’s mindset will remain the same.

“Once you’re qualified, you’re in the field and you have a shot to win,” Torrence said. “Sunday morning, you wake up and you’re in a different mindset anyway. You’re there for one purpose and that’s to go home with a Wally, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

STILL THE ONE - Johnny Gray battled the elements to the top of the Funny Car qualifying ladder during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Twice before, Gray has qualified at the top of the pack: earlier this season at the NHRA Arizona Nationals - where he won a round on raceday - and last season at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. Gray built on the No. 1 start in Maple Grove and drove his NTB/Service Central Funny Car to the final round.

In Norwalk, teams battled through treacherous heat on both Friday and Saturday that saw air temperatures soaring near 100 degrees and baking track temperatures as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Gray's pole-worthy 4.094 at 306.33 mph was recorded on the first day of qualifying at the event, and although the second day did not result in numbers quite as favorable for the Service Central team, no other driver was able to near Gray's exceptional performance.

"I hope tomorrow is not like today because obviously we weren't stellar," said Gray, who experienced traction issues in both sessions on Saturday. "The Service Central/NTB car is a good race car, and we've got a good tune-up for it. We tried to run too hard the first session this morning, and then this afternoon we had the thing lined up a little bit to the left, so it took off towards the center line, and when I tried to turn it to reel it back, it kind of upset it and knocked the tires loose.

"But we're good. We know what we did wrong, and we'll go out tomorrow, and it should be a good day. We've got Robert [Hight] first round, and that's kind of one of those deals. I don't want any part of him, but I don't think he wants any part of us right now, either. It should be a good race."

BRUTAL HEAT - With temps in the high-90s, the EMTs stayed busy for much of the day tending to heat exhausted race fans.

A WIN AND A LOSS - The look of disappointment was more evident than his elation of qualifying No. 1.

Allen Johnson retained his No. 1 qualifying position in Pro Stock Saturday afternoon during the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. His Friday night run secured his sixth top qualifying effort of the season.

Johnson had every reason to be happy, if only he hadn’t allowed the big one to get away.

The big one for Johnson was the prestigious $50K-to-win K&N Horsepower Showdown, a race-within-a-race, and he lost in the first round.

“We stunk the place up here today,” Johnson admitted. “We’ve got a really good car. We just have to make better decisions on Sunday. We’ll regroup and come out tomorrow.”

Johnson was beaten on both ends of the track by his teammate and engine customer Vincent Nobile. He wouldn’t go as far as to say he hired his own assassin.

“No, we shot ourselves in the foot,” said Johnson. “While backing up, we almost ran over the starter and the Christmas tree because our crew chief got confused. He was telling me to go right when he meant left. We got the right tire over in the rubble and got stuff all over it, which messed us up.”

Johnson believes there’s a first time for everything. Unfortunately, the mistake came at an inopportune time.

“We’ve been working together for twelve years and never had that one happen before,” Johnson said. “Every now and then you have to find a new way to lose.”

Johnson believes Sunday will dawn a new day and he’ll approach race day with this mentality.

“You have to … you have to treat it like water running off of your shoulder,” Johnson said. “You have to put it away.”

HOT IN THE HEAT - It was sticky, it was miserable and track temperatures of 145 degrees were the hottest they’ve been in 2012.

In other words, the perfect conditions for Andrew Hines to make the quickest run of the weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Despite brutal weather indicating otherwise on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park, Hines and his 2012 Harley-Davidson V-Rod had an incredible 6.961 at 192.85 mph during the final qualifying session to make him the No. 1 qualifier for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk.

“We just picked away at it all weekend long. It’s a testament to how good my team is. We started off in Chicago with a different mindset of how we’re going to do these races in the summer,” said Hines, who picked up his first No. 1 qualifier of 2012 and 31st for his career.

“Last year we would come in behind the eight-ball and not have a good performance on Sunday.  We’re doing a complete different strategy and it’s showing in our performance. We’re just picking away at it and steadily improving. I wasn’t expect a (6.96), but I’ll take it any way we can get it.”

The 6.961 gave him a slight edge over the 6.962 that Hector Arana ran on Friday and it puts Hines into prime position to pick up his third win this season.

Hot and greasy were the buzzwords all afternoon, but it didn’t seem to bother Hines or even the entire Pro Stock Motorcycle field.

Several riders made significant improvements, including Karen Stoffer who jumped all the way to No. 4 with a 6.992.

But nobody could top Hines, who is looking for back-to-back wins after the change in the summer strategy.

“(Crew chief) Matt (Hines) is just pecking away at the tune-up, doing the same thing we did in Chicago and we’re seeing the results,” Hines said. “Being the No. 1 qualifier is just huge win for me and it means a lot.

“This was almost one of the hottest tracks we’ve ever seen. It’s really hot and greasy, but Matt was able to find a nice patch of track to go down and it had a nice consistent run. To come back this year and run way better here is really gratifying.”

Hines just barely qualified in Norwalk a year ago, but things are far different in Northern Ohio in 2012.

The gradual improvements this weekend were also noteworthy for Hines, who appears to be executing the gameplan perfectly.

He went from a 7.041 to a 7.040 on Friday, and then started off Saturday with a 7.00 before making one more improvement during qualifying.

“It’s really satisfying and it gives me a lot of confidence in the bike and tune-up,” Hines said. “Going into Sunday that’s what you need, putting up your best performance going into eliminations.”

The improvement in performance will likely follow on Sunday, when temperatures are expected to dip nearly 20 degrees.

In addition to an increased comfort level, Hines said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the bikes dip into the high 6.80s on what should be an outstanding day of eliminations.

“It’s going to be a lot cooler tomorrow and probably significantly faster,” Hines said. “It’s going to completely change the game, but I have the utmost confidence in my Screamin’ Eagle team.”

Still shook up from the wreck, Matt offered a different opinion about Angie riding on Sunday.

“Yeah, that’s probably not going to happen,” Matt said.

NOTHIN' TO LOSE - In some ways, this is the last hurrah for T.J. Zizzo and his current set-up on his NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel dragster.

Wholesale changes are coming in a number of major areas both on and off the track, and Zizzo is doing his part to send this version out with a bang at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Heading into eliminations, Zizzo is qualified at No. 11 as a strong sense of excitement and anticipation centers around the team.

 “We’re actually going to be making a lot of changes,” Zizzo said. “This is the last race for some of the equipment we have.

“Everything will be different at Indy for us. It’s time to make the change. If we don’t make changes, we’re just going to be stagnant.”

Before the changes come, Zizzo delivered some outstanding theatrics on Friday in the second qualifying session under the lights.

Paired up with Cory McClenathan, Zizzo made a solid pass of 3.963 at 296.50 that put him at No. 11.

But Zizzo, who claims to have never crossed the centerline during his career, came about as close as possible during the entertaining run.

“It left fine, but then it dropped the No. 5 cylinder and then the No. 7 cylinder, and towards the finish line it drove the car hard left. At that point, I was thinking to myself, ‘Do I lift or do I hang with it?’ I got awfully close to the center line,” Zizzo said.

“I could basically read the side of Cory Mac’s race car. I saw two cones zip by him and his rear tire was way too close to my front tire. I can’t wait to see the onboard camera.

“I had the wheel cranked and as soon as I shut the car off, it went hard right. That was pretty exciting to say the least. But at least it was oil-free and that’s all that mattered to me at that point.”

Zizzo followed that up with a strong 3.987 in the heat of the day Saturday, drawing a hearty applause from the crowd who had yet to see a Top Fuel dragster make it down the track during the final qualifying session.

That brought a smile to Zizzo’s face and adds another piece of momentum to his performance in recent weeks.

Coming off a round win last weekend in Chicago, Zizzo put together a pair of solid passes over the past two days, even picking up two bonus points for the 3.987 at 301.67 mph – his fastest pass of the weekend – he ran on Saturday.

“We’ve been really struggling oiling down the track and that’s not something we like to do. Actually, I get more upset about that than if we don’t qualify,” Zizzo said.

“You don’t want to give the fans that and nobody wants to see the track being cleaned, especially on a 100-degree day. All we wanted to do was slow everything down, take a deep breath and get down the track.

In addition to moving into a new race shop just outside of Chicago on Monday, Zizzo and his team are also making some massive changes to their clutch and supercharger programs.

He’s hoping for major improvements heading into the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and his excited tone indicates plenty of enthusiasm for what the future holds.

“There’s a lot of excitement right now. Anytime you make a change, there’s something new to look forward to. It’s like getting a new girlfriend,” Zizzo said.

In this instance, Zizzo hopes she’s a keeper.

SCARY MOMENT - Angie Smith rides through the SREMP sandtrap before hitting a cornfield when the brakes on her bike failed.Angie Smith made her best pass of the weekend during the final qualifying session of Pro Stock Motorcycle at Summit Motorsports Park on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Smith, her ride was far from over once she crossed the finish line.

After running a 7.102 to get into the qualifying field at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Smith’s bike didn’t slow down. With the brakes failing, Smith sped through the shutdown area and the sand trap, laying the bike down just before the cornfields.

Smith suffered no serious injuries, though the bike did tumble into the cornfield.

“I am okay. I’m just a little sore, but it was a wild ride. I thought I was in motocross,” said Smith, who thought she sprained her pinkie finger.

With her husband, Matt, who was slated to go next in the qualifying session, watching nervously from the starting line, the wreck made for a few tense moments before Smith was declared to not be seriously hurt.

“I was coming out of the burnout and my front brake was getting a little washy. When you’re holding the front brake and doing your burnout, the lever comes in a little more and sometimes they do that when you’re in hot conditions so I didn’t really think anything about it,” Smith said.

“Well when I got to the shutdown area, as soon as I got off the gas, it was motoring down, but I had no brakes whatsoever. I was like, ‘This is going to be a wild ride.’ I just decided to ride it out as long as I could, and I went through the sand trap and the field, and the cornfield was coming up. I was like, ‘I don’t want to mow down the whole corn field,’ so I just bailed.”

It also made for a nerve-wracking period for Matt.

“That’s my wife and I love her to death and it’s hard to see something like that happen. I told her the bike can be fixed, and I’m just glad she’ll be alright,” Matt said.

In typical racer fashion, Angie was more concerned about the bike. The run of 7.102 put her into eliminations at No. 15 and, amazingly, she was talking about possibly racing on Sunday, which seemed like a major longshot following the wreck.

“It just sucks that my motorcycle is messed up. Hopefully we can repair it so tomorrow I can race,” Smith said. “I’m racing tomorrow if tech lets me and my team lets me. We will see.”

NOT THAT KIND OF CINDERELLA STORY - All the good vibes that LE Tonglet should have been feeling Friday night immediately left as soon as he crossed the finish line at Summit Motorsports Park.

With his string of bad luck reaching a dizzying level, the latest bit of discouraging news is now simply par for the course for the 2010 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion.

In going 7.01 during the second qualifying session at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Tonglet jumped to fourth in qualifying in one of the best passes of the night session. But he endured some pretty significant damage to get there, which is nothing new for him these days.

“We ran really good, but right when it went through the lights it broke a cam chain,” Tonglet said. “We had to change the motor, so now we have an engine that’s pretty old and pretty tired. I’m not looking forward to eliminations.

“Hopefully this motor proves us wrong, but I’m not confident. We’ll see.”

It’s the latest string of disappointing news for Tonglet, who should be riding high after a semifinal finish in Englishtown and a runner-up finish last weekend in Chicago.

Instead, Tonglet, who is currently fifth in points, is lamenting the loss of a second motor in as many weeks and the likely possibility he won’t be making the upcoming Western swing.

In the pits in Norwalk, Tonglet talked about the future with major associate sponsor Nitro Fish, which signed a 3-race deal with Tonglet in May. That deal expires after this weekend’s race in Norwalk, which makes it unlikely the team will be racing later this month in Denver and Sonoma, and perhaps longer.

“We’ve been running good, but it’s just going to be tough after this race if (Nitro Fish owner) Kenny (Korestsky) is not on board anymore. It’s going to be tough to go out West,” Tonglet said.

“As of right now, we’re not going because Kenny said we’re done pretty much after this (race). It sucks, too, because we’re running good but I don’t know what the deal is. We want to go out West, but it’s going to be tough.”

To add to it, Tonglet and the team had their motor home break down twice en route to Norwalk, putting one more item on a laundry list of troubles.

“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong these last two weeks,” Tonglet said.

Tonglet has persevered through most of it, advancing to the finals in Chicago before losing to Andrew Hines.

But that was with a previous motor, and one that was actually replaced before Norwalk.

That one showed impressive promise, going from 7.08 to 7.01 on Friday, but it lasted just a day in the rotation.

“This motor surprised us, so hopefully this one surprises us as well,” Tonglet said. “But it’s tough. We went through two motors in two races and they’re not cheap to fix. This was just bad luck. We put in a new cam chain and it broke after two runs. “You get those every now and then. In 2010, it was a cam chain that almost ended our season. It’s just part of racing. You can’t have perfect parts every time.”

Oddly enough, the back-up to the back-up motor did well during its pair of runs on Friday, but Tonglet isn’t as optimistic about his third motor.

It does have some notable history as Tonglet used it to win last year in Brainerd, but it hasn’t been in the bike for nearly 11 months.

The early results weren’t outstanding – Tonglet went 7.17 and 7.13 on his two qualifying passes on Saturday, dropping him to seventh going into eliminations – but Tonglet is certainly due for a change in fortune.

“You don’t know until you run it and we haven’t used it all year. It’s hard to explain how we feel. We did well at Brainerd, but we didn’t win there because we were hauling butt, either,” Tonglet said.

“Hopefully all the problems here give us good luck on the track. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK: IT WAS A SCORCHER AND THE RACING WAS EQUALLY AS HOT

PAY UP BUDDY - Steve Torrence and Spencer Massey decided to make a little friendly wager before their second round qualifying pass in NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel on Friday under the lights at Summit Motorsports Park.

After Torrence followed with the most impressive run of the day, Massey now has to pay up.

Torrence went a strong 3.829 at 319.98 mph, putting him as the provisional No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

He also got momentarily bragging rights after Massey smoked the tires immediately in their matchup.

“Spencer and I had two bets – who would have the better reaction time and who would get to the end first. One was a little more on us and one was a little more on the crew chiefs, but I got back to the trailer and I think I won both sides of the bet,” said Torrence, who had a winning reaction time of .049.

“We’ve got to talk a little trash to him now.”

Torrence is riding high and seems headed to his second No. 1 qualifier of the 2012 season.

Conditions changed dramatically in the two-plus hours after Top Fuel ran for the first time.

But as Torrence put it, running well in the heat of the day was the first step to his outstanding second run. Torrence went 3.952 in the first session, allowing him to run just before 10 p.m. in Norwalk.

 “It was really crucial today to make a good lap on that first run and get to run in the back of the pack because we knew it would really cool off,” Torrence said. “It was so extremely hot and it was 140 degrees on the track when we ran (the first time), so it was pivotal to be in the back of the pack.

“It was night and day (during the second pass). You’re a tenth quicker and you’re going from 303 (mph) to 319 tonight. It was a drastic difference,” Torrence said. “A tenth of a second is huge out here, but we won’t see this conditions the rest of the weekend more than likely.”

That’s another reason why Torrence was so pleased with the evening run, which was just good enough to top the 3.832 at 321.27 mph that Antron Brown ripped off to conclude the Top Fuel session.

It leaves Torrence in prime position for Saturday when his primary job will be prepping for eliminations.

“Qualifying is key. It’s good to qualify in the top and it plays into your hand to do well. It gives you a little bit of lee-way on Saturday and an opportunity to work on things that will be beneficial on Sunday,” said Torrence, who is fourth in Top Fuel points and has two wins in 2012.

“With the heat and the track temperatures being as extremely hot as they are, we need every chance we can get to gather data for Sunday.”

Keith Murt was the first to reach the 3.90s in the second qualifying session, running a 3.939. Moments later, Khalid Al-Balooshi put together a fine pass, going 3.836 at 316 mph that currently has him third.

Tony Schumacher’s 3.841 is fourth, while Clay Millican’s 3.868 rounds out the top five.

But nobody could top Torrence on Friday and he hopes it stays that way the rest of the weekend.

“I’m a little surprised we stayed at No. 1,” Torrence said. “There were two really good cars behind us (Brown and Shawn Langdon) and to be here, it just showed that (crew chief) Richard Hogan and my team have really stepped up. We’re here to play ball.”

IT WAS A HOT ONE - Johnny Gray had a challenge many of his fellow Funny Car drivers could relate to. He couldn’t wipe the sweat from his eyes.

The thermometer measured 92-degrees as Gray strapped into his Service Central-sponsored Funny Car for the evening qualifying session at the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. And just to think, this was the temperature as the sun was setting.

Gray battled the elements as he thundered to 4.094-seconds, 306.33 to score the provisional No. 1.

“You have sweat running down and dripping in your eyes,” Gray explained. “Rip’s tying me in the car and you’re having all of these thoughts and he’s reaching over to turn on my air bottles and I all I could say is, ‘Please don’t drip sweat on my visor.”

Yes, it was that kind of day in Norwalk.

The thermometer at its highest point rose to 98 degrees with 50-percent relative humidity.

“The conditions were hot and miserable but they were hot and miserable for everyone,” said Gray. “When you’re sitting in the car like that and you have all of that sweat running in your eyes, you fear you are going to miss the tree or get something in your eye and not be able to see during the run. There’s a lot going on in your mind and you have all of that sweat in your gloves.

“You always worry, as a driver … because we wear good suits and they protect you so that you don’t get burned. When you’re wet in the suit, you get steam burned. You have those kinds of thoughts on days like this.”

Then the engine fires.

“And those thoughts all go away,” added Gray.

Gray entered the second session as the 13th quickest and on a run where his car fell silent short of the finish line, he was the driver to beat.

“It was a good run and the car left hard,” Gray explained. “I felt I was on a good run and 3.8-seconds into the run, it knocked the tires loose and it went up on the rev-limiter. I drove it as far as I could. It might have run a 4.08 at 313. [Crew chief] Rob [Wendland] was getting all of the goodie out of her before she came loose.

Gray was extremely impressed with the condition of the racing surface despite the elements.

“I think if you stop and put everything in perspective with what the NHRA has done with track prep, I think the numbers speak for themselves. There were some pretty awesome runs out there on that race track.”

Gray happened to have one of them.

A WARNING SHOT? - On the eve of Pro Stock’s richest competition, Allen Johnson wanted to fire a warning shot across the bow of his professed rivals – the off brand cars driven by Greg Anderson and Jason Line.

And, for Johnson, his move had the big impact he desired right in front of their sponsors and at a track named for the brand they carry.

Johnson drove to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals with a 6.663-second run at 207.18. His run was a little over .03 quicker than second quickest Jason Line.

“We’re pitted across from them and there has been a lot of finger-pointing and trying to stir stuff up,” said Johnson. “Jason came over and looked at my time slip at the end of the track following the final run and was trying to figure out how much we outran him on the back-half. He said it was about 1.5 and I reminded him that was about normal.”

Then Johnson laughed.

Anytime he can get the goat of the Summit-sponsored cars is as much of a moral victory as taking the No. 1 spot.

“Those kinds of small victories are crucial, especially when you’re headed into a deal like the K&N Filters Showdown,” admitted Johnson. “But when you look at it, there are a lot of good teams out here. Greg is like a clock … ticking. He’s right there every time.”

Saturday afternoon, Johnson and eight select Pro Stock drivers will compete for a $50,000 prize as a part of the K&N Filters Showdown.

Two years ago, Johnson picked Anderson’s pocket for the prize with a perfect reaction time and a win-light.

“Yep, and it netted me this ring,” Johnson said, showing off the large piece of jewelry. “I think a lot of us could say if it wasn’t for Greg, we could have won a lot more.”

The air temperature was blistering for much of the day on Friday in Norwalk and the track temperatures rose into the 140-degree range.  Only after the track cooled for the evening session did Johnson’s crew chief Mark Ingersoll get aggressive on the tune-up.

“You hate to be cocky but we were shooting for a 6.65,” Johnson said. “It cooled down and all of the teams went for it. This Mopar Dodge team is hitting on all eight cylinders. Right now the car is on a rope. The Hemi engines are on a rope. Everything is just clicking.”

GOOD PRODUCTION - Hector Arana had a productive Friday at Summit Motorsports Park, finishing as the only rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle to go in the 6.90s during both qualifying runs.

But it’s also shaping up to be a long night after a discouraging sign on his second pass.

The good news is that Arana is the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the Summit Racing NHRA Nationals after going 6.962 at 188.02 mph.

But on his second pass that yielded a 6.981 he clocked just 176.10 mph, indicating more electrical problems that plagued him last weekend in Chicago and setting up the possibility of a long night trying to locate the problem.

“This bike, she was running great in Chicago. We had the perfect tune-up and we didn’t even have to touch it,” Arana said. “But on Sunday we developed an electrical problem and it did that against Karen (Stoffer) where it gave me a hiccup, it stopped and then it kicked back on.

“We’ve replaced cam sensors, spark plug wires, injector, you name it pretty much. We made the first hit here and we thought we found the problem, but this last run it did it again.

“I was disappointed because it felt like it left good and it felt like I was going straight and on a perfect run, and then it did that. It’s a little disappointing because we need to fix it, we need to find it. I don’t want to go into eliminations with this problem.”

Through all that, Arana displayed two impressive runs in what were extremely hot and difficult conditions.

Arana’s son, Hector Jr., was the only other rider to break into the 6-second zone in the incredible heat, going 6.984 at a Friday-best 192.69 mph. LE Tonglet made the biggest move during the second qualifying session, jumping up to fourth with a 7.019 at 190.32 mph, putting him right behind Eddie Krawiec’s 7.01.

Tonglet went 7.08 during his first run, but made strong improvements as conditions slightly cooled in the evening session.

“We’re trying to get this Suzuki figured out. We seem to be improving and hopefully we can keep getting the 60-foot quicker and keep going faster,” Tonglet said.

If it stands, Arana will earn his third No. 1 qualifier of 2012 and the PSM riders might not see better conditions than what they had for the second qualifying session.

Of course, those weren’t exactly ideal, but Saturday’s two sessions are due to come in the middle of the day when record heat is expected in Norwalk.

“It doesn’t look as though it was that tough on the bike. It was tough on me,” Arana said. “It’s going to be the same for everyone, so there’s nothing we can do there.

“They’re doing a hell of a job out there prepping this track. They’re doing something right in order for us to hook up and make those types of runs.”

Heading into Saturday and then eliminations, Arana isn’t worried about track conditions or even what the two Harley-Davidson bikes ridden by Krawiec and Andrew Hines are doing.

Arana’s chief concern is getting his own bike right – even if it takes working all night.

“We need to stop worrying about (Hines and Krawiec) and we need to start doing better on Sunday,” Arana said. “If we could just eliminate those little hiccups, we should be there. Then again, I would prefer this to happen in the beginning rather than the Countdown like it did last year.”

WILL POWER - With the likes of Don Schumacher Racing and Al-Anabi Racing dominating the class, Hillary Will and her NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel car is supposed to be the underdog.

But ask Will and her Dote Family Racing team about that and you will get an entirely different answer.

“Maybe the fans look at it like we’re the underdogs, but I don’t look at it like that,” said Will, who is currently 14th in Top Fuel points. “I go up there believing that we can beat anyone we pull up next to. I don’t care who it is. I try to always have as much confidence as I can, and I believe in this team.”

There’s plenty – or at least much more – to believe in heading into this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk.

A week ago, Will not only got her first round win of 2012 but also a semifinal berth at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals last week in Chicago.

It was a massive step in the right direction for Will, who returned to the Top Fuel scene in 2012 after a three-year absence. In her last season racing (2008), Will won a race and finished fourth in points.

The Dote Family Racing team was the major reason why Will returned this season and another reason why she doesn’t consider herself an underdog, even in the high-dollar Top Fuel world.

“The Dote’s only do the best. They give us the best of everything. I wasn’t sure how it was going to be, but we really do have the best of everything,” Will said. “They don’t want to hear us stay we don’t have something. If we need something, we have to get it, which is awesome.

“They’ve assembled a really good team and hopefully I can live up to everything. I got to have a car built for me and that was really nice. They try to do everything first-class.”

Will talks glowingly of the Dote Family Racing team and for good reason, but there are some aspects of a smaller-budget team that are apparent.

In addition to talented crew chief Doug Kuch, who was the crew chief for former Top Fuel driver Doug Foley, the team employs only three full-time crew members (Brandon Hazelton, Tad Heflick and Justin Sturgil).

But Will doesn’t let that qualify as an excuse and has nothing but praise for her team, which does boast plenty of experience and did win the Full Throttle Hard Working Crew Award in Top Fuel in Chicago.

“I just have a group of hard-working guys. We have the same team we started with at the beginning of the season and we’re just working hard, staying persistent and nobody’s giving up,” Will said.

“We were all proud of that hard-working crew award and they deserved it.”

Some interesting and adverse situations brought out the best in Will and her crew in Chicago, where they qualified No. 9 with a 3.82 at 312 mph.

With swirling winds and nasty weather creating a difficult racing environment, Will and her team had short turnaround after going 3.852 at 313 mph in a first-round victory. They passed with flying colors, setting up a 3.858 at 311 mph and a second-round win against T.J. Zizzo.

“So not only did we have our first fast turnover of the season, we had to do it really fast. We didn’t even start the car, but I didn’t worry. I had all the confidence in the world in the team,” Will said.

“I think that helped morale a lot. The guys were smiling a lot on Sunday and that really meant a lot to me. I just try to keep everybody’s spirits lifted and stay positive. I thanked everyone on the team personally and you just want to continue what we’ve been doing.

“I feel like we turned a corner. I knew our team was capable all along and we finally showed everybody a little bit of what we’re capable of. I think we have a lot more to show.”

Will is hopeful that will come this weekend in Norwalk, and she’s also thankful to get to race on back-to-back race weekends for the first time in 2012.

The team carries plenty of momentum into Ohio and Will would like nothing more than for last week to be the start of something special.

“We only race about once a month I’m thankful that we can do two races back-to-back,” Will said. “For a driver, it’s way better. It’s a lot of work for the team, but I think the more races you do, the better you get and the more confident you get.”

ONE-UPPING DAD - Dan Wilkerson concluded qualifying one spot ahead of his dad in seventh.

"Whenever I outrun my dad, it's really just Tim outrunning Tim because he tunes both cars and my job is just to get it to the other end and try to keep it straight," D. Wilk commented. "I'm really happy about that run, especially for all the great people at Summit Racing Equipment, during the event they sponsor, and at the track that has their name on it.

"I love this track, and I had some of my first pro nitro Funny Car experiences here, during the Night Under Fire match races. A few years back, it was Wilkerson against Force in the final round of the match race, but it was me against Ashley with both of our dads having to watch us race. That was cool, but going some rounds here, during the real deal, would be way cooler."A LABOR OF LOVE - Running two cars is tough, but for Tim Wilkerson when one of those cars is driven by his son, the challenge is doubled.

This weekend during the NHRA Summit Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, Wilkerson's son Daniel is competing in a fuel Funny Car sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment.

“It’s like having four instead of two,” Wilkerson admitted. “We are trying to get everything in a pile so it goes smoothly. That’s the toughest part, more than anything. [The crew] does a pretty good job of this. We did a good job in Atlanta. There was very little babysitting involved.”

And for Wilkerson, right now he’s missing one of his key nitro babysitters/wrenches.

Rich Schendel was hospitalized during the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., with severe heat exhaustion.  He is still hospitalized.

Even with Schendel’s absence, Wilkerson has managed to form a crew where he can rest assured his son is in good hands with those turning the wrenches.

“I think we have a good enough crew where I don’t have to worry about his safety, I just want to concentrate on getting him in the show,” Wilkerson said. “We don’t come not to qualify. We want to get in the show and win some rounds.”

Wilkerson has Daniel behind the wheel of a car he ran previously.

“It’s a car I’ve run forever, so I am familiar with how it acts,” explained  Wilkerson. “Most of the time it’s okay; so I can usually plug some basic numbers into it and it responds.”

Even though he has a good handle on the tune-up and nuances of the chassis, there are times when Wilkerson wonders if the challenge is worth the record.

“All the time,” Wilkerson responded with a chuckle, “It’s really harder on my crew than anybody. It’s hard on me psychologically. They do the prep work getting it here.”

Watching his child encompass the quarter-mile at 300 mph enables Wilkerson to walk in similar shoes to those worn by another nitro father – John Force. Force has two daughters with nitro license and a third one working towards one.

Wilkerson believes he and Force have different approaches to maintaining their nitro legacies.

“The difference between John and I … is he works with his head and mouth while I work with my arms and back,” Wilkerson said. “That’s just the way it is. He has enough money that he can hire people to watch over his kids. I have to go through all of that with his alcohol crew and my crew. John and I have a little different scenario on the starting line. He’s a nervous dad just like me on the starting line. I hate to say it’s easier for him, but I think it is. He produces his problems by having his kids do so much. He has them doing all of this media … Road Show … and all of that … but that’s what he’s good at. He’s a professional at it … no doubt about it.”

Wilkerson knows there’s a day when he will eventually hang up the driving suit and he believes he’ll be okay with vacating the seat for his son.

“I don’t know that I long for the days when I am crew chief and he is driver,” said Wilkerson. “It wouldn’t upset me if there was enough money in a budget, so we could run like that. I wouldn’t say it’s our goal but it would be okay. I like driving and I don’t mind it. I don’t know that I am getting any better than I was.”

Wilkerson confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com on Friday of ongoing talks with a potential sponsor where Daniel could drive and he could serve as crew chief.

Regardless of the outcome, Wilkerson believes he’s trained his son well.

“He’s going to make someone a pretty good driver,” said Wilkerson. “I bring him in and show him the videos and look at them. We talk about what he did, right or wrong. He sees it.

“I don’t know why they call him a rookie. He does a lot better than some of them out there now. I think Dan will do a good job for somebody.”

THE ROOKIE WATCH - Eleven races into the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season top rookie of the year contenders Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria are coming off their two most successful weekends to date. Last weekend in Chicago, Courtney Force raced to her first career Funny Car final round, falling to veteran Jeff Arend. Just weeks before Force’s breakout event, DeJoria raced to her first professional Funny Car final round at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals before losing to a surging Ron Capps. Both rookies have been competitive on the track but Force has a decided edge in round wins and has maintained her position in the Top Ten in points throughout the season.

Force moved up from 9th to 7th based on her Chicago performance and she is just two points behind Arend and the 6th place spot in the Full Throttle standings. DeJoria’s final round appearance in Bristol coupled with her semi-final finish in Chicago moved her up to 11th place.

In both their head-to-head meetings Force has bested DeJoria; the most dramatic race was the recent semi-final round in Chicago where Force outran DeJoria en route to her first Funny Car final. There were a number of critical point ramifications at stake on that run as well as the simple fact of Force wanting to hold off her main competitor for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award.

Below is a side by side comparison of the two leading candidates for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award presented at the season ending banquet to the Rookie of the Year. Stats are only for the eleven races of 2012 and do not include the four races DeJoria competed in at the end of 2011 in advance of her rookie campaign.

 I KNOW THIS PLACE -  There’s one concrete slab amidst the lush, green grass in the Western parking lot at Summit Motorsports Park that remains very special to NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel driver Clay Millican.

It doesn’t have Millican’s name on it or give any indication of a special spot, but, with a massive smile on face, Millican recalled the origin of the concrete parking spot originally reserved for his IHRA Top Fuel car.

“(Summit Motorsports Park Owner) Bill (Bader Sr.) loved his grass here in the parking lot, so every year we came we had to buy tons of plywood to put the race car on. Our race owner at the time, Peter Leben, called Bill Sr. and said, ‘Can I not just pave my own pit spot?’ He said, ‘No, I don’t want any paving on my grass, but you can pour concrete,’” Millican said.

“Peter did not waste any time and he got on the phone and called up a concrete company. On the far side of the race track, there is a concrete patch that a Top Fuel car will fit on and that forever more became our pit spot for all the IHRA years.

“Somebody’s probably got a really good pit spot (this weekend).”

Millican won’t be the one using the spot this year at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, though he still gets a hearty chuckle out of the story.

But when it comes to his relationship with Bader and his son, Bill Jr., there’s plenty more than just humor involved for Millican, who dominated the IHRA Top Fuel ranks to the tune of six straight world championships from 2001-2006.

“The Bader family is by far some of the greatest promoters in all of drag racing. I’ve always had a special relationship with the Baders because of all of my IHRA racing,” Millican said. “To this day, if I get hung up with some problem or question, whether it be personal or sponsor-related, I will still call Bill Sr. and talk to him.

“He’s got a good spirit about him. You call him and think you have something horrible going on, and he’ll see right through it and just tell you that you’re missing something simple. I just respect him so much.”

It’s a big weekend for Millican every time he returns to what he considers one of his home tracks, but a return to Summit Motorsports Park in 2012 might be even bigger.

He’s currently 10th in the Top Fuel points standings and he’s trying to hang onto the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

He’s still searching for his first career NHRA win and went 4.526 at 175.50 mph in his first qualifying pass in a brutal heat. Millican improved massively under the lights on Friday, running a strong 3.86 at 313 mph to put him solidly in the field.

As of Friday afternoon, Millican had not met with Bill Sr. yet, but both have been busy. Millican had a display at for his sponsor at a Parts Plus store in Cleveland and, well, the Bader family is always working.

“I bet you this: They’re out here working their tails off. The first year of the NHRA race, I pull in and I’m in the rental car, and I’m going through the parking lot and there’s this guy directing traffic,” Millican said. “He had on blue jeans and a normal shirt, and it will Bill Sr. He was out there parking cars. The whole family is such a big part of this and they’ve been a big part of my Top Fuel career.”

Most of it centers on what has made Bader such a successful promoter as well.

In fact, there are two big lessons Millican always keeps close.

“I still remember vividly a couple of things that he told me. First, you’ve got to make your spectators have fun,” Millican said. “If they want to see two cars go side-by-side they can stand by the highway and watch that, so you better make sure you do your job so people will come and pay to watch two cars go down the quarter-mile side-by-side.

“One of the other things he said to me and I’ve stuck to this, unless you’re being paid to wear those sunglasses, take them off. It can be a brutally sunny day, but if I’m talking to someone or signing autographs those sunglasses are going to be on top of my head. I just respect what he thinks so much I remember those things.”

There’s no doubt brutally sunny is in the equation this weekend at Norwalk.

Like most things that could be considered adverse, Millican will shrug it off. His philosophy is there’s no such thing as pressure, even when it’s racing at a track he cherishes and holds years of history for him.

Millican will simply work as hard as he can, drive as well as he can and hope to entertain Bader – among others – in the process.

“My mindset is to just go down the race track. It’s going to be hot and miserable and my job is to help the car the best I can and depend on the team to give it the best set-up they know how,” Millican said. “It’s going to be a challenge, it really is.”

A BLUE COLLAR TRACK - Larry Morgan has raced many facilities during his storied drag racing career. However, it’s the facility located outside of Cleveland, Ohio, which has stolen his heart.

Morgan, a straight-shooter in many circles, says Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park is his track.

“I would venture to say I’ve put more runs on my cars here at this track than any other,” said Morgan. “I would really like to win at this track. I’ve been runner-up a few times, but it really comes down to I love the Bader family and I love this track. They’ve been good to me my entire life.”

It’s the Bader guarantee of unlimited customer service, and their wholesomeness, among other traits, which make the track a gem in his eyes.

“This is a blue collar drag strip,” Morgan said. “There’s a whole lot of blue collar people around here. That’s good. We have to have those blue collar drag strips, too. Winning at a blue collar drag strip is special because you know there’s going to be a lot of hillbillies cheering for you.”

Morgan smiles when he reminisces about his experiences and the enthusiasm of Bader patriarch Bill Sr.

“I’ve got so many memories from here – both good and bad,” Morgan admits. “Bader has this Halloween Classic event. I raced it about 35 years ago and got down to four cars and it was about 4 AM. Bader was running around the track with the energy of ten guys.”

And the one thing about the Bader family, Morgan adds, if you ask for something be aware you’re going to get more than you ask for. Case in point was a tire test Morgan conducted at the Norwalk facility.

“I was testing for Goodyear and asked [the Baders] to make sure the track was sprayed,” explained Morgan. “They used a 55-gallon drum of spray on the track. It was so sticky you couldn’t get anything down it.”

Morgan added he couldn’t be angry with a track promoter who has gone above and beyond time after time.

“I think a lot of the Baders because they made it good for the racer,” said Morgan. “They made it good for the spectator. I appreciate people who do that.”

THURSDAY NOTEBOOK: GETTING READY FOR THE BUCKEYE BASH

HUGE WEEKEND FOR ANDERSON, LINE - For Pro Stock points leader Greg Anderson and teammate Jason Line, this race is a significant one for at least three reasons: it's a national event that their primary sponsor, Summit racing Equipment, is sponsoring at the venue where Summit has naming rights; it's blast-off time for the $50,000-to-win K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus race (for which Line is ranked No. 1); and it's their first chance -- in Anderson's words -- "to show off our new Camaros to everyone at Summit."
 
Said Anderson, "We've been to a couple races across the country with them and the buzz has been tremendous at every track we've been to. They are beautiful cars, and we can't wait to show them to the people who are paying for them. I know they are going to love them – they picked out the colors and the paint scheme but haven't gotten to see them in person yet. They've done such a great job designing them -- it will be a cool thing to see the look on their faces when they see them in person."
 
As for performance, he said, "The cars are coming around slowly but surely. We're not yet where we need to be performance-wise, but they drive and handle beautifully and race really well. We just need a little more speed out of them, which will come with time. At this point it's just fine-tuning. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, because they already are sound, consistent cars.
 
"Based on the knowledge we gained in Chicago, we expect to have a better product on the racetrack this weekend," Anderson said. "One win and two final rounds in the first three races is not a bad start, but we hope to win every race we go to. I'm very proud of the new car's performance and my race team for adapting to it as quickly as they have."
 
Line said,  "We know this new Summit Racing Camaro is going to be a great car, but we still have a lot to learn about it. Even so, it has already been very good. It was a top-three car in Chicago, and any time you have that, you can win the race . . . which is amazing, considering how few runs we have on it. It's a great feeling heading into Norwalk."
 
He gave kudos to his organization that he will lead the field in the K&N Horsepower Challenge three-round shootout. "It says a lot about this Summit Racing team that for the second year in a row we are the No. 1 qualifier for the K&N Horsepower Challenge. It shows we've had good cars, good equipment, and a great crew which we can hopefully combine into a win in the Challenge. I feel like I am overdue to win it, and although I’ve thought that way in the past, maybe this year we can get it done in the Camaro."
 
Line, who's second in the standings, is expected to make his 200th Pro Stock start. He debuted in this state, at National Trails Raceway, near Columbus, nine years ago and since has won two championships, 28 national event wins (second only to his teammate Greg Anderson among all Pro Stockers and including at least one in every year of competition), advanced to 59 final rounds, and earned 29 No. 1 qualifying positions.
 
"Two hundred starts is a lot and more than I expected to make," Line said. "It's way cool, and to have done it with the same team and for the most part the same sponsor is a very big deal. Being part of the Summit and KB Racing family is certainly an honor and a privilege. Everyone concerned have all been great to me, and the fact that they have allowed me to do this for so long is very special. In many ways, it’s appropriate that I will make my 200th start in Norwalk, in front of the people who have made it all possible. It would be nice to reward them for their support with our second win of the season."
 
Team owners Ken and Judy Black plan to attend the race. They live in Las Vegas, and Ken Black is starting to attend more and more races as he's making tremendous progress from a December 2009 stroke.
 
SCREAMIN' ALL THE WAY - Hector Arana Jr. and his drag-racing, thrill-seeking family live just a few miles away from Holiday World and Splashin' Safari theme parks at Santa Claus, Ind., with its new roller coaster "Mammoth," the world's longest coaster. But the Lucas Oil Buell racer always likes to try out the thrill rides at Cedar Point Amusement Park juts before taking on the Pro Stock Motorcycle competition at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. "Norwalk is always a blast and a race we look forward to going to every year," Arana said. "We always go to Cedar Point on Thursday and ride all the rides. We're all adrenaline junkies, and we're all searching for the next biggest rush. It's a good way to relieve all the stress and forget about the racing, and clear your mind."
The Northern Ohio track is where sophomore rider Arana Jr. earned the first of his seven career No. 1 qualifying positions. "I lost that first round, because I was still a rookie and I had a lot of learning to do riding. Now I'm riding this bike good, and hopefully we can go to the finals this weekend," he said. He said he's trying to improve his 60-foot times and thinking that "Cedar Point can give me the extra rush to get that next win."
 
GOT TO LICK ICE CREAM HABIT - Hector Arana Sr. loves the flavor of the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals. It's where he hoisted his first Pro Stock Motorcycle Wally trophy after 20 years of trying. "I will never forget Norwalk," he said. "And maybe it might bring me my first win of this season." Not only does he love the personal histoy there, but he knows he'll scoop up track operator Bill Bader's deal on ice cream. "You get a pint of ice cream for a dollar there," Arana said. "You can't beat that. I'll be eating ice cream every day. The downside: I'm going to gain weight. Even if it's hot and I sweat off the weight, I'm just going to have more ice cream. I can't resist." Neither can he resist shooting to the top of the bike order. he has led the field at three of the last four races and made it to the semifinals in three straight. That's why he's third in the standings, behind the Harley-Davidson duo that keeps hogging all the victories so far this year. "The bike has been very good," Arana said. "We just need to get past the semis to put ourselves in a position to get those wins." With racing in back-to-back weekends, Arana said, "By the time you get back to the shop, you really only have one day to be able to work," But he said, "We have enough parts in the truck that we can get something fixed." Can he fix the Harley-Davidson dominance?
 
NO PLACE LIKE NORWALK - Perhaps no one knows this racetrack better than Clay Millican, driver of the MPE Motorsports Parts Plus Dragster. In IHRA competition, where he won six consecutive Top Fuel championships and earned an IHRA-record 52 victories, Millican has won at Norwalk at least four times (in IHRA's premier race, the World Nationals). So naturally, this facility is one of his favorites. "I love racing at the house that Bader built! The Bader family is awesome. That's the best way I know how to say it. The Baders are the greatest promoters across all forms of motorsports. They are just a phenomenal family. It's fun to race there because the facility is always beautiful and you've got to love the dollar-a-pound ice cream. We get to spend a lot of time with the Baders because they are always out and about the track, the pits, and the whole facility. Racing at Norwalk is unlike any place I've ever raced. There's no place like it." Millican's crew stayed in Chicago to service the car. Despite a first-round loss at Joliet, and team owner Mark Pickens said, 'We are sticking to our game plan, staying the course, and continuing to make progress each event." Pickens will compete at Norwalk in his Parts Plus Top Sportsman car.
 
HE CAN'T SOLVE THE PLACE - Funny Car star John Force is incredibly popular at Norwalk, Ohio, where he has been a fixture during the annual Night Under Fire summer spectacular for more than 12 years and has a grandstand named in his honor. But he never has won the NHRA national event that first came to Summit Motorsports Park in 2007. In five starts in the Summit Nationals, Force has qualified no better than third and as poorly as 16th. Of the 25 tracks that have hosted five or more NHRA tour events, this is the only one on which Force has blanked. He was Funny Car runner-up in 2010.
 
SERIOUSLY DIALED IN - While Bob Tasca and a number of NHRA families are visiting Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, before or after this race, Brandon Bernstein is keeping his nose to the Top Fuel grindstone. "I've never been really interested in any of that other stuff," the MAVTV/Lucas Oil Dragster driver said. "I like being at the track and being behind the wheel of a dragster. Now as my kids get older, I'm sure I'll get familiar with all the places that are near Norwalk. Right now, the focus is getting the MAVTV car back on the winning track." He had a DNQ at Bristol but rebounded with a top-half start at Joliet but a first-round loss to Dave Grubnic. Bernstein said he is pleased with this crew and that "I knew they would prove that Bristol was just a fluke. I let them down a little in Chicago, and I'm determined not to let that happen again. This class is too tight to throw away days when you have a good car. We've lost a little ground in the points. We need to get back to making those semifinal and finals runs we earned in May and June. Points are at a premium right now. Stockpiling as many points as you can is crucial to not just making the Countdown but also giving yourself as much of an advantage as you can get when it starts." He's eighth in points, with Grubnic just 15 behind him.
 
CLEARING HIS HEAD - Bernstein's team owner and teammate, Morgan Lucas, has a different approach. He likes to interrupt business with pleasure on occasion, and after testing at Chicago this past Monday, Lucas decided simply to commune with nature a bit. "The test went great," Lucas said. "The changes we made worked the way we wanted. We're going to face conditions like we saw in Chicago for the next couple of months, so we think we'll be able to get back to the standards we set earlier this year." To meditate a little about what he needs to do to stay in the top five in the standings as the Western Swing looms and the Countdown is not far behind, he opted for some quieter time. "Just being outside helps me clear my head," Lucas said. "I've not been driving to my capability. I missed the tree against Antron Brown last week. It was close, but I don't like to settle. Now that the car has started running better I think everyone's confidence is going to return."
 
As for what he expects at Norwalk, Luca said, "We went to the semifinals there last year. It can be a tough race in terms of heat, but if there are clouds you can really make power there. One thing's for sure, the fans are going to pack the place. The fans are always great and the track always has its own excitement."
 
READY TO MOVE ON, ON TRACK AND OFF - White Alligator Racing owner-racer Jerry Savoie gave a "That's ancient history" shrug to his Pro Stock Motorcycle DNQ at Joliet. But he said he was glad that the NHRA made some forward-thinking history there with its establishment of a Pro Stock Motorcycle Technical Advisory Council, with vice president of technical operations Glen Gray as its chair. Other committee members are fellow riders Karen Stoffer and Hector Arana Sr., as well as team owners Byron Hines and George Bryce. The first meeting was last week at Route 66 Raceway.
 
"This is something this class has needed for quite some time, and I'm glad it's finally happened," Savoie said. "At the first meeting, it was great just to have an open dialogue where we could all share our opinions. We discussed a variety of subjects that affect all of the teams, and I'm hopeful that it will result in a class that is better for the team owners, riders, and the fans."
 
FAST JACK, FAST PROGRESS - Jack Beckman improved in the standings from fifth to third at last weekend's race at Joliet. He's 249 points behind leader Robert Hight and 153 in back of DSR teammate Ron Capps. Since Beckman was paired with crew chief Todd Smith, he has won at Topeka and had an impressive showing at Joliet. At Route 66, Beckman qualified third and produced the second quickest run in the first round of eliminations and then the quickest in the second round (before losing to eventual winner Jeff Arend). Beckman also distinguished himself at Bristol with top sped of the meet (313.66 mph). "I enjoy working with Todd," Beckman said. "Just look at how our team has done since he took over with a crew and driver he had never worked with before. That says a lot for him as a person. It's obvious he's a very smart, talented man. Just look what we've been able to do on the track." Beckman won the Funny Car trophy at Norwalk in 2009.
 
NO SULKING IN DRAG RACING - GEICO Suzuki rider Karen Stoffer said, "Racing back-to-back is tough. But it doesn't give you a lot of time to sulk and think about things for weeks on end. You get the chance to get right back out there on the bike." She Isn’t exactly sulking. Scrambling would be more like it. Her brand-new motor broke during her quarterfinal loss at Joliet, Ill., last weekend and she said she's "not sure what direction we're going to go with our engine program." She said her husband crew chief Gary Stoffer had planned to speak with the Vance & Hines operation, who supplies their motors and pow-wow about how to approach things. "Overall the bike has been good. We've just suffered a few breakages here and there," Karen Stoffer said. "We started the stretch with two really good motors and one pretty decent one. Now we're down one of the good ones. We've been working with Vance & Hines closely to make these motors better. Hopefully we can get to Norwalk and be strong," she said. "These Suzukis have to run on the ragged edge every single second to be competitive, and there's not of room for error right now." She's in seventh place in the standings.

< Prev		Next >