2012 NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS - EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY - BROWN, BECKMAN, ENDERS AND KRAWIEC WIN AT GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK
Antron Brown raced to his sixth Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park and in the process increased his championship points lead.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the event, the first race for NHRA in the St. Louis area in more than two years.
Brown defeated championship rival Spencer Massey in the final round and moved 21 points ahead of the Texas driver as only three races remain in the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Brown, who battled side-by-side with Massey all weekend, took the victory with a final round performance of 3.766 seconds at 325.22 mph in his Matco Tools/Aaron’s dragster, while Massey trailed with a 3.812 at 324.05 in his FRAM/Prestone dragster.
“Our team hit a grand slam here this weekend,” Brown said. “We qualified No. 1 and took it one round at a time. It was a great weekend, but it’s always a struggle. This class is very competitive, and these guys aren’t playing anymore. You have your struggles here and there, and you have to keep on overcoming them. I’m just so happy for our Aaron’s/Matco guys.”
Brown beat Bruce Litton, Steve Torrence and Brandon Bernstein in early rounds before unleashing his quickest run of the day in the final against Massey.
“It was a stressful day where we matched up against some great competition,” Brown said. “Matching up against my teammate [Massey] in the final was big – we’ve been back and forth in the points. It’s great to have six wins, but right now they’re all in the past. We need to go back to the shop and get focused on these last three races. It’s just so competitive out here and this points race is going to go down to the last race.”
Beckman moved to within 30 points of Funny Car points leader Ron Capps by racing to his third victory of the season. He took the final round win in his Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger over Matt Hagan, who fouled at the start in his DieHard Dodge Charger.
“It’s nice to know that we have a car that can challenge for the championship,” said Beckman, who beat Alexis DeJoria, Jeff Arend and Tony Pedregon to advance to the final round. “This wasn’t do-or-die, but it’s getting pretty close. I’m not saying we counted points, but we had a tablet going with a lot of cross marks and updated math. Losing to Capps by four-thousandths in Dallas hurt a lot, but today went a long way towards healing that. It’s awesome to know that we have three races to go and are only 30 points back. All we want is a fighting chance going into Pomona."
Points leader Capps lost in the second round to Hagan, a non-Countdown performer and the defending world champ who has now advanced to back-to-back final rounds in the playoffs. Beckman was surprised when he saw Hagan blast away from the line so early in the final.
“From my perspective, you’re ready to go up there and squeeze the trigger if anything happens,” Beckman said. “I heard noise, saw the red light come on, and saw the big DieHard logo from Matt’s car. We have a big respect for that car. Over the last four races, it might be the best-running car on average.”
In Pro Stock, Enders earned her fourth victory of the season and first ever in the playoffs by using a reaction time advantage to defeat series points leader Allen Johnson in the final round. She powered her GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt to a 6.540 at 211.79 to finish just inches in front of Johnson’s Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, who posted a quicker, but losing run of 6.538 at 212.13.
“This is the win I wanted to get in Texas last week, but I’ll take it,” Enders said. “We were definitely consistent this weekend and that’s why we got to the final so I could race my bud [Allen Johnson] and get to the winner’s circle.”
Enders outran Shane Gray, teammate Dave Connolly and event top qualifier Jason Line to advance to her second straight Countdown final round appearance.
“It is a total team effort every week,” she said. “My team is the reason why I get to do this. They’re great. They helped me get down a tricky track when other guys were getting in pedal-fests. We were a little behind performance-wise in the final, but we made a good run and I did my job.”
With the runner-up finish and third straight final round appearance in the Countdown playoffs, Johnson increased his series lead to 109 over Line, while Enders moved to third in the standings, 126 back of Johnson.
Krawiec claimed his seventh Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season and increased his points lead to 33 over his final round opponent and teammate, Andrew Hines. Krawiec took his 18th career victory when Hines fouled on his identically-prepared Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
Krawiec took three of his round wins via red-light starts by his opponents, including his first round win over Steve Johnson and second round win over Chip Ellis. Krawiec used a strong performance on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson to outrun Hector Arana Sr.’s Lucas Oil Buell in the semifinals.
“Andrew and I were lucky to take out the Hectors in the semis and that really helped us in the points,” Krawiec said. “I lost in Dallas due to rider error. I had a .066 light which is unacceptable. This week I was good on the tree and had a good bike which is what it takes to win some rounds. Yes, I had three red-lights against me here but I did well and all my runs were good. I pushed it a little in the final but I know the potential of what he [Andrew] has. He crushed me in Charlotte.”
The NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs continues with round four of six, Oct. 4-7 with the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.
SATURDAY - BROWN, BECKMAN, LINE AND ARANA JR. EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT MIDWEST NATIONALS
Antron Brown raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel capping a record-setting two days of qualifying at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also will lead their categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations as No. 1 qualifiers.
Brown will go for his second consecutive playoff victory and his sixth win of the season from the top spot as he holds a one point lead in the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship over playoff rival Spencer Massey, who was second in qualifying. Brown will race part-time driver Bruce Litton in the opening round.
“Tomorrow is going to be where all the marbles are counted,” Brown said. “We have a tough first round matchup. We struggled a little bit today getting our car slowed down when it got a little hotter, so we have our work cut out for us. The track has been really good, so tomorrow is going to be a good race day.”
Brown took his third No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 32nd of his career with his Friday track record performance of 3.737 seconds at 326.79 mph in his Matco Tools/Aaron’s dragster.
“Those qualifying points pay big dividends,” Brown said. “We came in here tied with Spencer, went back and forth, and came out of qualifying one point ahead. Spencer’s been trying to take my lunch money. We want every point we can get because they all add up when we come into Pomona [for the Countdown finale]. We were trying hard today to go low in each round. It didn’t go in our favor, but the .73 from last night put us No. 1.”
Massey was second with a 3.752 at 326.16 in the FRAM/Prestone dragster, while David Grubnic was third overall in his Optima Batteries dragster with a 3.773 at 317.94.
Beckman secured his third No. 1 qualifying position of the season in Funny Car with a track record time of 4.049 at 308.85 in his Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger.
“The awesome thing about getting qualified on Friday is getting the chance to come up with your race day tune-up,” Beckman said. “Qualifying No. 1 never hurts your chances, and making two good runs today and getting to try a new supercharger should help us out. I like that we’ve been able to qualify like this on a consistent basis, but we have to convert. We have to turn this into round-wins.”
Beckman, who will race rookie Alexis DeJoria in the opening round, hopes to take advantage of his top qualifying effort during eliminations so he can improve on his third place points position in the Countdown playoffs.
“We have four races left and that’s 16 rounds, assuming that you get to the final round each time,” Beckman said. “We’re five rounds out of the lead right now, and we’re not racing for second place. The pressure is squarely on us.”
John Force qualified second in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang with a 4.060 at 308.35, while defending world champ Matt Hagan was third with a 4.061 at 305.42 in his DieHard/Aaron’s Charger. Funny Car points leader Ron Capps will start sixth and meet teammate Johnny Gray in the opening round.
Line earned his sixth No. 1 of the season and 30th of his career in Pro Stock, powering to a track record performance of 6.496 at 213.47 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro. He will meet Jeg Coughlin in the opening round.
“That [6.49] was the best corrected run we’ve ever made,” Line said. “It was about as close to perfect as you can get. Our Camaro finally come around. It’s a great car at least for this weekend. Today, is the first time that I feel like the Camaro is as good as our old Pontiac. Greg’s car still needs a little work, but mine was as good as it gets. This car has come a long way.”
Line says with Series leader Allen Johnson’s extended lead in the standings, he’s trying to grab every available point on the table.
“Obviously, we’re working on trying to get the three little [qualifying bonus] points,” Line said. “All little points matter, but you really have to get the big points tomorrow in order to have a shot at the championship. I just have to do a good job driving and make it happen.”
Johnson was second overall with a 6.516 at 212.76 in the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, while Line’s teammate, Greg Anderson, moved into third with a 6.517 at 212.36 in his Summit Racing Camaro. Erica Enders will start fourth in her GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana Jr. took his third No. 1 of the season and second in a row with a track record time of 6.809 at 196.50 on his Lucas Oil Buell. He will face John Hall in the first round.
“The conditions were great and we were able to tune from last night’s run and we were able to make adjustments so as you’ve seen we ran better today,” said Arana Jr. of his ninth career to qualifying position. “You always hope you’ll run quicker but I was a bit surprise that we ran that fast. I did not think we’d go a 6.80.”
Arana Jr. feels confident as he goes for his first win of the season and tries to move up in the points standings. He hasn’t made it past the semis in each of his other two races this season when he was the top qualifier.
“I’ve been riding well and the bike is running well,” Arana Jr. said. “We just need to be consistent. I am not thinking about what happened before. I’m looking forward and living in the present.”
Hector Arana Sr. was second with a 6.827 at a track record speed of 196.56 on his Lucas Oil Buell and is followed by the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson tandem of points leader Eddie Krawiec in third and Andrew Hines in fourth.
TOP FUEL
1 3 Antron Brown, Indianapolis IN, DSR-TFX 3.737@ 326.79& 326.79
2 2 Spencer Massey, Ft. Worth TX, DSR-TFX 3.752 326.16 326.16
3 44 David Grubnic, Ypsilanti MI, Attac-TFX 3.773 317.94 317.94
4 5 Tony Schumacher, Chicago IL, DSR-TFX 3.775 325.69 325.69
5 22 Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti MI, Hadman-AJPE 3.795 325.53 325.53
6 9 Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX 3.799 318.54 318.92
7 99 Khalid alBalooshi, Los Angeles CA, Hadman-TFX 3.837 320.51 320.51
8 475 Steve Torrence, Kilgore TX, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.92 318.92
9 12 Bob Vandergriff, Alpharetta GA, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.77 318.77
10 91 Larry Dixon, Avon IN, McKinney-TFX 3.840 312.50 314.90
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
FUNNY CAR
1 2 Jack Beckman, Norco CA, '12 Charger 4.049@ 308.85 308.85
2 9 John Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.060 308.35 308.35
3 1 Matt Hagan, Christiansburg VA, '12 Charger 4.061 305.42 305.42
4 746 Courtney Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.073 309.70 309.70
5 7 Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, '12 Mustang 4.077 309.63 309.63
6 28 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '12 Charger 4.083 309.34 309.34
7 4 Robert Hight, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.090 312.06 312.06
8 8 Jeff Arend, La Verne CA, '12 Camry 4.095 312.93& 312.93
9 3 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '12 Camry 4.100 305.29 305.29
10 10 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '12 Mustang 4.115 293.03 302.75
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
PRO STOCK
1 1 Jason Line, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.496@ 213.47& 213.47
2 4 Allen Johnson, Greeneville TN, '12 Avenger 6.516 212.76 212.76
3 3 Greg Anderson, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.517 212.36 212.36
4 6 Erica Enders, New Orleans LA, '10 Cobalt 6.519 211.83 212.23
5 51 Dave Connolly, Davidson NC, '10 Cobalt 6.527 211.99 211.99
6 5 Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills NY, '12 Avenger 6.530 212.33 212.33
7 2 Mike Edwards, Coweta OK, '09 GXP 6.532 211.73 212.26
8 256 Buddy Perkinson, Hopewell VA, '09 GXP 6.536 212.09 212.09
9 55 V. Gaines, Lakewood CO, '12 Avenger 6.548 210.47 211.66
10 13 Larry Morgan, Newark OH, '12 Mustang 6.553 210.54 210.93
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1 2 Hector Arana Jr, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.809@ 195.70 196.50
2 5 Hector Arana, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.827 196.56& 196.56
3 1 Eddie Krawiec, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.839 194.77 195.56
4 3 Andrew Hines, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.862 195.00 195.00
5 6 Karen Stoffer, Gardnerville NV, Suzuki TL1000R 6.877 193.40 193.40
6 200 Chip Ellis, Brownsburg IN, Buell XB9R 6.882 194.32 194.32
7 205 Shawn Gann, Stoneville NC, Buell XB9R 6.886 194.88 194.88
8 635 Scotty Pollacheck, Medford OR, Buell XB12R 6.886 190.16 190.16
9 413 Michael Ray, New Braunfels TX, Buell XB9R 6.887 191.95 191.95
10 7 LE Tonglet, Metairie LA, Suzuki GSXR 6.888 193.18 193.18
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
PRO MODIFIED
1 3382 Don Walsh, Wixom MI, t'11 Mustang 5.816 255.43 255.43
2 770 Donald Martin, Lake Forest CA, *'68 Camaro 5.861 247.84 247.84
3 777 Leah Pruett, Lawrenceville GA, t'12 Mustang 5.880 251.06 251.06
4 2 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, *'68 Camaro 5.886 247.25 247.38
5 1794 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, n'12 Camaro 5.911 241.20 241.20
6 24 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, t'68 Camaro 5.924 248.43 255.43
7 5011 Mike Knowles, Grand Junction CO, *'68 Camaro 5.954 246.75 246.75
8 1090 Raymond Commisso, Toronto ON, *'68 Camaro 5.968 243.63 245.32
9 1456 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, *'10 Mustang 5.969 244.07 244.07
10 1518 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, *'69 Daytona 5.988 246.03 246.03
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
THIRD SESSION
TOP FUEL
1 3 Antron Brown, Indianapolis IN, DSR-TFX 3.737@ 326.79& 326.79
2 2 Spencer Massey, Ft. Worth TX, DSR-TFX 3.752 326.16 326.16
3 44 David Grubnic, Ypsilanti MI, Attac-TFX 3.773 317.94 317.94
4 5 Tony Schumacher, Chicago IL, DSR-TFX 3.775 325.69 325.69
5 22 Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti MI, Hadman-AJPE 3.795 325.53 325.53
6 9 Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX 3.799 318.54 318.54
7 99 Khalid alBalooshi, Los Angeles CA, Hadman-TFX 3.837 320.51 320.51
8 475 Steve Torrence, Kilgore TX, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.92 318.92
9 12 Bob Vandergriff, Alpharetta GA, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.77 318.77
10 91 Larry Dixon, Avon IN, McKinney-TFX 3.840 312.50 314.90
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
FUNNY CAR
1 2 Jack Beckman, Norco CA, '12 Charger 4.049@ 308.85 308.85
2 9 John Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.060 308.35 308.35
3 1 Matt Hagan, Christiansburg VA, '12 Charger 4.061 305.42 305.42
4 746 Courtney Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.073 309.70 309.70
5 7 Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, '12 Mustang 4.077 309.63 309.63
6 28 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '12 Charger 4.083 309.34 309.34
7 4 Robert Hight, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.090 312.06 312.06
8 8 Jeff Arend, La Verne CA, '12 Camry 4.095 312.93& 312.93
9 3 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '12 Camry 4.100 305.29 305.29
10 10 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '12 Mustang 4.115 293.03 301.13
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
PRO STOCK
1 1 Jason Line, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.496@ 213.47& 213.47
2 4 Allen Johnson, Greeneville TN, '12 Avenger 6.516 212.76 212.76
3 3 Greg Anderson, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.517 212.36 212.36
4 6 Erica Enders, New Orleans LA, '10 Cobalt 6.519 211.83 211.86
5 51 Dave Connolly, Davidson NC, '10 Cobalt 6.527 211.99 211.99
6 5 Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills NY, '12 Avenger 6.530 212.33 212.33
7 256 Buddy Perkinson, Hopewell VA, '09 GXP 6.536 212.09 212.09
8 2 Mike Edwards, Coweta OK, '09 GXP 6.541 211.76 212.26
9 55 V. Gaines, Lakewood CO, '12 Avenger 6.548 210.47 211.66
10 13 Larry Morgan, Newark OH, '12 Mustang 6.553 210.54 210.93
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1 2 Hector Arana Jr, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.809@ 195.70 195.70
2 5 Hector Arana, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.827 196.56& 196.56
3 1 Eddie Krawiec, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.839 194.77 195.56
4 3 Andrew Hines, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.862 195.00 195.00
5 6 Karen Stoffer, Gardnerville NV, Suzuki TL1000R 6.877 193.40 193.40
6 200 Chip Ellis, Brownsburg IN, Buell XB9R 6.882 194.32 194.32
7 205 Shawn Gann, Stoneville NC, Buell XB9R 6.886 194.88 194.88
8 635 Scotty Pollacheck, Medford OR, Buell XB12R 6.886 190.16 190.16
9 7 LE Tonglet, Metairie LA, Suzuki GSXR 6.888 193.18 193.18
10 413 Michael Ray, New Braunfels TX, Buell XB9R 6.905 190.30 190.78
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
SPORTSMAN
COMP (FINAL)
1 5 K/A Clint Neff, Arvada CO, '23-T Ford 7.619 8.36 -0.741
2 34 C/SM Chuck Haubiel, Gahanna OH, '10 Cobalt 8.098 8.76 -0.662
3 5250 A/SMA Todd Patterson, Augusta KS, '10 Cobalt 7.822 8.48 -0.658
4 277 B/SM Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange TN, '09 Sunfi 7.952 8.60 -0.648
5 5008 E/SM Travis Gusso, Sioux Falls SD, '10 Cobalt 8.425 9.07 -0.645
6 394 B/ED Greg Kamplain, Brownsburg IN, Spitzer-Che 6.836 7.48 -0.644
7 5021 G/AA Terry Ticel, Lawrence KS, '10 GXP 8.208 8.85 -0.642
8 10 E/SM Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs IN, '10 Cobalt 8.428 9.07 -0.642
9 4 A/EA David Rampy, Piedmont AL, '32 Bantam 7.191 7.83 -0.639
10 3 DD/AT Bruno Massel, Woodbridge IL, '10 Cobalt 6.984 7.62 -0.636
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
SUPER COMP (RD. 1 WINNERS)
1 3297 S/C Danny Tool, Jacksonville IL, '01 Mustang 8.905 8.90 0.005
2 488B S/C Luke Bogacki, Carterville IL, American-Ch 8.906 8.90 0.006
3 34 S/C Ray Connolly, Elyria OH, American-Chevy 8.908 8.90 0.008
4 5707 S/C Michael Eggleston, Highland Il, RaceCraft 8.910 8.90 0.010
5 2920 S/C Edmond Richardson, Greenbrier TN, America 8.911 8.90 0.011
6 2124 S/C Jeff Strickland, Red Bay AL, American-Che 8.915 8.90 0.015
7 360H S/C Don Higgins, Mapleton IL, Yancer-Chevy 8.915 8.90 0.015
8 54 S/C Chris Brown, Wichita KS, Undercover-Chevy 8.915 8.90 0.015
9 3633 S/C Brian Folk, Durand IL, American-Chevy 8.918 8.90 0.018
10 389A S/C Larry Bernshausen, Manito IL, Gebhardt-Ch 8.919 8.90 0.019
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
SUPER GAS (RD. 1 WINNERS)
1 579 S/G Dan Eichem, Wamego KS, '67 Nova 9.900 9.90 0.000
2 534 S/G Greg Teel, Quincy IL, '66 Falcon 9.902 9.90 0.002
3 3335 S/G Scott Deffenbaugh, Lebanon IN, '66 Nova 9.902 9.90 0.002
4 33 S/G Ray Connolly, Elyria OH, '63 Corvette 9.905 9.90 0.005
5 5770 S/G Jarod Bowman, Marion IA, '00 Corvette 9.906 9.90 0.006
6 395 S/G Alan Bush, Erie IL, '77 Nova 9.911 9.90 0.011
7 4888 S/G Robby Lopez, Irving TX, '63 Corvette 9.912 9.90 0.012
8 5159 S/G David Nelson, Hannibal MO, '99 Camaro 9.914 9.90 0.014
9 525G S/G Darryl Sutton, Moscow Hills MO, '96 Grand 9.914 9.90 0.014
10 5377 S/G Dan Huellewig, St. Paul MN, '32 Ford 9.915 9.90 0.015
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
FRIDAY - BROWN, BECKMAN, LINE AND ARANA JR. LEAD QUALIFYING IN ST. LOUIS
Top Fuel racer Antron Brown led a record-setting day of qualifying Friday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Brown and the rest of the NHRA teams took advantage of cool fall temperatures in the St. Louis area that led to a parade of track records in all four Full Throttle Series classes. It is the first time drag racing’s marquee circuit has visited the multi-purpose motorsports facility that sits just beside the Mississippi river and in view of the famed Gateway Arch in more than two years.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the third of six playoff races in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship.
Brown powered his Matco Tools/Aaron's dragster to a track record performance of 3.737 seconds at 326.79 mph to qualify just in front of his teammate and championship rival Spencer Massey, who was second with a 3.752 at 326.16 in his FRAM/Prestone dragster.
“We made the third-quickest run in history on a track we haven’t ran on in two years, which is a credit to the Gateway staff and the NHRA Safety Safari,” Brown said. “When I stepped on the gas, the car picked up and took off with no hesitation. I felt instant wheel speed. It hunkered down after 60 feet and never stopped accelerating. I took a little peek up at the scoreboard and saw that .73. Underneath my helmet, I was like, ‘Yeah, boy!’ I felt like Flavor Flav. We’re just beside ourselves, and we’re riding that wave.”
Brown and Massey entered the event tied at the top of the Top Fuel standings, but Brown now holds a two-point lead by virtue of his better qualifying effort today.
“This is the way you want to start,” Brown said. “We never ran that quick before. We got pretty much everything out of that run. Hats off to Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald] – our crew chiefs – and our Matco Tools/Aaron’s boys for doing a bang-up job. I’m pretty stoked about it. I’m very blessed to be on this team.”
David Grubnic posted a 3.773 at 317.94 in his Optima Batteries dragster for third overall, while seven-time Top Fuel world champ Tony Schumacher was fourth with a 3.775 at 325.69 in his U.S. Army dragster.
In Funny Car, Beckman led the field with a track record time of 4.049 at 308.85 in his Valvoline/NextGen Dodge Charger.
“The reaction from the three guys who pick me up in the tow vehicle and the rest of the guys in the pits after a run like that makes it all worthwhile,” Beckman said. “I think that tracks get unfairly over- or underrated simply based on the numbers that come up on the scoreboard which has more to do with the time that we run there than the actual racing surface. I think it’s cool that St. Louis gets a chance to show off with good atmospheric conditions. I also think it’s great that the people in this area get a chance to attend a Countdown race.”
John Force was second in Funny Car qualifying with a 4.060 at 308.35 in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang and was followed by defending world champ Matt Hagan, who posted a 4.061 at 305.42 in his Aaron’s/Mopar Dodge Charger. Series points leader Ron Capps was sixth in his NAPA Auto Parts Charger, covering the distance in 4.083 at 309.34.
Line set both ends of the Pro Stock track record in moving to the top of the order with a performance of 6.514 at 212.76 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro.
“All and all it was a good day for both of the Summit cars,” Line said. “We’re getting better with the new Camaro but we still have a ways to go. Greg (Anderson) is still a tick behind but at least we understand these cars and we know what to do to make them better. We had a fairly high barometer today which is great for Pro Stock. I felt like a 6.4 run was out there but none of us did that good of a job to get there. Tomorrow we won’t be quite that conservative.”
Series points leader and Dallas winner Allen Johnson was second in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger with a 6.516 at 212.76, while three-time season winner Erica Enders was third in her GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt, posting a 6.519 at 211.83.
Arana Jr. set a track record time of 6.826 at 195.19 on his Lucas Oil Buell to lead Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying.
“This is my first time out here and it’s been great so far,” Arana Jr. said. “It’s really great but the most important thing is to be consistent and have success on Sunday. That’s what we’re gonna work on. We need to go rounds on race day. [Coming to a new track is] fun; it’s something new and different. That was what I went through at every race last year. It’s always fun to go to a new track and it gives you more knowledge. Every track is different and this one feels good so far.”
Hector Arana Sr. set a track speed record on his Lucas Oil Buell at 196.56 and was second overall with a time of 6.827. Series points leader Eddie Krawiec was third with a 6.839 at 194.77 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, while his teammate Andrew Hines was fourth with a 6.862 at 195.00 on his Harley-Davidson. Dallas winner Michael Ray was 12th with a 6.947 at 190.78 on his Viper Motorcycle Company Buell.
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday’s eliminations start at 11 a.m.
TOP FUEL
1 3 Antron Brown, Indianapolis IN, DSR-TFX 3.737@ 326.79& 326.79
2 2 Spencer Massey, Ft. Worth TX, DSR-TFX 3.752 326.16 326.16
3 44 David Grubnic, Ypsilanti MI, Attac-TFX 3.773 317.94 317.94
4 5 Tony Schumacher, Chicago IL, DSR-TFX 3.775 325.69 325.69
5 22 Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti MI, Hadman-AJPE 3.795 325.53 325.53
6 9 Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX 3.799 318.54 318.54
7 99 Khalid alBalooshi, Los Angeles CA, Hadman-TFX 3.837 320.51 320.51
8 475 Steve Torrence, Kilgore TX, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.92 318.92
9 12 Bob Vandergriff, Alpharetta GA, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.77 318.77
10 91 Larry Dixon, Avon IN, McKinney-TFX 3.840 312.50 314.90
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
FUNNY CAR
1 2 Jack Beckman, Norco CA, '12 Charger 4.049@ 308.85 308.85
2 9 John Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.060 308.35 308.35
3 1 Matt Hagan, Christiansburg VA, '12 Charger 4.061 305.42 305.42
4 746 Courtney Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.073 309.70 309.70
5 7 Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, '12 Mustang 4.077 309.63 309.63
6 28 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '12 Charger 4.083 309.34 309.34
7 4 Robert Hight, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.090 312.06 312.06
8 8 Jeff Arend, La Verne CA, '12 Camry 4.095 312.93& 312.93
9 3 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '12 Camry 4.100 305.29 305.29
10 10 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '12 Mustang 4.115 293.03 301.13
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PRO STOCK
1 1 Jason Line, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.514@ 212.53& 212.76
2 4 Allen Johnson, Greeneville TN, '12 Avenger 6.516 212.76 212.76
3 6 Erica Enders, New Orleans LA, '10 Cobalt 6.519 211.83 211.83
4 51 Dave Connolly, Davidson NC, '10 Cobalt 6.527 211.99 211.99
5 5 Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills NY, '12 Avenger 6.530 212.33 212.33
6 3 Greg Anderson, Mooresville NC, '12 Camaro 6.533 211.83 211.83
7 256 Buddy Perkinson, Hopewell VA, '09 GXP 6.536 212.09 212.09
8 2 Mike Edwards, Coweta OK, '09 GXP 6.541 211.76 212.26
9 55 V. Gaines, Lakewood CO, '12 Avenger 6.548 210.47 210.47
10 13 Larry Morgan, Newark OH, '12 Mustang 6.553 210.54 210.93
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PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1 2 Hector Arana Jr, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.826@ 195.19 195.19
2 5 Hector Arana, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.827 196.56& 196.56
3 1 Eddie Krawiec, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.839 194.77 194.77
4 3 Andrew Hines, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.862 195.00 195.00
5 200 Chip Ellis, Brownsburg IN, Buell XB9R 6.882 194.32 194.32
6 205 Shawn Gann, Stoneville NC, Buell XB9R 6.886 194.88 194.88
7 635 Scotty Pollacheck, Medford OR, Buell XB12R 6.886 190.16 190.16
8 7 LE Tonglet, Metairie LA, Suzuki GSXR 6.888 193.18 193.18
9 6 Karen Stoffer, Gardnerville NV, Suzuki TL1000R 6.899 192.49 192.49
10 10 Jim Underdahl, Forest Lake MN, Suzuki TL1000R 6.912 194.07 194.07
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PRO MODIFIED
1 3382 Don Walsh, Wixom MI, t'11 Mustang 5.816@ 255.43 255.43
2 770 Donald Martin, Lake Forest CA, *'68 Camaro 5.861 247.84 247.84
3 777 Leah Pruett, Lawrenceville GA, t'12 Mustang 5.880 251.06 251.06
4 2 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, *'68 Camaro 5.886 247.25 247.38
5 1794 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, n'12 Camaro 5.911 241.20 241.20
6 24 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, t'68 Camaro 5.924 248.43& 255.43
7 1090 Raymond Commisso, Toronto ON, *'68 Camaro 5.968 243.63 243.63
8 5011 Mike Knowles, Grand Junction CO, *'68 Camaro 5.971 244.69 244.69
9 1518 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, *'69 Daytona 5.991 245.09 245.09
10 43 Rickie Smith, King NC, n'12 Camaro 6.009 212.23 212.23
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FIRST SESSION
TOP FUEL
1 5 Tony Schumacher, Chicago IL, DSR-TFX 3.793@ 314.09 314.09
2 9 Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX 3.799 318.54 318.54
3 3 Antron Brown, Indianapolis IN, DSR-TFX 3.817 321.04& 321.04
4 99 Khalid alBalooshi, Los Angeles CA, Hadman-TFX 3.837 320.51 320.51
5 475 Steve Torrence, Kilgore TX, Hadman-TFX 3.840 318.92 318.92
6 91 Larry Dixon, Avon IN, McKinney-TFX 3.840 312.50 312.50
7 2 Spencer Massey, Ft. Worth TX, DSR-TFX 3.848 310.55 310.55
8 255 Clay Millican, Drummonds TN, Hadman-BAE 3.893 312.35 312.35
9 21 Terry McMillen, Elkhart IN, McKinney-TFX 3.896 310.20 310.20
10 22 Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti MI, Hadman-AJPE 3.901 312.78 312.78
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FUNNY CAR
1 3 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '12 Camry 4.100 305.29 305.29
2 10 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '12 Mustang 4.115 293.03 293.03
3 31 Johnny Gray, Artesia NM, '12 Charger 4.131 304.60 304.60
4 5 Mike Neff, Indianapolis IN, '12 Mustang 4.138 305.63 305.63
5 1 Matt Hagan, Christiansburg VA, '12 Charger 4.141 293.28 293.28
6 746 Courtney Force, Yorba Linda CA, '12 Mustang 4.148 282.13 282.13
7 2 Jack Beckman, Norco CA, '12 Charger 4.155 279.90 279.90
8 72 Tony Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '12 Camry 4.188 286.92 286.92
9 7 Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, '12 Mustang 4.217 289.26 289.26
10 302 Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher IL, '09 Impala 4.242 287.53 287.53
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PRO STOCK
1 2 Hector Arana Jr, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.854 192.60 192.60
2 3 Andrew Hines, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.862 195.00 195.00
3 1 Eddie Krawiec, Avon IN, Harley V-Rod 6.863 194.41 194.41
4 5 Hector Arana, Milltown IN, Buell XB9R 6.874 194.86 194.86
5 635 Scotty Pollacheck, Medford OR, Buell XB12R 6.886 190.16 190.16
6 10 Jim Underdahl, Forest Lake MN, Suzuki TL1000R 6.912 194.04 194.04
7 751 Steve Johnson, Birmingham AL, Suzuki TL1000 6.929 193.43 193.43
8 200 Chip Ellis, Brownsburg IN, Buell XB9R 6.935 192.30 192.30
9 7 LE Tonglet, Metairie LA, Suzuki GSXR 6.939 191.97 191.97
10 8 Jerry Savoie, Cut Off LA, Suzuki Hayabusa 6.953 192.06 192.06
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PRO MODIFIED
1 3382 Don Walsh, Wixom MI, t'11 Mustang 5.816@ 255.43 255.43
2 770 Donald Martin, Lake Forest CA, *'68 Camaro 5.861 247.84 247.84
3 2 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, *'68 Camaro 5.887 247.38 247.38
4 1794 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, n'12 Camaro 5.911 241.20 241.20
5 777 Leah Pruett, Lawrenceville GA, t'12 Mustang 5.918 250.78 250.78
6 24 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, t'68 Camaro 5.964 255.43& 255.43
7 5011 Mike Knowles, Grand Junction CO, *'68 Camaro 5.971 244.69 244.69
8 1518 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, *'69 Daytona 5.991 245.09 245.09
9 43 Rickie Smith, King NC, n'12 Camaro 6.009 212.23 212.23
10 1456 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, *'10 Mustang 6.021 214.18 214.18
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SPORTSMAN
COMP (SESSION 1)
1 34 C/SM Chuck Haubiel, Gahanna OH, '10 Cobalt 8.098 8.76 -0.662
2 5021 G/AA Terry Ticel, Lawrence KS, '10 GXP 8.208 8.85 -0.642
3 10 E/SM Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs IN, '10 Cobalt 8.428 9.07 -0.642
4 394 B/ED Greg Kamplain, Brownsburg IN, Spitzer-Che 6.845 7.48 -0.635
5 358 L/AA David Billingsley, Decatur IL, '93 Cutlass 8.713 9.34 -0.627
6 4 A/EA David Rampy, Piedmont AL, '32 Bantam 7.207 7.83 -0.623
7 717 I/SM Mike DePalma, Glendale AZ, '89 Trans Am 8.964 9.57 -0.606
8 37 A/ED Robert Bailey, Wabash IN, Agan-GM 6.556 7.16 -0.604
9 346 A/EA Mike Farrell, Louisville KY, '32 Bantam 7.227 7.83 -0.603
10 5008 E/SM Travis Gusso, Sioux Falls SD, '10 Cobalt 8.493 9.07 -0.577
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SUPER STOCK (FINAL)
1 3903 SS/AAA Ray Skillman, Greenwood IN, '10 Mustang 8.237 9.40 -1.163 2 5214 SS/GM Doug Engels, Watertown SD, '57 Corvette 9.259 10.30 -1.041 3 2039 GT/TC Matt Hoover, Adamsville TN, '01 S-10 10.128 11.10 -0.972 4 324 SS/A Brandon Wilkinson, Bowling Green KY, '68 8.684 9.65 -0.966 5 541 GT/BA Larry DeForrest, Ramsey MN, '05 Cavalier 9.294 10.25 -0.956 6 344 GT/CA Thomas Randall, Montgomery IL, '02 Cavali 9.447 10.40 -0.953 7 2207 GT/IA Jeff Taylor, Sellersburg IN, '88 Camaro 10.251 11.20 -0.949 8 3306 SS/KA Larry Hodge, La Place IL, '84 Monte Carlo 10.310 11.25 -0.940 9 397M GT/BA Brina Splingaire, N. Riverside IL, '08 Co 9.321 10.25 -0.929 10 5002 GT/MA Mike Town, Paola KS, '84 Regal 10.840 11.75 -0.910
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STOCK (FINAL)
1 3639 B/SA Nick Folk, Durand IL, '02 Corvette 10.205 11.25 -1.045 2 5250 BB/SA Todd Patterson, Augusta KS, '12 Camaro 9.285 10.30 -1.015 3 8 AA/SA Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs IN, '12 Mustang 8.990 10.00 -1.010 4 3355 R/S Timothy Weinzapfel, Mount Vernon IN, '66 12.993 13.95 -0.957 5 3492 J/S Donnie Beeler, Elizabethtown KY, '91 Corv 11.413 12.35 -0.937 6 3391 E/SA Jerry Bennett, Hickory KY, '62 Savoy 10.795 11.70 -0.905 7 3337 K/SA Mike Morgan, Brazil IN, '76 Firebird 11.759 12.65 -0.891 8 5033 K/SA Rachelle Thibert, Louisburg KS, '81 Malibu11.760 12.65 -0.890 9 3023 G/SA William Belanger, Taylorsville KY, '69 No 11.114 12.00 -0.886 10 286T C/SA Jeff Taylor, Sellersburg IN, '96 Corvette 10.530 11.40 -0.870
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