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

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK -

JOHNSON WORKS HIS MAGIC ON THE MOUNTAIN AGAIN - When it comes to racing at Bandimere Raceway, if your name is Allen Johnson, losing is not an option.

Johnson, the Mopar-sponsored driver, who lives in the mountains on the East Coast in Greeneville, Tenn., continued his dominance at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals by thundering to his fifth win in seven years at the race staged outside of Denver, Co.

In a rematch of last year’s final round, Johnson ran a 6.985 to defeat V. Gaines, who posted a competitive 7.015.

Johnson had no reservations about placing credit where it was due.

“The Expresslane Dodge Avenger crew is the reason for that,” explained Johnson. “All of the guys at both the engine and chassis shop and everything they put in for this event, they are determined to win it every year. I give all of the glory to them and the Man upstairs.”

Johnson has made winning the Mile-High Nationals look like a work of art and he’s the Picasso of horsepower at high altitude. He’s quick to point out the first stroke of his latest masterpiece wasn’t a beauty.

Johnson believes the monumental changes needed to make a car run at Bandimere can trip up even the most seasoned and successful racer.

“It showed in my first run,” Johnson admitted. “Jeggie tested my car and his up here last week and I didn’t even come. I got it right after that and the crew got it right, and we have some guys who have caught us up here. We are going to have to work harder next year. We are really thrilled to come out of here with a win for Mopar on their 25th anniversary.

“For Mopar and the Bandimere Family, having that marriage for 25 years … we wanted to win for that marriage. We pulled it off. Very happy.”

In a weekend which is filled with sponsor appearances, including the popular Mopar Block Party, and media responsibilities, Johnson said he’s learned over the last seven years how to compartmentalize.

“It’s the reason they call us professionals,” he explained. “You have to be able to pick a time to be able to cut all of that off. My time for that was probably last night. I went and had a quiet dinner, and put on the race face and got my mind straight. From that point on, all I thought of was cutting a light and doing my job.”

While the objective of winning was clearly on his mind, the only driver who has been able to knock him from his perch atop Mt. Bandimere in seven years, Mike Edwards, was in the back of his mind.

Edwards was also in the mind of crew chief Mark Ingersoll.

Because there were 15 cars entered for the event, Johnson’s No. 1 qualifying position rewarded him with a first-round bye run. He used the run to prepare for a potential match for Edwards by stepping outside of his left lane comfort zone.

“[Crewchief] Mark [Ingersoll] hollered back at me on the radio and said he felt the right lane was the best in case we didn’t get lane choice against Mike,” Johnson said. “What do you think about the right? I told him he was the expert and I would go wherever he put me. We made the decision and it paid dividends because we were put in the right against Mike. We gained a round worth of data there and it proved to be the right decision.”

Edwards knocked off Jeggie Coughlin in the opening round, setting up a clash of the Pro Stock titans. Johnson took matters in his own hands and knocked off Edwards.

“I really wish my teammate would have done it in the first round, and one of us could go on to win the race and gain more points on him,” said Johnson. “For me to be able to do it was huge. There have only been two times I didn’t have lane choice in the last five years, and that race was one of them. The other time was two years ago against Mike and I lost. He’s the only guy who has beaten me in seven years. It felt huge to win.”

And when it comes to winning on the mountain, no one is bigger than Johnson.

GANN FINALLY CAPTURES ANOTHER PS MOTORCYCLE WIN - Excuse Shawn Gann for not knowing what it felt like to win an NHRA national event.

Before this weekend, Gann had won four Pro Stock Motorcycle national events, but his last victory was way back in 2004 at the Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo., near Denver.

On Sunday, Gann finally returned to the winners circle – at the Mile-High Nationals, no less.

Gann upset point leader Hector Arana Jr. in the finals at Bandimere Speedway, which is 5,860 feet above sea level.

Gann clocked a 7.351-second elapsed time at 181.08 mph. Arana Jr. posted a mark of 7.376 seconds at 182.11 mph in a runner-up effort. There also was a huge difference at the starting line as Gann had an .055 reaction time to Arana’s .197.

Arana Jr.’s motorcycle bogged down off the starting line with a mechanical issue. Both Gann and Arana Jr. ride Buells.

“I tell you what - if you have power, you can’t hide it, you can’t lie about it, you can’t sweep it under the rug,” Gann, 35, said. “If you got it, you got it and the mountain shows it.”

Gann has been to 14 NHRA final rounds in his career, which started in 2000. His last final-round appearance before Sunday was at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., in 2010 where he lost to Eddie Krawiec.

“This is unbelievable,” said Gann about his win Sunday. “Because in our situation with the parity in our class this is the first year it has really been true. I really believe for the last few years it has not been exactly right, but it is right now and that is all that matters.”

Gann was quick to credit his father/crew chief Blake Gann for making his latest improbable win possible on his PiranaZ Racing Buell.

“My daddy is unbelievable,” Gann said. “It doesn’t matter if it is making a dog house, making something out of Popsicle sticks, making something out of a volcano, it doesn’t matter. My daddy can make anything.”

Gann’s trip to victory lane seemed even more unlikely when he made just two qualifying runs, one which left him qualified No. 5 at 7.298 seconds.

“I’m the heaviest driver here (in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class), but I make my own clutch,” said Gann, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 175 pounds. “Not only do I have a whole bunch of weight to stick it to the ground, I have the clutch to tell what to do that I made.”

Gann moved up from 11th to ninth in the point standings.

“If you give up then you never get to catch the drought and I have done caught it now buddy,” said Gann, who is from Stoneville, N.C. “It is on.”   

THREE HATS WORK AS ONE FOR THE CRUZER - Cruz Pedregon admits he has three hats to wear during the week. Monday through Thursdays he wears his owner hat. He’s the driver when he leaves the pit area and there’s also Juan Mota, his alter ego and high salary crew chief.

“Having more fun now than I’ve ever had,” said Pedregon.

Sunday, at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals, he wore all three hats and filled the triple roles superbly in scoring a third national event victory in four 2013 finals.

Pedregon ran a 4.233, 295.46 to beat Bob Tasca III in the final round of the race hosted by Bandimere Speedway located outside of Denver, Co.

This wasn’t a run of the mill victory for the driver of the Snap-on Tools Franchise-sponsored Toyota Funny Car.

Pedregon threw down the gauntlet Friday by running a 4.073 to secure his third pole position of the season and smash his previous track record by almost .02 of a second. On Sunday, he was the quickest Funny Car in three of four rounds.

“That’s a big deal up here,” Pedregon said. “It’s pretty cool to win in that fashion.”

Pedregon defeated Todd Simpson, Ron Capps and Del Worsham to reach the finals against Tasca. He lost lane choice in the final round, something he didn’t fret over.

“I watched Robert Hight race Tasca in the semis, and watched Robert get loose in the lane we were in,” Pedregon explained. “I was surprised Tasca took the left, but they were smart in sticking to the same lane. When we had to move over, there was zero concern on our part.”

Pedregon said he cured the ills brought on by losing in the first round of the last three events. He broke a lot of parts and the car as a result underperformed.

One key to getting the train back on the track was in assigning veteran nitro mechanic/tuner Johnny West to the role of getting his team back in order during pit area routines.

“I figured let’s bring Johnny in to make us better and he’s already improved our team from a mechanical aspect,” Pedregon said.

Pedregon said he’s happy to kick off the Western Swing with a victory.

“I’m a California guy,” Pedregon said. “I was raised in Southern California. This event win has eluded us for a while and by winning, we are taking a bit of pressure off headed into Sonoma and Seattle.”

MASSEY MASTERS BANDIMERE’S MOUNTAIN AGAIN - Spencer Massey and his Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel team were in a mini slump before this weekend.

Massey, who drives the Schumacher Electric dragster, lost in the first round at Chicago and second round at Norwalk, Ohio.

Those losses were a distant memory Sunday evening.

Massey captured the title at the Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo., near Denver.

Massey beat Bob Vandergriff Jr. in the final round with a pass of 3.974-seconds at 309.27 mph. Vandergriff came in at 4.029 seconds.

“Crew chiefs have to change everything on the race car,” said Massey about the challenge of racing at Bandimere Speedway presents. “Basically everything in the trailer right now that we have in the race car is going to be taken apart and put aside for next year when we come back out here. You have to be focused and do your job and four times in a row (Sunday) we did it.”

This was Massey’s third win this season and 13th of his career. He also won in the 5,860-foot altitude of Bandimere in 2011.

Massey qualified No. 9 and proceeded to defeat Clay Millican, Mike Strasburg, and Shawn Langdon before ousting Vandergriff in the finals.

“I just had to concentrate on our race car because it wasn’t running as well as we thought it should,” said Massey, who remains third in the season points. “It’s race cars, it is nitro, it is Top Fuel drag racing and it’s racing Gods. You just have to turn the knobs and make the car run and I’m just blessed to be here holding the trophy. You do not have to the fastest car out here to win as long as you’re a smart crew chief and a smart driver, you make sure that car is hooked up and stays hooked up to the finish line. I had confidence, especially after we won first round.”

Massey now has a chance to sweep the Western Swing, which concludes with races at Sonoma. Calif. (July 26-28) and Seattle (Aug. 2-4), but he isn’t making any bold predictions.

“Everybody talks about something to do with the broom going into Sonoma and Seattle, but I do not want to jinx myself, “Massey said. “We will talk about that if we get to Seattle and the situation happens and is still going on like that. I’m just happy to be doing what we are doing.”

WATER ISSUE CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH NHRA TIMING SYSTEM - Twice during eliminations Sunday at NHRA’s Mile-High Nationals, water coming out of the guard wall in the left lane at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., near Denver, caused problems for CompuLink, NHRA’s official timing equipment provider.

When nitro Funny Car driver Ron Capps beat Matt Hagan in the first round, the scoreboard said Capps clocked a 3.922-second elapsed time at 299.60 mph. Capps was given a “no time” because of moisture impacting the CompuLink system.

In a Pro Stock semifinal between Rickie Jones and Allen Johnson, moisture also caused problems for the timing system.

“Water was coming out of the guard wall,” said Bob Brockmeyer, the Compulink founder, in an interview with Competition Plus Sunday while he was standing in the left lane before the final round of eliminations at the Mile-High Nationals. “They had an underground water issue and it was real bad this morning. It caused that Funny Car run (by Capps) to get no time. There was nothing wrong with the run. With the Pro Stock deal (with Jones and Johnson) they couldn’t stage because more water had come out and fogged up the guard beam again. There was a big puddle right here that came out of the wall and it was evaporating because it was so hot out here and it just fogged everything up.”

Johnson and Jones were ordered to shut off their cars by NHRA Chief Starter Mark Lyle. Johnson and Jones had their cars pushed back and V. Gaines and Shane Gray raced in the other Pro Stock semifinal and Gaines won.

Johnson and Jones then came back to the starting line and Johnson defeated Jones. There were no problems with CompuLink on either of the Pro Stock runs.

“They said there was some moisture in the photo cells,” said Rick Jones, Rickie’s father, and crew chief. “Rickie tried to do a really good job and his light went back out and he went in again and his top light went out. Mark Lyle was so gracious and the whole NHRA staff and it wasn’t their fault. It was just one of those things that happened. They did the right thing by letting us go to the back to be the second pair. We are not upset, everything went good.”

Back in 1984, Brockmeyer introduced the CompuLink Timing Systems at Bandimere Speedway. CompuLink, based in Silverthorne, Colo., remains NHRA’s official timing equipment provider.

MORE DRIVERS PUNCH THEIR COUNTDOWN TICKETS - NHRA’s six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs do not begin until Sept. 13-15 in Charlotte, N.C.

Sunday in Top Fuel Shawn Langdon and seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, reigning Pro Stock world champ Allen Johnson and four-time Pro Stock world champ Jeg Coughlin, along with Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Hector Arana Jr. each clinched spots in the 2013 Countdown Sunday at the Mile-High Nationals near Denver.

Langdon earned a Countdown spot by defeating reigning world champion Antron Brown in the first round. Langdon lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Spencer Massey.

Schumacher clinched his Countdown spot by defeating David Grubnic in the first round. Schumacher’s day ended with a semifinal loss to Bob Vandergriff Jr.

Johnson’s outstanding qualifying performances Friday and Saturday earned him enough bonus points to get into the Countdown. For good measure, he won the race.

Coughlin actually lost in the first round to Mike Edwards, but he accumulated enough points on the weekend to get into the Countdown.

Arana Jr. punched his ticket into the Countdown when he beat Mike Berry in the semifinals. Arana Jr. lost in the finals to Shawn Gann.

Mike Edwards, the Pro Stock point leader, secured a Countdown spot at Norwalk, Ohio, the previous national event before the Mile-High Nationals.

HARTFORD CRASHES IN THE FIRST ROUND - Pro Stock driver Matt Hartford had a scary ride during first-round eliminations against Rickie Jones Sunday at the Mile-High Nationals.

Hartford, who was in the left lane, had his 2013 Dodge Avenger start drifting toward the center line about 330 feet after it left the starting line at Bandimere Speedway.

As Hartford’s car crossed the line, he tried to steer it back toward the middle of the track and got out of the groove. Hartford’s car veered back toward the left and hit the retaining wall. The car then slid back across the track and hit the right retaining wall with the front right of the car and also tapped the right wall with the back of the car before coming to a stop.

Jones won the race with a 7.020-second elapsed time. Hartford had an 8.296-second time come on the scoreboard at 94.39 mph. Hartford, who qualified No. 13, actually was disqualified because he crossed the finish line.

“We are on a really nice run and it left really good and we were right with Rickie Jones at about the 330 (foot mark), and the car started drifting just a touch to the right,” said Hartford, who is from Phoenix. “This track, about 500, 550 feet has a major bump out there that every Pro Stock car has been struggling with all weekend. I hit the bump and it unloaded the chassis and the car just immediately turned and the next thing I know I’m looking at the back of Rickie Jones. I got on the brake pedal, but by that time it was already going to the wall.”

Hartford, 41, admitted he had some tense moments during the crash with his Total Seal Piston Rings-sponsored car.

“Yeah,” Hartford said when asked if it was scary. “You never want to crash. I’m just frustrated to tear up equipment. We had a really good race car. We were on a run that at the finish line it would have been anybody’s race. We struggled all weekend and that was going to be way better than anything we ran this weekend. The car is pretty much destroyed. It is being loaded right now right now to go back to Jerry’s (Haas). He said if it is repairable, he will repair it otherwise he will be starting on a new chassis, so we can be back by Indy (Aug. 28-Sept. 2). The biggest thing that everybody needs to realize is you have to have all the safety equipment that NHRA mandates. There is no excuse. I do not have a scratch, a bruise, a cut. I feel good. Jerry Haas has saved my life twice, and I owe the man a lot.”

Hartford actually crashed one other time when he was competing in the American Drag Racing League.

“In 2009, in ADRL in (Extreme) Pro Stock I had one of Jerry Haas’ cars upside down in the wall at St. Louis, that was not fun either,” Hartford said. “I didn’t get hurt there (in that crash) either.”

 Hartford is running a limited NHRA Pro Stock schedule. He was making his seventh start of the season at the Mile-High Nationals. He last competed on the NHRA national circuit at Topeka, Kan., May 17-19.

Following his loss to Jones, his season-round record dropped to 1-7. His lone win came against Jason Line at Topeka.

“We were going on the Western Swing, but obviously we are not going now,” Hartford said.

The Western Swing concludes with races at Sonoma, Calif., July 26-28 and Seattle Aug. 2-4.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - WARM DAY UP ON THE MOUNTAIN

TOP FUEL

TORRENCE CAPTURE MILE-HIGH NATIONAL POLE - No one really saw this run coming – especially not Steve Torrence.

Torrence delivered a knock-out punch to the rest of the Top Fuel drivers, capturing the pole position with a 3.880-second elapsed time at a track record speed of 319.60 mph.

“It felt great,” Torrence said. “We have been struggling all season. We had some problems and made a crew chief change, taking Richard (Hogan) out and bringing Lee Beard in and Lee has done an exceptional job. We won Bristol (Tenn.) four races into it. We came here and kind of swung for the fence every round. We go out there and look at it and we think it can take a lot more than what we have been able to get away with. The track kind of came around to us (Saturday night) and we were able to stand on it.”

Although Torrence was standing on the gas, he didn’t think he would get the numbers that showed up on the scoreboard.

“It actually was laying over about 700 or 800 feet and started putting a hole out on the left side,” Torrence said. “I could feel it and I was saying come on baby, come on. It made it to the end and I saw the (3).880 and I thought you have to be kidding me. I wasn’t expecting to run that quick here. I’m really happy. We have a great group of guys and Beard has had a lot of success here. Maybe we are making that corner and the car is going to start doing better. We have to make up some ground and make it up quick.”

Torrence broke the mph record of 318.39 mph set by Antron Brown in July of 2009. Brown still holds the track elapsed time record at 3.862 seconds, which he also set in 2009.

“Honestly that (the mph) record doesn’t mean as much to me as the points,” said Torrence, who came to the Mile-High Nationals tied for ninth in the points with Bob Vandergriff Jr. “It is pretty cool to have your name at the top of the (mph) list when you come to Bandimere. This is an awesome track. We wanted to get that ET record, but having the mph record is pretty neat.”

Beard is native of Pueblo, Colo., which is two hours south of Bandimere Speedway and he has been coming to the tracks as a driver and crew chief since the early 1970s. Beard won his first NHRA national event as a crew chief in 1980 at the Mile-High Nationals when he tuned Jerry Ruth to the Top Fuel title.

“I knew he (Beard) wanted to come here and do well,” Torrence said. “He has a point to prove. We have a good team and I think he sees the opportunity there. It has been a good alliance so far.”

Beard was the crew chief when Gary Ormsby won NHRA’s 1989 Top Fuel world title and he was the team manager at Don Schumacher Racing when Tony Schumacher captured the 2009 Top Fuel crown.

Beard has guided drivers to 55 national event wins and 66 No. 1 qualifying positions as a crew chief. Beard also is the only crew chief in the NHRA to win races with 12 different drivers. Beard also won the U.S. Nationals as a crew chief in 1992, ’96 and 2001.

“I’m pleased with that run, but we need to work on on our consistency and we need to go A to B,” said Torrence about Sunday’s eliminations.

GLAD TO BE BACK - Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein is back in action this weekend at the Mile-High Nationals.

The veteran driver of the ProtectTheHarvest.com/Lucas Oil dragster for Morgan Lucas Racing missed the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn., (June 14-16) and the inaugural New England Nationals in Epping, N.H. (June 20-23) recovering from back surgery to alleviate pain caused by a herniated disc.

Bernstein returned to the seat at NHRA’s Route 66 Nationals (June 27-30) in Joliet, Ill., near Chicago. Bernstein qualified No. 7 and lost to Khalid alBalooshi in the first round. Bernstein, however, missed the national event at Norwalk, Ohio July 4-7. JR Todd replaced Bernstein at Bristol, Epping and Norwalk.

“This weekend it feels good,” Bernstein said. “I feel pretty good in the car. It was a little sore (Saturday morning) probably because of being in the car and everything. There is no pain or anything. The disc is fine it is more or less the nerve, the deal I have going on with my (right) foot. It is just because being in the car it just inflames the nerve.”

Initially, when Bernstein came back from his surgery he didn’t wear any extra padding or have extra padding put in his driver’s seat. That isn’t the case at the Mile-High Nationals.

“We changed the seat up a little bit and put some extra stuff in it,” Bernstein said. “That has helped. It is more like Indy Car stuff, the compression foam stuff. It is not perfect, but it is definitely better.”

Bernstein qualified No. 13 at 4.108 seconds and he will race alBalooshi Sunday.

BRITTANY FORCE ADJUSTING WITHOUT CANOPY - Ever since Brittany Force made her inaugural test laps in her John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster in January at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway her dragster was equipped with a canopy.

This weekend at the Mile-High Nationals Force is driving without a canopy on her Castrol Edge dragster.

“It is definitely a lot different,” Brittany said about running without the canopy.
“I like my canopy. I got used to that and I feel safer with it. We will be back to running the canopy, hopefully by Indy (Aug. 28-Sept.2). We got a new car and we didn’t have time to put the canopy on it. I definitely like the canopy. It is a little strange not having it there.

“It is a lot louder and it is weird,” Brittany said about having no canopy. “I can see all of the sky and I’m not used to that. I’m used to having something completely around me, covering me. So, this is a bit strange. It is a little weird and louder, but I can deal with it for a few weeks.”

Elon Werner of John Force Public Relations said John Force Racing bought the dragster July 8 from Steve Torrence Racing.

“They put it together and got her fitted for it last week,” Werner said. “We are going to run it the whole Western Swing, while we are building another dragster. We will run the new dragster starting at the race after the Western Swing.”

Following the Mile-High Nationals, the Western Swing concludes with races at Sonoma, Calif. (July 26-28) and Seattle (Aug. 2-4). The next race after the Western Swing is the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd, Minn.

John Force Racing decided to buy a Brad Hadman dragster from Torrence Racing because of the lack of performance the team was getting out of the dragster Brittany started driving this season. She failed to qualify at Norwalk, Ohio, the national event before the Mile-High Nationals and came to Denver

14th in the point standings.

Richard Hogan, who recently joined Brittany Force’s team, worked as Torrence’s crew chief in 2012 and part of this season. While Hogan was with Torrence he was running a Hadman dragster.

SARGE KEEPS STREAK ALIVE - Throughout his amazing drag racing career, Tony Schumacher has been known for clutch runs.

The seven-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion made another one Saturday evening.

After three qualifying runs, Schumacher’s U.S. Army dragster was not qualified for the Mile-High Nationals. Schumacher avoided a DNQ with a solid 4.007-second elapsed time at 306.74 mph.

That time left Schumacher No. 10 on the qualifying ladder and pits him against No. 7 qualifier David Grubnic in round one Sunday.

“We can’t go out and try and run in the 3s; we are just going to be soft and go down the track and get in the show and that’s what we did,” Schumacher said. “That’s a big pressure moment for those guys and all I can do is the same thing.”

Schumacher has now qualified for 237 NHRA national events in a row dating back to Englishtown 2003 when he failed to make the show.  


FUNNY CAR

CRUZ IN CONTROL - Cruz Pedregon drove the Snap-on Tools Franchise Toyota Funny Car to his third pole position of 2013 at the NHRA Mopar Mile High Nationals outside of Denver.

Pedregon failed to improve on Friday’s 4.073, and in Saturday’s final session was second only to John Force with an early shutoff 4.149 elapsed time at 291.89 miles per hour.

“The track changed and I was hoping for hot conditions,” admitted Pedregon. “It cooled off a bit which wasn’t going to help us much for Sunday. I was pleased with the run even though it did hurt the engine at the finish line. We’ll go back and evaluate the situation. I think Sunday will provide a good race.”

Even in shutting off, Pedregon’s Q-4 effort proved his best in the final day of qualifications at Bandimere Speedway. However, though he aborted his run early in Q-3, he was able to glean a fair amount of data from the aborted effort.

“Even though we didn’t make it down the track, it gave us a lot to work with for Sunday,” Pedregon explained. “It gave us enough to come out on Sunday ready to race.”

Pedregon has had an impressive season thus far in 2013, reaching three finals and winning twice. The two-time NHRA Funny Car series champion brought a third place point ranking into this weekend though by his own admission had taken then last three races “off”.

Pedregon lost in the first round in Epping, Chicago and Norwalk. He qualified no higher than eighth.

Prior to this weekend’s event, Pedregon’s team put in 16-plus hour days in trying to diagnose what had gone awry in normally what would have been a championship tune-up. Pedregon also brought in veteran tuner Johnny West to serve as team manager.

“I think it was a combination of having new guys on the team, or relatively new, and there were errors here and there and stuff we had to overcome,” Pedregon explained. “I feel like the team is back on the same page again. Now we can finish on the task instead of trying to fix stuff in the pit area. A lot of these cars is what it takes, the maintenance. Drag racing, especially in these nitro classes, is you’re taking these engines apart and any parts failure you have becomes catastrophic. You really have to have your ducks in a row. Our ‘t’s’ weren’t crossed and ‘I’s’ weren’t dotted. I feel good about it now.

And for Pedregon, the timing couldn’t be better, with only five races left before the NHRA Countdown begins.

ADDRESSING THE RUMORS - Recently, there has been some talk in NHRA circles about how nitro Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III, who drives the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang, was buying parts from Don Schumacher Racing.

Tasca addressed the issue with Competition Plus Saturday at the Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo., near Denver.

“I want to be very clear and at the end of the day the media doesn’t need to skew anything but the facts,” Tasca said. “It is all Ford. We changed our blower program and put a Chuck Ford blower on it with a Don Schumacher insert. He has an insert that goes in the blower. We also changed our whole clutch program over. We started going in a different direction with clutch parts and Don makes a lot of the parts we are buying for the clutch. You buy parts from Don (Schumacher), you buy parts from John (Force) or you buy parts from Alan Johnson. Those are three people who sell parts.”

After poor performances at the first three 2013 races at Pomona, Phoenix and Gainesville, Fla., Tasca and his team gave his Funny Car a makeover.

When Tasca and his team arrived in Las Vegas for the Summitracing.com Nationals April 5-7 they ran with a brand-new chassis and switched the blower.

“When we started our program in 2008 my guys were very comfortable with a Chuck Ford blower,” Tasca said. “That’s what we ran the first two years (2008, 2009) and then we got away from that. We just went back to a comfort zone that Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner (Tasca’s co-crew chiefs) had a better feeling with. Right after Gainesville is when I started buying the parts. We changed our blower program back to what we ran in 2008 and we purchased DSR clutch parts for our clutch program. That’s what it is.”

Tasca arrived at the Mile-High Nationals, the 14th race of the season, 10th in the point standings.

“As a team owner, certainly we weren’t getting the results that we expected for this program and we needed to make a change,” Tasca said. “So, we went in a direction that my guys were very comfortable with and I had to support them. Don (Schumacher) was very gracious to sell us some of the key parts in his clutch program and you have seen the car run a whole lot better. At the end of the day, this Ford Boss engine makes a lot of power and it will always come down to how you harness that power and the clutch is the most significant part in the race car. We are really pleased with the direction of our program. I have said many times I am an all-Ford kid and this is an all-Ford Hot Rod. What clutch I run in the car doesn’t make it a Ford or anything else. What makes it a Ford is the body. It is the motor and it is me. What blower I decide to run or what clutch I decide to run, that is my own decision.”

From Tasca’s standpoint, he is a customer buying parts from Schumacher.

“Don sells parts to a lot of people,” Tasca said. “Again, I’m not buying engines from him. We are buying some clutch parts from Don and it is really that my guys have just been much more comfortable with the setup. It is more what they are used to running. The scoreboard has no friends. You saw us run in the 3s at Joliet (Ill.) and our car has been as consistent as any car out here. Obviously, it could not have come at a better time. I think this car is just going to keep getting stronger and stronger.”

RACING A TEAMMATE IS NO FUN - Current Funny Car point leader Matt Hagan cranked out two Saturday qualifying runs in the 4.2-second range and his best effort came during the Friday night session with a 4.158-second pass. He landed in the No. 8 spot and will race teammate Ron Capps, the No. 9 qualifier in Sunday's first round.

"We don't want to run teammates in the first round out here," he said. "It is what it is. All these cars are tough no matter where you qualify. It's just tough up here on the mountain. We went out there for that last session and were trying to improve but we just didn't get it done. We ran a good, clean lap but it wasn't enough to improve.

"We're going to make the best out of it no matter what the situation is, no matter who we race. The important thing to do is race your lane and have all the right data for the conditions. I think we'll go out there tomorrow and it'll be a great race between two DSR cars.

"It's just tough up here being a mile high, but it's in conditions like these where the cream rises to the top and that's what we'll try to do tomorrow."

ROUTINE MEANS EVERYTHING - Ron Capps has been to drag racing's mountaintop every year since 1997 and his experience has led to a disciplined routine when he heads to Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

The driver of Don Schumacher Racing's NAPA AUTO PARTS Funny Car won at Bandimere in 2009 when he also won the pole. He has been runner-up twice.

Racing in mile-high altitude like at Bandimere chokes the power of the supercharged, nitro-fueled engines and can have a similar effect on people more accustomed to sea-level.

"It's completely different from any track we race at," said Capps, who qualified No. 8 with a best time of 4.152 seconds at 300.33 mph and will face DSR teammate and NHRA Mello Yello Series points-leader Matt Hagan in Sunday's opening round.

"On most runs it's sort of embedded in your mind that if something doesn't sound right or feel right in these engines to shut it off so it doesn't get worse.

"But every run here almost sounds like something is wrong with the engine. On the mountain they idle funny and kind of flutter; it's not the clean sound we have at sea level. In the back of your mind you're thinking 'Is something wrong? Should I shut it off?'

"I picture (crew chief Rahn) Tobler's face in my helmet and I tell him it doesn't sound good but I don't want to shut it off. Then you cross the finish line and pull the chutes and they tell you it was a good run. It's pretty strange."


NEW CHASSIS RESPONDS – Alexis Dejoria drove her Patron Toyota Funny Car to a 4.122 second pass to complete her best qualifying effort of 2013 as fourth quickest. This was five spots better than the team had qualified all season long.

“For only the second run on this chassis it was a helluva run,” said DeJoria. “It’s definitely what we needed and we have struggled all season long. We’ve qualified at all of the races but right now, so we need points.”

DeJoria is currently twelfth in Funny Car points headed into Sunday.

IT’S ME AGAIN MARGARET – Sunday’s final eliminations will pair a number of drivers who have met at one time or another this season in key races.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year favorites Alexis Dejoria and Courtney Force will do battle with DeJoria picking her lane. Topeka finalists Robert Hight and Johnny Gray will do battle with Hight earning lane choice. Phoenix finalists and Don Schumacher Racing teammates Ron Capps and Matt Hagan will race in the first round with Capps picking the lane.

PRO STOCK

PUTTING THE CAP ON STRONG EFFORT - Even on his strongest day it was unlikely that Hercules could have wrestled away the top qualifying spot at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals from the mountain’s favorite son – Allen Johnson.

Johnson, who established a new Bandimere Speedway track record Friday evening with a 6.949-second pass, remained at the top of the order following Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions.

This No. 1 qualifier makes his fourth consecutive Mopar Mile-High Nationals pole position and the fifth of his career.

“I think we have a really good race-day set-up here,” said Johnson, who was the quickest Pro Stocker of the second session with a 6.982. “Not only my car but also the Jegs car, too. We were able to secure the No. 1 qualifier in Mopar’s 75th anniversary season and win the race. This year we are No. 1 in their 25th anniversary as title rights sponsor of this event.”

Johnson admitted his Mopar could possibly have run even quicker had it not have gotten out of shape, nearly taking out the cones on the top end of a track which had become marginal close to the finish line.

Johnson said his objective is to score another monumental win for his sponsor.

“Any time you are in front of your sponsors and they are expecting you to do well, it probably adds a bit of pressure,” he said. “We’ve got this hill pretty well conquered. If the driver can go out there and do his job and not make any mistakes, I think it is ours to lose.”

MOUNTAIN PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT FOR SHANE GRAY – Shane Gray has been a safe bet to get a win this season. And even though it hasn’t arrived yet, a steady string of solid performances this year proves the potential is there.

Gray ran a 6.954 at 198.44 mph during pre-NHRA Mile-High Nationals testing at Bandimere Speedway, just .003-second off the then-track record held by Allen Johnson. Johnson reset the mark Friday with a 6.949 posting.

Gray ran a 6.971, 196.70 during Friday qualifying and the run stood, sending the second-generation competitor into Sunday's eliminations as the third quickest.

“The test session was good for us,” Gray said during Friday’s ESPN3.com broadcast. “We’re all scratching our heads trying to figure out why we haven’t run as good at the race as we have in testing.”

Gray failed to improve during the second day in qualifying as temperatures and conditions weren’t as favorable as those Friday.

“We’re in good shape to race on Sunday,” said Gray. “We have no complaints.”

This season Gray is taking part in a collaborative effort with Elite Performance on an engine program and thus far the results have made the team, along with teammate Rickie Jones, contenders to win on any given Sunday.

Jones led Friday’s Q-1 session with a 6.976-second elapsed time.

Gray admitted on ESPN3.com his race car has what it takes to be at the front but Shane is its worst enemy.

“I can’t do anything but work on myself, try to get a little more self-confidence and dig a little deeper,” said Gray.

LIVING THE DREAM - On Friday evening the mountain high above Denver, Co., was kind to a drag racer living out his dream.

Deric Kramer, 28, from Sterling, Co., became the latest Pro Stock driver during Friday NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals qualifying to eclipse the six-second zone when he ran the fifth quickest time, a 6.982, 195.62 pass to land fifth in the field.

The American Ethanol-sponsored driver is piloting a Dodge Avenger powered by V. Gaines horsepower. He made his Pro Stock debut last season at Bandimere Speedway where he made the field but lost in the first round.

“It is amazing,” Kramer said, describing his first Mile-High Nationals six-second pass during Friday’s ESPN3 broadcast. “The American Ethanol Dodge Avenger is running really well for us. V. [Gaines] has been really good for us with his engine shop.”

Kramer might be relatively new to NHRA Pro Stock competition but when it comes to drag racing, he’s paid his dues by working his way up the ladder, starting from Junior Dragster and most recently racing in Comp.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in a race car,” said Kramer.

Kramer alluded during the ESPN3 broadcast that his days in Comp prepared him for his current role in Pro Stock.

“We had been running these similar motors for a long time,” said Kramer, whose last Comp car was an A/Dragster Automatic. “Motor wise, it was pretty much the same. We just jumped in power [with this car] and found a five-speed.”

Kramer will get lane choice in the first round Sunday against Steve Kent, and if he should win the first round?

“I’d be ecstatic,” Kramer admitted. “Hometown victory? It’d be awesome.”

JONES TO RACE ENTIRE WESTERN SWING – Thanks to Chandler Aviation, Rickie Jones will race not only Denver but also Western Swing stops in Sonoma, Ca. and Seattle, Wash.

Chandler Aviation is owned by Terri and Doug Chandler, aunt and uncle to Pro Stock racer Shane Gray. 

The deal was procured at Norwalk and will allow Jones, whose crew chief is his father Rick Jones, to race the swing for the first time in three years. The last time Jones raced Denver, he reached the semifinals.

In Sunday’s eliminations, Jones races Matt Hartford in the first round.

MURDERER’S ROW SUNDAY FOR EDWARDS – Mike Edwards could have used his 6.975, 196.64 pass which was thrown out in Friday qualifying when his K&N Filters Camaro came up five pounds light at the scales. Edwards will head into Sunday’s eliminations as the No. 8 seed where he will face Jeggie Coughlin Jr. Should Edwards beat him, he’ll face Allen Johnson, who has the first round bye-run.

According to a team spokesperson, Edwards broke a spool on the first run and put in a new one which was lighter. The team missed this and in the end paid the price at the scales for an honest mistake.

THE HOMETOWN RACER DOES WELL – Last season V. Gaines drove his way to a runner-up finish at Bandimere. He finished runner-up in Pro Stock qualifying by running a 6.970, 196.62 during Friday’s quick evening session. He races newcomer Steve Kalkowsi in Sunday’s first round.

EXUDING CONFIDENCE - Rodger Brogdon qualified No. 10 in Denver and was within three-hundredths of a second of No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson in the final session Saturday.

"The last run was pretty good," Brogdon said. "I'm very happy with it, considering just about everybody on that page came out here and tested last week and we didn't. We're good."

Brogdon's best pass was 7.000 seconds at 196.56 in Q2, and he was eighth-best in the final session with a 7.016 at 195.40 mph. That run came after Brogdon's car darted left at the drop of the clutch, but he reeled it in for a solid pass.

"We didn't qualify in the top half, but Denver is a different place to race," Brogdon said. "Anything can happen here. We all know when we come here that we've got to outrun those Dodges. They're tough enough normally, but up here they're real tough. They've got a good handle on this place."

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ADAM ARANA WINS PS MOTORCYCLE POLE - Adam Arana made history for himself Saturday at the Mile-High Nationals.

The 22-year-old rookie won his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle pole position with a time of 7.242 seconds at 184.47 mph on his Buell.

“We improved, which is important,” said Arana, who had the provisional pole Friday with a 7.267-second lap. “That builds confidence for us and I’m just going to focus on my own thing and control what I can control. I’m excited for (Sunday).”

Arana, who came to Bandimere Speedway seventh in the point standings, matches up against No. 16 qualifier Katie Sullivan in round-one.

Adam’s brother, Hector Arana Jr., is second on the qualifying ladder at 7.279 seconds. Hector Arana Sr. qualified ninth at 7.315 seconds.

“I knew this year was going to be extremely competitive,” Adam said. “I wasn’t going to get my hopes up to get a No. 1 qualifying position, but I’m glad I got it. The next thing on my list is to get a win and then rookie of the year and a championship, those would be perfect. The season is going really well for me so far.”

Adam admitted he has improved dramatically since the Pro Stock Motorcycle season-opening race at Gainesville, Fla., March 14-17.

“At Gainesville, my first qualifying session was actually my first pass with someone in the other lane,” Adam said. “I was nervous about that. You know so much more as you get more seat time.”

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, DAY ONE

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! - NHRA President Tom Compton, Bandimere Speedway owner John Bandimere, and Trish Hecker, head of marketing for Chrysler Group LLC's Mopar brand shared a starting-line ceremony Friday between qualifying sessions of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Denver to mark the sponsor's 25th anniversary with the sanctioning body. It's the longest title sponsorship in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and among the longest in all of motorsports.

"In NHRA, we pride ourselves in long-term relationships," Compton said, adding the Mopar association "means a lot to us. It's a great partnership, and we hope it continues for many more years to come. Mopar has been a great supporter of the sport in many ways, including the Mopar Mile-High Nationals. We thought it was appropriate to acknowledge it -- 25 years is a long time. It just shows the strength of this relationship."

Hecker said, "The way we think about it, we were born at the track. We go back to 1962, with the introduction of the HEMI [engine]. That's when people started calling their cars 'Mopar.'“
Drag racing, she said, "really is part of our brand. We have every intention of continuing this wonderful partnership."

Bandimere said his passion, this facility and this sport, mean "family" to him. He pledged "to keep this relationship alive and make sure that it works." He said he and Hecker know that satisfying the needs of all parties in this economic triangle can be thorny from time to time. "We're family -- and all of you have families. And you know how hard it is to make a family all stay together."
Bandimere said for this silver anniversary and all it represents, he is thankful.

TOP FUEL

KALITTA FLEXES MUSCLES AT MILE-HIGH NATIONALS - This season, veteran NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta has been masterful in qualifying, capturing five pole positions.

He is on the verge of making it six after qualifying Friday at the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver.

On his second qualifying run Friday, Kalitta clocked a 3.889-second elapsed time at 310.13 mph to capture the provisional pole at the Mile-High Nationals.

“We were happy just to get down it (the track),” Kalitta said. “We smoked the tires on the first one (first qualifying run). The thing left good (on the second run) and I figured if it made it to the finish line it probably was going to run good. I can’t say enough about Jim O (Oberhofer) and Troy (Fasching) and all the guys working on this Mac Tools car. We are trying hard. It is tough out here and we love running here at Bandimere Speedway and we will see if it holds up (Saturday). Hopefully, we will improve on that or stay No. 1. We will see how it goes.”

On Kalitta’s first run Friday, he slowed to 4.476 seconds.

“We were a little over center on that first run and they tuned it up a little bit (on the second run) and we are happy it stuck,” Kalitta said.

The Kalitta family definitely has had a lot of success at the Mile-High Nationals.  

Legendary Connie Kalitta, Doug’s uncle and team owner, and his late cousin Scott Kalitta and Doug were all Mile-High Nationals Top Fuel champions. Connie won at Bandimere in 1984 and ’85 and Scott was victorious three times in 1994, ’95 and 2004. Doug won the Mile-High Nationals in 2010.

“With Connie over the years, he has always been about big power,” Doug said. “So, this kind of track where you have to speed everything up and try to get a little more horsepower out of it, it has worked well for Connie. Obviously that has worked into the rest of the teams and the setup. So, we are all following what Connie has been doing over the years. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it out here this weekend with us (because of), the high altitude and heat. So, he is back tuning from his house or wherever he is at.”

VANDERGRIFF UPBEAT ABOUT REMAINDER OF 2013 - When Bob Vandergriff Jr., arrived at Bandimere Speedway he was cautiously optimistic.

“We try to survive this race,” Vandergriff said. “It is different and we don’t really have anything to compare it to. We have had some success up here (at Bandimere). A couple of years ago, we qualified second here and last year we ran pretty good and really could have won the race. I think. We smoked the tires down track in second round and just barely lost to Antron (Brown) who ended up winning the race. The cars are running good and I’m optimistic we will have a good weekend.”

Vandergriff qualified No. 5 Friday at 3.949 seconds and his teammate Clay Millican was No. 6 at 3.975 seconds.

“I’m very confident we were going to be strong contenders not only to make the Countdown, but also once we are in that Countdown to win a championship,” Vandergriff said.

Vandergriff came to the Mile-High Nationals tied for ninth in the point standings with Steve Torrence. Millican is seventh.

“Clay is a great teammate,” Vandergriff said. “You could not pick a better person to have as a teammate. The two teams have been working really well together and some of the new equipment we got recently has picked up our performance quite a bit.”


BRITTANY SHOWS FORCE - Rookie Top Fuel driver Brittany Force has had a tough season so far. In the first 13 races Force had qualified no better than eighth and had two DNQs, including the last race at Norwalk, Ohio.

Friday, Force’s fortunes changed. She qualified No. 3 on the ladder at 3.926 seconds at 309.56 mph.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN - Usually, Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown are on the top of the qualifying ladder at NHRA national events.

That wasn’t the case Friday at the Mile-High Nationals.

Schumacher was No. 13 at 4.565 seconds and Brown was No. 15 at 4.657 seconds.

FUNNY CAR

GOOD MEDICINE – Cruz Pedregon described last week as “the week from hell.”

For the two-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series champion, nothing quenches the fires of torment like a trip to the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals outside of Denver.

“We had three first-round losses in a row and broke a lot of engines at the last race,” explained Pedregon. “A lot of it was self-inflicted and we had to go back to the drawing board to make sure we had our ts crossed and Is dotted. And we did. We built motors and changed our spec on them a little bit. We just got everything freshened up.”

Pedregon looked as fresh as one could be in blasting past his unbelievable 4.09 track record from two years ago. This time he raised the bar with a 4.073-second pass at 307.37 miles per hour. If the run holds, it will be his third No. 1 qualifier of the season.

Impressive is the fact Pedregon laid down his run with the sun still shining, although in a diminished capacity, and from the front of the second session line-up.

“It was kinda sorta like daylight out there,” said Pedregon. “We were kind of nervous because we were one of the first cars out and really wanted the track to cool off some. We gave it our best shot and the Snap-on Tools Franchise Toyota just stuck.

“What an honor it is to come up here and to not only have a track record two years ago but to come here at Bandimere and break it again. Credit to our equipment obviously. But the track is there, too. The track has the cooling system early and we were able to take advantage of it. Plus, it is well-prepped. I’ve said before, I love racing at this race.

“It’s nice to keep that pressure off and go into Saturday as the fastest car.”

Though technically daylight, Pedregon said the conditions were much more conducive to improved performances in the second session. 

“We knew cooler conditions would make everyone faster,” Pedregon admitted. “I knew someone was going to take the 4.09 [track record] and lower it some. It was cooler but was still humid out.”

Pedregon said the typical water grains at Bandimere usually measures in the 50s. According to Pedregon, today’s readings were in the 90s.

“This is more like back east weather than the typical dry air of Denver,” explained Pedregon.

This weekend, Pedregon confirmed, is the first for Johnny West serving in a team manager capacity.

“We have a young group of guys and it’s great to have a veteran like Johnny West to shore up our pit area,” Pedregon said. “It was a nice move and the guys did a great job. They all had a hand in that car going fast. I’m proud of them all.”

NOT LIKING THE TETHERS - Change happened for NHRA nitro Funny Cars at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals Friday at Morrison, Colo., near Denver.    

On June 7, NHRA announced that beginning at the Mile-High Nationals all nitro Funny Cars competing in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series were required to be equipped with a new NHRA-approved dual front latching and tethering system.

The new system is designed to connect the front latching system to the firewall or driver’s compartment.

Johnny Gray, who drives a Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, competed with the new system for the first time Friday at Bandimere Speedway.

Gray, however, wasn’t shy about sharing his displeasure with the new NHRA-approved system prior to making his first qualifying run.

 “I hate it,” Gray said to Competition Plus when asked about his thoughts regarding the new system. “I think they are putting the drivers in danger. I have had some explosions and when you have a real bad explosion you want the body to leave because if the body is trapped on there and on the front and then it messes up the latches and stuff and they can’t get the body open, I’m in trouble. I’m 110 percent against the whole system. I hate it. I’m glad I’m through at the end of this year.”

Gray, 60, announced prior to the start of the 2013 NHRA season he was retiring from competitive racing at season’s end.

Gray has won a career-high four races this season and is undefeated in final rounds. He is second in the point standings, 101 points behind DSR teammate Matt Hagan.

“My opinion is it hasn’t been researched and thought out properly in order to make sure the drivers are safe,” Gray said. “That’s just my opinion. Standing here and looking at the system, and thinking about what can happen to me, I don’t like it.”

Glen Gray, NHRA’s Vice President, Technical Operations, addressed the new system with Competition Plus earlier this month.

“We have had some issues over the last two years where some Funny Car bodies have left the chassis and gone up in the air,” Gray said. “After reviewing video with several of the teams we kind of put together a little task force of teams and some manufacturers to look at the problem. After looking at it, we determined there were a couple of areas we can concentrate on to try to alleviate the problem. We chose Denver as the first race that the new system would be required based on how quickly we could get everything done and teams could get everything done.”

Bob Tasca, a fellow nitro Funny Car driver, was far more diplomatic about the NHRA-approved dual front latching and tethering system.

“I agree with the latch,” Tasca said. “I think the latch is a positive, but the tether I think is a big unknown. Hey I’m all for things that make it safer, but I think the jury is out on it. Time will tell. I know my guys spent some late nights getting it ready, but that’s what we are conditioned to do. It is what it is. NHRA is trying to make this sport safer. I’m not an engineer, I don’t know. We will see.”

Chris Cunningham, a co-crew chief on Tasca’s car with Marc Denner, concurred with his driver.

“The tether is to be determined, hopefully not any time soon,” Cunningham said. “The latches are certainly a good addition. What we have had needed to be updated. The latches are definitely an improvement.”

SO FAR SO GOOD - The crew chief crew switch between John Force and Robert Hight got off to a good start on Friday evening. During the first session, Hight ran the quickest elapsed time with a 4.158 elapsed time netting the past series champion three bonus points. Hight improved in the second session with a 4.144 second run which netted a No. 7 provisional qualifying position.

“First off, I think I’m back in the top ten in points. I was only three points out and we got three points after the first run. I think we still out-qualified the guy who was in the tenth spot, so going into Saturday we’re back in the Top Ten, so that’s pretty exciting,” said Hight, a two-time Mile-High Nationals winner.

“It went down the track both runs, dropped a cylinder early and then picked it back up, which is really odd. For me to get into a new car like this and with a new team to go down the track both runs is pretty impressive. I’m kind of lost because I’ve been over here so many years with (crew chief) Jimmy Prock and my guys that have stuck together for so long I kind of feel a little lost. The truth is, I didn’t abandon them, I didn’t leave them. We’re still all on the same team. It’s one big team and we’re still all going to work together and maybe John (Force) shuffling and moving people is going to get the best out of everybody.”

“(Crew chief) Mike Neff has always been good. I’ve known him since he started here and he’s an easy going guy. He motivates you, just like Jimmy did. We’re not going to have any problems whatsoever, I promise. It’s exciting,” concluded Hight.

John Force and the Jimmy Prock-tuned Castrol GTX Mustang finished Friday as the No. 6 qualified Funny Car. In the second session Force covered the track in 4.140 seconds at 307.09 mph. It was Force’s executive decision to trade drivers and teams for the rest of the season.

“Our crew chiefs, they’re our family. And I loved working with Mike Neff, the change just needed to be made. I knew Jimmy Prock when he was a little kid. I watched him with his dad (Tom Prock) with The Detroit Tiger and Tom and Jerry’s Funny Car and I just love being over here with him. I think this is going to be a good change. I’m having fun. I had fun with Neff, but sometimes you gotta stir it up. This team over here opened their arms to me. I’m pretty old, but they still like me,” said Force, the 15-time NHRA Funny Car champion.

ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT - The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Series has produced six different winners in the first thirteen races of the season. If someone wins the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals they will earn the final race winner position in the $100,000-to-win Traxxas Funny Car Shootout.

After this berth is filled, the seeding turns to fan vote to determine the eighth and final participant in the eight-car race within a race at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Current fan vote eligible Funny Car drivers are Robert Hight, Jack Beckman, Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham, Bob Tasca III, Alexis DeJoria, Jeff Arend and Tony Pedregon.

Last year Courtney Force won the Funny Car fan vote with 63 percent of the votes and Brandon Bernstein won the Top Fuel fan vote with 35 percent. Both drivers also were selected in the random lottery drawing. In order to be eligible for the fan vote/lottery drawing, drivers must have competed in each regular season race this season.

Fan voting begins Sunday, Aug. 18 at approximately 5 p.m. (ET) following completion of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd, Minn., and will run through Tuesday, Aug. 27 at noon (ET). Fans can vote at NHRA’s Facebook page.

The fan vote process will determine how many lottery balls are assigned to each fan vote eligible driver for the random lottery drawing, which will take place at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals press conference/fan fest, Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Monument Circle at downtown Indianapolis.

Should the seventh position in Funny Car remain unfilled following the Brainerd event, the Funny Car driver who is highest in the Mello Yello Series point standings without a win will be inserted into that position.

Teams qualify for the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts by winning an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season event, holding the No. 1 spot in the standings after the event in Brainerd, Minn., or via a fan vote and lottery-style drawing. The NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout awards $100,000 to the winners in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car events. The program also awards the top four finishers in each event, with the runners-up receiving $15,000 and the semifinal losers $7,500.

ROLLER COASTER STOPS HERE - Courtney Force has proven herself behind the wheel of an NHRA nitro Funny Car. She won the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award for NHRA’s top “Rookie of the Year” last season.   

Force, 25, has been making headlines this week since being featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” which hit newsstands July 12. Force had a nude photo shoot for the magazine.

“This has definitely been a roller-coaster ride for me,” Force said about the days following her photo shoot. “I think it feels great to be back out here in my race car. It is good to be here in Denver to start the Western Swing. We want to be in the top half of qualifying the rest of the weekend.”

Force made a strong run on her first qualifying lap, clocking 4.192 seconds at a track record speed of 307.93 mph. The old mph record at Bandimere Speedway was 307.51 mph set by Cruz Pedregon in July 2011.

“Courtney is excited to see her fans this weekend and if someone has a copy of the (ESPN) “Body Issue” of course she will sign it,” said Elon Werner, who works for John Force Public Relations. “We are being sensitive to families being out here of course because it is a grown-up magazine, but we have not made any major adjustments to security or anything like that. We are not expecting anything unusual to happen.”

Force is trying to become the first woman to win at the Mile-High Nationals in a category other than Pro Stock Motorcycle. Karen Stoffer won a Pro Stock Motorcycle title at the 2011 Mile-High Nationals.

MR. SPEED - Jack Beckman led Don Schumacher Racing's charge up the mountain Friday at Bandimere Speedway.

Beckman's 4.097 elapsed time was coupled with a track-record speed of 309.91 mph. He earned the provisional No. 2 qualifying spot in Funny Car heading to Saturday's last two sessions.

TWO-FOR-TWO - Tim Wilkerson improved on his opening session 4.202 with a 4.114 elapsed time. His second run was the third-quickest of the session, earning him a single bonus point.

"You can come to this fantastic track for a lot of years and not have a night like this one, so it was really pretty important to put your best foot forward and do something good out there," Wilkerson said. "Unlike, say, Joliet on the night run there, when you're here you're still dealing with the altitude but we're also usually dealing with a track that goes from cool to boiling hot where the in-track cooling system ends, but today it was all good, from end to end. I was just a matter of how much power you could make."


PRO STOCK

MOUNTAIN MAN DELIVERS AGAIN – Some traditions are too cherished to give up without a fight.

Friday at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals, Allen Johnson did his part to put the race sponsor’s flagship in position to secure his fourth consecutive pole position at the event.

Johnson ran a 6.949-second, 198.23 mile-per-hour pass during Friday’s second session, and if it holds through Saturday’s two sessions it will be his second No. 1 of the season.

“The first run, the track was just a bit marginal,” said Johnson, fifth quickest after the session. “We had it on kill, so we didn’t get all the grip we needed. The sun went down and we tuned the Mopar/Express Lane Dodge Avenger up.”

Rickie Jones led the opening session and Johnson understood what was at stake the next go-round.

“It’s 25 years of Mopar at the Mile-High Nationals,” said Johnson. “The bosses are all upstairs [in the Denver race tower] except maybe Pietro [Gorlier, President and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand.] and he’s probably over in Italy. He’s wishing us on from afar. We need to make them smile Friday night.”

As quick as crew chief Mark Ingersoll’s tune-up proved to be, Johnson said the team didn’t wring out as much performance as it could have.

“I actually believe we did leave some on the table,” Johnson admitted. “That was the same way with the first one. We asked why we were so slow, especially Jeggie (Coughlin), who tested up here and ran 6.94 and 6.95 in worst conditions. We’re not understanding why everyone else is so slow.”

Johnson estimated the team could have run as quick as a 6.92.

“Something is a little different this year than it has been,” Johnson said. “We are very happy with the way things are going. Hopefully we keep the Mopar in front tomorrow.”

Saturday is expected to produce warmer temperatures and for Johnson, this could hamper his efforts to grab a performance milestone. No Pro Stock driver has gone 200 miles per hour in the high altitude of Bandimere Speedway.

“We were certainly thinking we could on that last run,” said Johnson. “It didn’t happen and we are going to need better conditions to make that happen tomorrow. And maybe a 6.80.”

Johnson believes the team has a good baseline already for Saturday.

“We are just going to tune off of that one,” said Johnson. “We are going to try and get a little better in the heat of the day. We’ll be looking for a good combination for Sunday.”

EDWARDS FIRST TO CLINCH - Mike Edwards has never been much for fanfare when it comes to his drag racing.

Edwards, with his fourth victory of the season two weekends ago, became the first driver in any professional category to clinch a spot in the NHRA's Countdown to the Championship. The notable accomplishment netted only a passing mention at the conclusion of a press release from the team early this week.

What the two-time NHRA champion deserves fanfare for is a season which has already netted, in addition to the wins, pole positions in 10 of the first 13 events.

As easy as Edwards has made this season appear, he understands the NHRA tour has reached one of the most grueling stretches of the 24-race tour due to three consecutive weekends. Edwards will race this weekend in Denver, next week in Sonoma, Ca, before finishing the following week in Seattle, Wash.

Of the three events, the high altitude of Denver poses the largest challenge. Edwards has mastered the trial over the years.

"I don't know why I feel so comfortable at Bandimere, because it is such a unique race and makes you change basically everything you do to attack the altitude and lack of air," said Edwards, who is racing a new K&N/Penhall design this weekend. "These engines love oxygen, which you don't have very much of when you are on the mountain at Bandimere Speedway and its 5,800-foot above sea-level facility.

"You would think that would make you hit sensory overload trying to be fast, but we go there and it is just a different feeling," he continued. "It has to be the great Bandimere family that owns the place. There's nobody that makes you feel at home more than they do."

Edwards has a lot of respect for this part of the season and understands how important it can be in the grand scheme of a championship run.

"Many years this grueling trek west has made or broke many championship runs," said Edwards, of the 4,600-mile trip from the team's Oklahoma shop, said. "It truly is the biggest test we have during the season because each of the three venues is so drastically different and the travel doesn't allow for any of us to return to our shops and prepare for the next event. Everything is just on the fly and you better be able to make the right calls and keep ahead of the curve or this trip will swallow you up."

Edwards ran a 6.995 during the first session to climb into the fourth spot and improved with a 6.975 in the evening session. The run vaulted him to fourth in the provisional field, but was bounced when he came up five pounds light at the scales.


HANGING IN THERE – They weren’t at their usual place at the top of the qualifying ladder, but Greg Anderson and Jason Line were sixth and seventh at the end of Friday qualifying. Anderson ran a 6.983 while Line was a couple of ticks behind at 6.988.

GONNA NEED MORE THAN A NOSE JOB – Larry Morgan came to the Mile-High Nationals with a new front-end on his Lucas Oil Mustang and the most visible difference is the laid-back angle. He could only muster a 7.06 best in a run described by a crew member on the ESPN3 broadcast via crewmember radio as a “big lazy turd.”

NO SWEET SIXTEEN – There are only 15 entries this weekend, ensuring for the second NHRA event in a row there will be a bye run for the No. 1 qualifier. Steve Kalwoski, competing in his first NHRA Pro Stock event, will start in Sunday’s eliminations.

FIRST TIME UP ON THE MOUNTAIN – Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal Dodge Avenger, has raced as a sportsman competitor in the thin air at Bandimere Speedway but never as a Pro Stock driver. Despite failing to make a timed run in the first session, Hartford rebounded with a 7.082, 195.56 which wasn’t strong enough to crack the top twelve.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ADAM ARANA GRABS PROVISIONAL PS MOTORCYCLE POLE - Before Friday, rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Adam Arana had never made a pass in the high altitude at Bandimere Speedway near Denver.

The 22-year-old definitely made a memorable debut at the Mile-High Nationals on his ProtectTheHarvest.com/Mav TV Buell, grabbing the provisional pole with a 7.267-second run at 182.62 mph.

“We made an awesome hit,” said Arana, who turned 22 Thursday. “We hit all our shift points and we left really good. I thought we were going to be a little bit better on the second hit, but it didn’t shift into sixth and I had to pull in the clutch, so we didn’t hurt the motor.”

If Arana’s pole position holds Saturday it would be the first of his young career. His best qualifying spot to date is fifth at Epping, N.H. and Norwalk, Ohio.

“This track (Bandimere) is really awesome,” Arana said. “The starting line is always consistent, so it is easy to tune to get our clutch just right where it needs to be. I wasn’t stressed out about coming here, but my dad (Hector Arana Sr.) really stressed out about it because he is the one who really makes the calls for the tune-up. The pressure was on his shoulders. I just kind of did what he told me to do. Obviously, he did a great job and without him I wouldn’t be No. 1.”

Although Adam had never run at Bandimere, he leaned on his dad and his brother Hector Arana Jr., who also compete in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

“This is the third year for my brother to race here (at Bandimere) and my dad like his 100th, so we have plenty of information,” Adam said. “They send me in the right way. You would be surprised how much different it is for each rider. All three of our clutches are nothing alike.”

Adam knows keeping the pole position will not be easy Saturday.

“We have to stay on our game to keep this No. 1 spot,” Adam said. “I’m excited for (Saturday).”

GETTING UP TO SPEED - Matt Hines knows about winning.

Hines made NHRA history by becoming the first Pro Stock Motorcycle racer to win three consecutive championships, accomplishing the feat between 1997 and 1999.

These days, Hines has a bigger challenge on his hands. The crew chief for the Vance & Hines Motorsports team is trying to get the Harley-Davidsons ridden by reigning world champion Eddie Krawiec and his brother Andrew Hines back up to speed with the competition.

On Sept. 19, 2012, NHRA announced some major changes to the Pro Stock Motorcycle class for 2013.

This season, Harley-Davidson and Buell are both allowed a maximum 160-cubic inch displacement (cid), for a 60-degree, two-valve, pushrod engine. Minimum weight for both motorcycles is set at 625 pounds. The four-valve Harley-Davidson engine combination is no longer allowed. Suzuki still has a maximum of 107-cid, for a two-valve engine. Minimum weight on the Suzuki is 595 pounds. NHRA also discontinued the four-valve option on the Suzuki motorcycle.

 “When you only have a month or two to actually design and build an engine, it kind of puts you a little bit behind the eight ball,” Hines said. “We are just trying to do the best we can and we are not too far off the leaders as far as performance. They have seven to 10 years of development on that engine and we have six months.”

Krawiec is eighth in the point standings and Hines is 12th. Krawiec and Hines are competing this weekend at the Mile-High Nationals at Morrison, Colo., near Denver.

“We are focusing on just getting the bikes down the track,” Matt said. “It is almost like every race is a test session. Sometimes you hit it, and sometimes you don’t.”

A year ago, Krawiec (9) and Hines (6) combined to win 15 races and finished first and second in the point standings.

The Vance & Hines team has had plenty of success at the Mile-High Nationals.

Matt has four wins at Bandimere Speedway, and Andrew and Krawiec have two wins each.

“We know how to get a bike down the track here,” Matt said. “We just have to see what we need to do to get it down the track.”