THE FUNNY CAR THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE FRICTION - EVENT HOME PAGE

Renderings by Greg Russll, GRD Design; Narration by Bobby Bennett    Thu, 2015-12-31 20:00

 

 

 
FINAL RESULTS - DEL WORSHAM AND THE BLUE MAX ARE THE CHAMPIONS
 

 

It appears Del Worsham is as good in virtual reality as he is in real life.

After a month of competition and over a hundred thousand votes, Worsham outlasted 19 other Funny Car racers to win the inaugural Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, a virtual reality drag race promoted by CompetitionPlus.com.

Worsham defeated Jeff Diehl in a race that changed leads seven times over a five-day voting period and was decided in the end by less than 100 votes. 

"That was a lot of work, I thought for a while I was campaigning to be President of the United States," said Worsham, who entered the event as the No. 3 qualifier. "I wore my contacts list out trying to get everyone we knew to go on CompetitionPlus.com and vote. The harder we pushed the harder they pushed back on the other side."

On the big stage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Diehl likely wouldn't present a major challenge to Worsham. However, in the cyber world, Diehl presented a monumental challenge as the No. 1 qualifier. 

The Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction featured the Top 20 competitors in the Funny Car division at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Those drivers were then asked to select a scheme from the 1970s Funny Car era they would love to represent if this were a real race. Artist Greg Russell of Greg Russell Designs was commissioned to deliver renderings for 20 drivers.

In the end, Worsham believes the two most popular Funny Cars in drag racing reached the championship round. Worsham represented the Blue Max while Diehl carried the legend of the Jungle Jim scheme.

"There's no doubt the two most iconic cars reached the final round," Worsham said. "I had no visions of a runaway win for either one of us. You just had to know it was going to be close."

Worsham will receive a special custom made trophy for his victory as well as a full-size banner from CompetitionPlus.com commemorating the ladder of competition to hang on his wall. He will be presented his awards at the upcoming NHRA Winternationals next month. 

"Just winning, that was pretty much all I wanted ... it didn't matter if there was a trophy or anything. Winning meant everything," Worsham added.

Worsham's road to the winner's circle included victories over Tony Pedregon, teammate Alexis DeJoria and Ron Capps.

For his part, Diehl ran roughshod over the field by qualifying No. 1 by a 2-to-1 vote margin and beating Chad Head, Jack Beckman and Dave Richards. 

"The event was an eye-opener as to the following we have out there," admitted Diehl. "We put little effort into reaching out to our fans, but they were there for us. They stepped up big time. I hardly ever go on the internet, my wife handles that. I have to say I am blown away by the whole experience."

"Everybody so badly wants something to be competitive in during the offseason and it just gets you excited about the upcoming season for sure," Worsham said. "I will say this; it helps us to get off on the right foot in our title-defense. It's a good thing."

The 2016 - 2017 Throwback Showdown will resume in November of this year with Top Fuel as the showcase category with drivers picking schemes from the 60s and 70s.

 

 

 
 
THURSDAY, SEMI-FINAL - WORSHAM BEATS CAPPS TO MEET DIEHL IN THE FINAL ROUND
 

After a month of campaigning, tens of thousands of votes, twenty renderings by talented artist Greg Russell have been narrowed down to just two. 

Next Monday, and continuing until Friday evening at 8 PM, EST., CompetitionPlus.com readers will determine who wins the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, a virtual reality drag race. 

And thanks to a Del Worsham victory, the final round will match two of probably the most iconic Funny Cars in drag racing history, the Jungle Jim and the Blue Max.

Three days of a back and forth battle between Worsham and Ron Capps culminated in a Blue Max victory in the last hours of voting over the Ed McCulloch Revellution tribute. 

Worsham faces Jeff Diehl next week for a five-day voting war to determine the inaugural Throwback Showdown champion. 

Diehl, the No. 1 qualifier, eliminated Dave Richards in the semis. 


SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

Del Worsham (1473) def. Ron Capps (1128), 57% - 43%
Jeff Diehl (2175) def. Dave Richards (1969), 53% - 47%

 
DIEHL IS THE FIRST FINALIST; DEFEATS RICHARDS IN SEMIS

The King of the Jungle is ready to tame one more challenge; he just needs to know who it is. 

Jeff Diehl, honoring the legendary "Jungle" Jim Liberman is the first finalist in the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction. 

Diehl, who was the shocker in qualifying by dominating his way to the No. 1 seed, fought off a determined Dave Richards in the semi-finals to win by just a little over 200 votes. This match was the closest battle Diehl has faced since the virtual reality drag race begin earlier this month.

Diehl will face the winner of the Ron Capps versus Del Worsham match scheduled for Monday, Dec. 28.


SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

Jeff Diehl (2175) def. Dave Richards (1969), 53% - 47%

 

SATURDAY, QUARTER-FINAL - INCREDIBLE RACES GO DOWN TO THE WAR IN SHOWDOWN QUARTER-FINALS; CAPPS VS. WORSHAM SEMIS

They had the largest vote totals of any race, and for that matter, qualifying. The closest too. 

After two days of eliminations, only five votes seperated Dom Lagana and Ron Capps. 

At 8 PM, EST on Saturday evening, Capps and Lagana combined for 4913 votes and by having seven more, the Revellution - Ed McCulloch tribute will head to the semi-finals. The lead changed hands at least 11 times over the three-day voting period with the lead often expanding to 100 votes in either direction at any given time. 

In a close race, with lesser voter participation, Del Worsham heads to the semi-finals with a 58-vote lead, snaring 53% of the votes cast. Worsham led the race from start to finish with DeJoria pulling to within 20 votes at any given time. 

Competition continues Monday, with No. 1 seed Jeff Diehl facing No. 5 Dave Richards. Diehl has experienced little competition in qualifying and the first two rounds of competition and remains heavily favored to reach the finals. 

Based on the strength of his quarter-final elimination of Lagana, Capps heads into the semis against Worsham. 

The Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction will have one race next week before resuming a week later, following Christmas break. 

Ron Capps (John Hale) def. Dom Lagana (Tommy Johnson Jr.), 2460 - 2453, 50% - 50%
Del Worsham (Tony Pedregon) def. Alexis DeJoria (Matt Hagan) 527 - 469, 53% - 47%
Jeff Diehl (Chad Head) def. Jack Beckman (John Force), 812 - 92 votes  74% - 26%
Gary Richards (Tommy Johnson Jr.) def. Tim Wilkerson (Bob Bode), 1408 - 904 votes  61% - 39%

 
QUARTER-FINALS (A-SIDE) - HALF OF THROWBACK SHOWDOWN SEMIS SET WITH DIEHL, RICHARDS ADVANCING

One-half of the quarter-finals of the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction is complete, and two unlikely finalists will battle for the honor to race in the final round. 

Jeff Diehl and Dave Richards, two drivers who barely gained enough status to get an invitation to participate in the virtual reality drag race,  more than proved their value with a strong fan following by qualifying No. 1 and No. 5 respectively. 

Diehl, who is representing the late Jungle Jim Liberman, grabbed 74-percent of the vote share to topple NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series front-runner Jack Beckman, representing the Pisano and Matsubara entry.  

However, Diehl lost lane choice in the semi-final match-up against Dave Richards, who is honoring his father, Gary Richards. Richards had more votes than Diehl. 

Richards gained the lead in yesterday's voting against the popular Tim Wilkerson, and his legion of Chi-Town Hustler supporters. Though Richards only grabbed 61-percent of the votes, his percentage was 1400 votes. 

Eliminations continue Thursday with Dom Lagana facing off with Ron Capps; while Del Worsham faces teammate Alexis DeJoria. 

 

 

 

SATURDAY RESULTS - WORSHAM DOMINATES TO CONCLUDE FIRST ROUND RACES

The Blue Max looked as realistic in virtual reality as it did in real life.

By a monstrous 90-percent vote total, Del Worsham’s Blue Max tribute eliminated the Barry Setzer tribute of Tony Pedregon. 

Alexis DeJoria ran the tables on Matt Hagan by grabbing a 64-percent vote share and propelling her Bounty Hunter Toyota past Hagan’s radical Wonder Wagon rendition on a Dodge Magnum shell.

Blue collar Funny Car legend Tim Wilkerson used the traditionalism of the Chi-Town Hustler to thunder past Bob Bode in a battle of Midwestern Funny Car legends. Wilkerson grabbed the 72-percent share of the votes over Bode’s Tom Hoover Showtime tribute.

These races conclude the first round of the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction.


FIRST ROUND RESULTS

No. 1 Jeff Diehl (853) def. No. 16 Chad Head(174) 83 - 17. 
No. 2 Dom Lagana  (729) def. No. 15 Cruz Pedregon (327)  69 - 31
No. 3 Del Worsham (564) def. No. 14 Tony Pedregon (64) 90 - 10
No. 4 Tim Wilkerson (352) def. No. 13 Bob Bode (140) 72 - 28
No. 5. Gary Richards (501) def. No. 12 Tommy Johnson Jr. (384) 57 - 43
No. 11 Alexis Dejoria (386) def. No. 6 Matt Hagan (214) 64 - 36
No. 7 Ron Capps (546) def. No. 10 John Hale (389) 58 - 42
No. 8 Jack Beckman (481) def. No. 9 John Force (331)  59 - 41

 

 

 

Del Worsham won a championship in real life last month. After one day of qualifying in the Throwback Showdown presented by Bpninfante Friction, he's got a good shot of winning one in virtual reality. 

Worsham, representing the legendary Blue Max scheme from 1978, grabbed a 90-percent share of the voting in his first round match against Tony Pedregon, honoring Barry Setzer. 

Thursday was a good first day of the second-half, first round races as Worsham's teammate Alexis DeJoria jumped out early on Matt Hagan. 

Dejoria, honoring her boss Connie Kalitta, grabbed a 65-percent share of the votes over the iconic Wonder Wagon tribute of Hagan.

In a battle for Midwest Funny Car supremacy, Tim Wilkerson grabbed an early lead over Bob Bode. Wilkerson, representing the legendary Chi-Town Hustler, thundered to 68-percent of the voting total over Bode's Tom Hoover Showtime scheme. 

Closing out the second-half of the first round races, the independent teams continued to hold their own as Dave Richards pulled away from Tommy Johnson Jr. in the last few hours to amass a 62-percent share of the votes. Richards is honoring his father Gary while Johnson is representing Prudhomme's iconic Army scheme from the Monza. 


WORSHAM VS. PEDREGON - VOTE HERE

HAGAN VS. DEJORIA - VOTE HERE

RICHARDS VS. JOHNSON - VOTE HERE

WILKERSON VS BODE - VOTE HERE 


FIRST ROUND RESULTS

No. 1 Jeff Diehl (853) def. No. 16 Chad Head(174) 83 - 17. 
No. 2 Dom Lagana  (729) def. No. 15 Cruz Pedregon (327)  69 - 31
No. 7 Ron Capps (546) def. No. 10 John Hale (389) 58 - 42
No. 8 Jack Beckman (481) def. No. 9 John Force (331)  59 - 41

WED, DEC. 9 - OPENING RACES OF FIRST ROUND COMPLETED AS DIEHL, LAGANA, CAPPS AND BECKMAN ADVANCE

Four cars were eliminated from the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction on Wednesday evening. 

Top-seeded entry Jeff Diehl and his Jungle Jim-themed Toyota equalled his quantifying dominance in eliminating the Gary Burgin-themed Toyota of Chad Head. Currently, Diehl's 853 votes (83-percent) represent the highest total since eliminations began on Monday morning. 

Jack Beckman eliminated the last of the John Force Racing entries as his Pisano & Matsubara tribute outvoted John Force's Blue Brute Force entry, 481 - 331.

No. 2 qualifier Dom Lagana took out Cruz Pedregon by running his vote total to 729 to easily cover the California Charger's 327.

Rounding out the first day matches, Ron Capps jumped out early on John Hale and was able to hold him off en route to a 546 - 389 victory.

Second round pairings include Diehl facing Beckman while Lagana matches up with Capps. Quarter-final competition for these races begins on Monday, Dec. 14 at 8 AM. 


FIRST ROUND RESULTS

No. 1 Jeff Diehl (853) def. No. 16 Chad Head(174) 83 - 17. 
No. 2 Dom Lagana  (729) def. No. 15 Cruz Pedregon (327)  69 - 31
No. 7 Ron Capps (546) def. No. 10 John Hale (389) 58 - 42
No. 8 Jack Beckman (481) def. No. 9 John Force (331)  59 - 41

 

FINAL QUALIFIED FIELD AND PAIRINGS FOR THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE FRICTION

MONDAY, DEC. 7 - FIRST ROUND ELIMINATIONS - 8:00 AM EST - WED, DEC. 9 - 8 PM. EST.


No. 1 Jeff Diehl  vs. No. 16 Chad Head

No. 8 Jack Beckman vs. No. 8 John Force 

No. 2 Dom Lagana vs. No. 15 Cruz Pedregon


No. 7 Ron Capps vs. No. 10 John Hale 


THURS, December 10 - 8 AM, EST - SAT. December 12, 2015 - 8 PM, EST


No. 4 Tim Wilkerson vs. No. 13 Bob Bode

No. 5 Dave Richards vs. No. 12 Tommy Johnson Jr. 

No. 3 Del Worsham vs. No. 14 Tony Pedregon

No. 6 Matt Hagan vs. No. 11 Alexis DeJoria 

FINAL

1. JEFFREY DIEHL          29% (1078 votes)
2. DOM LAGANA             13% (511 votes)
3. DEL WORSHAM            12% (487 votes)
4. TIM WILKERSON          8% (315 votes)
5. DAVE RICHARDS          5% (209 votes)
6. MATT HAGAN             5% (192 votes)
7. RON CAPPS              5% (190 votes)
8. JACK BECKMAN           4% (157 votes)
9. JOHN FORCE             4% (152 votes)
10. JOHN HALE              3% (122 votes)
11. ALEXIS DEJORIA         3% (113 votes)
12. TOMMY JOHNSON JR       2% (100 votes)
13. BOB BODE               2% (79 votes)
14. TONY PEDREGON          2% (68 votes)
15. CRUZ PEDREGON          1% (59 votes)
16. CHAD HEAD              1% (53 votes)
_____________________________________

ELIMINATED (DID NOT QUALIFY)
17. ROBERT HIGHT           1% (50 votes)
18. TERRY HADDOCK          1% (46 votes)
19. COURTNEY FORCE         1% (32 votes)
20. BLAKE ALEXANDER        1% (22 votes)

 

EVENT SCHEDULE

PARADE OF CONTESTANTS - November 26 - 30, 2015.
QUALIFYING - December 1 - 4, 2015
ELIMINATIONS - first rd   -  December 7 - 9, 2015  (No. 1 vs No. 16, No. 8 vs No. 9; No. 2 vs. No. 15;
No. 7 vs. no. 10)
December 10 - December 12, 2015   (No. 4 vs No. 13),  No. 5 vs No. 12); No. 3
vs. No. 14, No. 6 vs. No. 11)
QUARTERFINALS - Dec. 14 - 16 - A side   
December 17 - 19, 2015 - B-side
SEMI FINALS - Dec 21 - 23 - A -SIDE Ladder       
CHRISTMAS BREAK Dec. 24 -   27
December 28 - 29, 2015  B-side
FINALS -  voting - January 4 - 9, 2016

FRIDAY NEWS - DIEHL CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THROWBACK SHOWDOWN; BIG MOVES AS QUALIFYING ENTERS FINAL DAY

CLICK HERE TO SEE ENTRIES IN THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE FRICTION

KNOW WHO YOU ARE VOTING FOR? - DIRECT LINK TO BALLOT

For Jeff Diehl, the nitro burning surfer, the key to being a fan favorite is a killer throwback scheme, and yes, a key endorsement doesn't hurt either. Qualifying ends this evening for the first phase of the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, a virtual reality drag race determined by reader vote. 

Representing the legendary Jungle Jim Liberman, and a Facebook endorsement from Jungle Pam Hardy has done well for his polling numbers, keeping him at a steady 29-percent share, more than double of No. 2 Dom Lagana at 13-percent.

Del Worsham made a monumental leap into No. 3 spot, and making a challenge for the second spot with a 12-percent total. He is now just 42 points from the No. 2 spot. 

Tim Wilkerson holds the No. 4 spot just ahead of Ron Capps, who round out the top five vote getters. 

Low budget Funny Car racer Dave Richards also made a huge leap, pulling to within two votes of Capps and jumping into the top five. Richards is representing his dad Gary Richards and his 1970s Funny car effort. 

Top-ranked Matt Hagan, who was No. 1 headed into the event, continued his freefall down to seventh with the legendary Wonder Wagon Dodge Magnum wagon. 

Jack Beckman rounded out the top half with four percent of the votes. 

Chad Head pulled back into the field with a strong Q3 effort and bumping out Terry Haddock.

Still unqualified, Robert Hight moved to No. 17 ahead of Haddock, Courtney Force and Blake Alexander. 

Qualifying ends, Friday, December 4 at 11 PM, EST. 


Q3

JEFFREY DIEHL          29% (1056 votes)
DOM LAGANA             13% (473 votes)
DEL WORSHAM            12% (431 votes)
TIM WILKERSON          8% (295 votes)
RON CAPPS              4% (155 votes)
DAVE RICHARDS          4% (154 votes)
MATT HAGAN             4% (153 votes)
JACK BECKMAN           4% (140 votes)
JOHN FORCE             4% (135 votes)
JOHN HALE              3% (98 votes)
ALEXIS DEJORIA         3% (95 votes)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR       2% (88 votes)
BOB BODE               2% (69 votes)
TONY PEDREGON          2% (59 votes)
CRUZ PEDREGON          1% (52 votes)
CHAD HEAD              1% (46 votes)
______________________________________

ROBERT HIGHT           1% (41 votes)
TERRY HADDOCK          1% (39 votes)
COURTNEY FORCE         1% (26 votes)
BLAKE ALEXANDER        1% (21 votes)

 

THURSDAY NEWS - DIEHL REMAINS NO. 1 IN THROWBACK Q-2; T-PED MAKES LARGE LEAP INTO FIELD

Heading into day two qualifying for the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, Jeff Diehl maintained his large lead in the reader vote qualifying. Honoring the late Jungle Jim Liberman in the virtual reality drag race, Diehl maintained his 29 percent share. 

First-day non-qualifier Tony Pedregon made a huge jump into the show by climbing four spots to No. 14. Pedregon's Funny Car represents Barry Setzer and in gaining the provisional berth bumped out Chad Head. 

Dom Lagana remained second despite losing a three percent share of the voting.

Also making big moves in Q2 qualifying were Del Worsham into third while picking up two percent. Tim Wilkerson was fourth by increasing his vote total by one percent. Ron Capps remained in the top five despite losing a one percent share.

Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman also moved up in the rankings with a stronger Day Two qualifying effort. 

Cruz Pedregon is on the bubble, tied with Head but tiebreaker rules favor the California Charger tribute. 

Unqualified after two days of qualifying include Head, Courtney Force, Blake Alexander and Robert Hight. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE ENTRIES IN THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE FRICTION

KNOW WHO YOU ARE VOTING FOR? - DIRECT LINK TO BALLOT


JEFFREY DIEHL          29% (609 votes) 
DOM LAGANA             18% 15% (430 votes)
DEL WORSHAM            10% (277 votes)
TIM WILKERSON          9% (256 votes)
RON CAPPS                    4% (130 votes)
MATT HAGAN             4% (121 votes)
JACK BECKMAN           4% (118 votes)
DAVE RICHARDS          4% (117 votes)
JOHN FORCE                3% (100 votes)
JOHN HALE                  3% (89 votes)
ALEXIS DEJORIA         3% (73 votes)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR       2% (67 votes)
BOB BODE                       2% (60 votes)
TONY PEDREGON          1% (36 votes)
TERRY HADDOCK          1% (34 votes)
CRUZ PEDREGON          1% (32 votes)
______________________________________

CHAD HEAD              1% (32 votes)
COURTNEY FORCE         1% (21 votes)
BLAKE ALEXANDER        1% (20 votes)
ROBERT HIGHT           1% (19 votes)


WEDNESDAY NEWS - DIEHL PULLS SHOCKER IN FIRST DAY THROWBACK SHOWDOWN QUALIFYING

 

Jeff Diehl has never led a session of  Funny Car qualifying in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing.

This morning, the California-based surfer dude can boast a feat none of those higher financed teams can. Diehl by a large margin claimed the provisional No. 1 at the Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, a virtual reality drag race based on NHRA competition and driven by reader vote.

Diehl, honoring the legendary Jungle Jim Liberman holds a considerable lead having gained 29-percent of the votes cast in the first day. 

Diehl wasn't the only surprise at the top of the leaderboard, as part-time racer Dom Lagana was second with the Twilight Zone entry, at 18-percent. Lagana led a good portion of Friday's qualifying before being overtaken by Diehl.

Rounding out the top five was the Chi-Town Hustler tribute of Tim Wilkerson at eight percent, followed by Del Worsham's Blue Max tribute at seven percent. Ron Capps, honoring his lifelong hero Ed McCulloch, was fifth at five percent. 

Holding onto the bump spot is Chad Head with the Gary Burgin Orange Baron tribute. He has a one percent share, just one vote ahead of #17 Tony Pedregon and his Barry Setzer tribute. 

Those not qualified 24 hours into voting include Courtney Force, Robert Hight and Blake Alexander. 

Qualifying ends on Friday, Dec. 4 at 11 PM, EST. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE ENTRIES IN THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE FRICTION
KNOW WHO YOU ARE VOTING FOR? - DIRECT LINK TO BALLOT
 

THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE
QUALIFYING - Q1

JEFFREY DIEHL          29% (581 votes)
DOM LAGANA             18% (365 votes)
TIM WILKERSON          8% (160 votes)
DEL WORSHAM            7% (141 votes)
RON CAPPS                    5% (107 votes)
DAVE RICHARDS          5% (99 votes)
JACK BECKMAN           4% (88 votes)
MATT HAGAN             4% (86 votes)
JOHN FORCE                4% (76 votes)
ALEXIS DEJORIA         3% (59 votes)
JOHN HALE                  2% (44 votes)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR       2% (41 votes)
BOB BODE                       2% (39 votes)
CRUZ PEDREGON          1% (29 votes)
TERRY HADDOCK          1% (24 votes)
CHAD HEAD                    1% (20 votes)
________________________________________

TONY PEDREGON          1% (19 votes)
COURTNEY FORCE         1% (17 votes)
ROBERT HIGHT           1% (14 votes)
BLAKE ALEXANDER        1% (11 votes)

QUALIFYING OPENS FOR THROWBACK SHOWDOWN PRESENTED BY BONINFANTE

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE IN QUALIFYING

THE RULES - The Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction is a virtual reality drag race race where how well a car/driver performs is based on reader voting. There are two phases of the event - qualiifying and eliminations. 

In this first phase, readers will vote to determine how their favorite cars and driver qualifies. Voting begins at 8 AM, EST., on Tuesday, Dec. 1 with qualifying concluding on Friday, Dec. 4 at 11 PM, EST. 

The car and driver which receives the most votes will be declared the No. 1 qualifier, with the remaining voting results to determine seeds No. 2 through No. 16. Four entries will fail to qualify. 

Once the qualified field is set, entries will be paired on a standard NHRA 16-car ladder where each individual race will be determined on reader vote. Votes determine how well each car runs, and inevitably which crosses the finish line first. We will eliminate down to a final round, where the winner of this match will be declared the champion. 

Voting will be limited to one vote per computer to prevent ballot box stuffing. 

Here are the contestants ...

#01 - MATT HAGAN - Matt Hagan clearly did his homework here. There was no doubt his choice had to be a Don Schumacher scheme, and even though his boss had retired before eight years before he was born, it didn't stop him from selecting one of the most famous Funny Car schemes ever. Understanding the original Wonder Wagon entry was a Vega panel wagon, Hagan took the angle of fielding a Dodge Magnum Funny Car instead of a Dodge Charger. 
#02 - RON CAPPS - Ron Capps makes no bones about Ed McCulloch being his hero in Funny Car racing. When given his choice of cars, he went for the most famous entry campaigned by the six-time Indy winner - the blue RRRRev-ellution entry.  We could see the "Ace" coming out of retirement to tune this beauty.
#03 - JOHN FORCE - The 16-time champion John Force has always had a soft spot in his nitro-burning heart for the car that started the move towards prominence for him - the blue Brute Force Monza. Of course, the car was made more famous for being on fire than winning races. 
#04 - DEL WORSHAM - Del Worsham is a modern day Blue Max man. A decade ago, Worsham presented a nostalgia Funny Car honoring the 1975 Mustang II. Of all the legendary Blue Max cars, Worsham has always loved and admired the 1978 yellow and blue scheme adorned on this Toyota. A champion honoring a champion.

 

#05 - TOMMY JOHNSON JR. - A fan of the legends of Funny Car racing, Tommy Johnson Jr.'s throwback is a combination of old and new. Now driving for Don Schumacher, he combines the current sponsorship on his present team with the legendary 1976 scheme once campaigned by his former boss Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.
#06 - JACK BECKMAN - Jack Beckman is a dyed in the wool Southern California Funny Car fan. And following a tremendous power-filled season, it was only appropriate Beckman chose the legendary Pisano & Matsubara scheme, which is credited with the first Funny Car record under 6.5-seconds. This entry was one of the more popular models of the Revell company, and we have a feeling the throwback will be more of the same. 
#07 - ROBERT HIGHT - Robert Hight will do battle with probably the most famous John Force "Brute Force" car ever campaigned. Minus the Wendy's Hot and Juicy logos, Hight will do battle with the scheme that adorned the 1979 Corvette, Force's first foray into the full-time NHRA tour. Oh how we wanted to put those Wendy's logos on there. 
#08 - ALEXIS DEJORIA - Alexis DeJoria wanted to play tribute to her legendary team owner Connie Kalitta and his famous line of Bounty Hunter Funny Cars. If there is anyone capable of carrying the tough as nails Bounty Hunter scheme is DeJoria.

 

#09 - CRUZ PEDREGON - Cruz Pedregon has one of the most beautiful nostalgia Funny Cars in the country. Therefore, there was a natural fascination with seeing what the famous Keeling & Clayton California Charger paint scheme would look like on his Snap-on Tools/Wix Filters Toyota. 
#10 - TIM WILKERSON - Tim Wilkerson is the face of modern-era Chicagoland Funny Car racing. It's only appropriate Wilkerson flies the banner of the famous Chi-Town Hustler and the scene once campaigned by the legendary Denny Savage in the latter part of the 1970s.  Austin Coil and Tim Wilkerson, now there's a combination. 
#11 - COURTNEY FORCE - Courtney Force had to be a Brute Force (a family rule), and following the legend of her father chose the 1977 Monza scheme he made famous. She'll be one of three Brute Force entries in this event with probably one of the more photogenic Funny Cars her father drove - the legendary orange edition. 
#12 - JOHN HALE - John Hale already drives for a legend, so it wasn't hard to find the most iconic scheme representing "Big" Jim Dunn. Ever wonder why Hale went with the Fireman's Quickie on his real-life nostalgia Funny Car? It's because he was bringing out the Dunn & Reath entry in this competition. John Hale already drives for a legend, so it wasn't hard to find the most iconic scheme representing "Big" Jim Dunn. Ever wonder why Hale went with the Fireman's Quickie on his real-life nostalgia Funny Car? It's because he was bringing out the Dunn & Reath entry in this competition. It's Funny Car Summer all over again for Dunn and the gang.

 

#13 - CHAD HEAD - Chad Head wanted to choose the scheme of a driver who epitomized the never ending spirit of independent competition like that he and his father have presented in the big show of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Head brings in the legendary 1976 scheme representing the late Gary Burgin, and one which slayed the giant Don "The Snake" Prudhomme in the finals of the '76 U.S. Nationals. 
#14 - TONY PEDREGON - Tony Pedregon has built a nostalgia Funny Car in real life honoring the great TV Tommy Ivo. Pedregon, for this event, wanted a Funny Car known more for it's simple graphics and strong performances. The legendary Barry Setzer Funny Car made famous by the legendary Pat Foster will be the two-time NHRA champion's ride here. 

 

#15 - JEFF DIEHL - Jeff Diehl, the low-budgeted surfer dude who has a strong following, was blown away when one of his favorite Funny Car schemes was still available when it came time for his choice. Diehl in many aspects represents the unending spirit of the legendary Jungle Jim Liberman, and also has a very pretty B.U.G. (back up girl).

 

#16 - DAVE RICHARDS - Dave Richards said it was his father Gary, who inspired him into the Funny Car life. And, in following the inspiration, Richards said it was only appropriate he chose one of his father's schemes, and settling on his father's scheme bearing the patriarch's name. 

 

#17 - DOM LAGANA - Dom Lagana and his brother Bobby Jr. might be knee-deep in Top Fuel competition, but their nitro upbringing began with their family's famous line of Twilight Zone Funny Cars fielded by their father Bobby Lagana Sr. Dominic ran just enough races earlier this season to gain a spot in the Top 20.

 

#18 - BOB BODE - Bob Bode said there was no doubt which driver he wanted to honor. Bode, like many Midwest drag racing fans, fawned over the legendary Showtime entry campaigned by Tom Hoover. The Showtime had many variations but the one which Bode believes was the most attractive was scheme was appeared on the 1979 Corvette. 

 

#19 - BLAKE ALEXANDER - Blake Alexander will follow into the Throwback Showdown upholding the legend of his tuner Paul Smith and his famous line of Entertainer Funny Cars. Smith had the reputation of getting the most out of the least, and of all of his storied Funny Cars, it was probably his Entertainer line of floppers which are the most heralded. 


 

#20 - TERRY HADDOCK - Terry Haddock is the closest of any of today's current Funny Car clan with a link to the Great Northwest, so it's natural that his tribute is the Green Elephant made famous by speed shop operator Jim Green. Back in the day with Frank Hall driving and Jerry Verhuel tuning, the Green Elephant was a force to be reckoned with.

 

 


The Throwback Showdown presented by Boninfante Friction, Inc., is a fan-driven competition featuring twenty 1970s Funny Car schemes applied to modern day bodies. 

During the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in June, CompetitionPlus.com approached the Top 20 point earning drivers and asked them to select a throwback scheme they'd love to field if such an event were to take place. At the time, Matt Hagan, then the No. 1 point earner, made his selection, and the process continued until the No. 20 seed. 

CompetitionPlus.com's official artist Greg Russell, of Greg Russell Designs [GRD] was commissioned to craft a rendering of each car. 

The format is as follows: the event opens with a parade of the competitors through a presentation during the Thanksgiving weekend. In the week before the competition begins, CompetitionPlus.com will reveal four participants per day. The following week readers will vote to seed a 16-car field. 

The qualified field will eliminate four entries, and set a 16-car field. The No. 1 vote earner will be the low qualifier and will meet the No. 16, and the rest of the field will be seeded according to an NHRA national event ladder.

For the following three weeks, the event will eliminate until there is a final round. 

Qualifying and race winners are determined by fan vote.

Here are all the participants. Voting to seed the eliminator ladder begins on Tuesday.

 

#01 - MATT HAGAN - Matt Hagan clearly did his homework here. There was no doubt his choice had to be a Don Schumacher scheme, and even though his boss had retired before eight years before he was born, it didn't stop him from selecting one of the most famous Funny Car schemes ever. Understanding the original Wonder Wagon entry was a Vega panel wagon, Hagan took the angle of fielding a Dodge Magnum Funny Car instead of a Dodge Charger. 
#02 - RON CAPPS - Ron Capps makes no bones about Ed McCulloch being his hero in Funny Car racing. When given his choice of cars, he went for the most famous entry campaigned by the six-time Indy winner - the blue RRRRev-ellution entry.  We could see the "Ace" coming out of retirement to tune this beauty.
#03 - JOHN FORCE - The 16-time champion John Force has always had a soft spot in his nitro-burning heart for the car that started the move towards prominence for him - the blue Brute Force Monza. Of course, the car was made more famous for being on fire than winning races. 
#04 - DEL WORSHAM - Del Worsham is a modern day Blue Max man. A decade ago, Worsham presented a nostalgia Funny Car honoring the 1975 Mustang II. Of all the legendary Blue Max cars, Worsham has always loved and admired the 1978 yellow and blue scheme adorned on this Toyota. A champion honoring a champion.


 

 

THURSDAY

#05 - TOMMY JOHNSON JR. - A fan of the legends of Funny Car racing, Tommy Johnson Jr.'s throwback is a combination of old and new. Now driving for Don Schumacher, he combines the current sponsorship on his present team with the legendary 1976 scheme once campaigned by his former boss Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.
#06 - JACK BECKMAN - Jack Beckman is a dyed in the wool Southern California Funny Car fan. And following a tremendous power-filled season, it was only appropriate Beckman chose the legendary Pisano & Matsubara scheme, which is credited with the first Funny Car record under 6.5-seconds. This entry was one of the more popular models of the Revell company, and we have a feeling the throwback will be more of the same. 
#07 - ROBERT HIGHT - Robert Hight will do battle with probably the most famous John Force "Brute Force" car ever campaigned. Minus the Wendy's Hot and Juicy logos, Hight will do battle with the scheme that adorned the 1979 Corvette, Force's first foray into the full-time NHRA tour. Oh how we wanted to put those Wendy's logos on there. 
#08 - ALEXIS DEJORIA - Alexis DeJoria wanted to play tribute to her legendary team owner Connie Kalitta and his famous line of Bounty Hunter Funny Cars. If there is anyone capable of carrying the tough as nails Bounty Hunter scheme is DeJoria.

 

WEDNESDAY

#09 - CRUZ PEDREGON - Cruz Pedregon has one of the most beautiful nostalgia Funny Cars in the country. Therefore, there was a natural fascination with seeing what the famous Keeling & Clayton California Charger paint scheme would look like on his Snap-on Tools/Wix Filters Toyota. 
#10 - TIM WILKERSON - Tim Wilkerson is the face of modern-era Chicagoland Funny Car racing. It's only appropriate Wilkerson flies the banner of the famous Chi-Town Hustler and the scene once campaigned by the legendary Denny Savage in the latter part of the 1970s.  Austin Coil and Tim Wilkerson, now there's a combination. 
#11 - COURTNEY FORCE - Courtney Force had to be a Brute Force (a family rule), and following the legend of her father chose the 1977 Monza scheme he made famous. She'll be one of three Brute Force entries in this event with probably one of the more photogenic Funny Cars her father drove - the legendary orange edition. 
#12 - JOHN HALE - John Hale already drives for a legend, so it wasn't hard to find the most iconic scheme representing "Big" Jim Dunn. Ever wonder why Hale went with the Fireman's Quickie on his real-life nostalgia Funny Car? It's because he was bringing out the Dunn & Reath entry in this competition. John Hale already drives for a legend, so it wasn't hard to find the most iconic scheme representing "Big" Jim Dunn. Ever wonder why Hale went with the Fireman's Quickie on his real-life nostalgia Funny Car? It's because he was bringing out the Dunn & Reath entry in this competition. It's Funny Car Summer all over again for Dunn and the gang.

 

TUESDAY

#13 - CHAD HEAD - Chad Head wanted to choose the scheme of a driver who epitomized the never ending spirit of independent competition like that he and his father have presented in the big show of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Head brings in the legendary 1976 scheme representing the late Gary Burgin, and one which slayed the giant Don "The Snake" Prudhomme in the finals of the '76 U.S. Nationals. 
#14 - TONY PEDREGON - Tony Pedregon has built a nostalgia Funny Car in real life honoring the great TV Tommy Ivo. Pedregon, for this event, wanted a Funny Car known more for it's simple graphics and strong performances. The legendary Barry Setzer Funny Car made famous by the legendary Pat Foster will be the two-time NHRA champion's ride here. 

 

#15 - JEFF DIEHL - Jeff Diehl, the low-budgeted surfer dude who has a strong following, was blown away when one of his favorite Funny Car schemes was still available when it came time for his choice. Diehl in many aspects represents the unending spirit of the legendary Jungle Jim Liberman, and also has a very pretty B.U.G. (back up girl).

 

#16 - DAVE RICHARDS - Dave Richards said it was his father Gary, who inspired him into the Funny Car life. And, in following the inspiration, Richards said it was only appropriate he chose one of his father's schemes, and settling on his father's scheme bearing the patriarch's name. 

 

MONDAY

#17 - DOM LAGANA - Dom Lagana and his brother Bobby Jr. might be knee-deep in Top Fuel competition, but their nitro upbringing began with their family's famous line of Twilight Zone Funny Cars fielded by their father Bobby Lagana Sr. Dominic ran just enough races earlier this season to gain a spot in the Top 20.

 

#18 - BOB BODE - Bob Bode said there was no doubt which driver he wanted to honor. Bode, like many Midwest drag racing fans, fawned over the legendary Showtime entry campaigned by Tom Hoover. The Showtime had many variations but the one which Bode believes was the most attractive was scheme was appeared on the 1979 Corvette. 

 

#19 - BLAKE ALEXANDER - Blake Alexander will follow into the Throwback Showdown upholding the legend of his tuner Paul Smith and his famous line of Entertainer Funny Cars. Smith had the reputation of getting the most out of the least, and of all of his storied Funny Cars, it was probably his Entertainer line of floppers which are the most heralded. 


 

#20 - TERRY HADDOCK - Terry Haddock is the closest of any of today's current Funny Car clan with a link to the Great Northwest, so it's natural that his tribute is the Green Elephant made famous by speed shop operator Jim Green. Back in the day with Frank Hall driving and Jerry Verhuel tuning, the Green Elephant was a force to be reckoned with.

 

 

 

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