INDY PRO TESTING
Capps piloted his Funny Car to a 4.846 second run at 317.87 mph. The current POWERade points leader in Funny Car, Capps has been excited to see what his team can do during these testing days in Indy.
“Testing was awesome,” Capps said. “You know these conditions are those that we could see on Sunday for the Skoal Showdown.”
Capps is one of eight drivers competing in the $100,000 Skoal Showdown at O’Reilly Raceway Park during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Aug. 31-Sept. 3. The Skoal Showdown is a high-stake, high-speed race featuring the eight quickest and most consistent Funny Car teams from the last season. Capps will face Don Schumacher Racing teammate Gary Scelzi in the first round of the event.
But Capps says that the biggest excitement surrounding this year’s U.S. Nationals is the addition of the Countdown to the Championship.
THURSDAY TESTING - SCELZI MAKES IT THREE-IN-A-ROW FOR
SCHUMACHER RACING AT INDY TESTING;
BURKART FASTEST IN TOP FUEL AT THURSDAY’S TEST SESSION
Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi made it three-in-a-row for Don
Schumacher Racing at the final session of testing for the Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in
Scelzi clocked a 4.846 second run at 317.87 mph, taking the
top spot for Thursday’s test session, which had been held the previous two days
of testing by Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps.
Testing his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger with newly acquired
crew chief, Todd Okuhara, Scelzi says the experience gained in this test
session should prove to be successful heading into the U.S. Nationals.
“Todd hasn’t had a
whole lot of test time with our car,” said Scelzi. “We got here and there were
a lot of things he wanted to try with the clutch and today was mainly doing
some really wild stuff. It looked really great and that was the quickest run of
the weekend and that wasn’t the optimum conditions that we had run in the other
night.”
Scelzi feels that with conditions being cooler then the
scorching heat felt in Indy for Thursday’s test session, his team should have
an exceptional tune-up for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals beginning next week.
“I’m very pleased and
looking very forward to coming back to the U.S. Nationals,” Scelzi said. “I’m
hoping it is hot because what we learned right now was a big thing. I’m not
worried about it when it is cold because those guys set the national record
last year with (Jack) Beckman so I’ve got that tune-up and I feel good about my
chances.”
Fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman turned in
the second best run of the day in Funny Car. Beckman drove his Mail Terminal
Services Dodge Charger to a 4.860 second run at 316.45 mph. Cruz Pedregon
piloted his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Impala SS to a distant third with a 5.215
second run at 232.75 mph.
In the Top Fuel category Phil Burkart had the best time out
of the dragsters testing Thursday. Testing in the Hartley Racing dragster,
Burkart had a quick run of 4.620 seconds at 326.40 mph. Burkart says his early
run, before late in the heat of the day, helped him secure the top spot during
testing.
“The 62 came early in
the day and the heat wasn’t in the race track like it is now,” Burkart said.
“It’s cool and that was only my second full pass in the car to finish up my
license.”
Testing for the first time in a Top Fuel dragster, Burkart
says he noticed quickly the differences between driving a Funny Car and driving
a Top Fuel dragster.
“These things are a totally different animal from the Funny
Car,” Burkart said. “I can see so much more in the dragster. Obviously in a
Funny Car you are traveling a quarter-mile but in a dragster you can see much
more of that quarter-mile going by you and nothing is blocking your way, so
it’s pretty cool. I think it went a little better than I thought it would in
the fact that I was able to not do the Funny Car syndrome kind of thing and not
drive in and out of the groove. With a Funny Car you have to steer it so much
more.”
Clocking in the second fastest run in Top Fuel was a driver
who also made the switch from Funny Car to Top Fuel for this year, Whit
Bazemore. Bazemore drove his Matco Tools dragster to a 4.641 second run at
314.68 mph.
The 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway
Park will be held Aug. 29-Sept. 3. It is the 18th race on the 23-race season
schedule and the first of four races in the Countdown to the Championship
playoff. The top eight drivers in all four professional categories will compete
for the top four spots in the points before the cutoff race, The Torco Racing
Fuels NHRA Nationals in
CLERMONT,
Psn Driver Vehicle
ET Speed
1. Phil
Burkart Hartley Racing
Dragster
4.620 326.40
2. Whit
Bazemore Matco Tools Dragster 4.641 314.68
3. Larry Dixon Sky Tel Dragster 4.658 261.32
4. Cory
McClenathan Mac Racing/Fram Boost
2 5.673 158.50
5. Morgan
Lucas Lucas Oil/Torco Racing 7.435 101.41
CLERMONT,
Psn Driver Vehicle
ET Speed
1. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.847 322.19
2. Jack
Beckman MTS Charger 4.860 316.45
3. Cruz
Pedregon Advance Auto Parts
Impala 5.215 232.75
4. Jerry
Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks
Solara 6.365 137.32
5. Tommy Johnson
Jr. Skoal Racing Impala 9.103 89.89
6. Scott
Kalitta DHL Solara
9.706 90.71
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Leah Pruett being interviewed by Jack Beckman for 1320TV.com after making
her first launch in a fuel car. After warming up both Gary Scelzi and Jack
Beckman's cars earlier in the afternoon Leah made a planned 75-foot hit
in Beckman car. The car rattled the tires at the step and she shut off as
instructed. They are going to try for a 330 foot run today. (Keith Burgan Photo)
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For
the second day in a row Brut Dodge Charger Funny Car driver Ron Capps
ran the quickest time at Wednesdays test session for the upcoming Mac
Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
Capps piloted his Funny Car to a 4.846 second run at 317.87 mph. The
current POWERade points leader in Funny Car, Capps has been excited to
see what his team can do during these testing days in Indy.
“Testing was awesome,” Capps said. “You know these conditions are those that we could see on Sunday for the Skoal Showdown.”
Capps is one of eight drivers competing in the $100,000 Skoal Showdown
at O’Reilly Raceway Park during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Aug.
31-Sept. 3. The Skoal Showdown is a high-stake, high-speed race
featuring the eight quickest and most consistent Funny Car teams from
the last season. Capps will face Don Schumacher Racing teammate Gary
Scelzi in the first round of the event.
But Capps says that the biggest excitement surrounding this year’s U.S.
Nationals is the addition of the Countdown to the Championship.
“What’s so unique about the U.S. Nationals is I’ve talked the last few
years about trying to do,” Capps said. “I’ve tried to get Indy to be
what it used to be. Get it double points or something and now with the
Countdown the NHRA came up with, it really puts back a lot of what Indy
used to be and what it should be. The U.S. Nationals.”
Heading into the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, drivers in the Top 8
in the point standings will have there points reset, starting with
2,070 points for first-place and split into 10-point increments all the
way to 2,000 points for eighth-place. The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is
the start of a four-race playoff, where the Top 8 in points will battle
it out for the top four spots in the point standings. It is this
battle, starting at Indy, that Capps says will make the U.S. Nationals
an exciting event to see.
“Now with the Countdown starting and the Skoal Showdown here as well,
there is so much going on here and it’s exciting,” Capps said.
Fellow Don Schumacer Racing teammate and driver of the Mail Terminal
Service Dodge Charger, Jack Beckman, had the second best run of the day
in Funny Car. Beckman turned in a time of 4.889 seconds at 314.90 mph.
Melanie Troxel also made a run in the Funny Car class, driving Mike
Ashley’s Torco Race Fuels Dodge Charger to a 5.705 second run at 171.64
mph.
In Top Fuel five-time U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher ran the
quickest time. Defending event winner Schumacher drove his U.S. Army
dragster to a 4.563 second run at 324.83 mph. Hillary Will turned in
the second fastest run of the test session. Will drove her KB Racing
dragster to a 4.593 second run at 328.54.
In Pro Stock Steve Schmidt held the top spot for most of the day,
turning in a run of 6.801 seconds at 202. 85 mph. Driver of the Indycom
Racing Chevy Cobalt, Kenny Koretsky had the second fastest run at 6.837
seconds at 201.91 mph.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle Steve Johnson rode his Snap-On Tools/Wyotech
Suzuki to the fastest time of the day, turning in a 7.125 second run at
188.10 mph. Karen Stoffer drove her Geico Suzuki to the second spot
with a 7.170 second run at 184.57
The final day of testing for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will be held Thursday at 10 a.m.
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Wednesday's best runs, listed in
order of elapsed time, in Top Fuel at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test
Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 4.563 324.83
2. Hillary Will KB Racing Dragster 4.593 328.54
3. Phil Burkart Hartley Racing Dragster 4.677 325.14
4. Bruce Litton Lucas Oil/Torco Dragster 4.684 302.14
5. Whit Bazemore Matco Tools Dragster 4.689 274.39
6. Morgan Lucas Lucas Oil/Torco Racing Fuels D 4.731 268.28
7. Clay Millican Knoll Gas/RATT Dragster 4.825 244.96
8. Larry Dixon Sky Tel Dragster 5.033 195.53
9. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 5.041 189.60
10. Cory McClenathan Carrier Boyz/Fram Boost 2 5.323 184.30
11. Mitch King Torco/Seelye Wright Dragster 5.559 167.86
12. Melanie Troxel Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Drags 5.685 162.06
13. Scott Kalitta Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragster 10.872 78.05
Best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Top Fuel at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Melanie Troxel Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Drags 4.530 328.46
2. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 4.563 325.85
3. Hillary Will KB Racing Dragster 4.593 328.54
4. Phil Burkart Hartley Racing Dragster 4.677 325.14
5. Bruce Litton Lucas Oil/Torco Dragster 4.684 302.14
6. Whit Bazemore Matco Tools Dragster 4.689 274.39
7. Morgan Lucas Lucas Oil/Torco Racing Fuels D 4.731 268.28
8. Clay Millican Knoll Gas/RATT Dragster 4.825 244.96
9. Larry Dixon Sky Tel Dragster 5.033 195.53
10. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 5.041 189.60
11. Cory McClenathan Carrier Boyz/Fram Boost 2 Drag 5.323 184.30
12. Mitch King Torco/Seelye Wright Dragster 5.559 167.86
13. Scott Kalitta Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragster 7.367 106.22
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Wednesday's best runs, listed in
order of elapsed time, in Funny Car at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test
Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.846 317.87
2. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 4.889 314.90
3. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.890 318.39
4. Mark Oswald Torco Racing Fuels Charger 5.077 238.64
5. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Impala 5.080 260.56
6. Melanie Troxel Torco Race Fuels Charger 5.705 171.64
7. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 5.957 161.00
8. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Solara 6.069 153.09
9. Tommy Johnson Jr. Skoal Racing Impala 6.198 149.48
10. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 6.734 134.94
11. Leah Pruett MTS Charger 11.991 73.03
Best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Funny Car at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.846 317.87
2. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.869 321.19
3. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 4.889 314.90
4. Mark Oswald Torco Racing Fuels Charger 4.974 294.82
5. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Solara 4.995 311.13
6. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 5.010 264.18
7. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Impala 5.080 260.56
8. Melanie Troxel Torco Race Fuels Charger 5.705 171.64
9. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 5.957 161.00
10. Tommy Johnson Jr. Skoal Racing Impala 6.198 149.48
11. Leah Pruett MTS Charger 11.991 73.03
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Wednesday's best runs, listed in
order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test
Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Steve Schmidt Schmidt Competition Engines Co 6.801 202.85
2. Kenny Koretsky Indicom Cobalt 6.837 201.91
3. Matt Hartford GTO 6.899 200.80
4. Matt Scranton GTO 6.930 195.42
5. Kevin Lawrence Modern Carriage Werks Cobalt 6.943 191.38
Best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Steve Schmidt Schmidt Competition Engines Co 6.801 202.85
2. Kenny Koretsky Indicom Cobalt 6.837 201.91
3. Matt Hartford GTO 6.899 200.80
4. Matt Scranton GTO 6.930 195.42
5. Kevin Lawrence Modern Carriage Werks Cobalt 6.943 191.38
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Wednesday's best runs, listed in
order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA,
Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Rider Vehicle ET Speed
1. Steve Johnson Snap-On Tools Suzuki 7.125 188.10
2. Karen Stoffer Geico Suzuki 7.170 184.57
3. Wes Wells Ray Skillman Perf. Parts Suzuk 7.215 185.77
4. Michael Phillips Phillips Racing Suzuki 7.338 185.61
Best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Rider Vehicle ET Speed
1. Steve Johnson Snap-On Tools Suzuki 7.125 188.10
2. Karen Stoffer Geico Suzuki 7.170 184.57
3. Wes Wells Ray Skillman Perf. Parts Suzuk 7.215 185.77
4. Michael Phillips Phillips Racing Suzuki 7.338 185.61
5. Joe DeSantis Suzuki 7.958 130.15
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Melanie Troxel and Ron Capps posted the quickest runs in their respective categories Tuesday at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis during testing for the 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world’s most prestigious drag race.
Troxel and Capps will be among the many drivers competing in the $2.6 million event, Aug. 29 — Sept. 3 at the legendary multi-use motorsports facility. ESPN2 will provide more than 10 hours of event coverage of the historic race.
Troxel’s Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA dragster clocked the quickest Top Fuel run of the day, with 4.530 second run at 328.46 mph.
“We made three runs today and two of them we got down the track so we’re feeling pretty good about the test session in general,” Troxel said. “I’m looking forward to getting out here tomorrow and seeing if we can’t improve on those times.”
Troxel found herself within 2 points of the eighth-place cutoff spot in the Countdown to the Championship heading into the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals last week in Reading, Pa. but was unable to make it into the Top 8 after a first round loss to teammate Morgan Lucas. Though Troxel finds herself on the outside of the Countdown playoffs, her motivation in testing is to test some of the smaller things on her dragster in preparation for next week’s event in Indy.
“We’ve just been testing some little things,” Troxel said. “Trying some new clutch discs and just generally getting ready for qualifying here at Indy. I would imagine that is what we are going to do out here tomorrow. A little bit of testing and a little bit of getting ready for our U.S. Nationals tune-up.”
Following a close second during the test session was U.S. Army dragster pilot and five-time U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher. Schumacher piloted his dragster to a 4.572 second run at 325.85 mph. Schumacher is the defending event winner in Indy and is currently fourth in the POWERade Championship point standings.
Capps held the fastest run in Funny Car for most of the day, driving his Brut Dodge Charger to a 4.852 second at 317.12 mph run. Currently sitting in the No.1 position in the points in Funny Car, Capps is ready to see what will happen in Indy next week.
“I’m so excited with the Countdown starting,” Capps said. “You can feel the excitement and there is so much going on. We got in the lanes right at 8 o’clock and ran a 485 and right now, to be honest with you, we’re not testing. We’re practicing. And we’re practicing running race day attitudes, approaching night qualifying and getting ready. It’s just exciting. I wish next weekend was here all ready.”
Capps’ teammate, Gary Scelzi, drove his HEMI/Oakley Dodge Charger to the second spot during testing with a 4.869 second run at 321.19 mph. “Fast” Jack Beckman completed the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car trio, driving his Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger to the sixth spot in testing with a 5.229 second run at 207.72 mph.
Pro Stock driver Kevin Lawrence ended the day with the fastest run in his category. Lawrence drove his Modern Carraige Werks Chevy Cobalt to a 6.866 second run at 193. 18 mph.
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Joe DeSantis was the only rider to make a successful run down the track, posting a 7.958 second run at 130.15 mph.
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals testing continues Wednesday at 10 a.m.
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Funny Car at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Ron Capps Brut Charger 4.852 317.12
2. Gary Scelzi Hemi Oakley Charger 4.869 321.19
3. Mark Oswald Torco Racing Fuels Charger 4.974 294.82
4. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Solara 4.995 311.13
5. Kenny Bernstein Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Charg 5.010 264.18
6. Jack Beckman MTS Charger 5.229 207.72
7. Gary Densham Torco/Racebricks Impala 7.420 114.45
8. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 9.889 87.11
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Top Fuel at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test
Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Melanie Troxel Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA Drags 4.530 328.46
2. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 4.572 325.85
3. Whit Bazemore Matco Tools Dragster 6.451 127.67
4. Phil Burkart Hartley Racing Dragster 6.644 129.49
5. Hillary Will KB Racing Dragster 6.692 118.04
6. Scott Kalitta Mac Tools/Jesse James Dragster 7.367 106.22
7. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 10.062 82.58
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Kevin Lawrence Modern Carriage Werks Cobalt 6.866 193.18
2. Matt Scranton GTO 6.869 200.74
3. Steve Schmidt Schmidt Competition Engines Co 6.870 201.22
4. Kenny Koretsky Indicom Cobalt 7.199 146.99
5. Matt Hartford GTO 7.421 130.69
CLERMONT, Ind. - SUMMIT FastNews - Tuesday's best runs, listed in order of elapsed time, in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA, Indianapolis Test Session:
Psn Rider Vehicle ET Speed
1. Joe DeSantis Suzuki 7.958 130.15
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