NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS - EVENT NOTEBOOK
Mon, 2008-03-31 20:00
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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK – ANTRON WINS; VANDERGRIFF’S EXPANSION AND KEN BLACK SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT
TOP FUEL
BETTER THAN EXPECTED – Antron Brown figured with the infrastructure in place at David Powers Motorsports he would gain a
The Houston victory made Antron Brown the first driver to win a national event in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Brown is reveling in the fact he’s undefeated in final rounds. Okay, so he’s only reached one. The facts are on his side at least until the next final.
“This dream is unreal,” an elated Brown said. “It's something that I had as a little kid growing up and going to Summernationals and stuff like that. Just out there sweating in my shorts and getting even darker in the sun. You know the sun's beaming me down. Watching all the grace of Kenny Bernstein, Don Garlits, and different guys like that go down the race track. I'm looking at them and it's like am I really here in the winner’s circle?”
The Houston victory made Brown the first driver to win a national event in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
“We went out to Pomona and we qualified number one; that was just an unbelievable feat,” Brown said. “That success showed me how great our team really is. I knew how good our team was, I knew the chemistry we had but how we were going to compare to line up to everybody was unknowing, it was the first race. It showed me when we went out there and qualified number one, I knew we had a team to come out here and we could win.
“I didn't know what race it was going to be but I didn't think it was going to be a long term deal where we'd have to wait a whole year and come back out and try to win in the second year out.”
Today’s victory marked the first time in Brown’s short driving career he’d surpassed the second round. When he defeated Cory McClenathan in the second round, he admitted a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“The second round has been biting us but it felt good to bite back,” said Brown. “We qualified the back half of the field but it's how you feel that doesn't make a difference of where you're at as long as you have a good start. We showed that today and that's what was really cool about it was that we marched forward and pulled the win off.”
The team chemistry at David Powers Motorsports is something Brown beams about when discussing the program.
“It starts from the top of course like any great race organization,” said Brown. “It starts first with David Powers and Tim Buckley and trickles down to the crew chiefs, Lee Beard and Rob Flynn and that whole team works well together.”
“That's the cool part about working at DPM is that nobody has egos. They don't go here or there. By not having an ego it makes the team work together so much better.”
In the end, Brown admitted he avoided embarrassment by remaining in the car longer than usual following the race.
“I didn't want to get out because I might not be able to stand up,” Brown admitted. “I couldn't show everybody that I was weak in the knees like that.”
MORE THAN TWO FOR VANDERGRIFF? – Bob Vandergriff, Jr. confirmed his team will soon make an announcement regarding
Has Bob Vandergriff, Jr., found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
“We will be running a 2nd team next year and we'll probably have an announcement out on it next week,” Vandergriff said. “We'll then probably have a little more details for everyone at the Las Vegas race. If things go according to plan, we might have not just the second car but a third and fourth one as well. We'll see how things shake up in the next couple of months but we have some opportunities and if they go as planned then we could have those extra teams next year.”
Did Vandergriff all of a sudden find the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Not quite, but close thanks to a few NASCAR connections.
“When you meet the right people that think the same way you do when it comes to marketing and sales, things happen,” Vandergriff explained. “Then you have success with a company like UPS and probably for the first time in my life I go places that people are seeking me out, which is a welcome change. People want to talk to me when I go hang out with my buddies at NASCAR races.
“There are times I get word sent to me that so and so company would like to meet with you. For me that's a different route instead of Vegas for 5 minutes on somebody’s time, somebody’s sending for me because they'd like to have a meeting to see if I could do the same thing for their company that I've done for UPS.
“It's an interesting dynamic, a lot of years of hard work and hopefully you'll see over the next few months some of that coming true to where we'll have some major, major companies coming into drag racing because of it.”
Vandergriff wouldn’t say on the record who his leading candidate for the second ride is, but pointed out his decision will be based on the sponsor’s desires.
“We're talking realistically to six or seven different companies right now and depending on the company and their demographic is who we're going after,” Vandergriff said. “There are some programs that lend themselves to certain drivers because of the way the company operates and what market their going after. We'll identify which companies like to be involved and then we'll go ahead and set out and see what kind of drivers we need to put in there.”
No need to send resumes to Vandergriff yet as his first driver may be one with current driving experience. The next two will likely come forth from the Top Alcohol ranks.
“We've talked to Art Gallant about using his A/Fuel dragster as a driver development thing to where we can put people in there and give them a year's worth of going up and down the race track in a car similar to this before we plug them in,” Vandergriff said. “I think you'll see us looking into some younger drivers maybe in the Sportsman categories that we feel could actually meet the marketing goals of some of the companies and could be around for the next 10 to 20 years.”
Vandergriff is adamant he’ll be slow to advance a driver until he’s sure everyone’s best interests are served.
“Maybe we’ll put them in an A/Fuel car for a year and see what that leads to for them. I really think it's something that we need to do in this sport instead of just plugging people into these things in January, trying to get their license and sending them to the Winternationals in February. I don't think that's fair and I think we need to find out if these guys are capable of driving these cars firstly and secondly we need to find out whether or not they're capable of servicing the sponsors properly.
“I don't think you want to just plug somebody into this car and five races into the season you realize you made a mistake and that guy isn't the right guy for the job. Then you've done no service to the sponsor. It's hard to go back and tell them 'Hey, we picked the wrong guy' because that makes us look bad.
“With the A/Fuel program I think we can put them in there and let them run. After a year we could go okay this is the right person or after 4 or 5 races you know this ain't gonna work out let's plug somebody else in. We're just really trying to take our sport to the next level and try to develop something that will be a feeder system into these cars.”
THE INEVITABLE – Tony Schumacher, who took out seventh-place qualifier, Brandon Bernstein, in the opening round, recorded a very respectable 4.585-second pass at 316.97 mph against Herbert, but the latter was slightly better in stopping the clock with a 4.572-second pass at 315.49 mph.
“You have to give Doug and his team all the credit,” said Schumacher. “It was a tight race from start to finish. We’re definitely not going to get down about this effort. We’ll keep pushing forward, while trying to make our Army Soldiers proud.”
Schumacher and his team will now prepare for the SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weeks.
“We’ve got a long season ahead,” he added. “Every team is going to have to get over some speed bumps along the way. We just happened to hit one here in Houston. There’s no such thing as a perfect season in our sport, so the only thing you can do is to keep working hard. If you do that, positive results will come.”
HOGAN’S NEW HOME – Noted tuner Richard Hogan was fired last week and hired on Sunday in Houston.
Hogan was hired to be the co-crew chief on Doug Kalitta's Top Fuel dragster. Hogan will join co-crew chief Jon Oberhofer to equally share the tuning responsibilities on a 335-mph race car that runs out of the Kalitta Motorsports stable, owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta.
“It’s an honor to be given this opportunity at Kalitta Motorsports,” Hogan, a resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “This organization is one of the best in the history of drag racing. I’m very excited to see what the future holds for both of us.”
Hogan’s career in drag racing spans four decades. He began as a crewman and has worked for some of the biggest names in the sport, including Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Kenny Bernstein, and Don “the Snake” Prudhomme. Hogan also served on the Montana Express Top Fuel team with longtime friend and Team Kalitta driver “Aussie Dave” Grubnic. He most recently worked as a crew chief for Morgan Lucas and Melanie Troxel.
“Richard is a great fit for our entire team,” Jim Oberhofer, Kalitta Motorsports General Manager, said “I’ve been friends with Richard for a long time, and when he became available, we knew he would be able to help us so we started pursuing him.
“My brother (Jon Oberhofer, co-crew chief on the Mac Tools dragster) was the first person to suggest we hire Richard. Jon, Connie and I all sat down and talked it over and the decision was made very quickly. We’re very confident that the addition of Hogan to our team will be a big step in moving forward with the Mac Tools dragster.”
FIRST FIVE – Five pairs of Top Fuel dragsters raced before one top-half qualifier won in the first round. Doug Kalitta was the first by taking out teammate Hillary Will and then rare bottom-rung player Tony Schumacher eliminated Brandon Bernstein. Bruce Litton took out David Grubnic and rookie driver Antron Brown dismissed Doug Foley.
Larry Dixon broke the trend by taking out Morgan Lucas.
The final tally was five victories for the bottom and three for the top.
THE JINX CONTINUES – Alan Bradshaw might invest in a throttle stop before the next event to at least qualify second. For the
Bradshaw might want to compare notes with two-time 2008 Funny Car low qualifier Tim Wilkerson.
"I don't buy that for a second, it's way over rated," Bradshaw said, commenting on the No. 1 qualifier jinx. "Sure you can look at it and say 'see it happened again', but the reality is that rounds are won through preparation, hard work and skill. As a driver if you are thinking about stuff like that, then your mind is someplace it shouldn't be and you are not focusing on driving the car. I'll admit there is always a little racing luck that comes into play but that's as far as it goes. I'd like to be the one to break the 'jinx' and hopefully I will have another chance to do just that."
Bradshaw might want to compare notes with two-time 2008 Funny Car low qualifier Tim Wilkerson. Both times Wilkerson pulled off the qualifying feat and lost in the opening session.
Wilkerson didn’t believe in the jinx either.
URS ERBROKEM – Urs Erbacher, the Top Fuel driver from Switzerland who now writes a blog for Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com,
Swiss Top Fuel racer Urs Erbacher had a tough time in Houston but recorded the first European driver round win since the 1970s.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE – When Erbacher upset top qualifier Alan Bradshaw in the opening round, he became the first European driver to record an elimination-round win in NHRA competition since England's Clive Skelton in 1978.
"We came over here to test and prepare for the defense of our FIA title," Erbacher said, "but I think we're proving a little more now. The car is still in need of more work and testing but we are very pleased to get this round win today and to show our friends in Texas some good European-style drag racing.
"This crew has worked very hard for me. Besides our crew chief Wayne Dupuy and his assistant Jeff Twitchell, who are from America, the crew is all Swiss, German, English, and Italian. They are very dedicated and I'm pleased we can celebrate this day."
HE’S GOT A POINT – Doug Herbert beat Tony Schumacher to advance to the semis.
“We get better and better every race,” Herbert said. “Any time you can say you beat Schumacher and Alan Johnson, it’s a good day.
FUNNY CAR
YES!!!! – Del Worsham has failed to qualify. He’s blown Funny Car bodies to smithereens. He’s crashed through the sand-trap
The Houston victory marked the first for Worsham since the 2005 NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Why are we mentioning this list of forgettable calamities on a day when Worsham won his 22nd career national event?
On a weekend when Murphy’s Law reigned supreme, Worsham forgot about everything he’d experienced during the last two seasons.
Today, Worsham was on top of the world after beating Ashley Force in the final round.
“Everything just came together,” said Worsham. “I'm not going to say it was without trouble. We had problems in the pits, problems in the warm ups, we had problems with our timer box but it all came together.”
The Houston victory marked the first for Worsham since the 2005 NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. A victory is a victory and sometimes they aren’t feats of beauty.
“As bad as I felt about the first two races, and I felt really bad about them, it was a lot different than last year if we didn't qualify because the car ran well,” admitted Worsham. “We'd go out and test and not make runs. I kept saying I can win a race I've just got to get everything right.”
A little factoid about Worsham is the fact he won his first national event back in 1991 at the expense of John Force. He wasn’t prepared to provide the second-generation Force with the same opportunity her dad granted eighteen years ago when Ms. Force was only nine years old.
On this day, the single-car team of Worsham Racing brought more to the starting line than John Force Racing.
“You'd think a multiple car team would probably get a hold of the tune up quicker and they've been running well,” Worsham said. “We were pretty heavy last year so weight wasn't a big deal and it just came together for us. It just shows that if you have a good car and a good crew you can win.
DRIVING LIKE A GIRL - For the second time in Ashley Force’s young career the 25 year-old driver was less than a second
No woman has ever won in the ultra-competitive Funny Car class in the 58 years of the NHRA and Force is the only woman to have ever reached the final - a feat she has accomplished twice.
“It wasn’t our day it was Del’s. It was still a real good day, I can’t complain especially with all the ups and downs we have had this year it was good to go some rounds,” said the 2007 winner of AOL’s Hottest Athlete contest. “We were really pumped to be going rounds today and to get to the final. The car went down the track every run. I wish we would have won. Eventually we will get there.”
No woman has ever won in the ultra-competitive Funny Car class in the 58 years of the NHRA and Force is the only woman to have ever reached the final - a feat she has accomplished twice – previously in Las Vegas last October and today. She attributed her success to an entire JFR team effort throughout the day.
“It showed when all the guys were working on my car and I know they were bummed because they weren’t racing. Robert’s team – teammate and bother-in-law Hight’s team failed to qualify- was over here bright and early this morning working with us and throughout the day as teams went out they helped us. That just made us want to defend their points positions that much more,” said Force.
“We weren’t just racing for ourselves we were racing for the whole team. If they aren’t our people then we need to take them out. That is what we did and it just makes you want it that much more. We are not just a single team trying to get a win we are all working together.”
DRIVING FOR SCELZI – The new Hadman chassis driven by Gary Scelzi couldn’t find the combination throughout the Houston
Capps believes the day may soon approach when a different track will call for a different chassis.
Capps and Scelzi often test for one another on the weekends following national events. The routine for Capps kept him running at a break-neck pace throughout the day. He’d make a run, catch a scooter ride and hop in the second flopper already in the lanes.
The experience reminded Capps of two years ago when he not only tested his car, but also Scelzi’s and Bazemore’s.
“A lot of the day I never took my helmet off,” Capps admitted. “It was pretty awesome. I'd make a run and they'd scooter me back, I'd jump in another car make another run, jump on the scooter, make another run and go back. I'd just leave my helmet on. I felt like an Indy car driver out at testing.”
The interesting part of the experience for Capps was in being able to relay information about the car to the respective driver. He used this experience to convey certain tidbits about the Hadman car to Scelzi.
“When Gary drove for me, he found certain things that he liked or disliked about mine that he could use on his car,” Capps said. “The Hadman car was a much different feeling car -- not worse or better, just different. I seem to be pretty comfortable in that car. It just reacted different.”
Scelzi’s Hadman frame isn’t a slip tube like Capps currently drives. This is just one of the many intricacies they discuss in post testing debrief.
“It was a real neat experience to be able to go down the track in a different car back-to-back like that,” Capps said. “Gary and I had long conversations about things that could help me, things that could help him with his car.”
DIFFERENT CHASSIS, DIFFERENT VENUE – Capps believes the day may soon approach when a different track will call for a
A tough weekend in the Hadman car won't deter Scelzi from running the chassis in Las Vegas.
“You never know,” Capps said. “The slip tube was originally designed to keep the front end on the ground. One thing I found with my car is the front end was light and bouncing around so it was a little bit slower to steer. It was designed originally to have that front end firmly planted so you had more control as a driver, not necessarily a performance advantage because come race day on Sunday if it could keep you in the groove that much better then it was an advantage.
”Guys have done different things with these chassis that help both of those aspects but you could see where on a certain terrible track where a slip tube could be made firm for that weekend or vice versa and then go to a different track. You would have a Talledega car and a Bristol car.”
CAPPS IN THE LONG CAR? – Capps doesn’t limit his testing prowess to driving for fellow Funny Car drivers Scelzi, Beckman or Toliver. He’s also driven Tony Schumacher’s U.S. Army dragster.
“I think that's the best part about this whole organization is that we can swap around,” Capps explained. “I would plan on doing it again but Alan Johnson put me in the Army car right after they set the national speed record two years ago. I made a couple of test runs in it and Alan was laughing at me because he could read Army on both sides of it from the starting line.
“I'm a Funny Car driver and we move around a lot but I didn't want to get out the gas.”
PRO STOCK
MOVING ON UP – Greg Anderson has experienced some weird weekends in his career, but few can parallel his encounters in
Anderson’s latest victory moved him into fifth place on the NHRA’s all-time professional wins list. He’s won twice in 2008 and currently leads the championship points.
Anderson emerged as the champion in Houston just like he did in Pomona. However, that’s where the similarities ended.
“We did it and it was a completely different win than the first one in Pomona,” Anderson said. “We just had a flawless weekend. We showed up and we ran great. We qualified number one. I think we ran low ET every run and everything was smooth sailing.
“But we struggled this weekend,” Anderson continued. “We didn't qualify very well; we qualified 6th. We just couldn't make a decent run down the race track. We struggled with our combination. We came out this morning and we made a lot of changes to the car last night. We came out first round and we thought we made some gains. We actually made a fairly smooth run and got back in the ballpark.”
As if Anderson didn’t have enough to deal with, then the track went away.
“I don't know how it looked from up here but it was a struggle in the race car,” Anderson said. “It was exciting. You leave the starting line and it just seems like all hell was breaking loose. We were just shocked when that win light would come on at the finish line.”
Anderson’s latest victory moved him into fifth place on the NHRA’s all-time professional wins list. He’s won twice in 2008 and currently leads the championship points.
He longed for victories much easier than today yielded.
“This win today was a lot like I've seen some other people do it before and it's gut wrenching let me tell you,” Anderson said. “You're just shocked when that win light comes on. It's a special feeling when you win a race like this, I don't know if I want to get used to this. It's awful hard on the heart. I'd much rather have a car that's flawless out there but it didn't today. We had a better car in the lane every time we went up there no matter how bad it was.”
Just to think, the run to the championship began with an ugly burnout.
“There were just so many things out of the ordinary this weekend,” Anderson said. “There was one burnout the other weekend and I was headed right for the photographers on the rail. They probably thought, they were all running so I'd like to see the replay of that. I'd have to have a notebook to write down all the crazy things that happened this weekend. Somehow we're standing here in victory lane. I guess that's all anybody will remember a month or so from now so we're going to be proud winners tonight.”
THE GREAT MISNOMER – Ken Black wished he had the budget the Pro Stock competition believed he had. The notion he’s got an unlimited budget is something he refers to as a great misnomer.
“I'm sure there are people out here that have more than I have,” explained Black, owner of the Pontiac GXP Anderson has driven to three world championships. “I'm comfortable and I do this because I love the sport. I like to think it's not an ego thing or anything like that. We're not financially stressed but things are a little tight right now with the economy and especially with our business in Vegas and stuff.
“We're being a little extra careful right now. I don't feel that in the past we've been extravagant. We've spent our money wisely, I think. I've spent some money on property and equipment and stuff but I consider those to be assets or investments rather than just throwing good money chasing bad.”
For Black, the key to his success has not been in throwing untold sums of cash in chasing championships. He contends his greatest gains have been in getting key NASCAR technology at bargain basement prices. Black has also procured good manpower to supplement the equipment as well.
“You’re finding the bargains on equipment and the talent required in operating the pieces,” Black added. “It amazed me that I have become more acquainted with people in some of the NASCAR circles.”
Black marvels in amazement with the NASCAR people in love with drag racing. Case in point, KB Racing team driver Jason Line came over from Joe Gibbs Racing.
“They could care less about circle track racing,” Black said. “Drag racing is their first love. The technology, anything's available there for me. Machine work, the codings, all within a small radius there. Business has been developed around that industry there. To me it's a very good location even though we're drag racers and not roundy round racers.”
Black said the key to the success has been in working their way to a complete in-house program. He said he’s winning with hard work more than abundant dollars.
“That's the way I feel about it,” Black admitted. “Even in my real work I've always felt for the past 35 years that if you provide your people with the right equipment or the right opportunities and if you have the right people then they'll take advantage of it and they'll do well which in turn I'll do well. It's not just strictly money; it's been in the past where people have come into this sport and they’re here for a few years and then their gone.
“I don't know if they ran out of money or if their interest turns to something else, I don't know. This is the beginning of my 13th year in Pro Stock and I've been drag racing since 1964 whether as a participant or a spectator during the down periods when I was doing my business and stuff. I was basically a spectator and still followed the sport until I got to a point where I could go to this level.”
The bottom line for Black, is if he can find a bargain, he won’t deny his teams the tools to do the job.
“The equipment that we do have and I'll be the first to admit, I've spent quite a bit of money acquiring that equipment -- none of it's been given to me,” Black said. “We bought some of it new but majority of it we've got have been fire sales so to speak. In our area some of the Cup teams have shut down their engine shops so quite a bit of good equipment became available, 25 cents to 40 cents on the dollar.
“I felt they were a good purchase and a good investment since it's stuff that I don't have to send out. As you well know in Pro Stock everything’s a big secret so the more you can do in house the longer you keep it to yourself. When you have to send stuff out it seems there's always somebody that they know somebody that comes around or whatever. The stuff gets passed on whatever you're doing so the more you can do in-house the better off you'll be. That's one thing that's made Warren Johnson so successful over the years is that he's always been 6 months to 2 years ahead of everybody else because he pretty much does everything in house.”
THE FUEL TEAM – Black pointed out his Pro Stock operation is self-sufficient thanks to full sponsorship from Summit Racing Equipment. His foray into fuel racing could be on shaky ground in 2009.
“We’re going to need sponsorship for next year in order to operate,” Black said. “If things were like it was a couple of years ago with the economy good and business was doing good then my son and I wouldn't mind funding out of pocket for another year. We've basically got to go out and work a little harder, Hillary is.
“Nobody works harder than Hilary at trying to find people and approach people. It's tough out there right now. Everybody's kind of in a down turn, the whole economy. Everybody's watching their dollars a little closer. It's just a matter of finding the right company that wants the exposure in this sport with Hilary as a spokesman. We've got a couple of deals we're working on but until the money's in the bank and the check clears then I'm not getting a bit excited about it.”
GIMME ME A LITTLE MORE TIME - Bob Glidden had five runs to locate a gremlin in the RaceRedi Motorsports' new Pontiac GXP, but ended the day one quarter-mile lap too late.
During the first round, Allen Johnson lit the win light first with a 6.686-second elapsed time at 206.70 mph to Humphreys' 6.704 at 205.98 mph. This weekend was the Monrovia, Md.-based driver's third 6.70-second time of the weekend as Glidden looked for a reason why the car lost traction early in the runs.
Humphreys did leave the starting line six-thousandths of a second (.010 to .016) ahead of Johnson.
"The car made its best run of the weekend but it was just slow," said Humphreys. "Now that we know how to get the car down the race track, we have to work on the motors. Bob had been fighting the car's setup and found something Saturday night that definitely made a difference Sunday."
The team returns to HRP Monday for a test session to fine tune the race car. "We're going to test until we get things working right," concluded Humphreys, who remained ninth in NHRA POWERade Series points.
Pro Stock racer Kenny Koretsky celebrated his 50th birthday in Houston.
"When I went to stage the car," Koretsky explained, "I didn't push the clutch back in all the way to the stop, which is what you have to do to make it work properly.
"The fact we were here (Sunday) is the thing I like. We showed Saturday that our team doesn't give up. It was good for our team. Eddie (Guarnaccia, team crew chief) made some great tuning calls and we had two great qualifying runs. We got compliments from a lot of racers."
PRO STOCK MOTORYCYLE
I’M GOING FOR IT – Rules adjustments be damned. Defending world champion Matt Smith came to Houston intend on
Matt Smith raced the weekend fearless of rules reprimand.
“That's a fact,” Smith said. “I didn't care if they threw 10 pounds on us, we wanted to come out here and show a point. The weight definitely slows us down but instead of griping and complaining and bitching and crying we went to work and found some power instead of trying to get weight added to it. We did our job.”
Smith beat fellow Buell rider Matt Guidera, who won Gainesville. Following the event, the NHRA technical department adjusted the minimum weight on the combination.
“I think everything's pretty close and you've just got to come out here,” Smith said. “One brand will always be better. You can't all 3 be equal because you know you only have one winner.”
Smith’s victory in Houston represents his seventh career title in 11 final rounds. His first victory in 2008 represents his first under the NitroFish banner. The son of mountain motor Pro Stock legend Rickie Smith had perfect timing as NitroFish’s owner Kenny Koretsky celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend.
He also found some horsepower at the right time as well.
“Last weekend after Gainesville -- that's when we made the big find,” said Smith. “We found about seven horsepower on the dyno and about 12 to 13 up high at 9300 so that's where it paid off. We went to work.”
PRO MODIFIED
BAKER WINS AGAIN - Joe Baker won his second JEGS ProMod Challenge race of the season Sunday at Houston Raceway
Joe Baker's Houston victory kept him undefeated in 2008.
Driving the ProCare Rx Corvette borrowed from fellow racer Roger Burgess, Baker repeated his unlikely Florida victory with a much more dominant performance in Texas. He had the quickest elapsed time of all three elimination rounds run on Sunday, including a pair of 5.9s in the quarterfinals and semifinals, and dismissed Tony Pontieri in the finals with a 6.022 at 239.19 mph to Pontieri's 6.048 at 237.42 mph.
In Florida, Baker was a last-minute replacement and needed some luck to get his Willys racecar to the winner's circle.
"It's been an incredible couple of weeks," Baker said. "Roger's team is first-rate and they made it very easy for me today. They definitely have their stuff together over there.
"The pressure is on for us now. We'll be back in my Willys for the next race and after a start like this we better be prepared. Gainesville was tough for us because we had no time to test so we'll make sure and get same runs on the car before we get to Atlanta.
"My thanks to Roger, Mike Ashley, and all of their crew for this weekend. We certainly won this as a group."
Baker is now a full 80 points clear of Pontieri in the JEGS points with Pontieri assuming second place with his runner-up finish. Raymond Commisso is third, 13 behind Pontieri.
ASHLEY’S WILD RIDE - There’s an old adage which suggests numbers don’t lie. In Mike Ashley’s case maybe they don’t tell
There are wild rides and then there's a Mike Ashley wild ride. He might have established a new record in Houston with the quickest 1,400 foot run in 1320 feet.
The two-time NHRA Pro Modified world champion from Long Island, New York, wrestled a possessed race car all the way to the finish line before losing a tough match opposite seasoned drag racer Tony Pontieri during the quarter-finals.
Wild rides are commonplace in Pro Modified and then there are those with Ashley behind the wheel.
“This is a brand new car and there’s some technology in this chassis that we’re struggling with to get a handle on,” Ashley said. “This is a big factor in the car being inconsistent.”
Ashley’s 1968 Camaro shook the tires throughout low gear and at one time slid sideways in a move reminiscent of the nitro Funny Car he once drove.
“The car was sideways and I pulled second gear,” Ashley explained. “Then the car headed for the centerline and you have to realize all of this was going on in six seconds. The objective in drag racing is to go straight.”
Lost in the excitement was Ashley’s 6.069 elapsed time at 238.05, which lost to Pontieri’s slightly quicker 6.060, 236.46.
“We still almost won the race,” Ashley said, smiling broadly. “On the outside, it’s tough to lose – but most importantly you must keep your eye on the prize. The prize for us is getting the complete package working in unison.
“We have the horsepower where we want it, we just need to bring the chassis around. If you look at my partner Roger Burgess’s car, they have the complete package and it showed this weekend. We’ll have that same package very soon with this car.”
In the end, Ashley was able to put the day into perspective.
“You don’t mind losing a race as long as you put up a good fight and that’s what this was,” Ashley explained.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK – PLAYING THE COUNTDOWN, TOBLERIZING CRUZ’S CAR AND JOHN “FREAKING” NOBILE IS BACK!
LAYING BACK – There’s a positioning going on during the first phase of the two-part NHRA Countdown to the Championship
Rod Fuller says the experience from 2007 had encouraged him to approach the championship chase in a different way.
Fuller led the Top Fuel division points up until the final round of the season. Under the former format, Fuller would have won the title.
“The experience changed my approach a tremendous amount,” Fuller pointed out. “Last year left a big chip on my shoulder and there’s two ways to look at it. I know we should never hold a chip on our shoulder but the experience has worked as a positive for me. I drive with an extra fire burning inside because of it.
“Getting that close and not being able to seal the deal leaves a big hole. I know I can do it. I have a lot of confidence that we can pull it off. There are a lot of others out here that feel the same way. We would have won a championship in years past and one the way it was 53 years ago, we just wouldn’t have won it the way it was last year.”
Capps led the championship contenders for the Funny Car division up until the points reset for the first time. He never regained the early season momentum. Just like Fuller, he’s altered his approach for chasing the title.
Ron Capps used to question the NASCAR drivers who were content with a
Capps believes he’s figured out the right time to peak.
“You don't win Daytona by leading the 15th or 16th lap, you lead the last lap and that's how you're going to win,” Capps continued. “You need to peak at Indy and you need to peak again prior to Vegas and Pomona at the end of the year. That's , I think, the approach that you've got to have.”
Both Fuller and Capps won like gangbusters in the early part of the season and tested later in the first portion of the championship battle. They’ve been testing already in order to gain the momentum later.
“We’ll start getting after it soon,” Fuller remarked. “But, it doesn’t matter how many points Tony Schumacher gets up on us headed into the final phase when that kicks in – he’ll lose his points just like I did last year.”
Capps added the reality of not knowing when you’re last win is going to come squelches the conservative mentality. He battles in his mind with the proper peak time.
“You never know when you have success in one of these things if it's the last win you'll ever have,” Capps admitted. “It's so competitive out here, you just wonder if it'll ever happen again. The success that I've had ever since I've been here with Don Schumacher and we'd battle and one of the guys every year we've came to Pomona to come up a little bit short every time.
“You get out there and you realize there's no reason to have this points lead other than just to be leading the points to go into Indy. This year you've got an extra 20 points.”
Fuller says “thanks, but no thanks” when the topic of the top spot comes up.
“I really don’t want the top spot,” Fuller confided. “If you ask me, I think it’s a big letdown anyway. There’s no advantage to it anyway. Once the points reset, this car is 100-percent dialed in and ready.”
For Capps, he's just playing the game by the rules provided him.
“I think now you're going to hear most guys and I used to knock the NASCAR guy for saying, 'Yeah we're open for a top 5 finish today,” Capps said. “That used to irritate the heck out of me because you think how could somebody go into a race and be happy with a top 5 or a top 10? I show up and we're in it to win it.
“Now the approach is a little different, you just need to be one of those top 10. Is it life or death to lead the points going in? No. Twenty points, it's just a taste, that's all it is. It's just a little taste, it's nothing more and I don't think it's going to decide the championship this year. I think most guys will tell you it doesn't matter. You could roll in as the number 10 guy in the points and have just as good a shot at winning in Pomona. That may happen; you might see that this year.”
TOP FUEL
SECOND TIME THE CHARM? –Two consecutive No. 1 qualifying efforts tend to spoil a Top Fuel driver. Just ask Alan Bradshaw,
Alan Bradshaw's second pole position shouldn't come as a surprise considering the team he drives for won Houston last season with J.R. Todd driving.
"These guys are starting to spoil me," Bradshaw said. "Getting my first career no. 1 in Top Fuel at the 'Gators' was truly amazing, and to follow it up in my home state with another one is even better, especially since we have Shell V-Power along for the ride this weekend. I'm living my dream right now."
Bradshaw is quick to give credit to Dexter Tuttle, Tony Shortall and the rest of his crew for all the recent success.
"This is basically the same core group of guys that won this event last year with J.R. [Todd] in the car," Bradshaw said. "Add a few new guys who also know how to get it done, including Tony Shortall, to the mix and it makes it even better. Having the defending event champion team behind you gives me some serious confidence going into race day.
"In the end it's all about the results on Sunday. This No. 1 is a great place to start on race day but we need to go rounds and win for Shell V-Power, Vis Viva Energy drink and Checker, Schuck's, Kragen as well as all my West Texas fans. I am stunned at the number of friends from Odessa, my home town, that made the trek just to watch us race.
"Ultimately, our goal is still to make NHRA's Countdown to 1 this year, and a win this weekend will help get us there."
UNCOMMON - For only the 10th time since Alan Johnson became his crew chief five years ago, U.S. Army Top Fuel driver,
For only the tenth time in his career, Tony Schumacher will begin eliminations from the bottom half of the ladder.
Schumacher could not get down the track cleanly during final qualifying on Saturday and as a result had to settle for the 10th starting position for tomorrow’s event.
The defending NHRA POWERade world champion will take on seventh-place qualifier, Brandon Bernstein, in the opening round of eliminations beginning at 11 a.m. CT.
“Well, I guess we have yet another tough first round match up,” said Schumacher referring to Bernstein. “We’ve certainly been down this road already this year. We’ll just have to rise to the occasion once again. I’m sure my U.S. Army team will be ready to go.”
Schumacher and Bernstein recently staged a final round battle in Gainesville, Fla., which the former won. It was Schumacher’s second victory in three races.
“All of the teams will have to get down what is a very tricky track,” added the Chicago resident. “It’s been a real challenge for us so far this weekend. We got down in that first qualifying session and then had trouble ever since. But, we’ve proven we can turn things around with the snap of a finger and when it counts the most.”
FUNNY CAR
CRUZIN’ – Cruz Pedregon retained his Friday perch atop the Funny Car field.
Cruz Pedregon's goal this season has been to make runs. His definition of a run is to pull the parachutes at the conclusion of the run. Pedregon is already on pace to do that more than ever this season.
"I don't know what the forecast is for tomorrow, but I think we're ready for either cloud cover or direct sun on the track, either one. I think Rahn (crew chief Tobler) will adjust the car accordingly. What's funny is I qualify No. 1 and I look over and I have to race Scelzi first round, so that just goes to show how tight the field is. I wish I was racing some guy that didn't have much of a budget, who's used to leaking oil on the track, maybe shut the car off. That's who I'd like to race first round. Racing Scelzi, that's going to be like racing in a semifinal round. He'll keep us honest, that's for sure. But if we can get by that round it will just make us that much better."
DEFINING TOBLERIZING – Ask veteran nitro tuner Rahn Tobler what the term “Toblerizing” means and he’ll smile and might
Pedregon was describing the way Tobler had dismantled the car in the off-season and dissected every nook and cranny of the Advance Auto Park-sponsored flopper.
This is how Tobler describes the process.
“I think, hopefully, it means that we do things in an organized and thoughtful way,” explained Tobler. “Certainly I'm only as good as the people that I have around me. Cruz has allowed me to get some really good people to help me with this. Last year when I came here at Indy, I pretty much ran things the way they were when I got here. When we went to Memphis, which was our second race, I changed a couple of small things around.
“Over the winter we stripped the car down to nothing. Cruz afforded me to be able to buy Allen Johnson heads and some of the other parts and pieces that I wanted and to get to a combination that I know more. I think it's about the consistency which was our hallmark with Doug Kalitta’s car.”
Tobler admits the big picture is best served in getting the car down the track under power, time after time.
“Going down the track is what it's all about at this point,” Tobler said. “I don't mind getting outrun but I hate getting beat or beating yourself. We just try to do things in an organized way and let the driver do his thing on Sunday and getting something that goes from A to B.”
For a tuner whose mantra isn’t based on going for the jugular, Tobler has tuned Pedregon into the upper echelon of qualifiers in the Funny Car division more times than not.
“We have some pretty lofty goals around here now,” Tobler said. “Our goal is to win a championship. It's what I'm in this sport for. It's what Cruz is in this sport for. It's what most of the people in this crew are in it for. That's what we're used to doing is fighting for championships and Cruz has just been driving phenomenally this year.”
There was a time for Tobler in which his confidence took a beating. Last year he was released from high-profile gigs at Kalitta Motorsports and Morgan Lucas Racing.
“The experience of being on the sidelines allowed me to step back and take a couple of months to figure out exactly what I was going to do,” Tobler said. “That's why I was down for almost two months because the next program I joined, I wanted to be into for a long, long time. I think I found that here.”
CHASING DOWN PARTS – Tobler established a solid career working as a tuner in the Top Fuel ranks but he’s quickly learning a Funny Car can be a volatile beast. The least bit of discrepancy between the parts and the tune-up can be disastrous in a Funny Car. He found out this intricacy the hard way in Gainesville when a broken throttle bracket led to an engine explosion and the subsequent body-shredding.
“It doesn't take but the slightest little problem to send that body off the car,” Tobler explained. “We had a relatively minor explosion in Gainesville but if it had been a dragster you'd put some new blower studs on it and not thought twice about it.”
“You certainly know that every time you make a run not only can you lose the body but you can literally burn the whole car to the ground. It puts a lot of pressure on you with trying to keep the driver safe because he's the one riding in the thing. That's our first thought is to keep him safe. If we do that then I think everything else will fall into place.”
The stress of finding the culprit can sometimes be unnerving, unless you are in the middle of eliminations. In Gainesville, not only did Tobler have to have to find what caused the problem, he also had to repair the wounded car in preparation of the next round.
Tobler and the crew finally diagnosed the throttle problem once their day was complete. The not knowing can serve as a huge source of frustration for a veteran tuner.
“It does,” Tobler confirmed. “We're certainly worried about it when we walk back up there but you have to put that aside and do your job. You've got 17 minutes to get back up there and put a safe car on the race track.”
AND THE NEW LEADER IS … - Jack Beckman moved into the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points lead
Jack Beckman assumed the points lead with Robert Hight's DNQ.
Beckman posted his quickest pass of 4.906 seconds at 314.31 mph in the Friday evening session. His other laps included a tire-smoking 11.353/71.47, another 11.210/77.01 and finally a 4.956/303.03, the third quickest of the final round. He faces 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion and No. 9 qualifier John Force in the opening round, holding the edge over Force in round wins: 4-3.
"It's a good pairing. It's interesting," said Beckman. "I think all of the motorhead people have analytical minds and we're always thinking ahead sometimes, not necessarily for our own best interest. Robert Hight not qualifying gives us a temporary points lead. But, really, the only time it matters is Sunday afternoon at the season finale in Pomona. It would be nice to leave tomorrow with the points lead if for nothing else than the psychological factor.
"We weren't consistent. We went 11 seconds, four seconds, 11 seconds, four seconds. But the nice thing is up until this last pass we hadn't been down a hot race track here in Houston. Now we know we can go down the hot track, which it will most likely be tomorrow. We're starting off against the best Funny Car racer in the universe, which is great. We like it that way. That means we'll earn our keep. And we have lane choice. I'm excited."
KLOEBER REMEMBERS PATTY – Here’s a note to aspiring crew chiefs. If you’re standing on the sidelines watching a team
Mike Kloeber will be the first to admit his attention to detail as a teenager netted him his first job with Pat Foster. Kloeber is quick to point out the influene Foster had on his career.
Okay, so our scenario may not be realistic in the normal sense, but it sure worked wonders for Mike Kloeber.
Kloeber was a teenager when he observed Pat Foster’s crew thrashing to make the next round in Phoenix. They’d warmed the car but forgot to put the oil back in the car. As they prepared to leave the pits, Kloeber pointed out the oil still sitting in the pan.
Foster then took notice of Kloeber’s discovery and immediately hired him to a position on the Super Shops Funny Car team.
“Patty made it a point to recognize this kid ‘were not paying’ paid attention to detail,” Kloeber said. “When they decided they needed more people they hired me and I got to go up and down the roads in that crew cab truck pulling a Chaparral trailer. We only had a Funny Car and a few spare motors.”
Kloeber used his time on the road to become acquainted with Foster.
“I grew up around H&H Race Craft and it wasn't very far away from where I ended up living in Los Angeles,” Kloeber explained. “I became real good friends with Pat Foster and Jim Hume, the two guys that owned H&H. Pat was a really good chassis builder. He and Jim Hume, they’re the standard that I use to judge everybody by in this business that does fabrication work.
“Whenever I've had trouble making the Funny Car stuff work right or understanding what we're doing with chassis and that kind of stuff- dragsters or funny cars- I called Pat. Pat's always been real good at seeing the trees through the forest. Pat never gave me bad advice. He was just a dear friend and I'm going to miss him. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Pat.”
DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PRETTY – Gary Scelzi struggled to get down the track in the brand-new Brad Hadman chassis during all
Theruns in the Hadman car weren't pretty but then again they didn't have to. They just needed to get him in the show.
"We got behind," said Scelzi, who still holds the track top-speed record here in the Top Fuel category (4.480 seconds), set in 1999. "This race track is definitely tricky. We have a brand new Hadman car that's doing the right things. We had a clutch malfunction last night, and it blew the tires off right at the hit. Shouldn't have done that. We found out what the problem was, we fixed it, we came out today and it ran really good to 500 feet, then smoked the tires. I pedaled it, desperately trying to get into the field.
"Thank God there was no rain (as had been predicted). And then in this last session we just had to get down the race track and we slowed the thing down, probably a little too much because it put a cylinder out. But it's in the show.
"I don't care. We can win from 16, but we can't win from 17. I'm excited about tomorrow. We're going to go in there with that kill-or-be-killed attitude and I think we can be dangerous. I wouldn't want to be Cruz Pedregon tomorrow," he smiled.
PRO STOCK
LATE NIGHT FRIDAY, EARLY SATURDAY – Kurt Johnson admitted when he got back to the hotel it was past 2 AM on Saturday morning. He felt the best way to hit the sack early on Saturday was to stay atop the Pro Stock leader board.
Johnson scored the 28th pole position of his career for this weekend with an elapsed time of 6.638 seconds at 208.42 mph to match his father's No. 1 qualifying effort at Gainesville two weeks ago. Kurt has qualified in the top four at all four of this season's races, and Warren has been almost as good by qualifying in the top four in three of this year's first four races including his No. 1 qualifier at the Gatornationals.
"The car has responded to everything we've thrown at it this weekend," Johnson said. "We can probably call it our Velcro car because everything we throw at it sticks. We're really pleased right now, but our goal is to have this type of performance on Sunday. It's good to be No. 1 on Saturday, but our goal is to have our ACDelco Cobalt be No.1 on race day.
"We really wanted a hot racetrack coming in here, especially after qualifying so well at Gainesville but then looking so bad on Sunday morning. We had been on cold racetracks all year until Gainesville. The only unfortunate part is Dad's qualified ninth, so assuming we both get by first round we have to race second round, but that's drag racing so we'll move on."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAP’N CHAOS - Kenny Koretsky will be racing on his 50th birthday Sunday. Two solid Saturday qualifying runs erased any doubts and the memory of Friday's not-so-good performances.
Koretsky's quickest run of the weekend, 6.689 seconds at 206.26 mph, came on his last attempt and put him 13th in the 16-car Pro Stock field. His earlier time of 6.696 seconds also would have been enough to send him into Sunday eliminations.
"I'm really happy because we bumped our way into the field," said Koretsky. "Eddie (Guarnaccia, crew chief) found something in the tune-up and the car started running better. I'm proud of the way we ran (Saturday) and that we got two good runs in crunch time."
The 6.689 run was sixth-quickest on an unpredictable race track in the last session.
"We had to play catchup because we had a bad Friday," added Koretsky, who shut off early on his initial attempt when the car struggled off the starting line. "And then there was the parachute deal."
On the burnout, the Richboro, Pa., driver accidentally hit the button on the steering wheel that releases the parachutes and both chutes fell out, immediately ending his effort.
"I learned the car runs a lot quicker when the parachutes come out at the end of the run," Koretsky joked.
CHANGE OF SCENERY – Billy Glidden my have experience a change of scenery this weekend, but the end result for the second-generation Pro Stock racer was unfortunately the same. He fought the valiant battle to fall short.
Glidden experienced the last-minute decision to join forces with Bob Perry for the NHRA Spring Nationals.
“This was a pretty major undertaking for such a small team,” Glidden said, when describing the effort exerted to prepare the Boscoe HVAC GTO for competition this weekend.
“Under funded isn't even the right word, we just don't have any money,” Glidden continued. “We needed to test the other car with some other stuff. Bob Perry came and asked me at Gainesville if we'd be interested in driving his car.”
Glidden obliged and gained his first look at the car on the Monday leading into Houston. They opted to run the same engine Glidden’s used in the Mickey Thompson Tires-sponsored Pontiac.
At this point in the venture, Glidden cannot say how many races he’ll run together with Perry.
“We're just going to have to play it as we go and see how it goes,” Glidden said. “The engine combination isn't exactly what they had last year. The car was built for short people and I'm not a short person. We're going to go out here and we're trying to keep things as close to what they had last year as we can but the engine combination changes a lot of it.”
Glidden had signed a letter of intent with the NHRA to run at least 14 races in 2008. He’s not so sure he’ll be able to fulfill his end of the program.
“We're not out of money, we started out of money to begin with,” Glidden explained. “We need all the help that we can get.”
YATES AND THE ENGINE PROGRAM – Jim Yates used Ron Krisher horsepower to earn a spot in Sunday’s final eliminations.
“We seem to be running pretty good and I don't see anything changing in that aspect for a while,” Yates explained. “We seem to have pretty good power. The motors are running pretty good and picking up quite a bit. I'm really happy with what I've seen so far.”
Where Yates is getting his horsepower has been the topic of much discussion early in the 2008 season. He’s looked around, and even though Frank Iaconio is building an engine, he’s content leasing the Krisher horsepower.
“Frankie's building an engine but he didn't have an engine together yet,” said Yates. “I hope that when he gets it together we'd go out and run it for him to see how it runs. He wants to get a good, accurate decision on how it will run down the track. He's got a great baseline on his dyno because he's had Mike Edwards there for the last couple of years. He knows exactly what it takes to qualify.
“A lot of these racers would believe in it more if they saw it go down a race track. I've offered to help him do that if he gets to that point where he can run it down the race track. I've known Frankie for a long time and he's always made horsepower, he's always been competitive out here in Pro Stock and I'd like to see him get back on top. Maybe it'll work out for him and us, we'll just have to wait and see.”
BACK FOR MORE – John Nobile left 500-inch Pro Stock racing long enough to win a world championship in the fast-paced world of IHRA Pro Stock. He quickly found out the NHRA arena has changed quite a bit.
“It's a lot different than when we left,” Nobile admitted. “Costs have changed, tires have changed, gear ratios are way different than when we left but it's just a race car. It's just like any other car. They all want the same thing it's just that we haven't figured that out yet, but we will.”
One might think the pride of going 220 in an IHRA Pro Stocker would make the process of slowing down to under 210 a tough one. The 300-cubic inch difference is something Nobile quickly notices.
“There’s a lot of time to think about stopping,” Nobile said. “It's nothing like a Mountain Motor, it's actually slow.”
Just because the car runs slower than he’s been accustomed to the last few years, Nobile has no opinion as to which style of Pro Stock is better.
“Nothing better or worse, this is just different,” Nobile explained. “You're in the limelight here and this is just a whole different thing. Mountain motor was my passion for a long time. We won the world championship over there. We did real well and this and that. We don't have any hopes of anything like that over here for right now we just want to qualify and maybe go a couple of rounds.”
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
SPINNING WHEEL – Matt Smith knew he had a little wiggle room on Saturday following Friday evening’s top qualifying run. He found out just how much during the final qualifying session.
“We spun the tire too much on that run,” Smith, rider of the NitroFish motorcycle, said following his final qualifying attempt. “We should have gone a 6.93 or a little quicker. We know for tomorrow what we can do in the heat.”
Smith spent much of the second day seeking the perfect tuneup for Sunday’s eliminations.
“You have to have every advantage you can get to win one of these events because this class is tough,” Smith said. “On the run we spun and shook, everyone pulled within .03 of us. I think we’ll be fine as long as the motor’s healthy.”
Normally Smith would have used Saturday as a test day, but today his primary objective was to get teammate Angie McBride’s bike into the sixteen car field.
“It looks bad when one car goes to the No. 1 spot and the other can’t get in,” Smith added.
THE SUZUKI VIEWPOINT – Chip Ellis wasn't concerned after the NHRA Technical Services Department announced weight adjustments for the Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors following the recent Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., the first PSM event of the season. The change requires all S&S Buell V-Twin entries to weigh 625 pounds, an increase of five pounds. In addition, the two-valve Suzuki 101-cid in-line four-cylinder combination will be reduced from 610 pounds to 605 pounds. The 101-cid Kawasaki four-valve in-line four-cylinder combination has been reduced from 615 pounds to 600 pounds. The Harley-Davidson V-Rod weight will remain at 620 pounds. All weights include rider.
"I think they're just trying to create parity in the class and they felt like that was the change they had to make," said Ellis. "Personally, I think five pounds off of our bikes and five on the Buells is not going to make any difference. The results are speaking for themselves. You still have a Buell (No. 1 qualifier Matt Smith) that is five hundredths of a second quicker than the next fastest bike. But I don't really think you can penalize a whole fleet of bikes for one bike that's running good."
PRO MODIFIED
HOME COOKIN’ - Reigning JEGS ProMod Challenge world champion Josh Hernandez continued his love affair with Houston Raceway Park Saturday, moving into the No. 1 qualifying position in the morning with the quickest pass of the meet and winning the first round of eliminations in the afternoon with the best pass of the round.
Returning to form at his hometown track after a mediocre outing at the season-opener in Florida two weeks ago, the Conroe, Texas-based racer started the day with a strong 5.962 at 242.50 mph to earn the $1,000 Ohio Crankshaft Low Qualifier Award. He returned a few hours later and dismissed Harold Laird in Round 1 with a 5.998 at 242.15 mph to Laird's game but losing 6.088 at 234.74 mph.
"We made several changes over the winter, with crew guys and such, and I think we're all finally finding our sweet spot with one another this weekend," Hernandez said. "It's great to get it together here with all of our friends and family members on hand, cheering for us. That makes it special.
"I don't know exactly what it is about this racetrack but we love it here. We've won the last three years in a row and we're hoping to earn our fourth tomorrow. We've got one round in the books and three to go, but we know any car in the field can bite us if we're not careful."
Hernandez will line his AMS Staff Leasing Camaro up against No. 8 qualifier John Russo's Firebird in the quarterfinals. Russo advanced by beating Kirk Kuhns, 6.081 to 6.141.
Other Round 1 winners include current points leader Joe Baker, Danny Rowe, Eddie Ware, Jay Payne, Mike Ashley, and Tony Pontieri.
SETTING THE PACE – Hernandez thrilled a partial hometown crowd when he pushed his way into the No. 1 qualifying position Saturday morning at the 21st annual O'Reilly Spring NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
The Conroe, Texas-based Hernandez was one of four racers that recorded five-second passes in qualifying, with his 5.962 at 242.50 mph in the AMS Staff Leasing Camaro the quickest of the pack. Ray Commisso (5.967), Friday leader Steve Engel (5.970), and Gainesville winner Joe Baker (5.981) also dipped into the five-second range.
LIFE’S A BEACH - Taylor Lastor provided some early excitement when his parachutes failed to deploy after a 6.11 at 238 mph. Lastor ended up plowing through the top-end sand trap and into the safety catch-net. He was unhurt in the ordeal but his car was damaged beyond repair. He ended up skipping post-race inspection, which negated his run and allowed Harold Laird to enter the elimination field in the 16th slot.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – BRADSHAW CLIMBS TO THE TOP, PEDREGON EXPLOSIVE BUT IN A GOOD WAY AND WJ’S WILD RIDE
TOP FUEL
TWICE IS A TREND – One time could be considered a fluke. A second represents a trend. At least this is the thought process
Alan Bradshaw made the point clear his Gainesville top qualifying effort was no fluke.
“I couldn’t think of a better place to pull this off than in my home state of Texas,” Bradshaw proclaimed in the Friday evening press conference.
This marks the second consecutive event Bradshaw’s been on top following the first day of qualifying. He was also top qualifier in Gainesville. Those successes follow a failure to qualify in Phoenix.
“We’ve got a closer handle on the fuel system than we have ever had,” Bradshaw said. “That has been our problem for the last few races and we’ve been nipping at it and throwing more fuel at it and it keeps hauling the mail more than it was before. The Friday night run was the first one that we’ve been able to keep the rods in it.
“We believe we’ve made it around the curve and if the cloud cover comes tomorrow like they say will – we ought to go even quicker.”
NO SENSE OF URGENCY - Rod Fuller mixed the nitromethane for his Cat-sponsored dragster Friday afternoon during the NHRA
Rod Fuller is getting a head start on breaking in his new dragster chassis.
“I’m just trying to get acclimated to everything and it takes me about two or three races to get it done,” Fuller admitted. “I’m just trying to get used to things and get used to traveling again.”
Certainly this time last season didn’t bring forth the same attitude for the likable driver from Las Vegas. The sportsman phenomenon turned Top Fuel competitor had already won an event and climbed into the points lead following last year’s Houston outing. Fuller led the championship chase from this point last season until the reset following the NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, Pa.
“We’re working on getting a more consistent race car between our tests in Phoenix and Gainesville,” Fuller said. “We’ve managed low elapsed time for three of the first four events – and even then, we were only .006 off of that.”
“We’ve got a fast car, just need to learn to race it a little better. We want to win races, but we want to have the best car.”
What is Fuller and his crew doing to earn this delicate mix?
“We have a different approach this season,” Fuller explained. “We want to win races but we also want the best car at the end of the season. We are trying a lot of stuff with the new chassis. We’re creeping up on the 90% right now.”
SORTING OUT THE CHASSIS – Several teams are running a chassis design which will become obsolete by the end of next month. Fuller, on the other hand, is getting acclimated to the new design early.
“We’re running this new chassis and it’s no big secret that we’re not even close to getting the [nitro] percentage up to 90,” Fuller said. “We’re sneaking up on the winning combination each run out. We’re concentrating on being quicker and faster.
“I think we had a car that was just as quick and fast as Schumacher, but the real difference is he knew when to go fast. We tried to go too fast sometimes and it bit us. They were more adept at backing the car down when it was hot and then turned the coals to it when it got cooler. That’s when we got more conservative. They just raced better than us.”
FUNNY CAR
KEEP IT COMING – For those who might have thought the body-shedding engine explosion might have served as a detriment
Pedregon’s Friday evening pass represented the 15thconsecutive time his car has reached the finish line under power.
If Pedregon’s effort holds, he will have five top qualifying performances at Houston Raceway Park.
“Crew chiefs are the decision makers on the car and they are the bottom line,” Pedregon said. “Rahn and I have become really good friends and we talk throughout the week. I’ve let him know there’s no pressure here.
“We went out there with the concern we could go over-center with being too aggressive. You have to understand that Rahn’s going for it is pecking away at something. He wants the car to go down the track. I am confident that’s what has yielded so many good runs for us.”
Pedregon’s Friday evening pass represented the 15th time his car has reached the finish line under power. The Gainesville mishap was caused by a broken throttle bracket which hung the throttle open.
“The 5.01 I ran earlier should have been quicker but the springs were so tight, trying to avoid the same thing that happened in Gainesville that my foot actually came off of the throttle and reset the timers.”
Pedregon can ill afford another Gainesville. By his admission, the team has depleted their supply of Impala bodies. His brother Tony Pedregon destroyed a body in Pomona.
“We had two extra Impala, decorated and all pretty and then I launched the one in Gainesville,” Pedregon admitted. “The body I am running is actually Tony’s spare. Hopefully nothing happens because he’s got dibs on his body and I’ll have to go looking for something.”
FIRST TIME OUT – Gary Scelzi’s running his heralded Brad Hadman chassis in competition this weekend and he can thank his
Gary Scelzi is running his Brad Hadman chassis this weekend.
Capps provided a positive review which impressed Scelzi to give the new chassis a try.
“We figured we’d try the chassis out in race conditions,” Scelzi said. “I hadn’t been to the finish line with it coming into this event but Capps took it there twice with a pair of 4.80s. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and wishing for the best.”
Don’t expect Scelzi to give up on his proven Murf McKinney car any time soon.
“There’s nothing wrong with that car – it’s a good one,” Scelzi said. “We wanted to try something different and try out new theories. The car shows a lot of promise early. If we can make the car work under race conditions, this is the one we’ll go with.”
Scelzi didn’t make it to the finish line under power on his first hit, but he had company in the misfortune. In fact, only one car ran under five seconds in the first session, and the sixth quickest car ran 660-feet with the parachute blossomed.
“We can’t leave too much on the table because the competition in this class has gotten really tough,” Scelzi said. “We don’t want to be the same as everyone else but if there’s an advantage, we want to find it. If we find out there isn’t – then we haven’t missed too much ground.”
Scelzi pointed out his real affection for the Hadman car lies with the distance between the frame rails.
“The car seems to want to leave harder,” Scelzi said. “The new car brings forward quicker sixty-foot times. This is not a slip-tube chassis. I can’t say there is an advantage or disadvantage yet.
“This is a totally different chassis and the only thing that remains the same is the motor is in the same position. There’s nothing wrong with the Murf car – we won a championship with it.”
Scelzi paid for the Hadman chassis out of his own pocket. If the car proves successful, chances are team owner Don Schumacher might try to buy the ride.
“He’s here this weekend, and I’m sure the topic will come up in conversation,” Scelzi said with a smile.
MR. 300 RETURNING? – Jim Epler is on the grounds of Houston Raceway Park this weekend on the sponsor side of the fence.
Jim Epler has his fingers crossed that he'll return to Funny Car racing in 2009. Will he race under the David Powers Motorsports banner.
“I’m sincerely hoping to be back out next year as a driver,” Epler said.
Epler is serving this weekend as the sponsorship rep for iLocate GPS asset tracking and recovery systems, who signed an associate marketing program with David Powers Motorsports for this weekend. He’s working with his longtime friend Craig Southerland, formerly of Ford’s Easy Care program on this venture.
He’s also assisting the team on securing sponsorship monies to go racing on.
Epler hasn’t let grass grow under his feet since stepping away from the Funny Car division earlier in the decade. He kept busy as the motorsports director for Saturn’s Sport Compact racing effort. He also put in some time building off-road vehicles.
He’ll admit he just couldn’t forget about drag racing.
“You never lose your desire to go racing,” Epler said. “This is a great sport and I miss it a lot. My kids are grown now, so I can afford to come out here and spend a lot of time doing this.
“I’m looking to build my business first and then come out here and race as well. I’d love to be back out here and to compete. I really like the way the sport is going. If I can get in with a big team and race, that’s going to be the way to go.”
Epler said, as he looked around the David Powers Motorsports hospitality complex, his days of being a team owner are long gone.
“Unless you are going to be part of a multi-car team – a big team – it’s real difficult to make it. I’d rather put my resources into program that has all the resources from hospitality to PR. It’s all about people – if you don’t have the good people you’re going no where.”
And as Epler puts it, “David Powers has people.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Jim Dunn didn’t look a day over 39, although he was celebrating his 74th birthday in Houston, Texas. The veteran Funny Car team owner has seen a lot of drag racing since he started competing back in 1949.
“I’ve seen the sport grow to where it is today,” Dunn said. “The sport has changed a lot but it’s largely the same. You still want to win every time you go to the line.”
Dunn chalks up his most memorable drag racing experience to winning at the Bakersfield March Meet. He won the revered event twice – once in a Top Fuel dragster [1964] and another time in a Funny Car [1973].
“The first time I won the event there was 124 dragsters entered,” said Dunn. “I was able to win both classes and that’s something no one else has been able to do.”
Dunn scratched his head and smiled when recollecting the experience.
“That’s something [Don] Prudhomme never did,” Dunn said with a laugh.
TONY’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE – All those years of watching The Travel Channel have made NHRA Funny Car driver Tony
Planning a vacation? You might want to consult with Tony Bartone first.
The veteran driver for Jim Dunn took a trip with his family to Dubai, an emirate within the seven Arab Emirates. In case you’re not up on your geography, on the other side of Saudi Arabia and east of Africa.
The locals quickly picked up on the idea the burly Bartone “wasn’t from around here.”
“When I didn’t have on the traditional Saudi garb, I think they got the idea,” Bartone admitted.
Bartone said the experience was refreshing.
“Me and the family had an excellent time,” Bartone said. “We stayed at a beautiful hotel and the kids took some time to visit a water park. My kids even skied inside of a mall.”
Did he say skied in a mall?
“You have to watch more of the Discovery Channel,” Bartone said in response to the question. “How do you think I found out about it?”
PRO STOCK
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS – Kurt Johnson experienced both ends of the emotional spectrum during Friday’s second session.
Kurt Johnson had a front row seat for his dad's rare mishap.
The elation of the moment was quickly lost when the car in the opposite lane lost a motor and crossed in front of him, striking the retaining wall.
The driver of the car was none other than his father Warren Johnson. The elder Johnson was uninjured but the incident made for tense moments. The incredible run the second-generation Johnson made was quickly overshadowed.
“We made actually perfect runs,” Johnson described. “We threw everything at it and it stuck. Lucky there all the excitement was in the other lane. We went through the finish line and all I seen was smoke billowing out of the front wheel well and the rear wheel well and it's like 'Dad's created a lot of work for us right now.'”
Johnson continued, “I was trying to get it stopped and could see he was having problems there. He couldn't see inside the car and crossed over in the right lane. Actually I was able to pull up right next to him. So, it's an unfortunate situation but luckily the car is not that bad. He can fix it. The hoop for the fuel cell and the taillight and the headlight and we got more motors, so we'll get her fixed.”
Johnson never feared danger to his father. If anything, he imagined his elder’s temper had reached the boiling point.
“I imagine he was just getting mad at that point,” Johnson said, breaking into laughter when asked about the smoke coming from the car. “It could have been coming out his ears. He puts so much time and effort in building these motors. The thing was fresh and had something of a freak nature happen that caused it to break. We've got more parts in Sugarhill, Ga. We'll get her fixed.”
By the way, the new motor going in WJ’s car is the same one which yielded a 211 mile per hour run in Valdosta, Ga.
Warren Johnson crashed for only the third time in his career. He was uninjured in the mishap.
“The car filled with smoke,” WJ said. “Then it went sideways and the curb feelers didn’t work as they should have, I guess.”
Chassis builder Jerry Haas was on the property and repairs began as quickly as the car returned to the pits. WJ didn’t bring his spare GTO to Houston.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCYLE
UNSTOPPABLE - Matt Smith is a survivor.
Matt Hines questons the logic of the newest Pro Stock Motorcycle rules adjustment.
If you impose a weight increase on his bike, he’ll work harder to replace the compromised horsepower.
If he comes to the race track, he’ll go to the top spot. That’s exactly what the NitroFish-sponsored Smith did during the second session of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying. He recorded a 6.929 elapsed time at over 191.38 miles per hour to lead what could be the final session of qualifying if forecast inclement weather rolls into Baytown on Saturday.
“We’ll just have to see what the weather does,” Smith said, when asked if he felt his run would remain quickest. “Today we had a good tail wind. My run was pretty stout and I don’t know if anyone can beat it.”
To remain on top would be a blessing for Smith, the defending NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion.
“I got beat up pretty good in Gainesville,” Smith admitted. “We went home and went to work to find some more power on the dyno. That’s what its all about – going home and working on your bike instead of going fishing and playing golf. You do that instead of going home and crying about it. It’s one of those things, you have to go home and do your job.
Smith’s comments were in reference to the minimum weight adjustment imposed on the Buell combination following the brand’s victory in Gainesville. The Suzuki teams were granted a five-pound weight reduction.
“We were always five pounds over at 625 pounds,” Smith said. “It didn’t really affect us because I’ve always kept the bike five pounds over to be safe at the scales. We added three more pounds just to be on the safe side.
“The whole thing is we have good power and we work a lot. I work day in and day out – until 2 AM. We go look for power and that’s the big thing.”
PRO MODIFIED
GRIZZLY OF A RUN - Pro Modified racer Steve Engel knew his Diamond Heavy Haul Corvette had a big run in it, he just had to
Steve Engel was the one of two Pro Modifieds in the five-second zoneduring Friday qualifying.
One of only two racers to record a five-second run, Engel edged local favorite Josh Hernandez of nearby Conroe to take the top slot. Engel, Hernandez, and the rest of the Pro Mod set will have one more chance to improve on their qualifying times at 11 a.m. before the official elimination ladder for the 21st annual O'Reilly Spring NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil is set.
"That felt great," Engel said after his run. "That was our first five-second run and we're about as excited as we can be. I tell you, if we had the same conditions we had two weeks ago in Gainesville, we really would have put a number up there. This one was good and there's even room for improvement so we're very pleased.
"I'm not surprised because we've run six flats before and we knew the car wanted to give us more. It was just a matter of having the car go straight and me not making any mistakes behind the wheel. Credit the crew; the guys gave me a great racecar."
Hernandez, the reigning series champion, was second with a 5.994 at 241.58 mph in his AMS Staff Leasing Camaro. What was impressive about his run was that it happened in the daytime session.
Current points leader Joe Baker is third with a 6.001 at 241.71 mph in his borrowed ProCare Rx '41 Willys. Danny Rowe rounded out the top four with a 6.011.
Harold Laird of Baton Rouge, La., represents the bump spot with a 6.342 at 207.56 mph.
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK -
GRAND ENTRANCE (AND EXIT) - Fans attending this year's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event March 27-30 at Houston Raceway Park will have their easiest trek ever to the record-setting southeast Texas facility thanks to the newest section of Houston's Grand Parkway, which will basically take racing aficionados directly from Interstate 10 to the entrance of HRP's expansive resurfaced parking lots.
Whether traveling eastbound from downtown Houston or westbound from the golden triangle, fans can simply take Exit 799 -- Grand Parkway/Highway 99 and travel south for less than a mile to the FM 565 Exit, which feeds directly into the facility. The track runs adjacent to the Grand Parkway along the west side of the parkway.
"It's unprecedented access to the track and we're thrilled with the Texas Department of Transportation for getting this section done in time for the race," said Seth Angel, HRP's general manager. "The fans are going to love it and we're anticipating arrival times to drop dramatically across the board. It's awesome; we're right off the most-traveled highway in the country, and yet we're still right in the heart of Baytown so getting to area restaurants and hotels is still very convenient."
Aside from the new highway leading into the track, the Angel family, which has owned and operated the facility for years, has made massive infrastructure improvements including repaving the racing surface and adding additional drainage to the professional pit area and spectator parking lots. Future plans call for upgrades to the grandstands, corporate suites, fan amenities and facilities, and media center.
"We're excited about the future of the track," Angel said. "We're contracted with the NHRA through the 2012 season to host its national events."
TOP FUEL
SCHUMACHER'S MOMENTUM - Momentum is very important to Tony Schumacher right now. Off to his best start since the 2004 season, he’s looking to maintain the edge this weekend during the O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
Schumacher leads second-place Larry Dixon by 52 points thanks to two victories out of three events thus far in 2008.
“We’re pleased that we’ve started off the way we have,” said the five-time world champion. “This is so different than in recent years when we’ve struggled early but rallied late.”
Schumacher isn’t complaining but he can’t help but notice his 2008 start closely parallels the same path that he took in 2004 when he posted wins in Pomona, Calif. and Gainesville, Fla., along with a semifinal round advancement in Phoenix.
“Now, that’s pretty strange,” he added. “From what I’ve been told we’re only five points different this year than in 2004 (310 points through three races in 2004 versus 305 points in 2008). Of course, I hope that we stay that hot the rest of the way.”
The Chicago native is hoping to have a shot at a class record sixth career title, which would break Joe Amato’s mark of five championships (1984, 1988, 1990-1992).
“Man, we’ve got a long road ahead before that becomes a consideration,” he said. “While we’ve been going rounds and winning races so far, we’re still not running as good as we should be. I would love for us to really step it up this weekend in Houston.”
Schumacher’s visits to HRP have been productive over the years. He captured the 2005 event, while recording four other final round appearances. Additionally, he holds the track record for speed at 335.32 mph set in ‘05.
“It’s a neat track,” he said. “They’ve had a lot of record-setting performances there since it opened back in the 1980’s. I recall Dixon recording the sport’s first 4.4-second run in 1999.
“We just want to go down there and win another race for our soldiers. I love driving for the U.S. Army because I get to represent the strongest all-volunteer fighting force in the world. You can’t get any better than that.”
FUNNY CAR
DID YOU KNOW? - Four-time NHRA world champion Gary Scelzi, who left the Top Fuel category at the end of 2001 to join the Funny Car class, still holds the Top Fuel elapsed-time track record (4.480 seconds) at Houston Raceway Park, set in 1999.
Scelzi, who joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2003 and captured the 2005 NHRA Funny Car championship, is a two-time Top Fuel winner in Houston (1997 and 1998), but has not won here yet in Funny Car. He's aiming to change that statistic at this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals.
"That's really kind of amazing," he said of his track record. "When we set the record in Houston in Top Fuel the engine actually blew up at 1100 feet and we still set the record. It would have been the quickest and fastest run in the history for a long, long time, but it would have been too quick to back it up for a national record (track records are backed up if a second similar run is within one percent). So, it actually worked out pretty well.
"That run actually was the only run in the history of Top Fuel where someone broke the three-second barrier to the eighth mile. We ran 2.999 seconds, which is also amazing, because the 4.48 has been beaten as a national record, but no one has gone quicker to the eighth mile than myself and (crew chief at the time) Alan Johnson, which is no surprise with Alan Johnson (who now tunes five-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster)."
BY THE WAY - Scelzi also returns to Houston after a DNQ (did not qualify) at the last event in Gainesville, Fla.
"Going back to Houston after a DNQ - even though people may find this hard to believe - is almost like after a win wanting to get to the next track," said Scelzi, who is currently 11th in the point standings after three of 24 races. "Obviously, it's not as exciting, but after a DNQ you want to get back to a race track and redeem yourself, and, first of all, qualify, which has always been our method: get the car in the show on the first run and then improve on your qualifying position as the qualifying sessions go on. That didn't happen in Gainesville because of the rain (which washed out the two Friday qualifying runs), but I still feel very confident in our tune-up. I'm very confident in (crew chief) Todd Okuhara and all the Mopar boys. And I think that we can come into this race track, qualify and win the race. It would not surprise me, and I really don't think it would surprise any of our competitors.
"I also think we're going to see a lot of big names on that DNQ list this season, much like we did last year, and, obviously, it didn't affect the way the POWERade points championship turned out.
"The main thing is we want to be in the top five when we leave Indy (for the start of the Countdown to One playoffs after the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day), although we know it takes the top 10. We want to be in the upper half and our plans are still on track. We had a little setback in Gainesville, but we're ready to go to Houston."
As for whether the Mopar/Oakley team will run the Murf McKinney or the Brad Hadman chassis in Houston, "The decision will be made probably on Thursday if we're going to run the Hadman car or the McKinney car," Scelzi said.
SCELZI THE JET-SETTER - Houston also marks the first time Scelzi will enjoy the luxury of a round-trip private flight courtesy of team owner Ken Black, something that was offered him for 10 events at the end of last year in order to keep Scelzi competing while spending more time with his family and business in Fresno. "Thursday afternoon I'm flying to Vegas and Thursday night we're flying to Houston," said Scelzi. "Sunday night I'll be back at home by 9 p.m. and be able to go to work on Monday.
"Actually, the first time I flew back with Ken was from Gainesville on Sunday night. This is going to be the first round-trip deal. But Ken has made it clear it's not an issue to fly me home, so he might be able to do more than he promised as far as getting me home on Sunday nights."
A TALE OF TWO EXITS - Robert Hight and Mike Neff both made early exits two weeks ago at the Gatornationals. With first round losses the John Force Racing teammates spent most of elimination Sunday signing autographs for fans and looking for answers.
“I always thought (when I was a crew member) that it has to be really, really hard to be out there signing autographs after you lost because you are definitely not happy about losing or not running good but what I have learned is and I didn’t realize this until I started driving is those fans actually cheer you up,” said Hight, currently No. 1 in the point standings.
“You are out there signing autographs and they are telling you, ‘You are going to get them next week, we still root for you guys,’ and ‘You’re still our favorite to win the championship.’ It is the fans that cheer us up and get us in the mood to go onto the next race.”
For Neff the first round struggles are part of the learning curve and the nerves that come with wanting to win so badly. In his first round race he was out in front of his opponent but lost traction and then made a normal rookie mistake.
“That was the first time I had to pedal my Mustang when it was smoking the tires. I just needed to wait a little bit longer. It is hard; you are amped up and you just want to go. I got off of it (let off the throttle) and I just wanted to get her going again (too soon).”
BOWTIE BRIGADE - Team Chevy drivers have also set the pace so far in Funny Car qualifying by claiming the first three No. 1 qualifiers of the season. Tim Wilkerson claimed his 11th and 12th career poles at Pomona and Phoenix to start the year, and Gainesville winner Pedregon was also No. 1 qualifier there.
"We need to keep focused," Wilkerson said. "We can't lose focus on what we're there for and that's first, to qualify, and second, go rounds on Sunday. Right now we've got a strong and consistent car and everything seems to be going in the right direction for us, so if it keeps up we should be in good shape."
HUNTING AND GATHERING - Bob Tasca III is not a fan of the rain. His team’s first-year status only compounds this dislike during race weekends.
“As a new team, the one thing we cherish is run data, and to lose four qualifying runs in the first three races of the year has not helped us at all,” said Tasca. “One of the most important things for us this weekend in Houston is get all four runs in. If we can do that and do well in the race on Sunday, we’ll go and test on Monday and hopefully come out with a lot of runs and data to take with us into Las Vegas.”
After getting eliminated by Jim Head in the first round of competition in Gainesville two weeks ago, Tasca looks forward to getting his car down the track and earning a qualifying spot in the top half of the field.
“We’re excited to go to Houston because we’ve really started to get a baseline on this race car,” said Tasca. “I’ve always felt that it was going to take us five or six races for us to do that. We’re going to stay and test on Monday after Houston regardless of how we do this weekend, which is a really important part of our program. Just being able to continue to practice and refine the combination on our car is really beneficial to our team.”
In a sport that is measured by fractions of seconds, fine-tuning and setting up the car exactly right for track conditions is the main focus for the team this weekend.
“It comes down to being able to control the car through the clutch and apply the proper amount of power to the race track,” said Tasca. “These cars overpower the track, which is really the issue that we face. We have plenty of horsepower to do the job, but we just have to do a better job of managing the power to get these cars to go from point A to point B.
“Our team has a lot of confidence going into this weekend. We’ve got a good team; we’ve got great sponsors and a lot of talent in our crew chiefs. Truthfully, for me as a driver, every time down the track I’m getting more and more comfortable in the car.”
PRO STOCK
MILESTONES - Jason Line in the Summit Racing Pontiac GXP can qualify for his 100th consecutive national event at this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals, second only to teammate Greg Anderson with a current streak of 119 among active Pro Stock drivers. Line has started his pro career with his current 99-race qualifying streak with no career DNQ's.
Pontiac's Mike Edwards needs to win just one round at Houston to earn his 200th career round win. Edwards, who will enter this event behind the wheel of a new Pontiac GXP, most recently won this event in 2006 and has three career wins at Houston Raceway Park to his credit.
HOT & GRIMY - Allen Johnson has been automatic in qualifying, starting no worse than fifth in the first three events and capturing his fourth career No. 1 qualifier award at the Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals in late February. The Team Mopar driver’s troubles, unfortunately, have come at a most inopportune time, on race day.
“When the track is good, we perform really well. On Sunday, when the track gets a little marginal, it seems to be our foe,” remarked Johnson. “We’re going to test this week at a track near Houston, and try to set it up hot and grimy like we had at Gainesville, and get better on conditions like that. That’s what we are working on.”
Johnson is very mindful of the urgent need to meld his consistency in qualifying with successful race set-ups.
“We’ll keep going and hopefully qualify well and put ourselves in a position to win a couple of rounds every race, and hope that consistency pays off,” Johnson said. “My goal this year is to win five races, and I feel like we’ve already let at least one get away from us. I don’t want to do that anymore. We’ve got to step it up.”
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCYLE
THE FIRST LADY - Angie McBride refuses to show any ill-effects of no sponsorship. Instead, she’s sitting sixth in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship standings – the highest ranked female rider in the class.
Even though McBride has never raced at Houston, she may be considered as one of the top underdogs in the series. Having teamed up with the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champ Matt Smith during the off-season, McBride has an impressive tuner at her disposal.
“I am very excited about how things have gone so far,” said McBride. “Matt is a great crew chief and mentor to me. Everyone looks to him for advice and I am very thankful for this opportunity with him. We are still looking for a sponsor for my bike, so hopefully we can go out here this weekend and make a statement like we did in Gainesville.”
PRO MODIFIED
MEMORY LANE - Mike Ashley entered this event, four years ago with a point to prove. He’s experiencing a bit of déjà vu headed into this weekend.
Ashley, a two-time NHRA Pro Modified champion, wants the world to know he’s still got the team to beat despite a two-year absence from the class. His No. 1 qualifying effort during the recently completed NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., went a long way to prove his point.
“I knew I had the team and car to do what we did in Gainesville,” said Ashley, who won this weekend’s event in 2004. “I think it’s been just a matter of getting the driver back in the routine of doing what he’s supposed to. We left a little on the table with the run that led qualifying but this experience was exciting and invigorating.”
Ashley’s fond memories of the Houston facility coincide with his 2004 victory, ironically the 40th anniversary of the Mustang – a race he won while driving a 1967 Shelby GT500E endorsed by the legendary Carroll Shelby. He won the event from the top qualifying position.
“We had just finished an extremely frustrating 2003 season,” Ashley explained. “We knew we had a good team, one to beat and we felt like we needed to send the message by running well in Gainesville. The more we ran the car, the stronger it got. We had more momentum than we knew what to do with, so we just kept throwing it back in the car.”
The momentum was so strong that Ashley went on to win six national events in the next two seasons before stepping aside to focus primarily on his budding Funny Car career.
Ashley’s two-year hiatus from the class was triggered by his desire to focus on driving a 300-mile per hour Funny Car. He captured two NHRA POWERade national event titles including the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
“I’m just excited about being back here with my buddies in Pro Modified,” Ashley admitted.
Ashley still has a vested interest in the Funny Car, though. He’s a co-owner on the Melanie Troxel and Frank Hawley teams.
“I really excited to watch our Funny Car run from an owner’s standpoint,” Ashley said. “This has been a great year and I can’t help but think it’s going to get even better.”
TEST, TEST AND MORE TEST – Troy Coughlin tested earlier this weekend at a facility close to HRP in hopes of obtaining similar conditions to what expects to see this weekend.
"The car went straight and it was fast; that's a great combination," Coughlin said. "We had a little issue at the season opener in Gainesville where the car went left immediately when I dropped the clutch. With the entire event shortened by rain, it really put us behind and we just didn't have the results we had hoped for.
"We were all anxious to fix the problem so we decided to drive down Monday and run this thing until everything was perfect. We certainly fixed the problem with the car going straight and we even found a couple more little things that could have become problems if left unchecked and fixed them also, so we're very encouraged with what we can do."
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