2019 NHRA LUCAS OIL NATIONALS - EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY - LINE WINS AT HOME TRACK, DSR DOUBLES UP AS PRITCHETT AND CAPPS ALSO WIN AT BRAINERD
Minnesota native Jason Line won a race for an NHRA-record 16th straight season on Sunday, racing to the wire-to-wire victory at his home track during the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
In other racing, it was a double-up victory for Don Schumacher Racing for the first time in 2019, as Leah Pritchett (Top Fuel) and Ron Capps (Funny Car) won in their respective categories at the 17th of 24 events on the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Line, the No. 1 qualifier, used a run of 6.597-seconds at 209.10 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro to beat Erica Enders’ 6.604 at 207.59 in the final round. It is Line’s 49th career victory and first in 2019. It is his second career Brainerd win, but Sunday marked the first time he could celebrate at his home track, as his 2014 event win was completed in Indy after a rain delay.
Line knocked off Wally Stroupe, Alex Laughlin and Deric Kramer to reach the final round. Enders, the No. 2 qualifier, beat Shane Tucker, Chris McGaha and Seattle winner Matt Hartford to reach her 48th career final round, but Line edged her out to grab the memorable win in front of family and friends.
“This is very cool,” Line said. “As we get older, you realize these moments are going to be few and far between and less chance of them happening, so it’s very special. Right now it feels special, but it’s going be feel more special later on, for sure. It was just a great weekend and a fun day. We had a great car and you want to win here in front of your friends and family. To see them and see how happy they are, it’s super special. This place has been a big part of our lives.”
In Top Fuel, Pritchett picked up her first win of the season and eighth in her career thanks to a 3.732 at 321.04 in her MOPAR Dodge dragster, sending her past Mike Salinas in the final round. Pritchett, who earned her second career Brainerd win, knocked off Kyle Wurtzel, defending event winner Billy Torrence and Seattle winner Austin Prock to reach the final round.
Salinas got past Luigi Novelli, Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta to reach the final round for the fifth time in his career. Pritchett’s victory is the first Top Fuel win of the season for DSR, and the nitro double-up for the team comes a race after rival John Force Racing did the same in Seattle.
“I was proud to be the one to put on the final win light (today) for DSR, and this is the perfect time to be able to get the momentum for our season,” Pritchett said. “Looking at the time sheets, we made four incredible runs and that’s something that the crew chiefs have been able to do consistently, and it’s coming together at the perfect time. Between the racecar that we have, the team and what we’re asking it to do, (the car) is performing beautifully, and I couldn’t be more happy.”
Funny Car’s Capps won for the sixth time in Brainerd, going 3.946 at 324.28 in the final round in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to beat DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr.’s 3.947 at 319.98. It is Capps’ third win in 2019 and 64th of his career. Capps beat defending world champ J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and Shawn Langdon en route to the finals, while Johnson drove past Tim Wilkerson, points leader Robert Hight and No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan to reach his 52nd career final.
Capps fell to longtime rival John Force in an emotional final round in Seattle, a race that gave Force his 150th career win, but Capps rebounded in impressive fashion on Sunday at one of his favorite races on the NHRA circuit.
“I had my hands full today,” Capps said. “This is a race that we circle on the calendar because it’s fun, but you want to race this race and get the finishing touches on your tune-up. This is a crucial and they’ve done such a great job here. Both lanes are equal and you really want to have your act together leaving this race. I’m so happy we've had great success here and we had a great running car today.”
The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues Aug. 28-Sept. 2 with the last race of the regular season, the prestigious 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
SATURDAY - LINE, B. FORCE AND HAGAN SECURE TOP SPOTS AT LUCAS OIL NHRA NATS
Pro Stock driver and Minnesota native Jason Line secured his second No. 1 qualifier of the 2019 season and the 55th of his career at the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) also qualified No. 1 in their respective categories at the 17th of 24 races during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Line secured the top spot when his run of 6.606-seconds at 207.27 mph from Friday held up in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro. He will race for his first win this season on Sunday where he will face Wally Stroupe in the first round. Erica Enders is right behind in second after her Friday run of 6.616 at 206.99, while Bo Butner finished third in qualifying after going 6.624 at 207.08.
“My car is really good. It’s certainly the best car I’ve had in years,” said Line. “We made four really good runs and that’s not always easy to do. It’s been very predictable and it’s doing what we ask it to, so that’s a good feeling.”
In Top Fuel, Force earned the top spot with her run of 3.722 at 328.14 in the final round of qualifying on Saturday in her Carquest Filters dragster. This is her fifth No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and the 15th of her career. She will meet Chris Karamesines in the opening round of eliminations. Steve Torrence qualified second following a run of 3.738 at 328.70 on Friday and Mike Salinas will start raceday from the third position after his 3.743 at 329.58 from Friday.
“It was a clean run all the way down there and it put us at number one so this Advance Auto Parts / Carquest team is very happy with that,” said Force. “Grubnic (David Grubnic, Crew Chief) said on this last run, we’re gonna push. We were safe in the field and he was going to push to see if he could move us up there and wow, he moved us up quite a bit. So I’m very excited about that. It just puts overall more energy in our pit and confidence going into raceday tomorrow.”
Funny Car’s Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and 35th in his career thanks to his Friday run of 3.890 at 328.46 in his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car. He will meet Dale Creasy in the opening round of eliminations.
“I didn’t know if that pass would hold or not,” said Hagan. “We ran a little later this evening and everyone was pushing. All in all we really feel good about the car and the raceday setup and everything that’s kind of coming together right now so as long as we turn four win lights on tomorrow, that’s all that really matters.”
Jack Beckman remained second with his 3.908 at 325.53, and John Force is a spot behind in third thanks to his pass of 3.923 at 321.12 on Saturday.
Eliminations at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Live action begins at 2:00 pm ET on FS1.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 17th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brittany Force, 3.722 seconds, 328.14 mph vs. 16. Chris Karamesines, 4.270, 204.79; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.738, 328.70 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 4.115, 261.22; 3. Mike Salinas, 3.743, 329.58 vs. 14. Luigi Novelli, 3.989, 292.65; 4. Leah Pritchett, 3.756, 325.53 vs. 13. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.962, 267.75; 5. Billy Torrence, 3.763, 325.53 vs. 12. Antron Brown, 3.849, 322.58; 6. Clay Millican, 3.765, 318.77 vs. 11. Richie Crampton, 3.809, 316.75; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.768, 325.92 vs. 10. Terry McMillen, 3.794, 323.66; 8. Austin Prock, 3.769, 323.35 vs. 9. Scott Palmer, 3.771, 316.60.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Totten, 4.366, 189.12; 18. Todd Paton, 5.284, 132.70.
Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.890, 328.46 vs. 16. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.256, 237.55; 2. Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.908, 325.53 vs. 15. Terry Haddock, Ford Mustang, 4.076, 277.32; 3. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.923, 321.12 vs. 14. Bob Bode, Mustang, 4.038, 311.05; 4. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.924, 326.48 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.031, 315.49; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.926, 318.54 vs. 12. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.993, 312.78; 6. Shawn Langdon, Toyota Camry, 3.935, 318.02 vs. 11. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.969, 318.69; 7. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.936, 325.53 vs. 10. J.R. Todd, Camry, 3.963, 321.27; 8. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.950, 322.96 vs. 9. Jonnie Lindberg, Mustang, 3.963, 322.65.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Jim Campbell, 4.304, 231.20.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.606, 207.27 vs. 16. Wally Stroupe, Camaro, 6.725, 204.70; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.616, 206.99 vs. 15. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.683, 204.88; 3. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.624, 207.08 vs. 14. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.673, 206.51; 4. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.627, 207.50 vs. 13. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.668, 205.79; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.627, 206.54 vs. 12. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.663, 206.20; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.628, 205.63 vs. 11. Richard Freeman, Ford Mustang, 6.657, 206.39; 7. Fernando Cuadra, Camaro, 6.640, 206.89 vs. 10. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.647, 207.21; 8. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.641, 205.98 vs. 9. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.642, 205.98.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Alan Prusiensky, 6.736, 204.42; 18. Cristian Cuadra, 6.755, 203.12; 19. Mark Hogan, 6.843, 200.92; 20. Robert River, 6.858, 198.47.
FRIDAY - HAGAN, S. TORRENCE, LINE PACE FIRST DAY QUALIFYING
Matt Hagan leads the pack in Funny Car at Brainerd International Raceway, powering to the top qualifying spot on Friday during the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 17th of 24 races during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The event is also the one of the last chances for drivers to secure a place in NHRA's playoffs, the Countdown to the Championship, so the fight for qualifying points is fierce.
Hagan went 3.890-seconds at 328.46 mph in his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car. If it holds, Hagan would earn his first No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and 35th in his career. Jack Beckman drove to the second spot with a 3.908 at 325.53, and Robert Hight sits in third after a pass of 3.924 at 326.48.
“Rolling here and having two great laps off the bat, there’s a lot of confidence right now,” said Hagan. “The car was digging early, and I knew it was on a good run but you’re trying not to oversteer it either and let it settle back into the groove. Dickie (Venables, Crew Chief) has a lot of confidence in the combo that we’ve got; the window’s a lot bigger right now and this is the momentum we need to head into the countdown.”
Top Fuel’s S. Torrence put up a strong blast of 3.738 at 328.70 to go to No. 1 in his Capco Contractors dragster. It would be his fourth of 2019 and 23rd in his career if it holds. Mike Salinas is second with a 3.743 at 329.58, and Leah Pritchett is a spot behind in third after going 3.756 at 325.92.
In Pro Stock, local favorite Line went 6.606 at 207.27 to take the provisional No. 1 spot in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro. If it holds, Line would gain his 55th career No. 1 qualifier and his second of the 2019 season. Erica Enders is right behind in second after her pass of 6.616 at 206.99, while Deric Kramer went 6.627 at 207.50 to sit third.
Qualifying continues Saturday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, 17th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Steve Torrence, 3.738 seconds, 328.70 mph; 2. Mike Salinas, 3.743, 329.58; 3. Leah Pritchett, 3.756, 325.53; 4. Billy Torrence, 3.763, 325.53; 5. Clay Millican, 3.765, 318.77; 6. Doug Kalitta, 3.768, 325.92; 7. Austin Prock, 3.769, 323.35; 8. Scott Palmer, 3.771, 316.60; 9. Terry McMillen, 3.794, 323.66; 10. Richie Crampton, 3.814, 314.17; 11. Antron Brown, 3.849, 322.58; 12. Brittany Force, 3.906, 274.11; 13. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.962, 267.75; 14. Luigi Novelli, 4.171, 244.03; 15. Terry Totten, 4.366, 189.12.
Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.890, 328.46; 2. Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.908, 325.53; 3. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.924, 326.48; 4. Shawn Langdon, Toyota Camry, 3.935, 318.02; 5. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.936, 321.04; 6. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.950, 322.96; 7. Jonnie Lindberg, Mustang, 3.963, 322.65; 8. John Force, Camaro, 3.963, 319.37; 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.969, 318.69; 10. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.995, 316.52; 11. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.030, 300.93; 12. Bob Bode, Mustang, 4.038, 311.05; 13. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.076, 277.32; 14. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.304, 231.20; 15. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.341, 234.49; 16. J.R. Todd, Camry, 4.555, 181.81.
Not Qualified: 17. Cruz Pedregon, 6.077, 108.98.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.606, 207.27; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.616, 206.99; 3. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.627, 207.50; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.627, 206.54; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.628, 205.63; 6. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.633, 206.64; 7. Fernando Cuadra, Camaro, 6.640, 206.89; 8. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.643, 206.01; 9. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.643, 205.79; 10. Richard Freeman, Camaro, 6.657, 206.39; 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.663, 206.20; 12. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.668, 205.79; 13. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.673, 206.51; 14. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.692, 206.04; 15. Wally Stroupe, Camaro, 6.725, 204.70; 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.728, 205.19.
Not Qualified: 17. Alan Prusiensky, 6.784, 203.12; 18. Cristian Cuadra, 6.794, 202.33; 19. Robert River, 6.858, 198.47; 20. Mark Hogan, 6.897, 198.41.
