2009 NHRA WINTERNATIONALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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TUESDAY - KALITTA, CAPPS AND LINE EARN WINS AT KRAGEN O’REILLY WINTERNATIONALS
Doug
Kalitta raced to his first Top Fuel victory in more than a year Tuesday
at the rain-delayed Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona.
Ron Capps and Jason Line also were winners in their respective
categories at the first of 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
events in 2009. The season-opening event, which had been plagued by
five straight days of rain delays, was finally completed under clear
blue skies.
Kalitta powered his Kalitta Motorsports dragster to a winning
performance of 3.822 seconds at 308.57 mph to take an emotional win
over top qualifier Antron Brown, whose Matco Tools dragster trailed
with a 3.847 at 307.16.
Kalitta said he was thrilled to win at the same track where his uncle
Connie Kalitta, the legendary drag racer who is celebrating his 50th
anniversary in the sport this year, and his late cousin Scott, who was
killed last year in a crash at Englishtown, N.J., had both previously
won (Scott in 2005, Connie in 1967).
“The Kalitta name has a long history at this track as both Connie and
Scott have won here, so I am glad to be able to join them on the list,”
said Kalitta of his 31st career victory. “We’re back. It was kind of a
dry spell for us last year. The new team I have this year is really
great and they are hungry to win, so I am glad we were able to get it
done today.”
Doug
said the roll cage on his dragster today was the same one used by Scott
in his win at this event in 2005. He said Scott was in his thoughts
throughout the day.
“I think of Scott when I am up on the line all of the time and still
use some of the techniques he taught me to get motivated before a race,
so he’s always riding with me,” Kalitta said. “I am sure he was
watching over us and he’s really proud that all three Kalittas have now
won here at Pomona.”
Capps also ended a year-long winless drought in Funny Car, posting a
performance of 4.154 at 296.96 in his NAPA Dodge Charger to hold off
surprise finalist Jim Head, whose Head Racing Toyota Solara lost
traction at the start of the race. It was Capps’ 26th career victory
and second at this event (also 1998).
"It's cool to be the first Full Throttle winner," Capps said. “And it's
great for NAPA. We really wanted to get them a win this year because
they really like our program and love what NHRA does for them because
the customers can get so close. They were blown away when they came
aboard last year and are doing so much with us with the TV commercials
and everything. This is a big win for us."
Line
claimed his 16th victory in Pro Stock and first ever at this track by
outrunning Mike Edwards in the final round. Line drove his Summit
Racing Pontiac GXP to a 6.567 at a track record speed of 211.63 to hold
off Edwards’ Young Life/Penhall GXP, which trailed at 6.575 at 210.01.
"I drove pretty good out there which feels pretty good because I've
been criticized for that in the past," said Line, who had a reaction
time advantage on all four of his opponents. "I drove decent and had a
pretty good hot rod – probably the second best one here – and I would
have loved to have raced Greg (Anderson, teammate who set the national
E.T. record at 6.528 seconds in the second round) in the final, but we
had a good race and it feels good to win. I botched the shift in the
final or I probably would have gotten the (national) speed record
because I hit the chip in third gear and again in fifth gear because I
was so excited to be getting down the track in the final.”
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues Feb. 20-22 with the
25th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway
near Phoenix.
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SUNDAY - KRAGEN O'REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS ELIMINATIONS DELAYED BY RAIN UNTIL MONDAY
Persistent rain showers throughout the day Sunday forced NHRA officials to postpone eliminations for the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona until Monday.
It was the fourth consecutive day of rain delays for the season-opening event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The continuation of Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations will open Monday’s racing, starting at 11:30 a.m., and will be followed by the continuation of the first round of Pro Stock.
On Sunday, one round of eliminations was completed in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Among the first round winners in Top Fuel were defending world champ Tony Schumacher, who posted the quickest time among all first round winners in his U.S. Army dragster, and event top qualifier Antron Brown.
Brown, who pedaled his Matco Tools dragster to get the first-round win, will meet Mike Strasburg in the second round.
"We caught a bit of a break in that first round because it dropped a hole and I had to pedal the car," Brown said. "It's all good though. I have all the confidence in the world in (crew chiefs) Brian (Corradi), Mark (Oswald) and this Matco Tools crew and we'll be good to go in the second round. If we're sticking around another day, we're in it to win it."
I
n Funny Car, top qualifier Robert Hight, Del Worsham and Ron Capps, who produced the quickest run of the first round in his category in his NAPA Dodge Charger, were among the first-round winners, while defending world champ Cruz Pedregon lost to Jack Beckman. Only two pairs of cars were able to run in Pro Stock.
Worsham, who drives the Al-Anabi Racing Toyota Solara, will face veteran Gary Densham in the second round. A two-time Winternationals runner-up, Worsham feels good about his chances on Monday.
“I’m extremely confident about tomorrow," Worsham said. "The first round’s gone, and that really is the nerves, first round at the first race of the season. I feel a lot better about tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. When you get in these cool conditions like this, the track doesn’t become slippery; it actually gets more traction. When these tires bite like that, if they don’t slip a little bit, they tend to want to shake, and that’s what you were seeing with the tire shake out there and everybody trying to pedal it and get it down there. We just don’t run in these conditions enough to get good at it, so when we get into a situation like this when it happens, everybody’s just doing the best job they can do. If you can get it to where it’s not shaking, you could easily set a record out here right now."
Tickets will be available for Monday’s racing for $26. Fans holding tickets for any of the rain-delayed days (Thurs., Fri. or Sun.) may redeem those tickets on Monday for entry.
Monday’s racing will air during a two-hour show on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD at 9:30 p.m. (ET).
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SATURDAY -BROWN, HIGHT AND ANDERSON EARN TOP QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT KRAGEN O’REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
Antron Brown raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel Saturday at the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals.
After waiting out two days of rain delays, race teams were able to complete a round of qualifying at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Rain showers late in the day kept the final qualifying order to a single session.
Robert Hight and Greg Anderson also will lead their respective categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations at the first of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Brown claimed the No. 1 position in Top Fuel in his Matco Tools dragster. While the scoreboards revealed a 3.708-second time after his run, NHRA officials determined after analysis of the complete data of the run that his time was invalid due to a malfunction in the wiring system. Brown and No. 2 Joe Hartley retained their positions in the 16-car order but their elapsed times will not officially be recorded. No qualifying points will be issued in Top Fuel at this event.
"It was a phenomenal run," said Brown. "This feels good for our team after what we went through in the offseason [the team was sold twice and new crew chiefs Corradi and Oswald brought it] and me not qualify at the [2008 season finale]. It feels great to start the season the way we have. The car went A to B on our first pass down the racetrack [in pre-season testing] and got progressively better as we went along, so we had high hopes coming into here. Personally, I just wanted to go A to B on this run and get in the show anywhere after not qualifying here [in the fall]. I've been getting geared up for this all winter because I wanted to make a real run at this championship."
Defending champ Tony Schumacher was fifth in his U.S. Army dragster with a 3.897 at 311.99. Last season’s No. 2 points finisher, Larry Dixon, failed to qualify for the first time since the 2006 season in his Alan Johnson-Al Anabi Racing dragster.
Dixon, who had high expectations for his first race with his new team, said his car’s tires shook and then the ignition broke, shutting the car off.
"To say we’re disappointed might be the biggest understatement ever," Dixon said. "[] Sheik Khalid was here, and we really wanted to put on a good show for him. We came to Pomona with the same high expectations as everyone else, but sometimes parts break; there’s nothing we could have done differently. It’s unfortunate, but NHRA awards the same number of points at Phoenix, and we’ll be ready to go."
Hight was quickest in Funny Car, covering the distance in 4.037 seconds in his Auto Club Ford Mustang.
"I’ll tell you, it’s so much pressure on the whole team and the driver when you know you’re going to have rain-shortened sessions and maybe only get one shot," said Hight. "My crew chief, Jimmy Prock, shoots for the moon every time, and that worries me sometimes, and especially with this run here. [After the Phoenix test], Jimmy Prock went back to Indy and got on our clutch dyno and just worked night and day and came here with a new setup, something that we’ve never run before. That’s really tough to do because there’s a learning curve with any kind of changes that you make with these cars, and to go out there and go to the top spot is unbelievable. It doesn’t give you a lot of confidence going into tomorrow, though, because, like Austin Coil says, it takes 20 to 25 runs before you have a setup that you know works.
"It’s just a great way to start, and tomorrow’s just going to be exciting."
Del Worsham was second in his Alan Johnson-Al Anabi Racing Toyota Solara with a 4.038, and defending world champ Cruz Pedregon was ninth in his Advance Auto Parts Solara with a 4.205 at 305.91. Tim Wilkerson, who led the points standings for most of last season, posted his first DNQ since the 2007 season in his Levi Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang.
Anderson claimed his fourth straight No. 1 qualifying position at this event and the 70th of his career by clocking a track record performance of 6.588 at 209.59 in his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP.
"It's not been easy on us [waiting out the rain] because, after a winter of working so hard we want to get on this racetrack and see what you've got and see how you stack up, but I've had a good feeling all weekend," said Anderson. "We thought we'd have a good product when we got here but you never know until you get on that racetrack what everyone else has got. It looks like we've made some gains from last year and we've got a great hot rod, but I'm not thinking that everyone else is as far back as they showed today. I just think I did a little better job on a green racetrack, and it certainly helped to be the last pair out."
Anderson’s teammate Jason Line was second in his Summit GXP with a 6.616 at 209.43, while defending series champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. was sixth in his JEGs Chevy Cobalt, who posted a 6.629 at 208.23.
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Sunday’s eliminations pairings for the 49th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Results based on qualifying, which ended Saturday. The $1.8 million race is the first of 24 in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL
1. Antron Brown, *3.708 seconds, no speed recorded vs. 16. Steve Faria, 4.854, 252.61 mph; 2. Joe Hartley, *3.748, nsr vs. 15. Morgan Lucas, 4.548, 270.81; 3. Cory McClenathan, 3.851, 313.66 vs. 14. Shawn Langdon, 4.091, 307.79; 4. Brandon Bernstein, 3.866, 317.42 vs. 13. Andy Carter, 4.020, nsr; 5. Tony Schumacher, 3.897, 311.99 vs. 12. Del Cox, 4.020, nsr; 6. Urs Erbacher, 3.915, 305.63 vs. 11. Doug Kalitta, 4.016, nsr; 7. David Baca, 3.920, nsr vs. 10. Steve Chrisman, 4.000, nsr; 8. Spencer Massey, 3.968, nsr vs. 9. Mike Strasburg, 3.980, 305.01; Did Not Qualify: 17. Clay Millican, 5.142, 144.84; 18. Larry Dixon, 6.326, 102.68. *Due to a wiring system malfunction, these elapsed times will not be officially recorded.
FUNNY CAR
1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.037 seconds, no speed recorded vs. 16. Jerry Toliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.061, 187.52 mph; 2. Del Worsham, Toyota Solara, 4.038, nsr vs. 15. Bob Bode, Chevy Impala, 4.891, 244.65; 3. Ashley Force Hood, Ford Mustang, 4.061, nsr vs. 14. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.345, 283.01; 4. John Force, Mustang, 4.092, 304.39 vs. 13. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.289, nsr; 5. Bob Tasca, Mustang, 4.143, 301.20 vs. 12. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.286, 304.12; 6. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.164, 300.40 vs. 11. Jim Head, Solara, 4.286, nsr; 7. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.183, nsr vs. 10. Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.222, nsr; 8. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.197, 289.14 vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.205, 305.91; Did Not Qualify: 17. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 5.141, nsr; 18. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 8.668, nsr.
PRO STOCK
1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.588 seconds, 209.59 mph vs. 16. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt, 6.832, 172.17; 2. Jason Line, GXP, 6.616, 209.43 vs. 15. Rickie Jones, Dodge Stratus, 6.691, 206.26; 3. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.625, 207.82 vs. 14. Tom Hammonds, 6.682, 206.20; 4. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.628, 208.59 vs. 13. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.677, 207.08; 5. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.629, 208.62 vs. 12. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.665, 206.64; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.629, 208.23 vs. 11. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.662, 207.69; 7. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.642, 207.91 vs. 10. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.661, 208.33; 8. David Beckley, Stratus, 6.650, 206.61 vs. 9. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.654, 206.32; Did Not Qualify: 17. Jerry Haas, Pontiac GTO, 6.854, 202.55; 18. Bob Panella, Stratus, 7.202, 149.25; 19. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 7.221, 148.79; 20. Erica Enders, Ford Mustang, 11.959, 73.12; 21. Frank Gugliotta, GXP, 23.129, 53.91; 22. Gordie Rivera, GTO, 25.448, 31.85.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - ANOTHER WET DAY AT THE TRACK
There was one attempt to dry the track for Friday's qualifying, but that effort proved for naught.
Rain continued to fall in Southern California Friday, forcing NHRA
officials to cancel the second round of professional qualifying at the
Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Rain started in the early morning hours and continued to be heavy at
times throughout the afternoon. No racing was completed before
officials pulled the plug for the day around 1:15 p.m.
Two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 3
p.m. Sunday's final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m.
The race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, is the first of
24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2009.
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THURSDAY - RAIN WASHES OUT FIRST DAY OF RACING AT KRAGEN O'REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
Rain showers forced the postponement of first day qualifying at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca.
Nine pairs into Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying, the first sprinkles began to fall and developed into steady rain.
Rain is forecast through Saturday morning, with 90% chance on Friday. Saturday’s forecast drops to 60% with Sunday presenting a perfect day for racing.
Earlier in the day, NHRA President Tom Compton said the NHRA would like to get in at least two qualifying sessions. The NHRA did not convey the criteria they plan to use in determining if the race will be completed this weekend.
One round of pro qualifying is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. Two qualifying rounds are scheduled for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday's final eliminations start at 11 a.m.
The race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, is the first of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2009.
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EVENT PREVIEW - SCHUMACHER-DIXON RIVALRY HAS POTENTIAL TO BE ONE FOR THE AGES
The popularity of NHRA Championship Drag Racing has been framed throughout the years by dynamic on-track rivalries that have kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Though there have been many great rivalries in the one-on-one world of this high-speed, side-by-side, performance-driven sport, several instantly come to mind:
• Don “the Snake” Prudhomme vs. Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen in Funny Car
• Don Garlits vs. Shirley Muldowney in Top Fuel
• Bob Glidden vs. Lee Shepherd in Pro Stock
• John Force vs. Cruz Pedregon in Funny Car
Just mentioning the four pairings above brings immediate goosebumps and vivid memories to longtime drag racing fans. Whenever those racers met on the track, fans were guaranteed a dramatic, compelling race, most often with very high stakes on the line.
In 2009, all of the elements are in place for another great rivalry to develop and join that legendary list.
At center stage will be six-time and defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher and two-time Top Fuel world champion Larry Dixon. They are two of the winningest drivers in their category. They are regarded as two of the best drivers in the history of the sport. They are both frequently listed in the NHRA record book.
And, bottom line, they are both hungry for more.
The twist in this much-anticipated season-long showdown is that Schumacher’s longtime crew chief, Alan Johnson, is now in Dixon’s corner. The much-heralded tuning wizard, who led Schumacher to five consecutive titles, has formed his own two-car team with financial backing from a sheik from Qatar. He picked Dixon to drive the Top Fuel dragster.
Now the stage is set: U.S. Army dragster vs. Al-Anabi Racing dragster.
One team wants to prove it can continue Johnson’s dominating tradition as a from-scratch start-up; the other wants to prove it can keep its winning streak alive no matter who is at the helm making the tuning decisions.
The two could meet for the first time in their quest to win the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship at the 49th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 5-8, at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. The $1.8 million race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, is the first of 24 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.
Schumacher dominated last season by winning 15 races in 18 finals and being named Driver of the Year for all motorsports in North America. He will be joined by veteran tuner Mike Green as he sets out to win his seventh world title and defend his Winternationals victory in his U.S. Army dragster.
Dixon, who won his crowns in dominating fashion in 2002 and 2003 while at Don Prudhomme Racing and finished second in points last year after winning the last race of the season, will have longtime friend Jason McCulloch as his crew chief and many of Schumacher’s former crew members tuning his 7,000-horsepower Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing dragster.
If what transpired in preseason testing during the last few weeks in Phoenix and West Palm Beach, Fla., is any indication, this could get really good. Both teams produced similar results, powering to strong 1,000-foot performances of 3.8 seconds at more than 315 mph.
Dixon, who is trying to regain the championship, is excited about the challenge of the season and knows that to get that title back, he has to beat the defending champ.
“He’s still got the No. 1 on his wing,” Dixon said. “Anytime that you race him, you’ve got to bring your A game. So for me, you know, I try to fire everything I can at him and whoever else we’re running, for that matter. I think time will tell whether there is a rivalry or not. You’ve got to race each other every week to create a rivalry.”
Schumacher’s motto last year as he approached many longstanding records each week was to have the focus and ability to rise to the occasion and understand the opportunity and make the most of those “moments,” as he called them.
He expects many great moments this season with Dixon in the other lane.
“I’m fortunate that they put Dixon in that car because it’s going to be just a huge motivation to beat those guys and have fun,” Schumacher said. “It ain’t the trophy; it’s what it takes to get it. We’ll have to dig really deep, and we’ll have to work as a team to beat those guys because they are outstanding. I think we have a collection of crew chiefs and an awesome facility and group of people that my dad (team owner Don Schumacher) has put together. So I see no reason why we can’t go out there and give it an absolute fantastic run for a Full Throttle Series championship.
“We’re not going to be the only ones battling in the championship, but it will be great,” Schumacher added.
Dixon agrees, noting that several teams showed potential during testing and that the championship run won’t be a two-horse affair.
“There are a lot of teams out there that you’ve got to look out for,” Dixon said. “Antron Brown made the quickest run in testing the other day. Then, you’ve got the same thing with Brandon (Bernstein). He ran 323 miles an hour. There are quite a few cars. And then the Kalitta team, which hadn’t done any testing with the dragster yet, they’re going to be a strong team as well. You’ve just got to go out there and try to perform against everybody. But obviously having Alan Johnson in your corner, I feel pretty confident about that.”
While Schumacher isn’t taking any of the other teams for granted either, as a sports fan himself, he hopes a friendly grudge match naturally develops between him and Dixon and that the two combine to produce memorable epic showdowns that will become a part of drag racing lore.
“I think the hope is that we’ll get to battle constantly,” Schumacher said. “That’s why you watch the Super Bowl. You watch the two teams that have made it the furthest. And Larry Dixon and I have won championships. We’re not going to have to fake it or go out and pick on each other or poke each other in the chest; it’s going to be good. Larry and I don’t play games. We stage our cars, and we race. We’ve never held each other up or done anything wrong. It’s really who has the best tune‑up and car at that moment. I can’t wait to get it started. I hope it comes down to me and Larry in the finals of the first race and it gets people on their feet. And everything riding on that moment will make me and Larry do our jobs just a little better than we normally would.”
