2018 NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS - EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY - SCHUMACHER, CAPPS AND COUGHLIN JR. EMERGE VICTORIOUS AT THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
Tony Schumacher was able to lock down his first Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday as he emerged victorious at the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) were also victorious in their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Schumacher powered to the Winner’s Circle with a run of 3.946-seconds at 313.58 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to take down Mike Salinas in the final round. This was Schumacher’s third final round of the season and the 150th of his career, as he now has six career victories in Bristol in eight career final rounds at the facility.
“We have had little things bite us this season, but we knew we had to overcome adversity and we knew we had a great car that was capable of winning,” Schumacher said. “I’m proud of my team for sticking to our plan, and I know our team is going to be a factor for the rest of the season.”
Schumacher qualified second and defeated Terry McMillen, Pat Dakin and points leader Steve Torrence on his way to victory.
Salinas qualified eighth and took down Leah Pritchett, No. 1 qualifier Clay Millican and Scott Palmer as he secured the first runner-up finish of his career.
Capps secured his first victory of the season and 59th of his career as his 4.234 at 296.37 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T was enough to take down Bob Tasca III in the finals. He has now earned back-to-back victories at Bristol Dragway as the 2016 Funny Car world champion also secured Don Schumacher Racing’s 300th career nitro victory.
“This is a great facility, and when you roll into this place you get a special feeling,” Capps said. “Getting to the Winner’s Circle at a track like this is even more special, because you feel like you really had to earn it, and this weekend I am proud of what my team accomplished in some tough conditions.”
Capps qualified 11th for the event before defeating John Force, defending Funny Car world champion Robert Hight and J.R. Todd on his path to Winner’s Circle.
T
asca qualified fourth and bested Tim Wilkerson, Cruz Pedregon and points leader Courtney Force as he reached his first final round since Seattle 2013.
Coughlin Jr. brought home the Pro Stock victory after driving to a 6.709 at 205.10 in his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro to take down points leader Greg Anderson in the final round. Coughlin Jr. became the third driver in the class to earn two victories on the season.
“My team has made some transitions this season and now we are running much faster, and it feels pretty great to be on the right track now this season,” Coughlin Jr. said. “Winning at Thunder Valley is historic and it feels fantastic, so to be crowned a champion here is really special.”
Coughlin Jr. qualified second and defeated Tommy Lee, Chris McGaha and Drew Skillman as he earned his second win in the past three events.
Anderson now has two runner-up finishes on the year as he continues to chase his first win of the 2018 season.
The 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio from June 21-24.
SATURDAY - MILLICAN, C. FORCE AND ANDERSON HOLD ON TO NO. 1 QUALIFIER POSITIONS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY
Clay Millican’s success at Bristol Dragway continued Saturday as he locked in the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier position at the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Courtney Force (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Millican powered to the top spot with a run of 3.817-seconds at 322.88 mph in his Great Clips/Strutmasters dragster during his second qualifying pass on Friday. The defending event winner notched his fifth No. 1 qualifier on the season, as he sets his sights on his third event victory in the past four events.
“The way our car went down the track today with some of the other teams struggling is pretty incredible,” Millican said. “This has just been a great racecar for us right now, and our goal is to put four good runs in a row together for tomorrow.”
Millican matches up with Terry Totten in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations.
Tony Schumacher slotted into second in Top Fuel qualifying with a 3.830 at 323.66 in his U.S. Army dragster as he prepares for Terry McMillen in round one.
Force remained atop the Funny Car category lead with a pass of 3.993 at 325.92 in her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro recorded during her second qualifying run Friday, as she was the only driver in the class to run under the four-second mark during the two days of qualifying. The current points leader secured her seventh No. 1 qualifier of the year and fifth in the past six events.
“This has been a great start to the season for my team, we have a good thing going and we are really excited with the direction our season is headed,” Force said. “We have a few wins and are in a good spot with the points lead, but we know we have to stay focused one round at a time to keep this success going.”
Force will face off against Jonnie Lindberg in the first round.
J.R. Todd sits in second with a 4.072 at 313.15 in his DHL Toyota Camry during the second qualifying session on Friday, as he is slated to take on Del Worsham on Sunday.
Anderson held on to the lead in the Pro Stock class after driving to a 6.674 at 205.35 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro during his second pass on Friday. The four-time world champion locked in his seventh No. 1 qualifying spot of the season and the 100th of his career.
“Getting to 100 No. 1 qualifiers has taken a lot of hard work and late nights, but it’s a team award and we are definitely going to celebrate this milestone,” Anderson said. “We know it’s going to be hot and rough out there, so it’s going to come down to who can handle this track best on race day.”
Anderson will take on Wally Stroupe in the first round of eliminations.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. finds ended up qualifying second following his 6.683 at 205.22 in his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro during the second session on Friday.
Eliminations begin at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, the 11th 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. Clay Millican, 3.817 seconds, 322.88 mph vs. 16. Terry Totten, 6.899, 84.96; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.830, 323.66 vs. 15. Terry McMillen, 4.724, 159.34; 3. Antron Brown, 3.832, 319.67 vs. 14. Richie Crampton, 4.626, 169.81; 4. Scott Palmer, 3.863, 319.82 vs. 13. Bill Litton, 4.111, 302.82; 5. Brittany Force, 3.875, 320.20 vs. 12. Doug Kalitta, 4.091, 243.81; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.879, 321.81 vs. 11. Shawn Reed, 4.019, 263.62; 7. Dom Lagana, 3.886, 321.19 vs. 10. Pat Dakin, 4.002, 306.53; 8. Mike Salinas, 3.917, 314.97 vs. 9. Leah Pritchett, 4.001, 296.31.
Funny Car -- 1. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.993, 325.92 vs. 16. Jonnie Lindberg, Ford Mustang, 4.771, 202.82; 2. J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 4.072, 313.15 vs. 15. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.335, 231.91; 3. Robert Hight, Camaro, 4.077, 316.97 vs. 14. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.298, 290.13; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.078, 312.06 vs. 13. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.262, 251.81; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.109, 304.05 vs. 12. Jim Campbell, Dodge Charger, 4.215, 295.98; 6. John Force, Camaro, 4.115, 313.51 vs. 11. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.193, 301.07; 7. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.130, 307.86 vs. 10. Shawn Langdon, Camry, 4.191, 299.00; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.167, 303.03 vs. 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.188, 296.24.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Haddock, 9.984, 92.31.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.674, 205.44 vs. 16. Wally Stroupe, Camaro, 7.552, 133.18; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.683, 205.26 vs. 15. Tommy Lee, Camaro, 7.012, 195.39; 3. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.685, 204.82 vs. 14. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.866, 201.49; 4. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.688, 205.60 vs. 13. John Gaydosh Jr, Chevrolet Camaro, 6.800, 203.12; 5. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.692, 203.58 vs. 12. Tim Freeman, Camaro, 6.744, 203.46; 6. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.700, 204.57 vs. 11. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.710, 205.26; 7. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.703, 205.22 vs. 10. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.706, 206.13; 8. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.703, 204.08 vs. 9. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.704, 205.07.
FRIDAY - C. FORCE, MILLICAN AND ANDERSON EARN PRELIMINARY NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT BRISTOL
Courtney Force continued to outrun the field in the Funny Car class by earning the preliminary No. 1 qualifier position at the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Clay Millican (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are also preliminary No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Force jumped atop the category lead with a pass of 3.993-seconds at 325.92 mph in her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro recorded during her second qualifying run of the day, as she was the only driver in the class to run under the four-second mark. The current points leader is on the hunt for her seventh No. 1 qualifier of the year and fifth in the past six events.
“This car was hauling down the track and it was really a great run altogether,” Force said. “It’s huge for us to pick up some bonus points and this has been a great start to the weekend.”
J.R. Todd sits in second with a 4.072 at 313.15 in his DHL Toyota Camry during the second qualifying session.
Millican powered to the Top Fuel class with a run of 3.817 at 322.88 in his Great Clips/Strutmasters dragster during the second qualifying pass of the day. The defending event winner is aiming for his fifth No. 1 qualifier on the season, as he also chases his third event victory in the past four events.
“I was really shocked that our ran held up during the second qualifying round, because our team wasn’t swinging for a home run with that pass,” Millican said. “I believe that there was more out there tonight, but my focus is on getting back in the Winner's Circle here in Bristol.”
Tony Schumacher slots into second after day one of qualifying with a 3.830 at 323.66 in his U.S. Army dragster.
Anderson currently leads the Pro Stock class after driving to a 6.674 at 205.35 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro during his second pass of the day. The four-time world champion is chasing his seventh No. 1 qualifying spot of the season and third in a row.
“This track presents a different challenge, but apparently we did the best job of handling the conditions today,” Anderson said. “We knew it would be tough tomorrow if we didn’t make a strong run in the night session tonight, but we did a great job and got the most out of it that we could.”
Jeg Coughlin Jr. finds himself second in preliminary qualifying following his 6.683 at 205.22 in his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro during the second session.
Qualifying continues at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Bristol Dragway.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 18th annual Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, 11th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 3.817 seconds, 322.88 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.830, 323.66; 3. Antron Brown, 3.832, 319.67; 4. Scott Palmer, 3.863, 319.82; 5. Brittany Force, 3.875, 320.20; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.879, 321.81; 7. Dom Lagana, 3.886, 321.19; 8. Mike Salinas, 3.917, 314.97; 9. Shawn Reed, 4.019, 263.62; 10. Leah Pritchett, 4.129, 224.25; 11. Doug Kalitta, 4.419, 187.08; 12. Richie Crampton, 4.626, 169.81; 13. Terry McMillen, 4.724, 159.34; 14. Pat Dakin, 4.874, 152.66; 15. Terry Totten, 6.899, 84.96.
Funny Car -- 1. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.993, 325.92; 2. J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 4.072, 313.15; 3. Robert Hight, Camaro, 4.077, 316.97; 4. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.078, 312.06; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.109, 304.05; 6. John Force, Camaro, 4.115, 313.51; 7. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.130, 307.86; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.167, 303.03; 9. Shawn Langdon, Camry, 4.191, 299.00; 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.192, 296.24; 11. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.215, 295.98; 12. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.298, 290.13; 13. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.335, 231.91; 14. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.362, 215.93; 15. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.457, 201.79; 16. Jonnie Lindberg, Mustang, 5.346, 138.33.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.674, 205.44; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.683, 205.26; 3. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.685, 204.82; 4. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.688, 205.60; 5. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.692, 203.58; 6. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.700, 204.57; 7. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.703, 204.82; 8. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.703, 204.08; 9. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.704, 205.07; 10. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.706, 205.91; 11. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.710, 204.66; 12. Tim Freeman, Camaro, 6.744, 202.94; 13. John Gaydosh Jr, Chevrolet Camaro, 6.800, 203.12; 14. Tommy Lee, Camaro, 7.012, 193.88; 15. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 10.396, 87.04; 16. Wally Stroupe, Camaro, 13.947, 60.12.
