Saturday, June 30, 2012

NHRA NEWS: FULL THROTTLE SERIES RESULTS SATURDAY FROM CHICAGO

SCHUMACHER, FORCE, A. JOHNSON AND ARANA SR. TAKE NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT O'REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS

JOLIET, Ill. -- Local favorite Tony Schumacher raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel Saturday at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries.

John Force (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Sr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also will lead their respective categories into Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event near Chicago.

The Chicago resident powered his famed U.S. Army dragster to a performance of 3.763 seconds at 324.83 mph to claim his second top qualifying position of the season and 69th of his career. On the run the seven time world champ moved from ninth to first in the 16-car order. This is his seventh No. 1 qualifying position at Route 66 Raceway. He is a three-time winner at his home track.

Schumacher, who broke a 32-race win drought at Bristol, Tenn. two weeks ago, will face another Chicagoland-based driver -- T.J. Zizzo -- in the opening round as he goes for his second win in a row.

"T.J. is a good friend of mine," Schumacher said. "His shop is right down the street from me, so we go to lunch quite a bit. I'm sure he's going to take his best shot at me. Of course, we're going to give him our best shot as well. We planned on going for the pole and, fortunately, the car stuck all the way down the track. It's really nice to come off the win in Bristol and remain hot."

Friday night qualifying leader Antron Brown dropped to second with his 3.773 at 322.50 in his Matco Tools dragster and Shawn Langdon held on to third with a 3.784 at 322.73 in the Al-Anabi Racing dragster.

In Funny Car, 15-time world champ Force earned his first No. 1 of the season and the 140th of his career with a 4.050 at 310.77 in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang. He will meet Terry Haddock in the first round.

"I knew we were in, but two of my cars [Courtney and Mike Neff] weren't. I'd rather go home than have Courtney go home. They had a gremlin and they found it. It was very satisfying when they both got in. We hopped it up, to see if we could push it because what you do tonight won't apply tomorrow because it will be hot. It didn't stick, but that's okay. We'll be fine tomorrow.

"I ran a 4.05 and we have a hot rod that's starting to show some potential. I just want to race with these guys as long as I can. When we got to the other end, Jack Beckman asked me, "How long has it been since you were the low qualifier?' I told him, 'It doesn't matter. I'm here now."

Past Route 66 winner Tim Wilkerson posted the quickest run of the day to move to second in the starting order. He powered his Levi Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang to a 4.052 at 308.00 to leapfrog Jack Beckman, who will start third in his Schumacher Electric Dodge Charger with his 4.054 at 311.56.

Johnson claimed his fifth No. 1 of the season and 23rd of his career in Pro Stock with a 6.597 at 209.26 in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger. Johnson will meet fellow Dodge Avenger driver Jeg Coughlin in the opening round.

"We made four great runs this weekend and picked up the three bonus points on every run so we maxed out on that," Johnson said. "The Mopar Dodge Avenger is on a rope right now. That's all I can say. We probably left about a hundredth [of a second] on the table in the last session. We probably could have run a mid-6.58 [against Greg Anderson's track record of 6.586 set in June 2010]. We weren't intentionally soft on that run. The track was just a bit better than we thought it would get. The temperature got a bit cooler in the 30 minutes before we ran and we didn't expect that. The first run that we made when we got here today is probably going to be more like tomorrow's race day conditions. We made a real good run in the heat, and so that's what we're concentrating on."

Jason Line and Erica Enders tied for the second-quickest run of the weekend, but Line took the second spot in the qualifying lineup by virtue of his faster speed. Line's Summit Racing Chevy Camaro posted a 6.616 at 208.17, while Enders' GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt also had a 6.616, but posted a slower speed of 207.08.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana claimed his third No. 1 of the season and 20th of his career, powering his Lucas Oil Buell to a category-best effort of 6.884 at 195.08. Arana will face veteran rider Michael Phillips in the first round.

"I like it and I'm going to like it even better if I can make those perfect runs I've been making here tomorrow," Arana said. "[To win here] would be a load off my shoulders. If I can win my confidence should definitely go up. I got max bonus points, but he [points leader Eddie Krawiec] is still far ahead of me. Anytime you can out-perform the Harleys it's awesome, but I'm not going to worry about them. I'm only worried about our program."

Three-time world champ Andrew Hines was second with a 6.917 at 193.79 on his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, while Arana's son, Hector Arana Jr., was third overall with a 6.939 at 193.21 on his Lucas Oil Buell.

JOLIET, Ill. -- Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 15th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Route 66 Raceway, the 11th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.763 seconds, 324.83 mph vs. 16. T.J. Zizzo, 3.892, 306.88; 2. Antron Brown, 3.773, 322.50 vs. 15. Morgan Lucas, 3.888, 302.96; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.784, 322.73 vs. 14. Bob Vandergriff, 3.868, 319.98; 4. Spencer Massey, 3.788, 326.79 vs. 13. Terry McMillen, 3.855, 303.50; 5. Steve Torrence, 3.795, 318.54 vs. 12. Cory McClenathan, 3.852, 311.05; 6. Clay Millican, 3.813, 318.99 vs. 11. Doug Kalitta, 3.847, 317.79; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 3.820, 318.69 vs. 10. David Grubnic, 3.845, 316.38; 8. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.825, 318.54 vs. 9. Hillary Will, 3.828, 312.71. Did Not Qualify: 17. Luigi Novelli, 3.905, 299.53; 18. Troy Buff, 3.965, 291.45; 19. Tim Cullinan, 3.986, 300.86; 20. Chris Karamesines, 4.016, 300.00; 21. Ike Maier, 5.287, 274.89; 22. Brady Kalivoda, 7.036, 89.52; 23. Rit Pustari, 7.224, 304.74.

Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.050, 310.77 vs. 16. Terry Haddock, Chevy Impala, 4.362, 273.61; 2. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.052, 308.00 vs. 15. Dale Creasy Jr., Impala, 4.285, 294.82; 3. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.054, 311.56 vs. 14. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.193, 294.43; 4. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.060, 311.13 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.150, 301.13; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.073, 309.77 vs. 12. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.144, 302.69; 6. Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.074, 312.57 vs. 11. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.134, 307.93; 7. Jeff Arend, Camry, 4.075, 309.49 vs. 10. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.116, 303.43; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.076, 310.63 vs. 9. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.090, 309.27. Did Not Qualify: 17. Justin Schriefer, 4.427, 276.80; 18. Todd Lesenko, 4.432, 233.44; 19. Bob Bode, 4.728, 229.35.

Pro Stock -- 1. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.597, 209.26 vs. 16. Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.659, 207.98; 2. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.616, 208.17 vs. 15. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.653, 207.15; 3. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.616, 207.08 vs. 14. Kurt Johnson, Pontiac GXP, 6.653, 207.62; 4. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.620, 208.10 vs. 13. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.648, 206.99; 5. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.625, 207.69 vs. 12. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.646, 207.53; 6. Vincent Nobile, Avenger, 6.626, 208.33 vs. 11. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.642, 207.21; 7. V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.635, 206.95 vs. 10. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.642, 207.62; 8. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.638, 207.98 vs. 9. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.638, 207.66. Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris McGaha, 6.688, 206.39; 18. Kevin Lawrence, 6.720, 205.01; 19. Grace Howell, 6.741, 204.66; 20. Steve Spiess, 6.810, 203.89; 21. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.850, 201.25; 22. Mark Hogan, 6.876, 203.77; 23. Dave River, broke.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.884, 195.08 vs. 16. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.072, 190.59; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.917, 193.79 vs. 15. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 7.068, 189.63; 3. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.939, 193.21 vs. 14. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.061, 191.02; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.941, 192.58 vs. 13. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.053, 188.33; 5. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.954, 191.35 vs. 12. Angie Smith, Buell, 7.050, 189.44; 6. Michael Ray, Buell, 6.962, 190.38 vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.034, 191.00; 7. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.986, 190.78 vs. 10. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.009, 191.46; 8. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.990, 191.67 vs. 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.997, 190.73. Did Not Qualify: 17. Wesley Wells, 7.080, 188.04; 18. Jerry Savoie, 7.096, 187.08; 19. John Hall, 7.106, 186.92; 20. Kieth Burley, 7.117, 189.10; 21. Danny Krier, broke; 22. Katie Sullivan, broke.

SAVAGE, GRISEL HEADLINE FRIDAY SALT LAKE CITY WINNERS



WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Friday's final results from the IHRA Salt Lake Nitro Jam Day One at Rocky Mountain Raceway. The race is the fifth of eight in the 2012 Nitro Jam Series:

PROSTALGIA NITRO FUNNY CAR

Mike Savage, Tucson, Ariz., '70 Plymouth Barracuda, 6.215, 222.93 def. Bob Godfrey, Moreno Valley, Calif., '69 Chevy Camaro, 8.361, 98.77.

PRO FUEL DRAGSTER

Casey Grisel, Orangevale, Calif., dragster, 5.801, 247.25 def. Kristen Dennis, Magnolia, Texas, dragster, 15.532, 59.71.

NOSTALGIA FUEL ALTERED

Tom Padilla, Arlington, Wash., '23 Ford roadster, 6.638, 211.86 def. Kyle Hough, Las Vegas, Nev., '23 roadster, 6.938, 215.00.

NITRO HARLEY

Ron Gledhill, Taylorsville, Utah, 7.565, 193.71 def. Tony Ruggiero, Fresno, Calif., 9.250, 152.67.

TOP DRAGSTER

Tom Bailey, Soda Spgs, Idaho, dragster, 7.760, 170.87 def. Robert Gregory, Temecula, Calif., dragster, 7.106, 187.30.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Joe Hopper, Salt Lake City, Utah, '62 Chevy Chevelle, 8.507, 157.48 def. Steve Hudson, Green River, Wyo., '96 Chevy Corvette, broke.

SUPER STOCK

Les Norton, S. Jordan, Utah, '11 Dodge Challenger, SS/DA, 10.161, 119.88 def. Rich Scrivner, Boise, Idaho, '57 Chevy, SS/LA, 11.364, 114.06.

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Jesse Sanderson, W. Jordan, Utah, '73 Dodge Dart, G/SA, 12.206, 101.84 def. Al Steinmetz, Chubbuck, Idaho, '72 Oldsmobile Cutlass, F/SA, 12.118, 107.96.

QUICK ROD

Ryan Cook, Idaho Falls, Idaho, dragster, 9.277, 160.91 def. Russ Stevenson, S. Jordan, Utah, dragster, 9.272, 144.30.

SUPER ROD

Mike Blodgett Sr., Torrence, Calif., '27 Ford roadster, 11.218, 93.44 def. Mark Tyacke, Provo, Utah, '72 Chevy Vega Wagon, 13.348, 82.21.

BOX ET

Dan Priest, Layton, Utah, dragster, 8.787, 143.03 def. James Shepherd, Springville, Utah, '74 Chevy Luv, 10.240, 130.77.

NO BOX ET

Karl Martin, Riverton, Utah, '70 Chevy Camaro, broke def. Brent Burrows, Ogden, Utah, '71 Ford Pinto, foul.

MOTORCYCLE/SNOWMOBILE

Benjamin McEwan, Taylorsville, Utah, '12 Suzuki Hayabusa, 10.485, 134.73 def. Jason Tueller, West Point, Utah, '04 Kawasaki ZX-10R, 10.200, 134.10.

JUNIOR DRAGSTER OPEN

Savannah Dial, Highland, Utah, dragster, 8.004, 80.61 def. Alexis Myers, W. Valley City, Utah, dragster, foul.

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Final round-by-round results from the IHRA Salt Lake Nitro Jam Day One at Rocky Mountain Raceway, the fifth of eight events in the 2012 Nitro Jam Series:

PROSTALGIA NITRO FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Bob Godfrey, Chevy Camaro, 6.286, 226.70 was unopposed; Roger Garten, Ford Mustang, 6.556, 209.59 def. Steven Densham, Camaro, 9.457, 85.25; Jason Rupert, Camaro, broke def. Steven Macklyn, Chevy Monte Carlo, broke; Mike Savage, Plymouth Barracuda, 6.150, 225.45 def. Tim Boychuk, Pontiac Firebird, 6.701, 204.91;

CONSOLATION -- S. Densham, 6.247, 200.44 def. Dale Pulde, 7.017, 186.99; J. Rupert, 6.142, 213.21 was unopposed;

T. Boychuk, 6.313, 223.76 def. R. Garten, 6.956, 205.66;

FINAL -- M. Savage, 6.215, 222.93 def. B. Godfrey, 8.361, 98.77.

PRO FUEL DRAGSTER:

ROUND ONE -- Casey Grisel, McKinney, 5.871, 243.77 def. Don St. Arnaud, Hadman, 6.077, 234.31; Kristen Dennis, Monden, 6.119, 225.11 def. Johnny Ahten, Uyehara, 8.483, 98.37;

CONSOLATION -- J. Ahten, 13.222, 67.68 def. D. St. Arnaud, broke;

FINAL -- C. Grisel, 5.801, 247.25 def. K. Dennis, 15.532, 59.71.

NOSTALGIA FUEL ALTERED:

ROUND ONE -- Tom Padilla, '-T Ford, 6.650, 209.74 def. Randy Bradford, Fiat Topolino, 7.878, 170.68; Kyle Hough, '-T Ford, 6.759, 213.82 def. Ron Hope, Bantam, 7.290, 206.61;

CONSOLATION -- R. Bradford, no time def. R. Hope, DQ;

FINAL -- T. Padilla, 6.638, 211.86 def. K. Hough, 6.938, 215.00.

NITRO HARLEY:

ROUND ONE -- Ron Gledhill, 7.893, 140.27 def. Tony Ruggiero, 9.850, 111.30;

FINAL -- R. Gledhill, 7.565, 193.71 def. T. Ruggiero, 9.250, 152.67.

Savage, Grisel headline Friday Salt Lake City winners

SLC.jpg

Record Friday crowds fill Rocky Mountain Raceways at NAPA Nitro Jam

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (June 29, 2012) – Mike Savage came to Salt Lake City with one goal and one goal only on his mind – take back the lead in AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car championship standings.

And in front of one of the largest Friday night crowds in Rocky Mountain Raceways history, Savage made major headway toward that goal with a big victory over Bob Godfrey and the “Burn N’ Money” team, spoiling Godfrey’s bid for a victory on his birthday while collecting his second career victory Friday at the NAPA Auto Parts Nitro Jam presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports and Cricket Wireless.

Mike Savage.jpg
AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car winner Mike Savage

“Our day was not too bad at all. We are running higher up than we are used to, but we are working hard on the car and getting it to consistently get down the track,” Savage said. “On that last pass it was a little slippery and I had to pedal it, but we stuck in it and put down two solid laps to get the win here tonight.”

Other winners during the opening night of the NAPA Auto Parts Nitro Jam were newcomers Casey Grisel (Pro Fuel) and Ron Gledhill (Nitro Harley) and Nitro Jam veteran Tom Padilla (Fuel Altered).

Savage worked his way through one of the toughest AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car fields ever assembled in Nitro Jam competition on his way to a big opening round win over Tim Boychuk behind the wheel of the famed “Candies & Hughes” Barracuda.

Savage had two solid laps on his way to picking up his second victory of the season as he mustered a session best 6.150/225.45 in the opening round to dispatch of multi-time Nitro Jam winner Tim Boychuk and the “Troy Lee Designs” team. Godfrey had the second best time opening round time with a 6.286/226.70. And all of those runs were made at over 7,000 feet of adjusted altitude.

Casey Grisel.jpg
Pro Fuel winner Casey Grisel (far lane)

In the final Savage had the advantage on the tree with a .105 light, but Godfrey kept him honest to half track where he began to slow allowing Savage to cruise to the Ironman trophy. Savage ran a 6.215/222.93 in the final.

“There were some tough cars out here which really makes a win like this all that much more special,” Savage said. “We really are just out here having fun and getting wins makes it even more enjoyable.”

In the consolation round Steven Densham drove “Teachers Pet” to a victory over Dale Pulde, Tim Boychuk defeated Roger Garten and Jason Rupert claimed a bye win.

The Funny Car competition also saw one of the odder moments in drag racing lore as Steven Macklyn driving the “Nitro Thunder” flopper had an issue following his burnout on his backup which caused the car to spin wildly out of control into the lane of a backwards pedaling Rupert who unknowing plowed into the side of Macklyn’s car resulting in a lengthy cleanup.

Another big winner during opening night was Casey Grisel in Pro Fuel Dragster. In his Nitro Jam and Rocky Mountain Raceways debut, the Orangevale, Calif. native and driver of the “American Nitro” dragster guided his ride to his first career Ironman over Kristen Dennis and the “Ladies First” team.

Grisel opened the night with a solid 5.871/243.77 in the mountain air in defeating Don St. Arnaud and bested that lap in the final against a smoking Dennis with a 5.801/247.25.

Tom Padilla.jpg
Fuel Altered winner Tom Padilla

“It really can’t get much better than this. We come up here not really knowing what we are going to do or what to expect and we come away with a win,” Grisel said. “We have never been up this high, but we gave it our best shot and it worked out well for us.”

In the consolation round Johnny Ahten drove “Stump Puller” to a win against St. Arnaud.

The Fuel Altered competition saw some fast, side-by-side runs as Tom Padilla, from Arlington, Wash., drove to his fourth career victory against Kyle Hough and the “Nanook” team. Padilla and Hough easily won their round one matchups and squared off in an exciting final that saw Padilla overcome a slight startling line disadvantage and drive around the rookie with a 6.638/211.86 to Hough’s 6.938/215.00.

The loss continues Hough’s early-career woes as he has visited five finals in his rookie campaign without a single victory. In the consolation matchup Randy Bradford defeated Ron Hope.

Ron Gledhill claimed the only professional trophy for the Beehive State as the Taylorsville native defeated Tony Ruggiero in the final of Nitro Harley. Gledhill had two consistent laps, firing off a solid 7.565/193.71 in the final to take the win.

Sportsman winners from the opening night of the NAPA Auto Parts Nitro Jam were Joe Hopper (Salt Lake City, Utah) in Top Sportsman, Tom Bailey (Soda Springs, Idaho) in Top Dragster, Les Norton (South Jordan, Utah) in Super Stock, Jesse Sanderson (West Jordan, Utah) in Stock, Ryan Cook (Idaho Falls, Idaho) in Quick Rod and Mike Bodgett Sr. (Torrence, Calif.) in Super Rod. Other winners on Friday were Dan Priest (Layton, Utah) in Top ET, Karl Martin (Riverton, Utah) in Mod ET, Benjamin McEwan (Taylorsville, Utah) in Motorcylce and Savannah Dial (Highland, Utah) in Junior Dragster.

Friday came to a close with an evening sweep by Grave Digger over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and two exciting passes by three jet dragsters, the Super Shockwave jet semi and the Jelly Belly wheelstander.

The NAPA Auto Parts Nitro Jam will conclude on Saturday with sportsman racing throughout the day followed by two more thrilling rounds of Nitro Jam featuring everything that ran on Friday beginning at 7 p.m.

Macklyn-Rupert.jpg



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Friday, June 29, 2012

NHRA NEWS: FULL THROTTLE SERIES RESULTS FRIDAY FROM CHICAGO

FORCE, BROWN, JOHNSON AND ARANA SR. LEAD QUALIFYING FRIDAY AT O’REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS IN CHICAGO

JOLIET, Ill. – John Force raced to the Funny Car qualifying lead Friday at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Sr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago.

Force powered his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang to a leading performance of 4.050 seconds at 310.77 mph during the first of two night qualifying sessions at this event. The 15-time world champ has been in a bit of a slump since he won the season-opener at Pomona, Calif. in February, and needs to make a surge in the final few races of the regular season to guarantee that he qualifies for the six-race Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s post-season playoffs.

“The win at Pomona is kind of “we were there” but we didn’t really look that good,” said Force, currently eighth in the points standings. “This is simple. I’m a 15-time champ. I owe sponsors and fans better than what I have been giving them last year and this year. I know what the game is. We’ve showed some consistency lately, but not much to be excited about.”

If the effort stands it will be Force’s NHRA-record 140th No. 1 qualifying position and his first of the season. Force has claimed five No. 1 qualifying positions and three victories in his career at Route 66 Raceway.

“A 4.05 is good but let’s see if we can do it again tomorrow,” Force said. “I thought [Ron] Capps or [Robert] Hight would be right there to break it. All I want to do is play the game. I love it so much.”

Jack Beckman was second in his Schumacher Electric Dodge Charger with a 4.054 at 311.56 and Force teammate Hight was third in his Auto Club Mustang, posting a 4.060 at 309.91. Capps, who has a six-race final round streak going, was the leader after the first session, but ended up eighth in his NAPA Auto Parts Charger with a 4.121 at 303.98.

In Top Fuel, Brown cruised to the top of the order with a 3.773 at 322.50 in his Matco Tools dragster to hold off Al-Anabi Racing driver Shawn Langdon, who posted a 3.784 at 322.73, and teammate Spencer Massey, who was third with a 3.788 at a track record speed of 326.79 in his FRAM/Prestone dragster. 

“One thing that I can tell you is that right when I step on the gas, the Matco dragster got out of Dodge,” Brown said. “That was a good, good feeling. It hiked the front tires right up, and it just kept going and going and didn’t stop pulling. When it starts arching up, you know you’re on a great run. All of the guys on our team are really working hard.”

Brown and the rest of the Top Fuel contingent took advantage of the cooler conditions of the evening qualifying session. There will be a second night qualifying session on Saturday so many of the teams will be looking to better tonight’s performances.

“We know that if we can get the car off the starting line, we know we can put the big numbers up,” Brown said. “You get that momentum going early, and everything takes care of itself. Tonight we got off the starting line good, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m stoked and pump and really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Johnson led Pro Stock with a 6.597 at 209.26 in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger. If the time holds, it would be his fifth No. 1 of the season and 23rd of his career.

“We’ve just got an awesome team right now,” Johnson said. “We’re very consistent, we’re very fast. The Hemi engines are absolutely awesome. Dad [Roy] has managed to find even a little bit more horsepower. Losing the last race [Bristol] was a heartbreaker, especially at home. Hopefully we’ll get a little bit of the good stuff at this race to make things come our way.”

Defending world champ Jason Line was second with a 6.629 at 207.88 in his Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, while Bristol winner Mike Edwards was third with a 6.635 at 208.10 in his Penhall/Interstate Batteries Pontiac.

Arana Sr. paced the two-wheel category with a performance of 6.915 at 192.22 on his Lucas Oil Buell.

“The first race this year was slow, but we’ve picked up the pace and have been doing great ever since,” Arana Sr. said.

Arana took the top spot in the first qualifying session of the day. On his second attempt, his bike slowed near the finish line.

“I was on a great pass,” Arana Sr. said. “The bike was going straight and at about 1,000-foot it started slowing down and I felt my leg getting cold. Then other leg got cold and I knew what had happened. I had a fuel leak and that is what slowed us.”

Hector Arana Jr. sits second on his Lucas Oil Buell with a 6.939 at 193.21 and three-time world champ Andrew Hines is third on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson with a 6.945 at 192.55.

Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday’s eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

JOLIET, Ill. -- Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 15th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Route 66 Raceway, 11th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.  Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Antron Brown, 3.773 seconds, 322.50 mph; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.784, 322.73; 3. Spencer Massey, 3.788, 326.79; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.795, 317.42; 5. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.825, 318.54; 6. Hillary Will, 3.828, 312.71; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 3.850, 318.69; 8. Clay Millican, 3.855, 316.15; 9. Terry McMillen, 3.855, 303.50; 10. Cory McClenathan, 3.862, 309.70; 11. Bob Vandergriff, 3.868, 319.98; 12. Tony Schumacher, 3.884, 300.80.  Not Qualified: 13. Rit Pustari, 3.946, 304.74; 14. T.J. Zizzo, 3.948, 295.14; 15. Doug Kalitta, 3.953, 265.06; 16. Chris Karamesines, 4.001, 300.00; 17. Morgan Lucas, 4.047, 257.63; 18. Troy Buff, 4.086, 291.01; 19. Ike Maier, 4.192, 274.89; 20. Luigi Novelli, 4.241, 214.08; 21. Tim Cullinan, 4.818, 155.51; 22. David Grubnic, 5.082, 137.12; 23. Brady Kalivoda, 7.636, 85.45.

Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.050, 310.77; 2. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.054, 311.56; 3. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.060, 309.91; 4. Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.074, 312.57; 5. Jeff Arend, Toyota Camry, 4.075, 309.49; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.076, 310.63; 7. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.116, 303.43; 8. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.121, 303.98; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.150, 301.13; 10. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.172, 302.89; 11. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.193, 294.43; 12. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.198, 299.33.  Not Qualified: 13. Dale Creasy Jr., 4.230, 294.82; 14. Bob Bode, 4.343, 229.35; 15. Todd Lesenko, 4.352, 233.44; 16. Terry Haddock, 4.357, 273.61; 17. Courtney Force, 4.526, 208.14; 18. Mike Neff, 5.184, 145.34.

Pro Stock -- 1. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.597, 209.26; 2. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.629, 207.88; 3. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.635, 208.10; 4. V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.635, 206.95; 5. Vincent Nobile, Avenger, 6.636, 208.33; 6. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.639, 207.66; 7. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.640, 206.83; 8. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.644, 207.69; 9. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.649, 207.37; 10. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.650, 207.62; 11. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.651, 207.30; 12. Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.660, 207.11.  Not Qualified: 13. Shane Gray, 6.660, 206.67; 14. Larry Morgan, 6.677, 206.89; 15. Chris McGaha, 6.688, 206.39; 16. Warren Johnson, 6.693, 206.01; 17. Kurt Johnson, 6.700, 205.91; 18. Grace Howell, 6.767, 204.26; 19. Kevin Lawrence, 6.772, 203.98; 20. Steve Spiess, 6.775, 203.89; 21. Mark Hogan, 6.805, 203.77; 22. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.885, 201.19; 23. Dave River, 6.892, 200.35.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.915, 192.22; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.939, 193.21; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.945, 192.55; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.988, 190.51; 5. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.009, 190.89; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.010, 189.26; 7. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.016, 190.43; 8. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.017, 190.06; 9. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.021, 189.95; 10. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.034, 190.83; 11. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.045, 189.92; 12. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.061, 191.02.  Not Qualified: 13. John Hall, 7.061, 186.30; 14. Angie Smith, 7.072, 188.25; 15. Scotty Pollacheck, 7.094, 189.63; 16. Wesley Wells, 7.098, 186.46; 17. Jerry Savoie, 7.106, 186.82; 18. Justin Finley, 7.109, 190.57; 19. Matt Guidera, 7.180, 182.18; 20. Danny Krier, 7.415, 177.11; 21. Michael Phillips, 7.631, 131.59; 22. Kieth Burley, 10.173, 103.90; 23. Katie Sullivan, 16.595, 36.55.

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Chicago resident Schumacher looking forward to racing at home
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2012 Route 66 NHRA Nationals: Who to watch
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Drag racing club opens season
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Josh Hayes Tops NOLA AMA Pro Racing Test
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MotoGP: Ben Spies Fastest in Second Practice at Assen
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Gay Pontiac Drag Racer Needs To Stop Being So Amazing
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Thursday, June 28, 2012

NHRA NEWS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY EXTENDS OFFICIAL STATUS, NAMING RIGHTS OF SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE SERIES THROUGH 2016

MILWAUKEE (June 28, 2012) – With the Harley-Davidson Museum® in downtown Milwaukee as a backdrop, hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts in the audience, and the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team in attendance, NHRA officials announced today that the Harley-Davidson Motor Company has extended both its official program with NHRA and its title sponsorship of the NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series through the 2016 season.

“This relationship began in 2006 and this extension represents the strength of the partnership between two iconic American brands: NHRA and Harley-Davidson,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “We are excited to extend this sponsorship through the 2016 season and appreciate everything the Harley-Davidson Motor Company has done and will continue to do to build and grow NHRA.”

The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team first entered NHRA competition aboard Harley-Davidson V-Rod® in 2004, and has since claimed five NHRA Full Throttle world championships, including three consecutive with rider Andrew Hines (2004-’06) and two titles with Eddie Krawiec (2008, 2011).

“This relationship between Harley-Davidson and the NHRA has been rewarding at all levels,” said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Kris Schoonover, “from the team’s success on the track to our interaction with the many Harley-Davidson riders and fans who attend every NHRA event, Harley-Davidson and drag racing really work well together, and the company is pleased to extend this partnership.”

This extension continues the all-encompassing involvement of Harley-Davidson with NHRA at a number of levels, including the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. As the official motorcycle of NHRA, Harley-Davidson has an extensive presence on-site at NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events as well as in the ESPN2/ESPN2HD broadcasts.

One of the more popular elements on-site at each event in NHRA’s Nitro Alley is the Harley-Davidson display, which provides fans with the opportunity to see the latest Harley-Davidson motorcycles and enjoy many interactive elements. The company also will continue its motorcycle giveaway promotion in conjunction with NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events and maintain entitlement of the NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series.

The NHRA Harley-Davidson Sportsman Motorcycle Series is contested in four of NHRA’s seven divisions within the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The sponsorship provides Harley-Davidson with the opportunity to extend its brand across the country through NHRA’s sportsman racing community.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise.  For more information, visit www.harley-davidson.com.

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 23 national events featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Maryland Int'l Raceway Announces its 3rd Annual MIR Legends Hall of Fame

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