NHRA NEWS: SCHUMACHER, BECKMAN, ENDERS AND HINES LEAD QUALIFYING AT THE MAC TOOLS US NATIONALS PRESENTED BY AUTO PLUS AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS

BROWNSBURG, Ind.—Veteran driver Tony Schumacher raced to the Top Fuel qualifying lead in his U.S. Army dragster at the 58th annual Mac Tools US Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during Friday’s opening qualifying session.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Schumacher ran low ET and top speed of the round with his 3.814 second pass at 324.67 mph under the lights at Lucas Oil Raceway which earned him the provisional No. 1 qualifying position.

“It was a lot of pressure tonight but the NHRA did a great job with the track and we got it right and ended up No. 1,” Schumacher said. “We wanted to get down the track tonight and we managed to earn the top spot. We tested here last week and we ran great and it definitely helped up tonight.”

Schumacher is tied with “Big Daddy” Don Garlits as the winningest driver at the Mac Tools US Nationals with eight wins and he hopes that starting the weekend off in the No. 1 position will lead to his ninth win at “The Big Go.”

“We’ve won this race eight times, but I’ve won one race in the last two years,” said Schumacher. “We’re just getting back to the way we used to be with the car running good. I’d rather race here than anywhere else because of the amount of success we’ve had.

“We’ve had some luck at other tracks, but this place has been so special from ’96 when I ran my first race as a kid who’d never driven a Top Fuel car in his life before and went all the way to the final. We’ve had so many great years and great moments.”

If Schumacher holds on to the No. 1 position it will be the fourth time he has been No. 1 qualifier at the Mac Tool US Nationals, fourth of the season and 70th of his career.

Beckman earned the qualifying lead during the opening round of qualifying Friday evening under the lights at Lucas Oil Raceway. Beckman recorded a 4.051 second pass at 302.62 mph for the provisional No. 1 qualifying position heading into Saturday.

“It was hugely important [to get a good first run] because now it doesn’t matter what happens the rest of the weekend,” Beckman said. “Whether we get all the qualifying runs or not, we won’t get bumped out. We are absolutely safe, and everybody can breathe a sigh of relief.”

If Beckman maintains the No. 1 position through qualifying on Saturday and Sunday, it will be the third No. 1 qualifying position of the season, the seventh of his career and first at Indianapolis.

Enders continued her recent dominance in Pro Stock with her Chevy Cobalt when she went straight to the qualifying lead Friday afternoon thanks to her 6.624 second pass at 208.84 mph.

“I really feel very honored to be here, to be able to carry the momentum that we’ve had in the last few races into this event,” Enders said. “Our goal and what we’re really focused on is winning the championship. We’ve worked really hard all year, testing, and doing R&D stuff back in the engine shop. We wanted to be able to showcase what we’ve learned during the entire year right before the Countdown and then the last six races of the schedule.”

The most successful woman in Pro Stock history is coming off her third win of the season and if she holds onto the No. 1 qualifying position it will be the second No. 1 of the season and fifth of her career.

Two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Andrew Hines continued the Harley-Davidson dominance when he raced his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod to the qualifying lead with his 6.928 second pass at 194.21 mph.

“We want to keep our streak going here,” Hines said. “I’ve won four times here in the [former] Ringers Gloves Battle so I know the way to the winner’s circle. I just need to get there on Monday. It does add some pressure to know we’ve won every race this year but we just want to keep it up.”

Qualifying for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event continues Saturday at 2:30 p.m ET and 6 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations are set for Monday at 11 a.m.

*** 

BROWNSBURG, Ind. -- Friday's results after the first one of five rounds of qualifying for the 58^th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Monday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.814 seconds, 324.67 mph; 2. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.817, 320.97; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.824, 321.88; 4. Shawn Langdon, 3.825, 304.19; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 3.835, 321.19; 6. Antron Brown, 3.844, 319.37; 7. David Grubnic, 3.844, 317.79; 8. Clay Millican, 3.872, 316.30; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 3.898, 317.64; 10. T.J. Zizzo, 3.908, 307.30; 11. J.R. Todd, 3.913, 313.00; 12. Terry McMillen, 3.964, 311.49.  Not Qualified: 13. Cory McClenathan, 4.004, 295.08; 14. Scott Palmer, 4.050, 278.52; 15. Ike Maier, 4.115, 264.75; 16. Tommy Johnson, 4.121, 227.38; 17. Luigi Novelli, 4.150, 241.45; 18. Troy Buff, 4.192, 270.97; 19. Hillary Will, 4.220, 203.86; 20. Keith Murt, 4.348, 193.43; 21. Pat Dakin, 4.437, 204.57; 22. Steve Torrence, 4.822, 151.15; 23. Bruce Litton, 4.948, 144.32; 24. Spencer Massey, 5.984, 103.69; 25. Morgan Lucas, 6.511, 109.25; 26. Chris Karamesines, 7.196, 78.86; 27. Brady Kalivoda, 7.449, 78.35.

Funny Car -- 1. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.051, 302.62; 2. Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.079, 310.98; 3. Courtney Force, Ford Mustang, 4.085, 311.56; 4. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.089, 306.53; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.107, 303.50; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 4.108, 310.55; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.119, 309.20; 8. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.122, 308.00; 9. Jeff Arend, Camry, 4.144, 310.27; 10. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.151, 292.33; 11. Todd Lesenko, Chevy Impala, 4.209, 296.05; 12. Blake Alexander, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.224, 280.25.  Not Qualified: 13. Matt Hagan, 4.225, 294.95; 14. Bob Bode, 4.232, 292.58; 15. Tim Wilkerson, 4.533, 192.93; 16. Jon Capps, 4.693, 201.79; 17. Tony Pedregon, 5.851, 118.60; 18. Robert Hight, 6.584, 81.88; 19. Cruz Pedregon, 8.201, 87.49.

Pro Stock -- 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.624, 208.84; 2. Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.631, 208.78; 3. Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.634, 208.42; 4. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.646, 208.52; 5. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.655, 208.17; 6. Mark Martino, Pontiac GXP, 6.659, 207.69; 7. Richie Stevens, Avenger, 6.673, 207.46; 8. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.674, 206.70; 9. V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.678, 207.66; 10. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.687, 206.42; 11. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.693, 206.83; 12. Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.705, 207.27.  Not Qualified: 13. Rodger Brogdon, 6.714, 206.13; 14. Chris McGaha, 6.716, 206.16; 15. Larry Morgan, 6.734, 206.80; 16. Greg Stanfield, 6.735, 205.16; 17. Richard Freeman, 6.745, 205.79; 18. Jerry Eckman, 6.771, 201.55; 19. Kevin Lawrence, 6.777, 203.86; 20. Lewis Worden, 6.790, 203.43; 21. Dave River, 6.879, 201.13; 22. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.919, 199.82; 23. Warren Johnson, 8.119, 122.05; 24. Mike Edwards, 11.826, 73.66; 25. Steve Spiess, 14.111, 53.93; 26. Kurt Johnson, 16.064, 67.76; 27. Steve Schmidt, 16.555, 49.88; 28. Mark Hogan, 26.083, 28.60; 29. Dave Connolly, broke.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.928, 194.21; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.932, 189.66; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.953, 192.93; 4. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.978, 188.67; 5. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.992, 191.46; 6. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.998, 191.19; 7. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.011, 190.43; 8. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.019, 190.22; 9. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.038, 189.52; 10. Kieth Burley, Buell, 7.059, 189.73; 11. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.069, 185.31; 12. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.073, 192.28.  Not Qualified: 13. Dawn Minturn, 7.091, 187.47; 14. John Hall, 7.118, 187.63; 15. Redell Harris, 7.127, 189.87; 16. Jim Underdahl, 7.140, 190.54; 17. Katie Sullivan, 7.247, 183.00; 18. Michael Phillips, 7.275, 179.33; 19. James Surber, 8.114, 176.51; 20. Steve Johnson, broke.

NHRA NEWS: DON WALSH RACES TO QUALIFYING LEAD IN NHRA PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PRO CARE RX AT MAC TOOLS US NATIONALS PRESENTED BY AUTO PLUS AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Don Walsh powered his '11 Ford Mustang to the qualifying lead in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx portion of the Mac Tools US Nationals presented by Auto Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during Friday qualifying action.

Walsh's first qualifying attempt earned him the provisional pole with a 5.9869 second pass at 252.52 mph. Walsh is coming off his first career win at the most recent Pro Mod event in Norwalk, Ohio and if his time stands through Saturday and Sunday's qualifying sessions it would be the first No. 1 qualifying position of his career.

Donald Martin powered his ’68 Camaro to the No. 2 spot with his 5.961 second pass at 243.85 mph. Danny Rowe sits third and Mike Castellana is fourth.

Qualifying continues Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and 5 p.m and Sunday at 2 p.m. Pro Mod eliminations start Sunday at approximately 5 p.m. and continue Monday starting at approximately noon ET.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. -- Friday's results after the first one of four rounds of qualifying for the 58^th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, seventh of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Monday's final eliminations.

Pro Modified -- 1. Donald Walsh, Ford Mustang, 5.869, 252.52; 2. Donald Martin, Chevy Camaro, 5.961, 243.85; 3. Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.983, 243.41; 4. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.992, 241.67; 5. Pat Musi, Dodge Stratus, 6.004, 230.10; 6. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 6.016, 254.57; 7. Todd Tutterow, Plymouth Duster, 6.031, 247.57; 8. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 6.040, 242.89; 9. Harold Martin, Chevy Corvette, 6.057, 236.75; 10. Scott Ray, Corvette, 6.113, 233.52; 11. Mike Knowles, Camaro, 6.140, 233.88; 12. Steve Matusek, Mustang, 6.169, 245.49; 13. Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 6.254, 240.77; 14. Clint Satterfield, Camaro, 6.270, 241.11; 15. Roger Burgess, Corvette, 6.337, 230.41; 16. Chris Juliano, Mustang, 6.541, 215.44.  Not Qualified: 17. Adam Flamholc, 7.520, 120.05; 18. Leah Pruett, 8.726, 135.88; 19. Shannon Jenkins, 14.181, 73.78; 20. Kenny Lang, 17.967, 46.98; 21. Mike Janis, broke.

Today's Drag Racing News

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NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Goes Mello – Fan's Reaction Yahoo! Sports The NHRA Full Throttle drag racing series will be no more. As of 2013, the fastest motorsports attraction in the world will no longer be Full Throttle but instead, will change its series name to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Ah, how a little ... See all stories on this topic »

FYI WIRZ: NHRA's Big Go in Indy fires up Force, Capps, bubble boys and more Examiner.com The NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana has tradition and significance on its side. This week is the 58th annual drag racing event in a city known around the world for speed and motorsports excellence. NHRA drag racers are ... See all stories on this topic » Examiner.com

NHRA Teleconference Transcript: 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series ... PaddockTalk THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much for joining us today. We had a great announcement here in Indianapolis in advance of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals this afternoon. We did announce that the NHRA with the Coca Cola Company has extended its ... See all stories on this topic »

Win Tickets to the FIA European Drag Racing Finals 2012 @ Santa Pod Front Row Reviews Not only will you be present at the most important race in the Drag Racing scene, you'll be able to witness world record-breaking feats of speed, with the Fireforce Jet Car performing incredible 260mph demos, and Eric Teboul showing off the Rocket Bike ... See all stories on this topic » Front Row Reviews

Titles up for Grabs this Weekend at Grand Bend's Thunder by the Beach WhoWon.com PBSS.ca travel and compete together throughout the racing season, offering an exciting and diverse package of drag racing action. For information about the Teamsters Canada Local 879 Thunder by the Beach presented by Rudy Held?s Performance Centre ... See all stories on this topic »

2012 NHRA: NHRA Newsmakers: Aug 29, 2012 PaddockTalk NHRA ANNOUNCES 2013 MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE: With a new series sponsor and enthusiasm for continued growth in the sport, NHRA announced its 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule as part of a whirlwind ... See all stories on this topic »

F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More! PaddockTalk Among many of the unique features of the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals is the length of the event for all the competitors and the extra qualifying session the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx will have during the course of the weekend. See all stories on this topic »

It's been a brutal night in Sydney, with two men shot dead overnight Perth Now "I met Roy as a customer about 10 years ago through racing and he was just a nice guy, who just loved drag racing," Mr Signorelli said. "I was teaching him how to race it was his passion. "I'm just dumbfounded. I have no idea why anyone would want to ... See all stories on this topic »

2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Schedule Announced With a new series sponsor and enthusiasm for continued growth in the sport, NHRA announced its 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule as part ... www.dragracecentral.com/drcstory.asp?ID=257580

NHRA NEWS: PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY KEYS TO WINNING MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS PRESENTED BY AUTO-PLUS FOR NHRA PRO MOD TEAMS

INDIANAPOLIS — When a drag racer looks back on his or her career and their list of accomplishments, they look to see championships won, race trophies they’ve amassed and above everything is how many Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus victories they earned. The racers in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx love to count their Indy Wally trophies just as much as any driver in any other class, and when the event takes place from Aug. 29-Sept.3 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis they will all be battling for the top spot on Monday afternoon.

               

Current points leader Rickie Smith won the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals in Pro Mod when the series was an exhibition category in 2003. Smith has many championships from other drag racing organizations under his belt, but counts his win in Indy as the highpoint of his career.

               

“This is Indy, and this is like Daytona for the NASCAR guys, this is our big race,” said Smith, who drives a 2012 Camaro. “Everybody is trying to do the best they can because this is one you want to win. We have been lucky enough to win it five years ago. You just come up here and do all that you can.”

               

Danny Rowe, driver of the Sterling Bridge ’67 Camaro, a two time runner-up at the event (2001, 2009) is still looking for that elusive first win at the Big Go and knows where this race stacks up compared to all the others.

               

“Well I think mostly that it’s so historic,” Rowe said. “I think that every drag racer has a dream of winning one race, and it’s the U.S. Nationals. It’s a race that everybody that’s ever been in a drag race of any kind dreams of winning. Just because the history of it, the quality of the cars, the teams and it’s a fantastic place to race.”

               

While this race is the most coveted race on the circuit, it still pays the same amount of points to win. Rowe currently trails Smith by just three points with only a handful of races left on the 2012 season schedule. While winning is desired, keeping pace in the championship points is also a focus for both racers.

               

“We only have four races left for our championship in Pro Mod so every one of them is real critical,” Smith continued. “You can lose in the first round and the guy in second wins and then you get pretty behind in points. There are about four of us who are pretty tight in the points right now and every race is real critical.” 

               

“You know, you get more excited coming in,” Rowe said. “It’s a race that everyone, no matter what they say, they might try to say they don’t get overly excited or try harder, or whatever else, but it’s a valuable race. Whether you are in the points race or not, it’s still a feather in your cap to have said you’ve won Indy. So, I think that everyone comes in here looking to do a big job, no matter where you’re at in the points race.”

               

Among many of the unique features of the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals is the length of the event for all the competitors and the extra qualifying session the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx will have during the course of the weekend. This can make for increased time in the car, so drivers must maintain their focus during the entire event.

               

“For me it’s a little bit tougher, personally,” Rowe said. “I’m a pretty hyperactive guy and I don’t sit around a lot. So, to come in to qualify and make one lap, it’s a long day for me. But, everybody has to do the same thing. We’re all going through it, so it’s hard on everybody. But, I love being in the atmosphere, so I spend the down time with the crowds and with the fans, and I’m looking at the cars just like everybody else is.”

               

“The extra qualifier we get is pretty nice to have,” Troy Coughlin, driver of the JEGS.com ’68 Camaro said. “We will prepare for this Indy similar to all the races on the tour, making sure we cross our t’s and dot our i’s It’s going to be a good time.”

               

“Being organized is key to having a smooth sailing Mac Tools U.S. Nationals,” said Leah Pruett, who will be behind the wheel of her ProCare Rx ’12 Mustang.  “When you wear a couple different hats and a helmet within a team, the week can seem extremely long. I now live in Avon, just a few minutes from the track, which should be more convenient. Quite honestly I think a fourth qualifying run should bring with it a little more confidence to both myself and crew chief Brad Brand. I feel like this year we are always one run shy of what we need to get where we want to be, and I think the extra track time will do nothing but help us bring out our A+ game.”

               

Memories abound at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, and all of these racers have special moments that set this event apart from all the others.

               

“2011 was actually my first time competing at the U.S. Nationals, and it was with R2B2 in the blown Camaro, and I did not qualify for the field,” Pruett continued. “It was my first DNQ, needless to say there is a lot of redemption to be had at this year’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. I was nine years old the first time I competed at this racetrack, for the Jr. Dragster Nationals. The next time I returned to the track in 2009, I was making my first hit ever in a Nitro Funny Car in Gary Scelzi's DSR car during the pre-Indy test session.  This race track has always dished out some pretty spectacular memories for me, some better than others, but still unbelievable.”

               

“Pretty cool as a kid growing up going to Indy for the Big Go as a family,” Coughlin said. “As a family we have had great success at Indy. When one of our family members wins Indy, we all win Indy. We all support each other so much on and off the track. As kids we all dreamed of racing at Indy and winning the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals. We have had some great Mac Tools U.S. Nationals wins and they are all special. The one that sticks out the most would be Troy Jr.’s win in Super Comp in 2010. It’s so rewarding seeing your kids do well at something and excel.”

               

Other top drivers expected to compete in the event will be Mike Castellana, Jay Payne and Don Walsh.

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars with an extremely diverse collection of vehicles, including ’63 Corvettes, ’68 Camaros, ’67 Mustangs and ’68 Firebirds as well as late-model cars, the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.

• SCHEDULE: NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx qualifying sessions are scheduled for Aug. 31 at 4:30 p. m., Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. The first round of eliminations begins on Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.. Eliminations continue on Sept. 3.

• TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-6472. Tickets also available online at www.NHRATix.com.

• ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx event at www.NHRA.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

* * *

NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY PRO CARE RX FACT SHEET

MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS PRESENTED BY AUTO-PLUS

WHAT: Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus, the seventh of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx. The race will also showcase competition in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

WHERE: Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Ind. The track is located at 10267 East U.S. Highway 136, Indianapolis, IN 46234 

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 660 feet above sea level; Track direction is south to north

WHEN: Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 29-Sept. 3.

SCHEDULE:        

FRIDAY, Aug. 31 

NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at 4:30 p.m.

               

SATURDAY, Sept. 1

NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 2

Qualifying at 2 p. m. and first round of eliminations will begin at 5 p.m.

MONDAY, Sept. 3 

NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES eliminations continue on Monday afternoon.

               

2011 WINNER:  Eric Dillard

TRACK RECORDS: 5.830 sec. by Eric Dillard, Sept, 2011; 255.39 Brad Personett, Sept. 2010.

               

NATIONAL RECORDS: 5.772 sec. by Melanie Troxel, June. ’11, Englishtown; 258.71 mph by Troxel, June ’11, Englishtown.

               

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-6472. Tickets also available online at www.NHRATIX.com

* * *

NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX POINT STANDINGS

(Following six of 10 races; victories in parentheses)

1.Rickie Smith, King, N.C., IDG Chevy Camaro (2)                                                                               422

2.Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills, Calif., Sterling Bridge Chevy Camaro (2)                                        419

3.Mike Castellana, Muttontown, N.Y., Al-Anabi Chevy Camaro (1)                                            413

4.Donald Walsh, Wixom, Mich., Walsh Precision Turbo ford Mustang (1)                                379

5.Troy Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, Jeg's Chevy Camaro                                                                     359

6.Leah Pruett, Cherry Valley, Calif., ProCare RX Ford Mustang                                                     326

7.Donald Martin, Lake Forest, Calif., Sterling Bridge Chevy Camaro                                           304

8.Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe, Manit., Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro                293

9.Pete Farber, Baldwinville, Mass., T.J. & Sons Auto Repair Dodge Daytona                          280

10.Mike Knowles, Grand Junction, Colo., Mike Knowles Racing Chevy Camaro                    248

This Sunday! Get tuned up at the 9th Annual Quartermasters' Challenge - Sun., September 2, 2012

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Racing is a family activity at Lucas Oil Raceway Indianapolis Star She's among a growing number of women who are getting involved in drag racing. While the sport is still male-dominated, a look around the raceway shows more women and children get caught up with the "need for speed." Drag racing is a bigger family ... See all stories on this topic »

Drag racing sentencing doesn't sit well with Furr's friends, family Lake Wylie Pilot Drag racing sentencing doesn't sit well with Furr's friends, family. By Andrew Dys and Anna Douglas - adys@heraldonline.com. CHARLOTTE --. The sister of the Winthrop University professor killed in a 2009 crash that also killed the professor's daughter ... See all stories on this topic » Lake Wylie Pilot

'The King' left his mark in drag racing at Pacific Raceways near Covington Maple Valley Reporter As photos and videos of his thunderous, smoke-spewing dragster flashed across a screen in a darkened room, Jerry Ruth picked up the mic and tried to put his past into perspective. As if he were staged in the right lane anticipating the amber-to-green ... See all stories on this topic »

ADRL Returns to Memphis Int'l Raceway for Memphis Drags III WhoWon.com The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) returns to Memphis International Raceway for the Memphis Drags III on Sept. 7-8, 2013. It is the eighth of 10 races on the 2012 ADRL Tour. With new classes, a World Championship format and expanded family fun ... See all stories on this topic »

Hagan, Coughlin eye playoff slot Tucson Citizen He is among several competitors in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series' top divisions seeking to qualify for the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Their final chance to make the 10-car field comes in this weekend's Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. See all stories on this topic »

Citrus soda to replace energy drink as NHRA title sponsor Cincinnati.com Drag racing's U.S. sanctioning body will announce today in Indianapolis a six-year agreement for Mello Yello to replace Full Throttle as its title sponsor, starting in 2013. The deal through 2018 will extend Coca-Cola's title-sponsor partnership with ... See all stories on this topic »

Story continues below this advertisement Drag Racing Online Magazine The legendary Bakersfield March Meet will be celebrating 55 years of quarter mile drag racing in 2013. Continuing with the successful four-day program, Bakersfield will once again play host to some of the greatest drag racing in the world March 7-10, 2013. See all stories on this topic » Drag Racing Online Magazine

2013 Mello Yello NHRA schedule set Racer NHRA announced its 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule as part of a whirlwind of announcements and activities at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis on the eve of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil ... See all stories on this topic » Racer

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Titles up for grabs this weekend at Grand Bend's Thunder by the Beach

Champions to be decided in PMRA, Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and PBSS as three drag series hold final events of year

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (August 29, 2012) – Championships will be decided this coming weekend as the Pro Modified Racing Association, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts and the Pro Bike & Sled Series presented by Wiseco Performance Products take to the track.

All three drag race series are ready to compete in the Teamsters Canada Local 879 Thunder by the Beach presented by Rudy Held's Performance Centre Weekend at the Grand Bend Motorplex August 31 – September 2. This will be the final event of the season for each series. 

 
The PMRA is in its eighth season of operation, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series is in its fourth year of operation, and the PBSS is in its second year.

With one win to his credit so far this year, three-time PMRA champion Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario leads the Pro Modified Racing Association Championship Point Award Series with 1532 points in his 1941 Willys. Eric Latino of Whitby, Ontario, driver of the 1969 Camaro, is second with a win and 1500 points, while Derek Hawker of Corbyville, Ontario and his 1963 Corvette are third with 1431 points.

Another 2012 PMRA event winner, Jeff Roth of New Dundee, Ontario is fourth with his 1941 Willys and 1475 points, and driver of the 1968 Camaro, Rocky Di Lecce of Mississauga, Ontario is fifth with 1462 points.

 
The points race in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series 
presented by NAPA Auto Parts Championship Point Award Series Standings is also very close, with Top Sportsman driver Dan Aitken Jr of Belle River, Ontario leading the contingent with 1005 points. The Top Dragster team of Katie Ward and Michael Hinbest of Orangeville, Ontario is next with 994 points, and former series champion Kevin Wicke of Stratford, Ontario is third in his Top Sportsman entry with 960 points.

Fellow Stratford and Top Sportsman racer Spencer Hyde is presently fourth with 954 points, and the Top Dragster of Melanie Simmons of Orillia, Ontario is fifth with 947 points.

Aitken, Ward/Hinbest, and Simmons have all won series events this year.

The Ski-doo Pro Sled entry of Chris Bondi of Aurora, Ontario leads the Pro Bike & Sled Series Championship Point Award Series Standings with one win and 931 points. He is followed by the Pro Bike Suzuki of John Orfanidis of Toronto, Ontario, who also has one win to date and has 880 points.

Jeff Lippert of Amherstburg, Ontario is third with his Polaris Pro Sled entry and 876 points, while Alex Cassels of Sundridge, Ontario is next with 860 points on his Kawasaki Pro Bike, and the Suzuki Pro Bike team of Danny Staples and Kevin McKay of Beachville, Ontario rounds out the top five with 858 points.

Racing gets underway Friday, August 31 at 7 pm with the first qualifying round in all three series, and qualifying continues Saturday September 1 at 4 pm. Eliminations are scheduled to take place Sunday, September 2 starting at 11:15 am. 

 
The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.PMRA.ca competes with its two companion series, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, www.Quick32.ca and the Pro Bike & Sled Series, www.PBSS.ca travel and compete together throughout the racing season, offering an exciting and diverse package of drag racing action.

For information about the Teamsters Canada Local 879 Thunder by the Beach presented by Rudy Held's Performance Centre Weekend contact the Grand Bend Motorplex, call (519) 238-7223, visit www.grandbendmotorplex.com 

Photo Credit: Rob Potter, Greg Bunsold and Brennan Shortall ~ www.DragRaceCanada.com

2013 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals set for August 15-18; Mello Yello named 2013 series sponsor

BRAINERD, Minn. – The dates for Brainerd International Raceway’s 2013 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will be Aug. 15-18, the NHRA announced today.

It will be the 32nd year that the NHRA has brought the world’s best drag racers to BIR, which is still the fastest track in the country. The race features Top Fuel dragsters, Funny Cars, Pro Stock cars and motorcycles and some of the top Sportsman drag racers in the United States. With open pit areas, an exciting vendor midway and an infamous campground called The Zoo, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals is an annual tradition for thousands of fans and a favorite stop for the NHRA.

In addition to announcing the 2013 racing schedule, the NHRA also unveiled its new series sponsor: Mello Yello. Next year, the series will be called the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Mello Yello is a popular citrus-flavored soft drink distributed by Coca-Cola.

Highlighting the 2013 schedule is the inaugural NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., June 20-23. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ visit to the Northeast marks a process of more than a decade in the making and reaffirms NHRA’s position as offering the most geographically diverse schedule of any major motorsports series in the country.

The summer months leading into the most prestigious and historic event on the tour, the NHRA U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 28-Sept. 2) at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, will be a grueling challenge for the teams with nine races in 12 weeks, and will see the teams travel from coast to coast. That portion of the schedule kicks off the first weekend in June (May 30-June 2) with the Toyota NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J. After a week off, the circuit embarks on four races in row, beginning with the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. (June 14-16), the inaugural NHRA New England Nationals (June 20-23), the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago (June 27-30) and concludes with the traditional July 4th celebration in Norwalk, Ohio, with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (July 4 -7).

From Norwalk, the series heads on to the famous Western Swing, which features three races in three weeks under three very different conditions: the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver (July 19-21), the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. (July 26-28), and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle (Aug. 2-4). After a week off, the demanding summer stretch concludes BIR with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 15-18.

The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series begins, as it has for 53 years, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.), Feb. 14-17, and continues the following week in Phoenix with the NHRA Arizona Nationals (Feb. 22-24). The traditional East Coast opener will be held March 14-17 at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville (Fla.) with the 44th running of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

The fourth stop in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (April 5-7), followed by the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C. (April 19-21). The series continues with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston (April 26-28), Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta (May 3-5), and the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka, Kan. (May 17-19).

The six-race 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs, kicks off in the fall with four consecutive weeks of racing: the NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 13-15); the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas (Sept. 19-22); the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis (Sept. 27-29); and Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa. (Oct. 3-6).

The season concludes out West with the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas (Oct. 24-27) and returns to where it all began for the season finale with the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Nov. 7-10).

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will compete in a 16-race schedule, with six of those races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, a part of the ESPN network, the worldwide leader in sports, will once again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, of all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events featuring action from qualifying rounds on Saturday and Sunday’s race.

NHRA NEWS: NHRA TELECONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT -- 2013 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT

An Interview With:

               

SHARON BYERS

TOM COMPTON

THE MODERATOR:  Thank you very much for joining us today.  We had a great announcement here in Indianapolis in advance of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals this afternoon.  We did announce that the NHRA with the Coca Cola Company has extended its relationship through the year 2018.  This builds upon our long standing association with Coca Cola and the NHRA, and also we did announce that beginning in 2013, Mello Yello, the Coca Cola's popular citrus flavored soft drink brand, will be the new title series sponsor. Next year it'll be the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

               

We are joined today by Sharon Byers, the senior vice president of sports and entertainment marketing partnerships at the Coca Cola Company, and NHRA President Tom Compton.  We will be taking questions from the media in just a few minutes.

               

Sharon, talk about this new partnership, a continuation in one sense and a new beginning in another between the NHRA and Coca Cola.

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah, our relationship with the NHRA goes back to 2002, and it's just been an amazing property for so many of our brands, starting first with Powerade, moving on to Full Throttle for the last four years.  And as we continue to look and evolve and help grow the sport of drag racing, we really felt like bringing in a powerhouse like Mello Yello would take it to the next level, particularly since we did just announce the excitement around the partnership renewal.  And the citrus category is growing.  Mello Yello really offers to many of our consumers more customer bases, more channels for us to bring this amazing property to life.  So we're just really thrilled about the overall relationship, the history that we have with the NHRA, and the future together.

               

THE MODERATOR:  Tom, your comments about this partnership, please?

               

TOM COMPTON:  Well, if you look back to 2001 when we were looking for our next series sponsor, it would have been hard to imagine that we'd be partners with such an iconic company like the Coca Cola Company, and they're under contract now for a total of 17 years, and I know the spirit is much longer than that.  We're thrilled the partnership obviously is working for Coca Cola, and I can tell you that it's working for us, as well.

Q.  For Tom and Sharon, it's such an important event to get this type of sponsorship, and it means so much to companies and so forth.  Could you kind of go through the kind of the behind the scenes stuff that the fans don't get to see where you guys make all those decisions and why you might make a decision as momentous as this one?

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah, well, as we talked about, we've had probably one of the, I would say, A-plus relationships with Tom and his team, and we have annual planning processes with them, and one of the identifications that we had was that the Full Throttle brand has been amazing to the NHRA, and it will continue to be the official energy drink, but we really wanted to continue to expand and build on the relationship and bring it into what we call our sparkling category, and that's where we felt Mello Yello because of its rich history around motorsports was a really strong connection point.  So we've been working on this for a year. To answer your question, the behind the scenes, there's really no behind the scenes.  It's just something that we've been strategically talking about, and we're building out some marketing platforms that the fans of the NHRA will see bigger and different.  We'll see a lot of retail activation around Full Throttle as well as Mello Yello beginning in 2013, and we'll bring that passion in to make sure that the race events are exactly what the consumer should expect from the Coca Cola Company and the NHRA.

Q.  I actually have two questions for you.  One, is this going to be anything like the days when Mello Yello was huge in NASCAR with Kyle Petty and the car owners at that time?

               

SHARON BYERS:  Yes, that would absolutely be our plan.

Q.  And my second question would be, Coca Cola has a huge presence in NASCAR with what they call their Coca Cola drivers.  Is that part of the plan here with Mello Yello?  Will you all have special Mello Yello drivers that are major sales points for you?

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah, I mean, our focus right now with Mello Yello, again, it'll be as a continuation of a very long relationship, and we've got another five years ahead of us.  So for 2013 we're really going to focus on the power of the NHRA overall.  At this point we haven't pulled in personalities like we have in NASCAR.

Q.  Sharon, are you all trying to revive a brand?  It's not    I know it's there, but it's been kind of dormant for a long time.

               

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah, it hasn't been dormant actually, but the citrus category itself continues to grow year over year.  Mello Yello is a national brand for us, but it just provides us    we wanted to get a powerhouse property behind this property so that    we don't have a Coke store, so we have to bring retail communications into our customer base, and we really felt that the power behind the NHRA growing sport, it skews younger, Mello Yello skews younger from a consumer base, so it was just a really powerful connection point.

Q.  And my second question is for Tom.  What does this mean in terms of payouts to the drivers?  Is there going to be an increase in driver payouts at the end of the year under the new contract?

               

TOM COMPTON:  Over time the payouts have gone up.  Right now there's not a specific increase based on this announcement, but over time we've been able to elevate those significantly. The focus right now is to get the word out and create awareness for Mello Yello in the marketplace and serve our fans out there.

Q.  Do you have any plans on talking Cole Trickle out of retirement to drag race?

                               

SHARON BYERS:  We're always looking for heroes.

Q.  Sharon, I was actually on the media teleconference call when the announcement was made that Powerade would be transitioning over to the Full Throttle brand, and I'm actually looking on my computer screen at the column I wrote at that time, and the Coca Cola representative on that conference call talked quite a bit about activation in non NHRA markets, and so I'd like to ask you, is this program going to include specific activation beyond the NHRA core audience, and if so, could you give some examples?

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah, I mean, that's a great question actually.  We got that question from our bottling community when we announced it to them last week, so absolutely.  There's a ton of power in drag racing overall, whether it's in market or outside of a race market, and our intention is absolutely to take this as broad as we possibly can.

Q.  Can you provide some specific examples, for example, when the announcement was made several years ago, there was talk about the retail promotions, NHRA signage on trucks, promotion in non race markets.  It's unclear to me how much of that actually happened, but beyond the general statement of it's going to happen, do you have specific commitments to activating beyond the NHRA core audience?

SHARON BYERS:  This is taking place in 2013, so we're actually in the process of planning this out with Tom's team along with Gary (Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing).  But obviously we'll pull in a lot of driver appearances, we'll do some national promotionals, consumer take rates, take large customers, like Dollar General are very interested in taking this nationwide.  So we will do the power of Coca Cola's marketing.  We're going to take it to the finish line on this one.

Q.  When you say driver appearances, do you mean in retail outlets?

SHARON BYERS:  Yes.

Q.  I haven't heard it specifically said other than a reference to age demographic why Coca Cola corporate feels that the NHRA is the best available fit for Mello Yello.  Could you be more specific on why the demographic works in your opinion?

SHARON BYERS:  Yeah.  I mean, Mello Yello's consumer base is a youth based consumer group.  Really the history that Mello Yello has had in motorsports really helped us tip it over the edge with some other brands that we were looking at between the relationship with Kyle Petty, what we did with Days of Thunder, and we really wanted Mello Yello to get centered and focused on a huge passion point here in America, and we just felt with all of those tenets, the NHRA was a fantastic fit for that brand from a consumer base, from a customer base, and just overall strategically.

Q.  For Tom, next year will represent the third ID change in six years for NHRA.  Do you have concern about that from a public ID standpoint?

TOM COMPTON:  Actually I don't.  Two parts to that:  One is I think we're very fortunate to be enjoying basically 17 years under contract with the Coca Cola Company, and we've already received calls, Tweets, things today from fans and the fans here in Indianapolis that have come up and said what a great move, that's terrific.  Our fans know where to find us, and I think with the power of the Coca Cola Company behind us with the Mello Yello brand, it's going to be a good thing for the sport, terrific actually, as opposed to largely being in convenience stores as Full Throttle is.  And again, they're still going to be part of this program.  Mello Yello is available in grocery stores, big box stores.  The distribution is much greater, so the touch points are many.

Q.  Could you just speak to the question I asked Sharon about activation beyond the NHRA core fan?  Is that something that was a specific negotiating point in putting this deal together?

TOM COMPTON:  Obviously Mello Yello is a much larger brand.  It has tremendous resources.  The bottling group as Sharon mentioned was very excited about this announcement because there's an association with motorsports and Mello Yello. The brand planning is still in the works right now, but as always, we're looking to reach beyond the race markets and do things on a national basis which will now be much more able to do with this brand.  So I think, yes and yes, we'll be doing much more activation around the races, and there will be opportunities to do things beyond the race markets on a national basis that probably weren't    wouldn't be as effective with Full Throttle.  And again, Full Throttle we're happy to have still as a partner on a certain level.

Q.  Tom, does this change or re-open the energy drink category for individual team sponsorships, or is that still locked up?

TOM COMPTON:  Yes, it does.  Obviously our partner is Coke, but for race teams, race teams are the most important form of sponsorship, and we have such a great partner in Coke.  They understand that, and they're willing to let competitors come in now in the energy category and be on cars, that's correct.

Q.  Starting in 2013 does that take effect?

TOM COMPTON:  Yeah, next year, next season.

Q.  Tom, I wanted to ask you a little bit about, Sharon mentioned the youth audience for Mello Yello.  Was that a factor for you guys, too?  Everyone knows that drag racing's core audience isn't getting any younger.  Are you hoping that this is going to help you get into a different market in that respect?

               

TOM COMPTON:  Well, actually we are getting younger.  We are the youngest sport in the 18 to 49 demo in the country against any sport.  NHRA has the third    we're the third youngest sport on an average basis, and we're the number one youngest sport in the 18 to 49 demo.  So it's a misnomer to think we're getting older; we're actually getting younger.  And yes, it's a great fit.

               

SHARON BYERS:  Can I add on to that, one thing around the consumer base, too, that's amazing about the NHRA is it is very multicultural.  It's unique that it has so many women drivers, and again, that's a very attractive piece that the NHRA I think brings to the table, particularly when we're looking at the connection points with Mello Yello.

Q.  Sharon, do you have a lot of Mello Yello people with the Full Throttle people?  Is there a lot of cross workers there, or are they completely different teams, or are some of the Full Throttle people going to come over to your team and promote the NHRA?  How does that work internally at Coca Cola?

SHARON BYERS:  Do you mean our brand team?

Q.  Yeah, just the promotional team that's going to be working with NHRA.  Is it going to be an all new team for Mello Yello, or is it going to be a mixture of them and Full Throttle people?  How does that work?

SHARON BYERS:  Coke is very unique, so we have in my group what we call the sports and entertainment group, so we're really the glue that pulls together the relationships between the brands and the properties, so I think that's a very unique setup that Coca Cola brings to the table.  But yes, we have dedicated brand managers who are on Mello Yello, and then we have dedicated brand managers who are on Full Throttle.  So the combination thereof of all of our teams working very closely together develops these amazing marketing platforms.

               

THE MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone, for joining us today.