CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Funny Car driver Johnny Gray is looking for continued success in 2012 as he heads into the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMAX Dragway, Sept. 14-16.
Defending winners of the first of six races in the NHRA playoff series are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). The race will be televised on ESPN2HD.
Despite not making the Countdown last year, Gray had one of the best performing cars during the playoffs. He raced to three consecutive final rounds and would’ve been a top challenger for the championship had he been one of the 10 Countdown-eligible drivers. He enters the playoffs this season with a new perspective and wants to put those lessons he learned to use.
“Through the end of last year and with what we’ve learned, we are able to approach the Countdown knowing that we have as good a shot as anybody out here to win the championship,” Gray said. “We have a great car, a great team and a great sponsor with Service Central. There is just absolutely no reason we shouldn’t go to Charlotte believing that we have a good shot.”
As he looks forward to racing at Charlotte, Gray and his Service Central Racing Dodge Charger team puts the previous race at Charlotte behind him and wants nothing more than a victory at the “Bellagio of Drag Strips.”
“I didn’t even realize I’d lost in the second round because I don’t look back – that race is over and it has no effect on my mind,” said Gray. “We go forward every race and we never look back. No matter how our race turns out, when we leave, we know that as a team, we did the best we could do. We may not have the results that we wanted, but everybody did the best job they could. But we go into this race in Charlotte with every intention of winning it and of winning the five races that follow it.”
Ron Capps enters the race as the top seed in the playoffs. He won three races and will hold a 30-point lead over four-time season winner Robert Hight. Former zMAX winner Jack Beckman and Indy winner Mike Neff are right behind Hight, followed by Gray, Courtney Force, Cruz Pedregon, John Force, Jeff Arend and Tim Wilkerson.
In Top Fuel, Antron Brown leads the championship points entering the Countdown with Spencer Massey just 30 points behind him. Tony Schumacher, who recently won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, sits in third followed by Steve Torrence, Doug Kalitta, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Brandon Bernstein, David Grubnic and Bob Vandergriff.
Allen Johnson enters the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series playoffs in Pro Stock competition as the leader with North Carolina residents Jason Line and Greg Anderson close behind in second and third. Erica Enders is currently fourth, while Vincent Nobile, Mike Edwards, Ron Krisher, V. Gaines, Larry Morgan and Jeg Coughlin round out the top 10 heading into zMAX Dragway.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec leads the points heading into the Countdown to the Championship with teammate and recent Indianapolis winner Andrew Hines right behind him in second. Rounding out the top 10 include father and son duo Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr., followed by Karen Stoffer, Scotty Pollacheck, LE Tonglet, Michael Ray, Shawn Gann and Matt Smith.
* SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3 and 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, and 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16.
* TICKETS: For tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries please call (800) 455-FANS or log on to www.zmaxdragway.com.
* ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 90 minutes qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Sept. 15, and three hours of eliminations coverage at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Sept. 16.
* LUCAS OIL SERIES: The O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8 a.m. on Sept. 14, and eliminations begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 15 and continue through Sept. 16.
* NHRA PRO MOD SERIES presented by ProCare Rx: NHRA’s popular Pro Mod touring series will make its eighth start of the 10-race 2012 season at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles, in quarter-mile competition. The first qualifying session will be Friday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. Qualifying will continue on Saturday, Sept. 15 with a session at 2 p.m. and will be followed by the first round of eliminations at 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will continue Sunday, Sept. 16 at approximately 2:30 p.m.
* ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET
WHAT: Fifth annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, the 18th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the first of six races in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The top 10 drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.
WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Bruton Smith Blvd., off I-85 at exit 49 in the Concord, N.C. area.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 14-16.
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 14- LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 8 a.m.
PRO MOD SERIES presented by ProCare Rx qualifying at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 3 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 15- LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
PRO MOD SERIES presented by ProCare Rx qualifying at 2 p.m.; first round of eliminations at 4:30 p.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 16- Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at noon.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Sept. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 16, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 8:30 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):
Friday, Sept. 14, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 12C
Saturday, Sept. 15, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 12C
Sunday, Sept. 16, 7 - 7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 12C
(3940 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.461470554 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
2011 EVENT WINNERS: Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Kurt Johnson, Pro Stock; Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: Greg Anderson, 3, PS; Cory McClenathan 2, TF; Jack Beckman, 2, FC; Robert Hight, 2, FC; Mike Edwards, 2, PS.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’11; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.
Funny Car – 3.995 seconds by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11; 322.27 mph by Hagan, Sept. ’11.
Pro Stock – 6.493 sec. by Jason Line, April ’12; 213.91 mph by Line, April ’12.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.810 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, Sept. ’11; 196.79 mph by Krawiec, Sept. ’11.
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.735 sec. by Del Worsham, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
Funny Car - 3.995 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.; 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.
Pro Stock - 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 213.91 mph by Jason Line, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
PS Motorcycle - 6.750 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, March ’12, Gainesville, Fla.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.
TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at zmaxdragway.com.
NHRA FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series; Points have been reset for the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs -
Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 2110; 2. Spencer Massey, 2080; 3. Tony Schumacher, 2070; 4. Steve Torrence, 2060; 5. Doug Kalitta, 2050; 6. Morgan Lucas, 2040; 7. Shawn Langdon, 2030; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 2020; 9. David Grubnic, 2010; 10. Bob Vandergriff, 2000.
Funny Car: 1. Ron Capps, 2110; 2. Robert Hight, 2080; 3. Jack Beckman, 2070; 4. Mike Neff, 2060; 5. Johnny Gray, 2050; 6. Courtney Force, 2040; 7. Cruz Pedregon, 2030; 8. John Force, 2020; 9. Jeff Arend, 2010; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 2000.
Pro Stock: 1. Allen Johnson, 2110; 2. Jason Line, 2080; 3. Greg Anderson, 2070; 4. Erica Enders, 2060; 5. Vincent Nobile, 2050; 6. Mike Edwards, 2040; 7. Ron Krisher, 2030; 8. V. Gaines, 2020; 9. Larry Morgan, 2010; 10. Jeg Coughlin, 2000.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 2110; 2. Andrew Hines, 2080; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2070; 4. Hector Arana, 2060; 5. Karen Stoffer, 2050; 6. Scotty Pollacheck, 2040; 7. LE Tonglet, 2030; 8. Michael Ray, 2020; 9. Shawn Gann, 2010; 10. Matt Smith, 2000.
