Full Throttle Top Fuel World Champion
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Name: ANTRON BROWN
Date of birth: March 01, 1976 Hometown: Chesterfield, N.J. Residence: Pittsboro, Ind.
2012 car: Matco Tools dragster
2012 wins: 6 – Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Sonoma, Dallas, St. Louis
2012 Runner-up finishes: 5 – Pomona 1, Las Vegas 1, Houston, Brainerd, Reading
2012 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 3 – Topeka, Bristol, St. Louis
Crew chief: Brian Corradi/Mark Oswald Team Owner: Don Schumacher
Season summary: In his fifth season of Top Fuel competition, Brown started the 2012 season off with a season opening loss at Pomona, but rebounded nicely with a victory in Phoenix. He came close to sweeping the Western Swing with wins at Denver and Sonoma, but fell short in Seattle. In the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs, Brown racked up wins at Dallas and St. Louis, defeating teammate Spencer Massey in those finals. Brown is now the first African-American to win a major U.S. auto racing world championship.
Season highlights: Brown raced to six wins and three No. 1 qualifying positions. He also set the national record for elapsed time with a 3.701 seconds at Reading, Pa.
Quotable: “I’m beside myself because I feel so blessed to be in this moment right now. I’m glad we could bring this home for DSR. It feels incredible.”
Notable: This is Brown’s first NHRA world championship and the second time Don Schumacher Racing has won both nitro category championships since doing it in 2005. He is also the first African-American to ever win a major U.S. auto racing championship. Prior to competing in Top Fuel, Brown competed in Pro Stock Motorcycle from 1998 to 2007.
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Full Throttle Funny Car World Champion
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Name: JACK BECKMAN
Date of birth: June 28, 1966 Hometown: San Fernando, Calif. Residence: Norco, Calif.
2012 car: NextGen/Valvoline Dodge Charger
2012 wins: 3 – Topeka, Denver, St. Louis
2012 Runner-up finishes: 1 – Las Vegas 2
2012 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 4 – Denver, Brainerd, St. Louis, Reading
Crew chief: Todd Smith Team Owner: Don Schumacher
Season summary: After finishing a career high second in the points in 2011, Beckman looked to start off the 2012 season hot. He had a rough start to the season, only making it to one final round and not qualifying in Houston. After that untimely DNQ, Beckman was ready to turn the season around. He did just that by taking home the Wally in Topeka and following up that win with two more victories at Denver and St Louis.
Season highlights: Beckman reset the national record for elapsed time and speed in Reading, Pa. with a time of 3.986 seconds and 320.58 mph. He took over the points lead with his effort in St. Louis, then posted a runner-up finish in Las Vegas and claimed the world championship title at the season-finale in Pomona after rival and teammate Ron Capps lost in the semis.
Quotable: “I’m really not feeling anything right now. You think about this, and you dream about this. It’s going to take me a while to wrap my head around this. We would have loved to have won it head to head in the final, but the trophy is going to shine just as well no matter what. We really wanted to win.”
Notable: This is Beckman’s first world championship and Don Schumacher Racing’s second consecutive NHRA Funny Car world championship. Beckman survived high grade 3B Lymphoma in 2003 and 2004. He won an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Comp national championship in 2003. Beckman also served as a driving instructor at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School. |
Full Throttle Pro Stock World Champion
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Name: ALLEN JOHNSON
Date of birth: Dec. 8, 1959 Hometown: Greeneville, Tenn. Residence: Greeneville, Tenn.
2012 car: Team Mopar/J & J Racing Dodge Avenger
2012 wins: 6 – Las Vegas 1, Topeka, Denver, Sonoma, Dallas, Las Vegas 2
2012 Runner-up finishes: 4 – Bristol, Brainerd, Charlotte 2, St. Louis
2012 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 10 – Gainesville, Houston, Topeka, Bristol, Chicago, Norwalk, Denver, Sonoma, Seattle, Dallas
Crew chief: Mark Ingersoll Engine Builder: Roy Johnson Team Owner: Allen and Roy Johnson
Season summary: After finishing fourth in the point standings in 2011, Johnson came out on a mission in 2012 in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger. He had a rough start to the season with a round two loss at Pomona and two first round losses in Phoenix and Gainesville. However, he bounced back with a victory at Las Vegas. Despite an up and down start to the first half of the season, there was no stopping Johnson at the start of the Western Swing with wins at both Denver and Sonoma. From that moment on, he took the points lead and never looked back. In the Countdown to the Championship playoffs he raced to two victories in four final rounds and secured his first career title by qualifying for the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals.
Season highlights: Johnson posted personal bests for wins (6) and No. 1 qualifying positions (10). He earned six No. 1 qualifying positions in a row from Bristol to Seattle. He dominated the Countdown playoffs with two victories in four final rounds and one No. 1 qualifying position. He won the Denver event for the fourth time in his career and was runner-up and No. 1 qualifier at his home track in Bristol.
Quotable: “That is the part that is the most satisfying. We did the engines on our own, my dad built them, and we climbed the mountain and learned how to run the cars and developed a crew.”
Notable: This is Johnson’s first NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world championship after more than 17 years in the category; This is the fifth NHRA Pro Stock title for Dodge and the manufacturer’s first since 1994.
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Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion
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Name: EDDIE KRAWIEC
Date of birth: Dec. 6, 1976 Hometown: Indianapolis Residence: Englishtown, N.J.
2012 motorcycle: Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
2012 wins: 9 – Gainesville, Atlanta, Englishtown, Denver, Sonoma, Brainerd, St. Louis, Reading,
Las Vegas 2
2012 Runner-up finishes: 1 – Charlotte 2
2012 No. 1 Qualifying positions: 5 – Gainesville, Englishtown, Sonoma, Reading, Las Vegas 2
Crew chief: Matt Hines Team Owners: Byron Hines/TerryVance
Season summary: After winning the world championship in 2011, Krawiec came out in 2012 and won the season-opening Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Florida. Throughout the 2012 season, Krawiec and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson dropped to second in the points standings in Houston, but rebounded with a victory at Atlanta and took back the points lead. Since that win, he led the points and claimed nine victories.
Season highlights: Krawiec won the season-opening event in Gainesville, his third-consecutive win at that event, then went on to win at Atlanta, Englishtown, Denver, Sonoma, Brainerd, St. Louis, Reading and Las Vegas 2. He racked up five No. 1 qualifiers and clinched his third world championship (second consecutive) with his qualifying effort at the Auto Club NHRA Finals.
Quotable: “This is like a dream season. It’s tough to win one race out here, let alone win nine. I’m very grateful for the position I’m in. I’ve got an awesome team with awesome people behind me.”
Notable: This is the third NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship for Krawiec with his first coming in 2008. It was also the sixth world championship in nine years for the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team. Krawiec is coming off his career best season of nine wins.
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