BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Persistent rains have forced NHRA officials to cancel the final two qualifying sessions for the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on Sunday. The fields for all the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories -- Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle -- have been set by the qualifying sessions that took place on Friday and Saturday.
Courtney Force (Funny Car), Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) will begin eliminations Monday in the No. 1 position.
Force, driver of the Traxxas Funny Car continues her recent hot streak as she secures her first career No. 1 qualifying position with her pass of 4.049 seconds at 317.27 mph which were both personal bests, and the speed was a track record. Force also clinched her spot in the Countdown to the Championship and will face Blake Alexander in the first round of eliminations on Monday.
"I can't think of a better place to run a career best and earn my first number one qualifier than here at Indy," Force said. "We've got a great car and I think we're capable of earning another Wally and to win here at Indy would just be awesome."
Defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan will continue his bid to enter the Countdown to the Championship when he faces teammate Ron Capps; Jack Beckman will be matched up against Todd Lesenko; and Tim Wilkerson, who qualified third, will battle Jon Capps.
Massey is coming off his $100,000 NHRA Traxxas Top Fuel Showdown victory on Friday night and will be looking to keep high momentum high as he starts from the No. 1 qualifying position. His qualifying run of 3.762 seconds at 324.41 mph in his Fram / Prestone dragster earned him his fourth top qualifying position of the year and the seventh of his career. He will face Pat Dakin when eliminations begin.
“We wanted to go out and make two more runs and we wanted to see the Traxxas Shootout for the Funny Cars and I wanted to see a Don Schumacher car win that Traxxas Funny Car Shootout that would be awesome for Don to have a double up in Top Fuel and Funny Car,” Massey said. “Now the situation is going to be race day, get out there with the sun shining and have a great Mac Tools U. S. Nationals race day and it is always a spectacular race, it always is. It is always a spectacular race, prestigious, and now that I’m the first guy to hold up that Traxxas Shootout trophy I want to be the guy to hold up the trophy on Monday.”
Tony Schumacher will be paired up with T.J. Zizzo; Shawn Langdon will face Clay Millican and Bob Vandergriff will look to retain his position in the Countdown to the Championship when he faces Steve Torrence.
In Pro Stock Enders powered her GK Racing Chevy Cobalt to her first top qualifying position at the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus with a run of 6.624 seconds at 208.84 mph during the first qualifying session of the weekend on Friday night. This is her second consecutive No. 1 position of the season at the fifth of her career. She will face Ronnie Humphrey on Monday.
Vincent Nobile who qualified in the No. 2 position will face Rodger Brogdon and Allen Johnson will be paired against Warren Johnson.
Hines and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson recorded his second top qualifying position of the season and the 32nd of his career with his 6.928 second pass at 187.63 mph on Friday night. This is his the second time in a row and fourth time of his career to qualify in the top position at Lucas Oil Raceway but he has yet to win this prestigious event.
“To be number one qualifier at the U.S. Nationals two years in the row is awesome,” Hines said. “It's not the way we wanted it to happen because we'd have loved to have all five qualifiers but we expect our team to come out strong each weekend and we'd like to turn my fortune around here and do great tomorrow and earn my first win at Indy and the first for the Harley Davidson.
His teammate Eddie Krawiec will face Kieth Burley in the first round; Hector Arana Jr. will battle Michael Ray and Hector Arana Sr. will face Dawn Minturn.
In addition, the NHRA Traxxas Funny Car Showdown scheduled to run on Sunday has been postponed to a later date.
“We believe that with the forecast for the remainder of the day that it would be extremely difficult to get the track into racing condition,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president racing operations. “We are planning to run a full day tomorrow.”
Sportsman racing will begin at 8:00 a. m. with the first round of eliminations for the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series to take place starting at 11 a. m.
BROWNSBURG, Ind. -- Monday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Sunday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Spencer Massey, 3.762 seconds, 324.51 mph vs. 16. Pat Dakin, 3.916, 312.35; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.772, 326.79 vs. 15. T.J. Zizzo, 3.908, 307.30; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.773, 326.48 vs. 14. Clay Millican, 3.872, 316.30; 4. Morgan Lucas, 3.792, 311.63 vs. 13. Bruce Litton, 3.871, 312.57; 5. Antron Brown, 3.807, 322.34 vs. 12. David Grubnic, 3.844, 317.79; 6. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.817, 320.97 vs. 11. J.R. Todd, 3.836, 320.05; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.823, 322.58 vs. 10. Brandon Bernstein, 3.835, 321.19; 8. Bob Vandergriff, 3.830, 322.73 vs. 9. Steve Torrence, 3.834, 295.34.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Tommy Johnson, 3.939, 302.21; 18. Cory McClenathan, 3.956, 295.08; 19. Luigi Novelli, 3.959, 260.21; 20. Terry McMillen, 3.964, 311.49; 21. Troy Buff, 3.975, 301.74; 22. Chris Karamesines, 3.986, 289.32; 23. Scott Palmer, 4.050, 278.52; 24. Hillary Will, 4.052, 284.81; 25. Brady Kalivoda, 4.088, 238.68; 26. Ike Maier, 4.094, 264.75; 27. Keith Murt, 4.348, 193.43.
Funny Car -- 1. Courtney Force, Ford Mustang, 4.049, 317.27 vs. 16. Blake Alexander, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.224, 280.25; 2. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.051, 310.70 vs. 15. Todd Lesenko, Chevy Impala, 4.209, 296.05; 3. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.060, 306.60 vs. 14. Jon Capps, Charger, 4.170, 290.94; 4. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 4.064, 314.39 vs. 13. Jim Head, Toyota Solara, 4.151, 292.33; 5. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.064, 312.13 vs. 12. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.119, 307.65; 6. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.076, 308.78 vs. 11. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.107, 308.21; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.077, 314.83 vs. 10. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.089, 306.53; 8. Johnny Gray, Charger, 4.079, 310.98 vs. 9. Jeff Arend, Camry, 4.088, 311.20.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Bob Bode, 4.232, 292.58; 18. Robert Hight, 4.325, 284.81; 19. Cruz Pedregon, 4.731, 172.23; 20. Terry Haddock, 6.510, 104.54.
Pro Stock -- 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.624, 208.84 vs. 16. Ronnie Humphrey, Pontiac GXP, 6.693, 206.83; 2. Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.631, 208.78 vs. 15. Rodger Brogdon, Chevy Camaro, 6.692, 206.13; 3. Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.634, 208.42 vs. 14. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.689, 207.11; 4. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.646, 208.52 vs. 13. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.684, 206.61; 5. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.655, 208.17 vs. 12. Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.678, 207.27; 6. Mark Martino, GXP, 6.659, 207.69 vs. 11. V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.678, 207.66; 7. Richie Stevens, Avenger, 6.666, 207.46 vs. 10. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.677, 206.64; 8. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.673, 207.30 vs. 9. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.674, 206.70.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Larry Morgan, 6.696, 206.80; 18. Kurt Johnson, 6.703, 205.98; 19. Chris McGaha, 6.716, 206.16; 20. Jerry Eckman, 6.727, 205.29; 21. Greg Stanfield, 6.735, 205.16; 22. Richard Freeman, 6.745, 205.79; 23. Kevin Lawrence, 6.745, 204.17; 24. Steve Spiess, 6.767, 203.86; 25. Steve Schmidt, 6.769, 203.49; 26. Lewis Worden, 6.769, 203.43; 27. Dave River, 6.879, 201.13; 28. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.919, 199.82; 29. Mark Hogan, 26.083, 28.60.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.928, 194.21 vs. 16. John Hall, Buell, 7.118, 187.63; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.932, 193.05 vs. 15. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.084, 189.50; 3. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.950, 192.11 vs. 14. Dawn Minturn, Suzuki, 7.063, 187.47; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.953, 192.93 vs. 13. Kieth Burley, Buell, 7.059, 189.73; 5. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.978, 188.67 vs. 12. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 7.054, 185.31; 6. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.993, 191.38 vs. 11. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.042, 192.06; 7. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.010, 190.43 vs. 10. Mike Berry, Buell, 7.024, 189.52; 8. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.019, 190.22 vs. 9. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.023, 192.28.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Redell Harris, 7.127, 189.87; 18. Steve Johnson, 7.135, 175.50; 19. Michael Phillips, 7.213, 186.07; 20. Katie Sullivan, 7.247, 183.00; 21. James Surber, 7.364, 185.51.
