NHRA NEWS: NHRA NAMES BAILEY SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION DIRECTOR

GLENDORA, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2012) – NHRA announced today that Paul Bailey has been named NHRA South Central Division Director (Div. 4).

               

“Paul brings a wealth of knowledge in every discipline necessary to successfully manage and grow a division,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of racing administration, NHRA.  “He worked at one of the most active drag strips in the country for more than 20 years and during that time was involved in nearly every aspect of the business.”

               

Bailey spent the last 20 years working as a full-time staff member at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J., an NHRA Member Track in Division 1.   During his tenure, he has been responsible for all facets of the facility from starter to tech inspection, and race coordinator to track preparation.   Most recently, he was responsible for developing and executing domestic motorsports enthusiast events and was co-drag strip manager. 

               

“Being an NHRA Division Director is a life-long dream,” said Bailey, who will be relocating to the Houston area this fall.  “I am a hard worker who is willing to learn and can’t wait to get settled into my new role, meet the current member tracks, and begin developing programs and adding facilities to position Division 4 as one of the best in the country.”

Bailey begins his new role as Division 4 Director on Oct. 1, working out of the Division 4 office in Conroe, Texas.

               

NHRA’s South Central Division is responsible for conducting and overseeing drag racing activities in Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.   Currently, there are 11 NHRA Member Tracks in the region including two in Louisiana, one in New Mexico, two in Oklahoma and six in Texas.  

Evans nearly unbeatable in second Pro Fuel title run

'Black Pearl' team looking for bigger, better things in 2013

NORWALK, Ohio (August 29, 2012) – At the beginning of the season Bill Evans had one simple yet still very complex goal for his team – win every race they enter.

Evans had plans to run five of the six races scheduled to host Pro Fuel on the year and he parlayed that schedule into one simple equation for the team – 20-0. As in 20 scheduled rounds of competition with zero losses.

Unfortunately Evans' plans didn't exactly pan out like he had hoped, but it was still far short of a disappointment as Evans visited seven of a potential eight finals with four wins as he wrapped up the championship by midseason to collect his second career Pro Fuel title in three years behind the wheel of the famous "Black Pearl" nitro-powered dragster.

Evans didn't exactly reach his preseason goal, but he still managed his second title in three years

"We went to all of the finals and we only lost four laps of racing all year so that is quite an accomplishment and something we are very proud of," Evans said. "Our goal at the beginning of the year was simply to win every race. Unfortunately we blew that at the very first race, but we were still determined to come out of this thing with the championship. So after that less than stellar start we regrouped and gave it our all the rest of the year."

While Evans certainly believed that his team was capable of a perfect season, they unfortunately fell short of that goal at the very first race. During the first weekend of the year the "Black Pearl" team went winless with a disappointing 2-2 record and came away from that event with more questions than answers. And it didn't get better anytime soon.

At the very next race Evans finally found victory lane on day one of the San Antonio Nitro Jam in Texas, but again lost on the second night to leave Evans with just one win in four tries and a season round record of 5-3, losing in the finals to three different drivers.

Not exactly the way the team had hoped to start the year. So what went wrong?

"We got ahead of ourselves a little bit. We struggled with a sporadic crew and we simply ran into some unforeseen problems," Evans said. "These cars are so unpredictable and it is like playing dice, you really never know what you are going to get.

"The crew situation didn't really help either. Every race we had a different crew and because of that I didn't have the time to spend on the computer that I normally get between rounds because I was too busy working on the car. We struggled with that a little bit, but in the end it all worked out as we went on a nice run following Baton Rouge."

And that they did.

Evans went to every final but one in 2012 to wrap up the championship in Martin

Beginning at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam in Baton Rouge, Evans fired off a string of three consecutive victories to help him run away with the Pro Fuel championship and essentially seal the title by midseason. You see despite the lack of wins to start the year, Evans still managed to make every final of every race and following the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam in May, Evans had compiled four wins in seven finals with a win-loss record of 11-3.

To finish things up Evans sat out the next race in Salt Lake City and didn't return until the CarSafe Northern Nitro Jam at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in August and, despite failing to reach the final for the first time all year, still managed to go out in style with a consolation round win to easily seal his first championship since 2010.

"You really never know what you are going to get with these cars. We ran really good in Pittsburgh and following the race we put the car in the trailer, took it home, did some standard service on it and put it right back in the trailer untouched figuring we would go to Martin and have the same success. We didn't change anything and it didn't run quite as good. Why? That is just how they are," Evans said. "We still can't complain. We had an amazing year and we are so glad that the IHRA invited us to be here all year and have given us the opportunity to run our racecar and take the handcuffs off of this class a little bit.

"We didn't exactly meet our beginning of the year goals, but we still had an amazing year and one we won't soon forget."

Evans finished the year with four wins, while championship runner-up Kristen Dennis recorded two wins and Cherissa Smallwood, Casey Grisel and Don St. Arnaud all took home an Ironman trophy.

So what is next for the "Black Pearl" team following another championship season?

Kristen Dennis had two wins in finishing second in Pro Fuel championship

"We want to be in the record books," Evans said. "We are going to put a canon in this car and we are going to be the first A-Fuel car to run a four. That is our goal. We are going to race for the championship next year, but our main goal will be to do something no one in this class has ever done before.

"We actually planned to try it this year, but we were afraid that if we went all out that we would get lost in the woods and we wouldn't achieve our goal of winning every round.

"I am disappointed we haven't been able to do a little better as a class as far as performance because we have been turned loose to do whatever we want to do as far as performance, but next year that is going to change. Next year is our year."

Until then Evans and the crew will revel in another championship performance that has seen them record 12 wins in three seasons and fell just a handful of points shy last season of winning three championships in a row. So with so much success already, what keeps them coming back?

"The fans are what make this fun. This series is a lot of fun because you get to meet a lot of people and believe it or not most of the people are tickled that we take the time to talk to them and sign pictures for them, but that is what we are here for to share the experience," Evans said. "We get to have our fun on the racetrack because of the fans so we like to repay the favor by giving them an experience they will never forget."

And if Evans and the team can become the first Pro Fuel to break the four-second barrier you can be sure there will be a lot of fans that will leave with an experience they will never forget.

NHRA NEWS: 2013 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Series features 24-race schedule; addition of New England Dragway in June

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 29, 2012) – 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 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 Raceway at Indianapolis.

The unveiling of a new series sponsor, the 2013 schedule, the final lottery drawing for spots in the NHRA Traxxas Shootout for Top Fuel and Funny Car, and a preview of the race as a handful of racers battle for the final spots in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, were all a part of the festivities on Wednesday, as the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body kicked off the biggest and most prestigious event in the world of drag racing.

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,  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 in Brainerd, Minn., 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.

* * *

2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Schedule

53rd annual                        O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals                            Feb. 14-17

                                                Pomona, Calif.

29th annual                        NHRA Arizona Nationals                                                                Feb. 22-24

                                                Phoenix

44th annual                        Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals                                         March 14-17

                                                Gainesville, Fla. (PSM)

14th annual                        SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals                                        April 5-7

                                                Las Vegas

Fourth annual                    NHRA Four-Wide Nationals                                                         April 19-21

                                                Charlotte, N.C.

                               

26th annual                        O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals                            April 26-28

                                                Houston   (PSM)

33rd annual                        Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals      May 3-5               

                                                Atlanta (PSM)

25th annual                        NHRA Kansas Nationals                                                                 May 17-19

                                                Topeka, Kan.

44th annual                        Toyota NHRA Summernationals                                                May 30 – June 2

                                                Englishtown, N.J.  (PSM)              

13th annual                        Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals                                      June 14-16

                                                Bristol, Tenn.

Inaugural                             NHRA New England Nationals                                                    June 20-23

                                                Epping, N.H.

16th annual                        O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals                      June 27-30

                                                Chicago   (PSM)

Seventh annual                Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals                          July 4-7

                                                Norwalk, Ohio   (PSM)

34th annual                        Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals                                             July 19-21

                                                Denver   (PSM)

26th annual                        NHRA Sonoma Nationals                                                              July 26-28

                                                Sonoma, Calif. (PSM)

26th annual                        O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals                  Aug. 2-4

                                                Seattle

32nd annual                       Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals                                                              Aug. 15-18

                                                Brainerd, Minn. (PSM)

59th annual                        NHRA U.S. Nationals                                                                       Aug. 28 – Sept. 2

                                                Indianapolis   (PSM)

NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship

Sixth annual                       NHRA Nationals                                                                                Sept. 13-15

                                                Charlotte, N.C.  (PSM)

28th annual                        AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals                                                  Sept. 19-22

                                                Dallas (PSM)

Second annual                  AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals                              Sept. 27-29

                                                St. Louis (PSM)

29th annual                        Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals                                                           Oct. 3-6                                                                               

                                                Reading, Pa. (PSM)

13th annual                        Big O Tires NHRA Nationals                                                          Oct. 24-27

                                                Las Vegas   (PSM)

49th annual                        Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals       Nov. 7-10

                                                Pomona, Calif.  (PSM)

(PSM) - Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle

NHRA NEWS: BERNSTEIN AND FORCE WIN FAN VOTE/LOTTERY STARTING SPOTS IN TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUTS AT INDY

INDIANAPOLIS -- Top fan-vote getters Brandon Bernstein and Courtney Force were the lucky winners in the special lottery drawings for the No. 8 positions in the Traxxas Nitro Shootouts today during a press conference held in downtown Indianapolis to preview the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus, the world's most prestigious drag race.

Bernstein will face the top seed in Top Fuel, Antron Brown, in the first-round pairing of the Top Fuel Traxxas Nitro Shootout, while the 24-year-old Force will meet Funny Car top seed Ron Capps in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car first round.

"It's very exciting that the fans voted as much as they did for us and that my name got called," Bernstein said. "I was worried about Clay (Millican), so I knew it would be close, but it's fun that we got it and I can't wait to race!"

Said Force: "I'm so excited that my Traxxas Ford Mustang is in the Shootout! I'm so thankful to the fans for voting for me. I knew it was up to chance with the lottery, so I can't believe we actually won. It'll be so awesome to be in my first Traxxas Nitro Shootout and I can't wait to line up on Sunday."

The Traxxas Nitro Shootouts will be contested during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel will be held Saturday Sept. 1, with rounds at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.  The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car will be contested Sunday, Sept. 2, with rounds at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Both Traxxas Nitro Shootouts will be showcased in ESPN2HD's Sunday race coverage.

The two drivers selected today was the culmination of a process that started on Aug. 20. All drivers in both categories who had competed in each race this season but were not a part of the seven qualified drivers for each Traxxas Nitro Shootout were eligible for the fan vote/lottery. Fan voting took place on NHRA's Facebook page and lasted until Aug. 28. The fan voting determined how many lottery balls would be assigned to each driver for the drawing. Force led the Funny Car voting with 63 percent, while Bernstein had the most votes in Top Fuel, with 35 percent.

In the other first round pairings in Top Fuel, Winternationals winner Spencer Massey will face Topeka winner David Grubnic, Bristol winner Tony Schumacher will meet Gainesville winner Morgan Lucas and Atlanta winner Steve Torrence will face Doug Kalitta, who was inserted into the field as the highest points earning non-winner since one spot was left open with only six different winners in the regular season.

In the three other Funny Car first round pairings, Phoenix winner Robert Hight will meet Chicago winner Jeff Arend, Topeka winner Jack Beckman will face Winternationals winner John Force and Englishtown winner Johnny Gray will race Houston winner Mike Neff. Below are the drivers who have qualified for the Traxxas Nitro Shooutouts and their first-round pairings for the lucrative bonus races which will award the winning drivers $100,000 each.

TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (TOP FUEL)

FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS (Sept. 1, 4 p.m.):

1. Antron Brown vs. No. 8 Brandon Bernstein

2. Spencer Massey vs. No. 7 Dave Grubnic

3. Tony Schumacher vs. No. 6 Morgan Lucas

4. Steve Torrence vs. No. 5 Doug Kalitta

SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS (7 p.m.):

Brown-Bernstein winner vs. Torrence-Kalitta winner

Massey-Grubnic winner vs. Schumacher-Lucas winner

FINAL (8 p.m.)

TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (FUNNY CAR)

FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS (Sept. 2, 12:30 p.m.):

1. Ron Capps vs. No. 8 Courtney Force

2. Robert Hight vs. No. 7 Jeff Arend

3. Jack Beckman vs. No. 6 John Force

4. Johnny Gray vs. No. 5 Mike Neff

SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS (3:30 p.m.):

Capps-C.Force winner vs. Gray-Neff winner

Hight-Arend winner vs. Beckman- J.Force winner

FINAL (4:30 p.m.)

NHRA NEWS: THE COCA-COLA COMPANY EXTENDS ITS SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA'S PROFESSIONAL SERIES; NAMES MELLO YELLO AS SERIES FLAGSHIP BRAND

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 29, 2012) – NHRA announced today that The Coca-Cola Company has extended its relationship with the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body and will continue its longstanding association as title sponsor of NHRA’s premier series through the year 2018.   In addition, it was announced that beginning in 2013, Mello Yello®, The Coca-Cola Company’s popular citrus-flavored soft drink brand will be the new series title sponsor:  The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Sharon Byers, Senior Vice President Sports and Entertainment Marketing Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company, and NHRA President Tom Compton jointly made the announcement in downtown Indianapolis at Monument Circle on the eve of the start of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus, the world’s largest and most prestigious drag racing event.

               

“The Coca-Cola Company and our bottlers have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the NHRA,” said Byers.  “Together, we have created a successful formula for many Coca-Cola brands to connect with the NHRA’s passionate and dedicated community.  We know this trend will continue with the addition of Mello Yello—which boasts its own faithful following—to the equation.”

               

Throughout the decade-long partnership, the NHRA has helped Coca-Cola deliver growth for multiple brands in the portfolio.  For the past four seasons, Full Throttle® Energy Drink has been the lead brand on the NHRA’s signature series.  Full Throttle will continue to play a key role in Coca-Cola’s 2013 NHRA activation.

 

“The Coca-Cola Company has been a cornerstone of the sport since 2002 and this extension ensures our partnership will continue through at least 2018,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “Over the past 11 years working with The Coca-Cola Company and the bottlers we have developed a deep professional and personal relationship. Transitioning to a brand as powerful as Mello Yello is exciting on a number of fronts and the vision the brand team and the bottlers have shared with us regarding their plans to leverage this sponsorship will provide an extended reach nationwide for the sport of NHRA Drag Racing.”

Coca-Cola North America announced preliminary plans that will deliver the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with much broader outreach.  As the cornerstone of the sparkling beverage reintroduction into the world of motorsports, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will receive unprecedented activation and increased visibility nationwide.

Mello Yello has a storied history as an active sponsor in the world of auto racing and 2013 will mark the popular brand’s return to motorsports.  Mello Yello enjoyed a successful relationship with Kyle Petty in stock car racing from 1991 to 1994.

               

“During our brief run in motorsports, Mello Yello was at the top of its game.  The anticipation of returning the brand to its roots has created a palpable enthusiasm across the entire Coca-Cola system to begin activating against the NHRA, the most powerful motor sport on the planet,” said Michael Mathews, vice president, Non-Colas Sparkling Marketing, Coca-Cola.  “Fans of Mello Yello are all about good times with friends, and that is certainly delivered by the NHRA’s high octane excitement and thrilling race days.”

               

The 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule also was announced.

Today's Drag Racing News

News

NHRA 'Big Show' Fuel Coupes at World Series Drag Racing Online Magazine Although real racing is slowly taking center stage at the World Series of Drag Racing, the long tradition of Fuel Funny Cars and Top Fuel cars match racing was continued at this year's 59th edition. Midwest hitter Tim Wilkerson and journeyman Jack ... See all stories on this topic » Drag Racing Online Magazine

We've Got Mail! Drag Racing Online Magazine The sport of drag racing is dying. It just hasn't fallen over yet. There's no interest from young people and the interest of older fans is waning quickly. Part of it is purely economic - it costs a lot to build a competitive car and team at any level ... See all stories on this topic »

Dad now in drags hot seat Warwick Daily News AFTER first following the drag racing circuit when his son rose to best in the nation, Rob Price caught the bug and is now a regular at the Warwick Dragway. The Logan steel fabricator competed in an LX Torana in the JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing ... See all stories on this topic »

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:::Drag Racing Online::: World Fuel Altered Nationals at Eddyville ... World Fuel Altered Nationals at Eddyville, Iowa. Words by Dennis Mothershed Photos by Dennis and Matt Mothershed. Thundering motors, burning slicks, ... www.dragracingonline.com/.../2012/xiv_8-fuelaltnats-1.html

2012 World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway | Drag ... DRO AA/FC 2012 World Series of Drag Racing Final Round Video ... Final Qualifying ... www.dragracingonline.com/weekendcoverage/?cat=10

Turner quiets critics, captures Nitro Harley title

Turner looking to drive into record books with unique 'big pig' ride

NORWALK, Ohio (August 28, 2012) – They said it was too big. They said it was too heavy and too ugly. But mostly, they said it would never go fast.

As it turns out, they were all wrong.

Despite its harsh critics Turner debuted the sleek, jet-black nitromethane powered motorcycle he dubbed the "big pig" at the beginning of 2012 during two test sessions in Valdosta, Ga. and immediately sent shockwaves throughout the two-wheel racing community. Within just a few laps Turner showed everyone that the bike that "never would" could actually do all of the above and then some.

Sitting a bit wider than usual with 10 extra inches of wheelbase and a motor positioned slighter farther forward, the "big pig" was considered by Turner the "bike of the future" when he rolled it off the trailer in February. Perhaps Turner was on to something.

Turner led Nitro Jam with six wins in 2012 on his way to picking up his first championship

By season's end Turner had racked up a series-leading six Ironman trophies and ran away with the 2012 Nitro Harley championship, defeating defending champion Steve Dorn by 109 points to collect his very first Nitro Jam World Championship.

"It has all been a blur, but it was a great year. We brought out the new bike and it has been so consistent. Not just internally, but it has been remarkably consistent going from one track to another with different surfaces and different conditions and while we see other bikes struggle this one goes right down the middle almost every time," Turner said. "The early season testing is really what made the difference in our season. Thanks to the boss Randal Andras we had some extra money to go test and that was the key to our success. We were able to make 10 or 12 runs without the pressure of beating someone in the other lane and that really set us up for the year we had."

When the bike finally made its competitive debut in March at the San Antonio Nitro Jam Turner fired off lap-after-lap of consistent, fast passes leading to a weekend sweep in Texas. One week later at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam in Baton Rouge it was more of the same. Oh, and in Pittsburgh a few weeks after that, another trophy for Turner.

By the time Turner and the "big pig" got through the first half of the Nitro Jam season he had racked up an impressive five consecutive wins in the ultra-competitive Nitro Harley class and looked as if nothing could stop him.

Then came Canada.

Turner began the season with five straight wins to help him run away with the title

During the Canadian portion of the Nitro Jam tour a few drivers finally got the best of him as Andras won the biggest Nitro Harley race of the year at the MOPAR Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals in Edmonton and then won again in Grand Bend a few weeks later. Dorn also collected his first and only win of the season in Grand Bend.

Just as it appeared others had finally made up some ground on Turner, he returned to his dominant ways at the season finale at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, winning the event and wrapping up his first career championship in the process.

"It was a really good year for the entire team," Turner said. "Everybody worked well together and nobody tried to kill each other so that always makes for a good season. These races are always a double-edged sword because you can't just go out there and swing for the fences because we have to put on a good show for the fans, but we are also all very competitive. I think we balanced that nicely this year and it turned into us holding the big trophy when it was all said and done."

In addition to Turner's six wins, Devin Pelrine, Ron Gledhill and Andras all collected a pair of wins apiece and Dorn added a win to his totals.

Now, with a championship added to his collection, Turner says he is turning his attention back to the bike and doing something that has never been done before – breaking the five-second barrier.

Turner's primary competition came from 2011 champion Steve Dorn (pictured)

"We have learned so much about making this bike consistent, now we are going to try and make it run really fast," Turner said. "Next we are going to work on making more horsepower without burning it up and running it hard for the rest of the year and do some more testing and come out swinging next year.

"We built this bike to run five seconds and that is what we are aiming for. Yes we were successful this year and we won a lot of races, but have we accomplished our goal of what we built the bike for? No."

So what would it mean for Turner to break that barrier?

"It would be like climbing Mount Everest," Turner said. "Being the first Nitro Harley to make a five second pass, that is the last major barrier of V-Twin nitro bikes. Nobody has ever done it naturally aspirated and without a supercharger and that is our goal. That is why we are here."

And the scary part? Turner actually has plans to make more of these things.

"Yeah, we want to make another one," Turner said. "Hopefully we can have a lot of firsts and make our mark on the sport, that would be something special."

For now Turner is happy with his first championship and a big season, but bigger and better things await. Will we see more "big pig" in victory lane and maybe even a few records broken in 2013? We will have to wait and see.

NHRA NEWS: DEFENDING FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMP HAGAN NEEDS STRONG INDY RUN TO ADVANCE TO COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS

INDIANAPOLIS – While every driver is heading to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus to try and win drag racing’s most prestigious event and become a part of its rich history, several drivers in each category are looking for a winning performance to be able to continue their quests for a world championship title and advance to NHRA’s playoffs, the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship.

One of those drivers is defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan.

Last year Hagan earned his first championship title in dramatic fashion at the last race of the year.

The Virginia cattle rancher will need to draw off of that experience in order to keep his hopes alive to defend that championship title this year. A season of struggles has kept Hagan out of the top 10 for most of the season. However, his Aaron’s/Mopar Dodge Charger has got hot in the last three races and posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at Sonoma and Seattle and a semifinal effort at Brainerd.

He comes to Indy in 11th place in the standings, trailing 10th place Bob Tasca by 19 points. Only the top 10 in each category advance to the six-race Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship with a shot at winning a world championship title.

Hagan is hoping to keep his recent momentum alive at the sport’s oldest and most tradition-rich event, Aug. 29-Sept. 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Series event that will be televised on ESPN2HD in more than 10 hours of coverage during Labor Day weekend.

“I’m just glad we still have a fighting chance to go out there and do this thing,” Hagan said. “We still have a big hill to climb.  Bob Tasca is in front of us and it’s just a matter of getting out there and making big plays and stepping up to the plate and trying to knock it out of the park.  But things have got to line up, too.  If Tasca goes out and wins the race, we can’t change that.”

Hagan says he plans to just focus on his routine and try to stay in the moment, a similar strategy he used in his championship-winning effort last November.

“You can’t change what other people do, you can only control what you have available in front of you and that’s what we have tried to focus on, is going out there, digging deep, keep on time, keeping it in the groove, turning the win light on and the rest will take care of itself,” Hagan said.

He says his season has been like a very bad dream. The first half of the year produced eight first round losses and a DNQ.

“We’ve had a horrible year,” Hagan said. “Nobody expected us to come out and struggle the way we have.  But that’s life and that’s what you have to deal with. It’s just been nice that we have finally got a combination that the car has responded to, and the car is finally coming around.”

Hagan, who won the title last year from sixth place in the regular season, knows that once you are in the Countdown, each driver has a shot at winning it. He says his confidence is still there. He knows his team is capable of getting on a streak, winning some rounds and races. And who knows, maybe even another championship title.

“It’s been tough for me to deal with it a little bit, but on the flipside, you know, we have won a world championship, set three world records in the last two years and won a handful of races,” Hagan said. “I know that our team is capable of doing this and getting it done.  I really believe in them and I believe in my crew chief and I believe in everybody.  We are just ready to go out and hunt this thing down.”

If Hagan is going to rally for the dramatic entrance into the Countdown playoffs, he’s going to have to hold off a strong group of challengers, including series leader Ron Capps and 2009 Indy winner Robert Hight. Jack Beckman, Johnny Gray, Cruz Pedregon, four-time Indy winner John Force, rookie sensation Courtney Force and defending event winner Neff will certainly be racing hard for the victory.

Two other drivers join Hagan outside the top 10 who are trying to qualify for the Countdown, including 12th place Tim Wilkerson, who is 28 points out of 10th in his Levi Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, and Alexis DeJoria, who has a very slim mathematical chance of making the playoffs from 13th place.

In Top Fuel, only three points separate 10th place Bob Vandergriff and 11th place Clay Millican. Rookie driver Khalid alBalooshi is 79 points back in 12th place and 13th place Terry McMillen is a longshot to make the playoffs.

As many as seven drivers are in the hunt to make the playoffs in Pro Stock, as 32 points separate the seventh place driver to the 11th place driver. Only 21 points stand between 8th place Shane Gray and 11th place Jeg Coughlin, a four-time Pro Stock world champ. Coughlin trails 10th place V. Gaines by only two points. Ronnie Humphrey is 21 points out of 10th and Rodger Brogdon is a longshot in 13th place, 81 points back of 10th.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, 11th place John Hall trails 10th place rider Shawn Gann by 22 points and two-time Indy winner Steve Johnson is 12th, 56 points back of Gann.

• SCHEDULE: The first of five qualifying sessions are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. Two sessions will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 3.

• TICKETS: Tickets are available for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. Tickets are available by calling (800) 884-NHRA (6472), or online at www.NHRATIX.com.

• ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. Three hours of qualifying coverage and coverage of the Traxxas Nitro Shootouts will air at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, Sept. 2. Two additional hours of qualifying coverage and Traxxas Shootout highlights will also air on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. (ET). Eliminations for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus will be featured during six hours of coverage on Monday, Sept. 3, starting at noon (ET).

• TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUTS: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus also will feature two Traxxas Nitro Shootouts. The first one will feature eight qualified Top Fuel drivers on Saturday, Sept. 1 with rounds at 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car will be held on Sunday, Sept. 2 for the eight qualified drivers, with rounds at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Winners in each Traxxas Nitro Shootout will earn $100,000.

• LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus also will feature competition in all categories of the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 29 and eliminations begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30 and continue through Monday, Sept. 3.

• NHRA PRO MOD SERIES presented by ProCare Rx: NHRA’s popular Pro Mod touring series will make its seventh start of the 10-race 2012 season at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. 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, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. Qualifying will continue on Saturday, Sept. 1 with sessions at 2 and 5:30 p.m. The final qualifying session will be Sunday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. and the first round of eliminations begins Sunday, Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. and will continue on Monday, Sept. 3 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.

•ABOUT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS: One of five motorsports facilities owned and operated by NHRA, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis sits on 267 acres of land just west of Indianapolis in the town of Clermont, and features three race courses: a championship drag strip, a .686-mile paved oval and a 2.5-mile, 15-turn road course.

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

WHAT: 58th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus, 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the last race in the NHRA Full Throttle Series regular season. At the conclusion of this event, the top 10 drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – will be locked in to begin the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs, leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. This season, NHRA is celebrating the Nitro Generation, a tribute to the many families both on the track and in the stands who have made NHRA the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body.

WHERE: Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Clermont, Ind. From I-465, exit Crawfordsville Road (Hwy. 136). Head west for
four miles past downtown Clermont. The facility’s main entrance is on the left, one-half mile past Raceway Road.

COURSE: Championship dragstrip; Track elevation is 700 feet above sea level; Track direction is south to north.

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 3.

SCHEDULE:       
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying, 8:30 a.m.

THURSDAY, Aug. 30 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations, 8 a.m.

FRIDAY, Aug. 31 - LUCAS OIL SERIES (includes MOPAR Hemi Challenge) eliminations, 8 a.m.
PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX qualifying at 4:30 p.m. 
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 1 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations, 8 a.m. 
PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX qualifying at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (Top Fuel) rounds at 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 2 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations, 8 a.m. 
PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX qualifying at 2 p.m.; first round of eliminations at 5 p.m.
TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (Funny Car) rounds at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

MONDAY, Sept. 3 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. 
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX eliminations continue at approximately 2:30 p.m.

TELEVISION:     
Sunday, Sept. 2, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of qualifying coverage at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 2, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET).
Monday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise six hours of eliminations coverage at noon (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed): 
Friday, Aug. 31, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 19C
Saturday, Sept. 1, 10 - 10:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 19C
Sunday, Sept. 2, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 19C
Monday, Sept. 3, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 19C
(4080 MHz, horizontal; 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; Mike Neff, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; Hector Arana Jr., Pro Stock Motorcycle

MOST VICTORIES: Bob Glidden, Pro Stock, 9; Don Garlits, Top Fuel, 8;Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, 8; Don Prudhomme, Top Fuel and Funny Car, 7; Warren Johnson, Pro Stock, 6; Dave Schultz, Pro Stock Motorcycle, 6; Ed McCulloch, Funny Car and Top Fuel, 6; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock, 6; John Force, Funny Car, 4; Larry Dixon, Top Fuel, 4.

EVENT HISTORY: The most historic and prestigious event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil has been contested annually since 1955. Originally known as “The Nationals” and first held at an abandoned airstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the event made stops at Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Detroit before eventually moving to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 1961. Past winners include “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, an eight-time winner in Top Fuel; Shirley Muldowney, 1982 Top Fuel winner; Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, a seven-time winner and one of a handful of drivers to win the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car; and Bob Glidden, the legendary Pro Stock driver who dominated the race by advancing to the final round in 13 consecutive seasons from 1977-’89. The Indiana native won the event a record nine times. It is the only major motorsports event to be contested on Labor Day. In 2004 the event celebrated its 50th anniversary in memorable fashion with spectacular racing witnessed by one of the biggest crowds in NHRA history. This year during the NHRA’s Nitro Generation celebration, there promises to be major drama as the event will be the last race during the NHRA Full Throttle Series regular season, and the top 10 drivers in each of the four classes will be determined for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

FAST FACTS: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is the final of 17 regular season Full Throttle Series races. Following conclusion of this event the top 10 drivers in each Full Throttle Series category will qualify for the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs that begin Sept. 14-16 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.…  Tony Schumacher is a 10-time U.S. Nationals finalist in Top Fuel (winning eight)…  Schumacher’s first career NHRA start came at the U.S. Nationals in 1996 and the then rookie posted a runner-up finish to Cory McClenathan…  Pro Stock dominator Greg Anderson has won the race six times in the past 11 seasons…  Six female drivers representing all four professional categories are pre-entered for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals…  John Force, 15-time NHRA Full Throttle Series world champion and winner of a record 134 events, has won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals four times, his last coming in 2002…  Pro Stock’s Bob Glidden is the winningest driver in the history of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, with nine victories… The event also will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series and the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx.

  

WHAT TO WATCH: The Traxxas Nitro Shootouts will offer $100,000 to the winners in special bonus events for qualified Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers… Tony Schumacher, who is third in the series with win one win, is seeking a record ninth Top Fuel victory at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals; with a win he will break his current tie with “Big Daddy” Don Garlits for most U.S. Nationals Top Fuel wins…  A victory by Schumacher would tie Pro Stock’s Bob Glidden for most U.S. Nationals victories with nine…  Four-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson, the defending world champion and third in the series points entering the event, is seeking his seventh Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory… Erica Enders became the first female to win a Pro Stock race in NHRA history in Chicago and captured two more victories in back-to-back fashion at Seattle and Brainerd. At Indy she'll be going for three wins in a row… Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Motorcycle champion and points leader Eddie Krawiec is riding a hot streak into the event, as he has entered the winner’s circle six times this season aboard his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley Davidson…  Two other drivers riding momentum into the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals are Antron Brown in Top Fuel and Ron Capps in Funny Car, who both took over the points leads in their categories at Brainerd. Brown has won four events, while Capps has three wins this season… Sophomore drivers – Pro Stock’s Vincent Nobile and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Hector Arana Jr. – enter the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in the top 10; Nobile has won two races this season while Arana Jr. has posted two runner-up finishes.

TRACK HISTORY: In 1958, led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward and Howard Fieber, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals invested $5,000 each to fund the development of what would become Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The group purchased a 267-acre farm about seven miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and developed a multipurpose auto racing facility. The original intention in creating Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis was to design a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course. Nearly as an afterthought, and as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the 2.5-mile road course design. Constructed with assistance from the NHRA, the drag strip was the first of the three courses to be completed, with the facility’s first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. During the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit, a handshake agreement between Binford and NHRA founder Wally Parks promised that the event would move to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 1961. The historic three-year pact was signed and sealed under a tree in Detroit Dragway’s pits, and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis eventually became the home of NHRA’s biggest annual event. The NHRA purchased the entire facility in 1979. The first major improvement came in 1983 with the construction and dedication of Parks Tower, the four-story drag strip tower. In 1998, new grandstands, suites and a tower complex on the front straightaway were completed at the oval track at a cost of nearly $2.5 million, which included the repaving of the entire oval surface as part of a three-phase facility improvement project. In 2001, NHRA and Lucas Oil Raceway constructed a new drag strip racing surface, replacing the strip with a 660-foot concrete pad and laying new asphalt on the remainder of the track and shutdown area. Prior to the 2003 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, eight new luxury suites were added along the top of the west-side grandstands of the drag strip, giving fans a unique perspective of the action on the famed quarter-mile track. In 2006, new soft barrier walls were added to the oval. In 2007, the track announced its first track entitlement with O’Reilly Auto Parts. In 2011, the track announced a new track entitlement with Lucas Oil Products. The track – formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park – is now known as Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. During the winter of 2008, a new main track office building was constructed near the track entrance.

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.

TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.776 sec. by Larry Dixon, Sept. ’10; 324.83 mph by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’10.
Funny Car - 4.026 sec. by Cruz Pedregon, Sept. ’11; 315.19 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11.
Pro Stock - 6.538 sec. by Jason Line, Sept. ’11; 211.03 mph by Greg Anderson, Sept. ’11.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.815 sec. by Andrew Hines, Sept. ’10; 196.76 mph by Hines, Sept. ’10.

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also are available online atwww.NHRATIX.com.

  

* * *

NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings for drivers through the top 13 positions following the 16th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel:  1.  Antron Brown, 1,335*; 2.  Spencer Massey, 1,277*; 3.  Tony Schumacher, 1,196*; 4.  Steve Torrence, 1,139*; 5.  Doug Kalitta, 971*; 6.  Morgan Lucas, 945*; 7.  Shawn Langdon, 874*; 8. David Grubnic, 809*; 9.  Brandon Bernstein, 800*; 10.  Bob Vandergriff, 664; 11. Clay Millican, 661; 12. Khalid alBalooshi, 585; 13. Terry McMillen, 546.

Funny Car:  1.  Ron Capps, 1,228*; 2.  Robert Hight, 1,175*; 3.  Jack Beckman, 1,068*; 4.  Johnny Gray, 999*; 5.  Mike Neff, 988*; 6.  Courtney Force, 883; 7.  Cruz Pedregon, 861; 8.  John Force, 842; 9.  Jeff Arend, 781; 10.  Bob Tasca III, 770; 11. Matt Hagan, 751; 12. Tim Wilkerson, 742; 13. Alexis DeJoria, 621.

Pro Stock:  1.  Allen Johnson, 1,432*; 2.  Jason Line, 1,298*; 3.  Greg Anderson, 1,270*; 4.  Mike Edwards, 1,090*; 5.  Erica Enders, 1,065*; 6.  Vincent Nobile, 1,056*; 7.  Ron Krisher, 634; 8.  Shane Gray, 623; 9.  Larry Morgan, 620; 10.  V. Gaines, 604; 11. Jeg Coughlin, 602; 12. Ronnie Humphrey, 583; 13. Rodger Brogdon, 523.

Pro Stock Motorcycle:  1.  Eddie Krawiec, 962*; 2.  Andrew Hines, 856*; 3.  Hector Arana Jr, 760*; 4.  Hector Arana, 630*; 5.  Karen Stoffer, 504*; 6.  Scotty Pollacheck, 434; 7.  LE Tonglet, 432; 8.  Michael Ray, 419; 9. Matt Smith, 374; 10.  Shawn Gann, 367; 11. John Hall, 345; 12. Steve Johnson, 311; 13. Michael Phillips, 259.

* Clinched berth in NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs.