Force ends 40-race winless streak with funny car win at 50th Winternationals: In what could only be described as a Hollywood ending, 14-time NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car world champion and drag-racing legend John Force ended his 40-race winless streak in front of his hometown crowd at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, as he drove his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang past Ron Capps in the final round of the history-making 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals. The NHRA legend also took over the points lead in Funny Car for the first time since November 2006, when he won his record-setting 14th world championship.
“I read in the paper that 60 is the new 40, and I’m going with that,” said Force after the win. “I am just a guy that won a race with a great team around me. Sometimes a little bit of change gets people moving again and this team is moving again. I am proud that I could win this 50th (Winternationals).”
Force was joined in the winner’s circle with California-native Larry Dixon, who won in Top Fuel, and defending Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards. Dixon drove his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to his first win of the season and fourth at the Winternationals, a huge improvement from last season, when Dixon failed to qualify for the season-opening event.
“It’s beyond words,” said Dixon, who earned his 49th career win, which ties him for eighth place on the all-time NHRA wins list with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. “With all the hype going into this race for the 50th, it feels good to just have a shot at it. Then to actually do it, I really feel blessed to be in this car and with this team.”
Edwards continued his dominance in the Pro Stock category. The defending champ took the No. 1 qualifying position and was the quickest car in the class every qualifying run, which secured him the full 12 bonus points in qualifying. Edwards then picked through the field en route to his 21st career win.
“It’s a major win,” said Edwards. “What a way to start the season. My team is outrageously dependable and they make the car go down the track. We are real fortunate to have what we have.”
Motorola NHRA live timing now available on NHRA.com: Live timing from NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events is now available on www.NHRA.com. Live timing began at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals and will be available for all NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing events. Motorola NHRA Live Timing will feature live timing from NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events so fans at home can follow the action as it is happening on the track, including all competitors and categories; full listings of incremental times and speeds; updated qualifying and elimination ladders; current weather and atmospheric conditions at the event; and complete race archive data back to the 2009 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Through the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, in addition to the live data, NHRA is making available the complete archive timing data to all www.NHRA.com visitors. After the introductory period, NHRA members will have access to the archive data as a benefit of their NHRA membership. Non-NHRA members can purchase complete archive data for a special introductory price of $19.95. All visitors to www.NHRA.com will have access to free real-time data.
The new www.NHRA.com live timing complements last year’s launch of NHRA mobile application.
For more information, visit www.NHRA.com.
NHRA salutes military with discounted tickets for Gainesville, Atlanta, Indy, Pomona: For the second year, NHRA will provide discounted tickets for active-duty military at the four NHRA-owned and operated facilities. Active-duty military with proof of status will be able to purchase up to two $10 adult general-admission tickets for the Friday session of the NHRA Gatornationals, March 11–14 at Gainesville Raceway, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 14–16 at Atlanta Dragway, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, September 1–6 at O’Reilly Raceway park at Indianapolis, and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, November 11–14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The military discount will only be redeemable at the track ticket offices on the Friday of race weekend. For information about the military discount at NHRA-owned venues, call 800-884-4762.
Coming attractions
NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, March 11–14: The traditional season opener for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to this historic event in the swamp lands of Florida. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Bob Tasca (Funny Car); Jason Line (Pro Stock); and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
NHRA four-wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, March 25–28: For the first time in NHRA Nationals history, qualifying and eliminations for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle at an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event will be conducted four-wide instead of just two.
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Not settling for second-place: Cory McClenathan after racing to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel at the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, the first of 23 races on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season: “We plan on making noise early. I’m tired of waiting, lurking; we’re going to try to go toe-to-toe with these guys from day one.”
Inside the numbers
7: That’s the number of drivers that have won the season-opening NHRA Winternationals and NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second stop on the NHRA Full Throttle series since 1990, in the same season. Below is the list of those drivers and the years. Ron Capps made the repeat last season, and John Force, who also performed the feat in 1997, will try to become only the second driver in NHRA history to accomplish the task twice in his career.
•Gary Scelzi (Top Fuel) - 1997
•Ron Capps (Funny Car) - 2009
•John Force (Funny Car) - 1997
•Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) - 2000
•Jim Yates (Pro Stock) - 1996
•Darrell Alderman (Pro Stock) - 1995, 1991
•Jerry Eckman (Pro Stock) - 1992
Did you know…
…that Advertising Edge has signed a multiyear agreement to become the official uniform of NHRA. The terms of the agreement call for Advertising Edge to provide NHRA with hats, staff uniforms, shirts, event winner jackets, and other special apparel items. For more information, visit www.NHRA.com.
NHRA announces 2010 Full Throttle Series TV schedule on ESPN2: NHRA will launch its 10th anniversary season with ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports television, with a prime-time telecast of the most highly anticipated Full Throttle Series race in many years at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona: the 50th Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline, February 14, from 8:00–11:00 p.m. (EST). Highlighting the complete 2010 schedule is a commitment to consistent broadcast times for Sunday’s race day action with 17 of the 23 events scheduled in the coveted Sunday night prime-time slot on ESPN2.
Once again, the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, will feature more than 10 hours of wall-to-wall coverage beginning with qualifying on September 5 and concluding with a five-hour broadcast on September 6 from 1:00-6:00 p.m. In all, the network will dedicate more than 100 hours of original programming to the world’s quickest, fastest, and most intense motorsport with live or same-day coverage of qualifying on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. All broadcasts will be aired in high definition on ESPN2HD.
Additionally, the popular pre-race show that debuted in 2007, NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, will be back in 2010, once again being produced on-site to allow fans attending the Sunday race a chance to watch—and participate—in the show. It will air on each of the 23 Sundays that the NHRA Full Throttle Series is racing and will be hosted once again by Dave Rieff and Mike Dunn. Paul Page returns to the broadcasting booth as host of race coverage alongside Dunn, who will provide expert analysis and insight on the racing action. Rieff and Gary Gerould will return as pit reporters. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA broadcast team in 2007, will serve as a third pit reporter at select races.
For more information, including a complete list of the television schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.
NHRA extends K&N horsepower challenge contract: NHRA has signed a contract extension with K&N Engineering Inc., locking in the company’s sponsorship of the popular K&N Horsepower Challenge, a lucrative bonus event for Pro Stock competitors, through the 2012 event. The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a special race-within-a-race bonus program for the top Pro Stock drivers in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The K&N Horsepower Challenge is contested during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk. The race features a special eliminations pairing with eight Pro Stock drivers in the field: seven who accumulate the most points in qualifying during the 23-race Challenge series and one who is selected to the starting lineup for the event via a special fan vote.
As part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge, K&N will conduct a fan promotion during the running of the series and will present a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle to a lucky fan during the final of the K&N Horsepower Challenge. In the promotion, eight lucky fans will receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Summit Motorsports Park for the event, where one fan will be selected as the winner of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Each finalist will be paired with a K&N Horsepower Challenge driver during the pre-race ceremony and will be introduced on stage with the driver. The winner of the K&N Horsepower Challenge will earn $50,000, and the runner-up will earn $10,000. The two semifinalists will earn $3,000 each, and the four first-round finishers will receive $2,500 each.
Last season, Jeg Coughlin claimed his third title in the prestigious race-within-a-race bonus event. Other past winners of the K&N Horsepower Challenge include Greg Anderson, Dave Connolly, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Larry Morgan, Jim Yates, Bruce Allen, and Bob Glidden.
For more information on the K&N Horsepower Challenge, visit www.NHRA.com.
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Bigger than life: Top Fuel pilot Cory McClenathan on what it means to earn a Wally, the trophy awarded at the end of each NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing event to the winners: “You feel bigger than life sometimes and (those are) the moments I cherish the most.”
Inside the numbers
7: That’s how many Winternationals wins legendary Pro Stock driver Bob Glidden has, the most of any Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver in NHRA history. Glidden’s first win of the season-opener in Pomona came in 1975.
Four-lane racing to be showcased in Full Throttle series during inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway: For the first time in NHRA national event history, qualifying and eliminations for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle at an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event will be conducted four-wide instead of two.
The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is scheduled for March 25–28 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.
“We had so much positive feedback from our fans and drivers after the four-lane exhibition last September that we were comfortable adding this unique twist to an official NHRA national event,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “Once again, NHRA will be making history at zMAX Dragway. With all four of our Full Throttle Series categories competing in four-wide racing, it will certainly be a spectacular event to see.”
“Watching these nitro cars thunder four-wide down the world’s only four-lane concrete strip is exactly what we had in mind when we built zMAX Dragway,” said Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports and creator of zMAX Dragway.
“We’re making history with horsepower at the Bellagio of drag strips and race fans will be treated to a competition unlike any thing that’s ever been seen before. This will blow them away.”
The rules for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway will be as follows:
•Qualifying will be conducted using four lanes
•Each category winner will be determined in three rounds of eliminations
•The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the four first rounds of eliminations will advance to the second round
•The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the two second rounds of eliminations will advance to the final round
•Each final round will feature four drivers in each category, and the single driver to cross the finish line first in the final will be declared the winner of the race, the second runner-up and so on.
Tickets for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway are still available by visiting www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Copart Inc. named official online vehicle auction of NHRA: NHRA has announced that Copart Inc., a leading provider of vehicle auction services, has been named the Official Online Vehicle Auction of NHRA. The agreement follows Copart’s designation last September as the primary sponsor of Kenny Bernstein Racing’s Top Fuel dragster driven by Brandon Bernstein. The comprehensive official sponsor program in place with NHRA will complement Copart’s team sponsorship with KBR to maximize exposure.
As part of the official sponsorship, Copart will have a major presence at all 23 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events through trackside signage, public address announcements, an inflatable at the top end of the race track, and big-screen advertising spots. Besides pit-side hospitality with the team, Copart intends to engage in additional corporate hospitality at many of the national events.
For more information on Copart’s sponsorship, visit www.NHRA.com.
Force cars fast in testing; Bernstein tops charts in Top Fuel in Phoenix: The John Force Racing Funny Car trio, led by defending NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Funny Car champion Robert Hight, showed strong runs as pre-season testing continued through the weekend and into Monday at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix. Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang clocked a 4.05-second run at more than 310 mph to wrap up Monday’s test session, with both teammate Ashley Force Hood and team owner John Force posting times just under the 4.10-second mark.
“It was perfect timing for that run because it was the first run with the 2010 Mustang body,” said Hight. “I knew it was a good run. It felt good the whole way. It was cool to hear the excitement of the guys on the radio. We have a pretty good baseline going into Pomona.”
The Force team was joined by fellow Funny Car drivers Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca, and Cruz Pedregon during the weekend test session. In Top Fuel, Brandon Bernstein took advantage of the warm weather and clear skies Sunday as he drove his newly painted Copart dragster to a 3.873-second run to lead the class. Bernstein was joined in the test session by Top Fuel pilots Doug Foley and Troy Buff.
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A chance for redemption: Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson, who participated in the four-wide exhibition event held at the 2009 NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway, on racing four-wide again at the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, March 25–28 at zMAX Dragway:
“The whole thing was a gigantic hit, with the fans and the racers, and it was really fun to be a part of it. Unfortunately, we missed on our tune-up a little, over there in one of the two lanes that hadn’t been run on, and we came in last. Now we have a chance to make up for that, and this time it will count.”
Inside the numbers
2006: That’s the year that Melanie Troxel earned her first NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series win in Top Fuel at the 2006 NHRA Winternationals. Troxel then set an NHRA record for the most consecutive final rounds to start a season (5), with one of those being a second career win (Las Vegas 1). But it all began with her first win at the NHRA Winternationals. Troxel is set to return in the Funny Car class at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals.
Did you know…
…that seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher added yet another impressive credential to his list last week when he was named the 2009 Speed Performer of the Year. Schumacher was presented with the Mario Andretti Trophy for his accomplishment and edged out NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson and Superbike rookie Ben Spies to become the first NHRA recipient of the prestigious trophy.
NHRA announces formation of NHRA worldwide network; Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi first affiliate track: NHRA has announced the creation of NHRA Worldwide Network, a program that will enable drag-racing facilities around the world to conduct events under the NHRA banner. By becoming a part of the NHRA Worldwide Network, a facility will be able to use the specially designed “Worldwide Drag Racing” NHRA oval for broad promotional purposes and will be able to draw on NHRA’s decades of experience and history.
The first track to be associated with the program will be the dragstrip currently being built within the confines of the Yas Marina Circuit, located on Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
NHRA Worldwide Network tracks will follow the NHRA Rulebook and will be assigned an account director for advice and consultation. The track will have access to NHRA’s technical department in the United States and may also request training at the track site. Tracks can also participate in any of NHRA’s Division Tech Seminars, SFI certification and training seminars, and emergency-response training seminars. NHRA will establish a link to the track’s Web site from NHRA.com and be listed in a newly created Worldwide Affiliation directory of National Dragster and www.NHRA.com.
“Organized drag racing is conducted throughout the world and we have been receiving many inquiries regarding how facilities outside of North America can become affiliated with NHRA,” said Tom Compton, the association's president. “NHRA Worldwide Network provides drag-racing facilities around the globe with unique benefits and identification with NHRA.”
For more information, visit. www.NHRA.com.
Longtime NHRA board member and first National Dragster Editor Dick Wells (1934–2010) dies at 75: Dick Wells, the first editor of National Dragster and a longtime member of the NHRA Board of Directors, died Jan. 18 from complications after heart surgery last November. He was 75.
A member of both the NHRA board of directors and the NHRA Wally Parks Museum board of directors, SEMA Industry Hall of Famer Wells began his long and storied career in motorsports as National Dragster’s first editor in 1960.
“Dick loved the NHRA and everything about drag racing and the world of performance,” said Dallas Gardner, NHRA chairman of the board. “His passion led him to a lifetime of contribution that, simply put, made things better. His efforts and influence touched everyone. He was a great part of the leadership that saw the sport grow to what it has become today. We will miss him for his participation, but we will miss him more as a friend.”
As the original editor of National Dragster, Wells laid the foundation for what would become drag racing’s most famous publication. He joined the NHRA Board of Directors in 1979 and has been an important force behind the scenes of the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body since then.
“NHRA lost one of its most loyal and trusted advisors and friends in Dick Wells,” said Tom Compton, NHRA president. “He was an integral part of NHRA in the early days and has been a guiding force for NHRA ever since. Dick loved NHRA and was an ambassador like no other for the sport. On behalf of his NHRA family, we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.”
After his tenure at National Dragster, the hot rodder from Lincoln, Neb., later moved on to editorial positions at Hot Rod and earned the title of executive editor at Motor Trend. As Petersen Publishing Company’s director of special events, Wells produced what many believe to be his greatest contribution to the automotive industry: the first SEMA Show in 1967 at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.
Wells, who also began the Street Rod Nationals and was the first active president of the National Street Rod Association, is credited with the massive street-rod movement in the United States. In 2007, he retired from the position of vice president of corporate projects at SEMA, where he also served as executive director in the '70s. He has been honored many times over for contributions to the automotive industry. He was named SEMA Person of the Year in 1977 and was inducted into the SEMA Industry Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was presented the International Specialty Car Association (ISCA) Founder’s Award in 1994 and the Street Rod Marketing Alliance Industry Recognition Award in 1996, and was among those honored with the NHRA Pioneers Award in 2001. Last year, he was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
Brown, Capps strong as testing ends in south Florida: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers completed their final few passes this last weekend as pre-season testing in South Florida came to a close. Teams will have two more opportunities in both Phoenix and Las Vegas to collect some last-minute data and post a few more runs before the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season kicks off with the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, February 11–14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
In the Top Fuel class, Antron Brown clocked a solid selection of 3.81-second runs during the test session and even posted a blistering speed of 322.11 mph.
“Testing went good for our [Don Schumacher Racing (DSR)] Matco Tools team,” said Brown. “This was a true test for our team. We tried a lot of new things. We’re getting adapted to how the other DSR cars run, and we got a lot of good data.”
In Funny Car, Ron Capps held some of the quickest passes as the testing session came to an end and posted numerous runs in the 4.09- and 4.10-second range.
“I feel great, the NAPA Dodge is running great, Ace [crew chief Ed McCulloch] is happy, and we also learned some things that don’t work, which is as important as learning what does work,” said Capps.
Capps and Brown were joined by numerous drivers from the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series during testing, including such drivers as seven-time and defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher, two-time world champion Larry Dixon, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Cory McClenthan, David Grubnic, Del Worsham, Bob Tasca, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, and Jeff Arend, just to name a few. To see how some of your drivers fared, visit www.NHRA.com.
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The character of the team: Funny Car driver Jack Beckman on just how important a team is in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing: “I don’t think winning defines the character of the teams; I think the character of the teams defines winning.”
Inside the numbers
4: That’s the number of father/son driver combinations that have won the historic NHRA Winternationals over its 50-year life. Below you will find a list of the father/son combinations and the years each won.
•Larry Dixon Sr. (1970) and Larry Dixon Jr. (2003, 2002, 1998) –
•Connie Kalitta (1967) and Scott Kalitta (2005)
•Don Schumacher (1973 in Funny Car) and Tony Schumacher (2008, 2004 in Top Fuel)
•Warren Johnson (2003, 1997, 1994, 1993, 1987) and Kurt Johnson (2001)
