Compiled by SEMA Editors
NEWS NUGGETS
NOBILE READY TO GRAB A HOME-TRACK PRO STOCK VICTORY: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series races to the East Coast for the Toyota NHRA Summernationals, May 30–June 2, and Pro Stock racer Vincent Nobile is thrilled to once again return to his racing roots. Nobile, in his third full season in Pro Stock, is a resident of Melville, New York, and has long considered Old Bridge Township Raceway Park his home track, which is located a little more than 70 miles from his home.
“It is a lot of fun; my whole family comes out,” Nobile said. “My dad and mom usually come to every race. My extended family, aunts, uncles and friends all come out to support me when we race in Englishtown, so it is really fun to go there.”
Visit NHRA.com for more and to purchase tickets go to ExtremeTix.com.
KRAWIEC LOOKS FOR SECOND CAREER PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WIN IN ENGLISHTOWN: Englishtown native Eddie Krawiec will try to claim his second career Pro Stock Motorcycle win at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, May 30–June 2, when the Pro Stock Motorcycle category returns at action at the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals.
“To finally win at Englishtown was a huge pressure off my back,” Krawiec said. “Back in 2009, I made it to the final there against Craig Treble and I played it a little too safe on the tree. I came up [with a reaction time of .061] and Treble came up [.007] and ended up taking the win by just a few [thousandths of a second]. That killed me, because it would have been my first career win and to have it happen at my home track would have been huge. I thought maybe I let that win get away from me, but luckily enough in 2012 I had an awesome motorcycle going into the race. Qualifying went killer for me and I pretty much had my way in eliminations. Hector [Arana] Sr. went red to me in the final and I took the win. I told people, ‘Now that I’ve sealed the deal here I can move forward in my career.’ Even to this day it puts a smile on my face.”
To purchase tickets for the event go to ExtremeTix.com.
BROWN MEETS INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLESITTER CARPENTER: Reigning NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown was the special guest of Izod IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Carpenter was the polesitter for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. Carpenter raced to a 10th-place finish at the event. Brown, driver of the Matco Tools dragster for Don Schumacher Racing and winner of two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series races this season, met with Carpenter and members of his Fuzzy's Vodka team in the garage area. Visit NHRA.com for more.
C. FORCE JOINS INDIANAPOLIS 500 FESTIVITIES: Courtney Force, driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car, attended Carb Day and experienced the festivities leading up to the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. Force enjoyed another “off weekend” at yet another race track touring the paddock and making a couple stops in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center before watching final practice for the Indy car teams.
“It was great having one off weekend, but I couldn’t keep myself away from the race track. I was able to watch final practice for the Indy 500, meet a lot of really cool people involved in Indy Car, talk to some fans at the Automobile Club of Southern California display and tour the paddock,” said Force.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
FORD NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS, Bristol Dragway, June 14–16: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will return to the hills of East Tennessee once again for the 13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers, June 14–16, at Bristol Dragway. Set for Father’s Day weekend, this event is the 10th of 24 races in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock drivers will battle on the dragstrip all weekend for the Wally trophy. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the event that will be televised on ESPN2HD. For tickets call Bristol Dragway at 423-989-6900 or visit www.bristoldragway.com.
AUTO-PLUS NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS, New England Dragway, June 20–23: The wait is over and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series finally arrives at New England Dragway for the inaugural NHRA New England Nationals, June 20–23. To kick off the weekend’s festivities, the stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, including 15-time Funny Car world champ John Force, his teammate 2009 Funny Car world champion Robert Hight, Rhode Island native Bob Tasca III and Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon, will participate in the NHRA New England Nationals Fan Fest and Press Conference, to be held in the heart of Boston, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Wednesday, June 19, starting at 12:00 p.m.
HE SAID, SHE SAID
“I won my first race there in 1992 and then picked up six straight victories on that [track]. This year, the race is on Father’s Day weekend, so it makes perfect sense for me to be back on the track with my B.R.A.K.E.S. dragster wearing the pictures of my two sons, Jon and James. Jon and James will be riding with me in Bristol, which will make this race pretty special on Father’s Day weekend. We’re planning on having a great time and showing everyone we’re a team that should be running at every race!"
–Doug Herbert on returning to Bristol Dragway for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and carrying the B.R.A.K.E.S. paint scheme on his dragster.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10: Number of points that separates Funny Car points leads Johnny Gray from second-place driver Cruz Pedregon in one of the most competitive seasons in Funny Car history. Five different drivers have led the points at different times this season.
DID YOU KNOW…
The NHRA and members of the NHRA Pro Stock community are urging support for the victims of the Oklahoma tornado tragedy. More than 25 NHRA members and their families are known to live in Moore, Oklahoma, which was hit hardest by the EF5 tornado. The tragedy also hit close to home for Richard Freeman and the Elite Motorsports LLC/Elite Performance employees, whose Wynnewood headquarters is just an hour from the heart of the destruction. The Elite group—along with fellow NHRA competitors and friends Mark Stockseth, Rickie Jones and his father Rick Jones of RJ Racecars—have joined forces to offer support for the victims of this terrible tragedy, and they hope to encourage members of the NHRA community to offer support as well through donations made to the American Red Cross.