NEWS NUGGETS
BROWN, BECKMAN, ENDERS, KRAWIEC SAY ‘SEE YOU’ IN ST. LOUIS:
Antron Brown raced to his sixth Top Fuel victory of the season last
Sunday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway
Motorsports Park, and in the process, increased his championship points
lead. Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Eddie
Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the event—the first
race for the NHRA in the St. Louis area in more than two years. Brown
defeated championship rival Spencer Massey in the final round and moved
21 points ahead of the Texas driver with only three races remaining in
the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Brown, who
battled side by side with Massey all weekend, took the victory with a
final-round performance of 3.766 seconds at 325.22 mph in his Matco
Tools/Aaron’s dragster, while Massey trailed with a 3.812 at 324.05 in
his FRAM/Prestone dragster.
NEWS NUGGETS
BROWN, TASCA, JOHNSON, RAY COLLECT DALLAS WINS: Antron Brown raced to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the all-concrete Texas Motorplex near Dallas. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Michael Ray (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the second of six playoff events in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. Brown claimed his fifth victory of the season and moved into a tie for the points lead with the driver he beat in the final round—teammate Spencer Massey. Brown powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.898-second run at 311.49 mph to hold off Massey’s FRAM dragster, which finished with a 3.945 at 300.60.
BROWN, TASCA, JOHNSON, RAY COLLECT DALLAS WINS: Antron Brown raced to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the all-concrete Texas Motorplex near Dallas. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Michael Ray (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the second of six playoff events in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. Brown claimed his fifth victory of the season and moved into a tie for the points lead with the driver he beat in the final round—teammate Spencer Massey. Brown powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.898-second run at 311.49 mph to hold off Massey’s FRAM dragster, which finished with a 3.945 at 300.60.
- Read more about NHRA Nitro Funny Car Driver Alexis DeJoria Builds Baja-Ready Toyota Tundra Prerunner
Alexis DeJoria—one of only two women ever to win an NHRA Alcohol Funny
Car race—is now the only woman in a different kind of competitive
event—the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge.
DeJoria—one of four famous drivers aiming to win the
vehicle-modification build competition—is taking a stock Toyota Tundra
full-size pickup and turning it into a fully race-ready desert racer
she’s christened the “Tundra Prerunner.”
NEWS NUGGETS
LANGDON SCORES FIRST TF TITLE; CAPPS, LINE, HINES ALSO WIN CHARLOTTE: Shawn Langdon raced to his first career Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the rain-delayed O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMAX Dragway. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned victories in their respective classes after the first of six playoff races in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. Langdon defeated Tony Schumacher Sunday with a performance of 3.785 seconds at 326.71 mph in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster, holding off Schumacher, who finished in 3.808 at 322.27 in his U.S. Army dragster. Langdon won from the top qualifying position and beat Chris Karamesines, Bob Vandergriff Jr. and Brandon Bernstein to advance to the final round.
LANGDON SCORES FIRST TF TITLE; CAPPS, LINE, HINES ALSO WIN CHARLOTTE: Shawn Langdon raced to his first career Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the rain-delayed O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMAX Dragway. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned victories in their respective classes after the first of six playoff races in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. Langdon defeated Tony Schumacher Sunday with a performance of 3.785 seconds at 326.71 mph in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster, holding off Schumacher, who finished in 3.808 at 322.27 in his U.S. Army dragster. Langdon won from the top qualifying position and beat Chris Karamesines, Bob Vandergriff Jr. and Brandon Bernstein to advance to the final round.
NEWS NUGGETS
WILKERSON RALLIES AT INDY TO EARN COUNTDOWN PLAYOFF BERTH; VANDERGRIFF, COUGHLIN ALSO TAKE SPOTS: Veteran Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson added to the drama and excitement of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus by making a tremendous move in Indy to earn the 10th and final Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoff spot in Funny Car. After starting the race in 12th in the points standings, Wilkerson defeated Bob Tasca and Jeff Arend before advancing to the final round and outlasting defending world champ Matt Hagan for the final position. A 10-point oil-violation penalty following his final-round loss to eventual race winner Mike Neff made the final tally even more dramatic as Wilkerson edged Hagan by only seven points. Wilkerson had been outside the top 10 since the second race of the season. Now he will have the opportunity to compete against nine others in the 8,000hp category for a chance at winning the Full Throttle world championship. In Top Fuel, Bob Vandergriff Jr. outlasted Clay Millican and Khalid alBalooshi for the 10th spot. In Pro Stock, Ron Krisher, V. Gaines, Larry Morgan and Jeg Coughlin earned the four remaining berths. Michael Ray, Shawn Gann and Matt Smith claimed the final three spots in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The six-race NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship opens September 14–16 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, North Carolina, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries. For tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267). For more on this story, visit NHRA.com.
WILKERSON RALLIES AT INDY TO EARN COUNTDOWN PLAYOFF BERTH; VANDERGRIFF, COUGHLIN ALSO TAKE SPOTS: Veteran Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson added to the drama and excitement of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus by making a tremendous move in Indy to earn the 10th and final Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoff spot in Funny Car. After starting the race in 12th in the points standings, Wilkerson defeated Bob Tasca and Jeff Arend before advancing to the final round and outlasting defending world champ Matt Hagan for the final position. A 10-point oil-violation penalty following his final-round loss to eventual race winner Mike Neff made the final tally even more dramatic as Wilkerson edged Hagan by only seven points. Wilkerson had been outside the top 10 since the second race of the season. Now he will have the opportunity to compete against nine others in the 8,000hp category for a chance at winning the Full Throttle world championship. In Top Fuel, Bob Vandergriff Jr. outlasted Clay Millican and Khalid alBalooshi for the 10th spot. In Pro Stock, Ron Krisher, V. Gaines, Larry Morgan and Jeg Coughlin earned the four remaining berths. Michael Ray, Shawn Gann and Matt Smith claimed the final three spots in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The six-race NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship opens September 14–16 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, North Carolina, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries. For tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267). For more on this story, visit NHRA.com.
NHRA
NEWS NUGGETS
MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS ACTION RESUMES SEPTEMBER 8–9: Two days of persistent rain showers from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac forced NHRA officials to postpone the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis until September 8–9. Qualifying for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories—Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle—will reopen with two sessions (11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) Saturday, September 8, and eliminations will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 9. The NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car, the $100,000 bonus race within a race, will be run on Saturday, September 8, with the first round starting at 12:30 p.m. ESPN2’s coverage will air Sunday, September 9, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EDT). Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx will also continue qualifying Saturday, September 8, and the rest of sportsman eliminations are scheduled for Saturday. Tickets from Sunday, September 2, will be honored Saturday, September 8. Tickets from Monday, September 3, will be honored Sunday, September 9.
MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS ACTION RESUMES SEPTEMBER 8–9: Two days of persistent rain showers from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac forced NHRA officials to postpone the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis until September 8–9. Qualifying for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories—Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle—will reopen with two sessions (11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) Saturday, September 8, and eliminations will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 9. The NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car, the $100,000 bonus race within a race, will be run on Saturday, September 8, with the first round starting at 12:30 p.m. ESPN2’s coverage will air Sunday, September 9, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EDT). Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx will also continue qualifying Saturday, September 8, and the rest of sportsman eliminations are scheduled for Saturday. Tickets from Sunday, September 2, will be honored Saturday, September 8. Tickets from Monday, September 3, will be honored Sunday, September 9.
NHRA
NEWS NUGGETS
NHRA ANNOUNCES MELLO YELLO AS SERIES SPONSOR FOR 2013: The Coca-Cola Co. has extended its relationship with the NHRA and will continue its longstanding association as title sponsor of NHRA’s premier series through the year 2018. In addition, beginning in 2013, Mello Yello, The Coca-Cola Co.’s citrus-flavored soft-drink brand, will be the new series title sponsor: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Sharon Byers, senior vice president of sports and entertainment marketing partnerships at The Coca-Cola Co., 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.
NHRA ANNOUNCES MELLO YELLO AS SERIES SPONSOR FOR 2013: The Coca-Cola Co. has extended its relationship with the NHRA and will continue its longstanding association as title sponsor of NHRA’s premier series through the year 2018. In addition, beginning in 2013, Mello Yello, The Coca-Cola Co.’s citrus-flavored soft-drink brand, will be the new series title sponsor: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Sharon Byers, senior vice president of sports and entertainment marketing partnerships at The Coca-Cola Co., 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.
NEWS NUGGETS
LUCAS, CAPPS, ENDERS, KRAWIEC COLLECT BRAINERD VICTORIES: Ron Capps raced to the Funny Car victory last Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and moved into the Full Throttle Series points lead for the first time this season with one race remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the penultimate regular season event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Capps powered away from 15-time world champ John Force in the Funny Car final round to take his third win of the season, third at Brainerd Internationall Raceway (BIR) and 36th of his career.
LUCAS, CAPPS, ENDERS, KRAWIEC COLLECT BRAINERD VICTORIES: Ron Capps raced to the Funny Car victory last Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and moved into the Full Throttle Series points lead for the first time this season with one race remaining before the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the penultimate regular season event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Capps powered away from 15-time world champ John Force in the Funny Car final round to take his third win of the season, third at Brainerd Internationall Raceway (BIR) and 36th of his career.
NEWS NUGGETS
INDIANAPOLIS-BASED NHRA RACERS HAVE BUSY WEEKEND OFF: Nitro Generation was in full force last weekend in Indianapolis as four area NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers took part in two separate events. On Saturday, entrants to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis were greeted by a 7,000hp Funny Car in the shadow of two dinosaurs. Inside the main entrance, driver Mike Neff and Pro Stock Motorcycle champions Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec signed autographs for the thousands of guests who streamed into the museum.
INDIANAPOLIS-BASED NHRA RACERS HAVE BUSY WEEKEND OFF: Nitro Generation was in full force last weekend in Indianapolis as four area NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers took part in two separate events. On Saturday, entrants to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis were greeted by a 7,000hp Funny Car in the shadow of two dinosaurs. Inside the main entrance, driver Mike Neff and Pro Stock Motorcycle champions Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec signed autographs for the thousands of guests who streamed into the museum.
NEWS NUGGETS
WOMEN MAKE HISTORY IN SEATTLE: For the first time in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series history, two female drivers claimed Wally trophies at the same event. Courtney Force powered her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car to the winner's circle for the first time, and Erica Enders earned her second Pro Stock victory in her GK Racing Chevy Cobalt at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals, presented by Super Start Batteries at Pacific Raceways. Force, the youngest daughter of 15-time Funny Car world champion John Force, and sister of the first woman to win in Funny Car, Ashley Force Hood, earned her first Funny Car victory at the same track where she earned her first victory in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in 2009. Enders drove straight to the Pro Stock winner’s circle for the second time in the tough conditions at Pacific Raceways. She took out three of the heavy hitters en route to the win: four-time world champ Greg Anderson in the quarterfinals, points leader and winner of the past two events Allen Johnson in the semifinals, and reigning world champ Jason Line in the final round. Seattle native Megan Ellingson won Super Street in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series—the NHRA's Sportsman series—making this the first NHRA event where three women have claimed victories across all categories of NHRA competition.
WOMEN MAKE HISTORY IN SEATTLE: For the first time in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series history, two female drivers claimed Wally trophies at the same event. Courtney Force powered her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car to the winner's circle for the first time, and Erica Enders earned her second Pro Stock victory in her GK Racing Chevy Cobalt at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals, presented by Super Start Batteries at Pacific Raceways. Force, the youngest daughter of 15-time Funny Car world champion John Force, and sister of the first woman to win in Funny Car, Ashley Force Hood, earned her first Funny Car victory at the same track where she earned her first victory in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in 2009. Enders drove straight to the Pro Stock winner’s circle for the second time in the tough conditions at Pacific Raceways. She took out three of the heavy hitters en route to the win: four-time world champ Greg Anderson in the quarterfinals, points leader and winner of the past two events Allen Johnson in the semifinals, and reigning world champ Jason Line in the final round. Seattle native Megan Ellingson won Super Street in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series—the NHRA's Sportsman series—making this the first NHRA event where three women have claimed victories across all categories of NHRA competition.