NEWS NUGGETS
POINTS LEADERS SWAPPED AS NHRA COUNTDOWN GETS READY FOR LAS VEGAS:
Funny Car driver Jack Beckman knew he had the car to beat Sunday. As the
part-time drag-racing school instructor slowly but surely marched up
the ladder during Sunday eliminations at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at
Firebird International Raceway, Beckman knew that his chances for a
repeat win in Phoenix were high. What came as a shock for the Southern
California native was what came with his third win of the season—the
Funny Car points lead.
NEWS NUGGETS
DRIVERS WITHIN POINT LEADS LOOK TO GRAB TOP SPOTS IN PHOENIX: Funny Car driver Mike Neff is in a position he hasn’t experienced much this year. After leading the points since the Houston event, the fifth race of the season, Neff saw his advantage disappear two weeks ago in Reading, Pennsylvania, when a second-round finish moved Matt Hagan past him and into the top spot. Now, as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its fourth stop in the Countdown to the Championship at the NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend, Neff is looking for some of that mid-season success that kept his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in the lead for so long.
DRIVERS WITHIN POINT LEADS LOOK TO GRAB TOP SPOTS IN PHOENIX: Funny Car driver Mike Neff is in a position he hasn’t experienced much this year. After leading the points since the Houston event, the fifth race of the season, Neff saw his advantage disappear two weeks ago in Reading, Pennsylvania, when a second-round finish moved Matt Hagan past him and into the top spot. Now, as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its fourth stop in the Countdown to the Championship at the NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend, Neff is looking for some of that mid-season success that kept his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in the lead for so long.
NEWS NUGGETS
RECORDS FALL AT THIRD STOP OF COUNTDOWN IN READING: Jason Line raced to his second win of the Countdown to the Championship in his fourth consecutive final-round appearance Sunday at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania. But the win, his sixth of the season, may not have been the biggest boost of the weekend to his already impressive points lead in Pro Stock. It was the 6.477-second run during eliminations that did that. The national recording-setting pass, the quickest in NHRA Pro Stock history, shattered the previous record set and gave the driver of the Summit Racing Pontiac GXP a 20-point bonus at the end of the day. When all was said and done, Line left Maple Grove Raceway with a 181-point lead over second-place driver Greg Anderson heading into the final three races of the season.
RECORDS FALL AT THIRD STOP OF COUNTDOWN IN READING: Jason Line raced to his second win of the Countdown to the Championship in his fourth consecutive final-round appearance Sunday at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania. But the win, his sixth of the season, may not have been the biggest boost of the weekend to his already impressive points lead in Pro Stock. It was the 6.477-second run during eliminations that did that. The national recording-setting pass, the quickest in NHRA Pro Stock history, shattered the previous record set and gave the driver of the Summit Racing Pontiac GXP a 20-point bonus at the end of the day. When all was said and done, Line left Maple Grove Raceway with a 181-point lead over second-place driver Greg Anderson heading into the final three races of the season.
NEWS NUGGETS
MASSEY MOVES INTO POINTS LEAD WHILE NEFF, LINE AND KRAWIEC KEEP TOP SPOTS AFTER DALLAS: Top Fuel pilot Spencer Massey had a near-perfect weekend as he returned to his home state of Texas for the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. With a second consecutive runner-up finish for the season and the points lead after he knocked off teammate Antron Brown in the semifinal round, Massey and his Prestone/FRAM dragster left Texas Motorplex in the exact spot he wanted to be in—the lead.
MASSEY MOVES INTO POINTS LEAD WHILE NEFF, LINE AND KRAWIEC KEEP TOP SPOTS AFTER DALLAS: Top Fuel pilot Spencer Massey had a near-perfect weekend as he returned to his home state of Texas for the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex. With a second consecutive runner-up finish for the season and the points lead after he knocked off teammate Antron Brown in the semifinal round, Massey and his Prestone/FRAM dragster left Texas Motorplex in the exact spot he wanted to be in—the lead.
NEWS NUGGETS
zMAX WINNERS READY TO KEEP MOMENTUM ROLLING, EVERYONE ELSE LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN MOMENTUM AS THEY HEAD TO THE LONESTAR STATE: Starting off the Countdown to the Championship with a victory is great, but if you want to end the Countdown with the NHRA Full Throttle championship trophy, you have to keep winning and that’s what Matt Hagan, (Funny Car) Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) plan to do. Conditions were ripe for the picking at zMAX Dragway where record-setting runs were the norm, but the conditions won't be the same when the teams roll into Dallas where the forecast is hot and humid. The game plan will have to be shifted from record-setting numbers to just going A to B and getting those round wins. As Hagan proved last weekend, big moves in the point standings are a real possibility at each of the Countdown races as he jumped from sixth to second.
zMAX WINNERS READY TO KEEP MOMENTUM ROLLING, EVERYONE ELSE LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN MOMENTUM AS THEY HEAD TO THE LONESTAR STATE: Starting off the Countdown to the Championship with a victory is great, but if you want to end the Countdown with the NHRA Full Throttle championship trophy, you have to keep winning and that’s what Matt Hagan, (Funny Car) Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) plan to do. Conditions were ripe for the picking at zMAX Dragway where record-setting runs were the norm, but the conditions won't be the same when the teams roll into Dallas where the forecast is hot and humid. The game plan will have to be shifted from record-setting numbers to just going A to B and getting those round wins. As Hagan proved last weekend, big moves in the point standings are a real possibility at each of the Countdown races as he jumped from sixth to second.
NEWS NUGGETS
DRIVERS REVVED UP FOR zMAX AND START OF COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: It’s been a full week since the final drivers clinched their spots in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. A full week since the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series last raced. Now, after a brief break from racing action, the drivers and crew members will return to the dragstrip for the start of a three-races-in-three-weeks stretch, beginning this week at zMAX Dragway with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. And for those drivers competing in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, the time couldn’t come quick enough.
DRIVERS REVVED UP FOR zMAX AND START OF COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: It’s been a full week since the final drivers clinched their spots in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. A full week since the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series last raced. Now, after a brief break from racing action, the drivers and crew members will return to the dragstrip for the start of a three-races-in-three-weeks stretch, beginning this week at zMAX Dragway with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. And for those drivers competing in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, the time couldn’t come quick enough.
NEWS NUGGETS
BIG WINNERS AT NHRA DRAG RACING’S BIG GO: Antron Brown, Mike Neff, Greg Anderson and Hector Arana Jr. were winners in their respective categories at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals—the final race of the regular season before the start of the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship—the six-race playoffs to determine the world champions. Brown became the first driver to win the historic event in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle when he powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.813-second run at 321.73 mph. The final-round performance was enough to get past Del Worsham and secure his fifth win of the season and 30th of his career.
BIG WINNERS AT NHRA DRAG RACING’S BIG GO: Antron Brown, Mike Neff, Greg Anderson and Hector Arana Jr. were winners in their respective categories at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals—the final race of the regular season before the start of the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship—the six-race playoffs to determine the world champions. Brown became the first driver to win the historic event in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle when he powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.813-second run at 321.73 mph. The final-round performance was enough to get past Del Worsham and secure his fifth win of the season and 30th of his career.
NEWS NUGGETS
MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS IS LAST CHANCE FOR DRIVERS HOPING TO MAKE THE FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca knows what type of Labor Day weekend he’ll be having. While many people may spend their last long weekend of summer relaxing by the pool, the New England native will spend his days counting points and crossing fingers as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to historic Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. It’s the final race of the regular season and the place where drivers will have one more shot at locking in a spot in the top 10 point standings before the start of the Countdown to the Championship—NHRA’s six-race playoffs to determine the world champions. Tasca sits in the 10th and last spot in the Funny Car points but has yet to secure his spot in the Countdown. With 11th-place driver Johnny Gray just 62 points behind, or just a little more than three round-wins, Tasca knows just how important his approach to Indy will be.
MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS IS LAST CHANCE FOR DRIVERS HOPING TO MAKE THE FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca knows what type of Labor Day weekend he’ll be having. While many people may spend their last long weekend of summer relaxing by the pool, the New England native will spend his days counting points and crossing fingers as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to historic Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. It’s the final race of the regular season and the place where drivers will have one more shot at locking in a spot in the top 10 point standings before the start of the Countdown to the Championship—NHRA’s six-race playoffs to determine the world champions. Tasca sits in the 10th and last spot in the Funny Car points but has yet to secure his spot in the Countdown. With 11th-place driver Johnny Gray just 62 points behind, or just a little more than three round-wins, Tasca knows just how important his approach to Indy will be.
NEWS NUGGETS
DRIVERS FIND STREAK OF SUCCESS BEFORE COUNTDOWN CUTOFF: For Funny Car driver Johnny Gray, Sunday’s eliminations round at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway was all or nothing. Sitting 95 points behind 10th-place driver Bob Tasca entering the event, Gray knew that if he wanted any chance of moving into that 10th-place spot and competing in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship—NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine the world champions—he would have to win at Brainerd. Gray did just that, holding off fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps in the final round to collect his first race win.
DRIVERS FIND STREAK OF SUCCESS BEFORE COUNTDOWN CUTOFF: For Funny Car driver Johnny Gray, Sunday’s eliminations round at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway was all or nothing. Sitting 95 points behind 10th-place driver Bob Tasca entering the event, Gray knew that if he wanted any chance of moving into that 10th-place spot and competing in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship—NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine the world champions—he would have to win at Brainerd. Gray did just that, holding off fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps in the final round to collect his first race win.
NEWS NUGGETS
SOME HOPE FOR COUNTDOWN BERTH WHILE OTHERS LOOK TO SECURE TOP SPOTS IN POINT STANDINGS: Funny Car driver Johnny Gray knows it’s do-or-die time. With just two races left until the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship begins, Gray knows that his 11th-place spot in the point standings is not enough to get him into the Top 10 and into Countdown contention. And he’s not alone. As the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Brainerd, Minnesota, this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, many drivers are looking for last-minute success to secure their spots in the Countdown.
SOME HOPE FOR COUNTDOWN BERTH WHILE OTHERS LOOK TO SECURE TOP SPOTS IN POINT STANDINGS: Funny Car driver Johnny Gray knows it’s do-or-die time. With just two races left until the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship begins, Gray knows that his 11th-place spot in the point standings is not enough to get him into the Top 10 and into Countdown contention. And he’s not alone. As the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Brainerd, Minnesota, this weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, many drivers are looking for last-minute success to secure their spots in the Countdown.