Friday Qualifying for the 37th NHRA Gatornationals

by Marvin T. Smith

A beautiful day greeted fans and racers as professional qualifying for the Gatornationals began on Friday. Results were mixed. In the first qualifying session, most of the fuel cars had trouble getting down track under power. However, in the second session, with the sun going down and not beating on the track, the pace picked up considerably.

During the first session of Top Fuel, Morgan Lucas and Hillary Will both posted mid 4.6 second runs, but the third car was in the 5s. The bump spot was a miserable 11.89. This may have been the worst qualifying session in the history of NHRA Powerade drag racing. Luckily, by the second session, the racers were ready and the track was better. David Grubnic and Morgan Lucas both belted out identical 4.555 elapsed times to lead the pack, with Grubnic winning the number one spot on his better 323.62 mph. Brandon Bernstein and Doug Kalitta were also in the 4.50s. Rod Fuller, Larry Dixon, Hillary Will, Doug Foley, and Clay Millican were in the 4.60s. Georgian BobVandergriff was 10th with a 4.74. The bump spot was lowered to 7.073. The biggest surprise was that Tony Schumacher was still on the outside. Doug Kalitta grabbed top speed with a run of 328.22 mph.

In Funny Car, the first session was again pretty hopeless. Del Worsham won the Number One spot with a 4.872 at 309.17 mph. Tony and Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson, Jr, Jeff Arend, Gary Densham, and Ron Capps were in the 4.90s. The bump was 9.24, and four cars were slower than 6.0 seconds. Again, the pace picked up in Round Two. Whit Bazemore ran an outstanding 4.769 at 321.88 in his new Dodge Charger to grab the pole until John Force came up and ran a 4.751 at 323.62 to steal it away from the former Georgian. It was still an impressive debut for the new body style. Showing that the new Charger is for real, Gary Scelzi grabbed top speed on Friday with a blast of 325.61. At the end of session two, it was an all four second funny car field. With 22 cars on the track, many top competitors will attempt to bump their way into the field on Saturday.

Pro Stock was led by Greg Anderson with a fine 6.664 at 206.80. Larry Morgan, Jason Line, Mike Edwards, Warren Johnson, and Erica Enders were all in the 6.60s. The bump after two rounds of qualifying was 6.729. Georgians Warren Johnson (#5) and Kurt Johnson (#10) are solidly in the field, with Barry Grant just outside at number 18.

The Gatornationals is the first race in the series for Pro Stock Motorcycle. Everyone was waiting to see how the new rules would affect qualifying. In Session One, Ryan Schnitz led qualifying on his Buell at 7.048 192. In Session Two, Antron Brown came back to show that the Suzukis are not dead yet, taking the pole with a run of 7.046. The top ten has five Suzukis, four Buells, and one Harley. Tom Bradford claimed top speed at 193.88 mph on his Buell. It is going to be an interesting year. Georgian Chip Ellis is fourth with a run of 7.069 on his Buell.

Pro Mod also had its season debut at Gainesville. 22 cars attempted to qualify for the field on Friday. After two rounds of qualifying, Jay Payne grabbed the number one spot with a 6.134. Rick Distefano was second with top speed of 233.03. Mike Castellana, with the only Nitrous Oxide equipped car in the field, was third with a 6.14 230. Georgia’s Eddie Ware was in the sixteenth spot with a 6.491 206.99 with his new, still primered, Camaro.

Two more sessions of qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, with final eliminations on Sunday.

2006 NHRA Gatornationals Photos

Marvin T. Smith is covering the Gatornationals for GeorgiaDragRacing.com and we'll be adding more of his photos to this album over the weekend. Click here to view the photos.

VANDERGRIFF ENDS FRIDAY IN 10th POSITION

Courtesy Ken Sklute
Vandergriff Motorsports Public Relations

GAINESVILLE, Fla., (March 17, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff, Jr., driver of the UPS Top Fuel dragster, is excited about his return to the AC DELCO NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend. Vandergriff feels at home at Gainesville Raceway, the site where he accomplished his NHRA Competition license from Frank Hawleys School in 1999, and a week later he was back to upgrade that license to Top Fuel.

Vandergriff started the first of Fridays two qualifying sessions by smoking the tires at the hit.
"We are not unlike the other teams here, struggling with the new tires," said Vandergriff. We are making changes trying to overcome the challenges that the new tire is bringing.

On Fridays second pass, the UPS Top Fueler launched hard and carried the front wheels while shaking the rear slicks. "The tires shook at 1.1 seconds into the run, so I pedaled it," Vandergriff explained. "I stepped back into it, but the clutch had already locked up. I carried the front wheels at three feet high for about two seconds. They were just hanging there so I kept my foot in it since we weren't in the show, I wanted to gain info."

The results of Vandergriff riding out the wheelstand produced a 4.740 second pass at 325.85 mph to land the team in the number 10 position. "We are making changes in the right direction," added Vandergriff. "We hope to eliminate the tire shake. We'll see how we can improve on Saturday."

Pro qualifying continues Saturday at 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM with final elimination's scheduled for Sunday, March 19, at 11 AM.

WJ Starts Strong, Slots 5th Midway through Gatornationals Qualifying

Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Coming off their win in Phoenix two weeks ago, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team continued to run well during Friday's qualifying sessions for the ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL.

Their first attempt proved to be their best, as WJ powered through the quarter-mile in 6.696 seconds with a Pro Stock best top speed of 206.80 mph. This remained his run of record after he was slowed by tire shake in the second session, earning The Professor the fifth position midway through qualifying, with the entire team focused on bettering their standing on Saturday.

"We made a decent run on our opening attempt, and made a few changes for the second session to try a few things and improve even further. You might say it was a combination of fine-tuning and testing, since we felt fairly confident we wouldn't be bumped out.

"There are several factors that contributed to that severe tire shake. The engine combination we were using probably had a little more power - it felt like it on the burnout. In addition, I suspect the track might have been a little better, looking at the sixty-foot times across the board. When we were here a few weeks ago, the track deteriorated substantially in the afternoon, so we backed it down for the second run, and might have gone a little too far. Even though we didn't get the run we were looking for, we learned quite a bit which we will able to use.

"We'll be an early pair in tomorrow's first session, and I don't really see a problem with our picking up the performance on our GM Performance Parts GTO. We just have to make a decent run."

KJ Sits 10th at Gatornationals Qualifying Midpoint

Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

The first day of qualifying for the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals found Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt crew working to match their race car to the Gainesville Raceway surface. In each session, the team made representative runs, improving to a 6.708-second, 206.70 mph effort in the second session. Although this slotted Johnson in the provisional 10th spot, he was already making plans to improve his standing during Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions.

"We're still working on finding the right tune-up to take advantage of the power we're making with this ACDelco Cobalt. We did some extensive testing before coming to Gainesville with promising results, but we’re still working to adapt that information to this track.

"Our first run wasn't what we were looking for, so we made a few changes for the second session. Although it was certainly better, we're not happy unless we're on top. Basically, we need to make a few more adjustments and pick it up even further. The challenge will be determining what the right changes are.

"With the power we're making, we should be capable of running at the top of the pack. Tomorrow morning's run will be a challenge, because we'll be shooting for the pole while simultaneously trying to make sure and cement our spot in the field for Sunday. It's going to be interesting."

Wood and Hill Win Class at Gatornationals

Congratulations to Brandon Wood (Thomasville, GA) for winning the C/SA class and Everett Hill (Fayetteville, GA) for wnning the O/SA class at Gainesville!

Grubnic, Force, Anderson, and Brown Lead First Day Qualifying at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals

Gainesville, FL. - David Grubnic leads the way in Top Fuel with a 4.555 @ 323.62. Georgia's Bob Vandergriff is currently #10 in his UPS sponsored machine (4.740 @ 325.85).

In Funny Car, John Force is in the top spot with a 4.751 @ 323.62 and former Georgian Whit Bazemore is #2 with a 4.769 @321.88 with the new Dodge Charger body.

Greg Anderson continues to pace the Pro Stockers with his #1 6.664 @ 206.80. Warren Johnson is in the #5 position (6.696 @ 206.80), Kurt Johnson is #10 (6.708 @ 206.70) and Barry Grant is not qualified with a 18th best of 6.737 @ 204.03.

In Pro Stock Bike, Antron Brown is #1 with a 7.046 @ 189.19. Chip Ellis is currently #4 at 7.069 @ 185.52.

More information at NHRA.com

Georgia Sportsman Racers at the NHRA Gatornationals

Several Georgia Stock and Super Stock racers are in Gainesville, FL attempting to qualify for the 2006 NHRA Gatornationals eliminations. Here is a brief recap of their current positions (Thursday - after 3 sessions):

Stock: (Currently #1 - 4909 B/FIA Dempsey Pendarvis, Gonzales LA 10.459 -1.241)

-#7 - Tom Stevenson (Flowery Branch GA) 10.992 12.15 -1.158
-#22 - Butch Payne (Rome, GA) 10.916 12.00 -1.084
-#40 - Brandon Wood (Thomasville, GA) 10.684 11.70 -1.016
-#41 - Woodro Josey (Byron, GA) 10.686 11.70 -1.014
-#80 - Doug Frazier (Ringgold, GA) 11.246 12.00 -0.754
-#81 - Everett Hill (Fayetteville, GA) 12.719 13.45 -0.731


Super Stock: (Currently #1- 3373 SS/GM Ray Vierheller, Barberton OH, '92 Camaro 9.314 10.70 -1.386)

-#11 - Joe LoCicero (Snellville, GA) 9.238 10.40 -1.162
-#58 - Grant Lewis (Jesup, GA) 9.238 10.20 -0.962


For updated information, visit NHRA.com and DragRaceCentral.com.

CONQUERING TRACK, EARNING BONUS POINTS ARE SCELZI'S GOALS FOR GAINESVILLE

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15, 2006) - Three-time Top Fuel champion and reigning Funny Car titleholder Gary Scelzi has 32 career event wins to his credit at every venue at which the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series competes, except three: Englishtown, N.J., Denver, Colo., and Gainesville, Fla.

Scelzi has his sites set on conquering Gainesville Raceway at this weekend's NHRA Gatornationals as well as setting a national elapsed-time record with the new Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T he'll debut here. In an already tension-filled chase for the 2006 Funny Car championship after only two events, Scelzi says every point and every round win is going to count if he's to defend his Funny Car title.

He's already one spot ahead of where he was in the point standings (ninth) last year at this stage of the season, despite early-round losses in the first two events. Recent Phoenix testing results have also buoyed Scelzi's confidence.

"I've been runner-up here in Top Fuel and Funny Car," says the Fresno, Calif., native. "God, yes, I want to conquer it. I'm really excited this year coming back to Gainesville because of the test we had in Phoenix (after the last event) on Monday and Tuesday. The car just acts totally different with the parts that we've changed; it was very consistent. It reminded me a lot of last year towards the end of the year. It was very good.

"We're going to treat Gainesville just like it's Indy (the prestigious U.S. Nationals) because this is one that I've never won and it's very important, in my mind. I've had a lot of accomplishments and a lot of things I should be proud of. One thing I want to do is to win at every single venue that we go to. And Gainesville is one of them. We're not going to be at those other two (Englishtown and Denver) for a while, so Gainesville is the one that I'm looking at right now.

"If the weather is right, who knows? We may be able to set a national record here. Depending on how qualifying goes, if this Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger does what I think it's going to do, we're definitely going to go for it. Because that's 20 points that we'd like to take away. We know (John) Force is going to go after it and we feel we've got a car capable of setting a national record."

It's early in the season, but the desire to defend the Funny Car championship that was so emotionally draining to win at the end of last season is high on Scelzi's and crew chief Mike Neff's lists.

"We don't want to get behind," adds Scelzi, who has set 20 top speeds in his Funny Car career. "I feel that this year will be as good or better than last year. I still believe that there's going to be five cars going for the championship at the end of the year. And I feel that those five cars will be winning a lot of rounds. I don't think it's going to be like last year, that the good cars will get beat early. I feel that the good cars are going to be excelling, going to the semis and going to the finals. And I think that's where we need to be, and that's where our goals are set right now, to go to the semis and the finals and win races."

GARY SCELZI QUICK FACTS:
* Ninth in 2006 Funny Car points after two events
* Claimed the 2005 Funny Car championship, his first, by eight points over his teammate Ron Capps, 32 over John Force
* Won three times in 2005 (Bristol, Chicago 1 and Sonoma); was low qualifier six times (Las Vegas 1, Atlanta, St. Louis, Reading, Las Vegas 2, Pomona 2)
* Became only the second NHRA driver to have won crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Kenny Bernstein is the first
* Has never won in Gainesville, in either Top Fuel or Funny Car; runner-up in FC in 2002; in TF in 2001
* No. 1 qualifier here in Top Fuel in 1998, 2000 and 2001
* At 2005 Gatornationals, he qualified No. 5, lost semis to teammate and eventual event winner Whit Bazemore
* Has set 20 Funny Car top speeds since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2003
* Is a member of the largest team in NHRA pro history: Don Schumacher Racing, with nine teams - two in Top Fuel, three in Funny Car, two in Pro Stock, two in Pro Stock Motorcycle (all four pro categories)
* Is first Funny Car driver to break the 330-mph barrier (330.15 mph at Route 66 Raceway in 2004)
* Career Funny Car bests: 4.697-second ET (Chicago 2 '05), 332.51 mph (Pomona 1 '06)
* Qualified in top five 19 times in 2005, No. 1 six times
* Age 45, born and raised in Fresno, Calif., where he lives with wife Julianne and sons Dominic and Giovanni
* Dominic, 8, races Junior Sprints
* Runs Scelzi Enterprises, a custom truck body design and manufacturing business in Fresno with his two brothers
* Is a three-time Top Fuel Dragster champion
* Won his first Top Fuel crown as a rookie
* Has seven Funny Car wins, 25 Top Fuel wins
* Sixth in 2003 Funny Car points, his first full season in that class
* 2006 is his fourth straight season racing for Don Schumacher Racing
* Is the only NHRA driver to have won in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. He accomplished this feat at Infineon Raceway in 2003
* Is one of the few Funny Car drivers who has a round winning record against the 13-time Funny Car champion John Force: 9-8, 3-1 in final rounds

FUNNY CAR POINTS LEADER CAPPS STAYING ON COURSE

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15, 2006) - Funny Car points leader Ron Capps entered the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series on a mission: to qualify well, earn lane choice, be consistent, win rounds. The record isn't perfect so far, but he and crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch are still on course as the series comes to Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the NHRA
Gatornationals.

With a runner-up finish in the season-opening event in Pomona, Calif., despite qualifying 10th, and a semifinal finish in Phoenix from No. 6, Capps sits atop the Funny Car point standings for the first time since 2003. The California native and 2005 Funny Car points runner-up also enjoys a 15-point edge over John Force coming into the third event of the year.

Driving the Brut Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, Capps is still ruing the results of 2005, his first season with DSR, where he lost the championship by a mere eight points to his teammate Gary Scelzi, and wants to see this changed in 2006.

He considers Gainesville to be a tricky track which needs to be attacked with a smart approach.

"This is always the time of the year, especially in the preseason and in the first couple of races, when people talk about the points lead and about getting a good start," says Capps. "And it takes a few races to kind of get the points to shuffle around a little bit.

"It's a strange way to start a season. You race Pomona, you get a little break, then you go to Phoenix, you get another little break, and then you're in Gainesville. It seems like forever once you get the season started to have to wait for the next race.

"Gainesville is a track that gets a lot of hype for a good reason. It's the first time we're out on the East Coast and it's a track that's held a great distinction, with Kenny Bernstein being the first to go 300 mph here. One thing that makes for a tricky track like this one is the fact that the
weather conditions here allow these engines to produce a lot of horsepower. And I think a lot of teams come in here over-thinking it and wanting to throw everything at the track.

"That's why I believe in the last few years you've seen a lot of tire-smoking runs and a lot of aborted runs here because teams are almost getting after it too much. So, It's a place where you really have to be careful. And a crew chief could easily go up there and try too hard.

"That's why I always feel comfortable with Ace racing what the track is going to give him. In the past you didn't always see the quickest car in qualifying winning the race. In fact, very rarely has that happened in the last five or six years. It's always been the team that's been smarter on
Sunday."

As for making up for his eight-point loss in 2005 this season: "It was such a hard-fought championship and you have to take that experience and use it in your favor in the future," he says. "I think the whole Brut Dodge team learned that we can't give up any points anywhere. When it comes down to losing by eight points, you just don't want to give up any qualifying spots, because those are small but valuable points.

"This year we made a point of concentrating on going rounds on Sunday. We want to make the other team know that we're going to go down the track. It may not be the absolute quickest run that session, but you can be sure the car's going to go down the track. And I think that puts a little extra pressure on anyone who races us. That's been the mindset with Ace, (team
tuning consultant) Dan Olson and all the Brut Dodge guys. I've felt so confident going into Sunday morning.

"Gainesville is the place where I haven't had a lot of success at in the past. I hope to change that this year," adds Capps, whose best result here was a runner-up finish in 2000.

RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Leading 2006 Funny Car point standings after two events, by 15 over John Force
* Has three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* Qualified No. 12 at 2005 Gatornationals, lost first round to teammate Gary Scelzi
* Best finish at Gators was runner-up in 2000; no No. 1 qualifiers here
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* He has 17 event wins in 38 final rounds to his credit
* His career best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694 seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career best speed is 329.02 mph (Chicago 2, '05)
* Age 40 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (9) and son Caden (3)
* Is the subject, along with son Caden and the Brut racing crew, of a number of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models and Go-Karts

WJ Preps to Cement Status as Top Gator in Gainesville Swamp

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Young GM Performance Parts GTO crew heads to Florida buoyed by Phoenix win

Sugar Hill, Ga., March 14, 2006 - Warren Johnson has had a special relationship with Gainesville Raceway from the very first moment he pulled into the famed Florida quarter-mile in 1976. Back then, he was a relative unknown in the NHRA's still nascent Pro Stock division, a Minnesota native racing on a shoestring budget. Behind the wheel of his big-block Camaro, Johnson took on the very best of that era, qualifying fourth and advancing to the first final round of his career.

Thirty years later, as Johnson and his GM Performance Parts GTO crew return to the Sunshine State for this weekend's ACDelco Gatornationals, "The Professor" has cemented his place among the legends of the sport with six championships, 96 national event wins and 136 No. 1 qualifying performances. Gainesville Raceway has played a key role in that success, as his nine wins there are the most among all professional categories. However, he is far from satisfied, and enters this edition looking to add to his stellar Gators resume.

"If I could put my finger on why we have done so well in Gainesville, I'd bottle it and apply it to every racetrack we go to," said Johnson. "Historically, the surface has been pretty decent. They've resurfaced it a couple times, and extended the concrete a few years ago, but it has remained fairly consistent. As always, a lot will depend on how it is prepared prior to the event, which has been somewhat a point of contention so far this year.

"I'm not sure if the surface at Gainesville Raceway fits our style, or whether we do something without realizing it, but that track has always been good to our GM Performance Parts GTO team. But even without an explanation, we'll take our record at the ACDelco Gatornationals and see if we can improve on it even further this weekend."

Johnson comes into the Gatornationals as the most recent Pro Stock winner in the POWERade Drag Racing Series, taking home the title in Phoenix, AZ just over two weeks ago. As the latest in a string of exciting wins over his career, WJ has taken that success in stride, preferring to focus on the road ahead. However, one benefit it has provided is the tremendous boost in confidence for his young, hard-working crew, marking their first win together.

"There's a certain art to winning, it's not all science," stated Johnson. "You have to make the right decisions at the proper time, and be aware of the process involved. With this young crew, winning has made them more conscious of their surroundings and how decisions are made relative to the next round, experience that will prove invaluable in future races. Besides, now that we have gone to a final together and won, they'll have even more enthusiasm, if that's possible. All in all, it's a tremendous uplift for the entire organization.

"But even with the win we're not about to stand still. Since returning from Phoenix, we've been working non-stop to prepare for the races ahead, trying to improve the overall performance of our GM Performance Parts GTO. We've spent time at the shop stockpiling parts and tested on three different occasions. Obviously, we won't know exactly how we stand until we race on an NHRA-prepared track against our competitors, but we feel we've made progress in the key areas, establishing some what of a sweet spot in our tune-up. I think we'll be in good shape this weekend."

Quick Notes on Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO team entering the ACDelco Gatornationals:

Gainesville has been The Professor's Personal Classroom: This will be Warren's 27th career race at Gainesville Raceway. In his previous 25 starts, he has 9 wins in 10 final round appearances to lead all professional categories, and an impressive 55-16 elimination round record for a stellar .775 win percentage

Warren Starts Up Front at the Gators: In 25 Gatornationals starts, WJ has eight No. 1 qualifying performances (with five coming in consecutive years from 1993-1997), and a strong average starting position of 3.615. During that time, WJ has only four starts outside the top half of the field.

One year ago: Warren qualified ninth with an elapsed time of 6.683 seconds with a top speed of 206.65 mph, and advanced to the semi-finals.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.50 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/19/05

KJ is Ready to Rebound and Wrestle Away a Gatornationals Win

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

ACDelco Cobalt crew aims for consecutive wins at their sponsor’s events

Sugar Hill, Ga., March 14, 2006 - Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entered the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season as one of the more popular choices to contend for the Pro Stock championship, based on their solid 2005 performance, which saw them earn four wins en route to the fourth runner-up points finish of KJ’s illustrious career.

However, Johnson's trademark consistency seemed unusually scarce in this year's first two races, as he battled to transfer his car's tremendous horsepower to the race track. Therefore, he arrives in Gainesville, FL for this weekend's ACDelco Gatornationals having spent long hours preparing and planning, and is determined to return to his winning form and reinsert himself in the championship chase.

"We had hoped to be strong right out of the box, but after two races it seems we’re still in the box," quipped Johnson. "However, this ACDelco Cobalt crew is far from pushing any panic buttons. It's still very early in the season, and we know the package we have assembled is more than capable of getting the job done.

"Based on the numbers from the start of the season, we know we need to do a better job in the first 330 feet, which requires more track time. Therefore, since the Phoenix race, we've tested three times, including this past weekend in Valdosta, making a total of about twenty runs.

"We're pretty pleased with the results so far, and think the information we've gathered will make the difference. We're going to treat this weekend in Gainesville as the start of our season, and I’m confident we'll get back on track, with things snowballing from there."

With another tightly-packed Pro Stock field expected this weekend at Gainesville Raceway, Johnson's assignment will be far from an easy one, as every competitor wants to add the prestigious Gatornationals title to his or her racing resume, as Kurt did in 2003.

In addition, to some the pressure to perform would be ever further increased by the fact that this race is sponsored by ACDelco, who has been KJ's primary backer for ten years, and will have a large contingent on hand throughout the event. But these factors mean little to the unflappable Johnson, who prefers to use a more pragmatic approach to the weekend.

"The best part about ACDelco sponsoring the Gatornationals is that, just like the second Vegas race, we'll have our own built-in cheering section," said Johnson. "Besides, when you're fortunate enough to have been with a sponsor as long as we have, it's more like racing in front of family. Hopefully we can enjoy the success together, much like we did at the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals last October.

"This is one of our biggest races of the year, the first one on the East Coast, and is extremely well-attended by both racers and fans. Personally, it's right up there with winning in Pomona and Indy, and the fact that it's the ACDelco Gatornationals just adds to its appeal. It's the perfect scenario for us to make our return to the winner’s circle."

Quick Notes on Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering The ACDelco Gatornationals:

Kurt Counts a Gator Win among his Successes: This will be KJ's 14th career appearance at Gainesville Raceway, where he has one win in two final round appearances, and a 18-12 elimination round record for a .600 win percentage.

KJ Qualifies Well in Gainesville: In his previous 13 starts in Gainesville, Kurt has only two starts outside the top half of the field, and has an average starting position of 5.46.

One year ago: Kurt qualified fifth with an elapsed time of 6.672 seconds and a top speed of 207.13 mph, but was upset in the first round.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.663 sec., Dallas, TX, 10/7/05
Career best top speed: 207.72 mph, Pomona, CA, 2/12/06

DEFENDING GAINESVILLE CHAMPION BAZEMORE LOOKS TO REPEAT

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2006) - When Whit Bazemore won his first event of the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season in Gainesville last year, he had just become the father of his first child the week before, and he found himself gushing equally, it seemed, over his win and the birth of son Dashiell Aidan.

Most would think that fatherhood would mellow a person. And it might, but it was clear by Bazemore's victory that weekend that he'd reserved his mellowness for the home front and not the quarter-mile.

The driver who will debut the new Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T at this weekend's event went on to win a second title last year and led the point standings, aiming for his first Funny Car crown. Despite the strength of Bazemore's on-track ability and his fierce determination to win, however, the team struggled the rest of the season to finish ninth in the standings.

With new crew chief Brian Corradi on board this season, assisted by Todd Okuhara, the Matco Tools Dodge team is making strides to become a winning team again as they look to repeat this weekend at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals.

"We'd like to repeat, of course," says the two-time U.S. Nationals champion who will compete in his 321st professional NHRA event in Gainesville. He's also aiming for a 320th career round win (and more), as well as a career 20th event victory. "We're in a position with our team where we really have to overcome some things. And I'm just telling it like it is. The facts are the facts.

"We all need to work really hard and try to have a good weekend and that's my goal going in. It's the kind of sport where things change very quickly and we hope that's the case with the Matco Tools Dodge team.

"Gainesville Raceway is a good track. It's one of our favorite tracks. It has a lot of personal meaning for me. We're all going to be on a new tire ere. We actually tested fairly well with the new tire in Phoenix, so hopefully the conditions will be such that we'll be able to take what we
learned in testing and apply it to the race weekend."

As for being a parent to one-year-old Dashiell, who shares a birthday (March 12) with his dad: "It's just so much fun. He doesn't talk yet, at least in English. He certainly understands a lot of what (wife) Michelle and I tell him, and that's very, very cool. He has a couple of words, like 'cat' and 'dad,' which sound pretty similar, actually. It's just been a hell of an experience. It's cool."

No, Dashiell does not speak a language other than English. "It's just not English to me," explained Bazemore.

SCHEDULE:
Friday, March 17, professional qualifying sessions are at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 18, pro qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 19, pre-race ceremonies are at 10 a.m., and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 12:30 a.m. (ET). On Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). On Sunday, March 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of final eliminations at 5 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE:
Friday, March 17, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink freq: 12117, MHz horizontal)
Saturday, March 18, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink freq: 12117, MHz horizontal)
Sunday, March 19, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) ­ SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (downlink freq: 12117, MHz horizontal)

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* 12th in 2006 Funny Car point standings after two events
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Ninth in 2005 Funny Car point standings
* Won two events in 2005 (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 8 at 2005 Gatornationals, won over Bob Gilbertson
* 2005 was only Gainesville win; qualified No. 1 here in 1999
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph, both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in 43 final rounds in 320 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 13 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 43, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005 (same as Bazemore's birthday)
* 2006 is his sixth season with Don Schumacher Racing

Bob Vandergriff's UPS Top Fueler at SGMP

Bob Vandergriff's UPS Top Fueler lifts the wheels while testing at SGMP (Valdosta, GA) Monday. Marvin T. Smith photo.

Testing Continues at SGMP - More Photos Added!

GeorgiaDragRacing.com's Marvin T. Smith sent more photos from SGMP (Valdosta, GA) - including a few shots of Bob Vandergriff's GA based UPS Top Fueler.
Click here for Marvin's SGMP test photos

DODGE CHARGER SET TO LIGHT UP THE STRIP IN 2006 NHRA POWERADE FUNNY CAR SERIES DEBUT

Courtesy Judy Stropus
Schumacher Racing

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (March 13, 2006)-When it comes to racing, nobody exhibits modern-era muscle more than the Dodge drag race teams competing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). So, after celebrating a 1-2 championship finish in 2005, Dodge has announced it will introduce the Dodge Charger to NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car competition in 2006, with its debut in the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 16-19.

The announcement comes a little more than one year following the public reveal of the 2006 Dodge Charger passenger vehicle at the 2005 North American International Auto Show and the introduction of the Dodge Charger race car to NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition.

"The Dodge Charger is a perfect fit for the next generation of NHRA Funny Cars," said John Fernandez, Director - Dodge Motorsports Operations. "Dodge has an incredible heritage in racing and the Charger name is synonymous with power and performance - two key ingredients to winning in any form of racing.

"We want to build on the winning tradition that our NHRA teams established in 2005 and pave a way to even more success in 2006. With the amount of research and testing that went into developing the Dodge Charger production model - the ultimate American muscle sedan - as well as the Charger Funny Car, Dodge will continue to win both on the track and on the showroom floor this year."

The newly designed Dodge Charger Funny Car combines the latest in Dodge engineering advancements with an added boost of Dodge DNA. The race car features the same bold styling, signature grille and powerful performance found throughout the Dodge lineup, and it takes design cues directly from the 2006 Dodge Charger passenger vehicle. Dodge Motorsports worked closely with NHRA in developing the appearance and safety of the Dodge Charger Funny Car.

Don Schumacher Racing's stable of drivers expect to be as competitive as ever in the new Dodge Charger, which could mean a shot for returning champion Gary Scelzi to become the first driver in NHRA history to win back-to-back titles in both the Funny Car and Top Fuel divisions.

Scelzi will pilot the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger in 2006, with runner-up championship teammate Ron Capps in the Brut Dodge Charger, and NHRA veteran Whit Bazemore in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger.



Dodge will introduce the Dodge Charger in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car competition in 2006, with the race car making its debut at the NHRA Gatornationals, March 16-19 in Gainesville, Fla. Don Schumacher Racing driver - and 2005 NHRA Funny Car champ - Gary Scelzi will pilot the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger (above), with teammate Ron Capps in the Brut Dodge Charger. NHRA veteran Whit Bazemore will pilot the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger in 2006.

WEIS FEELING LIKE HOME IN GAINESVILLE

2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
AC DELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
GAINESVILLE, FLA.
Race Date: MARCH 16-19, 2006


GAINESVILLE, Fla., (March 13, 2006)- Scott Weis feels like he is coming home by competing in the AC DELCO NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend. Weis, the driver of the Barrett Enterprises Top Fuel dragster, upgraded his NHRA competition license at Gainesville Raceway in 1999.

"Gainesville has been good to us," said Weis. "We have done well here in the past. We went to the semifinals here in 2004. We also went to the finals at the divisional race at Gainesville in our alcohol funny car, but lost to Tony Bartone."

"I love the facility at Gainesville Raceway," Weis added. "It is one of the most prestigious tracks on the East coast. This is where the 300 MPH barrier was broken back in 1992. We enjoy the climate here and the atmosphere of this historic track."

Weis and his family hope that the success they have experienced at the Gatornationals in the past will be with them for this weekends third stop on the 23 race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing series.


Ken Sklute
WEIS Racing Public Relations

Bunky Bobo's Hemi Hurricane Featured in Dale Wilson's DRO Article

Check out this great article about the Bobos and the Hemi Hurricane by Dale Wilson on DragRacingOnline.com!

ESTN Elimination Finals at SGMP

by Marvin T. Smith

Photos

In Sunday’s Chicago style eliminations finals, the low elapsed time competitors from two rounds of qualifying faced off for the bragging rights.

In Pro Modified, Joshua Hernandez was low qualifier 6.18 giving him lane choice over Matt Hagan’s 6.21. Hernandez took a holeshot victory over Hagan, his 6.228 232.83 beating Hagan’s better 6.188 at 228.11.

In IHRA Pro Stock, current World Champ Steve Spiess showed why he has the number one on his window. Spiess qualified number one and beat Rick Jones 6.45 218 to 6.46 218.

In NHRA Pro Stock, surprise finalists'Allen Johnson beat Dave Connolly. Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson (who ran the best time of the day 6.68 in practice when it didn't count) Rickie Smith, Richie Stevens, Ron Krisher, Shaun Carlson, Barry Grant and others failed to qualify for the final round. Allen Johnson used a telepathic .001 r.t. and a fine 6.73 205 to beat Connolly’s 6.737 206.20.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the eliminations boiled down to teammates Matt Smith vs. Chip Ellis. Smith fouled away a find 7.036 188 to lost to Ellis' 7.07 193.77. Shaun Gann, Karen Stoffer, and Matt Guidera all tried to qualify for the finals.

In Pro Street, Pat Musi saved the best for last and ran a fine 6.530 215.17 to beat Troy Coughlin's 6.63 211.73.

Mick Snyder singled for the Alcohol FC crown when his competition failed to make the finals. He ran a fine 5.752 at a new track speed record 251.81. Snyder had earlier beaten Jay Paynes track elapsed time record with a nice 5.706.

Tommy Johnson, Jr. wowed the record crowd with four runs in Don Prudhomme's Skoal Bandit nitro funny car. The crowd loved the nitro burner. Unfortunately, TJ either shut off or smoked the tires on all four attempts. His best run was his first with a 5.532 at 182.53 mph shutting off very early. His eighth mile time was 3.338 at 239mph. TJ said that run would have been about a 4.80 if he had kept his foot in it all the way. Look for TJ to reset the track record on Monday.

This was a great day of drag racing action.

ANDERSON WINS SUPER PRO, TRACK CHAMPS CARLILE AND TURNER IN FINALS

by Tim Glover

Photos

Spring Bracket Bash event at Atlanta Dragway in 2006

(Commerce, GA - March 11) Atlanta Dragway racers welcomed the new 2006 bracket racing season by participating in the first race of the year, the Atlanta Dragway Spring Bracket Bash, a non points event. Tight racing was the rule of the day. No one would guess the majority of racers had been off all winter after seeing the finish line margins in three of the five classes. Sportsman, which usually consists of beginning racers, saw a .0052 margin of victory (m.o.v.). The m.o.v. in Pro was .0048 seconds, and although it was a breakout loss, the runner up in 8-12 Jr Dragster took the big end stripe .003 seconds in front of the winner.

Griffin, GA racer Jonathan "Ice Cube" Anderson enjoyed the Super Pro win, this time courtesy of a 0.003 second too quick react (red light) by opponent "Fireman Joe" Rampley of Gainesville, GA. Anderson, a three time Silver Dollar Raceway track champion kept his cool in his '03 Mullis dragster through the rounds, and after seeing Rampley turn on the big red eye in the final, he lifted off the throttle to help save his parts. An instant later, Rampley, seeing the race was over for his '03 Miller dragster, also lifted. Anderson carded a 7.56 at 56.13mph (5.04 dial), while Rampley went a little quicker with a 6.46 at 71.94 mph. "Smokey Joe" Smith from Lawrenceville, GA ended his day in the semi-final round. Part of the credit for Anderson's win
went to his wife and crew member Melissa Anderson, who helped keep his car race ready each round.

Anderson had already made a deal prior to this event to purchase his uncle David Simmon's '68 Chevy II, minus the engine and transmission, for his wife Melissa to race. She will be racing it in Sportsman later this year, with coaching help from Simmons and her husband. Much to their delight, the car, driven by bracket veteran Toby Barnes, won in Pro class.

Toby Barnes of Palmetto, GA was enjoying racing the '68 Chevy II, and except for struggling against slightly too quick car reaction times, was faring quite well. Barnes paired up with defending Atlanta Dragway Pro champion Chris Carlile in the final, and both racers made the finish about as tight as possible, with a 0.0048 second margin of victory. The nod went to Barnes, who reacted with a .036 and nailed his dial in time of 10.85 with a 10.851 at 105.21mph. Carlile's '69 Camaro was right there also, reacting with a .036 and also running dead on with a 10.045 at 126.72mph. "Yeah, we pulled that one out. Got the rabbit," added Barnes. Carlile said he really wanted that win. Dickey Forrester won the last event in 2005 with his Hickory Flat, GA based '68 Firebird, but had to settle for the lone semi-finalist position for this event.

Adam Stratton's dad, Chris Stratton, has been helping him race since his debut three years ago. This time, the elder Stratton showed him how it was done in Sportsman class by winning his first race out since he quit racing in 1981. Stratton was actually at a disadvantage in the reaction time department against John Oliver, but used his Madison, GA based '74 Nova to overcome the difference, winning with a close 16.21 at 82.76mph on a 16.20 target. Oliver crossed the finish line .0052 seconds later with a 16.30 at 81.17mph in his Buford, GA based '99 Durango. Stephen Loflin ('71 Nova - Duluth, GA) finished in the semi-final round. Stratton thanked his wife Pam
for letting him race, and thanked Adam for some coaching help, along with Adam's girlfriend, Shelly. Adam also did well, finishing in the quarter-final round of Pro class.

Eleven year old Dylan Hutchins from Monroe, GA began his second year of racing on a good note, winning his second ever race in 8-12 Jr Dragster. Hutchins' holeshot advantage at the starting line turned into a win against nine year old Wesley Mayfield from Gainesville, GA. Mayfield took the stripe first by .003 seconds, but broke out with a 13.00 at 49.96mph (13.04 dial). Hutchins' mount went a safe 8.99 at 71.39mph (8.96 target). Kelsey Lynn (12
- Marietta, GA) finished the day in the semi-final round. Hutchins gave credit to his mom and dad, along with five other family members who came to support him. He won a $100 savings bond and a trophy nearly as big as he was for his efforts.

Another defending track champion, 15 year old Lauren Turner from Pendergrass, GA, made it to the finals in 13-17 Jr Dragster. Just like in the 8-12 class, Turner also took advantage of a big starting line holeshot to get the win, pedaling to a 7.971 at 81.11mph (7.94 dial). Chuck Hardy (15 - Hiram, GA) nailed his dial in time of 7.97 with a 7.974 at 81.94mph, but still trailed Turner by .054 seconds across the finish line. Turner's fellow Team PTI member Jake Swaim (16 - Arcade, GA) and James Marsh, Jr (16 - Anderson, SC) finished in the semi-final round. Turner thanked her mom and dad, her Team PTI crew, including new member Drew Mayfield, Fain and Mitchell properties and Tara Fine Jewelry. "This is an awesome way to start a year," said Turner. She then announced this was her final year in Jr Dragster, as she is planning on moving up to Super Pro in 2007.


SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Jonathan Anderson '03 Mullis dragster Griffin, GA 7.56 56.13 (5.04)
R/U: Joe Rampley '03 Miller dragster Gainesville, GA
(foul) 6.46 71.94 (4.85)
Semi: "Smokey Joe" Smith '03 Miller dragster Lawrenceville, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Toby Barnes '68 Chevy II Palmetto, GA 12.851 105.21 (12.85)
R/U: Chris Carlile '69 Camaro Canton, GA 10.045 126.72 (10.04)
Semi: Dickey Forrester '68 Firebird Hickory Flat, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Chris Stratton '74 Nova Madison, GA 16.21 82.76 (16.20)
R/U: John Oliver '99 Durango Buford, GA 16.30 81.17 (16.26)
Semi: Stephen Loflin '71 Nova Duluth, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
8-12 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Dylan Hutchins 11 Monroe, GA 8.99 71.39 (8.96)
R/U: Wesley Mayfield 9 Gainesville, GA 13.00 49.96 (13.04)
Semi: Kelsey Lynn 12 Marietta, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
13-17 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Lauren Turner 15 Pendergrass, GA 7.97 81.11 (7.94)
R/U: Chuck Hardy 15 Hiram, GA 7.97 81.94 (7.97)
Semi: Jake Swaim 16 Arcade, GA
Semi: James Marsh 15 Anderson, SC

SGMP Eastern Spring Test Nationals Photos

Marvin T. Smith photos from testing at SGMP