Georgia Drag Racer Howard Neal Passes
Mr. James Howard Neal, age 67 of Blue Ridge, Georgia passed away Sunday, March 19, 2006, in his home. Howard Neal was the driver of the series of "Strip Teaser" Super Stock, FX, Pro Stock and Funny Cars that were owned by Bob Thomas. Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at the Henry-Cochran Funeral Home in Blue Ridge, GA.
Another Georgia drag racer from the Golden Years has left us much too soon. Our condolences to the family and friends of Howard Neal.
More Howard Neal race car photosRest In Peace James Howard Neal
Southeastern International Dragway's Gene Fuller
Fred Simmons photo.
Southeastern International Dragway - Dallas, Georgia
Article and Photos by Fred A. Simmons
Southeastern International Dragway was first opened and operated by Marvin "Red'' Jones, as "Red's Dragstrip", on July 4, 1955. The original track was constructed 1,000 ft. long from tar and gravel and located where the return road is today. In the mid fifties, the track was relocated to its present location and increased to a quarter mile asphalt track.
Charles Hardy worked as a starter flagman and started racing at the track back in the fifties. Charles raced his 1956, 4 door Chevy, with a 265 V8 engine, 2-fours and a 3 speed on the column, also a Henry J, with a 409 engine and 6-twos. On January 1, 1963, Charles took over the operation and management of the track. By the late 1960’s his sons Johnny and Mike, along with other family members were involved in the operation of the track.
Around 1964, several NASCAR drivers like Junior Johnson, Curtis Turner and Freddie Lorenzen visited Dallas to try their luck at drag racing. In 1966 the track was sanctioned by the NHRA which had the first Division 2 drag race finals at Southeastern International Dragway. Many of the top racers such as Don Garlits, Dyno Don Nicholson, Hubert Platt, Phil Bonner, and Arnie Beswick came from around the country to race and entertain fans at Southeastern International Dragway.
By the seventies the speeds were increasing so the track surface was shortened to 1/8 mile to insure safety for all. Around the mid 1990s, the track underwent a major improvement by re-grading and implementing a full concrete racing surface.
In 1997 Gene Fuller took over as track promoter and manager. He was instrumental in some of these racing catalogues, such as Super Quick 5.99 or quicker, Regular Bracket Racing 7.50 heads-up, Bracket Bonaza, Pro Mod’s, Friday night Test & Tune. Gene operated the facility as Southeastern Dragway successfully until its last race on December 11, 2005. For a full 50 years racers and fans alike enjoyed Southeastern International Dragway.
2005 Action from Dallas
Fred Simmons Photo.
Funny Car Action in this late '60s photo from Dallas
Fred Simmons Photo.
APPLEBEE'S RACE TO THE WALL OF FAME PROGRAM KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY
FROM: Crystal Kuhn, Atlanta Dragway
EVENT: Applebee’s Race to the Wall of Fame
Atlanta Dragway is thrilled to announce its partnership with Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar to create the Applebee's Race to the Wall of Fame program. Beginning March 25, 2006 Junior Dragster racers who compete in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Junior Drag Racing League have the opportunity to compete for an Applebee's corporate sponsorship for the 2007 Racing Season which will consist of $1,000, Applebee's racing paraphernalia, and various other items. Most importantly, the winner of the sponsorship will have his or her picture featured on one of Applebee's "Walls of Fame" in one of the area Applebee's locations.
Junior Dragster racers will collect Applebee's receipts throughout the 2006 racing season and the driver with the highest collected value will be awarded the Applebee's Race to the Wall of Fame winner. Ashley Blackshire, Community Relations Specialist for AppleCreek Management Company comments, "Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar is very excited to launch our new partnership with Atlanta Dragway. We believe that sponsoring the new Applebee's Race to the Wall of Fame contest for Atlanta area Junior Dragster racers is the right fit for our restaurants and a great way to help local youngsters and their families."
"We are very excited about the partnership with Applebee's. It's exciting to have such a well established, popular restaurant chain get involved with our rapidly growing Junior Dragster program at Atlanta Dragway," states Ray Wilkings, General Manager at Atlanta Dragway.
Sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Atlanta Dragway is located just off I-85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia. Further information on the O'Reilly Auto Parts Junior Drag Racing League program and Applebee's Race to the Wall of Fame contest may be obtained by calling the track office (706) 335-2301 or logging on tohttp://www.atlantadragway.com/
2006 NHRA POWERade AC DELCO Gatornationals Photos
VANDERGRIFF GOES OUT IN SECOND ROUND IN GAINESVILLE
Gainesville, Fla., (March 19, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff, Jr., and his Team UPS Top Fuel dragster made it to the second round of eliminations at the AC DELCO NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on Sunday before losing to eventual winner David Grubnic. Vandergriff handed Hillary Will a first round loss by running the sessions second quickest pass with a 4.522 seconds at 326.08 mph. "Jim Dupuy had the car moving," said Vandergriff. "We have been plagued this weekend by parts failure in the bell housing on 4 consecutive runs. It's challenging. We are going back to figure out why these parts are failing, but I'm really proud of how my team is working and giving me an awesome race car to compete with. This team is growing in leaps and bounds with each race."
Considering that the team began preparing the car to compete just 10 weeks ago, their goal is to join the Top Ten. Vandergriff is currently in 15th position in the POWERade points chase.
Vandergriff and Team UPS are looking forward to the O'Rielly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Tx., March 31-April 2, 2006.
Ken Sklute
Vandergriff Motorsports Public Relations
CAPPS TAKES OUT FORCE TO WIN HIS FIRST FUNNY CAR TITLE OF YEAR IN GAINESVILLE
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19, 2006) - It could have gone either way in the final round of eliminations at the NHRA Gatornationals today for Ron Capps, driver of the Brut Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car. He could have left here nine points behind John Force in second, or 31 points ahead of him while padding his lead in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points.
After defeating Mike Ashley, Tony Bartone and John Force Racing teammate Eric Medlen, Capps earned the latter by ousting Force not only at the finish line in the final round but also when Force crossed the centerline and was disqualified.
This was quite an accomplishment for the California native, who won his first Gatornationals and who hadn't won a final round against the 13-time champion since August, 1998. Capps' round win record over Force is now 12-37, with Capps winning in the last five of their eight meetings.
Capps and the Brut Dodge team struggled to even qualify for this event, but Capps now has 18 career wins in 39 final rounds.
"I said coming into this race I'd never won here at Gainesville," said Capps, who finally ended up qualifying No. 6. "I still can't believe we won. Not that we don't have what it takes, but Don Schumacher just gave us a great, great team, and Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and the Brut Dodge guys did a great job.
"You go up there against Force and he's the best there is and it brings everything out in you. You get up to half-track and he's not out your window and you think, uh oh, and you just expect him to come around any time, he's just that big.
"And it just shows you what kind of a team we've got.
"We have all the resources and that's our goal, to win. It's been such a tough weekend. We were lucky to qualify. Saturday night was like a relief. We all got back to the trailer and looked at each other, and it was like, oh, we found the problem, just in the nick of time. And we had seen in years past where the points leader would do well at Pomona and Phoenix and come into Gainesville and end up not qualifying. It's been kind of the kiss of death coming here with the points lead.
"Friday I was standing around with the guys and I said, Man, this is one race you don't want to have to retire and not have a trophy from here. To me It's just about as big as the U.S. Nationals. It's a big race and I can't believe we won it. I'm ecstatic for everybody on the team. Ace did a great job, and Don Schumacher gives us everything we need. He lets Ace do what he
needs to do, we have great personnel and crew chiefs.
"That's why Don Schumacher put this team together (to beat Force).
"If you're going to beat Force, you have to pack a big lunch. There's no doubt about it."
McCulloch was clearly a happy but cautious crew chief. "We should have run better than that in the final," he said, "but so should've he. All I can say is that the gods were good to us today. We were OK. We came in here, we struggled a little bit, we had problems. It goes along with part of our whole organization. When you do good you gotta be humble, because it could turn on you any minute, and it did on Friday and Saturday. We had big problems, but we endured and here we are."
"We had a great weekend," said team owner Don Schumacher, who had two of his nine teams win today when Angelle Sampey won Pro Stock Motorcycle. "First round started off real, real tough (when Gary Scelzi, Whit Bazemore and Richie Stevens Jr. were defeated). It sure got a lot better here in the finals."
Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March
31-April 2, 2006.
FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ron Capps, 280
2. John Force, 249
3. Robert Hight, 221
4. Phil Burkart Jr., 196
5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 180
6. Del Worsham, 159
7. Eric Medlen, 145
8. Cruz Pedregon, 139
9. Gary Scelzi, 122
10. Tony Pedregon, 121
TROXEL REACHES FOURTH STRAIGHT FINAL ROUND, BUILDS POINTS LEAD
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19, 2006) - Melanie Troxel came into the NHRA Gatornationals with a 14-point lead in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standings, and after reaching her fourth straight final round and third of the 2006 season, extended it to 73 points.
After defeating Brandon Bernstein with the fastest and quickest pass of the weekend, 4.501/329.54, in the first round, Morgan Lucas in the second (4.726/233.17) and Doug Herbert in the semis (4.521/32727), Troxel faced David Grubnic in the final round.
It was a heartbreaker after watching her teammates Angelle Sampey win Pro Stock Motorcycle and Ron Capps win Funny Car for Troxel to not collect a third trophy for team owner Don Schumacher. But loss of traction slowed her to a 7.995-second pass at 93.59 mph while David Grubnic took the win with a less-than-perfect 4.943/317.90.
"We are all a little perplexed by the loss of traction," she said. "We were expecting it to go right down that left lane."
Crew chief Richard Hogan also thought the track would cooperate. "We had an area right at the one-second spot in the track that gave us some problems this weekend," he said. "It was marginal in qualifying and in the second round today, then in the semifinal, it looked really good. Of course, in the final it went the other way."
Despite losing 25 points for oildowns in the last event in Phoenix, Troxel's outstanding season performances are keeping her atop the Top Fuel point standings. "It's great to win races," she said, "but round wins are more important when it comes to a championship, so that's what we'll focus on for the rest of the year.
"I'm a little disappointed that we didn't win the event, but all in all it's been a good weekend considering the fact that it looked like we might not qualify for the event. But we made ground in the points standings, and that is definitely a plus," said the Colorado native.
She and the Skull Gear team faced a scare late Saturday after being bumped out of the field just prior to the fourth and final qualifying run. They were able to lay down a 4.628/325.02 to garnish the No. 12 spot.
Troxel was unfazed heading into Sunday because she knew the team could still go rounds from any qualifying position. "That's the nice thing to know, that even if we struggle a little bit Richard and the guys can step up to the plate and make it happen on Sunday."
She looks to maintain the consistency that has led her to a 10-2 round win-loss record for the 2006 season.
Troxel and the team will test the new NHRA-mandated Goodyear tire Monday in Gainesville, before heading back to the Don Schumacher Racing headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind., to prepare for the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March 31-April 2.
TOP FUEL POINT STANDINGS:
1. Melanie Troxel, 275
2. Rod Fuller, 202
3. David Grubnic, 201
4. Larry Dixon, 188
5. Morgan Lucas, 178
6. Tony Schumacher, 174
Georgians at the Gatornationals
by Marvin T. SmithPhotosWhen David Dilbeck obtained media credentials for me to cover the Gatornationals this year, he asked me to write a Georgia perspective on the event. So here goes.
I commuted down to the race from Valdosta on Friday and Sunday. Friday was pretty easy, but Sunday was a massive traffic jam. As I inched toward the track, I finally came in range of the track radio station broadcast of the announcer. The first thing I heard was Stock Eliminator, and the first car I remember was Butch Payne from Rome, Georgia. Unfortunately Butch broke the driveshaft and was out of the event in round two or three. Was this a harbinger of things to come?
In Top Fuel, Georgia hope Bob Vandergriff was qualified in the 12 spot. This put him up against female phenom Hillary Will in round one. Vandergriff tattooed Will at the line and posted a fine 4.522 at 326.08 to take the win. Score one for the Georgians. In Round two, Vandergriff faced David Grubnic. Again, Vandergriff got the starting line advantage by .022 seconds, but his car let him down as he slowed to a 7.722 elapsed time at 119.37 mph. Vandergriff headed back to Georgia, while Grubnic went on to claim the event win.
Georgia's favorite in the Funny Car field was ex-Atlantan Whit Bazemore. Bazemore had qualified a strong second at 4.769 at 321.88 mph. In round one, Baze faced Cruz Pedregon. Cruz took a slight starting line advantage, then both competitors went up in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Cruz took the win and another Georgia hopeful was out.
In Pro Stock, only Warren Johnson made the field of the three Georgians who made qualifying attempts. WJ landed in the 14th spot, a very bad showing for him, but better than son KJ, who failed to make the cut. To complete the bad weekend for the Johnsons, WJ was beaten by Larry Morgan in Round One. Although WJ ran a fine 6.683, Morgan beat him off the line and had a better 6.676.
Georgia's favorite Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, Chip Ellis, qualified a strong number four with a 7.059 192.26. In round one, Chip eliminated Mike Berry who fouled with a strong 7.090 run. In round two, Ellis ran a good 7.175 (most bikes slowed down in round two when the sun got hot on the track), but lost to Angelle Sampey’s .003 rt holeshot win. To add insult, Sampey ran only 7.182. At least Chip can say he was beaten by the eventual event winner just like Bob Vandergriff.
In Pro Mod, Georgia's Eddie Ware qualified 13th and lost in Round One to Shelly Payne. Ware was debuting a new car, and it slowed to a 7.48 120mph losing effort. When he gets his new Camaro sorted out, beware!
Georgia's only win came from Super Comp driver Sherman Adcock. Sherman won the event over Jason Wood, brother of last year’s Gatornationals champ Lindsey Wood. Sherman's 8.907 166 beat Wood’s close 8.91 175. Florida-based Wood races a lot in south Georgia, so this was almost an all Georgia final.
Also of note at this year's Gatornationals was a Cacklefest event for restored race cars that are push started like they were in the 60s, then allowed to idle on track until they run out of fuel. For those of us who remember the old days, this is a moving nostalgic event. Participating from Georgia was Valdostan Denny Fenstermaker with his son Cody driving their restored Roger Gates top fuel dragster. Cody handled the push start like a pro and added greatly to the show.
NHRA Recap
BAZEMORE BACK ON COURSE, DESPITE FIRST-ROUND LOSS IN GAINESVILLE
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19, 2006) - Whit Bazemore and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger Funny Car team are back on course after struggling through the first two races of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, despite a first-round loss today at the NHRA Gatornationals.
No. 2 qualifier Bazemore faced Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations today and both experienced traction problems. Bazemore's car shook the tires early, then torched the head gasket before half-track to produce a burst of flame. Bazemore's tenacity took hold, as he forged to the finish line to a 5.706-second pass at 262.00 mph with the car on fire. Pedregon, however, was first across the finish stripe, taking the win with a 5.526/273.05.
The fire was quickly doused and the new Charger body was unhurt. "No damage," said crew chief Brian Corradi. "We got lucky."
It was still a good weekend, said Bazemore. "You look at the entire weekend and, even though we had a result that we're frustrated with, the weekend was good. And the best thing about the weekend is the team came together after the first two races and worked through our problems together and we have a better race team and a better race car.
"In the context of the whole season, we had problems, we fixed them," added Bazemore. "Today you can just throw out. It shook, and we were trying a different way of driving because this (new) tire shakes a lot, so we're trying to help it some. It didn't help it. The result of that is it spun the tire too much and we got beat. And then it torched the head gasket before half track, and I still drove it almost to the finish line on fire, because we knew Cruz was having problems too.
"It's just a bad race day. A bad race day, but a good weekend, and we're going to move forward and get this Matco Tools Dodge Charger back to the front."
Bazemore is 12th in the Funny Car point standings.
Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March
31-April 2, 2006.
Grubnic, Capps, Martino and Sampey Win the NHRA POWERade ACDelco Gatornationals
Sherman Adcock, Jr. Wins Super Comp at the NHRA POWERade ACDelco Gatornationals
VANDERGRIFF BEGINS GATORNATIONALS FROM THE 11TH POSITION!
Gainesville, Fla. (March 18, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff, Jr. will begin his return to Gainesville Raceway and the AC DELCO NHRA Gatornationals from the 11th spot for Sundays eliminations after running a 4.627 second pass at 321.54 mph on his first run on Saturday.
The UPS Top Fuel Dragster will draw opponent Doug Kalitta in the opening round. The Jim Dupuy-tuned digger was looking to step things up on the fourth and final qualifying attempt when a clutch finger broke inside the bell housing. "We will set the car up again on Sunday, looking to run a 4.55 like we were trying today before we destroyed the clutch and were thrown immediately into tire smoke," Vandergriff said. "I'm happy because we are making progress on each and every run. Now we just need to find some consistency with the new Goodyear tires."
"We are thrilled with the success that we see happening with UPS as NHRA's Official Expedited Carrier. We are delivering packages daily to crews and sponsors. Everyone is thrilled with the new service we are providing.
Pre-Race ceremonies begin Sunday at 10 am and eliminations start at 11 am.
Ken Sklute
Vandergriff Motorsports Public Relations
Whit Bazemore and the new Matco Tools Dodge Charger Funny Car
Chip Ellis at the NHRA Gatornationals
Warren Johnson at the NHRA Gatornationals.
TROXEL WORKS HER WAY INTO NO. 12 IN GAINESVILLE QUALIFYING
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2006) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points leader Melanie Troxel faced a scare in qualifications for the NHRA Gatornationals today, but ultimately positioned the Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster No. 12 in the 16-car field.
Entering the final round of qualifying, Troxel was in No. 16 after struggling in the previous rounds, then watched in the staging lanes as she was bumped off the chart by Doug Herbert. It was a nail-biter, but her fourth and final qualifying pass of 4.628 seconds at 325.02 mph
re-established her place in the field.
"You try not to think about that because it's going to mess you up more than anything," she said of that moment when she realized she had been bumped out, "so I went up there with faith in my great group of guys. I knew we would be able to do what it takes to get the Skull Gear car in, and we did."
The three previous runs were a tire-shaking 6.608/120.36 and 9.876/94.33, and a 4.689/258.24, when the car hit the rev limiter, skidded and instead of one parachute being deployed to slow the car, both parachutes deployed, resulting in just enough loss of ET to place her in 16th.
"It's tough going up there knowing you have to run a good number, but not so good that you're running it on the edge," she said. "We had some really good data from our first pass today that didn't quite make it to the finish line, so we just made a few changes to that and the car went
down the track.
"It doesn't bother me that much," she said of qualifying in the bottom half. "When we won the Winternationals we were in the bottom half of the field. Anything can happen on race day, and I'm sure we can improve on those numbers from the last (qualifying) session."
As for the newly-mandated Goodyear tire the teams ran this weekend for the first time: "I think it will take teams a few races to get real comfortable with the tire," she said. "I don't think our problems have been related to the tire, so that may play into our hands and give us a chance to get the car performing where it needs to be."
She meets Brandon Bernstein in first round of eliminations on Sunday.
BAZEMORE QUALIFIES NO. 2 IN GAINESVILLE, QUESTIONS REV LIMITER RULE
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2006) - Whit Bazemore and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge team debuted the new Charger body this weekend at the NHRA Gatornationals and saw a strong improvement in performance, as Bazemore qualified No. 2, with a 4.769-second pass at 321.88 mph.
The defending Gatornationals event champion clocked that time in the second qualifying session and was headed towards a potentially pole-setting run in the final round until a late-lap encounter with the NHRA-mandated rev limiter. Despite posting a respectable 4.782-second run, his top speed of only 295.85 mph told the disappointing tale.
"The Matco Tools Dodge team has done an outstanding job of addressing some of the issues that we had earlier in the year and as a result of that we're running much better and we're a much better team," said Bazemore.
"Quite honestly, we're very nervous about the rev limiter and the effect that it has on the engine. We saw a Don Schumacher Racing teammate absolutely explode her car at the last race into a big fireball, and in a Funny Car that could be devastating.
"Twice now we've hit the rev limiter. As a driver, you can't drive these cars without knowing what's happening to the engine at the finish line. And when the thing takes out that much power all at once you don't know if it's got a rod out. It feels like it drops three cylinders. That time (last session) it dropped so much timing out of it I had to shut it off. And then it came back on. It's too dangerous right now, and something needs to be done about it."
Bazemore faces Cruz Pedregon in first round of eliminations on Sunday, as he aims for a repeat win at Gainesville Raceway.
CAPPS PULLS OUT A NO. 6 IN FINAL GAINESVILLE QUALIFYING
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2006) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps pulled out a No. 6 qualifying spot at the NHRA Gatornationals today, accomplishing the Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car team's goal of qualifying in the top half.
Capps posted his quickest pass of the weekend in the final session, a 4.808-second elapsed time at 319.03 mph. His first three attempts produced a 4.999/259.29 (No. 7 at the time), a 15.257/76.79, due to a malfunction at the start, which placed him tenuously into the field in No. 16, and a 4.869/267.06 in the third session.
It was a close call, as Capps entered the final session in 11th place.
"I'm sure a lot of viewers of this sport probably sit back at times and wonder with four qualifying runs given to a team why sometimes you see a big-budget team or a team that does well often struggle and sometimes not even qualify," said Capps. "Until you go through a weekend where you suffer small glitches or parts breakages and have to chase a problem around and only have four qualifying runs do you realize how much everything has to be
so perfect on one of these cars to make it go down the track.
"We knocked the blower (supercharger) off this thing twice. Once when I hit the throttle on Friday night and again in the first run on Saturday at about the 900-ft. mark. It still ran a 4.86. Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and the Brut Dodge guys dug down deep, and to watch them work, figure out what was wrong and find the problem and go out and run an .80 flat made me really proud of them.
"And we have lane choice. I was a nervous wreck because we were barely qualified earlier and then we still weren't qualified well going in to that last session. But, knowing Ace, I knew he was going up to race the race track to learn about tomorrow and here I was worried about just being in the show. That just tells what kind of competitor he is. He was just calm and collected.
"I've said it time and time again that this is one of the greatest races there is, but it's one of the trickiest tracks and you almost have to be a field sergeant to have a battle plan to get through the Gatornationals on a Sunday. It'll be sunny, it'll have great weather conditions and it's a good
track, but it'll throw everything at you."
Capps faces Mike Ashley in first round of eliminations on Sunday.
SCELZI COLLECTS NO. 8 IN GAINESVILLE QUALIFYING
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (March 18, 2006) - Reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi struggled this weekend after debuting the new Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger Funny Car at the NHRA Gatornationals, yet collected a top-half qualifying position.
His 4.812-second pass at 325.61 mph in the second session was good for No. 8 in the field of 16 and he'll face No. 9 qualifier Del Worsham in first round of eliminations on Sunday in what is expected to be a tight race.
Scelzi's other attempts included a tire-smoking 10.874/79.38, a 5.954/155.97 and a good 4.815/321.08 in the final session.
"I shut it off a little bit early for whatever reason," he said of the final pass. "It would not have run a whole lot better than that, but we thought we had fixed the shake zone on the Mopar/Oakley Dodge after testing in Phoenix, and we're still having troubles there. So the changes that we made obviously came back on the trip from Phoenix to Gainesville. So I don't know what's going on with that thing. Were just going to have to go tomorrow and see what happens against Worsham.
"I don't think it's a tire problem," he said of teams running a newly-mandated Goodyear tire here, "because we had the problem with the old tire. For whatever reason this thing is starting to act funny and I don't know why. We're closer. It's not as bad, but it's still not smooth.
Hopefully Mike (Neff, crew chief) will get it figured out tonight and go out there tomorrow and try to get us a Gainesville win."
In Scelzi's four-world championship career, he has never won the Gatornationals.
Character Earns Ashley and Team Gotham Lucky Eleven
Gotham City Racing
Matthew Brammer
PR & Marketing DirectorGainesville, Florida (March 18, 2006) –Down to their final attempt at qualifying for the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, Mike Ashley's Gotham City Race Team saved their best effort for last. With the first three attempts leaving Ashley at the bottom of the ladder, the team, led by veteran champion Mark Oswald rolled a lucky eleven as Ashley ran a 4.860 second, 315.56 mile per hour pass putting his SKULL Gear Monte Carlo solidly in the show on Sunday.
"It was a day that tested the mettle of this team," said Ashley. "We came out first round, the track was really slick, we had new tires and a different combination on the car, and we smoked the tires.
"We got to the very last qualifying round, were the first car out and boom - we ran a 4.86, got the number eleven spot and ran the fourth quickest time of the session.
"It's really a testament to this team," he said. "We're definitely a championship-caliber team and I think it just shows you the character of Mark Oswald, Chuck Ford and the rest of the guys. They pulled through when they needed to, and I think that's how you measure a team - how they perform when the chips are all in."
Ashley gives up lane choice to Ron Capps and his Brut Dodge Stratus who ran a 4.808/319.03 in his final round to earn the number six position.
"I feel really good about tomorrow," Ashley said. "As long as we're in the field, I think we can beat anyone.
"I might put some of my Kenneth Cole cologne in my pipes, so at the very least, my car will smell better than that Brut car as it runs down the track," Ashley added with a grin.
Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 19 at Gainesville Raceway.
WJ Will Roll Off 14th at the ACDelco Gatornationals
Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
On the basis of a 6.696-second, 206.80 mph run recorded on Friday afternoon, Warren Johnson qualified his GM Performance Parts GTO in the 14th position for Sunday's final eliminations of the ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. Although this performance will allow him to make his 26th start at Gainesville Raceway, Johnson knows improvements will be necessary in order to add to his NHRA-leading total of nine wins in the Sunshine State. Therefore, shortly after the conclusion of qualifying, "The Professor" began a detailed review of his notes, formulating his game plan for race day.
"Something is amiss in our generic tune-up, because Kurt's car (the ACDelco Cobalt), which is identical to ours, is reacting the same way. Some things are absolutely the way they should be, while others aren't, and we're fighting to find the sweet spot.
"Our numbers in the back half continue to be among the very best. For example, we ran the fastest top speed in the last session at 207.30 mph on a run that was all over the track. However, we have yet to really make what I would classify as a complete run, getting the most out of the car from start to finish. Once we do that on a consistent basis, we'll be fine.
"Obviously the solution is there - it's just up to us to find it. We'll go back into this GM Performance Parts GTO's history, analyzing the data, seeing what we've done and where we've gone, and come up with a plan for tomorrow. For the second consecutive race, I guess I'll have to try and set another personal best for winning from the back of the field."
STEVENS JR. POSTS CAREER-BEST ET TO QUALIFY NO. 5 IN GAINESVILLE
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2006) - New Orleans-born Pro Stock driver Richie Stevens Jr. is used to the sun, and it showed during qualifications for the NHRA Gatornationals under sunny conditions and temperatures in the 70s in each of the two days. The driver of the Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T posted a career-best elapsed time of 6.664 seconds at 206.04 mph to qualify No. 5 in the quickest Pro Stock field in the history of the NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series.
His run capped a series of consistent qualifying passes heading into Sunday's final eliminations. His other laps included a 6.727/205.33, 6.705/205.57, and a 6.695/205.71.
"We want to go as quick as possible all the time, or else we wouldn't be race-car drivers," he said of his quick run. "The fans love to see it as well, and this is a track that puts up big numbers.
"We're in the field and we made great runs throughout the whole weekend. The 6.664 probably could have been a little better, but we'll take it and head into tomorrow."
Stevens' goal for Sunday, as always, is to go rounds and acquire as many points as possible, "Let's just get out of the first round and take one round at a time and rack up those points," he said.
"When it comes down to the end of the year and you're fighting for spots or the championship every point matters, every little point counts. It's good to have the attitude to just go out there and go rounds on Sunday and be consistent, and worry about winning the race later."
Stevens will face Tom Martino in the first round of Sunday eliminations. "Lane choice is always a factor, so qualifying No. 5 is great," he added. "It helps us on Sunday, and in the King Demon Crown points (based off qualifying, currently fifth), so it helps us several ways.
"We are headed in the right direction."
DESPITE MISSING GATORNATIONALS FIELD, ROOKIE CARLSON REMAINS UPBEAT
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2006) - Pro Stock rookie Shaun Carlson, driver of the Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus for Don Schumacher Racing, was optimistic heading into the NHRA Gatornationals this weekend. He had recently completed a promising test session at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga., and he and the team expected to qualify for their first NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event.
Carlson's four qualifying runs, however, were not enough to make the quickest Pro Stock field in NHRA history, but his final and best qualifying run of 6.740 seconds at 205.38 mph was his best-yet official elapsed time since joining DSR in February. His other runs consisted of a 6.798/204.80, 6.780/205.01, and a 6.790/204.49.
The Southern-California native is focusing on the positives from the weekend: "I finally started to do my job a little better," he said. "Obviously I'd like to get qualified to give back to the team. If you look at the (final) run, it was much straighter and I hit my shift points better.
"Bob (Glidden, crew chief) came on the radio at the end of my run and said, 'Shaun that was a good run, probably your best run so far.' That gave me goose-bumps as I was pulling off (the track). I was upset that I didn't make it, but at the same time I hope I'm showing people that I
will get better.
"The Valdosta test was good for me because I started to break my passes down and look at them individually, and work on fixing them one at a time. I felt like we had some momentum coming out of that test, but this is a tough class and I know it's not easy to get in."
He knows experience is his ally. "It's inevitable that I will get par for the course as far as driving ability, but it's just passes that will get me there."
Carlson now looks forward to the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, March 31-April 2.
Schnitz Snags His Second #1 Qualifier
Yesterday's scary top end tire problems didn't slow down Ryan Schnitz a bit today, as the young Decatur, Indiana rider rode the Team Muzzy's Buell straight to the top of the charts in round 3 and stayed there through round 4 for Ryan's second Pro Stock Motorcycle #1 qualifier.
Qualifying round 3
Ryan Schnitz right lane 7.012 at 188.63 career quickest pass
60ft 1.078 330ft 2.905 660ft 4.463 at 156.82mph 1,000ft 5.832
Schnitz predicted a performance improvement for himself and the field for Saturday, and he delivered with a career best 7.012. "It was a really good pass, but through the first three gears I was hanging off the bike to the left a little bit because it wanted to go to the right. But it was a good run. I think the right lane is crowned just a little bit to the right."
As expected, round 4 was warmer and slower. "The track was hotter and conditions were worse. Although Antron (Brown, the #2 qualifier) had, in my opinion, a perfect pass. But most of the teams slowed down."
Qualifying round 4
Ryan Schnitz left lane 7.132 at 191.08
Schnitz will face Joe DeSantis in round 1 of eliminations. The field is just .009 of a second shy of the quickest field ever. "Obviously, anybody out there is gonna be a tough competitor," continued Ryan, who singled out former Team Green Kawasaki/AMA Prostar teammate Chip Ellis as a particular concern. "I don't think you'll see a 6 second pass, but I think you'll have to run .0's all day to continue on."
Ryan thanked Muzzy's, Schnitz Racing, and NGK.
Find out more about Muzzy’s at http://www.muzzys.comFind out more about Schnitz Racing at http://www.schnitzracing.comFind out more about the NHRA at http://www.nhra.com/
This team report was prepared by Tim Hailey, http://www.eatmyink.com/
Schumacher, Force, Anderson and Schnitz Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade AC DELCO Gatornationals
Marvin T. Smith Gatornationals PhotosTony Schumacher takes the top spot in Top Fuel at 4.515 @ 325.96 while Georgia's Bob Vandergriff nailed down the #11 position with a 4.627 @ 325.85 mph.
In Funny Car, John Force is #1 with a 4.751 @ 323.62 and Whit Bazemore is #2 at 4.769 @ 321.88 mph.
The Pro Stock field is the quickest ever. Greg Anderson's 6.637 @ 207.51 leads the way and the 16th qualifier is Dave Howard at 6.701 @ 206.28. Warren Johnson qualified #14 with a 6.696 @ 207.03 mph. Barry Grant failed to qualify with his 17th best 6.701 (his 205.90 mph lost the tie breaker to Dave Howard for the 16th spot) and surprisingly, Kurt Johnson missed the cut with a 20th best 6.708 @ 206.70.
Pro Stock Motorcycle didn't produce the 6 secod runs everyone expected, but they didn't miss by much. Ryan Schnitz is #1 with a 7.012 @ 192.26. Georgia's Chip Ellis is in the #4 position with a 7.059 @ 192.26.
NHRA Saturday Recap
