Warren Johnson Is Ready to Turn Up the Heat in Topeka
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Warm forecast has GM Performance Parts crew primed for Memorial Day race weekend
Sugar Hill, Ga., May 24, 2006 – This weekend, the nation celebrates Memorial Day, one of our biggest and most traditional holidays, honoring the brave men and women of the military services. Over the years, it has become the unofficial kick-off to the start of summer, as well as a tremendous weekend for racing, with major events held in every professional series. For members of the straight-line set, this means a trip to Topeka, KS for the O’Reilly Summer Nationals, the ninth stop on the 23-race POWERade Drag Racing circuit.
Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team are aiming for a strong performance heading into Heartland Park Topeka as they look to gain ground in the championship chase. One facet that may be working in their favor is the weather forecast, which is calling for temperatures in the high 80’s and low 90’s, a marked departure from what the “factory hot rods” have experienced so far in 2006.
“Somehow, the weather always seems front and center when we come to Topeka,” stated Johnson. “Fortunately, we pride on ourselves on keeping as good a notebook as possible on every racetrack and situation. Therefore, we can deal with almost any weather conditions, as long as it’s not raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing.
“However, this current GM Performance Parts GTO seems to be at its best in warmer temperatures, so we hope the forecast for the weekend holds true. In any case, we’ll assess the weather when we get there, take a look at the track to see how it’s changed and come up with a game plan.”
This race will mark The Professor’s 23rd national event appearance in the Kansas capitol, and by all accounts, it has been a successful pairing. Since 1989, when he captured the No. 1 qualifying position and defeated Bob Glidden in the first round of Heartland Park Topeka’s NHRA debut, Johnson has established a solid record of success. His five HPT wins lead all Pro Stock competitors, giving him an unparalleled perspective on this unique, multi-faceted motorsports facility.
“Sitting in the middle of the Kansas plains, Heartland Park Topeka’s location in unlike any other on the POWERade tour,” described Johnson. “What’s funny is that it sits at an altitude of about 2,000 feet, but the land is so flat, you can pretty much see where you can get to in two days.
“Historically, the surface has been pretty good, although we haven’t run as fast there as the conditions would indicate. However, they’ve done some work to the facility since last year, so we really won’t know what kind of track we’ll have until we get there. One thing I certainly hope does not change is the parity between the two lanes. They’ve always been pretty even in the past. Of course, a lot has to do with how the track is prepared, which also has been an issue of late.
“Fortunately, one of this GM Performance Parts GTO team’s strengths has been our ability to adapt to the situation, so we should be in good shape. We’ve got the weapons in our arsenal – we just have to make sure to fire them at the right time.”
Quick Notes on Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO team entering the 18th annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals:
WJ is the Top Dog in Topeka: This will be Warren’s 23rd career NHRA national event at Heartland Park Topeka. In his previous 21 starts in Kansas, he has five wins (in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998) in six final rounds, which the most by any Pro Stock competitor.
Warren Qualifies Up Front in Kansas: In 21 Heartland Park Topeka starts, WJ has seven No. 1 qualifying performances, 15 starts in the top four positions and a strong 4.27 average starting position.
One Year Ago: Warren qualified 10th with a 6.764-second elapsed time with a top speed of 204.39 mph, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.50 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/19/05
J Looks to Keep the Ball in His Court in Topeka
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
ACDelco Cobalt crew looks for solid outing at Heartland Park Topeka
Sugar Hill, Ga., May 24, 2006 - Throughout the course of a POWERade Drag Racing Series event, competitors must deal with a series of variables. On every pass, they must find the proper tune-up to maximize their performance, taking into account the atmospheric conditions and how they affect the race car, as well as the amount of traction available in the particular lane on the specific race track on which they are competing. In addition, the driver must perform his job to the best of his abilities, from posting a strong reaction time to ensuring the car stays in the racing groove. In a sport measured in tens of thousandths of a second, each decision can be critical.
However, as Pro Stock standout Kurt Johnson is quick to point out, there also are many vital aspects over which teams have no control, from the weather to track-related items under the jurisdiction of the sanctioning body. With disparate racing lanes and timing systems issues playing a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of the last two races, Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt Racing team enter this weekend's O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, KS determined to minimize their vulnerability to such outside influences.
"One of our goals heading into Topeka is to make sure something out of our control doesn't help decide our fate," said Johnson. "Admittedly, we had our own issues fighting a clutch problem in Columbus, and it put us in a bad position. We had enough clutch in it to pull the tower down on Friday, and it was still slipping. Even so, we kept working at it and made a decent run in the last session on Saturday, the second quickest in the right lane. However, with the left lane being three hundredths quicker in a category as close as Pro Stock, we came up five thousandths short.
"We realize we're going to have problems getting down the track from time to time, but when you do make a good run, you expect the lanes to be equal. We try to make our ACDelco Cobalt ultra-consistent so we can see performance advantages and disadvantages, but having as big a difference between the lanes as we have seen on occasion this year makes it very hard to race.
"Even so, we're not going to complain or worry about things we can't fix. We’re going to concentrate on getting our race car in perfect shape, and go on to the next race and attack it. We plan to do a little testing and will go over our notes for Heartland Park before we get there so that we are ready for whatever comes at us."
With one third of the season completed, every event becomes critical for those looking to gain ground on the leaders. Therefore, the Johnson-led crew sees this weekend's race at Heartland Park Topeka as the next opportunity to solidify their position as a contender for the 2006 POWERade title.
"Looking at the forecast for this weekend, it's supposed to be in the 90's, making it the warmest conditions we've raced in this year," said Johnson. "Fortunately, we have plenty of tuning data on our ACDelco Cobalt for those types of conditions, so we’ll just plug in our hot weather combination and get after it from there.
"We can't deny that last weekend's results hurt us. However, we know we’re as good as anyone out there and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be in the winner's circle. My goal is to reach the middle of the season in the Top Five, and that is still within our reach. It will certainly not be easy, but we need to win a couple races in the next few weeks to get ourselves back in the swing. Of course, everyone else in Pro Stock is thinking the same thing, but we know we can do it. It's time to get to work."
Quick Notes on Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering The 18th Annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals:
KJ is Targeting Topeka: This will be KJ's 19th career appearance at Heartland Park Topeka, where he has two final round appearances in 2003 & 2004, and a 19-16 elimination round record for a .543 win percentage. It is one of only five tracks on the 2006 POWERade Drag Racing Schedule where he has yet to win.
KJ’s Qualifying Stats in Kansas: In his 16 previous career starts in Topeka, Kurt has one No. 1 qualifying performance (in 1995), 14 starts in the top half of the field, and an average starting position of 5.31.
One year ago: Kurt qualified third with an elapsed time of 6.740 seconds and a top speed of 205.10 mph, but was upset in the first round.
Topeka track record holder: KJ's 205.10 mph top speed set in qualifying one year ago is the current Pro Stock track top speed record at Heartland Park Topeka.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.663 sec., Dallas, TX, 10/7/05
Career best top speed: 207.72 mph, Pomona, CA, 2/12/06
BAZEMORE RETURNS TO SITE OF FIRST WIN IN TOPEKA
DON SCHUMACHER RACINGContact: Judy Stropus
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 23, 2006) - Whit Bazemore always has a soft spot in his heart for Heartland Park Topeka. It's the site of his first Funny Car win, back in 1997, and also where he won in 2004.
So, the driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, who's made a huge turnaround in performance the last few races of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, would like to three-peat here this weekend at the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals.
He's fresh off a strong showing in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend, where he had the car to beat. Bazemore made it into his first final round of the season, with lane choice every time. Then a mechanical problem put him out of the running in the money round.
That's all right, though, according to Bazemore, who moved into eighth in the point standings. "The important thing is that we're running well and I feel like we have momentum and it's great," he says. "That's what this sport is all about and you have to have that to be successful.
"It doesn't matter where we are racing this weekend, I'd be excited. But the fact that it is Topeka, where we won our first race ever back in 1997 - my first race as a driver, my second as a team owner - is very exciting.
"I'm really looking forward to getting back to Heartland Park. It's a good track. It's a special place for me, obviously, and I like it."
He recalls that first win: "I remember exactly. It was a hot day, it was in June, and we had Randy Anderson in the final. He was kind of a rookie, but very well-funded, a good team, and they had won two races already that year. And I remember going into the final thinking, I'm not going to give my trophy to this guy. And that's how we approached it. We were in a very
aggressive state of mind and we got the job done."
Since then, Bazemore has won 18 additional national events and is looking for this 20th career victory this weekend.
His Topeka record also includes qualifying No. 1 here in 2004 and 1999, and a runner-up finish in 2003.
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Eighth in 2006 Funny Car point standings after eight events (254 out of lead), with one runner-up and two semifinal finishes
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Ninth in final 2005 Funny Car point standings
* Won two events in 2005 (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 6 at 2005 O'Reilly Summer Nationals, lost first round to teammate Ron Capps
* Has won twice in Topeka, in 1997 (first win) and 2004. Was runner-up in 2003 and No. 1 qualifier in 1999 and 2004
* 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 326 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
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 26, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at noon and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 28, Final Eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, May 27, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET). Sunday, May 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, May 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 10 p.m.
(ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, May 26, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, May 27, 9:30 -10 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Sunday, May 28, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Feeds include action with natural sound of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock, plus interviews with winners on Sunday.
VANDERGRIFF READY FOR QUIET TIMES IN TOPEKA
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
Heartland Park Topeka (Kansas)
Race Date: May 26-28, 2006
TOPEKA, Ks., (May 26, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff Jr. is looking for a very quiet weekend at Heartland Park for the running of the O'Reilly NHRA Summernationals. Quiet in the sense of avoiding being on the highlight reel of the car in the other lane. The attention that Vandergriff would welcome will be results of his performance. The UPS Top Fuel team has seen some unwanted action and attention at the past few races. During Friday nights qualifying session at Bristol Dragway, Vandergriff found himself driving away from possible contact with Cory McClenathan's horrific chassis failure in the next lane. Vandergriff masterfully drove his car to 5.4 seconds to avoid being collected in McClenathan's wave of flying debris.
Vandergriff had a second harrowing experience at National Trail Raceway last weekend when he was passed in his own lane by Hillary Will at the end of what became a rain-shortened qualifying session.
The Jim Dupuy-led UPS team looks forward to a quiet and uneventful Friday night session. The only excitement they are hoping for will be from the result of their power. "Jim (Dupuy) and the team have the UPS car running really well," Vandergriff said. "We qualified No. 2 in Columbus, and hope to do at least that good here in Topeka. We did some more testing on Monday and I think we are in a very good place. We are ready go rounds in Topeka.
Vandergriff is currently in the No. 13 position in the NHRA POWERade Championship points chase.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 26, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. Saturday, May 27, Professional Qualifying Sessions are at noon and 2:30
p.m. Sunday, May 28, Final Elimination's begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, May 27, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of elimination's at 10 p.m.
(ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, May 26, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) Å] SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, May 27, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) Å] SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Sunday, May 28, 8:30-9 p.m. (ET) Å] SBS 6 / Transponder 17K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Feeds include action with natural sound of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock, plus interviews with winners on Sunday.
Ken Sklute
Vandergriff Motorsports Public Relations
www.VANDERGRIFFMOTORSPORTS.com
www.RacersEdgePhotography.com
Troxel, Hight and Enders Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX
OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS AND INTO THE FINAL FOR BAZEMORE IN COLUMBUS
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
HEBRON, Ohio (May 21, 2006) - Whit Bazemore came out of the doldrums and into the Funny Car final round today at the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.
After struggling all season to get the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T back into contention, Bazemore and the Matco Tools team are beginning to see the light, as the two-time U.S. Nationals champion reached the final round today in fine style.
He reveled in the car's strong performance today and endured some mechanical problems as well, but Bazemore came close to winning his first race since his last victory at the 2005 Las Vegas 1 event. That was also the last final round he had reached.
In the final, Bazemore took off first at the starting lights, with a solid .063 reaction time (.000 is perfect) to Pedregon's .081, but a parts failure before half-track slowed him to a 6.368/146.34, while Pedregon cruised to a 4.923/313.66 win.
Having the luxury of lane choice in every round today (No. 4 qualifier), the Indianapolis resident disposed of Bob Gilbertson in the opener with a 4.792-second elapsed time at 328.14 mph (his fastest speed of the year), then sent Del Worsham packing in the quarterfinal with a 4.799/326.08.
The semifinal round caused some drama, as Bazemore's car went on fire at the end of his 4.801/300.13 winning run over Eric Medlen. Don Schumacher Racing came together to help the Matco Tools team get the car ready for the final round, a testimony to the solidarity of effort among all nine teams.
"We had the best car each round today," said Bazemore, "and after the first round I could smell the win. I could just taste it; it was going to happen. Unfortunately, there was an electrical gremlin in the box (that holds the timers that activates the clutch) in the final round and nothing worked. The clutch didn't set itself off or anything. It wasn't going to run a 4.94 or 4.95 with our (reaction-time) advantage. That's what we would have had to run to beat his 4.92.
"I'm really excited about the car and the team. We had guys over here after the semis when we really had a mad thrash. We had the Brut guys, the Oakley guys, the Army guys, some of Melanie's (Troxel) guys. So, it was really a big team effort. In light of the stuff that happened recently, it was really refreshing and nice and deeply appreciated. To have the whole team come together like that was very, very cool, I thought.
"I wanted to win it for all those guys; they made a hell of an effort. We didn't. The fact is we're in a good position now and I feel really good.
"In the semifinal a head stud pulled out and torched the head gasket and then the boost went sky high. It basically just burned itself up and slung some rods out. It looked like a big fire inside to me. It was on fire and full of smoke. At least in the old days when you were on fire everybody knew it and they gave you a medal for being brave. Nowadays, it's nothing (from the outside). But you still can't breathe or see.
"There was a fair amount of damage, in the electronics, pneumatic lines, etc. It was a big thrash, but they did an outstanding job.
"The part that failed in the final wasn't even a part of the fire. That was what was discouraging. It was the little connection deep inside the box, not even remotely being damaged from the run before.
"It's a huge effort and it's fun. We're having fun. I'm having fun. The car is so perfect. We had to fight it a little bit going down the track, but I love it."
Bazemore jumped into eighth into the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings.
Next up is the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan., May 25-28.
NHRA FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ron Capps, 666
2. John Force, 575
3. Eric Medlen, 482
4. Robert Hight, 474
5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 446
6. Tony Pedregon, 434 (winner today)
7. Del Worsham, 428
8. Whit Bazemore, 412
9. Cruz Pedregon, 402
10. Phil Burkart Jr., 354
LIGHTNING AND RAIN FORCE DELAY OF SUMMIT ET RACE AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY
RACE DATE: May 21, 2006
FROM: Tim Glover
EVENT: Summit Snap-On event at Atlanta Dragway in 2006
In spite of predictions of thunderstorms, well over 200 bracket racers still came to enjoy a day at the races. The Atlanta Dragway crew did their best, working through two rain delays, and getting racers through three rounds of competition. However, lots of lightning, and then rain ended the evening at 10:00pm. Management announced that all racers still in competition would conclude this event during the morning of the next scheduled Summit ET race, which is set for June 17, 2006. Racers were asked to check on the website, www.atlantadragway.com, for further information.
Ronnie "The King" Davis captures Automatic Pro Mod crown at SGMP
by Marvin T. Smith
May 20, 2006 Photos
Ronnie Davis brought in his Automatic Pro Mod circuit and put on a fine event at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Ten cars attempted to qualify for the eight car field. The King qualified in the number two position behind Russ Crump’s fine 4.33, but in eliminations, everything went his way. Davis set low et of round one with a 4.378 170.15. In round two, Davis beat Tom Stringer's flamed Camaro with an improving 4.366 at 169.89. Stringer trailed with a respectable 4.45 161. In the other semifinal, Joe Baker’s Neon beat Crump's Vette with a 4.37 161 when Crump got out of shape and had to lift. In the final, Davis ran a 4.36 169 to beat Baker's 4.39. These cars put on a great show.
Nostalgia cars also were a prime feature at this weekend's event. Ed Fargo put together a great Southern Slingshots and funny car exhibition in preparation for the big Southern Nostalgia Shootout to be held October 27-29 at SGMP. Mark Adams ran his altered, and Denny Fenstermaker had his original restored fueler on display. Several members of the South Georgia Classic Car Club brought out their muscle cars on Saturday. Tammy Fargo had the best dragster time on the eighth mile at 5.063 135.41 in her blown small-block chevy front-engined dragster. David Workman also ran his beautiful rat-powered dragster on Friday, but he damaged the engine and was reduced to display duty on Saturday. Red Coleman ran his Super Cuda funny car and Bill Brown brought his Snowman Vega funny for several attempts at the SGMP track. Both ran in the 5s and put on a good show. Be sure to come back to SGMP this October for the biggest nostalgia event in the South. Headlining the event is Big Daddy Don Garlits.
In regular monthly series bracket action, Jeff Adkinson beat Carey "The Crow" Locke to take home the money in Super Pro. Locke ran a better 4.68 on is 4.67 dial, but was late allowing Adkinson to take the win with a 4.78 on his 4.74 dial. In Pro, Ray Williams drove his Ford Dually tow vehicle to a win running a 10.26 on his 10.26 dial to beat Kenny Bevins' Mustang 6.92 on a 6.89 dial. The street diesel truck pulled off the big win over a number of full-out race cars. Allie Alcorn beat Brian Chason in Jr. Dragster as both broke out in their heads up 7.90 race. Allie's 7.89 was closer than Brian's 7.87.
Bernstein, T. Pedregon, Yates and Sampey Win the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Performance Nationals presented by Summit Racing
