Fuller, Ashley, Anderson, Smith and Critchley Top Qualifiers at St. Louis
posted by David @ 6:28 PM
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Flowmaster ADRL Presents the Third Annual Camp Motorsports Georgia Drags
by Marvin T. Smith
Photos
Unbelievable times and record crowds highlighted the ADRL first round of qualifying on Friday. Jason Scruggs set the world on fire with an incredible 3.804 at 198.67 mph, the quickest and fastest pro mod run ever. To show you Scruggs' dominance, the next quickest car was Travis Swearingen in his junk yard Willysat 3.957! The top seven qualifiers were in the 3s including Rome, Georgia's Bil Clanton. Twenty-four cars made the call for round 1.
In Pro Nitrous, Mike Castellana set the pace in his new Western Beef Mustang at 4.043 184.07. Thirteen other cars were in the 4.0s and the first round bump was 4.127. Twenty-four cars attempted to qualify.
In ADRL Extreme 10.5, Todd Tutterow led the field with a fine 4.354 at 167.30. Rodney Rosenstiel had top speed at 169.06 in his little Opel GT. Twelve cars made first round hits.
Steve Drake led Pro Extreme Motorcycle with a 4.380 163. Coodee Thomas of Conyers, GA also ran a 4.387 at 165.44 for top speed. Thirteen cycles made the first round qualifying.
The night was topped off with great jet funny car action. Don't miss this event on Saturday!
Photos
Unbelievable times and record crowds highlighted the ADRL first round of qualifying on Friday. Jason Scruggs set the world on fire with an incredible 3.804 at 198.67 mph, the quickest and fastest pro mod run ever. To show you Scruggs' dominance, the next quickest car was Travis Swearingen in his junk yard Willysat 3.957! The top seven qualifiers were in the 3s including Rome, Georgia's Bil Clanton. Twenty-four cars made the call for round 1.
In Pro Nitrous, Mike Castellana set the pace in his new Western Beef Mustang at 4.043 184.07. Thirteen other cars were in the 4.0s and the first round bump was 4.127. Twenty-four cars attempted to qualify.
In ADRL Extreme 10.5, Todd Tutterow led the field with a fine 4.354 at 167.30. Rodney Rosenstiel had top speed at 169.06 in his little Opel GT. Twelve cars made first round hits.
Steve Drake led Pro Extreme Motorcycle with a 4.380 163. Coodee Thomas of Conyers, GA also ran a 4.387 at 165.44 for top speed. Thirteen cycles made the first round qualifying.
The night was topped off with great jet funny car action. Don't miss this event on Saturday!
posted by David @ 4:12 PM
Friday, May 04, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
2007 Southern Nationals Photos by Wayne Holland
Thanks to Wayne Holland for sharing his photos from the Southern Nationals! See them here!
posted by David @ 9:59 PM
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
AMS Pro Mod News - Three in a row for Hernandez
Courtesy AMS
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) - It's déjà vu all over again. Josh Hernandez won the battle of the quickest field ever in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. from the No. 1 qualifying position all the way to the winner's circle at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
Hernandez is a perfect three for three in AMS Pro Mod competition this year - taking home the AMS Eagle for the third time this season with his final-round win over No. 2 qualifier Doug Palmer. Palmer's Voodoo Racing/R2B2 '63 Corvette was shut off at the line because of a fuel line leak in the final round leading to an anti-climactic win for the Houston native, but according to Hernandez, a win is a win, ugly or not.
"I know Doug and his guys must be kicking themselves, because we actually got too aggressive and smoked the tires after the hit, but, that's racing," Hernandez said.
Palmer was racing in his first event of the season, having recently moved from the role of owner/driver to just driver. After a brief hiatus from racing, Palmer is right on track with the tuning help of veteran Al Billes.
"I really was thinking we'd do well this weekend, because Al has a great blower program," Palmer said. "I didn't imagine we'd be in the final, but, I know that, for me, a driver can drive anything, and even after time off, it's like riding a bike. Drivers drive, and that's what I do."
From Hernandez at the top to Quain Stott at No. 16, the field was the quickest ever in the history of AMS Pro Mod competition. Stott's qualifying time of 6.164 eclipsed the previous low-bump spot of 6.182 set in Indianapolis 2006.
The right lane was the real winner of the weekend, producing a win for every race contended in the class. Rick Stivers, driver of the Chuck Ford-tuned '67 Camaro said the left lane was just too difficult to navigate.
"I was hoping we would be able to go against the trend, but when I saw Tim [Tindle] go up in tire smoke at exactly the same place everyone else had, I knew our chances were pretty slim," Stivers said.
Stivers was defeated by Danny Rowe in the first round, 6.183 to 11.623.
The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
Summary of Eliminations:
Round 1:
Matt Hagan 6.144 237.30 def. Tim Tindle 11.021 75.95
Shelly Payne 6.022 236.67 def. Cody Barklage 6.874 218.16
Danny Rowe 6.183 222.91 def. Rick Stivers 11.623 71.48
Troy Critchley 6.037 239.57 def. Bryan Seward 6.082 236.09
Jay Payne 6.031 238.68 def. Tony Pontieri 6.200 231.12
Raymond Commisso 6.066 237.71 def. Mike Stawicki 6.105 234.41
Doug Palmer 5.981 238.68 def. Eddie Ware NT-No Shw
Joshua Hernandez 5.972 238.93 def. Quain Stott 6.130 235.10
Round 2:
J Hernandez 6.057 238.68 def. M Hagan 6.133 236.26
R Commisso 6.089 240.25 def. D Rowe 6.109 234.82
J Payne 6.116 235.39 def. T Critchley 6.082 234.09
D Palmer 6.055 238.30 def. S Payne 6.873 223.21
Round 3:
J Hernandez 6.034 240.55 def. J Payne 6.097 235.64
D Palmer 6.082 237.88 def. R Commisso 6.079 239.65
Round 4:
J Hernandez 11.009 109.42 def. D Palmer BROKE
Low ET: Josh Hernandez 5.972 seconds
Top Speed: Raymond Commisso 241.97 MPH
Final Qualifying Order
1 Joshua Hernandez 5.974 241.28
2 Doug Palmer 5.996 238.64
3 Raymond Commisso 6.003 241.97
4 Jay Payne 6.007 238.17
5 Troy Critchley 6.03 240.08
6 Dan Rowe 6.052 235.35
7 Shelly Payne 6.057 235.23
8 Matt Hagan 6.067 237.3
9 Tim Tindle 6.07 235.1
10 Cody Barklage 6.11 235.89
11 Rick Stivers 6.116 236.13
12 Bryan Seward 6.118 235.1
13 Tony Pontieri 6.123 234.21
14 Mike Stawicki 6.146 230.53
15 Eddie Ware 6.159 231.95
16 Quain Stott 6.164 236.22
------
17 Scott Ray 6.178 228.5
18 Steve Engel 6.178 225.18
19 Zach Barklage 6.292 213.77
20 Troy Coughlin 6.36 229.98
Current Point Standings After Three Events
1 Josh Hernandez 1709
2 Raymond Commisso 1016
3 Troy Critchley 1015
4 Jay Payne 599
5 Dan Rowe 597
6 Bryan Seward 588
7 Tim Tindle 501
8 Tony Pontieri 497
9 Doug Palmer 440
10 Scott Cannon 438
11 Steve Engel 393
12 Matt Hagan 390
13 Shelly Payne 367
14 Mike Bell 330
15 Eddie Ware 279
16 John Russo 276
17 Cody Barklage 263
18 Mike Stawicki 261
19 Scott Ray 258
19 Rick Stivers 258
21 Mike Janis 238
22 Chip King 160
23 Zach Barklage 154
24 Brandon Pesz 130
25 Quain Stott 126
26 Isaias Rojas 25
26 William Rojas 25
26 Angel Garcia 25
26 Troy Coughlin 25
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) - It's déjà vu all over again. Josh Hernandez won the battle of the quickest field ever in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. from the No. 1 qualifying position all the way to the winner's circle at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
Hernandez is a perfect three for three in AMS Pro Mod competition this year - taking home the AMS Eagle for the third time this season with his final-round win over No. 2 qualifier Doug Palmer. Palmer's Voodoo Racing/R2B2 '63 Corvette was shut off at the line because of a fuel line leak in the final round leading to an anti-climactic win for the Houston native, but according to Hernandez, a win is a win, ugly or not.
"I know Doug and his guys must be kicking themselves, because we actually got too aggressive and smoked the tires after the hit, but, that's racing," Hernandez said.
Palmer was racing in his first event of the season, having recently moved from the role of owner/driver to just driver. After a brief hiatus from racing, Palmer is right on track with the tuning help of veteran Al Billes.
"I really was thinking we'd do well this weekend, because Al has a great blower program," Palmer said. "I didn't imagine we'd be in the final, but, I know that, for me, a driver can drive anything, and even after time off, it's like riding a bike. Drivers drive, and that's what I do."
From Hernandez at the top to Quain Stott at No. 16, the field was the quickest ever in the history of AMS Pro Mod competition. Stott's qualifying time of 6.164 eclipsed the previous low-bump spot of 6.182 set in Indianapolis 2006.
The right lane was the real winner of the weekend, producing a win for every race contended in the class. Rick Stivers, driver of the Chuck Ford-tuned '67 Camaro said the left lane was just too difficult to navigate.
"I was hoping we would be able to go against the trend, but when I saw Tim [Tindle] go up in tire smoke at exactly the same place everyone else had, I knew our chances were pretty slim," Stivers said.
Stivers was defeated by Danny Rowe in the first round, 6.183 to 11.623.
The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
Summary of Eliminations:
Round 1:
Matt Hagan 6.144 237.30 def. Tim Tindle 11.021 75.95
Shelly Payne 6.022 236.67 def. Cody Barklage 6.874 218.16
Danny Rowe 6.183 222.91 def. Rick Stivers 11.623 71.48
Troy Critchley 6.037 239.57 def. Bryan Seward 6.082 236.09
Jay Payne 6.031 238.68 def. Tony Pontieri 6.200 231.12
Raymond Commisso 6.066 237.71 def. Mike Stawicki 6.105 234.41
Doug Palmer 5.981 238.68 def. Eddie Ware NT-No Shw
Joshua Hernandez 5.972 238.93 def. Quain Stott 6.130 235.10
Round 2:
J Hernandez 6.057 238.68 def. M Hagan 6.133 236.26
R Commisso 6.089 240.25 def. D Rowe 6.109 234.82
J Payne 6.116 235.39 def. T Critchley 6.082 234.09
D Palmer 6.055 238.30 def. S Payne 6.873 223.21
Round 3:
J Hernandez 6.034 240.55 def. J Payne 6.097 235.64
D Palmer 6.082 237.88 def. R Commisso 6.079 239.65
Round 4:
J Hernandez 11.009 109.42 def. D Palmer BROKE
Low ET: Josh Hernandez 5.972 seconds
Top Speed: Raymond Commisso 241.97 MPH
Final Qualifying Order
1 Joshua Hernandez 5.974 241.28
2 Doug Palmer 5.996 238.64
3 Raymond Commisso 6.003 241.97
4 Jay Payne 6.007 238.17
5 Troy Critchley 6.03 240.08
6 Dan Rowe 6.052 235.35
7 Shelly Payne 6.057 235.23
8 Matt Hagan 6.067 237.3
9 Tim Tindle 6.07 235.1
10 Cody Barklage 6.11 235.89
11 Rick Stivers 6.116 236.13
12 Bryan Seward 6.118 235.1
13 Tony Pontieri 6.123 234.21
14 Mike Stawicki 6.146 230.53
15 Eddie Ware 6.159 231.95
16 Quain Stott 6.164 236.22
------
17 Scott Ray 6.178 228.5
18 Steve Engel 6.178 225.18
19 Zach Barklage 6.292 213.77
20 Troy Coughlin 6.36 229.98
Current Point Standings After Three Events
1 Josh Hernandez 1709
2 Raymond Commisso 1016
3 Troy Critchley 1015
4 Jay Payne 599
5 Dan Rowe 597
6 Bryan Seward 588
7 Tim Tindle 501
8 Tony Pontieri 497
9 Doug Palmer 440
10 Scott Cannon 438
11 Steve Engel 393
12 Matt Hagan 390
13 Shelly Payne 367
14 Mike Bell 330
15 Eddie Ware 279
16 John Russo 276
17 Cody Barklage 263
18 Mike Stawicki 261
19 Scott Ray 258
19 Rick Stivers 258
21 Mike Janis 238
22 Chip King 160
23 Zach Barklage 154
24 Brandon Pesz 130
25 Quain Stott 126
26 Isaias Rojas 25
26 William Rojas 25
26 Angel Garcia 25
26 Troy Coughlin 25
posted by David @ 9:38 PM
Runner-Up finish for Ashley in Atlanta
Gotham City Racing
Matthew Brammer
PR & Marketing Director
COMMERCE, Ga. From the number one qualifying position, Mike Ashley drove his Torco Race Fuels, Inc. Dodge Charger to a runner-up finish in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
Behind the wheel of the Brian Corradi-tuned nitro Funny Car, Ashley dispatched Tim Wilkerson, Gary Scelzi, and Ashley Force before giving up the stripe to Robert Hight in the final. The event marks the second time Ashley has made it to the final round in Funny Car to face Hight, the last time in Dallas 2006, but has yet to seal the deal for the win.
Ashley squared off against the current POWERade points leader from the left lane which had been problematic for many drivers throughout the day, and suffered the same fate as others: hazing the tires at about half-track and giving up the win. Hight took the stripe with a 4.882/314.61 to Ashley's 5.167/229.66.
"We just had more power than the lane could handle," a disappointed Ashley said as he climbed out of his car.
"I really just feel bad for the guys, because they worked so hard and deserved the win. It looked like we had a good shot at it, but it wasn't meant to be this weekend. Let's face it - we've had the best hot rod on the track for the past several races, and we all know that we can get it done, but sometimes it doesn't work out the way we plan it.
"I've said it several times, I'm just going to go out there and do my job, and when it's right, it will happen. This weekend was by no means unsuccessful. We were number one qualifier again, set a track speed record again, and we made the finals. That's success, any way you look at it," he said.
For the third race in a row, Ashley has had the quickest and fastest car by the numbers - this weekend with his Friday night blast of 4.704/331.04. His speed eclipsed the record of 329.83 mph set by Tony Pedregon in May 2004.
"It really was a great weekend for us. Latrell Preston from Torco was here to watch the races with us, and we had some really amazing kids and their families from the Hyperbaric Therapy Center who got to enjoy the races, too - so, we were surrounded by tons of positive energy - and it showed in our performance.
"Some of these kids were autistic, and by using the hyperbaric chambers, they have had incredible, almost miraculous results. They were really an inspiration for me all weekend - and I'm really proud to be able to have an Autism Awareness ribbon on our car to share hope with all of the families who are afflicted with this disease. This is reality, and these kids are getting the win with all the things that Bill Schindler and Jere and Dawn Highland are doing with the Center. That's real life, and that's what really gets me going," Ashley said.
"Now, we get our stuff all together and head to St. Louis - and try to do it again - only next time, win one more round," he said.
Ashley and the Gotham City Racing team head next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
About Mike Ashley's Gotham City Racing
Gotham City Racing is fully sponsored by Torco Race Fuels, Inc., the world's largest independently owned race fuel manufacturer. Torco Race Fuels, Inc. has a full line of racing gasoline including methanol and nitromethane. Their full product line of fuels and additives is complimented by SKULL Shine -- a complete line of automotive care and appearance products and SKULL Gear -- an innovative and trendy clothing line. Product can be purchased by calling 1-800-67-TORCO or by visiting their website: www.torco.com
Website: http://www.torco.com
Matthew Brammer
PR & Marketing Director
COMMERCE, Ga. From the number one qualifying position, Mike Ashley drove his Torco Race Fuels, Inc. Dodge Charger to a runner-up finish in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
Behind the wheel of the Brian Corradi-tuned nitro Funny Car, Ashley dispatched Tim Wilkerson, Gary Scelzi, and Ashley Force before giving up the stripe to Robert Hight in the final. The event marks the second time Ashley has made it to the final round in Funny Car to face Hight, the last time in Dallas 2006, but has yet to seal the deal for the win.
Ashley squared off against the current POWERade points leader from the left lane which had been problematic for many drivers throughout the day, and suffered the same fate as others: hazing the tires at about half-track and giving up the win. Hight took the stripe with a 4.882/314.61 to Ashley's 5.167/229.66.
"We just had more power than the lane could handle," a disappointed Ashley said as he climbed out of his car.
"I really just feel bad for the guys, because they worked so hard and deserved the win. It looked like we had a good shot at it, but it wasn't meant to be this weekend. Let's face it - we've had the best hot rod on the track for the past several races, and we all know that we can get it done, but sometimes it doesn't work out the way we plan it.
"I've said it several times, I'm just going to go out there and do my job, and when it's right, it will happen. This weekend was by no means unsuccessful. We were number one qualifier again, set a track speed record again, and we made the finals. That's success, any way you look at it," he said.
For the third race in a row, Ashley has had the quickest and fastest car by the numbers - this weekend with his Friday night blast of 4.704/331.04. His speed eclipsed the record of 329.83 mph set by Tony Pedregon in May 2004.
"It really was a great weekend for us. Latrell Preston from Torco was here to watch the races with us, and we had some really amazing kids and their families from the Hyperbaric Therapy Center who got to enjoy the races, too - so, we were surrounded by tons of positive energy - and it showed in our performance.
"Some of these kids were autistic, and by using the hyperbaric chambers, they have had incredible, almost miraculous results. They were really an inspiration for me all weekend - and I'm really proud to be able to have an Autism Awareness ribbon on our car to share hope with all of the families who are afflicted with this disease. This is reality, and these kids are getting the win with all the things that Bill Schindler and Jere and Dawn Highland are doing with the Center. That's real life, and that's what really gets me going," Ashley said.
"Now, we get our stuff all together and head to St. Louis - and try to do it again - only next time, win one more round," he said.
Ashley and the Gotham City Racing team head next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
About Mike Ashley's Gotham City Racing
Gotham City Racing is fully sponsored by Torco Race Fuels, Inc., the world's largest independently owned race fuel manufacturer. Torco Race Fuels, Inc. has a full line of racing gasoline including methanol and nitromethane. Their full product line of fuels and additives is complimented by SKULL Shine -- a complete line of automotive care and appearance products and SKULL Gear -- an innovative and trendy clothing line. Product can be purchased by calling 1-800-67-TORCO or by visiting their website: www.torco.com
Website: http://www.torco.com
posted by David @ 9:33 PM
WJ Records a Runner-up Finish in Atlanta
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Atlanta, GA, April 29, 2007 - Warren Johnson put a fitting end to his International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction weekend on Sunday, powering his GM Performance Parts Pontiac GTO to a runner-up finish at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, GA. It was the 150th final round appearance of WJ's illustrious Pro Stock career, first of the 2007 season and ninth at Atlanta Dragway.
"Things went along rather nicely for the GM Performance Parts GTO crew today," said Johnson. "Coming into eliminations, we elected to stick with the set-up we had used in qualifying, even though it was not the one we had been using for the last three or four races. However, since we had so much time invested in it, we felt it would serve us better than trying to go back, and it almost worked to perfection.
"We're certainly not happy losing in the final, but at least we were able to get there, which is a major step forward for our program. We also made an incremental gain in the points standings, which was another one of our goals. Finally, we will be able to take what we learned today and apply it to both (son) Kurt's and my cars, which we believe will help us maintain our forward progress. All around, it was a pretty good day."
Starting from the 15th position after battling to get a handle on their race car in qualifying, Johnson gained an easy win over No. 2 qualifier Allen Johnson in the first round when he left the starting line six thousandths of a second too early. In the second round, WJ overcame the lack of lane choice to post a solid 6.702-second elapsed time with a top speed of 205.85 mph to trailer veteran Larry Morgan. Finally, he used another solid 6.737-second, 205.60 mph pass to defeat Richie Stevens in the semifinals, setting the stage for a final round match-up against rival and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson.
Once again racing without lane choice and facing an apparent performance advantage, Johnson knew he would need a near-perfect effort to score his 97th career national event win. Leaving the line in unison with his opponent, he deftly maneuvered the less-preferred left hand lane in 6.719-seconds at a speed of 205.79 mph. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome his opponent's quicker 6.671-second time. Despite his initial disappointment, Johnson was pleased with the progress made by his Terry Adams-led crew.
"We came back after qualifying to make some pretty decent runs today," said Johnson. "The track was 133 degrees today, which normally doesn't bode well for these Pro Stock cars, and we saw a number of runs in the left hand lane where people flat couldn't get down the track. However, we were able to successfully negotiate both lanes making us pretty happy overall. Although some make look at this as a good end to my Hall of Fame weekend, I prefer to see it as the beginning of our year."
In only his sixth race with the team, Terry Adams was also pleased with their showing, and looked forward to building on these results in the future.
"This GM Performance Parts GTO crew had an awesome weekend, and if Kurt's car had been a little better, we would have had both our cars in the final," said Adams. "We missed the set-up a little bit in qualifying, but we worked on it today and got it a little better, Warren did a great job behind the wheel and we made it to the final. That's all we had today, but we're going to go back to the shop, work on our engines and make our race car a little better, and hopefully go on to the next race and win that one."
POWERade Points Standings
(Following six of 23 events)
1-G. Anderson 602
2-J. Line 390
3-J. Coughlin 371
4-D. Connolly 363
5-W. Johnson 298
6-M. Edwards 296
7-K. Johnson 291
8-A. Johnson 287
9-R. Stevens 280
10-G. Stanfield 273
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Atlanta, GA, April 29, 2007 - Warren Johnson put a fitting end to his International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction weekend on Sunday, powering his GM Performance Parts Pontiac GTO to a runner-up finish at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, GA. It was the 150th final round appearance of WJ's illustrious Pro Stock career, first of the 2007 season and ninth at Atlanta Dragway.
"Things went along rather nicely for the GM Performance Parts GTO crew today," said Johnson. "Coming into eliminations, we elected to stick with the set-up we had used in qualifying, even though it was not the one we had been using for the last three or four races. However, since we had so much time invested in it, we felt it would serve us better than trying to go back, and it almost worked to perfection.
"We're certainly not happy losing in the final, but at least we were able to get there, which is a major step forward for our program. We also made an incremental gain in the points standings, which was another one of our goals. Finally, we will be able to take what we learned today and apply it to both (son) Kurt's and my cars, which we believe will help us maintain our forward progress. All around, it was a pretty good day."
Starting from the 15th position after battling to get a handle on their race car in qualifying, Johnson gained an easy win over No. 2 qualifier Allen Johnson in the first round when he left the starting line six thousandths of a second too early. In the second round, WJ overcame the lack of lane choice to post a solid 6.702-second elapsed time with a top speed of 205.85 mph to trailer veteran Larry Morgan. Finally, he used another solid 6.737-second, 205.60 mph pass to defeat Richie Stevens in the semifinals, setting the stage for a final round match-up against rival and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson.
Once again racing without lane choice and facing an apparent performance advantage, Johnson knew he would need a near-perfect effort to score his 97th career national event win. Leaving the line in unison with his opponent, he deftly maneuvered the less-preferred left hand lane in 6.719-seconds at a speed of 205.79 mph. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome his opponent's quicker 6.671-second time. Despite his initial disappointment, Johnson was pleased with the progress made by his Terry Adams-led crew.
"We came back after qualifying to make some pretty decent runs today," said Johnson. "The track was 133 degrees today, which normally doesn't bode well for these Pro Stock cars, and we saw a number of runs in the left hand lane where people flat couldn't get down the track. However, we were able to successfully negotiate both lanes making us pretty happy overall. Although some make look at this as a good end to my Hall of Fame weekend, I prefer to see it as the beginning of our year."
In only his sixth race with the team, Terry Adams was also pleased with their showing, and looked forward to building on these results in the future.
"This GM Performance Parts GTO crew had an awesome weekend, and if Kurt's car had been a little better, we would have had both our cars in the final," said Adams. "We missed the set-up a little bit in qualifying, but we worked on it today and got it a little better, Warren did a great job behind the wheel and we made it to the final. That's all we had today, but we're going to go back to the shop, work on our engines and make our race car a little better, and hopefully go on to the next race and win that one."
POWERade Points Standings
(Following six of 23 events)
1-G. Anderson 602
2-J. Line 390
3-J. Coughlin 371
4-D. Connolly 363
5-W. Johnson 298
6-M. Edwards 296
7-K. Johnson 291
8-A. Johnson 287
9-R. Stevens 280
10-G. Stanfield 273
posted by David @ 9:28 PM
KJ Drives His Way to the Semifinals in Atlanta
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
ACDelco Cobalt pilot Kurt Johnson used his considerable driving skills to power his way to a semi-final finish in Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, GA.
After trying numerous combinations throughout qualifying in an attempt to adapt his race car to the tricky Atlanta Dragway surface, Johnson, who qualified 12th, knew he would need to help his program in whatever way possible in order to challenge for the win. His efforts paid immediate dividends when he combined a lightning-quick .017-second reaction time with a 6.710-second, 206.35 mph pass to defeat noted leaver and No. 5 qualifier David Connolly on a hole shot in the first round, with Connolly recording a much quicker 6.664-second time in defeat.
It was a similar situation in the second round, as Johnson once again used a starting line advantage to eliminate Erica Enders. The final obstacle between KJ and his 67th career final round appearance was No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson. Running without the benefit of lane choice, KJ drilled Anderson at the starting line, holding a massive seven hundredths of a second advantage as he cleared the tree.
However, just as it seemed he would pull off his third consecutive hole shot victory and advance to the final, he found himself fighting to maintain control of his car, slowing to a 6.789-second clocking and allowing his opponent’s 6.678-second time to overcome Johnson’s lead and edge him at the line.
"We're pleased to have gone some rounds, but upset that the track bit us and that our car is just not running the way it has in the past. We're using different components that we did last year, and we're still trying to get a handle on what it takes to make this package perform consistently.
"This was the first we raced on a track this hot and ugly with this particular set-up, so it's all related. For example, we made three runs today and gathered some valuable information. Putting it simply, we know what to work on, but just ran out of runs.
"Sometimes, the driver has to overcome what the race car is going to do. You always give one thousand per cent, trying to bust that .15 or .25 light, but you never really know how you're going to perform. Fortunately, today I was able to drive well, and it helped.
"It's unfortunate that I was on my game, and the car wasn't. The bottom line is that our ACDelco Cobalt has got to perform better, so we can be consistent and go into eliminations with lane choice, giving us the best chance to go rounds and win races. We’re happy to have made it to the semis, but we should have been in the finals, so we’re going to get to work and fix this thing."
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
ACDelco Cobalt pilot Kurt Johnson used his considerable driving skills to power his way to a semi-final finish in Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, GA.
After trying numerous combinations throughout qualifying in an attempt to adapt his race car to the tricky Atlanta Dragway surface, Johnson, who qualified 12th, knew he would need to help his program in whatever way possible in order to challenge for the win. His efforts paid immediate dividends when he combined a lightning-quick .017-second reaction time with a 6.710-second, 206.35 mph pass to defeat noted leaver and No. 5 qualifier David Connolly on a hole shot in the first round, with Connolly recording a much quicker 6.664-second time in defeat.
It was a similar situation in the second round, as Johnson once again used a starting line advantage to eliminate Erica Enders. The final obstacle between KJ and his 67th career final round appearance was No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson. Running without the benefit of lane choice, KJ drilled Anderson at the starting line, holding a massive seven hundredths of a second advantage as he cleared the tree.
However, just as it seemed he would pull off his third consecutive hole shot victory and advance to the final, he found himself fighting to maintain control of his car, slowing to a 6.789-second clocking and allowing his opponent’s 6.678-second time to overcome Johnson’s lead and edge him at the line.
"We're pleased to have gone some rounds, but upset that the track bit us and that our car is just not running the way it has in the past. We're using different components that we did last year, and we're still trying to get a handle on what it takes to make this package perform consistently.
"This was the first we raced on a track this hot and ugly with this particular set-up, so it's all related. For example, we made three runs today and gathered some valuable information. Putting it simply, we know what to work on, but just ran out of runs.
"Sometimes, the driver has to overcome what the race car is going to do. You always give one thousand per cent, trying to bust that .15 or .25 light, but you never really know how you're going to perform. Fortunately, today I was able to drive well, and it helped.
"It's unfortunate that I was on my game, and the car wasn't. The bottom line is that our ACDelco Cobalt has got to perform better, so we can be consistent and go into eliminations with lane choice, giving us the best chance to go rounds and win races. We’re happy to have made it to the semis, but we should have been in the finals, so we’re going to get to work and fix this thing."
posted by David @ 9:24 PM
2007 Southern Nationals
by Tim Glover
The grounds at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. were filled to capacity with a record number of spectators, along with hundreds of racers competing in the 27th running of the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals during the weekend of April 26-29.
A little rain did fall on the event, on Thursday. However, by Sunday, there was not a cloud in the sky and according to the announcer, the only forecast was "very fast". New track records were set in Funny Car (331.04mph - Mike Ashley), Pro Stock (6.627 seconds and 208.71mph - Greg Anderson) and Pro Stock Motorcycle (6.976 seconds - Angelle Sampey).
Professional class competitors in the 2007 edition of the Southern Nationals faced the tightest fields ever. The Top Fuel field was separated by only ..073 seconds, ranging from the pole position 4.506 seconds to get down the quarter mile course, held by Rod Fuller, to the 16th qualifier's time of 4.579 seconds. Funny Car was separated by .077 seconds, with 4.704 seconds
being the quickest (Mike Ashley), and 4.801 the slowest qualifying time. The Pro Stock field was separated by .069 seconds, ranging from the first place qualifying time of 6.627 seconds (Greg Anderson) to a bump spot time of 6.696 seconds. The bump spot was held by former Georgia Tech and NBA great Tom Hammonds, who said he came to this event to win. Simply qualifying a car in Pro Stock is a major accomplishment. Even Pro Stock Motorcycle had a close field (.141 spread - from 6.976 seconds to 7.117).
All eyes were focused on the Funny Car class this weekend, when the father and daughter team of John and Ashley Force met in Funny Car competition for the first time in NHRA history. Because he qualified in 12th place, 14 time champion John Force of Yorba Linda, Calif. met his 24 year old daughter Ashley Force (qualified fifth) in round one. John, who owns Force racing,
first offered (with a big smile) to give Ashley the day off Sunday, after finding out they were set to meet. Ashley graciously declined the offer and said she would see him at the starting line. She then said, "A lot of rivers would be intimidated by him. But to me, he's just dad. If anyone is
going to be nervous, it's him." They were still taking friendly jabs at each other on the way to the track Sunday, but when it came time to compete in round one, John assured her there would be no games played. John did take the lead in the starting line reaction time department, with a .102 react to her .134 react, but that was the last advantage he had. His car began
spinning the tires at mid-track, and Ashley took the win with a 4.77 at 317.05mph in her Castrol Mustang to John's losing time of 5.78 at 174.84mph in the Castrol High Mileage Mustang. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life," said the emotional Force after being defeated by his daughter.
An interesting side note is that John Force has not won a single competition round in 2007. He also experienced his first DNQ in nearly 20 years and 395 events two weeks ago at Las Vegas, not long after losing one of his team mates, Eric Medlen, during a testing accident at Gainesville, Fla.
Another bit of history was made, when the three Las Vegas race winners in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock repeated that feat during their next race at Atlanta Dragway. It has been a very long time since that feat was accomplished.
Ashley Force's team mate, Robert Hight, earned the 2007 Southern Nationals Funny Car win against Mike Ashley, who had qualified number one. Hight left the starting line first, and was also first across the finish line with his AAA '05 Mustang, which posted a 4.88 at 314.61mph. Mike Ashley experienced some trouble down track with his '07 Charger, which went a decent 5.16 at 229.66mph. For the first time in her short six race old career, Ashley Force made it to the semi-final round, along with the current Powerade points leader, Ron Capps. "Eric is with all of us, but I believe he was helping our team a little more," added the happy Hight. Hight has been to two final rounds at Atlanta, but had not won in Atlanta prior to the 2007 event.
Bob Vandergriff, who lives in nearby Alpharetta, kept his UPS sponsored dragster in the spotlight by qualifying well and then winning his way to the semi-final round. Vandergriff "packed and shipped" former champion Tony "Sarge" Schumacher in an upset filled round one with a better reaction time and quicker elapsed time. Even though both cars went up in smoke in his lane before he ran round one, crew chief Jim Dupuy had the car prepared, and it made one of it's best passes ever, a 4.561 at 317.42mph. "That was a big win," said Vandergriff. "The crowd this weekend is the biggest I've ever seen here. It's been great. A lot of people have come by and wished me luck. Things seem to be finally turning around for the UPS team and I couldn't be happier." Vandergriff then defeated a tire smoking Brady Kalivoda en route to his semi-final round appearance. These round wins, coupled with a final round appearance at Las Vegas, moved him up into seventh place in the Powerade points series, at 294 points.
Unlike the recent Las Vegas event, 2007 Southern Nationals Top Fuel winner Brandon Bernstein from Fairview, Texas did not meet Bob Vandergriff in the Atlanta final. This time, Bernstein faced off against Doug Herbert from Lincolnton, NC. Bernstein's Budweiser backed machine took the win light with a 4.66 at 305.01mph, while Herbert crossed the stripe .04 seconds later with a good 4.71 at 297.02mph. Bob Vandergriff (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Doug Foley
from Sewell, NJ finished in the semi-final round. "It's pretty amazing. When it comes to finals, (crew chief) Tim Richards is a magician. I know when I get to a final, I have a great shot at winning," added Bernstein.
Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson from Mooresville, NC helped six time NHRA champ Warren "The Professor" Johnson win many of his 96 events as a crew chief. Today, the tables were turned when the student, Anderson, defeated the teacher during the final round with a great 6.67 at 207.62mph in the Summit '06 GTO. Johnson, who lives in nearby Buford, was close with a 6.71 at 205.79mph in his GM Performance Parts '06 GTO. Johnson still had a great weekend, as he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 26, becoming the seventh drag racer to be so honored (and the only active drag racer). Johnson's son, Kurt, made it to the semi-final round with the AC Delco '07 Cobalt, along with Richie Stevens' Mopar entry ('07 Stratus - Metairie, LA). "There's lots of memories here. This was a
major grudge match. It was cool to beat both Johnsons in the same day," added Anderson.
To the delight of fans, NHRA announcer Bob Frey said Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Karen Stoffer of Smith, NV made riding her Geico Suzuki look so easy a caveman could do it. While she did make it look easy, it was anything but, as she stayed on her game all day, only varying .02 seconds, from 7.057 to 7.079 seconds, in four passes. Stoffer was quicker on the tree and outran
all her opponents up to the final. She caught a break then, after having a tardy .144 second reaction time when opponent Matt Smith from King, NC experienced immediate breakage the moment he let go of the clutch lever on his '06 Buell. Stoffer continued her winning pass to a flat out 7.063 at 188.65mph. Chip Ellis (Plains, GA - '06 Buell) and Geno Scali (Crystal Lake,
IL - '01 Suzuki) were the semi-finalists. "Everybody's great out there. We're just going to keep consistent. That's our main goal," added Stoffer.
Dan Lucas of Cumming, Ga. entered his Top Alcohol Dragster in the Southern Nationals, but experienced engine damage during qualifying. Due to the extent of the damage, Lucas was unable to make the call for the first round.
Spencer Massey from Fort Worth, Texas made the winning call for the 2007 Southern Nationals Top Alcohol final, and although it wasn't perfect, his 5.62 second, 249.58mph pass was good for the winner's circle after opponent Dan Mercier could only muster a 6.30 at 177.32mph. Both cars were running the approved injected nitromethane engines, which are almost as loud as the
supercharged nitromethane engines used in the two Top Fuel categories. Marty Thacker (Robinson, IL) and Dave DeAngelis (Middlesex, NJ) finished in the semi-final round.
Perennial champion Frank Manzo from Morganville, NJ notched another win in the Top Alcohol Funny Car record books against Marc White of Glendale Heights, IL. Manzo's Lucas Oil '05 Monte Carlo posted the winning time of 5.57 seconds at 262.18mph. White's '02 Firebird was better in the starting line reaction time department (.037 to Manzo's .054), but fell way off pace
to a 7.11 at 130.40mph. Mickey Ferro (Stamford, CT - '02 Camaro) and Bob Tasca III (Cranston, RI - '07 Mustang) were the semi-final finishers.
"It's been a long time since my last national event win," said Super Comp winner Edmond Richardson. He broke his four year old dry spell today with his decisive 41st national event victory against the equally tough Mike Fuqua from Hendersonville, Tenn. Richardson ran an 8.913 (8.90 index) at 161.57mph, while Fuqua ran an equally impressive, but second across the
stripe 8.916 at 170.73mph. (Richardson's worst react of the day was .033, which helped him survive the first three rounds, which were all double breakout affairs. Fuqua lived on the edge all day, surviving an extremely close first round against multi-time champ Ron Erks (who had a .027 reaction time advantage) by breaking out .004 seconds less than Erks. He then had a
similar scare in round two, breaking out less than Kurt Damron Sr., who had an even larger reaction time advantage (.033 seconds). Fuqua then took the win stripe in round three by .001 seconds, and beat Kurt Damron Jr in round four by .009 seconds. He took the fifth round stripe by .005 seconds, and then trailed the next two opponents by .018 and .013 seconds, finishing the day as runner up. The semi-final finisher was James Paul (Fort Worth, TX -'22 Dodge), a long time friend of Edmond. Richardson said he was now looking forward to a win at St. Louis, the next stop on the NHRA tour.
Because Super Stock was not contested at Atlanta, Churchville, NY racer Dan Fletcher's "other car" for the weekend was Jimmy Ayers' Valvoline backed 1957 Corvette Super Gas car. Ayers, who celebrated his 61st birthday on Saturday, received a fantastic birthday present in the form of an NHRA "Wally" trophy that Fletcher won after defeating Central, SC racer Billy Crenshaw's 1927 Ford in the Super Gas final. Fletcher's reaction time was a good .023, but the race was already won for him after Crenshaw left the starting line a mere .005 seconds too soon, resulting in a red light. nowing the race was already won, Fletcher cruised through the finish line with a stately 13.21 at 69.11mph. Crenshaw chose to see what his car would have done, and it posted a slight breakout 9.87 at 142.97mph. Chuck Trotter (Macclenny, FL - '03 Ranger) ended his weekend with a semi-final finish. Ayers' wife, Barbara, added, "He's our fourth son.. as long as he wins!!!"
Although it seemed just a short time since his last Southern Nationals win, 1998 was the last time Super Street racer Lamar Stephenson from Montgomery, Ala. claimed an NHRA national event "Wally" trophy. Although Stephenson was second in the starting line reaction time department (.025 to opponent Don Strickland's .010), Stephenson's trusty '69 Camaro saved the day, posting a great 10.91 at 122.64mph (10.90 index). Strickland's Red Bay, Ala. based '67
Chevy II slowed to a second across the stripe 10.97 at 120.29mph, good for the runner up spot. Long time Atlanta Dragway regular Ed Nalley from nearby Maysville, Ga. earned his way into the later rounds with his multi-purpose '76 Vega, and finished as the lone semi-finalist. Stephenson noted he came to the track without his wife Kaye in 1998 (and won) and also was sans Kaye for this weekend. He thanked her for her support, along with Valvoline, PTC, Lowes Auto Parts, JW Transmissions, and Clarence Woodham.
Other winners include:
Competition Eliminator:
Win: Glenn Treadwell, '96 Dragster, Sorrento, FL, 8.109 159.68mph (8.64 index)
R/U: Steve Ambrose, '23 T Roadster, Woodhaven, MI 7.79 164.59 (8.31 index)
Stock:
Win: Michael Iacono, '69 Mustang, Wading River, NY, 11.00, 108.52mph, (11.00 dial)
R/U: Peter Biondo '69 Camaro, Maspeth, NY 10.71 114.63mph, (10.67 dial)
The grounds at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga. were filled to capacity with a record number of spectators, along with hundreds of racers competing in the 27th running of the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals during the weekend of April 26-29.
A little rain did fall on the event, on Thursday. However, by Sunday, there was not a cloud in the sky and according to the announcer, the only forecast was "very fast". New track records were set in Funny Car (331.04mph - Mike Ashley), Pro Stock (6.627 seconds and 208.71mph - Greg Anderson) and Pro Stock Motorcycle (6.976 seconds - Angelle Sampey).
Professional class competitors in the 2007 edition of the Southern Nationals faced the tightest fields ever. The Top Fuel field was separated by only ..073 seconds, ranging from the pole position 4.506 seconds to get down the quarter mile course, held by Rod Fuller, to the 16th qualifier's time of 4.579 seconds. Funny Car was separated by .077 seconds, with 4.704 seconds
being the quickest (Mike Ashley), and 4.801 the slowest qualifying time. The Pro Stock field was separated by .069 seconds, ranging from the first place qualifying time of 6.627 seconds (Greg Anderson) to a bump spot time of 6.696 seconds. The bump spot was held by former Georgia Tech and NBA great Tom Hammonds, who said he came to this event to win. Simply qualifying a car in Pro Stock is a major accomplishment. Even Pro Stock Motorcycle had a close field (.141 spread - from 6.976 seconds to 7.117).
All eyes were focused on the Funny Car class this weekend, when the father and daughter team of John and Ashley Force met in Funny Car competition for the first time in NHRA history. Because he qualified in 12th place, 14 time champion John Force of Yorba Linda, Calif. met his 24 year old daughter Ashley Force (qualified fifth) in round one. John, who owns Force racing,
first offered (with a big smile) to give Ashley the day off Sunday, after finding out they were set to meet. Ashley graciously declined the offer and said she would see him at the starting line. She then said, "A lot of rivers would be intimidated by him. But to me, he's just dad. If anyone is
going to be nervous, it's him." They were still taking friendly jabs at each other on the way to the track Sunday, but when it came time to compete in round one, John assured her there would be no games played. John did take the lead in the starting line reaction time department, with a .102 react to her .134 react, but that was the last advantage he had. His car began
spinning the tires at mid-track, and Ashley took the win with a 4.77 at 317.05mph in her Castrol Mustang to John's losing time of 5.78 at 174.84mph in the Castrol High Mileage Mustang. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life," said the emotional Force after being defeated by his daughter.
An interesting side note is that John Force has not won a single competition round in 2007. He also experienced his first DNQ in nearly 20 years and 395 events two weeks ago at Las Vegas, not long after losing one of his team mates, Eric Medlen, during a testing accident at Gainesville, Fla.
Another bit of history was made, when the three Las Vegas race winners in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock repeated that feat during their next race at Atlanta Dragway. It has been a very long time since that feat was accomplished.
Ashley Force's team mate, Robert Hight, earned the 2007 Southern Nationals Funny Car win against Mike Ashley, who had qualified number one. Hight left the starting line first, and was also first across the finish line with his AAA '05 Mustang, which posted a 4.88 at 314.61mph. Mike Ashley experienced some trouble down track with his '07 Charger, which went a decent 5.16 at 229.66mph. For the first time in her short six race old career, Ashley Force made it to the semi-final round, along with the current Powerade points leader, Ron Capps. "Eric is with all of us, but I believe he was helping our team a little more," added the happy Hight. Hight has been to two final rounds at Atlanta, but had not won in Atlanta prior to the 2007 event.
Bob Vandergriff, who lives in nearby Alpharetta, kept his UPS sponsored dragster in the spotlight by qualifying well and then winning his way to the semi-final round. Vandergriff "packed and shipped" former champion Tony "Sarge" Schumacher in an upset filled round one with a better reaction time and quicker elapsed time. Even though both cars went up in smoke in his lane before he ran round one, crew chief Jim Dupuy had the car prepared, and it made one of it's best passes ever, a 4.561 at 317.42mph. "That was a big win," said Vandergriff. "The crowd this weekend is the biggest I've ever seen here. It's been great. A lot of people have come by and wished me luck. Things seem to be finally turning around for the UPS team and I couldn't be happier." Vandergriff then defeated a tire smoking Brady Kalivoda en route to his semi-final round appearance. These round wins, coupled with a final round appearance at Las Vegas, moved him up into seventh place in the Powerade points series, at 294 points.
Unlike the recent Las Vegas event, 2007 Southern Nationals Top Fuel winner Brandon Bernstein from Fairview, Texas did not meet Bob Vandergriff in the Atlanta final. This time, Bernstein faced off against Doug Herbert from Lincolnton, NC. Bernstein's Budweiser backed machine took the win light with a 4.66 at 305.01mph, while Herbert crossed the stripe .04 seconds later with a good 4.71 at 297.02mph. Bob Vandergriff (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Doug Foley
from Sewell, NJ finished in the semi-final round. "It's pretty amazing. When it comes to finals, (crew chief) Tim Richards is a magician. I know when I get to a final, I have a great shot at winning," added Bernstein.
Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson from Mooresville, NC helped six time NHRA champ Warren "The Professor" Johnson win many of his 96 events as a crew chief. Today, the tables were turned when the student, Anderson, defeated the teacher during the final round with a great 6.67 at 207.62mph in the Summit '06 GTO. Johnson, who lives in nearby Buford, was close with a 6.71 at 205.79mph in his GM Performance Parts '06 GTO. Johnson still had a great weekend, as he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 26, becoming the seventh drag racer to be so honored (and the only active drag racer). Johnson's son, Kurt, made it to the semi-final round with the AC Delco '07 Cobalt, along with Richie Stevens' Mopar entry ('07 Stratus - Metairie, LA). "There's lots of memories here. This was a
major grudge match. It was cool to beat both Johnsons in the same day," added Anderson.
To the delight of fans, NHRA announcer Bob Frey said Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Karen Stoffer of Smith, NV made riding her Geico Suzuki look so easy a caveman could do it. While she did make it look easy, it was anything but, as she stayed on her game all day, only varying .02 seconds, from 7.057 to 7.079 seconds, in four passes. Stoffer was quicker on the tree and outran
all her opponents up to the final. She caught a break then, after having a tardy .144 second reaction time when opponent Matt Smith from King, NC experienced immediate breakage the moment he let go of the clutch lever on his '06 Buell. Stoffer continued her winning pass to a flat out 7.063 at 188.65mph. Chip Ellis (Plains, GA - '06 Buell) and Geno Scali (Crystal Lake,
IL - '01 Suzuki) were the semi-finalists. "Everybody's great out there. We're just going to keep consistent. That's our main goal," added Stoffer.
Dan Lucas of Cumming, Ga. entered his Top Alcohol Dragster in the Southern Nationals, but experienced engine damage during qualifying. Due to the extent of the damage, Lucas was unable to make the call for the first round.
Spencer Massey from Fort Worth, Texas made the winning call for the 2007 Southern Nationals Top Alcohol final, and although it wasn't perfect, his 5.62 second, 249.58mph pass was good for the winner's circle after opponent Dan Mercier could only muster a 6.30 at 177.32mph. Both cars were running the approved injected nitromethane engines, which are almost as loud as the
supercharged nitromethane engines used in the two Top Fuel categories. Marty Thacker (Robinson, IL) and Dave DeAngelis (Middlesex, NJ) finished in the semi-final round.
Perennial champion Frank Manzo from Morganville, NJ notched another win in the Top Alcohol Funny Car record books against Marc White of Glendale Heights, IL. Manzo's Lucas Oil '05 Monte Carlo posted the winning time of 5.57 seconds at 262.18mph. White's '02 Firebird was better in the starting line reaction time department (.037 to Manzo's .054), but fell way off pace
to a 7.11 at 130.40mph. Mickey Ferro (Stamford, CT - '02 Camaro) and Bob Tasca III (Cranston, RI - '07 Mustang) were the semi-final finishers.
"It's been a long time since my last national event win," said Super Comp winner Edmond Richardson. He broke his four year old dry spell today with his decisive 41st national event victory against the equally tough Mike Fuqua from Hendersonville, Tenn. Richardson ran an 8.913 (8.90 index) at 161.57mph, while Fuqua ran an equally impressive, but second across the
stripe 8.916 at 170.73mph. (Richardson's worst react of the day was .033, which helped him survive the first three rounds, which were all double breakout affairs. Fuqua lived on the edge all day, surviving an extremely close first round against multi-time champ Ron Erks (who had a .027 reaction time advantage) by breaking out .004 seconds less than Erks. He then had a
similar scare in round two, breaking out less than Kurt Damron Sr., who had an even larger reaction time advantage (.033 seconds). Fuqua then took the win stripe in round three by .001 seconds, and beat Kurt Damron Jr in round four by .009 seconds. He took the fifth round stripe by .005 seconds, and then trailed the next two opponents by .018 and .013 seconds, finishing the day as runner up. The semi-final finisher was James Paul (Fort Worth, TX -'22 Dodge), a long time friend of Edmond. Richardson said he was now looking forward to a win at St. Louis, the next stop on the NHRA tour.
Because Super Stock was not contested at Atlanta, Churchville, NY racer Dan Fletcher's "other car" for the weekend was Jimmy Ayers' Valvoline backed 1957 Corvette Super Gas car. Ayers, who celebrated his 61st birthday on Saturday, received a fantastic birthday present in the form of an NHRA "Wally" trophy that Fletcher won after defeating Central, SC racer Billy Crenshaw's 1927 Ford in the Super Gas final. Fletcher's reaction time was a good .023, but the race was already won for him after Crenshaw left the starting line a mere .005 seconds too soon, resulting in a red light. nowing the race was already won, Fletcher cruised through the finish line with a stately 13.21 at 69.11mph. Crenshaw chose to see what his car would have done, and it posted a slight breakout 9.87 at 142.97mph. Chuck Trotter (Macclenny, FL - '03 Ranger) ended his weekend with a semi-final finish. Ayers' wife, Barbara, added, "He's our fourth son.. as long as he wins!!!"
Although it seemed just a short time since his last Southern Nationals win, 1998 was the last time Super Street racer Lamar Stephenson from Montgomery, Ala. claimed an NHRA national event "Wally" trophy. Although Stephenson was second in the starting line reaction time department (.025 to opponent Don Strickland's .010), Stephenson's trusty '69 Camaro saved the day, posting a great 10.91 at 122.64mph (10.90 index). Strickland's Red Bay, Ala. based '67
Chevy II slowed to a second across the stripe 10.97 at 120.29mph, good for the runner up spot. Long time Atlanta Dragway regular Ed Nalley from nearby Maysville, Ga. earned his way into the later rounds with his multi-purpose '76 Vega, and finished as the lone semi-finalist. Stephenson noted he came to the track without his wife Kaye in 1998 (and won) and also was sans Kaye for this weekend. He thanked her for her support, along with Valvoline, PTC, Lowes Auto Parts, JW Transmissions, and Clarence Woodham.
Other winners include:
Competition Eliminator:
Win: Glenn Treadwell, '96 Dragster, Sorrento, FL, 8.109 159.68mph (8.64 index)
R/U: Steve Ambrose, '23 T Roadster, Woodhaven, MI 7.79 164.59 (8.31 index)
Stock:
Win: Michael Iacono, '69 Mustang, Wading River, NY, 11.00, 108.52mph, (11.00 dial)
R/U: Peter Biondo '69 Camaro, Maspeth, NY 10.71 114.63mph, (10.67 dial)
posted by David @ 8:46 PM
Sunday, April 29, 2007
BAZEMORE FALLS EARLY AT ATLANTA, STILL FIFTH IN NHRA TOP FUEL POINTS
News From David Powers Motorsports
CONTACT: Ted Yerzyk
BAZEMORE FALLS EARLY AT ATLANTA, STILL FIFTH IN NHRA TOP FUEL POINTS
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) – Whit Bazemore and the David Powers-owned Matco Tools Top Fuel team held their ground in the NHRA standings Sunday at Atlanta Dragway. The longtime Georgia native qualified his Matco Tools dragster well, but fell in the opening round of eliminations during the 27th running of the popular Southern Nationals.
After powering his Lee Beard-tuned Matco Tools rail to the No. 4 qualifying position on the strength of a 4.524-second effort on Friday afternoon, the 20-time NHRA winner was matched-up against 29-time NHRA winner Cory McClenathan for the fourth time in six races. All four meetings between the two veteran nitro racers have come in the opening round. McClenathan got the jump at the start in his colorful orange and black rail as Bazemore blistered the Atlanta Dragway quarter mile in 4.527 seconds at 319.22 mph, however Cory Mac earned the win light after carding a 4.569-second lap. It was Bazemore’s first holeshot defeat since making the switch from Funny Car to Top Fuel. Bazemore’s elapsed time was the quickest of the first round of eliminations.
"I'm extremely disappointed," Bazemore said. "We have a great race car. I let the team down today. I'm determined to not let this happen again."
"We're pleased with the performance of the car," Beard added. "We've been good out of the trailer all season long. We ran low E.T. of the first session on Friday with that 4.52. We've qualified in the top four at the last four races. We had low E.T. of the first round, so we're pleased with the way the car is running. You'll have days when the driver gets beat on a holeshot and you'll have days when the driver wins on a holeshot. It's a team effort. You win and lose as a team."
With 17 races remaining on the 2007 NHRA schedule, Bazemore ranks fifth in the Top Fuel standings. The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 11th annual O’Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 4-6, at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.
R1 McClenathan (.063) 4.569 ET, 317.99 MPH def. BAZEMORE (.114) 4.527 ET, 319.22 MPH
www.matcotools.com
www.davidpowersmotorsports.com
CONTACT: Ted Yerzyk
BAZEMORE FALLS EARLY AT ATLANTA, STILL FIFTH IN NHRA TOP FUEL POINTS
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) – Whit Bazemore and the David Powers-owned Matco Tools Top Fuel team held their ground in the NHRA standings Sunday at Atlanta Dragway. The longtime Georgia native qualified his Matco Tools dragster well, but fell in the opening round of eliminations during the 27th running of the popular Southern Nationals.
After powering his Lee Beard-tuned Matco Tools rail to the No. 4 qualifying position on the strength of a 4.524-second effort on Friday afternoon, the 20-time NHRA winner was matched-up against 29-time NHRA winner Cory McClenathan for the fourth time in six races. All four meetings between the two veteran nitro racers have come in the opening round. McClenathan got the jump at the start in his colorful orange and black rail as Bazemore blistered the Atlanta Dragway quarter mile in 4.527 seconds at 319.22 mph, however Cory Mac earned the win light after carding a 4.569-second lap. It was Bazemore’s first holeshot defeat since making the switch from Funny Car to Top Fuel. Bazemore’s elapsed time was the quickest of the first round of eliminations.
"I'm extremely disappointed," Bazemore said. "We have a great race car. I let the team down today. I'm determined to not let this happen again."
"We're pleased with the performance of the car," Beard added. "We've been good out of the trailer all season long. We ran low E.T. of the first session on Friday with that 4.52. We've qualified in the top four at the last four races. We had low E.T. of the first round, so we're pleased with the way the car is running. You'll have days when the driver gets beat on a holeshot and you'll have days when the driver wins on a holeshot. It's a team effort. You win and lose as a team."
With 17 races remaining on the 2007 NHRA schedule, Bazemore ranks fifth in the Top Fuel standings. The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 11th annual O’Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 4-6, at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.
R1 McClenathan (.063) 4.569 ET, 317.99 MPH def. BAZEMORE (.114) 4.527 ET, 319.22 MPH
www.matcotools.com
www.davidpowersmotorsports.com
posted by David @ 6:42 PM
Bernstein, Hight, Anderson and Stoffer Win the Southern Nationals at Commerce
posted by David @ 6:36 PM
Fuller, Ashley, Anderson and Sampey Top Qualifiers at Commerce
John Force and Ashley Force will face off in first round of Funny Car.
Several new track records are set in qualifying.
More info at DragRaceCentral.com
Several new track records are set in qualifying.
More info at DragRaceCentral.com
posted by David @ 11:47 AM
