Well the time is here for the biggest event in NHRA
The Mac Tools U.S NationalsThe DHL funny car formerly driven by the late Scott Kalitta is back in action with Jeff Arend driving it.
Ashley Force is running with a pink paint scheme this weekend, something to do with the rookie of the year title she won last year
Alan Johnson is leaving Don Schumacher Racing at the end of the year to start his own team up with some bloke from Qatar. Will be interesting to see if Don keeps him on for the rest of the season or if he will punt him .
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle (W) Eddie Krawiec (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hine 0.063 7.060 188.15mph
(L) Andrew Hines (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines -0.011(R) 7.028 187.23 mph
Krawiec grabs first title in Ringers Pro Bike Battle finalFor the fifth straight year, a Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod claimed the $25,000 top prize in the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle as Eddie Krawiec earned his first victory in NHRA competition with a final-round victory against his Vance & Hines teammate Andrew Hines, who fouled.
"Two years ago, I was an unknown and [team owners] Terry Vance and Byron Hines took a chance on me," said Krawiec. "They've made me feel like family, and I'm so glad that I was finally able to pay them back with a victory. This is huge for our team. Harley-Davidson is celebrating its 105th anniversary this weekend, so this couldn't have come at a better time.
"I know that I still haven't won a national event, but I'm not disappointed," Krawiec continued. "I'm good friends with [fellow rider] Reggie Showers, and he's been a big inspiration to me. He had never won a race, and then a few years ago, he came here to Indy and won this [Ringers Battle] and then won the U.S. Nationals on Monday. If I can do that, I'll be really happy. I'm getting married at the end of November, and my fiancée really likes to shop, so this money will really come in handy."
Krawiec, appearing in the specialty race for the first time, had a relatively easy path to the final. He got a single in the opening round after Angelle Sampey's Rush Racing Buell broke, and then got another free pass in the semi's after low qualifier Chip Ellis red-lighted on his Schumacher Electric Suzuki. In both rounds, Krawiec would have been difficult to beat with back-to-back 6.99-second runs.
Hines was also in the sixes on his first two runs with a 6.98 win against Karen Stoffer in round one and a 6.98 to 6.97 holeshot win against reigning POWERade champ Matt Smith in the semi's. With the sun setting, Hines knew he was in danger of red-lighting, but he also acknowledged that there was very little he could do about it.
"I knew when we were rolling up to the starting line that I was probably going to red-light," said Hines, who has reached the Ringers final for the fifth-straight year. "We've done all we can do to the bike, but it still reacts too fast to keep the light green. Sure, I wanted to win, but after I beat Matt Smith in the semi's and realized that no matter what we'd continue our streak, I was pretty happy."
Krawiec's' $25,000 payday gives him the lion's share of the $61,000 race-day purse; Hines received $10,000 for his runner-up. Should Krawiec win the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Monday, he'll receive a $10,000 double-up bonus from NHRA for sweeping both of this weekend's races. Semifinalists Ellis and Smith each earned $6,000 for their efforts, and Matt Guidera, Sampey, Chris Rivas, and Stoffer received $3,500 each for making the field. Overall, Ringers Gloves, the official glove of NHRA, puts up $76,000 in prize money each year for the Pro Bike Battle. The low qualifier at each national event is awarded $1,000.
http://www.nhra.com/content/news/32056.htmU.S smokeless showdown(W) Cruz Pedregon (Advance Auto Parts Solara) 0.119 4.184 291.32mph
(L) Tim Wilkerson (Levi, Ray & Shoup Impala) 0.112 4.280 278.58mph
Just your typical Sunday afternoon match race, with $100,000 on the line and chance at a double-up bonus if the Showdown winner can also win the U.S. Nationals. Neither driver has won any of the prior Showdowns, so we will have a first-time winner no matter how this comes out. It's Wilkerson's first final round, Pedregon's fifth.
Wilkerson made a last-minute lane change, taking the right lane where he's been all day. Wilkerson had the early lead, but Pedregon took over before 330 feet and started pulling away even before Wilkerson started hazing the tires around half track. It took five tries, but Cruz finally sealed the deal and will start the U.S. Nationals from the second position tomorrow.
Pedregon cruises to first career Showdown titleThough he has accomplished much in his career, entering the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, there was one blaring omission from Cruz Pedregon's résumé: a victory in the NHRA U.S. Smokeless Showdown. The 1992 Funny Car world champion fixed that when he defeated Tim Wilkerson to claim this year's Showdown trophy and the $100,000 payday that goes with it.
"I'm still kind of in shock," said Pedregon. "This race is special to me because I have never won it before. Every win feels like your biggest one because it just happened. This one will rank up there because it's the eight best cars over the long haul. This is like the football playoffs. You can't back into anything.
"I used to win easy early in my career. I was always dedicated and wanted to win, and it seemed like I was in the right place, right car, and right situation. I hate to say this, but I was a little cocky back in the day, but I've had a pretty long dry spell, and I've been humbled about 50 times. So I wasn't really thinking about winning that final. I was just happy to be in it."
Appearing in the bonus event for the 10th time in his career, Pedregon began his title march with a 4.22 to 5.67 win over his brother, Tony, in round one. He then ran a 4.24 to defeat Del Worsham and advance to his fifth career Showdown; he also made it to the money round in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1998, coming up short each of those times.
Wilkerson appeared to have the car to beat, clocking low e.t. of the first two rounds. The Funny Car points leader ran a jaw-dropping 4.14 in the first round to oust Ron Capps. He then powered to a 4.23 to defeat John Force, the winningest driver in Showdown history, and earn a spot in his first career Showdown final.
In the final, Wilkerson got the slight edge on the Tree, .112 to .119, and led through the first 60 feet, but Pedregon was able to move around him shortly after that. The Advance Auto Parts driver just built on his lead from there, crossing the finish line with a 4.18 that put him nearly a tenth ahead of the 4.28 of Wilkerson.
"Tim Wilkerson is really a hero of mine because Tim is an independent racer," said Pedregon. "He comes out and gets the job done, and I give him a lot of credit. I didn't see him all the way down, but I heard him. It almost seemed like we were back to the quarter-mile again. I was hoping that the finish line would get there sooner than it did. I might have driven it to the quarter-mile just to make sure he didn't get by me, but Tim, I guess, had a cylinder out. He's just such an incredible racer.
"I'm just going to enjoy this. I'm not even going to think about tomorrow right now. This just really means a lot to me. This means a lot to win."
Pedregon earned the bulk of the $147,000 purse from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, pocketing $100,000. If Pedregon wins the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals tomorrow, he will earn an additional $50,000 from NHRA.
Wilkerson takes home $15,000 for his runner-up effort. A $6,000 check goes to semifinalists Force and Worsham, and first-round finishers Ashley Force, Capps, Robert Hight, and Tony Pedregon each earned $5,000.
http://www.nhra.com/content/news/32113.htmPro Stock Motorcycle 1. Matt Smith NitroFish/Torco Buell 6.932 191.16
2. Hector Arana Lucas Oil Buell 6.954 190.67
3. Andrew Hines Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines 6.969 191.92
4. Chris Rivas Drag Specialties/S&S/G2 Buell 6.970 190.81
5. Steve Johnson Snap-On Tools Suzuki 6.984 192.03
6. Angelle Sampey Rush Racing Products Buell 6.987 188.65
7. Eddie Krawiec Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines 6.990 191.02
8. Chip Ellis Schumacher Electric Suzuki 7.022 190.27
9. Craig Treble Don Schumacher Racing Suzuki 7.033 190.43
10. Mike Berry MB Precision Machining Suzuki 7.034 189.28
11. Angie McBride Indicom Electric Buell 7.048 186.92
12. Joe DeSantis Alamo City Suzuki 7.052 191.43
13. Matt Guidera Rocklin Motorsports Buell 7.058 187.44
14. Peggy Llewellyn Rocklin Motorsports Buell 7.062 187.31
15. Karen Stoffer Geico Suzuki 7.071 188.83
16. Michael Phillips Phillips Racing Suzuki 7.072 190.11
Proc Stock Car 1. Allen Johnson Mopar/J & J Racing Stratus 6.634 207.18
2. Mike Edwards Young Life/Penhall GXP 6.647 207.37
3. Jason Line Summit Racing Equipment GXP 6.661 207.18
4. Jeg Coughlin Jegs.com Cobalt 6.664 206.26
5. Kurt Johnson AC Delco Cobalt 6.666 207.72
6. Ron Krisher Valvoline Cobalt 6.667 207.24
7. Greg Anderson Summit Racing Equipment GXP 6.667 206.99
8. Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts GXP 6.668 208.33
9. Dave Connolly Charter Communications Cobalt 6.671 206.51
10. Richie Stevens Nitrofish GXP 6.678 206.45
11. Rickie Jones Quarter Max Stratus 6.684 205.98
12. Justin Humphreys RaceRedi Motorsports Stratus 6.687 207.05
13. Steve Schmidt Schmidt Competition Engines 6.688 206.57
14. Larry Morgan Lucas Oil Stratus 6.688 206.04
15. Steve Spiess Spiess Construction Cobalt 6.688 206.01
16. Vinnie Deceglie Mountain View Tire Stratus 6.689 206.67
Funny Car2. Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Solara 4.107 302.62
3. Gary Densham RaceBricks Impala 4.109 296.11
4. Mike Neff Old Spice Mustang 4.114 303.03
5. Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.114 297.48
6. Melanie Troxel ProCare RX Charger 4.117 300.60
7. Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.122 302.41
8. Del Worsham Techron Impala 4.128 300.46
9. Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Impala 4.132 300.20
10. Jack Beckman Valvoline/MTS Charger 4.139 296.44
11. Ron Capps NAPA Auto Parts Charger 4.144 298.47
12. Frank Hawley Rite Aid Pharmacies Charger 4.172 297.68
13. Jim Head Head Racing Solara 4.179 291.82
14. Tony Bartone Canidae Pet Food Monte Carlo 4.183 298.67
15. Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang 4.202 291.19
16. Matt Hagan Shelor.com Solara 4.208 291.32
Jeff Arend ran a time which would have put him in the 15th spot but because of the stupid way that they run qualifying now, because he slipped outside the top 12 his time was wiped and he had to set a new time but was unable to make the top 16
22. Jeff Arend DHL Solara 6.816 297.75
Top Fuel Dragster 1. Larry Dixon U.S. Smokeless Tobacco 3.841 307.23
2. Cory McClenathan Fram Dragster 3.852 312.57
3. Hillary Will KB Racing LLC Dragster 3.854 314.53
4. Brandon Bernstein Budweiser/Lucas Oil 3.868 311.99
5. J.R. Todd Lucas Oil Dragster 3.873 309.91
6. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 3.877 314.75
7. Doug Herbert Snap-On Tools Dragster 3.878 312.06
8. Antron Brown Matco Dragster 3.878 309.91
9. David Grubnic DHL Dragster 3.879 311.05
10. Clay Millican Nitrofish Dragster 3.893 311.20
11. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 3.901 311.34
12. Doug Kalitta MAC Tools Dragster 3.901 309.70
13. Rod Fuller Caterpillar Dragster 3.903 307.30
14. Steve Torrence Vis-Viva Dragster 3.914 302.41
15. Pat Dakin Dragster 3.943 305.70
16. Troy Buff Bill Miller Racing/Okuma 3.968 297.02
With Morgan Lucas not making the cut it should mean that Kalitta and Grubnic are into the "playoffs" ( hopefully anyway)
Lucas ran a time which would have put him in 15 but as that time was wiped after falling out of the top 12 he was unable to run quick enough to make the 16
Alan Johnson to leave DSR, partner on two-car teamThe most decorated Top Fuel crew chief in NHRA history, Alan Johnson, will field a two-car team in 2009 through a partnership with Qatar-based Al-Anabi Racing. A seven-time NHRA Top Fuel champion with 75 professional-level national event victories to his credit, Johnson has tuned Tony Schumacher to the last four Top Fuel titles and the current points lead.
This new alliance will field a Top Fuel dragster and a Funny Car. They will start the 2009 season on Feb. 5-8 with the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. Johnson has not selected drivers for the new cars.
At the forefront of this partnership is His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani, who has set a goal of promoting the domestic and international awareness of motorsports in the nation of Qatar. As a result of his efforts, Al-Anabi Racing has emerged as one of the leading drag racing teams in the region.
"This is an exciting opportunity for Alan Johnson Racing," Johnson said. "We look forward to our relationship with Al-Anabi Racing and the people of Qatar. It's widely known that my goal for quite some time now has been to become a team owner again, and this is my best opportunity to achieve that goal."
"I have enjoyed a wonderful experience with the U.S. Army race team. I wouldn't change the past five years for anything. My focus for the remainder of the season will be to put forth my best effort to win the fifth consecutive championship for the U.S. Army, Tony Schumacher, and DSR."
Including his Sportsman-level successes with his late brother Blaine Johnson, Alan Johnson has amassed 11 championships in his career, four in Top Alcohol and seven more in Top Fuel. Additionally, Johnson has tuned his drivers to eight national records over the years, including six elapsed time and two top speed marks.
Al-Anabi Racing is nearing completion of a state of the art drag race track in Qatar. Built by U.S. experts the track is expected to host its first race in December 2008. Al-Anabi Racing is also co-owner along with Awesome Motorsports of the recently formed "Awesome Al Anabi," whose drivers are employed by Al-Anabi Racing and race the team's Pro Modified cars in IHRA and NHRA competition. Sheikh Khalid's vision is to build championship-caliber race teams in the United States and Qatar.
Qatar, an Arabian gulf country in the middle east, is fast becoming a global meeting place. In 2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs from overseas and within Qatar. The country also established an Education City with numerous international colleges. For the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar established Sports City, consisting of Khalifa Stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centers, exhibition centers, and many other sports-related buildings and centers. Future plans call for an Entertainment City.
http://www.nhra.com/content/news/32041.htm*ALL TIMES, RESULTS, TEAM INFO FROM*http://www.nhra.com/index.asp
Topic: NHRA: MAC TOOLS U.S Nationals *RESULTS* (Read 678 times)
