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Listen to this article Leah Pritchett (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the second of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Funny Car Johnson Jr. powered his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T to a 3.837-second pass at 329.10 mph during the final qualifying session for the 15th No. 1 qualifier of his career. “We did some things on that run that we wouldn’t normally do,” Johnson Jr. said. “It definitely worked. We knew the conditions were good. I could tell during the run that the car was a bunch better. You could feel it in there that it pulled really well early in the run so I knew it was a good one. We went up with no expectations but I felt pretty confident going in there. (Crew chief John Collins) saw something in there that he wanted to try.” Johnson Jr. will race Phil Burkhart Jr. in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday. Courtney Force qualified second with a … [Read more...] about Johnson Jr., Pritchett and Line are No. 1 qualifiers Saturday at Arizona Nationals

Listen to this article Lucas Oil Raceway may not occupy even half the size of its neighbor to the east, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but for the Labor Day weekend each year, it becomes a community of racers that closes the summer racing season, just as Indy at Memorial Day acknowledges the start. These are the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, held this year for the 62nd time on 261 acres filled with varying degrees horsepower and torque. A flock of speed demons from around the country (and occasionally from overseas) converges west of Indianapolis to celebrate straight-line racing. The action started on Wednesday August 31st and continues through Labor Day on September 5th. The final spots in the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout for both Top Fuel and Funny Car were decided through a drawing at Indianapolis’ Monument Circle on Wednesday. While the popular online vote went to Clay Millican (TF) and 16-time Funny Car champion John Force, a random drawing decided the two … [Read more...] about NHRA’s Big Go at Indianapolis sets field for playoffs

Listen to this article Brownsburg, Ind. – Courtney Force won the lucrative Funny Car portion of the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout and Matt Hagan secured the No. 1 qualifier Sunday at the 62nd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 18th event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is the final race of the regular season. Funny Car Force sprinted to a $100,000 payday in her Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS by posting a 4.018-second pass at 266.04 mph to defeat teammate Robert Hight’s 4.596 at 180.09 at the controls of his Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS during the final round of the specialty event. This is Force’s first final round appearance at the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout and her fifth time in the … [Read more...] about C. Force wins Funny Car portion of NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout

Listen to this article TOP FUEL Schumacher claimed his 82nd career win when he powered his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.806-second pass at 317.64 mph to beat Steve Torrence’s 3.803 at 325.06 in his Capco Contractors / Torrence Racing dragster during the final round on Monday. The most successful driver in NHRA Top Fuel history also became the most successful driver in Lucas Oil Raceway history with his 10th career victory there. Schumacher outran Tripp Tatum, DSR teammate and reigning champ Antron Brown and Sonoma event winner J.R. Todd in the earlier rounds before facing Torrence. “I didn’t see [Torrence] for one second but I heard him,” said Schumacher. “It was a great final round; the fans got a close race. It’s been such a great career and it’s been so much fun. I’ve had great teams, one after another, and it’s a blessing to be a part of this and have a chance. I love my job and I love drag racing cars.” Schumacher, who also won the Top Fuel portion of the lucrative NHRA … [Read more...] about Schumacher, Hagan, McGaha and Hines clinch US Nationals

Listen to this article For the NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competitors, bringing home the Wally trophy at Lucas Oil Raceway outside Indianapolis means everything. Heck, even qualifying for this race isn’t easy: anyone who has a chance to make the field will come to this place and try, and so there’s always a surge in entrant numbers. Recently it’s been tough to scavenge sufficient competition to make a full field of 16 for eliminations for the Mello Yello 24-race campaign. Racing at the top is always expensive and partnerships that work are often tough to find. But for the 62nd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, there were plenty of “go hard or go home” racers on the 261-acre premises. There were a healthy 20 Top Fuel dragsters, 19 Funny Cars, 19 Pro Stocks and 23 PS Motorcycles. And so there was bumping in and out of the field and upsets that changed the scope of the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs that start in Charlotte next week. … [Read more...] about U.S. Nationals drama is a taster of what’s to come

Listen to this article Force, who has also won two more Funny Car titles as a team owner – with Robert Hight in 2009 and Tony Pedregon in ’03 – has scored two wins this season but heads into the Countdown points reset with a 90pt deficit to Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps, having finished the ‘regular’ season in eighth. As a result, this weekend’s NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., will see Force’s PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team gaining Jason McCulloch in sharing the tune-up duties with crew chief Jon Schaffer, while Nick Casertano will continue his day-to-day duties of crew management. The move brings McCulloch back to his Funny Car roots after over a decade winning championships in Top Fuel. McCulloch used to work on his father’s Funny Car before switching to Top Fuel. Said Force: “Growing up in California I always felt like my heroes – Don ‘Snake’ Prudhomme, Tom ‘Mongoose’ McEwen and Ed ‘The Ace’ McCulloch – were the boys of Southern … [Read more...] about Force recruits McCulloch for title fight

Listen to this article Concord, N.C. – Tommy Johnson Jr. sprinted to the qualifying lead in Funny Car on Friday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, the first race of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also provisional leaders in their respective categories at the 19th event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Funny Car Johnson Jr. pushed his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to a track elapsed time record of 3.876 seconds at 323.43 mph. Johnson, who has a win in Bristol, Tenn., is competing for his first No. 1 qualifier of the season, and 14th of his career. “It just shows how determined they are how much we want this and the Countdown and how on top of it they are,” said Johnson Jr. “You have to be aggressive and take the championship, you can’t wait for it to come your way. Really happy with the … [Read more...] about Johnson Jr., Kalitta, Line and Savoie lead qualifying at the Carolina Nationals

Listen to this article Concord, N.C. – Doug Kalitta secured the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier Saturday at the ninth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, the first race of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, at zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte, N.C. Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also secured No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 19th event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Top Fuel Kalitta piloted his Mac Tools dragster to a 3.721-second pass at 325.77 mph on Friday night that held up through Saturday’s two rounds for his fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season, 47th of his career and first at zMAX Dragway. His first opponent in Sunday’s eliminations will be Ike Maier. “Anytime you can start from pole position is great in my book,” Kalitta said. “We’ve won from there before. Some people wonder if it’s a jinx but my team, we’re good with … [Read more...] about Kalitta, Johnson Jr., Anderson and Sampey secure No. 1 qualifiers Saturday at Carolina Nationals

Listen to this article TOP FUEL Brown claimed his 59th career victory, and fifth of the season, with a 3.763-second pass at 319.29 mph in his dragster to defeat Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools machine, 3.811 at 320.28. It is Brown’s second consecutive win at the NHRA Carolina Nationals, the opening event of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. “I’m dreaming right now, someone needs to come and pinch me,” Brown said. “This is the way you want to start the Countdown off. Qualifying didn’t go the way we wanted it. We just kept digging. That was the key. The track was the hottest that we have had all year long. We knew it was going to be tricky. We navigated down it and we did what we had to do.” Before picking up the victory over Kalitta, Brown faced down Clay Millican, Brittany Force, and Pat Dakin, and thus remains on top of the points with Kalitta in second. FUNNY CAR Force, a 16-time world champion, powered his PEAK Antifreeze Chevy Camaro Funny Car to … [Read more...] about Antron Brown, John Force start Countdown in winning style