Nitro Dogs Racing

Arend is named driver of Kalitta DHL Funny Car; an Indy return is planned

---

Jeff Arend

To help preserve the legacy of his legendary son, Scott Kalitta, who died as a result of a high-speed racing accident in

Englishtown June 21, Kalitta Motorsports team owner Connie Kalitta will continue his son’s passion for acceleration by bringing Scott’s DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car back into racing action with Jeff Arend as driver.Kalitta’s dynamic life as both a loving family man and a legendary drag racer will never be matched, but the team chose Arend, a 45-year-old resident of San Dimas, Calif., and 12-year Funny Car veteran, from an extensive list of contenders to wheel the nitro-fueled, 7,000-horsepower DHL entry for the remainder of the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series beginning with the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Aug. 27-Sept. 1.

“We wanted to put someone in the car with experience and someone who would appreciate the opportunity and would fit in with our team personality-wise. We found that in Jeff,” drag racing icon Connie said. “We had plenty of candidates for the position, but Jeff most possesses the qualities we are looking for.
 

Connie Kalitta, left, will return his DHL Funny Car to the tour with new driver Jeff Arend to honor the legacy of his son, Scott, right.

“We will never be able to replace Scott, and we’re not trying to. Our Funny Car will always be Scott’s car, no matter who drives it. We want to get the car back out on the track to keep pursuing Scott’s dream of having a successful Funny Car program for our team. Our friends at DHL and all of our sponsors have been very supportive, and we owe it to them and to Scott and our fans to keep that dream alive.”
 
Connie will continue his role as head tuner on the DHL Funny Car with assistance from crew chief Glenn Mikres. The DHL team had its most successful outing of the 2008 season with a runner-up finish in 

Chicago in early June. It was Scott’s first visit to the final round since his lone Funny Car title triumph in 1989 in

Houston.
 
Scott defined his celebrated career as a racer behind the wheel of a Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster for back-to-back world championships in 1994 and 1995. He accumulated 17 Top Fuel trophies in his 27-year career.
 
“Obviously, the loss of Scott was very traumatic to all of us who knew him,” Arend said. “I think that Scott’s passing probably affected me more because of our similarity in age and the fact that we both have families. Since being told that I’m going to be the new driver, I have gone through many emotions. Happiness has not been one of them, but no one can be truly happy under these circumstances. However, I am truly honored to be in this position.
 
“Indeed, it will always be Scott’s car. I am just the newest member to be added to the DHL Funny Car team, and I will do my best to accomplish what Scott and Connie started out to do, and that is having a consistent, competitive, and safe race car capable of going rounds and winning races. I’ve known Glenn Mikres for a long time, and I look forward to working with him, Connie, and the whole DHL team.
 
“Scott was a racer who would race you hard but one who always enjoyed life, too. He was a great husband and father to his children. For those who know me, I try to emulate those same basic traits. I will do my best to carry on what Scott was best known for – family.”
 
Arend most recently campaigned a Funny Car for Worsham Racing for the entire 2007 NHRA season. He has 85 NHRA starts and one NHRA national event victory, in

Reading in 1996. That year, he became the first Canadian to surpass 300 mph.
 
Interestingly, the race car chassis that Arend won with in Reading and earned his Funny Car license in was the same chassis that Scott won with in

Houston.
 
Arend is a native

Toronto and is married to Windy. They have one child, daughter Jenna, 8.
 
In addition to his father, Scott is survived by his wife, Kathy, and sons, Corey, 15, and Colin, 8.
 
Connie concluded, “Filling the position was not an easy task, to say the least, and we want to say thank you to everyone who has shown interest in driving our car. We understand that the process was not only difficult for us, but for all of the prospective drivers. We also want to say thank you to our friends in the racing community for their input in helping us make this decision.”

Before you read any thing else in this blog could you please take a monent to stop and think?

I know we have a few reader of this blog, I can see that from the traffic reports.  I wish we had more.  I also know this is a simple drag race blog that has information that is gathered from the usual sources.  I also realize that we only write one post a day ( on most days).

I would like to add 2-5 posts a day but would like to know what the readers would like.  Do you want all Pro stuff, some sportsman info?  Do you want spceial intrest item that you may not find on the usual sites?  Do you want some small track interviews?  What area do most of the reads come from?  Would you read a small free drag race magazine if it was offered?  Would you like reviews on new products? Where to get them etc., or just keep it the way it is?

 These are just a few of the questions I have to better serve you the racer and race fan.

So please take the time to email me so I can get you the blog you want.  We are also looking at making a web site that has multiple info sections along with the blog would you visit that site as well?

I know it will take you a few moments to email me but if you will you will have a better blog, and a new racing web site for your pleasure.  So please take a moment and email me at vern@nitrodogs.com.

First Win as a Pro…. many in Alcohol Funny CarBartone scores first Pro win in Seattle; Schumacher and Line also top fields

Tony Bartone, who had collected 28 victories in the alcohol classes before joining the Professional ranks, scored his first Pro victory in his 119th start in the Funny Car class, holding on to win a thrilling final-round battle with Ron Capps to highlight the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, the middle leg of NHRA’s three-race, three-weekend Western Swing, at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle.

Tony Schumacher kept alive his bid to become the sixth Pro driver to sweep the Western Swing and the fourth in Top Fuel when he titled with a final-round conquest of Brandon Bernstein. Jason Line triumphed in Pro Stock against Allen Johnson for his second win of the season and his first in Seattle after finishing as runner-up here the last two seasons.

Tony Bartone

Bartone’s roller-coaster season, in which he has crashed twice and DNQ’d six times, took a positive turn as he wheeled the Jim Dunn-owned and -tuned Canidae Pet Foods Monte Carlo to victory. Despite a deteriorating powerplant that almost allowed Ron Capps to run him down in the lights, he held on to win, 4.45 to 4.70. Bartone is the third first-time winner in the class this season, joining Ashley Force and Melanie Troxel.“Looking back at last weekend in Denver, we had an extreme amount of trouble getting down the track, but we were able to turn our program around and put together a pretty good race car to race with today, and we went four rounds and brought home the bacon,” Bartone said. “We were lucky enough to come up with a good race-day tune-up today [after sitting out Saturday’s qualifying sessions]; it wasn’t perfect, but it went rounds.

“This [winning as an NHRA Professional] is what you dream about; this is what you work your whole career to do. Winning was great in the alcohol ranks; we did a lot of winning, we won championships, and we won national events and divisional races. But this is a special moment. It’s a culmination of what you try to accomplish as a racer.”

Bartone advanced to his second Funny Car final round and first since the

Las Vegasspring event in 2005 by besting Gary Scelzi, Mike Neff, and, in the semifinals, Tony Pedregon with a 4.25 to earn final-round lane choice. Because the five drivers in front of him in the standings all lost in round one, Bartone moved up two positions and pulled to within 129 points of a spot in the top 10 with four events remaining in the Countdown to 10.

Capps reached his first final round of the season and the 51st of his career by wheeling his Ed McCulloch-tuned NAPA Auto Parts Dodge past event-sponsored Del Worsham’s perfect light in round one with a 4.17, Cruz Pedregon in round two with a 4.23, and Gary Densham in the semifinals, 4.26 to 4.27. Despite the final-round loss that denied him a 25th Funny Car crown and kept him winless since the May 2007 event in

Madison, Capps moved around John Force and into sixth place following the 14-time world champ’s surprising DNQ.

Tony Schumacher

The final-round meeting between Schumacher and Bernstein, a rematch of the 2005 final here, certainly was not unexpected considering how the two second-generation drivers battled for the top spot throughout Top Fuel qualifying before Schumacher locked down the top spot, the 51st of his career, with a 3.80 that stood as low e.t. of the meet. Schumacher then reversed the outcome of their 2005 final and tallied his 48th win and seventh this season by outrunning Bernstein, 3.90 to 4.05.“It’s a blast,” said Schumacher. “We’ve been a pressure team for years. Under pressure we step up; we do good. Right now, for whatever reason, we’re just having a great time, and the car is running good. When you get on a roll like this, watch out. You see those football teams, when they start smiling and start playing together really as a team, like we do, we’re hard to beat. It’s been outstanding.

“We’re setting records that nobody thought possible. We’re doing amazing things together. It’s hard to believe, but it’s great to be part of.”

In his milestone 250th race-day start, Schumacher opened with a 3.87-second solo pass when opponent Steve Chrisman had to shut off behind the line and followed with blasts of 3.93 and 3.97 to trailer Dave Grubnic’s DHL dragster and the Caterpillar car of friendly rival Rod Fuller. Schumacher’s final-round win was his third straight at the event and fourth win at Pacific Raceways in the last five years.

Bernstein’s Budweiser dragster ran low e.t. of the first round with a 3.85 to beat a surprisingly tough Troy Buff, whose 3.87 was the second quickest of the round and would have beaten any other opponent. Bernstein then survived a scare in a second-round battle with Cory McClenathan, who swept the Western Swing in 2007, in a battle of traction-deficient dragsters, 4.33 to 4.91. Bernstein also battled top-end traction woes in the semifinals but held off the similarly afflicted machine of

Norwalkwinner Doug Herbert, 4.26 to 4.38, to reach his 27th Top Fuel final. The final-round loss prevented him from winning his first Wally since last year’s Brainerd event but did allow him some breathing room in his quest for a berth in the Countdown to 1.

In one of the many key Countdown matchups, 11th-ranked Morgan Lucas defeated ninth-place Doug Kalitta in round one to pull to within 10 points of a top 10 berth.

Jason Line

After two straight runner-ups at this event, Line finally scored in

Seattle, defeating Johnson’s Dodge on a close 6.65 to 6.66 count for his 15th Pro Stock win. The victory also pulled him to within 10 points of second-place Kurt Johnson.“It feels great to win, especially here in

Seattle. I’ve never had any success here whatsoever, even with my Stocker,” Line said. “It feels really good to win here, but it feels even better to drive good. It was a good day for all of us.

“We didn’t have a great car, that’s for sure. We had a lot of issues. We tested some parts along the way, which was kind of cool, but you don’t really want to be testing at national events. But it all worked out, and the guys did a great job, especially getting it down the left lane, which was a little bit tricky.

“Allen has been running really well, and I was nervous for that race. But it all worked out, fortunately, and he was a little bit tardy, and when I looked over in high gear and didn’t see that Dodge over there, I was smiling.”

Line, a winner earlier this year in

Las Vegas with his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac, reached his fifth final of the season and 33rd of his Pro Stock career by trailering the father-son tandem of Warren and Kurt Johnson in the first two rounds with passes of 6.65 and 6.63, then defeating Greg Stanfield in the semifinals with a 6.65.

Johnson, runner-up a week ago in Denver to Line’s teammate, Greg Anderson, made it to his second straight final round and the 14th of his career by driving his Mopar Stratus past Larry Morgan, Dave Connolly, and V. Gaines with a steady string of passes — 6.64, 6.63, and 6.64 – the latter of which earned him final-round lane choice, but he was denied his sixth win and first since the 2007 Denver event.

Low qualifier Connolly’s bid to enter the top 10 was cut down by engine woes in round two, but he did gain 20 more points on 10th-place W.J. and, after missing the season’s first five races, is just 26 markers out of a spot in the Countdown to 1 playoffs.

Kalitta team ‘bound and determined’ to race Funny Car again in 2008

---

The loss of Funny Car driver and two-time Top Fuel world champion Scott Kalitta as the result of an accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park June 21 left a void in the pits that has been felt by racers and fans alike. Though that void can never be filled completely, the DHL-sponsored Funny Car team will hit the racetrack again this season and perhaps fulfill Kalitta’s vision by completing his and father Connie’s quest to field a winner in the Funny Car ranks, which they had worked tirelessly toward since their return to the class in 2006.

The Kalitta Motorsports team is still searching for answers regarding Kalitta’s accident along with exploring driver possibilities but is geared toward a return to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour this season.

“We will bring the Funny Car back out this year; we just don’t know when,” said Jim Oberhofer, team manager of Kalitta Motorsports and crew chief for Hillary Will. “It could be Brainerd, it could be Indy, or it could be later. Connie is bound and determined to get it back out there.”

The challenge of racing in the Funny Car class for the first time since 1989 proved to be just that. Connie, who shares tuning duties on the DHL Toyota Solara with crew chief Glenn Mikres, wanted to master the shorter-wheelbase counterparts to his more familiar Top Fuel drivers, and Scott felt he had unfinished business in the category. He had only one flopper win to his credit (at Houston Raceway Park in 1989), and he thought he did all he could in the Top Fuel ranks after world championships in 1994 and 1995, 17 wins, and national record performances.

The team struggled initially, winning only seven eliminations rounds in 2006 and four in 2007. The team showed promise at times but was unable to find the consistency needed to score on  race day. The group appeared to be on the upswing this season, though. Scott made his first final-round appearance since his Funny Car return at the

Chicago event, filling the team with confidence prior to Englishtown.

“When Connie first talked about putting a Funny Car on the track for 2006, he wanted to do it for the challenge of taking something different and making it competitive and maybe win races with it,” explained Oberhofer. “They struggled for the first two years, but the car was finally showing signs of life. I think that runner-up in

Chicago was a turn in the right direction, and Connie Kalitta doesn’t quit on nothin’.”

A lack of parts and pieces isn’t an issue for the DHL team, which has a brand-new chassis sitting in its shop waiting to be put together. However, the search for answers regarding the accident is ongoing, and no driver has been slated to wheel the 7,000-horsepower flopper at this time.

“It’s hard to get motivated about looking for a driver because you can never replace Scott,” said Oberhofer. “We’ve talked to people like Del Worsham and Tim Wilkerson to get their insight. Our choices are pretty limited since we can’t test and therefore can’t license anybody. We’ll have something within the next couple weeks as far as a driver and a timeline of when we can get back out there.

“Obviously, we are first and foremost trying to figure out what happened and what we can do to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Oberhofer continued. “Scott’s accident may have been a one-in-a-million deal, but we’re going to do what we can to minimize those odds even further. That’s a promise we made to Scott’s wife. Maybe Scott can save a life.”

Hight, Beckman: Mental edge can win or lose a drag race before it begins

---

Funny Car driver Jack Beckman describes the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series as the “Top Gun” for race car drivers. Its categories offer the fastest motorsports contests in the world, where extremity runs headlong into a deep pool of stubborn talent.

And it’s where, as rookies soon find out, being just good doesn’t always mean a win.

Most of the focus in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing is, naturally, what happens during a run – the four-point-something-seconds-plus between the green light and a win light.

But what happens before that?

For drivers, another few seconds, the ones on the starting line, are perhaps equally important. The seconds when holding on too tight can push them over, when drivers strive to do what is, essentially, remarkable.

They clear their minds.

Consider this: A driver has step-by-step instructions that must be followed with precision before each run. In front of a live audience. On national television. On a scale of nerves? Imagine making your wedding vows during your first driver’s test. It could be a little like that.

Somehow, at least for Beckman and fellow Funny Car driver Robert Hight (who is, incidentally, nicknamed “Top Gun”), it isn’t. Instead, clear minds yield focus.

“I take a deep breath, put the visor down, and stare at the pre-stage bulb,” said Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Charger R/T. “At that point, you want to be as focused as you can be. No need to be tense or intense, just focused.”

The NHRA POWERade Series heads to

Seattle for the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways. It is the 14th of 24 events in the series and near the end of the regular season of the Countdown to the Championship. Beckman, Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.Burnouts, staging, and starting-line behavior, like almost everything about drag racing, are strategic. From the length of a burnout to how long it takes each driver to stage, each choice is the result of a decision made in advance or a mistake. A new driver takes time to think each step through, Hight said. A veteran does it by intuition.

Mistakes and variations – and even time itself — are what drivers want to avoid.

“The more you do it, the more things kind of slow down, the more things can go through your head,” said Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang. “I think it’s bad. That’s why I try to keep my mind occupied. Since I know everything that’s going on in the car, I’m always constantly looking at the oil pressure, making sure the fuel level is where it needs to be, that I have the right amount of fuel going in the motor. Keeping my mind occupied with what’s going on right now [with the car]. After you’ve done this a while, you’ve just done things [by memory]. It gives your mind an opportunity to start wondering and being nervous, things that are negative. I try to keep my mind busy until it’s time to stage and step on the gas.”

Once the crew chief and team make final adjustments, they’re left behind.

“As a fuel driver, there isn’t anything you can do to make that car run quicker than the tune-up, but there are a lot of things you can do to slow it down, if you make mistakes,” Beckman said.

The starting-line process begins well before each car noses onto the track. Hight walks the track in advance. Beckman roams up to see the action like a “big kid” fan with no restrictions. Others listen to music with earbuds, do breathing exercises, or sit in their tow vehicles until the last second before each run.

Some ask for advice or use others as inspiration. Hight’s walk down the track to check where the groove is and test the traction with his foot was inspired by fuel-driver-turned-ESPN2-personality Mike Dunn.

 “At times, when you get up to the Pro ranks, with some people, there’s a lot more ego there,” Beckman said. “It almost reminds you of Top Gun, like flight school. Everyone likes to think they have a great handle on this. I don’t mind talking to other drivers to get input. Gary Scelzi has been an unbelievable help to me because he’s been there. If anything else, he’s been there to help me deal with the emotional part. It’s not just the mechanics, it’s the emotional part.”

Both Hight and Beckman prefer to be around other people, with their teams and other drivers. Others prefer to go it alone.

 “We try to make it fun,” Hight said. “We’re serious, but we still have some fun … I don’t want to be left alone and be in my own little world. I want to talk to everybody. We pay attention to what’s going on [on the track], listen to the NHRA announcer and our team radios when our crew chiefs and other drivers make their runs, and when one of our drivers wins, we’re celebrating back in the tow vehicle. The [crew] guys are in the staging lanes, double-checking themselves. It’s a business, but we all have fun doing it.”

The edge is not definable, something you feel or do but don’t see. It’s the split-second moment between now and unknown. Keeping that edge, they say, is about focus.

“I think that for anybody who is at the top of their profession, that last edge is always mental,” Beckman said. “In an athletic sport, physical conditioning will get you on par with the average participant, but the mental [aspect] will always get you that extra edge.”

Hight and Beckman are two of the drivers to beat in Funny Car heading into

Seattle. Beckman, who posted a runner-up finish last weekend in

Denver and cracked the top 10 for the first time this season, is now in the hunt for a spot in the Countdown to the Championship, when the top 10 drivers in each field will compete for the NHRA POWERade Series world championship titles. In 2007, Beckman won in Denver and

Seattle to almost sweep the historic Western Swing. Others to watch include Hight’s team owner and father-in-law, John Force, who made a remarkable recovery in 2008 after a late-season accident in

Dallas last fall. John’s daughter, Ashley, became the first woman to win an NHRA event in Funny Car in Atlanta, and she remains one to beat, along with independent owner/driver Tim Wilkerson, a surprise category leader who has won four times this season, including last weekend in

Denver.Schumacher, the five-time and defending NHRA POWERade Series world champion, remains the man to beat in Top Fuel as evidenced by his sixth win of the year last weekend in

Denver. However, David Powers Motorsports’ teammates Antron Brown and Rod Fuller are ready for the challenge of trying to dethrone him. And don’t count out upstarts Brandon Bernstein and Hillary Will or veterans Cory McClenathan and Larry Dixon.In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson has emerged as the midseason leader, and Kurt Johnson and

Anderson’s KB Racing teammate, Jason Line, are right behind him. The Cagnazzi Racing duo of Jeg Coughlin and young Connolly are in the mix, too.

Shoe, Wilk, Anderson, and Smith are triumphant at historic Mile-High Nats

Fans were treated to some of the best side-by-side racing in Bandimere Speedway history during final eliminations at the 29th running of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in

Denver. The all-concrete racing surface was as big a story as the event winners. The track’s first-of-its-kind cooling system — in which coiling coils underneath the racing surface chill the track temperature in an area in each lane that is 20 feet wide and extends from 40 feet before the staging beams until 120 feet after it — was lauded by racers for helping them put big numbers on the scoreboard in conditions that have created tricky racetracks in the past.

The lack of unwelcome racing surface issues set the stage for a welcome abundance of drama on the racetrack. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) scored hard-earned wins in the first event in which nitro racing was contested to 1,000 feet. Greg Anderson and Allen Johnson engaged in an exciting Pro Stock final that concluded with

Anderson’s third straight victory, and Matt Smith successfully defended his Pro Stock Motorcycle crown.

Tony Schumacher

The rivalry between Don Schumacher Racing and David Powers Motorsports raged on in the Top Fuel final as combatants and former U.S. Army teammates Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown faced off. Brown’s Matco Tools/iLocate dragster wisped the tires, and Schumacher’s Alan Johnson-tuned U.S. Army dragster made his fourth 4.0-second run of eliminations with a 4.007 at 304.05 mph to notch his sixth victory of the season.

“The key to this race was getting the car to leave hard over the water so we had momentum when we got to the hot part of the track,” said Schumacher, whose 47 career wins put him within five of Amato’s class-record 52. “That’s what Alan Johnson said, and what are you going to do, second-guess him? The car was absolutely flawless all day.

“Antron [Brown] is a great dude. Me and him are buddies, and he makes me sit up high in the sit and drive hard. If it’s us battling it out for the championship, I’d be proud to have him as my adversary. Now that’s a rivalry.”

Schumacher had the most consistent machine on the premises heading into the final. He made runs of 4.03, 4.04, and 4.03 in victories against Steve Chrisman, Doug Herbert, and Larry Dixon, respectively. “The Sarge” has made a remarkable eight final-round appearances this season, bringing his career total up to 78 finals.

Brown began eliminations by running an outstanding 3.995 at 298.21 mph beside his teammate Rod Fuller. He had to pedal in his second-round matchup with Bob Vandergriff Jr. and still pulled off a close win, 4.25 to 4.28. In the semifinals, Brown notched his third holeshot win of the season against No. 1 qualifier and Schumacher teammate Cory McClenathan, who was handed his third such loss and second at the hands of Brown. Brown reached his fourth final of the season at a venue in which he reached the final round three times as a Pro Stock Motorcycle rider (no wins).

Tim Wilkerson

A new spec chassis, new Goodyear tires, and a new racing surface did little to deter the outstanding season of Funny Car champ Tim Wilkerson. Wilkerson, who was joined at the races by longtime supporter Dick Levi, spun the tires some in the final round against defending event champion Jack Beckman but still pulled off his fourth win of the season, 4.39 to 4.66.

“We had a good car all weekend and went down the track every run,” said Wilkerson, who won four of the last nine events contested. “I thought, ‘If I could get the thing to have all eight holes, it’ll be fast.’ On the last run, what’s it do? It doesn’t drop a hole so it smokes the tires. I’m pretty proud of my guys, and there is obviously nothing wrong with my brand new Murf McKinney chassis.

“The track guys really did a great job and really need to be commended. [The track] had traction out the wazoo. I don’t know what everybody thinks about the 1,000-foot deal, but it worked out pretty good from where I’m sitting. There was good, tight racing all weekend, and I want to applaud NHRA for that.”

Wilkerson did what he had been doing all season by wearing out his opponents with a fast, consistent race car. This time, the points leader single-handedly took three-fourths of the John Force Racing contingent on his way to the final round. During the course of eliminations, the driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevy Impala SS defeated Ashley Force, Mike Neff, and Robert Hight. John Force was beaten by teammate Neff in the opening stanza.

After a hot start to the 2008 season in which he was second in points after four events, “Fast Jack” had fallen out of the top 10 with only one round-win since his

Phoenix triumph. In fact, he racked up three DNQs and no round-wins since his second-round finish in

Gainesville. The defending event champ’s Johnny West- and Tommy DeLago-tuned hot rod was consistent throughout the event, and the drag racing school instructor even earned a win for his Valvoline/MTS team by defeating second-round opponent Gary Densham on a holeshot.

Greg Anderson

Intuitive racing fans could have sensed the development of a Anderson-Johnson Pro Stock final throughout the event. A.J. was the quickest driver on both qualifying runs on Friday, and

Anderson answered back on Saturday. Johnson was hungry after being shut out of final rounds all year despite having a strong car, while Anderson was eager to avenge his final-round holeshot loss to Johnson at the K&N Horsepower Challenge two weeks earlier in

Norwalk.

Anderson got a slight jump on the starting line and held on for a wire-to-wire victory. Both drivers ran 7.02s, and

Anderson improved the track speed record at 196.39 mph.

“This is the most challenging race of the year for us because it’s so much different from everywhere we go,” said Anderson, who collected his 56th career title and second in

Denver. “We learned more this year than we have any other year. Normally, we want to get off ‘the mountain’ after we lose early in the day on Sunday and get back to sea level. We tamed it today, and now I don’t want to get off ‘the mountain.’

“I can’t possibly say enough about the job the Bandimere family has done to this race track. It’s absolutely the wave of the future with the cooling system on the starting line and the all-concrete surface. It’s absolutely a supertrack. It was a great day for racing, and I had tough opponents all day long.”

After winning the Englishtown and Norwalk events,

Anderson dominated Saturday qualifying to start from the No. 1 spot. The driver of the Summit Racing Pontiac GXP defeated local favorite V. Gaines in the first round and Jeg Coughlin in the second before engaging in a great semifinal race with off-track friend/on-track rival Kurt Johnson. K.J. left first in the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt, but

Anderson reeled him in after the 1,000-foot mark to win by .003-second and extend his points lead in the process.

Johnson has a knack for the high-altitude. His Mark Ingersoll-tuned, Roy Johnson-powered Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T ran well throughout his sponsor’s title event in which he was the defending champion. A.J. plowed through eliminations with wins against Warren Johnson, Larry Morgan, and Ron Krisher.

Matt Smith

2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Smith accomplished something he had yet to do in his young but successful career by winning at the same event twice. The defending event champ rode his NitroFish Wear S&S Buell V-Twin to the winner’s circle for the eighth time in his career by cutting a superb .005 light and halting veteran Steve Johnson in the final, 7.326 at 180.74 mph to 7.340 at 180.81.

“We performed and had a good bike,” said Smith, who also won earlier this season in

Houston. “I’m just glad to come out of here with a win again. I’ve been creeping up on my lights, and I didn’t want too push the Tree too hard in the final because I know I’ve got a fast bike. Steve’s one of these guys who likes to stage first, so I tried to beat him in.

“We had the fastest run going in the third qualifying round and the bike wouldn’t go into high gear. We came back in Q4 and were fast, and we were fast all day. We brought the same tune-up we had last year, and it worked - again.”

Smith didn’t make a run that he was satisfied with until the final qualifying session, but once he did he locked in on the 7.3-second zone on his way to victory. Smith was challenged by

Norwalk titlist Hector Arana in the opening round, and he followed that win by putting Rocklin Motorsports/Mohegan Sun teammates Matt Guidera and Peggy Llewellyn on the trailer.

Johnson’s overall weekend was a turbulent one, though his Snap-on/WyoTech Suzuki never lacked in performance throughout. His laptop was stolen prior to the start of the event, he took the provisional pole on Friday, he got bumped down the fifth on Saturday, and he advanced to his 12th career final round on Sunday with wins over Junior Pippin and the Vance & Hines/Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidsons ridden by Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec.

Dale Creasy Jr. recovers in an Edmonton hospital Wednesday after he broke both legs during a race last weekend. Emergency crews rush to Dale Creasy Jr.’s vehicle Sunday after he car crashed during an Edmonton race. Doctors tell Dale Creasy Jr. it will be about six months before he walks again. Top drag racer vows to make sport safer A world-renowned drag racer vowed to do everything he can to prevent other competitors from suffering the same fate as he did during a disturbing accident in Edmonton last week. Dale Creasy Jr. is currently recovering from surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital after a shocking accident Sunday at the Rocky Mountain Nationals. The two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car world champion broke both legs during his semifinal match-up when his transmission broke loose, leading to his vehicle falling apart at the end of the strip. “(It was) like someone hitting you with a sledge over and over again,” he said. Doctors spent five hours piecing his left leg back together. After the surgery he was able to move all his toes, which officials call a good sign towards a full rehabilitation. His mother said the entire family is relieved after the successful surgery. “There was talk of saving his leg so when he came out with two feet sticking up it was the greatest feeling,” Ruth Creasy said. Despite the positive outcome, doctors say he won’t walk again for six months. Full rehabilitation may take more than nine grueling months. The painful accident has led Creasy to make a promise to make racing safer for all drivers. “I don’t want anybody to have to go through this,” he said. “This is something I wouldn’t wish on anybody.” Local drag racer Shaun Madigin agreed more needs to be done to protect drivers. “It’s very upsetting,” he said. “Everything can be safer.” Surround by emotional family and friends — and the trophy given to him by Sunday’s champion — Creasy promised something good will come from his misfortune. “We’re going do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” he said.

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule released; more than $1.3 million event purse increase

---

NHRA has released its 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule today featuring 24 events. In addition, NHRA announced an event purse increase in excess of $1.3 million.Beginning in 2009, national event winners in both Top Fuel and Funny Car will each receive $50,000, an increase of 25 percent.  Pro Stock national event winners will receive $25,000, while Pro Stock Motorcycle winners will receive $10,000. At the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, the 55^th running of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, winners in the top two nitro classes will receive a check for $100,000, while Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle winners will earn $50,000 and $20,000, respectively.   

Increases at national events also were announced for runners-up, semi-finalists and second round finishers.  At the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, increases were announced for semi-finalists and second round finishers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories, while Pro Stock Motorcycles received increases for runner-up and second round finishers.   In all, the total increase in event purses in the four professional classes is $1,353,700.

The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to the same venues as 2008, with only slight changes to the dates due to the change of holiday weekends.   The series, however, will celebrate several landmark anniversaries at some of its long-standing and fan-favorite facilities.  Celebrating its 40^th anniversary, and serving as the East Coast kick-off to the season, will be the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. (March 12-15). The NHRA SuperNationals in

Englishtown, N.J. (June 11-14), also will feature a 40^th anniversary theme.   Also celebrating significant special anniversaries will be the 30^th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver (July 10-12), the 25^th annual Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals in Phoenix (Feb. 20-22), the 25^th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa. (Aug. 20-23), and the 10^th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in

Las Vegas (April 2-5). 

The season will begin at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in

Southern California, with the 49^th annual NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 5-8.   Scheduled for its traditional Labor Day weekend date will be the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7 at O’Reilly Raceway Park at

Indianapolis.  The world’s largest drag racing event will represent the final race in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship regular season and serve as the last opportunity for racers in all four professional categories to lock down a spot in the Top 10 and a chance, over the last six events of the season (five events for Pro Stock Motorcycle) to win the inaugural NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championship.   

The six-race Countdown to 1 will feature a challenging four-week stretch of back-to-back races beginning with the NHRA Nationals in Concord, N.C. (Sept. 17-20); O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas (Sept. 24-27); O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn. (Oct. 2-4); and the Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond, Va. (Oct. 9-11).  From there the series heads to Nevada for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and concludes two weeks later at the 45^th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (

Calif.), Nov. 12-15.

Rounding out the schedule includes: the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals (March 27-29) in Houston; the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals (April 16-19) at Atlanta Dragway; the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals (May 1-3) outside St. Louis; the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals (May 15-17) at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway; O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan. (May 29-31); and the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Chicago (June 4-7).  The summer months will once again include a stop in Norwalk, Ohio for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (June 25-28) and the historic Western Swing, starting in Denver and continuing with the Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Seattle (July 17-19) and the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. (July 24-26).   The 28^th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in

Brainerd, Minn. will take place Aug. 13-16.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, a part of the ESPN network, the worldwide leader in sports, will once again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, for all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events featuring action from Saturday’s qualifying rounds and Sunday’s race.

Earlier this year, NHRA announced that Full Throttle, The Coca-Cola Company’s energy drink, will replace POWERade as the series sponsor beginning in 2009.

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Schedule
49th annual	NHRA Winternationals	Feb. 5-8	Pomona, Calif.
25th annual	Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals	Feb. 20-22	Phoenix
40th annual	ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals	March 12-15	Gainesville, Fla. (PSM)
22nd annual	O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals	March 27- 29	Houston (PSM)
10th annual	SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals	April 2-5	Las Vegas
29th annual	Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals	April 16-19	Atlanta (PSM)
13th annual	O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals	May 1-3	St. Louis (PSM)
Ninth annual	O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals	May 15-17	Bristol, Tenn.
21st annual	O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals	May 29–31	Topeka, Kan.
12th annual	NHRA Route 66 Nationals	June 4-7	Chicago (PSM)
40th annual	NHRA SuperNationals	June 11-14	Englishtown, N.J. (PSM)
Third annual	Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals	June 25-28	Norwalk, Ohio (PSM)
30th annual	Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals	July 10-12	Denver (PSM)
22nd annual	Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals	July 17-19	Seattle
22nd annual	FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals	July 24-26	Sonoma, Calif. (PSM)
28th annual	Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals	Aug. 13-16	Brainerd, Minn. (PSM)
25th annual	Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals	Aug. 20-23	Reading, Pa. (PSM)
55th annual	Mac Tools U.S. Nationals	Sept. 2-7	Indianapolis (PSM)
Second annual	NHRA Nationals	Sept. 17-20	Concord, N.C. (PSM)
24th annual	O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals	Sept. 24-27	Dallas (PSM)
22nd annual	O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals	Oct. 2-4	Memphis, Tenn. (PSM)
Fourth annual	Virginia NHRA Nationals	Oct. 9-11	Richmond, Va.
Ninth annual	ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals	Oct. 29 - Nov. 1	Las Vegas (PSM)
45th annual	Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals	Nov. 12-15	Pomona, Calif. (PSM)
(PSM) - Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Event Purses                                  
(bold represents increases)

Top Fuel/Funny Car	Pro Stock	Pro Stock Motorcycle
Winner: $50,000	Winner: $25,000	Winner: $10,000
Runner-up: $22,000	Runner-up: $11,000	Runner-up: $4,000
Semi-finalists: $18,000	Semi-finalists: $9,000	Semi-finalists: $2,000
Second round: $14,000	Second Round: $7,000	Second Round: $1,600
First round: $10,000	First Round: $5,000	First Round: $1,200
17th & 18th place: $3,000	17th & 18th place: $1,500	17th & 18th place: $500

2009 Mac Tools US Nationals Purse
(bold represents increases)

Top Fuel/Funny Car	Pro Stock	Pro Stock Motorcycle
Winner: $100,000	Winner: $50,000	Winner: $20,000
Runner-up: $30,000	Runner-up: $15,000	Runner-up: $5,500
Semi-finalists: $20,000	Semi-finalists: $10,000	Semi-finalists: $3,000
Second round: $15,000	Second Round: $7,500	Second Round: $2,000
First round: $11,000	First Round: $5,500	First Round: $1,500
17th & 18th place: $3,000	17th & 18th place: $1,500	17th & 18th place: $500

Nitro racing in Denver: ‘It’s still going to be loud, it’s still going to be fast’

Melanie Troxel, last year’s Top Fuel low qualifier in Denver, ran 3.92 to 1,000 feet. Alan Johnson expects speeds to exceed 300 mph.

Race fans headed to Denver for this weekend’s Mopar Parts Mile-High NHRA Nationals and to points beyond will be keeping an even more keen eye on the scoreboards at Bandimere Speedway, eager to see what type of performances will be recorded by the Top Fuelers and Funny Cars under the recent rule change reducing the length of their race course to 1,000 feet.

The move, heavily supported by the race teams themselves, may have shortened the actual racing distance, but will do nothing to take away from the spectacle of 7,000-horsepower, nitro-burning race cars.

Cory McClenathan, twice a winner at the Mile-High Nationals in Top Fuel and, before that, in Alcohol Dragster, commented, “I still think you’re going to see good side-by-side racing and still see 300-mph-plus runs, so I don’t think the fans are going to lose out on the show.”

“No question about it,” agreed reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher. “In fact, there may be better side-by-side racing. I guarantee you that the sights and sounds of nitro racing will still be there.”

Last year in Denver, where the mile-high air limits performance, Melanie Troxel qualified No. 1 in Top Fuel with a 4.610 that was clocked at 3.925 at the 1,000-foot timer while the Funny Cars were running in the 4.1- to 4.2-second range.

Schumacher’s crew chief, Alan Johnson consulted his records and offered his thoughts about the performance potential for this year’s event.

“Last year, we were going 304 mph to 1,000 feet during our night run in qualifying,” he said. “The second round of eliminations was probably the hottest conditions we ran in, and we were going 280 mph spinning the tires pretty hard. The fastest we’ve run [in the quarter-mile] in

Denver was 331.4 mph in 2005, and it was going between 305 and 306 mph [at 1,000 feet].

”When we made the 4.42 run at the Finals in 2006, we were moving pretty fast early and were going 322 to 323 mph to 1,000 feet. You’ll still see people go 320 mph or close to it on really good runs. Fans can expect that it’s still going to be loud and it’s still going to be fast. In the long run, it’s a great idea. It’s going to make the show better and it’s going to be better racing.”

The decision, made in the wake of the tragic accident that claimed the life of former world champ Scott Kalitta June 21, only affects the Top Fuel and Funny car classes – Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle and all of the Sportsman classes will continue to duel for 1320 feet — was characterized by NHRA as a “step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport’s long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.”

“NHRA has been defined by the quarter-mile since 1951, so this is probably one of the last alterations NHRA wanted to make,” ventured Funny Car racer Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/MTS Dodge, “so you know that they’ve done a lot of soul searching and consideration and realize it’s a good thing. The more I’ve thought about it, I realize it’s probably the most prudent decision that they can make with the status of what we know today. It’s still going to be good racing, it’ll probably cut down on some of the engine explosions, and you’ll still see 300-mph race cars at just about every single race track.”

Race teams supported and applauded the move for many reasons, safety and engine life chief among them.

“I’m very proud to see that NHRA has taken immediate action starting at

Denver,” said another former world champ, Gary Scelzi, driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Funny Car. “I think we should all band together and applaud the NHRA for trying to make things safer.”

Echoed Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Charger, “It’s going to be strange to shut them off early, and it’s going to take some getting used to for some guys, but I think it’s a great thing that NHRA has stepped up and is taking interim action to figure out what the next step is. Until we can get something to slow us down I think that’s a great call.”

“Obviously it will give the drivers more time to slow down,” McClenathan added, “but from the engine standpoint, we’re doing most of our damage between 1,000 feet and 1,320 feet, so I think we’re going to see the engines live longer and get better wear out of the components.”

Elapsed times at the sea-level tracks should be into the three-second zone for Top Fuelers – on “The Run,” Schumacher’s title-clinching 4.42-second pass a the 2006 Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, his elapsed time to 1,000 feet was 3.759 – and Funny Cars right around that mark; at the same event, John Force’s final-round Funny Car pass of 4.69 was achieved with a 3.989-second 1,000-foot clocking.

Funny Car driver Del Worsham, pilot of the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Impala, acknowledged that the shorter course will make for some new thoughts about the performances. “A 300 mph run in a Funny Car now will be an absolutely huge lap, not a run-of-the-mill deal,” he noted. “I’ll admit I have some mixed feelings, because drag racing has always been a quarter-mile deal and this is really a big change, but I know in my heart that this is the right thing to do while we figure this all out for the future. It’s going to be strange, but we’re all in it together so the playing field is completely level, and I’m happy to see that NHRA acted so quickly and strongly on this.

“At the track, the fans are still going to see the most powerful and quickest-accelerating cars on the planet, and we might just find out that the racing is even more exciting.”

 

 

EDMONTON, Alb. (July 7, 2008) - Dale Creasy, Jr., driver of the Torco Race Fuels Nitro Funny Car, was injured during a semifinal loss at the Rocky Mountain Nationals yesterday.

Somewhere near the finish line Creasy’s car had a catastrophic parts failure in the drive line, his legs became entangled in the wreckage. He was air lifted to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta.

Creasy suffered broken bones in his right foot that will require a cast. His left leg suffered a crushed shin and a compound fracture that will require surgery. Creasy is scheduled for surgery between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mountain Time at Royal Alexandra Hospital.

The Creasy family asks that cards and well wishes be held until Dale returns home. The team also wants to thank Jet Label & Tape for the support they are providing to the family during this time.