Sin City Drags Wrap
04.07.09-20:45 FlA Says; Gosh, there may be hope for this season after all. What a tremendous Saturday and Sunday. Many great match-ups and great racing. Two weeks in a row, lanes were fairly equal, unlike Gainesville and Phoenix. Congratulations to Don Schumacher, Tony Schumacher, and Ron "My Main Man" Capps. On the first anniversary of the NHRA fining Don $100,000 for having four unauthorized barrels of nitromethane in his pit at The Strip, it's great to see "The Don" stick it up NHRA's keister this weekend and now leads the points standings in all three Full Throttle divisions that Schumacher Racing("DSR") competes. That whole NHRA fabracated Nitrogate debacle last year still sticks in my craw.
Also, congratulations to rookies Top Fuel Shawn Langdon who was #1 qualifier and lost to Tony Schumacher in the semi-finals. And to DSR's Funny Car driver Matt Hagen who qualified #12 and lost to DSR's Ron Capps in the Finals. Both these rookies are outstanding drivers. Shawn is 8th in TF points, and Matt is 2nd in FC points. -
Las Vegas: Matt Hagan Final Report. Hopefully, Don Prudhomme's new TF rookie driver Spencer Massy will keep stepping it up. He qualified fifth and lost first round to Brandon Bernstein in a great drag race. Spencer cut a super 0.031 light, to Brandon's 0.075, and had his quickest pass of weekend. Brandon just had the faster dragster, both ET and MPH. Snake Racing's TF crew takes the loss.
Tony Schumacher: When Tony lost his super-legend crew chief Al Johnson and his crew to Al-Anabi Racing, and two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Larry Dixon left Don Prudhomme Snake Racing for Al-Anabi, many of the media experts? and NHRA veterans said Larry was a shoo-in to win the Top Fuel Championship this year. While Larry is my main TF man, I laughed at their ignorance. No one in drag racing is tougher, and hates losing more, than team owner Don Schumacher. And, Don has the big bucks and the connections. Many drag racing fans don't know "The Don" very well because he does not do very many media interviews. He leaves all that to John Force and John Force Racing, which makes good "bookends" by the two largest NHRA teams. His son Tony is a machine. How Tony lived through his massive 2000 Memphis Top Fuel crash is beyond me. It was only God shining on him, and a good dose of luck, that kept Tony from being another nitro driver death statistic. His crash was very similar to Shirley Muldowney's horrific 1984 Montreal crash, expect worse. Tony was the defending Top Fuel Champion(his 1st of 6), and despite his very serious injuries, I was amazed how fast he came back and started racing again. Here's a good Discovery Channel video on Tony's crash and aftermath.
From DSR Tony Schumacher Article: The win was particularly noteworthy since it set a Top Fuel record for most consecutive races without a first round loss – 31. Here's the rest of that story: ~ fla
Top Five Drivers: Most Consecutive NHRA Races Without A First Round Loss
1999-02 Angelle Sampey PSM 46 (3-Time PSM Champion)
1975-80 Bob Glidden PS 40 (NHRA No. 4 Greatest)
1995-97 John Force FC 34 (NHRA No. 2 Greatest)
2007-09 Tony Schumacher TF 31 (6-Time Top Fuel Champion. Record is still open)
2000-02 Larry Dixon TF 30 (2-Time Top Fuel Champion)
Ron Capps: What can I say about my other FC main man with 3 out 5 wins this season? Ron has had some great recent seasons and would have won a NHRA Funny Car Championship under the old points systems. But he lost under the new Crapola to the Championship I mean Countdown to the Championship format. I loathe motorsports playoff formats. It's just more marketing weenies garbage. But that's just my personal opinion.
Bob Bode: It would have been fantastic if Bob had stole the Finals. It's always fun when an underdog blows away the field. He lost in the first round against DSR's rookie Matt Hagan. It looked like Bob's crew chief was too aggressive on the clutch set-up/timers when he went up in smoke at 330 feet, ending his weekend. Bob was also very late on the tree at 0.138 to Hagan's 0.089. But from the stats, he clearly had a potential winning hot rod last weekend:
Bob Bode Vegas1 Key Stats:
Fri. Round 1: #1 4.145 - 303.43 (Track temperature 77 degrees)
Sat Round 2: #2 4.158 - 302.48 (Track temperature 109 degrees)
== Better Sunday Elimination ET's ==
E1 - Mike Neff 4.117, Matt Hagan 4.144 (Bob lost to, Track Temperature 89 degrees)
E2 - None, TT 107 degrees
E3 - None, TT 109 degrees
FN - None, TT 109 degrees
With Bob losing in the first round did Alice Bode, dressed in an all black outfit, know something? How do women run in those stiletto heels? I'm impressed. It takes some real athletic ability. I would probably wipe up the drag strip with my face.
ESPN Race Day did a great piece on Bob. They talked with him briefly then let the camera roll, with the mic on, in Bob's pits while they were working, before and after one of his qualifying runs, etc. Good stuff. During Sunday's eliminations Mike Dunn said Bob made it to the semi-finals last year at this event. I looked up the stats.
2008 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Funny Car Final Eliminations: Because of the very hot track conditions, 120+ degrees, the nitro racing was very poor. Bob Bode, who qualified ninth, had to face three John Force Racing teams in final eliminations. In Round 1 he faced Mike Neff, who is driving for the late Eric Medlen. Bob won in a pedal fest by both cars. In Round 2 he faced Robert Hight. He won in another pedal fest when they both went up in smoke at the 330 mark. In Round 3 he faced Ashley Force. He lost to Ashley with both cars having mechanical problems with poor ET's and MPH's.
Two items caught my attention. One, Bob's reaction times were poor with a 0.133, 0.149, and against Ashley a 0.114 which was better than her poor 0.136. I don't know if Bob's crew chief had the clutch set that soft due to the conditions, or if Santa needs to bring Bob an electric Christmas Tree to practice on. Second, in all three of Bob's runs he left oil/fluids on the track that required NHRA clean-up. Since the oildown penalties rule was in effect last year, NHRA fined Bob $4,000 and deducted earned championship points. While Bob lost in the first round of eliminations this year, his weekend performance was greatly superior to last year and much less expensive. ~ fla
Currently, Bob is not entered for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta on April 16-19, 2009. He is not the only one as presently there is not a sixteen car Funny Car field entered.
One question - Where did they get those Vegas trophy girls?. . . ouch. They look like something from a '50's Frank Sinatra Vegas detective movie. If Del Worsham had won the Funny Car "Wally" those two would have been a major let down from the two smokin hot Spring Nationals, Houston trophy girls he had on his arms *lol*.
John Force lays down again for his teammate. This time to son-in-law FC jockey Robert Hight. It was John's 1,400th round of NHRA racing. From John Force Racing Vegas1 Final Report: Hight's Semi-Final Finish Lone Bright Spot In Vegas For JFR - - John Force continued to improve in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang, however a mechanical failure with his manifold burst panels ended his day against Robert Hight. Crew chief Austin Coil said that they replaced a number of panels after his first round win over Tim Wilkerson but in the second round they are not sure why the burst panels let loose dropping the available horsepower at half track and slowing Force abruptly. <> Translated this means someone on John's crew loosened a bolt(s) on the burst plate mounting bracket. Come on John we all know the tricks. You're going to have to be a little more creative in your losing for teammates efforts, *lol*.
Before FR's legendary Jersey Republican Biker Chick pops a brain artery let me state the following. With the current championship countdown format, these early season races don't mean squat except for the winner's paycheck, bragging rights, and hanging out with the hottie trophy girls. John, and everyone else, knows this. The teams don't have to really get serious about the champion until the start of the summer, which is the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Topeka. Until then, drivers just need to maintain a reasonable Top Ten points position.
Of interest, John had a great pass and win in the first round of eliminations against Tim Wilkerson(great and humble guy). Then in the shut-down area John jumped out of the top of the car and was really mad about something. I don't know what was going on. He was waving his hands around and striping off his gear and throwing it on the ground. It was funny.
One last note: It was great to personally see John Medlen back at the Spring Nationals, after missing two races, and then watch him on TV at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. With the exception of Ed McCulloch, no one loves his crew chief job more than John. He eats and breathes championship drag racing. It looked like John lost a fair amount of weight in the hospital with this heart problem, which was the second time he had been hospitalized for his ticker. But, big bags of cheeseburgers and mass builders protein shakes will get his weight back up *lol*. It's great to see that John clearly has much more energy now. Further his JFR driver Mike Neff looks great this season. With John back in the saddle, I think Mike will step-up and start winning some "Wallys".
04.06.09: Team Kalitta Video:
-- Doug Kalitta raced against fellow NHRA nitro competitors Cory McClenathan and Tommy Johnson Jr. in a 20-lap exhibition race Saturday night, April 4, at the LVMS Bullring. Doug, the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Champion, won the race.
Houston and Vegas Facilities Capacity Question: Both The Strip and Houston Raceway Park state their maximum capacity is 30,000. Unlike NASCAR, NHRA does not provide attendance information which is no surprise. However, from attending races at both facilities and looking at the Sat-Sun panoramic photos from both events, the Spring Nationals had the larger attendance. On the FR Vegas1 event lead post #137, the third top image shows all the people in the 660 ft. SRO pit last year. There was hardly anyone there for Saturday or Sunday. As previously stated, Houston's attendance was also larger than Gainesville, Phoenix, and Pomona.
The problem with the Vegas1 event is hotels-casinos are still gouging on their room rates et. al. when large events are in town. It doesn't make sense because there is significant vacancy rates and corporate profits have taken a huge nose drive due to the serious recession. When Vegas was promoting their Bring the Family theme, rates were very reasonable and going there was a very good deal. When they went back to their current Sin City theme, rates went through the ceiling to the point I found them offensive. With their major current financial problems, seems like it would be smarter to reduce rates and increase volume again. But as the old saying goes, for some people, "you screw your friends because your foes never come around".
NT, on other matters, I appreciate your post, you are on the list, and we will mail out the post-Spring Nationals care packages before I/we leave for Palm Beach for the BJ celebrity car auction/stay with personal friend this weekend.
I'm knowledgeable about Bruton Smith's serious financial problems. I'll address that in another post when I have some time. However in short, the porn industry wants an Obama bailout so I would think that pimp Bruton should qualify *lol*. He should at least receive consideration due to his $2,500 political donation to corrupt scumbag Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid.
I have one more Vegas1 wrap-up post that was great but totally slipped under the radar. I was disappointed it wasn't covered, nor did Paul or Mike say anything about it, during ESPN's coverage. Probably be next week before I can post it - Good stuff ~ fla
Upcoming FR FlA & Co. Covered:
Apr 09-11: Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction, Palm Beach, FL (Attending, part)
Apr 16-19: 29th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta
FR 2009 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals homepage
