CHEVROLET AT HOUSTON
What:
31st NHRA SpringNationals
When:
Friday, April 20-Sunday, April 22
Where:
Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas
TV:
FS1: Qualifications live – 1 p.m. ET Saturday
FS1: Eliminations and finals live – 2 p.m. ET Sunday
Chevrolet Drivers Seek to Continue Hot Streak in Houston
NHRA SpringNationals kicks off three consecutive weekends of racing
DETROIT (April 18, 2018) – With four Chevrolet Pro Stock winners in as many races to start the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, parity is on the same path as 2017.
Reigning Pro Stock champion Bo Butner won the Pomona opener, while Chris McGaha prevailed at Phoenix, Tanner Gray garnered the Gainesville win, and Vincent Nobile hoisted the Wally on the winner’s stage at Las Vegas.
Six different Team Chevy drivers won the first six races of 2017, and nine drivers claimed at least one class victory as Chevy Racing swept the 24 races.
“Before the season, we all thought this was going to be the tightest year ever,” said Nobile, driver of the Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS. “All the cars are really close. It comes down to having the best set-up on Sunday and who gets off the clutch first.”
Butner, who also was runner-up at the Gatornationals in Florida last month, sits atop the Pro Stock standings heading into the NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. McGaha, of Odessa, Texas, is 29 points arrears, and the top five are separated by only 54 points.
Last April at Royal Purple Raceway, Butner earned his first Pro Stock victory by defeating five-time class champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final.
“It was a big breakthrough that kind of opened the floodgate for us,” said Butner, who has six wins and 13 runner-up finishes in 69 Pro Stock races. “We don’t have to win every race, just keep going to the semis and finals, and the points will add up. It’s way early to be too worried about points, but I feel good.”
Courtney Force, driver of the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, also carries momentum into the race weekend. Force, who set the Funny Car elapsed time and speed track records last year, has a victory at Phoenix and a pair of low qualifier honors in the past three races.
The SpingNationals is the opener of three consecutive weekends of racing.
“I love going into a three-race stretch being that you can usually keep your momentum going,” said Force, who is second in Funny Car standings and won at Royal Purple Raceway in 2016. “However, it all starts with the first race, Houston. We are looking for success there so we can have that confidence for the next two races. These three races will fly by so it’s important to maintain your focus and confidence because points can change drastically. Our entire Advance Auto Parts Chevy Camaro team is extremely encouraged by how we have performed.”
Teammate Brittany Force, driving the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, had the top speed of the event last year in Top Fuel. The defending class champion was the No. 3 qualifier in the four-wide show two weeks ago at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and will debut a new Chevrolet dragster this weekend.
Representing the host state in Stock Eliminator, driving their Chevrolet COPO Camaros, are Brian Massingill of Houston, Arthur Kohn of Richmond, Jeff Lopez of Irving, David Janac of Caldwell, and Phillip Giles of Flatonia. Also entered in their COPO Camaros are Sam Lusco Jr. of Houma, Louisiana, J. Allen Sherman of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, and Brandon Bakies of Alexandria, Lousiana.
Giles will do double duty by competing in Super Stock in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro. James Carter also is among the entries in his COPO Camaro.
FS1 will telecast two rounds of qualifications live at 1 p.m. ET Saturday and will telecast eliminations and finals at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
CHEVY RACING ENGINEERING PREVIEW
ROGER ALLEN, CHEVY RACING NHRA PROGRAM MANAGER: “The NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway is the first of three consecutive weekends of racing in professional and Sportsman categories for Chevy Racing. After another successful event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which hosted its first four-wide competition, Team Chevy teams and drivers are looking forward to returning to the racetrack to continue their success.”
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (reigning class champion; had top speed of race last year at 327.27 mph; competing in 125th Top Fuel race of career): “I was in Indy for a few days for the final fitting on our new car. I’m excited to get out to Houston and make the first few passes in it and get comfortable in it. The plan is to go rounds all day on Sunday and bring home that first win of the season. Looking for that first win of the season, Houston would be a great place to pick that win up.”
FUNNY CAR:
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning class champion; runner-up in season opener): “(Crew chief) Jimmy Prock and I talked about the start of our season and how it hasn’t gone the way we wanted to at this point. I still feel really good heading into Houston. We are way better than where we are in the Mello Yello point standings. When our race car is right there is nobody better. We tested in Las Vegas and that went well so we are going to go and basically start our season in Houston. I went to the final round last year and I have won there a couple times. There is a lot of special meaning at this event because it is where I got my first win. I love going back there.”
COURTNEY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and winner at Phoenix; No. 1 qualifier and finalist at Las Vegas; holds track ET and speed records, set in 2017; won at track in 2016; second in points): “It’s important to have this confidence for our team so early on in the season and that’s because of the performance from my crew chiefs (Brian) Corradi and (Dan) Hood. To be able to build momentum before going into the summer is huge. Our team has had a lot of success in Texas and we hope to get another win at this track and work to take over that top spot.”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT AND MOTOR OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (seven-time winner at track; has 148 career Funny Car wins and 1,289 round wins): “This season has had a tough start. We have been testing and we figured some of our problems out. We ran well in Las Vegas at the Four-Wide and didn’t have any issues. That is a step in the right direction. We stayed and tested after that race and I feel good heading to Texas. We aren’t going to win the championship this weekend, but we need to start running better and winning rounds.”
PRO STOCK:
BO BUTNER, KB RACING, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning class champion; earned sixth Pro Stock win and second in a row at Auto Club Raceway in season opener; won 2017 race at track): “We don’t have to win every race, just keep going to the semis and finals, and the points will add up. It’s way early to be too worried about points, but I feel good.”
CHRIS MCGAHA, HARLOW SAMMONS RACING, HARLOW SAMMONS OF ODESSA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at Phoenix; second in points; resident of Odessa, Texas): “My first final round was in Houston and for it to be in my home state of Texas was really special. We’ve got some serious momentum on our side so far this year so maybe this is the year to seal the deal for our Harlow Sammons team.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner at track; next final round will be 150th in his 20 seasons competing in Pro Stock): “I feel good going into Houston. I’ve been stuck at second round this year, but I breezed past it in the K&N Horsepower Challenge out there in Vegas, and we had a great day. Unfortunately, on Sunday, we got bit second round in the main event. But we have a fast race car. I’ve qualified No. 1 the last two races, so I know we’re going to go there and run real good. The bottom line in Vegas was that we just made one mistake on Sunday, but you can’t make any mistakes. The stakes are too high, and there are too many good cars. But a mistake is an easier fix than a slow race car. We’ll learn from what we did in Las Vegas, and I expect Houston to be a good race for us.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in first two races of season; seeking 50th national event win – 47 in Pro Stock, two in Stock Eliminator): “Got to my very first final round there in Houston, and I lost to Greg (Anderson) in the final. It was the first time I ever really had a good light. I was .022, and then I went left and had to lift. Everybody said I did it on purpose, but I assure you, I did not. The one thing I always think about when I go back to Houston, though, is when I lost to Warren Johnson one time there in the final. It was probably the best I had ever driven, until I was .008 red in the final. I’ll never forget it.”
VINCENT NOBILE, MOUNTAIN VIEW RACING, MOUNTAIN VIEW TIRE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at Las Vegas for 11th career victory; No. 1 qualifier in season opener): “Houston is special to me; that’s where I got my very first Pro Stock win, and I won there again in 2012. Coming off that win in Las Vegas, we are excited to see if we can keep that momentum going into Houston.”
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Houston native; two-time winner at track): “This is a race I look forward to each and every year. I’ve been coming to the SpringNationals since I can remember and RPR has a special place in my career and heart. We’ve won twice here and would love nothing more than to get it done again in front of the home crowd. This weekend there will be even more going on in the Elite camp as we are debuting the Pro Mod program here in Houston. The Hairston family and Elite Performance couldn’t be more ready for this.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (holds track ET record, set in 2017; four-time winner at the track): “We’ve been tripping on our shoelaces lately, trying so hard to find the perfect balance to get back to our winning ways, and I can’t think of a better place for everything to come together than Houston. I’ll admit to being very partial to this track and this event. The memories I have here are some of my all-time favorites. I got my first Sportsman win in Super Stock here in 1994 and then came back three years later in what was just our second ever Pro Stock win and got another Wally.”
DREW SKILLMAN, RAY SKILLMAN MOTORSPORTS, RAY SKILLMAN AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier in opener; semifinalist at Gainesville): “We’re seeing some gains with the Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro, though the gains are never quick enough for me. We should be winning races. I’m looking forward to racing again at the track.”
JOHN GAYDOSH, GAYDOSH PERFORMANCE, PYPES PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (making first Pro Stock appearance in Houston): “This car is just flying. I’ve never gone this fast in a fuel injected Pro Stock. In Gainesville, I was able to get used to the power and figure out how she runs. We also had a new clutch system last race, which accounted for my late light in round one. But now we have everything figured out so I’m excited to race in Houston.”