NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
COCA-COLA 600
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 22, 2014
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media today at Charlotte Motor Speedway to talk about his win in the Sprint All-Star Race, his thoughts on the Coca-Cola 600 and his position in the Chase among other topics. Full transcript:
TALK ABOUT YOUR WIN IN THE ALL-STAR EVENT AND NOW GETTING READY FOR THE 600 THIS WEEKEND.
“The week has been really busy. I got to spend Sunday with my family. Then Monday was kind of all-day at the race shop with a team lunch and doing a lot of media obligations. Then we left at 4:30 in the morning to go to Kentucky for a Goodyear tire test all day Tuesday and all day Wednesday. We got back somewhat early yesterday; we land and I’m driving home and (Matt) Kenseth called and said they we’re having a family get together at his house so I was over there until about eight o’clock last night. So it’s been really busy for me.”
WHAT’S THE WACKIEST PHONE CALL, RESPONSE, TEXT OR ANYTHING AFTER WINNING SATURDAY NIGHT? AND CAN YOU ESTIMATE WHAT TIME YOU LOST THE BUZZ THAT NIGHT?
“Did I have a buzz? That’s weird… I don’t remember that. I didn’t really get any wacky texts. My wife went to a birthday party at Casey Mears’ house Tuesday night, and she told me last night, ‘Jamie, I think people are really happy you won.’ Jeff (Gordon) and Jimmie (Johnson) and everyone over there came up and were kind of harassing here and asking what she was going to buy. But at the same time she was saying, ‘I really felt like they were really happy that you won.’ And I thought that was cool. Ultimately for me, I only care what that group of people thinks – the other drivers in the garage, the crew chiefs and the owners – I value their opinion more than anyone else’s. To see they were really happy for me was really cool.
“I got a lot of text messages – maybe 150 over the course of 12 hours after the race. But almost everything was really nice and really good stuff. I loved going to the shop on Monday and I can’t tell you how many of the guys who work in our shop were slapping their wife in bed saying, ‘Wake up…he’s going to win.’ I think that’s great because that’s exactly what I would have done if I had been lying in bed with Christy, so that was pretty cool.
“The buzz wore off… I don’t know what time. I went to bed about 4 and got up at like 8. I jumped up and was like, ‘I’ve got to get in the shower so I can get home and go see my family.’”
EVEN THOUGH WE’RE GOING FROM A 10-LAP SHOOTOUT TO THE LONGEST RACE, WILL IT COME DOWN TO THE FINAL RESTART AS TO WHO WINS THE 600?
“Well yes. But I think is going to depend on if the final restart comes with 25 laps to go, it will be different. It seemed like the other night that in the 20-lap segments, when we got lap 15 or 18, you could tell the handling was going away on some of the guys’ cars. If we get a longer run… you could see the 4 or the 5 car getting passed last week. I think you’ll see some guys who can advance but if it comes down to a 10- or 15-lap shootout, the guy who gets out front will be hard to beat, for sure.”
DOES KURT (BUSCH) DOING THE DOUBLE HAVE ANY IMPACT ON NASCAR? WILL IT BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THE 600 BECAUSE SOMEONE IS DOING BOTH RACES?
“I think so. My take on what Kurt is doing as a race fan is that it’s awesome. I can’t wait to get up Sunday morning, turn the Indy 500 on and watch Kurt’s day. We can all remember Tony (Stewart) and Robby Gordon did it and watching those guys to see how their races goes, them getting on the helicopter – Kurt is actually flying on the plane that I fly on every weekend back down here – and then to show up and race here. I’m excited about it, and I hope other fans – whether you’re and IndyCar fan or a NASCAR fan – are excited to watch his whole day as well. I think it’s really cool what he’s doing.”
YOU’VE HAD A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET USED TO THIS SYSTEM FOR QUALIFYING FOR THE CHASE. HOW HAS IT CHANGED THE CUP SERIES? HAS IT CHANGED STRATEGY? HAS IT CHANGED QUALIFYING AND TESTING? WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW THIS YEAR?
“I don’t see a lot different from our take. For me, the difference will be – and we haven’t had this race yet – is if we get a race… in order to take a chance, it has to be on fuel mileage or tires. We haven’t been in a position so far this year. Here we can go 50 laps on fuel. If we get a caution with 52 laps to go, that’s taking a chance and I think that’s where you will see guys take more risks in the pit strategy. We just haven’t been put in that position yet this year.”
WITH THE 600-MILER, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE DRIVE 600 MILES IN A DAY MUCH LET ALONE DOING IT WITH 42 OTHER GUYS WHO ARE CHASING THE SAME THING. WHAT DO YOU DO MENTALLY TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR SUCH A LONG DAY?
“When I look at the 600, I think back to when I was running the Busch Series and the first time I ran a Cup race. You go from running 200 miles or 300 miles to a 500-mile race. I remember running my first Cup race and thinking to myself that it wasn’t as long as I was prepared for. You mentally prepare for it all week long leading up to it. I’ve had this race circled, somewhat dreading it. I love the 400-mile races. I think that’s the perfect length for a NASCAR race. But I also think it’s cool that we have this marathon of an event. The only thing other than mentally preparing is getting enough food in your system. When I think back to this event, it’s always about trying to get enough food in your system that you’re not hungry or feel weak toward the end of the race.”
THIS MIGHT SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT WAS THERE EVER A MOMENT SINCE WINNING AND KNOWING IT WAS THE ALL-STAR RACE AND DOESN’T HELP YOUR CHASE POSITION AT ALL?
“Looking back at the way the Chase format has been structured, I assume next year the winner of the All-Star race will be included into the Chase based on my history. It seems like every year, I’m a year behind on what actually the next year is going to be. But I’m not concerned with that. I was so excited to win the All-Star Race. When I got home and I was looking at the trophy and thinking of all the races I’ve won, it was so cool to be put in that category. As much as I would have liked to win a points race and be guaranteed to get into the Chase, that was huge last weekend for me, for Keith (Rodden, crew chief) and our entire team. So honestly I don’t think about that.”
CAN YOU LOOK BACK TO 2002 WHEN YOU WON HERE FILLING IN FOR STERLING MARLIN AND HOW THAT WAS A TURNING POINT FOR YOUR CAREER AND HOW THAT WORKED OUT FOR YOU?
“I honestly can’t look back to 2002. Things have changed so much in the sport and in my life since then. I remember those days mainly from pictures and some video; typically for the October race they will play that highlight and if I happen to be watching TV I’ll see that and it will spark a memory. But honestly, I don’t remember much about 2002.”
BUT IT WAS A HUGE TURNING POINT FOR YOU, RIGHT?
“It was huge. I hadn’t won a Truck race or a Busch race at that point, and I won in Sterling’s Cup car filling in for him. So yeah absolutely that was huge for me.”
IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER 2002, THEN 1994 MIGHT BE A PROBLEM. I’M WONDERING WHAT YOU REMEMBER ABOUT JEFF GORDON’S FIRST CAREER VICTORY AS A FAN BACK THEN.
“I don’t remember that. I remember seeing all the video footage – I think Jeff won his first race and Kenseth as well (in 2000) so it’s a really big event for rookies. That’s what I was telling Kyle (Larson), ‘That this could be a big weekend for you.’ This is a weekend where rookies win races. So I think that’s really cool for Kyle. I graduated high school in 1994, so I don’t remember a lot about that.”
TALKING ABOUT THE CHASE AND AS WE COME TO THE HA
LFWAY POINT, IS THERE ANY ANXIOUSNESS OVER NOT HAVING A POINTS WIN YET?
“There is still a lot of racing left to go. We’ve had really good cars all year and certainly are not sitting very good in the points. But if you’re in the position that our team is in, it’s about getting a win and getting locked in. Then the points reset themselves. Coming in here after winning the All-Star Race, I feel probably better than I have all year long because you’re coming back to a track that you feel you have a good setup at and it’s a good track for me. The becoming anxious will come with four to five races to go – not necessarily at this point. It’s a long way to Richmond. There is going to be a lot to happen.”
WHAT IS THE OLDEST THING YOU DO REMEMBER?
“It’s weird. I remember my first go-kart race. I remember that day as clear as can be – everything about it. (The previous question) just put me on the spot. I just can’t remember it right now!”
DO YOU PAY ATTENTION AND NOTICE IF ANOTHER TEAM IS RUNNING GOOD OR STRUGGLING, OR DO YOU FOCUS ON YOUR TEAM? AND IF YOU DO NOTICE SOME OF THOSE THINGS, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE FIRST 10 OR 12 RACES OF THE SEASON?
“I think everyone has paid attention to the 4 car this year. From the time we came here and tested in December and January for spoiler testing and pan testing, the 4 car has been the fastest off the truck. They’ve been really for the most part the best car all year long. I think everyone in the garage is paying attention to Kevin and Rodney (Childers). You’re looking at pictures and looking at their car. Everyone is eyeballing that team and trying figure out where the speed is. But that goes week to week as well. If someone runs well, everyone is on that bandwagon to find out what that team is doing this week for the next. But that’s no different than any other.”
WHAT DID IT MEAN TO GIVE KEITH RODDEN HIS FIRST WIN AS A CUP CREW CHIEF?
“It was really cool to get Keith his first win. I remember my days at Roush and Jack at the Christmas party would get a trophy made for the crew chief for their first win and give it to them at the Christmas party. So I’ve been thinking in my head and talking to my wife about what I could do for Keith – something he would cherish and would like. I haven’t come up with that yet but I’m trying to figure it out. It’s special because Keith has won a lot of races and been part of some really good teams. It’s really gratifying for him to do it at the top level and for me to be part of that is really special.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT KYLE (LARSON) EARLIER. HOW HAVE YOU SEEN HIS PROGRESSION TO THIS POINT IN THE SEASON? WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE HE IS READY TO WIN AT THIS LEVEL?
“Kyle has done a great job this year of staying out of trouble. I think one of the hardest parts for rookies is how you race people and how they race you. He’s done a good job of gaining the respect of a lot of the guys who have been around. It looked like he and Greg (Biffle) had a moment; I saw a highlight of he and Biffle at Kansas kind of going at it. That’s part of being a rookie. But he’s done a really good job with most of the guys and I think he’s gained their respect. He’s done a great job there and he’s had really good cars all year long. He’s done a good job if the car gets away from him in the middle part of the race, they as a team have done a really good job of getting the car back and if they don’t get a great finish out of it, they get a good finish out of it. I think me winning last week will help him confidence-wise, knowing that our cars are capable of winning. When you know that another guy has won in the car and you feel like you’re capable of winning, I feel like that’s good for our whole organization and I know that’s going to be good for him.”
Summit Racing–Line to Put an End to Winless Streak at Heartland Park Topeka
Line to Put an End to Winless Streak at Heartland Park Topeka
Mooresville, N.C., May 21, 2014 – It was 1990 when Jason Line first rolled through the gates at the now famed Heartland Park Topeka, the year that the expansive facility held its first NHRA sanctioned event. Then a dedicated sportsman racer who was competing in his Stocker that weekend, the Minnesota-native undoubtedly had visions of competing in the Pro Stock ranks and standing in the winner’s circle at the end of Sunday eliminations. Line has accumulated a remarkable 32 national event wins as a pro since that time, but the dream is still alive for him in Topeka. Determined as ever to make it happen, Line greets the challenge of this weekend’s NHRA Kansas Nationals with great enthusiasm.
“I just see this as an opportunity,” said Line. “I can win there – I won a division race in my Stock Eliminator car there pretty early on, so I know it can be done. It’s just been a pretty good challenge for me in the Pro Stock car, but my luck could change this weekend. We’ve had a good car with my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and that really showed in Atlanta last week. It is very possible that we could see the inside of the winner’s circle this weekend.”
Currently No. 2 in the Mellow Yellow Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings, Line clearly approaches the eighth stop on the 2014 NHRA tour with optimism about the program’s progress. Relentless testing and evolving developments in the KB Racing shop have been proving effective on race day. With the first of three consecutive race weekends completed last Monday in Atlanta, a busy month of competition is what drives Line to become more focused on the task at hand: hoisting a Wally on the winner’s stage.
Undaunted by a lack of a final round win at the historic quarter mile and the fact that weather conditions could present any number of tricky situations at any time of the weekend, Line and his Summit Racing crew forge ahead with a common goal in mind. It is to continue to improve and to get a win at one of only five tracks on the entire schedule where he has not yet claimed victory. Line’s teammate Greg Anderson has four wins, and his success serves as an inspiration and proof positive that the team has the tools and the talent to get the job done.
“I’ve been in the dyno room since we got back from Atlanta, and hopefully that will be a contributing factor,” said Line. “We fell off for a little bit, but after last weekend, I feel like I can say that we’re back to where we were before, and even that we have improved. The whole field is improving so it’s an evolving process in a very tough class, but I think we’re on the right track. I think it’s time for me to overcome the challenge I’ve had at Heartland Park.”
Summit Racing–Anderson Looking for Continued Stellar Reaction Times and More in Topeka
Anderson Looking for Continued Stellar Reaction Times and More in Topeka
Mooresville, N.C., May 21, 2014 – Just a few days ago, Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson and the KB Racing team weathered Sunday storms and came back on a rare Monday raceday to take the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to a runner up finish at their title-sponsored Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta. Riding a string of almost clairvoyant reaction times, the rejuvenated wheelman is looking forward to getting right back in the hunt for a Countdown to the Championship berth and the chance at a fifth Pro Stock title, and he will have the chance to do that at this weekend’s NHRA Kansas Nationals.
With abbreviated time in between races this month, the KB crew left their Mooresville race headquarters well prepared for a three race in a row hitch. Heartland Park Topeka is a racetrack where the group has gleaned much success in the past, and Anderson hopes to add to the bounty of Wallys he has procured there in previous performances. He earned four wins between 2003 and 2007, a magnificent feat that puts Anderson in elite company; only former boss Warren Johnson, with five Topeka trophies, has had more success in a Pro Stock car in Topeka.
“We’ve certainly had some success there, and we like going back to racetracks like that,” said Anderson, who will compete in his third race of the season following a delayed start. “Hopefully that will work in our favor this weekend because getting to the final and then not being able to finish the deal last week was a real heartbreaker for the Summit Racing team. We want to get the job done. Topeka is a little bit of a different race track in terms of weather and altitude, but it looks like the forecast isn’t for extremely hot temperatures like they have been a few times there in the past, and that’s good for us. I think that plays into our hands. There were a lot of positives for us last weekend, and hopefully we can do a better job on Sunday out there in Topeka.”
Heartland Park Topeka opened its doors in 1989 and it quickly became a venue for barrier-breaking performances in the world of racing. This multi-use motorsports haven has thrilled fans of speed and horsepower of all kinds for 25 years, and the Crown Jewel of the property is the famed 1320-foot dragstrip, where in 1993 Funny Cars first eclipsed the 300 mph mark and cracked the 4-second zone. Weather conditions can be a blessing or a curse for competitors and history has proven that anything can happen in America’s breadbasket.
With just two appearances on the 2014 Mellow Yellow Drag Racing Series tour so far this year, Anderson has already picked up where he left off last season with some of the best average reaction times in the class. Extensive testing has gotten Anderson just as much seat time as if he had run the previous five races that he was forced to sit out as he returned to health and strength. Gathering crucial data is of course the main goal, but testing also enhances driving skill and keeps the Pro Stock pilot sharp on the tree – essential components in a class measured in thousandths of a second every pass.
“We have done quite a bit of testing, it’s true,” said Anderson. “I know that it has helped my driving to get back on track quickly, and more than likely what we’ve learned will be utilized in Topeka. It’s been a busy last few weeks, but we’re looking forward to getting there and keeping the momentum going. We need to get that win.”
Chevy Racing–CAMARO Z.28/R AT LIME ROCK: Short Track, Big Challenge at Lime Rock
CAMARO Z.28/R AT LIME ROCK: Short Track, Big Challenge at Lime Rock
New Camaro looking for second Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge victory
· Four Camaro Z.28/R race cars entered for standalone GS race
· Curran, Aschenbach crack top-five in GS points for CKS after Monterey runner-up
· Chevrolet up to second in GS manufacturer championship
DETROIT (May 21, 2014) – It may be the shortest track on the schedule, but Lime Rock Park is set to provide a big challenge to the new Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R race car and the rest of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Lime Rock plays host to the fourth round of this year’s championship, which sees a standalone race for the Grand Sport (GS) class.
Four of the new Camaro Z/28.Rs are entered for Saturday’s two-and-a-half hour race. Lime Rock – at 1.53 miles and seven turns – is the smallest track on which the Camaros will compete this year. But it’s a venue that has been extremely good for the Chevrolet muscle car the last three years with three top-five finishes and a runner-up spot in last year’s race.
Heading into this year’s event, Chevrolet is second in the GS manufacturer championship, trailing by just seven points.
CKS Autosport’s Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach stand fifth in the GS championship following their second-place showing in the most recent round at Laguna Seca. The weekend also saw Curran place second in qualifying. CKS also will field a Camaro Z/28.R for Ashley McCalmont and Bob Michaelian.
Stevenson Motorsports’ two Camaro Z/28.Rs will race at Lime Rock as well, including the No. 6 entry of Sebring winners Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis. Andy Lally and Matt Bell will be in the No. 9 Camaro. Bell placed second in last year’s race driving a Camaro GS.R and led the most laps. He has finished in the top-five each of the last three years.
This version of the Camaro is very different than previous generations. The 7.0-liter V8 motor matches its production counterpart, as do many of the aerodynamic elements including the splitter, rear spoiler, hood extract vent, rockers and belly pan. Those features provide the closest link between production Camaro and racing version Chevrolet has produced.
“This race presents a unique challenge for our Camaro Z/28.R,” said Lisa Talarico, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. “Lime Rock is a stern test with a short lap and close-quarters racing. Patience and performance are keys. The length of the track also means that avoiding both contact and long pit stops are critical. With just one left-hand turn, the layout can create interesting strategies for setup and tire management. Fortunately, our Chevrolet Camaro teams have executed well at Lime Rock in the past, as evidenced by our strong showings in recent years. Another one would help us accumulate more valuable points in the GS manufacturer’s championship.”
Summit Racing–Determined Anderson Powers to Final Round at Summit Racing Southern Nationals
Determined Anderson Powers to Final Round at Summit Racing Southern Nationals
Mooresville, N.C., May 19, 2014 – The determination of Pro Stock competitor Greg Anderson was on full display this weekend at the 34th Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. After missing the first five races of the season as he recovered from heart surgery, Anderson knows he has quite a few points to make up if he is to earn a position in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. With that in mind, Anderson left nothing to chance during eliminations at Atlanta Dragway.
The weather was unkind to NHRA competitors and particularly to the racing surface at Atlanta Dragway as the event pressed on. Many delays due to rain and dew pushed the event to a Monday finish, but 74-time national event winner Anderson kept cool. A best time of 6.541 at 212.66 put Anderson in the No. 10 qualifying position heading into raceday and set him up for a first-round race with young Vincent Nobile. The unfortunate pairing placed Anderson across from a teammate as Nobile runs his Chevrolet Camaro with power generated in the KB Racing shop.
Regardless of who was in the other lane, though, Anderson was determined to get the win. A .014-second reaction time and a run that tied for second-quickest of the opening act would likely have been enough, but Nobile inadvertently left the starting line .005-second too quick and illuminated the red light, handing Anderson an automatic win.
The second round in Atlanta pitted Anderson against his former boss, veteran drag racer Warren Johnson. Again, the motivated Anderson made the better move at the starting line, and his swift .012-second reaction time set the tone for the victory. Anderson’s 6.561, 211.89 pass was more than enough to oust Johnson and his 6.771, 179.92.
With the final round so close he could almost touch it, Anderson was fired up for the semifinals and cut a .007-second light to Shane Gray to secure a holeshot win, 6.568 at 211.83 to 6.553, 212.79. The ticket to the final was the first for Anderson since the Chicago race in 2013, when he was runner-up.
With rival competitor Jeg Coughlin in the opposite lane for the 17th time in his career, Anderson was at peak mental performance. He left the starting line with his best reaction time of the weekend, a psychic .003-second launch, but it was just a tiny bit short. Coughlin was .010 at the tree and clocked a 6.558, 211.63 to win over Anderson’s 6.588, 212.13.
“I want to apologize to Summit Racing Equipment that we didn’t quite make it happen, but there were a ton of positives today,” admitted Anderson, who participated in the 114th final round of his career this weekend. “I had a good day behind the wheel of my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. I’m disappointed because I wanted that win, needed that win, but I’m happy because my health is fine and I can still drive these things. That’s good news. I know that I can win again; it’s just a matter of time.
“We’re going to go home and work on the dyno tomorrow. We’re close, but we’re not there yet with our Camaros. But now I’ve answered the question. Can I still do this? Yes. I can start my racing career over. It’s a new chapter for me. A new lease on life.”
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap May 14 through May 21
Pittman red hot, wins four-straight features
When you’re hot, you’re hot. Daryn Pittman and the No. 9 Great Clips/Sage Fruit/ASE team have been on a roll the last few World of Outlaws races by capturing four straight wins. Pittman and company will be going for a WoO series record tying fifth consecutive win this Friday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
The hot streak has propelled the Great Clips team from fourth to first in the series points standings.
Brad Sweet and the SureTest Supply/Sage Fruit/ASE team and Cody Darrah and the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet/Sage Fruite/ASE teams both continue to hold their spots in the top 10 in the season point standings.
World of Outlaws–Daryn Pittman wins fourth in a row at the NAPA Outlaws Classic at New Egypt Speedway
Daryn Pittman wins fourth in a row at the NAPA Outlaws Classic at New Egypt Speedway
Pittman battles Kerry Madsen to notch his seventh win for the season
NEW EGYPT, N.J. — May 20, 2014 — A late lap battle through lapped traffic gave Daryn Pittman the opportunity he needed to win the NAPA Outlaws Classic at New Egypt Speedway Tuesday night and capture his fourth World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win in a row.
Pittman, who swept the three previous Outlaws races in his Great Clips car, came into tonight’s NAPA Outlaws Classic as the most immediate winner at New Egypt. The 7/16-mile oval challenged Pittman as he looked for the best line and worked to keep Madsen in his sights.
“Yeah, we had to earn this one,” Pittman said. “That was a lot of fun. I love this race track – it’s been awfully good to me. Heck, I wish they would schedule a lot more races here.”
On the week and the four wins, Pittman said he has been left speechless. He thanked his crew chief and crew members for all the hard work they have done to put him in position to win every race.
“I can’t believe this has happened, this has been an awesome week,” Pittman said. “One that I’ll never forget, that’s for sure.”
Pittman’s four-race winning streak is the longest since Jason Meyers won five in a row during the 2011 Outlaws season.
Pittman’s championship lead has been extended to 19 points over second place Joey Saldana.
Madsen, driving the American Racing Custom Wheels car, led the field to the green flag with Pittman in second, and Ryan Smith and Saldana in row two.
Two yellow flags in the early laps of the race slowed the action on track. On the lap three restart, Pittman looked for an opportunity to take over first place but Madsen held him off and built a strong lead. Just as Madsen began catching lapped traffic on lap 12, 20-time World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars Series champion Steve Kinser had a problem that caused him to spin into a barrier at the entry of the turn three exit gate. Kinser left the car on his own power.
When the green flag again flew, Madsen built another strong lead that would ultimately prove fleeting. As he caught lapped traffic with 10 to go, Pittman caught him.
“I don’t really know what [Madsen] did but he did it on the top and I hit the bottom and got a good run,” Pittman said. “I was kind of afraid the lapped car was going to block my run but I was just able to sneak underneath him and we just kind of drag raced down the backstretch and he left me enough room.”
Pittman took the lead from Madsen.
As Madsen fell to second, David Gravel, who started on the inside of row four, was surging forward. In the final laps, Gravel muscled his Roth Motorsports car around Madsen.
“Late in the race the lapped cars were going just as fast as us,” Gravel said. “I rolled the bottom one time and got side-by-side with Kerry and slid him in one and two and got the pass. Starting seventh and finishing second is awesome.”
Madsen said he was disappointed by the day. He said he lost the race fighting his way through lapped traffic.
“I kind of feel like I gave it away,” Madsen said. “I just didn’t make the right moves in traffic and got caught out of position and that’s how Daryn got by me. Great result for the team. The car was great, it was a good run. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for and sometimes it’s not your night. We’ve got a very fast race car this year so it’s quite fun to drive. Obviously disappointed by not getting it done tonight but it should be a fun rest of the year for us.”
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series races into the Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C. on Friday night, May 24, before heading to Lawrenceburg Speedway the following Monday, May 26.
Dyson Racing– Matt McMurry to Enter Guinness World Records at 24 Hours of Le Mans
History will be set at the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 14-15 when sixteen year-old Matt McMurry becomes the youngest driver ever to participate in motorsports’ most famous endurance race. The culmination of a long-held childhood dream, McMurry will beat the 55 year old record held by Ricardo Rodriguez who was 17 years and four months when he drove an OSCA S750 in 1959 at Le Mans.
On the strength of his strong performances in the opening rounds of the European Le Mans Series, McMurry will be joining Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith in the #41 Greaves Motorsport LM P2 Zytek-Nissan at the French classic. The inaugural Dyson Junior Development Program driver scored fourth-place finishes at both Silverstone in April and this past weekend at Imola, Italy where he ran a clean opening triple stint in the Le Mans bound car.
“I’ve been working toward this specific goal for almost four years now,” McMurry said. “That was over 60 races ago, 20,000 miles of seat time, and 175,000 frequent flyer miles ago. I can’t believe it’s almost here and within reach. I feel well prepared by all the amazing mentors I’ve had every step of the way, and am ready to help Dyson and Greaves succeed in the most important sports car race in the world.”
Matt’s first trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans was when he was eight years old. For a seventh-grade class assignment on long-erm goals, he stated that he wanted to be the youngest driver to race at Le Mans. Soon thereafter, the age of twelve, he became the youngest graduate of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. In the four years since, Matt has carefully honed his craft, advancing from Formula Skip Barber to Formula Mazda Bondurant, to USF2000 to IMSA Lites and now to Le Mans prototypes. It has been a methodical advancement, going all the way back to a PowerWheel he got for his second birthday and his first go-kart drive at the age of four.
“Matt has been nothing short of outstanding in his first two major international races,” noted Chris Dyson. “He has driven like a veteran and has validated our decision to take him on as a Junior Development Program driver. It is very exciting to be taking him to Le Mans, but he is ready for the challenge. It’s wonderful for Dyson Racing to play a role in helping Matt to record such a historic milestone.”
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Set to Roll the Dice in Jackpot 100 on Friday and Saturday at Tyler County Speedway
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Set to Roll the Dice in Jackpot 100 on Friday and Saturday at Tyler County Speedway
Lanigan eyes win at West Virginia bullring for third year in a row
By Chris Tilley
MIDDLEBOURNE, W.Va. – May 20, 2014 – After a couple busy weekends of World of Outlaws Late Model Series racing below the Mason-Dixon line, the Mountaineer State will welcome one of its largest Dirt Late Model events of the season with the running of the Third Annual “Jackpot 100” at Tyler County Speedway on Saturday and Sunday (May 24-25).
The $20,000-to-win Memorial Day Weekend event is the World of Outlaws Late Model Series’ annual visit to the John Watson-promoted track known as the Bullring, and it’s the series’ only season visit to West Virginia.
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., continues to lead the WoO LMS points by 98 markers over Rick Eckert of York, Pa. Lanigan will make a run at winning the Jackpot for the third consecutive season.
“We’ve had different cars most of the time we’ve been there (for the Jackpot 100),” Lanigan said. “You have to get up on the wheel and get it done. It’s a little tricky track, it gets really dirty and you gotta have a good setup.”
Lanigan’s small fleet of Club 29 Race Cars has not only been noticeable with the World of Outlaws, but around the country as well. “I think we’re definitely on top of the game right now, the cars are definitely great, got a good package under it, got a good team, good engine program going, you got to have a good program to put all the pieces together and if you get all the good pieces, it will definitely work.”
In regards to where Lanigan and team are with the building and putting more of his cars on the track, Lanigan says he’s fairly content with their program at this time.
“We’re branching out some, it’s definitely going to be in limited order this year,” Langian said. “We can only get so many cars done being on the road, definitely having Jimmy (Owens) out there helps, and Donald (McIntosh) and Kent Robinson, he’s been running well, we got a bunch of good drivers out there in the cars, they’re definitely helping our program and helping with feedback.”
Lanigan also feels the tire rule the series has in place has been helpful to the cost of their program and economical for everyone, especially as they roll into Tyler County this weekend.
“The tire situation is not that bad, starting on the (Hoosier) 1300’s definitely, I like that rule, it simplifies it a lot, takes some of the cost out of it, where you don’t have to have a bunch of that soft stuff with you. You gotta have good notes from the year before and know where you need to be,” Lanigan said.
Rick Eckert of York, Pa. sits in second spot behind Lanigan in the tour’s championship points and after a handful of top-five finishes in the Rocket Chassis House Car since the “Illini 100” Eckert is closing in on Lanigan for another series championship. Since Eckert’s move to the main Rocket in the stable, he hasn’t finished outside of the top-five except once with a fifth place run in his debut at Farmer City, Ill., fifth at Fayetteville, N.C., a third place finish at Lavonia, Ga., sixth at 201 Speedway and fourth in last Sunday’s event at Duck River Raceway Park in Tennessee.
But Lanigan says he is more worried about winning races right now and is not focused just yet on that elusive World of Outlaws crown at the end of the season.
“Honestly, we never look at the championship until we get towards the end of the year, right now we go out to win every race and it shows, we give it 100 percent no matter what it is and we’re there to win,” stated Lanigan.
Lanigan and Eckert lead the full-fendered crew of Outlaws into “Wild and Wonderful” West Virginia this weekend with Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga. and Morgan Bagley of Tyler, Texas rounding out the top-five in the point standings. Rounding out the top-twelve in the series standings include: Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. sixth, Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky. seventh, Frank Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill. eighth, Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga. ninth, Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Ks. tenth, Rick “Boom” Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa. 11th while Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill. is 12th.
For the Tyler County & upcoming Delaware event, teams will be allowed to race the Hoosier 1300 and up as well as the American Racer 44 and up. These tires must punch 40 or harder with the durometer.
An open practice on Friday Night May 23rd will be held with Live Entertainment to follow as well as a full show for the Renegades of Dirt Modifieds ($1,000 to win) and Stars Mod Lite Tour ($500 to win).
On Saturday Night May 24th the WoO LMS will be in action for Ohlins Shocks Time Trials and Heat Races followed by racing in the Stars Mod Lite Tour ($500 to win), Renegades of Dirt Modifieds (Twin $1,000 to win mains) and Heat Races for the Fastrak Pro Late Models.
On Sunday Night May 25th the Last Chance Showdowns and the 75-lap “Jackpot 100” will run for the WoO LMS while the Hotmod “Doubledown” will pay $700 to win, the Stars Mod Lite Tour pays $500 to win, the Fastrak Pro Late Models will race for $1,000 to win in the “Viva La 30” event and the Renegades of Dirt Modifieds will compete for $5,555 in the Annual “Let it Ride 55” race.
Each day at Tyler County the pit gates will open at 2:00 pm, the general admission gates will swing open at 3:00 pm, hot laps will begin at 6:30 pm while qualifying is set for 7:00 on Friday & Saturday, racing at 7:00 on Sunday.
Summit Racing–Line the fastest driver at Atlanta Dragway’s Summit Southern Nationals
Line the fastest driver at Atlanta Dragway’s Summit Southern Nationals
ATLANTA, Ga., May 19, 2014 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line had hoped for a trophy at the conclusion of the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, but setting the track speed record during qualifying and consistently exerting muscle on raceday as one of the fastest cars on the property is perhaps a bit of a consolation. Just as impressive is the fact that Line is currently sitting in the No. 2 position in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings.
Line’s qualifying efforts were excellent. Despite many weather delays and the potential for distraction, Line recorded a best time of 6.514 and a top speed of 213.00 mph that became the official track record for speed at Atlanta Dragway. He also earned a start from the No. 4 position, his best start since the race in Phoenix when he was the No. 3 qualifier.
Rain and a wet racetrack delayed eliminations until Monday, but Line had no problem waking up for work. In the first round he paired an alert .008-second reaction time with a third-best 6.549 at 211.76 to send Larry Morgan home early. In round two, Line used the third-best pass of the round to put a troubled Rodger Brogdon on the trailer, and that win set Line up for a semifinals match with Jeg Coughlin. The duo left nearly in unison, but Line ultimately missed the win by just a touch. His opponent won with a 6.548, 211.33 to a 6.554, 212.16.
“It was a little bit of a whirlwind this weekend,” admitted crew chief Rob Downing. “Jason’s car ran pretty good, and we tried a few different things with his Summit Racing Camaro that really seemed to work. It was very encouraging.”
Line agreed.
“We made some improvements this weekend,” he said. “We definitely went the right way with my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and even though we didn’t do as well as we wanted to in the semifinals, the team as a whole did a really good job. I wish we could have done better for Summit Racing, and hopefully we’ll make them happy in Topeka next weekend. Maybe we were just getting warmed up.”
Summit Racing–Determined Anderson Powers to Final Round at Summit Racing Southern Nationals
Determined Anderson Powers to Final Round at Summit Racing Southern Nationals
Mooresville, N.C., May 19, 2014 – The determination of Pro Stock competitor Greg Anderson was on full display this weekend at the 34th Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. After missing the first five races of the season as he recovered from heart surgery, Anderson knows he has quite a few points to make up if he is to earn a position in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. With that in mind, Anderson left nothing to chance during eliminations at Atlanta Dragway.
The weather was unkind to NHRA competitors and particularly to the racing surface at Atlanta Dragway as the event pressed on. Many delays due to rain and dew pushed the event to a Monday finish, but 74-time national event winner Anderson kept cool. A best time of 6.541 at 212.66 put Anderson in the No. 10 qualifying position heading into raceday and set him up for a first-round race with young Vincent Nobile. The unfortunate pairing placed Anderson across from a teammate as Nobile runs his Chevrolet Camaro with power generated in the KB Racing shop.
Regardless of who was in the other lane, though, Anderson was determined to get the win. A .014-second reaction time and a run that tied for second-quickest of the opening act would likely have been enough, but Nobile inadvertently left the starting line .005-second too quick and illuminated the red light, handing Anderson an automatic win.
The second round in Atlanta pitted Anderson against his former boss, veteran drag racer Warren Johnson. Again, the motivated Anderson made the better move at the starting line, and his swift .012-second reaction time set the tone for the victory. Anderson’s 6.561, 211.89 pass was more than enough to oust Johnson and his 6.771, 179.92.
With the final round so close he could almost touch it, Anderson was fired up for the semifinals and cut a .007-second light to Shane Gray to secure a holeshot win, 6.568 at 211.83 to 6.553, 212.79. The ticket to the final was the first for Anderson since the Chicago race in 2013, when he was runner-up.
With rival competitor Jeg Coughlin in the opposite lane for the 17th time in his career, Anderson was at peak mental performance. He left the starting line with his best reaction time of the weekend, a psychic .003-second launch, but it was just a tiny bit short. Coughlin was .010 at the tree and clocked a 6.558, 211.63 to win over Anderson’s 6.588, 212.13.
“I want to apologize to Summit Racing Equipment that we didn’t quite make it happen, but there were a ton of positives today,” admitted Anderson, who participated in the 114th final round of his career this weekend. “I had a good day behind the wheel of my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro. I’m disappointed because I wanted that win, needed that win, but I’m happy because my health is fine and I can still drive these things. That’s good news. I know that I can win again; it’s just a matter of time.
“We’re going to go home and work on the dyno tomorrow. We’re close, but we’re not there yet with our Camaros. But now I’ve answered the question. Can I still do this? Yes. I can start my racing career over. It’s a new chapter for me. A new lease on life.”
Mopar Racing–Coughlin Drives Mopar Dodge Dart to Winner’s Circle at Rain Delayed NHRA Southern Nationals
Coughlin Drives Mopar Dodge Dart to Winner’s Circle at Rain Delayed NHRA Southern Nationals
· Coughlin scores a second win for the Dodge Dart and his first of the 2014 season at the NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta
· DSR teammates Hagan and Capps both drive their Mopars to semifinal appearances
· Mopar teammates Beckman and Johnson Jr. both endure dramatic explosions during the rain-delayed weekend
Commerce, Georgia (Monday, May 18) – After winning the 2013 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock Championship, Jeg Coughlin Jr. was back in the winner’s circle for his first win of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing series season aboard the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Dart at the rain delayed 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday.
The victory at Atlanta Dragway was the 57th of Coughlin’s illustrious Pro Stock career and the second for the Dodge Dart, which made its debut earlier this season at Gainesville with a win by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) HEMI®-powered teammate Allen Johnson.
“Congratulations to Jeg Coughlin Jr. on taking Mopar to the winner’s circle in Atlanta for his first win of the year and a second win for the new Dodge Dart.” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “After earning consecutive NHRA Pro Stock world titles in 2012 and 2013, our Mopar championship drivers Allen (Johnson) and Jeg (Coughlin Jr.) have set expectations even higher for this new season. We’re excited for this win as it also helps celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary 426 race HEMI engine while we work to defend our championships this year amid some very tough competition.”
Coughlin earned the win by defeating rival Greg Anderson following stellar 0.010 and 0.002-second reaction times by both competitors. The HEMI engine powered the five-time champion to a 6.558-second elapsed time run (211.63 mph) to edge his opponent’s 6.588-second e.t (212.13 mph) for half a car-length advantage at the finish line.
“Winning the championship was fantastic, and we really felt like we had a ton of momentum coming into 2014,” Coughlin said. “We’ve been hit and miss a little this year with both cars, and both cars were a little sluggish here at the start. Our teams did one heck of a job to rebound this weekend. We made some good calls, and it was great to get our first win of the season.
“This year we’ve been through some pitfalls and we wanted to pull our hair out, but as a team we said we need to be patient, we need to double-check each other, and we need to do as good a job as we can getting this car to go straight and be as efficient as it can, and results like today would have the opportunity to happen.”
The national event was plagued by intermittent weather delays, included an eight hour wait on Sunday, and despite efforts to overcome difficult track conditions caused by the rain, led to the eventual postponement of activities to the following day. The challenges amplified by the ever-changing track conditions became the canvas for some difficult and sometimes dramatic attempts throughout the weekend to make it down the track unscathed by Mopar drivers in both Pro Stock and Funny Car categories.
Coughlin’s drive to the winner’s circle was the one redeeming moment of the extended weekend for Mopar after some atypical qualifying passes by both the Mopar/JEGS.com and “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart entries put them eighth and ninth respectively on the eliminations ladder. That put the teammates in the unfortunate position of not only facing each other in the opening round, but also being the first pair to put the rain battered track to the test.
“We put ourselves in that position by qualifying badly,” said Johnson whose disappointment with his loss and the difficulties both drivers encountered throughout the weekend was tempered upon seeing improvement with Coughlin’s Dodge Dart in the quarterfinals upset of No.1 qualifier Erica Enders-Stevens.
“The conditions leading up to eliminations were just not very compatible with our new motor combination, but the track finally to us and we kept thrashing at it after each run,” Johnson said. “We have a veteran team that just keeps digging no matter what. I kept telling Jeg ‘We’ll get it. We’ll get it.’ and we did and it worked out and we have something to start with next weekend in Topeka.”
The difficult track conditions claimed V. Gaines and his HEMI-powered Dodge Dart as victims with loss of traction in the first round battle against Rodger Brogden.
In Funny Car, the Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger R/T entries of Matt Hagan and Ron Capps had some positives to tout.
Hagan had his best starting position of the year by qualifying his Mopar Express Lane Dodge fourth, earned four valuable bonus points for his efforts, and advanced to the semifinal round where he then fell to Courtney Force.
“I feel like our car is turning the corner and it couldn’t have happened at a better time as we’re going into back to back to back races.” said an optimistic Hagan. “We soaked up some points this weekend and built a lot of confidence along the way so I’m looking forward to Topeka.”
Mopar teammate Capps advanced to his fourth semifinal elimination round of the year and was able to move up a spot to fourth in the Funny Car points standings.
But the DSR team also saw their fair share of adversity this weekend.
Jack Beckman recovered from a final qualifying run that saw an engine explosion destroy the body of his Dodge Charger R/T and seeded him 10th to set him up for a first round loss against Capps.
Tommy Johnson Jr. also had a strong backfire cause minor damage to his Mopar in the first round then, in a quarterfinal match-up with Hagan, he emerged unhurt but shaken by a dramatic explosion that blew the Funny Car body off the chassis and into the air like confetti.
John Force Racing–HIGHT EXTENDS WIN STREAK WITH TITLE IN ATLANTA
HIGHT EXTENDS WIN STREAK WITH TITLE IN ATLANTA
COMMERCE, GA —- After battling the elements and tricky track conditions for three days the Auto Club Funny Car team led by driver Robert Hight and crew chief Mike Neff shook off any Monday depression and won for the fourth time in 2014 and the third time in a row. Hight and the Auto Club team, the No. 3 qualifier at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, have raced to six consecutive finals this season and have a commanding points lead heading to the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka.
Hight was racing his teammate Courtney Force for the first time in a final round and there was history to be made no matter who took the win light. For the youngest Force she was chasing the 100th win by a female NHRA pro competitor. For Hight, who won his 300th round win with a victory over Bob Bode in the first round, it was extending his final round streak and also moving up in the all-time Funny Car win list. He is now only one win behind Cruz Pedregon (34) and two wins behind Don “The Snake” Prudhomme (35) out of 5th and 4th place, respectively.
“It’s kind of funny that Courtney and I have never raced in final, usually the boss (John Force) hogs it and he’s in there with the other one. Actually, the first non-John Force all JFR final was Eric Medlin and myself it had always been John with one of his other teammates. So, it’s pretty cool, you know, it would’ve been big win for Courtney but you know what, we have a lot of momentum, we want to make some history here this is six straight final rounds. I’ve never done this and six out of seven (races), I would’ve never guess this. I’ve won three in a row a few times but I want to win four or even five in a row. I want to see where we can go. We got to take it one round at a time and that’s what we’re doing, it’s a total team effort,” said Hight.
This was the 42nd all-JFR final round and it assured the 230th Funny Car win for John Force Racing. This was the 14th straight race in which the JFR team has had a least one of its Fords in the final round. Courtney Force was the sixth different teammate Hight has opposed in a final round joining John Force, Neff, Eric Medlen, Ashley Force Hood and Phil Burkart Jr.
In Hight’s second round win over fellow Ford driver Tim Wilkerson Hight overcame an uncharacteristic driver error to advance to the semi-finals. Hight was distracted in the cockpit and had a 1.4 second reactions time.
“The car had such a vibration, I was actually afraid to hit the gas and was thinking ‘this thing is going to blow up,’ so, add all that up. So I staged and looked over to see if Tim Wilkerson was staged and all of a sudden, he left. My initial thought was he red-lit and then my brain just froze,” said a shocked Hight. “After that, we got in synch and we were back as a team again.”
“Mike Neff has a calming effect on me, you have a lot of confidence as driver with him out in front of you. Last night, when everything was going on with the starting line and cars weren’t making it down the track and crew chiefs were making rash decisions decide what they were going to do, Mike Neff was Mr. Cool. He stood back and said ‘I think the tracks getting better every round with every pair that runs. We’re not going to do anything until it gets to our turn then, then we’re going to see what we’re faced with,’” said Hight.
“He helps me and I think it’s because he was a driver, he knows what I’m facing, the pressure, and he just takes that pressure away from me. Right now, we’re clicking and like I said down there on top end, ‘That Peak antifreeze can’t cool that Auto Club car down,’” said Hight in the Atlanta Dragway pressroom.
When he was asked about the historic nature of the match-up with his teammate Hight showed why JFR is one of the most competitive and supportive teams in motorsports history.
“She (Courtney Force) has a job to do for Traxxas and I have a job to do for Auto Club. She wouldn’t have wanted to win it any other way. I believe that Traxxas car is starting to come around and Courtney’s going to have a shot at it. We’re on roll here and we go to two more races in row (Topeka and Englishtown) and Brittany’s Castrol EDGE car is starting to come around and to be honest, I’d like for Brittany get her first win and it would be the 100th female NHRA pro victory,” said Hight.
Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang team broke through at Atlanta Dragway reaching the final round for the first time in 2014. It was a solid effort by the 2012 Auto Club Road to the Future winner and moved the third year driver from 10th to 7th place in the Mello Yello point standings. Force is just eleven points out of sixth place.
The three-time tour winner started her day by defeating two different two-time Funny Car champions outrunning Cruz Pedregon in the first round and then beating Pedregon’s younger brother and former JFR driver Tony Pedregon in the second round. The semi-finals set up another JFR vs. DSR slugfest with Force getting the best of 2011 Funny Car champion Matt Hagan running 4.135 seconds to his tire smoking 8.265 second run. Force had a spectacular .033 reaction time to give her team every advantage in this important round.
In the final it was another world champion this time in the left lane and that proved to be the downfall of the Traxxas team. They ran the best run in the toughest lane, a strong 4.117 second pass but it was not enough for Hight. An understandably disappointed Force was candid about missing her shot at winning the 100th NHRA pro national event by a woman driver.
“We’re improving every time we get a run out there and we’re trying to look at the positives. We moved up in the points, which is exactly what we needed but I really wanted to get that win but we didn’t get it,” said Force. “Another positive is the Traxxas team is starting to come around with this car and I think we’ve learned a lot, especially this weekend. It was a long weekend for my guys and I’m very proud for what they did. Hopefully we can move forward and go after a win in Topeka.”
Once again, the 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car Champion will leave Atlanta Dragway empty handed as John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang lost in round one to fellow Ford Racer Tim Wilkerson.
At the hit of the throttle, John Force’s race car smoked the Goodyear slicks due in part to a glitch in the clutch system. John Force tried to pedal his 8000 horsepower race car with hopes of regaining traction and getting the win but it was to no avail. The 2013 NHRA Funny Car champ was looking to end his drought today as the last time he won the NHRA Southern Nationals was back in 2005. John Force has been to Atlanta Dragway winner’s circle seven times in his career.
“I had a malfunction with the clutch. It locked up right at the hit of the throttle and it was over. That’s the way the game is played,” said John Force.
During the weekend, John Force did struggle during qualifying but was able to make one good run which was a solid 4.077 second pass. He raced from the sixth spot today and had lane choice.
“All we can do is put this one behind us and head to Topeka for the next race. Right now we’ve got gremlins and we got to sort them out. Luckily, we have a little bit of a cushion in the NHRA Mello Yello points. But, if we stay like this, it isn’t good so we’ll fix it,” said John Force
The Castrol GTX High Mileage team leaves Atlanta with 524 NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car points and still in second place. With NHRA Kansas Nationals next weekend, John Force and the crew will head to Heartland Park Topeka for another chance of going rounds and possibly getting his 140th career win.
“Now we’re getting in a groove that we have three races in a row. I actually enjoy racing every weekend, we don’t have time to dwell on what went wrong,” said John Force.
Sunday’s
eight-hour rain delay also put a damper on Brittany Force’s hopes of getting her first Top Fuel victory and potentially being the 100TH NHRA Pro female winner. Being the third pair of race cars out on a relatively green track, Brittany’s 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Dragster immediately overpowered Atlanta Dragway’s tricky surface at the hit of the throttle. Her opponent, Pat Dakin, also experienced traction woes and both machines began to smoke their massive Goodyear slicks.
“I was the third pair and the car didn’t leave the starting line when I hit the throttle. It went up into smoke and it wasn’t going to run. I got out of it and I feel like I waited long enough for it to settle down. When you are up there on the starting line it feels like forever. I rolled back into it with the throttle. I have never felt the car not move or hook-up when you get back on the throttle,” said Force, the 2013 Rookie of the Year. “I hit the throttle four or five times inching my way down the track. I was racing Pat Dakin and he was doing the same thing. We were both just trying to get to the finish line but we weren’t budging. We have timers on our Castrol EDGE dragster for safety reasons and the timers got me. They shut the car off and deploy the chutes, which is what happened at about 400 feet. I would rather have that safety equipment in the long run even though it may have cost us that run. I feel safer in my car knowing I have that protection and that extra safety equipment,” said Force.
Brittany began to “pedal” her machine in hopes of catching Dakin, who had a slight lead, and beating him to the finish line. The 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year did everything she could in applying the right amount of throttle pressure to the supercharged BOSS 500 engine. She was on and off the throttle and tried in vain to reel her dragster back in the groove, but the track conditions were not compatible with the brute power of her Castrol EDGE Dragster.
Fortunately for Brittany, her first round loss will not impact her Top Fuel points standing. She’ll leave the NHRA Southern Nationals still in the top ten, with 336 NHRA Mello Yello points and in the eighth spot. She will also have a new personal best elapsed time as her team heads to Topeka.
“That was the most frustrating part about the weekend. We qualified well and we ended up No. 6. We had two awesome runs in a brand new car. We ran 3.78 and 3.777 which was a career best. To do that and then go out in the first round is really disappointing and not what we wanted. My whole team felt confident that we would go rounds. The weekend didn’t turn out like we wanted it to but luckily we will go right into Topeka,” concluded Force.
Congratulations to Our Friends at Eagle Auto Parts, Australia
2007 pontiac GTO 326 ci chev splayed valve engine built by mat vandersluys
Reset national record from 8.48 to 8.39
World of Outlaws–Lanigan Grabs Fourth World of Outlaws Late Model Win of Season in Duck River Raceway Park Caution-Free Dogfight
Lanigan Grabs Fourth World of Outlaws Late Model Win of Season in Duck River Raceway Park Caution-Free Dogfight
Two-time champion battles past McCreadie for 57th series victory of career
By Chris Tilley
WHEEL, Tenn. – May 18, 2014 – Darrell Lanigan grabbed his fourth World of Outlaws Late Model Series win of the season, and his 57th all-time, on Sunday night in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Duck River Raceway Park.
Polesitter Tim McCreadie and Rick Eckert brought the field of 24 to the green flag. McCreadie quickly charged to the high-side and the lead with Eckert in tow.
With McCreadie taking the early lead, third-starting Lanigan challenged Eckert for second by the fifth lap, grabbing the spot on lap 10 and setting his sights on McCreadie.
By the 14th lap, Eckert was on Lanigan’s back bumper working through lapped traffic, but he could not get around him.
Midway through the 50-lapper, Lanigan challenged McCreadie for the lead as the two duked it out for a next few circuits and closed again on more lapped cars.
After 10 laps of battling for the top spot, Lanigan finally made his move for the lead coming off of turn two and held onto the spot for the remaining laps.
Lanigan crossed the line ahead of McCreadie, Mike Marlar, Eckert and Ray Cook. Completing the top-10 included Chub Frank, Morgan Bagley, Eric Wells, Bub McCool and Tanner English.
“We got an awesome race car right now,” said Lanigan, of Union, Ky. “I can’t thank my crew enough. Tonight we had a good race track and we could race all the way round it.”
Lanigan’s car has been really good lately, picking up his fourth Outlaw win of the year, sixth overall.
“This car has been awesome since we unloaded in Florida and it’s just gonna get better,” Lanigan told the huge crowd.
McCreadie captured his second-straight podium finish at Duck River.
“I said last Friday, he (Lanigan) was tough,” said McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y. “He got me in traffic, and I thought when he got hung behind Shane (Clanton) there was my chance. I tried. I just couldn’t stick enough on entry to get off the corner.”
Shane Clanton turned the fastest overall lap of Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, circling the blistering-fast oval in 12.668 seconds during Group ‘A’ of the split qualifying session.
Heat winners were Mike Marlar, Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith and Tim McCreadie. Riley Hickman and Steve Casebolt captured the B-Mains.
The WoO LMS will be back in action on Saturday/Sunday May 24 & 25 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., for the annual Jackpot 100 paying $20,000-to-win.
Richard Childress Racing–Get to Know Newton 250
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Get to Know Netwon 250 presented by Sherwin Williams
Iowa Speedway
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Race Highlights:
Brian Scott qualified seventh and was the top Richard Childress Racing starter for the Get to Known Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams at Iowa Speedway. Brendan Gaughan qualified 10th, Ty Dillon 13th and Cale Conley started 21st.
Brian Scott earned a sixth-place finish, with Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan and Cale Conley finishing eight, 12th and 30th , respectively, after an early-race accident.
Ty Dillon currently leads the RCR teams in the Nationwide Series driver point standings in fourth, Brian Scott is sixth and Brendan Gaughan seventh.
Next up for the Nationwide Series is the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Catch all the action live on Saturday, May 24 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC.
Brian Scott Collects a Sixth-Place Finish at Iowa Speedway
Brian Scott and the No. 2 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro qualified seventh for Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Get to Know Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams. Scott was happy with his green machine during the 250-lap event only battling minor tight conditions. A stop on pit road during the lap 141 caution gained the Smokey Mountain team four spots moving them from seventh to third. Scott battled for the front running positions, but found better speed on long green-flag runs. When the checkered flag flew at Iowa Speedway, Scott was scored sixth. He earned his second top-10 finish at the 7/8-mile track and remains sixth in the driver point standings.
Start – 7th Finish – 6th Laps Led – 0 Pts – 6th
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“My Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff team did awesome all weekend. Our Camaro was good and our guys on pit road were good. I just couldn’t get it done on short runs. We were definitely a long-run car today. I was hoping it would’ve gone green to the end, but we might have been short on fuel. I’m really happy with how things went today.”
Ty Dillon Finishes Eighth in the Get to Know Newton presented by Sherwin Williams 250 at Iowa Speedway
Ty Dillon drove the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro to an eighth-place finish on Sunday afternoon recording his seventh top-10 finish of the season. Dillon qualified 13th and quickly drove his Camaro inside the top-10. By lap 49, he was running in seventh place after gaining two positions on a four-tire and fuel pit stop. Several times Dillon and crew chief Danny Stockman called for adjustments on the radio to improve the Camaro’s handling because Dillon reported both tight-handling and loose- handling conditions. By the race’s final restart on lap 228, Stockman felt his team had made the right adjustments, and he was right. Dillon drove past four cars and earned an eighth-place finish as he crossed the finish line. The 22-year-old, Welcome, N.C.-native was the second Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to cross the finish line and moved up one position in the driver point standings to fourth place.
Start – 13th Finish -8th Laps Led – 0 Points -4th
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“The car was getting faster and faster towards the end of the race and I felt if we had a few more laps, we could have raced this No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet inside the top-five. We worked hard with what we had and I definitely learned a lot about the track and our car. I’m looking forward to getting to Charlotte this week and building on our progress”
Cale Conley Earns a 30th-Place Finish after a Tough Day at Iowa Speedway
Cale Conley earned a 30th-place finish after cutting down a right-front tire in the early laps of Sunday’s Get to Know Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams at Iowa Speedway. The 22-year-old West Virginia-native took the green-flag from the 21st position and immediately reported to crew chief Nick Harrison his IAVA Chevrolet was extremely loose. On lap 39, Conley cut a right front tire down, thus causing him to bring his Camaro to the attention of his crew. The No. 33 team went to work fixing damage on pit road suffered by the incident. The IAVA driver returned to the track several laps down,to solider on and salvage the best finish he could. When the checkered lag flew, Conley was scored with a 30th-place finish.
Start- 21st Finish – 30th Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A
CALE CONLEY QUOTE:
“Today definitely wasn’t our day. We started the race too loose and fought from there. We cut a tire down and had to fix damage under the hood causing us to get back out on track several laps down. I wanted to give a good showing for IAVA and our veterans. I’m proud to work with Nick Harrison and this No. 33 team. We’ll regroup at the shop and get em’ at Dover.”
Brendan Gaughan Finishes 12th in Get to Know Newton 250 at Iowa Speedway
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing team started from the 10th position in the Get to Know Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams at Iowa Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The South Point Hotel & Casino team battled a free-handling race car throughout the 250-lap event. During the first caution, the team was penalized for pitting before the pits opened resulting in Gaughan restarting at the end of the longest line. The Las Vegas-native restarted 22nd and began working his way back through the field. By lap 112, he had advanced to the 12th position where he would finish the race. The No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team is seventh in driver point standings heading into the Charlotte race weekend.
Start – 10th Finish – 12th Laps Led – 0 Points -7th
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“I feel terrible about the pit road penalty at the beginning of the race. We did our best to stay focused and make up as much ground as we could. The No. 62 team was phenomenal all day, the pit stops were great. We are all ready to go racing at Charlotte next weekend.”
Chevy Racing–CHEVROLET WINS THIRD CONSECUTIVE POLE FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
CHEVROLET WINS THIRD CONSECUTIVE POLE FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
Chevy’s Ed Carpenter Wins Back-To-Back Verizon P1 Pole Awards for Greatest Spectacle in Racing
INDIANAPOLIS (May 18, 2014) – Chevy power returned to the top of the pylon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third consecutive season as Ed Carpenter, No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet earned the Verizon P1 award, and the pole for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500. Carpenter became only the 11th driver in Verizon IndyCar Series history to win back-to-back poles for the Indy 500, and only the 10th driver to have two poles to his credit at Indianapolis.
“Ed Carpenter drove four incredible laps under intense pressure to clinch his second consecutive pole for the Indianapolis 500, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The hometown favorite joined an elite group of drivers who have clinched two poles for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. We’re proud to have Ed and his No. 20 crew as part of Team Chevy.”
With a four lap of average of 231.067 seconds Carpenter was steady under tension as the final competitor in the Fast Nine Shootout. He was the only driver to break the 231 mph barrier on his four lap average. The Indiana native set the fastest four-lap average since fellow Chevrolet driver Helio Castroneves earned the pole for the Indy 500 in 2003 with a four lap average of 231.725. An average speed of 229.382 mph makes this is the fastest field in Indy 500 history.
The Chevrolet powered driver made the most of the new qualifying format earning a maximum possible 42 championship points by being the fastest car on day one of qualifying and backing that up by earning the pole.
“What an effort and result for Ed Carpenter and the whole Ed Carpenter Racing organization, said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, Verizon IndyCar Series. “Back-to-back poles at the Indianapolis 500 is surely an elite group. Ed certainly knows how to wheel his Chevy powered Dallara around the Brickyard, and his team’s efforts to prepare a car to consistently run at that level are noteworthy. All of us at Chevrolet are proud of this accomplishment by Ed and the whole Ed Carpenter Racing crew. Now we shift our focus to winning the Indy 500 next Sunday.”
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, will join his Gold Bowtie teammate Carpenter on the front row for the 98th running of the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ rolling off third. Power was one of only six drivers to surpass 230 mph on his 10 mile qualifying effort. Power’s Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner, will pilot his No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Chevrolet from the fourth starting position inside of the second row when the green-flag waves next Sunday.
Pole sitter Ed Carpenter’s teammate JR Hildebrand, No. 21 Preferred Freezer Chevrolet, making his first start of the season will line-up ninth in his fourth attempt at victory in the Indy 500.
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet will make his first Indy 500 start in 14 years from the 10th starting spot. Defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will join Montoya in the fourth row starting 11th in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
Last year’s Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan, now driving for Chip Ganassi will try to make it back-to-back trips to Victory Lane in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Sebastian Bourdais, No. 11 HYDROXYCUT MYSTIC E-CIGS KVSH Racing Chevrolet rounds out the top-20 Chevrolet starters earning the 17th starting spot.
Fifteen Chevrolet V6 powered cars will take the green-flag on Sunday May 25th for the 200-lap/500-mile race. The remainder of Team Chevy’s starters are as follows: Townsend Bell, No. 6 Robert Graham KV Racing Technology Chevrolet – 25th, Charlie Kimball, No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – 26th, James Davidson, No. 33 KVRT/Always Evolving Racing Chevrolet, Ryan Bricoe, No. 8 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – 30th, Sage Karam, No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley Gilbert Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdon Racing Chevrolet – 31st, Sebastian Saavedra, No. 17 AFS KVAFS Racing Chevrolet – 32nd and Buddy Lazier, No. 91 Wynn Institute for Vision Research Chevrolet – 33rd.
A five-hour practice session is scheduled for Monday afternoon from 12 to 5 p.m.
The 2014 Indianapolis 500 will be the 98th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It has been held every year since the first race in 1911 except the war years of 1917-1918 and 1942-1945. The race will take place Sunday May 25, 2014, and will be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).
Chevy Racing–IndyCar–Indianapolis 500 Day 2 Qualifying
CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6
VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
DRIVERS IN 10TH – 33RD STARTING POSITIONS
DAY TWO QUALIFYING
NOTES AND QUOTES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUALIFIED FOR STARTING POSITIONS 10TH THROUGH 33RD FOR THE 98TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500:
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 10TH: “It was good the Verizon car was really really quick. Team Penske did an amazing job. Yesterday we missed it a little bit. We missed the car a little bit where we needed to be. The team did an amazing job today. Still we have a pretty quick car hopefully my guys can learn something for the Fast Nine my teammates Helio (Castroneves) and Will (Power) but I think that will put us in a good spot to start the race.”
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 11TH: “It was a big improvement from where we were yesterday and I’m happy with our result today. We still have another practice session tomorrow under the new format next week so we’re going to keep working hard to keep the Target cars going in the right direction. The car was really smooth to drive and I think we could have been faster if I hadn’t had to deal with a bit of a crosswind on my run. Overall a better day than yesterday.”
TONY KANAAN, NO. 10 TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 16TH:: “The whole Target Chip Ganassi Racing team did a great job today. They stayed late last night and put the time in to pick us up some more speed today. It was a total team effort today. Again, like I always say, it’s not where you start here at Indianapolis. I started from 12th last year and was a contender and won here, so anything is possible.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 11 HYDROXYCUT/MISTIC E-CIGS – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 17TH: “I am very happy for the Hydroxycut/Mistic E-Cigs crew. We were desperately trying to get a read on a change we made yesterday, but we didn’t get out, so the guys kept working and did a great job overnight. We made progress. I honestly didn’t think we had that much speed in the car, but I stayed on top of it. I’ll take it. Now it is back to race mode and we have already done a lot of work on that. So we will just go from there.“
TOWNSEND BELL, NO. 6 ROBERT GRAHAM – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 25TH: “We had good balance on the run in the Robert Graham – KV Racing Technology car. I’m just not quite sure why we aren’t putting up the numbers we expected. It was nice to see (teammate Sebastien) Bourdais pick up a lot of speed, so maybe we can learn something there. We will keep rubbing on the car. Race trim wise I am happy with the car, so we are excited to get to race day.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL,, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 26TH: “We’re a little disappointed in the speed we saw today with the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet, but I still have full confidence in my race-day car that my team has given me. I’m really proud of the crew for working hard to find me more speed for today and I think we got some good data that we can use to our advantage for next year’s qualifications. I’m still very confident in what we can do at the Indianapolis 500 with full tanks. Last year I started towards the back of the pack here and spotted the field 100 miles and I still ended up with a top-10 finish. Anything can happen and I’m excited for next Sunday.”
JAMES DAVISON, NO. 33 KV RACING TECHNOLOGY/ALWAYS EVOLVING RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 28TH: “It was fast, but not quite fast enough. We ran our first 229 (mph lap) by ourselves, so that was good. I’m aware that it’s all about the race, so from now on we focus on that and get the car to handle well in traffic. The conditions were perfect today, this is the best the weather has been in quite a few days. Considering how little track time we’ve had, we have to be pleased with the qualifying result. I’m just excited to be here, sporting the Always Evolving colors and looking forward to a good race.”
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 30TH: “I was really hoping for more speed today out of the No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet, but it just didn’t happen. I think we got a little greedy with the downforce and I was sliding all over the place out there. It is what it is and I’m optimistic for Sunday. I’ve felt all week of practice that I have a great race car, so we’ll just get to work switching the car back to race-day setup tonight and get out there and do some work tomorrow during practice.”
SAGE KARAM, NO. 22 COMFORT REVOLUTION/BRANTLEY GILBERT DREYER & REINBOLD KINGDOM RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 31ST: “We went slower than we did yesterday and everyone else was going faster, so it was definitely a frustrating run. We didn’t go out this morning for the warm up, and I think that might have contributed to it. I didn’t have the time to feel the track out, and I think we missed on the set up a bit. But the team has diagnosed the problem and corrected it, so we’re ready to go for tomorrow’s practice. I think we had a better race car than we do a qualifying car anyway, so I’m really looking forward to the race next Sunday. You can win this race from any position really, and that’s the beauty of the event. Everyone is so close on speed, so you know it’s going to be a really good race, and hopefully we can get the No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley Gilbert Chevrolet right in the thick of things. ”
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA, NO. 17 AFS KV-AFS RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 32ND: “I am disappointed for sure. We did some changes last night which apparently showed on the data we could gain a mile per hour but instead we lost a couple, which hurt us a lot in our qualifying effort. It’s a little more painful because the KV AFS guys have done such a fantastic job, given their lives to this car this last week and to not be able to show all their hard work, is heart breaking. This is just the beginning and we need to focus on the race, which is what matters. I have full faith that we have a great race car…..it doesn’t matter where you start, its where you finish and keeping a cool head and doing the right things will mean we will be upfront and that’s what we need to focus on.”
BUDDY LAZIER, NO. 91 WYNN INSTITUTE FOR VISION RESEARCH CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 33RD: “We’ve had a really short weekend and that’s what has hurt us. We got way behind, but the crew has done a great job considering the limitations, and we’re just working hard. We’re trying to short-cut everything to catch up. These are the best teams in open wheel racing, for oval track racing, by far. You can’t just say let’s skip this practice and just go straight to being quick. There is a lot of learning left to do and we’re learning as quickly as we can. Every time in the car, we’re quicker than the time before. So far, so good.”
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Champ Pittman Makes Clean Sweep of Williams Grove Speedway
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Champ Pittman Makes Clean Sweep of Williams Grove Speedway
Earns fifth win of ’14, captures Morgan Cup for ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt’
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — May 17, 2014 — Daryn Pittman swept the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car weekend at Williams Grove Speedway after another commanding performance Saturday night.
Pittman held off Don Kreitz Jr. and Lucas Wolfe in the 30-lap A-main to bring his Great Clips car to victory lane for the second time in as many days and claim the Morgan Cup for the Outlaws.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Pittman, a native of Owasso, Okla. “I’m just speechless. This is a big weekend for this team. These guys, this is something they’ve dreamed about for a long time and I’m just a lucky guy to get to drive this thing.”
Pittman ran most of the night on the bottom of the racetrack, holding off challenges from Kreitz and Wolfe on the high side. He credited his crew chief Kale Kahne and the strong competition behind him for the decision to make it work in that line.
“[After the heat race] I ran the top in two and thought I’m really good up there,” Pittman said. “Kale kind of questioned it like I don’t know you want to give up the bottom. And I ran in the Dash and he told me I wasn’t gaining, I was probably losing ground if anything up there. I pretty much made up my mind I was going to run on the bottom and make them go around me on the outside until somebody showed me something different.”
On Friday, much like his win on Saturday, Pittman dominated the 25-lap A-main from the pole position, leading every lap and holding off fierce competition at the same time. It was the first Williams Grove win for his No. 9 team and crew chief Kale Kahne.
“This is just an incredible weekend to win two of these in a row and go back to back,” Pittman said. “I know I’ve never done that so I’m just really happy. I just couldn’t be happier with where I am with my life and the team I’m driving for and what we’ve got going on.”
Pittman’s win Saturday also secured the Morgan Cup for the Outlaws for another year. The Morgan Cup, named in honor of the late Morgan Hughes, former track owner of Williams Grove Speedway, is awarded to the Outlaws or Pennsylvania Posse for a win during the designated event. The Outlaws have won the Cup every year since its inception.
Pittman, starting from the pole position on Saturday night, was joined on the front row by Kreitz in his Sharman Builders/Schannauer Heating & Plumbing car. The two led the field to the green followed by Donny Schatz and Wolfe in row two.
Early on, Pittman jumped out to a strong lead as the three cars behind battled for position. Wolfe got around Schatz in the opening laps.
Kreitz, in second, ran on the bottom as Wolfe looked for a good line on the high side of the track. He finally found it on lap five, taking the second position just out of turn two.
Wolfe then began reeling in Pittman. With Pittman stuck to the bottom of the track though, Wolfe struggled to find a way around. By lap 15 Kreitz began to catch Wolfe. A lap later Kreitz took the second place spot back.
Lapped traffic ultimately helped seal the deal for Pittman in the closing laps. As Kreitz and Wolfe battled with each other and around other cars, Pittman was able to get the room he needed to take the checkered flag and win the Morgan Cup.
“We’ve got to congratulate Daryn,” said second place finishing Kreitz. “Those guys just kicked our butt tonight. We did the best we could – sorry I let the Posse fans down but second is a good run for us and it’s all we had.”
Kreitz said he looks forward to meeting the Outlaws again when they return to Williams Grove for the Summer Nationals in July.
Wolfe, a Mechanicsburg, Pa., native who piloted his Zemco Equipment car to a third place finish, said he is proud of the work his team did to make up ground between Friday and Saturday and put him in position to win against Pittman and Kreitz. Ultimately, he said, he just was not able to make the top work to take advantage of the looks he had against Pittman.
“Early in the race I was kind of able to run through the middle about a lane up on Donny there and I was able to carry enough speed to make the wing work a little bit,” Wolfe said. “Once that went away I really struggled to get off four. I was able to make up a lot of ground in one and two, but I just struggled a lot when the lap cars came in. That’s how the racing is – you have to be on your toes every lap… It’s always good to end the night on the front stretch here at Williams Grove and we’ll just keep working on it.”
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returns to the track on Sunday at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y. followed by the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Classic at New Egypt Speedway in New Egypt, N.J. on Tuesday. The Outlaws wrap up the week at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. for the Circle K/NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown on Friday
Mopar Racing–Mixed Results for Mopar in Qualifying for NHRA Southern Nationals
Mixed Results for Mopar in Qualifying for NHRA Southern Nationals
· Hagan leads the DSR Mopars with fourth place spot in Funny Car qualifying for the NHRA Southern Nationals
· Beckman has a dramatic and explosive final qualifying lap to put him tenth on the Funny Car eliminations ladder
· Mopar teammates Johnson and Coughlin will face-off in the first round of Pro Stock eliminations after qualifying in the middle of the pack
Commerce, Georgia (Saturday, May 17) – The elimination ladders are set for the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Southern Nationals near Atlanta, Georgia, and for nearly every Mopar entry, qualifying presented a bigger challenge than expected and produced either a somewhat positive or rather unusual result. Intermittent rain delays on both qualifying days pushed the sessions later into the evening than normal and into cooler and slightly better racing conditions under the lights at Atlanta Dragway.
The second day of qualifying started off on a positive note for the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopars with Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.051 seconds), Matt Hagan (4.103 seconds) and Jack Beckman (4.168 seconds) posting the top three quickest times in the first Funny Car session of the day.
Hagan went on to lead the charge for the DSR team and got a much needed confidence boost with two solid runs, bonus points and a fourth place spot on the eliminations ladder for his efforts. The driver of the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T used his final run to post his best pass of the weekend with an elapsed time of 4.049 seconds (318 mph).
I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” said Hagan of his crew who helped him collect four bonus points for posting the second quickest run in both Saturday sessions. “It was a good day for our team. There’s no way around it that we’ve been struggling all year long so putting two good runs together was a huge confidence booster for our guys and for Dickie (Venables) and for me.”
Hagan, who finished runner-up in the 2013 NHRA Championship, has encountered some difficultly making it out of the first round of eliminations in four of six events after initially starting the season with a final round appearance.
“We’re still trying to stay humble because we’re not out of the woods yet and there’s a lot of racing ahead of us and a lot of runs to make,” added Hagan, who will face Jeff Arend as his first round opponent. “I think the biggest thing that we can do is grow from this and just keep on the right track. It was a huge day for us and we’d like to turn it into four win lights tomorrow.”
Johnson Jr.’s top elapsed time run in the third session put him directly behind Hagan on the elimination ladder in fifth spot and up against Bob Tasca in the first round.
Fellow DSR Teammate Ron Capps saw his best qualifying effort of 4.095 seconds (309.20 mph) put him seventh overall to set up an all-Mopar first round match-up with Beckman, who found himself seeded 10th after an explosive last lap.
Beckman saw his final session come to an unexpected halt while posting his best elapsed time pass (4.150 sec. / 215.77 mph) of the weekend. An apparent mechanical failure left him with an open air view of his surroundings at the end of his run, and provided the uncharacteristic use of just one word to describe his experience.
“Scary,” said Beckman who emerged uninjured and retained his sense of humor by bowing to the crowd for his performance. “The fire in your face is something that you would have to be there to understand. It starts getting warm quick and you’re thinking ‘I hope this goes out early and I hope I’m still heading straight down my lane’. You go swimming with sharks and bad things can happen once in a while and the Great White just bit us.”
In Pro Stock qualifying, the Mopars of Allen Johnson and Jeg Coughlin Jr. had much less dramatic runs. In fact, lackluster would be a better word to describe them according to both drivers.
“Everything’s here, it’s in one piece, and we’ve got something to work with for tomorrow but it’s been a bizarre four runs for both of us, “ said defending NHRA Pro Stock champion, Jeg Coughlin, who usually prefers to focus on the positives as they prepare for race day.
However, after what can be categorized as a difficult weekend thus far for both Dodge Dart entries, Coughlin acknowledges that qualifying eighth with a 6.537 second (211.79 mph) and seeing Johnson ninth 6.540 seconds (211.26 mph) to face off in the first round is not what either was expecting from their weekend at the Southern Nationals.
“We’ve got cars that are typically in the top-five anywhere we go, but boy we tripped over our own laces several times this weekend. It’s just been odd. We’ll go into game day guns blazing and there’s no question that I have all faith in the world that our teams will get our cars running the way they should. It’s unfortunate that we have to square-off against one another but if you look at the positive side of that, one of us is going to move on to the next round and hopefully we’ll have it figured out and not look back.”
His teammate, Johnson, found it a little more difficult to hide his frustration with the result of his qualifying runs in the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart.
“We are five-hundredths of a second off the fastest car here when at the last event in Houston we were the fastest or right with the fastest car,” said Johnson. “We haven’t changed anything drastic and here we are in the middle of the pack and we’re not exactly sure why. We’ve got a bug that we can’t get rid of and it’s affecting both cars. We’re a bit lost right now but we have a veteran crew that working hard at it and will put their heads together to get our Dodge Dart cars working like we know they should. .”
The third Dodge Dart qualified for elimination rounds is that of V. Gaines who sits 12th with an e.t of 6.547 sec. (212.56 mph) and will face Rodger Brogden as his first opponent on Sunday.
Pole positions in each category were awarded to Pro Stock driver Erica Enders-Stevens who qualified with a track record 6.493 second e.t at 212.69 mph, and Funny Car competitor Alexis DeJoria who also set a track record low e.t. of 4.012-seconds (313.95 mph).