Wood Brothers

Wood Brothers Racing–Talladega’s Annual Opener Has Been Good For The Wood Brothers


Talladega Superspeedway, site of this weekend’s Aaron’s 499 has long been one of the favorite Sprint Cup stops for the Wood Brothers and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew.

That’s especially true for the track’s first race of the year – the Winston 500 in the early years and the Aaron’s 499 today.

From the day Donnie Allison got the first of the Woods five Talladega wins in the 1971 Winston 500 to Trevor Bayne’s eighth-place finish in the 499 last May, the Wood Brothers team seems to regularly find their way to the front of the giant Talladega pack in the track’s first race each year.

David Pearson, who took the Woods to Victory Lane all over America, could work his magic at Talladega too.

From 1972-1974, he swept the spring races at Talladega. His win 40 years ago especially stands out for the events that took place that afternoon. Just a week after Pearson drove a Wood Brothers Mercury designed for superspeedway competition to a surprise home-track victory for the Woods at Martinsville Speedway, he qualified the No. 21 Mercury on the outside pole at Talladega. Buddy Baker, who later would drive for the Woods, was the top qualifier.

Behind the lead duo were 58 other drivers, comprising the largest starting field ever for a modern-day Sprint Cup race. (Other Talladega races in that era had 50 drivers in the starting field.)

Baker took the lead on the initial start, and Pearson, the sly Silver Fox, was content to ride in second-place in the early going.

On Lap 10, Ramo Stott’s Mercury blew an engine, triggering a major crash on the backstretch.

Eddie Wood, one of the co-owners of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion, was working in the pit area that day back in 1973.

“We didn’t have radios, and there was no TV, so you really didn’t know what was happening on the backstretch,” he said. “As the cars went down the backstretch, it got quiet.”

Wood and his fellow crewmembers could only look toward Turn Four and hope their No. 21 Mercury eventually would appear.

“I remember seeing Pearson come into sight, him and the 09 car,” Wood said. “They came back around, and then some of the others wrecked the second time around, there was such a mess on the backstretch.” All told, 21 drivers were involved in the crash with 19 cars too damaged
to continue.

Pearson pitted during the caution period brought about by the crash, turning the lead over to the No. 09 Ford driven by Charles Barrett of Cleveland, Ga. Barrett led from Lap 24-36. It was the first time that his car owner, the late George Elliott, ever saw one of his cars lead a Cup race.

Barrett’s career was cut short by a highway crash, and two years later Elliott, one of the most loyal supporters ever of the Blue Oval brand, put his youngest son behind the wheel.

Bill Elliott went on to deliver 40 Cup victories for Ford along with the 1988 championship, and in addition, he wound up driving the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion from 2007-2010.

Barrett’s lead was short-lived, as he ran over debris from the crash and cut a tire. His ensuing pit stop gave the lead to J.D. McDuffie. But the independents and journeyman drivers who avoided the crash and shared time in the spotlight soon found themselves chasing Pearson.

The Silver Fox dominated the remainder of the race, leading 111 of 188 laps and was a lap ahead of runner-up Donnie Allison at the finish. For Eddie Wood, the memories from decades ago are made more special by the fact that 40 years later his team’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion is still considered a legitimate contender for the win at Talladega.

In its most recent run at Talladega last fall, Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, took the No. 21 Fusion to the lead for five laps, made up a lost lap and was running fourth with four laps to go before his fuel-pressure gauge began fluctuating, sending him to pit road and an eventual 21st-place finish.

This time around, crew chief Donnie Wingo and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew have prepared a new 2013 Ford Fusion, and Wood said it has all the signs of being another front-runner.

“It blew some good numbers in the wind tunnel, and we tested it two weeks ago at Daytona,” Wood said. “We’re really happy with it.”

Chevrolet Racing

2014 Corvette Stingray to Pace 97th Indianapolis 500

2014 Corvette Stingray to Pace 97th Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS – The all-new, seventh-generation 2014 Corvette Stingray will serve as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, leading the field to green at the start of the 97th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” on Sunday, May 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It marks a record 12th time the Corvette has served as the Pace Car, starting in 1978.
“It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new Corvette Stingray at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500,” said Jim Campbell, GM vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious assignment even more fitting.”
Along with Chevrolet’s return in 2012 as an engine supplier, the Corvette Stingray Pace Car extends a legacy at the Brickyard that dates to the racetrack’s early days.
“Chevrolet is a great partner of the Speedway,” said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. “That connection is heightened this year with the next-generation Corvette in front of a very talented field of racers.”
Decked out in Laguna Blue Tintcoat with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on the doors, the   Corvette Stingray Pace Car differs from production models with only track-mandated safety features and strobe lights. No powertrain upgrades are required to run in front of the IndyCar pack, thanks to its all-new 6.2L LT1 engine, which features advanced technologies including direct fuel injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). They help produce an estimated 450 horsepower more efficiently.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible model – featuring a fully electronic top that can be operated remotely with the key fob – coming a few months later. Vehicle highlights include:
·         An interior that offers genuine carbon fiber and aluminum trim, hand-wrapped leather materials, dual eight-inch configurable driver/infotainment screens, and two new seat choices – each featuring a lightweight magnesium frame for exceptional support
·         Advanced driver technologies, including a five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors 12 vehicle attributes to fit the driver’s environment and a new seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching that anticipates gear selections and matches engine speed for perfect shifts every time
·         Lightweight materials, including a carbon fiber hood and removable carbon fiber roof panel on coupes; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminum frame help shift weight rearward for an optimal 50/50 weight balance that supports a world-class power-to-weight ratio
·         A sculpted exterior featuring advanced high-intensity discharge and light-emitting diode lighting and racing-proven aerodynamics that balance low drag for efficiency and performance elements for improved stability and track capability
·         Track-oriented Z51 Performance Package, including an electronic limited-slip differential; dry-sump oiling system; integral brake, differential and transmission cooling; as well as a unique aero package that further improves high-speed stability.
The Corvette Pace Car features the track-capable Z51 package.
Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500
Chevrolet has a long shared history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Chevrolet was founded in 1911, the year of the inaugural 500-mile race, and the Chevrolet brothers – company co-founder Louis, Arthur and Gaston – all competed in early Indy 500 races. Arthur Chevrolet competed in the 1911 race and Gaston Chevrolet won it in 1920.
Chevrolet competed in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, and returned in 2012 with the Chevrolet IndyCar twin-turbo V-6 engine with direct injection. In that time, Chevrolet won 118 IndyCar races, powered seven driver series champions and scored seven Indianapolis 500 victories.
2013 marks the 24th time a Chevrolet has served as the official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500, more than any other brand, dating to 1948 with a Chevrolet Fleetmaster. Camaro has served in the role seven times and, with this year’s running, Corvette has led the way a record 12 times.

Mopar Racing

Mopar Racing–NHRA SouthernNationals Preview

NHRA SouthernNationals Preview:
Mopar Salutes Don Schumacher, Looks to Defend Atlanta Title
 
·         Mopar ready for the third event in three weeks, 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta
·         Mopar salutes Don Schumacher for his induction to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
·         Mopar is second in NHRA points standings in both Pro Stock and Funny Car categories
·         Capps is defending Funny Car title holder at Atlanta Dragway

 

Auburn Hills, Mich. (Thursday, May 2) –  For the last of three consecutive national events in as many weeks, Mopar heads to Atlanta Dragway this weekend to compete in the 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, the seventh of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series

 

Prior to this weekend’s on track activities, Mopar executives will attend the induction ceremonies at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame gala on Thursday evening in support of Don Schumacher who is being recognized for his many contributions to the NHRA and motorsports.  

 

Schumacher’s legacy began with the first of many trips to the winner’s circle behind the wheel of a Plymouth Barracuda Funny Car at the 1970 U.S. Nationals, and his loyalty and relationship with Mopar continues to present day. In addition to being part of the 11 NHRA World Championships and the milestone of more than 200 event title wins, Mopar is honored to be associated with Schumacher’s passion, principles and high standard of excellence, both on and off the track.

But while Schumacher’s accomplishments and contributions are a big part of why he was selected for induction into the prestigious International Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013, Mopar feels it is his qualities as a person that make his recognition so commendable.

“On behalf of everyone at Mopar, I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Don Schumacher who is very deserving of this special induction honor,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Not only has Don, as both a team owner and driver, been a long-time loyal supporter and friend to the Mopar brand, but he represents everything that our brand strives for. There is no doubting his passion, work ethic, commitment and determination have made him a tremendous asset to world of drag racing but it is the combination of his trademark sportsmanship style and his personification of class that differentiates him as a true gentleman in the world of motorsports.”

 

Schumacher joins NHRA legends including Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, and Don Prudhomme as members of the Hall of Fame who have also have long relationships with Mopar. Schumacher will be inducted into the class of 2103 along with NASCAR legends Dale Inman, Rick Hendrick, and Rusty Wallace.

 

Heading to Atlanta’s Dragway, Mopar is hoping to get back on a winning track after its streak of 13 title victories in 11 events, dating back to the Nationals in Charlotte in September 2012, came to an end last weekend in Houston. After earning six title wins in the first five events of the 2013 season, the SpringNationals marked the first time this year a Mopar did not make the final elimination round in either Funny Car or Pro Stock.

Despite the difficult weekend, Pro Stock driver Johnson has two wins this year in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger and remains second in the NHRA Mello Yello series points standing after six events. Mopar teammate Coughlin is right behind him in a third place with two runner-up finishes and a No.1 qualifier honors but hoping to cap off a good season start by putting the Jegs.com Mopar in the winner’s circle as soon as possible.

 

Matt Hagan, who is second in the Funny Car championship points standings after his own strong start and a win under his belt in the “Magneti Marelli offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T, is ready to hit the track after a first round loss to his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps last week. Capps, for his part, is the defending Funny Car title winner at Atlanta, where he won the first of five event titles last year, and is currently fourth in the standings.

 

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–Anderson Looks to Continue Success in Atlanta

Anderson Looks to Continue Success in Atlanta
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 1, 2013 – Many drivers in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series have a preferred racetrack, a place where they just seem to understand the conditions a little bit better than the competition. For Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson, that racetrack is Atlanta Dragway, and when the series returns this weekend for the 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Anderson plans to be in top form as he defends the title he earned there in 2012 at one of his sponsor’s title races.
 
“There is no question about it, you do have confidence coming to a racetrack where you’ve had so much success before,” said Anderson. “Confidence is a big part of any sport, and a very big part of drag racing. This Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro team has been fortunate to have that at several different tracks, but personally, I’ve had a lot of experience at Atlanta Dragway. It was a hometrack for me for a long time, and I’d like to think that the experience I gained during that time has helped KB Racing through the years.”
 
In the youth of Anderson’s career – a career that has included 74 national event wins and four world championship titles – the Minnesota native was based in the Atlanta area as he studied under legendary Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson. Anderson was a crew member and crew chief for Johnson for 12 years before setting down the path of becoming one of the most notable Pro Stock racers in the history of the category.

Anderson’s success in Atlanta began in 2001, when he recorded the first low-qualifier award of his career there en route to the final round. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver has earned a start from the No. 1 position on six occasions at Atlanta Dragway and has four wins in eight final rounds. For the last two seasons, Anderson has squared off in the final round with Summit Racing teammate Jason Line, who won the event in 2011 but was on the other side of the coin last year. Anderson also scored over Line in the Atlanta final in 2005.
 
“This is certainly a favorite race for Team Summit,” said Anderson. “When Summit Racing’s name is on the billboard, there is a little bit of extra pressure and even more incentive to excel, and we like it when there is more on the line; we seem to be able to give a little bit extra and get the job done. We’ve put both Summit Racing cars in the final for two years in a row so we’d like to do that again – this is a big event for Team Summit. Atlanta can be hot and humid or cool and damp, but we’ve been able to succeed in both, and we have a lot of raceday data to go on, so there is a comfort level there. This is definitely a race that we look forward to every year, and this year is no exception.”
 

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–Line Aiming for Second Win of Season in Atlanta

Line Aiming for Second Win of Season in Atlanta
 
Mooresville, N.C., May 1, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock Driver Jason Line scored his first victory of 2013 in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series last weekend in Houston, and the Mooresville, N.C.-based competitor plans to continue the momentum as the tour heads to Atlanta Dragway for the 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. For Line and the Summit Racing team, the timing of the once-yearly stop in the Peach State is perfect as it has historically been one of their most favorable facilities.
 
In addition to Team Summit’s achievements at the venerable facility, they also show up each year with a sense of pride to represent long-time sponsor Summit Racing Equipment. This year, Line will arrive with his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro still hot from winning in Houston last week. It was the first victory of the season for the now 30-time Pro Stock winner, and he is eager to slide back in the driver’s seat in the hunt for more hardware.
 
“It felt good to get the first win of the year last week for the Summit Racing team, and our guys have been working hard in the KB Racing shop these past couple of days between races,” said Line. “We are continually making progress, and this weekend it would be great to get to celebrate another win – this time with all of the people from Summit Racing joining us in the winner’s circle. They’re so good to us, and the best way to thank them is by doing well at their race.
 
“Historically, KB Racing has done pretty well at the beginning and the end of the season, but this year surprised us because we started off a little slow. But I do feel good about where we are right now. We’ve figured out a few things, particularly on Greg’s Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, that had us a little perplexed before. I’m looking forward to getting to Atlanta and seeing what we can do.”
 
Between Line and his Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson, they have five wins in Atlanta and three times at this race they have accomplished an important mission, particularly as it is their title-sponsor’s event, by setting the stage for an all-Summit Racing final round. Anderson won their first toe-to-to match in 2005, Line scored in 2011, and just last season Anderson got the better of his favorite final round opponent to take home the trophy.
 
The Team Summit cars have consistently shown that there is more to their collective Atlanta accomplishments than luck – Anderson currently holds the track record for e.t. (6.557) and has six times been the No. 1 qualifier, while Line returns this year with a low qualifier award earned last season fresh on his mind.
 
“I’m not sure what it is, exactly, about Atlanta Dragway, but we do well there, and I like it,” said Line. “It’s pretty cool to get to go there after last weekend and have a chance of winning two in a row. You can go from champ to chump real quick out here, but until that first round of qualifying this weekend, I’m the last guy to win one of these things. Time will tell if we’re in a position to do it again, but I’m optimistic that the Summit Racing team will be prepared for whatever comes our way.”

Casey Currie

Casey Currie Takes Over LOORS Pro Lite Points Lead

Casey Currie Takes Over LOORS Pro Lite Points Lead Following Back-to-Back Runner-Up Finishes in Las Vegas

CORONA, Calif. (May 1, 2013) – This past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Casey Currie and the Monster Energy/General Tire team built on the solid foundation it established at the opening rounds of the 2013 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) season last month. Currie was the most consistent driver on the track all weekend long in Las Vegas, posting back-to-back runner-up finishes in the third and fourth rounds of the championship to take over the Pro Lite points lead.

On Friday afternoon, Currie spent the day dialing his Monster Energy/General Tire truck over the course of two sessions. Currie positioned himself with the seventh and sixth-fastest times within each session. The following morning in qualifying, Currie put his truck in 6th place on the grid for Round 3 on Saturday afternoon.
 
As the green flag waved on the first Pro Lite Main of the weekend, Currie quickly made moves towards the front, picking up two positions on the opening lap. He continued his forward progress throughout the remainder of the first half of the 12-lap race and sat in sixth at the time of the full-course caution at the halfway ma
rk. When racing resumed, Currie was on the charge yet again, grabbing two more spots and beginning a hotly contested battle for fourth. On the final lap, Currie refused to let up and grabbed two more spots before taking the checkered flag in second.
 
“We struggled all day Friday and it was because of a decision I made at the shop,” Currie commented. “My team worked really hard Saturday morning and fixed the issue. Starting in the back made it tough to get to the front, but with the truck working awesome we took our time and made it all the way to second.”

As Round 4 got underway with qualifying on Sunday morning, Currie’s momentum from his runner-up effort led to his quickest lap of the weekend, which lined him up in seventh on the grid.
 
At the drop of the green flag, Currie asserted himself just outside the top five and patiently waited for his opportunity to strike. On Lap 2 he made his move and jumped into fourth, where he would stay through the break at the halfway point. Currie battled hard over the final half of competition, jumping into second with one lap remaining to claim another runner-up performance.
 
“The track was hammered for our race on Sunday,” said Currie. “To finish this round shows how durable the truck is. On another note, I’m excited to see all three trucks that were built in my shop finish 1-2-3. Also, with two solid days of racing we took over the points lead.”

 
Currie was rewarded for being the driver to score the most points on the weekend by taking over the championship lead heading into the third weekend of competition next month. He currently holds a 3-point lead in the standings after posting 3-4-2-2 results through the first four rounds of action.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Chevrolet Takes Points Lead to the Challenging Course on the Streets of São Paulo

Chevrolet Takes Points Lead to the Challenging Course on the Streets of São Paulo
Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle Set for Sunday, May 5
 
DETROIT (May 1, 2013) – With three races on the 19-event 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule in the record books, Chevrolet holds the lead in the Series’ Manufacturers’ Standings, and Team Chevy driver Helio Castroneves holds the lead in the overall driver point standings heading into this weekend’s 75-lap, 190.2-mile race on the Streets of São Paulo (Brazil).
After a perfectly choreographed journey of over 5,000 miles, the Chevrolet teams and drivers will face the 11-turn, 2.536-mile temporary street circuit that presents a set of circumstances virtually unlike any other. The engineers from Chevrolet and its technical partners have been working tirelessly with team engineers in preparation for a successful trip to South America.
“The Streets of São Paulo circuit is a conglomerate of challenges all wrapped into one venue on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “A number of unique circumstances coexist there that dare our Chevrolet engineers, team engineers and technical partners to reach optimum performance from the Chevrolet twin turbocharged V6 powered cars. The altitude, 2,368 feet above sea level, is higher than any other circuit visited by the IndyCar Series.  This, along with weather patterns that can change unexpectedly, can bring engine cooling, aero setup and calibration to the top of the focus list.  In addition, the circuit offers the longest straightaway (0.93 mile) followed by one of the slowest corners on the schedule which gives the brakes a workout and provides opportunities for passing.  Combine all that with the road surface variability of a street circuit and you have a situation that rewards the team and driver that adapts quickest and best.  With the enthusiasm the Brazilian fans have for the sport, the São Paulo Indy 300 is always brimming with intensity and excitement.”
Chevrolet drivers James Hinchcliffe, and defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay took Chevrolet V6 power to Victory Lane respectively in the first two races of the 2013 season to give the Bowtie Brand the lead in the IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ point standings.
Brazilian born Castroneves, whose consistency so far this season has landed him on the podium in two of the three races run to-date, and took him to the top of the standings, has been a fan favorite since the Series’ first race on the São Paulo circuit in 2010.  In the 2012 Chevrolet IndyCar V6 debut in his native city, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner rebounded from a qualifying effort that landed him deep in the field to finish in fourth position.
Will Power heads to Streets of São Paulo undefeated in IndyCar competition on the circuit. He is the only winner in the three-year history of the event, winning in both 2011 and 2012 from the pole.
Tony Kanaan, another fan favorite from the Chevrolet stable, will make his fourth start in IndyCar competition in his native Brazil. He calls Salvador, Brazil his home.
The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on Sunday, May 5 on the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. The race will be televised live at 11 a.m. (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211 and

Hairston Motorsports

Clint “The Milkman” Hairston in the Semi-Finals at Commerce…and then the Rains!

Clint “The Milkman” Hairston in the Semi-Finals at Commerce…and then the Rains!

 

Commerce, GA (April 2013) – HMR arrived at Atlanta Dragway for the Nitto NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals looking for a quick start to their 2013 season.

 

Qualifying proved difficult for the team although the track and weather conditions were ideal on Friday and Saturday.  With little testing time in the off season, the team’s new converter and transmission package gave us some unexpected trouble during Friday’s test session and Q1 on Saturday.  Jake decided to put the clutch and 4 speed Lenco back in for Q2 but ran out of time missing the session.  Q3 looked promising on the launch with a 1.01 sixty foot short time but too much power early caused excessive spin.  Clint wisely shut off coasting through the lights putting us in the number nine qualifying spot.

 

Clint was able to get by Josh Green in round one giving us a bye in the second round.  As predicted the rains came in the afternoon washing out the race.  The final cars left in Pro Street will race at Joliet in July to determine the winner.  We’ll have Chris Rini in semifinals with the winner moving on to the final against Billy Glidden.

     

Hairston Motorsports & Racing would like to give special thanks to Lucas Oil for being our title sponsor this year and Elite Motorsports for helping us with transportation to the races and our many other loyal sponsors; Pertronix Performance Brands, Duttweiler Performance, Precision Turbo, XS Power, Powermaster, Racepak, Hoosier Tire, K&N, Crower Clutches, Lenco, Comp Cams, Dart, T&D Machine, Scat crankshafts, Hogan Manifolds, Accufab,  Jesel, Strange, Motive Gear, Inland Empire Driveline, SCE Gaskets, Starside Design, Specialty Fasteners, Russell, Brodix, Embee Performance Coatings and ARP for their continuing support and our great crew including Doug Stewart, Tom Esbri, Tracy Holmes, Dustin Lee and Bill Hickok.

Mopar Racing

Tough Track Conditions Yields Disappointment for Mopar at NHRA SpringNationals

Tough Track Conditions Yields Disappointment for Mopar at NHRA SpringNationals

·         Challenging racetrack conditions bring Mopar’s 13 title and 11 event win streak to an end at the NHRA SpringNationals
·         No.1 qualifier Coughlin takes his Mopar to Pro Stock semifinals
·         Don Schumacher Racing driver Capps is top Mopar Funny Car with semifinal appearance
·         ‘Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar’ Funny Car of Hagan remains second in the points standings
·         Johnson’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger stays in second place in Pro Stock standings
 
Houston, Texas (Sunday, April 28) –  Tricky conditions at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston proved to be a bit more of a challenge for the Mopar contingency than was expected for the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries. The semifinals were as far as Pro Stock’s No. 1 qualifier Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Funny Car driver Ron Capps got for Mopar, bringing a streak of 13 wins in 11 events, dating back to September 2012, to an end.

 

The rain that fell and washed out most of qualifying on Saturday continued through the night and proceeded to wash away much of the rubber that had been laid on the racetrack. That made track conditions for eliminations an unknown entity with lack of traction becoming a concern for all sending teams scrambling to make adjustments to their car set-ups in order to compensate.

 

Coughlin was looking fast and strong as the top Pro Stock qualifier with consistent runs through the first two rounds but saw his JEGS.com Mopar get squirrely at the 200 feet mark in a semifinal loss to eventual title winner Jason Line.

 

“Two more win lights would have made this weekend extra special but anytime you can get multiple round wins on race day, it’s pretty hard to be upset,” Coughlin said. “The JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger is running great and earning that No. 1 qualifier was a nice feather in our caps. It proves just how much horsepower Roy (Johnson, engine builder) is making. We’re still very pleased with how we’re running and I don’t expect any letdown next weekend in Atlanta.”

 

After having a motor expire during a burnout in Saturday qualifying, Allen Johnson had his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger back it top shape for his first round elimination matchup, running his quickest pass of the event with a 6.566-second (211.99 mph) elapsed time run. Things didn’t go quite as well in the second round when Johnson was out of the gate first, but ended up turning the car off after strong tire shake brought his efforts to a end.

 

“I didn’t back it down far enough and the track got hot and we didn’t adjust enough to it,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t get it back in gear after it shook or it would have been a good drag race because it looked like he (Shane Gray) did the same thing on the other side, but he just got his back in gear and I didn’t. Overall it was a decent weekend for the Mopar contingent. We’re normally a bit better than this on big-power hot-weather tracks but we lost a run there yesterday with a broken motor and that got us behind and in a bad qualifying spot. We just didn’t overcome it this weekend but we’ll be ready to make another run at a title in Atlanta next weekend.”

 

Two-time defending winner at the SpringNationals, Vincent Nobile faced his own premature exit after a second elimination round loss. Fellow HEMI-powered Dodge, V. Gaines also fell out of the running early with tire shake in the first round.

 

Despite the difficult weekend, Johnson remains second in the NHRA Mello Yello series points standing with two wins in the first six events. Mopar teammate Coughlin is right behind him in a third place tie with Erica Enders-Stevens while Nobile drops out of the top-5 into sixth spot, dislodged by the SpringNationals title winner Jason Line. Gaines also falls one position into eighth place.

 

Track conditions were just as difficult in Funny Car eliminations as only two machines were able to make clean passes on the Royal Purple Raceway without hazing the tires or having to pedal. One of those runs was made by Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps in his first round Mopar match-up against teammate Matt Hagan in the ‘Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar’ machine.

 

Capps took his Dodge Charger R/T to the semifinals as the last Mopar standing against Tim Wilkerson, the only other driver with a complete run without traction issues in prior rounds. Capps had a good start for the lead before his run also went up in tire smoke. The good news is that the semifinal appearance moved Capps up into fourth spot in the points standings while Hagan remains in second place.

 

Mopar teammates Jack Beckman and Johnny Gray both had traction issues that led to second round losses and are now seventh and fifth respectively in the standings.

 

The Mopar teams and drivers will now regroup and prepare for the next event on the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule; the 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals from May 3-5 near Atlanta, Georgia.

John Force Racing

John Force Racing–POINTS BATTLE TIGHTENS AT O’REIILY SPRING NATIONALS

POINTS BATTLE TIGHTENS AT O’REIILY SPRING NATIONALS

 

HOUSTON, TX —- At the conclusion of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals the Mello Yello Funny Car point standings tightened up as Matt Hagan class points leader lost in the first round and only two of the top eight drivers advanced beyond round two. Unfortunately for John Force Racing team leader and 15-time Funny Car champion John Force came the closest to racing live on ESPN2 in the semis.

 

Force, the 2002 Funny Car winner at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals, took out Blake Alexander in the first round before dropping a close race to veteran Tim Wilkerson. In the battle of the Ford Mustangs Force left on Wilkerson and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was charging down the track when it hazed the tires. Wilkerson who tunes and drives the Levi Ray & Shoup Mustang made one of the quickest runs of the session to defeat Force. At the top end it was Wilkerson 4.198 to Force’s 5.719.

 

“Every time you can win a round that is something, as tough as these Funny Cars are in this class. I am never going to take round wins lightly or for granted. This is part of the lesson. Our whole team and operation is focusing on getting better. The biggest things with some of the moves we have made is we don’t expect this to be perfect for a while. This is a long season and going back to back actually helps us. Every run we can make we can get better. I know my guys are working hard and we’ll get this Castrol GTX Mustang going rounds,” said Force.

 

The AAA Texas Mustang of Robert Hight made a strong showing in qualifying, grabbing the No.3 position, but unfortunately with only two rounds of qualifying due to weather it did not give the team much info. Strong thunder storms blew through the area on Saturday and conditions were dramatically different for all the teams as they took the track this morning.

 

“This track was completely new for us today compared to what we qualified on. It was tough for everybody. We were right on the edge of going right down the track. Jimmy Prock had this AAA Texas Mustang ready to go rounds today. The only good thing is we will be back on the track in a couple of days in Atlanta,” said Hight, the 2009 Funny Car champion.

 

“I am going to the Mello Yello Champions banquet on Wednesday night in Atlanta and I am going to get motivated. You don’t need much as tough as this class is. The points leaders in Top Fuel and Funny Car lost in the first round today. There is a lot of movement in the points and everyone is looking to go rounds. There are no easy rounds and we are going to be ready next weekend.”

 

The leader in the points for John Force Racing sophomore sensation Courtney Force lost to Alexis DeJoria in the first round. It was a rematch of last season’s first round and this time the driver of the Tequila Patron Toyota outran a tire smoking Traxxas Mustang piloted by Force.

 

The second year driver held onto her Mello Yello top five position despite her early exit. She is only a handful of rounds out of second place in the point standings.

 

Force qualified in the top half of the field on Friday in the No. 5 spot and was 2-0 against DeJoria in previous match-ups. This time the green and black car took the win.

 

“All in all, I think we did an okay job this weekend. We made two consistent qualifying runs on Friday. This race makes the second event in a row that we were shorted two shots to qualify. Those are really important to figure out the track and get your set-up right,” said Force.

 

“We won the Winternationals in Pomona at the start of the year and now we’ve had two back-to-back races without getting past the first round on race day. It just goes to show you, you can’t get ahead of yourself. You have to just take it race by race,” said Force.

 

“I know all the crew chiefs had their hands full today. I also know that our Traxxas Ford Mustang is one of the best cars out here. Ron Douglas and Dan Hood and my Traxxas guys make up a top notch team, so we’ll get things figured out. I just really want to get to Atlanta next week and see what we can do there. None of us are hanging our heads. It was a tough day, but we have a whole season ahead of us,” said Force.

 

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster piloted by Brittany Force missed the tough field for the first time in 2013. The entire contingent of JFR race cars will be in Atlanta for the Summit Racing Southern Nationals next weekend.

 

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Richmond–Kevin Harvick

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
APRIL 27, 2013

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BELL HELICOPTER CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
WALK US THROUGH THOSE FINAL LAPS AND THE PASSES YOU MADE TO GO FROM SEVENTH TO FIRST:
“That was a heck of a first lap of the restart. I thought that the outside line might have the advantage because it had a couple of guys with new tires in the second row, and lined up on the outside. But the two tires – these cars drive a lot off the left rear – and we only took two tires, and they didn’t get that great of restart but my car launched, and I was able to drive it in the first corner and hope for the best down there. I figured four, eight, 12…how many ever tires that were on the outside of me would be better than none. It all worked out, and here we are.”
 
WHEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT, YOU WERE CATCHING JUAN PABLO MONTOYA FOR THE LEAD, WHAT DID YOU THINK AND WHAT WAS YOUR DISCUSSION WITH GIL MARTIN?
“Just about how few laps there was left. But, when the tires fall off almost two seconds, you’ve got to come in and get tires. There’s not very many guys that stayed out. It all worked out tonight. We’ve been on the other side of it this year, so to be in Victory Lane is great.”
 
WHEN YOU CAME OUT SEVENTH, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE SAID IF YOU WERE TOLD THEN YOU WERE GOING TO WIN?
“I knew we had a chance because we were the second car on four tires. You never know what two tires is going to do on a high tire-wear track like this. So, it all just opened up.”
 
ON THE WIN:
“Well, I just want to thank everybody. It’s been a tough start to the season. Our cars have been really fast. I’ve got to thank Bell Helicopter, Budweiser, Jimmy John’s, and Chevrolet and everybody who participates in this car. Richard Childress, you know, a lot of people have thought we might lay down this year and there ain’t no lame in that game, is there? It was a great night.”
 
THE PHRASE ‘LAME DUCK’ HAS BEEN USED BEFORE, BUT THERE WAS CERTAINLY NOTHING LAYING DOWN TONIGHT. YOU HAD TO MAKE A DECISION THERE WHEN THAT CAUTION CAME OUT, WHETHER TO STAY OUT OR COME IN FOR TIRES. I GUESS YOU GUYS MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE
“It all worked out. Sprint Cup racing is something that you’ve got to take chances and they guys that stayed out took chances and we had to take chances. But we’ve gotten beat a couple times this year and I thought it was the right thing to do and (crew chief) Gil (Martin) made the right call and it worked out.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 DEPEND CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED FOURTH
YOUR THOUGHTS AS YOU SAW THAT LATE CAUTION COME OUT WHILE YOU WERE LEADING:
“Pissed off.  Everybody on the Depend Chevy this week did an amazing job. We had a great car. Same as last week, we had a great car. The pit crew redeemed themselves tonight. They did a great job all day, no mistakes. That is what we needed. We needed to come out of here and do with everybody smart, as he did. It is the luck of the draw. We restarted on the outside, and we were screwed.”
 
GREAT MOMENTUM FOR NEXT WEEK:
“I felt like last week we had a top-five car as well, but not quite a car to win. I think this weekend…we came here and tested, and the guys did an amazing job, and we had a good car all weekend.”
 
I GUESS ALL YOU CAN DO IS LAUGH. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS YOUR RACE TO WIN
“Yeah, we made the right calls when we pitted and when we stayed out and everything, but we got that caution at the end and it was a no-brainer to take tires. And I think what hurt us is we restarted on the outside and when you restart on the outside and people got really bad tires, everything packs up. And when you’re on the outside, you can’t; you know, where are you going to jump? When you are on the inside, you can just jump to the guys. And when (Kevin) Harvick went by I tried to get to the bottom and then the No. 22 (Joey Logano) was there and I said we’ve just got to get a finish. Remember, before this we had six really bad weeks. I thought everybody on the Depend Chevy did a really good job and I’m just really proud of the guys.”
 
WHEN THE CAUTION FLAG CAME OUT, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
“I said, ‘Really? Really?’ (laughs).”
 
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 AIRGAS/BULWARK CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED FIFTH
ON HIS RACE:
“We were seventh there; thought I had the No. 22 (Joey Logano) beat before the caution came out. The caution came out and what the heck, we might as well try something. Luke (Lambert) made a good call there, and obviously new tires a lot better. But, worth a shot. We were going to maybe finish sixth without the caution so to pick up a spot from it was worth a shot.”
 
HOW MUCH DID THE RACE TRACK CHANGE TONIGHT?
“I thought it changed a lot. I thought Kevin (Harvick) and I both got better at the end of the race. I thought some other cars got worse as the race went on. But Kevin got good at the end of the race. He was his best at the end; we were our best at the end. I think all of that was the track changing and kind of going to our setups a little bit.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING/SEALY CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED NINTH
TALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE FINAL MOMENTS OF THIS RACE:
“It was an awesome run just to be in the top-five all night. Just nice and steady, waiting for the race to come to us. We didn’t make many adjustments on the Furniture Row car. We were hoping to be on the right sequence at the end. Some guys had older tires. Some guys had newer tires. We were in the mixed. A green-white-checkered at the end, it is just chaos. Cars are everywhere. People are beating and banging and shoving each other out of the way. It’s pretty wild.”
 
WHAT WAS SAID BETWEEN YOU AND TONY STEWART:
“Why don’t you be a good reporter and talk about the racing. Tony and I talked it over; it’s a free-for-all at the end.”
 
WHAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN YOU AND TONY STEWART?
“We’ll get to that in a minute. For us, this was a solid run with our Furniture Row car. We were there. We were top 5 all night. Some guys cycled ahead of us. Some guys we were able to get back by on long runs. So all in all, it was a great night for us to be in the top 5, have restarts up front, and lead some laps. And then, you could just tell. Green-white-checkered; everybody is going to put on tires. Some guys are going to do two. Some guys stayed out. And it’s just a free for all. There is rubber build-up in the outside groove. There are cars sliding up with old tires. So, I don’t know what the No. 14 (Tony Stewart) was upset about. I got hit from behind. I got hit every which-way. So did he. (Matt) Kenseth moved us up out of the way at the end, so that’s why I was upset with him, but hey; everybody is a free-for-all. We got a top 10. But the biggest thing here is ten laps ago, this car didn’t have a scratch on it and now it’s destroyed.”
 
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS RACE TODAY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE-AWAY AS YOU CONTINUE TO BUILD WITH THIS ENTIRE OPERATION?
“Just being able to work together through sequences of the race. And today, we didn’t quite have the best handling car, but we worked with it in the top 5 and we hoped that the race would come to us. Today, it just didn’t pan out. But today was a great day to be in the top 5; we posted a top 10. And we’ve got to go for wins. That’s where we’re going to be able to make the Chase and be in the top 20 in points.”
 

Summit Racing

Line and Anderson Ready for Raceday after Qualifying Wash-Out

Line and Anderson Ready for Raceday after Qualifying Wash-Out
 
Event:  26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals
Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Houston, Texas
Day/Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013
 
Qualifying for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston was a rain-plagued affair that was halted early and set the fields with two full sessions completed and a partial third session run before the storms settled in to halt the action.
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was the lone car out of the KB Racing stable to journey down the quarter-mile on the second day of the event; teammate Jason Line was among the four cars turned away when the weather put a damper on the day.
 
Both of the Summit Racing Camaros enjoyed a good start to the weekend, each making a clean and smooth pair of passes on Friday, and Team Summit entered day two of the event with the confidence that they had something to build on before final eliminations on Sunday.
 
Mother Nature had something to say about it, however. Anderson clocked a 6.609 at 211.46 mph in the third session but Line was turned away empty-handed with no runs recorded on Saturday. Anderson’s best time of 6.579 was good for the No. 6 position, and Line’s 6.572, 212.03 equated to a start from the No. 4 spot.
 
“We needed those runs to prepare for Sunday, It hurt us to lose them, but there were four other cars that didn’t get to make a run today. We’re not alone; it is what it is, and now we’ll make the best of it,” said Line, who will square off with Matt Hartford in the first round of eliminations. Anderson will take on Vincent Nobile in the opening act, and the Summit Racing drivers are on the opposite side of the eliminations ladder.
 
“We’ve certainly identified some of the things that have been an issue lately, and we’re getting closer to solving them,” Line continued. “We just need more runs. This is a big science project, and unfortunately, some of it is trial and error. We’re going to keep swinging at it, and tomorrow will be a great opportunity for us to continue making improvements and get our Summit Racing Camaros going rounds.”
 

Mopar Racing

Mopar’s Coughlin No.1 in Rain Shortened Qualifying at NHRA SpringNationals

Mopar’s Coughlin No.1 in Rain Shortened Qualifying at NHRA SpringNationals

·         Rain cuts qualifying short at the NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries
·         Coughlin keeps No.1 qualifier position after rain shortened Pro Stock session
·         Johnson lucks out and loses motor before rain cancels qualifying
·         Beckman is top Mopar Funny Car qualifier in fourth spot
·         Hagan and the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar Dodge will have a first round match up against Mopar teammate Capps
·         NHRA SpringNationals eliminations will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN2 on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET)
 
Houston, Texas (Saturday, April 27) –  Mopar’s Jeg Coughlin Jr. earned his first No.1 qualifier position since 2010 after qualifying was cut short by intermittent rain delays at the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries. Coughlin remained on top of the scoring sheets based on his efforts in Friday’s second session with an elapsed time run of 6.569 seconds (211.20 mph) and without getting a chance to make another pass at the Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.

 

“To get our first pole in a couple of years is fantastic, and we’d like to perform well tomorrow,” said Coughlin who has four title wins at the Houston SpringNationals. “It speaks volumes to where our team has come this year. We owe a lot of credit to Allen and Roy Johnson. We put a two-car team together, literally with one team (crew), and we communicate extremely well.  Between him (Allen) and I and the addition of Vincent (Nobile) we’ve become a great threat thus far.”

 

While Coughlin never got a chance to improve his time, there had been enough of a break in the weather to allow a handful of Pro Stock runs, including the HEMI-powered Dodges of V. Gaines (6.590 sec/ 210.87mph) and Vincent Nobile (6.606 sec/ 210.01 mph). Both made slight improvements on their passes and will start eighth and 11th respectively.

 

Allen Johnson was set to make his third qualifying pass in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger when, following his burnout, he lost power and team headed back to the pits to replace the motor. Rain began to fall just moments later and washed out the rest of the day’s schedule.

 

“It was a stroke of luck really because had rain come just a few minutes earlier we would never have known we had a problem then would’ve probably lost the motor in our first round of eliminations, so we’re kind of happy with how it all worked out,” said Johnson who ended up seventh in qualifying and will face off against Rodger Brogden in a first round match-up. “We thought maybe something was up at the end of our second run yesterday but we looked everything over didn’t find anything. I’m happy things happened the way they did and now we know the Mopar Express Lane machine is all good for going rounds on Sunday.”

 

With the cancellation of the rest of qualifying, the Funny Car field was set for Sunday’s elimination rounds based on Friday results.

 

Jack Beckman was Mopar’s highest qualifier after two sessions after clocking a 4.117-second pass for a fourth place position behind No.1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. Beckman first round opponent will be Tony Pedregon.

 

Matt Hagan, who qualified sixth in the Rocky Boots/Magneti Marelli Dodge Charger R/T qualified sixth and will face his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps, who ended up 11th, for an all-Mopar first round showdown. Fellow Mopar driver Johnny Gray will start from the bottom half of the eliminations ladder with his 14th place qualifying spot and will see Robert Hight as his first round match-up.

 

Summit Racing

Anderson in the Top Half and Improving at Royal Purple Raceway

Anderson in the Top Half and Improving at Royal Purple Raceway
 
Event:  26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals
Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Houston, Texas
Day/Date: Friday, April 26, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson made two respectable runs on the first day of qualifying at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston to situate himself in the top half of the field and lay down a firm foundation to build upon.
 
In the first session, Anderson claimed a coveted bonus point with a third-quickest 6.594 at 211.13 mph. In the later evening session, the KB Racing driver wheeled the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro to a 6.579 at 211.16 mph that would garner the provisional No. 6 position heading into day two of the event.
 
His quickest run was several positions further down in the qualifying order than Anderson would typically prefer, but his 6.579 was just a hundredth off of the No. 1 spot as the entire field worked to find the right combination for the warm, thick air.
 
“This is the first time that we’ve run in the heat and humidity all season,” said Anderson. “There has been really, really good air and it’s been dry where we’ve been so far with low vapor pressure and low humidity. This was the first real dose of humidity, and today was decent for us. Everyone in the class was real bunched together, and nobody is really stepping apart from the field like we’ve seen the last few races. Seems like the heat and humidity has been a bit of an equalizer.
 
“We all have some learning to do, and we have to tune on our engines a little bit to make them run better in these conditions. But we have two decent runs down the racetrack without any major problems, and we have something to tune on. We got better on the second run from the first, so we just need to continue in that direction. We’ll tune on the Summit Racing Chevy Camaro and see if we can make her run better tomorrow. The two runs we made today – both with my car and with my teammate Jason Line’s Summit Racing Camaro – they weren’t that far off. We have something to work with.”

Summit Racing

Line Pleased by Solid First Day in Houston

Line Pleased by Solid First Day in Houston 
 
Event:  26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals
Location: Royal Purple Raceway, Houston, Texas
Day/Date: Friday, April 26, 2013
 
The first day of qualifying at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries concluded with Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line positioned in the No. 4 spot after a pair of solid passes down the quarter-mile racetrack at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.

In the first session, Line clocked a 6.599 to take over the No. 5 position in the line-up. His speed of 211.79 mph was the fastest of the factory hot rods in the opening act. The second session saw an improved 6.572, 212.03 mph, and the driver of the blue Summit Racing Chevy Camaro bumped up a spot to fourth.
 
For Line, the two smooth runs, both free from tire shake, were an encouraging improvement over recent performances that have hindered the experienced team.
 
“We’re making baby steps, but we made it down two in a row and that’s good,” said Line. “We have something to work with for tomorrow. Making it down the racetrack hasn’t been something we’ve done very well so far this year, but we’re taking a little bit of a different approach this weekend. We’ll see how that works out for us.
 
“There is definitely room for improvement, but we want to approach this in a way so that we have a good racecar on Sunday, so we’ll try to creep up on it and not go over the edge. This is a good starting point for the Summit Team.”

Mopar Racing

Coughlin Leads Mopar in Qualifying at NHRA SpringNationals in Houston

Coughlin Leads Mopar in Qualifying at NHRA SpringNationals in Houston

·         Mopar competing this weekend at the NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries
·         Top Mopar on Friday ‘HEMI® Day’ is Coughlin as provisional No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock
·         Defending winner in Pro Stock category is HEMI-powered Vincent Nobile
·         Hagan coming off title win in Charlotte with “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge and leads Funny Car points standing
·         NHRA SpringNationals qualifying and eliminations will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN2
 
Houston, Texas (Friday, April 26) – Mopar spent the day, widely known to enthusiasts as ‘HEMI® Day’, a day to celebrate the 426 HEMI engine (as it falls on April 26th or 4/26), on track for two rounds of qualifying with their Pro Stock and Funny Car HEMI-powered Dodge entries preparing for the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries, the 6th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

 

Jeg Coughlin Jr. took full advantage of his HEMI power and went straight to the top of the timing charts on his second qualifying pass with a low elapsed time of 6.569 seconds (211.20 mph. But as great as his run was, he quickly had a bit of peddling to do after the finish line when his parachutes didn’t deploy.

 

“You’ve got to be ready for anything and to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t ready for that,” said Coughlin who is currently fourth in the Pro Stock points with two final round appearances so far this year.  “Our parachutes always work and work well. We made a fantastic run, but my attention was quickly called away by just trying to get stopped.”

 

Once Coughlin got his car stopped just before the runoff area without any damage, he was able to reflect on finally dislodging competitor Mike Edwards from the top spot for the first time this year.

 

“It’s our first time at the top with the JEGS/Mopar Dodge Avenger with J&J horsepower and let me tell you, it feels pretty nice. We’re going to do our best to peck away at this thing and see if we can have a better racecar tomorrow.”

 

Of all the Mopar drivers, Pro Stock driver Vincent Nobile is likely the one most looking forward to this weekend’s event as the two-time defending winner at Royal Purple Raceway, and the site of his first career victory. Nobile and his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger team have had a good start to 2013 with a win in the season opener and a fifth place spot in the standings after five events. Working with the Mopars of J & J Racing’s Allen Johnson and Coughlin as teammates has helped keep his confidence up.

“I have a hard working team who doesn’t give up and we’re hoping to get back on track this weekend,” said Nobile who was 11th in qualifying with an e.t. of 6.614 seconds (209.98 mph). “We’ve never qualified in the top-3 here but for whatever reason Royal Purple Raceway treats my team well. We are currently not running up to our par, but I feel confident we can make a run at the Championship by the time it really counts, the Countdown to the Championship.”

Winner of titles at both the GatorNationals and Las Vegas, Johnson is working to get back to the winners circle. While he posted the second best run of the first session with a 6.680 second e.t. (211.49 mph), Johnson’s Pro 1 Dodge Avenger did not improve on his second pass, putting him seventh on the qualifying charts. HEMI-powered V.Gaines (6.602 sec / 210.57 mph) is in 10th spot.

Matt Hagan, who is coming off a big Funny Car class title win at the 4-Wide Nationals last weekend in the Don Schumacher Racing “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T, is hoping to add another title to his current count of six career wins as soon as possible.

 

“It’s phenomenal to have our guys and our racecar come together,” Hagan said. “It builds confidence and effects how I drive the car. I can focus on what I have to do. I haven’t felt this good in a while about racing.”

 

Hagan was sixth after two qualifying runs with a best elapsed time of 4.127 seconds (309.13 mph) while the top Dodge was that of teammate Jack Beckman in fourth spot with a 4.117 (304.39 mph). Fellow Mopar teammates Ron Capps finished his two passes 11th with an e.t of 4.201 (293.79 mph) and Johnny Gray was 14th with a 4.544 second (227.65 mph) run.

 

Qualifying for the pro classes resumes on Saturday at 12 noon.

This weekend, Mopar fans will be treated to direct television coverage of the NHRA SpringNationals on ESPN2 from Royal Purple Raceway near Houston with a live show on Saturday, April 27, from 3-5 p.m. (ET), showcasing the final round of qualifying. ESPN2’s race day telecast begins on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. (ET) with a three-hour live coverage telecast of both semifinal and final rounds of eliminations at the SpringNationals.

John Force Racing

JFR FUNNY CARS IMPRESS AT O’REILLY SPRING NATIONALS

JFR FUNNY CARS IMPRESS AT O’REILLY SPRING NATIONALS

 

HOUSTON, TX (April 26, 2013) – The three John Force Racing Ford Mustangs attacked the Royal Purple Raceway Park track today with a vengeance. Each Funny Car scored qualifying bonus points on Friday and all three will go into Saturday’s final day of qualifying in the top half of the field at the 26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. Led by a surging Robert Hight and the AAA Texas Ford Mustang team the provisional No. 3 qualifier with a strong 4.117 second run in the second session. Right behind Hight are Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang (No. 5, 4.123 seconds) and John Force (No. 7, 4.151 seconds) behind the wheel of the Castrol GTX Mustang.

 

The Forces scored their qualifying bonus points in the opening session on Friday with Courtney and the Traxxas Ford Mustang grabbing the top spot early with a 4.153 second run and Force right behind her in the No. 3 spot running 4.191 seconds. Jack Beckman also posted a 4.191 second run but the 15-time Funny Car champion held onto the third spot by virtue of his faster mile per hour.

 

Hight smoked the tires in the first session and was first up in the second session. The AAA Texas Ford Mustang launched hard and stayed hooked up for the entire 1000 ft. At the top end Hight posted the quickest run of the day, 4.117 seconds and that run held up most of the session only being bested by Tim Wilkerson and provisional No. 1 Cruz Pedregon.

 

“The first run was slow and it shook. We changed clutch discs coming in here and our program was weak in the first session.  We adjusted for it and we were conservative because you have to make sure you go on the night runs,” said Hight. “You don’t want to go into Saturday not qualified. I am surprised that a 4.11 stayed No. 3. It was plenty soft and we could have run quicker but we weren’t in a position to. Good job to my team and we’ll get a race day set up tomorrow. That will be important tomorrow. We’ll need to go down the track both runs and get two runs that will give us info for Sunday. You don’t want to be behind the eight-ball.”

 

Hight was optimistic that the conditions would not give teams the chance to challenge the top spots. The forecast calls for warmer conditions and the qualifying times will be earlier in the day.

 

“I don’t think people will run better than that (4.11 seconds) tomorrow in the heat. Tomorrow a top run could be 4.13 seconds in the heat. Hopefully we can do that,” said Hight.

 

Team leader John Force was looking at the big picture at the end of the day on Friday. He was pleased his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was third quickest of the first session and he wants to stay in the top half going into Sunday for the all-important lane choice in eliminations.

 

“Today was nothing really exciting. It was good enough for me and my sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools, AAA Texas, Traxxas and BrandSource to get up in the top half. We are going to try and run better tomorrow but it is good to be in the top half to hold onto lane choice. The dragster banged the blower. Courtney is right up there at the top with Robert,” said Force.

 

In the final session on Friday night the fans were treated to a Courtney Force/John Force side by side run and they ate up the chance to see two of the biggest names on the tour run together. Force was focusing on his performance and looking to give his team and edge and did not consider that he was running beside his youngest daughter.

 

“I don’t even think about her being over there. I don’t need to. I just run my own lane. I saw her when I backed up and I tried to get staged as quickly as I could. Usually she lets me go in first and I went to roll in and she went ahead and staged,” said Force.

 

Courtney Force made two consistent passes down the race track today to qualify in the No. 5 spot at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

 

“It was nice getting back here to Baytown for our second of three back-to-back races and it was nice to be back to two-lane racing,” said Force. “My guys had our Traxxas Ford Mustang tuned up and we made two consistent passes straight down the race track.”

 

Force set high goals for herself and her team coming into this event having slipped out of the points lead last weekend in Concord, N.C.

 

In the first qualifying session today, Force ran a 4.153 ET at over 294 mph which took her to the No. 1 spot and granted her three vital bonus points.

 

The 24-year-old followed up that pass with a 4.123 second run at over 304 mph beside her father, John Force, and left her solidly in the top half of the field occupying the No. 5 position going into Saturday’s qualifying sessions.

 

“I’m proud of my guys. They made some changes today to the race car and it’s looking good for our team. I’m excited about tomorrow because we have two really good runs to work off of. I’m hoping we can go some round this weekend and work our way back up in the points, so we’ll just have to see how tomorrow goes and do the best we can,” said Force.

 

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster will head into Saturday on the outside looking in. After a strong showing in Charlotte the Texas heat did not do the JFR top fuel team any favors. Brittany Force had her hands full in both sessions but is excited to get back on track on Saturday.

 

“We got two runs and I am a little disappointed with our runs today. On that last run I ended up getting off it and then stepping back on it trying to pedal it. I don’t have much experience pedaling it,” said Force, one of the favorites to win the Automobile Club Road to the Future Award. “We’ll get two shots tomorrow. I was hoping to move up into the top half of the field in that last session. I feel positive about our chances for tomorrow and getting into the show for Sunday.”  

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Richmond–Team Press Conference

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 26, 2013
 
 
JEFF GORDON LEADS TEAM CHEVY WITH A THIRD PLACE QUALIFYING RUN AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
 
RICHMOND, Va. (APRIL 26, 2013)  – Behind the wheel of his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, Jeff Gordon posted a quick lap time of 20.729 to qualify third for tomorrow’s Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. This marks his 31st top-10 start of the 2013 season, and his sixth in 15 races on the three-quarter mile D-shaped oval.
 
Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne qualified his No. 5 Quaker State Chevy SS, fourth quickest, and will start on the outside next to Gordon in the second row. Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Depend Chevrolet SS qualified sixth; giving Team Chevy three of the top six starting spots.
 
Jamie McMurray will roll off the line from the 13th position in his No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS, Kurt Busch, No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy SS was 14th, Ryan Newman, No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS qualified 15th, and Jeff Burton, No. 31 Airgas/Bulwark Chevy SS posted the 16th fastest qualifying time.
 
A total of 17 Chevrolet SS drivers will take the green flag for the eighth race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
 
Matt Kenseth (Toyota) was the pole winner, Brian Vickers (Toyota) – second, and Clint Bowyer (Toyota) – third to round out the top-five qualifiers.
 
Live coverage of the Toyota Owners 400 will be provided by FOX TV, MRN Radio and Sirius XM Channel 90 and coverage will begin at 7:30 pm ET.
 
POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS, QUALIFIED 3RD:  ON HIS QUALIFYING EFFORT: “It was a really solid day for us. We went through so much the last time we were here. I think we learned a lot through that experience. We’ve qualified well here the last several times; have come close to being on the pole, also losing by a one-hundredth I think. We ran a great lap in practice there to close out practice. I was a little nervous at that time. I was like ‘this is too early to be that fast, and have that good of a car’.  Then it is just a guessing game. How are you drive it. How to make adjustments to the car; what the guys are going to do that. All-in-all, I am very pleased to be within one-hundredths, two hundredths and be third. Great place to start this race. Good pit stall selection. I feel like our car is going to be good in the race as well.”
 
IS THERE A FEELING AMONG YOU DRIVERS THAT IT IS KIND OF YOU AGAINST NASCAR? AFTER THE WEEK THAT MATT (KENSETH) HAS BEEN THROUGH, IS THERE KIND OF A “YEAH MATT” FEELING IN THE GARAGE? “I was kind of thinking of my weekend last week in Kansas, and I was thinking how I deserved to get the pole after starting 43rd last week. But, I guess after his week, maybe he deserved it a little bit more. (LAUGHS)  You know, I don’t think so. I think that you go through the ups and downs of this sport if you’ve been in it long enough. Sometimes mistakes are going to be made, or things are going to happen. I’ve been on both sides. We had manifold issues here one time where it was made out of the wrong material, and it was a GM part that was sent to us. It was a mistake, but ultimately the team takes that responsibility and pays the price. You feel for everybody on the team. You feel for everybody on the team. You feel for others when that happens. But, it is just kind of the way it works.”
 
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR HIS (MATT KENSETH) TEAM CAN BE MORE MOTIVATED BECAUSE OF THIS, AND HAVE BETTER PERFORMANCE? “If being angry, and wanting to have revenge makes you better, then yes. That’s kind of maybe going back to your question as well is that when things like this happen, and you don’t feel like it’s unjust that you kind of take it upon yourself as a team to just push a little harder; just do a little bit more. Sometimes you don’t know that you have that in you, but it is amazing how in that moment you can find a little bit more. I think we’ve seen it in Brad as well with the No. 2 team and that fight. Sometimes it tears you apart, or tears you down. And, sometimes it lifts you up and makes your stronger, and makes you fight harder. The thing is that Matt and his team, they are a rock solid team. They have been showing it this whole year, and continue to. To me, whatever happened this past weekend is not going to affect how those guys perform going forward.”
 
DOES THE MANUFACTURER HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TEAMS TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN TO COVER THE FINANCIAL END OF WHAT NASCAR HANDS DOWN AGAINST THAT TEAM?  “There is an argument for that. Again, the team is ultimately responsible because they are the one that signs off on everything and take that car. So, if there is a part or piece, doesn’t matter who delivered it to them, where it was manufactured, it is still their responsibility to put it on the car, and make sure that it passes inspection. But as an insider on the team, you are pretty upset when you feel like ‘ok, this is not a part or piece that we need to go through and check the medal…’.  We weigh every rod I know when we get them. Know there’s not a single…and we actually have them heavy. Ours are too the heavy side just to be safe. That’s just what I’m hearing that we do. So, you just assume that is what ever team does. I don’t know if that is the case in this scenario.”
 

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Richmond–Qualifying Notes

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 26, 2013
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RUN:
“I knew I was close.  I came across the line and I said ‘man please tell me that is it’ because I knew we were talking hundredths at this place.  The first lap I went to get in the gas off of (turn) four and the back end jumps out that was pretty much it for that lap.  I tried to feel the car out and see what it was doing it felt like it was doing the things it wanted to do the second lap.  I drove into (turn) one really deep and just didn’t quite turn as good as I needed it to.  I knew that was a good corner, but not a great corner so I tried to make up for it down here.  I actually got through there really good.  Came up a little bit short, but still all-in-all a great day for the Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 QUAKER STATE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FOURTH
ARE YOU SEEING THE SAME PICK UP THAT A LOT OF THESE OTHER GUYS ARE SEEING?
“We picked up a good bit more.  Our qualifying run in practice we were off a little bit.  They changed the car around and felt really good there. I was just a touch tight, but really close and happy with the Quaker State Chevrolet.”
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 15THON HIS LAP“Well, the track picks up a good bit. It’s kind of tough to gauge that speed when your are the first of a couple of cars out. But I’m proud of the guys on the Outback Chevrolet. They did a good job working through some adjustments today and I feel like we have a better handle on our race package than we do on our qualifying package.”
 
HOW IS THIS TRACK GOING TO CHANGE FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW NIGHT WHEN YOU GO GREEN UNDER THE LIGHTS?
“I don’t know if it matters as much as is anticipated. It’s going to change, but it all depends on where you start and what issues you have to deal with. It definitely picks up a good bit of grip. But just like you see right there, hat was sis-tenths quicker than our practice speed.”
 
DANICA PATRCK NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED
“It’s a lot faster now than it was. It’s cooled off and it turned pretty well. Getting into the center it just felt like I was chasing the rear. So, that was a decent run. I think we had a decent pick-up and we’ll just see how that translates into the rest of the qualifying.”
 
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 AIRGAS/BULWARK CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED: 16RG
WAS THAT A GOOD RUN?
“Not particularly. We went through (Turns) 1 and 2 really good on the second lap but I overdrove the entrance into (Turn) 3 and got up the track, and not being on the bottom when the exit got me loose coming to get the checkered. So, I let my guys down a little bit. The grip level is so much more than it was in practice but I just pushed it a little too hard.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 19TH
IS IT A DISADVANTAGE TO GO OUT EARLY?
“Yeah, I think it’s an advantage to go out when the track is cooler and has a lot more grip. But I thought we would still be able to run pretty well. We qualified really well last year, so I wasn’t really too worried. I thought we’d still get a pretty decent spot and I don’t really know where I was going to end up. I don’t know that we ran as well as we thought we would and even against the competition we were around even in the beginning of the order. So, we’ll just have to see.”
 
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 13TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING EFFORT
“I expected a little bit more. I thought we practiced a little bit better in qualifying trim that probably where we were going to end up. But our McDonald’s Chevy was really good in race trim. We did, I think as many long runs as anybody and the car was really comfortable; which I think was a big deal here. And it had pretty good speed. So, we learned some stuff in qualifying trim that I hope we can apply to our race package. So yeah, everything is going good for us.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 DEPEND CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 6TH:
WAS THIS THE LAP YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?
“Our Depend Chevy did pretty good. But in qualifying trim we never really got the car to my liking. But I’m pretty happy with the result but I wanted a little more.”

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