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Sept 7, 2005 (photos courtesy Guy Van Syckle and David Smith) Pro Mod and Super Stock hemi gallery Top Alcohol gallery INDY Pro gallery is here Record qualifying performances, a double up, changes in the point standings (at the top) and one professional class ending in controversy ends a memorable 51st US Nationals.
The performance level from the qualifying sessions were outstanding indeed. The record setting bump spot for the nitro coupes, the 4.45 by Tony Schumacher and the 6.60 lap by Greg Anderson all showed that even at a track that is not on the all time performance list, with the right weather conditions, big numbers can happen. Would they happen on race day? --------In a nut shell no they didn't, but there were some eye opening matches and upsets.
Top Fuel
Winner Larry Dixon Qualifying was record setting at the top and almost for the entire field. Just the #16 qualifier Jack Beckman was slower than the record bump of 4.64 set last year at the finals. Tony Schumacher and Doug Herbert both shattered the old track et record set two years ago. Cory Mac was below the old record by .001 as well. "Shoe" also reset the MPH record. In all, 11 cars were in the 4.50's or better.
Top Fuel Elimination's
Round one of elimination's, saw two lower half cars advance into round two, but neither were real surprises. Melanie Troxel (#10) debuting her new car this weekend, took out a tire smoking Scott Kalitta, and David Grubnic won a pedaling contest over Brandon Bernstein. Grubnic continued his day of taking out team mates, when in round two, point leader Doug Kalitta gave it away to Grubnic with a red light. Grubnic's car shut down just past half track, but by then the point leader could only shake his head in disbelief. Schumacher, Herbert and Dixon all ran 4.50's to advance to the semi finals. In the semis, Grubnic's luck ran out, as he had to pedal the car while Schumacher was slowing on the top end, but had more than enough (4.65) to advance into his seventh final round. Larry Dixon stayed in the 4.50's and advanced, when he dispatched Doug Herbert who went up in smoke just before half track.
The final round was all Dixon, after a slight advantage by Schumacher at the starting line. Tony then smoked the tires and Dixon blazed to low et of eliminations, a 4.521 @ 326.71. The only shuffling in the points was Cory Mac moving up a spot overtaking Scott Kalitta into eight place.
Round one eliminations Rod Fuller, Las Vegas
NV, Hadman-TFX, Right lane, (0.078) 4.562 321.73 def. Morgan Lucas,
Corona
Round 2
Semi finals
Final round
Points 1. Tony Schumacher 1,374
Funny Car
Winner Del Worsham Funny Car saw a record setting performance for the 16 car field with a bump spot of a 4.85, held down by Phil Burkart. Frank Pedregon was a surprise top half qualifier, ending up # 3 with a career best 4.73 @ 326.08 Tony Bartone also made his best lap, a 4.811 that put him in the #11 position. To no surprise, the field was lead but two Force cars, John Force was #1 with a 4.726 and Robert Hight was # 2 with a 4.731 best. Qualifying was not without incidents, when Tony Pedregon had his car careen into the starting line barrier when his throttle was blipped unintentionally by crew member Cody Pendergrass. Mike Ashley's first attempt in Funny Car fell one spot short, as he ended up #17 in the tough field. His deal with Torco Skull Gear has now been extending to include the remaining races on the 2005 schedule.
Gary Scelzi Eliminations
Eliminations have been the bane of John Force all season long despite his (now) fourth place in the standings. He seems to either go to the final or semis or lose in round one. Nine first round exits by the 'man' including Indy last week has to be like a shot in the guts. Point leader Robert Hight (leader prior to Indy weekend), also went out in round one, both victims of tire smoke. Only Del Worsham really had the track figured out on race day, and he parlayed his consistency into a huge paycheck at the end of the day. With a win in the "Skoal Shootout" on Sunday, he ran six laps out of the seven round wins in the 4.80's.
Obviously I gave it away on who won the event, as Del Worsham 'doubled' up and won probably close to $250,000.00. Frank Pedregon got alot of mileage on the weekend for new sponsor Toyo Tires. Beside qualifying in the top four, he went to the final round and almost won the event. Another .014 at the tree and he would have gotten his second US Nationals victory. Two of the three Schumacher cars performed well, as Gary Scelzi and Whit Bazemore went to round three. The win by Worsham put him ahead of Cruz Pedregon in the points (into 8th), who failed to qualify.
Funny Car notes..... The brothers Pedregon
all had their time in the limelight, and two of them for reasons
they don't care to talk about. The unexpected one took the limelight,
when Frank went to the final and qualified in the top half.
Eric Medlen, Yorba
Linda CA, '02 Mustang, Right lane, (0.088) 4.923 310.63 def. Tony
Bartone,
1. Gary Scelzi 1,172
Pro Stock
Winner Greg Anderson It at this late point in the season, Pro Stock is turning into the Greg Anderson show. He has come on strong in the last few races, qualifying near the top at each event and winning three of the last four including here at Indy. This one was a dominating performance that saw him take the top spot in qualifying with a track record 6.68, the only car in the 6.60's. He dominated the field in eliminations as well, having over a half tenth on everyone of his opponents, including Richie Stevens in the final round. His other opponents were Bruce Allen, Dave Connolly and Allen Johnson.
Pro
Stock pit notes...............Richie Stevens was
a surprise finalist and not necessarily because of a lack of HP.
His
Mike Trumble Eliminations Dave Connolly, Elyria
OH, '05 Cobalt, Right lane, (0.008) 6.748 204.35 def. V. Gaines,
Lakewood
1. Greg Anderson 1,458
Pro Stock Bike
Qualifying in Pro Stock Bike was not out of the ordinary with the 'twins' taking the top three spots in the field. Andrew Hines was #1 with a second session 7.081. Matt Smith on a G-Squared Buell had his best ever qualifying effort, ending up in the #2 spot with a 7.090.
The top three in points
were all gone in round one, and Andrew Hines had another one of
his red lights to end his chance at
Eliminations Steve Johnson, Birmingham
AL, Suzuki, Left lane, (0.052) 7.169 185.77 def. Craig Treble, Hensley
1. Andrew Hines 888 Pro Stock Klash final round
INDY pro gallery
is here
TAFC Final qualifying
Eliminations
TAD
Eliminations
Steve Federlin, Oregon
City OR, Robeck-BAE, Right lane, (0.015) 5.441 261.07 def. Ken Perry,
Sportsman eliminations Comp Eliminator Glen Treadwell, Right lane, (0.560) 9.01 13.803 4.793, def. Jeff Taylor, NT-Broke Before Staging Vincent Deceglie, Right lane, (0.064) 7.10 6.581 -0.519, def. John Mihovetz, (0.109) 7.29 6.787 -0.503
Glen Treadwell, Left lane, (0.022) 9.01 8.376 -0.634, def. Vincnet Deceglie, (0.011) 7.09 6.604 -0.486 Super Stock Semis Gary Richard, Right lane, (0.036) 9.79 9.782 -0.008, def. Shane Carr, (0.034) 9.88 9.865 -0.015 Andy Fogle, Right lane, (0.044) 9.27 9.284 0.014, def. Dan Fletcher, (0.039) 9.92 9.987 0.067
A Fogle, Right lane, (-0.006) 9.26 9.263 0.003,
def. G Richard, (-0.005 foul) 9.77 9.827 0.057 Stock Semis Peter Biondo, Right lane, (0.011) 10.91 10.924 0.014,
def. Clint Blezien, (-0.004 foul) 12.15 12.260 Brent Darroch, Right lane, (0.018) 12.12 12.096 -0.024, def. Lloyd MacKay, (0.017) 13.97 13.906 -0.064
P Biondo, Right lane, (0.000) 10.88 10.909 0.029,
def. Brent Darroch, (0.036) 12.09 12.082 -0.008 Super Comp Semis Richard Bernier, Right lane, (0.011) 8.900 0.000, def. Sherman Adcock Jr, (0.024) 8.912 0.012 B Plourd, Left lane, (0.002) 8.894 -0.006, was unopposed Final B Plourd, Left lane, (0.000) 8.914 0.014, def. Richard Bernier, (0.017) 8.898 -0.002 Super Gas Semis Todd Hickey, Right lane, (0.008) 9.903 0.003, def. Francis Ross, (0.001) 9.870 -0.030 Bill Jackson, Right lane, (0.026) 9.903 0.003, was unopposed Final Bill Jackson, Left lane, (0.015) 9.834 -0.066, def. Todd Hickey, (-0.002 foul) 9.879 -0.021 Pro RWD Brad Personett, Left lane, (0.078) 6.656 212.43 def. Matt Scranton, (0.007) 7.105 190.46
Sept. 4, 2005 Funny Car Skoal shootout Results round one (W) Eric Medlen (Castrol/Syntec '04 Mustang) 0.112
4.897 314.83
Semi finals (W) Eric Medlen (Castrol/Syntec '04 Mustang) 0.113
4.883 315.86 Final round (W) Del Worsham (Checker, Schuck's & Kragen
'05 0.081 5.636 307.02
Pro Stock Bike Ringers Gloves shootout Final (W) GT Tonglet (G-Squared Star Racing V-Rod) 0.022
7.288 176.60
Top Fuel Numbers courtresy NHRA.com and DRC
Funny Car
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Bike
Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying
Final qualifying 1 42 A/FD Gene Snow, Fort Worth TX, Bowen-TFX 5.268
265.53 265.53 ------------ Not Qualified ------------ 17 23 A/FD Jason Cannon, Middleburg FL, URC-BAE
5.632 235.80 235.80
TAD after three rounds
TAD (Thursday qualifying) 1. Steve Torrence A/FD 5.400 262.64 TAFC Final qualifying
1 2 Jay Payne, Claremont CA, '02 Camaro 5.595 257.24
257.24 ------------ Not Qualified ------------ 17 3371 Fred Hagen, Chicago IL, '01 Avenger 5.843
251.95 251.95 TAFC after three rounds (Friday)
TAFC Thursday 1. Frank Manzo Lucas Oil Firebird 5.670 256.06
August 31, 2005 -- CLERMONT, Ind. -- Sport Compact competitors in one championship class will earn points leading to 2005 NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series world championship. WHERE: Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind. From I-465, exit Crawfordsville Road (Hwy. 136). Head west for approximately four miles through the town of Clermont. The main entrance to the facility is on the left-hand side, one-half mile past Raceway Road. WHEN: Wednesday through Monday, Aug. 31-Sept. 5. PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $2.6 million.
TELEVISION: Sunday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 will televise two
hours of qualifying coverage at noon (ET). Monday, Sept. 5, ESPN2 will televise one
hour of eliminations coverage at noon (ET). 2004 WINNERS: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; Gary Densham, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; Antron Brown, Pro Stock Motorcycle; Gary Densham, Skoal Showdown; and Andrew Hines, Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle. MOST WINS: Bob Glidden, Pro Stock, 9; Don Garlits, Top Fuel, 8; Don Prudhomme, Top Fuel and Funny Car, 7; Warren Johnson, Pro Stock, 6; Dave Schultz, Pro Stock Motorcycle, 6; Ed McCulloch, Funny Car, 5; John Force, Funny Car, 4; Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, 4. EVENT HISTORY: The most historic and prestigious event in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals has been contested annually since 1955. Originally known as "The Nationals" and first held at an abandoned airstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the event made stops at Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Detroit before eventually moving to Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961. Past winners include "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, an eight-time winner in Top Fuel; Shirley Muldowney, 1982 Top Fuel winner; Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, a seven-time winner and one of a handful of drivers to win the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car; and Bob Glidden, the legendary Pro Stock driver who dominated the race by advancing to the final round in 13 consecutive seasons from 1977-'89. The Indiana native won the event a record nine times. It is the only major motorsports event to be contested on Labor Day. Last year the event celebrated its 50th anniversary in memorable fashion with spectacular racing witnessed by one of the biggest crowds in NHRA history. FAST FACTS: Tony Schumacher is seeking a fourth consecutive Top Fuel victory at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The U.S. Army dragster pilot has won the prestigious event four of the past five seasons. 2004 Driver of the Year Greg Anderson is seeking his third straight Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory in Pro Stock. He has won the race three times in the past four years. Five female drivers representing three professional categories will compete at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Angelle Sampey, a two time winner, and Shirley Muldowney, who won the race in 1982 in Top Fuel, are the only women to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) and Melanie Troxel (Top Fuel) could become the first married couple to share winner's circle at a POWERade Series event in NHRA history. The two drivers live in nearby Avon, Ind. .John Force, 13-time NHRA POWERade world champion and winner of a record 118 events, has won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals four times, his last coming in 2002. Whit Bazemore, a two-time Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner and resident of Indianapolis, holds the track speed record for Funny Car at 325.69 mph, which he set in 2001. John Force has won the Skoal Showdown a record five times. It will be Force's 22nd start in the Skoal Showdown, also a record. This will be Del Worsham's 10th start in the Skoal Showdown and the CSK Chevy Monte Carlo driver has never advanced to the final round in the bonus event. "The Professor" Warren Johnson has six Pro Stock victories at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but none this decade. His last victory there came in 1999 when he defeated his former crew chief Greg Anderson in the final round. Rookie Pro Stock driver Erica Enders will continue her quest to become the first woman to qualify No. 1 and win in the 200 mph category... For the first time in NHRA history an NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series category - Pro RWD -- will be included as an official eliminator at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. WHAT TO WATCH: Top Fuel series points leader Doug Kalitta, who drives the Mac Tools dragster, is in a tight world championship chase with four-time U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher and two-time U.S. Nationals winner Larry Dixon . Doug Kalitta leads Schumacher by four points in the Top Fuel category, while Dixon is 99 back in third place. Schumacher recently powered to the fastest speed in NHRA history in his U.S. Army dragster, a blast of 337.58 mph. The Funny Car points race is extremely close, as rookie Robert Hight, Ron Capps, three-time Top Fuel champ Gary Scelzi and Eric Medlen are challenging perennial world champ John Force for the season crown . Eric Medlen is the hottest Funny Car driver, as the second-year pilot of the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang has won three of the last four races, and brings a two-race win streak into the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The top five points positions in Funny Car are separated by 71 points, with rookie Hight leading. Kurt Johnson has been the hottest Pro Stock driver in the last three months, as the driver of the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt has earned three victories in five final round appearances in the last six races. A two-time Indy winner, Kurt is looking to keep the momentum going and keep gaining ground on series points leader Greg Anderson and hold off his father Warren, who is third overall. Only 15 points separate the top two championship contenders in Pro Stock Motorcycle - current leader and defending POWERade Series world champion Andrew Hines and his teammate, GT Tonglet, who has led the standings at two separate times this season. BONUS RACES: Two lucrative bonus races highlight the action at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. SKOAL SHOWDOWN ($100,000 to winner, Sunday, rounds at 12:30, 2:15 and 4 p.m., first round pairings below) No. 1 John Force, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang vs. No. 8 Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang No. 2 Gary Scelzi, Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus vs. No. 7 Cruz Pedregon, Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo No. 3 Eric Medlen, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang vs. No. 6 Tommy Johnson Jr., Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo No. 4 Del Worsham, Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo vs. No. 5 Tony Pedregon, Q-Racing Chevy Monte Carlo Most victories, Skoal Showdown: John Force, 5; Al Hofmann, 3; Ron Capps, 3; Kenny Bernstein, 2; Mark Oswald, 2. RINGERS GLOVES PRO BIKE BATTLE ($15,000 to winner, Saturday, rounds at 1, 6 and 7:25 p.m., first round pairings below) No. 1 Andrew Hines, Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson vs. No. 8 Craig Treble, Matco Tools Suzuki No. 2 Antron Brown, U.S. Army Suzuki vs. No. 7 Steve Johnson, Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki No. 3 Chip Ellis, S&S G-Squared Buell vs. No. 6 Geno Scali, Trim-Tex Suzuki No. 4 GT Tonglet, Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson vs. No. 5 Angelle Sampey, U.S. Army Suzuki Most victories, Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle: Matt Hines, 4; John Myers, 4. NHRA offers a Double-Up Bonus for any driver/rider who can win his or her respective bonus race and the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The NHRA Double-Up Bonus for competitors in the Skoal Showdown is $50,000. The NHRA Double-Up Bonus for competitors in the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle is $10,000. Past NHRA Double-Up Bonus winners: Skoal Showdown - Gary Densham, 2004; John Force, 1996 and 1993; Jim White, 1991; Don Prudhomme, 1989; and Kenny Bernstein, 1983. Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle - Reggie Showers, 2003; Antron Brown, 2000; Matt Hines, 1998; and Jim Bernard, 1991. QUICK QUOTES: Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster, four-time U.S. Nationals winner: "We've been fortunate to have won Indy three straight years and three out of the last four years. Each win was that much more exciting, let me tell you. It never gets old winning the U.S. Nationals. How can it? It's our biggest race of the year and the most prestigious. That being said, this year we really can't get caught up in all of the excitement surrounding the event because we're in a battle for the world championship. That has to be the priority. Of course, should we manage to get to winner's circle again, that will clearly help our cause for the title." Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo, 2002 U.S. Nationals runner-up: "You run the whole season, and then you run Indy. It's that special that it separates itself from the rest of the season. We're having a good year, but if we can win Indy or the Skoal Showdown, it will be a great year." Antron Brown, Indianapolis, U.S. Army Suzuki, two-time U.S. Nationals winner: "We're certainly hoping we can get another Indy victory under our belts. There's nothing quite like winning a U.S. Nationals. It's such an indescribable feeling. But, our concentration once we get to IRP will be on the Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship chase. We're in serious contention this year and we have to stay focused on that huge piece of business." Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Matco Tools Dodge Stratus, two-time U.S. Nationals winner: "Indy is the race with the most prestige and the most meaning behind it, so it is the one. What really sets Indy apart from the other races is the desire that most of the competitors carry into Indy and that desire, I think, is stronger to win there than it is at some other races. In fact, everybody raises their game and it makes it that much harder to succeed there. When you succeed there it makes it that much more meaningful. On one hand, you have the history and drama and prestige of Indy and on the other hand you have the fact that everyone digs really deep there and when you combine those two, as for me, it's what defines the race and makes it so special." Kurt Johnson, Lawrenceville, Ga., ACDelco Chevy Cobalt, two-time U.S. Nationals winner: "If you're a drag racer and it's Labor Day weekend, you're at the U.S. Nationals. It's that simple. It's the one race everyone wants to win, even if you've won it before. I have been coming to Indianapolis Raceway Park for most of my life, first with my dad (Warren, six-time U.S. Nationals winner), and since 1993 with my own ACDelco Cobalt team, and it's still just as special. As tough as it sounds, we always try to treat Indy as just another race, and this year isn't any different. After all, the best way to win a championship is to score more points than everyone else, which is our goal every time out. Of course, we know the car count will be larger than it has been all year, with everyone bringing their 'A' game to Indy. Basically, it's up to us to figure out how to be better than all of them. We've done it twice before, and now we're looking to put a third U.S. Nationals trophy on the mantle in Sugar Hill." Gary Scelzi, Fresno, Calif., Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus, 1998 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner: "Indy has a lot of prestige, but other than that it is the U.S. Nationals, it's no more important than any other race that is left in the season. There are going to be six races from there on out, so Indy is just another one that is extremely important. You're going to have everybody with fresh parts and trying to pay attention to every small detail, every fuel line and every spark plug wire. Everything that could go wrong is going to be new on our car. We go through great pains for the U.S. Nationals to make sure everything is perfect. They should call it Hell Week, because you're going through hell. I've seen big names like Kenny Bernstein and Larry Dixon not qualify, with an extra qualifying run. It could make you or it could be the end of you." Angelle Sampey, New Orleans, U.S. Army Suzuki, two-time U.S. Nationals winner: "It's been a couple of years since I won Indy. I wouldn't mind re-capturing that magic again. Actually, right now, I can use a win anywhere. I need points in the worst way. We're looking to get on a roll over these last few races of the year, Indy included. We're trying to get back in the hunt for the championship. Either Antron or I won Indy in four of the last five seasons, so that gives the U.S. Army team some confidence going into that race." Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Brut Dodge Stratus, three-time Skoal Showdown winner: "Everybody every year talks about how your career isn't complete without a win at Indy. And that is definitely true. It's the race to win if you were to win one race. When you look down at the list of winners it's all the guys who were my heroes growing up. It's all the guys who made their place in history. I believe that the guys who have won Indy in the past have gone on and are more famous for other things, whether it's championships or doing this or that. When you've won Indy, and my crew chief Ace (Ed McCulloch) has won it five times, you're a racer, you've gone the distance, you've gone the whole weekend, the week, under the unbelievable amount of stress that's put on this one race. To win it would be awesome." TRACK HISTORY: In 1958, led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward and Howard Fieber, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals invested $5,000 each to fund the development of what would become Indianapolis Raceway Park. The group purchased a 267-acre farm about seven miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and developed a multipurpose auto racing facility. The original intention in creating Indianapolis Raceway Park was to design a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course. Nearly as an afterthought, and as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the 2.5-mile road course design. Constructed with assistance from the NHRA, the drag strip was the first of the three courses to be completed, with the facility's first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. During the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit, a handshake agreement between Binford and NHRA founder Wally Parks promised that the event would move to Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961. The historic three-year pact was signed and sealed under a tree in Detroit Dragway's pits, and Indianapolis Raceway Park eventually became the home of NHRA's biggest annual event. The NHRA purchased the entire facility in 1979. The first major improvement came in 1983 with the construction and dedication of Parks Tower, the four-story drag strip tower. In 1998, new grandstands, suites and a tower complex on the front straightaway were completed at the oval track at a cost of nearly $2.5 million, which included the repaving of the entire oval surface as part of a three-phase facility improvement project. In 2001, NHRA and IRP constructed a new drag strip racing surface, replacing the strip with a 660-foot concrete pad and laying new asphalt on the remainder of the track and shutdown area. Prior to the 2003 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, eight new luxury suites were added along the top of the west-side grandstands of the drag strip, giving fans a unique perspective of the action on the famed quarter-mile track.
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Doug
Herbert ran a career best.
Cory
Mac 
David
Grubnic 
Doug
Kalitta 
Tony
Schumacher and Doug Kalitta
Top
Fuel pit notes...................David Baca (left) was
in a spot no one expected, and one he would certainly like to forget.
By the end of Indy qualifying, he was #27 out of 27. David smoked
the tires on five consecutive runs. If you take the first eight
non qualifiers, they would be a solid field of players in the IHRA,
which would have seen a 4.85 bump spot. Luigi Novelli had
a better outing than his last one at Brainerd, where he had a huge
starting line explosion and drove it all the way down track causing
a long delay for clean up. At Indy, he made five runs including
two in the 4.70's with nary a drop of oil on the track. Joe Hartley
had his best ever qualifying effort with a solid 4.62/321 that was
head and shoulders better than previous efforts. Jack Beckman's
4.70 at only 270 mph would likely have put him in the low 4.60 range
if the candles were lit through the 1/4 mile. There is a good chance
that it would have been a record bump spot, bettering the old record
of a 4.64. 
Luigi
Novelli 
Rod
Fuller 
John
Force 
Frank Pedregon
Mike
Ashley 
Paul
Lee 
Tony
(left) for his crash and bang into the starting line centre
barricade and Cruz for his unexpected DNQ. Mike Ashley
came close to qualifying for the quickest funny car field in history,
but fell one position short with a career best 4.88. Paul Lee
(above) was also trying to qualifying for the first time in
his nitro coupe he ran a 4.99 best to end up #19. Steve Boggs is
in Lee's corner. Lee did make the field in his TAFC, with a 5.73.
Grant Downing (second lower pic) had a bit of excitement
on one of his qualifying laps, he spun the car sideways on one of
his burnout, reminiscent of Randy Anderson seven years ago at Seattle
(or was it Pomona). Gotta love the new paint or vinyl on the Jim
Head flopper (below). It's as classic as his old moniker, "Give
me Head". The new one is "Greatful Head"
Richie
Stevens 
family's
business and home was in the path of Hurricane Katrina, but Richie
was able to make it out of the disaster area, and kept his emotions
aside long enough to make it all the way through to the final. He
left on all of his opponent in the first three rounds, but like
his final round opponent Greg Anderson, he too was a little late
on the final round. A .010 light would have given him the win in
the final round. Warren Johnson is in the midst of a first
round slump, and it continued at Indy. He has exited eliminations
in round one at four of the last five events and has dropped over
250 points to point leader Greg Anderson. Did GM jump the gun in
extending WJ's driving contract? He has shown the new engine dept.
is making killer HP, but his driving while being excellent in the
first half of the season has tailed off big time of late. He only
had one 1st round exit in the first 13 events of the year, the best
in the class up until Seattle. Erica Enders (above) made
a bit of history, being the first woman to qualifying for Pro Stock
at the 'big go' in a 16 car field. Shirley Shahan did it
in a 32 car field back in 1971. Erica and team owner Victor Cagnazzi
was rewarded by present sponsor "Slammer Ultimate Milk"
with an sponsor extension through 2006. Mark Pawuk (below)
made his return to Pro 
Stock
a good one, as he qualified for the first time this season. He also
went all the way to the semis, before losing to Richie Stevens.
Jeg Coughlin was another of the dual drivers (Mike Ashley
and Paul Lee also in the pro ranks) this weekend, as he played in
Michael Ogburn's #1 SS Cuda, normally driven by Harry Holton. Coughlin
went to the final round in the Hemi shoot-out before a bad .080
red light against Charlie Westcott Jr. Jeggie's .015 light here
in round one of Pro Stock would have probably won his his second
consecutive shoot-out. In 2006, he plans to run a few more Super
Stock events in the Cuda for the West Coast Hemi team. 
Dave
Connolly
the
win. GT Tonglet was going for the double up after winning the Motorcycle
clash on Saturday, but he was a first round casualty. The finalists
in Pro Stock were Steve Johnson and Matt Smith and this one was
one for the history books. Smith was real late at the tree, giving
Johnson a .09 advantage. Johnson held on to the lead right through
to 1319 feet according to the timing system (and the naked eye),
where Smith passed him for his first ever win... Or was it. According
to the timing system Smith won the race by .001 with a (0.117) 7.114
186.12 to Johnson's (0.026) 7.206 185.08. But video replay showed
that in fact Johnson had crossed the finish line first by around
one foot. The race stood in Smith's favor until Tuesday, when NHRA
announced that in fact Johnson had crossed the line first, giving
him the win. It was determined that the front wheel Johnson uses
has a very low profile and for some reason, for the first time in
eliminations, the infrared beam did not detect his front wheel and
it triggered when his front fairing crossed the line. While Johnson
did not get to celebrate in the winner's circle he did get his Wally,
points and the winners prize money.
