Highly successful Alcohol Racer discovers the thrill of victory in the nitro ranks …

Frank Smith Photos

 
When the Canidae All Natural Pet Food sponsored team of Jim Dunn left
Bandimere Speedway last weekend after a DNQ effort at the NHRA Mopar
Mile High Nationals in Denver, there wasn’t much of a sense of
jubilation. In fact, there wasn’t much to talk about.

Well, maybe there was.

Being a nitro Funny Car has perks as Tommy Johnson Jr., knows all too well.

Prior to the NHRA event at Infineon Raceway, Johnson will be down on
the field at AT&T Park Wednesday, July 23 during pre-game warm- ups
with his friend Aaron Rowand.  A star San Francisco Giants outfielder,
Rowand became friends with Johnson and wife Melanie Troxel in 2006 when
they met at the ESPYS. 

Earlier this year, Rowand and some of his teammates had an opportunity
to watch Johnson compete at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz.

When you drag race at 24 national events per season, like three-time
and reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., your vacations
tend to coincide with your job. Such is the case this week as the
52-time national event winner spends some time in California's renowned
wine country for some R&R&R -- Rest, Relaxation, and Racing.

"The Sonoma race has become a bit of a yearly family retreat for us,"
Coughlin said from the heart of the Napa Valley. "For the past 10 years
we've come here directly from the Seattle race for some golf and
swimming and general lounging around. My son, lil' Jeggie, is on summer
vacation so he's able to join us, and we really have some fun."

Although Coughlin is doing his best to do nothing for a few days, he
admits his mind is never far away from the upcoming Fram-Autolite NHRA
Nationals at picturesque Infineon Raceway.

"Make no mistake, we're here to win," said Coughlin, who claimed glory
at Infineon in 2003, the last time he entered the race as the defending
series champion. "This is an exciting race for a number of reasons.
First, it's a Bruton Smith-owned facility so it's first-rate. Second,
the weather can produce absolutely exceptional racing conditions.

Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta has earned a reputation for being tough to
beat in the Sonoma Valley, and he will be recognized for his
achievements during the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 25-27.

Kalitta will be inducted into the Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame on
Sunday, July 27, during pre-event ceremonies, making him the fourth
NHRA driver to be enshrined.

He’ll join Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson (2005), as well as Funny Car
drivers John Force (2006) and Gary Scelzi (2007) in the Wall of Fame,
which was created in 2005.

Kalitta has five-career victories on the Infineon Raceway drag strip,
including three consecutive (1998-2000) and two back-to-back (2004,
2005).  He is one of only two NHRA drivers to ever three-peat at
Infineon Raceway, the other being John Force (1990-1992). He is the
winningest Top Fuel driver in the Sonoma Valley.

Photos by Roger Richards

Paul Noakes was just starting to find his groove behind the wheel of Terry McMillen’s Alcohol Funny Car when his crew chief Les

Paul Noakes drove McMillen's flopper to the first AFC title for Hoosier Thunder.

Mellows threw him a curve. The setting was the IHRA Mopar Canadian
Nationals in Grand Bend, Ont., and Noakes was in his third consecutive
final round.

Noakes had lost the previous two finals and what did Mellows do before this final?

“They loaded the car up for me in the final,” Noakes said. “I’m
starting to figure the car out. It’s not as easy to go from one Funny
Car to the next. I couldn’t do this without the help of my guys who
make this car easier to drive. They are changing it to the way I like
to drive. It’s making my job easier.”

Frank Smith Photo

Del Worsham, and his "special edition" Chevron Techron team, did so
many things right on this Seattle weekend at the Schuck's Auto Supply
Nationals, it was hard to keep track of the highlights.  And then in
one short puff of haze-like tire smoke, the very real dream of winning
his sponsor's race disappeared as fast as his starting line advantage
over Ron Capps.  Worsham's first-round loss was a tough blow to take,
though the popular driver is far from out of the running for the
Countdown.

On Friday and Saturday, Worsham and his team were quick enough,
consistent enough, and highly-placed enough to earn their second Full
Throttle Pit Crew Award in the last four races.   Worsham's three best
laps were 4.131, 4.073, and 4.182, and it was the super-stout 4.073
that earned him his best qualifying slot of the year, landing him in
the No. 2 spot.

"It's so tight right now, in the Funny Car class, that you can
practically just blink and go from the top of the qualifying list to
the middle, or right to the bottom," Worsham said.  "When we made the
second run on Friday, we saw a lot of teams running 4.10s and times
like that, and we knew we were loaded up pretty well, tune-up wise.  I
kind of figured that if it made it, it would be good.  Turns out it was
good."

Paul Noakes’ Alcohol Funny Car win completes dream weekend for McMillen’s Hoosier Thunder Motorsports

Terry McMillen had two cars in the finals this weekend. The one he
drove, the Top Fueler, reached the winner's circle. He's won two events
in two seasons.

Terry McMillen was not satisfied with one Ironman. After watching Paul
Noakes, driving his Amalie Oil InstiGator, claim the Alcohol Funny Car
championship at the Mopar Canadian Nationals, McMillen figured he might
as well put the icing on the proverbial cake. He knocked off rookie
Spencer Massey in the Torco Pro Nitro Top Fuel final round to put a
second Hoosier Thunder Motorsports car in the winner’s circle at Grand
Bend Motorplex.

“What a weekend…this is something you can just dream about,” McMillen
said. “Getting both cars to the finals was a goal, to be fortunate
enough to have both cars win is really amazing.”

SCHUMACHER CONTINUES DREAM-TEAM SEASON AS BARTONE,LINE ALSO WIN IN SEATTLE

After a shaky first half of the season that included six DNQs, Tony Bartone raced to his first NHRA POWERade Series victory.

After a shaky first half of the season that included six DNQs, Tony
Bartone raced to his first NHRA POWERade Series victory Sunday at the
21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals after more than six
years of professional racing.

Bartone defeated veteran driver Ron Capps, also looking to break out of
a winless streak that dates back to Richmond 2007, in the final round.
Bartone powered his Canidae Pet Foods Chevy Monte Carlo to a
4.454-second pass at 238.17 mph to get the long-awaited win, while
Capps posted a 4.708 at 227.46 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T.

Unnoficial point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories
following the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand
Bend Motorplex, the sixth of 10 events in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam
Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1.  Bruce Litton, 499; 2.  Spencer Massey, 497; 3.  Bobby Lagana Jr.,
445; 4.  Mike Strasburg, 438; 5.  Kevin Jones, 354; 6.  Terry McMillen,
351; 7.  Scott Palmer, 222; 8.  Chris Karamesines, 118; 9.  Mitch King,
99; 10.  Tim Boychuk, 74.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways,
the 14th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Tony Schumacher, 1,297; 2. Antron Brown, 940; 3. Larry Dixon, 901;
4. Rod Fuller, 852; 5. Cory McClenathan, 840; 6. Brandon Bernstein,
834; 7. Hillary Will, 751; 8. Doug Herbert, 738; 9. David Grubnic, 617;
10. Doug Kalitta, 598.