Photos by Mike and Jeff Burghardt, NHRA
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – SONOMA’S NIGHT OF SPEED PLAYS OUT BEFORE A PACKED HOUSE
1 – THE QUEEN OF SPEED – Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Brittany Force set a world record for speed Friday night at Sonoma Raceway, running 343.16 mph while taking the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot. Force’s pass of 3.604 seconds also set the track record and marked her seventh run over 340 mph since April.
Force credited crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins, along with her Monster Energy team, for the historic pass. “To be able to put up a number like that, 343, on the board … I’m so proud of all of us to be able to accomplish that,” Force said.
She said the car moved around during the run, forcing her to make steering corrections to the point that “I almost pulled my foot out of the thing just to play it safe and I thought, ‘Nope, I could get her there.’”
After hearing the speed, Force initially thought her crew was pulling her leg. “They repeated the run and I said, ‘You’re joking, right? You guys aren’t messing with me?’” she said.
Force said her focus remains on elapsed time but the high speeds have come naturally. “Our goal is ET … it’s just these mile per hours keep coming with it,” she said.
Asked about attempting land-speed records on the famed Bonneville (Utah) Salt Flats, Force said she has no plans to leave drag racing. “This is home for me … I’ve dedicated my entire life to this sport. I can’t see myself going anywhere else,” she said.
The record-setting run came before a packed crowd at Sonoma. “To be able to put on a show for them like that and let them see that mile per hour, very proud to do that,” Force said.
2 – CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS – For numbers nerds, Force’s run was a thing of incremental beauty. Starting with a .819-second 60-foot time, she ran 2.087 to the 330-foot mark, and then a 2.940-second elapsed time at 304.94 to the eighth-mile.
Her 3.645, 343.16, was a bit more than her father, 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion, John Force was expecting.
“That makes me a bit nervous,” he said. “The girl did good.”
3 – HAGAN TURNS SEATTLE WIN INTO SONOMA MOMENTUM – Matt Hagan grabbed the provisional No. 1 spot in Funny Car qualifying Friday at Sonoma Raceway with a 3.861-second run at 332 mph. If it holds, it would be Hagan’s first No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 53rd of his career.
Hagan credited crew chief Mike Knudsen, who is seeking his first career No. 1 qualifier. “For him it was a really special event … we just came off a race win, and what better way to come back and flex your muscle a little bit,” Hagan said.
The four-time world champion said conditions near the Bay created ideal performance. “These motors want to run, man … they like to be loaded, they like to be pulled on,” Hagan said.
Hagan, who has never won at Sonoma, said getting a victory there would be meaningful. “This is the only racetrack … that I haven’t won at. I really would like to pull this one down this weekend,” he said.
He said the car had strong early numbers, but still has more potential.
“I’ve never seen a crew chief go, ‘Well, you know, that was it’ … they’re always picking it apart,” Hagan said.
Hagan praised Knudsen’s development this season after a stint learning his role under longtime tuner Dickie Venables. “I’ve seen him make a progression … now it’s kind of like, ‘Okay, I know what I’m doing. I’m feeling good about this,’” Hagan said.
4 – REED DISCUSSES THE CRASH – Four days after a violent crash at the NHRA Northwest Nationals left him hospitalized, Top Fuel driver Shawn Reed is taking the first steps toward normalcy. Friday marked his first day back at the office of his Tacoma-based trucking company, though under time limits set by his wife.
Reed’s right-rear tire exploded during a qualifying run Saturday at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, sending his dragster spinning and crashing backward into the wall. He suffered two fractured ribs and multiple hand injuries, including the loss of his left index finger and the need for a pin in his left thumb.
“The accident pulled all the soft tissue off of the finger; there was zero saving it,” Reed said. “Although it was attached at the time of the crash, they knew they would not keep it … With it gone, I could learn to do anything.”
Reed recalled feeling as if he was “on ice” before losing consciousness. He described the aftermath as “silent but almost soothing.”
Despite the severity of the crash, Reed credited safety equipment with preventing injuries to his legs and hips. “Nothing down low was affected or bothered,” he said.
Reed does not know what caused the crash, citing possible tire failure, debris, or a mechanical problem. That uncertainty, he said, makes a return to racing more difficult.
He is scheduled for surgery on the pin in his thumb Wednesday and expects more clarity on his recovery afterward. Reed said the earliest return would be the Countdown event in Reading, Pennsylvania, in mid-September while Dallas in October is the latest likely option.
Reed, currently in the top 10 in points, may consider a substitute driver to maintain his standing if he cannot return in time.
Reed said he contacted a spectator who was injured by debris from the crash, expressing remorse and inviting the fan as a VIP guest at a future race. He said support from other drivers and teams has been overwhelming and vital during recovery.
Summing up the experience in one word, Reed chose “resilience.” He vowed the crash would not stop him from racing again. “You can’t dwell on this stuff,” Reed said. “If you are ever scared to get in a car, you better just stay out of a car … This will not stop me from my goals.”
5 – GADSON SETS FRIDAY PACE FOR BIKES – Richard Gadson posted the top pass Friday night in Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying for the GETTRX All-Star Callout, running 6.702 seconds at 200 mph. If the time holds, it would mark the first No. 1 qualifier of Gadson’s career.
Gadson, who earned his first win earlier this year in Bristol, said the provisional top spot is another milestone in a season of firsts. “I’m a big advocate of taking all the small victories, too, and this was one that I hadn’t been able to do,” he said.
Despite the career-best elapsed time, Gadson admitted he was frustrated at the finish line for missing a 6.69-second run. “I kind of felt kind of crappy because I was on the top end of the track and really been hoping for my first 6.69 slip,” he said.
John Hall, rider of a Matt Smith-tuned Buell, reminded him to enjoy the accomplishment. “John’s like, ‘Yo, you went 6.70 with it too. Just chill,’” Gadson said with a laugh.
Gadson credited his Vance & Hines crew for continued improvement throughout the season. “People look at it and say they have fast motorcycles, but we’re always trying to make them faster … and that shows right there what we can do,” he said.
Asked whether he imagined winning or qualifying No. 1 first, Gadson said reality hasn’t matched the dream. “You think of the whole storybook weekend … you’re that guy all weekend, you number one qualifier, you fastest all day and you go,” Gadson said. “Hopefully this weekend it does.”
6 – THE BULLSEYE PRINCIPLE – Greg Anderson set the track record Friday at Sonoma Raceway with a 6.472-second run at 210 mph to take the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro Stock qualifying. If it holds, it would be Anderson’s fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 137th of his career.
Anderson, who also set the track record last year in Sonoma, said the conditions were ideal for Pro Stock racing. “If you’re a Pro Stock racer, that’s what you dream of … it’s been a fantastic year to be a Pro Stock racer,” he said.
The six-time Pro Stock champion said Sonoma remains his favorite track. “I love this place … I’ve always had great success, and it’s because you feel good when you’re rolling through the gates out here,” Anderson said.
Anderson acknowledged that his recent success puts “a bull’s-eye” on his back. “I would much rather have that bull’s-eye on my back … it’s what you work for, it’s what you strive for,” he said.
He noted that the competition has tightened in recent weeks. “They’re getting closer … anybody in this class that qualifies can win,” Anderson said.
Anderson credited his team for maintaining an edge while executing on race day. “It’s a total package. You’ve got to do it all right. The driver’s got to be right, the car’s got to be right, and the engine’s got to be right,” he said.
He cited teammate and Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn as one of several drivers capable of ending his streak. “Dallas has a great hot rod and he drives the wheels off that damn thing … every one of them can send me home easily,” Anderson said.
7 – THE PSM GETTRX ALL-STAR CALLOUT SET FOR SATURDAY – Eight of the NHRA’s top Pro Stock Motorcycle riders will compete Saturday in the GETTRX All-Star Callout at Sonoma Raceway as part of the 37th annual Denso Sonoma Nationals. The specialty race offers a chance for riders to win both the Callout and Sunday’s main event, a feat that was accomplished the past two years.
Back-to-back world champion Gaige Herrera, who won Sunday in Seattle, is the top seed and will get the first pick of his opening-round opponent. Six-time NHRA champion Matt Smith, Bristol winner Richard Gadson, Angie Smith, Norwalk winner John Hall, Jianna Evaristo, Chase Van Sant, and Chris Bostick round out the field.
The Callout format lets riders choose their first-round opponent, with the quickest winner earning the right to pick in the semifinals. A year ago, Herrera called out Smith in the opening round but lost, with Smith going on to win both the Callout and Sunday’s race.
“I’m not sure who I’m going to call out,” Herrera said. “Last year, I called out Matt and it kind of bit me in the butt … but going into Sonoma we’ve got a lot of confidence and momentum.”
Saturday’s first-round matchups are Herrera vs. Bostick, Smith vs. Van Sant, Gadson vs. Evaristo, and Angie Smith vs. Hall. The opening round begins at 11:15 a.m. PDT, with semifinals at 1:45 p.m., and the final at 4:15 p.m.
The GETTRX All-Star Callout will be broadcast Saturday at 9:30 p.m. EDT on FS1.
8 – BACK IN THE DAY WITH SNAKE – Don Prudhomme, one of drag racing’s most iconic figures, reflected on his career and the evolution of the sport while attending the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Prudhomme, nicknamed “The Snake,” said facilities like Sonoma Raceway are far more advanced than the tracks he competed on during his Funny Car career.
“In those days, our cars went down the track, whether it’s this track or wherever it was at,” Prudhomme said. “We made a living … but you couldn’t go out there and smoke the tires and come back and think you were going to get paid.”
Prudhomme said modern drag racing cars produce so much power that teams often struggle to make clean runs on Fridays and Saturdays. “I like to see them go down the track and not go out there and smoke the tires and shut it off. It kind of sucks,” he said.
As a competitor, Prudhomme said racing was never a hobby, but a serious job. “I was making a living … and it was everything to me,” he said. “I wasn’t a rich guy like they have in today’s world that kind of does this as a hobby.”
Prudhomme and rival Tom McEwen helped elevate drag racing’s profile with their Hot Wheels sponsorships in the early 1970s. “It was really important for me to make Wally Parks (NHRA founder) happy,” Prudhomme said. “When we got the Hot Wheels deal … it was really a big step for the sport to have that.”
Prudhomme, a four-time NHRA Funny Car champion, won 49 national events and was the first Funny Car driver to exceed 250 mph. He said he remains proud of his role in expanding the sport beyond traditional automotive sponsors.
9 – MILLICAN: THE OLD SOUL – Top Fuel racer Clay Millican considers himself an old soul in drag racing. and said if given the chance, he would travel back to the 1970s to race against legends such as Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney. The veteran from Drummonds, Tennessee, said he would have stayed loyal to dragsters despite the era being better known for Funny Cars.
“I certainly would be in Top Fuel because that’s what I dreamed of, and fortunate enough that that’s what I’m doing,” Millican said. “Scoot me back to the [era] of Big Daddy and Shirley … I would like to be in that mixture.”
Millican said he would have enjoyed competing on track and exchanging smack talk with the sport’s biggest personalities. “I’m not smart enough like Big Daddy, but I can talk a lot … I would’ve loved to have been in that mix and running good,” he said.
He said the traveling lifestyle of that era resembled his current schedule. “Match races two or three nights a week, count me in, man – that many opportunities to stomp on that loud pedal,” Millican said.
He acknowledged that Funny Car drivers had more match-race opportunities, but said Garlits and Muldowney thrived in dragsters. “Count me in. Shirley, Big Daddy era – I would love that,” he said.
Asked where he would have ranked among 1970s stars like Jeb Allen and Richard Tharp, Millican said Garlits would have been tough to beat. “Maybe if you snuck Austin Coil over to tune the thing, that might’ve been a pretty good duo,” he said.
Millican said he never had much interest in switching to Funny Cars despite some career uncertainty. “At 10 years old, 1976, I watched a match race … and that imprinted in my brain that I wanted to drive a Top Fuel car,” he said.
Though opportunities to drive Funny Cars came up, Millican said his career always remained in dragsters. “At one point … I thought I was going to have to drive a Funny Car, but it just always worked out as a dragster,” he said.
10 – TONY STEWART: HAGAN IS THE BIG LITTLE BROTHER I NEVER WANTED – Tony Stewart compared his relationship with Funny Car driver Matt Hagan to having “the big little brother I never had and never wanted.” The team owner said Hagan reminds him of former NASCAR teammate Clint Bowyer, and praised the chemistry they share.
Stewart said Hagan plays a major role in keeping him motivated. “There’s times … we were struggling and Leah [Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett] would try to keep me pumped up, but I would talk to Matt, and Matt had me way pumped up when I was done,” Stewart said.
He credited Hagan as a teammate who is supportive regardless of circumstances. “If it’s going good, he’s patting you on the back. If it’s going bad, he’s still patting you on the back and telling you it’s going to come,” Stewart said.
Hagan said the two enjoy making lighthearted videos and sharing laughs away from the track. “He’s a good sport … we make him do a lot of funny stuff … and he’ll do it,” Hagan said.
Hagan said their camaraderie helps ease the pressure of competition. “It’s a great way to lighten up the mood, especially if one of us is not having a good weekend,” he said.
A four-time Funny Car champion, Hagan said he tries not to take himself too seriously. “If I can’t have fun … then people are like, ‘This ain’t you,’” Hagan said. “You got to just enjoy all of it and understand how blessed we are.”
Stewart said Hagan is easy to work with and unafraid to speak up when something needs to be addressed. “He’s the kind of teammate you always want … I just like working with him,” Stewart said.
