Welcome to the 2014 Winternationals at Pomona and to the second season of The Recliner Report! The staff here at TRR has stockpiled loads of beverages and snacks, so now it’s time to raise the footrest, lean back, and feel the need for speed! Let’s recline!

Welcome to the 2014 Winternationals at Pomona and to the second season of The Recliner Report! The staff here at TRR has stockpiled loads of beverages and snacks, so now it’s time to raise the footrest, lean back, and feel the need for speed! Let’s recline!

Ka-blam!!  Boy, did Ron Capps begin the year with a bang after a Friday qualifying run ended with an explosion that blew off the back half of his Funny Car! Ron was then checked out by medical staff and given the okey-dokey to continue racing. However, looking at the slo-mo replay of his thunderboomer proves that Capps is one tough hombre, and most folks wouldn’t have had the testicular fortitude to climb back in that NAPA ride - no way, no how.

Them’s fightin’ words—Tony Schumacher verbally planted the seed for a great year-long battle in the Top Fuel category. Following his first round loss to Khalid alBalooshi, the frustration of landing his ride on the trailer early in the day spilled out of “The Sarge” during his top-end interview with Gary Gerould. “They (alBalooshi’s team) did a great job,” said Schumacher. “They went out and beat us, but there’s no team in the world we like beating more than that Al-Anabi team, and those are my old guys. We want to dominate, and you cannot dominate when you’re getting your butt whipped like that.” Woo-hoo! We got ourselves a rivalry!

“The Recliner Report” riddle No.1--What famous family is not racing in the NHRA for the first time since 1977? The answer can be found at the end of the article!

Let’s blow out some birthday candles--Clay Millican turned 48 on Sunday, though he possesses the energy level of someone much younger. So, Clay, can all of us at TRR start the year off right with a huge sing-a-long of “Happy Birthday”? We’re good! OK, maybe not so good…but we’re loud!

Tougher than boot leather--Ron Capps was asked about any lingering effects of his massive explosion during Friday’s qualifying session. His comment? “Huh, What? Dude, can you talk louder?” Actually, his comment was, “Yeah, ears were ringing. It’s funny because you get back in the car for the next run. You can’t wait. Thank God I got to make the run the next day.” During the interview, video from inside the cockpit during the bomb blast was shown…wow. No athlete from any other sport can compete with drag racers in terms of sheer guts. To have the courage to drive 300-plus miles-per-hour while sitting on a 10,000 horsepower roman candle with wheels is just sick.

He can walk it and talk it--Jamie Howe’s “Walk & Talk” feature with Matt Hagan showed the pair walking through Nitro Alley while discussing the upcoming season, which was a really nice change from the interviews that normally take place outside a driver’s trailer. Cool, casual, just two folks visiting. Think any other sport would have their superstars walking among the fans? Nah, only if they’re followed by six security guards and a SWAT team. Cool stuff, Jamie. Let’s see more segments like that!

Will LesterHear that? It’s the sound of “Bodytalk”--Jeg Coughlin was shown during his pre-race routine performing exercises because as he stated, “We are looking for good communication within the body.” Coughlin’s efforts included stretching, pushups, and what looked to be yoga-like moves, along with time spent breathing pure oxygen from a tank. Nice. Add to that the fact that Coughlin has always been forward-thinking in regards to body wellness, as has also utilized the services of a team chef that provides healthy meals for team members. Add up all those ingredients and you’ve got a boss on the cutting edge of cool.

Gimme a smooch--After his first-round Funny Car match-up with buddy Del Worsham, Chad Head was reminded by Gary Gerould of an on-camera interview from the 2013 season when Worsham “smoochbombed” Head with an unwanted kiss on the cheek. Head’s response? Smiling, he said, “He kisses me today, we’re rolling in the dirt. I can tell you that right now.” Don’t do it, Del. That Chad is one big dude.

Why do I love racing? I’ll tell you why--Another nice feature presented was “Why I love drag racing.” When asked his opinion, Ron Capps replied, “No matter who they are, I can bring out the biggest star in the world, the biggest musician, the coolest person in the world, and I can impress ‘em with what we have in drag racing. It never fails, you bring someone out to watch 10,000 horsepower Funny Cars or Top Fuel Dragsters, and you can completely blow their mind.”

Forever in love--A very emotional Jim Oberhofer told Jamie Howe that the 2013 Winternationals was the last event attended by his late wife Tammy. “I want to win for her. We’ll do good for her.” A wonderful sentiment from a great guy.

The E3 Sparkplugs Hotshot—we learned that Matt Hagan’s offseason is “Crazy. I do a lot of farm work, try to take a couple of hunting trips, and spend some time with the family.” A country boy at heart, Hagan professes to loving the hip-hop sounds when getting ready to drive his Funny Car, or as he calls it, “this fire-breathing monster.” His first job was at a family-owned pawn shop, and if he weren’t racing, Matt stated that he would probably be working at his family’s car business, where he would “sell some cars and make some money.”

Let’s go to the gun show-- Hagan was shown later posing for the camera alongside photographer Mark Rebilas, as both flexed their muscles for the picture. Dang. Hagan is pumped with a capital P. Dude is shredded. Mike Dunn observed Matt’s guns and wisecracked, “Hey - that’s gotta be Photoshopped.”

Will LesterThe Weekend Wow Factor—
No.5—Alexis DeJoria’s 3.997 pass, the quickest ever by a female driver. The girl’s bringing it every weekend, and she’s gonna win sooner than later. Plus, she’s got one bad-looking hot rod.
No.4—Cruz Pedregon’s “backfire boomer” from his first-round run. Shown in super slo-mo, you wonder how these guys can jump back behind the wheel after such a huge explosion. Amazing.
No.3—John Force’s 3.966, 324.12 mile-per-hour effort, which set a national elapsed time record. This guy doesn’t know how to rest on his 16 championships. Incredible.
No.2—Sidnei Frigo’s huge explosion during qualifying, as his Top Fueler became the world’s fastest BBQ grill on wheels at the end of the run. However, Frigo brought the rail to a safe stop, a testament to his incredible driving skills.
No.1—Ron Capps, whose explosion during qualifying gave new meaning to the word “boom,” couldn’t wait to get back in the car for his next pass.

Mr. Consistency--Jason Line’s win in the final led Lewis “Stat Guy” Bloom to let viewers know that this is the 11th year in a row that Line has won at least one Wally.

Look at my cape--Wow. John Force’s 3.965 in the Funny Car final versus Matt Hagan lowered the national elapsed time record…again. Dude is on fire after his 139th national event win. And, at 64 years of age, isn’t he one of the oldest drivers out on the circuit? Just sayin’…Finally, Force commented during his top end interview with Gary Gerould, “I’m 64-years-old. Yeah, I’m a wore out piece of sh__. I wanna tell you something. I’m 24 when I’m in this firesuit. I’m Superman.”

I had a great teacher—after his Top Fuel victory over Doug Kalitta, Khalid alBalooshi became the sixth driver guided to the Winners Circle by the one and only Alan Johnson.

The answer to “The Recliner Report” riddle No.1—What famous family is not racing in the NHRA for the first time since 1977? Well, since Brandon slipped out of the cockpit to join Al-Anabi as General Manager, we have no Bernsteins to discuss. Kinda strange…

OK, so that’s one in the books! Let’s take a week off and then head out to Phoenix. Get well, Greg Anderson!

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