Defending series champion Josh Hernandez ended a week he'd just as soon forget with a memorable
win over championship rival Tony Pontieri at the 23rd annual Super
Start Batteries NHRA Nationals to pad his lead in the JEGS ProMod
Challenge points to 59 with two races left on the 2008 schedule.

A resident of the Houston suburb of Conroe, Texas, Hernandez spent the
first half of the week digging out from the widespread damage caused by
Hurricane Ike.

He managed to make it to the race on time and didn't miss a beat once
he got here, qualifying No. 1 and marching through the field to win
with a 6.036 at 237.21 mph in his Team Rage '68 Camaro to Pontieri's
6.245 at 234.82 mph in his Quality Plus Compressors '57 Bel Air.

Champions were crowned in eight Lucas Oil sportsman categories during
this weekend’s highly successful fourth annual JEGS NHRA Northern
SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway. Emerging from a field of
more than 500 competitors, Robert Bailey of Wabash, Ind., claimed the
title in Comp Eliminator while former NHRA national champion Jeff
Taylor claimed his second Northern SPORTSnationals title in Super
Stock. Katie Sepanek of Moosic, Pa., added her name to the list of
women who have won an NHRA national event when she claimed the Stock
eliminator title over former champion Kevin Helms. The state of Ohio
was well represented as Buckeye racers combined to make seven final
rounds. Other winners crowned on Sunday afternoon were Don Trasin of
Pickerington, Ohio (Super Comp), Gary Linkhorn of Cumberland, Ohio
(Super Gas), Don Moyer of Pickerington, Ohio (Super Street), Ronnie
Davis of Suwanee, Ga. (Top Sportsman), and Bill Webb of Centerburg,
Ohio (Top Dragster).
          
Bailed drove his dragster to a time of 7.24-seconds to beat Greg
Kamplain of Brownsburg, Ind., in the final round of Comp Eliminator.
Taylor, a three-time NHRA champion who has also raced in Pro Stock,
drove his ’95 Olds Achieva to a final round victory against Rich South
of Pickerington in the Super Stock final and Sepanek downed Helms in
the Stock final with a run of 11.77-seconds in her ’72 Chevelle.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following
the 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at
Texas Motorplex, the 20th of 24 events in the
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1.  Tony Schumacher, 2,295; 2.  Antron Brown, 2,198; 3.  Cory
McClenathan, 2,191; 4.  Larry Dixon, 2,166; 5.  Hillary Will, 2,141;
6.  Brandon Bernstein, 2,130; 7.  Rod Fuller, 2,114; 8.  Doug Herbert,
2,075; 9.  Doug Kalitta, 2,055; 10.  David Grubnic, 2,023.

Joe Baker disqualified for supercharger infraction …

Jegs Pro Modified racer Joe Baker’s disqualification from the NHRA
Fallnationals in Dallas, Tex., was the result of a misunderstanding,
this according to his crew chief Chuck Ford.

During the off season, between 2007 and 2008, the NHRA put into effect
supercharger rules closely mirroring those of the IHRA, mandating no
billet blowers. Supercharger casings had to be fabricated in OEM
material with an opening to not exceed 11-inches by 4.5-inches.

No such rule existed in 2007.

Before the first race of the 2008 season was run, the NHRA rescinded a
portion of the rule thereby enabling teams to use a billet casing.
Chuck Ford read the change to mean size restrictions had been waived as
well.

ALL FOUR WORLD CHAMPS DEFEATED IN THE FINALS IN DRAMATIC CONCLUSION TO O’REILLY FALL NATIONALS

Roger Richards Photos

J.R. Todd had a military salute for Tony Schumacher on Sunday, but it wasn’t the kind Schumacher’s used to.

In fact, for the first time in NHRA history the reigning NHRA POWERade
Series world champions were a stunning 0-4 in final rounds at the same
event, the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas
Motorplex.

Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual O'Reilly Super
Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex, the 20th of 24
events in the  NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Tony Schumacher, 3.898, 312.57 def. Rod Fuller, 4.374,
230.72; Antron Brown, 3.909, 307.37 def. Steve Torrence, 3.904, 307.02;
J.R. Todd, 3.911, 310.13 def. Spencer Massey, 3.933, 304.74; Clay
Millican, 4.197, 222.07 def. Bob Vandergriff, 4.279, 235.43; Hillary
Will, 3.879, 309.63 def. Doug Kalitta, 3.918, 299.20; Brandon
Bernstein, 3.894, 311.49 def. Doug Herbert, 4.354, 214.93; Cory
McClenathan, 3.887, 307.16 def. Joe Hartley, 9.776, 83.65; Larry Dixon,
3.871, 309.63 def. Morgan Lucas, 3.908, 303.78;

QUARTERFINALS -- Bernstein, 3.965, 296.24 def. Brown, 4.016,
281.42; McClenathan, 3.968, 294.37 def. Millican, 4.052, 276.75; Todd,
3.934, 305.22 def. Will, 3.936, 304.39; Schumacher, 3.914, 310.34 def.
Dixon, 4.014, 274.66;

SEMIFINALS -- Todd, 4.532, 235.39 def. Bernstein, 6.729, 113.67; Schumacher, 4.025, 273.66 def. McClenathan, 4.646, 173.45;

FINAL -- Todd, 3.912, 309.84 def. Schumacher, 3.910, 310.63.

Sunday's final results from the 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start
Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex.  The  race is the
20th of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- J.R. Todd, 3.912 seconds, 309.84 mph  def. Tony Schumacher, 3.910 seconds, 310.63 mph.

Charlie Westcott Sr., of Parma, Mich., claimed the victory in today’s Mopar Hemi Challenge held at the fourth annual JEGS NHRA
Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway. In the final round,
Westcott defeated his son, Charlie Jr., in the final on a holeshot when
his 8.56-secound run defeated Charlie Jr’s quicker 8.52 effort.
 
There was also a lot of action in the ultra competitive Top Dragster
class as 38 drivers attempted to qualify for one of just 32 guaranteed
starting spots. John Coughlin drove his Undercover Chassis dragster to
a 7.08-second run that was good for the No. 24 spot.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at
Texas  Motorplex, the 20th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended
Saturday. DNQs listed below  pairings.

Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon, 3.820 seconds, 310.70 mph  vs. 16.
Morgan Lucas, 3.967, 301.20; 2. Brandon Bernstein, 3.842, 315.19  vs.
15. Doug Herbert, 3.946,  300.86; 3. Hillary Will, 3.849, 314.97  vs.
14. Doug Kalitta, 3.946, 309.06; 4.Bob Vandergriff, 3.861, 312.64  vs.
13. Clay Millican, 3.923, 304.80; 5. Cory  McClenathan, 3.866, 313.00 
vs. 12. Joe Hartley, 3.903, 299.93; 6. J.R. Todd,3.874, 307.72  vs. 11.
Spencer Massey, 3.902, 307.23; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.874, 306.26 vs. 10.
Antron Brown, 3.897, 309.06; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.880, 310.98 vs. 9.
Rod Fuller, 3.896, 308.50.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Tim Boychuk, 3.989, 285.59; 18. David Grubnic, 4.890, 306.95.

HIGHT, DIXON, COUGHLIN, KRAWIEC EARN TOP QUALIFYING HONORS AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

Even
though it was only Saturday, points were the topic drivers wanted to
talk about after the conclusion of qualifying at the O’Reilly Super
Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol.

In Funny Car, Robert Hight moved within one point of leaders Cruz
Pedregon, who entered the weekend alone in the top spot, and Jack
Beckman, who’s since joined him, in the standings after qualifying his
Auto Club of Texas Ford Mustang in the top spot in 4.063 seconds, at
301.81 mph. A quick look down the point standings show the driver who
goes deepest into eliminations Sunday will leave with the lead in the
Countdown to the Championship point standings.