By merely making a qualifying run at this weekend’s Schuck’s Auto
Supply NHRA Nationals, Funny Car points leader Tim Wilkerson can clinch
his spot in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. Pro Stock front-runner Greg
Anderson can also clinch if he qualifies No. 12 or higher, wins a round
regardless of position, or if the drivers behind him don’t max out
their points in qualifying.

FULL POINTS STANDINGS 

The track name has changed along with some of the topography, but that
hasn’t altered Melanie Troxel’s feelings for Pacific Raceways, nee
Seattle International Raceway.

The site of this weekend’s Schuck’s Auto Supply Nationals is where
Troxel earned her first NHRA national event victory.  It came in Top
Alcohol dragster in 1999, and was followed by another win in Topeka.

Much has changed for Troxel since then, but she still enjoys returning
to the Seattle area.  The fact this event comes a week after the NHRA
POWERade Series tour stop in the oxygen-starved mile-high altitude of
Denver, makes it even more accommodating for all of the crew chiefs who
struggled with tune-ups at Bandimere Speedway.

“I like Seattle,” said Troxel. “I think it is a pretty venue. I like
parking in the middle of the trees . . . and I’ve had success there
when I was racing in the alcohol ranks.  I ran all of the (NHRA)
Division 6 and Division 7 races, which includes Seattle.

Bob Tasca III is a driver and team owner that doesn’t settle for just
good enough. Heading into this weekend’s NHRA Nationals in Seattle, the
driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane/Custom Accessories Shelby Mustang
is determined to get his team back up into the top 10 in the
championship standings after dipping down into 11th by two points.

“We may be a new team this season, but we’re focused on getting
ourselves back into the top 10, and doing that this weekend,” said the
rookie driver. “As far as I’m concerned, if you’re in the top 10 by 20
points or you’re out of it by two, it makes no difference, you have to
win. We have to go rounds, or we won’t make it into the playoffs. We’ve
done very well qualifying on Friday and Saturday, but I think that
there is a little frustration that things haven’t gone our way on
Sunday. “

The rookie driver, who made the jump from an Alcohol Funny Car to a
nitro Funny Car this year, put together a team in three months during
the off season, and earned his license just days before the first race
of the season. While one might think that those accomplishments alone
would bring enough satisfaction to a driver in his first year on the
circuit, but that’s not the case with Tasca.

For Paul Richards this season has seen some highs and lows but lately
things have definitely been on the upswing. After a non-qualifying
effort during the Texas Amalie Oil Nationals in San Antonio TX, the car
rebounded at the Presidents Cup Nationals in Budds Creek MD qualifying
in the fifth spot by making two consistent runs.

Fast forward to this past Wednesday night at a match race in
Englishtown, NJ the car again ran two consistent laps and to top it off
didn’t hurt any parts.

With this in mind car owner Paul Richards made the decision to head
north for this weekends Mopar Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend,
Ontario, Canada.

Brandon Bernstein will satisfy his need for speed this week while
gearing up for the Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals July 18-20 at
Pacific Raceways. 

Today, he will get a taste of the jet set life as he
flies with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at McChord Air Force Base.

Jon Asher Photo

U.S. Army Top Fuel driver, Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher, just offers a
wide grin when asked if he’s enjoying the 2008 drag racing season thus
far.

Schumacher's off to one of his finest starts ever. (Roger Richards)

“I’m really at a loss for words to describe what we’ve accomplished to
date,” said the five-time world champion. “We’ve managed to win six
races and advance to two other final rounds in 13 races. Those numbers
are pretty good, if you ask me.”

In fact, Schumacher is off to his best start to a season since he
turned professional in 1996. Heading into this weekend’s Schuck’s Auto
Supply Nationals at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle, he’s built a
275-point cushion over Antron Brown in the standings.

With one leg of the NHRA Western Swing completed and two remaining on
the docket, race teams now turn their gaze toward the Pacific Northwest
and the running of the 21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals
on July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways.

Pontiac's Greg Anderson knows just how important a good start to what
will be a tough three weeks of racing can be. The POWERade Pro Stock
points leader captured his third consecutive win and a class-leading
fifth victory of the season last Sunday at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals
in Denver, qualifying No. 1, setting a new track e.t. record at 7.010
seconds and running top speed of the meet at a track-record 196.39 mph.
The three-time POWERade champion is hoping he can duplicate that kind
of performance out of his Pontiac GXP when the series makes its annual
stop at Pacific Raceways.
 
"It seems like every year that the Western Swing is what makes or
breaks your season," Anderson said. "Either you get on a run and have a
good second half of the season, or you get in a rut and you're
scrambling to find your groove again before the Countdown comes. It
felt good to run as well as we did in Denver, and the neat thing is,
which is probably ridiculous to even think about it, it would be
awfully neat to be able to sweep the Western series. But with the way
Pro Stock is right now, with the competition so tough, that was
probably the farthest thing from my mind a month ago. With the win in
Denver we're the only ones that still have a chance, even though it's a
small possibility.

The big, black Bill Miller Engineering 18-wheeler racked up more than
10,000 highway miles in the last two months, ferrying the BME Okuma Top
Fuel dragster from the team's headquarters in Nevada to NHRA national
events in Tennessee, Illinois and Ohio. In that same period, the black
and yellow BME dragster logged three miles in qualifying and
competition. Along the way, the BME team ran steady 4.60s, won a round
in eliminations, and won dozens of friends for drag racing.
 
"We had guests from Okuma, Sandvik Coromant, and Infinity Rebuild at
the events in Bristol, Chicago, and Norwalk," said team owner Bill
Miller. "It never ceases to amaze me how much our guests love standing
in the pits, watching the BME crew take the car apart, put it back
together, and then fire it up. Most have never been to a drag race
before and have no idea what goes on between runs, so it really is a
lot of fun to share our world with first-timers.
 
"Okuma even sets up the 'Bill Miller Theater' inside their hospitality
trailer," he continued. "We have a projector that's hooked up to a
laptop computer, and I can show the guests the data from a run,
complete with video, on a big screen. I explain that racing a Top Fuel
dragster is like running a three-axis CNC machine without a controller
– and since they work with very sophisticated machines, that is an
analogy they can understand.

Rookie of the year favorite Mike Neff has been getting acquainted with
his new teammates at John Force Racing for almost a year. From day one
they have been helpful and eager to see him succeed. As Neff learned
the ropes they were there to offer insight and suggestions to help the
former crew chief handle his Old Spice Ford Mustang as he navigated the
various racing facilities on the NHRA POWERade series.

That help may begin to dry up.

Neff has pulled up beside John Force Racing teammates an astounding six
times in the last eight races this season. Unfortunately he has never
met a teammate in a final which would guarantee a JFR winners circle.
He has a respectable, if not impressive, 4-2 record against JFR but he
would rather meet up with his teammates at the end of the day instead
of early.

“You always hate to have to race your teammate. You know somebody will
have a bad day since they are going to lose the first round (later in
the day). The one positive is you are guaranteed getting a car to the
(next) round,” said the Hemet, California native.

Max Naylor essentially ensured his sponsorship for years to come.
The veteran Pro Stock racer purchased the assets of VegasFuel Energy
Drink, his major sponsor.

Naylor has been flying the banner of
VegasFuel Energy Drink since the beginning of the season and has been
supporting and marketing the drink endlessly. 

“The overwhelming
response to this beverage, ‘This tastes great – where can I get it?’
convinced us that we should be more involved in the day to day
operations of VegasFuel," said Naylor. "We feel we have assembled a
great marketing team with our group, and with the at-track success we
have had with a former marketing partner, we felt we can do the same
here, except now we have direct control of it’s success.”