BATTLE OF NITRO TEAMMATES FAVORS BECKMAN, FULLER; SMITH, JOHNSON ALSO SCORE

 
 
Top Fuel points leader "Hot Rod" Fuller handled teammate Whit Bazemore
in Sunday's final of the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at
Bandimere Speedway to win for the second time this year.
 
In Funny Car, "Fast Jack" Beckman did the same thing, beating his Don
Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps to claim his first Wally of 2007.
 
Pro Stock victor Allen Johnson and Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Matt Smith joined them in the winner's circle.
 
Bazemore got the jump on Fuller in the Top Fuel final, leaving with a
.077-second start to Fuller's .106-second launch. But Fuller had passed
his stablemate before they crossed the halftrack timers and went on to
win with a 4.683 at 312.93 mph in his Wagner CAT dragster to Bazemore's
4.770 at 308.35 mph in the Matco Tools rail.

Final round-by-round results from the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the 13th of 23 events in the  NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series:
 
 
TOP FUEL:
 
ROUND ONE --
Whit Bazemore, 4.858, 256.60 def. Bob Vandergriff, 5.287, 225.00; Larry Dixon, 4.790,
310.41 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.791, 302.82; J.R. Todd, 5.257, 270.32 def. Doug Herbert, 12.505, 60.43;
Mike Strasburg, 5.395, 210.57 def. Melanie Troxel, 6.060, 213.50; Rod Fuller, 4.781, 310.91 def.
Morgan Lucas, 4.941, 304.87; David Grubnic, 4.806, 302.69 def. Cory McClenathan, 4.895, 267.43;
Tony Schumacher, 4.805, 320.13 def. Clay Millican, 7.482, 112.43; Hillary Will, 4.753, 309.77 def.
Brandon Bernstein, 6.655, 144.41;

 

Top Fuel -- Rod Fuller, 4.683 seconds, 312.93 mph  def. Whit Bazemore, 4.770 seconds, 308.35 mph.

TROXEL, HIGHT, JOHNSON, SMITH, HOLD ON TO NO.1 SPOT AFTER RAIN DELAYED SATURDAY QUALIFYING AT DENVER

Melanie Troxel, Robert Hight, Allen Johnson, and Matt Smith -- remained
in control of their respective categories as NHRA racers got a bonus
nighttime session of qualifying after weather delayed Saturday's
qualiflying session at the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA nationals
at Denver's Bandimere Speedway.

Squelch the rumor mill;
there’s no hidden agenda behind Bill Miller and Alan Bradshaw’s absence from
Bandimere Speedway this weekend. The Mopar Mile High Nationals never ranks high
on the high-profile independent team’s preference list.     

“It has never been on Bill’s
agenda to attend the Denver
race,” said Bradshaw. “There are enough challenges as it is now to run a fuel
car without having to go up on the mountain and try to figure that out. We just
don’t go up there because it has never been a race Bill has wanted to attend.”

The BME team will join the
western swing in Seattle and then Sonoma.

Richie Stevens and Allen Johnson fared much better in Friday’s Denver
qualifying runs in their Stratus Pro Stock cars than they did at
Thursday night’s “Rumble In The Rapids” inner tubes during sponsor
Mopar’s Big Block party in nearby Golden, Colorado.
 
Stevens came out of frigid Clear Creek with a banged-up knee after
Thursday evening’s rubber-raft race against  Don Schumacher Racing
teammates Johnson, Jack Beckman, and Gary Scelzi. Crew member Mike Gott
said Stevens was limping for awhile (not to mention shivering, because
his pal with the towel was on the opposite bank from where he exited
the water). But Gott said Stevens’ knee improved after a few beverages
later that night: “That diminished the pain.”

TROXEL, HIGHT, JOHNSON AND SMITH PACE FIELD IN DENVER
 
Denver's own Melanie Troxel picked the perfect race to lead the Top
Fuel qualifying field, racing to the top of the 28th annual Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals Friday night with a 4.610 at 322.42 mph.

Roy Hill has had a change
of heart. He says he no longer yells at his drag racing school, but takes the
time to methodically explain the ins and outs of driving technique.

Those of us who have ever
been on the receiving end of one of his school tirades have a hard time
believing that. But, you have to look into his eyes to know that something his
changed his heart.

Blame it on the kids.

Hill has found solace in
working with the next generation of drag racers. The newest program at Roy Hill’s
Drag Racing School
enables parents to bring their children and their cars to Hill for orientation
and instruction.

During the annual Mopar Big Block Party, sponsors DSR, Oakley and Mopar
unveiled this tribute paint scheme to driver Gary Scelzi. Scelzi is not
retiring, he's just going on hiatus.

Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY will light up the southern
skies with header flames on the weekend of July 28 -29 as the Nostalgia
Pro Comp Association (NPCA) comes to town for a Bowling Green Bonanza! 
The NPCA, which is the Midwest’s and East Coast’s largest classic drag
racing association, will invade the beautiful landscape of Beech Bend
Raceway (former home of the National Hot Rod Reunion). The Southern
Nationals presented by Hot Hues/DuPont Performance Coatings is the
second stop on the five race NPCA Championship Series schedule.  NPCA
President, Troy Coker says Bowling Green is our “Big Go!” “This is the
race everyone wants to attend and take home the hardware,” Coker added.

Classic drag racing will take center stage on the historic quarter mile
as a field of over 100 racers will do battle in seven different
classes.  The seven NPCA classes include everything from 1979 &
earlier Nitro Funny Cars, Front Engine Dragsters and Fuel Altereds to
1972 & earlier blown door slammers.  Saturday night, July 28th will
feature two qualifying sessions under the lights beginning at 7:30 PM,
with the second session slated to begin at 9:30 PM.  Drag racing under
the stars on a Saturday night at Beech Bend will be a ride back in time
for those who remember the “good ole days” of drag racing. 
Eliminations will start at 12:30 PM on Sunday July 29th.