Keep up with this weekend's NHRA Auto Club Finals by reading our behind-the-scenes event notebook. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the pits.  

		EVENT RESULTS EVENT NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK -

GET READY FOR ANTRON - Antron Brown sent a strong message Sunday evening at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Brown wants the competition to know that he’s got every intention of making the Matco Tool-sponsored dragster the one to beat in 2010. He had the car to beat in the regular season but the Countdown to 1 playoffs just didn’t work in his favor.

“We're definitely looking forward to next year,” said Brown, as he celebrated his sixth 2009 win. “This year was a career year out of all my years of NHRA drag racing. We just have to tackle this Countdown a little different way next year.”

Brown’s latest victory came at the expense of Spencer Massey, whose victory over Larry Dixon in the semi-finals handed the 2009 championship to DSR teammate Tony Schumacher.

And for Brown, that countdown to a better 2010 began last month when Don Schumacher purchased the assets of Mike Ashley Racing. Schumacher’s purchase of the team marked the fourth time that particular grouping of talent had been purchased.

“Being with DSR is going to make a big difference,” Brown predicted. “It's already making dividends. We got our car turned around this weekend. Brian and Mark, my hat is off to them and all our boys. They just kept on digging. They wouldn't say no and the performance came back. We're just going to hit it harder. We have a lot more resources. It's only going to make us even stronger.”

And on a day where he had to beat Urs Erbacher, Brandon Bernstein, Schumacher and Massey, Brown needed every ounce of strength he could conjure.

“That was a whole new package that we were running this weekend,” he added. “We ran out of our stuff that we were doing so well with during the middle of the season. It kind of bit us in the Countdown. It's sad to say but we never counted on going that many rounds in the season, before the countdown. We were up over 40, 45 round wins. We ran out of a lot of stuff.”

When he pulled alongside of Schumacher for their quarter-final matchup, the championship had already been determined. How would Brown have reacted against Schumacher if the title was still on the line?

Brown said no different than any other driver.
 
“Larry and Schumacher had everything to lose in those rounds,” Brown said. “The pressure and the stakes were high. We have no orders on our team to do specific things, even though we are owned by the same team owner, we all have different sponsors. You have to go out there and race. If I was in the championship running I wouldn't want Tony to do something for me to win a championship.”

Brown knew win, lose or draw he had the support of the team owner.

“Right when Tony just won a championship he came in my lane, pointed at me and told me, 'good luck and kick his son's butt.' That's pretty cool,” Brown confirmed.

Brown came up there with expectations to do his bosses bidding.

“We went up there and we gave the car what we think the track can handle,” he continued. “We said, 'what we need to do this round is to run an 81 or 82 and if we get beat, we get beat. We figured Tony could run .81 or .83 and they went an .83. We had to be there and I had to be sharp on the tree. We gave it everything we got and ended up on the right side of the chips.”

NEFF GETS HIS WIN - The third time was the charm for Mike Neff.

The sophomore driver raced to his third final of the 2009 season and at the final event of the season, the NHRA Auto Club Finals, the former tuner turned drag racer hit pay dirt. The victory marked the 191st win for John Force Racing with 185 coming in the Funny Car class.

“Things just kind of fell our way today. That is not normally how I would like to do it. I would rather go out there and dominate, be low ET every round but I’ll take it any way we can get it. It was a little hit and miss,” Neff said of his day, “mainly miss.  But it just goes to show you that when it’s your day, it’s your day.  We ran good when we needed to and we caught some lucky breaks. It turned out to be a pretty exciting final there with Ashley.  My car went up in smoke immediately and I saw her out there and just when I thought it was over, I started reeling her back in.”

“I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to win one.  We finally did it in the last race of the year and it’s a good one to win because you get to (enjoy) it all winter.  I’m from Southern California.  Born and raised here (so) this is the place I wanted to get (my first).”

“It’s awesome. The fans our here at Auto Club Raceway were great. Robert winning the championship, Ashley finishing second and me now getting my first win, it was just the perfect ending.”

Neff faced a stout challenge in teammate and No. 1 qualifier Ashley Force Hood in the final round. The two drivers went up in smoke and staged a pedal-fest bearing a strong likeness to the driving style of their boss John Force.

Neff emerged victorious.

“That was a wild ride,” Neff said. “I didn’t see Neff for a long time. I kept trying to see if he was out there. Then I saw him go on down. Then I tagged a few things including the wall. It was exciting. The fans had a great show. I am OK and the Mustang is OK. We’ll just go back and get ready for the start if the season. We’ll be back here in a few months.”

Neff defeated friend Jim Head in the first round, Force in the second and most importantly fellow Ford Mustang driver Tim Wilkerson in the semi-final round. The win locked up Ashley Force Hood’s position as the Full Throttle championship runner-up and the $100,000 payday for the Castrol GTX Mustang team. This was not the first pressure packed round for Neff in the Countdown. In Richmond Hight and Force Hood were eliminated early and Neff defeated Tony Pedregon minimizing any points advantage Pedregon could have picked up on his teammates.

“You want to be able to pull your weight and help your team out. You don’t want to let them down. Everybody is counting on you. It is not like you have to win every race for them but there is a certain amount of pressure in certain situations that you don’t want to let them down. Those are definitely two big wins for us. There was a lot of pressure racing Tim Wilkerson knowing that he was challenging Ashley for that number two spot. We definitely wanted to be able to pull our wait and help them out. Those are the kind of wins where you feel the pressure.”

The second round win for Neff over Force was bittersweet. By ending Force’s race day he stopped two of the most impressive streaks of the 14-time champion’s career. For the first time in 22 years Force ended a season without a win and the last time Force ended a season without a final round appearance the year was 1984.

“I did feel bad. They have been running so good this week. We just got the lucky shot and picked them off. When you are racing John Force there is really no pressure. Even if we lose he is going to win. The pressure really builds when you are racing a non team member. It is always fun racing John Force even if he is your boss. It is still John Force in the other lane so you know it will be exciting.”

DEAR SANTA - Note from Greg Anderson to the NHRA. Please fix your right lane at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

The three-time Pro Stock champion drove his Pontiac GXP to victory at the NHRA Auto Club Finals admittedly because lane choice worked in his favor. All four professional winners came out of the left lane, the lane of choice on race day.

Anderson remained in the left lane all day long, knocking off Kurt Johnson in the final round. Johnson fouled but one round earlier Anderson defeated newly crowned champion Mike Edwards, who made
anything but a straight run in the troubled lane.

“I don't like to cry and whine but we've had issue with the right lane starting line for a lot of years,” Anderson said. “I am going to put it on my wish list for Santa that we fix the right lane here because it's not right and it's not good. And, it hasn't been since day one.

“It needs to be fixed. It's not a major problem. It's not anything that would take a big expense. I think you saw it in all classes today. We see it every year we come here. We need to fix that starting line so we have more even races and lane choice won't decide races. I just don't like that part of drag racing where lane choice decides the race, whether I am the guy who gets it all the time or not. It needs to be fair, let the best man win deal. We've know about this for a long time. I am not going to sit here and harp on it, but it's on my Christmas wish list that NHRA fix that lane.”

Anderson’s victory over Johnson now leaves him with the longest yearly winning streak at nine seasons with at least one victory.

THE IRONY OF IT - Eddie Krawiec has won a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship in the least likely scenario. This season he lost one in the least likely turn of event.

Last season, he won a title despite never having won a national event.

This year Krawiec won his fifth national event victory out of eleven final rounds. His NHRA Auto Club Nationals crown came at the expense of second-year Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Douglas Horne.

“Last year I was fortunate to not have to race to win and get the championship,” Krawiec said. “I am still a very lucky person to come in here talking about getting the race win and not the championship. It came down to two points which shows you how important qualifying is. We bobbled a little bit this weekend in qualifying which ultimately could have cost us. We were trying to keep Hector from getting to that three round deficit. Unfortunately we didn't.”

Arana won the title by two points, one of two professional divisions decided by that same point margin.

Krawiec should have an easy winter as nothing earth shattering is scheduled to come out of the Harley Davidson camp.

“We debuted all new stuff this year, so 2010, hopefully we are just basically going to blow the dust off our bikes and pull them out,” he said. “We'll definitely be working on it. We're always working on our stuff over the winter.”

Krawiec won’t lament losing a large amount of points with the Countdown to 1 reset. Instead, he plans to ensure that he makes the most of next season’s championship format.  

While point nemesis Arana’s Buell benefited from Pro Stock car technology implemented into his engine program, Krawiec said these championships will always come down to the team who works the hardest in-between races.

“The end result is whoever puts forth the effort into their program is going to get out of it what they put into it,” said Krawiec. “It shows you Hector did a great job this year. My hat's off to him. Our whole team, just looking back at it he has done an awesome job all year and we can't discredit that.”

WELL DONE SOLDIER – On this Sunday afternoon, Tony Schumacher looked every bit like a battle wearied soldier walking off the battlefield. The newly crowned seven-time NHRA Top Fuel champion fended off the formidable challenge from Larry Dixon and in the end, the two points he gained with Saturday evening’s No. 1 effort made the difference.

“It was probably the toughest [championship] because I had to race a group of guys that I knew how good they were and what they were capable of,” Schumacher admitted. “Larry is a two-time world champion and I know how good he was. He’s an amazing driver and they were an amazing crew. I knew the battle was going to be tough but I also know that we had the right people to pull it off. I knew that before my father or anybody.”

Schumacher was prepared to face Dixon in the final round in a head-to-head battle to determine the championship but rookie racer Spencer Massey beat him to the punch. A pair later Schumacher dropped his second round match opposite of Antron Brown to end the battle.

Schumacher plans to present his championship trophy to the soldiers at Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas. Thirteen soldiers were killed and 30 others were wounded with a gunman went on a rampage on the base.

“I don’t think there’s any real question of where it belongs,” Schumacher said. “To the people, friends and families of those on that base, it will trickle down through the whole Army. When something like that happens we all bond together.”

Schumacher and his team had the foresight to realize they were in store for the battle of the careers before the season began.

His crew chief Alan Johnson had announced plans to start a team last September and when he left, many members of the U.S. Army followed him. Team owner Don Schumacher appointed former Cory McClenathan tuner Mike Green to replace the departed Johnson.

Even thought Schumacher was performing better than Dixon, the team took a step back at the onset of the Western Swing and began working on a tuning game plan to be implemented at this point in the season.

“Come Denver when we began working on this end-of-the-year tune-up, we took a lot of abuse,” Schumacher said. “We discussed it with my dad that we could go out and win races or we could change our direction and win a championship. We came up with a plan to get better and faster. What this team did was exactly what needed to be done.”

Car owner Don Schumacher doesn’t believe this championship was his team’s toughest, but he admits that he learned a lot about the kind of tuner Green is, a man who was expected to fill a large set of shoes at the start of the season.

Some might have considered that as an insurmountable challenge for Green, but the tuner believed he possessed the right stuff to challenge his former teammate.

“I worked with Alan last year, so I kinda got to know him,” Green said. “He showed me a few things but not everything. I learned a lot in racing with him and that helped us this year. When we started the year we considered ourselves even with them. We knew it would be a challenge and a battle all year. We’re happy to come out on top.”

For Schumacher, he’ll wear his championship ring and jacket as a reminder that he survived one of the most challenging battles he’s ever faced.

“It was as gratifying as anything I’ve ever done in life since the birth of my children,” Schumacher said. “I just can’t begin to tell you what it’s like to lose a complete team, have them all leave, and have to rebuild, read the papers about how we’ll never do it,” Schumacher said. “My dad knows how to rebuild. He knows how to let them hire people, motivate and let them buy the right parts and pieces. He gives us a gift of being able to go out and do what we do.”

“In 1999 we won the championship by being consistent and being a machine,” Schumacher said. “The rest of the championships we did amazing things. We had amazing moments and Saturday night was an exact copy of those moments.”   

FATHER KNOWS BEST - Hector Arana always lectured his four kids from birth on the values of dedication and persistence. On Sunday in Pomona, Ca, he validated his lessons.

“I always told them that if you believe in something, you don’t give up and keep working,” Arana said. “When things were harder, I just worked even harder. My determination was even more. Quitting was never anything I considered.”

Arana has four children, and he remembered in his early years of non-competitive, sporadic participation, how they used to follow his performance.

“My kids were growing up and when I’d get home, they’d run up to me and ask, ‘Dad did you win the race?”

“They did that every time until they became teenagers and then they stopped asking me. They don’t even ask me now whether I qualify or not. Then it hit me what am I teaching my kids?”

Then his longtime lesson became apparent – never give up despite the circumstances you face.

“If I am working so hard that I give up vacations and holidays, working day and night, and I have yet to accomplish what I am working for and they might look at and wonder if it will take 20 years,” Arana said with a smile.

As fate would have it, two of Arana’s sons, Adam and Hector, assisted their dad at the 2008 NHRA Summit Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, when he captured his first career national event victory.

“To me it was the most important thing that they saw that lesson firsthand,” Arana said. “They saw if you work hard and believe in yourself, it will come. It will happen.”

That victory only served as motivation for more and eventually led to an association with Lucas Oil teammate Larry Morgan. Morgan helped Arana to push the envelope further.

“I don’t know if Larry took it as a joke, but he told me to get the cylinder head and bring it to his shop and he would see what he could do for me,” Arana explained. “I didn’t ship it. I drove it there. He was surprised to see me there. He looked over the head and told me not to worry that I would be in good shape.”

That association with the veteran Pro Stock driver is where he believes his run for the championship began.

Never mind the three national event wins, seven pole positions and world record along the way. The day he aligned himself with Morgan, is the day Arana believes his run for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle title began.

“When Larry gives you more performance, your confidence is higher,” Arana said. “He took away a lot of the pressure. To have the horsepower was great. Those bonus points that I got from qualifying No. 1 added up for me to be here and win this championship.”

ENDING THE STREAKS – Two of drag racing’s longest win streaks came to an abrupt end at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca.

John Force lost his 22-year streak of winning at least one NHRA event when he dropped a tough quarter-final match against teammate Mike Neff. Force won his first event during the 1987 NHRA Grandnationals in Montreal, Que.

Kurt Johnson, by virtue of his final round red-light against Greg Anderson, saw his 14-year win streak come to an end.

Anderson now holds the longest win streak at nine consecutive seasons.

ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVES - Larry Dixon chose to accentuate the positives following a disheartening loss at the NHRA Auto Club Finals which cost him the 2009 championship by two points.

Dixon’s championship aspirations ended at the hands of the team he left last season and his replacement, the rookie Spencer Massey.

“I drive good,” said Dixon, a two-time champion when driving for Don Prudhomme. “I'm just kinda a victim of circumstances. Went out there and spun the tires. That was it. At the end of the day that was it, spun the tires.”

Dixon entered the 2009 season with the burden of heavy expectation on his shoulders and those of the members of the upstart Alan Johnson Racing/Al-Anabi racing team, an operation that didn’t even have a driver or running engine this time last season.

Those lofty goals can push a driver to want more and for Dixon, a second place finish just didn’t provide a quenching feeling.

“Last year at this time at the end of the day I was thrilled to finish second,” Dixon said. “That was a big deal to finish second last year. This year I am disappointed to finish second. That's the difference to me. Just being his Alan and Jason and his Highness, Sheik Khalid. This team they have assembled and being a part of it. I got a chance to talk to Khalid just before that run. He's just excited win, lose or draw he's in it for the long haul. He's really excited. He's ready for 2010 even before the rest of us.”

Last year at this time, Dixon was under a legal gag order about discussing his future with the Don Prudhomme team. He bought out his contract a month later and signed with Johnson.

This time there was no stopping Dixon from discussing a bright future.

“I can talk about the season after that and the one after that, too,” Dixon said. “We're in great shape. Khalid is only 23 years old. He plans on doing this for a long period of time. He wants Alan, he wants Jason, he wants Del, he wants me to be a part of this for a long time.”

At the end of the day, Dixon believes he blessed to be living a dream, champion or runner-up.

“I've gotten so much out of my life,” Dixon said. “I don't know that I aspired that high. Now to be able to win races and championships and be a part of something like we've got going on right now; I've got no complaints. If the worst thing that ever happens to me is finish two points down in this deal, we'll be okay.”

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Racing Spencer Massey in the first round of the NHRA Auto Club Nationals left Scott Palmer feeling a measure of sentimentality. Help from a few friends put him alongside a longtime friend in the first round.

Even though Massey beat Palmer decisively in the first round, the memories overshadowed the loss.

“Spencer was with me when I started this Top Fuel team,” Palmer explained. “We got to the races and unloaded the trailer. Me and Spencer … it was the two of us.”

Palmer and Massey managed to put the sentiments aside for their first race. In the opposite lane was a car and not a friend.

“It’s awesome and great, who would have ever thought we’d be racing against one another one day,” Palmer admitted. “We couldn’t believe I was doing it much less him [Spencer] on the big time. Look at where we came from.”

He raced and lost against an old friend, but it was another group of friends that kept him in the game.

Palmer had help during the weekend from the Lagana Brothers, Bobby and Dom, as well as their 14-year old clutch guy known only as “Little Wes”. Also in the mix was Rex Harris, whose father was Top Fuel legend Clayton Harris.

There has even been a measure of assistance from Massey’s crew chiefs Donnie Bender and Todd Smith.

“These guys are unbelievable and we have struggled all year long,” Palmer said. “We didn’t want to finish the season without fixing the problems. It would be a long winter to end on that.

“The Laganas stepped in after Richmond and worked with us for the last three weeks to get this car to work right. They have straightened out a lot of the problems and now we’re going down the track. We also made the show in Pomona and got to race Spencer, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

OAKLEY’S ROLLING O BACK FOR ’10 - Oakley’s Rolling O Store will return to the NHRA Full Throttle series next season after speculation that it wouldn’t.

Rolling O manager Donnie Faulkner confirmed the apparel trailer that supplies sunglasses as well as other items on the NHRA Manufacturer Midway is scheduled for a 16-event schedule.

“Those dates are yet to be announced but they will likely be the ‘A’ races,” Faulkner told CompetitionPlus.com on Sunday afternoon at the NHRA Auto Club Nationals.

Oakley is the official Lifestyle Company of the NHRA and because of a struggling economy, this type of business, Faulkner said, has been affected greater than most on the Midway.

“It’s probably affected us more because of the cost to get into the races,” Faulkner said. “Bringing a family of four, hot dogs, beer and popcorn … the cost of everything has gone up in the last two seasons. Last year we saw about a 25% drop in sales since last year.”

Faulkner remains optimistic about 2010.

“I think we are going to see a turnaround next year because of what we saw in Las Vegas,” Faulkner said. “I think that’s a good signal for next year and we are going to see some new companies spending money in drag racing. Maybe we’ll gain some new consumers out there.”

Faulkner believes the Oakley downturn in the last few seasons could be self-inflicted.

“Next year will be eleven years for the Rolling O store so it’s kind of saturated the market,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner said the Rolling O store will try other avenues such as the X Games, College World Series and PGA golf events.

“We want to try and generate some new customers,” Faulkner continued. “Maybe we can even steer them towards the drag races.”

Faulkner confirmed that Oakley plans to cut back its driver endorsement programs but while retain the racer discount programs.

SIX DECADES OF DUNN - Jim Dunn has been around NHRA drag racing for a few years, sixty to be exact.

Sunday, before the NHRA Auto Club Finals, the sanctioning body recognized the former driver and veteran team owner for his accomplishments in the sport. The moment pleased Dunn.

“He’s got a smile on his face and that’s only happened twice in the last sixty years,” joked emcee Bob Frey.

NHRA President Tom Compton acknowledged Dunn’s longevity.

“Just as a reminder, Jim has been racing for longer than the NHRA has been in existence,” Compton added. “Jim you’re a true pioneer of this sport and you’ve done more with less than anyone I can think of in this sport. Thank you for all you’ve done in sixty great years of this sport.”

Frey was correct, Dunn did reveal one of his rare smiles.

"It was pretty cool. They just don' think I'm going to be here much longer so they pat me on the back once in awhile," Dunn said with a laugh. "It takes a lot to stay in the sport this long. We don't have a lot of money but we try to stay competitive – you have to be good enough to qualify. I hold a record of one kind. I've won a Wally for the last five decades – each decade I've won at least one race. How many can say they won a Wally in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and this one? Not very many.

"It was very nice. This is my home track and to have it happen here at the Finals – I really enjoyed that. It makes you think that maybe they did appreciate me coming out and doing all this. Like I tell people. I do this to entertain myself and I'll keep doing this until I can't do it any longer. If my car's running good and I'm not getting excited, then I'll quit. I still get just as excited now as I did 60 years ago."

QUICK HITS - RAPID REPORTING IN QUICK FASHION

TOP FUEL

THE END - Morgan Lucas had his career best season end at the hands of the newly crowned NHRA Top Fuel champion.

"This year has been good and I really have nothing to complain about," Lucas said. "I'm happy and all we can do now is go into the off season, work on the
car, work on the little quirky things to make us a little more consistent, and make a little more power here and there. We just need to be the best we can be.

"Bottom line is that if we can keep making improvements based on a seventh place finish this season, I think that's still good and maybe we can finish in the top
five next year. That would be great. We have two cars I think are capable of doing it and we're going to have the right people in place to make it all work."

ALTERNATIVE ENTERTAINMENT – Cory McClenathan led his team into the second round with a victory over Bob Vandergriff Jr. He led and drama followed.

After a lane-swap, McClenathan left on a tire-smoking Vandergriff, only to light up the engine halfway into the run.

Once we thought we were hauling the mail, BANG! After bang I have to get my head off the dashboard. We’re going to see some more drama unfold. We turned our win light on. Now the rest of them have to.

All the Nordic Boats folks up there in the suite saw that and they were thinking, “I bet he would rather be in a boat right now.”


FUNNY CAR

ANOTHER SEASON, ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY - Ron Capps reached the semifinal round before he was defeated by Ashley Force Hood. He ended up third in the final 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series point standings, having earned the most class victories this season, five.

"We were still on a mission to try to stand on the podium at the awards banquet in second place," said Capps, who missed out on his fourth runner-up season finish by 48 points," and not just to earn the Full Throttle money, although all of the NAPA team guys make a commission on the prize money.

"It would have been nice after winning five races this year to finish second. It was a legitimate goal for us today. Nobody really talked about it but I knew we were all thinking about it, and so when we got down to the semifinals and we looked around, it was Tim Wilkerson, myself and Ashley all battling for second. Basically, whoever went the farthest was going to finish second.

"We ended up third and that's OK. It almost felt like today we had our own little Countdown going on to see who was going to be in second. I didn't know it went back that far, but Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) said we had a chance of either finishing second or as bad as seventh, it was that tight points-wise.

WORKS FOR HIM – Tim Wilkerson nearly won a championship in 2008 and this season was only one of the Countdown to 1 finalists. On race day, he opted to live vicariously through Mike Edwards. He opened his firesuit after the first round to reveal a Mike Edwards 2009 Champion shirt.

TEARY RUN -- Robert Hight learned he had clinched the Funny Car championship as he was preparing to get into his car for the final qualifying session Saturday. Boss and father-in-law John Force told him, "Hey, it's done." And that, Hight said, is when he became emotional for the first time about his achievement.
 
"I collected myself and got everything together, because you've got to pay attention to these race cars. You've got to be focused. You can't be thinking of anything else when you leave the starting line. That was probably the hardest thing about making that run -- it was just so emotional. It didn't really hit me until I was in the car. I was tearing up, but you had to get it together to make a run, because these aren't toys. They're machines, and they're real machines."
 
He said, "This is all we think about, these race cars. We learned that from John Force. You've got to live this seven days a week and work extra hard to be able to get here. And even then, it doesn't mean you're going to get here. There are so many good drivers, guys I'm still striving to be as good as, who have never won a championship -- and they're with great teams and great people behind them."

PRO STOCK

IN WITH A BANG, OUT WITH A WHIMPER – Jeg Coughlin Jr. exited the final race of the 2009 season with more wins (7) and more races atop the Full Throttle standings (13) than any professional driver in the sport. While it's true he may not have won his fifth Pro Stock championship and third world title in a row, Coughlin proved once again that he’s always a contender.

"It's hard to be upset after a year like this," Coughlin said. "Of course we wanted to win the title again and we had the car to do it, but even though we didn't realize that goal this time through we still had a heckuva year. I think we can all leave town with our heads held high. I know I'm very proud of this race team and this organization."

After a strong regular season, Coughlin fell off the pace in the six-race Countdown to 1 playoff, recording four first-round exits after not posting any in the first 18 races. The late stumble allowed his closest pursuers in the points to pass him with veteran Mike Edwards, against whom Coughlin has a 6-3 record this year, to win the '09 crown.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

IT IS FINISHED - Matt Smith, rider of the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Suzuki, ended his first year with Don Schumacher Racing in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series claiming fourth place in the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

"It gives Steve (Tartaglia, crew chief) a lot of stuff to do over the winter because he's got a lot to fix, it looks like. I feel bad for him because he builds very good stuff and it's dependable stuff and it really stinks to have problems like this, especially at the end of the year.

"We wanted to finish on a high note, or at least do the best we can, and yet we lose first round and we have another hurt motor,” said Smith. "We'll go to the banquet with our fourth-place finish and stand up there knowing we worked hard this year. We'll come back strong and motivated for DSR next year and see if we can win a championship.

"We're glad it's over. Everything will start at zero in 2010."

 

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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -

IT’S DOWN TO THIS - Tony Schumacher scored his second low qualifying effort of 2009 and the timing couldn’t have been better.

Schumacher heads into the final day of the season with a one point lead thanks to a low elapsed time effort on his final nitro qualifying run of 2009. He scored a back-up for a potential new world record with a 3.772 elapsed time at 320.58 miles per hour.

Dixon, the second quickest Top Fuel qualifier, also has a back-up for a new record. The current record is 3.771 seconds held by Schumacher.

‘That’s exactly what we needed and exactly where the U.S. Army team needed to be headed into Sunday,” said Schumacher of Saturday’s run. “Going into the final day with a one-point lead … we couldn’t have asked for any more. If that’s not Army strong, there will never be another term like it.

“That was perfect, flawless, dark and foggy but man, was that fun.”

The three-day battle of wills between the nitro titans whittles down to Sunday’s final eliminations and both drivers could potentially meet in the final round. If that scenario plays out, it will be the fifth time in Top Fuel history that a championship has been decided on the final run of the season.

“I’ve been blessed with many championships that came down to that last run to win,” Schumacher explained. “That’s a gratifying win, not one where you go out early and that one point determines it. That would be great to win but I don’t think the fans would look forward to that. I don’t think either one of us want that. We anticipate and plan on digging down deep to crown a world champion.”

Dixon isn’t about to claim the final round as a foregone conclusion for the championship to be decided.

“You might better ask those 14 other drivers in the field,” Dixon said. “They are racing for a trophy and cash. There are good cars out there. Neither one of us are looking past first round.”

Sunday, who’s under more pressure, drivers or tuners?

While Schumacher believes it’s an equal amount, Dixon is assured that his team owner/tuner Alan Johnson isn’t stressed.

“I think Tony knows that Alan Johnson isn’t going to lose any sleep tonight,” Dixon answered when asked the same question. “After years with Tony and then Gary [Scelzi], and in 1995 with Blaine [Johnson's brother] where he beat me to win his first race and set low ET, he’s got a lot of laps at this race track and he’s been doing this a long time as does Mike Green. All that data you get through the years … we didn’t make a good run [Saturday night], but it’s still good information and we’ll learn from it.”

HIGHT SOARS TO HEIGHT OF FUNNY CAR CLASS - He had never driven anything wilder than an F-150 truck.
 
But Robert Hight had that . . . something.
 
John Force saw it -- although he said Hight confused him a few years ago, asking to stay closer to home to be with wife Adria (Force's eldest daughter and company CFO), then asking to drive the organization's third Ford Mustang Funny Car. Still, Force saw the desire in Hight's bright blue eyes. A multi-time champion can recognize that in another hungry soul.
 
He already knew Hight could prepare a car -- he had helped Force earn seven of his championships and 56 event victories as clutch specialist on the Castrol GTX Mustang. And he had no doubt that Hight could tame a 7,000-horsepower, nitro-burning monster. So he chose Hight to drive the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang.
 
Hight paid Force back Saturday evening by clinching the 2009 Funny Car championship in just five years.
 
"I still can't believe it, John taking a chance on a guy from Northern California who's never driven anything  but an F-150 truck and selling me to all these sponsors and then making it happen," Hight said immediately after receiving the gold-plated series championship trophy. "It's like a dream come true. It's surreal."
 
Tom McKernan, president of the Auto Club of Southern California, had told Force back before the 2005 season, "Listen, I don't tell you how to run race cars and I don't listen to you about how to sell insurance. You've got to do what you do and do the best you can. We stand behind you. If you think this kid can drive and you believe in him, we're cool."
 
Said Hight, "They stood behind me. And thank you, Auto Club and Tom McKernan.
 
"It helps to have sponsors like the Automobile Club of Southern California and Ford," Hight said, especially appreciative in becoming the first, at least in recent memory, to win a championship after two DNQs and seven first-round defeats. "These guys pay a lot of money, and they never said, 'Hey, you've got to get this fixed or else.' They knew we were struggling, that we didn't forget how to race, that we knew what we were doing. They believed in us, which made our job easier. If somebody's breathing down your neck, that makes it a little tougher to get through the problems."
 
Again this Nov. 1, McKernan delivered a pep talk that Hight long will remember.
 
Just before the final round of the Las Vegas Nationals, "Listen, you've had a great year. There's a lot of pressure on you right now, but none of that pressure is from us." He told Hight to "go out there and do what you want to do . . . and have fun." McKernan added, "If you don’t win another round this year, it has been a great year for us. We're proud of you."
 
Hight didn't have to ponder his choices. "I wanted to finish that thing off and go to Pomona with a pretty nice lead," he said.
 
That's just what he did, then parlayed that into the best of his five top-five finishes in as many seasons.
 
The key to it, Hight said, was the collaborative effort by three John Force Racing crew chiefs -- his own, Jimmy Prock, with a huge assist from Dean "Guido" Antonelli and Ron Douglas, Ashley Force Hood's crew chiefs.
 
"Without them, we probably wouldn't have made the Countdown. We had no confidence -- at all. We changed to their combination. Jimmy Prock has run with it and made it work perfectly. But without them getting us started, we wouldn't have been there," Hight said.
 
He said, "Jimmy Prock just got this thing fixed. It's all about timing. He got it all right at the right time. It couldn't have happened better. You don't dream like this, trust me. This is absolutely amazing what we've done in the last few months. It's all about believing in your team."
 
He did, even in April at Bristol, when he failed to qualify.
 
Said Hight, "I made the statement when we didn't qualify that this is too good a team, that we'll be back. This car will contend for the championship at the end of the year. I was a little nervous after making that statement. But I still believe what I said was right. This team IS good."
 
Even so, he said that once he slipped into the Countdown, "I didn't expect to have this kind of success." Furthermore, he said he "never had a race car like this," never one this reliable.

NO ASTERISK -- Robert Hight is a baseball fan, and he understands the "Roger Maris asterisk." That's the reference to the fact that many questioned the validity of Maris' 1961 home-run record that topped Babe Ruth's -- because Ruth achieved the feat in 154 games and Maris used the expanded 162-game schedule to break the mark.
 
Some have argued that this Hight championship might need an asterisk because of the controversy at Indianapolis that resulted in Hight making the 10-driver Countdown field at the eleventh hour. But Hight deflected any such talk.
 
"I'm not going to answer anything, because I don't know anything," the Auto Club Mustang driver said. "I don't know if there were calls made. That's not my business. My job is to drive my race car and do the best I can for my sponsors and John and everybody else. So I don't get into all that.
 
"I know the Countdown cost us a championship, and . . . it's going to get us one. I know people keep talking about that," Hight said of boss John Force's loss to him in the U.S. Nationals semifinals, "but I don't think there's any doubt my race car has talked for itself and Jimmy's (crew chief Prock's) performance speaks for itself. We're winning on pure performance and great race car.
 
"When everybody talks about the negative things, that takes away from Jimmy Prock has accomplished and what the team has done. I'm not going to think about any of the negatives."

HOW IT BEGAN -- Newly crowned Funny Car champion Robert Hight remembered not just the folks at John Force Racing who played a part in his career but also the man who gave him his first job in the sport.
 
"I owe a lot to Roger Primm," he said. "He is the guy who got me started in drag racing. I wanted to do it so long. He finally gave me the shot. He gave me a job working on his car, and that is how I got to meet the John Force Racing group. This is all I wanted to do.”
 
He said he has loved drag racing since he "saw these cars run and . . . used to follow it on TNN when it was two weeks tape delayed. I finally got to go to a race in Sacramento when I was going to college. I saw two Funny Cars run. It was John Force and Jim Dunn at a match race. When I saw those cars run I knew this is what I wanted to do. I didn't think I would ever get here. I never thought I would really get to drive. I wanted to learn about these cars. I was a mechanic. This is where I wanted to be. This is what I wanted to do. These machines are unbelievable. I still feel that way."

JIMMY PROCK SMILES -- Jimmy Prock had to wait 17 years to get his satisfaction as a crew chief. He came close in 1992, his first year in charge of a team. But his driver, Cory McClenathan, fell a mere nine points short as Joe Amato won the last of his five Top Fuel titles.
 
"It is starting to sink in now that we managed to do it. Yeah, it is starting to sink in. Probably more after this race is over," Prock said. "We still have a race to run tomorrow and we are going to try and win it. I have really enjoyed racing with Robert. He knows so much about the cars and we feed off of one another. We talk stuff around and we make each other think. I know that is why we have been able to be successful.
 
"I was watching (him) go down the track and I knew it was done when we got that run in," he said. "I guess when it was finally over and he got down there safe, I was happy."
 
And Jimmy Prock, almost always wearing a serious look at the racetrack, allowed himself a smile.

DRIVE IT LIKE A GIRL - Ashley Force Hood knows when her crew is getting aggressive with the tune-up. They always cinch her belts a little tighter and give her the sly grin.

That’s her clue that she’s better hold the wheel tightly.

On a Saturday evening, the second-generation driver went to the top of the Funny Car charts with a 4.059 elapsed time, a run that equaled her father’s Friday evening personal best. A faster speed gave her the top seed headed into Sunday final eliminations.

“When they said over the PA that it was a tie I was like, ‘What are the chances of that?’ and then when they said it would go to mph, we usually come up a little short on those kind of things but we were really excited when they said it was us. Then we realized we got around our boss and my dad.

“Ron and Guido they were going for it,” continued Force Hood. “The conditions were right and the car was there, why not do it. It is Saturday night in Pomona. It is the final race of the year. It is our home track and Robert clinched the championship.”

Part of that championship was hers because it was her team that assisted a wayward AAA team earlier in the season. But on Saturday, this was her time to shine.

She didn’t shed a tear like she did during Friday night’s run; but that didn’t mean she didn’t come close.

“I think I shed tears before the run because of the way everyone was acting,” Force Hood said. “They were pulling my belts tight and they were getting ready to send me on something. They know and they get excited. You can’t go for it on every run but when it’s there you want to go for it.”

Force Hood said her team, because they had lost out on the championship, felt they had nothing to lose on that final qualifying run.

“The team gets pumped when Ron and Guido say they’re going to put their big ball pants on,” Force Hood said shyly. “They always say that and then they get these evil grins on their faces. Then I’m thinking, ‘I’m the girl strapped in this thing you guys are sending.”

EDWARDS FINALLY CLINCHES - Zak Elcock, NHRA Publicist, introduced Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards to the assembled media at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca. As he said, “The 2009 NHRA Pro Stock champion Mr. Mike Edwards”, the newly crown champion smiled.

“Doesn’t that sound good?” Edwards said.

Edwards didn’t just clinch a championship; he did it with an exclamation point.

He entered the event needing only to qualify to clinch, but at the end of the day on Saturday, he did so in the same fashion that he’s done for at least 16 times this season. Edwards qualified No. 1 in what could be his final event as a driver.

At least for two days, Edwards isn’t thinking about the future.

“I cannot begin to explain the incredible feeling that I am experiencing now,” Edwards said. “I can say words but they just don’t describe what I am feeling. You just sink it in because it is all real. It’s been worth the wait.”

For Edwards, the wait to be a champion again has been 28 years. He captured the 1981 crown in Modified eliminator and then the class was discontinued.

“I hope they don’t stop the class,” Edwards said. “That was a special time for me, I was 21 years old, and I thought I could get plenty of those [championships].”

Of all the years that passed since that monumental season, 2009 was different than any other. Edwards believed there was something special in the works for this team from the first final round of the season in Pomona.

“I believed we had picked up some over the winter but until you get out here and race against the best teams you really don’t know,” Edwards explained. “We knew we were going to be good, we just didn’t know how good.”

Edwards pointed out that confidence didn’t prevent his team from going that extra mile.

“There were times with our testing that we were doing burnouts in the morning before the sun had even come up,” he added. “We tested and tested and gave everything we had to try and achieve this. It’s a lot of hard work and it has paid off.”
 
Edwards leaned towards advice given to him in the early years of his Pro Stock driving career for inspiration. It was his late team owner,  John Kite, who suggested the way to become a champion was to surround himself with good people.

He believes that’s what the team did years ago and with the title, that objective paid off.

“We’re just a bunch of guys who got together a few years ago with a plan to give us the best opportunity, Roger and Ann Stull, and we decided to do it the right way,” Edwards said of his team owner and crew. “We started our shop there in Charlotte with Nick and Paul and Carl, and decided to do it the right way and this has been a long time coming. We all kept pulling at the right end of the rope and here we are two and a half years later living our dream. Then there’s been the support of my wife Lisa and my team.

“It’s all because of God and I give him the glory.”

HECTOR STILL SMILING - Nothing could erase the smile off of Hector Arana’s face on Saturday at the NHRA Auto Club Finals, not even his closest challenger seeking a long-shot way to successfully retain his title.

“Hopefully Hector goes out first round and I win the championship,” said Eddie Krawiec with a smile, glancing over at Arana. “Hector is deserving of this championship and he’s done a great job. I was fortunate when I raced for the title last year that I had a great five race series. Hector has had a great season.”

As Arana looked on, Krawiec continued, “I don’t wish anyone bad luck, I don’t wish anyone anything. All I want to do is go out there and race for it and what happens … happens.”

That’s when Arana interrupted.

“Yeah, but you just wished me a first round loss,” Arana said.

Both riders shared a laugh and then Arana returned to a sentimental mood.

“I’m just thankful for this opportunity,” Arana said. “This is what we live and breathe for.”

A year ago Arana qualified No. 1 for only the second time in his career and at this season’s NHRA Gatornationals, the season-opening event for the Pro Stock Motorcycle division, he scored his first career national event victory. He added two more victories and a world record over the course of the 23-races and at his final race of the season, delivered an eighth No. 1 qualifying effort.

“I had been doing this for so many years that I lost count,” added Arana. “I just live for the day.”

And for Arana, he believes the best day was when Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil, took his call requesting a sponsorship.

“They never gave up on me,” Arana recalled. “I struggled through a few races and yet he never gave up on me. He [Forrest] kept pushing me, and moved me to Indiana. I am part of the family. To win this for Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, as well as everyone at Lucas plant, because they work hard to make this product the best they can every day.

“We met over the phone and even with my heavy accent, he went ahead and still sponsored me. That was it. A simple conversation and the next day I had a check and was ordering leathers.

“And, here I am today. Could I ask for any more?”

CLICK HERE  for the full Joel Gelfand sequence.

NEW FACE FOR 2010 TOP FUEL - Former Jet Dragster pilot Jesse Harris plans to race Top Fuel in 2010.

Harris, of Rome, NY, will drive the Dote Racing Top Fuel dragster in at least five races next season.

“I’m ecstatic,” a jubilant Harris told CompetitionPlus.com. “This is what I’ve been working night and day for – for the last three years. My dream, since 6, was to drive one of these things.”

The Dote family, Len, Mike and Connie, decided they wanted to run a Top Fuel team in 2010 and selected Harris as not only their driver but manager as well.

“Not only do I get to drive but I also get to see firsthand what goes on behind the scenes with managing a Top Fuel operation. I’ve always dreamed that one day I would own and manage my own team.”

For the Dotes, Harris makes for a perfect match.

“They’ve been in drag racing for thirty years and always wanted to do something bigger and better,” Harris explained. “They wanted to do it this year, so they contacted me. I’ve known them for a while. They knew what I wanted to do, so we literally sat down and in a four hour conversation hammered out all of the details.”

The Dotes purchased a Top Fuel dragster from Doug Foley and a former hauler used by Don Skuza.

The current plan is to run five dates, starting with Gainesville and then making stops in Charlotte, Norwalk, Englishtown and Reading.

“I don’t have any more sponsorship dollars at this time than to run those five races,” Harris said. “They made the investment of purchasing the equipment and the tools and I brought in the sponsorship dollars. We’re working on bringing in some additional funds. Our ultimate goal is to run 24 races.”

FIRE STILL BURNS -- John Force jokes about all the spectacular fires he has had in his Funny Car career that began in 1978. But none burns as intensely as his desire to win. And neither heartache nor broken bones nor a stretch almost as bleak as his 12th-place 1984 season has extinguished it. 

Force, expecting to see three of his longstanding records end this weekend in his worst finish since 1984, found a glimmer of hope in his provisional No. 1 qualifying performance Friday.
 
His 4.060-second pass held up as low elapsed time through Saturday's first session. But daughter Ashley Force Hood dropped him to No. 2 in the final session -- by one mile an hour. She eclipsed his low E.T. with  4.059-second run at 310.20 mph. In the following pairing, he matched her time but clocked a 309.20 -- one mph slower -- as she led the field for the sixth time this year.
 
Never mind that Force won't earn a single point this weekend. A couple of weeks ago, he forfeited all the points he would have earned from this event to stay at Las Vegas and test for the 2010 season. (That fifth test session of 2009 pushed him one past the limit.) The point was that John Force gave a glimpse of his former formidable self.
 
He admitted that he had taken No. 1 qualifiers for granted. He has 131, second only in NHRA history to Pro Stock's Warren Johnson. But this one would have been his first of the season. He said Friday night he knew it wouldn't last. It almost did last. But it didn't matter -- John Force proved he still could do it, still could take command of the Funny Car field.
 
That doesn't erase the fact that Force will finish worse than he has in 25 years. He'll wind up no better than ninth, marking only the fourth time in 25 years he has not been a top-five driver. Sunday will answer whether he will extend his streaks for most consecutive seasons with a final round appearance (currently 24), most with a victory (stalled at 22) and most with a winning record (24 straight years).
 
Robert Hight, who has brought John Force Racing its 16th Funny Car championship, said he understands Force's mindset.
 
"You see after his crash how hard he worked to get back in there. It just shows how much he loves the sport. And why he's done so well and had so much success is because he lives it. He dreams it. This is all he knows, all he wants to know, all he thinks about. He doesn't want to think about retiring.
 
"But he also wants to be competitive," Hight said. "He hasn't had the car that he's used to having and expects to have. I know exactly where they're at, because we were there two-thirds of the year."

DON SCHUMACHER COY ABOUT 2010 PLANS -- Team owner Don Schumacher said Saturday that Antron Brown and his Matco Tools Dragster would remain part of his seven-team organization in 2010. However, other than saying he might add "possibly something in the bikes," Schumacher was coy about his plans for next season.
 
He did say that he expects to make an announcement this coming Monday or Tuesday.  
 
Addressing two rumors that have him negotiating with an Abu Dhabi-related fuel-car team and that have him hiring two-time Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon, Schumacher said, "There's so much conversation and so much B.S."
 
He did say that he was in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, "A month ago" but declined to discuss whether he has been working out details with principals of a possible new Top Fuel or Funny Car team.
 
"When I have something to announce, I'll tell people," Schumacher said. "I have nothing that's confirmed. Nothing's nothing at this point."
 
As for Pedregon, who's also rumored to be joining the Funny Car operation of close friend Bob Tasca III, Schumacher called the DSR-related talk "such B.S., off-the-chart stuff. I haven't talked with Tony Pedregon since Charlotte. We talked about the thing with John Force at Indianapolis."
 
LANGDONS LOSE OUT -- Saturday was a rough day for the father-son duo of Chad and Shawn Langdon. Chad Langdon, driving his '51 Henry J Super Gas car, crashed just past the finish line during eliminations. According to the NHRA, he was checked and released by the sanctioning body's emergency medical personnel. Shawn Langdon notched his first DNQ in the Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper Dragster, ending his rookie season with a fourth-session top-end fire in his car. "We've been running so good this year," Shawn Langdon said. "Unfortunately, we were one of the leakers (Saturday)."  
 
TOP FUEL CLASS A MINI-U.N. -- United Nations? United Nitro? Call it what you will, but for the second straight race, the Top Fuel class definitely has an international flavor. Qualified are Australian Dave Grubnic and Swiss driver Urs Erbacher. Fighting unsuccessfully for a spot in the 16-car field were Stig Neergaard of Denmark, Lex Joon of The Netherlands, and Thomas Nataas of Norway. No. 2 qualifier Larry Dixon is sponsored by Qatar-based Al-Anabi Racing.

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK -

OF BROKEN DOWN BUSES, DRIVERS AND TRIGGER - John Force has a goal.

At this point in his career he wants to outlive his 13-year old Prevost tour bus.

He admits they’re both down on power and are in need of a few spare parts. They even leak a bit of oil.

But on a good day, Force says, they can run with the best of them.

For the 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion, he believes that he has just enough gas in the tanks of both for another five years, the contract extension he’s seeking from sponsor Castrol GTX. They’ve been together for 25 years already.

To help prove his point, the 60-year old Force landed atop the Funny car field at the NHRA Auto Club Finals, at least provisionally, with a career-best 4.060 elapsed time at 307.72 miles per hour.

“I used to take these low qualifiers for granted,” Force said. “I think in 2010 I can run for the title. I was asked earlier in the day if Robert or Ashley were to win this title, if I was going to pass the torch. It was the first time I had ever got mad at the media and asked them to leave my bus.”

But Force cautioned the reporter before tossing him out.

“Don’t slip in the oil from my bus when you leave, either,” Force said. “I don’t need the hassle of a lawsuit.”

Force pointed out the old bus has run up and down many roads with him and is a dear friend. And when it’s done, he is too.

“My guys asked me in Vegas what we were going to do with the old bus,” Force laughed. “I told them to call AAA and get a tow truck to bring it to Pomona. When that bus is done, I am too. I made that call years ago. It’s been on fire about as many times as these cars out here racing.

“I went in there today to open the refrigerator and the door-handle fell off. I yelled to my guy and asked if he could order another and he told me that he’d already ordered five spares. The last time it broke.”

The old antiquated bus, Force said, just isn’t normal and that’s a constant reminder of his body since the Dallas crash in 2007.

“You have to go somewhere in the back of the bus, under the toilet … to start the generator. I haven’t figured that one out. But, it’s as old as me and it still works.”

Force planned to leave the track after the qualifying press conference and partake in a social function at the Wally Park Museum and then it’s off to the gym for a grueling two-hour workout.

“I still have some good years left in me,” Force reminded the media. “I have this guy wanted to give me some patches that helped Bret Favre come back and if they worked for him, I might even try one. Heck I might even put one on this old bus.”

In the end, it was wife Laurie who pointed out Force might have a permanent place in the Wally Parks Museum and never fully retire from drag racing even after death.

“On my way to Vegas she told me they even stuffed Trigger,” Force said. “I asked her what she was trying to say and she told me I loved this stuff so much that after I was gone, they might as well stuff me. I thought about for a moment.”

Then the idea hit Force.

“I’ll go on tour like Prudhomme’s Hot Wheels car,” Force explained. “They’ll just take me on tour in my box. They wheel me around and let everyone look at me.”

And, there’s the strong likelihood the old Prevost will be part of the display.  

50/50 CHANCE - If you wanted to pick a Top Fuel champion since 2002 the logical choice has been one of two drivers. At the final race of the decade, nothing has changed.

Larry Dixon entered this weekend’s Auto Club NHRA Finals trailing Tony Schumacher by one point. Two days into qualifications, Dixon leapfrogged Schumacher to overtake the lead by one point.

“This is all provisionally because it could all flip on Saturday,” Dixon cautioned. “There were two on the table yesterday and three today, so we got them both. Tomorrow there are six on the table, so you obviously want to try and get as much as you can each day.”

Schumacher smoked the tires in the qualifying run alongside of Dixon and picked up no bonus points.

“We want to go into Sunday as a round up as opposed to a round down,” Dixon said.

Dixon pointed out that he’s feeling more fun than stress with the head-to-head battle.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “To come into the last race of the season and have a chance to win a championship is what you live for … unless you wrapped it up earlier. You definitely want a shot at it. I haven’t been in that position in a while.”

And for Dixon, he’s making the most of the opportunity.

“I’m enjoying it, this is fun,” Dixon said. “If you can’t have fun with this, you’re never going to have fun.”

SAME RESULT, DIFFERENT DAY – The Pro Stock divisions, both two and four wheels, kept the same leaders following the second day of qualifying at the NHRA Auto Club Finals.

Mike Edwards and Karen Stoffer retained their top spots despite challenges from the competition.

There used to be a time when Pro Stock leader Edwards longed for the end of the season. That’s not the case this year.

Edwards stands on the cusp of his 16th No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and if it holds, will tie the single season mark established by Greg Anderson in 2004.

Edwards added icing to his championship cake with a 6.575 which bettered Thursday’s run by nearly .06. He believes that he’ll need to run even quicker during Saturday’s 11 AM qualifying session if he hopes to retain his top spot.

Right now he leads the No. 2 qualified Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson by .036 seconds.

“Hat’s off to my guys, at the end of the season I’m almost always ready to be done … this year, I wouldn’t mind going a little while longer. When you’re running this good, and having the time of your life, you get used to that awesome feeling.”

Pro Stock Bike pacesetter Stoffer remained atop the field on the strength of Thursday’s 6.982 lap. She managed a 7.037 today, the sixth quickest of the session.

“For the Pro Stock Motorcycles there seems to be a difference in the lanes,” said Stoffer, who is potentially two sessions away from her first No. 1 of 2009. “When you have one qualifying session on two different days, you are unable to get a comparison of the same exact conditions on each. We gathered some good information today so when we go out for the two hits tomorrow we’ll be able to set up the bike accordingl

A VERY DANGEROUS CORY MAC - While Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon battles for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship, third place Cory McClenathan lies in wait. McClenathan is 48 points out of first, a little over two rounds, but that deficit only serves as motivation.

While the media focuses their attention on Schumacher and Dixon, McClenathan carefully plots his path to slip by them both.

“We can be very dangerous because we have a car that’s capable of going A to B 98-percent of the time and it does it very quick,” said McClenathan, a four-time series runner-up.

“We think there’s more in it and we are going to push it over the next three days. We just have to go two rounds more than Tony and Larry. The early rounds are really going to determine what is going to happen.”

Cooler conditions are forecast for the next few days at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca, which leads McClenathan to believe a new Top Fuel elapsed time record is attainable.

“We’re going for it too,” McClenathan admitted. “The other two drivers might not be going for it, but we are going to because we have nothing to lose. We’re not afraid to go for it. A record will put us twenty points closer.”

McClenathan believes his tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, are the perfect combination of aggressive tuners, that he will need to ensure his chance remain strong.

“They know what to throw at it and they know what they can get away with,” McClenathan said. “The tuning window on a dragster is so much wider than it is on a Funny Car and they aren’t afraid to get after it. They have a good car and we tested some stuff in Vegas. It took what we threw at it on Thursday, so we are going to throw the whole trailer at it this weekend. “

During Thursday’s post-qualifying press conference, Schumacher offered a warning to those who discount McClenathan’s chances.

“Cory is lingering around back there and probably mad that we’re not talking about him,” Schumacher explained. “He’s got a car capable of sneaking up in there and I’m very aware of that. I won from the same exact place he’s in, and further back.”

ANOTHER COUNTDOWNER SIDELINED FOR ’10 - Pro Stock racer Greg Stanfield faced a harsh reality on Friday afternoon at the NHRA Auto Club Nationals - that the final event of 2009 could likely be his last for a while.

Stanfield, who drives the Greg Hill Pontiac GXP, confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com that unless major sponsorship comes together before next season’s NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca, he’ll be on the sidelines.

“No money,” Stanfield said. “We don’t have the dollars to race. The parts and pieces are there but the funding to be out here is lacking. This could be my last race, that’s why I want to win it.”

Stanfield believes that he’ll focus on his engine building business if the driving doesn’t pan out. Even then, he’s uncertain which direction he’ll take with the engine business.

“No one has contacted me,” Stanfield said. “We have a lease motor in [Kenny] Koretsky’s car this weekend, so we’ll see what happens.”

Stanfield believes it’s too early in the game to get emotional at this point.

“I’m going to build motors and enjoy it,” he added. “I’m gonna do something. Whether or not I drive, it doesn’t matter.”

Stanfield reached four Pro Stock final rounds in 2009, and entered Pomona as the fourth ranked driver in the standings.

UP FOR ANOTHER TOUR - The U.S. Army Accessions Command announced today that the U.S. Army will continue its sponsorship of Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel Dragster in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in 2010.   

“Tony Schumacher and Ryan Newman [NASCAR] are not only outstanding drivers, they are also powerful and effective advocates for the great men and women of our Army.  Both drivers possess and demonstrate a passion for our Army Strong Soldiers and their families.  They and their teams share our Army values and demonstrate the mental, emotional and physical strength which are the hallmark of our Soldiers,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, Commanding General U.S. Army Accessions Command.  “We are very excited about the opportunities our participation in the National Hot Rod Association and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series present us to tell our Soldiers’ stories and connect with Americans across the country.”

The 2010 season will mark the Army’s 10th with Don Schumacher Racing and the NHRA since its return to the sport in September 2000.  Tony Schumacher has won five consecutive championships while piloting the 22-foot U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster.  He enters the weekend as the points leader for the 2009 championship.  Should Schumacher capture the crown, it will be the Army’s 10th including four won in the mid-1970s as the sponsor of Don Prudhomme’s Funny Car.

“I am extremely proud and humbled to represent the U.S. Army and the brave men and women who make it possible for us and our families to live in freedom,” Schumacher commented.  “My team and I are motivated by the dedication, sacrifice, and service of our Soldiers and their families.  It is also an honor to team up with Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart to help tell young Americans about the wonderful opportunities the Army offers.”

The U.S. Army will serve as the primary sponsor on Schumacher’s top fuel dragster for all 23 NHRA national events and as an associate sponsor on all Don Schumacher Racing cars.  In addition, the Army will return as the Official Military Partner of the NHRA and presenting sponsor of the NHRA Youth and Education Services Program (Y.E.S.).

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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK -

WRITE THE SCRIPT - Top Fuel point leader Tony Schumacher couldn’t resist telling the story of his friendly exchange with a former team member, now on rival Larry Dixon’s team.

“Every point is important and Brian, who used to be on my team and is now with the Al-Anabi team came to me and said, ‘it would be crazy if we got that one point and we were tied going into that final day and we both smoked the tires in the first round and lost – you’d probably win and we could come back at the end and have a match up.

Schumacher paused and then smiled.

“I told him, ‘Man, I’m gonna be drunk and writing a speech by then, dude. Sorry.”

Schumacher lives for those big moments and for him, Auto Club Dragway in Pomona, Ca, has been his big stage. Headed into this weekend’s final race on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing tour, he brought a slim one point lead to the table.

After running a 3.832, 316.52 pass to claim Thursday’s provisional pole position, by out-qualifying Dixon by one spot, he literally doubled his points lead.

Schumacher knows he’s in a position that few expected him to be in at this point in the season considering the uncertainty that surrounded his team after the departure of Alan Johnson at the conclusion of 2008.

“At the beginning of this year, we came to this same track and if you asked to write a script of the story that’s going to surpass the run – I would say that I don’t know what I could do, but a one point lead would be just fine. Here we are.”

Both Schumacher and Dixon have five wins this season and only two round wins prevent the top ranked drivers from being locked into a tie for round wins.

Dixon’s pre-race comments stated that Schumacher’s one point lead might as well be a tie. Schumacher disagrees.

“No it isn’t,” Schumacher contends. “We go out the same round and we win. I’ve been fortunate to win many different ways over the years. I don’t think that’s [a one point win] been in the mix. It’s always been that when we come in here, with the exception of last year that we needed to win to be the champ. I’ve never needed someone else to lose, so I could be champ. I’ve always wanted the ball in my hands for that moment. A perfect storyline would be the two of us in the final round.”

That kind of perfect storyline would almost top the 2006 championship when Schumacher came from behind in the points to beat Doug Kalitta on the final run of the season to take the title.

“I was signing autographs after that run and there were fans walking up to me and asking where they could pay more money because they felt they didn’t pay enough,” Schumacher explained. “That is awesome.”

This weekend, Schumacher believes, could be another one of those scenarios.

BETTER THAN HE HAS TO BE – Robert Hight has raced to more than his fair share of No. 1 qualifying efforts at Auto Club Dragway but on Thursday during the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the point leader felt different in claiming the provisional No. 1 spot.

Hight’s 4.093 elapsed time at 309.34 miles per hour thrust him into uncharted territory. This top qualifying effort puts him atop the field for the first time at the season-ending event as the point leader.

This was not just another low qualifying effort for Hight.

“You know that run is going to stay in the show,” Hight said. “Our first step towards the championship is behind us and that’s in qualifying. Now we can focus on trying to run quicker and staying on top.”

Even though he doesn’t feel the need to justify his berth in the playoffs to critics, there’s the commitment to excellence that Hight feels as the driving force to take his championship run to the next level.

“My team is focused and you can see it in [crew chief] Jimmy Prock’s eyes,” Hight said. “He has a good handle on this thing and I feed off of it. That confidence he has, spills over to me.”

Focus and motivation has been the priorities of the last two weeks, Hight confirmed. Hight pointed out that team owner John Force assembled the team for a meeting yesterday and in that meeting, presented a video compilation of when he captured the 1990 championship as well as the year Prock tuned a rookie Cory McClenathan to the 1993 NHRA Top Fuel series runner-up.

“He let us know just how close we were and to stay focused on the championship and go get it,” Hight explained. “That was really motivating for us. Maybe we can get this first one and more after that.”

“I think our performance has spoken for itself,” Hight said. “Even if we wrap this title up Saturday, we have unfinished business. We want to win four of the six Countdown events. Besides, it makes the off-season go by better when you win one of these.”

But then again, there’s Thanksgiving dinner at the Force house and the knowledge that he beat Force’s daughter for the title.

“Yeah … I’m also beating Momma’s girl, the sister, the aunt … trust me I know that.

“Ashley’s been supportive of us and she knows just like I do, this deal isn’t over with yet. One and two will be huge for us, that’s a lot of money there. If she stumbled, she could go to No. 4 in the points. If we stumble, she could go to No. 1.”

DOCTOR FEELGOOD - Mike Edwards knows that time heals all wounds and for him 6.637 seconds worked as a good salve for the wounds of failing to clinch the NHRA Pro Stock crown in Las Vegas two weeks ago.

Edwards entered the NHRA Auto Club Finals needing only to qualify and the title was his. After the first day, he not only qualified but went to the No. 1 spot and gained three extra bonus points for good measure

“I was pretty disappointed with no else but myself when I left Vegas,” Edwards admitted. “I had a week to cry on my towel and I beat myself up over it, but I got over it.”

Edwards, even though he held an insurmountable lead in Vegas, refused to accept victory. He instead followed the belief that anyone could be beaten on any given day. His second round loss to Larry Morgan proved his intuitions accurate.

On Thursday in Pomona, Edwards acknowledged the championship was his.

“It’s not officially official but to me it’s over,” Edwards said. “It’s good to have that lifted off of me so we can come out here and enjoy the weekend. It’s just a tremendous feeling to know this has all been for the glory of God. There’s nothing I have done. He’s done it all for us. My team, my wife Lisa and Roger Stull.”

Last year, Edwards couldn’t buy any luck. This year he made his own luck.

“We were just really good this year,” Edwards admitted. “It was just unbelievable.”

Edwards would love nothing more than to paint a bright picture for 2010 but says unless something changes he doesn’t expect to compete.

“I hope to race,” Edwards said. “I can’t say for sure. I can’t honestly say anything.”

The determining factor will be money and as of now, Edwards says the team has no major sponsorship. He’s holding out that a few prospects pan out.

“These things don’t run on gas, they run on cash,” Edwards said.

COMP ELIMINATOR CRASH - Comp eliminator racer Jim Cowan, from Dewey, Az., was transported as a precaution for observation Thursday to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Cowan's Chevy Cobalt  went out of control and crashed at the top end of the track during qualifying. Cowan exited the car under his own power and was complaining of pain in his lower back when he was checked by NHRA emergency services officials prior to being transported.

HOLDING HER GROUND – Geckos can be territorial and after Thursday’s qualifying for the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca., Pro Stock Motorcycle riders with geckos on their bikes are too.

Karen Stoffer rode her Geico Powersports Suzuki to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position of the season and if it the mark holds, it will represent her eighth career top qualifying effort.

Stoffer isn’t battling for a championship but the seventh position in the points, that’s worth fighting for. 

“We need those three points that the NHRA so graciously gave us for qualifying,” Stoffer said on Thursday afternoon.

Stoffer is four points ahead of Shawn Gann, who ended the day as sixth quickest.

Stoffer has qualified in the top half of the field in three of her last four races and two weeks ago landed fifth in Las Vegas.

“It’s kind of melancholy because this is the last race and we want to be good and we are just beginning to get our momentum up,” she continued. “I wish we had another pass today and another race next week to maintain this momentum.”

And for Stoffer, the atmospheric conditions favored her combination.

“These are ripe conditions for the Suzukis,” she explained. “The Suzuki inline fours can do better in these conditions than in the hot and muggy, sticky stuff. The bike and the crew love it. The rider? She’s kind of a southern California hot weather girl. I’ll sacrifice my comfort for performance on the bike.”

She’ll do what she has to do to hold onto that No. 7 spot.

NOT GONNA HAPPEN – Don’t expect two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon to report to work next week at Don Schumacher Racing. In fact, don’t expect him to report at all.

Pedregon, a recent target of rumors placing him as a driver at DSR, denies any truth to the speculation. In fact, Pedregon adds, “I haven’t talked to Don since the day since a week or two after Indy and it had nothing to do with racing together.”

Pedregon admits he’s really uncertain what his plans are for 2010.

“I am trying to finalize some of my programs moving forward,” Pedregon told CompetitionPlus.com Thursday afternoon prior to the first session of qualifying.

Pedregon confirmed that major sponsor Quaker State will return in 2010, although he could not say with certainty what their level of participation would be.

“I am trying to finalize the kind of commitment that will keep me out here racing full-time,” he added. “It’s very late and tough to come into the last race. I’ve had this kind of situation on my shoulders for the last several races.

“I’m very optimistic and we’ve had a few great years together. We are trying to put together a better activation and involvement.”

Pedregon admits the pressure of racing with an uncertain future has been stressful, but not overwhelming.

“You get used to it,” Pedregon said. “I have been living in this bubble for about two years now. It’s been very unpredictable.  I think we’ve done very well considering what we’ve had to work with. We take pride in that.”
He admits that in 2010, if his sponsorship package doesn’t meet the necessary financial requirements, his program may be structured differently.

“I don’t know whether I can continue to race like this and for those reasons, I am really fighting for doing more,” Pedregon said. “I am willing to do the work. At this stage, it’s tough when I think about it. It’s just kind of nice to get to the races and think about the other racing problems.”

Win, lose or draw, Pedregon said, he’ll be in Pomona next February.

“I’ll find a way to be there,” Pedregon admitted. “We’ve managed to come this far on very little. If you look at mine and Cruz’s background and where we came from, we’ve always managed to do it. I’m optimistic we can do Pomona, not sure after that.”

 

MILLER FOR PRESIDENT in 2012? – Kevin Stith is confident he knows a good candidate when he sees one. Stith believes that piston/rod manufacturer and Top Fuel team owner Bill Miller is that man.

The Santa Fe Springs, Ca.-based screen printer rolled through the gates armed with boxes of “Republican Red” t-shirts bearing the message “Elect Bill Miller President”. Miller’s BME team will wear the t-shirts throughout the course of the weekend.

“There’s a lot of us out here who appreciate the way he thinks,” said Stith. “He’s got a way of explaining things in black and white, rather than in color.”

Stith said the t-shirt idea was inspired largely in part by the special bumper stickers circulated at this race last year bearing Miller’s name with Barrack Obama as his running mate.

Miller’s BME rods and piston business has used patriotism and support for the military as his business’ advertising base.

Miller, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, laughed off the practical joke.

But this time, Stith points out, this is no joke.

“Maybe he can make Jim Dunn his running mate,” Stith added. “Those guys are no nonsense and know how to make things balance out. If they don’t win the election, they’ll win the fight afterwards.”

Bill Dixon, longtime crewman for Miller’s Top Fuel team, believes Miller would make a good president because of his daily disposition.

“He’s ornery enough to make a good president,” Dixon said. “I never had a drill instructor that was as tough as him. He’s such a redneck that his neck glows in the dark. He’d make a helluva president and get this country back on track, the way it used to be back in the day.”

JACK-JACK, NO TRADE BACK – Rickie Jones can rest comfortably this weekend knowing that if he reaches the final round and Larry Morgan is in the opposite lane, the engine that he’s running this weekend will be the same one he’ll use in the finals.

Two weeks ago, Morgan loaned Jones an engine with the stipulation that if they met in competition, the latter had to use another engine. They met in the final round and Morgan recalled his engine.

This weekend Jones has leased the powerplant.

“We understand why Larry did what he did,” said Rick Jones. “He made us a really good deal and if it hadn’t have been for him we wouldn’t have qualified. He was gracious enough to lease us the engine this weekend.”

The Jones family is racing this weekend in the second of two events sponsored by Elite Motorsports and Bailey Logistics. Jones qualified for the Countdown to 1 playoffs but had only raced in one of the events prior to Pomona.

Rickie Jones has yet to win an NHRA Full Throttle event but was happy that Morgan captured the Pro Stock crown in Las Vegas.

“I think at that moment in time, it was more important to see him win than us,” Rickie Jones said. “He hadn’t won for seven years and did us a favor. His guys deserved to win for all of the work they had done. I was happy to see that. Our time is coming.”

This weekend, Morgan says, he’d like to see Jones win.

“I want to see him win but not at my expense,” Morgan said with a laugh. “Whatever happens – happens. I was just glad to see Rickie do well and glad to be able to help him. I feel great about that. He’s a great kid. He’s got a great family and whatever happens, happens. They deserve to win.”

Morgan is racing his final event with the Mopar combination, and he points out even if he runs a 6.40, it’s for sale.

So here’s the Morgan sales pitch.

“Whoever gets this, it’s awful good stuff,” Morgan explained. “You’re not going to go out and buy an engine that’s any better, I believe. It’s all real capable stuff. I think people perceive Pro Stock as being a matter of ‘I’ll go out and buy an engine from Steve Schmidt or KB.”

“I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t work like that. If I was going into Pro Stock today, and I had a lot of money, which I don’t, I’d be at the end of the track with an engine hoist. I’d buy the engine right out of the [quickest] car. The problem of people selling you an engine they haven’t run is that they aren’t capable of telling you whether it will run.

“It’s like our stuff. I’ve done a lot of engines and they aren’t the same, but they are all the same parts. Why don’t they run the same? I don’t know. If you’re going to buy a car and an engine, you’re better off to buy it at the end of the track.”

And, does he have the right deal for an aspiring Pro Stock driver?

“You damn right I do,” Morgan stated. 

 

 

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