JOHN FORCE BREAKS FOUR-MONTH SILENCE, ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP RENEWALS; BROGDON RECOUPS SOME OF HIS INVESTMENT; PROCK SETS QUALIFYING RECORD; WHAT WILL HUNTER GREEN DRIVE IN ’25?

1 – FORCE, TEAM SHARE GOOD NEWS – Declaring “I’m not going anywhere” but saying, “I’m going to be spectating for awhile. That’s what I need to do to get well,” recuperating John Force broke his four-month public silence and gave his legion of fans some reassuring news.

The 16-time champion and 157-time race winner quieted speculation about the future of John Force Racing on Saturday, the final day of qualifying for the Ford Performance Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He revealed that his team has secured sponsorship deals for 2025 and beyond.

Force, who’s resting and recuperating from a traumatic brain injury diagnosis following his violent June 23 accident at Virginia Motorsports Park, had been completely mum throughout his recovery. But he announced in a short interview with public-address announcer Alan Rinehart that PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant, the primary sponsor of his Chevy Camaro Funny Car, “just put me in a four-year program, so I’m excited about that. And Cornwell Tools signed up [Funny Car champion-in-waiting Austin] Prock. They bought [sponsorship for] that car. So I’m back in business.

“I’m going to be spectating for awhile. That’s what I need to do to get well. I got hit in the head – not just once ... a lot of times, and it all kind of built up.” He told Rinehart, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m a spectator, like you. So let’s have some fun today.”

So he didn’t give a hint whether Beckman will return to run the car, what his own plans are, or what company will be marketing partners with Brittany Force’s Top Fuel dragster next season. But the fact that Force was more vocal and more accessible Saturday was a huge stride toward normalcy.

Daughter Courtney Force Rahal and her husband, NTT IndyCar Series standout Graham Rahal, formed a bit of a protective shield for her father both Friday and again Saturday. She was coy when trackside announcer Joe Castello asked if she had had the urge to jump back into Funny Car competition and substitute for her dad.

“I don’t want to comment on that,” she said. “You know what? It doesn’t matter – [2012 Funny Car champion Jack] Beckman is such a perfect fit. He’s been doing such a great job in my dad’s car that I think it’s worked out for the best.”

Beckman has filled in for John Force since the August event at Brainerd, Minn.

John Force gave the fans a reassuring flash of his sense of humor, needling Beckman: “I didn’t know anybody could out-talk me until I heard Beckman. He’s having a ball with the fans.”

He said, “It’s good to be here. The fans are unbelievable. Love the fans. Love NHRA. I hadn’t seen my team in four or five months almost. It was good to be back. I feel good. I’ve got a lot of work to do in the future. My teams have held it together, so God bless ’em.” Then to the fans, he said, “God bless all of you, and God bless America.”

Courtney Force – who saw sister Brittany Force grab the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel and John Force Racing Funny Car phenom Austin Prock break the team owner’s 28-year-old record for the most top-qualifying performances in a single season (14) – said, “It’s a big weekend for so many reasons … most importantly to have my dad out here on the starting line, watching his teams, his car, and all the JFR teams. It’s great to have him here. He loves being out there. It’s great for the fans to see him, as well.”

2 – CHA-CHING - Rodger Brogdon won $100,000 Saturday by claiming the inaugural RoofTec Las Vegas Cash Clash at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals. The event featured a 16-car shootout, showcasing the top racers of the RoofTec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund series.

Brogdon, who operates the largest roofing company in Houston, Texas, drove his B/Altered Planetary Camaro to victory against Taylor Chomiski in the final round. Despite giving Chomiski nearly a full second head start, Brogdon managed to cut into the handicap and recorded a winning elapsed time of 7.185 seconds, finishing -.545 under his index.

In a bid to promote NHRA's Competition Eliminator division, Brogdon vowed three years ago to invest in this class of drag racing. "I'm so happy to be here, and I love all these guys who compete in this class," he said.

Brogdon secured his victory by winning four rounds, although previous RoofTec races since 2022 required winners to secure five victories. This weekend's race marked Brogdon’s first round win in any specialty competition this season.

He began his journey to the title Thursday, defeating Ashton Hudson in the first round. He advanced Friday past Adam Hickey after rainy conditions delayed their matchup, and then overcame Clint Neff’s Econo Dragster in the semifinals.

Brogdon expressed satisfaction with the investment in the series: "I didn't even have to win to make it worth it. That's just the icing on the cake."

Earlier in the event, NHRA Division 4 racer Don Thomas secured the series championship, earning $250,000 for his success. - Bobby Bennett 

3 – FACTORY X TITLE CLINCHED - It was about as anticlimactic of a championship clinch as there could be. Greg Stanfield clinched the first NHRA Factory X championship, beating Chris Holbrook in the final round. The odd part is the first round was also the final round. 

How does this happen?

To explain, one must revisit Friday's qualifying. Aaron and Greg Stanfield took the first and second spots in the first session, respectively. However, in a post-run technical inspection, their runs were disqualified when NHRA Tech found their cars to have a half-inch overhang too much. 

Citing unfairness in the enforcement of the rules, Lenny Lottig and Jesse Alexander withdrew from the event after the first session. Their complaint was that since qualifying runs had begun, the NHRA had an obligation to disqualify not only the runs but also the drivers. They alleged they faced a similar situation in St. Louis and were disqualified from the event. 

Aaron Stanfield, who ended up as the No. 1 qualifier, reportedly notified the NHRA he wouldn't make the first-round call, leaving the elder Stanfield and Holbrook to settle the Championship. 

Stanfield did what he needed to win the title, leaving on Holbrook and driving to the finish line. He also joined the ARP Ssix-Second club with a 6.983, the quickest run in Holley EFI Factory X history, to win the series championship.

Stanfield barely cracked a smile in the interview with Amanda Busick. 

"I want to give props to Chris Holbrook, a standup guy, great team," Stanfield said. "Cool to race at Ford, and a Mustang in the finals, so that was really good. Thanks to Rod Shop, David and Joe Janik for their support, and Pat Quinn, everybody that helps us with the car, all the guys at the shop, Ben Strader, Ross Wilson, my wife, everybody that's involved, Aaron.

"It's been kind of a weird season. Glad to be here, but glad it's over, for sure."

When Busick inquired about the class, Stanfield dropped a bombshell. 

"I think, if we could build it and get it better, it's going to take a lot of changes for everybody to get involved, but I'm excited about it," Stanfield said. "I hope it builds, hope it gets bigger. Me and Aaron are going to step out of the seats next year, and help the class. I think it's better for that. So that's our plan." - Bobby Bennett

 

4 – PROCK BREAKS BOSS’ QUALIFYING RECORD – On the strength of his 3.817-second elapsed time in the third overall (first Saturday) session, Austin Prock secured his record-setting 14th top-qualifying position. Prock broke a tie with boss John Force, who established the standard of 13 back in 1996 – the year after Prock was born.

After clocking his second 3.81-second pass in as many races, Prock said, “I don’t know if I’m trying to set that record, but I’m damn sure my dad, [assistant crew chief brother] Thomas, and this whole Cornwell Tools team is trying to do it. All I’ve done is give two away. It’s a handful to drive, but it sure is fun driving it.”

Prock’s record is for the Funny Car class, and it matches Gaige Herrera’s Pro Stock Motorcycle best. Pro Stock racers Greg Anderson (2004) and Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher’s 13 from 2006 lead their respective classes.

5 – YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND – Not everything went Rodger Brogdon’s way Saturday. Inspired by his respect for Top Fuel racer Scott Palmer, who he discovered through a chance meeting about five years ago and reinforced at the recent Texas FallNationals, Brogdon decided to sponsor Palmer’s dragster at this weekend’s Ford Performance Nationals here this weekend and at the Finals at Pomona, Calif.

Fan-favorite Palmer went through a tough Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tony Schumacher bumped him out, then Palmer bumped out Jasmine Salinas, who returned the favor and left him with a DNQ.

Brogdon, through his Houston-area-headquartered RoofTec business, offered the two-race deal, and it was because he appreciates Palmer’s blue-collar, hard-working approach.

“I’m a Scott Palmer fan,” Brogdon said. “When I see Scott, I see a man doing everything possible to live his dream.” Brogdon emphasized his appreciation for Palmer’s relentless effort despite limited resources, calling it “very impressive.”

Palmer said, “It’s probably been five years ago now that we met. We were pitted back to back at Houston, and I walked over to apologize for our loud music. That’s when I realized we could possibly be brothers.”

What strengthened their connection was their mutual support for the Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW), a charitable organization that aids injured racers. Brogdon, a significant contributor to DRAW, had reached out to Palmer during Palmer’s recovery from injuries sustained while racing his unique, nitro-burning Studebaker. And they struck up their friendship at Texas Motorplex during the DRAW auction two weeks ago.

“This was the first time we had seen one another since Scott’s crash,” Brogdon said. Actually, they crossed paths after the DRAW auction, and they reflected on the passions that formed their bond.

“Rodger is probably the most unselfish guy. [He’s] worked his whole life to get what he’s got,” Palmer said. He credited Brogdon for elevating the Comp Eliminator class to one that fans actively follow, and he said his respect for Brogdon grew when he was reminded of Brogdon’s outspoken nature he had observed earlier.

Palmer’s primary sponsor, the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR), will share top billing with RoofTec, Brogdon’s roofing business, for these last two events of the season.

“Because of my crash, I got such a late start,” Palmer said. “There wasn’t much need to go to races, and I was just trying to get back out there and find my rhythm again.”

While Palmer aspires to drive a Comp car in the future, he also expressed interest in giving Brogdon the chance to pilot a fuel car, much like he once did with drag racing star Rickie Smith.

And Brogdon indicated he just might be game: “I’ve always thought about driving one. I really like the guy and his team over there and their effort to compete at such a high level without the money like the big boys.”

6 – KISS: KEEP IT SPECTACULAR, SCOTT – Scott Kunau is a busy entrepreneur, an IT engineer and consultant, and the founder and CEO of Innovative Global Technology Group (IGTG). He has leveraged his passion for drag racing with his skill in designing IT solutions especially for race teams.

He’s serious about it all – until Halloween rolls around. Then Kunau – who helps fund the drag-racing efforts of Paul Lee (Funny Car), Krista Baldwin (Top Fuel), Matt and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle), and Angelle Sampey (Top Alcohol Dragster) – turns into a Gene Simmons look-alike.

His elaborate costume that makes him a ringer for the lead singer of the original heavy-metal band KISS, and his extravagant make-up that takes hours to apply make Kunau (pronounced Q-no) a show-stopper, even in over-the-top Las Vegas.

This weekend he took his act to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Ford Performance Nationals and had a little fun for the fans.

 

 

 

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​7 – CHAD GREEN TALK ABOUT SON’S 2025 PLANS – Funny Car owner-driver Chad Green knows his son, Hunter Green, is not going to return to the Top Alcohol Dragster class in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

He said Hunter Green, winner of back-to-back races this summer at Brainerd, Minn., and Indianapolis, is ready to step up to the nitro ranks. The only problem is that right now, he’s not sure whether he’ll be in a Top Fuel dragster, as he had expected to be, or a Funny Car, which he’ll drive this coming week in testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“The plan for me and Hunter next year, the plan is just the same for me: another full season next year. Hunter, we don't really know what the plan is going to be yet for him,” Chad Green said.

“He was needing to make some runs in Top Fuel dragster for the end of the year to keep his license. So we were kind of looking for a car he could drive here in Vegas to keep his license on Monday,” he said. “And then we just kind of decided, ‘You know what? We've got a Funny Car.  We've got all this. Why not just put him in a Funny Car and see how it goes?’”

He said, “It’s just a step to put him in the car and get his feet wet and see how it goes.”

8 – WELCOME REWARD – Top Fuel’s Brittany Force shared low-qualifier honors Saturday with John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

“We’ve been pushing all season long, and we’re finally starting to see some reward of it,” she said immediately after exiting her Monster Energy Dragster.

 

9 – IT’S A DATE – A broken rear end in Billy Torrence’s CAPCO dragster triggered a massive oildown that interrupted Top Fuel qualifying for more than an hour Saturday evening and left the entire Funny Car field waiting to complete its final session.

And Bobby Lagana, who oversees both Billy Torrence’s and Steve Torrence’s dragsters at the Brownsburg, Ind.-based shop, had a heartfelt apology to the fans and fellow racers – and so comical that no one could be too upset with the team.

Lagana said, “I am really sorry. I am so sorry. Safety Safari, thank you. That kind of stuff happens. It’s unfortunately part of the sport. God bless.

“If I could buy everybody a shot, I definitely would do it,” he said. “Maybe it’ll happen one day, and we’ll drink Jägermeister and everything possible and just get completely crap-faced.”    

10 –  A DIFFERENT STYLE OF PRESENTATION – John Hale, who’s competing in the “Nitro Moose” Funny Car entry this weekend, raced recently in the Eurofinals at the U.K.’s Santa Pod Raceway.   

“There's four cars, four big show cars, there. So the winners from the first round meet in the final. So the guy I ran crossed the center line after 1,000 feet, before the 1320[-foot mark, and he got disqualified.

“Lucky is fine for me. So, yeah, it rained. We had extra time to get ready. Then they have a 9 o'clock curfew, so it was nearing the 9 o'clock curfew. We'd go up there to run, they wipe off the inside of the windshield, fire the car, put the body down. I can't see s---. The temperature’s at the dew point. The track is not very well lit. It's not really designed for night racing because of the 9 o'clock curfew. So I'm like, ‘OK, I'm just going to have to do the best I can,’” Hale said.

“So I launched the thing, and it's going straight. Then all of a sudden, it just made a hard right move on me. I must've run over water coming up out of the expansion joint of the track or something, and it shot me over across the center line,” he said. “I brought it back. I didn't get in another guy's groove. I thought, ‘Oh s---, he's coming up behind me. I'm going to get in his way’. So I brought it back. The headers were dragging sparks on three wheels, basically brought it back into my lane and handed the win to him because he just launched and shut off.

“It’s a hell of a way to lose a race, for sure,” he said. “So anyway, [wild] deal to wind up with a nice runner-up trophy.”

And then Hale noticed something unusual. Officials conducted the trophy presentation Olympic Games-style. It was a departure from the way things are handled NHRA-style.

“They have a big podium that they present the winners their trophies. So I'm standing on the No. 2 spot. And the guy that won grabbed me and pulled me up on the No. 1 spot with him for the photos. So that was nice. This is all FIA sanctioned. It's the same body that sanctions the Formula 1 racing. And that's just how they go about it. I like it. I really do.”

Every runner-up has a story, and sometimes the runner-up puts up an heroic effort that deserves applause.

Hale said, “They may even be a former champion and they're happy for the new one, or maybe they won that race before and they know what it's like and they're happy. We've stood on that top space before and we're happy to see our friend up there. Yeah, there's a story.”

 

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - FORCE BACK AT DRAGSTRIP AS SPECTATOR, TITLE FIGHTS STILL ON, PROCK TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED, THOMAS WINS $250,000 ROOFTEC BONUS

1 – WELCOME BACK – Like people who wait for the top of the hour to get a glimpse of the little bird pop out of the cuckoo clock for just a second, or an outdoorsmen hoping to score a Bigfoot sighting in the woods, drag-racing fans were eager Friday to see Funny Car star and NHRA legend John Force in his return to the racetrack for the first time since his June 23 Viginia Nationals crash.

And they got their wish during the first qualifying session. Force, attending this weekend’s Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, stood at the starting line between his two Funny Cars as Austin Prock and his own substitute, Jack Beckman, closed the session as the class’ top two qualifiers. Flanked by daughter Courtney and son-in-law Graham Rahal, Force wore jeans, a black shirt, and a vest and sported a cast/splint on his right wrist.

Force revisited the starting line to watch daughter Brittany Force rocket to the top of the order in her first Top Fuel run of the weekend. She remained No. 1 overnight in her class for a John Force Racing sweep of Friday’s qualifying. Two more sessions are scheduled for Saturday as fields are finalized for Sunday’s eliminations.

“He's therapy for us,” Prock said. “It was a great way to say, ‘Welcome back, Boss.’ I wanted to cry when I saw him this morning. I hadn’t seen him since Richmond. It’s just more normal that John’s back. We’re just so glad to have him back. We love that guy.”

Brittany Force said she has grown up at racetracks across the country but hadn't been used to racing without her father nearby. So she said she was "proud we performed well" with her dad watching. 

However, John Force remained safe in his familiar surroundings, with a little interaction with the fans and no media.

 

 

2 – TOP FUEL CHASE STILL ON – With a maximum point total of 130 this weekend and 191 possible at the season finale in two weeks at Pomona, Calif., the Top Fuel championship isn’t a lock for points leader Justin Ashley.  

His victory at the most recent race, near Dallas, was his fourth of the season, and it vaulted him and his SCAG Power Equipment Toyota dragster team from a 34-point deficit to a 44-point advantage over closest rival Antron Brown.

Anticipating “a heightened level of intensity” this weekend, Ashley said, “Everyone understands that there are only a handful of opportunities left to gain points. But that shouldn’t change our approach. We are in this position for a reason. It's all about being our best both on and off the racetrack. The rest will take care of itself.”

Ashley has not fallen below fourth place in the standings this season, so he has made a strong case for himself. He’s aware that the four drivers directly behind him in the standings have a combined 16 crowns.

Brown is seeking his fourth Top Fuel championship, his first since 2016, and his first under his own AB Motorsports banner. The team owner-driver won twice in the first four Countdown races (at Reading, Pa., and Charlotte) and leads the Top Fuel category with five 2024 victories.

Brown said he’s “ready to show up and show out” and that his “main focus is to qualify well, hit the ground running, and let the chips fall where they fall. It's Vegas. We’ve got nothing to lose.”

Shawn Langdon, the 2103 Top Fuel champion, is in third place, just 76 points out of first in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster. He has a pair of victories and five runner-up finishes to stay within 32 points of Brown and 12 points ahead of fourth-place Steve Torrence. And Langdon is aware of what he needs to do to remain relevant in the title talk.

“We need to go more rounds than Justin Ashley,” he said. “Ideally, we need to win the race and have him go out early, but if we can just go one more round than him, that’ll improve our chances. In a perfect world, we win the race this weekend and take the points lead. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing all season but turn a couple of those runner-up finishes into race wins. Where it ends up, it ends up. Our goal is to win the last two races – we’re not focused on anything else.

“We’ve won races and have quite a few runner-up finishes. That gives me confidence in this team,” Langdon said. “We know how to go rounds, know how to win races, we just have to execute. Execution wins championships, and we have two more opportunities to execute. The points are pretty tight near the top, but our only focus is Justin Ashley, because he’s the points leader. That’s where this Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team wants to be – that’s our only goal. That’s our only focus. If we win the last two races, we’ve done everything we can do.”  

Unlike Langdon, who won two of the first three races this season, four-time champion Torrence scored his only win at Seattle in late July.  

“I still feel good about the championship,” Torrence said. “We’ve shot ourselves in the foot a couple times, but I don’t think we’ve shot it smooth off. The thing is, we just can’t make any more mistakes. We’re down 88 points and, going into Pomona, we need to at least be within two rounds [60 points]. So, we’ve got some work to do.  

“We have an opportunity. Vegas has been good to us.  We’ve won a lot of rounds [46, more than at any other venue] and a lot of races. But to be honest, that’s old news. It’s all about what we can do this weekend.  And I can’t think of anybody I’d rather go into a battle like this with than these CAPCO boys. They’ve been here. They know the pressure. They know what needs to be done.”

Eight-time champion Tony Schumacher is 105 points out of first place.

 

 

3 – PROCK CAN CLINCH HERE – While the Top Fuel championship is undecided, Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro driver Austin Prock has a chance to secure his first Funny Car title this weekend.

Prock has 147 points on the No. 2-ranked John Force/Jack Beckman combined team heading into this fifth of six Countdown events.

Like Beckman, Prock is a fill-in driver in his rookie season in the class. The former Top Fuel standout – who excelled in quarter-midgets and sprint cars before turning to drag racing – is driving the Chevy that qualified No. 1 at this race the past two years and wound up in the winner's circle last year with Hight driving it. Hight, a three-time Funny Car champion, remains on a medical leave of absence.

Prock said, “We’re not treating this race any different than any other one. We want to go out there and run low E.T. every round, and we want to win every race. If you’re competitive, and a racer, that’s what you expect, and I believe you can do that. We want to do good for JFR, we want to do good for Robert, and we want to do good for Cornwell and all our other great partners.”

"We don’t have the trophy in our hands. It isn’t over,” Prock said of the title battle. “It’s going to be tough to get it locked up. A lot of these cars around us are very tough. A lot of them are starting to close the gap up. I don’t look at it like we’ve got it sealed up or anything. I’m still looking at it like I’m 147 points back.”

 

 

 

 

5 – THE MOOSE SOON WILL BE LOOSE – Lost among all the attention this weekend on John Force’s return to the dragstrip since his career-altering accident June 23 at Virginia Motorsports Park might be the introduction of a new, young face to the NHRA Funny Car conversation.

Jr. Dragster graduate and former Fuel Altered and Nostalgia Funny Car driver Dylan Winefsky is on the verge of joining the nitro ranks. He’s scheduled to launch his career at next spring’s Arizona Nationals. However, after getting in some practice with burnouts and back-ups at Firebird Motorsports Park at Chandler, Ariz., last Friday, he’s observing veteran John Hale here at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

Hale will shake down the Winefsky family’s Nitro Moose/Best of Texas Barbecue Sauce Dodge Charger at the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ penultimate race.

“I'm just getting the car up to speed so we can hand it over to him on Monday after the race and he can get his license and take over from there,” Hale said.

Winefsky will begin pursuit of his Funny Car license Monday after the Las Vegas race ends, but Hale said he’ll be tutoring the 20-year-old driver throughout the weekend.

“We’ll take it a step at a time and get the car up to speed,” Hale said. “And I'm going to be mentoring Dylan the whole time. He's going to be watching the runs, and after the runs, we're going to debrief, ask him what he saw, and it's going to be part of a training exercise on each one of those runs.

“And then, so when it's his turn on Monday morning, I'm going to say, ‘You got any questions? You ask ’em now.’” Come Monday morning, Hale said, he’s going to tell Winefsky, “It's all yours, buddy. I'm going to be here when you get out.”

Hale said, “I'm going to have him prepared. I've taught other people how to drive, and I almost feel like that if they fail, I failed.”

Winefsky isn’t likely to fail. For such a young man, he has a lot of quality experience, including several years on the crew at Maddern Racing for that successful Top Alcohol Dragster operation.

Hale called Winefsky “a hard worker” and “very knowledgeable, mechanical-wise.” He said, “They would take the family Fuel Altered out, with his dad, Robert, driving to a race, and they'd come back and the next day the kid would have the motor torn down and seeing what it needed. I mean, that's how good the kid was. At 16 years old, he was taking a Fuel Altered motor, a blown nitro motor, apart all by himself.”

That’s one reason Hale recommended Winefsky to the Maddern family several years ago. He said Winefsky also works full time for the family’s automotive repair shop in the metropolitan Phoenix city of Youngtown, Ariz.

“They had a Fuel Altered, and it was done in with a crash,” Hale said. “I think he launched the car and it made a hard move to the right and it pancaked off the wall. And I think they already had this Funny Car chassis with plans to do it maybe after this year. And so when they had that event happen to the Fuel Altered, they just went ahead and started putting it together. I think that happened, like, 300 days ago, so it just lets you know how hard they've been working on putting this car together.”

As for Hale, he hasn’t been idle. He drove the Red Baron entry at the April Funny Car Chaos race at Texas Motorplex, qualifying first among 50 competitors. There he won the first round but couldn’t make the second round because his supercharger melted and fused the rotors to the end plates. “We were done,” he said.

Then Hale was nitro Funny Car runner-up in September at the FIA European Finals at England’s Santa Pod Raceway. Driving his One Bad Texan Toyota Camry, he lost to Britain’s Steve Ashdown and his Undertaker Dodge when he crossed the center line.

Robert Winefsky told NHRA.com, “John will be a great fit with our team as we shake down our new car. Dylan is looking forward to learning from John, who has been a friend and supporter since Dylan's Jr. Dragster days.”

Hale, the Addison, Texas, resident who has kept busy with fishing trips and competition aerobatics – “where we fly routines and we get judged on ’em” – said this opportunity arose when the Winefsky family “got to asking me about bodies: ‘Which one have you driven? Which ones should we get?’” He recommended one that was a little bit pricier than others and volunteered, “Hey, I'll make up the difference on that, or something to that effect. I'll chip in and help you out on it, not wanting really anything in return. And the next thing I know, he says, well, would you be interested in being our test driver? Well, if I'm in town, that's an easy answer. So I checked my schedule. Sure enough, I [was available] for the Las Vegas race, and that's how all that came about.” 

Besides Hale’s Best of Texas Barbecue Sauce, the Nitro Moose Charger receives support from Powerbuilt Tools, Goodridge USA, Stith Printing Inc., Torco USA, CRC Industries, Reid Rocker Arms, Advanced Machine Works, Roberts Car Care, BBQ Life, NGK, and NTK.

Hale knew right away in Friday’s first session that the engine was not behaving properly during his burnout, and he shut it off before even backing up.  He aborted the second Friday run, too.  

 

 

6 – DON THOMAS POCKETS $250,000 ROOFTEC COMP BONUS TITLE – Competition Eliminator racer Don Thomas secured the largest championship payout in the history of NHRA's Competition Eliminator class. He earned $250,000 as the champion of the RoofTec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund. Driving his B/Econo Dragster, Thomas defeated Brian Browell in the first round of eliminations to clinch the title in the 10-race $750,000 RoofTec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund.

“I don't know that I can put it in the right words,” Thomas said. “It's overwhelming, honestly. We've all thought about it all year, but I don't think it really hits you. I don't know when it'll set in.”

Thomas praised Rodger Brogdon for his dedication to preserving Competition Eliminator, noting the increased level of competition. Every NHRA Comp race this season has required winners to turn on five win lights, raising the stakes for the competitors.

“I just can't thank everybody enough that's been a part of it,” Thomas said. “Rodger Brogdon, first and foremost, for organizing this and making it bigger and better every year. There's so many people responsible for me being able to race, including my family and crew.”

The impact of the RoofTec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund is evident, as Thomas became the first driver in the series history to win more than one race in a season. He also triumphed at the Texas Motorplex divisional in October and previously at the Texas Motorplex double divisional in May.

“It’s just great for the sport of drag racing and for our class,” Brogdon said. “Don has had a hell of a year. He focused on every race and did what he needed to do. I want to thank everyone involved. It’s a great program that has grown well, and I’m very proud of what we've accomplished.”

Brogdon also credited the Hudson family and CompetitionPlus.com for their support in establishing the bonus fund. “Congratulations, Don,” he added. “It’s been an amazing year, and we’ve all had a great time.” – Bobby Bennett

 

 

 

7 – SHE’LL BE BACK – Alexis DeJoria quashed the rumor that she is not going to return in 2025. She insisted she’ll be back “in force” when the season opens in March 2025 at Gainesville, Fla.

But DeJoria has had better days on the racetrack than Friday’s two qualifying passes. In the first one, she hit the wall and flattened her left-side headers. In the evening encore, while driving in the right lane, her Bandero Tequila Toyota Supra wanted to drift left again, and she barely kept it from crossing the center line before crossing the finish line on the 1,000-foot course.

“Man, this team, we've been through it all this year,” De Joria said. “There's been births, there's been deaths, there's been hires, there's been fires. We have a very persistent crew, and we just keep moving forward. Just keep moving forward, that's all. And it's all you can do, one foot in front of the other. I've made it down just towards the end, man. It's just pulling me left for some reason. So go back there [to the pits] and try to figure it out.”

The team changed the body for the second pass but put it on the same chassis.

 

 

9 – SMITH CALCULATES TITLE CHANCES – Matt Smith, who recorded low elapsed time in both Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions Friday for the tentative No. 1 position, trimmed Gaige Herrera’s point lead slightly. And that has him encouraged, convinced that a seventh series championship is doable by the end of this event and the Nov. 15-17 Finals at Pomona, Calif.

Smith, whose motorcycle has betrayed him three times during the Countdown, said Friday evening, “I'm not asking for good luck, I just don't want no bad luck. The bad luck’s got to stop, and I think we can still pull this thing off. We just got to do our job. Our mindset's been we don't want bad luck, and that's what we've had this whole Countdown.

“At Reading, we lost the fuel pump wire. At St. Louis, we lost the crank trigger, and Dallas, it didn’t shift in the finals. All three of those rounds we had the person beat. So that's 60 points right there. I'm in the final – that's 40 points a week, so that would be 80 points. So in all, I mean we should be either leading the points or right there. It's just one of those deals,” he said.

Smith called this event “a must-win.” He said, “We have to win this race, or Gaige has got to have bad luck second round or something like that. Then it's not a must-win. But if I'm in the finals with him, we got to win the race. I feel like if I go do my job and the bike does this job, I can win this race, and we knock it down 24 points. He's had a great-luck Countdown and he's had no bad luck.”

Joining Smith as tentative No. 1 qualifiers Friday were Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), Austin Prock (Funny Car), and Brittany Force (Top Fuel).

10 – HOWDY, HOWEY – Clayton Howey, who made his debut this summer at Sonoma, Calif., is back for a second shot at Pro Stock Motorcycle racing this weekend under the tutelage of close friend and veteran tuner Gary Stoffer. Howey, a heavy equipment mechanic from Hanford, Calif., leases the Suzuki from Stoffer “for the national events to test myself and experience racing at the professional level.”

He said the goal for this weekend is, “I just want to make some good clean A-to-B passes, safely and fast. I want to be consistent on the tree and have a good weekend with all the other racing competitors. We're going to try a few things different from the last race to hopefully get a little more E.T. out of the bike and with some luck get a couple rounds in on race day.”

Howey said he isn’t planning to step up to a full-time schedule next season. “As for 2025, I don't really have any plans set in stone, other than bracket racing in Lucas Oil division series and our local Summit races.”

Joining him on the track this weekend is Las Vegas resident Kahea Woods Jr., who Howey said “has been an integral part in helping me find sponsors. Kahea and I are not formal teammates like Richard [Gadson] and Gaige [Herrera], but we're very close friends and bracket race together regularly. I'm just not one to really publicize myself, and without his and many of my friends’ support, I would not be able to make these dreams come true.”

Howey and wife Lindsay are parents to a daughter – “our little Quinn.” He called them “wonderful” and said, “They keep me goin'.”

Howey closed the day in the tentative No. 15 spot in the line-up with two more qualifying chances Saturday to improve.

10 A – HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY – Pro Stock owner-driver Kenny Delco, a Setauket, N.Y., native who raced for many years at now-closed Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at Englishtown, N.J., gave a New Jersey native a special birthday shout-out. On the back windshield of his Camaro, he broadcast a “Happy 100th Birthday” to a fan who goes by the nickname of “Englishtown Terry.”