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TOMMY JOHNSON JR.’S INDY DIARY – MY WELCOME BACK TO SPORTSMAN DRAG RACING
Everyone always ask “what is so special about Indy”. To be honest I’m not sure. It is just another drag strip and you do the same things you do at any other track. It’s just that special feeling and the history that goes along with it, that makes you anxious to get to the track in the morning and the desire to win the big one.
I didn’t want to miss Indy this year and thankfully Bill Evans gave me the opportunity to drive his A/Fuel car this weekend. I have run a couple of divisional races so far, but with weather issues I have only made five runs in the car before this Friday.
Since this is my first race in Alcohol Dragster this season I was right at the front of the line for the first session of qualifying. With all eyes watching I rolled forward for the burnout and hit the throttle. That’s when the day kind of started to change for us. A heim joint on the throttle linkage began to pull out and there wasn’t enough throttle to do a burnout, but a bigger issue was it had the throttle hung open. I yanked the brake and buried the clutch pedal to stop the car while the guys ran out and got the throttle UN-stuck. No harm no foul. We got back to the line and continued like nothing happened. The car left the line nice and was on a great run until it dropped a cylinder and began to slow.
Now, I am not bragging or trying to sound cool, but people have asked me how driving an A Fuel Car feels. I have to be honest and tell them it feels really slow. You can’t believe how much slower things seem after you have driven a car that is much quicker and faster. I’m telling you this because I’m having a really hard time telling whether the car is on a good run or a bad 
run. I just don’t have enough runs in the car yet to know a good run feeling. They all feel slow to me right now. I looked over and saw the car next to me and knew it was a blown car so it probably didn’t have a cylinder out as well and should be on a pretty good pass. I was right next to them so maybe I was just thinking it had a hole out when actually it wasn’t that bad of a run. Go figure all the above was right. It did have a hole out, and no for having a hole out it wasn’t a bad run. We ran a 5.63 at 242 to end the session in the 18th position.
I guess for all the issues we had it wasn’t a bad first run. It hurt a few parts so we had a little bigger service that we were expecting. I’m kind of lucky this weekend because helping out crew chief Anthony Dicero is a couple of fuel crew guys I’ve worked with in the past that are both currently unemployed like myself, Chris Kullberg and Tony Woodside. If you love racing you’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the sport. None of us are getting paid, but hey we are at Indy and we are racing, what more can you ask for.
My welcoming back to sportsman racing came just after the service and as the Alcohol Funny Cars were pulling to the lanes for our second run. The notice came that since they were so far behind schedule the second session of dragster was cancelled. Oh yeah, I remember now, there are pro cars at this race and I am not one of them. I do remember how that feels though to make that first session on Friday night with it getting dark and you go to number one and the crowd goes wild. That’s why I headed up to watch the pro session and hopefully we will get to make up our second session that we missed some time today.
Even though the sportsman guys might get runs cancelled or be told you have to run at 7 in the morning, you are still having a lot of fun and you are racing at Indy. I also remember what it’s like to smoke the tires that first pro session and have the pressure to get in the show from sponsors, team owners, and such. I miss it, but this weekend I’m a sportsman racer missing sessions, up early and on my way to the track to have FUN!
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FRIDAY HEMI SHOOTOUT
The Westcott family, of Parma, Mich., pulled off another victory tonight in the Mopar® NHRA HEMI® Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S.
Roger Richards
Nationals in Indianapolis. Charlie Wescott, Sr., did it this time, in his 1968 Hemi Barracuda, besting David Barton, of Robesonia, Pa. Westcott needed a lot of help from his son, Charlie Westcott, Jr., and a bunch of their competitors.
Westcott Senior’s engine dropped a valve on the bye run that put him into the finals. “I figured there was nothing we could do but go home,” he said, “but my son is a workaholic.” Westcott Junior reclaimed a Mopar 426 Hemi engine he had just delivered to John Raines, of Santa Paula, Calif., and moved the Barracuda to Californian Jim DeFrank’s well-equipped trailer to do an engine swap.
With the help of many HEMI Challenge racers, the job took ninety minutes, which was just enough time to get to the starting line where finalist Barton was waiting in his Barracuda to take a bye run.
The match turned into a disaster for Barton, who left late, and a Cinderella story for the Westcotts as Charlie Senior was much quicker off the line He claimed the Hemi Challenge title with an 8.626 second run at 156.15 mph. Barton trailed with an 8.802 elapsed time and a speed of 152.87 mph.
Westcott Senior will take home $10,000 for the victory, his first at the U.S. Nationals. His son Charlie, Jr., has won three out of the last four Mopar Hemi Challenges in Indianapolis. Today’s win makes it four out of the last five for the Westcotts.
“Jason Line came up to me after I won and said, ‘You give me something to look forward to when I get old,’” said the 66-year-old Westoctt, Sr. Line is a veteran Pro Stock champion.
Westcott junior had the same engine problem as that of his father, preventing him from appearing in an earlier round. He was the fastest qualifier with an 8.491 clocking. Jim Daniels, of Yardley, Pa., was the second-fastest, recording an 8.519 in his HEMI Barracuda. Daniels made it to the third round before losing to Raines, who then lost to Barton in the semifinals.
Twenty-one 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracudas participated in the Mopar Hemi Challenge this year. Entrants were from thirteen states across the U.S., ranging from New Jersey to California and from Minnesota to Louisiana.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – MANZO, LEWIS LEAD ALKY QUALIFIERS; WESTCOTT WINS HEMI SHOOTOUT
Frank Manzo and Mike Lewis lead the pack in Top Alcohol Funny Car and the Top Alcohol Dragster category after the first day of qualifying in the 55th NHRA Mac Tool’s US Nationals held at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind..
Manzo, Morganville, NJ, set the pace with a 5.581-second elapsed time during the first of two qualifying sessions today. Manzo is looking to add a record setting ninth US Nationals title to his stellar resume. Mick Snyder’s Mustang-bodied flopper is currently second in the 16-car field; only 0.005-seconds behind Manzo’s number one effort.
The Senior Vice-President of Don Schumacher Racing, Mike Lewis, ran a career-best elapsed time to take the provisional pole in Top Alcohol Dragster. Lewis’ 5.276-second blast behind the wheel of Tom Conway’s A/Fuel Dragster was 0.050 quicker than the second place, Bill Reichert. The Top Alcohol Dragster class was given only one qualifying session today. A second session has been added to tomorrow’s line up.
After three rounds of qualifying in the Competition Eliminator category, the BB/Altered-Turbo Charged 2007 Ford Mustang of Larry Larson holds the number one position in the 64-car field. The Oak Grove, MO resident recorded a 6.522-second elapsed time, which is -0.748-seconds under his classes index. Just behind Larson is Dave Yidney from Nazareth, PA. His L/Altered traveled the O.R.P. quarter-mile in 8.745-seconds. He is only 0.003-seconds behind the number one position.
After thrashing to replace his wounded 426-cubic inch Hemi prior to the final round, Charlie Westcott Sr. drove his “WAR FISH” 1968 Plymouth Barracuda to victory over David Barton. And took home the 2009 Mopar Hemi Challenge championship.
“I certainly did not think we could do it,” stated the Parma, MI. resident, who captured the $10,000 first prize. “I broke the same valve in the same cylinder I broke here two years ago. If it wasn’t for (his son) Charlie Jr., I wouldn’t even had tried to come back. I was ready to put it in the trailer, but he wouldn’t let me.”
Racing will resume Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. O.R.P.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK –
2,000 MILES TO RACE A NEIGHBOR – Alta Loma, Calif. super category racer Tom Bayer came a long way to race a neighbor during the 55th running of the US Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind..
Bayer, the multi-time Division 7 champion in both Super Comp and Super Gas drove 2,075 miles from his Southern California home to compete at this years ‘Big Go’ in his quest to capture the 2009 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Gas World Championship.
In the first round of Super Gas racing , Bayer matched up against San Dimas, Calif. veteran drag racer Hollis Colleasure. It will be a long ride home for Bayer as his cross town opponent took the win light by 0.009-seconds .
“Hollis put a light on me,” stated Bayer. “From there he kept a fender out on my Toyo Tires Corvette and it was all over. But heck that‘s drag racing.”
A BATTLE OF TITANS – Don Garlits may not have qualified in Stock Eliminator this weekend, but the man known simply as “BIG” proved how large he can be.
During round one of class eliminations for this weekend’s NHRA US Nationals held at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Ind., Garlits was paired up against 63-time NHRA National event champion Dan Fletcher and his A/ Stock Automatic 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. As two of drag racing’s most successful racers in the sport’s history left the starting line, Garlits laid down a mind numbing 0.007-second reaction time (0.000 is perfect) against Fletcher’s equally impressive 0.010-second reaction time.
Garlits and his 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag-Pac held a brief lead but the classic Chevrolet captured the round win, as Fletcher crossed the finish line approximately three-car lengths ahead of Garlits’ Mopar.
“Well, I guess the driver showed he still has it after all these years,” commented Garlits when asked about his stellar reaction time. “I did not win all those little gold guys (NHRA Wally’s) by mistake.”
“FAST” STANLEY CROSSES THE BORDER – The Kontos family welcomed a very famous, but very ‘flat’ friend to their Toronto, Canada based Top Alcohol Funny Car team today at the NHRA Mac Tools US Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.
“Fast” Stanley, the title character of Jeff Brown’s 1950’s children book will be plastered on the driver side window of the Jason McKnight driven alky flopper during the weekend’s festivities. This particular ‘Stan’ has ridden with Fuel Funny Car driver’s Tim Wilkerson, Jack Beckman and Jeff Arend. He has also taken a ride with Top Alcohol Dragster driver Chris Demke.
Currently, the Kon Rod’s sponsored Top Alcohol Funny Car is qualified in the 15th position after recording a conservative 5.810-second elapsed time in the second of four qualifying sessions.
FOSTER’S DOWN UNDER “HEAD” – Division 3 Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Chris Foster is debuting a brand new cylinder head this weekend. The cylinder head was manufactured by Australian company Noonan Racing Engineering. The cylinder heads are also on Jeff Bennett’s Top Alcohol Funny Car as well.
“We have been working with (company founding partner) Jamie Noonan, for a few months,” stated Foster’s crew chief Will Hanna. “The first time we fired the engine up was last Saturday. We will see how they work.”
Hanna had to be pleased with their first qualifying effort, as the Davenport, Iowa based team laid down a solid 5.66-second elapsed time. Currently Foster and Hanna occupy the ninth qualifying spot.
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK –
TOP DOG … ERR … ELEPHANT – Charlie Westcott, Jr., of Parma, Mich., leads a field of 21 Super Stock HEMI® Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas after final qualifying for the Mopar HEMI Challenge at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Westcott, Jr., blistered the quarter mile track at O’Reilly Raceway Part at Indianapolis with an 8.491 second elapsed time in his 1968 HEMI Barracuda.
Westcott, Jr., has a bye run in the first round.
Jim Daniels, Yardley, Pa., drove his 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI to the second fastest time with an 8.519 second clocking. Daniels won the most recent Hemi Challenge at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
Westcott’s father, Charlie Westcott, Sr., also of Parma, Mich., had third fast time at 8.571 seconds in his 1968 HEMI Barracuda. He and his son have met in the finals of previous Hemi Challenge events, with dad besting his son more often than not.
All cars in the class—Super Stock A Hemi, shortened to SS/AH—are HEMI-powered 1968 Dodge Darts or Plymouth Barracudas. The cars first won the class, then known as SS/BA, in 1968 at this same Indianapolis track.
Other qualifiers in the top ten include David Barton, Robesonia, Pa., Barracuda, 8.574; John Rains, Santa Paula, Calif., Dart, 8.612; Gary Wolkowitz, Annandale, N.J., Dart, 8.626; Stephen Hebert, Westlake, La., Barracuda, 8.627; Wendell Howes, Rathesay, Neb., Barracuda, 8.634; Randall Warford, Nashville, Ind., Barracuda, 8.714; Jim Pancake, Delaware, Ohio, Dart, 8.742.
Final eliminations for the class will be during the day, Thursday, Sept. 4, with the final run early that evening.
HARKER FOR MEYER – NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team owner and crew chief, Randy Meyer is familiar with the variables that come with driver changes. He 
himself is known to get back behind the wheel from time to time. This weekend’s MAC Tools NHRA US Nationals will see the Randy Meyer Racing team compete with Australian driver, Kate Harker.
The Meyer team has a successful racing relationship with the Harker Family. Kate’s identical twin sister, Diana was the driver for the Meyer family Top Alcohol Dragster in 2008 earning several final round appearances together. Meyer earned Diana the title as the 9th women to win an NHRA National event in the class and also the first non-resident and Australian women to win an NHRA event.
Randy Meyer and his team have a long list of prestigious wins and championships. They are notably known for their ability to train up and coming NHRA drivers, while keeping that competitive edge on track. The team is more than capable of delivering fast elapse times and round wins.
Kate is very familiar with the Randy Meyer Racing operation having watched, crewed and driven the Top Alcohol Dragster herself. Kate entered the Dallas, Texas NHRA National event in 2008 with Randy and his team. Consistency got the team winning rounds and a runner-up finish at the event.
Another notable for this Labor Day weekend’s event, is Kate’s twin sister, Diana will also be competing in the Harker family blown Top Alcohol Dragster. There could be possibility for a sibling rivalry and a match up of the Injected Nitro and Blown Top Alcohol dragsters between the sisters. But wait there’s more, the twin’s father; Steve Harker will be contending his Top Alcohol Funny Car at the event.
"I am looking forward to this opportunity to drive for Randy, Mary and their team" said an excited Kate "Randy and Mary have a top competitive race operation, that’s proven on track, the car is safe and have an dedicated and experienced crew on board with them." "If Diana and I get to race each other, I know we will be super competitive yet very supportive and most of all have fun. This is a big weekend for our family and a wonderful opportunity for us as a family to share our passion for drag racing."
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WEDNESDAY QUALIFYING RECAP – HOZMAN LEADS INDY STOCKERS WHILE CARO TOPS FIRST DAY SUPER STOCKERS
NHRA kicked off the 55th anniversary of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, the world’s most prestigious drag race with two qualifying sessions for the muscle car contingent at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, In., today.
Under sunny skies and operating on a racing surface of 100 degrees, 150 Stock Eliminator hot rods were the first to take to the historic quarter-mile. The 128-car qualifying field was lead by two A/SA Stockers, representing the future and the past.
Division 5’s Chad Holzman, from Wichita, Kan., leads the pack after the first two sessions. Driving his 2008 Ford Cobra-Jet Mustang, Holzman negotiated the quarter-mile in 9.968-seconds, 1.332 seconds under his 11.30 standard. Only 0.005-seconds separates the new Cobra-Jet from the second qualifier, the classic Mopar of Division 1 competitor David Barton from Robesonia, Pa. Barton ran a solid 9.973-second elapsed time in his 1965 A/SA Dodge Cornet.
Noticeably missing from the top 128 is Big Daddy Don Garlits, who is returning to the US Nationals after a six-year absence. Driving his A/SA Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, Garlits could only manage a 10.454-second ET, nearly a tenth of a second behind the 128th qualifier, the AF/S 2005 Dodge Neon of Charles Blossom.
The quickest car on the grounds today appropriately captured the provisional pole in the Super Stock category. The 2005 Dodge Stratus, SS/BM of James Caro set the pace with his 8.237-second blast. Today’s number one pass from Caro is 0.013-seconds quicker than his NHRA world record set earlier this season at Belle Rose, LA.
One of the slowest cars in the Super Stock division currently occupies the second qualifying position. Kalamazoo, Michigan’s own Tim Kish drove his Dodge Neon down the quarter-mile in 12.948-seconds, -1.352 under his 14.30-second SS/GS index.
Two rounds of Super Comp and Super Gas time trials also took place today. The super category racers will receive two opportunities to dial-in their cars as close to the 8.900 and 9.900-second index as they can.
Tomorrow the Competition Eliminator category will have two attempts to qualify for the 64-car field. The Top Alcohol cars will begin their qualifying efforts on Friday.
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WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK – LET THE ACTION BEGIN
BIG IS BACK – “Big Daddy” Don Garlits is making a comeback to NHRA competition for the first time since 2003, driving his Dodge Challenger Drag 
Pak in NHRA Stock eliminations at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. His historic first run in the Drag Pak will be on Wednesday, Aug. 2, in A/Stock Automatic qualifying at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The full U.S. Nationals event is scheduled to begin Sept. 2 with final eliminations on Monday, Sept. 7.
Garlits hung up his helmet after Top Fuel qualifying at the U.S. Nationals exactly six years ago in 2003. He last ran a stock class car in 1963 when he competed in a 1963 Dodge Max Wedge drag package car carrying “Garlits Dodge” graphics. His new Dodge Challenger Drag Pak by Mopar has the same lettering emblazoned on its sides, along with the same Mopar graphics from his historic run last year alongside “Miss Mighty Mopar” Judy Lilly in Drag Pak prototypes at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
“I like my Dodge Challenger Drag Pak much better than a dragster,” said Garlits, referring to the current way Top Fuel dragsters are campaigned. “It takes 25 people to get a dragster to the line these days. All I have to do with the Dodge Challenger is turn the key and take it there. When the light turns green I have a ten-second ride—which is almost three times what I used to get—and I even have time to look at the tach and shift gears.”
“Big Daddy’s” 2009 Dodge Challenger is the first Drag Pak by Mopar ever made. He took delivery at the Performance Racing Industry show in December 2008, receiving the keys along with a certificate of authenticity from Mopar. Garlits put the Drag Pak by Mopar through test and exhibition runs at the World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, Ill., last weekend.
Garlits retired for the first time in 1987, but returned for one race at Atlanta in 1992 and made a 300-mph run at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 2001. He then ran a limited schedule of four NHRA National events each year in 2002 and 2003 before he stepped out of Top Fuel at the request of his wife, Pat. “I didn’t want to come home and find my clothes all over the front yard,” he said at the time he acquired his new Dodge Challenger, explaining that he had the home-front green light to run a doorslammer in competition, referring to his Drag Pak car.
ELEPHANTS ON PARADE, PART 9 – The ninth edition of the Mopar® HEMI® Challenge Race Series at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals pits 
nearly two dozen of the famous SS/AH 1968 HEMI Darts and Barracudas against each other to see if Charlie Westcott Jr., will win his fourth Indy HEMI Challenge event in the last five years and collect the $10,000 payout.
Westcott Jr., the usual favorite in these events, has a brand-new ’68 HEMI Barracuda named War Fish running for the first time, so all eyes will be on him to see whether he will again be a threat. “The new car is ready and it’s running well,” said Westcott.
Westcott Jr.’s old War Fish may be the winningest Super Stock HEMI in history, surpassing even the ’68 HEMI Barracudas of Ronnie Sox (1969 U.S. Nationals winner) and Arlen Vanke (1968 U.S. Nationals winner).
No matter what happens to Charlie this year, chances are that the name Westcott will still be listed as one of the favorites. Charlie’s father, Charlie Westcott Sr., is also a fast runner. He holds the top speed record in the SS/AH class at just a tick below 160 mph.
The field also includes Melvin Daniels, a Yardley, Pa., dentist who won the most recent Mopar HEMI Challenge. Ohio Chrysler dealer and recent winner Jim Pancake will compete in his ’68 HEMI Dart, as will Dodge dealer Darrell Marvel of Big Rapids, Mich. Randy Warford of Nashville, Ind., will compete in his ’68 HEMI Barracuda.
2009 U.S. Nationals Mopar HEMI Challenge Entrants
Driver Hometown Make Entry
Joe Teuton III Schriever, La. ’68 Plymouth SOUTHLAND TRUCK GROUP
Wendell Howes Rathesay, Neb. ’68 Barracuda HOWES RACING
James Keyes Durand, Mich. ’68 Barracuda KEYES & LEWIS CUDA
Jeffrey Kobylski Macomb Twp, Mich. ’68 Dodge MODERN CYLINDER HEAD
Jim Pancake Delaware, Ohio ’68 Dart CARRIAGE TOWNE CDJ INC.
Dave Raybourn Modesto, Calif. ’68 Barracuda TCB INDUSTRIAL/AMERICAN META
Melvin Daniels Yardley, Pa. ’68 Dart RAY BARTON RACING ENGINES
Bucky Hess II Bunker Hill, W.Va. ’68 Woody BUCKYS LTD AUTOBODY INC
Gary Wolkwitz Annandale, N.J. ’68 Dodge EARTHQUAKE
Chuck Comella Sanibel, Fla. ’68 Dart ISLAND HEMI
David Barton Robesonia, Pa. ’68 Barracuda MAHAN & BARTON ENG
Bill Brooks Kissimmee, Fla. ’68 Barracuda BILL BROOKS RACING
Charlie Westcott Parma, Mich. ’68 Barracuda JACKSON DRYWALL
William Bales Connersville, Ind. ’68 Barracuda MR2 PERFORMANCE
Randall Warford Nashville, Ind. ’68 Barracuda WARFORD MOTORSPORTS
Darrell Marvel Big Rapids, Mich. ’68 Barracuda MARCO DODGE/INTOON RACING
Charlie Westcott Jr. Parma, Mich. ’68 Barracuda WAR FISH
Stephen Hebert Westlake, La. ’68 Plymouth SS/AH
Tim Hebert Thibodaux, La. ’68 Barracuda SOUTHLAND FLYER/HEBERT BROS.
Russ Campbell Springfield, Mo. ’68 Barracuda SUPER STOCK A/H
Dan Zrust Maple Grove, Minn. ’68 Barracuda QA1/TOTAL ENGINE SERVICE
Chuck Rayburn Castro Valley, Calif. ’68 Barracuda CHUCK RAYBURN RACING
John Rains Santa Paula, Calif. ’68 Dart JOHN RAINS HELI HEMI
CHECKING THE PARITY – Prior to the start of 2009 season, the NHRA announced changes in the rulebook in hopes of creating a more level playing field between the injected nitro and blown alcohol combinations in the Top Alcohol Dragster category.
The injected-nitro cars, commonly referred to as A/Fuel dragsters, had their maximum nitro percentage lowered two percent from 96 to 94 percent.
This weekend could be the determining factor whether this rule change worked or if the parity needs further tweaking. There are 29 entries for this weekend’s NHRA U.S. Nationals, 17 of which are running injected nitro.
Jim Whitely and Justin Davis, two blown alcohol racers, captured victories at four of the first eight events this season. Christ Demke, added to the success of the blown alcohol dragsters, clocking one win in four consecutive final rounds appearances.
A/Fuel drivers Dwayne Shields, Bill Reichert, Courtney Force and John Finke have also captured NHRA National Event “Wally’s”. Currently six injected nitro powered dragsters and four-blown alcohol cars occupy the Top Ten in NHRA national points.
SHOULD BE A BIG GO – Headlining this year’s field is three time world champion and two-time U.S. Nationals victor Bill Reichert from Owosso, Mich. Joining Reichert from the A/fuel contingent are the potent rails of Shields, Michael Manners, Ryan Copeland and Tommy Johnson Jr., who is driving Bill Evans nitro-burner at this year’s US Nationals.
Jim Whitely, Marty Thacker, 1998 US Nationals TAD Champion Darren Nicholson, Ken Perry and NHRA Division 7 hitter Demke, are a few of the hard charging Supercharged-Methanol powered dragsters entered.
The Harker twins, Kate and Diana from Gainsville, GA and the Force sisters, Britney and Courtney from Yorba Linda, Calif., will also be in attendance hoping to join Ashley Force Hood as the only women to capture the prestigious U.S. Nationals TAD Championship.
HE’S NOT A PAIN, JUST A MANZO – Frank Manzo gives no quarter to the competition. He runs to win every time he hits the throttle. Indy will be no different.
Manzo has won Indy nine times and based on the level of competition he’s brought to the game in 2009, there’s likely to be a tenth come Monday.
A tenth victory for the Lucas Oil Sponsored driver would secure Manzo’s legacy as the one driver who has more US Nationals championships than any other driver. He’s currently tied with Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden with nine.
ELITE COMPANY – When Frank Manzo captured his first of nine US Nationals championships he joined an elite group of ‘legendary’ drivers including, Don Garlits, (in Top Fuel) Mike Dunn (Funny Car), Bob Glidden (Pro Stock), Terry Vance (Pro Stock Motorcycle) and Eldon P. Slick, from San Diego, Calif. who won his only NHRA National Event in Top Alcohol Dragster at the prestigious event.
ON HIS HEELS – This weekend Manzo will likely face his toughest challenge from Top Alcohol standout turned Nitro racer Top Alcohol competitor Tony Bartone, a two-time Indy champion. Bartone, who has reached six-final rounds at Indy, is driving Rick Jackson’s Funny Car. Bartone’s ride is tuned by Steve Boggs and they started the season winning by the Winternationals in Pomona, Ca., and Summitracing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, NV.
The team currently ranks second in the championship point standings behind Manzo.
Last season, Von Smith captured the US Nationals championship driving the same car.
BROTHERS BARTONE – Tony Bartone and his brother Michael have won the US Nationals in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster. Michael’s victory is even more spectacular as he was officially qualified 18th, (the second Alternate) when he won in TAD in 1995. His final round opponent was Tom Conway.
WHAT ABOUT ME? – Another potent challenger to the U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol crown is Calgary, Alberta’s Roger Bateman. Bateman, who has dominated the Division 5 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, captured another victory last weekend at the LODRS event in Topeka, Kan.
Bateman is also looking to add his name to an elite list of drivers who have captured their first NHRA National victory at the sanctioning body’s premier event.
Steve Harker, Mick Snyder, Bobby Martin, Vern Moats, Alexis DeJoria, who is tuned by two-time US Nationals champion Bob Newberry and impressive new comer Chris Foster, tuned by Will Hanna, all hope to add their names to the list of potential Frank Manzo spoilers.
TOUGH CROWD – It’s tough enough to win Indy once much less in consecutive seasons. Two Competition Eliminator drivers in this weekend’s event have pulled off the impressive feat.
Larry Pritchett from Clarkrange, TN, will compete in his B/SM 2007 Pontiac Sunfire. Pritchett is one of three Comp Eliminator racers to capture consecutive US Nationals crowns. He accomplished this daunting task with victories in 2002 and 2003, respectfully.
The late Don Carlton, turned the feat with back to back wins in 1975 and 1976.
Glen Treadwell also pulled the back to back Indy wins in Comp. The driver of one of the slower cars in this category, a 246 cubic inch G/ED, also captured the 1995 US Nationals ‘Wally’ when he beat Garth Hill in the final round. Treadwell, who hails from Sorrento, Fla., is a threat to capture his fourth US Nationals Championship.
THE NEXT GENERATION – Two second-generation drag racers will compete in Competition Eliminator this weekend.
Jenny Treadwell, daughter of three-time Comp Indy winner Glen Treadwell, has become a solid Division 2 Competition Eliminator competitor. Driving her E/ED, the second-generation driver advanced to the final round at the Division 2 LODRS event in Valdosta, GA. The event was won by her father after Jenny was unable to make the call due to mechanical issues.
Second generation driver Kyle Koretsky, the son of “Captain Chaos”, former Pro Stock driver Kenny Koretsky, will be making his “Big Go” debut behind the wheel of Michael Iacono’s D/SM 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier.
MISSING IN ACTION – Noticeably absent from this year’s entry list is the current season National Points leader, the hard charging DD/AT 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt of Bruno Massel, who captured the Division 5 LODRS event championship last week in Topeka, Kan. Also missing in action from the entry list is second place, the C/T 2000 Chevrolet S-10 of Division 7 hitter Brian De Palma.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE – Jay Payne will race at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in honor of the brave men and women of the Brownsburg (Ind.) Fire Department. They have been keeping racers competing at O’Reilly Raceway Park safe.
Payne will honor the department’s firefighters and rescue workers with the FireIce-branded Pro Mod car.
"Just about everyone in racing has needed to be rescued at some point in their career," Payne said. "Whether it’s a medical issue or a fire, we all know America’s finest are there for us no matter the circumstances. They routinely put themselves in harm’s way to make sure we’re safe and for that we’re eternally grateful.
"Every since we’ve been running FireIce on my race car we’ve done our best to raise awareness and contributions for the Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federation of Burn Foundations, two causes that are very close to the hearts of everyone at FireIce. Well, for this race we decided to single out the Brownsburg Fire Department and salute their tireless work at ORP over the last five decades."
As part of the weekend’s celebrations, Payne and numerous members of the Brownsburg Fire Department will meet with the media and take photographs at 8:30 a.m., Friday, at the racetrack in front of Payne’s ’67 FireIce Camaro and several rescue vehicles and fire trucks from the department.
"There are 90 people in the Brownsburg Fire Department and hopefully we’ll get to meet them all over the course of the weekend," said Michael Cordani, CEO of GelTech Solutions Inc., a publically traded corporation (OTCBB: GLTC) that is the parent company of FireIce. "Obviously, they can’t all come at once because a number of them are on duty at any given time, but with Indy being a long event, they should all have a chance to stop by and visit."
FireIce is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fire suppression gel that firefighters add to water in pumper trucks, helicopters, fire planes, and handheld extinguishers to help extinguish fires drastically quicker than water alone.
A TUNEUP FOR THE FORCES – Brittany and Courtney Force used their powers of persuasion on their father and team owner John Force to attend this past weekend’s Lucas Oil Divisional event at Heartland Park Topeka. The pair used the event as a tune up race for this weekend.
Courtney dropped her first round match-up against Winnipeg’s Scott Murray, 5.609 to a 5.485, but she gained valuable experience as she wound up pedaling her Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel dragster to strong finish. She also had a stellar best of the round .029 reaction time.
“I started losing traction, I got off the throttle and then got right back into it when my dragster settled down. I got it back under control and almost caught up to him at the finish line. My dad was pretty proud of how well I handled my dragster which made me feel a little better,” said Courtney Force. “Our team did a really good job getting back into the groove at the track. I know my crew chief, Jerry Darien, and the guys were ready to get back to racing. All my crew guys worked extremely hard all weekend, I wish I could have gotten that first round win for them but we did our best. Just being in Topeka just gave us more time to prepare for Indy.”
Brittany won her first round match up against Chase Copeland of Walters, Oklahoma, but fell to No. 1 qualifier Monroe Guest, of Mannford, Oklahoma, in the semis. Against Guest, Force’s Brandsource A Fuel dragster smoked the tires at the hit of the throttle ending her day.
“Truthfully because it was my first time I think I will be better able to explain it when it happens again. It happened so quickly it was the first time I ever felt that and I really couldn’t tell you what I felt,” said Brittany. “At the top end I thought maybe I did something weird or that I did some double step thing.”
“We weren’t planning on running the Topeka divisional but at the last minute Courtney and I decided to go. I got some runs on my Brandsource A Fuel dragster and I got more experience since I haven’t been in the car in a while. Just being able to be in the car at Topeka and then to go the next week to Indy will make me more comfortable. It also helps out the team because it gives us a better tune-up for (crew chief) Jerry Darien to use going into Indy.”
The pair has been racing consistently all summer at divisional and national events with Courtney picking up her first career win in Seattle at the NHRA Northwest Nationals. In an odd turn of events Brittany had a chance to pick up the pairs first Wally at Englishtown when one of the semi-finalist winners broke and would not be able to return for the final. Brittany’s semi-final race became the de facto final with the semi-final winner of her race being named the event Top Alcohol Dragster winner.
