Meyers Powers to World of Outlaws Win at Autodrome Drummond

Meyers Powers to World of Outlaws Win at Autodrome Drummond

Points leader earns third victory as Kinser, Wolfe battle for second in closing laps

 

DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec — July 30, 2011 — Jason Meyers has been a man on a mission in July, closing out the month Saturday night at Autodrome Drummond with his third World of Outlaws victory of the season. Since taking the checkers on July 7 at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin, Meyers and his Elite Racing Team have posted 11 Top 5 finishes in 14 events, including his three wins, to vault himself to the top of the championship standings.

 The month of July has just been awesome for us, and so has Canada,” said Meyers, of Clovis, Calif., who earned the 50^th victory in his World of Outlaws career. “We almost got the win last night at Brockville (Ontario Speedway) but broke through tonight. We need to dedicate this one to Shane Bowers though. He’s new to our team this year and his grandfather was having some issues so Shane flew back to be with him during the Ohsweken (Speedway) race. We’re happy to say that Shane is with us here tonight and Grandpa is doing much better.”

 Meyers started the night on the pole after winning the dash but it was Lucas Wolfe on the charge early as he took aim at his first win by leading the first five circuits before Meyers’ preferred line worked itself in.

“They watered the low groove so it took some time in the feature to get it worked in,” Meyers said. “Once it did and we got the wing pulled back and the fuel load off, the car was simply amazing.”

While Meyers ran away with the victory, the battle for second intensified as Steve Kinser began to challenge Lucas Wolfe in the latter stages of the 35-lap event. Kinser, a 20-time champion and last year’s winner at Autodrome Drummond, used lapped traffic to his advantage to work past Wolfe.

“Lucas and I had a pretty good little battle there going on,” said Kinser, of Bloomington, Ind. “Lapped traffic was key to getting around him. He had a good car tonight. We did too but the result wasn’t as good as last year’s.”Wolfe remained upbeat after the race despite settling for the third-place finish.

“We have been running better as of late so to come home third is pretty good,” said Wolfe, the 2008 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year from Mechanicsburg, Pa. “We just want to keep building some momentum and the good finishes will hopefully continue.”

 The night’s fastest qualifier and new track-record holder, Brad Sweet, raced his way to a fourth-place finish in relief of Joey Saldana. Brockville Ontario Speedway winner Paul McMahan rounded out the Top 5. After experiencing mechanical issues in time trials and his heat race, Craig Dollansky raced his way from 19^th to 10^th to earn the KSE Hard Charger Award.The Outlaws next head south to Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway on Friday, Aug. 5, and then to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., on Saturday, Aug. 6, for the Ironman 55, the most grueling event on the series schedule.

AUTODROME DRUMMOND NOTEBOOK

SALDANA UPDATE – Joey Saldana, who sustained a broken right arm, broken ribs and a punctured lung in a crash during the Kings Royal continues to recover at his suburban Indianapolis home. He expects this week to have the cast removed that goes from his right hand to his shoulder. Later in August his ribs and lung will be re-evaluated. “I can’t really do too much of anything,” Saldana said. “My arm, I’m foreseeing it wouldn’t be an issue, you could probably race through the pain. But they won’t let me fly, I can’t do anything with my lung until they clear me on that. … It seems like every time things get rolling something stupid happens. You can’t just fix a lung. I’ve never been in this position. You usually break something and you fix it and go on. Well, you can’t just fix what I broke. I’m kind of in a weird situation.” Saldana is hoping to be at Bloomington Speedway on Friday night to watch his Kasey Kahne Racing team in action.

 QUICK TIME – Brad Sweet was the night’s fastest qualifier with a lap around the 4/10^th’s mile oval in 13.606 seconds, earning five championship points. Sammy Swindell, Donny Schatz, Cody Darrah and Steve Kinser also earned qualifying points. It marked Meyer’s fifth Quick Time of the season.

 

World of Outlaws Autodrome Results

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Autodrome Drummond; Drummondville, Quebec; July 30, 2011

A-Main — (35 Laps) — 1. 14-Jason Meyers [1] [$10,000]; 2. 11-Steve Kinser [3] [$5,500]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2] [$3,200]; 4. 9-Brad Sweet [6] [$2,800]; 5. 83-Paul McMahan [4] [$2,500]; 6. 1-Sammy Swindell [8] [$2,300]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [5] [$2,200]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [9] [$2,100]; 9. 91-Cody Darrah [7] [$2,050]; 10. 7-Craig Dollansky [19] [$2,000]; 11. 63-Chad Kemenah [11] [$1,500]; 12. 6R-Bill Rose [12] [$1,200]; 13. 6-Kraig Kinser [13] [$1,100]; 14. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [10] [$1,050]; 15. 15C-Anthony Cain [16] [$1,000]; 16. 24K-Devin Caron [15] [$900]; 17. 3-Dale Gosselin [20] [$800]; 18. 8B-Alain Borgeron [14] [$800]; 19. X2-Curt Bradshaw [18] [$800]; 20. 8L-Benoit Lafleur [21] [$800]; 21. 29-Dick Spadaro [17] [$800]; 22. 11X-Jake Langlois [22] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Lucas Wolfe 1-5, Jason Meyers 6-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: 7-Craig Dollansky [+9].

Qualifying — 1. 9-Brad Sweet, 13.606; 2. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.739; 3. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.849; 4. 91-Cody Darrah, 13.875; 5. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.890; 6. 83-Paul McMahan, 13.912; 7. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.972; 8. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 14.058; 9. 6R-Bill Rose, 14.085; 10. 14-Jason Meyers, 14.162; 11. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.287; 12. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 14.355; 13. 6-Kraig Kinser, 14.453; 14. 8B-Alain Borgeron, 14.559; 15. 24K-Devin Caron, 14.966; 16. 15C-Anthony Cain, 15.012; 17. 29-Dick Spadaro, 16.092; 18. X2-Curt Bradshaw, 16.623; 19. 7-Craig Dollansky, -.—; 20. 3-Dale Gosselin, 15.784; 21. 8L-Benoit Lafleur, 16.572; 22. 11X-Jake Langlois, -.—

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 14-Jason Meyers [1]; 2. 9-Brad Sweet [4]; 3. 63-Chad Kemenah [2]; 4. 91-Cody Darrah [3]; 5. 6-Kraig Kinser [5]; 6. 15C-Anthony Cain [6]; 7. 11X-Jake Langlois [8]; 8. 7-Craig Dollansky [7]

 Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2]; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [3]; 4. 1-Sammy Swindell [4]; 5. 8B-Alain Borgeron [5]; 6. 29-Dick Spadaro [6]; 7. 3-Dale Gosselin [7]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [1]; 2. 83-Paul McMahan [3]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 4. 6R-Bill Rose [2]; 5. 24K-Devin Caron [5]; 6. X2-Curt Bradshaw [6]; 7. 8L-Benoit Lafleur [7]

Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) — 1. 14-Jason Meyers [1]; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [4]; 4. 83-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [6]; 6. 9-Brad Sweet [8]; 7. 91-Cody Darrah [5]; 8. 1-Sammy Swindell [7]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 10. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [10].

Courtney Force Face of Ford Driving Skills

Courtney Force New Face of Ford Driving Skills for Life, Ford Motor Company Fund’s Teen Outreach Program

 ·       DSFL helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas: 1) Hazard Recognition; 2) Vehicle Handling; 3) Speed Management; and 4) Space Management. It’s a perfect fit for Courtney, who has logged plenty of hours behind the wheel of her Ford Mustang and Ford Mustang Funny Car – both of which demand skill in those four areas.

        DSFL was established by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts in 2003 to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs.

        Vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in America. Nearly 5,000 teens die annually in such accidents, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Statistics demonstrate that teen involvement in crashes declines considerably as young drivers gain experience. Teens can study up at www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

DEARBORN, Mich., July 30, 2011 – When Courtney Force was 15 and learning to drive, her parents John and Laurie – especially Laurie – taught her to drive slowly. Slowly as in speed, of course. But they also slowly took her through basic driving skills that helped the Southern California teenager learn her car and the ways of the road by heart, internalizing driving skills mandatory for navigating the mega-highways of Los Angeles and Orange County.

 Now Courtney, 23, of Yorba Linda, Calif. hopes to teach those same skills she learned from her parents years ago to teenagers around the United States as the new face of Ford Motor Company Fund’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL).Established in 2003, DSFL was established by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs.

Courtney, who has also taken baby steps through the ranks of professional drag racing and hopes to follow her father and sister Ashley into the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car category, is excited to be an ambassador for the cause. Especially since her mom gave her such great advice.“She taught me how to drive her Ford Excursion,” Courtney said. “It was a larger car than most of my friends were learning to drive in. I was 15 trying to park my mom’s Ford Excursion and driving around town. But she was the one that got me learning the basics. I was actually glad that she put me in a larger car. I think learning in a larger car; it was easy to drive anything else after that.”Vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in America. Nearly 5,000 teens die annually in such accidents, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because of inexperience, many teens lack the skills and knowledge required to be safe drivers. Statistics demonstrate that teen involvement in crashes declines considerably as young drivers gain experience.

DSFL helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas: 1) Hazard Recognition; 2) Vehicle Handling; 3) Speed Management; and 4) Space Management. The program is a perfect fit for Courtney, who has logged plenty of hours behind the wheel of her Ford Mustang and Ford Mustang Funny Car, both of which require skill and experience in those four areas.“We at Ford Driving Skills for Life are pleased to partner with Courtney Force in our joint effort to spread the word on teen safe driving,” said Jim Graham, Manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life. “Ford has had a long relationship with the Force family and this addition just furthers that partnership. We could not be more pleased to have such a talented driver as Courtney joining our team.”

FORCE SETS ALL-TIME No.1 QUAL RECORD AT SONOMA

FORCE SETS ALL-TIME No.1 QUAL RECORD AT SONOMA

SONOMA, CA — It took over twenty-five years but today John Force added one more record to his illustrious list of personal achievements qualifying No. 1 at the 24^th annual NHRA FRAM/Autolite Nationals for the 139No. 1 qualifier of his career. Force broke a tie with Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson when his Friday night pass of 4.060 seconds held up as the quickest time all day at Infineon Raceway. Force reflected on all the people who contributed to this record and singled out one person in particular for supporting him throughout his career.

“I gave credit at the top end to all the crew chiefs. Steve Plueger was there from the beginning. Of course Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly but Austin Coil led me down this road. Now he is not with me, but he is on vacation somewhere. I wish he was with me,” said Force. “(Crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli, Ron Douglas, Jimmy Prock, Mike Neff, these kids are the future. When I see Dean look through the window. When you can be put in the record books with legends like Warren Johnson that is great.  I am still chasing them.  I am still chasing (Don) Prudhomme in my mind. He thinks I am always just telling stories but it is what gets me up and keeps me going.”

“You know what is really cool?  I always congratulate everybody, all my crew chiefs and my sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, Mac Tools, and BrandSource but there is only one person that has been with me for all my records, all the low qualifiers and wins. There was someone there before all of that and it was my girl’s mother: Laurie. She has been here for every low qualifier.”

During his career Force has won from the No. 1 spot 55 times and been runner-up an additional 24 times. He was reached the semi-finals 73% of the time he has been No. 1 qualifier and this is the 22^nd time he has qualified No. 1 in the state of California which is the most No. 1s in one state.

In the pressroom Force recounted a conversation he had with Laurie after he set the record.

“She asked me if I remember Baton Rouge and I barely remember last week I have so much going on. If there is any one individual next to Austin Coil with all the wins and everything Laurie was the one person that was there a little but longer. Those two people I give credit to for my career otherwise it would not have been pretty.”

Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang smoked the tires for an anti-climatic end to the qualifying session but Force knew that run was an end to a means.

“We wanted to try and run 4.15. (Teammate) Robert (Hight) had done it earlier and (Matt) Hagan had done it. You have to push it over the limit to see what you can’t get away with. If he thinks it isn’t going to go he tells me so I am quick to respond. That means he is shoving it to see what he can get away with tomorrow,” said the seven time FRAM/Autolite Nationals winner. “He is really good and he was taught by Austin. I was watching Robert when my Mustang blew the tires off my eye went straight to him to see if he could run. He was trying to push it in the heat.”

“I am a race car driver and it is what I really love. I am just all about the next generation. I come out here and see guys like (Gary) Densham come out here and run good. I love to watch Cruz (Pedregon) battle and fight and putting her in the show right there.”

In the first session of the day Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang made the second quickest run of the session and picked up two more qualifying bonus points. His crew chief Jimmy Prock is still working through some issues. Going into Sunday he feels good but knows that Jimmy will still be tweaking his Funny Car right up until he races Jeff Diehl.

“The first run today it ran really good it was second quick. It still rattled though. Jimmy made some major changes and I was thinking wow this is awesome. It rattled again and you can’t keep racing like that. It is going to bite you. That is what has been biting us when we lose. We made some more changes tonight and it was smooth but slow,” said the 2008 Infineon Raceway winner. “It was slow but then it got behind. It spun out in the middle. It is a balancing game. Tomorrow we have to get it to where it is quick enough early and it can maintain. It is not easy. I have all the faith in those guys. We are racing a guy that we have to go down the track against. We are No. 2 qualifier again. I’ll take that the rest of the year. We picked up four bonus points on Beckman. “

Points leader Mike Neff continued to look for a strong tune-up for race day. In the last session his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang made it to just about half track before it smoked the tires. The 8,000 hp BOSS 500 motor was pulling through the transition area but it could not hold on until the finish line.

Neff will head into tomorrow’s race as the No. 9 qualifier. So far this year Neff has won from the No. 1, No. 3, No.5 and No.7 qualifying positions. He will have a tough match-up versus veteran Gary Densham in the first round.

“We were trying to pick it up on that last run. It was slow this morning and we have been a little off the pace all weekend. We decided we needed to make a move to try and make it run quicker. It was running quicker it just got out there four hundred feet and spun the tires. It was running right what we were hoping it would up until that point. We definitely made some gains and now we just need to fix it the last little part,” said Neff, the Funny Car points leader.

“I have been a lot more confident than I am right now. Things really seemed to be a struggle this weekend. It is usually a lot easier for us at this point. That is part of the fight. We made some progress today even though you can’t see it. I do feel confident about tomorrow though. We’ll see how she goes.”  

* * * *

THE DRIVERS

JOHN FORCE, 62, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang

Final Qualifying: 1^st at 4.060 seconds, 311.99 mph

Bonus Qualifying Points: +6 (Quickest of Q1 and Q2)

First Round Opponent (W-L): Brian Thiel (1-0)

MIKE NEFF, 44, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang

Final Qualifying: 9^th at 4.135 seconds, 305.49 mph

Bonus Qualifying Points: 0

First Round Opponent (W-L): Gary Densham (3-0)

ROBERT HIGHT, 41, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang

Final Qualifying: 2^nd at 4.084 seconds, 311.49 mph   
Bonus Qualifying Points: +4 (2^nd quickest of Q2 and Q3)

First Round Opponent (W-L): Jeff Diehl (2-0)

 

* * * *RACE SCHEDULE:

Sunday, July 31

Final Eliminations                      11 a.m

FORCE AND HIGHT LEAD QUAL FRIDAY AT SONOMA

FORCE AND HIGHT LEAD QUAL FRIDAY AT SONOMA

SONOMA, CA — On Friday at the 24^th annual NHRA FRAM/Autolite Nationals John Force picked up right where he left off in Denver sitting in the No. 1 spot as the sun set on Infineon Raceway. Force, the seven-time FRAM/Autolite Nationals winner, was the quickest Funny Car in each session and picked up six qualifying bonus points for his efforts. His final run of the evening, 4.060 seconds, moved the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang around Robert Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang’s 4.084 second pass.

“When the two guys ahead of us both stepped up and we were bumped out. Guido said, ‘Force it is just too nice’ and I just don’t have that kind of nerve. I just like to slip into the show. The boys wanted to run for it and they did,” said Force, the 138-time No. 1 qualifier. “They got it. It felt really good. I still love the racing so much. I got my lucky coin. Robert was given a coin by the Woods brothers and then they went out and won Daytona and he won the Winternationals this year. Jack Roush gave me this coin in Oshkosh.  He said everybody has to have a lucky coin. I am going to carry this all weekend and see what happens.”  

Force entered the final session of the day as the No. 1 driver but by the time he pulled up to the starting line he was on the verge of falling out of the top twelve. He caught a break as Tim Wilkerson forced a pause in the action due to sun glare in his lane. After about a ten minute wait Wilkerson ran and the delay allowed the track to cool off enough for Force co-crew chiefs Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas to press for the No. 1 spot.

“That shows you how the game is played. You are hero to zero. We counted cars right up until we ran.  I asked what happens if we get a heart wave tomorrow I want to be in the top twelve. Let’s either put her in or try and go low. I have to be honest Wilkerson helped when he refused to run there but the sun was in his eyes which you can’t blame him,” said Force. “The track cooled and cooled or (Hight crew chief) Jimmy Prock might have been low. His hot rod would have run better if they would have been later like us. Luck is just a big part of this sometimes. We all waited for the sun to drop and I changed my visor to get rid of the dark shield and I went back to the clear. The credit just goes to my guys. This race track is awesome. We are at sea level and we just love it. The weather has been so beautiful here. We got down it and we’ll see what happens.”

While Force was dominating Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang were sneaking up on a consistent tune-up. Hight extended his lead by a few points on Jack Beckman who is right behind Hight in third place in the Full Throttle point standings but he and crew chief Jimmy Prock are still searching.

“I am happy to be in the show and really happy to be 1-2 with John. This was far, far from a perfect run. We have some work to do to fix this Auto Club Ford Mustang,” said Hight, the 2008 NHRA FRAM/Autolite Nationals winner. “Jimmy is looking for a few things and we are working on getting it fixed. We don’t want to screw up everything from the past five months. We are going to try and get it fixed in the two runs tomorrow. We got some more bonus points on Beckman which is good. We’ll get her fixed tomorrow.”  

Points leader Mike Neff and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang did not race to the top of the field and actually they are in the provisional No. 9 spot after his best run of 4.135 seconds was pushed down the field as conditions improved. For the 2011 four-time winner starting from outside the top couple of spots is not an impossible task. This season Neff was tuned and driven his way to the winner’s circle from the No. 3 (Gainesville), No. 7 (Englishtown), and No. 5 (Norwalk) positions.

All three JFR Mustangs will have two more shots to earn qualifying bonus points or in Neff’s case move into the top half of the field tomorrow at Infineon Raceway.

McMahan Takes World of Outlaws Inaugural Event at Brockville

McMahan Takes World of Outlaws Inaugural Event at Brockville

Swindell, Dollansky have troubles while leading; Meyers extends points lead

 

 BROCKVILLE, Ontario — July 29, 2011 — Paul McMahan was in the right place at the right time, and had a little luck go his way, to capture the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series inaugural event Friday night at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

McMahan started fourth in the HR Cattle/Roth Motorsports Maxim and patiently raced around the 1/3-mile oval while Big Game Treestands teammates Sammy Swindell and Craig Dollansky started to pull away. But then the luck started rolling McMahan’s way. Swindell, who led the first 29 laps, had a tire issue then Dollansky, who had picked up the lead, had a nose-wing issue. With three to go, McMahan raced to the front and stayed there through the checkered flag.

“First Sammy lost a tire and then Craig had some issues with his nose wing and that just opened the door up for us,” said McMahan, of Nashville, Tenn. “Thankfully we were in a good position to capitalize on that and get the win. I really do like this track. … It was fast all night long. This is my first win in Canada, which makes it three countries (including Australia and the United States) I’ve won in so that’s a pretty cool thing. This will certainly help us build some momentum with the Knoxville Nationals coming up.”

McMahan took over the lead when Dollansky’s nose wing became so dislodged that it affected the handling of his Big Game Treestands Maxim. Current World of Outlaws championship points leader Jason Meyers also slipped past Dollansky and set his sights on McMahan. Going into the final two corners, Meyers saw an opportunity and a dove in to Turn 3 with McMahan on the outside and a lapped car in between.

“I tried to make it exciting there at the end,” chuckled Meyers, of Clovis, Calif.“It was another great points night for us. We qualified first so there are some points there plus we seem to be finishing near the front just about everywhere we go. I’m proud of all of my guys for this race car tonight.”

Swindell led the feature from the drop of the green and endured two caution flag periods until a cut left rear tire ended Swindell’s night on Lap 29. Dollansky, his Big Game Treestands teammate, then inherited the lead but was only able to hold off McMahan for a handful of laps.

“I noticed Sammy might be having a tire issue during a yellow,” said Dollansky, the event’s pole-sitter. “We ended up having problems with our nose wings and that hurt us a bit. It would’ve been great to have these Big Game Treestands cars finish one-two tonight.”

Lucas Wolfe and Steve Kinser rounded out the Top 5 in an exciting night of racing that marked the midway point of the Outlaws first Canadian trek of the season. The series concludes its tour up north with an event on Saturday (July 30) at Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec.

BROCKVILLE-ONTARIO SPEEDWAY NOTEBOOK

TV TIME — The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series hits the airwaves on Saturday when SPEED broadcasts the 2-hour Kings Royal from Eldora Speedway beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central. Don’t miss the most controversial Kings Royal in history.

QUICK TIME — Jason Meyers was the night’s fastest qualifier with a lap around the one-third mile oval in 10.923 seconds, earning five championship points. Paul McMahan, Craig Dollansky, Sammy Swindell and Brad Sweet also earned qualifying points. It marked Meyer’s fifth Quick Time of the season.

 

 

 

World of Outlaws Brockville-Ontario Speedway Results

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Brockville-Ontario Speedway; Brockville, Ont.; July 29, 2011

 A-Main – (35 Laps) — 1. 83-Paul McMahan [4] [$10,000]; 2. 14-Jason Meyers [3] [$5,500]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [1] [$3,200]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [6] [$2,800]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [5] [$2,500]; 6. 6-Kraig Kinser [7] [$2,300]; 7. 9-Brad Sweet [11] [$2,200]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [13] [$2,100]; 9. 91-Cody Darrah [8] [$2,050]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [9] [$2,000]; 11. 63-Chad Kemenah [10] [$1,500]; 12. 6R-Bill Rose [12] [$1,200]; 13. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [14] [$1,100]; 14. 42W-Rick Wilson [15] [$1,050]; 15. 25-Warren Mahoney [17] [$1,000]; 16. O1-Kyle Fraser [19] [$900]; 17. 15AW-April Wilson [16] [$800]; 18. 24K-Devin Caron [18] [$800]; 19. 1-Sammy Swindell [2] [$800]; 20. 151KB-Brian McDonald [20] [$800]; 21. 29-Dick Spadaro [21] [$800]; 22. X2-Curt Bradshaw [22] [$800]; 23. 98-Paul Pekkonen [24] [$800]; 24. 2J-Justin Harris [23] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-29, Craig Dollansky 30-31, Paul McMahan 32-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: O1-Kyle Fraser [+6]. (NOTE: 98-Paul Pekkonen made the A-main field as the alternate when 84-Tyler Rand scratched with a mechanical issue.)

Qualifying — 1. 14-Jason Meyers, 10.923; 2. 83-Paul McMahan, 11.069; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky, 11.101; 4. 1-Sammy Swindell, 11.138; 5. 9-Brad Sweet, 11.256; 6. 6R-Bill Rose, 11.273; 7. 6-Kraig Kinser, 11.303; 8. 11-Steve Kinser, 11.309; 9. 91-Cody Darrah, 11.330; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 11.355; 11. 63-Chad Kemenah, 11.386; 12. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.391; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.400; 14. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 11.499; 15. 42W-Rick Wilson, 12.139; 16. 15AW-April Wilson, 12.303; 17. 25-Warren Mahoney, 12.387; 18. 24K-Devin Caron, 12.515; 19. 84-Tyler Rand, 12.523; 20. 98-Paul Pekkonen, 12.534; 21. O1-Kyle Fraser, 12.600; 22. 151KB-Brian McDonald, 12.630; 23. 29-Dick Spadaro, 12.652; 24. X2-Curt Bradshaw, 13.048; 25. 2J-Justin Harris, 13.268.

Heat 1 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 6-Kraig Kinser [2]; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1]; 3. 14-Jason Meyers [4]; 4. 1-Sammy Swindell [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 6. 15AW-April Wilson [6]; 7. 151KB-Brian McDonald [8]; 8. 84-Tyler Rand [7]; 9. 2J-Justin Harris [9].

Heat 2 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 11-Steve Kinser [2]; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah [1]; 3. 83-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 9-Brad Sweet [3]; 5. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [5]; 6. 25-Warren Mahoney [6]; 7. 98-Paul Pekkonen [7]; 8. 29-Dick Spadaro [8].

 Heat 3 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 7S-Jason Sides [1]; 2. 91-Cody Darrah [2]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [4]; 4. 6R-Bill Rose [3]; 5. 42W-Rick Wilson [5]; 6. 24K-Devin Caron [6]; 7. O1-Kyle Fraser [7]; 8. X2-Curt Bradshaw [8].

 Dash — (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) — 1. 7-Craig Dollansky [2]; 2. 1-Sammy Swindell [1]; 3. 14-Jason Meyers [4]; 4. 83-Paul McMahan [3]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [6]; 6. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [8]; 7. 6-Kraig Kinser [5]; 8. 91-Cody Darrah [7]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [10]; 10. 63-Chad Kemenah [9].

B-Main — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 29-Dick Spadaro [5] [-]; 2. O1-Kyle Fraser [3] [-]; 3. 151KB-Brian McDonald [2] [-]; 4. X2-Curt Bradshaw [4] [-]; 5. 2J-Justin Harris [6] [-]; 6. 84-Tyler Rand [1] [$200]; 7. 98-Paul Pekkonen [7] [-].

WORLD OF OUTLAWS STANDINGS

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Points Standings after July 29, 2011

 

Pos.	Driver	Total	Diff	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	QT
1.	Jason Meyers	5082		2	22	31	5
2.	Donny Schatz	5041	-41	3	16	30	2
3.	Steve Kinser	4999	-83	5	17	29	1
4.	Craig Dollansky	4903	-179	6	17	25	1
5.	Jason Sides	4871	-211	4	14	25	3
6.	Paul McMahan	4859	-223	3	10	24	8
7.	Joey Saldana	4653	-429	4	16	23	5
8.	Sammy Swindell	4583	-499	4	15	21	4
9.	Cody Darrah	4527	-555	0	5	13	0
10.	Lucas Wolfe	4471	-611	0	2	12	0
11.	Chad Kemenah	4463	-619	0	2	9	4
12.	Kraig Kinser	4405	-677	0	2	11	0
13.	Bill Rose	4081	-1001	0	1	3	0
14.	Kerry Madsen	2970	-2112	0	3	10	0
15.	Ben Gregg	2648	-2434	0	1	1	0
16.	Brad Sweet	2533	-2549	0	4	10	1
17.	Sam Hafertepe Jr.	1876	-3206	0	3	8	0
18.	Daryn Pittman	1597	-3485	1	4	6	0
19.	Lance Dewease	1367	-3715	0	0	3	0
20.	Stevie Smith	1301	-3781	0	2	3	1

Force a Factor Once More as Tour Heads West

 
SONOMA, Calif. – John Force has resigned himself to the fact that he NEVER is going to break stock car legend Richard Petty’s record for career victories in a major series.  That’s because the target number is two-zero-zero, an incredible 200 wins, all of them in NASCAR’s signature series.  By contrast, even though he’s won more races than any driver other than “King Richard,” Force’s total after driving his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang to victory in last week’s Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Denver, Colo., is a paltry 133.

  Nevertheless, the reigning NHRA Funny Car champ needn’t feel too inadequate.  After all, to reach that lofty plateau, Petty made 1184 NASCAR starts.  When Force rolls to the line for this week’s 24th annual FRAM/Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, he’ll be competing in “only” his 578th NHRA drag race. 

 Moreover, while Petty won races in 23 different seasons, last week’s triumph gave Force a win in 24 separate campaigns and, while Petty won his last race at age 47, Force still is winning at 62 with a multi-year contract that will keep him in a green-and-white Castrol firesuit at least for the next three seasons.   

  Force’s Denver victory not only silenced the skeptics – again – it also sent the ageless veteran into this week’s race as the only Funny Car driver with a chance to sweep the Western Swing, a series of three back-to-back-to-back events that concludes next week in Seattle, Wash.

  The only Funny Car driver to have previously accomplished that feat (1994), Force believes he has a car good enough to do it again.  More important, he thinks he has a driver to match.

 “It was (son-in-law and 2009 NHRA Champion) Robert Hight who stepped up and told me that I was the problem,” Force said of his early-season struggles.  “I told him I didn’t seem to have any luck and the car didn’t have consistency and he said ‘the only problem, John, is you.’

  “I made him president (of John Force Racing) because he tells you what he believes,” Force said, “and not just what you want to hear.  I love it.  He said that I told him that to keep winning, you’ve got to live it seven days a week.  Well, I’m living it again.  We’ve struggled all year, but we’re back in the game.”

  In fact, Force is within reach of another major milestone during the Western Swing.  The 2008 inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is quickly closing in on 1,100 round wins.  Only three other drivers have won as many as 400 and none close to 1,000.  Force has won 1,093 rounds, roughly the equivalent of two rounds per start for 34 pro seasons.

  “We’re going to try to do it again,” Force said of the sweep.  “We’ve struggled, but now it’s time to step up and get the job done.

  “This car won Indy (the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals) two years in a row with my daughter Ashley (Force Hood) driving,” said the 1996 Driver of the Year for all of American moto racing.  “It’s a great hot rod.  I was low qualifier four races in-a-row (earlier in the season) but I just couldn’t seem to get the win and now I think I was the problem.
      “These guys were all used to Ashley (who took a leave of absence this year to start a family) and now they’ve got me,” Force said.  “The whole routine changed and we’ve had to adjust.  But, at the end of the day, I like this team.  Great crew chiefs in Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas, plus I like the energy of all these young guys.  They keep me feeling young.”

  They’re liable to keep him winning, too.  After all, no one has won more often at Infineon than has Force, who has celebrated in the winners’ circle seven times, most recently in 2007.

  The former truck driver has characterized that win as one of the most emotional of his career, coming as it did on the home track of Eric Medlen, a rising star at John Force Racing who lost his life in the testing accident in Florida six months earlier.

  “Eric’s still in our thoughts,” Force said, “especially when we come to Sonoma.  Every one of these Funny Car guys wants to win one for Eric.  He was that kind of kid.  We all miss him.”

Double Duty Leaves Neff No Time To ‘Overthink’

  SONOMA, Calif. – Much has been made this season of the exhaustive nature of Mike Neff’s work as both driver and crew chief on a Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang that has reached the Funny Car final seven times in 12 NHRA Full Throttle tour events.

  Nevertheless, prior to this week’s 24th annual FRAM/Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, Neff acknowledged an unanticipated upside to a routine that for the most part has kept him busier than a fry cook on “5 cent burger night.”

 “Before, when all I was doing was driving (in a 2008 season in which he was recognized as the NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year and a 2009 season in which he earned a breakthrough first win), I would have all this time to just sit around and think about it,” Neff said, “and I believe that’s the worst thing you can do as a driver. 

  ‘When you start telling yourself, ‘I need to do this, I need do that,’ it seems like the more you think, the more trouble you get yourself into,” said the man who, as crew chief, directed two different drivers to NHRA Funny Car titles (Gary Scelzi in 2005 and John Force in 2010). 

  “So, I guess one of the positive things is that now I’ve got so much stuff going on that I don’t have time to sit around and worry about my reaction times or anything like that,” said the 44-year-old with the Hollywood good looks.

   “I think that helps me, because when it’s time to finally get (strapped in the race car), I just go and do it and it doesn’t feel like I’m playing all of those mind games with myself like I used to.”
  Instead of playing mind games with himself, Neff this year has preyed on the minds of others with a performance that has made him the early favorite to succeed Force as Full Throttle Champion.

  After all, he’s won a third of the races contested thus far and has led the points after all but the three races.  Although his Mustang has flexed its muscles, consistency really has been the butter on Neff’s bread.  He’s qualified no worse than seventh and has bowed out in the first round just one time.

  In his most recent victories at Norwalk, Ohio, where he became the first John Force Racing driver to win the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, and Joliet, Ill., where he claimed Ford Racing’s 200th Funny Car victory, Neff won “ugly,” successfully manipulating less-than-ideal conditions and marginal racing surfaces, and because of that figures to be in the title mix again this week.

  Although he pores over the technical data after every trip down the 1,000 foot race course, Neff admits that many of his decisions aren’t all that scientific. 

  “I don’t have some chart that I go off of, or 10 different whizbang formulas,” he told RACER Magazine’s Todd Veney.  “I keep it basic.  It’s a seat-of-the-pants, gut feeling.  Sometimes, I’ll just look at the conditions and think, ‘it’s time.  I’m all in.’”

  A former motocross rider, Neff caught Force’s eye in 2005 when he directed Scelzi to the championship in a down-to-the wire duel that ended 12 years of JFR domination.  Two years later, after the loss of up-and-coming star Eric Medlen in a testing accident, Force began a dialogue with Neff in an attempt to gauge his interest in a driving job.

  “I guess I always wanted to drive,” Neff admitted, “but it didn’t seem like it would be realistic.  I had never driven anything (competitively) outside of a dirt bike.”

  Nevertheless, Force saw something from the outset.

 “I liked his style,” Force said.  “When he beat us (in 2005), he didn’t throw it in our face.  He was humble.  But, when we were in the fight, you could see he didn’t cave under pressure.  He had the ‘eye of the tiger,’ just like Robert.”

  Despite his 2011 success, when Neff looks into the future, he sees himself not as a driver, but as a tuner and he’s fine with that.

  “I know my future is as a tuner,” Neff said.  “I’m enjoying this opportunity but if I’m back tuning John’s car next year, I’m fine with that, too.  Since this might be the last year I drive, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I give it 110 percent