Greatest Show on Dirt racing at famed half-mile March 10 for first time since 2007

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Marching Into Perris Auto Speedway

Greatest Show on Dirt racing at famed half-mile March 10 for first time since 2007

 

CONCORD, N.C. – Feb. 29, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns Saturday, March 10, to notable Perris Auto Speedway for the first time in five years to compete in the NAPA Know How SoCal Showdown.

The famed semi-banked, half-mile, which is located on the scenic Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, Calif., has hosted a variety of premier sprint car races since it was built in 1996. Among those have been a dozen World of Outlaws events since that opening year.

“Perris is a great facility,” said Craig Dollansky, who won an Outlaws race at Perris Auto Speedway in October of 1999.

“It’s a pretty racy track. When we haven’t been (to a track) for awhile or just going back for a second time, you’re able to meet a different fan base. We always enjoy getting to different venues.”

Perris Auto Speedway was also the site of Californian Jason Meyers’ first World of Outlaws victory with Elite Racing, which happened in a thrilling feature in February of 2004.

Since that win, the Outlaws have raced at Perris Auto Speedway only once. Kerry Madsen claimed that victory in October of 2007.

“I have never been to Perris, not even to watch a race,” said Lucas Wolfe, who has been racing full time as an Outlaw since 2008. “I’m excited to race there. That’ll be a good opportunity.”

Mark Kinser won the first five World of Outlaws events from 1996-98. Since then, six different drivers – Johnny Herrera, Dollansky, Danny Lasoski, Daryn Pittman, Meyers and Madsen – have claimed a World of Outlaws victory at Perris Auto Speedway in seven events. Lasoski is the only multi-race winner besides Kinser.

Neff Defends Gatornationals Title as Points Leader

 

 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Entering this week’s 43rd annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Auto Plus Raceway, Mike Neff likely is the most frustrated recent points leader in any motor racing discipline.

 Twice in as many races this year, the 45-year-old driver/crew chief on the Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang has rolled to the starting line for the final round with the quickest race car on the grounds.  Twice he’s come away empty-handed, beaten both times by John Force Racing teammates.

 “All in all, anytime you go to the final, it’s a good day,” said the defending Gatornationals Funny Car champion, “but still, I’m frustrated with letting two chances slip away.”

 Neff first lost to his boss, John Force, at the season-opening O’Reilly Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., when he was momentarily distracted and therefore was late in reacting to the starting signal.  That gave Force the edge he needed to win despite a slower track time (4.080 to a best-of-the-event 4.036).

 A week later, at Phoenix, Neff’s 8,000 horsepower Ford stumbled at the start in a final round showdown with Robert Hight’s Auto Club Mustang.  As a result, it crossed the finish line just .027 of a second behind the winner.

 “Our car had been running great (quick time of the event at 4.070 seconds),” Neff said of the Phoenix result, “and then it just shook.  I had to pedal it (feather the throttle to regain traction) and then, to just barely lose, it’s frustrating.

 “We want to win every race and we work hard at it,” he said, “but, on the positive side, we’ve had two races with Force Mustangs in the finals.  We’re definitely satisfied with that.  We’ll just keep on keepin’ on.”

No one has been “keepin’ on” quite like Neff, who first distinguished himself as crew chief to 2005 NHRA Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi before, intrigued by Force’s promise of a driving job, moving to JFR in 2007.  After earning Rookie-of-the-Year recognition in 2008, the former motocross racer found himself out of a ride, the victim of the economic downturn and lack of sponsorship.

 Back in the more familiar role of crew chief, he directed Force to a category-best six wins and a record 15th career championship in 2010.  He was preparing to settle in to that strictly mechanical role when fate once again intervened, this time in a positive way.

 When two-time Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood revealed in January, 2011, that she was climbing out of the car to start a family, Neff was offered another chance behind the wheel.  Needless to say, he’s made the most of it.

 He’s made final round appearances a habit, especially since taking on the dual role of driver and crew chief.

 As a driver, he’s taken a JFR Ford to the final round 12 times in his last 25 starts.  As a crew chief, he’s done the same thing 22 times in 47 races.  It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that Neff has been at the starting line in one capacity or the other at virtually every-other-race over the past three seasons.

 Moreover, while he was struggling with the dual role last year, even on the way to his Gatornationals win, he has settled into a comfortable routine this year thanks in no small measure to the rapid development of Jon Schaffer as his mechanical facilitator.

 “I’ve got my man Little Jon and he can get in there and twist the knobs for me,” Neff said of the last minute adjustments to the tune-up that used to be a major concern when conditions changed significantly while he was helplessly strapped into the cockpit.  “I can communicate with him.  We’ve got a good situation.”

Force Back at Gatornationals, 33 years later

 

 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In 1979, after competing in just two events in his budding NHRA Funny Car career, both of them in his native California, John “Brute” Force loaded his Wendy’s Hamburgers Corvette into a bare bones transporter and, on March 6, with a makeshift crew, drove 2,415 miles to the site of the 1979 Gatornationals.

 It then was known as Gainesville Raceway, not Auto Plus Raceway, and Force arrived with no illusions.  He was just there to rub elbows with his racing idols and to satisfy a commitment to Phil Dunne, a Wendy’s franchisee who was one of his biggest corporate supporters.

 He didn’t expect to win.  He just wanted to qualify.

 It was not to be.  The former truck driver missed the 16-car starting lineup, likely because he spent more time displaying his car than he did racing it.  Significantly, there were no drag racing show cars in 1979 so, between qualifying opportunities, Force was out displaying his actual, ready-to-run race car at multiple Wendy’s locations.

 That’s where he was, in fact, on Sunday morning when he got word that he was in the show as an alternate for the Larry Fullerton.  Back then, NHRA filled short fields with alternates, a policy to which it no longer subscribes.

 Unfortunately, on race day, the man who would become king slowed from his 6.470 second qualifying pace (just .015 of a second short of the time needed to make the show) to 7.230 seconds and, as a result, lost in the first round to one of those aforementioned idols, Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen.

 Now, 33 years later, Force is back and, in this week’s 43rd Tire Kingdom Gatornationals, he will not be content simply to compete.  The desire to win still burns brightly and, at age 62, he already has shown that he’s lost few of the skills that have carried him to 134 tour victories and 15 NHRA championships.

 Winner of the season-opening O’Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., Force brings his newest Castrol GTX® HIGH MILEAGE™ Ford Mustang to Florida trailing only teammates Mike Neff and Robert Hight in the Full Throttle point standings.

 He probably would be trailing absolutely no one were it not for the fact that his youngest daughter, Courtney, took him out in the first round of last month’s Arizona Nationals at Phoenix.  It was a sobering moment for the man who this year will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.

 “You love your kids and you want them to do well,” Force said.  “I want (Courtney) to do well for her sponsor, Traxxas, (but) I had the points lead and I haven’t had it in awhile.  I just choked out there.  Yeah, the car dropped a cylinder.  It wasn’t going to run anyway no matter what I did, (but) you have to get your energy up every run.  It’s just hard to get in that fight mode against your family.”

 Still, despite his Phoenix frustrations, Force knows he is back in contention after a largely forgettable 2011 during which he won once, but never was a threat to win the championship.

 “No matter how hard you try, you still have to have a good hot rod,” Force said, “and last year I just didn’t have a heap that could win.  I had my crew chiefs (Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas) running Courtney’s test program and they were just spread too thin.  But we’re back.

 “Making the Top 10 is going to be tough,” he predicted.  “Somebody is going to be left out.  There are a lot of cars running better than ours right now.  We’re in the hunt but, we’ve got a little ways to go.  I just want to keep fighting and keep my nose clean and get points.  It’s too early to think about anything else.”

 Like, maybe, a 16th championship.

JEGS.com jumps on board with Stremme for Daytona 500

 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 24) – Squarely in the Daytona 500 field, David Stremme and Inception Motorsports now have a partner. JEGS.com, the leader in delivering high performance parts, announced today it will sponsor Stremme’s No. 30 Toyota in the Great American Race at famed Daytona International Speedway.

The sponsorship is an extension of Stremme’s relationship with JEGS through Cody Coughlin, grandson of JEGS founder Jeg Coughlin Sr. Cody, 16, is racing late model stock cars, and the veteran Stremme is helping the younger Coughlin work through the short-track ranks.

“I like Cody,” Stremme said. “I met his mom (Di) and dad (John) at the Snowball Derby and we hit it off. Cody is very well-rounded, and he’s got great teachers in Gary St. Amant and Butch VanDoorn. Gary helped me a lot in my career, and we’ve already seen what Butch can do with Cody during this year’s Speedweeks with a couple of poles and some top-five finishes at the 46th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. I’m also trying to help Cody in any way I can.”

Stremme made it in the Daytona 500 field via last Sunday’s qualifying, turning a lap of 191.963 mph. He’ll start the race from the 42nd position, flying JEGS.com colors.

“We have a really good shot at running well,” Stremme said. “We’re kind of underdogs in a way (but) we were able to out-qualify some really big teams. We had to have a different agenda leading up to the 500 than other teams but come Sunday, I think we’ll be able to show how hard my team has worked and hopefully get a really good result to start the season off.”

Stremme and JEGS have a lot in common. JEGS is a family-owned business, as founder Jeg Coughlin Sr. and sons John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr., have built the company into an industry leader. The Coughlin family has a long history in racing, too, competing successfully in drag racing for years.

The Stremme family also has a racing background as David’s father, mother and brother have all competed in stock-car racing.

“It’s really neat, especially knowing Cody and getting to meet John,” Stremme said. “We get parts from JEGS for our cars so we’re very familiar with them. They have a grassroots thing going with asphalt and dirt cars. It’s just really neat, especially with my background in short-track racing. For them to come on board with this team, I think it’s very cool.”

The 34-year-old Stremme is from the Midwest, just like Ohio-based JEGS. Stremme was born in South Bend, Ind., and grew up racing the short tracks in the area. He was named the American Speed Association Rookie of the Year in 2002 before heading South to chase his dream of racing in NASCAR.

He raced in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series for three seasons, winning Rookie of the Year in 2003, before moving to Sprint Cup with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2006. He has a best finish of eighth, at Talladega, in 2007.

Stremme has competed in 137 Sprint Cup and 146 Nationwide Series races in his NASCAR career.

Inception Motorsports, based in Mooresville, N.C., switched to Toyota for 2012 and began using Triad Racing Development engines this season. Steven Lane serves as the team’s crew chief.

Another top-five finish for Coughlin at World Series race

Another top-five finish for Coughlin at World Series race

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 23) – Cody Coughlin and the JEGS.com team wrapped up a solid week at the 46th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing with a fourth-place finish in the 25-lap Pro Late Model feature Thursday night at New Smyrna Speedway.

Coughlin secured two poles in the four races in which the No. 1 JEGS.com Chevrolet competed, and he posted two top-five and three top-10 finishes, while battling for the lead in nearly every race.

“I wish we could have won a race down here, but that’s just my competitiveness coming out,” Coughlin, 16, said. “All the guys work so hard, and they deserved a win, but that’s not what the Lord had in mind this week, and I have to accept that.

“Still, we performed very well with a couple poles and some good finishes. It was fun to work with (crew chief) Butch (VanDoorn) for the first time, and it went well. I can’t wait to get the All-Stars Tour started.”

Coughlin, the reigning Howie Littow Rookie of the Year winner in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, returns to that series for its season-opener on April 22 at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Ind.

“We got a good base to go off of for this year,” VanDoorn said. “The team’s coming together. I’m figuring out everybody’s strengths. We’ll go back and tweak on them and start off the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour strong.”

Friday at the .48-mile New Smyrna oval, Coughlin started second after the top two qualifying positions from Thursday were inverted. Coughlin fell in line in second at the green flag, but the yellow waved on Lap 3.

Leader Drew Bannon chose the inside lane for the restart, and Coughlin made a good jump as the two battled side-by-side for the lead. But before Coughlin could take advantage of the preferable outside lane, a five-car accident in Turn 1 slowed the race and brought out a red flag.

Thirty minutes later, Bannon took the outside for the next restart, pinning Coughlin on the low lane, and he slipped back to third on the restart. By lap 10, Coughlin faced a challenge for third from Brandon Johnson, who darted several times to the inside but couldn’t get clear of the No. 1 Chevy. The two raced side-by-side for several laps, with Coughlin squirting ahead.

With five laps remaining, Johnson tried again, though Coughlin held him off. Finally, Johnson nudged Coughlin off Turn 4 with two laps to go, forcing Coughlin to fall back to fourth.

“That was a good race for a long time with the 41 (of Johnson),” Coughlin said. “I thought I raced him clean, but then he gave me that nudge, and that was that. My guys deserved to finish third tonight.”

Coughlin received a good “learning experience,” VanDoorn said.

“He got together with a couple guys,” VanDoorn said. “It’s racing. He’s a young driver, and everybody did a good job, but that’s part of racing.”

Coughlin was joined at New Smyrna all week by his father, John, his mother, Di, and his sister Kennedi. Cody also spent time Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, which hosted the Gatorade Duels, the races to determine the starting order for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

“I am so thankful for having this chance to race and to meet so many cool people,” Coughlin said. “I got a photo with Tony Stewart in victory lane, and that was awesome. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways, and I’ll never forget that.

“We had a good week of racing and other stuff, and I’m ready to get the JEGS All-Stars series going, for sure.”

INDYCAR Engine homologation: Cross-reference portal

Engine homologation: Cross-reference portal: Trevor Knowles and Darren Crouser hold the keys of the three manufacturers supplying the 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 engines for 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series competition. Well, actually they’ll be applying seals to crates at Honda Performance Development, Ilmor Engineering and Engine Developments Ltd. to fulfill the INDYCAR homologation requirement.

Homologation? The etymology is Greek; “homologate” is derived from homologeo (to agree). Basically, it’s granting approval or confirming the meeting of standards, and – as it refers to the series – the sealing of mandated components.

The parts and complementary technical drawings (listed below) will be used as references – a check system as engine manufacturer competition returns to the IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time since 2005 – during spot checking of engine teardowns (1,800 miles for 2012).

The homologation deadline is a month before the IZOD IndyCar Series’ season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25. Practice commences two days earlier.

“Trevor and Darren will take pictures, measurements and weights and seal a series of parts into a homologation crate and leave that with the manufacturers so we can go back at any point in the future and compare any part with those pieces that have been homologated,” INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips explained.

Knowles, INDYCAR’s director of engine development, will step through the homologation process at Ilmor Engineering (Chevrolet’s partner) and Engine Developments Ltd. (Lotus’ partner) at their manufacturing facilities in England. Crouser, an INDYCAR engine support engineer, will visit HPD in Santa Clarita, Calif.

Knowles noted that while Ilmor’s inspection will take place at its Northamptonshire headquarters, it will ship the crate to its facility in Plymouth, Mich., where teardowns will be administered.

Manufacturers have mandated specifications, but there are open areas that they’ll continue to pursue. According to the engine regulations, manufacturers also can request changes to engine components and McLaren software alterations if a certain part is breaking, there is an operation that they could eliminate to make it less expensive or they have to change suppliers that would lead to changes in how it’s made. Information would be shared with INDYCAR and the other manufacturers.

On June 18 and again at the end of the year, manufacturers whose engines are statistically more than 2.5 percent deficient in power may, at the discretion of INDYCAR, make improvements to be homologated. Alterations are allowed to make up 2 percent of shortcomings, and they will be introduced on only new engines being sent to the track.

“The engine manufacturers homologate at a certain date and have to have all their engines in that certain spec for the first race,” Phillips added. “Their lead time is way bigger so they’ve had to commit to certain bits and pieces awhile back.”

The engine rules will be stable through the 2016 IZOD IndyCar Series season, with any corrections or modifications decided by INDYCAR after consultation with the engine committee.

Components to be held in secure storage:

• Left and right cylinder heads complete with one cylinder’s valves, cam followers, cam bearings and camshafts. These are to be fitted using light springs, not the production valve springs, to allow valve lift vs. camshaft angle to be measured.

• Cylinder block including sump

• Plenum upper and lower

• Compressor inlet and outlet air ducts

• An example of each different design of fuel injector – indirect and direct

Hard copies of drawings to be held in secure storage:

• Piston sleeve

• Connecting rod

• Crankshaft

• Inlet and exhaust manifold faces on cylinder heads.

• Inlet and Exhaust camshaft blank

• Rockers

• Inlet and Exhaust valve lift profiles

• Inlet manifold

• Throttle body and butterfly

• Fuel rails – Indirect and direct

• Engine loom(s)

• Interface loom

2. Starr to be Grand Marshall at Barber: Pro Football Hall of Famer and Alabama native Bart Starr will be the grand marshal of the third Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 1 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Among Starr’s engagements throughout the race weekend, he’ll give the command to start the Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus engines and wave the green flag for the 90-lap race on the challenging 2.38-mile road course.

“Bart is a great ambassador for our city and we are excited to have him be part of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy weekend,” said Rick Humphrey, Vice President of ZOOM Motorsports, the exclusive event promoter of Barber Motorsports Park.

Starr, a 17th-round pick out of the University of Alabama in the 1956 NFL draft, led the Green Bay Packers to an unprecedented five NFL titles and two Super Bowl championships (earning MVP honors in Super Bowl I and II). He received the NFL’s Man of the Year Award in 1969, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

He has an NFL-sanctioned Athletes in Action Super Bowl Breakfast award named in his honor, which is presented annually to an outstanding current player. He and his wife, Cherry, are co-founders of the Rawhide Boys Ranch in Wisconsin that provides an effective training programs for at-risk, court-referred young men.

IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights practice commences March 30. For more info and to check out ticket packages, visit http://www.barbermotorsports.com.

Nitro Harley star Turner brings new ride

Nitro Harley star Turner brings new ride,

big excitement into 2012 Nitro Jam season

NORWALK, Ohio (February 23, 2012) – He may not have won the championship in 2011, but Jay Turner has never felt better entering a season.

After finishing a close second to friend and longtime competitor Steve Dorn last season, Turner is determined to improve on his performance – and the performance of his entire Nitro Harley operation – and hopefully come away with the coveted Nitro Jam championship trophy using a few tricks up his sleeve.

“We had a great season last year, unfortunately it just wasn’t enough,” Turner said. “Steve had a great bike and pushed us really hard and while we had more wins last season, he was more consistent and that was the difference in the end. But we have a wild card that we plan on using this year that we can’t wait to show the fans.”

Jay Turner atop his 2011 steed

While Dorn may have taken the 2011 Nitro Harley championship in the class’ first trip down the IHRA quarter-mile in several years, Turner holds the status as the veteran of the group with multiple wins dating back to the last time the IHRA hosted the nitromethane-fueled motorcycle class fulltime. And with another full year under his belt, Turner has high hopes that 2012 will be his year and looks forward to another spirited competition against Dorn and the rest of the Nitro Harley class beginning next month when he unveils his new ride that many are already labeling a game-changer in the class.

“We’re pretty happy with it so far, but only time will tell what it can really do,” Turner said. “This bike has all the right ingredients for greatness with Sam Wills of Racing Innovation as the designer, Red Harris of Rocket Management Systems as the developer and engineer, myself as the mechanic and most importantly Randal Andras of K&K Marine as the owner and backer of this whole project. This bike would have never come to life without Randal’s trust in these guys and belief in this project.”

Turner hit the track with the new bike, currently labeled “untamed and unnamed”, at South Georgia Motorsports Park earlier this year and had two passes of 6.772, 214.96 and 6.683, 210.93 right out of the box. While there are still several bugs yet to be worked out, Turner is pleased with the new bike and looks forward to seeing it in action in less than a month.

Turner won six times in 2011, finishing second behind Steve Dorn

“We had a similar combination in a regular Top Fuel chassis, it just wasn’t working. We were eating up rods and pistons every pass, so at one of our team meetings Randal said we should make it longer and wider – whatever it takes to make it go,” Turner said. “So the very next day we were on the phone getting the project underway. We are all very excited to show this bike to the Nitro Jam fans and to see what they think after they get to watch it run down the track.”

In addition to working on the new bike, Turner and his team have also been busy promoting the series. In early February Turner and the team traveled to Louisiana from their home in North Carolina to put the bike on display at the New Orleans Monster Jam during the Pit Party at the sellout Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Turner spent the weekend promoting the series and its return to Baton Rouge at the Mardi Gras Nitro Jam in May and also gave Monster Jam fans an up-close look at the world of nitro racing on two wheels.

“The weekend was a huge hit with the fans. We had a line as long as you could see with kids wanting to get their picture taken on the bikes,” Turner said. “It was a lot of fun and there were a lot of people and they all seemed truly interested in Nitro Jam so hopefully that will translate into more fans throughout the year.”

Turner and his team are looking ahead to big things in 2012 with a new bike and new attitude

After recording six wins last season, Turner hopes to up the ante in 2012 with his mysterious new bike which he will debut at the Arizona Nitro Jam March 23-24 in Tucson followed by a trip to Texas for the San Antonio Nitro Jam March 30-31. In addition to the big bike, Turner and the team will also be unveiling a miniature version for kids to enjoy during the FanFest Pit Party at all Nitro Jam events on the schedule.

Don’t miss Turner and his state-of-the-art new Nitro Harley as the fastest machines on two wheels take to the track for the start of the 2012 Nitro Jam season next month. For more information on the 2012 Nitro Jam season, visit www.nitrojam.com.

Coughlin reaches the podium on third night of World Series Stock Car race

Coughlin reaches the podium on third night of World Series Stock Car race

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 21) – JEGS.com Chevrolet driver Cody Coughlin had one of the best nights in his young career Tuesday, earning his first career pole and finishing third in the 25-lap Pro Late Model race as part of the 46th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway.

Coughlin, 16, has improved his finish each night of the World Series at the half-mile track, situated just 12 miles from Daytona International Speedway. He was 23rd in the opener, ninth in the second race and now third. Plus, Coughlin has qualified first once and second twice in the three races.

“It was a great night all the way around,” the 16-year-old Coughlin said. “We were fast all day. We were fastest in both practices, and it was a special day for me to get my first fast time of my career in qualifying.

“I am so proud of the entire team. We are really putting ourselves in position to contend for a win before the end of Speedweeks.”

His No. 1 JEGS.com Chevrolet was tops in the two practice sessions Tuesday, and then Coughlin earned his first career pole with a lap of 18.083 seconds. He then drew No. 4 for the inversion at the start of the 25-lap feature, meaning Coughlin started fourth.

But Coughlin quickly maneuvered his No. 1 Chevrolet to second after two laps and set out after the lead. A caution came out just past the halfway point, and leader Drew Brannon chose the outside lane for the restart. That pinned Coughlin on the low groove, and he lost one spot.

After another caution, Coughlin started third again, on the inside. With 10 laps to go, Coughlin made a big move to keep third place, and the top three drivers raced hard to the checkered flag from there.

“I am so happy with this third-place finish,” crew chief Butch VanDoorn said. “It was just an all-around good day today. We had good speed all day and qualifying first was a nice way to start the night.

“Cody raced an awesome race and I am very proud of him the entire JEGS team. We are all starting to come together and good things are coming our way.”

Coughlin and the JEGS.com team race again Wednesday night in another 25-lap Pro Late Model race.

“The racing is pretty tough down here, but I’m proud of my JEGS team for their hard work,” Coughlin said. “I hope we can win one of these races, and we’re going to try our best to get one. I’m so blessed to be able to do this and to have my family here to support me. My mom and dad and my sister Kennedi are my biggest fans, and I thank the Lord for them and for the opportunity to race.”

NHRA STANDINGS

Current Standings – Top Fuel Class

After 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals – Fri 02/17/12

Class	Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
Top Fuel	1	Antron Brown	212	-
Top Fuel	2	Tony Schumacher	180	32
Top Fuel	3	Spencer Massey	176	36
Top Fuel	4	Morgan Lucas	143	69
Top Fuel	5	Shawn Langdon	139	73
Top Fuel	6	Clay Millican	126	86
Top Fuel	7	Steve Torrence	89	123
Top Fuel	7	Bob Vandergriff	89	123
Top Fuel	9	Brandon Bernstein	85	127
Top Fuel	10	Doug Kalitta	85	127

Current Standings – Funny Car Class

After 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals – Fri 02/17/12

Class	Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
Funny Car	1	Mike Neff	196	-
Funny Car	2	Robert Hight	154	42
Funny Car	3	John Force	150	46
Funny Car	4	Jack Beckman	137	59
Funny Car	5	Ron Capps	125	71
Funny Car	6	Courtney Force	124	72
Funny Car	7	Todd Lesenko	102	94
Funny Car	8	Johnny Gray	99	97
Funny Car	9	Jeff Arend	84	112
Funny Car	10	Gary Densham	83	113

Current Standings – Pro Stock Class

After 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals – Fri 02/17/12

Class	Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
Pro Stock	1	Greg Anderson	209	-
Pro Stock	2	Jason Line	208	1
Pro Stock	3	Mike Edwards	147	62
Pro Stock	4	Rodger Brogdon	125	84
Pro Stock	5	Jeg Coughlin	122	87
Pro Stock	6	Vincent Nobile	111	98
Pro Stock	7	Greg Stanfield	103	106
Pro Stock	8	Allen Johnson	93	116
Pro Stock	9	Erica Enders	84	125
Pro Stock	9	Shane Gray	84	125
Pro Stock	10	Larry Morgan	84	125

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS RESULTS

Top Fuel

Category	Pos	Driver
Top Fuel	1	Antron Brown
Top Fuel	2	Tony Schumacher
Top Fuel	3	Shawn Langdon
Top Fuel	4	Clay Millican
Top Fuel	5	Steve Torrence
Top Fuel	6	Doug Kalitta
Top Fuel	7	Spencer Massey
Top Fuel	8	Morgan Lucas
Top Fuel	9	Brandon Bernstein
Top Fuel	10	Khalid alBalooshi
Top Fuel	11	Bob Vandergriff
Top Fuel	12	Troy Buff
Top Fuel	13	Cory McClenathan
Top Fuel	14	Terry McMillen
Top Fuel	15	Mike Strasburg
Top Fuel	16	David Grubnic

Funny Car

Category	Pos	Driver
Funny Car	1	Robert Hight
Funny Car	2	Mike Neff
Funny Car	3	Jack Beckman
Funny Car	4	Courtney Force
Funny Car	5	Jeff Arend
Funny Car	6	Ron Capps
Funny Car	7	Todd Lesenko
Funny Car	8	Johnny Gray
Funny Car	9	Bob Tasca III
Funny Car	10	Tony Pedregon
Funny Car	11	Cruz Pedregon
Funny Car	12	Matt Hagan
Funny Car	13	Grant Downing
Funny Car	14	Jim Head
Funny Car	15	Bob Bode
Funny Car	16	John Force

Pro Stock

Category	Pos	Driver
Pro Stock	1	Jason Line
Pro Stock	2	Greg Anderson
Pro Stock	3	Greg Stanfield
Pro Stock	4	Rodger Brogdon
Pro Stock	5	Erica Enders
Pro Stock	6	Vincent Nobile
Pro Stock	7	Larry Morgan
Pro Stock	8	Mike Edwards
Pro Stock	9	Ronnie Humphrey
Pro Stock	10	Allen Johnson
Pro Stock	11	Kurt Johnson
Pro Stock	12	Warren Johnson
Pro Stock	13	Shane Gray
Pro Stock	14	Jeg Coughlin
Pro Stock	15	Ron Krisher
Pro Stock	16	Steve Kent