"FAMILIAR PIPE" ENERGIZES J.R. TODD'S TORCO/LUCAS OIL TEAM
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On his Top Fuel performance chart with only two previous starts, Firebird International Raceway hasn’t been one of J.R. Todd’s favorite racetracks with humble beginnings of an DNQ and a first round loss. However, at this year’s Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals, that could all change with the way his Morgan Lucas Racing Torco/Lucas Oil team has been performing as of recent late.
“Yeah, we haven’t had the best luck at Phoenix, but with our results from our preseason testing there, this year might have a different outcome for us,” said the five-time NHRA Top Fuel winner. “It’s kind of a tricky track with the way the groove is laid out, so now I know what to expect once we get back there this weekend. It’s my new team with Morgan Lucas Racing and based on the way we ran there in preseason testing, we stand a good shot this weekend.”
Todd, who experienced a glancing 295-mph blow on his opening round of qualifying at the season-opening Pomona race, lost his primary car in that unfortunate mishap forcing the Torco/Lucas Team to resort to their backup.
“The plan is to have the new chassis at the track in Phoenix by Wednesday,” said Todd. “The guys will put it together on Thursday and be ready to hit the track by Friday. It’s coming from (Brad) Hadman’s shop in Seattle with a new front half and hopefully we’ll pick up where we left off.
“There was definitely a difference with the two chassis that we had run. The one we stuck in the wall on Thursday at Pomona was the better of the two.”
Having that ‘familiar pipe’ back will bring the self-assurance that placed his name as one of the early season contenders.
“We have our confidence back with me driving the car and John Stewart (crew chief & team manager) has his also with a more than a dozen or so laps testing on that car and knows what to expect out of it. The way Morgan’s car ran in Pomona is definitely the way our car should have been running. The cars are set up pretty much identical tune-up-wise. The two crew chiefs are sharing information that transfers between the teams. Based off our early numbers on our run on that Thursday we were right there with him.”
The start of the 24th annual Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals begins at the Firebird Sports Park on Friday, Feb. 22 with two nitro qualifying sessions starting at 2:00 p.m. (MST) and 4:30 p.m. Saturday's time trials start at 12:30 p.m. for the nitro classes followed by a second session at 3:00 p.m. The race starts promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24.
J.R. TODD -- LUCAS OIL RACING DRIVER NOTES:
J.R. Todd, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., has five POWERade Top Fuel wins out of seven final round appearances. He claimed his first win, the 2006 Mopar Mile-High Nationals in only his eighth start defeating Tony Schumacher in the finals. He finished eighth in the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel Point standings with 1,105 points after completing his first full season on the competitive 23-race NHRA circuit. He finished eighth with 2,273 points in 2007, making the cut of the first class for the Countdown to the Championship.
Todd’s' quickest elapsed time is 4.473 seconds, set on Feb. 11, 2007 at Pomona Raceway. He sped to his fastest top speed of 334.24 mph on Nov. 4 in the first round of eliminations at the 2007 Auto Club Final in Pomona, Calif. He has won two Low E.T. qualifier awards – His first on July 21 at the Seattle International Raceway recording a time 4.577 seconds and Sept. 22 on the all-concrete surface of the Texas Motorplex setting the pace with his run of 4.541 seconds. J.R. Todd’s first NHRA Top Fuel event came behind the wheel of the Dexter Tuttle-owned dragster in the 2006 CarQuest Auto Parts Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on February 12, 2006. He was awarded the 2006 “Road to the Future” award, which recognizes NHRA’s top performing rookie driver. DOB: December 16, 1981.
CHECKER SCHUCK’S KRAGEN NATIONALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY
(ALL TIMES EASTERN – ALL PROGRAMS ON ESPN2 HD)
QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday, February 23
2:00 A.M. – 3:30 A.M.
QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS REPEAT
Sunday, February 24
11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
NHRA RACE DAY
Sunday, February 24
12:30 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
FINAL ROUND COVERAGE
Sunday, February 24
7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
Encore Performance
Wednesday, February 27
3:00 A.M. – 5:00 A.M
