NHRA News: Brainerd Post Race Notes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761

 

POST RACE NOTES: 

24th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

Aug. 11-14, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.

 


TOP FUEL


*         Doug Kalitta, of Ypsilanti, Mich., earned a personal best
fifth victory of the season at the helm of his Mac Tools dragster with a
4.593-second pass at 325.92 mph. It was his seventh final-round
appearance of the year.

*         Kalitta's win was his second at Brainerd International Raceway
and the 25th of his career. He defeated Larry Dixon, who coasted to a
6.799 finish at 119.62 after his Miller Lite dragster lost traction.

*         Kalitta increased his points lead with the victory. Kalitta
now holds a 70-point edge over Tony Schumacher. 

*         Schumacher recorded the fastest speed in NHRA history, 337.58,
in his U.S. Army dragster during qualifying. Although his pass was a
track record, he failed to certify the performance within 1 percent to
make it a national record.

*         Schumacher qualified No. 1 and carried the low e.t. of the
event (4.446) into race day, but was defeated in the second round by the
eventual event winner. It was his sixth No. 1 qualifying effort of the
year and the 17th of his career.

*         Cory McClenathan's FRAM AirHog crew earned the Full Throttle
Pit Crew Championship award.

 


FUNNY CAR


*         Defending event winner Eric Medlen, of Indianapolis, defeated
team owner John Force in a battle of reaction times. Medlen clocked a
4.826 at 315.42 behind the wheel of his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang,
while Force turned in a quicker, but losing 4.787 effort at 321.12 in
his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang.

*         Medlen was the No. 1 qualifier for the third time this season
and the fifth time in his career. He has two wins in three final round
appearances in 2005.

*         Force's runner-up finish broke a four-race streak of
first-round exits, the worst slump of the 13-time Funny Car world
champion's career.

*         Although Medlen scored the win and Force's performance took
him to the final round, it is their rookie teammate Robert Hight who
tops the point standings with two victories this season. Gary Scelzi is
14 points behind in second place, while Force is eight points behind
him. Medlen is fifth in the standings, behind fourth-place Ron Capps in
one of the tightest Funny Car battles in NHRA history.

*         Medlen's Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang crew earned the Full
Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.


 


PRO STOCK


*         Minnesota native Kurt Johnson drove his ACDelco Chevrolet
Cobalt to a win in front of his hometown crowd. Johnson, who now lives
in Lawrenceville, Ga., recorded a 6.726 final-round pass at 204.57 to
defeat Greg Stanfield, who made his first career final-round appearance
in the category behind the wheel of his Pirana Z Chevrolet Cavalier.

*         Kurt's father Warren Johnson earned a record 136th No. 1
qualifying effort and his sixth of the season.

*         The win was Kurt's third at Brainerd and the 31st of his
career. He has won three of the last five races.

*         Kurt Johnson remains in third place in the point standings, 55
behind two-time and defending world champion Greg Anderson and Warren
Johnson, who sits 49 points out of the lead in second place.

*         Anderson's Summit Racing Pontiac GTO crew earned the Full
Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.

*         Warren Johnson earned the Motel 6 'Who Got the Light' award
with his .0028-second first-round win over Larry Morgan.

 


PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE


*         G.T. Tonglet, of New Orleans, rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance &
Hines Harley-Davidson past teammate Andrew Hines for a winning run of
7.179 at 187.68. Tonglet is the second repeat winner in Pro Stock
Motorcycle this season.

*         Tonglet, the No. 1 qualifier for the event, vaulted over Hines
for the points lead and holds a six point edge over the defending world
champion. Antron Brown is third, 26 points back.

*         Hines' Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson's crew
earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship.

 

 

 

-30-

 

 

Lachelle Seymour, Media Relations Manager

National Hot Rod Association

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