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 2035 Financial Way, Glendora, Ca. 91741 (O) 626.250.2230 (C) 626.253.6337 www.nhra.com