NHRA NEWS: Post Race Notes, O'Reilly Spring Nationals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: NHRA Communications Dept., (626) 914-4761

 

 

POST RACE NOTES: 

19th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals

March 31-April 2, Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas

 


TOP FUEL


*         Brandon Bernstein went from outhouse to penthouse by driving
to his first victory of the 2006 after having failed to win a single
round through the first three events of the 2006 season. 

*         Bernstein had the best dragster on Sunday and it showed in a
good final as he clipped Melanie Troxel with a 4.534 at 329.83 (to
Troxel's 4.580 at 323.35).

*         Bernstein is building quite a reputation as a closer as he
improved his record in final rounds to 9-1.

*         As for Troxel, she appeared in her fifth consecutive final
round, an all-time NHRA POWERade Series record for consecutive final
rounds (regardless of class) by a woman in NHRA history.

*         Cory McClenathan earned his first No. 1 qualifier in 30 events
Fram Boost2 dragster with a final qualifying session pass at 4.531
seconds at 329.42 mph. It was the 30th No. 1 qualifying effort of his
career. McClenathan was eliminated in the semifinals by Bernstein.

*         Two-time defending POWERade Series world champ Tony Schumacher
extended his early-season final-elimination struggles with a first-round
tire-spinning loss to Morgan Lucas.

*         Doug Herbert's Snap-on Tools crew won the Full Throttle Pit
Crew Challenge award.


 


FUNNY CAR


*         POWERade Series points leader Ron Capps powered his Brut Dodge
Stratus to a 5.005 at 293.47 to earn his second consecutive win and
extend his lead over John Force.

*         Capps' opponent in the final was Bob Gilbertson, who emerged
from the No. 15 qualifying position to reach the final in his Autolite
XP Dodge Stratus (22.001 at 72.65).

*         The win was the 18th of Capps' career in a Funny Car and it
pulled him even with his crew chief, Ace McCulloch, on the all-time NHRA
Funny Car wins list. Capps has 18 career Funny Car wins and one in Top
Fuel. McCulloch has 18 Funny Car wins and four Top Fuel wins.

*         Force earned his 128th career No. 1 qualifying position and
his third of the season and he reset both ends of the Houston Raceway
Park track record in the process with a 4.695 at 328.06 in his Castrol
GTX Ford Mustang. It was his seventh No. 1 qualifier at Gainesville.

*         Force was eliminated by Capps for the second straight week
when his hot rod blew up at about half track in the semifinals. Force
emerged from the escape hatch uninjured.

*         Robert Hight, the defending event champion and the No. 2
qualifier, was upset in his AAA Ford Mustang in the first round by
Gilbertson in the first round. He was in control at half-track when he
lost a blower belt and was passed by Gilbertson.

*         Force's Castrol GTX crew won the Full Throttle Pit Crew
Challenge award.

 


PRO STOCK


*         Mike Edwards drove his Young Life Pontiac GTO to a holeshot
win over Jim Yates, running a 6.731 at 206.01 to stay ahead of Jim
Yates' 6.726 at 205.63. The final margin of victory after accounting for
the reaction time was .0098 seconds.

*         It was Edwards' first win in four years (Denver 2002) and it
moved him into second place in the 2006 POWERade Series standings.

*         Houston's Erica Enders was seeking her first career victory at
her home track but came up two rounds short when Yates tripped her up in
the semifinals. 

*         Jason Line earned his fifth career No. 1 qualifier and first
of 2006 when he drove his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO to a track
record 6.686 seconds at 206.29 mph.

*         Edwards set a track record for speed when he hit 206.45 mph on
the radar in his Young Life Pontiac GTO. Edwards qualified fourth.

*         Line's Summit Racing Equipment crew won the Full Throttle Pit
Crew Challenge award.

*         Mike Edwards defeated Jim Yates by a .0098-second margin of
victory in the final round of Pro Stock eliminations to earn the Motel 6
"Who Got the Light" award.

 


PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE


*         Angelle Sampey, the winningest female in NHRA history, notched
her 39th career victory and second straight to open the 2006 POWERade
Series season. 

*         Sampey recorded a 7.144 at 190.11 on her U.S. Army Suzuki to
take the win over the defending POWERade Series world champion,
Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Andrew Hines (7.200
at 188.04).

*         Angelle Sampey earned her 38th career No. 1 qualifying
position when she rode her U.S. Army Suzuki to a track record 7.038
seconds at 190.59.

*         Craig Treble's crew won the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge
award.

 

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