NHRA Newsmakers: July 17, 2006
NHRA Newsmakers Your inside glimpse at the world's fastest motorsport NEWS NUGGETS * TODD FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN IN TOP FUEL: Rookie J.R. Todd upset Tony Schumacher Sunday afternoon at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals to score his first NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel victory in just his ninth career start. Todd, who with the victory becomes the first African-American to win an NHRA Top Fuel title, never trailed in the final round race at Bandimere Speedway, dismissing the three-time series champion with a performance of 4.906 at 291.63 mph in his Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels dragster to Schumacher's 4.966 at 306.33 mph in the U.S. Army dragster. "You never expect to get your first NHRA win by outrunning Tony Schumacher in the final," Todd said. "I didn't even know how to act down there. I was stunned. To beat that team straight up is almost unbelievable. They were talking about me being the first African-American to win in Top Fuel but out here it's all equal, especially when the helmet goes on." * PRESTON NAMED SEARS CRAFTSMAN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Fredric Preston, a 17-year-old of Rincon, Ga., was chosen as this year's recipient of Craftsman's prestigious scholarship, which will award up to $25,000 toward his continued education. Beginning in the fall, Preston, a recent graduate of South Effingham High School, will attend Florida's Universal Technical Institute, a school that offers programs in gasoline and diesel mechanics, auto repair, auto-body repair, and other specialized courses leading to a career as an automotive technician.The Sears Craftsman Scholarship program, administered by NHRA Youth & Education Services, awards 21 scholarships - three in each of NHRA's seven geographic divisions - to graduating high school seniors planning a career in automotive technology, industrial technology, manufacturing, or marketing. Applicants are judged on character, academic accomplishments, leadership, extracurricular school activities, and community activity. Twenty students are awarded $1,000 scholarships, and one is selected for the $25,000 scholarship. * LUCAS PLANS DOUBLE-DUTY DRIVING IN SEATTLE AND SONOMA: Morgan Lucas, 22, driver of the Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA POWERade Series, will add driving a second race car to his weekend plans at the final two stops of the famed NHRA Western Swing. At the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle and the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway at Sonoma, Calif.'s wine country, Lucas also will pilot his family-owned Top Alcohol Dragster in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Prior to moving to Top Fuel full time in August 2004, Lucas competed in the Top Alcohol Dragster category and earned 10 national event victories, including the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. * POWERADE FAN NATIONALS WINNER FROM DENVER: Melville, N.Y.'s Justin Ashley, 11, beat out hundreds of participants at the 27th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals, to become the local POWERade Fan Nationals Event Champion. Now, Ashley will travel to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at the end of the season to compete for the national championship. Ashley, a seventh grade student and the son of NHRA Funny Car racer Mike Ashley, will ultimately be one of 23 Event Champions from drag strips across the country to compete to become the Series Champion. He and one guest will travel to the 42nd Annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. the weekend of Nov. 9-12, 2006. There, Ashley will compete in a series of qualifying rounds for the chance to claim the title of POWERade Fan Nationals Series Champion. INSIDE THE NUMBERS * 14,200: Along with five of his friends, NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car driver Whit Bazemore successfully completed his ascent to the summit of 14,200-foot Mt. Evans last week on his Custom Seven Bicycle, prior to the start of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals near Denver. Bazemore, ESPN drag-racing analyst/racer Mike Dunn, former ESPN reporter/race-car driver Parker Johnstone, Matco Tools' motorsports marketing manager John Torok, Boulder bike shop owner Brian Bauer, and equities trader Ned Rule completed the 28-mile trek, with Bazemore clocking in at three hours, 31 minutes - within his predicted range. This marked Bazemore's first full climb to the summit of Mt. Evans on a bicycle. "It was grueling. It was brutally hard, one of the hardest things I've ever done," said Bazemore. "Honestly, it's just so rewarding that when you get up there it's worth it. You just have to keep pushing yourself. It's physical pain and mental pain. And the mental part of it is because on Mt. Evans you can see so far ahead. You can see the road in front of you miles and miles ahead and seemingly miles and miles above you. Mentally, it just wants to crush you." COMING ATTRACTIONS * SCHUCK'S AUTO SUPPLY NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY LUCAS OIL, KENT, WASH., JULY 21-23: The Western Swing rolls into the beautiful Northwest as NHRA teams will battle for the POWERade Series race victory at Pacific Raceways. * FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, SONOMA, CALIF., JULY 28-30: Infineon Raceway hosts the final stop of the Western Swing, where POWERade Series world championship contenders often reveal themselves and brace for the season's final eight events. * LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD, MINN., AUG. 10-13: Last year at Brainerd International Raceway Tony Schumacher powered his U.S. Army dragster to the fastest quarter-mile speed ever recorded at 337.58 mph. * O'REILLY NHRA MID-SOUTH NATIONALS, MEMPHIS, TENN., AUG. 18-20: Funny Car legend John Force claims to have seen Elvis at 1,000 feet down the quarter-mile track at Memphis Motorsports Park during this popular event. * MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS, INDIANAPOLIS, AUG. 30-SEPT. 4: The world's most prestigious, richest and longest running drag race is a Labor Day weekend tradition at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Every driver wants to win the super bowl of drag racing and join eight-time winner "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in the NHRA record book. HE SAID, SHE SAID * A BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR TROXEL? Season-long POWERade Series Top Fuel points leader and ESPY nominee Melanie Troxel was bumped to second in the standings over the weekend at Denver as Doug Kalitta moved ahead by 22 points with a semifinal effort. Troxel says she is ready for the stretch run as she tries to become the second female driver in NHRA history to win a POWERade Series world championship in the 7,000 horsepower category. "The last couple of races we've had that points lead narrowing and narrowing, and everyone was commenting on it. This may not be a bad thing; it will kind of get that off our back," Troxel said. "Now, Doug can be the leader and have that. There's still plenty of races left and I know that this Skull Shine team still has a lot left in it. It's a little disappointing to not have the lead, but in the end, it might be a blessing." WHO'S HOT! * CONNOLLY MAKES UP GROUND IN PRO STOCK FAST: In the last seven races Dave Connolly has advanced to four final rounds and at Denver became the Pro Stock category's only three time winner this season. In the process, Connolly has moved from 12th in the NHRA POWERade Series point standings to third, only 51 points behind leader Jason Line. "If you had told me six races ago that we'd be a couple rounds out of the lead I wouldn't have believed it," Connolly said. "But ever since Atlanta when Tommy Utt (crew chief) came on board we've just taken it to a different level. Plus, Greg [Anderson] has stumbled a little and that's given us all a chance to catch up." DRIVERS TELL ALL * SCELZI SEZ DON'T COUNT HIM OUT JUST YET: Defending NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car world champion Gary Scelzi ended his drought from the winner's circle with an emotional victory at Denver. He also turned around what had been a sluggish defense of his '05 championship title. "We wanted a win," said Scelzi, who moved to sixth in the points order with the effort. "(John) Force and (teammate Ron) Capps have a pretty big lead (in the points), but I tell you, I have my eye on Robert Hight (in third) right now (39 points ahead of Scelzi) and that's our goal right now. It's to try to win some races and get into third. Then we'll just have to see what those other two do. But that's a pretty big margin to make up this late in the season, but it could be done." -30- For more information, contact the NHRA Communications Dept. at (626) 914-4761. To access the latest NHRA news, statistics and photos, please visit http://media.nhra.com <http://media.nhra.com/> .