NHRA Newsmakers
NHRA Newsmakers Your inside glimpse at the world's fastest motorsport NEWS NUGGETS * TODD EARNS THIRD WIN AS NEW TEAMMATE PREPS FOR DEBUT: J.R. Todd's six-month rise from relative obscurity to undeniable rookie stardom caught some by surprise and validated others' expectations - and he added another bullet point to his year with his third victory of the season at the 22nd annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The win capped off an incredible weekend of racing that saw three new national records. Todd defeated early-season favorite and sponsor teammate Melanie Troxel when he piloted his Skull Shine dragster to a 4.494 at 324.12 as new teammate Steve Torrence prepares for his Top Fuel debut. Torrence, 2005 NHRA Lucas Oil Series Top Alcohol Dragster world champion from Kilgore, Texas, will compete in a Skull Shine/Torco Racing Fuels Top Fuel dragster this weekend. "This is a new team, and a new car," Torrence said. "We want to make sure everything works like it should. We want to make the necessary adjustments and make the car competitive. We'd certainly like to qualify (at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals) and maybe win a round, but our priorities in the next three races are to get the driver seat time and the crew working well together so we'll be ready when the 2007 season begins." * THREE NATIONAL RECORDS SET AT MAPLE GROVE, MICKEY THOMPSON 6-SECOND CLUB FILLED: Mohnton, Pa. moves at the speed of horse-drawn buggies - but local residents saw a totally different show of power when the elite drivers of the NHRA POWERade Series set three national records at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading, Pa. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Angelle Sampey rode her U.S. Army Suzuki to a 6.939 for a national record and one of the final three spots in the Mickey Thompson 6-Second Pro Stock Bike Club. Shawn Gann (6.952) and Karen Stoffer (6.970) became the final riders to join the club. In Pro Stock, Jason Line earned the national E.T. record when he drove his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO to a 6.609, while teammate Greg Anderson re-set his own mph mark at 208.91. * INFINEON RACEWAY ISSUES CHALLENGE TO MAPLE GROVE: Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. is known for offering ideal conditions for NHRA's best in Pro Stock Motorcycle. This season was no exception - but after a blistering weekend of racing at Maple Grove challenged the Northern California facilities' boasting rights, Steve Page, Infineon Raceway president and general manager, issued a formal challenge to Maple Grove Raceway's George Case for the 2007 season - whichever facility is the site of the quickest elapsed time takes formal bragging rights. Page has placed a case of premier Sonoma Valley wine on the table. "There's fast, and then there's really, really fast," Page said. "Maple Grove is fast; Infineon Raceway is, well, I look forward to hearing if they accept the challenge and what they're willing to wager." Rumor has it the challenge will be accepted. * BROGDON TO COMPETE IN PRO STOCK: As reported on NHRA.com, Comp Eliminator Allstar Rodger Brogdon of Houston will compete in Pro Stock in 2007 behind the wheel of a David Nickens-powered Dodge Stratus R/T. Brogdon will lease a motor from Enders Racing - the new venture headlined by Erica Enders - and will share data with the new team. The two teams will remain separate. "I've said from the start I would only make this move if the situation was right and we could provide our sponsors with a nice return on their investment," said Brogdon, who plans to compete at all 23 events next season. "With the help of Gregg Enders and Enders Racing, we have put together a package that will allow us to reach that goal." * KORETSKY, HILL MERGE TEAMS: Also from NHRA.com - Pro Stock owners Kenny Koretsky and Greg Hill will combine efforts for a two-car team in 2007. Koretsky will drive Hill's Cobalt for the final three events of the year and the full 2007 season. Dave Northrop will remain behind the wheel of Koretsky's Dodge for the remainder of 2006. * YOUNG ASHLEY IN FAN NATIONALS RECORD BOOKS: While his father put up a formidable effort in Funny Car qualifying action at Maple Grove, 11-year-old Justin Ashley, of New York, became the first "driver" to win two POWERade Fan National events in one season. Ashley, a quarterback for his seventh-grade football team and NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League competitor, also won the Full Throttle Reaction Time Championship. Because he had already won his trip to Pomona, second-place finisher Jessica Sedath, 21, of Toms River, N.J. will represent Reading at the 2006 POWERade Fan Nationals title competition in Pomona, Calif. COMING ATTRACTIONS * TORCO RACING FUELS NHRA NATIONALS, RICHMOND, VA., OCT. 6-9: The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park for the first time since the 2000 season. At stake: NHRA POWERade Series world championship titles. NHRA Funny Car dominator John Force is looking forward to returning to the Mid-Atlantic quarter-mile track where he has won four of the six previous races held there. * NITTO NHRA SPORT COMPACT WORLD FINALS, POMONA, CALIF., OCT. 21-22: NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Series racers come to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to settle the rights to NHRA World Champion in all professional categories. The points are so close that it may go down to the final round. * ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS, LAS VEGAS, OCT. 27-29: The POWERade Series' top performers in Top Fuel battle it out in the lucrative Budweiser Shootout, a bonus event for NHRA's fastest category, as battles for 2006 world championship titles build for the last event of the year. * AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS, POMONA, CALIF., NOV. 9-12: All questions about the 2006 season will be answered in the hotbed of drag racing. World champions will be crowned and feted at the end of the year banquet, scheduled for the evening after race day in Rancho Mirage, Calif. INSIDE THE NUMBERS * 3: Powerhouses Phil Burkhart Jr. beat on race day at Maple Grove. Burkhart defeated former POWERade point leader Ron Capps, reigning world champion Gary Scelzi, current point leader John Force and 2005 Auto Club Road to the Future rookie of the year to win his first event since Denver 2004. "We sure didn't back into this win," said Burkart, of Yorkville, N.Y. "It was like being a boxer and having to fight four guys in one day. We start out beating the points leader in Ron Capps, then we get the world champ, then I race John Force, the best guy ever, and take him out in front of all my friends and family. I just don't think it gets any better than this." DRIVERS TELL ALL * 'FAST JACK' BECKMAN ON SECOND EVENT IN FUNNY CAR SEAT: "I hope it is good weather in Richmond because we're still on the early part of the learning curve," said Beckman, who replaced Whit Bazemore in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T after the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. "I've really only had seven full passes in the (car), and I don't know what the magic number is, but I imagine it's 25 to 30 runs to the finish line before you're ever getting remotely caught up with the race car." For more information, contact NHRA Media Relations at (626) 914-4761 or visit the NHRA MEDIA CENTER online at http://media.nhra.com. Lachelle Seymour NHRA Media Relations Manager 2035 Financial Way Glendora, CA 91741 (O) 626.250.2230 (C) 626.253.6337 (F) 626.914.1491 www.nhra.com