Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: NHRA

National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) news and information

  • CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: POMONA – PRE-RACE ADVANCE & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: POMONA – PRE-RACE ADVANCE & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET AT POMONA

    What: Auto Club Finals
    When: Friday, Nov. 12-Sunday, Nov. 14
    Where: Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California
    TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 14

    Team Chevy drivers aiming to lock up championships
    Titles on the line in pro categories at Auto Club Finals in California

    DETROIT (Nov. 11, 2021) – Chevrolet drivers in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series return to Southern California with championships on the line in the Auto Club Finals.

    Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, will host its second NHRA event in the past 14 weeks, and titles will be decided in the four professional classes. The points-and-a-half structure will set the stage for race day drama.
    Team Chevy drivers Greg Anderson and Erica Enders are locked in the Pro Stock “drive for five” as both seek their fifth world championship.

    Anderson, who has led the Pro Stock standings since the opening race in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS, holds a 32-point advantage over Enders. Rookie of the year favorite Dallas Glenn, driving the RAD Torque Systems Camaro SS, is also in the hunt.

    “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and execute,” said Anderson, who has scored four wins, four runner-up finishes and 11 No. 1 qualifiers through 16 races as he seeks his fifth Pro Stock championship. “It doesn’t make much sense for us to change our gameplan because the bottom line is we have the best package when we execute. We’ll treat it as another race and go do what we do best and that’s go and try to win.”

    Enders claimed her third Pro Stock title at the track in 2019. The 2020 season finale was not held at Auto Club Raceway because of state COVID-19 protocols.

    Said Enders, who has four wins and a pair of runner-up finishes in the Melling Performance Camaro SS for Elite Motorsports: “Sometimes you have to remove yourself from the situation to really grasp how cool it is and almost surreal. As a kid driving junior dragsters, I could have only imagined competing for one world championship let alone our attempt at a fifth. This is a dream come true for me.”

    Brittany Force, who wrapped up the 2017 Top Fuel title at Auto Club Raceway, is second in the standings and within striking range of her second championship. Force recorded one of her 12 No. 1 qualifier honors driving the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster in the first race at Pomona.

    “We still have a shot at getting to the top, but that team needs to be defeated in the first round and we need to win the event,” she said. “It’s Pomona, my home track and I’ve seen crazier things happen with teams pulling off a championship at the very end. Our team did it in 2017 and we’re going after it again. One race, one weekend and we’re giving it everything we got.”

    Auto Club Raceway is the home track for John Force Racing. Team patriarch John Force is the Funny Car leader with a whopping 16 wins and 16 No. 1 qualifier honors at the track, including eight victories in the season finale. Force, driving the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Camaro SS, will challenge for his record-extending 17th Funny Car title.

    Teammate Robert Hight, driving the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS, has recorded five victories between the twice-yearly races at the track.
    Chevrolet has clinched its 26th Manufacturers Cup and Aaron Stanfield is the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown champion for the second season in a row driving the Janac Brothers Racing Chevrolet COPO Camaro. Stanfield will be recognized alongside his father Greg, who earned his fifth Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championship driving his ’87 Camaro, as the first father-son duo to win NHRA national championships in the same season.

    FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 14.

    CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

    TOP FUEL:

    BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (second in points): “We head into the final race of the 2021 season in Pomona this next weekend. I’m ready to get Friday qualifying started and get this weekend going. We are currently No. 2 in points, 105 behind Steve Torrence. We still have a shot at getting to the top, but that team needs to be defeated in the first round and we need to win the event. It’s Pomona, my home track and I’ve seen crazier things happen with teams pulling off a championship at the very end. Our team did it in 2017 and we’re going after it again. One race, one weekend and we’re giving it everything we got.”

    FUNNY CAR:

    JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE 7 COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (fifth in points): “I’m still in it. It could still happen. I know it’s a slight chance, but it’s still a chance and we’re going to do everything we can to try to make it happen. Winning championships, it comes down to the wire, things can get wild. I would know. It’s going to be a fight, but I know this PEAK Chevy team, they’re up for it. Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, Joe Barlam and all my guys, they want it just as much as I do.”

    ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (seventh in points): “It’s been an inconsistent season for this Auto Club team. I’m hoping that the progress we’ve made towards the end here will continue into next year. We’ve worked hard, and, in some places, it’s paid off. There’s been some mistakes, but we’ve worked as a team to overcome them. Now it’s about going out there and finishing the year off with a bang and having some fun while doing it. Auto Club Raceway, the Auto Club Finals. There’s so much to be racing for at this event. It’s the end of the season, it’s my sponsor’s race at my sponsor’s racetrack and it’s home for John Force Racing. All the more reason for us to come out and do well. Take it one pass at a time starting in qualifying. I can’t wait to get out there and get the weekend started.”

    PRO STOCK:

    GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first in points): “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and execute. As long as we execute, we’ll be just fine, we’ll when the thing. We’ve got, I believe, the fastest car and if we can make the run we need and I can get the light I need to have, then we’re going to win. It doesn’t make much sense for us to change our gameplan because the bottom line is we have the best package when we execute. I think the odds are in our favor. I’d rather have the lead going in; it makes them have to do a better job than we do. We’ll treat it as another race and go do what we do best and that’s go and try to win. I’d love nothing better than to close out the season with a win. I’ve always said I don’t go to a race to make more points than the next driver, I go to win the race. That’s the goal and it all ties together.”

    ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (second in points): “My plan is to park it in the winner’s circle. I’m looking forward to it; I know my guys are up for it. Here we are in our attempt at a fifth world championship. Sometimes you have to remove yourself from the situation to really grasp how cool it is and almost surreal. As a kid driving junior dragsters, I could have only imagined competing for one world championship let alone our attempt at a fifth. This is a dream come true for me.”

    DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (third in points): “Our Vegas win two weeks ago really put us in a good spot for this last race of the season. Obviously, we’re the longshot for the championship but it’s still mathematically possible. If Greg and Erica go out in the first round and I take it to the winner’s circle, we’ll be the champs. All I need is a chance.”

    KYLE KORETZKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (fourth in points): “I’m pumped up and sad in the same sentence. The season has gone by so quickly. We’ve had a great season so far and looking to finish strong. We’re going to Pomona to do everything we can to finish off our second season on a winning note. I think every run I learned something new. I learned a different way to win and a different way to lose and keep pushing forward. That’s part of the learning curve. We’re looking good right now to run a full 2022 season.”

    TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM ORDER CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (fifth in points): “The Finals are one of those almost mythical drag races you grow up dreaming about. For a kid from Ohio, the Finals invoked thoughts of sunshine, a really cool So-Cal drag racing vibe, and the history of all the greats that have won there. Plus, it’s nearly always the place where championships are decided. If we can have a strong finish with our JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, then I’ll be happy. It’s been such a fun season and I’ve learned so much. The time has absolutely flown by for me. I don’t want it to stop.”

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Pedregon Wins All-Dodge Funny Car Final at Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil

    Pedregon Wins All-Dodge Funny Car Final at Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil

    ·        Cruz Pedregon wins all-Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat final against Funny Car championship points leader Ron Capps at Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    ·        The Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on Tools HEMI-powered machine scored its second win of the year and moved into third place in the hunt for the 2021 Funny Car world championship crown with one event remaining

    ·        Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Ron Capps leads the Funny Car championship battle by 58 points with a runner-up finish aboard the Pennzoil Synthetics/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

    ·        Despite an early exit, defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan and his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat maintain their second place standing in the NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” less than two rounds behind his DSR teammate Capps

    ·        Leah Pruett wheeled her Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak and its Direct Connection livery from the No. 4 qualifying position to a runner-up finish in the eighth and final Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) of the season to finish third in the series championship

    October 31, 2021, Las Vegas, Nevada — The Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals featured an all-Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat final elimination round at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Cruz Pedregon earned his second Wally trophy of the year with a victory over Funny Car championship points leader Ron Capps. The win moved the event winner into third place in the battle for the crown with one event remaining on the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World series schedule to determine who’ll earn the coveted Funny Car world championship title.

    “Congratulations to Cruz Pedregon on his fourth career win at the Dodge//SRT Nationals,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “It’s been great to watch Cruz and his team demonstrate what Dodge//SRT performance looks like by taking their Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the winner’s circle.”

    Pedregon’s drive began from the No. 7 starting position from which he was able to wheel his Snap-on Tools HEMI®-powered machine past Tony Jurado and Chris Morel to a semifinal match-up with No. 6 seed Bob Tasca. The Cruz Pedregon Racing team saw their driver hit the throttle with a 0.004-second reaction time against Tasca, and turn on win lights with a 3.924-second pass at 325.92 mph to advance to their fourth final round appearance of the year.

    As Pedregon and his team prepared for the Dodge//SRT Nationals final showdown against Capps, they found themselves solidly back in the hunt of the Funny Car crown after fellow top-five contenders Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd and John Force were all upset in the opening round.

    With both Pedregon and Capps looking to make valuable gains in “Countdown to the Championship”, their crew chiefs both elected to push the performance of their Dodge racecars to the limit. The result was a good launch by both competitors with the slight starting advantage going to Pedregon, but just as Capps began to move past him, too much horsepower resulted in an explosion. Pedregon got a little bit further down the track before also losing power, but was able to coast his machine to the finish for the victory, marking the first time since 2013 that he has recorded multiple wins in a season.  

    “We had a couple of good breaks with three of the top-five contenders dropped out in the first round but to be in this position (to be battling for a championship with one event remaining) is great,” said Pedregon who moves into third place behind the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars of Capps and Hagan. “Coming into the race I think (our championship chances) were pretty dim because I just didn’t feel like the breaks were coming our way. We were just losing some close races. And I thought, ‘Man, well, if we could just finish in the top five, I felt that was good. But after winning today, yeah, hey, we’re, back in it.”

    Capps, who is seeking a second Funny Car world championship after earning the 2016 title, arrived at the Dodge//SRT Nationals with a single point advantage over teammate Hagan.  From his eighth place starting position, Capps collected round wins over Tim Wilkerson, Alexis DeJoria and Robert Hight on his way to the runner-up finish; a result that extended his lead over No. 2 ranked Hagan by 58 points.

    Hagan, who was looking to take over the lead and defend his back-to-back 2019 and 2020 win at the Las Vegas dragstrip, qualified his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat fourth on the eliminations ladder for a first round meeting with No. 13-seed Chad Green. While Hagan had the quicker start, a dropped cylinder right at the hit of the throttle resulted in a 4.087 second pass at 316.15 mph that wasn’t quite enough to beat Green’s 4.009 sec./321.12 mph winning run and meant a disappointing early exit for the championship contender for a second consecutive event.

    Despite the setback, and thanks to other contenders failing to advance, Hagan maintained his second place standing with less than two rounds separating him from Capps heading into the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in two weeks for the conclusion of the NHRA “Countdown to the Championship”.

    In Top fuel action, after qualifying her Direct Connection dragster ninth Leah Pruett began eliminations with a starting line advantage over No. 8 seed DSR teammate Antron Brown and went on to record her quickest and fastest pass of the weekend with a 3.752 seconds at 318.32 mph run for a first round win. Pruett was fired up for her next meeting against No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force and hoping to take her new Direct Connection livery through a few more rounds, but her anticipation got the best of her as she hit the throttle too early and the red light foul ended her race before it had even begun.

    While her nitro run was done for the day, Pruett still had some work to do; After four years of competing in both Top Fuel and Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS), Pruett continued her final “double-duty” race day with the 2021 Direct Connection Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. From the No. 4 spot on the eliminations ladder and working to close-out the FSS season with a Wally, the 2018 FSS champion began her final day of competition aboard her DSR-prepared Drag Pak with a first round win over No. 13-seed Ryan Priddy.

    In the quarterfinals against No. 5 seed Mark Pawuk and his Empaco Equipment Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, Pruett had a quick start and recorded a 7.981-second run at 173.94 mph to beat her DSR teammate’s 7.998 sec./177.44 mph pass. Pawuk quarterfinal finish brought his 2021 FSS campaign to an end with an eight place ranking in the final standings.

    Pruett continued on to a semifinal battle against No. 8 qualifier Stephen Bell where she put in another stout effort at 7.934 sec./174.53 mph to turn on win lights and advance to her third final round appearance in eight FSS events this year.

    Pruett readied herself for the final showdown against the No. 2 qualifier and 2021 FSS Champion Aaron Stanfield in the opposite lane, and used another quick launch (0.036 seconds to 0.045 seconds) to give the Direct Connection Drag Pak an early lead. Despite a solid performance at 7.944 seconds at 174.30 mph, her hard-charging opponent made the pass at halftrack and edged her at the finish with a 7.903 sec./173.49 pass. With the runner-up result, Pruett closes out her FSS career with a third place finish in the category.

    The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series now heads west to crown their world champions at the Auto Club NHRA Finals which will feature a unique points-and-a-half format, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2021 season at Auto Club Raceway November 11-14 in Pomona, California.

    ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES
     
    FUNNY CAR:
    Matt Hagan, DSR Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
    (No. 4 Qualifier – 3.905 seconds at 321.65 mph)
    Round 1: (0.068-second reaction time, 4.087 seconds at 316.15 mph) loss to No. 13 Chad Green (0.107/4.009/321.12)


    “I don’t know how you put a positive spin on that. I haven’t put a hole out at the step in I don’t know how long. But, that’s the cards we were dealt here in Vegas. We wanted to perform well in front of our sponsors and fans, and keep things going in this championship chase, so, it’s incredibly disappointing. That’s going to be a tough one to get over. We’re not used to first round losses like that but congrats to Chad Green and his team. They kept us honest and did a good job. It’s a major blow to us right now, but we’ll get over it and get back after it in Pomona.”

     
    Ron Capps, DSR Pennzoil Synthetics NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
    (No. 8 Qualifier – 3.926 seconds at 324.51 mph)
    Round 1: (0.068-second reaction time, 3.915 seconds at 323.74 mph) defeats No. 9 Tim Wilkerson (0.055/3.947/330.72)

    Round 2: (0.078/3.884/332.10) defeats No. 1 Alexis DeJoria (0.122/3.998/315.05)

    Round 3: (0.066/3.904/326.87) defeats No. 5 Robert Hight (0.077/5.520/130.85)

    Round 4: (0.049/6.854/80.86) loss to No. 7 Cruz Pedregon (0.022/4.257/225.03)

     
    “Being the Dodge Nationals, we were motivated to put this Pennzoil Dodge SRT Hellcat into the final round and winner’s circle. You look at qualifying and look around and we didn’t qualify as well as we’d liked. It was one of our worst positions all season and we still had lane choice. That tells you how good this NAPA team has been all season. Then you have Tim Wilkerson first round. And we’re the last pair of Funny Cars, the 16th pair of nitro cars and we’re sitting there waiting and listening to so many of the other contenders fighting for a championship, (Matt) Hagan, J.R. (Todd), (John) Force, go out. It’s Halloween, but you think how strange of a day. And we had to wait and wait for our first round match-up with Tim. He beat us in the final at Indy and that’s such a tough car and team. We got by a close one there in that first round and that was huge. Then we had Alexis (DeJoria), the No. 1 qualifier, then Robert Hight, a three-time world champion, and Cruz Pedregon, another champion. That’s a murderers row on race day. We had to fight every round and this Pennzoil/NAPA car was just to fun to drive.

    “We’ll take any amount of points and Pomona is a such an outlier with the points-and-a-half deal. There’s so many points up for grabs. I’m not even thinking about winning this thing. We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing and it was misfortunate in the final round, but it was two Dodges battling it out and that makes our friends in Auburn Hills (Mich.) proud and I can’t wait for Pomona. Two weeks cannot come soon enough.”

      
    Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
    (No. 7 Qualifier –3.918 seconds at 325.69 mph)
    Round 1: (0.072–second reaction time, 3.947 seconds at 295.08 mph) defeats No. 10 Tony Jurado (0.105/4.032/317.19) 

    Round 2: (0.073/3.903/324.20) defeats No. 15 Chris Morel (0.093/4.193/281.19)

    Round 3: (0.004/3.924/325.92) defeats No. 6 Bob Tasca (0.066/10.961/81.12)

    Round 4: (0.022/4.257/225.03) defeats No. 8 Ron Capps (0.049/6.854/80.86)

    “Coming into the race I think (our championship chances) were pretty dim because I just didn’t feel like the breaks were coming our way. We were just losing some close races. And I thought, ‘Man, well, if we could just finish in the top five, I felt that was good. But after winning today, yeah, hey, we’re, back in it.

    “We had a couple of good breaks with three of the top-five contenders dropped out in the first round but to be in this position (to be battling for a championship with one event remaining) is great. We got it together midway through the season and started clicking as a team. I do want to thank Don Schumacher Racing for selling us quality parts and bending over backwards for me personally and did a lot to help us along the way. We’re a single car team and we’ve been going it alone for a lot of years and it really means a lot to mix it up with these big teams. We’re going to come out swinging at Pomona and see who the last man standing is. Just to be in the conversation for a change really is a victory for me.”

    “Putting the right people and right equipment into place this season has really challenged me as a driver. And seeing everything come together has refocused this winning mindset for the team and me. I owe a lot of gratitude to this team. (Crew Chief) JC (John Collins) means a lot to me not only as a crew chief but as a friend. He knows how to talk to me and keep me motivated. Man, this really means a lot, we’re so grateful for all our great NHRA fans and loyal sponsors who are as proud of these wins as we are…and there’s one more win to go this season.”

     
    TOP FUEL:
    Leah Pruett, DSR Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  
    (No. 9 Qualifier – 3.769  seconds at 314.61 mph)
    Round 1: (0.044-second reaction time, 3.752 at 318.32 mph) defeats No. 8 Antron Brown (0.056/4.967/155.11)

    Round 2: (-0.210/8.087/82.88) loss to No. 1 Brittany Force (-0.069/3.745/330.39)

    “We had quite the Direct Connection facing Antron Brown, our teammate, this morning. We had a .044 light and I’ve been doing everything by the book that you should do as a driver from sleep schedule to eating right to preparing right to nutrition. You name it, I’ve been trying to refine it. We had a solid first round pass with that 3.75 to get the win.

    “I felt in a good head space and we went up to repeat what we had just done the round before. I thought had seen yellow and slapped the pedal and there was that bright red light right in my face. I’m sure the fans could probably hear the cuss words in the stands coming out of my mouth at the moment. It used to eat me and bog me down, but comparing it to other lights in that lane at that time of the day it shows me what I need to work on to really be at tip-top condition as a driver.”

    FACTORY STOCK SHOOTOUT:

    Leah Pruett, 2021 Direct Connection Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 4 Qualifier – 7.963 seconds at 173.21 mph)

    Round 1: (0.036-second reaction time, 7.932 seconds at 174.77 mph) defeats No. 13 Ryan Priddy (0.060/10.179/92.86)

    Round 2: (0.022/7.981/173.94) defeats No. 5 Mark Pawuk (0.063/7.998/177.44)

    Round 3: (0.067/7.934/174.53) defeats No. 8 Stephen Bell (0.044/8.147/172.12)

    Round 4: (0.036/7.944/174.30) loss to No. 2 Aaron Stanfield (0.045/7.903/173.49)

    “We got a win in Factory Stock to start our day, and then we had our teammate, Mark Pawuk in round two. We really threw it down from burnout to turnout and was able to advance to the final. Man, nothing would have been sweeter than winning in my last race in this Drag Pak with Direct Connection on the sides for Dodge and SRT, but we came up a little short against the current champion, Aaron Stanfield. Overall, what a roller coaster of a day. I’m disappointed in myself for the second round performance against Brittany Force in Top Fuel, but I’m not disappointed by the progress this Drag Pak team has made this year.”

    Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 5 Qualifier – 7.970 seconds at 174.39 mph)

    Round 1: (-0.098 second reaction time, 7.944 seconds at 175.00 mph) defeats No. 12 John Cerbone (-0.205/8.436/169.64)

    Round 2: (0.063/7.998/177.44) loss to No. 4 Leah Pruett (0.022/7.981/173.94)

    “Unfortunately, the Cowboy wasn’t on his game today on the tree. I gotta give my teammate credit, Leah (Pruett) is driving great in that Direct Connection Drag Pak. It’s great to see these Drag Pak’s running so well with Leah getting back to another final round. We’ll regroup over the winter and hopefully have a strong season in ’22. Overall, it was a good weekend at (Las) Vegas. We continue to improve and make progress and make consistent runs. We need to go just a little faster. We’ve made a lot of gains with the new car since its debut this summer and next year should be fun.”

    David Davies, D H Davies Racing Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 14 Qualifier – 8.039 seconds at 172.47 mph)

    Round 1: (0.024 second reaction time, 8.015 seconds at 174.39 mph) loss to No. 3 Jason Dietsch (0.041/7.913/176.81)

    “We had a great first season with the new car and crew. The crew hustled their butts off this weekend with some issues Leah (Pruett) and I had with some cars. I’m not happy with the early exit. I’m not happy with the way I performed or the car performed. We had great momentum coming in. We’ve had some great progression, but you’re bound to hit some bumps in the road. The last Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown event in ’21 and we stumbled a little bit, but we’ll get into some off season testing. We learned quite a bit and I expect us to come out and hit it hard next year. We did absolutely have fun racing this year.”

    NHRA Championship Points Standings:
    Following qualifying at the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
      
    FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

    1. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,585 (2)

    2. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,527 (3/1-Tommy Johnson Jr.)

    3. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,502 (2)

    4. J.R. Todd – 2,447 (1)

    5. John Force – 2,430 (3)

    6. Bob Tasca III – 2,417 (2)

    7. Robert Hight – 2,412 (2)

    8. Alexis DeJoria – 2,380 (1)

    9. Tim Wilkerson– 2,282 (1)

    10. Blake Alexander– 2,184

    TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

    1. Steve Torrance – 2694 (10)

    2. Brittany Force – 2,589 (1)

    3. Mike Salinas – 2,522 (1)

    4. Justin Ashley – 2,506 (2)

    5. Billy Torrence – 2,411 (2)

    6. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 2,343 (1)

    7. Clay Millican – 2,302

    8. Antron Brown – 2,285 (1)

    9. Shawn Langdon – 2,260

    10. Doug Kalitta – 2,211

    Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown

    1. Aaron Stanfield – 768

    2. David Barton – 484

    3. Leah Pruett (Mopar Drag Pak) – 461

    4. Jesse Alexandra – 456

    5. John Cerbone – 441

    6. Stephen Bell – 412

    7. David Janac – 377

    8. Mark Pawuk (Mopar Drag Pak) – 358

    9. Leonard Lottig – 315

    10. Doug Hamp – 312

    DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

    Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

    @DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

    The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

    Mopar

    Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

    Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

    Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

    Follow Mopar and company news and video on:

    Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

    Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar

    Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

    Dodge//SRT

    For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

    Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

    In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

    Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

    Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

    Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

    DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

    Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

  • CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: LAS VEGAS – POST-RACE RECAP & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: LAS VEGAS – POST-RACE RECAP & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
    DODGE//SRT NHRA NATIONALS
    THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
    OCT. 31, 2021

    Chevrolet drivers take title fights to NHRA Finals

    • Rookie of the year contender Dallas Glenn earns third Pro Stock victory
    • Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers sweep Super Stock, Stock Eliminator
    • Factory Stock Showdown champion Aaron Stanfield wins in COPO Camaro

    LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2021) – Chevrolet drivers will be pointing to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season finale with Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock championship aspirations intact.

    The Nov. 12-14 Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, featuring a points-and-a-half structure, will be awash with drama as Brittany Force will seek her second Top Fuel crown, John Force will aim for a 17th career trophy and three Team Chevy drivers will attempt to wring every point out of the Pro Stock pool.

    NHRA rookie of the year contender Dallas Glenn blunted the advancement of reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders by cutting a .001-of-a-second light and going on to win the Pro Stock final with a 6.660-second pass at 204.60 mph in the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro SS.

    “I got my first national event win here 10 years ago and to get another here in front of everybody – for RAD, Chevy, Summit, KB Racing and Ken Black, his hometown – my parents live here now. This is the best,” said Glenn, who won for the third time in 16 races.

    The penultimate race of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship marked the NHRA’s 1,000th national event, which includes 931 Top Fuel, 913 Funny Car and 899 Pro Stock races. Chevrolet earned its 345th Pro Stock win, including 227 with the Camaro nameplate, since 1970.

    Brittany Force claimed her 12th No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier honor – one off the single-season record — in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster with an impressive run of 3.668 seconds at 331.94 mph. She advanced to the semifinals for the second event in a row and remains second in the standings.

    “We are going to fight this thing out, battle it out and it’s not over yet,” said Force, who clinched her first world championship at Pomona in 2017.

    Robert Hight, driving the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS, advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive race out of the No. 5 qualifier spot. John Force, the No. 2 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Camaro SS, lost in the first round but remains in contention for his 17th Funny Car championship after points leader Matt Hagan also lost in the first round.

    Enders, who entered race day at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 92 points behind front-runner Greg Anderson, still took a big step toward her fifth world title with three round wins in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS to slice the lead to 32 points. Glenn, earning his third career victory, is third in the standings.

    Anderson, the No. 1 qualifier for the 11th time in 17 races in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, opened the door with a first-round loss by one-thousandth of a second to Troy Coughlin Jr. despite making the quickest pass (6.648 seconds) of the round. It was Anderson’s first loss in the opening round this season.

    Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown champion Aaron Stanfield drove the Janac Brothers Racing COPO Camaro to victory in the season finale. Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers won seven of the eight races, including four by Stanfield.

    “We locked up the championship and this is icing on top,” said Stanfield, who registered his second series title in a row earlier in October at St. Louis. “It’s cool to do it here at the 1,000th event. We’re pretty pumped up.”

    Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers swept the Stock Eliminator and Super Stock finals. Justin Lamb scored his 28th national event victory and eighth at his home track by driving his COPO Camaro to victory in Stock Eliminator.

    “This weekend was probably more great equipment than great driving. I had a couple of good rounds. It worked out,” said Lamb, a five-time Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champion.

    Chris Hall earned his second national event win by driving his COPO Camaro to the finish line first in Super Stock.

    FS1 will telecast NHRA Auto Club Finals eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 14.

    An interview with Pro Stock winner DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:
    TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY.

    “I knew the first round would be a memorable moment because of the way the ladder was stacked. Aaron (Stanfield) has gotten me twice this year, including a final. When I got past him, I started clicking them off. I think my reputation with the clutch pedal helped me out today. In the final, I tried to do all I could; I have all the faith in (crew chiefs) Rob Downing, Dave Connolly and Jason Line. I knew we’d be good as long as I could do my job and hit my shifts. When I left, I knew I hit the Tree, but I didn’t know how good Erica was until I saw the time slip.”

    TELL US ABOUT STAGING FOR THE FINAL WHEN THE CAR WOULDN’T START.
    “I go to hit the starter button and it wouldn’t work; it actually broke here. The crew ran up and got it started. Thanks for Erica for waiting. She shut her car off. It was respectful.”

    IT WAS A FINAL THAT HELPED KB TEAMMATE GREG ANDERSON AND YOU.
    “I know that every point counts and I know that it’s a three-way points battle going into Pomona and I know it can go any way right now, so look out for Pomona it’s going to be fun. My goal (for Pomona) is to do the exact same job. If I can do that, don’t care about the Rookie of the Year. I just want to get as many race wins and road wins as I can. I’ll let everything else take care of itself.”

    WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN THE 1,000TH RACE IN NHRA HISTORY?

    “Nobody else in history is going to get one of these and I got one. That’s pretty special. I got my first national event win here 10 years ago in Stock Eliminator and to get another here in front of everybody – for RAD, Chevy, Summit, KB Racing and Ken Black, his hometown – my parents live here now. This is the best.”

    CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

    TOP FUEL:

    BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “This is frustrating and so difficult. This was our shot really to move on and get around (Steve Torrence). Finally, I had a great light. I’ve been struggling and I’ve been working, and I finally stepped it up but we can’t catch a break. But this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team of Mac Savage, David Grubnic, they are the guys I’m going to go down with. We are going to fight this thing out, battle it out and it’s not over yet. We’ll go to Pomona.”

    FUNNY CAR:

    JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier, fell in first round): “I remember where I came from and it’s good to see a kid like this (Chris Morel) take his shot. My engine just shut off; I don’t know why.”

    ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA TEXAS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “Just had to go back to doing what we know how to do.”

    PRO STOCK:

    GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, points leader, fell in first round): “That was very disappointing. I obviously didn’t get the job done. The car was great driver wasn’t good enough. Now, we need to find a way to fight back. We’re not giving up. I don’t hear anyone singing just yet. It doesn’t matter who is in the other lane; anybody can beat anybody out here in this class right now. You have to treat it like it’s the toughest dude in the other lane and go out and give it the best you’ve got or you’re going home. I go to every race to win.”

    ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier, second in points, fell in final): “I’m looking forward to it. I know all my guys are all up for the battle. We called it at the beginning of the year. Me and Greg (Anderson) said we were going to do our best to kick these kids’ butts and here we are battling it out for each of our attempt at a fifth world championship.”

    TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 16 qualifier; fell in semifinals): ”We did what we came here to do. That was a huge round (defeating points leader Greg Anderson in the first round), no doubt, and racing a world champion like Greg Anderson with so much on the line definitely got the adrenaline going. We had a quick start and held on to win by a very close margin. It worked out perfectly. This team is a family and we all know how it works at this point in the season. It happened the other way around in the past with the same teams involved so now we’ll take these results and head to Pomona to see how it ends.”

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Steve Torrence, Pedregon, Glenn and S. Johnson claim victories at Vegas Nationals

    Steve Torrence, Pedregon, Glenn and S. Johnson claim victories at Vegas Nationals

    Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the 1,000th NHRA race in series history Sunday afternoon. Entering Vegas, the points situation was heating up with just two races left in the Countdown to the Championship.

    There was also history made as well. Steve Torrence captured his 50th career Top Fuel victory, while Cruz Pedregon eliminated Funny Car points leader Ron Capps in the final. Dallas Glenn won in Pro Stock after eliminating Erica Enders and Steve Johnson fought his way back with a victory in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

    Funny Car

    Don Schumacher Racing driver Ron Capps entered the Las Vegas Nationals with a one-point lead over his teammate Matt Hagan. Capps was looking to extend his lead and was well on his way in doing so before being halted by fourth-place contender Cruz Pedregon. Pedregon defeated the NAPA Auto Parts driver after Capps engine exploded in the right lane, giving Pedregon his second win of the season.

    “I dropped a couple of races due to holeshots and I feel like we had a better race car than what we’ve shown,” Pedregon said. “I drove well today and we were able to answer the bell today. The car was so steady today. We have a good car and this team has been plugging away. The car runs right with everyone and it’s an honor to win the 1,000th NHRA race. I’m just glad to be a part of it. After winning today, we’re back in (the championship hunt). We just had to keep our nose to the grindstone and things worked out for us.”

    Pedregon qualified in the seventh position following the three rounds and set the California native up with a first-round match with Tony Jurado. Pedregon was successful in his first-round win going 3.950 seconds and 329.58 mph to a quarterfinal round with Chris Morel. Morel advanced to the second round with an upset victory over John Force. The Snap-On driver won again with a 3.903 second and 324.20 mph pass to face Bob Tasca in the semis.

    Meanwhile, Capps, who qualified in the eighth position, had a picture-perfect day and kept the points lead with a Round 1 victory over Tim Wilkerson. He set the pace with a time of 3.915 seconds and 323.74 mph to advance. His closest competitor Matt Hagan was eliminated in the first round after being defeated by Chris Morel.

    From there, Capps scored victories over the No. 1 qualifier, Alexis DeJoria, in the quarterfinals and defeated John Force Racing’s Robert Hight in the semis to set up the final round match with Cruz Pedregon.

    When the two cars rocketed off the line, Capps kept up with Cruz, but his engine unfortunately exploded and he fell short of a victory. The runner-up finish was Capps’ third of the season and the 63rd of his career.

    “Being the Dodge//SRT Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, we were motivated to put this Pennzoil Dodge SRT Hellcat into the final round and winner’s circle,” Capps said. “You look at qualifying and look around and we didn’t qualify as well as we’d liked. It was one of our worst positions all season and we still had lane choice. That tells you how good this NAPA team has been all season. Then you have Tim Wilkerson first round. And we’re the last pair of Funny Cars, the 16th pair of nitro cars and we’re sitting there waiting and listening to so many of the other contenders fighting for a championship, (Matt) Hagan, J.R. (Todd), (John) Force, go out.

    “It’s Halloween, but you think ‘how strange of a day.’ And we had to wait and wait for our first-round match-up with Tim. He beat us in the final at Indy and that’s such a tough car and team. We got by a close one there in that first round and that was huge. Then we had Alexis (DeJoria), the No. 1 qualifier, then Robert Hight, a three-time world champion, and Cruz Pedregon, another champion. That’s a ‘murderer’s row’ on race day. We had to fight every round and this Pennzoil/NAPA car was just so fun to drive. We had a lot of friends and folks from NAPA headquarters in Atlanta and from GearWrench and family members here all weekend, and that was huge to go rounds in front of all of them.”

    “We’ll take any amount of points and Pomona is such an outlier with the points-and-a-half deal. There’s so many points up for grabs. I’m not even thinking about winning this thing. We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing and it was unfortunate in the final round, but it was two Dodges battling it out and that makes our friends in Auburn Hills, Mich. proud and I can’t wait for Pomona. Two weeks cannot come soon enough.”

    Funny Car Results

    1. Cruz Pedregon
    2. Ron Capps
    3. Robert Hight
    4. Bob Tasca III
    5. Chad Green
    6. Alexis DeJoria
    7. Chris Morel
    8. Paul Lee
    9. Tim Wilkerson
    10. Tony Jurado
    11. Steven Densham
    12. Bobby Bode
    13. Matt Hagan
    14. Jeff Diehl
    15. J.R. Todd
    16. John Force

    Funny Car Championship Points Standings

    1. Ron Capps, 2,585 points
    2. Matt Hagan, -58
    3. Cruz Pedregon, -83
    4. J.R. Todd, -138
    5. John Force, -155
    6. Bob Tasca III, -168
    7. Robert Hight, -173
    8. Alexis DeJoria, -205
    9. Tim Wilkerson, -303
    10. Blake Alexander, -461

    Top Fuel

    Steve Torrence and the CAPCO boys just keep on rolling. Torrence gained his 50th career Top Fuel victory by defeating Team Scrappers Mike Salinas in the finals. Torrence qualified in the No. 2 position and extended his points lead over second-place Brittany Force by 105 heading into the final race of the season at Pomona.

    “We’re not gonna do anything different,” he said of his approach,” Torrence said. “We’re just gonna go out there and try to win the race.

    “This is just awesome,” he said of Sunday’s success, which earned him a unique
    version of the NHRA Wally trophy celebrating the organization’s 1,000th race. “All the glory goes to God and to my momma (Capco Racing boss ‘Momma Kay’ Torrence). To win the 1,000th NHRA race with these Capco boys is just unbelievable for a kid that had a dream to drive a Top Fuel car just one time.”

    Torrence had a first-round match with Jim Maroney and won with a time of 3.751 seconds and 325.61 mph to face Tripp Tatum. Tatum had a major victory over Josh Hart in the first round. Meanwhile, Brittany Force faced Leah Pruett in the second and both drivers fouled on the tree but the win was given to Force as Pruett fouled first.

    In the second round, the Kilgore, Texas native Torrence won over Tatum going 3.736 seconds and 328.62 mph to face No. 3 qualifier, Justin Ashley. Ashley had victories over Cameron Ferre and Alex Laughlin to set him up with Torrence in the semis. Torrence eliminated Ashley after laying down a time of 3.688 seconds and 329.58 mph to advance to the finals.

    From there, Torrence was scheduled to face Mike Salinas, who was the previous Top Fuel winner back at Bristol a couple of weeks ago and it was at Bristol where both Torrence and Salinas faced each other as well. However, this time around, the victory went to the CAPCO driver for the 10th time in 2021.

    Photo Courtesy of Mark Rebilas

    The runner-up for Salinas was his third of the season and sixth of his Top Fuel career.

    Top Fuel Results

    1. Steve Torrence
    2. Mike Salinas
    3. Brittany Force
    4. Justin Ashley
    5. Billy Torrence
    6. Alex laughlin
    7. Tripp Tatum
    8. Leah Pruett
    9. Doug Kalitta
    10. Shawn Langdon
    11. Josh Hart
    12. Clay Millican
    13. Troy Buff
    14. Jim Maroney
    15. Antron Brown
    16. Cameron Ferre

    Top Fuel Championship Points Standings

    1. Steve Torrence, 2,694
    2. Brittany Force, -105
    3. Mike Salinas, -172
    4. Justin Ashley, -188
    5. Billy Torrence, -283
    6. Leah Pruett, -351
    7. Clay Millican, -392
    8. Antron Brown, -409
    9. Shawn Langdon, -434
    10. Doug Kalitta, -483

    Pro Stock

    Pro Stock returned to the races this weekend for a wild day of action. Dallas Glenn faced Erica Enders, who was second in points coming into Las Vegas. Glenn had a near-perfect reaction time of .001 compared to Enders’ .005 in the final round to claim the third win of his career, but the victory wasn’t easy.

    First off, current Pro Stock points leader Greg Anderson kept the ball rolling by picking up the No. 1 qualifier in qualifying Saturday afternoon. The all-time winningest Pro Stock driver was paired in a first-round with Troy Coughlin Jr. Unfortunately for Anderson, his day was done early as Coughlin Jr. won by .001 to advance to the quarterfinals.

    Glenn and Enders, eliminated Aaron Stanfield and Bo Butner, respectively, in the first round. In the second round, Glenn got a victory over Kenny Delco after Delco fouled which sent Glenn to face Mason McGaha in the semis. On Enders side of the coin, she got a victory over Matt Hartford and squared off with her teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. in the semis. Enders defeated Coughlin Jr. with a time of 6.680 seconds and a 203.61 mph pass.

    “When I got by Aaron, I just relaxed and started clicking them off,” said Glenn, who posted a perfect .000 reaction time in a final round earlier this year. “I missed it a little in the semis against Mason and in the final, I was just trying to do everything I can. I had all the faith in this team and I knew the car was going to be good as long I did my job. I knew I was good on the tree, I hit all my shifts and I was just hoping the win light came on. It feels really good to go up there with a plan and then execute it.”

    Pro Stock Results

    1. Dallas Glenn
    2. Erica Enders
    3. Mason McGaha
    4. Troy Coughlin Jr
    5. Deric Kramer
    6. Matt Hartford
    7. Kenny Delco
    8. Cristian Cuadra
    9. Greg Anderson
    10. Aaron Stanfield
    11. Marty Robertson
    12. Bo Butner
    13. Alan Pruseinsky
    14. Richie Stevens
    15. Chris McGaha
    16. Kyle Koretsky

    Pro Stock Championship Standings

    1. Greg Anderson, 2,565 points
    2. Erica Enders, -32
    3. Dallas Glenn, -109
    4. Kyle Koretsky, -186
    5. Troy Coughlin Jr, -220
    6. Aaron Stanfield, -230
    7. Chris McGaha, -253
    8. Mason McGaha, -268
    9. Matt Hartford, -296
    10. Deric Kramer, -334

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    After a disappointing first-round loss in Bristol to Ron Tornow, Johnson looked poised to bounce back at Vegas this weekend. He qualified in the second position with a time of 6.848 seconds and 196.24 mph for a first-round with No. 15 qualifier Charles Poskey.

    Johnson won after going 6.874 seconds and 194.44 mph to claim his 251st Round 1 win. With the victory, he went on to face Angie Smith in the second round. Smith advanced by eliminating Scotty Pollacheck. In the semis, Johnson ended up facing Bristol winner Angelle Sampey and was once again a winner after laying down an ET of 6.877 seconds and 194.88 mph which saw him face Karen Stoffer in the finals.

    During the final round match, Stoffer was able to leave first over Johnson but Stoffer went -.012 early and was eliminated in the finals, giving Johnson his third win of the year.

    “It is very, very special to win this event, but it’s really about the championship,” Johnson said. “It took us 17 years to win our first national event and I’m a sucker for this sport. I really want to bring home a championship. I’d love to be a part of that championship fraternity and to be able to try to do it in our hometown is going to be really, really special.”

    Stoffer had victories over Kelly Clontz, Jerry Savoie and the No. 1 qualifier Matt Smith.

    The second-place finish was Stoffer’s 16th of her career and the second this year.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

    1. Steve Johnson
    2. Karen Stoffer
    3. Matt Smith
    4. Angelle Sampey
    5. Jerry Savoie
    6. Angie Smith
    7. Chris Bostick
    8. Eddie Krawiec
    9. Joey Gladstone
    10. Scotty Pollacheck
    11. Andrew Hines
    12. Kelly Clontz
    13. Ryan Oehler
    14. Freddie Camarena
    15. Charles Poskey
    16. Michael Phillips

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship Standings

    1. Matt Smith, 2,536 points
    2. Steve Johnson, -20
    3. Angelle Sampey, -30
    4. Eddie Krawiec, -142
    5. Karen Stoffer, -189
    6. Scotty Pollacheck, -212
    7. Angie Smith, -259
    8. Joey Gladstone, -269
    9. Andrew Hines, -327
    10. Ryan Oehler, -355

    Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will take one week off before heading to the final race of the 2021 season at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California November 11-14.

  • Championship Battle Persists Between DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars in Qualifying at Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil

    Championship Battle Persists Between DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars in Qualifying at Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil

    ·        Defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan retakes the championship lead after qualifying No. 4 for the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil by driving his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the quickest run in the final qualifying session

    ·        Ron Capps qualified his Pennzoil Synthetics/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the top-half of the eliminations ladder and trails Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate Hagan by two points heading into race day

    ·        Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 7 for eliminations at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while he looks to improve on his current fifth place position in the Funny Car championship title fight

    ·        Leah Pruett qualified both her Direct Connection dragster and Direct Connection Mopar Drag Pak in the top half of the eliminations ladder in her final double-duty weekend racing in both Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown categories

    ·        Special “Direct Connection” graphics on Hagan and Leah Pruett’s respective Dodge//SRT race cars provide a sneak-peek at one of two new performance initiatives set to be announced November 8 at Dodge.com.

    October 30, 2021, Las Vegas, Nevada — Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan and Ron Capps continued to battle back and forth for the lead in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” through qualifying at the Dodge//SRT Nationals Presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the sixth of seven playoff events to determine who’ll earn the coveted world championship title.

    While Capps drove his HEMI®-powered Pennzoil Synthetics NAPA Auto Parts machine into the weekend leading his DSR teammate by one point and then added another two bonus points to his tally by posting the second quickest run in the second qualifying session, Hagan retook the championship points lead after qualifying No. 4 by driving his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a 3.905-seconds/ 321.65 mph pass to post the quickest run in the final qualifying session. The defending Funny Car champion will begin his elimination battle against No. 13-seed Chad Green as he works to take home a third consecutive Wally trophy from Dodge//SRT Nationals.

    Cruz Pedregon earned the No. 7 spot on the Funny Car ladder with a solid final qualifying effort of 3.918 seconds at 325.69 mph aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the fourth quickest pass of Q2, while looking to improve on his current fifth place position in the championship standings. The Cruz Pedregon Racing HEMI-powered machine will have lane choice over No. 10 seed Tony Jurado for his first round pairing.

    Capps, a five-time winner at the Las Vegas venue, ended up with the eighth quickest qualifying run to secure his place on the eliminations ladder against No. 9 seed Tim Wilkerson for Sunday’s opening round, while trailing Hagan in the Funny Car standings by just two points.

    DSR pilot Leah Pruett qualified both her Direction Connection dragster and Direct Connection Mopar Drag Pak in the top half of the eliminations ladder in her final double-duty weekend racing in both Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown categories.

    The special “Direct Connection” graphics on both Hagan and Pruett’s respective Dodge//SRT race cars provide a sneak-peek at one of two new performance initiatives set to be announced November 8 at Dodge.com.

    In Top Fuel action, Pruett will line up her Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster next to DSR teammate Antron Brown for the opening round of eliminations after qualifying ninth with her final run of 3.769 seconds at 314.61 mph.

    The final Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) event of the season will have Pruett launch her 2021 Direct Connection Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak from the No. 4 position against No. 13-seed Ryan Priddy on the strength of her final qualifying run at 7.963 seconds/173.21 mph. After four years of competing in both categories, Sunday’s Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals will be the 2018 Factory Stock Showdown champion’s last opportunity to attempt to double-up on trophy hardware aboard DSR Dodge race cars.

    Pruett’s FSS teammate Mark Pawuk qualified his DSR-prepared 2021 Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak No. 5 with a 7.970-second run at 174.39 mph in the second session to start his race day against No. 12 John Cerbone.

    David Davies II had his best run of 8.039 seconds at 172.47 mph in Q2 as well to put his 2021 D H Davies Racing Mopar Drag Pak in the No. 14 spot on the FSS eliminations ladder and pair him up with No. 3 qualifier Jason Dietsch for the opening round of the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals.

    Television coverage of Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the sixth of seven “Countdown to the Championship” playoff events, including LIVE coverage of the final round of the Dodge//SRT Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, will air on FS1 on Sunday, Oct. 31, 5-8 p.m. (ET.)

    ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES
     
    FUNNY CAR:
    Matt Hagan, DSR Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
    (No. 4 Qualifier – 3.905 seconds at 321.65 mph)
    Qualifying 1: 3.931 seconds at 322.34 mph

    Qualifying 2: 4.897 seconds at 160.10 mph
    Qualifying 3: 3.905 seconds at 321.65 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of Q3)
     

    “Finished strong in qualifying with running low of Q3 and retaking the points lead. This Direct Connection Dodge is running great and we have a good opportunity to go some rounds tomorrow, and hopefully, put some more points between us and the rest of the field and pull down another trophy for DSR. This track is always good to us, We’ve been to the final the last four years in a row. I’m excited to be out here. The fans have been out in full force all weekend, and I’m glad we were able to put on a great show for them. Made a good run today and a good run yesterday, and we’ll get ready for race day and see what we can do.”
     
    Ron Capps, DSR Pennzoil Synthetics NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
    (No. 7 Qualifier – x seconds at x mph)
    Qualifying 1:  3.973 seconds at 304.60 mph
    Qualifying 2:  3.926 seconds at 324.51 mph (2 bonus points for second quickest run)
    Qualifying 3: 5.957 seconds at 125.10 mph (hazed the tires)
     
    “That last session surely mixed things up. You never want to race a Tim Wilkerson and early is really tough. We were going up there to try and improve and go after that No. 1 spot and you can’t be upset about that. That’s what I love about Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen and this Pennzoil Synthetics NAPA AutoCare team. We were going to try and take those three points. It is what it is and everybody in that field has a chance of winning tomorrow. We’ll do the same thing we’ve really done all season long and that’s just race with that NAPA Know How. It will be warmer racing during the day and it will be interesting. It should be a fun day. This is exciting with the Pennzoil blue chrome car for the last time this season.”

      
    Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
    (No. 7 Qualifier – x seconds at x mph)
    Qualifying 1: 8.401 seconds at 87.07 mph
    Qualifying 2: 3.959 seconds at 321.65 mph

    Qualifying 3: 3.918 seconds at 325.69 mph
     
    “We stumbled right off the trailer when we dropped a cylinder right out of the blocks. (Crew Chief) John Collins and the Snap-on Tools team did a good job of making some good adjustments in the heat of the day and we went 3.95-seconds, which was fourth in that session.

    Then we came back and improved with a 3.91 second run at 325 mph, so a lot of the good progress was made. It was cooler and a really good conditions, but we’ll take it. That’s a good spot, and we’ll just continue to take one round at a time and keep chipping away at it and see how we come out.”

     
    TOP FUEL:
    Leah Pruett, DSR Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  
    (No. 8 Qualifier – 3.769  seconds at 314.61 mph)
    Qualifying 1: 3.843 seconds at 310.55 mph

    Qualifying 2: 4.050 seconds at 228.34 mph
    Qualifying 3: 3.769 seconds at 314.61 mph

    “In Top Fuel we are connected to our DSR teammate, Antron Brown, and that will be a fierce match-up. We had a couple issues of our own and we had our strongest pass in our final qualifying attempt with that 3.76. We have eight cylinders in that HEMI engine and each round it’s picked one it’s not happy with. Tomorrow is part two. We’re through qualifying and now we have race day. Just like the two parts to Direct Connection to our November 8 announcement. We’re focused on scaring everyone with the potential this team has. You don’t win very often on Halloween, so I’d really like to take this one home. This is one of my hometown races and we’re ready to go some rounds.”

    FACTORY STOCK SHOOTOUT:

    Leah Pruett, 2021 Direct Connection Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 4 Qualifier – 7.963 seconds at 173.21 mph)

    Qualifying 1: 8.026 seconds at 168.53 mph

    Qualifying 2: 9.531 seconds at 165.84 mph

    Qualifying 3: 7.963 seconds at 173.21 mph

    “It’s been a treacherous, spooky weekend in the Factory Stock Showdown in our Direct Connection Mopar Drag Pak. We had another phantom cylinder bit us yesterday on Q1 and we put up a smoke show on Q2 with minimal problems. We had a transmission issue that was minor, but it caused quite a bit of smoke. We are picking away at this Drag Pak tune-up and then, boom, our 7.96 in Q3 lands us in the No. 3 spot and all our tricks are right so we can get the treats tomorrow with an early win light with E1 at 8:30 Sunday morning.”

    Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 5 Qualifier – 7.970 seconds at 174.39 mph)

    Qualifying 1: 8.028 seconds at 173.23 mph

    Qualifying 2: 7.970 seconds at 174.39 mph

    Qualifying 3: 8.010 seconds at 176.40 mph

    “We made some nice progress in the last couple races. We ran really good this morning on the Q2 hit. I think we didn’t realize how good the track was for Q3, but we made consistent runs all weekend and the last few races. I’m very pleased with the performance of the car. We’ve got it figured out. I’m looking forward to a great day for the Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger for DSR. We’ll see what happens, but the Cowboy has to do his job.”

    David Davies, D H Davies Racing Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

    (No. 14 Qualifier – 8.039 seconds at 172.47 mph)

    Qualifying 1: No Time (Foul)

    Qualifying 2: 8.039 seconds at 172.47 mph

    Qualifying 3: 8.071 seconds at 173.18 mph

    “I feel good about tomorrow. We overcame a little driver/technical malfunction early and made a couple of clean qualifying passes. We didn’t quite have the horsepower we needed to pull through, but now that we’ve got some data, we’re going to put the screws to it at the last event of the season, and we’re looking to go some rounds tomorrow. We’ve got the car and the team to do it, and the team once again proved why they’re the best at what they do when they hustled to get Leah (Pruett’s) and my Drag Paks turned around quickly with engine swaps on both cars.”

    NHRA Championship Points Standings:
    Following qualifying at the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
      
    FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

    1. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,527 (3/1-Tommy Johnson Jr.)

    2. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,525 (2)

    3. J.R. Todd – 2,447 (1)

    4. John Force – 2,430 (3)

    5. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,422 (1)

    6. Bob Tasca III – 2,377 (2)

    7. Robert Hight – 2,372 (2)

    8. Alexis DeJoria – 2,360 (1)

    9. Tim Wilkerson– 2,282 (1)

    10. Blake Alexander– 2,184

    TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

    1. Steve Torrance – 2,614 (9)

    2. Brittany Force – 2,549 (1)

    3. Justin Ashley – 2,466 (2)

    4. Mike Salinas – 2,462 (1)

    5. Billy Torrence – 2,391 (2)

    6. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 2,323 (1)

    7. Clay Millican – 2,302

    8. Antron Brown – 2,285 (1)

    9. Shawn Langdon – 2,260

    10. Doug Kalitta – 2,211

    DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

    Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

    @DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

    The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

    Mopar

    Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

    Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

    Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

    Follow Mopar and company news and video on:

    Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

    Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar

    Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

    Dodge//SRT

    For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

    Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

    In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

    Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

    Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

    Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

    Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

    DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

    Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

  • CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: LAS VEGAS – PRE-RACE ADVANCE & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: LAS VEGAS – PRE-RACE ADVANCE & QUOTES

    CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS

    What: Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil
    When: Friday, Oct. 29-Sunday, Oct. 31
    Where: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada
    TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 31

    Stakes high for Chevrolet drivers at Las Vegas event
    Title contenders in all three pro classes enter penultimate Countdown race

    DETROIT (Oct. 28, 2021) – Chevrolet drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will aim to score maximum points toward their National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) championship quests this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    The penultimate race of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship will also mark the NHRA’s 1,000th national event, which includes 930 Top Fuel, 912 Funny Car and 898 Pro Stock races.

    Chevrolet has been the commanding brand on the dragstrip and the Camaro has been the leading model with 2,970 final-round appearances, which began with Ben Wenzel winning the Stock class in his ’67 Camaro Z-28 and Bill Jenkins driving his big-block ’67 Camaro SS to the Super Stock title at the 1967 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

    The powerful Chevrolet COPO Camaro, which regularly visits the winner’s circle in Stock, Super Stock and the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown classes, is a direct descendent of the ’67 Camaro.

    Chevrolet won the first NHRA Pro Stock event in 1970, with Jenkins driving a 1968 Camaro to victory at Pomona, and has 344 wins and counting (226 in Camaros). Chevrolet has recorded 146 Funny Car wins since 1967 (66 in Camaros) and 12 Top Fuel victories.

    Chevrolet swept the No. 1 qualifiers for the April 18 four-wide event at The Strip, with Brittany Force securing the first of her 11 honors on the season in Top Fuel, teammate Robert Hight claiming No. 1 in Funny Car and Greg Anderson rising to the top in Pro Stock.

    Force, driving the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, is second in the Top Fuel standings. Sixteen-time Funny Car champion John Force is tied for fourth and Hight is seventh in the standings. Hight and Brittany Force advanced to the semifinals in the most recent event.

    “Our Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team is anxious to get to Las Vegas. We’re looking to win this thing and set ourselves up in the best position possible to win the championship at the Auto Club Finals,” Force said. “We had success at The Strip in 2019 when we won the event so it’s a very comfortable track for my entire team. It’s going to be a challenge but we’re ready for it.”

    Anderson, who earlier this month passed Warren Johnson to become the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories with 98 in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, holds an 81-point advantage over reigning champion Eric Enders in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS. She has won three of the past four events at The Strip and has seven Wallys total.

    “The way I see it, it’s time to go to Vegas to try to win a championship,” said Anderson, who has eight career wins at The Strip. “I would love to go there and extend my lead enough that it doesn’t even matter at Pomona. That’s my goal, though it’s certainly going to be difficult to do. It’s a great place for us and a great place for our competition, too. Erica has had a good run. We’ll see who the track shines on this weekend.”

    The event will also feature the finale of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown season. Aaron Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing COPO Camaro, has already locked up his second consecutive title. Chevrolet drivers have won six of the seven races.

    FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 31.

    CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

    TOP FUEL:

    BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (Second in points; won at track in 2019): “The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a special track for me. My first full pass in a Top Fuel dragster was there back in 2012. It took seven years to end up in that Vegas winner’s circle, which I think shows you how competitive this sport is.”

    FUNNY CAR:

    JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Tied for fourth in points; six-time winner at track): “We’ve had a good season. We’ve had some bumps along the way, all three teams, but we all made it in the Countdown. We’re here, that’s what matters. This PEAK team, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrosis, Joe Barlam, they’ve really given me a great Chevy. I’ve had to learn to keep up, and I am. That’s why we’re here, they’ve worked hard, and I’ve had to do my job, really hold on with the rest of these young guys out here.”

    ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Seventh in points; five-time winner at track): “It hasn’t been a consistent year for us. This Auto Club team has worked hard, Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham, they’ve put together some great runs in this Chevy. We’ve had some bad luck, made some mistakes and because the competition this year has been so tight, so intense, those mistakes and bad luck have put us in a tough spot. The goal is still to go out and win, qualify well, put up good reaction times, go rounds on Sunday and put this Auto Club car in the winner’s circle.”

    PRO STOCK:

    GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Points leader; eight-time winner at track): “The way I see it, it’s time to go to Vegas to try to win a championship. I would love to go there and extend my lead enough that it doesn’t even matter at Pomona. That’s my goal, though it’s certainly going to be difficult to do. I love racing at Vegas; it’s been very good to me. It’s great racing in front of team owner Ken Black. It’s a great place for us and a great place for our competition, too. Erica (Enders) has had a good run. We’ll see who the track shines on this weekend. (Off since Oct. 10): We spent a lot of time in the shop trying to make our engines better. We went to Darlington last week to work on our car set-up. I think we did all we could do and we’re happy with the results. Itching to get to Vegas and see if we’ve made any ground.”

    DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Third in points): “Two races left in my rookie season and I can’t believe the position we’re in. You always have faith in your equipment and yourself as a driver but it’s really cool to put both of those together for the most part this year. The RAD Torque/ Summit Racing/KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro is still mathematically in the hunt for the championship, although it’s a longshot. As long as the championship comes home with KB, I’m happy.”

    KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Fourth in points; runner-up in 2020 season finale at track): “It’s down to the wire; we’re three points out of third behind Dallas (Glenn) and I’m looking to make it a KB 1, 2, 3 for the Countdown championship. Mathematically, we still have a shot at the title. I did a bit of bracket racing in New Jersey in my Camaro just to keep me in the car and down the track. I have all the confidence in the world in the (KB Racing) guys who prepare the car and I’m looking to go to Vegas to win. I feel real confident and I’m ready to make a statement in these last two races.”

    TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Seventh in points): “The world title isn’t in the cards for us this year but we continue to grow and I love to compete no matter what’s at stake so we’re going to have fun this weekend. If we can get in there and take out some of teams fighting Erica (Enders, teammate) for the championship, then we’ll be really happy. And sure, a win would be awesome.”

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Cornwell® Quality Tools Extends Partnership With John Force

    Cornwell® Quality Tools Extends Partnership With John Force

    Continues As the ‘Official Tool of John Force Racing’

    WADSWORTH, Ohio, October 26, 2021 (Newswire.com) – Cornwell Quality Tools announced they have extended their partnership as the Official Tool of John Force Racing for an additional three years. The new contract begins in 2022 and will run through the 2024 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season.

    The Cornwell Quality Tools name/logo will continue to be seen on the wings of both the John Force and Robert Hight Funny Cars, as well as on the canopy of the Top Fuel Dragster driven by Brittany Force. The Cornwell brand will continue to be visible throughout the Force race pit at all NHRA races, with the teams utilizing Cornwell toolboxes and tools when working on the cars, as well as branding on car haulers, signage, hospitality canopies, and more.

    Cornwell has been the Official Tool of the 21-time NHRA world championship John Force Racing team since 2019.

    “We are excited to extend our partnership with a high-caliber team in John Force Racing,” said Bob Studenic, President and CEO of Cornwell Quality Tools. “As we have seen over the past few years, supporting and working with John Force Racing has been a blast. John and his family know the importance of loyalty, hard work, and dedication. We value those same principles. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the team, as they race towards additional NHRA championships.”

    “I treat sponsors like family, and I always want to be treated the same. I’ve built long-range relationships that we have turned into 16 championship for myself and 21 as a team owner. Our relationship with Cornwell Tools has grown but it’s getting better as we extend out years into the future,” said John Force, owner, CEO and driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy Camaro for John Force Racing. “We’re making new plans as we speak. Not just bigger signs on a race car but being able to ride along on the tool trucks, bringing Cornwell Tools trucks to races, more hospitality and meeting more of their Franchisees. This is how you win championships and grow sales. What makes it easy is we’re working with a great product. We use Cornwell Tools, not only at the races, but at our shops and at home.”

    About: Cornwell Quality Tools is the oldest mobile tool company with a market presence since 1919. Cornwell is committed to the pride that accompanies the sale of quality materials. With the use of high-grade alloy steel, combined with modern heat-treating methods, Cornwell has continued to produce the finest tools in the world that have truly been “The Choice of Professionals®” for over 100 years. Products are sold via independent mobile tool dealers across the country. Cornwell has distribution centers located in Utah and Ohio, along with manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania (Forging), Mogadore, Ohio (Hand Tool Manufacturing), and Van Wert, Ohio (Toolbox Manufacturing). For more information: www.cornwelltools.com.

  • INTERPHASE ENTERTAINMENT ADDS NHRA TOP FUEL DRIVER JUSTIN ASHLEY

    INTERPHASE ENTERTAINMENT ADDS NHRA TOP FUEL DRIVER JUSTIN ASHLEY

    NHRA Standout Justin Ashley Eyes NHRA Top Fuel Championship in 2022

    PLAINVIEW, NY (October 21, 2021) – InterPhase Entertainment, LLC has signed NHRA Top Fuel driver and 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley to help grow his brand and bring awareness to his program. InterPhase Entertainment will represent Ashley in all sponsorship development and procurement areas as well as networking opportunities in television, film, and digital avenues. InterPhase Entertainment will work to align Ashley with corporations, marketing firms and causes that align with his diverse interests both on and off the track.

    “We are excited to have Justin Ashley with us as we broaden our business portfolio,” said Ryan Johnston, President and CEO of InterPhase Entertainment. “Justin is a highly marketable young driver who is a standout, and as far as I’m concerned, the future of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Justin just not only won in Texas a few weeks ago, but he just broke the track record in Bristol with a blistering 334.48 mph run in 3.69 seconds. We are looking forward to diversifying and building his brand around the world.”

    The two-time NHRA national event winner is a second-generation driver from Plainview, NY. At twenty-six years old, he is a future star in the Top Fuel ranks of the NHRA. During his rookie season of 2020 Justin was hyper-focused on being his best, producing the quickest average reaction time in the Top Fuel class and finishing the season in the Top Ten.

    Ashley earned his first win in the NHRA Top Fuel category at Indianapolis last year at the Summernationals. Earlier this month, Ashley earned his second Top Fuel win at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas. He currently sits third in the NHRA Camping World Top Fuel Championship point standings with two events remaining on the 2021 calendar.

    When Ashley isn’t at the track, he serves as President of Ashley Developers, a real estate investment organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of distressed properties. He spends his days searching for new properties and overseeing the improvements made to his current holdings.

    “Joining the InterPhase Entertainment team gives our race program the best opportunity for sustainable success on and off the racetrack,” said Ashley, who has been instrumental in securing sponsorship deals the past two years. “The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is a tremendous value, and our plan has always been predicated on communicating that value, structuring a strategic business plan, and building a brand that ensures successful return on investment. InterPhase Entertainment is going to help us take our game to the next level by doing that tenfold. I cannot wait to begin our relationship together.”

    InterPhase Entertainment, LLC has amassed over a decade and a half of experience in motorsports all around the world between the NHRA, NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 and even the X Games. They bring a wealth of knowledge on how to bring in sponsors in not only the traditional marketing approach, but more so in the business-to-business aspect of aligning companies to benefit in earning new sales, while enjoying motorsports as an activation platform. InterPhase Entertainment not only works within the industry of motorsports, but within the industries of film, television, music, tech, space, defense, exploration, underwater archaeology, gold mining, and into retail.

    The National Hot Rod Association is the largest auto racing organization in the world. The NHRA competes in major U.S. markets, and the racing runs the gamut from 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragsters to 5 horsepower Jr. dragsters. In 2020, the NHRA joined forces with Camping World to present the world’s fastest motorsports attraction as the flagship sponsor of the national touring series, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

    Justin can be seen during the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series on Fox and FS1, check your local listings. You can also follow @thejustinashley on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

  • Driver reactions following the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol: Funny Car

    Driver reactions following the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol: Funny Car

    Alexis DeJoria was finally able to snap a four-year winless streak Sunday afternoon and nearly had a picture-perfect weekend that started on Saturday.

    Despite not having the best qualifying efforts in the first and second rounds, (seventh and eighth), the Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry driver picked it up in Q3 and earned her first No.1 qualifier since 2016.

    On race day, the Los Angeles, California native went all four rounds eliminating Paul Lee, a solo run in the second round, a semi-final victory against Robert Hight and eventually winning against J.R. Todd.

    Let’s take a look at where the other Funny Car drivers finished and what they had to say afterward.

    1. Alexis DeJoria (Finished First) – “It’s a huge weight taken off our shoulders,” said DeJoria. “We were number one qualifier and that was the first step. Getting that elusive number one after getting a ton of number twos, that was amazing. Then to get the Wally at the same race is insane. Whatever happens after this, I just hope for the best, but we’re good because we got a Wally. This is a huge confidence builder for me and our whole team. We knew we could do this, it’s just a matter of time. I would say it’s one of the biggest because, as a part-team owner, definitely. Coming back after taking the two years off and getting to work with my mentor, old teammate and friend in Del Worsham. I look up to him and I learned everything I know from Del. To be able to do this with him again and do something we couldn’t do at Kalitta when he ended up driving the other car. But we always wanted to do this again and we were able to make it happen.
    2. J.R. Todd (Finished second, sits third in points, -83) – Todd qualified 12th and was runner-up to DeJoria and knocked out, then Funny Car Championship points leader, Matt Hagan, in the first round. He won over legend John Force in the quarterfinals and once again knocked out new points leader, Ron Capps, in the semis. Todd fell to DeJoria after going 3.929 seconds and 326.32 mph. “We were in a little better position in 2018,” said Todd. “Going into the Countdown this year I knew that we had a good enough car and team to contend for a championship. We have had some hiccups along the way, but we are still in the hunt. We have to keep our heads up and keep fighting.”
    3. Robert Hight (Finished third, qualified fifth, fell to DeJoria in the semis, sits seventh in the points -153 behind first) – “We qualified well this weekend. We put up some good runs, thought we had a competitive Chevy. We got outrun today, wish things were different. But we’re still out here to win. There are two races left in the season and we’ll be out there just like everyone else looking for wins.”
    4. Ron Capps (Finished fourth, took over the points lead and leads by one point over teammate Hagan. He fell to J.R. Todd in the semis and was later disqualified due to hitting the cylinder blocks. Capps had the fastest speed of 329.83 mph) – “This is an all-out battle. We talk about the Countdown to the Championship and talk about how much tighter it seems this year. A lot of press people and media were saying it’s just Matt Hagan and me still in the hunt, and I’m quick to caution everyone because there are so many other cars who can step up and run great and we’ve seen that today with J.R. Todd and that DHL team and Alexis DeJoria. J.R. beat Matt first round and knocked us out in the semis. By no means, especially with Pomona (Calif.) being points-and-a-half, is this thing over. We wanted to grab more points while we were here at Bristol this weekend. The good thing is, we lead the points going into Vegas. It’s almost even. We’re having so much fun and we still have such a great NAPA hot rod and we showed that with qualifying second and making three solid, consistent laps. I’m excited about going to Vegas.”
    5. Cruz Pedregon – (Finished fifth, sits fifth and is tied with John Force in the points standings, fell to Ron Capps in the quarterfinals.) – “A second round appearance for the Snap-on Tools Nitro Funny Car team today at Bristol Dragway. Cruz and team were able to take down Dave Richards in the first round with a 3.96, but ended up falling to Ron Capps in an extremely close race (3.916 to 3.920) and the next round. The championship points have tightened up with two events left. We will head back to Indianapolis tomorrow and start getting our parts and pieces finalized for the final two events of the NHRA season.” – Credit to Cruz Pedregon’s Facebook Page
    6. John Force – (Finished sixth, tied with Pedregon in the points standings -101 back, fell to J.R. Todd in the quarterfinals) – “Not what we were looking for today. Bit of a rough go through the whole weekend. We’re still in the hunt though. Two races left, points and a half in Pomona. We’ll be good. Still have some fight in us.”
    7. Bob Tasca III – (Finished seventh, qualified 11th, fell to Robert Hight in the quarterfinal, sits sixth in the standings -147) He got the first round victory over Tim Wilkerson.
    8. Matt Hagan – (Entered the race as the points leader, fell in the first round to J.R. Todd and now trails teammate Capps by one point) – “It’s a tough one but J.R. Todd and that team, they did their homework and outran us and he left on us. That’s drag racing. I hate to lose and I’m trying to put a smile on right now, but it burns you up inside. We’ve got to go to these last two races and really make them count. That’s why we race them on Sunday because you never know what’s going to happen. I’ve got all of the confidence in (crew chief) Dickie Venables, and we’ll regroup and give it all we’ve got in Vegas.”
    9. Dave Richards (Finished ninth after qualifying ninth and fell to Cruz Pedregon in the first round) Richard’s ET was 4.023 seconds and 311.63 mph to Pedregon’s 3.964 seconds and 294.11 mph. Pedregon is now 3-0 against Richards.
    10. Tim Wilkerson – (Provisionally held the No. 1 qualifier after Friday night’s qualifying run and ended up fourth after Q3 to face Bob Tasca in the first round. Sits ninth in the standings, -241 back) Lost to Tasca in a losing effort with a 6.522 seconds and 103.46 mph.) – “We made some adjustments based on what happened yesterday and they didn’t work at all,” said Wilkerson, in his crew chief lounge in the pits. “We made some changes on Saturday and didn’t get the results we wanted so I tried something else and that didn’t work either which is very frustrating. I am going through the run now and hopefully we can figure it out. I have some time before Las Vegas, but we just missed it today.”
    11. Cory Lee – (Finished 11th after a first round loss to Robert Hight by going up in smoke in the left lane allowing Hight to power to victory).
    12. Blake Alexander – (Qualified 13th and faced Ron Capps in the first round. Also fell to Capps in the first round in a losing effort by smoking the tires)
    13. Paul Lee – (Lee faced eventual winner DeJoria in the first round after qualifying 14th with a time of 6.006 seconds and 112.69 mph. Lee had a slight advantage over DeJoria by having one victory heading into their Round 1 match up. He was also off the starting line first, but eventually had holes coming out of his Funny Car which cost him the race.)

    14. Jim Campbell – (Was ninth after qualifying and fell to John Force in the first round. He now trails Force 6-0 in first-round matchups).

  • DeJoria, Salinas, Sampey collect wins at Bristol Thunder Valley Nationals

    DeJoria, Salinas, Sampey collect wins at Bristol Thunder Valley Nationals

    On a cool, but sunny afternoon at Bristol Motor Dragway, the Thunder Valley Nationals were held and we saw veterans return to the winner circle.

    Alexis DeJoria in Funny Car, Mike Salinas in Top Fuel and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle all won in their respective categories.

    Funny Car

    It’s been four years since Alexis DeJoria has been in victory lane and she was looking to change that this weekend at Bristol. She began on Saturday afternoon by locking in the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2016. Thanks to her No. 1 spot and a short field of 14 drivers, DeJoria lined up in a Round 1 matchup against No. 14 qualifier, Paul Lee.

    DeJoria was victorious in her first-round victory after going 4.030 seconds and 269.83 mph as Lee’s Funny Car’s cylinders went out early following the launch. By winning the first round, DeJoria had an easy quarterfinal victory as she had a solo run. Her Funny Car powered to a time of 3.931 seconds and a 321.04 mph pass.

    In the semi-finals, she met John Force Racing’s Robert Hight after Hight had victories over Cory Lee in Round 1 and Bob Tasca III in Round 2. However, Hight lost to DeJoria as DeJoria went 3.904 seconds and 327.74 mph over Hight’s 3.934 seconds and 329.10 mph. As a result, DeJoria would make her second final round appearance of 2021 and she was set to face J.R. Todd.

    J.R. Todd in his DHL Toyota Camry had an interesting day. He had a first-round match with then Funny Car points leader, Matt Hagan. Todd eliminated Hagan early with a time of 3.924 seconds at 324.90 mph compared to Hagan’s 3.958 seconds and 326.16 mph run. Hagan lost the championship points lead due to his first-round loss.

    Afterward, Todd faced John Force, the all-time leader on the wins list, in the quarterfinals. He won again with a time of 3.916 seconds at 328.78 mph. Then, in the semis, Todd squared up against Ron Capps (current Funny Car Points leader). Todd won over Capps when Capps’ win was disallowed after Capps’ machine hit the cylinder block and was disqualified.

    For the finals, the temperature was 62 degrees and Todd had a slight advantage over DeJoria being 5-2. However, DeJoria had a picture-perfect final-round win and was clearly ahead of Todd all the way to the finish line. She scored her first career victory since 2017 at Brainerd and had a reaction time of .002.

    “I was hungry and I know that feeling,” DeJoria said. “I was just happy to be there and I believed I was going to win. It’s one of the biggest wins of my career. Coming back after two years off, getting to work with my mentor and friend (Del Worsham), being able to do this, it’s huge. It’s just been a roller-coaster and it takes a toll on you.

    “It’s very humbling, but I was just ready to win. I was calm and just excited, and when I’m in that headspace I do my best. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks and it’s just beautiful here. I just love it.”

    Todd’s second-place finish was the fourth runner-up finish of the season and the 21st of his career.

    “There is nothing I would have done differently in that final,” said Todd. “You are not going to beat a .002 light and a 3.92 on the race track. That is unbelievable. All in all, a great day for the Yella Fellas. It just shows what kind of team I have behind me with everything that has gone on the last three races. It was a good points day, but I just wanted that one bad. The kind of day we had today is the day you dream about as a driver, and I just want to finish it off. There is nothing we could have done differently in the final.”

    Funny Car Results

    1. Alexis DeJoria
    2. J.R. Todd
    3. Robert Hight
    4. Ron Capps
    5. Cruz Pedregon
    6. John Force
    7. Bob Tasca III
    8. Matt Hagan
    9. Dave Richards
    10. Tim Wilkerson
    11. Cory Lee
    12. Blake Alexander
    13. Paul Lee
    14. Jim Campbell

    Funny Car Championship Points Standings

    1. Ron Capps, 2,490 points
    2. Matt Hagan, -1
    3. J.R. Todd, -83
    4. Cruz Pedregon, -101
    5. John Force, -101
    6. Bob Tasca III, -147
    7. Robert Hight, -153
    8. Alexis DeJoria, -171
    9. Tim Wilkerson, -241
    10. Blake Alexander, -306

    Top Fuel

    With the exception of 2020 when the race was canceled due to COVID, Mike Salinas claimed back-to-back victories at the Thunder Valley Nationals. The victory, though, wasn’t easy as he faced last week’s runner-up, Steve Torrence.

    Salinas qualified in the second position and faced Antron Brown in the first round. The Scrappers Racing machine had the advantage over Brown, as Salinas went 3.672 seconds and 334.32 mph for the first-round victory. During their race, Brown’s cylinder went out and Salinas got the win.

    In the quarterfinals, Salinas was set to face No. 8 qualifier Clay Millican after Millican won over Josh Hart. Millican was eliminated by Salinas who had a time of 3.707 seconds at 326.63 mph, to set up a semi-final matchup with Brittany Force.

    Force managed her way into the semis with victories over Lex Joon in Round 1 and Spencer Massey in the quarterfinal. Woefully, Force’s day ended early as Salinas won with an ET of 3.698 seconds and 330.55 mph to advance to the finals as Force’s car went up in smoke in the right lane.

    Torrence, on the other hand, was looking to bounce back from a runner-up finish at Dallas.

    The Kilgore, Texas native in his CAPCO machine was the No. 1 qualifier heading into Sunday for a first-round race with Cameron Ferre. Torrence won with a time of 3.729 seconds at 328.38 mph over Ferre. The first-round victory was an important one for Torrence as the victory set him up for a solo run in the second round.

    With an easy victory in the second round, Torrence had a Dallas final rematch in the semis against Justin Ashley. This time around, Torrence returned the favor and won over Ashley with a run of 3.677 seconds and 331.69 mph to face Salinas in the finals.

    While it looked as though Torrence might claim the victory over Salinas, the Texas native smoked the tires and saw Salinas take the win for the third time in his career to snap a two-year winless streak.

    “It’s a great facility and I’m glad they welcome us here,” Salinas said. “This track loves me. I met so many nice people over the years here. We’ve got a great team, and all the parts and pieces, and I think I threw away 3-4 races at the beginning of the year trying to get my routine down. It’s hard when you’re running with all these guys, but I got a lot of help and I’ve made some big improvements. These guys in this class, they’re awesome. They cut good lights I found something that works perfectly for me and I think we’re getting there. I just try to race my lane and that’s it.”

    Torrence’s runner-up finish was his third of the season and the 25th of his career.

    “Mike has really stepped up his game this year,” Torrence said about the man who ruined his otherwise perfect weekend. “I’m proud of him. I’m happy for him and for Alexis (DeJoria, whose Sunday Funny Car win was her first since 2017). They’re both great people and those are both independent teams.

    “Fortunately, we won rounds again today,” he said. “Richard Hogan and Bobby
    Lagana, they worked their magic and got us to another final round, so we’ll just move on to Vegas and get ready for another street fight. This thing’s going right to the end (at the season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.).”

    Top Fuel Results

    1. Mike Salinas
    2. Steve Torrence
    3. Justin Ashley
    4. Brittany Force
    5. Billy Torrence
    6. Clay Millican
    7. Spencer Massey
    8. Shawn Langdon
    9. Antron Brown
    10. Cameron Ferre
    11. Doug Kalitta
    12. Leah Pruett
    13. Josh Hart
    14. Lex Joon

    Top Fuel Championship Standings

    1. Steve Torrence, 2,575 points
    2. Brittany Force, -73
    3. Justin Ashley, -147
    4. Mike Salinas, -150
    5. Billy Torrence, -218
    6. Leah Pruett, -284
    7. Clay Millican, -310
    8. Antron Brown, -323
    9. Shawn Langdon, -347
    10. Doug Kalitta, -395

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    The Pro Stock Motorcycle class featured Angelle Sampey facing Karen Stoffer in the final round.

    Sampey qualified 13th following Saturday’s session and faced No. 4 qualifier Andrew Hines in Round 1. The Louisiana native was successful and claimed the victory when Sampey went 6.821 seconds and 195.62 mph and set the low ET of the round. She would then meet Chris Bostick in the second round and won due to Bostick’s red-light foul, and would go to the semi-finals for the third time this season.

    In the semis, Sampey met Eddie Krawiec and was 10-7 facing Krawiec. When the lights went down, Krawiec was ahead slightly over Sampey, but his bike started to move toward the wall and he began to ease off the throttle. As a result, Sampey would pull away with the victory going 6.814 seconds and 194.18 mph to face Stoffer in the final round.

    Stoffer had wins over Lance Bonham, Ron Tornow, and last week’s winner, Matt Smith, in the semis.

    Stoffer and Sampey have met before, facing each other 21 times in their careers. But Sampey had the upper hand with nine more victories over Stoffer entering into the final round.

    During the final, Sampey easily got out ahead first in front of Stoffer. Stoffer tried making up ground toward Sampey but she went on to win for the second time this season on a holeshot with a .010 reaction time compared to Stoffer’s .029.

    “I’ve been out here for so long, I’ve really learned to appreciate everything I get now,” Sampey said. “When I win a race, the emotions are 100 percent genuine because it’s a task to get it done. To get four round wins is really tough and it means so much to me. I love this sport so much and this team just works so hard. This mission was to catch back up in the points race and we made it happen. It was a fantastic day and it would be great to get the No. 1 back on the motorcycle.”

    Stoffer earned her first runner-up of the year and the 15th of his career.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

    1. Angelle Sampey
    2. Karen Stoffer
    3. Matt Smith
    4. Eddie Krawiec
    5. Scotty Pollacheck
    6. Kelly Clontz
    7. Ron Tornow
    8. Chris Bostick
    9. Andrew Hines
    10. Joey Gladstone
    11. Charles Poskey
    12. Lance Bonham
    13. Ryan Oehler
    14. Steve Johnson
    15. Angie Smith

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship Standings

    1. Matt Smith, 2,451 points
    2. Angelle Sampey, -25
    3. Steve Johnson, -56
    4. Eddie Krawiec, -111
    5. Scotty Pollacheck, -160
    6. Karen Stoffer, -201
    7. Joey Gladstone, -216
    8. Angie Smith, -226
    9. Andrew Hines, -274
    10. Ryan Oehler, -301

    Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Drag Series will take a week off before returning on October 29th-31st for the Las Vegas Nationals.