The Little Ol' FR 2009 NHRA Drag Racing Thread

FlAttorney's FR Racing ^ | March 12, 2009 | FlAttorney & Co. and a "cast of many"

[flattorney]

The FR 2009 NHRA Championship Drag Racing Thread
No Turns. . . No Pit Stops. . . Just White Knuckles Ground Pounding Speed



NHRA-CDR: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle <> HRH: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Groups 1 & 2
Drag School Locations: Gainesville & Pomona ~ Frank Hawley, 2 Time NHRA Funny Car World Champion
NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Schedule - Full Nostalgia Drag Racing Schedule

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Championship Drag Racing Schedule
For Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock cars there are twenty-four(24) racing events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series divided between a regular season and playoffs format. The regular season eighteen(18) “Countdown to 10” races concludes at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis. The final six(6) playoffs “Countdown to 1” races begins at the NHRA Nationals, Charlotte and concludes at the NHRA Finals, Pomona. After the first 18 races, only the top 10 drivers in each of the divisions advance to the Countdown to 1, based on total points won. Their points are reset to within 10 of each another except for the points leader who will have a 30-point advantage over second place. The drivers will then compete for NHRA Full Throttle Championships. Drivers earn NHRA national event points as follows: Winner 100; Runner-up 80; Third-round loser 60; Second-round loser 40; First-round loser 20. Additional points are awarded at national events as follows: 10 points to all contestants - 1 qualifying run required. Qualifying positions earn points as follows: 1st 8; 2nd 7; 3rd 6; 4th 5; 5th & 6th 4; 7th & 8th 3; 9th thru 12th 2; 13th thru 16th 1. For the highly popular Pro Stock Motorcycles, they follow the same championship format as the other three divisions. However, their 2009 regular season is twelve(12) Countdown to 10 races, which begins at the legendary NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville. Their Countdown to 1 playoffs is the final five(5) races, which like the other three divisions, begins at the NHRA Nationals, Charlotte, and concludes at the NHRA Finals, Pomona. However, they do not race at the October 9-11th Virginia NHRA Nationals, Richmond. ~ fla

NHRA RaceDay | Full Throttle Championship Drag Racing | Classic NHRA

Watch NHRA Finals On-Line ESPN begins its ninth consecutive year of NHRA action with same-day coverage of qualifying and eliminations on ESPN2 and ESPN2-HD. Paul Page anchors the coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn also host NHRA RaceDay to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action. NHRA drag racing is also being broadcast on the American Forces Network and for the eighth year on TSN (Canada). Websites: Paul Page Blog | Mike Dunn
Paul and Mike are an outstanding broadcasting team and a major asset. NHRA would not be the same without these two in the booth. Here’s a great “inside look” article Paul wrote on Feb. 6, 2009.

NHRA Official: News | Media Center | Notebook | Tracks Directory | Staff
Owners/Crew Chiefs | Drivers: Profiles Blogs | Dragster Insider | Ticketmaster-NHRA

Auto Imagery – 2009 NHRA
NHRA: Photos | Videos | Full Throttle TV || Competition Plus | Flickr-NHRA

NHRA Top 50 Greatest Drivers | Greatest Races | Photos: Legends in Action '09 Photos

1974-2008 NHRA World Champions | Quarter-Mile Record Holders (1,000 feet nitro records not recognized)
NHRA Founder Wally Parks RIP Tribute | MotorSports Hall of Fame-NHRA
Petersen Automotive Museum
Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing 741 Photos | Smithsonian: Don Garlits "Swamp Rat XXX"

About the "Wally" Winners Trophy | Drag Racing Basics
Lingo: Drag Racing | Racers Definitive List | Nostalgia Racers
What's occurs in the pits between a race: The 75 minute turaround(PDF)
The Sound’s of NHRA Nitro Racing: Nitro Motor Start-up | Top Fuel Dragster “Pass”
(Windows Media Player Direct Links)

Remembering Drag Racers Lost doing what they and we love
Additional Resources, Off-Thread Items, and Comments
FlAttorney's FR Racing - NHRA

[flattorney]

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"

MAR

[flattorney]

03.01.09: Las Vegas's own and NHRA Top Fuel Driver "Hot" Rod Fuller at the NASCAR Shelby 427, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He and fellow Top Fuel driver Bob Vandergriff Jr., who both are without sponsors this season, are putting a Top Fuel team together and hope to compete at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta on April 16-19. 2009. Interesting primary sponsor rumor I was told by a "he really knows" NHRA nitro pro at the Spring Nationals. It will be interesting if the rumor turns out to be true as the sponsor has major bucks and would be the second new blood entry into NHRA for this type of company. ~ fla

MAR

[flattorney]

FR NHRA Ping
(Click to hear nitro motor start up)
NHRA Event Announcement
MAR

[flattorney]

For your Nevada Ping list consideration.

MAR

[kickonly88]

One more thing I love about drag racing,over other forms, is the total access to the pits.See them working on the cars between rounds and a chance to actually meet the drivers. A few years ago, the wife and I were watching night qualifying at Indy and Erica Enders came and sat down by us to watch the fuel cars,pretty cool!

[Loud Mime]

I believe drag racing is the better sport for the fan; you see the whole race and you get in the pits where you can talk to the drivers. I’m usually at the Las Vegas race, but will miss it this year.

Don’t get me wrong; I love drag racing. I actually photograph for one (sometimes two) cars. Before Melanie Troxel drove for Schumacher she drove for Larry Michael; good car but had a crew chief who couldn’t set the computers up properly. I talked with Mel many times....she’s good people. Bob Bode drives a funny car (Alard Machine Shop) and is one very nice guy; but never gets past the first round. Again, good car, but the setup just isn’t there.

I believe that Bob is using Wayne Dupwie (sp) for his setups at Vegas; I hope he does well. He needs to win some $$.

But two things bother me about drag racing:

1. I am sick of being force fed John Force and family. On TV they continue to refer to him and when Ashley loses they interview HER, not the winner. Oh, please. It has gotten to where if you don’t like John Force you won’t be able to watch drag racing.

2. Bring back the throttle. Who knows how good (or bad) these drivers actually are? The throttle setting is set by the crew chief; the driver just presses a BUTTON with their foot and the computerized sequence takes over. That is why four teams dominate drag racing. Those who can do the most research win the most.

[SouthTexas]

Neat! Although my speakers at work don’t do it justice.

[kickonly88]

I agree on both points. I like Force but it’s the media that constantly pushes him. Maybe because the NHRA doesn’t want ‘clorful’ characters or there’s just not that many in the sport,I don’t know.
I would like to see the driver,in all categories, have complete control of the car,too.I’m not a fan of the new Pro Stocks. Back in the day they actually had to be able to shift a 4 speed. There were some real masters at it, Ronnie Sox,Bruce Larson and Grumpy Jenkins to mention a few.
Bring back Fuel Altereds!!!!

[flattorney]

Very good news for only partially funded Doug. Over the years Technicoat has been a very good NHRA sponsor. Hope Doug has a great weekend. He DNQ at the Spring Nationals. ~ fla

04.01.09 Kalitta Motorsports PR:
Doug Kalitta to fly the colors of Technicoat Companies on the No. 50 dragster in Las Vegas
      Las Vegas-based Technicoat Companies, a worldwide leader in industrial waterproofing and flooring and longtime associate sponsor with Kalitta Motorsports, will be the primary sponsor this weekend, April 2-5, on the 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled Top Fuel dragster driven by Doug Kalitta for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A special edition, one-off Technicoat paint scheme will adorn Kalitta’s 300-mph machine for this weekend’s festivities. Technicoat Companies specializes in hi-tech performance coatings and floorings, wearing surfaces for pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic, as well as new and existing roofs. Technicoat’s President Bob Coffman and C.O.O. Glen Williams, a.k.a. “the Cowboys”, are fixtures in the Team Kalitta pit area at most NHRA national events with their trademark cowboy hats. Technicoat Companies and Kalitta Motorsports began their marketing partnership near the end of the 2002 NHRA season.
      “I’m sure we’ll have some fun in our pit area this weekend,” Kalitta, a 44-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., and 31-time NHRA national event winner, said. “The Cowboys are great. They come out to a lot of events and there’s always a good time waiting to happen around them. We’re really looking forward to having them as the primary sponsor this weekend and having them and their guests out to the race track to cheer for the Technicoat dragster.”
      Kalitta, a 12-year NHRA veteran, and his team won the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., in early February. It was Kalitta’s first trip to the winner’s circle since the fall of 2007. Kalitta has finished in the top ten in Full Throttle Top Fuel championship points in every season of his drag racing career. He is currently in 7th place (204) in Full Throttle championship points, 113 points behind the leader. Also, beginning at this weekend’s event in Las Vegas, the competition number for Kalitta’s rail ride will be displayed throughout the remainder of the season as “50” to commemorate team owner Connie Kalitta’s 50 years in NHRA drag racing this year.

FR 2009 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals homepage

[flattorney]

Bob Bode's Official Site - T/F Funny Car


Videos: Bob at Pomona with Alice backing him up. (1) | (2)



Alice and my main man Del Worsham last year

Great website. Check it out. The guys love it when Alice is backing Bob up after his burnout. Real Jungle Jim(Liberman-RIP) and Jungle Pam type nostalgia. Bob is racing his Funny Car at Vegas this weekend. Be thereeeeeeeee. . . Sundayyyyyyyyyy ~ fla

FR 2009 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals homepage

TAB

[flattorney]

Are you attending any NASCAR racing this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway? - TAB

[SouthTexas]

Not this time around. Wife is not doing very good and that’s put a damper on my rambling.

Grandson most affected, he’s been gong with me for quite a few years.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Prayers for your wife.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Is this new to FR? if so great idea, if not I can’t believe I’ve missed it in the past!

[Arizona Carolyn]

I don’t like NHRA’s new site at all...

[SouthTexas]

Thank you.

[flattorney]

04.03.09 Event Reminder: NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champ Jeg Coughlin, two-time 2009 Top Fuel event runner-up Cory McClenathan, Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals Top Fuel champ Doug Kalitta, and Tommy Johnson Jr. will participate in a Thunder Roadster exhibition race at the Bullring, Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 3/8-mile asphalt oval, Saturday, April 4, during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip. The evening also will include the USAC Focus Midget Series, MetroPCS Super Late Models, Chargers, Bombers, Legends Cars, and Bandoleros. Full information can be found here: The BullRing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Funny Car driver Ron Capps and 2008 NHRA Funny Car World Champion
Cruz Pedregon fight it out to the finish in last year's race.

# # # # #

1:45pm PDT >> 1st round of pro qualifying at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals has been delayed due to rain as the front passed through Las Vegas. Currently the rain has stopped and the track is being dried and prepped. Current LV weather conditions: 57 degrees, cloudy and very windy - NNW @ 34 gusting to 48 mph, humidity 25%. # JJ

TAB

[flattorney]

Sorry to hear about your wife ST. Hope everything goes the right direction and she is in my prayers. ~ fla

[flattorney]

You might find this interesting: Drag Cars In Motion thread from The H.A.M.B.

Thanks for the outstanding post. As of today that thread has 553 pages, 11,059 posts, 1,456,115 views. . . . says it all. For vintage hot rod and drag racing photos HAMB is one of the best forums on the internet, if not the best, which I'm a member. I was on their forum last year when researching a special NHRA Legends Tribute that I will FR NHRA thread post sometime this summer when everything slows down. It's so large I will probably make a special thread. Hope everything is going fantastic. ~ fla

[SouthTexas]

Thank you.

This will be the first spring race I miss in many years.