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Great News! - fla

03.24.09: John Force Racing's John Medlen Returns - Will Be At Spring Nationals
      Recovered From Heart Issues, Medlen Is Houston Bound - - Pulling double duty is a challenge that sophomore Funny Car driver Mike Neff didn’t shy away from, however a return to his original role of driving only won’t require much coercion. This weekend in Baytown, Texas., at the NHRA O’Reilly Springnationals, Neff’s crewchief, John Medlen, will return following a medical leave of absence to correct coronary issues. Medlen missed two events while he recuperated at home in Indianapolis from a heart procedure. Prior to the event in Phoenix Medlen checked himself into an Indianapolis hospital with chest discomfort and eventually spent five days in the hospital as a number of tests and procedures were conducted to regulate his heart rate.
      While Medlin was out, Neff was a trooper pulling double duty, driving and handling all the on-site tuning responsibilities. He got plenty of input from Medlen via cell phone and text messages but it was not the same as having his crew chief a few feet away. For his efforts Neff raced to a runner-up finish in Phoenix but an aggressive tune-up in the first round of the Gatornationals in Gainesville ended his day early. “The conditions were a little better (on race day) and we tried to get more aggressive. We gave it a little bit too much. It went up in smoke as it went past the tree. I am just kicking myself for that. We gave it our best shot. All in all it wasn’t the best weekend but it certainly wasn’t the worst either. We are still learning and trying to get some things figured out,” said Neff. Few driver and tuner combinations could have pulled off this kind of arrangement, but considering both Neff and Medlen are championship winning tuners, the challenge wasn’t that overwhelming.
      John Medlen won his crown tuning Tony Pedregon to the championship in 2003 and Mike Neff steered Gary Scelzi to his lone Funny Car championship in 2005. Both men have a tremendous amount of respect for each other and it was Medlen who championed Neff to fill the driver’s seat formerly occupied by his son, Eric, who passed away just over two years ago following a testing accident in Florida. “There’s only one Eric Medlen and no one’s ever going to take his place, but to fill that spot and carry on where he left off is a real honor. John Medlen was one of the main reasons I came over here – to work with him,” said Neff. “I have high expectations. I know the performance of the car will be there plus we should be better just because we have a year of experience behind us. I know that if I do my job, we should be in the hunt for the Full Throttle Funny Car championship.” The experience of running the Funny Car almost solo for two races is believed to have given Neff a leg up when it comes to understanding where the car needs to be in qualifying as well as race day. It is an advantage that Neff hopes to exploit when he and Medlen get back on the track together again. “I think we will be better now that I have been able to learn more about the car. I think I’ll be able to give Medlen a better perspective since I’m now a lot more aware how it is all working,” summed up Neff. - Credit: CP

John Medlen, 1982 Pomona

KEY PRO STOCK NEWS
03.24.09: With realistic expectations, Erica Enders looks forward to Hometown NHRA Event
      There’s nothing worse for a driver than sitting on the sidelines without a ride, particularly when the event is being held at the driver’s home track. Just ask Erica Enders. When last year’s O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil rolled around, Enders was without a ride, relegated to watching peers take the track where she began her drag racing career 17 years ago. Fast-forward one year, and things are much different. Enders is back behind the wheel of a Pro Stocker with new sponsor Dragstar, a new team, and a renewed level of excitement, which is only made stronger by a trip home. “There’s no place like home, that’s for sure,” said Enders. “All 17 years of my career, most of my passes have been in Houston, so I’m looking very forward to this weekend’s race. Granted, we’re not going to go out and set the world on fire and be able to win the race, but it will be great to be back in front of the hometown crowd. Last year, Richie [Stevens Jr.] and I went down for the Houston race, and neither of us was driving at that event, so it was extremely difficult to be there and not be driving — it really kind of sucked, to be honest. I’m so stoked to be coming back to my hometown.”
      This weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals will mark the fifth event for Enders behind the wheel of Jim Cunningham’s Ford Mustang, which she piloted at last year’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil and the first three events this year, and though she is happy to be back racing in front of friends and family, she’s realistic in her expectations. Enders has failed to qualify at all three races this year (Miserably failed - fla), and with 24 teams on the entry list for the Houston event, she says that will likely be the outcome there, too. “I know the track, and yes, I’ve done well in the past, but considering our position with parts and stuff, I don’t think we’re going to make the show here,” said Enders. “I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, but I saw there are 24 cars on the entry list, so that’s pretty stout for a Pro Stock field.”
      The team is using an old car and old engine components (and it runs like an ol' heap - fla) while waiting for brand-new ones from Ford, which has already tested the '10 Mustang body in the wind tunnel and, with a great deal of help from team owner Cunningham, has begun work on the cylinder heads and engine blocks, which the team hopes to have by July. In the meantime, the team is using its time to jell, get Enders more seat time, and give the crew data and tuning experience. “We’re learning a lot,” said Enders. “We’re out there, I’m learning about the car, I’m getting more seat time, and my crew chief is getting more runs under his belt. We’re like every team out there; we learn from every run.
      “When I started at Victor Cagnazzi’s [team], we weren’t qualifying — I don’t think we qualified for the first 10 races. Our program was new over there, and things came together, and towards the end of my deal over there, we were third in the world in points and had been to two finals. Every new program needs time to come together. We’ll be just fine. I really, really have a lot of confidence. I’ve never worked with a more committed group of people. My crew chief and the two guys that work on my car and Jim Cunningham are so amazing. They believe in the program and in me as much as I do, and that really means a lot to a driver.” The team will continue its learning process this weekend at Houston Raceway Park, where it will have an added cheering section of Enders’ friends and family, including her father, Gregg, who has missed the first three races this year due to work commitments at Momentum Biofuels, which is one of the team’s backers this season. No matter the outcome, Enders is just happy she has the chance to take part in this year’s Houston event in front of her friends, family, and fans. “I’m so happy to be back in the car,” she said. “It was so weird not driving. It was like part of me was missing last year. It was so frustrating. I’m just so happy to be driving again and be getting seat time and getting to be out there with the rest of the guys and the fans and stuff because I surely did miss it last year.” - See previous Erica Enders thread post #31 and photos. - TAB

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03.24.09: Dave Connolly To Race At Spring Nationals
- - Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly will make his 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series debut this weekend at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston. But he will be driving Kenny Koretsky’s colorful Nitro Fish Dodge instead of the familiar Cagnazzi Racing Charter Communications Chevrolet Cobalt. Connolly, one of the category’s best, has been sidelined by the current economic downturn for the first three 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events, so he accepted the offer to drive Koretsky’s car. Connolly, a 21-race winner, is eager to get back to racing, even if it is for one race. “I’m still part of Cagnazzi Racing and when Kenny offered his car for me to drive this weekend, I was excited. But I wanted the blessings of Victor, General Motors and (crew chief) Tommy Utt, and they said ‘yes’. It will be good to get behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car again. I’m honored they picked me to drive the car. “Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, Cagnazzi Racing can find someone to partner with Charter Communications and I can get back in my Chevy Cobalt. Then we can get back to trying to win a championship. I’m looking forward to racing again with Tommy Utt and the rest of my team.”
FlA Says: I don't follow pro stock very closely except for Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team. However, five years ago, the one guy that really caught my attention was Dave Connolly. He is a great PS driver and I am equally impressed with Dave when I've gone to his pit. He had the same sponsorship problem last year missing the first five races.