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]

FR Al-Anabi Racing

FlA Says: Huge weekend and Funny Car win for Del Worsham. It always tough when my two favorite FC drivers are in the Finals. However, Del really needed a win to make his Qatar sponsor happy. His teammate Top Fuel Larry Dixon won at the Gatornationals so team co-owner/manager Alan Johnson wanted to get Del in the winner's circle. When Larry won, Alan flew all the way to Qatar to give Sheik Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Thani the "Wally" trophy. The Prince is only 22 years old and he cares about one thing - winning. There has been some fear that if Alan Johnson could not produce both Top Fuel and Funny Car wins Sheik Khalid might quickly lose interest in NHRA drag racing and his $10 million sponsorship. Maybe that's a good thing. It will definitely keep the two teams focused *lol*.

The other individual I was hoping would have a huge Sunday was John Force. Ashley, Robert, and Mike all lost in the first round of eliminations with all three having bad passes:
Team Force - Round 1 of Eliminations
(L) Robert Hight gets to about 400 feet, losses traction, and has the car side ways before he lifts.
(L) Mike Neff with a great light and then around half track has a huge engine explosion.
(L) Ashley Force Hood starts to lose traction early and pedals it, but it doesn't hook back up. She does a great job driving it as the car gets out of the groove and real close to the wall.

John won against Don Schumacher Racing's Jack Beckman. With John not having to race any teammates I was hoping he would step it up and make a big charge for the Wally win. In Round 2, John had a great pass and reaction time, but Ron Capps had the better Funny Car and sent John packing. All weekend Ron, and crew chief Ed "The Ace" McCulloch, ran much better than all four Team Force cars.

TAB

[flattorney]

Sunday, 05.03.09: Ashley Force Hood's wild ride. John and "Fast Jack" Beckman after John put him on the trailer in Round 1 of eliminations. -- Original Photos Courtesy Castrol, edited and enhanced by FlA & Co.

TAB

[flattorney]

The annual Babes at the Drag Strip video a.k.a. KingNitro's Eye Candy has been added to FlA's FR Racing-NHRA Section. Over the years King has taken 1,000's of photos of women at the drag strip. I many times wonder if he actually watches any drag racing. Of course, I only waste one eye. And of course, my girlfriend/"significant other" along with friend's wives/girlfriends want to know where the hot studs' photos and videos are located *lol*. ~ fla, 04.30.09

TAB

[flattorney]

HAPPY BIG 60 JOHN ! !


Be sure you have both fire bottles from your Funny Car before you light all 60 of those.

Sun. 05.03.09: ESPN's Gary Gerould: John you will be 60 years old tomorrow. Any thoughts?
John "The Brute" Force: (Talking 300 mph) Well ya know me and my ol' heap can still kick anyones [beep] on the track. Everyone keeps askin me when I'm goina start winning Wally's again. Well ya know, I have a lot of mouths to feed, gotta keep my girls happy, keep trying to make my wife happy (*under his breath* aww never happen), run around doin all these interviews and promos to keep NHRA happy, doin appearances and on the phone day and night tryin to keep my sponsors happy, oh and I gotta keep sellin all the diecast cars, merchandise, signin 1,000's of autographs a day… I've leaving a ton out here but……. umm what was the question again?
ESPN's Gary Gerould: Thanks John but our program is only three hours long. - Parity, fla

FlA Says: Thursday night, April 23, my GF and I were watching on the big screen the Anaheim - San Jose NHL Stanley Cup playoff game at the Honda Center in Anaheim. At the end of the first period a 4.0 earthquake shook the building for a couple of seconds. I went in my home office and looked it up on the internet. The quake originated in the Yorba Linda area. I went back in the media room and told my GF not to worry. The quake came from where John Force lives. A supplier or someone must have pissed him off on the telephone. She asked if I was serious, I said yes, and she laughed as she said "now that is wild". True Story

"Fast Jack" Beckman on losing to John yesterday: "That's Force's birthday present *laughs*. He ain't getting any more and mine's next month."

John, you’re the man, you will always be the man, and don't you ever forget it!
Since 1979 NHRA Rookie Season
Races: 524
Round Wins: 1,020
Final Round Appearances: 202
Final Round Wins: 126
Championships: 14

John Force: Bio (2007) | Career Highlights
FR John Force Racing

[SouthTexas]

Think he’ll slow down now that he’s “middle aged” (his words)?

Happy birthday!

[UCANSEE2]

bookmark

[nancytx]

HAPPY B-DAY JOHN!

Fla the earthquake story is good,, I watched the game,, it surprised the intermission announcers.

[nancytx]

Not sure if they are discounting like other tracks now, but I’ve paid from $40, front row backstretch, to $140, midway up front stretch. There are combination packages for all the races, trucks too in the fall, that run about $120-170. The lower you sit, the cheaper the tickets because you can’t see as much. The lower you go though, the more you “feel” the horsepower. I’d recommend front front for everyone at least once. ;)

Thx very much for the help,, tixs are available online,, best I could find was high seats on turn 4 for $120 each,, fits what you posted. Fla if you dont mind me asking what did you all recently pay at Talladega since you said at the Springnats you alway sit in prime seats? More or less than this at TMS?

[nancytx]

“middle aged” only John would say that,, funny,, as the saying goes “it’s not the age, it’s the mileage”.

[SouthTexas]

You may just try waiting. The fall race at TMS never really sells out because it falls on the opening weekend of deer season.

I thought that was classic John Force. LOL

[flattorney]

Beer Town Wrap II
ESPN Video: Finals Races & Wrap Up






I thought it was very funny that in the Winner's Circle co-team owner Alan Johnson was drinking a Heineken and Del a Coors beer. I'm sure NHRA President Tom Compton and/or SVP-Racing Operations Graham Light busted a brain vessel over those unauthorized products being used. NHRA marketing staff do everything possible to make sure they control the Winner's Circle media presentations for the sponsors, and that drivers have a Full Throttle energy drink(produced by Coca-Cola) in their hand. NHRA and Coke representatives are standing right next to Alan, Del, and the crew when this was going on. I would bet a c-note that NHRA staff told Alan and his people to get rid of their beers and Alan told them where to go. He's a straight ahead, no BS, tough guy like his former boss Don "The Don" Schumacher. It would not surprise me if the NHRA fines the team. Not that they care with their mega-bucks Qatar royalty co-owner. Good stuff *lol*. ~ fla
-- Photos edited and mastered by FlA & Co. from original pool sources.

Amateur Video, Saturday Qualifying:
Down-track provider did a great job. - FLAC email rec'd

FR 2009 O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals homepage

MAR

[flattorney]

05.05.09 Video: John Force Thanks Twitter Members and All Fans for Birthday Wishes



NHRA Teams, Drivers, News, Drag Strips, Sponsors, and More on "Twitter"
NHRA
NHRA Full Throttle Championship Drag Racing
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
Phil Burgess, NHRA Events Live Blog, National Dragster Editor
Krista Marie, NHRA Official Song
Hot Rod Heritage March Meet (Nostalgia Drag Racing)

NHRA Teams and Drivers
John Force Racing | Photos | John Force Race Station - Merchandise
Kalitta Motorsports
Kenny Bernstein Racing
Top Fuel Cory McClenathan - Don Schumacher Racing
Funny Car Matt Hagan - Don Schumacher Racing
Mike Ashley Racing, Top Fuel Antron Brown
Bob Tasca Racing | Bob Tasca III
Tim Wilkerson Racing

Doug Herbert: BRAKES, Bonneville Streamliner Record Attempt, Top Fuel
Top Fuel David Baca
Top Fuel Bob Vandergriff
Top Fuel J.R. Todd

Pro Stock Kurt Johnson
Pro Stock Motorcycle Steve Johnson
Pro Stock Motorcycle Shawn Gann

NHRA Drag Racing News & Events Coverage
Competition Plus
Radioactive Drag Racing News
ESPN Sports - Official NHRA TV Broadcaster
ESPN 360 - Watch NHRA Eliminations On-Line
Speed TV Channel
Speed Scene Live

NHRA Racing Facilities
Bristol Motor Speedway, TN - Bristol Dragway
Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis, MO
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV - The Strip
Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, PA
O'Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH
Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
----------
Palm Beach International Raceway, FL

NHRA Teams Sponsors
Ford Racing - Sponsors Six NHRA Funny Car Teams
Castrol - John Force Racing
DragStar Apparel - Pro Stock Erica Enders
Summit Racing - Pro Stock Greg Anderson & Jason Line
K & N Filters - Pro Stock Warren Johnson and NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge

Other:
NAPA Goodguys Rod & Custom Events

NOTE: The data company that hosts Twitter also hosts some very malicious and dangerous spyware/trojans that can seriously infect/destroy your computer's hard-drives. This is not uncommon for low level hosting companies that need revenues from any possible source. Both on my law firm's server and my/our/PAC's political, racing, personal servers, IT firewall blocked all IP addresses from this company except specific Twitter IP addresses which are on "monitor status" by IT staff. ~ FlA

Twitter NHRA list courtesy FlA & Co.

TAB

[SouthTexas]

Thanks and tag for later.

The Wings were robbed last night. Ducks up 2-1.

[nancytx]

I dont like sites like twitter, facebook, myspace;; they are for kids,, but I have friends that do. I will let them know of your twitter disclosure with link here. Thx, you sure dont miss much.

[nancytx]

The fall race at TMS never really sells out because it falls on the opening weekend of deer season.

I did not know this,, hubby is an avid hunter,, now I know why he will not take me

[nancytx]

true but GO DUCKS !!

[NellieMae]

Lifelong Bristol native bump!!

[SouthTexas]

LOL, could very well be the reason!

I’m a Stars fan so at this point it’s sort of “whatever”. :)

[SouthTexas]

No Ducks last night, all Wings.

Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the west coast teams got eliminated, their games start entirely too late! ;)

[nancytx]

I’m a Stars fan so at this point it’s sort of “whatever”. :)

I’m a religious Stars fan,, we beat the Ducks and the Sharks in the playoffs last year before the Red Wings beat us,, I'm out for revenge is the reason I want the Ducks to win.

Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the west coast teams got eliminated, their games start entirely too late! ;)

That's why God made Tivo,, tv recorders are life changing.