04.20.09: Hot Racing at Rainy Atlanta. In a rare Sunday night Finals, Morgan Lucas wins Top Fuel; Jack Beckman, Funny Car; and Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Monday morning, Mike Edwards wins the Southern Nationals Pro Stock "Wally".
Video: ESPN Atlanta Wrap Up
 Morgan Lucas
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The other winners at the sixth of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Series season were Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Pro Stock was postponed by rain with Jeg Coughlin and Mike Edwards scheduled to meet in the final round Monday morning.
It took Lucas five years and five final-round appearances to get his first win so waiting out the five hours of rain delays was only a minor hurdle. The 26-year old Lucas pedaled his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster to a 5.231 at 162.86 to narrowly beat the 27-year old Massey's tire-spinning 5.418 at 145.25 in his U.S. Smokeless dragster.
"I've had five years to think about this. It's probably one of the most exciting moments of my life, if not the most exciting moment. I don't even know how to talk right now I'm so excited," said Lucas, who was competing in his 107th career race. "This is what I've dreamed about for years." It was also Massey's best NHRA event of the season.
 Jack Beckman
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"On paper, Ashley's car had us whipped," said Beckman, who lost to Force Hood two races earlier in final round in Houston. "That car has been the class of the field. But, that's why we race. Anything can happen when you have 8,000 horsepower of nitro in the tank. It's such an awesome feeling after losing to Ashley at the Spring Nationals."
Beckman defeated a quartet of Ford Mustangs - including Robert Hight, John Force and Tim Wilkerson - en route to his first win of the year and seventh of his career. And by day's end Beckman moved up from seventh to second place and Force Hood remained in third place in the Full Throttle Points Standings.
 Eddie Krawiec
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"This is something I was waiting for - to get my first Wally and be able to put it up on my mantle next to my (2008 NHRA Full Throttle Series) championship trophy is just awesome," Krawiec said.
Mike Edwards Closes Out Rain-delayed Southern Nationals with first 2009 Pro Stock Win
 Edwards (near lane) vs Coughlin
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It was the first win of 2009 for Edwards, who solidified his third-place position in the Pro Stock standings; Coughlin, who slowed to a 7.190 in the final round, remained in first place after six of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season have been completed.
 Mike Edwards
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"It doesn't matter if you win on Sunday or Monday - it's an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can't make a mistake and win in this class," Edwards said.
For Edwards, the win was a bit of personal vindication as his A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac GXP has been at the head of the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category with a class-best three No. 1 qualifiers, but no wins before Monday.
"Our performance has been good all year, as good as anybody's in (Pro Stock). We've just had a little bit of trouble on Sunday (raceday)," Edwards said. "If that's what it takes to win (racing on Monday instead of Sunday), we'll come back on Monday every race."
Southern Nationals NHRA Full Throttle Series Final Results:
Top Fuel: Morgan Lucas, 5.231 seconds @ 162.86 mph defeats Spencer Massey, 5.418 @ 145.25
Funny Car: Jack Beckman, 4.128 @ 303.43 def Ashley Force Hood, 4.157 @ 248.39
Pro Stock: Mike Edwards, 6.645 @ 208.17 def Jeg Coughlin, 7.190 @ 155.11
Pro Stock Motorcycle: Eddie Krawiec, 6.902 @ 192.91 def Douglas Horne, 6.949 @ 191.13
04.19.09: John Force Racing Final Atlanta Report: “Fast Jack” Beckman avenged a final round loss to Ashley Force Hood at last month’s O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, spoiling what could have been a career day for the driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang at Atlanta Dragway. Beckman, who taught Ashley and her sisters to drive in the Super Comp class, saved his best run for last Sunday and his 4.128 second effort was just good enough to hold off Ashley’s No. 1-qualifying Ford, which encountered problems down track and slowed to 4.157 at only 248.39 miles per hour in the final round of the 29th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals.
It was an unexpected result, especially since Ashley had recorded the quickest time and fastest speed during the qualifying phase and then repeated that performance in each of the first three rounds with times of 4.078, 4.082 and 4.079 seconds. Her three best speeds on race day – 310.48, 311.41 and 312.13 mph – were the three fastest since the course was shortened from a quarter mile to 1,000 feet last year following the death of two-time world champion Scott Kalitta.
While Ashley was turning heads with the performance of her green-and-white Mustang, the other three Team Castrol Fords were making an early exit and two of them also were victimized by Beckman’s Dodge. Robert Hight was the first to fall in the Automobile Club of Southern California Ford and, after Mike Neff had lost to Ashley, John Force fell to Beckman by a margin of .003 of a second. The victory enabled Beckman to move up to second in points behind teammate Ron Capps, one point ahead of Force Hood, who was bidding for her second straight victory at Atlanta Dragway.
The NHRA Full Throttle Series resumes May 1 - 3 with the 13th annual O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis. FlA & Co. has news and insider updates to be posted the first week of May. -- Credits: DRO, Summit FastNews Network, JFR, edits/adds FlA & Co.
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