Drag Racing Press Releases

TOYOTA Racing -- Antron Brown -- Notes & Quotes - Motor Mile Speedway - May 29, 2013

TOPEKA, KS  – It is only the first day of the NHRA Kansas Nationals but it was a great day for Robert Hight and Courtney Force who finished each qualifying session 1-2 in the Funny Car category. It was the first time all season Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang has been the quickest of the first two sessions and the two-time Kansas Nationals winner was pleased with his first day effort. Hight gave a lot of the credit to his crew chief Jimmy Prock and his pre-race decision to try a new tune-up.

Morgan hoping to make the grade
in his Lucas Oil/MAVTV Mustang

PHOENIX - RIS - The best way to get back on track, according to Lucas Oil/MAVTV Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan, is to put your head down and go to work.

That's just what Morgan and his race team did to prepare for this weekend's NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway, the second stop in the 24-event Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Morgan failed to qualify for the season opener in Pomona because of issues that hurt parts in three different engines.

"The only good thing that happened this week was my kid making the dean's list," Morgan said. "I called to tell him because he didn't even know. We get the report card at home. He said, 'Tell me about you Dad.' I said, 'Well, I stunk. I was 19th and didn't do very well.' He said, 'Well, there's one way to look at it: There's only one way to go, and that's up.' And he's right."

COMMERCE, Ga. (RIS) - Matt Hagan doesn't want to be reminded about the 2012 season when he was not one of the 10 drivers to qualify for the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff.

Or that he was the only member of Don Schumacher Racing who did not win a pole last year.

But that was then.

The 2011 NHRA Funny Car world champion, who won a Mello Yello series title three weeks ago at Charlotte after going winless last season, broke another streak Friday when he won the pole for Saturday's championship eliminations in the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Schumacher surprised with unveiling of tribute Funny Car

before induction into International Motorsports Hall of Fame

TALLADEGA, Ala. (RIS) - Jack Beckman will have a Hall-of-Fame look this weekend at the NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta when his Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car carries a paint scheme honoring team owner Don Schumacher's induction Thursday into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

The "Don Schumacher Hall of Fame Tribute Car" replicates the look of the Plymouth Funny Car Schumacher campaigned in 1970 when he won the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

"That was my favorite car because it had independent front suspension," said Schumacher, who won five NHRA event titles as an owner/driver/crew chief between 1970 and 1974. He since has added 198 titles and 11 NHRA world championships as an owner.

Lucas Oil/MAVTV racer Morgan ready to do some damage in Atlanta

ATLANTA (RIS) - Lucas Oil/MAVTV driver Larry Morgan is loaded for bear for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals ris`at Atlanta Dragway this weekend. He believes he has turned a corner with the new Ford Mustang and is ready to go some rounds.

"I need to make up for lost time," Morgan said. "All the guys have worked so hard on this car, and we think we have something for the competition now. Houston was a pretty good race for us, and we're all itching to win some rounds and show what we've got."

Atlanta Dragway a favorite stop for five-time world champion Coughlin

ATLANTA (RIS) -- The week when the Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series visits Atlanta is always a special one for five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. Not only is Coughlin a former winner at Atlanta Dragway, making him as anxious as ever to hit the quarter-mile strip, his status as a past series champion has additional perks.

"I'm really looking forward to the week in Atlanta, beginning with the Champion's Celebration on Wednesday night at Coca-Cola headquarters," Coughlin said. "That's a really neat tradition and it's one I'm particularly honored to be a part of each year. You definitely walk in that hall and feel special, thanks to the great Southern hospitality the Coca-Cola folks always show us.

"That party sets up a great weekend at a track I always enjoy. It's one of those tracks I remember going to as a kid and watching my dad race there. I also went there with my older brothers and helped them when they started racing. Later, I was fortunate enough to raise a few Wally's myself at that track. Atlanta is just a special place for me."

HIGHT SET BUILD ON ATLANTA SUCCESS THIS WEEKEND

ATLANTA, GA (RIS) --- Robert Hight had planned to start his race weekend by attending the Mello Yello Champions Banquet on Wednesday night in downtown Atlanta. This prestigious event is a celebration of new and previous NHRA champions and as the 2009 Funny Car champion Hight has a standing invitation to attend. Unfortunately, just like unpredicted rain showers at a race track sometimes your plans have to change. Hight will be foregoing the Champions Banquet due to business obligations in Yorba Linda, Calif., and will instead travel to the East Coast on Thursday.

“There were a few things I needed to get done here in California and I just couldn’t get them wrapped up in time to leave tomorrow. That doesn’t change the fact that the banquet is a huge deal and I am sorry I’ll miss it this year. Being a Funny Car champion is a huge honor for me, my team and for the Auto Club. We came close a couple of time before I won in 2009 and that made the championship even more special,” said Hight. “It has been a few years and there have been three different champions after me. In the past six years there have been six different Funny Car champs. If that doesn’t tell you this is one of the toughest classes out there I don’t know what will. I am focused on winning every round and that mindset will continue this weekend in Atlanta.”

Tough day for Don Schumacher Racing organization
in eliminations at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston

HOUSTON (RIS) -  For the first time since July 10, 2011, at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago, a Don Schumacher Racing entry did not make the final round of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competition.

Don Schumacher Racing drivers and crew chiefs faced the most challenging race track and conditions in 2013.

Torrential rains on Saturday and overnight left a beast of a race track for teams to navigate their temperamental 10,000-horsepower machines.

Ron Capps' NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge was the lone competitor left for DSR in semifinal competition and the tricky race track bit him, causing tire smoke and ending the day for the seven-team organization.

Spencer Massey's Battery Extender carried DSR to the second round after defending Top Fuel champion Antron Brown and seven-time champion Tony Schumacher both suffered first round losses.

Final round results from Sunday’s 26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway, sixth race in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

POINTS BATTLE TIGHTENS AT O’REIILY SPRING NATIONALS

HOUSTON, TX ---- At the conclusion of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals the Mello Yello Funny Car point standings tightened up as Matt Hagan class points leader lost in the first round and only two of the top eight drivers advanced beyond round two. Unfortunately for John Force Racing team leader and 15-time Funny Car champion John Force came the closest to racing live on ESPN2 in the semis.

Force, the 2002 Funny Car winner at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals, took out Blake Alexander in the first round before dropping a close race to veteran Tim Wilkerson. In the battle of the Ford Mustangs Force left on Wilkerson and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was charging down the track when it hazed the tires. Wilkerson who tunes and drives the Levi Ray & Shoup Mustang made one of the quickest runs of the session to defeat Force. At the top end it was Wilkerson 4.198 to Force’s 5.719.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. starting Sunday's SpringNationals from No. 1 spot in Pro Stock

HOUSTON - RIS) – The rains washed out most of Pro Stock qualifying on Saturday at the NHRA SpringNationals, prompting an overnight strategy session for Jeg Coughlin Jr. and the JEGS/Mopar Dodge Avenger team at Royal Purple Raceway.

Coughlin earned his first No. 1 qualifier since 2010 but was one of the few Pro Stock cars in the field that didn’t get three shots at the track. His Friday pass of 6.569 seconds at 211.20 mph held up despite cooler, overcast conditions for the cars that did make runs on Saturday.

"It speaks volumes to where our team has come this year," Coughlin said. "We owe a lot of credit to Allen and Roy Johnson. When we decided to put a two-car team together, literally one (crew). We communicate extremely well.

"To get our first pole in a couple of years is fantastic, and we'd like to perform well tomorrow."

Arana Sr. working hard to keep pace on Lucas Oil Buell

HOUSTON -RIS - Hector Arana Sr.'s Lucas Oil Buell has shown plenty of speed during the first two races of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, but he would love to have more luck beginning with the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals this weekend.

Arana Sr. qualified No. 3 and raced to the semifinals at the Pro Stock Motorcycle season opener in Gainesville, Fla., and then qualified No. 4 in Charlotte, but his Buell wobbled in the first round and was eliminated early.

"Houston has been good to me," Arana Sr. said. "I need some luck. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck. Overall everything has gone great. The kids have done great, they've qualified, and (son) Hector has won twice, so I'm happy and pleased."

Arana Jr. looking to pad early-season points lead

HOUSTON - RIS - Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. is the hottest rider in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing, and he hopes to continue that momentum during this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals.

Arana Jr. opened the 2013 season by winning both Pro Stock Motorcycle races, a feat last accomplished by Angelle Sampey in 2006, but he doesn't want to stop there. He hopes to join Matt Hines and Dave Schultz as the only riders to win the first three races of a season.

"That's pretty cool," Arana Jr. said. "It would be pretty sweet to win three in a row, but I'm not going to count my chickens until they hatch."

Mike Coughlin set to debut new car at Indy opener

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - RIS – The way that Mike Coughlin sees it, if the new JEGS.com Chevy Camaro he is set to debut this weekend is half as good as the Chevy Cobalt it is replacing, he will be very pleased.

Although the old car carried Coughlin to two North Central Division Top Sportsman championships and more than a half-dozen victories since 2006, Coughlin now realizes it’s time to make a change.

"That's how it is in racing; if you’re not moving forward you are going backward, which is why we felt that it was time to build a new car," Coughlin said. "When we first brought out the old car, we could qualify in the top two or three spots just about anywhere. Slowly, we’ve started to slip to 10th or 12th. I really hated to see the old car go, but I’m very excited to bring out the new one."

PATIENT LUCAS LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY IN TOUGH NHRA TOP FUEL CATEGORY AS MELLO YELLO SERIES HEADS TO HOUSTON

BAYTOWN, Texas – One of the biggest requirements for those who compete in the world of NHRA Top Fuel racing is patience. The competition is so close, that it can be easy for a team to become frustrated when the results aren’t immediately matching their expectations.

For defending O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries Top Fuel winner Morgan Lucas, the early part of the 2013 season has been an exercise in patience.

His GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster has shown a ton of promise and has been producing great performances, but he has yet to add to his career win total. In sharp contrast to last season where Lucas opened the season with a pair of dominating victories, this year he is still waiting to grab that first Wally of the year.

JOHN FORCE No. 2 at DOLLAR GENERAL FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

CHARLOTTE - RIS – John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang team came out of the pits swinging today at the 4th annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals qualifying No. 2 with a 4.039 second run at the Funny Car event top speed of 316.08 mph. All four John Force Racing race cars qualified for the once a season four-wide extravaganza at Bruton Smith’s Bellagio of Drag Strips, zMax Dragway. Rookie Funny Car driver Chad Head was the No. 1 qualifier, the first of his Funny Car career, with a 4.014 second pass in the opening session under optimal conditions.

John Force made the highlight run in Funny Car to start the day for JFR but Brittany Force in her four-wide debut also turned some heads with a constantly improving Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster. The rookie driver opened the day with a 3.839 second run and followed it up with a 3.836 second pass in the second and final session. At the end of the only day of qualifying the rookie driver was pleased to be the No. 9 qualifier, her highest starting spot in her young career.

Schumacher beats teammate Brown for Top Fuel title  

LAS VEGAS - RIS - Antron Brown slipped past U.S. Army and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher by two points to earn the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship in Top Fuel last season.

Brown started Sunday's championship elimination round with a six-point lead over Schumacher in the SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It looks like the two-man battle in Top Fuel has no end in sight.

Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, beat Brown and the Matco Tools team, the reigning champion, in the final round that enabled Schumacher to move around Brown for the points lead after four of 24 events.

HIGHT STAYS ON TOP AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV - RIS – Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang proved that last night was not a fluke holding onto the No. 1 qualifying spot at the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. On Friday night Hight posted the quickest time of the weekend, 4.053 seconds, and today he backed up his solid performance making the quickest lap of the final qualifying session a 4.093 second run. For the weekend Hight picked up six valuable qualifying bonus points for his efforts.

There was a lengthy delay of over fifty minutes after the first pair of Funny Cars in the final session. As the sun set on the Las Vegas desert Hight thought the chances of his time holding up were disappearing with the sun on the horizon.

“The longer the delays took I was thinking it was going to be tough. Cruz Pedregon was coming up and he just loves these kinds of conditions. He could have run right there with us when it was cooling off. He honestly has a really good car and it showed today. It looked like he was pushing a little yesterday. He calmed it down and made two great runs. He is another tough car,” said Hight.

Brown wins first Top Fuel pole of the season for DSR,
teammate Gray takes Funny Car points lead at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - RIS - Antron Brown held on Saturday to earn his first No. 1 Top Fuel qualifying position of the season and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Johnny Gray took over the Funny Car points lead after qualifying Saturday in the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Brown's time of 3.780 seconds at 325.06 mph that he ran Friday night barely held up after Clay Millican joined him Saturday as the only Top Fuel drivers to reach below 3.80 seconds in the event.

Millican's time of 3.797 (325.85) moved passed Brown's Don Schumacher Racing's teammate Tony Schumacher for the No. 2 position. Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster is ranked third for Sunday's championship eliminations, which begin at 11 a.m. (ET).

In Funny Car, Gray, who won the last event title three weeks ago, qualified fourth and earned enough bonus points in qualifying to break a tie with DSR teammate Ron Capps heading to the championship eliminations in the fourth event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

The following are qualifying results and other notes:

Capps qualifies NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge seventh, 

shows off NHRA drag racing to a 'Little' ESPN personality

LAS VEGAS - RIS - You never know who you'll see in Ron Capps' NAPA AUTO PARTS pits.

Capps spent time visiting with ESPN motorsports reporter Jamie Little before his last qualifying session Saturday for the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Capps and Little, who lives in Las Vegas, have been friends since 2004 when they were sponsored by Oakley.

It was the first trip to an NHRA national event for Little and her 8-month-son Carter and Capps provided a guided tour of the NAPA pit area and racecar transporters.

Gray and Pitch Energy Team Aim to Keep Momentum Rolling in Las Vegas

ARTESIA, N.M. - RIS - NHRA Funny Car pilot Johnny Gray is determined to make his final full season in the driver's seat his best, and with a victory already logged and half-ownership of the points lead in his possession for the first time in his long and diverse drag racing career, the driver of the Pitch Energy Dodge Charger is well on his way.

This weekend's SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 24 events in the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, will afford Gray the opportunity to extend the celebration started two weeks ago when he scored the win over long-ago teammate Del Worsham in the final round at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Coughlin wins his first in Super Gas;

 Dedicates win to famous grandfather

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - RIS – JEGS.com driver T.J. Coughlin had plenty of reasons to smile after scoring his first Super Gas national event victory in Sunday's NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals.

For starters, the "Gators" is considered one of the top NHRA races of the season. Plus, JEGS founder Jeg Coughlin Sr. – T.J.'s grandfather – celebrated his 75th birthday on Friday.

"It's very cool," Coughlin said. "It's a very historic class at an historic race at an historic facility. It's definitely a privilege to do it on Pappy's 75th birthday weekend, too. This is for him."

Finally, Coughlin was able to beat girlfriend Mia Tedesco in the final round.

Gray, Brown win NHRA Gatornationals titles to push national event wins to 200 for Don Schumacher Racing
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - RIS - Forty years ago, pioneering Funny Car driver and owner Don Schumacher won his first NHRA national event trophy.

It was at the biggest event on the NHRA circuit; nothing topped winning the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis.

But the native Chicagoan who lives mostly in Florida now, will consider the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., as home to one of the biggest days in his illustrious career.

On Sunday, reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown and veteran Funny Car driver Johnny Gray won their respective categories at the Florida track to push Don Schumacher Racing's total of NHRA national event titles to 200.

"It's a tremendous reward," said an emotional Schumacher, who will be inducted May 2 into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega, Ala.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking to add to impressive Gator's resume

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - RIS -- A strong start to the 2013 season that has him just a round of action out of the Pro Stock points lead coupled with an enviable career record at Gainesville Raceway has five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. fired up about this weekend's 44th annual Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals.

"We're ready to race," Coughlin said. "We had a slight issue with the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger that kept us from advancing further at the last race in Phoenix but with help from the manufacturer and some hard work by the crew, we've solved that issue and we're looking forward to the weekend."

In two races this year, Coughlin already has a final-round appearance (in Pomona) and sits in fourth place, just 22 points behind early leader Vincent Nobile.

Troy Coughlin Jr. heads to Gainesville on high note after strong Georgia showing

VALDOSTA, Ga. - RIS) – Heading into last weekend’s Southeast Division NHRA Lucas Oil Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, Troy Coughlin Jr. made it known that his goal was to score as many round wins as possible as he began title chases in Super Comp and Super Gas.

Coughlin did just that with a very respectable semifinal finish in the Super Gas class and another a semifinal result in his Super Comp dragster in Friday’s Ultimate Sportsman Shootout race.

"We made a little cash and had a lot of fun," Coughlin said. "I made more than 20 runs total and we learned a lot, too. I had a lot of good help from [crew members] Rick Rossiter and Jay Schroeder and we used a lot of the data provided by uncle Jeg [Coughlin, five-time NHRA champion]. It was a total team effort."

Troy Coughlin Jr. ready for fresh start at South Georgia event

VALDOSTA, Ga. - RIS – As he enters his fourth season of racing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Troy Coughlin Jr. is more convinced than ever that he is ready to compete for a championship. To that end, the third-generation pro will begin that quest during this weekend’s Southeast Division event at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Ga.

Coughlin will have multiple chances for a victory behind the wheel of his JEGS.com Super Comp dragster and his JEGS.com '57 Corvette roadster Super Gas entry.

"I feel really good right now and I think it’s time to start turning on some win lights," Coughlin said. "This year, I’m going to focus a bit more on chasing points in Super Comp and Super Gas. My ultimate goal would be to finish in the top 10 in both classes. This weekend's race would be a great place to get the ball rolling."

COURTNEY FORCE NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BY RACER MAGAZINE

Courtney finished fifth in the Mello Yello point standings in 2012.

YORBA LINDA, Calif. - RIS --- Courtney Force, the youngest daughter of drag racing’s most prolific and popular driver, 15-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, is RACER magazine’s  runaway choice as Rookie of the Year, voted on by their global readership.

The 24-year-old from Yorba Linda, Calif., a former national event champion in Alcohol Dragster, reached four Funny Car finals in her 2012 rookie season. In July she defeated reigning Funny Car Champion Matt Hagan in the Seattle final for one of the most well-received victories by any driver in any drag racing class all season. A runner-up finish to Cruz Pedregon in the Pomona finals showed she’ll be a Funny Car title contender in 2013 – and victory in the season-opening Winternationals confirmed it.

Coughlin calls on fans to earn final spot in K&N Horsepower Challenge

DELAWARE, Oh. - RIS -- NHRA fans can make JEGS.com driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. the "People’s Choice Champion" for the second consecutive year now that voting for the final spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge has begun.

Balloting for the special bonus event for Pro Stock teams kicked off Thursday, the first day of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Seven drivers will earn their spot in the special race-within-a-race based on qualifying points since last year's event, and an eighth will be voted in by fans.

Coughlin won the fan vote a year ago to gain a coveted spot in the race he's won three times. The 2013 K&N Horsepower Challenge will be held during qualifying on April 6 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The winner of the race will receive $50,000.

Capps puts NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge in Arizona   winner's circle for third time, helps DSR get to 198 titles

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2013) - Ron Capps loved being in the winner's circle Sunday after winning the Funny Car title with his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T in the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix.

But someone else seemed to cherish it more.

Capps' 16-year-old daughter, Taylor, couldn't wait to take photos of her dad as he was on stage to receive his first Mello Yello Drag Racing Series trophy of the young season. He got close a week ago when he finished runner-up in the opener at Pomona, Calif.

The last two events for Capps didn't end up exactly how she wanted. The past season ended with her dad needing to win one more round on the final day of the season to get his first NHRA world championship, but he missed the coveted prize by two points. And last week he made it to the final round but came up a little short.

There were no disappointments this time for Taylor at Firebird International Raceway.

Schumacher in Top Fuel, Capps in Funny Car push DSR's NHRA national event title count to 198 at Phoenix

Thanks to Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps winning NHRA Arizona Nationals event titles on Sunday near Phoenix, the Don Schumacher Racing organization is two event titles from reaching the milestone total of 200.

Schumacher recorded his 70th NHRA title and Capps his 24th for DSR to leave the 200th trophy within reach in two weeks at the next Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Gainesville, Fla.

Three of the four nitro finalists in the Arizona Nationals were from the DSR camp with 2011 Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan advancing to meet Capps for the trophy at Firebird International Raceway.

It is the 33rd time DSR has won two or more titles at the same NHRA event.

COURTNEY FORCE LEADS JFR AT AZ NATIONALS

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Coming off a victory at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals last weekend, Courtney Force continued her success today at the 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway. Force finished the day strong and settled into No. 3 spot. Being the current Mello Yello points leader in the Funny Car category, the 24-year-old ran her first qualifying session of the weekend in the last pair of Funny Cars alongside Ron Capps. Force’s Traxxas Ford Mustang put down too much power and shook at about 100 feet off the starting line.

“Coming out here to Phoenix we knew we had a fresh start to work with including new challenges that come with a different track than what we won on last weekend. We couldn’t get down the race track on the first pass. I think we may have had it on over-kill. It’s a different track and the weather conditions are really different over here. It’s a lot for our team to adjust to. Our Traxxas Ford Mustang just shook really hard and blew the tires off,” said Force.

In the second qualifying session, Force made a near-perfect pass and shot right to the top of the field. She posted a 4.064 ET at 315.71 mph, a track speed record and picked up a bonus point for qualifying No. 3 for the day.

Brown, Matco team rally from crash to sit No. 1 in Top Fuel; 

CHANDLER, Ariz.  - Less than a week after Antron Brown suffered a horrific crash in the NHRA season-opener, his Matco Tools team completed a new Top Fuel Dragster in time for him to drive it to the provisional pole Friday in the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix.

And the second race into Johnny Gray's tribute season to his late father, John R. Gray, he put the Pitch Energy Dodge Charger R/T atop the qualifying ladder at Firebird International Raceway to give Don Schumacher Racing the quickest cars in Top Fuel and Funny Car heading to Saturday's last two qualifying sessions before Sunday's championship eliminations in the second event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Brown's time of 3.765 seconds at 314.83 mph edged DSR teammate Tony Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster that posted the second quickest time of 3.768 at 321.96.

COURTNEY FORCE EAGER TO GET BACK ON THE TRACK

CHANDLER, Ariz. - RIS – Courtney Force, the 24-year-old driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car and current points leader in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series, is gearing up to take on a new set of challenges at the 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Feb. 22-24 at Firebird International Raceway.

Force has had an exceptional start to the 2013 season, getting No. 1 qualifier, picking up bonus points and taking the win at the O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals just a few days ago in Pomona, Calif.

The youngest daughter of 15-time Funny Car Champion John Force powered through four rounds of eliminations on Sunday, dismissing the likes of Phil Burkart Jr., Matt Hagan, Bob Tasca III and finally Ron Capps to earn her second career victory in the Funny Car category.

Firebird holds a special place in
Pro Stock ace Stanfield's heart

PHOENIX - RIS- TV Pro Stock driver Greg Stanfield will bring momentum and fond memories to Firebird Int'l Raceway this weekend during the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second stop in the 24-event Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Stanfield is coming off a semifinal appearance at the season-opening race in Pomona, Calif., where he came within eight inches of reaching the final round.

Firebird holds a special place in Stanfield's heart because it's where he clinched two Super Stock championships in the 1990s, and he secured both titles by winning the race.

Harley-Davidson Expands NHRA Drag Racing Series Classes

Pro Dragster to Join Top Fuel and Others in New Sportsman Racing Series

MILWAUKEE  - RIS – Harley-Davidson Motor Company is pleased to announce that it has worked with NHRA to include the popular nitromethane-burning Pro Dragster class in the newly formed NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series.

Pro Dragster joins the previously announced classes that will compete at all 10 rounds of the series:  Top Fuel, Pro Gas, Draggin’ Bagger, Street Pro and Hot Street. The NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series begins in March at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston.

With quarter-mile elapsed times in the low 7-second range and speeds at more than 190 mph, the Pro Dragster class offers fans and racers a thrilling entry to the thundering spectacle of nitro-powered Harley-Davidson drag racing that is capped by the awesome 6-second, 225-mph Top Fuel class.

Coughlin has hot hand in Pro Stock as Phoenix race approaches

PHOENIX - RIS -- Fresh off a strong runner-up result at the NHRA season opener, five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. arrives at Firebird International Raceway for this weekend's Arizona Nationals with arguably the best racecar in the razor-close Pro Stock category.

"The last six runs we made in Pomona, the two during Saturday qualifying and four we made on race day, gave us so much confidence and that feeling is leading us into Phoenix with a lot of positive attitudes," Coughlin said. "The only thing we could have done better was win the race so we'll try to take that final step this weekend. Phoenix would be a great place to put the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger in the winner's circle."

A two-time winner at Firebird International Raceway (2000 and 2009), Coughlin gave away the win last Sunday after waiting on final-round opponent Vincent Nobile when his young rival stalled out on the track following his prerace burnout. The commotion eventually led to a rare red-light start for Coughlin, but he took solace in the fact he ran quicker than Nobile to the finish line.

NAPA AUTO PARTS Capps extends family time to Phoenix
with focus on winning third time at NHRA Arizona Nationals

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - RIS  - Ron Capps knows how to find his way to Phoenix, and the best part of going to Firebird International Raceway for him isn't that he's won two NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series titles there.

This weekend will be his second dose of extended family time and another chance of having his wife, Shelley, and two kids join him in the winner's circle before he parks his motorhome and flies the sky to Gainesville, Fla., in three weeks for the third event on NHRA's pro tour to drive Don Schumacher Racing's NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car.

"I always love going to Phoenix," said Capps, who lives near San Diego and is coming off a runner-up finish Sunday in the season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. "I relate to my love for certain tracks because of what I'm able to do around the track when my family is with me.

Uninjured Brown, Matco team eager for fresh start at Phoenix

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - RIS - While the Matco Tools team stayed on the West Coast this week getting a new Top Fuel Dragster ready for driver Antron Brown, the reigning NHRA world champion was back home in Pittsboro, Ind., getting his own tune-up.

The one Brown drove Sunday in the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., was destroyed in a crash that occurred moments after an engine explosion. After Brown crossed the finish line at 300 mph, the detonation sent his dragster veering sharply to the left before flipping onto its side, backing into a concrete guardwall before sliding past of the dragstrip pavement and into the sand trap.

Brown, who won that race to advance to the semifinals round, escaped injury thanks to the quality of the Don Schumacher Racing-built chassis and revolutionary enclosed safety canopy developed by DSR.

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