EVENT RESULTS
EVENT NOTEBOOK
POINTS AFTER EVENT
ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
EVENT GALLERY
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – HOT QUALIFYING BRINGS EAST COAST PRO RACING ALIVE
TOP FUEL
FIVE OUT OF SIX AIN’T BAD - Defending world champ Tony Schumacher now has five out of six low elapsed time sessions.
Schumacher had a great start to the weekend at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, leading both qualifying sessions and piloting his U.S. Army dragster to a performance of 3.796 seconds at 323.43 mph during the second session.
"We’ve got a great car,” said Schumacher, who is looking for his 77th career top qualifying start and third at Gainesville. “We’re not coming off a bad race either. We won in Phoenix and performed decent in Pomona. I think the changes we made early on, for once, really worked. It’s setting a good trend on a tune-up that we needed to find quicker than last year.”
WARRIORS AMONGST US - Two members of the Wounded Warriors Project have been called into action this weekend. James Rivera and Pablo Rosario, retired military veterans, are members of the Wounded Warriors Project (WWP) after serving several deployments throughout the world.
The Jacksonville, Fla. residents work in the local community outside of the military and will serve as special crew members for the Leah Pritchett-driven Gumout Top Fuel dragster from Dote Racing.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome James and Pablo to our Dote Racing pit crew this weekend at the NHRA Gatornationals,” said Pritchett. “Both WWP veterans are well decorated and it will be a thrill for our team to show them how the Gumout dragster competes at the highest level of drag racing.”
SGT Rivera deployed a third time as part of the 1st Marine Division to Iraq from May to November 2004. On August 22, 2004, while on combat patrol the Humvee he was driving was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device), wounding James and 2 other Marines. For his service in Iraq, he received the Purple Heart, Global War on Terrorism Medal and a Certificate of Commendation, for participating in 400 combat patrols during a 28-day period.
Rivera was discharged honorably in 2005, after obtaining the rank of Sergeant. He currently operates a recycling business and resides in Jacksonville Beach.
SGT Rosario joined the U.S. Army in 2004 and was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat team in Fort Campbell, KY as an 11B20 - Infantryman. During his military service, SGT Rosario completed 3 deployments, two to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.
Rosario received the following awards and decorations during his military service: Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Commendation Medal (2nd award), Army Achievement Medal (2nd award), Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (2nd Award), NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Marksmanship Badge with Carbine Bar.
Rosario was honorably discharged from the Army in 2012, after obtaining the rank of Sergeant. He currently resides in Jacksonville and is currently training to become a diesel mechanic.
FLORIDA MAGIC - Steve Torrence has been looking forward to this race since January. Several hours down the road in West Palm Beach, Fla, the 31-year old driver of the Capco Contractors dragster staged a highly successful test session.
Torrence hopes to channel his Sunshine State magic, having won only one round in the first two races of 2015.
“This year’s test session in West Palm was probably the most successful we’ve ever had and Pomona (the season-opening Circle K Winternationals) and Phoenix (the CARQUEST Nationals) did nothing to discourage us at all,” Torrence said. “The deal is, it’s just hard to win in this class, especially with all the multi-car teams. But we know we can compete.
“We had a really good race car (last year) but we stubbed our toe when we had five first round losses in the middle of the season,” he said. “We were there. We were consistent but sometimes you need a little racing luck, too, and we just didn’t have any. Still, that was by far the best season and the best race car I’ve ever had.”
Torrence finished as a semifinalist in last year.
A NEW WORLD FOR ANTRON - Antron Brown will be the lone drag racing representative during the upcoming 2015 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pro/Celebrity Race. Brown will be competing against 16 other participants in the Long Beach, Ca.-based event.
“It is going to be a lot of fun, a lot of enjoyment," said Brown. "It’s going to be cool to mix in and mingle with a lot of other people and have some fun with some celebrities. It’ll be my first experience at the Long Beach Grand Prix, I’ve never been there so I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”
Brown would love to win, but believes in being selected to participate is a victory in itself.
“I’m just going to go out there and have a good time but when you’re in race mode, it’s all about winning," Brown said. "I’m going to go out there and have some good fun with the competition and go out there and throw down.”
FUNNY CAR
CRUZ IN CONTROL – For the last three seasons, Cruz Pedregon has been the king of the hill in Funny Car qualifying at Gainesville. The tradition continued on Friday with a 4.022 at 312.13 in the Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry to land No. 1.
“I wish I could tell you because I would do it at all the tracks,” said Pedregon about his qualifying luck in Florida. “It just works out that way. There’s been a few changes to the car mechanically even since last year. The four years in a row that we have managed to stay No. 1, all four of those were done with slightly different setups on the car.”
EMBRACE THE EDGE - Cruz has a plan for 2015 – to be edgier.
Seen on his evacuation or excess oil flow pipe is a quote from the movie Scarface, “Say good night to the bad guys.”
“We have developed the bad guy image when it comes to certain rivalries out here,” said Pedregon. “We just embrace our perceived reputation.”
In the first session, Pedregon made the competition say hello to his little friend, a 4.022 elapsed time at 312.13 mile per hour.
SOMETHING SPECIAL - Funny car point leader Matt Hagan’s round-win streak actually extends all the way back to include the final event of the 2014 season at Pomona, where he won both the title and the NHRA Funny Car World Championship.
“To be able to turn on 12 consecutive win lights on Sunday, to have the streak we've been on, be able to win a championship at the end of last year, win the race, come out here and win two more races to start the year off, it's been pretty phenomenal,” said Hagan. “It goes to show you why we are a championship team. Hopefully, it continues.”
Friday wasn't so spectacular for Hagan was eighth quickest Friday with a 4.132 elapsed time at 308.43 miles per hour.
MALFUNCTION JUNCTION - Friday the 13th lived up to the hype for at least one driver. Alexis DeJoria goes into Sunday as the 17th ranked driver amongst the 17 cars in attendance. An electrical malfunction activated the electri-motion shut-off device on the Patron-sponsored entry, and deployed the parachutes prior to the burnout. They returned to the pits, repacked the parachutes yet failed to diagnose the electrical issue immediately. The team did return for the Q-2 session but smoked the tires early and slowed to a 10.877.
NEW LOOK FOR OLD PRO - The Emperor has new clothes this weekend. For the first time in a long time, 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force has a new identity with a Chevrolet Camaro SS and a new sponsor.
Force's Funny Car is adorned with new sponsors BlueDef and Peak Anti-Freeze and Coolants for this race.
“Robert (Hight) and I have been working for almost two years on new sponsor deals," said Force. "I am excited to have BlueDef on the side of my Chevy hot rod this weekend. They are doing a national promotion with my team and have been followings us all the way from our Brownsburg shop to Gainesville. BlueDef is the lifeblood for these Freightliners and winning is my lifeblood,” said an excited Force.
Force has won at the Gatornationals seven times but not since 2001.
He was third quickest after two sessions.
LAST SESSION IMPROVEMENT - Courtney Force holds onto the No. 6 spot in a 16-car field at the end of the day. The 26-year-old and her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team smoked the tires at the hit in the first session, but had a chance to improve on their qualifying efforts and did just that.
On the second attempt down the race track, the Traxxas Chevy Camaro team laid down a 4.104 ET at 312.13 mph and subsequently picked up one qualifying bonus point for being the third-quickest car in that session.
“Missed out on your first qualifying pass today. It went up in smoke immediately off the line. We went out there on the second pass and we were able to get the car down there and improve with a 4.10. We picked up a bonus point for being third-quickest. We ended up sixth which is in the top half right now so we’re looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully we can continue to improve, but I’m just excited we got a solid pass down the race track,” said Force.
SO FAR, SO GOOD - Jack Beckman leads DSR's four Funny Cars with a best run of 4.081 (309.56) on his first run and holds the provisional No. 5 qualifying position.
"Coming out of the trailer with a good run is huge," said Beckman, who didn't qualify at Pomona, Calif., to start the season.
"You can win a race after struggling in qualifying but going into Saturday without a solid run will get you to start biting your nails. When you run strong straight out of the box like we did today, it gives us the chance to try some things and get more data without worrying about qualifying as much."
PRO STOCK
GUESS WHO'S BACK? - Chris McGaha admits he was a bit lost over the last year. The Pro Stock driver from Odessa, Texas, was found atop the field on Friday as he blasted to the top of the pack in the first session of qualifying and held on.
"I feel like we're just finding our way back," said McGaha of his back-to-back 6.50-second runs that both surpassed the 212-mph mark. "We had some issues in the engine department last year just after Norwalk and slowly overcame those. We started finding it at the end of the year, and this winter, we really found the mojo."
McGaha ran strong on Friday, first with a 6.507 at 212.73 mph, and later a 6.509, 212.76.
"Those runs were very good – we didn't leave a lot on the table," said McGaha. "There is a little here and there, but for the most part, we're swinging for the fences every time. I'm a little shocked and still trying to grasp it all. Maybe everyone else hasn't made a good run yet. You really can't ever tell. I say that jokingly, but it could be a real deal. We'll have to see tomorrow."
AJ FOR THREE? - Allen Johnson, the 2013-2014 NHRA Gatornationals champ, began his bid for a third consecutive event title with two strong qualifying runs, opening with a 6.539, 212.03 effort. The 2012 overall NHRA Pro Stock champion, in his 20th season behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered Dodge Pro Stock car, improved in his second qualifying attempt with a 6.534, 212.90 to hold on to the provisional sixth spot.
“I’d say that we were very conservative on both runs and that we expect to be a bit more aggressive with our final two qualifying sessions,” said Johnson, who enters Gainesville with 698 career elimination round appearances. “We got in some good testing this week just down the road in Bradenton, so we picked up today right where we left off in testing.
“Our new crew chief, Adam Hornberger, is very methodical and kind of eases into a set up instead of going for the jugular with his approach. As a team, we all agree this is a good way for us to work. I’m pretty happy with our progress today to make this Dodge Dart pretty raceable, so we’ll kick it up a notch tomorrow.”
WELCOME BACK - Jason Line made a comment in jest last season, thanking Mike Edwards for his help in righting a wrong racecar. The two downplayed the exchange as just something to make the community talk.
Friday afternoon there was no skirting the fact the two-time NHRA champion who sold his team to Chris McGaha at the end of 2013 was walking through the staging lanes wearing a Summit Racing Equipment crew shirt as a part of KB Racing.
"We are just seeing if I can shed some light on anything," said Edwards. "I'm excited to be back out here. I know one thing, the KB group has bent over backwards to make me feel welcomed. You kind of feel like a fish out of water when it's not your team and stuff. They made sure I didn't feel that way, and that means a lot. "
Edwards admits he was content to watch the drags from afar until he began getting regular phone calls from a persistent driver.
"I got tired of Jason [Line] calling me over and over, asking me to come back out here," admitted Edwards. "Hunting season is over; it's too cold to fish -- so I guess it's the perfect time to go racing again."
STEPPING UP - After racing a championship-proven Pontiac GXP during the first-time events, Norrkóping, Sweden's Jimmy Alund is racing a Camaro this weekend. The nine-time FIA European Pro Stock champion traded up to the white Chevrolet Camaro previously campaigned by Greg Anderson, who has a new car this weekend.
"The Camaro became available, and we feel that it should be a little bit better than the GXP," said Alund. "The white Camaro is actually pretty similar to the one we have back home; we also have a Jerry Haas Camaro. Plus, the KB Racing guys have more rounds and more recent data for this car compared to the GXP. We came to a mutual decision, and here we are."
Alund tested the car earlier this week in Valdosta, Ga., ahead of the NHRA Gatornationals with successful results. Those results transferred over to Friday in Gainesville as Alund was eighth-quickest with a 6.567.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
HOW SAMPEY FOUND HER GROOVE - Angelle Sampey hasn't forgotten how to ride fast.
Sampey went to the top of the qualifying list on Friday afternoon with a 6.892 elapsed time at 192.93 miles per hour.
“It’s amazing," said Angelle. "I was come becoming very discouraged [with her performance from last year]. I had expected more from myself, I don’t think I did a good job at all last year.”
“I think the ankle injury was actually a blessing in disguise, the injury made me work really hard in the off-season to improve not only physically but mentally.”
In the days prior to Gainesville, Sampey made a few laps at South Georgia Motorsports Park to knock the rust off.
“We went tested on Tuesday in Valdosta, Ga., and we made two really great hits, the bike went perfectly straight. So I felt really confident.” This is the first time I felt this comfortable on the bike ever, even when I was winning championships.”
OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT - Five months ago, Sampey was in a world of hurt. She was moving around equipment in the Star Racing hauler prior to qualifying at the NHRA Toyota Nationals when the team's wheeler starter rolled her ankle severing tendons in her foot.
Sampey returned to action this weekend aboard George Bryce's Star Racing Buell.
“My rehabilitation for my lacerated Achilles, lacerated Peroneus Brevis and Peroneus Longus tendons was just about the toughest thing I have ever done in my life,” said Sampey. “ My Brevis was 100% cut and Longus 75% which are responsible for my walking balance. I knew how important getting healthy for 2015 season meant to my team and my fans so I worked as hard as I ever have and I am ready to go.”
Friday, she battled through the injury, which isn’t 100-percent healed.
“Ankle is little swollen at the moment because I’ve been on it,” said Sampey. “Personally I feel about 70% healed, I have another month of therapy to go, it looks great, it feels good, after a while I start limping a little bit. I know that I’m not there yet (100%) but I’m definitely good enough to race.”
ONE, TWO PUNCH - Eddie Krawiec is wearing the No. 2 plate on his bike, and it's okay with him. Carrying the No. 1 is teammate Andrew Hines.
“It’s great having the ‘1’ and ‘2’ on both bikes,” Krawiec said. “It’s only the second time we’ve done that and it’s a good thing. We’re going to do the best we can and see if we can defend our position. If you have a chance in Pomona, you know you’ve had a good season.”
Krawiec had a productive offseason, as his team continued to refine a bike that was incredibly consistent for all of 2014. Just starting the season has him excited but there’s always added incentive when the first race comes at a track with so much history.
“Gainesville has always been a good race to kick off the season for the bikes,” Krawiec said. “It has great fan support and it’s one of those races you always want to win. It’s always good to kick off the season with some momentum, especially since we’re racing again in Charlotte in a couple weeks.”
STILL CELEBRATING - Steve Johnson has no problem exhibiting his glee in winning last year's Gators crown.
“When this is your career, you cherish winning a race,” Johnson said. “I took that trophy wherever I went for a long time so it meant a lot. I’m excited to go racing again. We’ve got some new pistons and hopefully the new configuration will be exactly what we need. I’m sure the Suzukis are going to do a good job this year and I think that will make it more exciting. We’re not really worried about championships right now. We just want to win races.”
Johnson was No. 10 after two sessions on Friday.
NEW YEAR, NEW APPROACH - Hector Arana Jr. would love to pick up where he left off IN 2014 - winning. The second-generation Pro Stock Motorcycle rider is happy to be back racing after an off-season of adjustment.
"It's been an interesting off-season for me," Arana said, "but I'm glad to finally be able to get back on my bike. I've had to adjust to moving to New York and my job at Curtiss-Wright, but I've loved it so far.
"I have been counting down the days until I leave for Gainesville. Winning the last race of the season in Pomona has me even more excited to get this season started already. I feel like we will have momentum on our side going into this weekend after our win at the season finale in Pomona."
Because of his life's changes, Arana Jr. must now rely on his crew to prepare his bike for the weekend's races. Previously he did the work himself.
"It's been weird for me not working at the shop getting the bikes ready for this weekend," Arana said. "I've never been in a situation like this since I started my career riding.
Arana was sixth quickest after two sessions with a 6.957.
PRO MOD
YOUTH AND ENTHUSIASM - So much for a learning curve.
Third-generation Coughlin Family drag racer, Troy Coughlin Jr., raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position behind the wheel of the same Corvette his father Troy drove to the 2012 series championship.
Coughlin stopped the timers with a 5.876 elapsed time at 251.49 miles per hour. Troy Sr. held top speed with a 252.43 mile per hour blast.
"Racing with Dad is the whole reason I ever started racing," Coughlin said. "I always wanted to race so I could be with my dad. Being in the same class is going to be a lot of fun, and a lot of good memories are going to be created, that's for sure."
Coughlin has proven to be a superb Sportsman racer, winning the NHRA Division 3 Super Gas championship and numerous races during his young career.
THE ELDER STATEMAN – At 87 years old, Williard Kinzer became the oldest Pro Modified driver to ever attempt qualifying at an NHRA Pro Modified event. Unfortunately his 6.478 elapsed time was only good enough for No. 22.
THE BEAR NECESSITIES - Once upon a time, Rickie Smith planned to retire. Then the fairy tale ended.
After winning back-to-back NHRA titles, one of drag racing's most successful doorslammer racers plans to make a run at yet another title.
Smith, a 12-time series champion in both NHRA and IHRA competition, has won crowns in Pro Stock, Pro Modified and Super Modified.
“I’ve been doing this for 41 years, and it’s kind of been my life,” Smith said. “I love racing and competing and I’ve been fortunate enough to win a championship. To pull off two in a row gives you that drive to still know you can do it. Can I pull a third one off? I don’t see any reason why I can’t compete for another championship.”
Smith knows the competition will be loaded for bear in 2015, and is feeling a bit grizzly in his title season. The cagey Smith might be the favorite in the class, but he certainly knows that is no reason to get comfortable.
“There’s a lot of good cars out there,” Smith said. “A lot of teams have stepped up their program and it’s going to be tough. We’ll have to work our butts off but we’ll be competitive.”
Friday was not a typical Smith dominating effort as he heads into the final session unqualified.
BACK FOR MORE - Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels will once again by represented by Billy Glidden in NHRA Pro Mod.
“We’re so proud to have Mickey Thompson’s support again this year,” said Glidden. “The season is off to a fast start, and we can’t wait to see what our Mustang can do on our new Mickey Thompson tires and wheels.”
Glidden is running the 10-race NHRA Pro Modified tour and will compete this season using Mickey Thompson’s ET Drag tires, part number 3195, along with the Pro 5 Drag Wheels.
“It was incredible to see Billy move into Pro Mod competition last year, and we know 2015 is going to be great year,” said Tom Kundrik, Motorsports Manager for Mickey Thompson. “Pro Mod Drag Racing has evolved to include some of the fastest and most diverse machines and some of most competitive racing talent across the circuit, and it’s a fan favorite.”
Glidden is the son of multi-time Pro Stock Bob Glidden, and is regarded as one of the legends from the now defunct American Drag Racing League where he won multiple titles in the Outlaw 10.5 division. He raced to his best finish in NHRA Pro Mod competition by reaching the semi-finals of the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Glidden was ninth after two sessions with a 5.941.
SECOND YEAR MOMENTUM - Last season, Danny Rowe expanded his brand to include Steve Matusek, a dyed-in-the-wool turbocharged racer. The move paid dividends for both, and they are looking for more of the same in 2015. The key is, and they know it, gaining momentum early in the ten-race tour.
“I think it’s important for us to get off on the right foot,” said Rowe. “We’re always battling it out toward the end of the season when the points get tight, but you really want to set the tone early; you want to build some momentum and try to ride it out.
The team tested in the days prior to Gainesville in nearby Bradenton. Earlier in the year there was a week-long test in Palm Beach, Fla.
“These two test sessions were easily amongst the best I’ve ever been a part of, and a great confidence builder heading into what is guaranteed to be an extremely competitive race season,” said Matusek. “We learned a lot, made a string of very good eighth-mile passes with both cars and feel good that we’ll be able to translate that success into a strong outing in Gainesville.”
Matusek and Rowe were second and third after the first day qualifying.
THIS WEEKEND'S SPONSORS - The Real Pro Mod (RPM) Association and Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Inc. (JBRC), will serve as co-presenting sponsors for the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-15, at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville. The race is the season-opener in the 10-race NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.
“This is going to be an exciting year for RPM,” said Danny Rowe, RPM executive board member. “There has been a lot of effort from a lot of people and it definitely shows in the car counts. Only two years ago we had a hard time filling a 16 car field and now we have a waiting list. I'm looking forward to seeing the RPM program continue to grow this year and would like to thank all of the people and sponsors whom have supported us.”
JBRC, “The One Stop Chassis Shop,” offers a variety of services to racers looking to improve their race cars. The JBRC facility in Moscow Mills, Mo. houses just about every race part and component a driver could dream of, along with a temperature controlled manufacturing area and a temperature controlled paint booth. Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Inc. prides itself on its commitment to customer satisfaction and is committed to NHRA as a major sponsor.
“A lot of my customers run Pro Mod and I wanted to show my support for them,” said Jerry Bickel, owner of Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Inc. “I’m proud of all the guys getting together and creating the Real Pro Mod association; they’ve really put together a great program.”
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