It took two multi-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing champions to show how to get it done at the season’s lone four-wide event.
TOP FUEL
Defending champion Doug Kalitta and the MAC Tools Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster team swung for the fences in the final. Up against Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett and his teammate Shawn Langdon, Kalitta bulleted to a 3.692 at a track record 342.98mph. This is the third-fastest speed in Top Fuel history, and earned Kalitta his second win of the season. The newly-minted member of NHRA’s 75 greatest drivers list, Kalitta got his 75th career win.
Langdon’s Kalitta Air team stood atop the Top Fuel category all weekend, but came up 0.0146 seconds short of his teammate. Pruett was the same distance back, making a photo finish battle for second for Dodge Tony Stewart Racing Nitro. As for Stewart and the R+L Carriers Elite Motorsports team, a loss of grip and massive tire spin off the line took him out of contention early.
Justin Ashley had two starts in the 0.030-second category, continuing to set the standard at the starting line. Maddi Gordon kept her strong start to her rookie season alive with her third semifinal appearance in four races. Billy Torrence and Spencer Massey were unable to match Stewart and Langdon, but they will gladly take the semifinalist points.
The day started very controversially in Top Fuel. Stewart, Josh Hart, Torrence and Tony Schumacher were the first quad to run. After routine burnouts and back up procedures, rain drops forced NHRA officials to delay the start for driver safety. After the engines were shut down, the sprinkles quickly moved away and the teams were ready to go. However, Schumacher’s dragster left the grid for what appeared to be a supercharger issue. The rules were explained that the other three teams had to exit the grid, and run last as to give Schumacher a chance to fix his car.
The teams did not agree with this. The arguments were made that his car broke before the rain delayed the start, thus categorizing the car as a DNF. After a lengthy and spirited discussion on the start line between officials and crew chiefs, the three remaining cars re-fired the engines and completed their run. Stewart and Torrence advanced after the lengthy delay.
Antron Brown was the lone Top Fuel car to suffer a major malfunction in its run. Heading down the line of his first round attempt, the 12,000-horsepower motor detonated in a shower of debris. Brown climbed out quickly and uninjured, but gutted to have not seen the next round.
FUNNY CAR
Ron Capps was the class of the field from the moment the Ron Capps Motorsports team unloaded his NAPA Toyota on Friday. Capps launched down track to a 3.905 at 334.9mph, just beating Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman. J.R. Todd finished fourth of the quad, but was still a blink of an eye away from Capps. This is Capps’ 79th career win, and his second of the season.
All four drivers in the final are former champions, proving the skill it takes to be successful at the 4-Wide Nationals. Hagan and the Dodge TSR Nitro team won his semifinal quad to advance, while Beckman and the HendrickCars.com John Force Racing Chevrolet advanced after Dave Richards hit the wall and was disqualified. Credit where it is due to Beckman, who won his first round grouping that included Hagan.
Todd blitzed his first two rounds, running north of 335mph in each race. The DHL Kalitta Toyota underwent a nightmare situation in the semis, as he crossed the line and the parachutes failed to deploy. Todd did his best to slam on the brakes, but the car slid into the gravel trap at the end of the track. The team brought his backup car out, which may have ultimately cost him the win.
Jordan Vandergriff reached the semis, but he has much more to celebrate. Vandergriff defeated Capps in Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, earning bonus points and purse to the Cornwell Quality Tools JFR Chevy team. Alexis DeJoria got the third JFR Chevy to the semis, but was outgunned by the competition. Chad Green continues his great start to the year with another semifianl appearance, he won the Gatornationals at the beginning of the season.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series has its first back-to-back of the year, as the teams will travel south to South Georgia Motorsports Park for the inaugural Southern Nationals.
