Jim Whiteley Clinches 2012 TAD National Championship

Courtesy of Will Hanna
Photo courtesy of YNot Racing

ENNIS, Texas – Six years after entering the Top Alcohol Dragster class, NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster racer Jim Whiteley and his YNot Racing team have finally achieved their goal – a National Championship.  Whiteley used another dominating performance at this past weekend’s AAA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex just south of Dallas to clinch the 2012 Top Alcohol Dragster National Championship.

Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., qualified his Norm Grimes tuned blown alcohol dragster on top of the field with a 5.284 second elapsed time at 270.92 mph.  In round one, he took out Darvin Martinets with a 5.284 at 273.66, and then took out Lee Callaway in round two with a 5.277 at 273.00.  In the semifinals he slowed to a 5.318 at 272.28, but still had enough muscle to defeat Monroe Guest.

That set the stage for a pivotal showdown with the last national title challenger left, Chris Demke.  Whiteley needed to win the round to clinch the Championship and did just that with a low elapsed time of the event 5.275 at 271.68 mph to defeat Demke’s 5.739 at 263.77 mph.

“The whole weekend was just pretty darn cool,” said Whiteley.  “We have been doing this since 2006 and we have got close a couple times, but we finally closed the deal.  It really hasn’t quite set in yet we finally did it.  It’s going to be pretty fun the rest of the year being able to race without the pressure.  Our last goal is we want to win the Western Regional Championship in a few weeks in Vegas.”

Whiteley was quick to credit title contenders Demke and former five-time National Champion Bill Reichert for a tough battle.

“I really have to tip my hat to Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing team,” commented Whiteley.  “He has done a hell of a job the last few races driving that car and cutting killer lights down the stretch when it counted.  Jerry Maddern and his guys have really made that hot rod fly.  I also feel bad for Reichert losing in the first round on a red light.  That’s a tough way to go down with all of the emotion and tension.  I know because I’ve been there before. 

“I really have to thank Norm and the crew for giving me a great car this weekend and all year,” Whiteley continued.  “They gave me a super car in the final, and I really left a lot on the table with my .102 light, but in the end we got the win.  I also have to thank Goodyear for a great tire and support, NGK Spark Plugs, J & A Services and Advanced Oilfield Services for their support this year.”

The next event for the YNot Racing Team will be the Big O Tire Nationals at “The Strip” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

TAN

Pro Mod-Turned-Alcohol Funny Car Driver Todd Robertson

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Photo courtesy of David Smith



Todd Robertson, who lined up against championship contender Tony Bartone in the first round of the U.S. Nationals, has to be the only Top Alcohol Funny Car driver in the field who, just a couple of years ago, hadn't even heard of Bartone.

Until this year, Robertson operated far from the world of NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car racing but drove a car just about as fast, a Pro Mod that he raced in Milan Dragway's eighth-mile Run What Ya Brung series. "That door car would make a lot of fast, crazy moves," said Robertson, who works on hot rods and other race cars and has built and tuned a seven-second, 650-horsepower snowmobile. "I wasn't racing on ADRL surfaces – they were Friday night surfaces – and the groove was always narrow."

Robertson enjoyed his best season in 2010, qualifying No. 1 nine times in 11 races, reaching the final round at seven, and winning four. "I drove that blown Pro Mod for four years, and the first two years, if it the car did anything stupid, I'd lift and people would call me a [sissy]," he said. "By the third year, after some runs they'd tell me they couldn't believe I stayed with it that long, and by the fourth year, my crew would get mad at me sometimes because I wouldn't lift no matter what the car was doing."

That experience in a hard-to-drive car served Robertson well this year, when he moved to Top Alcohol Funny Car and his car wouldn't let him keep his foot in it for the full quarter-mile. Then veteran Jay Payne, who's been racing since the 1960s and has competed for the past dozen years in Top Alcohol Funny Car, gave him a tip that changed everything: just add 30 pounds to the nose.

"The Funny Car doesn't move around as much as the Pro Mod did, but at about the 1,000-foot mark, it would try to take off in one direction or the other every time," Robertson said. "On the first run with 30 pounds of weight on the front end … boom – right to the finish line, no problem. Now, it makes it every time, and we're just starting to get a tune-up for it."

The 46-year-old from Harrison Township, Mich., whose cars for years have been backed by industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, a giant company with more than 70,000 employees and $16 billion a year in sales, made the big switch to NHRA competition in 2012. He bought a Brad Hadman-built Monte Carlo last spring, an ex-Miner Bros. car originally campaigned by all-time great Bucky Austin, and earned his license at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional event at Indianapolis.

Robertson's first start came at the biggest race of them all, the U.S. Nationals, where he met up with Bartone, the eventual runner-up, in the first round of eliminations. Robertson qualified for the prestigious Indy field in his sixth NHRA start after missing the cut at the Norwalk national and regional events, the Chicago national and regional events, and the Cordova regional.

The car has the engine, transmission, and torque converter right out of Robertson's '06 Cobalt Pro Mod, and the same crew chief, Dennis Kolomyjec. "I have a really good crew that's been behind me forever," said Robertson, whose Pro Power Motorsports team has run in the 5.70s at just short of 250 mph. "When we were running the Pro Mod, I'd already have 80 or 100 passes by this point in the season, but I've got only 30 passes in the Funny Car so far this year. We never test, and that makes it a lot harder. I can't just go run the car at a local track, where the conditions aren't like what they'd be at a national event or a points meet. All that teaches you is how to go slow. We're starting to get the hang of this. I really like it. It's hard core, but I'm hard core in everything I do. When I decide I'm going to do something, I always jump in with both feet."

TAN

Clint Thompson Wins Big in Texas

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Dallas - Everything in Texas is big including a victory at the 27th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals. And a win here doesn’t get any better for Top Alcohol funny car racer Clint Thompson, who has never won a national event away from the west coast.  “What a win. Finally! It’s been five years since my last national event win and it’s all come together here” said the Klamath Falls, Oregon based driver.

It was indeed a weekend when everything went flawlessly. In qualifying, Thompson’s 5.56 at 261 MPH put him in the pole position.  Then in round one Thompson received a single as his opponent Billy Davis was a no show. Thompson still recorded a 5.58 at 259 MPH.

In round two, Thompson faced Shane Westerfield. At the hit, Westerfied got out of the gate first with a 0.043 light to Thompson’s 0.067 but Thompson was quicker by a tenth and won the round. Thompson roared to the finish line with a 5.61 at 258 MPH to Westerfield’s 5.71 at 252 MPH.  “Shane is tough and he’s good on the tree but we knew that we could still beat him. We backed the car down a little bit and just wanted to give him a good race without smoking the tires” Thompson said.

In the semifinals, Thompson took on Annie Whiteley, who has been nothing short of impressive in her first season driving a funny car. Whiteley was slow getting off the line but it likely wouldn’t have mattered as Thompson scored a 5.59 at 258 MPH to Whiteley 5.74 at 256 MPH. “We didn’t take Annie lightly and we stepped up our tune up a little bit. She just got distracted and had a bad light. We have gotten to know the Whiteley’s and I would have been just as happy if she would have won. She came over gave me a hug after we won the race” Thompson acknowledged.

In the finals, Thompson faced Tony Bartone who qualified second with a 5.57. As the lights came down, both cars left nearly together. Bartone had a 0.070 reaction time to Thompson’s close 0.074. Thompson gained the lead and held on as Bartone began to narrow the gap but couldn’t gain the lead. At the stripe it was Thompson earning the Fall Nationals victory with another 5.59 at 259 MPH to Bartone’s 5.68 at 260 MPH. 

Thompson was elated to finally get a win after a five year draught. “We didn’t want to beat ourselves so we left the car alone and didn’t make any changes. We ran our own race. The car is now running like five second bracket car and is producing some big numbers. But we have been on a learning curve since Chicago. We recently switched to the new Goodyear tires and have finally got a handle on them after having traction problems last week in Charlotte where we shook the tires.”

Thompson got an added surprise along with his Wally as Stetson Hats gave every winner a custom fit cowboy hat. “I have never owned a cowboy hat before and I’m going to wear it the rest of the season including the ADRL race next weekend. I’ll be the good guy in the black hat”

Thompson would like to thank his wife Danette and the crew of Bob Miner, Chuck Rarrick, Dan Hix, and Matt Steinkamp.  He also would like to thank Ronn Boehlke who was unable to attend this race but is a regular member of the team.

TAN 

With Regional Championship Clinched, Annie Whiteley Focused on National Success

Courtesy of Will Hanna
Photo courtesy of James Drew Photography

ENNIS, Texas – Two weeks ago, rookie NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Annie Whiteley and her YNot Racing team clinched the Western Region Championship with their fourth regional win of the year in Woodburn, Ore.  With the Regional Championship in hand, her Roger Bateman lead team will be looking to score their first national event win during this weekend’s AAA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, just south of Dallas.

Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., is still on the proverbial ‘Cloud 9’ after clinching the Western Region Championship in her rookie season.  She also reached the final of her last national event, the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

“Winning the Regional Championship in my first year is pretty awesome,” said Whiteley.  “If we could get a national event win this year that would really be something.  Jim [husband, who runs in Top Alcohol Dragster] has done well over the years here and I ran my first 5.60 in testing at this track last year, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Originally a Texas native, Whiteley will have plenty of family on hand to cheer her on this weekend.

“We always have a lot of family with us at the Dallas race,” cited Whiteley.  “We would love to get our first win with my Mom and the rest of the family on hand.”

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two sessions, followed by one final session Saturday afternoon.  Eliminations begin with round one Saturday evening and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

To find out more about YNot Racing’s promotional partners, visit the websites below:

RaceGoodyear.com - Goodyear's position as the leading tire maker in drag racing is unquestioned. The quickest, fastest and most powerful earth-bound machines in the world look to Goodyear for tires that generate enough traction to take advantage of their stunning ability to go fast in a straight line.

NGKSparkPlugs.com - When performance counts, the fastest teams on two wheels or four, on land or on water choose NGK Spark Plugs.

The team would also like to thank the continued support of J&A Services and Advanced Oilfield Services.

TAN

Maddern Racing Anticipates Quick Times and Results in Dallas

Courtesy of THR5 Communications
Photo courtesy of the Pro Sportsman Association

Ennis, TX.  – The Texas Motorplex‘s all-concrete racing surface is just the kind of place that Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Team has been waiting for. It is here where they can flex their tuning muscles and let it rip. The adjustments and revisions they have made to their Peen Rite/ OSI / 801 Racing Top Alcohol Dragster will make this weekend’s race something to watch. 

“I am really looking forward running fast and doing it against some great competition,” said Demke. “Having Jim Whiteley and Bill Reichert there makes this one special. The top three in national points will be battling it out and we want to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Team Peen has been crisscrossing the country this year collecting low elapsed time slips and trophies. Crew Chief Jerry Maddern has the car running on mean and is looking to continue the trend. Crew members Kevin Watson, Michael Demke, Ronald Mann, and clutchguy/tuner Adam Rhoades have their well-rehearsed act down cold and are chomping at the bit. It has been eight years since they have raced at the Motorplex, but they are confident with their game plan. 

Riding along with the Maddern Racing Team in Texas will be the familiar colors of Peen Rite, Operational Solutions, and 801 Racing. Adding strength to those three big hitters will be associate sponsors Boninfante Friction Products, A1 Technologies, Hoosier Tire, Sunhill Cleaners, and all the fans of the Maddern Racing Facebook page. With all this support behind them, Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Team are ready to do battle with the competition. The all-concrete dragstrip is an open invitation to let it all hang out. Team Peen are just the kind of guys to do just that. 

...

About Peen Rite - Your source for quality shot peening, glass bead, and abrasive blasting services for over 45 years. We provide low cost solutions, high volume capacity, and a superior level of quality control. Equipped with many specialty machines designed to handle the cleaning and surface preparation for a wide variety of work pieces. PEEN-RITE gives you the ability to stay within your job cost estimation! 

Operational Solutions will challenge itself on a daily basis to provide a unique advanced technical service to our customers. Our team will work to identify the problem, procure the necessary parts, and implement the solution. We will accomplish this with an expertise and professionalism unparalleled in the PET bottle industry. Operational Solutions provides products and services for the PET blow molding industry.  We are the leading independent service and support organization for SIDEL, SIG, and Krones blow molding. We serve customers around the world from our facilities in Kansas City, Missouri and France. Visit us at: www.operationalsolutions.com

We believe true happiness comes from blazing down the blacktop with the pedal to the metal and our hair on fire. The whiter our knuckles get, the better. If it were up to us, cars wouldn't even have brakes, just two gas pedals. It's this never-ending need for speed that drives everything we do. We spend countless hours in the lab and lying awake at night plotting and planning how to get more speed by any means possible. After decades of research and innovation, we've developed a complete line of performance and car care products designed to ensure that your ride lives up to its potential on the street and on the track.  We know what you want. We got what you need. We are 801 Racing.  For more information on 801 racing, please visit: www.801Racing.com

TAN

Whiteley Can Clinch National Championship With Dallas Win

Courtesy of Will Hanna
Photo courtesy of YNot Racing

ENNIS, Texas – Current NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national points leader Jim Whiteley and his YNot Racing team have an opportunity to reach their ultimate goal of winning a national championship with a win during this weekend’s AAA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, just south of Dallas.  With title contenders Chris Demke and Bill Reichert scheduled to be in attendance, it should be an epic battle for this year’s Top Alcohol Dragster Championship.

Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., enters the weekend with a 117 point lead over second place Demke and 118 over third place Reichert.  Both of those drivers must win their final three national events, including this weekend, to overtake Whiteley.  Hence, a Dallas win for Whiteley will clinch the Championship for the YNot team.

“We have had some success at Dallas,” said Whiteley.   “It looks like it will be good weather for everyone.  We just need to do a good job and have a little luck on our side.  We are setting good at the moment points wise, but it’s definitely not over yet.

“Demke, Reichert and some other fast cars will be there trying to win just as hard as us,” Whiteley continued.  “We will have to be on our game, because they will be on theirs.”

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two sessions, followed by one final session Saturday afternoon.  Eliminations begin with round one Saturday evening and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

To find out more about YNot Racing’s promotional partners, visit the websites below:

RaceGoodyear.com - Goodyear's position as the leading tire maker in drag racing is unquestioned. The quickest, fastest and most powerful earth-bound machines in the world look to Goodyear for tires that generate enough traction to take advantage of their stunning ability to go fast in a straight line.

NGKSparkPlugs.com - When performance counts, the fastest teams on two wheels or four, on land or on water choose NGK Spark Plugs.

The team would also like to thank the continued support of J&A Services and Advanced Oilfield Services.

TAN

Brounkowski, Lombardo Win Central Region Closer at Noble

Courtesy of the Pro Sportsman Association/Todd Veney

In Noble, Okla., at the second-to-last regional event anywhere this season, David Brounkowski collected his first Top Alcohol Dragster victory in two years in a thrilling final against Mark Taliaferro, and John Lombardo Jr. earned his second win of the season in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

With an excellent .038 reaction time, Brounkowski got the jump on Taliaferro, who had a not-bad .062, and won by a few feet, 5.409 to 5.402. "I never saw him the whole way, but then I never look," said Brounkowski. "The sides of the car are so high that you can't see anybody unless they're way out there ahead of you." He never noticed his win-light, either. "I'm too busy driving the car to look," he said.

Brounkowski's semifinal match with Randy Meyer was nearly as close. Meyer was off the mark first in that race, Brounkowski came around him to win by two-hundredths of a second, 5.37 to 5.42, and both drivers got out of their cars not knowing if they'd won or lost. Even Brounkowski's first-round match was a tight one; he edged two-time 2012 regional event winner and incoming Central Region points leader Gord Gingles, 5.40 to 5.45.

Taliaferro was just as consistent, with a 5.39 in a first-round win over Alan Bradshaw and a 5.34 (low e.t.) in the semifinals against No. 1 qualifier James Thompson. The field was so competitive that both finalists came from the bottom half; Brounkowski ran a 5.415 for the No. 5 spot and Taliaferro a 5.418 for No. 6.

Lombardo, who won the Division 7 championship last year, overtook Steve Gasparrelli for second place in the Western Region Top Alcohol Funny Car standings behind Annie Whiteley with his latest regional event title, his second of the season and fifth overall. Lombardo set low e.t. of both qualifying sessions and all three rounds of eliminations, including the final, where he topped Lance Van Hauen in a close race, 5.72 to 5.79. It was Van Hauen's third late-round appearance in a row, including semifinal showings in Topeka and Earlville.

Lombardo's 5.72 in the final round was his only run outside the 5.60s, following  a 5.68 in qualifying that held up for the top spot, a 5.67 on his first-round single, and a 5.66 (low e.t.) over current Central Region points leader Kirk Williams in the semifinals.

"The car was like a bracket car all weekend," said Lombardo, who also won the Phoenix regional early this season. "It just went right down the track run after run, and I really have to thank Jeff Lirones and our team for having everything set up just right all weekend. I think it's too late to catch Annie for the Western Region point, but this really helps us in both the regional and national standings."

TAN

Ariel Corp. Backs Drew's TAFC For Dallas

Courtesy of Todd Veney

Ariel Corporation has joined Ray Drew Racing as an associate sponsor for the NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas this weekend. The primary sponsor on the Hales Corners, Wis.-based Top Alcohol Funny Car team remains KW Manufacturing, a metal-fabrication and CNC shop in suburban Milwaukee that builds products for machinery and automation equipment.

Ariel, the world standard in gas compression, will have several customers at the Texas Motorplex to participate as crew members. "I want them to have a true fan experience,” said owner/driver Ray Drew, who ran a career-best 5.53 at 263 mph earlier this season. "There's no better way for them to get a memory of a lifetime than to involve them in preparing the car for a 260-mph pass down the quarter-mile. They'll get an up-close and behind-the-scenes experience and see the hard work and technology that drag racing delivers.”

Ariel Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of separable reciprocating gas compressors utilized by the global energy industry to extract, process, transport, store, and distribute natural gas from the wellhead to the end-user. Ariel also produces specialized API-618 reciprocating compressors for the process industry. For more information, go to www.arielcorp.com.

TAN

TAN Driver Blog - Marie Ferriolo - TAFC

When you complete a speech therapy evaluation you provide the family with a prognosis for treatment; occasionally you have to provide a diagnosis of “guarded” when you have reservations about the success of treatment.  My dad has always believed in guarded optimism when racing.  “You can high five on the starting line but don’t celebrate until you drop the pan.”

I packed my suitcase for Charlotte with “guarded optimism” floating in my head.  We have had such a stellar season thus far, continuously making steps forward.  ETs and mile per hour are steadily increasing; 60 foot times are steadily decreasing; team performance and cohesion continues to get better.  My reaction times are even ever-so-slightly improving!!

It’s hard to keep your feet on the ground sometimes.  We got into the 5.6’s for the first time ever at Cecil and we just keep getting compliments.  I’ll never have to worry about my head getting too big because it has to fit into my helmet ;-) However, in the theme of being “guarded” I have to remember obstacles are everywhere.  We don’t have a lot of money so we can’t push the car beyond the point of small repairs, and it’s important for us to be consistent but considering the registered field we’ll still have to be competitive.  *sigh* (Anyone want to sponsor our amazing team?!?!)

I wonder what Charlotte has to hold for us?  Here’s hoping I don’t trip while running, I keep the car straight, we get another 5.6 second pass and we win first round!!

Marie Ferriolo is the driver of the Central Metals/Ferriolo Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car. Follow her on Twitter: @MarieFerriolo. Tune in to Marie's segment on The Sam Auxier Jr. Show this Monday, September 17th! 7 PM ET

Kon Rodz Looking for Redemption at zMax

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

CHARLOTTE (September 12, 2012) – Cassie Simonton and the Kon Rodz Racing team return to the site of their career-best run this weekend when they enter the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway. Simonton drove the Randy Anderson-tuned Top Alcohol Funny Car to a 5.53 at 261 mph run in qualifying at this track during the 4-Wide Nationals last spring. Similar performances are in order for this weekend.

“We’re all looking forward to racing at zMax again. Our career-best run at the 4-Wide will definitely be on our minds this weekend. The car has been qualifying in the top five consistently. We want to continue that trend and qualify as well as possible, but we also want to make up for the first-round loss from the spring race here,” said Simonton, referring to a bizarre instance where a fuel pump issue prevented the Minnesota driver from taking advantage of a first round bye.

The Spiro Kontos-owned Kon Rodz Racing team is going into the third race of three straight race weekends, the U.S. Nationals being the other two. The car showed promise in qualifying but struggled in eliminations.

“Unfortunately we didn’t do as well as we hoped to at Indy. Our 5.64 in qualifying during the first week held up for fifth once the field was set the following weekend. The car went into tire shake on the one qualifying shot last Saturday, and did the same during first round. Randy knows what caused the shake, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to have a smooth weekend,” Cassie claimed.

Cassie and the rest of the Top Alcohol Funny Car field will have three shots to qualify; 10:00 am and 12:30 pm on Friday and 11:30 am Saturday. First round of eliminations will begin at 5 pm Saturday.

Kon Rodz Racing is a NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team owned by Spiro Kontos, competing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. 25-year old Cassie Simonton drives the team’s 3,000 horsepower Chevy Monte Carlo funny car. Spiro, Cassie, and the whole Kon Rodz Racing team would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support: Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, BAE, Goodyear Tire, Clevite, Mac Tools, Artist ButchM, ithreesixty Music Infused Apparel, and Flaming River Industries.

For more information on Kon Rodz Racing, please visit www.konrodzracing.com. Keep up with Cassie and the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/konrodzracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/cassiesimonton and www.twitter.com/konrodzpr ).

TAN

Duane Shields Wins NHRA US Nationals

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Indianapolis, IN -  After three prior times of making it to the final round, Duane Shields finally won the Mac Tools NHRA US Nationals after almost not qualifying for the event. Because of heavy rain that plagued the race on Labor day weekend, it didn’t appear that Duane Shields would make it into the show let alone the Winner’s Circle. The event was reduced to just two qualifying sessions due to numerous weather delays and Duane’s 5.58 was just shy of the 5.56 needed to qualify. But since it continued to rain, NHRA officials decided to reschedule the remainder of the event for the following weekend which opened the door for Duane to get another shot at qualifying. Not only did Duane qualify but he finally got his elusive win. “It feels great to be the US Nationals Champion and our plan finally came together” Duane said after winning the "Big Go". 

As a result of the week long postponement, the PEAK Motor Oil team was short on help so long time crewman Ralph Freeman set the clutch and did the starting line procedure while Duane tuned the car. “Our plan was to be conservative and just get the car down the track. The conditions were marginal on Saturday but we were able to be a little more aggressive on Sunday since the conditions were better and more consistent” Duane said.

Duane was able to get into the field with a much improved 5.46, which was good enough for the 11th qualifying position. He then faced Dan Page in the opening round. Duane was first out of the gate with a 0.067 reaction time and never looked back as he stopped the clock with a 5.51 at 260 MPH to take the win. Page had problems and coasted to the finish line.  In round two, Duane made a single when his opponent Robin Samsel couldn’t get his car into reverse. Looking for lane choice, Duane ran it out the back door and posted an impressive 5.40 at 263 MPH to move on to the next round.

In the semi finals Duane took on Dave Heitzman in his closest race of the day. Once again, Duane got off of the starting line first with a 0.078 to Heitzman’s 0.101. However, Heitzman quickly passed the PEAK Motor Oil Dragster before Duane was able to regained the lead just before the finish line and won the round by less than a car length. Duane’s 5.41 at 267 MPH was just enough to cover Heitzman’s 5.42 at 264 MPH.

The finals came down to Duane and Sidnei Frigo.  Even though Duane had been in a US Nationals final round three times, he was feeling confident that he would soon win his first US Nationals title on the fourth try. “Sidnei had the car to beat over the last couple of weeks so we had to be on our game. But, I felt good all day and was confident going into the final even though we stayed conservative on the tune up” Duane observed.

As the lights came down Frigo got off the line first with an excellent 0.014 reaction time but smoked the tires.  Duane had a slower 0.038 reaction time but made a clean pass and charged to his first US Nationals victory posting a 5.43 at 267 MPH to Frigo’s 5.85 at 228 MPH. "This is unbelievable! What a turn around going from almost not qualifying to winning Indy! In the past we have had the quickest car here and didn’t win. This year we didn’t have the quickest car but we had one of the most consistent cars. What’s even better is that we won Indy while unveiling PEAK Motor Oil as our new title sponsor” Duane said.

Duane thanked both his new and existing sponsors: PEAK Motor Oil, PEAK Antifreeze, Herculiner Truck Bed Liners, Blue DEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and FINAL Charge Heavy Duty Truck Antifreeze, GRP Connecting Rods, NGK Spark Plugs, Molinari Race Products, Sierra Ice and Shortline Markets for their tremendous support. “I’m proud to be sponsored by PEAK. They have high quality products and we are now the US Nationals Champions. I look forward to representing PEAK for years to come.”

Demke Wins at Woodburn and Resets Track Record

Courtesy of THR5 Communications
Photo courtesy of Aimee Maddern

Woodburn, Ore.  – Chris Demke and Maddern Racing did just about all they could do in winning the Woodburn Regional race this past weekend. They recaptured the track record, defeated a tough opponent, and won the race. The Sherriff and his posse have their swagger back and another trophy for the case. 

“This win is three in a row for us, and four finals in a row,” said Demke. “The final round was amazing with the number one and two in points going at it. Reclaiming the track record is just icing on the cake.”

The path to the victory took some interesting turns along the way. In the first round of qualifying Demke saw Jim Whiteley snatch his track record away that the Maddern Racing Team set at the previous Regional race at Woodburn. Demke’s 5.315/269.78 was good enough for the number two spot, but not the record. In the second qualifying session Demke experienced tire shake and wisely shut it down. The team then made the decision to sit out the final qualifying session and went into eliminations still in the second position. 

Sunday race day saw the Maddern Racing Team’s first round opponent Greg Lawrence not able to make the call to the line. Demke rocketed off the starting line in a planned half track “test run” but once again experienced tire shake, coasting to a 10.160/73.69. A bye awaited them in the Semi-finals and the Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing Team knew it was a chance to get lane choice in the finals. The car launched hard and streaked to a 5.283/268.25. That run not only gave Team Peen lane choice in the finals, but it tied the track record. 

When finals time came around, a familiar car was in the other lane. National points leader Jim Whiteley and current track record holder lay in wait. At the flash of the lights the cars left the starting line with Demke getting the advantage. The cars were wired together until about 1000ft when Whiteley faltered and Demke streaked to the finish line with a new track record 5.271/268.57 to Whiteley’s losing 5.418/217.49. Demke said he “heard a pop and was expecting to start slowing down” but the trouble was in the other lane. 

Crew chief Jerry Maddern, along with Kevin Watson, Michael Demke, Ronald Mann, and tuner/clutchguy Adam Rhoades had the tune-up and the plan in place. Having lane choice in the finals allowed the Maddern Team to place their opponent in an unfamiliar lane, and the victory gives them momentum for the rest of the year. 

"This win is a testament to the power of our team," said Adam Rhoades. "Jerry gives us the best parts, Chris did his job, and the crew worked together to make a great statement. It may not have looked like we were running well, but I knew we could outrun everyone. We proved it because our plan worked and it turned into a win."

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About Peen Rite - Your source for quality shot peening, glass bead, and abrasive blasting services for over 45 years. We provide low cost solutions, high volume capacity, and a superior level of quality control. Equipped with many specialty machines designed to handle the cleaning and surface preparation for a wide variety of work pieces. PEEN-RITE gives you the ability to stay within your job cost estimation! 

Operational Solutions will challenge itself on a daily basis to provide a unique advanced technical service to our customers. Our team will work to identify the problem, procure the necessary parts, and implement the solution. We will accomplish this with an expertise and professionalism unparalleled in the PET bottle industry. Operational Solutions provides products and services for the PET blow molding industry.  We are the leading independent service and support organization for SIDEL, SIG, and Krones blow molding. We serve customers around the world from our facilities in Kansas City, Missouri and France. Visit us at: www.operationalsolutions.com

We believe true happiness comes from blazing down the blacktop with the pedal to the metal and our hair on fire. The whiter our knuckles get, the better. If it were up to us, cars wouldn't even have brakes, just two gas pedals. It's this never-ending need for speed that drives everything we do. We spend countless hours in the lab and lying awake at night plotting and planning how to get more speed by any means possible. After decades of research and innovation, we've developed a complete line of performance and car care products designed to ensure that your ride lives up to its potential on the street and on the track.  We know what you want. We got what you need. We are 801 Racing.  For more information on 801 racing, please visit: www.801Racing.com

TAN

Follow A Dream Team Reaches the Semi's at Indy

Courtesy of Jay Blake

Marstons Mills, MA –September 11, 2012 - Following back-to-back victories in Cecil County, Md., and Bowling Green, Ky., Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team reached the semifinals at the biggest race of the year, the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Driver Todd Veney qualified No. 6 in a field of 24 Top Alcohol Funny Cars and defeated East Coast rival Paul Gill and upstart John Hart before falling in the semifinals to eventual winner Chris Foster.

"I really want to thank the team for all the sacrifices they made to come back for the rain date," said Blake. "Everybody gave up a lot and rearranged their schedule to fill in for the guys who couldn't miss work, and it paid off. Indy's the biggest race there is, and we were still in it late on Sunday afternoon."

Veney was No. 1 in the field until the very end of the opening qualifying session with a 5.65, the team's best run since a low e.t. 5.60 at Richmond in April. After surviving a close call in the first round against Gill when both cars got within inches of the centerline and Gill eventually crossed it, Veney beat Hart in the quarterfinals, 5.77 to 5.95, and lost to Foster in the semi's, 5.60 to 5.69.

"Indy's my home track, and that's the best we've ever done there," Veney said. "Getting down to the final four cars at a race like that is something I'll remember forever, and it really helps us in the points." With the semifinal finish, the team is back in the top 10 in the national standings and remains number 1 in the East Region, 33 points ahead of many-time national and divisional champion Frank Manzo.

The event will be televised on ESPN2 this Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern.

This weekend, the Permatex/Follow A Dream team will compete at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Nationals in Charlotte, where in April Veney ran a career-best 5.52 at 262 mph. Qualifying sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday and 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Eliminations begin Saturday afternoon at 5:00.

For those not in attendance, Blake will be featured on National Public Radio's "Only A Game" radio magazine this Saturday at 7 a.m. and again Saturday at 7 p.m. "Only A Game" is a nationally syndicated weekly sports magazine hosted by veteran NPR commentator Bill Littlefield. Check your local market, or listen to the live stream at www.wbur.org/listen/live

TAN