TAFC Title Decided But Top 10 Still Wide Open

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

With a Manzo-like late-season charge, Steve Harker clinched the 2014 Top Alcohol Funny Car championship with a month left in the season and became the first driver from outside North American ever to win an NHRA championship in any category.

The Australian veteran, who barely raced last year, didn't race at all the two years before that, and insisted all along that 2014 was just a "test year," got faster and faster as the year wore on and claimed a championship that once seemed destined to go to Dale Brand. A Top 5 driver in each of his last three full seasons (2008-10), and the number 2 driver of 2008 and 2009, Harker reached the final at six of his last seven starts (all but the U.S. Nationals) and won all six – Norwalk, St. Louis, Bowling Green, Dallas, Charlotte, and Reading.

Brand topped the rankings almost all year but dropped crucial head-to-head showdowns with Harker at Reading on the last weekend of his season. Both came in semifinal matchups, and Brand drilled the Tree both times with clutch .022 and .019 reaction times, but both times – in the rescheduled Charlotte race held in conjunction with Reading and in the Reading event itself – he had to fight just to keep his car in his lane while Harker streaked to near-perfect runs. Brand's once insurmountable lead was down to a single point by the time they staged in the Reading semi's, and Harker, for the third of four times that weekend, established a new career best (5.51, 5.48, 5.45). His amazing Speed City Monte Carlo then picked up another three-hundredths to a 5.42 in the final, the third-quickest run of all time behind only Manzo's consecutive 5.41s in the last two rounds of his title-clinching win at this race in 2011.

Brand's title bid began to unravel when he dropped final-round decisions he was favored to win on back-to-back days last month – both against upstart Scott McVey, who won his first national event title at the rain-delayed Brainerd race that was completed at Earlville then at the Earlville regional itself. Brand reached at least the semifinals in 13 of 15 starts this year, claimed his first national event victory in Topeka, and lost two other winnable finals – in Gainesville, where he narrowly red-lighted against Dan Pomponio, and in the rescheduled Brainerd final against McVey. He didn't lose in the first round all year, won four events in eight final-round appearances overall, and amassed a 35-11 win-loss mark.

Brand might have a stranglehold on the number 2 spot, but the battle for position throughout the rest of the Top 10 remains wide-open; drivers not even in the Top 10 can still end up as high as third place, which is currently held by all-time great Jay Payne. 2014 was another solid season for Payne, highlighted by a second career U.S. Nationals title. Out of races to claim, he'll finish no better than third but is guaranteed to make the Top 10 for the 15th year in a row – every year except his rookie year in Top Alcohol Funny Car, 1999 – and likely to make the Top 5.

Four rounds behind Payne is Shane Westerfield, who was third last year. He's fourth now, with a national event victory (Houston) and a regional victory (Las Vegas), and one round ahead of a four-way logjam of drivers separated by just two points: Lombardo, Pomponio, Kris Hool, and Clint Thompson.

Lombardo, runner-up for the 2013 championship and a Top 5 driver the past two years, currently is fifth with 498 points but is out of races to claim and can only go down from there. Pomponio, who backed up his 2013 Gainesville and Charlotte victories by repeating at both, is sixth, and though he still has two more national events to claim, the New Jersey driver won't be making the cross-country trek to Las Vegas and Pomona to lock down another Top 5 finish.

Hool, a two-time winner on the regional tour this year, including at his most recent stop, in Noble, Okla., will pass both Pomponio and Lombardo if he wins a single round at either of the two remaining national events. Thompson, tied with Hool at 496 and a three-time finalist this year in regional competition, also will pass Pomponio and Lombardo with a round-win at either Las Vegas or Pomona.

Doug Gordon, who swept the national and regional events at Seattle this year, might be in a better position than anyone but Harker and Brand. With 466 points in just nine starts, he'll almost certainly make the Top 5 and probably the top three. Perennial Top 10 driver Chris Foster, who won the Norwalk regional for the third year in a row, is one point behind Gordon but, because he's not heading west next month, is in danger of missing out on what would be his fourth appearance in the Top 10.

Just outside the Top 10 loom several drivers with an excellent shot at passing Foster, particularly Brian Hough, Sean Bellemeur, and Annie Whiteley. All three should be at the last three races of the year – the national events at Pomona and Las Vegas and the always brutal Vegas regional.

Hough, the early points leader with victories at the Winternationals and the Phoenix regional, will overtake Foster by just qualifying for either national event and he, like Gordon, can finish as high as third. Bellemeur, probably the most overdue driver in Top Alcohol Funny Car, will be at the wheel of Spiro Kontos' car at the Vegas regional and his own car at both national events. Whiteley, who won nine races in 12 final-round appearances and made not just the Top 10 but the Top 5 in each of her first two years in Top Alcohol Funny Car, surprisingly has been shut out this year. She has three runner-ups, including one at a national event, but has been upset in the first round in five of her last six outings despite qualifying in the top half every time.

Brand Holds the Edge in 2014 TAFC Championship Race

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association

It was a foregone conclusion that 2014 would be wide-open when all-time Alcohol Funny Car king Frank Manzo abdicated his throne late last year, and halfway through it, it absolutely is – the number 1 driver at this point probably isn't going to win the championship. 1995 Top Alcohol Dragster champ and four-time Alcohol Funny Car runner-up Jay Payne has won more rounds than any driver in either alcohol class this year (16) but he's also lost more (9).

It's another sure Top 5 or Top 10 finish for Payne, who has more career victories than any active driver in either Top Alcohol Dragster or Funny Car, but the favorite at midseason is a driver who's never even finished in the Top 10: Dale Brand, who had never run enough races to contend for a title until this year. He's been in the late rounds everywhere he's raced all year and with a little luck could have won all six.

Brand, who once terrorized IHRA Alcohol Funny Car racing, heads for the Allstars race and the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago as the defending Allstars champ. He's as quick – and as quick on the Tree – as anyone. He won the Chicago regional last month, broke through for a long overdue first national event title in Topeka, scored again last weekend at Tulsa, and is second in the standings, just 10 points behind Payne.

Brand has a better win-loss record (16-3, .842) than anyone in either alcohol class and is riding a three-race win streak. Only a red-light in the final kept him from winning in Gainesville; a broken throttle linkage stopped him in the second round in Charlotte after he'd opened a car-length lead; and in Houston, he fell to Annie Whiteley in the semifinals by just 11-thousandths of a second.

Annie Whiteley
 

Payne won the rain-delayed Houston regional final over Shane Westerfield by just eight-thousandths of a second, was runner-up at the regional event in Phoenix and the national event in Las Vegas, and just won again last weekend at the regional in Acton, Montana.

Early season leader Brian Hough stands third, 74 points behind Brand. He's 11-4 for the year and won his first two starts of the season, the Winternationals and the Phoenix regional. Westerfield, who moved into the Top 10 for the first time in 2012 and shot all the way up to third in the national standings last year, is one point behind Hough. He's also a two-time winner this season, at the Spring Nationals in Houston and the Las Vegas regional.

Hot off back-to-back final-round appearances in regional competition, Clint Thompson anchors the Top 5. He won Denver on a slight holeshot over Whiteley, 5.78 to 5.78, and lost the Acton final to Payne the same way, 5.72 to 5.69.

With two wins and three final-round appearances in five starts, Dan Pomponio, who finished a career-high fifth in the national standings in his breakthrough 2013 campaign, is sixth in the standings despite running fewer races than anyone in the Top 10. He's won two national events already this season (Gainesville and Charlotte – same as last year) and came within inches of winning the Lebanon Valley regional.

Kris Hool, Whiteley, Nick Januik and Todd Veney round out the Top 10. Whiteley, who has yet to finish outside the Top 5 in her young Top Alcohol Funny Car career, is the only current Top 10 driver without a win, but she has three final-round appearances in her last four outings, qualified No. 1 at all four, set low e.t. at three of the four, and just missed winning each time.

Under the radar and just outside the Top 10 are perennial Top 10 drivers Steve Harker, Chris Foster, Steve Gasparrelli, John Lombardo, and Doug Gordon, all past national event champs. Foster is 12th and has a win and a runner-up in just four starts. Gasparrelli and Lombardo have finished as high as second in the standings, Lombardo just last year. Gordon is 19th, but he's raced just three times this season and has advanced to at least the semifinals at all three.

The dark horse is Tony Bartone, the only active Top Alcohol Funny Car driver ever to have won a championship. He makes his 2014 debut this weekend with a new Murf McKinney-built Camaro tuned by Steve Boggs, and with a late-season push could still win it all. It would take a winning streak of epic proportions, but if he pulls it off, it won't be the first time: the year he won the championship, 1996, he won 37 rounds in a row.

JEGS Allstars: A battle of NHRA Sportsman ranks' brightest stars

Courtesy of Scott "Woody" Woodruff

2013 JEGS Allstars TAD & TAFC team champions

 

CHICAGO (June 24) -- An incredible field of the best NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series drivers from across North America will converge at Route 66 Raceway this weekend for the 30th annual JEGS Allstars competition.

This year's field includes 79 drivers representing 33 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The group will compete for individual and team honors and a share of more than $120,000 at stake during the event, which will once again be held in conjunction with the Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Of special note, each qualifier and the 10 champions will be rewarded a newly designed trophy handcrafted by master sculptor Dan Dreisbach of Naked Sculpture.

The JEGS Allstars competition is a unique event that crowns individual champions in 10 separate eliminators, in addition to an overall team champion. Racers qualify for the prestigious event by earning points in their home divisions during yearlong battles in the following NHRA Lucas Oil categories: Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, and the exciting Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes.

In 2013, the host team from the NHRA North Central Division pummeled the competition for a record-breaking seventh overall team title. Led by Top Dragster racer James Monroe and Top Sportsman racer John Scali, the North Central team accumulated 1,300 points, finishing well ahead of the Southeast Division team, which scored 1,000 points.

As defending champions, Monroe and Scali will have the opportunity to return and defend their titles. They will be joined by fellow returning champions Bill Reichert (Top Alcohol Dragster), Dale Brand (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Mike DePalma (Comp), Mike Crutchfield (Super Stock), Sherman Adcock Jr. (Super Comp), Kevin Moore (Super Gas), and Casey Grubb (Super Street).

The 2013 JEGS Allstars Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car team champions.
When NHRA announced two years ago that Top Alcohol competition would be divided among four regions rather than the traditional seven divisions, JEGS immediately devised a plan to keep the popular cars in the Allstars competition. As a result, Top Alcohol teams will compete for a special "regional" trophy, also designed by Dreisbach.

The Alcohol Dragster field is stacked with former world champions Reichert and Randy Meyer leading the way along with former Allstars winner Chris Demke and rising star Brandon Booher.

With 10-time Allstars winner Frank Manzo enjoying a well-deserved retirement, the Top Alcohol Funny Car title is once again wide open with current defending champ Brand facing a lineup that includes Clint Thompson, Dan Pomponio, and Todd Veney, three drivers currently ranked in the top 10.

The Northeast Division team is tied with the North Central team with seven overall wins and will be looking to break that tie against a team anchored by world champions Frank Aragona Jr. (Comp), Byron Worner (Super Stock), and Ray Sawyer (Super Gas).

Perennial Allstar Adcock will be the cornerstone of a very competitive Southeast Division team that also includes three-time world champion David Rampy (Comp) along with second-generation racers Robbie Shaw (Stock) and Ray Miller III (Top Dragster). The Southeast Division team has a long history of success in the JEGS Allstars competition, having won six overall titles in addition to their runner-up finish last season.

The defending champions from the North Central Division boast a stacked lineup that includes world champion Ray Connolly, Top Dragster specialist Marco Abruzzi, and Super Stock ace Jeff Dona.

A solid South Central Division team includes Slate Cummings, who is racing in two classes (Super Stock and Stock) for the third straight year, and Super Comp rep Austin Williams, who is perhaps the hottest Sportsman driver in the country this season. Past world champion Jimmy Lewis also gives the South Central Division team a hope of collecting another overall championship.

Amazingly, the West Central Division team has never won the JEGS Allstars overall title but has the manpower to do so this year as their impressive lineup includes world champs Bruno Massel Jr. (Comp), Gary Stinnett (Super Comp), and Phil Unruh, who is making his second straight appearance in the Top Dragster class.

The team from the Northwest Division has a lot to prove after scoring just 300 points in last year's competition. A repeat would be almost unthinkable because the 2014 team includes veteran Comp driver Ralph Van Paepeghem, Joe Sorensen (Super Stock), and Casey Plazier (Stock). Historically, the Northwest Division has won two overall JEGS Allstars team titles (1988 and 2005).

The squad from the Pacific Division, who claimed the 2012 overall title, will be looking to regain the top spot, and there is no reason to think it can't with a team that features reigning NHRA world champions Alan Ellis (Comp), Justin Lamb (Stock), and Rick Beckstrom (Super Gas).

The JEGS Allstars program has been a breeding ground for some of today's best-known Mello Yello Series Pros. Reigning Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has been an Allstars representative for the North Central division six times, winning the Super Gas class twice. Other past Allstars participants include Top Fuel drivers Morgan Lucas (Top Alcohol Dragster, 2003 and 2004; won in 2003), current Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon (Super Comp, 2005-07; won in 2005 and 2006), and Spencer Massey (Top Alcohol Dragster, 2007 and 2008; won in 2007) as well as Funny Car drivers Tim Wilkerson (Top Alcohol Funny Car, 1995) and Jack Beckman (Super Comp 2004 and 2005; runner-up in 2004).

While the JEGS Allstars is a highlight competitive event, camaraderie between racers and their crews is evident, especially during Friday evening's racer appreciation barbecue, which is open to all of the JEGS Allstars competitors, their families, and crews.

 

2013 JEGS Allstars Division 3



Thompson Tries to Stop Manzo One Last Time

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Pomona - Team Thompson had a great outing at the NHRA Auto Club Finals where they went all the way to the final round at an event which featured the quickest Top Alcohol Funny Car field of all time. Driver, Clint Thompson was on his game all weekend and made his career best run of all time, a lightening quick 5.54 at 261 MPH in round two.

Thompson qualified eighth with a 5.56 at 259 MPH and faced Tony Bartone in round one. He took out Bartone at the Las Vegas Regional one week prior so this would be a marquee match up in round one. At the hit Thompson was out of the box first while Bartone experienced tire shake and had to idle through the rest of the way. Clint meanwhile screamed down Parker Avenue and took the win light with an impressive 5.56 at 260 MPH to advance to round two.

In the second round it was an all west coast match up between Oregon’s Thompson and California’s Mark Woznichak. As the lights came down Thompson got the starting line advantage with an 0.037 light to the Woz’s 0.071. Thompson was able to maintain the lead all the way to the stripe to record a career best 5.54 at 261 MPH win over Woznichak’s close 5.59 at 260 MPH.

In the semis, Thompson faced Utah’s Cody Perkins. This time Thompson’s opponent got the starting line advantage with an 0.030 to an 0.054 but Thompson was able to make up the gap with another strong run while Perkins experienced some traction problems. Thompson recorded a 5.64 at 247 MPH but burned a piston in the process. “We burned a piston which slowed the car down some. The crew really had to thrash to get the car turned around in time for the finals. We even got some help from Joey Severance’s team to be sure we made it up on time” Thompson said.

In the finals it was a dream match up for Thompson as he would race Frank Manzo who was retiring after this race. Never mind that Thompson was one step away from winning the NHRA Finals, instead it was all about the last shot anyone would ever get at defeating the man Thompson considers to be the greatest drag racer of all time.  Thompson had raced him once before but lost a close race to him in Charlotte. At the line, Thompson got out of the gate first with an 0.031 to Manzo’s 0.047. Unfortunately for Thompson, his lead would not last as he smoked the tires and had to abort the run. Meanwhile Manzo sailed to victory with a 5.53 at 265 MPH to Thompson's disappointing 6.75 at 161 MPH.

Even though a lot of friends and peers came by Thompson’s pit to congratulate the team on a great showing, Thompson was disappointed with his effort despite the final round finish. “I’m really bummed out. We went out and smoked the tires. I had one last chance to beat him but I go up in smoke. I wanted to at least give him a close race rather than be another guy that smokes the tires against him trying to beat him. I didn’t change anything before the final other than I left at a higher RPM but she didn’t like it.  My crew did a great job making me look good and I appreciate them along with my wife Danette” Thompson said.

Manzo Wins Final Race, Ahten Stops Whiteley

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association

Frank Manzo went out on top, winning his final race in Top Alcohol Funny Car, the AAA Finals at Pomona, with low e.t. and top speed, and Jim Whiteley narrowly missed doing the same in Top Alcohol Dragster, uncharacteristically faltering in the final against first-time winner Johnny Ahten after dominating all weekend.

Manzo, who has said all year that he would retire after the season, ran the only 5.4 all weekend and parlayed consistent low .50s, including a 5.53 in the final against Clint Thompson, into his 105^th and last national event victory. "You don't know you're going to win 220-some races – however many it is – when you start racing," said Manzo, 61, who also has 125 divisional/regional wins in his unparalleled career. "You just start, you keep going, and this is where you end up."

The only thing Manzo didn't do in his final race as a driver was qualify No. 1 for the record field (5.63 bump). He was third, behind championship runner-up John Lombardo and Annie Whiteley, but quickly established control in eliminations with low e.t. of all four rounds. His 5.50 in a first-round win over Kris Hool took low e.t. from Lombardo, and he dropped it to 5.49 in round two against Von Smith. "The track was awesome," said Manzo, who had won at Pomona but never at the Finals. "You just don't believe it could really be that good, but that's the smoothest run I've made in a couple months."

Every driver in the second round was in the 5.50s except Manzo and Shane Westerfield, who just missed in a 5.62 loss to Cody Perkins. Good reaction times and 5.50s as a sub for ailing Terry Ruckman carried Perkins to wins over Top 10 drivers Steve Gasparrelli and Westerfield and into the semifinals, where he went up in smoke the one time Thompson was vulnerable. Thompson's engine faded at the end of a 5.64 and he crossed the finish line at just 247 mph, trailing smoke.

In the other semifinal bout, Annie Whiteley, who qualified No. 2 with a 5.53 and never ran slower than that in eliminations, came closer than anyone to beating Manzo, leaving right with him in a 5.52 to 5.53 race. "That's probably the best car out here," he said. "She's my pick to win the championship next year."

Thompson and crew completed repairs in time to face Manzo in a national event final for the second time. Unlike the 2010 Charlotte race, which was decided by two feet, this one was over early when Thompson's car lost traction and Manzo had the track to himself on the last run he'll ever make, a 5.53 at 265 mph.

"This is a dream," said Manzo, who was emotional before the final, very aware of the situation. "To win my final race like this is incredible." The championship that was at least still a mathematical possibility for other drivers just a month ago ended up a 150-point landslide, and Manzo walks away with a record 17 championships, including the last eight.

Jim Whiteley, who also had the championship locked up weeks ago and also won by more than 100 points, was denied a win in his final race when he shook and lost the blower belt against Ahten, who scored with a 5.42. "That was our lucky round," said Ahten, who was solidly in the 5.30s in every other round. "The track was getting cold, and we were nervous about shaking the tires and hoped [Whiteley's crew chief] Norm [Grimes] would try to rotate the earth. It left good, started to chatter, and I said, 'Come on – don't shake. The car was going 221 at half-track, but I kept waiting for him to blow past me the whole time. I couldn't believe he didn't."

It was the first win of Ahten's nine-year career after three runner-ups in divisional/regional competition, including one this year in Seattle. "I've let it slip through my fingers and really tried not to focus on 'If I win this round I get a Wally' and treated the final like any other run," said Ahten, who had good lights in every round and his best, .012 and .016, in the last two. "The car was marching to half-track all weekend, but we could never keep all the cylinders lit to the end like we did in Vegas. We couldn't get any wheel speed in air that good on a track that tight. But I guess it doesn't matter now."

Until the Tree came on in the final, everything pointed toward another Whiteley whitewash. He had 17 mph on Ahten all weekend – 275-276 mph to 258-259 – and low e.t. and top speed. He owned qualifying (5.22 and 5.21) and, knowing that each run could be his last, unleashed another barrage of low 5.20s in eliminations: 5.24, 5.27, and 5.22, all at more than 275 mph, against Bill Litton, Ray Martin, and Garrett Bateman.

Ahten was just as consistent but about a tenth back with a 5.39, 5.35, and 5.36 against a Murderer's Row of past national event champs: Shawn Cowie, Joey Severance, and Mark Taliaferro, who lost on a semifinal holeshot, 5.36 to 5.30. "That was the big one, the round we really had to have," said Ahten, a Los Angeles County firefighter. "He and Cowie both flew past me going 270-something, and I didn't know who won either time. I didn't catch the win-light against Whiteley, either, and for a second I was afraid I red-lighted. I couldn't believe it when everybody was waving at me and it hit me that I beat him in his last race, in Manzo's last race. If you're from here, Pomona is your Indy. I was a kid in the stands when the Finals was at Orange County, and standing up there with Manzo at the end of the race was incredible."

Thompson Concludes NHRA Season in Pomona Before Returning to PSCA Vegas Race

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Pomona CA - Clint Thompson was looking to end the 2012 NHRA drag racing season with a big win at the Auto Club Finals. He has all the ingredients in place to do that but just needed a little bit of extra luck to get through the tough Pomona field. Thompson looked solid in qualifying, as he got in the show with a 5.61 at 253 MPH to land in the sixth position.

In round one, Thompson was matched up against Mickey Ferro who qualified Eleventh. At the line Ferro had a slight advantage but both cars suffered tire shake. Thompson’s shake was much more severe as he got out of shape and was unable to catch Ferro. “Losing our third qualifier due to weather really hurt us as I needed to try something different but we were not sure what changes to make. We took our best guess for the match up with Mickey but that didn’t work either” Thompson concluded. 

After the event, Thompson had a chance to reflect on the final race of the season. “The car has been running really solid until we got to these conditions in Pomona” said Thompson, “the track was just so good that it was difficult to find the right combination to make good runs. In the first qualifying session the car left hard with the wheels up but began to shake and head to the center line. I was able to give it a quick pedal and save it and ended up with a 5.61 that qualified us. In the second qualifying session, the track was spectacular and the car shook real hard early, but when John Lombardo is in the other lane going 5.50 flat you know it’s not the track. We just didn’t have the right setup.”

The conclusion of the NHRA season leaves just one more event, the PSCA Street Car Super Nationals in Las Vegas this coming weekend. At the PSCA event, Thompson will be driving the Pro Extreme Camaro down the full quarter mile. Normally, at ADRL events the cars only race on the eighth mile so this will be a first for Thompson. Testing concludes on Thursday, with qualifying scheduled for Friday and Saturday which will include two runs each day. Eliminations will take place on Sunday.

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 

Why Decide? Thompson Runs Both TAFC and Pro Mod

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

Clint Thompson doesn't know what he likes better – Top Alcohol Funny Car or Pro Mod. So he runs both, fielding an Alcohol Funny Car in NHRA competition and driving Don Carter's MBR-powered '68 Camaro in Pro Extreme on the ADRL tour.

They're about as similar as a hairbrush and a can of soup, and, as Thompson quickly discovered, a Pro Mod car requires a much gentler touch on the wheel than a Funny Car, which sometimes has to be manhandled to keep it in the groove. "You get out of shape in a Funny Car, and when you get off the throttle, usually right you're back under control," Thompson says. "A Pro Mod keeps going for another three- or four-tenths of a second, and the next thing you know, the back end's trying to come around. And you don't get any warning."

So, which does he prefer? "I still love my Funny Car," Thompson says. "It's my first love. Getting back in my car is a relief sometimes because I've probably made close to 2,000 runs in a Funny Car and I don't have to think about what I'm doing every time. In a Pro Mod, I still have to go over the order of things, the process. But driving a Pro Mod is really good for your ego because it's not an easy car to drive. It's a completely different experience, and I really like that torque converter. Push the button, mash the throttle, let your hand go, and the car takes off like a rocket. You get maximum G's immediately, not at the half-second mark like with a Funny Car. Then, it's like riding a marshmallow – it just feels mushy. You don't turn the wheel until you have to, and if you have to, it's probably time to lift."

In Pro Mod, or Pro Extreme as it's called on the ADRL circuit, Thompson just started driving this year. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, he's one of the more successful drivers of this century, with three NHRA national event titles in five final-round appearances, six divisional victories in 14 final-round appearances, and a Top 10 finish in the 2010 national standings. Last year, he just missed, finishing 11^th.

Thompson, 46, has been racing some kind of Funny Car for more than 20 years now, starting in the late '80s, when he bought a used Monza. "I put my big-block Chevy with a Tunnel Ram in the car, bracket raced it, and ran it in CIFCA [the California Independent Funny Car Association, which ran off an index]," Thompson says. "The first car I had that was built just for me was in about 1996. I started running divisionals and the Seattle national event every year. Back then, I'd count how many cars were pre-entered to see if I should even bother going. I remember my wife Danette saying one time, 'Why are we even here? You know we're not going to qualify.' But if you leave it in the shop, you don't learn anything. We even ventured down to Pomona once or twice in those early years, but we were almost embarrassed to show up."

Racing in the Pacific Northwest, home to some of the best Alcohol Funny Car racing in the country, Thompson progressed from perennial first-round punching bag to being competitive to being a legitimate contender to becoming a national event champion. "I cut my teeth racing Bucky Austin," he says. "For the longest time, I'd qualify last, race Bucky first round, and lose. Then I'd qualify a little better, run him second round, and lose. Finally, at Mission [in 2006], I beat him in the final, and it was almost better than my first national event win."

Things began to turn around about 10 years ago when Thompson began his association with Bob Miner. "I ran Seattle, qualified 15^th or 16^th, got beat first round, and blew up the motor in the process," says Thompson, who retired from the car business and is contemplating his next business venture. "The Miner brothers had come on the scene with their engine, and I approached them a couple of times and got nowhere. I was about to give up. When they quit in 2004, I bought their car turn-key and told Danette, 'If I can't do anything with this car, it's time to quit because it's obviously me and my tuning ability that's the problem – not the race car. We won our first race that year at a points meet in Montana and ran the table at Seattle the next year – No. 1 qualifier, low e.t. and won the race – and I owe whatever success I've had to the patience of my wife and the teachings of Bob Miner."

Thompson has since won two more national events, in Sonoma in 2006 and again in Seattle in 2007. In 2010, he just missed what would have been his greatest win ever, dropping a close final to Frank Manzo in Charlotte, 5.57 to 5.58. Right now, he's in the middle of a four-race tour: Richmond for the ADRL race, Chicago and Norwalk for NHRA national events, then Martin, Mich., for another ADRL meet.

"I'm really liking this ADRL deal," Thompson says. "I already loved running my Funny Car, so I don't know which one is better. I love 'em both."

Thompson Makes ADRL Pro Extreme Debut in Houston

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Long time Top Alcohol funny car stand out Clint Thompson surprised fans and fellow drivers when he began testing a Pro Extreme Camaro earlier this year and then announced he would be racing on the ADRL tour full times along with racing his own top alcohol funny car at 10 NHRA National Events. Racing on both circuits in two completely different kinds of cars makes this Thompson's most ambitious seasons yet.

Thompson's entry into the ADRL was simply a case of being at the right place at the right time, working for famed engine builder and close friend Bob Minor. "I was helping Bob Minor at his shop when Don Carter, a customer of Bob's came by to pick up some parts. We all went to lunch when Don mentioned he was looking for a driver for his Pro Extreme car. I told him I think I could drive it and I'd love to give it a try" Thompson said. Next thing Thompson knew he was testing the car in Vegas before moving on to Houston for his ADRL debut this past weekend at Royal Purple Raceway.

Thompson's first attempt to make a pass at an ADRL event didn't go the way he wanted as he ended up being pushed off the track when the battery went dead. "The battery tested good and had the correct amperage before the run but it went south after the burnout and I got pushed off the track" Thompson acknowledged.

In the second stanza, Thompson did what any good driver would do as he abandoned the run when the car made a sudden move towards the center line. "Everyone told me I did the right the thing by lifting. I watched a lot of You Tube videos and seen a lot of guys hit the wall or go on their lid so I have a healthy dose of fear and respect for these cars but I'm getting use to it" Thompson said.

Weather played a role in qualifying as the second round was canceled. As a result, the team got just one more chance to qualify on Saturday morning and got in the show with a 3.89 only to be bumped out of the program minutes later. "Had we got that second run in on Friday night I think we would have got in. There were 24 cars for a 16 car field which makes for a good challenge. It was still a good weekend as I've come away from Houston with the confidence that I can drive the car and we continue to run better every time out. My teammate Dan Myers went to the final round in the 10.5 class and even beat Billy Glidden in the semis so that made it a great weekend too".

When asked what the difference is between driving the funny car and the Pro Extreme car, Thompson had this to say. "The Pro Extreme car is like a Pro Mod on steroids. It has a torque converter and a Bruno two speed transmission instead of the clutch set up that is in my funny car. As a result, the Pro Extreme car uses a transbrake so it's quicker off the starting line. Another difference is you are sitting on the left side instead of in the center of the car. Also, there is no visibility on the right of the Pro Extreme car as it has a tall injector. Because of that it's hard to see the tree when you are in the right lane".

Finally, Thompson was asked what he likes best about the ADRL. "It's laid back but still very professional. The track is great and prepped extremely well thanks to a couple of guys nicknamed the "Traction Twins". On this team I don't have to do the routine maintenance so I get to meet and greet the fans between runs rather than work on the car. That's not something I'm use to doing since I'm always working on my funny car between rounds but I'm beginning to like it".

Clint Thompson Cruises to Final Round at Vegas Divisional Event

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Clint Thompson had a great trip to Vegas as he went all the way to the final round at the last NHRA divisional event of the season held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last week at the Big O Tire Nationals also held there, Thompson went to the semi-finals. So not a bad trip to Vegas for the Klamath Falls, Oregon based team.

In qualifying, Thompson qualified sixth with a 5.74 at 255 MPH. In round one he faced Shane Westerfield. Thompson lost to Westerfield last weekend so this was a chance to even the score. At the starting line, Westerfield got a slight edge out of the gate but Thompson grabbed the lead and never looked back to score the win. Thompson ran a 5.72 at 256 MPH to Westerfield's close 5.78 at 254 MPH.

In round two, Thompson met up with Jay Payne whom Thompson had beat the previous week also in the second round. A the hit Thompson got off of the line first and never trailed as he took the strip and advanced to the final round. Thompson recorded a 5.67 at 246 MPH to Payne's 5.71 at 252 MPH.

In the final round it would be Thompson taking on John Lombardo. Thompson laid down a great 0.015 reaction time to Lombardo's 0.073. Unfortunately for Thompson, his lead would slip away just after the 1000 foot mark as Lombardo would score the victory with a 5.65 at 256 MPH to Thompson's valiant 5.74 at 239 MPH.

Next up is the Auto Club Nationals in Pomona, November 10-13.