NHRA
B. TORRENCE, HAGAN, ANDERSON AND SAVOIE RACE TO KEY VICTORIES AT AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – It was a Texas-sized celebration for Billy Torrence on Sunday at Texas Motorplex, as the Top Fuel 
Texan powered to the victory at his home track during the 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in their respective categories at the fourth of six races during the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It is also the 22nd of 24 events in during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Torrence claimed his second victory in the playoffs, going 3.775-seconds at 319.67 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster to beat first-time finalist Jordan Vandergriff in the final round. Torrence, whose son Steve is the points leader and defending world champ, earned his fourth victory this season and fifth in his career, winning for the first time at his home track. He pulled to within 71 points of his son, who lost in the opening round on Sunday, picking up wins against Terry McMillen, Shawn Reed and No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force to reach the final round. Vandergriff was quicker off the line, but hazed the tires and Torrence chased him down for the biggest win in his career, also giving the Torrence family their third straight win in the playoffs and second consecutive in Dallas.
B. FORCE, J. FORCE, COUGHLIN & M. SMITH TAKE NO. 1 SPOTS INTO RACEDAY AT AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – Brittany and John Force both raced to the No. 1 spot in their respective classes Saturday at Texas 
Motorplex during the 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, as they try to become the first father-daughter combo in NHRA history to win at the same event.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fourth of six races during the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It is also the 22nd of 24 events in during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
B. Force’s track record run of 3.651-seconds at 331.28 mph from Friday in her Advance Auto Parts dragster held up to take the No. 1 spot for the eighth time in 2019 and 18th time in her career. She finished qualifying with another impressive run in the 3.60s on Saturday and will meet Cameron Ferre to open eliminations. It marks the second time B. Force and her father qualified No. 1 at the same event, with the first also coming in Texas during the race in Houston last spring.
B. FORCE, J. FORCE, COUGHLIN & M. SMITH START FAST WITH PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – It was an all-Force Friday during NHRA Prime Time qualifying at Texas Motorplex, as Brittany and 
John Force powered to the provisional top spots in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, during the opening night of qualifying at the 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fourth of six races during the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It is also the 22nd of 24 events in during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
If it holds, it would mark the second time the father-daughter Force duo would claim the top spots at the same race. They accomplished the feat in Houston this year, becoming the first father-daughter combo to claim No. 1 at the same event. B. Force set the track E.T. record in Top Fuel in her Advance Auto Parts dragster on Friday with an impressive run of 3.651-seconds at 331.28 mph. If it holds it would be Force’s eighth No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and 18th in her career.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE’S EDDIE KRAWIEC BANKING ON BIG RESULT DURING MAKE OR BREAK WEEKEND AT AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – A solid, consistent 2019 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has Eddie Krawiec in contention for 
another world championship. But the three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ knows he has to be great the rest of the way for that to happen, including at this weekend’s 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
The key race comes as the fourth of six in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, and Krawiec is trying to track down longtime teammate Andrew Hines, who has a remarkable eight wins this year. Krawiec is still searching for his first of 2019 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, but history is on his side in Dallas. The veteran standout has a class-best three wins at the facility, including back-to-back victories in 2016 and 2017, which means this might be the weekend where everything comes together for Krawiec.
“Luck just hasn’t rolled my way in certain situations, but with that being said, I think it’s shown that consistency is key,” Krawiec said. “I’m sitting third in points consistently going rounds, putting myself in good situations. Truthfully, I think these last three are make-or-break weekends, especially Dallas. If I can go to Dallas and win, it puts me right in contention to win a championship. But I don’t think I’m in a bad position going into Dallas.”
PRO STOCK POINTS LEADER ERICA ENDERS THRIVING AT THE PERFECT TIME APPROACHING AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – It’s every racer’s goal to be peaking at the right time when the Mello Yello Countdown to the 
Championship arrives and Erica Enders has been the perfect example of that during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. After an up-and-down regular season, things have come together well for the two-time Pro Stock champ, who is now the points leader heading to this weekend’s 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
Enders has been dominant during qualifying, racking up three straight No. 1 qualifiers in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, and a victory in St. Louis has her thinking big. The Texas native knows what a win in Dallas would mean to open the second half of the six-race Countdown to the Championship, too, and Enders is ready to take full advantage.
“It’s really exciting,” said Enders, who has 24 career wins. “I would have never guessed we would be in this position with the start we had, so I’m very pleased with where we’re at. My goal going into Charlotte was to leave with the points lead and the second part of that goal is to never give it back. We’ll do our best to keep it. We’ll go to Dallas and it’s a track that’s been good to us in the past. Our goal is to leave with another cowboy hat and belt buckle.”
FUNNY CAR LEGEND JOHN FORCE FIRED UP TO TRY AND MOVE UP IN TITLE CONVERSATION AT AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – Even after 16 world championships and picking up his 150th (and 151st) win this season, John Force 
remains as motivated as ever to accomplish more in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. With another championship in sight heading to this weekend’s 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, Force is hopeful for another Dallas triumph.
He has seven in his legendary career, but another victory at the facility, this time to start the second half of six-race Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship would be welcome. Force is currently third in points, 79 points behind John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight, and a win in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / BlueDEF Chevy Camaro SS might be necessary to keep those title hopes alive.
“Racing is what I love to do,” Force said. “I’m trying to fight the old man (in me) every day. You know, I started hearing, ‘you’re 70, this thing is over,’ and it’s really true what they say, it’s how bad you want it. When I get in that car, I’m alive again. It’s like my heart starts working and everything is good. So, don’t let anybody tell you that you’re too old. Get up and stay alive and keep moving. Someday I’ve got to go out that door, but before I do, I’d like to win at the Motorplex and maybe win another championship.”
AFTER EARLY SLIP REIGNING TOP FUEL WORLD CHAMP STEVE TORRENCE BACK ON TRACK HEADING TO AAA TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – It was a shocking start to the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship for reigning Top 
Fuel world champ Steve Torrence. But the talented Texan has more than made up for it at the past two races, looking back in championship form as he heads to his NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series home track with another world title on his mind.
Torrence started the six-race playoffs with a first-round loss – his first opening-round loss since February and first in the Countdown to the Championship since 2016 – but those concerns immediately went by the wayside. He rebounded with a final round appearance in St. Louis and a victory on Monday in Charlotte, regaining the points lead in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster and putting Torrence back on track for a possible second straight title heading to Texas Motorplex for this weekend’s 34th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.
“You have to go rounds and you need to win races,” said Torrence, who has nine wins in 2019. “I think we need to win two more races to be pretty solid and have an opportunity to win another championship. We’ll just do the best we can do. I’m looking forward to going to Dallas. It’s a good time right now having the momentum going back-to-back. We need to try to go there and carry this momentum and see if we can be successful.”
JACKSON DOUBLES UP AT NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS WITH PRO MOD EVENT VICTORY AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CONCORD, NC – Stevie “Fast” Jackson doubled up today when he claimed the world championship in the E3 Spark 
Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service and the event win at zMAX Dragway Monday during the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals.
The series was presented by the Real Pro Mod Association (RPM) in at the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals and marked the 11th of 12 races in 2019.
A round win in the semi-finals clinched the first Pro Mod championship for Jackson when his pass of 5.734-seconds at 251.20 mph defeated Michael Biehle II. However, he only had a quick moment to celebrate before getting back to the pits to prepare for the final round of the event where he would face Steven Whiteley.
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team,’ and we never give up,” said Jackson. “This championship started when I was lying in a hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling after crashing here (in April 2018), and I told these guys we were going to get it. It’s awesome to tie a bow on the season here.”
TORRENCE, HIGHT, KRAMER AND HINES EMERGE VICTORIOUS AT THE NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, NC – Steve Torrence took over the Top Fuel points lead in the Mello Yello Countdown to the 
Championship when he defeated Doug Kalitta at the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Robert Hight (Funny Car), Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in their respective categories at the third of six races in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It is also the 21st of 24 events during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Defending world champion Torrence won this event for the second year in a row with a final round pass of 3.772-seconds at 323.19 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster to beat Kalitta. He also picked up wins against Lex Joon (who did not appear in the first round), Clay Millican and Justin Ashley on the way to his ninth win in 2019 and his 36th win in his Top Fuel career.
Kalitta beat Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett and Brittany Force on his side of the ladder before facing Torrence. The runner-up showing puts him second in the points race.
NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS WEATHER UPDATE
CONCORD, NC – With continuing precipitation in the forecast, Sunday’s activities at the 12th annual NTK NHRA 
Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway have been postponed until Monday.
Gates will open at 9:00 a.m. ET with competition beginning at 10:00 a.m. with Top Fuel eliminations.
Today’s tickets will be honored on Monday. Walk up adult tickets will be $20 Monday and kids 13 and under will get in free.
For Sunday ticket holders who cannot attend tomorrow, the NHRA credit policy will be in effect.
