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Ahten’s Divisional Race not in the Cards
Courtesy of Ahten Family racing
Las Vegas, NV – NHRA Top Alcohol Drag Racing is not always easy to deal with. This last weekend at the Division 7 race at
the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnny Ahten and his CleanBoost sponsored team realized this very fact. The plannedtesting on Thursday went well, and hopes for a long weekend were in place. Friday’s rainout was a unwelcome surprise. This meant that the team had two runs on Saturday to qualify.
“We ran a 5.520 at 205.88 on Saturday and it just wasn’t enough,” said Ahten. “Then in the last session there was a delay after an oil down. The track cooled and we went up in smoke just like a few other teams.”
The Divisional race did provide some good run data the CleanBoost Team will take into the last National race in Pomona this weekend. There Johnny and the boys plan on using what they learned, and with a slight chip on their shoulder, plan to have the upper hand.
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series Top Five for 2011 – Jamie and Lynda Bridge – Number Two
Courtesy of Quick 32
NAPANEE, ON – Jamie Bridge has always been an innovator when it comes to his racing, and this helped pay off for the Napanee racer this year, placing second in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts Championship
Point Award Series Standings.
“We had an incredibly good year,” noted the Top Dragster driver of the Lynja Motorsports Team. “The car has been so good this year.”
Along with his success in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Bridge has been successful in both NHRA and IHRA divisional competition.
Bridge qualified his dragster for all of the six Quick 32 Sportsman Series events in 2011. He won the Top Dragster side of the eliminations in the first event and the last event, both held at the Cayuga Dragway. In the first race, he lost the event final to Top Sportsman driver and 2011 Champion Phil Sampson of Granton, Ontario, and was eliminated in the event final in the last race of the year by another Top Sportsman entry, Tom Orr of Shawville, Quebec.
The Pro Modified Top Five for 2011 – Eric Latino and the Team Green Camaro – Number Three
Courtesy of PMRA
WHITBY, ON – A new car and a new partner gave Eric Latino a fast and winning combination, placing the Whitby, Ontario driver third in the Pro Modified Racing Association Marydel Homes Championship Point Award Series presented by
Magnum Auto Parts, Patio Passport and Global Emissions Systems Inc. this year.
Trading in his 1938 Chevy coupe for a new G-Force Race Cars 1969 Camaro, Latino qualified number one at three of the PMRA meets, and second in two other events in 2011. He was only eight points behind PMRA champion Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario when the season ended at the Cayuga Dragway in September.
Driving the Team Green Camaro, Latino consistently put down laps in the sub six-second range after he teamed up with prominent Pro Modified car owner Rob Sporring.
Ahten Has a Need for Rapid Acceleration and MPH
Courtesy of Athen Family Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten and his CleanBoost Racing Team are looking forward to this weekend’s Division 7 race because they have a need for speed. Video Games, movies and even rock songs all celebrate the passion for moving across
the pavement. More than just getting down the track, the goal is to do it in a timely manner.
“We want to haul ass, now more than ever,” said Ahten. “We want to get back to what we know how to do.”
Planned testing on the Thursday before the divisional is the plan of attack for the CleanBoost Team. During the past weekend’s Big O Tire’s Nationals Johnny experienced some positive results. Early numbers showed they were one of the quickest cars to the sixty foot mark. Putting that knowledge and information into practice is what has the team motivated.
“Many teams stayed in town after the nationals,” added Ahten. “It’s a stout field, and the testing will help.”
THREE OUT OF SIX ADRL “BATTLE FOR THE BELTS” COMPETITORS WIN THE ON MICKEY THOMPSON TIRES
Courtesy of Mickey Thompson
STOW, OH – Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels is proud to celebrate another year of champion racing at the annual American Drag Racing League (ADRL) “Battle for the Belts” World Finals VII competition presented by Summit
Racing Equipment. Three out of six competitors in the ADRL “Battle for the Belts” took home the exclusive champion belt on Mickey Thompson tires including Ashley Owens (using part #3055S and #3210), Dan Millen (using part #3169W 10.5-inch rear tires and PRO-5 Drag Wheels) and Morgan Benfield (using the new #3625 Junior Dragster tire).
Dan Millen has earned special congratulations for his “Triple Crown” win as he won the race, a “Battle for the Belts” victory, and the 2011 Mickey Thompson-sponsored Extreme 10.5 Class Championship. The Mickey Thompson team joined the celebration following three exciting days of incredible World Finals VII racing action.
Speedco to support Coughlin’s return to Pro Stock
Courtesy of JEGS
LAS VEGAS, NV – Speedco Truck Lube and Tires president Mark Clark announced his company’s support of five-time world champion drag racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. in 2012 as the decorated professional returns to the Pro Stock category in a
new JEGS.com/Mopar-sponsored Dodge Avenger.
“At Speedco, we like to say we’re, ‘Built for speed, staffed for quality, and deliver world class value,'” Clark said. “I believe the same could be said for JEGS Mail Order and JEGS.com and we’re happy to be a part of this race team in 2012 and beyond.”
Coughlin captured Pro Stock titles in 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2008, and was the 1992 world champion in Super Gas. Although he didn’t compete in Pro Stock racing in 2011, he remained active in the sport by participating in numerous high-dollar bracket races and a handful of NHRA national events, several of which he won.
Perkins Looks to Step Up to the Plate for Divisional Race
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Cody Perkins and his 801 Racing sponsored Dragster are looking for some home track advantage for this
weekend’s Division 7 race. Even though the Perkins Team is from Utah, they consider the Las Vegas Motor Speedwaytheir home track. The previous weekend’s National event provided the necessary background information needed to go faster.
“We are going to get after it a little harder for the divisional,” quoted Perkins. “Low 30’s is the goal, if we tickle it just right. We can step on it with confidence and we want to go fast.”
The advantage of having a divisional race at the same track as the previous weekend is that the information obtained is still relevant. The disadvantage is that many other Alcohol teams stuck around with similar thoughts.
“Once again it will be a stout field,” added Perkins. “They also have more run data, so it’s up to us to step up.”
Second Round Exit Makes Perkins More Determined to Finish Strong
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV. – Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team are looking to finish up the year strong after going as far as the 
second round at the Big O Tires Nationals this past weekend. The team missed the first round of qualifying when it was discovered that they had broken the chassis in transit.
“We got behind the 8 ball to start, but we worked together and got it fixed,” said Perkins. “The key to going rounds is making runs when the conditions are good.”
Fortunately there were no other issues or breakage all weekend. Perkins later qualified in the number ten spot with a 5.400 elapsed time at 260.11 miles per hour. In the first round, Cody and the 801 Racing Dragster defeated Aaron Tatum with a stellar 5.362 at 264.44.
Storybook Season Ends With Castellana Claiming ADRL Pro Nitrous World Championship
Courtesy of ADRL
O’FALLON, MO – Just returning to racing would have been good enough for American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Pro Nitrous standout Mike Castellana.
Instead, Castellana got to experience a true storybook season.
Returning to competition after overcoming cancer in late 2010, Castellana provided one of the more remarkable stories in ADRL history, winning four races and earning his first ADRL Pro Nitrous World Championship.
Castellana clinched the title at the recent LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VII presented by Summit Racing Equipment at the Texas Motorplex, and he’s continued to enjoy the memories of a purely incredible season.
Johnny Ahten’s Bedtime Story from Las Vegas
Courtesy of Athen Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten has a bedtime story to tell his grandchildren. It’s all about the 2011 Big O Tires Nationals. The story starts out with a pleasant tale of a hard working drag racer and team, with lots of perspiration,
anticipation, tire smoke and nitro fumes. Just as the story is getting good, it abruptly ends in a cliff hanger.
Johnny’s race weekend started out with a tire spinning first qualifying round. This was a good sign that the car was making the kind of power the CleanBoost Team knew it had. Second round qualifying on Friday saw good first half numbers during the planned shortened run. The team was excited about the data, and was ready to give the last session on Saturday their best shot yet.
This is where the story begins to make a plot twist. The professional classes in NHRA race to 1000 foot. Prior to Ahten’s last qualifying run, the pro’s had their session. In the changeover, the timers were inadvertently not changed to 1320 feet. Johnny made a good run and it looked good enough to beat the 5.539 bump spot. The problem was that without an official time in the quarter mile, the run was not recorded properly. The bottom line was Johnny Ahten and the CleanBoost Dragster was not able to qualify.
