DSR feelin’ good headed into Route 66
Capps, NAPA to go all out for Intrepid Fallen Heroes at Route 66
BROWNSBURG, IN – NAPA AUTO PARTS’ program to help the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is in full swing and Ron Capps would like nothing more than to provide added exposure for the effort to help injured veterans.
The best way for him to do that is to go the distance this weekend and win the NHRA Route 66 Nationals title near Chicago in Joliet, Ill., to start the second half of the 24-event NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
For the second straight weekend, Ron and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car will carry patriotic colors and the symbol for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (FallenHeroesFund.org) to help NAPA promote its month-long effort in July to assist families of U.S. military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for those severely wounded in the performance of their duties in Afghanistan and/or Iraq.
“Our NAPA team pushes even harder when we can help NAPA help the Intrepid Fallen Heroes,” said Ron, who won at Route 66 in 2005. “The better we run in qualifying and the more runs we can make on Sunday in eliminations means the more we can do to teach fans about the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.”
After qualifying No. 8 at Norwalk last weekend, it would have appeared that the NAPA team would advance to the quarterfinals when it produced a time of 4.066 seconds at 312.93 mph in what was the third quickest time of the entire day.
Unfortunately, event runner-up Courtney Force gained a slight advantage at the starting line and slipped past Ron by about 18 inches at the finish line at over 310 mph.
“That was a great run,” Ron said of the effort by the NAPA team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler. “That would have won most rounds, but sometimes that’s the way it goes out here.
“The saving grace is that we’re going to be right back at it at Joliet. We qualified well enough to have our choice of lanes for the first round but we just got lined up against the wrong car.
“I’m very encouraged with the way our NAPA Dodge is running.”
What stung the most, Ron said, is cutting the day short for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes.
“It’s such an important couple weeks for us with this paint scheme. This is our last time this year with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes but we’ll keep talking about it and NAPA’s program runs through the end of this month.”
NAPA’s campaign raised more than $1.725 million last year for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and in the past three years generated over $3 million.
Beckman wins for third time in first half of Mello Yello season, faces another night challenge with Infinite Hero team this weekend
– Jack Beckman can set a personal record for most wins in a season when he races this weekend in the Route 66 Nationals near Chicago in Joliet, Ill.
The 2012 NHRA Funny Car world champion and driver of Don Schumacher Racing’s Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T won for the third time on Sunday in Norwalk, Ohio, and moved up to third in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings.
It’s been a whirlwind rebound through the first half of the 24-event season for Jack after winning at Charlotte in March ended a non-winning streak of nearly 2 1/2 years dating back to late in his championship season.
This season started with Jimmy Prock, a new crew chief formerly with John Force Racing. Another Force crew chief left at the end of the past season to join Prock and remaining assistant Chris Cunningham. The balance of the crew also left Force to rejoin Prock.
And winning three of the last nine Mello Yello events proves the new team is worthy of winning another championship.
“If you went to every Funny Car driver out there and said give me your top two picks for crew chief, who do you want to have in your corner, he may not be first on everybody’s list, but Jimmy Prock will be on everybody’s list,” Jack said.
“After going over two years without a win, I’d love to quote all of the sports psychology clichés, but sometimes you wonder: Was that the last win we are ever going to get? Now, I have three wins so far this year. I have never won more than three in a year. We may never win another one again and we may win the next three. Either way, it is comforting to know that we have a car that is capable of winning every week.
“Man, what a year we’re having. We went and won at Charlotte and that was bitchin’ because it ended a 55-race winless streak. We went out and won Topeka with all of those delays for weather and run five three-second runs. Before we got to Chicago our (fabrication) shop put a brand new front half on the (chassis) and with a completely different clutch configuration, and we win again.
“If this season turns out the way I think it can turn out, we have a lot to look forward to.”
Jack, who won for the 18th time on Sunday, knows the heart of the season is ahead with half the year in the book and two-thirds of the regular season completed. After the 18th event, points will be reset for the top-10 drivers in each of four pro categories for the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship.
The Mello Yello series will have a week off after leaving Route 66 Raceway but when the series resumes it will face three straight weekends with the Western Swing to Denver, near San Francisco and Seattle.
The qualifying format at Norwalk and Chicago are among only three NHRA events that feature four qualifying sessions after 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday including two at 8 p.m.
While that offers great performances and excitement for fans – and Jack loves the thrill of nighttime racing in his 10,000-horsepower Dodge Charger R/T with flames shooting over the roof – he knows that puts added stress on his team.
“It’s one of only a few races on tour where you get two night runs. I love this but it is murder on the crew. Our guys stayed out until midnight Friday and Saturday at Norwalk and it is really tough when they had to be back by 7 in the morning on Sunday to get ready.
“But if we we’re holding the trophy on Sunday then everything was worth it.”
It was that way at Norwalk and he hopes to repeat at Route 66 where he has yet to reach a championship round.
Massey’s big rebound plan includes climb for Sandvik Coromant team up Mello Yello standings at this weekend’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals
– Spencer Massey wants to win each weekend in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series but this weekend’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., near Chicago has an added incentive.
In addition to Chicago being a home race for team owner Don Schumacher and his company Schumacher Electric Corp. with its Red Fuel brand, Spencer also is flying the yellow and red colors of Sandvik Coromant that has a productivity center near Chicago.
“Chicago is always a big race for Don Schumacher Racing because it’s Don’s hometown, all of the Schumacher Electric employees come out and we want to do well for them,” Spencer said. “Then we add in all of the great folks from Sandvik who will be coming out and it just really makes you want to seal the deal on race day.”
Spencer and the Sandvik Coromant Top Fuel team along with Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman will be a part of the High Performance Open House on Wednesday, July 8 at the Sandvik Coromant Center in Schaumburg, Ill., from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This will be our second trip to a Sandvik Coromant Center this season and it’s fun because the whole team comes out and we get to meet the employees, they get to learn about what we do and we learn about them. Then they’re able to come out to the racetrack and see it all come together.”
The 2009 winner at Route 66 is also looking to make up for last weekend’s first-round loss at Norwalk, Ohio. The team led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler exceled in qualifying in nighttime conditions but in the heat of the day on Sunday failed to make a full pass down the track.
“It’s just kind of part of it when we’re at this point in the season. We have a few events were we qualify in totally different conditions than what we race in and we have to make the right adjustments for it,” Spencer said. “Todd and Phil know what happened on Sunday and I know that when we roll into Route 66 that we’ll be good to go.
“The big thing we want to do right now is go rounds on Sunday and start moving back up towards the top-three in points,” he said of dropping to sixth in points. “We only have six races left in the regular season before the points are reset for the Countdown to the Championship. We’d really like to see ourselves in a better position so we’ll keep working on that.”
Hagan has strong history at Route 66 Nationals as points-leading Mopar Express Lane/Rocky team head to Chicago for NHRA action
– If history means anything in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series then mark down Matt Hagan as a favorite for this weekend’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill.
Matt and the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team are searching for their third consecutive Chicago title and fourth overall at this weekend’s 18th annual Route 66 event, the 13th race of the 24-event Mello Yello season.
The team led by crew chief Dickie Venables is looking to redeem itself following a disappointing quarterfinal loss at last weekend’s event in Norwalk, Ohio.
“We had such a great hot rod last weekend all throughout qualifying and we came out on race day and just didn’t back it down enough for the heat,” Matt said. “We’re not going to win every round and we know that, but I think we let that one slip by us and we don’t want to do that again this weekend.”
The qualifying format for this weekend’s event near Chicago is unique. Teams will have four qualifying sessions in the late afternoon and evening before racing in the heat of the day on Sunday. This weekend’s eliminations will be aired live on ESPN2 from 2 to 5 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
“This qualifying format is definitely tough on crew chiefs that have to make calls on Sunday in conditions they hadn’t raced in qualifying. We’ve got a good track record at Chicago, and I wouldn’t want anyone else making calls on this Mopar Dodge Charger R/T than Dickie Venables. Dickie has definitely proven himself this year and in the past at Chicago. I’m happy he’s in my corner.”
The three-time Chicago winner has four event titles through 12 events this season and a six-round points lead over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps, who is second in standings.
“We just have to keep our heads down and stay focused and keep learning about this car. We’re halfway through our year and Dickie and these guys are doing an outstanding job and every time I crawl into this car I feel like we can win so I’m excited to get back out there this weekend and see what we can do.”
Matco Tools team with Brown rebound after rare two-race stumble to advance to Norwalk final, alone in first heading to Chicago
– Antron Brown has proven he can win in the NHRA Route 66 Nationals near Chicago in Joliet, Ill., whether he’s on two wheels or four wheels, and he’s done it often.
The current points leader in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series won at Route 66 in Top Fuel last year and in 2012, and in Pro Stock Motorcycle in 2000 and 2001.
“I love coming to Chicago and not just because we’ve been blessed to win there, but it’s so close to where we live (outside of Indianapolis) that friends and family are able to come by. This will be two straight weekends where we raced close to home. Best thing is I didn’t have to go to any airports.”
This past Sunday at Norwalk, Ohio, Antron and the Matco team advanced to their fifth championship round of the season before losing a close race to Doug Kalitta. Through the first 12 events this year, he and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald have won three times.
Antron and Funny Car teammate and points leader Matt Hagan swept the nitro titles a year ago at Route 66, and the double-up for DSR has happened four times through 12 events this year for a total of 48 times since 2003.
“We’d love to be part of something like that again,” said Antron, who has won 50 times in his career including 34 in Top Fuel since joining the class in 2008. “There’s nothing better than to be one of the drivers sharing the same Chicago winner’s circle with Don in his hometown.”
Before racing at Norwalk, the Matco team had stumbled the past two races by losing in first rounds after winning on June 7 for the first time at Antron’s home track in Englishtown, N.J. Antron qualified third at Norwalk and advanced to a championship round for the fifth time in 12 races this year and the 92nd time in his career.
“All of our Matco guys did such a great job last weekend with the fast turnarounds for live TV (on ESPN),” Antron said.
Mello Yello teams will face similar challenges this Sunday with more live TV scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.
“We went out there and were running good and it just dropped a (cylinder),” he said. “The car had a great 60-foot time and it didn’t make it to 330 feet before it dropped that cylinder. Lord knows that’s how it goes sometimes.”
The Norwalk weekend began with the Matco team holding a two-point lead over DSR teammate Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army unit, which were able to pull into a tie after a better qualifying performance. Tony lost in the semifinals to Antron that allowed Antron pull ahead by 20 points heading to Route 66.
“We’ll keep on plugging and go to Chicago and build on the leaps and bounds we made at Norwalk,” Antron said. “The car was responding the way Brian and Mark wanted it to, which is great. We’ll work on this and be better.
“We’re like a family,” Brown said. “When we have meetings there are times when we know what each other are thinking before we even say a word. That’s how in tune we are with each other and where we want to go.”
