A Surging Spencer Massey leads off the DSR Team Reports
Momentum carries Massey into Route 66 NHRA Nationals, looking for hometown win for Battery Extender sponsor
– When the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series started its first of four consecutive events two weeks ago in Bristol, Tenn., all Spencer Massey and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher team wanted was to make it to a couple of final rounds and maybe pick up a race win during the stretch.
With just two of those races completed, their goal already has been checked off after finishing as the runner-up at Bristol and winning the event title Sunday in the inaugural NHRA event at Epping, N.H.
“When I said that a couple weeks ago, I had no idea how it would play out but it has played out exactly how we wanted,” Massey said. “When we left Bristol, I don’t want to say we were disappointed, but we kind of were because we really wanted to get that Wally (trophy) and get these four races started on a high note. Then to get it at Epping was just awesome. I’m extremely proud of all of my guys because this is one of the toughest stretches on our schedule.”
Massey and the Battery Extender team carry an impressive 22-9 elimination-round record – including two titles – into this weekend’s 16th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Joliet, Ill., not far from the Schumacher Electric headquarters in nearby Mt. Prospect.
“In NHRA Drag Racing, it’s all about momentum and we have that on our side right now. Our car runs really well in the heat and can also lay down some great 3.70-passes when it’s cool. With the unique qualifying at night on both Friday and Saturday at Route 66, you have to be able to run those low numbers and we can definitely do that.”
But another task has now been added to the Battery Extender team led by crew chief Phil Shuler. And that’s win at home for Battery Extender’s Schumacher Electric.
“It’s definitely a big weekend for the Schumachers and the whole Schumacher Electric company,” Massey said. “It would be really cool to put this Battery Extender car in the winner’s circle at their home race with all of the employees with us.”
Massey also has his eye on climbing up the NHRA Mello Yello Series Top Fuel points standings. Currently, Massey is 27 points, less than two rounds of racing, behind DSR teammate Tony Schumacher in second and 70 points behind points leader Shawn Langdon.
The following are Massey’s statistics and other event notes for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.
Throwback weekend near Chicago for Capps, NAPA Batteries team features baseball, two nights of racing in Route 66 NHRA Nationals
– Ron Capps’ visit to the Chicago area this week will be a throwback for him in a couple ways.
The fun starts when the driver of the NAPA Batteries Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car will represent NAPA AutoCare Centers by throwing out the first pitch of Thursday night’s Kane County Cougars-Beloit Snappers baseball game in Geneva, Ill., located about an hour from where he’ll be racing this weekend in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway at Joliet.
The Cougars, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, will be saluting Cubs great and nine-time all-star Ron Santo, who debuted with the Cubs in 1960 and was 70 when he died in 2010.
After his “throwback” experiences at the ballgame, Capps will flash back to the days when he first began attending big-time drag racing and the races often were held at night.
At nearly all Mello Yello events, only one and at most two of the four qualifying sessions for professional categories are held in the evening. But in the Route 66 NHRA Nationals the four qualifying sessions are scheduled for around 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday under ideal track and weather conditions.
For fans, that means quicker times, faster speeds and fire in the header pipes.
“I love the two night sessions,” said Capps, a California native and resident who has won one of his 39 NHRA titles this year. “It’s like old school drag racing for a California kid. We would go watch Funny Cars at night, and nothing was better than that. The fans are going to get their money’s worth.”
After a hot start by finishing as the runner-up at the opener at Pomona, Calif., and winning the title the following week near Phoenix, Capps and the NAPA team began testing some new parts and set-ups on their Funny Car that put them in a little tailspin.
A first-round loss three weeks ago is misleading because Capps’ had one of the quickest times of the round. The next race he qualified fifth at Bristol, Tenn., but an unlikely part broke that ended the day in the opening round.
After qualifying No. 4 last weekend at the inaugural New England NHRA Nationals at Epping, N.H., Capps advanced to the semifinals for the third time in 11 Mello Yello events.
He’s eager to return to Route 66 where he won the title in 2005 and was runner-up twice.
Beckman, Valvoline team gets new colors heading to Chicago for Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
– Jack Beckman is switching colors this weekend at Route 66 Raceway but insists there’s nothing wrong with being green.
After winning the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world championship flying the green and white colors of Valvoline NextGen motor oil, beginning Friday he will be in red, white and blue with the backing of Valvoline MaxLife products created for higher-mileage engines.
“They’re both great products for your vehicles, but now it’s time for us to get Valvoline MaxLife some trophies and a world championship,” Beckman said.
In addition to winning the world championship last year, Beckman set NHRA national records for elapsed time (3.986 seconds) and speed (320.58 mph) in the Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing.
This weekend’s Route 66 NHRA Nationals in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series marks the third of four events over four consecutive weekends, and Beckman’s Valvoline/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors team have advanced to at least the semifinals at four of the past five events and went to its only championship round of the year three weeks ago.
“We’re getting to where we want to be but it’s really time for us to get a trophy this year,” said Beckman, who ranks sixth in championship points but is only 129 out of first place. (Each round win on Sunday pays 20 points.)
Last weekend at the inaugural New England NHRA Nationals at Epping, N.H., Beckman, crew chief Todd Smith and assistant Terry Snyder were disappointed after qualifying No. 10 but were able to march to the semifinals before a mechanical problem enabled eventual event winner Courtney Force to win the round.
“When I stepped on the throttle it put a (cylinder) out,” he said. “That’s frustrating. We think we had a car that could’ve won the race but we left without a trophy and with some hurt parts.
“We’ve got five chances to get a trophy in the next six weeks. We’ll roll into Chicago with every bit of optimism.”
Hagan, Magneti Marelli/Rocky team hopeful for rebound at Route 66 NHRA Nationals this weekend near Chicago
– Once in a while NHRA Funny Car pilot Matt Hagan is able to apply the farming knowledge he’s learned on his cattle farm in rural Virginia to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
And this is one of those times.
After winning the title on June 2 at Englishtown, N.J., Hagan’s Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar/Rocky team has not reached a semifinal round at the past two events, which are part of stretch that includes four events in four straight weekends.
On Sunday at Epping, N.H., Hagan qualified second but lost in the opening round of eliminations.
“When you get knocked down, you gotta get back up,” Hagan said. “That’s what I’ve learned from the farm, that’s what I’ve learned from life. We knew there would be a point in the season where you struggle a little bit and I think we’re in it right now. But it’s about how we rebound from it.”
Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables have taken on the responsibility of keeping the team in high spirits.
“It’s important to me to make sure the confidence in our pit stays high, that our morale stays high because you can’t get down out here,” Hagan said. “We’ve had a lot of success already this season so it’s easy to get down when you’re not going rounds and when you’re not picking up the trophy.”
Hagan feels the turnaround will begin this weekend during the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway at Joliet, Ill., where Hagan won the title in 2010.
“The guys are back in the shop for a couple days this week to check everything over and get ready for the next two races. Dickie (Venables) has done such a great job already this year, and he and I are keeping our heads held high for the guys and we’ll see what we can do this weekend.”
Despite losing in the opening round Sunday, Hagan remained the points leader in NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car standings.
Brown, Matco to test Wednesday near Indy before heading to Chicago to defend their Mello Yello title at Route 66
– Parachutes on a Top Fuel dragster are not supposed to deploy at the starting line.
But Antron Brown and his Matco Tools are at a point where nothing surprises them, like when one of his chutes popped out on a Saturday qualifying run when he hit the throttle at the inaugural New England NHRA Nationals at Epping, N.H.
The reigning NHRA world champions and winners of two titles through the first seven events of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season have been hit by so many unexpected maladies that the only way to go is up when the Don Schumacher Racing team arrives Friday at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago for the 12th event of the season.
After losing in the first round Sunday at Epping, N.H., for the fourth consecutive event and sixth in the past seven, nothing is better than returning to where you left with the Wally trophy on your last visit.
“The Chicago track always has been good to me,” said Brown, who has won three of his 39 NHRA titles at the track including one of his six last year. “We’re motivated and pumped up to get there and get after it.”
Crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald aren’t going to wait until getting to Chicago.
The Matco team plans to test Wednesday at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind., which is only a few miles from the DSR shop and Brown’s home. After racing at Epping, Brown flew to northern Ohio Monday for a visit to Ohio Technical College in Cleveland.
“We’re going out there to test and start breaking in a new car,” Brown said.
“It’s been our back-up car but eventually we’ll be using it as our primary.
“We just have to look to the next race. What’s done is done; it’s behind you. You can’t focus on that because it’s in the past. You have to focus on what happened and why, and learn from that and grow from that.
“Going through these struggles we’ve learned things we never thought about. We’ve been reminded how close you are to the edge when you’re trying to get down the racetrack. We’ve been on the opposite side of that, and we’ll pull it back a little bit and creep up on it.
“That’s our game plan going to Chicago. We have to go A to B on the first run. We have to look at the little things so they don’t bite as like the parachutes coming out.”
Qualifying has been a key factor in so many first-round losses. Brown has qualified 11th, 12th and 10th, respectively, in the last three races which enabled his better-qualified opponent to have choice of lanes for the first-round pairing.
Brown said the unique format to the event at Route 66 Raceway at Joliet, Ill., will provide the best scenario for the Matco team to get on track. All four qualifying sessions Friday and Saturday will be held at around 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., virtually at ideals times instead of having at least two sessions in afternoon heat like most Mello Yello events.
“We’re just staying positive, and we’re ready to put in the work that’s needed to get four good qualifying sessions in the evening time. It gives you twice as many opportunities to make it into the top half of the field.
“Brian, Mark and our Matco team are working hard. Our Matco Tools teams is ready to get back out there.”
