- AARON STANFIELD RUNNER-UP AT NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
- Tony Schumacher Out Early After Jam-Packed Four-Wide Weekend in Charlotte
- HART KEEPS IT CLOSE IN TIGHT QUAD AT CHARLOTTE
- LANGDON OUT IN ROUND ONE AT ZMAX
- KALITTA MAKES FINAL QUAD AT ZMAX FOUR-WIDE
- TODD MAKES IT TO THE SEMI-FINALS AT THE CHARLOTTE FOUR-WIDE
Schumacher, Neff, Connolly, Hines, Hagan, Dixon and Reinhart on WFO Radio
Courtesy of WFO
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winners, Tony Schumacher, Mike Neff, Dave Connolly, and Andrew Hines, plus, news-makers Matt Hagan and Larry Dixon all join Joe Castello, along with the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart, on WFO Radio NHRA Nitro. To listen
now, go to http://www.wforadio.com/
Tony Schumacher, stops by WFO Radio to discuss his ninth Mac Tools U.S. Nationals win. The win ties Schumacher with Bob Glidden. Schumacher talks about his final round match up against Spencer Massey, passing “Big Daddy” Don Garlits Indy win total, and the first win for the canopy, currently in use on his U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster.
Mike Neff, returns to WFO Radio to talk about winning “back to back” U.S. Nationals, John Force Racing’s five year domination of the NHRA’s most prestigious event, and his preparation for the NHRA Countdown.
Demke Wins at Woodburn and Resets Track Record
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Woodburn, OR – Chris Demke and Maddern Racing did just about all they could do in winning the Woodburn Regional race this past weekend. They recaptured the track record, defeated a tough opponent, and won the race. The Sherriff and his posse have their 
swagger back and another trophy for the case.
“This win is three in a row for us, and four finals in a row,” said Demke. “The final round was amazing with the number one and two in points going at it. Reclaiming the track record is just icing on the cake.”
The path to the victory took some interesting turns along the way. In the first round of qualifying Demke saw Jim Whiteley snatch his track record away that the Maddern Racing Team set at the previous Regional race at Woodburn. Demke’s 5.315/269.78 was good enough for the number two spot, but not the record. In the second qualifying session Demke experienced tire shake and wisely shut it down. The team then made the decision to sit out the final qualifying session and went into eliminations still in the second position.
Sunday race day saw the Maddern Racing Team’s first round opponent Greg Lawrence not able to make the call to the line. Demke rocketed off the starting line in a planned half track “test run” but once again experienced tire shake, coasting to a 10.160/73.69. A bye awaited them in the Semi-finals and the Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing Team knew it was a chance to get lane choice in the finals. The car launched hard and streaked to a 5.283/268.25. That run not only gave Team Peen lane choice in the finals, but it tied the track record.
MARTINO DISAPPOINTED WITH INDY SHOWING, VOWS BETTER RESULTS ARE IN STORE
Courtesy of Martino Racing
Stoney Creek, ON – Things didn’t go exactly as Mark Martino planned during last weekend’s rain-delayed completion of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. The third year pro was bounced in the first round by full-time competitor Vincent Nobile, a 
result that doesn’t sit well with Martino.
“This event definitely didn’t go the way we expected after how strong we ran in Brainerd a couple weeks ago,” said a dissatisfied Martino. “Scott [Bentham, assistant Crew Chief] and the rest of the team did a good job and I can’t thank them enough, but we really missed having Lump [Crew Chief Brian Self] here this weekend.” Self was unable to attend the rescheduled event because of prior commitments to ADRL Extreme Pro Stock point’s leader Cary Goforth, where he also serves as Crew Chief.
“We’re just a part-time team, so we do the best we can with what we have and we completely understand that Lump had a previous commitment to the Goforth’s in Memphis and that’s a reality we have to deal with until we get some more funding behind us that will allow us to have a full-time guy on the car,” noted Martino. “We know we had the power to run with everyone using a Cagnazzi motor, but the rain-delay and some mechanical issues [in the first qualifying session of the rescheduled event] really put us in a tough spot, with very little track-time to figure the car out.”
Championship contender Coughlin eyeing Pro Mod success at zMax Dragway
Courtesy of Jegs
CHARLOTTE, NC – With three races left in the NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by ProCare Rx, third-ranked driver Troy Coughlin finds himself just three rounds out of first place. In the last three races, the past world champion has posted two runner-up results and a
semifinal finish, making him one of the hottest drivers on tour as the NHRA circuit arrives at zMax Dragway.
“We jumped up to third at the Indy race last Sunday and that’s exciting,” Coughlin said. “We just need to keep going a round or two further than the other top guys and it will get really interesting for us.”
Coughlin, the 2009 Pro Street champion in the National Muscle Car Association, has successfully qualified for the seven races contested so far this season and has gone rounds at the last five national events. His JEGS.com twin-turbo entry has proven to be one of the quickest at every race.
Coughlin bullish on chances in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship
Courtesy of Jegs
CHARLOTTE, NC – In the five years that NHRA has decided its champions through a playoff-style system, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has emerged on top of the Pro Stock heap twice, in 2007 and 2009. Including the crowns he also earned in 2000 and 2002, Coughlin has won through shear dominance and been pushed to the bitter end only to slip through victorious by the slenderest of margins.
In 2012, Coughlin will need to reinvent himself once again as he enters the Countdown to the Championship, which begins this weekend at zMax Dragway, in the 10th and final spot in the field of eligible drivers. He’s 110 points behind leader Allen Johnson, which is the equivalent of five and a half rounds of action, with six races and a potential of 24 rounds left on the table.
“We’re one of the chosen few that have a chance and we’re very, very excited about that,” Coughlin said. “We have an extremely large mountain to climb, both in the points and with our growing program, but I truly think we’re better than what we’ve shown and if we can race to our capabilities down the stretch, then we’ll have a chance.”
Rich Halleen takes 32 car TNT Super Series field on Friday
Courtesy of TNT
LANCASTER, NY – It was Niagara Falls, New York’s Rich Halleen in the winner’s circle last Friday night as the Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series kicked off its final double header weekend at Dunn Tire Raceway Park.
Skies were overcast and rain was a constant threat but that didn’t stop thirty-two of the best sportsman racers in the northeast from descending on the 1/8th mile facility for the TNTSS event presented by The Sister Act Band.
Rich, who qualified tenth with a 7.011, faced TNTSS newcomer Gary Carlson in round one. Rich was .020 better on the tree and took .007 stripe running 7.017 to Gary’s 7.030.
In round two, he got the better of Kevin Orr on the tree by a mere .011 and took the round win with a 7.015.
Demke, Whiteley Pad West Region Leads in Woodburn
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Woodburn, OR – Incoming West Region points leaders Chris Demke and Annie Whiteley swept the West Region event at Woodburn Dragstrip, Demke scoring for the second time this season in regional competition and Whiteley for the fourth.
Whiteley’s husband, Jim, was neck and neck with Demke in the Top Alcohol Dragster final until his car banged the blower near the 1,000-foot mark, slowing him to a 5.41 at just 217 mph. “I heard the boom,” Demke said. “I heard him right alongside me the whole way, and then I heard the bang. For a second, I thought it was my car and expected to slow and lose. It took a little bit to realize that I wasn’t slowing down.”
Points Leaders Gingles, Williams Take Earlville
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Earlville, IA – At all-concrete Tri State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa, Gord Gingles stomped the Top Alcohol Dragster field to strengthen his hold on the Central Region points lead, and Kirk Williams won Top Alcohol Funny Car to tie Kris Hool for the top spot in the region.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster final, Gingles left within a hundredth of Chase Copeland, .080 to .089, and made his strongest run of the weekend, 5.48, for his second regional victory in his last three outings. He also scored at Cordova. Copeland, who usually does his best at the end of the season, dropped cylinders a few hundred feet off the starting line and slowed to a 7.43 at 126 mph.
Team JEGS’ father and son reach semifinals at U.S. Nationals
Courtesy of Jegs
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin was more than happy to reach Sunday’s semifinals the NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by ProCare Rx at for the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
Why? Because the engine was damaged in Coughlin’s turbocharged Camaro in the first round, hampering his efforts for the rest of the day.
Coughlin was eliminated after he red-lit in the semis against Mike Castellana, who had problems during his run, too.
“We had good qualifying and a good effort,” said Coughlin, who qualified No. 2. “We just had a part break in the engine. We kept trying to limp it along. We were happy enough to go a couple rounds.”
Coughlin clinches playoff berth in first year under new team configuration
Courtesy of Jegs
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Even though the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals stretched into a second weekend, Jeg Coughlin Jr. walked away with a reward that was worth the wait.
In his first year driving the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger and building his own Pro Stock engines through JNR Racing, Coughlin locked up a spot in the Countdown to the Championship, the NHRA’s version of the playoffs.
“The drama of the getting into the Countdown was at an all-time high in all the pro classes,” Coughlin said. “Pro Stock was right at the top of the list with six guys vying for the last four spots.
