(John Force celebrates his 2012 Winternationals win with his grandchildren. Photo by NHRA)
15-time NHRA Full Throttle World Series Funny Car Champion John Force and Top Fuel pilot Spencer Massey, became the first two drivers entered into the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout to be held at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals. Both drivers earned their spot in the coveted eight car field with their respective wins at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries held at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Sunday.
The NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout is a special 'race-within-a-race' that will feature eight racers in both the Funny Car and Top Fuel ranks to be held during the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals. The Top Fuel event will be on Saturday, Sept. 1, and the Funny Car event will take place on Sept. 2. The winner in each class will receive $100,000 to win with runners-up receiving $15,000 and the semifinal losers earning $7,500 each.
Massey was able to defeat Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown in the finals to earn his spot in the field and Force bested his teammate Mike Neff to get the event win and the entry into the field.
“(NHRA president Tom) Compton said if we won this race we would make the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. That is a big deal. I can’t wait to get to Indy,” said Force following the race. “I want to thank Traxxas for giving the Funny Car and Top Fuel teams this extra money.”
There will be three ways for Top Fuel and Funny Car teams to qualify for the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts.
First, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points leaders in Top Fuel and Funny Car after the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int'l Raceway, Aug. 16-19, will automatically qualify as top seeds for the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts, even if the respective points leaders have yet to win a national event.
Second, the first seven winners in both categories of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season will qualify, beginning at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, Feb. 9-12 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California, and concluding at the Brainerd event. If the points leaders do not win one of the first 16 events of the season in each category, their provisional spots will bump the seventh event winner in each category. If there are fewer than seven different winners in each category prior to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, rankings in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings after the Brainerd event will fill any open positions up to No. 7. Seeding for the top seven positions will be based on the season-long points standings in both categories after the Brainerd event.
Third, once the first seven positions in the fields are set, the eighth and final spot in each category will be determined by a fan vote and a lottery-style drawing. The fan-vote selections in each category will be eligible to become the eighth seeds in the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts.
The fan vote for the eighth seeds will be conducted on NHRA’s Facebook page and through a lottery-style drawing at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. All remaining unqualified drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car who have competed in all 16 NHRA Full Throttle events this season leading up to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will be included in the NHRA Facebook fan-voting process. Based on the percentage of fan votes received, drivers will receive an equivalent percentage of chances in the lottery. For example, if a driver earns 15 percent of the fan vote, he or she will have 15 chances out of 100 in the lottery-style drawing. All eligible drivers will have at least one chance in the drawing.
Tickets for the 58th annual Mac Tools U. S. Nationals will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 14. The Mac Tools U. S. Nationals is the worlds largest drag race and a win at the event is the pinnacle to any drag racer during their career. Defending winners are Antron Brown in Top Fuel, Mike Neff in Funny Car, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock and Hector Arana Jr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
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