Phoenix race holds great memories for MAVTV racer Brogdon

There's an old saying in racing that it's not where you start, it's where you finish. But MAVTV Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon knows where you start is important, too.

Brogdon qualified No. 7 for the season-opening race in Pomona, Calif., but he hopes to improve on that in this weekend's 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

"Well, we're going to have to qualify better," Brogdon said. "We left a couple hundredths on the table last week. I'm not saying we can go as fast as (Pomona winner) Greg Anderson and those guys, but when they go 6.53, I should be able to go at least .55, maybe .54. We're going to need a better effort in qualifying."

Qualifying higher up the ladder also means facing lower-qualified cars in the opening rounds of eliminations. Brogdon made solid qualifying passes in Pomona but wanted a little more in the final time trial session, which was rained-out.

"Not having that last session hurt us because we were sneaking up on a few things," Brogdon said. "It hurt everybody, of course, but I know it cost us a little bit. We're going to try to qualify better and get a better spot in the ladder."

Brogdon and the MAVTV team now races at the site of Brogdon's first national-event victory in Competition Eliminator, scored in 2005.

"I like Firebird International Raceway," Brogdon said. "It's been good to me."

That race was one of the highlight's of Brogdon's NHRA career, as he qualified No. 1 and won the race, beating NHRA legend David Rampy in the final round.

"It was a heck of a weekend," Brogdon said. "We had a lot of trouble and hurt a motor, so we had to change a lot of stuff. But we worked hard and out-ran David Rampy, the best Sportsman racer in history. We out-ran him in the finals, so that made for a pretty rewarding weekend, because he's as tough as they get. I'm glad he doesn't race Pro Stock.

"Maybe we can recreate some of that magic this weekend. That would be something."

The event begins Friday with Pro Stock qualifying sessions scheduled for 1:30 and 4 p.m. Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday with eliminations slated for an 11 a.m. start on Sunday. ESPN2 will carry all of the action.

Massey Riding Wave of Momentum With Season-Opening Win at Pomona

Top Fuel driver Spencer Massey just celebrated his seventh career victory at the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season-opener in Southern California and will try to carry that positive energy directly to race No. 2 on the circuit, the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Feb. 17-19. He was left with a bitter taste in his mouth the last time he visited the Phoenix-area track.

His team’s performance at Firebird International Raceway last October put a thorn in the side of the Top Fuel driver’s hopes of earning his first NHRA Full Throttle world championship. Massey entered the fourth race of the Countdown to the Championship as the points leader, but when his team failed to qualify for eliminations at the playoff event, they lost the series lead and eventually the championship.

“After the DNQ in Phoenix last year in the Countdown, it kind of killed us for the championship,” Massey said. “But now, coming off this win we have momentum. We have a racecar that can win Phoenix. It would be awesome to go back-to-back, but now we have a big target on our back. We’re No. 1 in points and everyone is gunning for us but that’s what we want. I’d like to have that bull’s-eye on my back all year long.”

In 2012, the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway returns to a spot on the NHRA schedule in the regular season. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event that will be telecast on ESPN2 HD.

After losing the championship last year, FRAM/Prestone dragster driver Massey spent a lot of time replaying his last trip to the Grand Canyon State in his mind and thinking about how if things could have played out differently he may have ended up the 2011 world champion. After a busy offseason, the Top Fuel pilot has turned that disappointment into fuel for success this year. His recent victory over teammate Antron Brown in the final round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. was Exhibit-A.

“After our finish last year, finishing in second place and coming up just a little short, it makes you that much more hungry, that much more motivated to win a championship,” Massey said. “We put that new racecar together, we tested it, the car ran very well and it showed last weekend. Leaving (Pomona) in the No. 1 spot heading to Phoenix is awesome.”

With his runner-up finish at Pomona, Brown sits second in the points standings. Morgan Lucas, Tony Schumacher, Bob Vandergriff, Brandon Bernstein, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, David Grubnic and Doug Kalitta round out the top 10 in Top Fuel.

Funny Car legend and 15-time world champ John Force collected the first win of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series when he defeated his teammate Mike Neff in the final round of the season-opener. Force’s youngest daughter Courtney earned her first round win at her debut event, while fellow rookie Alexis DeJoria fell to eventual winner Force in the opening round of competition.

Four-time Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson collected the 71st win of his career at the NHRA Winternationals and leads the points heading into Phoenix. Anderson outran fellow four-time world champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round as well as teammate and reigning world champ Jason Line in the semifinals.

* SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12.

* TICKETS: Tickets are available for the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. For tickets, please call (602) 268-0200 or visit www.ticketforce.com.

* ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 8 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Feb. 18. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three-hours of eliminations coverage at 9 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Feb. 19.

* LUCAS OIL SERIES: The 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals also will feature competition in five categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8 a.m. on Feb. 17. Lucas Oil Series eliminations begin at 8 a.m. on Feb. 18 and continue Feb. 19.

* ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

* * *

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT:  28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – earn points leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE:  Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz. Track is located off Interstate 10 at exit 162. Follow the signs.

WHEN:  Friday through Sunday, Feb. 17-19

SCHEDULE:        

FRIDAY, Feb. 17 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at 8 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, Feb. 18 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 8 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

SUNDAY, Feb. 19 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:      

Saturday, Feb. 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, Feb. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 9 p.m. (ET).

2011 EVENT WINNERS:  Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; Jack Beckman, Funny Car; Vincent Nobile, Pro Stock

MOST VICTORIES:  John Force, FC, 8; Bob Glidden, PS, 5; Jack Beckman, FC, 3; Kenny Bernstein, TF-FC, 3; Larry Dixon, TF, 3; Tony Schumacher, TF, 3; Cory McClenathan, TF, 3; Darrell Alderman, PS, 3; Kurt Johnson, PS, 3; Warren Johnson, PS, 3.

TRACK RECORDS:            

Top Fuel – 3.802 sec. by Larry Dixon Feb. ’09; 317.57 mph by Dixon, Feb. ’10.

Funny Car – 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09; 311.34 mph by Matt Hagan, Feb. ’10.

Pro Stock – 6.598 sec. by Mike Edwards, Feb. ’09; 209.82 mph by Edwards, Feb. ’10.

NATIONAL RECORDS:    

Top Fuel - 3.735 sec. by Del Worsham, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 328.62 mph by Spencer Massey, Feb. ’12, Pomona, Calif.

Funny Car - 3.995 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.; 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.

Pro Stock - 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 213.57 mph by Erica Enders, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS:  For tickets call Firebird International Raceway, (602) 268-0200. Tickets also are available at ticketforce.com.

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $33; Junior (6-12 years), $15; Saturday: Adult, $46; Junior (6-12 years), $15; Sunday: Adult, $48; Junior (6-12 years), $15. Kids 5 years and under are admitted free to general admission areas with paying adult.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $43-55; Junior (6-12 years), $25; Child (5 years and under), $20; Saturday: Adult, $56-80; Junior (6-12 years), $25; Child (5 years and under), $20; Sunday: Adult, $58-85; Junior (6-12 years), $27; Child (5 years and under), $22.

* * *

2012 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the first of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel:  1.  Spencer Massey, 119; 2.  Antron Brown, 95; 3.  Morgan Lucas, 87; 4.  Tony Schumacher, 78; 5. Bob Vandergriff, 57; 6.  (tie) Brandon Bernstein, 54; Shawn Langdon, 54; 8.  Clay Millican, 52; 9. Khalid alBalooshi, 34; 10.  (tie) David Grubnic, 32; Doug Kalitta, 32; Steve Torrence, 32; Steve Faria, 32.

Funny Car:  1.  John Force, 114; 2.  Mike Neff, 95; 3.  (tie) Ron Capps, 73; Gary Densham, 73; 5.  Jack Beckman, 62; 6.  Courtney Force, 52; 7.  (tie) Todd Lesenko, 51; Tim Wilkerson, 51; 9.  Robert Hight, 41; 10.  Bob Tasca III, 39.

Pro Stock:  1.  Greg Anderson, 114; 2.  Jeg Coughlin, 91; 3.  Jason Line, 82; 4.  Mike Edwards, 81; 5.  Allen Johnson, 59; 6.  Vincent Nobile, 55; 7.  (tie) Rodger Brogdon, 53; Shane Gray, 53; 9.  Ronnie Humphrey, 41; 10.  (tie) Kurt Johnson, 32; Ron Krisher, 32; Larry Morgan, 32; Greg Stanfield, 32; Erica Enders, 32.

Force, Massey, Anderson Win NHRA Winternationals

(Photo by NHRA.com)

John Force raced to his 134th career Funny Car victory Sunday at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Spencer Massey (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also were winners of the season-opening NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

“It’s a great start,” Force said. “You really want to perform. I know all those other kids on our teams and others, like Cruz Pedregon, the Schumacher teams, [Tim] Wilkerson, and [Bob] Tasca, those guys are going to win races, and it was just nice to get a win under my belt. Those boys are bad out there. To make that top 10 is going to be tough. Somebody’s going to be left out, so I’m just going to keep fighting and keep my nose clean.”

Force, 62, used a holeshot start to claim his sixth win at this event and 15th at this track with a performance of 4.080 seconds at 315.64 mph in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang. Runner-up Mike Neff finished in 4.036 at 316.82 in his Castrol GTX Mustang.

“Before the final, I said, ‘What are we going to do ‘Guido?’ (crew chief Dean Antonelli),” Force said. “He said, ‘We can’t race him the way we are, running .12 or .14. We’re going to have to go after it, and if it smokes the tires, we’ll go home.’ They were all over there, looking at the numbers, and it just went. It wasn’t quick enough to beat him. He was late, so I got the win. He told me something distracted him.”

In her much-publicized debut, Force’s 23-year-old daughter Courtney lost in the second round to Neff, while the elder Force defeated his daughter’s rookie rival, Alexis DeJoria, in a close first-round meeting. Force also beat Tim Wilkerson, and Gary Densham to reach the final round.

Massey, who finished second in the points standings last year, opened the new season in first place by outrunning Antron Brown in the final round to take his seventh career Top Fuel victory and first at Pomona. Massey posted a 3.750 at 325.77 in his FRAM/Prestone dragster to hold off Brown’s charging Matco Tools dragster, which trailed with a 3.794 at 320.43.

“Coming up a little short and ending up in second place last year made us that much more hungry and motivated to win a championship, so we focused this winter and acted like there wasn’t an offseason,” said Massey, who beat Steve Faria, Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher in early rounds.

“It shows that they know what it takes to get the car down the racetrack,” Massey continued. “After the second round, we didn’t have any computer data, and (crew chiefs) Phil (Shuler) and Todd (Okuhara) tuned that thing like it was a Top Fuel car from 1968. They looked at the plugs, looked at the bearings, and it went 3.74 at 328 mph. It’s awesome to start like this and have the No. 1 spot going into Phoenix. This is my life dream, and we’re living it.”

In Pro Stock, Anderson raced to his 71st career victory and fifth at the Winternationals, by powering his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac to a 6.549 at 210.87 to hold off Jeg Coughlin’s JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger, which trailed with a 6.586 at 209.62.

Anderson raced past Larry Morgan, Allen Johnson and teammate and defending world champ Jason Line to advance to the final.

“I wasn’t the quickest driver out here today, but I was very consistent,” Anderson said. “We managed to stop the big yellow Mopar [of Jeg Coughlin in the final]. He sure came out swinging. You’re always aware of how good Jeg is driving. I’ve never been very good at tuning that kind of stuff out, but it worked today. The crew made great decisions, and here we are back in the winner’s circle again.”

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues next weekend (Feb. 17-19) at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix with the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

* * *

POMONA, Calif. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the first of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Spencer Massey; 2. Antron Brown; 3. Tony Schumacher; 4. Morgan Lucas; 5. Shawn Langdon; 6. Bob Vandergriff; 7. Clay Millican; 8. Brandon Bernstein; 9. David Grubnic; 10. Steve Torrence; 11. Khalid alBalooshi; 12. Rod Fuller; 13. Terry McMillen; 14. Steve Faria; 15. Cory McClenathan; 16. Doug Kalitta.

FUNNY CAR:

1. John Force; 2. Mike Neff; 3. Ron Capps; 4. Gary Densham; 5. Courtney Force; 6. Tim Wilkerson; 7. Todd Lesenko; 8. Jack Beckman; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Jeff Arend; 11. Tony Pedregon; 12. Matt Hagan; 13. Bob Tasca III; 14. Bob Bode; 15. Robert Hight; 16. Johnny Gray.

PRO STOCK:

1. Greg Anderson; 2. Jeg Coughlin; 3. Jason Line; 4. Mike Edwards; 5. Allen Johnson; 6. Shane Gray; 7. Vincent Nobile; 8. Rodger Brogdon; 9. Ronnie Humphrey; 10. Greg Stanfield; 11. Kurt Johnson; 12. Ron Krisher; 13. Larry Morgan; 14. V. Gaines; 15. Grace Howell; 16. Erica Enders.

POMONA, Calif. -- Sunday's final results from the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the first of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 3.750 seconds, 325.77 mph def. Antron Brown, 3.794 seconds, 320.43 mph.

Funny Car -- John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.080, 315.64 def. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.036, 316.82.

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.549, 210.87 def. Jeg Coughlin, Dodge Avenger, 6.586, 209.62.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Chris Demke, 5.281, 270.32 def. Larry Miersch, 5.503, 267.27.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Daniel Oliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.531, 258.67 def. Jay Payne, Ford Mustang, 5.548, 260.36.

POMONA, Calif. -- Final round-by-round results from the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the first of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Clay Millican, 3.818, 318.92 def. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.917, 310.55; Shawn Langdon, 3.827, 322.81 def. Steve Torrence, 3.820, 320.28; Brandon Bernstein, 3.832, 319.22 def. David Grubnic, 3.816, 318.84; Antron Brown, 3.801, 325.92 def. Cory McClenathan, 5.902, 108.47; Morgan Lucas, 3.805, 323.43 def. Rod Fuller, 4.040, 251.30; Bob Vandergriff, 3.835, 324.20 def. Terry McMillen, 4.262, 222.58; Spencer Massey, 3.782, 325.53 def. Steve Faria, 5.831, 114.66; Tony Schumacher, 3.790, 324.67 def. Doug Kalitta, 6.195, 109.82;

QUARTERFINALS -- Lucas, 3.792, 323.12 def. Langdon, 3.791, 319.45; Brown, 3.771, 323.35 def. Bernstein, 10.000, 75.56; Schumacher, 3.790, 324.83 def. Vandergriff, 3.815, 323.04; Massey, 3.776, 326.79 def. Millican, 3.847, 315.49;

SEMIFINALS -- Massey, 3.745, 328.62 def. Schumacher, 3.809, 322.88; Brown, 3.819, 320.28 def. Lucas, 4.430, 178.57;

FINAL -- Massey, 3.750, 325.77 def. Brown, 3.794, 320.43.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Gary Densham, Dodge Charger, 4.102, 304.53 def. Jeff Arend, Toyota Solara, 4.163, 307.44; Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.068, 306.19 def. Johnny Gray, Charger, 6.364, 105.15; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.278, 306.60 def. Bob Bode, Chevy Impala, 5.630, 135.32; Todd Lesenko, Impala, 4.695, 187.34 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 5.941, 116.00; Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.077, 316.97 def. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.249, 289.01; Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.204, 309.27 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.465, 205.57; John Force, Mustang, 4.124, 313.44 def. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camary, 4.141, 310.27; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.093, 312.06 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.298, 269.73;

QUARTERFINALS -- Densham, No Time, No Speed def. Beckman, DQ; Capps, 4.086, 311.13 def. Lesenko, 32.593, 24.55; Neff, 4.070, 315.49 def. C. Force, 4.143, 313.88; J. Force, 4.160, 311.27 def. Wilkerson, 4.574, 208.23;

SEMIFINALS -- J. Force, 4.141, 312.50 def. Densham, foul; Neff, 4.074, 314.53 def. Capps, 4.101, 308.50;

FINAL -- J. Force, 4.080, 315.64 def. Neff, 4.036, 316.82.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Shane Gray, Pontiac GXP, 6.571, 210.05 def. Ron Krisher, GXP, 6.605, 199.79; Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.561, 210.24 def. Kurt Johnson, GXP, 6.590, 210.50; Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.558, 211.56 def. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.585, 210.28; Jeg Coughlin, Avenger, 6.581, 210.47 def. Ronnie Humphrey, GXP, 6.569, 211.99; Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.539, 211.46 def. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.607, 210.18; Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.649, 211.06 def. V. Gaines, Avenger, 6.646, 208.97; Jason Line, GXP, 6.546, 212.46 def. Grace Howell, Mustang, 6.728, 207.08; Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.559, 211.10 def. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, foul;

QUARTERFINALS -- Edwards, 6.575, 210.28 def. Brogdon, 6.658, 189.31; Coughlin, 6.590, 209.85 def. Nobile, 6.609, 209.43; Line, 6.534, 212.13 def. Gray, foul; Anderson, 6.550, 210.97 def. A. Johnson, 6.570, 210.93;

SEMIFINALS -- Coughlin, 6.615, 209.30 def. Edwards, foul; Anderson, 6.545, 211.03 def. Line, 6.547, 211.83;

FINAL -- Anderson, 6.549, 210.87 def. Coughlin, 6.586, 209.62.

POMONA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 52nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the first of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Spencer Massey, 119; 2. Antron Brown, 95; 3. Morgan Lucas, 87; 4. Tony Schumacher, 78; 5. Bob Vandergriff, 57; 6. (tie) Brandon Bernstein, 54; Shawn Langdon, 54; 8. Clay Millican, 52; 9. Khalid alBalooshi, 34; 10. (tie) David Grubnic, 32; Doug Kalitta, 32; Steve Torrence, 32; Steve Faria, 32.

Funny Car

1. John Force, 114; 2. Mike Neff, 95; 3. (tie) Ron Capps, 73; Gary Densham, 73; 5. Jack Beckman, 62; 6. Courtney Force, 52; 7. (tie) Todd Lesenko, 51; Tim Wilkerson, 51; 9. Robert Hight, 41; 10. Bob Tasca III, 39.

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson, 114; 2. Jeg Coughlin, 91; 3. Jason Line, 82; 4. Mike Edwards, 81; 5. Allen Johnson, 59; 6. Vincent Nobile, 55; 7. (tie) Rodger Brogdon, 53; Shane Gray, 53; 9. Ronnie Humphrey, 41; 10. (tie) Kurt Johnson, 32; Ron Krisher, 32; Larry Morgan, 32; Greg Stanfield, 32; Erica Enders, 32.

Alexis DeJoria Ready for First Full Season as a Professional Drag Racer

(Photo by NHRA PR)

And so it begins. After a year of testing and a ‘mini-season’ of four races in 2011, NHRA National Event Winner Alexis DeJoria will be strapping into her new Tequila Patrόn Toyota Camry Funny Car at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA this Thursday for the kickoff race of her first full season as a professional NHRA Drag Racer.

DeJoria, who has spent the off-season testing and following a grueling training regimen, is anxious to get the season started. “I’m very excited for Pomona. We’ve made a lot of test runs, and we’ve really gelled as a team.  Of course, the addition of Del [Worsham] as Crew Chief has been a huge asset to us as well. Pomona always sets the tone for the year and I can’t wait to go out there and show everyone what we’ve got. The first race is always great because everyone starts off on equal footing and our team is very optimistic about the way the season should pan out,” said the Tequila Patrόn-sponsored Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car driver.

The Patrόn team made at least twenty-five test runs during two week-long test sessions in West Palm Beach, FL during the winter break with new crew chief, 2011 World Champion, Del Worsham. Both Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car teams had the unique opportunity to test out a brand-new Toyota Camry body during the offseason. The team has spent so much time testing and preparing that they haven’t even had enough time to paint the new body, so Team Patrόn will have to debut the car with just vinyl stickers in Pomona. So far, they have found great success with the new body, accomplishing one of their primary goals, which was to get down in the 4.0’s (seconds). Of the new body, DeJoria says “the vision is always very good in the Toyota cars, but the vision in this car is even better. Plus, this body is worth at least three more mph, and definitely some more down force. Everyone at Toyota, from the engineers to Alan Johnson, made a great piece and we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to use it.”

The crew has been working around the clock getting the car ready for Pomona- digesting everything they’ve learned from testing. In sticking with the 2011 strategy, Del, Jon Oberhofer and Nicky Boninfante are working together to set both Alexis’ and Jeff Arend’s cars to be mechanically as similar as possible, with the biggest difference being the body (Arend is using his 2011 Toyota body).

“We should see some good numbers in Pomona,” said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Kalitta Motorsports. “The car looked really good in West Palm, but should look even better in Pomona. The starting line will be better and the track is usually very good there. Because of the difference in altitude, the motor will react a little differently than it did in Florida, but we’ll take what we learned there and apply it to Pomona, and make the adjustments from there. Once Del gets this car tuned in and perfect, we should see some really impressive numbers.”

While so much has been made in the pre-season about Alexis being a top candidate for the coveted Auto Club Road to the Future Award (aka Rookie of the Year), the Kalitta Motorsports driver is determined to not let any of that get into her head. “I just want to go out there and do what I do best- drive. I’m very happy for Courtney [Force] and excited for Blake[Alexander] and Todd [Lesenko]. I’m a very competitive person by nature, so while I welcome the friendly rivalry, I’m not going to focus too much on it. I’ve been preparing for this season for a very long time and I know I’m ready for it- not just against the other rookie drivers, but in this class in general. There are a lot of really good Funny Car teams that are gunning for the trophy and I’m happy to be one of them this year.”

Alexis DeJoria and the Kalitta Motorsports Tequila Patrόn Toyota Camry Funny Car team will compete at the 2012 season opener this weekend at the 52nd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, February 9th-12th. Qualifying begins at 1:30PM on Thursday, Feb. 9th.

Six-time Pomona champion Coughlin ready for new chapter

(Photo by JEGS PR)

Jeg Coughlin Jr. admits to feeling butterflies in his stomach every time he drives through the gates of Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, and this weekend will certainly be no different as the five-time world champion unveils his JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger for the first time in competition.

"It's time to run in a crowd and see how we stack up," said Coughlin, who didn't race at the professional level in 2011. "This is a new era for us with our association with Mopar and the Chrysler Technology Center. We're still maturing but I believe we'll challenge for wins right away.

"Pomona is the perfect starting point. It's so rich with history and it's a track where Team JEGS has enjoyed a lot of success over the years. If you can't get pumped up for Pomona, you may be in the wrong profession."

Coughlin has fashioned a remarkable race-day record of 48-20 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, a mark that includes six national event victories in 12 final-round showings. He's also 18-9 at the season-opening Winternationals.

"We've had two good tests this off-season with the JEGS Avenger and we've certainly made some significant headway," Coughlin said. "There's been 10 months of hard work to start this program from nothing and build it up to where we are now and the guys are extremely excited for the start of the season.

"Roy Simmons (of JNR Racing Engines) has been dialing-in the motor and Tomi Lane (crew chief) and the crew have the car going straight down the strip. The clutch program seems under control and we're running competitive numbers. It's time to race."

At 41 years old, Coughlin's 52 Pro Stock victories rank him a lofty fourth on the all-time class list. His 67 total national event wins has him tied for 10th in the overall rankings alongside seven-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.

Qualifying begins with sessions at 1:30 p.m. PST on both Thursday and Friday, followed by two more rounds at 11 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Saturday. Eliminations are slated to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. ESPN2 will carry all the action.

‘The Sarge’ Ready for Fresh Start

(Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Shortly after the curtain came down on the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season, U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher quickly went in search of a 2012 calendar.

“I needed to immediately find out when the season opener was scheduled,” said the seven-time world champion. “After finishing the year without a victory, I wanted to be sure to circle the (O’Reilly Auto Parts) Winternationals weekend. That became a clear target for the U.S. Army Top Fuel team.”

Despite advancing to seven final rounds, Schumacher posted his first winless season in 10 years. Needless to say, he will be looking to end that drought this weekend at historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.

“You can be sure of that,” he said. “We had some great runs throughout last year, but we just didn’t get the job done. I guess the magic wasn’t on our side and we had no luck at all. I’ve always contended it takes a lot of talent, terrific people and some luck to win races. Unfortunately, with the latter, we didn’t have any.

“We have to put last year out of our minds and move forward. We have to be focused on what’s right in front of us, which is an opportunity to start over. My guys are all battle-tested and are fully aware that failure is never an option when you are representing the U.S. Army. We want that world championship trophy back in the U.S. Army camp.”

Schumacher’s preseason optimism was fueled by a solid, week-long test session at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway last month.

“We tried a bunch of things down there in Florida and all went well,” said the Chicago-area resident. “We had a really good car toward the end of last year, but I believe we will be bringing an even better car to Pomona in a few days.”

When he rolls up to the starting line for the first qualifying session on Thursday, Schumacher understands the competition will be as good as it has ever been.

“That’s for certain,” he said. “The Top Fuel class has progressively improved with every season. It’s actually fun to race, given all of the great cars. You have to show up and bring your ‘A’ game every time or you’re going home early. I love a good battle and, right now, we have it. I would be proud to be an NHRA fan these days because you are definitely going to get one heck of a race.”

Based on past history, Schumacher is counting on a positive result at Auto Club Raceway. He has six wins to his credit there, which ties him with famed driver “Big Daddy” Don Garlits for the most in Top Fuel. Two of those wins came in the Winternationals.

“Pomona has been very good to me over the years,” he said. “I’m hopeful we can re-capture that winning formula this weekend.”