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The name of veteran drag racing photo-journalist Roger Gorringe will be known to most readers. Roger makes frequent trips to the USA taking in as many of the major meetings as he can. It is filthy work standing trackside with endless Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars thundering past you but someone has to do it. Fortunately Roger has very kindly offered to share his experiences with us in his illustrated meeting reports.
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The first chills of a Californian winter fell as early snow on the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains and descended to the famous Pomona track in the form of cold winds and a heavy shower that negated a portion of Thursday’s qualifying including round one of Top Fuel. The remainder of the event was held under cool blue skies that helped produce a number of good numbers with one of the Pro championships coming down to the wire and the other not far behind. Top Fuel had three contenders for the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Championship with Tony Schumacher producing the possibilities of a repeat of his 2006 ‘The Run’ win after catching up with a runner-up place at Las Vegas. Leading the charge was teammate Antron Brown and just behind Schumacher was other team member Spencer Massey – three of the mighty Don Schumacher Racing cars leading the points with just 116 points between them. It was a surprise Shawn Langdon in the Al-Anabi Racing machine that took pole with a fine 3.730/327 clocking. Antron Brown had to get the semis in order to secure the Championship, so it was a blow when he experienced a small fire that caused a few superficial burns and lost the race to teammate Spencer Massey in round one. Other notables exiting in the first round included Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and Dave Grubnic. Despite smoking the tyres and getting completely crossed up Clay Millican got through round two as Mike Salinas suffered a bang in his beautiful orange dragster just past the tree that deployed the chutes. Bob Vandergriff Jr. winner of the Las Vegas event ran a 3.836/323 to take out Cory McClenathan in the Aussie Rapisarda Racing car that slowed to a 4.107/239. Spencer Massey experienced a small fire at half track and lost to Brandon Bernstein, 3.805/323 to a losing 3.842/282. Tony Schumacher managed a great 3.764/325 to oust Khalid alBalooshi’s 3.938/322 try. Instant tyre smoke put Clay Millican’s weekend on hold as Brandon Bernstein powered to a 3.793/322 win to open the semi finals. Tony Schumacher and Bob Vandergriff Jr. had a great race with ‘The Sarge’ getting the nod despite a flash fire in the lights, a 3.815/291 catching and beating the 3.842/310. The final was the down to the wire race with Antron Brown watching from behind the startline as teammate and now archrival for the Championship Tony Schumacher in the U.S. ARMY car faced Brandon Bernstein in the MATV/Protect The Harvest/Lucas Oil machine. Bernstein gained a good holeshot and managed a neat 3.762/320 to stay ahead of Schumacher’s charging 3.753/325 lose. Brown became the Full Throttle Top Fuel Champion by just seven points, his first since swapping a Pro Stock Motorcycle for a Top Fuel ride in 2007.
Funny Car had two main championship contenders, both from the DSR stable, Jack Beckman and Ron Capps with just four points separating them, both got trough round one without a problem. Capps also gained top qualifier with a whopping 4.007/319. Surprise loses in the first round included John Force who went into smoke not far off the line with the chutes popping out at half track. Force Racing lost another contender when Mike Neff lost to Cruz Pedregon in a tight battle, 4.082/298 to a 4.058/314, won on a holeshot however, Courtney Force was on a roll when she ran a winning 4.064/317 as Tim Wilkerson went up in smoke. Robert Hight was the next Force car to go out as he hit tyre smoke at 330 feet with Ron Capps charging to a 4.071/315 win. Jack Beckman kept his hopes alive with a 4.027/317 win over Jeff Arend’s 4.113/311 to end the second round. Ron Capps was first off the line in the semis but was chased down by Courtney Force in a 4.069/318 win, 4.091/313 lose battle. Jack Beckman tied up the Funny Car Full Throttle Championship by a mere two points despite losing in another close race leaving Cruz Pedregon the winner, 4.023/314 to a 4.086/311. The final came down to a run-off between Cruz Pedregon and Courtney Force in the Traxxas Radio Control Cars backed Mustang but Force was off the power by one hundred feet, it left the way clear for Pedregon’s Snap-On Toyota to record the event win with a 4.035/306.
Pro Stock saw Allen Johnson leading the point chase with an unassailable lead after his win in Las Vegas but it was Jason Line that led the field with track records clockings of 6.517 and 212.56mph. Big names going out in the first round included Jeg Coughlin to Vincent Nobile, Warren Johnson to Ron Krisher. A red light for Greg Anderson opened round two with the win light going to Mike Edwards, 6.531/212 to a slowed 13.490/64. Another cherry popped up as V Gaines tried his luck handing the win to Erica Enders 6.528/212 to again a slowed 14.887/57. Allen Johnson continued his rapacious way with a defeat of Ron Krisher, 6.520/212 win to a 6.537/211 lose. The last pairing saw Jason Line going out to Vincent Noble on a stunning holeshot, a 6.546/211 beating the events best clocking of 6.495/213. Vincent Nobile carried on his win streak with a 6.543/211 win over Erica Enders again on a good holeshot. Mike Edwards stumbled as he was off the power by three hundred feet slowing to an 11.745/64 as Allen Johnson took the win with a 6.526/211. The final had the new Pro Stock Full Throttle Champion, Allen Johnson in the Mopar/J&J Racing take the event win as well, a 6.528/212 got the better of Vincent Nobile’s 6.533/211 in his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger.
Pro Stock Motorcycle saw Andrew Hines ahead of teammate Eddie Krawiec in qualifying, a 6.809/196 to a 6.811/196 but it was Krawiec that had the point lead in the championship. Both teammates easily managed to make it through round one, not so the likes of Chip Ellis to Steve Johnson, Hector Arana to Karen Stoffer and Shawn Gann to Scotty Pollacheck. The first pairing of round two was won by a tyre width as LE Tonglet came from behind to take a 6.890/195 win over Scotty Pollacheck’s 6.915/192. A pair of red lights dismissed both Hector Arana Jr. to Matt Smith and Karen Stoffer to Eddie Krawiec. The final pairing had Andrew Hines run a great 6.788/197 to defeat Steve Johnson’s 6.889/194. The semis saw the dominant HD V-Rods of Krawiec and Hines see off LE Tonglett and Matt Smith respectively. The Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines HD’s faced off for the money run and it was Andrew Hines pulling out another 6.7 as his 6.766/198 beat the repeat Pro Stock Motorcycle Full Throttle Champion Eddie Krawiec whose 6.805/197 was not quite enough.
Top Alcohol Dragster event win went to Chris Demke who wacked out a great 5.236/274 to beat repeat TAD Lucas Oil Champion Jim Whiteley who runner-upped with a 5.248/275. Whiteley had stunned all earlier with a 5.178/277 from his blown car.
Top Alcohol Funny Car had John Lombardo beat Tony Bartone in the final for the event win, a 5.599/261 to a 5.641/263. Frank Manzo managed to once again secure the TAFC Lucas Oil Championship.
Competition Eliminator had Doug Lambeck take the event win with an 8.313/160 clocking from his Pontiac beating the 8.285/162 from Bo Butner’s Cobalt. The Lucas Oil Championship went to Bruno Massel.
Super Stock saw Abe Loewen take his ’98 Grand Am to record a 9.698/139 for the event win beating the 10.631/89 from new Lucas Oil Champion Jimmy DeFrank’s Cobalt.
Stock event win went to Eric Waldo over Gary Waldo, a 10.657/125 beating the 11.093/119. The Lucas Oil Championship went to Brad Burton.
Super Comp had Cameron Ferre take the 8.943/167 event win as he defeated Matt Constant’s 8.927/174. The Lucas Oil Championship went to Canadian Alan Kenny.
Super Gas event win was taken by Ryan Herem in his ’62 Corvette a 9.958/147 beat the breakout 9.868/145 from Peter Bothe. The Lucas Oil Champion is Jeff Lopez.
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