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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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From POWERade to Full Throttle and now, another Coca-Cola Company brand steps in to become the NHRA event sponsor. From 2013 it will be known as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series with its catchy phrase “Go on Yello”. The season fitted neatly in between two Californian weather storms as the week approaching the mid-February date was unseasonably cold before returning with widespread snow over higher ground just after the warm, sunny event was finalised, and there were we thinking we’d escaped the cold white stuff back in Britain! Entry numbers were good with twenty in Top Fuel, eighteen in Funny Car and nineteen in Pro Stock. It was again an international gathering of racers and fans with entries including Brazil’s Sidnei Frigo rising from the TAD ranks to the ultimate class and Europe was represented by Norway’s Fred Hanssen in TAD and Sweden’s Leif Andréasson in TAFC as well as Australian and Canadian competitors. Top Fuel was led in the last three sessions by Tony Schumacher with a fine 3.753/324 putting Brandon Bernstein’s initial lead into second spot on a 3.761/325. Brazilian driver Sidnei Frigo proved his worth with a 3.858/299 to take the bump spot of sixteen. Tony Schumacher took on Frigo in round one and a 3.756/326 beat the 3.849/317 try before The Sarge overcame a slight holeshot from Steve Torrence and a tight race ended with a 3.756/322 win to a losing 3.782/324 from Torrence. The semi final Schumacher should have faced teammate and 2012 Top Fuel Champion Antron Brown but after a spectacular engine explosion and crash in the previous round Brown’s car was un-repairable so an easy 6.465/96 put Schumacher into the final. Coming up the other side of the ladder was Shawn Langdon who qualified in seventh place with a 3.784/326. Round one, Langdon ran a winning 3.803/294 that put Clay Millican’s 3.811/321 back in the trailer before a 3.738/327 beat the real close 3.775/323 from Brandon Bernstein. A team battle ensued next as Langdon faced teammate Khalid alBalooshi but Langdon had the holeshot and alBalooshi hazed the slicks at two hundred feet out, 3.749/324 to a 4.326/195. The final put old adversaries on the track the Al-Anabi car of Shawn Langdon up against Tony Schumacher in the U.S. ARMY machine, Langdon managed a good light and hung on taking the win light with a 3.721/322 as Schumacher followed with a runner up place of 3.747/324.
It was Courtney Force that was on song all weekend sitting atop the last qualifying session in Funny Car with a 4.036/318whilst putting 2012 Champion Jack Beckman into second with a 4.045/316. Phil Burkart sat on the bubble with a 4.640/208 clocking. Courtney Force first faced Burkart who went up in smoke around one hundred feet out and getting close to the wall, a 4.066/316 easily taking care of the troubled 7.183/88. Force then faced former champ Matt Hagan who also was plagued by spinning slicks, a 4.070/312 beat the chasing 5.668/140. The semi final pitted Force against Bob Tasca III who red lit giving an automatic win to Force who ran an easy 10.422/49. Ron Capps sat in sixth place in qualifying with a 4.073/311 and took on eleventh place man, John Force in round one, it was close as Capps won by a nose with a 4.108/313 as Force followed with a 4.119/313 lose. Gary Densham shook with the ‘chute deploying early at around one hundred feet as Capps won with a 4.251/241 ticket. The semi final had Capps face seventh qualifier Johnny Gray with Gray mixing cylinders up, shaking and lifting to lose with a 4.056/301 as Capps recorded a fine 4.036/316. Team Don Schumacher Racing came up against Team Force for the final as Courtney Force in her Traxxas backed Mustang faced the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T of Ron Capps, it was a pretty even leave for both but Capps went up in smoke at the three hundred foot mark slowing to a 6.090/116 as Courtney Force zoomed to a great 4.025/317 win.
In Pro Stock it was V Gaines who opened the account with a 6.538/211 top qualifier but then came former champion Mike Edwards with a 6.528/212 to top the bill for the last three sessions. However, it was neither of these two racers that made the first event finals it was Vincent Nobile who sat in fifth place and Jeg Coughlin Jr. who ended up sixth qualifier. Nobile took on rookie PS driver Matt Hartford who slowed with problems not long after the tree allowing Nobile to clock a 6.580/210 win. Shane Gray was the next victim and despite a near equal leave Nobile got the nod with a 6.592/210 to a 6.644/209 lose. The semi ended with a win by inches for Nobile as his 6.575/210 to Greg Stanfield’s 6.588/209. Jeg Coughlin Jr. on his way to the money run saw off Steve Kent in round one, a 6.572/211 to a 6.600/209 then a 6.569/210 got him by the 6.672/207 from Kurt Johnson. Couhlin’s semi final took out the number two qualifier V Gaines, a 6.574/208 on a holeshot beat the quicker and faster 6.538/212. The Mountain View Tire/NAPA/Valvoline Dodge Avenger of Vincent Nobile came up against Jegs.com/Mopar Avenger of Jeg Coughlin Jr. and it was Coughlin who lost at the hit as a red bulb glowed in his lane allowing Nobile to record a 6.584/210 win.
Top Alcohol Dragster saw Norway’s Fred Hanssen in the renamed Norwegians car, formally the ‘Islanders’ blown dragster get sixth qualifier then take the round one win beating a red lighting Casey Grisel, 5.395/266 to a 5.560/261 but lost in the next round with a red light himself against Canadian Donald St. Arnaud. Jim Whiteley in his J&A Services/Rator Ind. YNOT Racing machine took the event win with a 5.2454/373 beating Chris Demke’s 5.271/270.
Top Alcohol Funny Car had Sweden’s Leif Andréasson take fifth in qualifying but a red light in round one against Bernie Harrington put paid to his weekend. John Lombardo in his NAPA Auto Parts/Lucas Oil/Legend Batteries Monte Carlo took the win light in the final, a 5.555/261 beating the 5.653/255 from Jason Rupert in his SynOil Energy Services Monte Carlo.
Competition Eliminator saw Ross Wilson take his ’05 Sunfire to an 8.167/165 win over the 6.604/204 from Alan Ellis’s stunning little altered.
Super Stock had to be re-run due to a light fault but Jimmy DeFrank took the nod with his ’10 Cobalt, a 9.316/113 beat the red light time from Mike Cotten’s ’70 Barracuda.
Stock Eliminator came down to a run-off between Jimmy DeFrank this time in his ’69 Camaro against Michael Iacono in another late Camaro, DeFrank made it a double win with a 10.372/126 against the 11.069/115 from Iacono.
Super Comp had Phil Dion take home the trophy, an 8.934/168 beating the 9.123/165 from Scott Taylor.
Super Gas win went to Rick Beckstrom in his ’03 Grand Am against Peter Bothe’s ’78 Porsche, a 9.904/160 beating the 9.927/148.
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