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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 last race of the year - the 2014 Countdown to the Championship in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, along with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series for Professional and Sportsman racers respectively, was a flurry of excitement, heart-stopping moments and down to the wire racing to finalise the World Champions as well as event winners. There were disappointments, tears and overjoyed racers and fans as the event went from qualifying to eliminations. Stir in a modicum of Australians, Canadians, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedes to make it a proper international event. Each of the NHRA Mello Yello Champions in the Pro classes gained their huge trophy and pay cheque over the weekend. Also, as part of the race weekend were the Nitro Alley displays containing many nostalgia cars and a live fire-up and cacklefest several times during the long weekend. The grandstands were pretty much packed each day with the fine but cool air providing copious amounts of horsepower. This proved to be the celebratory fiftieth year for the NHRA Finals, a milestone in drag racing history and an unforgettable event for all that were in attendance. Top Fuel had three different top qualifiers starting with Larry Dixon in the Casedhole/Total Equipment/BV car on a 3.786/324, followed by Doug Kalitta in the Mac Tools dragster on a 3.754/326 try that was bettered in Q3 with a 3.745/328. But then Australian Richie Crampton in the Geico fueller laid down a track record 3.711/316 for top spot. At the end of qualifying Tony Schumacher driving the Don Schumacher Racing U.S. ARMY machine had notched up enough points to be declared the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champion. Schumacher featured heavily all the way through to the final, he got through by taking out Larry Dixon in round one, 3.749/327 to a losing 3.765/324. Next victim was top qualifier, Richie Crampton, 3.752/327 to a 3.763/327 and in the semis it was J.R. Todd who’s suddenly slowing 3.824/262 was overtaken with a 3.770/328.
Funny Car started similarly to Top Fuel with three different cars sitting on top of the pile, opening Q1 was Cruz Pedregon in the Snap-On ’14 Toyota on a 4.011/311, then in Q2 that lasted into Q3 was Tommy Johnson Jr. in the Make A Wish ’14 Dodge with an oh so close to the threes, a 4.003/317. Capping it all for top spot in Q4 was Alexis DeJoria taking her newly re-wrapped Patrón XO Café ’12 Toyota to a simmering 3.998/311, the only Funny Car in the threes the whole weekend. The battle for the points and ultimately the Championship was pretty much down to two racers - multi-time champion, John Force and Matt Hagan hoping to secure his second championship. These two rivals would earn the right to reach the final together, although it was in the semis that Hagan got the necessary points to be declared the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car World Champion.
Pro Stock followed the trend of having three drivers get the top qualifier place, first was Erica Enders-Stevens with a 6.526/211, then came Shane Gray with a 6.522/211 but it was Q3 that saw Jason Line take control with a 6.517/212 that lasted the full qualifying sessions. There was a battle royal for the points and championship between Erica Enders-Stevens and Jason Line and it was almost a tag chase throughout the event as they seesawed for the lead. The event read like a best seller as the two point leaders battled each step of the way taking the decision all the way to the final.
Pro Stock Motorcycle was kicked off with a 6.834/195 from Eddie Krawiec then along came Hector Arana Jr. in Q2 with a 6.832 at a whopping 197.62mph to dominate the rest of qualifying. Dutch rider Gert-Jan Laseur got the offer to ride the bike that Angelle Sampey was retired injured from but his 7.114/183 only got him to number nineteen in this tough field. The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle World Championship went to Andrew Hines after the first round of eliminations when he beat Katie Sullivan. It would be the two top qualifiers that would race for the event win, Eddie Krawiec on the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines ’13 V-Rod and Hector Arana Jr. on the Lucas Oil Products ’10 Buell.
Top Alcohol Dragster saw Norwegian fisherman Fred Hanssen make a return to racing, he admitted they were up against it not having competed for almost two years but managed a number four qualifier of 5.308/269, his weekend was ended in round one with a self confessed bad r.t. then tyre shake before losing the blower belt and a loss to Aaron Olivarez. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Chris Demke whose Peenrite/OSI/Boost Performance machine lasted until his exit to the event runner-up in the semi final; that runner up was Cameron Ferre in the Larry Miersch nitro burner with backing from Popeye Energy/Club TED/RacePak who had earlier despatched Garrett Bateman and Shawn Cowie. Ferre would face Duane Shields in the final; Shields had taken out the likes of Joey Severance, Chase Copeland and Aaron Olivarez with his Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil car. A slight holeshot along with a 5.412/264 from Shields beat the 5.625/265 from Ferre for the event trophy.
Top Alcohol Funny Car saw Australian Steve Harker pretty much dominate the class he came from number four qualifier and beat Brian Hough in round one, Doug Gordon in two and Tony Bartone in the semis. Facing Harker in the final would be John Lombardo Jr. he saw off Jay Payne, then a red lighting Jonnie Lindberg from Sweden before seeing off Mike Doushgounian. Sweden’s other hope Ulf Leanders the Division 7 winner at Las Vegas a week earlier had an ugly weekend here, going out in round one despite qualifying number one. The recently crowned 2014 Lucas Oil Champion, Steve Harker in the Speed City/CAM 2 Oil ’13 Monte Carlo left a great .002 light on the tree and coupled it to a 5.489/266 to take the event win as John Lombardo Jr. in the NAPA Batteries/Lucas Oil ’14 Mustang tried to catch up failing with a 5.519/263.
Competition Eliminator had the ’98 S-10 truck of Aaron Strong take the trophy with an 8.116/165 as the ’32 Bantam of Clint Neff came in second with a 10.668/78. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Dave Rampy.
Stock Eliminator win went to Bobby DeArmond running his ’69 Camaro to a 10.128/128 win as his -.043 red light was a lot less than the -.303 from Paula Cotten and her ’73 Duster whose 12.682/80 came in second. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Austin Williams.
Super Stock saw Jeff Taylor in his ’06 Cobalt sponsored by California Car Cover Co. make it to the finish line with a winning 9.634/124 as Marion Stephenson in her ’90 Sunbird ran an 18.191/55 for second place. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Peter Biondo.
Super Comp saw the victory go to Gabe Torres in the Val Torres Construction dragster with a holeshot 8.907/168 timing beating Alan Kenny whose 8.905/170 from the Jegs.com/K&N supported machine had to settle for second place. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Edmond Richardson who lost in round five.
Super Gas and number four qualifier, Trevor Larson in his Sea Foam/Bishops/Larson Farms open top ’08 Corvette put a 9.917/158 on the score boards taking the win as opponent Tommy Phillips in his Orteq Energy/K&N Filters topless ’68 Camaro broke out with a 9.894/160. The 2014 Lucas Oil Champion is Luke Bugacki.
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