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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 penultimate race in the NHRA Mello Yello series, the Countdown to the Championship provided some scintillating and thrilling races on a long weekend in the desert oasis that changed from a comfortable eighty degree temperature on Friday to an engine power enhancing, shiveringly cool and breezy Saturday and Sunday. The race included the Pro Stock Motorcycles and the stunningly popular Pro Mods. Most major championships were still up for grabs, some almost wrapped up providing the packed grandstands with some wild surprises as the qualifying and eliminations went on. The international flavour of NHRA events continued with Canadians, Swedes and Swiss participants all involved. Top Fuel: J.R. Todd pushed the Optima Batteries machine to take the number one qualifier of 3.732/327. Swiss rookie, Noah Stutz was in the team Lagana dragster with backing from Formex Swiss Watches and held number one qualifier for several pairs in the first session, finally ending up number nineteen with a 3.876/315 that had him unfortunately watching the eliminations. Big surprises included Billy Torrence taking out point leader Tony Schumacher in round one and Brittany Force seeing off number two in the points, Doug Kalitta. J.R.Todd made his way to the final by way of taking out TJ Zizzo, Khalid alBalooshi and Billy Torrence to meet Spencer Massey for the money run. Massey dismissed Terry McMillen, outgoing champ Shawn Langdon and a strong running Leah Pritchett. The final was held in the chilly late afternoon and Spencer Massey in the Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher car left first chased by J.R.Todd who slowed after two hundred feet, slowing to a 7.375/87 lose as Massey secured the win with a 3.756/330.
Funny Car: saw Matt Hagan in the Mopar/Rocky Boots ’14 Dodge lead the pack as well as the points with the only three in qualifying, a 3.983/322. Once again there were several massive upsets; Courtney Force went out to Paul Lee, Alexis DeJoria to Tommy Johnson Jr. and Jack Beckman to Robert Hight all in round one. TJ, Ron Capps were among the big names out in round two. The semi final saw the race of the event as John Force, desperate for added points in the chase after Hagan managed to stay ahead of teammate Robert Hight; a 4.069/319 beat the hard charging 4.130/312 which put Force in the final. Force en route took out Jon Capps then Tim Wilkerson before Hight. Meeting Force in the final would be Del Worsham who beat Jeff Arend, Ron Capps then the big upset, Matt Hagan. John Force driving the last of a few races representing Castrol GTX High Mileage and Ford left first only to surprisingly be hauled in by Del Worsham in the DHL backed ’15 Toyota Camry, a 4.064/318 beating the 4.104/321.
Pro Stock: in the points battle it was Jason Line ahead of Erica Enders-Stevens, but it was the latter that led the qualifying with a 6.576/209, she then went on to go all the way to the final by taking out the likes of Jeff Isbell, Rodger Brogdon and in a real coup Jason Line. Coming to take on Enders-Stevens was Jeg Coughlin Jr., he had earlier dispatched Aaron Stanfield, Allen Johnson and Shane Gray. Erica Enders-Stevens driving the Elite Motorsports backed ’14 Camaro pulled a 0.007 light and stayed ahead all the way as Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Jegs.com/Mopar ’14 Dart, the numbers were close but it was Enders-Stevens figures of 6.587/209 that secured the trophy as the 6.596/209 was put into second place.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: saw twenty-two bikes chase for a spot in the sixteen machine eliminator and point leader Andrew Hines led the fray with a 6.856/194. Hines would feature well in the eliminations as he beat John Hall, Chaz Kennedy and Jerry Savoie to face current champ Matt Smith in the final. Smith saw off Scotty Pollacheck, Hector Arana and Katie Sullivan. Andrew Hines riding the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines ’13 HD V-Rod had to chase Matt Smith on the Matt Smith Racing/Stockseth Racing ’14 Buell as he left first but Hines overcame the advantage scoring a 6.955/191 win to the 6.971/192 lose.
Pro Mod: twenty-nine entries vied for the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series the final of ten races of the year and it was led with a 5.880/249 from Don Walsh. Walsh made it all the way to the final beating the likes of Peter Faber, Kevin Rivenbark and Von Smith before coming up against repeat Champion, Rickie Smith. Smith made his way to the final with wins over Danny Rowe, Rick Snavely and Troy Coughlin. In the final Rickie Smith in the IDG backed ’’69 Camaro took on Don Walsh in the Precision Turbo/Walsh Motorsport ’13 Camaro, Walsh left first with his familiar wheelieing pace but was beaten by Smith who clicked the win light on with a 5.912/242 as Walsh clipped the timing blocks negating his times and losing the race.
Top Alcohol Dragster: the win went to Joey Severance in the J&A Service machine with a better light coupled with a 5.260/271 leaving number one qualifier Johnny Ahten in the Combust Filters/Island Renovations to come second with a 5.449/254.
Top Alcohol Funny Car: the field contained an international field that ended with an Australian-Swedish final. Top qualifier went to John Lombardo Jr. who went out in round one. Sweden’s Jonnie Lindberg lasted until round two when he lost to event winner Steve Harker. The Australian, Harker in the Speed City ’13 Monte Carlo faced up to Sweden’s Ulf Leanders in the Haas Automation Inc. ’10 Monte Carlo with Harker getting the better light and taking the win with a 5.548/263 as Leanders runner-upped with a fine 5.548/261.
Competition Eliminator: Justin Lamb in the Specialty Auto ’10 Cobalt wrapped up the win with an 8.202/152 as Todd Patterson’s Omaha Track backed ’10 Cobalt got the runner-up ticket with an 8.537/123.
Super Stock: Jason DeForrest clinched his win with a 9.399/134 from his Arrow Awnings, Cabinets & Pit Carts ’05 Cavalier whilst Dan Fletcher’s Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil ’69 Camaro ran a 10.642/117.
Stock Eliminator: Joe Sorensen ran his ’69 Camaro to the win with a 10.681/117 as Mick Alley’s similar machine ran a 10.445/123 lose.
Super Comp: Bobby Dye Jr. took his Specialty Fastners dragster to a 9.063/165 win as the Coop’s Hot Rod Shop rail of Mike Cooper came in second with a 9.112/170.
Super Gas:Tommy Phillips pulled a great 0.008 light in his ’68 Camaro holding on to cross the finish line with a 10.056/161 as opponent, Bernie Polvadore followed with a 10.037/161 for runner-up in his ’93 Grand Prix.
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