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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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If you wanted heat and humidity there was plenty, if you required action there was almost too much as the international contingency of racers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the Lucas Oil Sportsman Drag Racing Series gave it their all. It was the first and most welcome rounds of the Pro Stock Motorcycles and the fabulous Pro Mods running in the J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Headline of the event that was aired around the world was the horrifyingly spectacular crash involving Larry Dixon against Doug Kalitta. Dixon’s C&J Energy Services machine jack-knifed approaching the finish line, breaking the car in two with Dixon flying high in the air before crashing back down and into the guard wall. After a seemingly long wait he emerged from the wreck, donned his baseball cap and walked to the rescue vehicle. Top Fuel had Tony Schumacher put down an opening 3.851/320 following it in the next session with a 3.796/323 before Shawn Langdon made his presence felt with a round three 3.765/325 that was good for overall pole. Schumacher would feature in the final and made his way there with wins over Terry McMillen in the race sponsor Amalie Motor Oil car the an up in smoke Clay Millican before a 3.838/320 saw off a tyre hazing Shawn Langdon in the semi final. Spencer Massey came from qualifying second to face teammate The Sarge in the final, a quick and decisive win over Chris Karamesines then put Massey against Brittany Force who left a little late to catch Massey then a 3.858/308 beat other teammate Antron Brown’s smoking 5.182/144 in the semi final, An all Don Schumacher Racing final pleased the in-attendance Don Schumacher who is recovering from cancer treatment, it was a close run thing as Tony Schumacher in the US ARMY machine left behind the Red Fuel/Sandvik car of Spencer Massey with the latter holding on to take the trophy with a 3.882/320 as Schumacher trailed in with a close 3.873/313.
Funny Car saw Cruz Pedregon in the Snap-On/Wix Filters ’15 Toyota dominate qualifying with an out the trailer 4.022/312 with Del Worsham just behind with a 4.057/312 that lasted from the first session. It was a surprise in the final as number fourteen qualifier and lottery winner John Hale met Ron Capps the number nine qualifier. Hale had a magical day with a first round win over an up in smoke and sideways John Force, the a win over a tyre hazing Alexis DeJoria in two before a win put a tyre smoking Blake Alexander back in the trailer. Ron Capps meanwhile was dealing out some big names on his side of the frame, Courtney Force in round one, a tyre smoking Cruz Pedregon in two and Tim Wilkerson in the semi. The NAPA Auto Parts ’15 Dodge Charger of Ron Capps, another from the Don Schumacher Racing stable carded a 4.115/311 win coming from behind a slightly better leave by the Jim Dunn Racing/Alo Drink backed ’14 Charger driven by John Hale whose 4.208/289 was given the runner-up honour.
Pro Stock was led by Chris McGaha in his Harlow Sammons of Odessa ’15 Camaro with a 6.507/212 that lasted as pole from session one. Jason Line was in second spot on a 6.522/212. It would turn out to be an all team final as Line met teammate Greg Anderson for the event final. Jason Line took on and beat Alan Prusiensky in round one then Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund who had taken out Erica Enders-Stevens in round one gave Line a great race, it was a 6.528/212 to Line winning by a nose as Ålund went out with a 6.571/209. A 6.535/213 beat Rodger Brogdon’s 6.540/213 in the semis. Greg Anderson meanwhile dispatched Larry Morgan in round one, Shane Gray in two and top qualifier Chris McGaha in the semi. An all Summit Racing Equipment final saw Jason Line in his ’15 Camaro chase Greg Anderson's similar machine, a winning 6.538/213 from Anderson just stayed ahead of the 6.554/212 from Line.
Pro Mod contained a whopping twenty-seven muscle bound cars all vying for the top spot which was taken by Don Walsh in his ’14 Camaro on a 5.832/248 clocking. It was however a final round battle between Bob Rahaim and Pete Farber. Faber in the CRC Brakleen ’69 Daytona fought his way past Mike Knowles in round one, then a red lighting Eric Latino in two before a semi final easy 9.787/108 win as Troy Coughlin Jr. failed to light the pipes. Bob Rahaim driving the newly awarded Best Appearing Car, a ’15 Corvette backed by TLC Waste Disposal Services managed to get the beautiful new machine past Mike Castellana in round one then top qualifier Don Walsh in two before a 5.996/243 got the better of the 6.196/237 from Troy Coughlin. The final came late afternoon and the Bob Rahaim ‘Vette got the slightly better light and continued to the stripe running the winning 5.957/243 as Pete Farber’s Daytona hazed the slicks at three hundred feet slowing to an 8.965/107.
Pro Stock Motorcycle contained a couple of Europeans, Roy Olsen from Norway who managed a 7.541/143 for a twenty-two placing and Finland’s reigning European Pro Stock Bike Champion, Fredrik Fredlund whose 7.015/191 put him just outside the field on seventeenth spot. Angelle Sampey recorded a 6.892/192 to open qualifying on pole bettering it in round two with a 6.891/192 then in the third session a 6.872/194. In the final qualifier Matt Smith came up with a 6.867/194 for top spot, his luck then deserted him as a rag left in the bike shredded in round one of eliminations negating his chance of a run. Karen Stoffer made her return to racing after a couple of years off and came from ninth qualifier all the way to take the event win, she beat off the likes of Steve Johnson in round one, then Angie Smith in two before a 6.917/196 saw off Shawn Gann’s 6.959/192 in the semi final. Eddie Krawiec sat in third qualifying spot then ran all the way to meet Stoffer in the final; he beat Mike Berry in round one, Berry having broken before the run. A real close race had Krawiec dispatch Hector Arana in round two before a 6.890/195 saw off the 6.034/194 from LE Tonglet. Karen Stoffer’s all black ’03 Suzuki came up against the might of Eddie Krawiec’s Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines ’15 HD V-Rod in the final and although Krawiec left first he came off the power around eight hundred feet and Stoffer shot past winning with a 6.900/195 to a slowing 7.884/122.
Top Alcohol Dragster Randy Meyer qualified fourth then blasted his way through to the final, his red and black injected nitro-burner ran a winning 5.219/277 to beat the 5.330/276 from Chris Demke’s blown Peen Rite machine.
Top Alcohol Funny Car witnessed more history as another Swede; Ulf Leanders in his Haas Automation Inc. ’10 Monte Carlo beat all comers and faced number two qualifier Australian native Steve Harker for the final. A slightly better leave coupled with a 5.541/261 put the Wally in the Leanders camp as Harker came in second with a 5.626/256.
Competition Eliminator saw a ’34 Chevy Roadster belonging to Joe Santangelo deliver the winning numbers, 7.745/165 beating the 7.971/169 from Al Ackerman’s little dragster.
Super Stock had a first round total of fifty-seven cars but it was the battle in the final that dealt Dave Rampy the winning hand in an ’87 Camaro beating Mike Crutchfield’s ’08 Pontiac G5 with a 10.238/127 win to an 8.930/145.
Stock Eliminator had the ’10 Challenger and number twelve in qualifying, Kevin Helms out wheelstand and run down the ’69 Camaro of Jeff Adkinson, an 8.923/149 beating the number forty-five qualifier’s 10.427/126.
Super Comp saw a sixty-seven car round one but by the day’s end it had been boiled down to a run-off between John Labbous and Anthony Bertozzi and in a double breakout Labbous took the win with an 8.888/169 to an 8.870/170 lose.
Super Gas from the many cars in the field it was Bill Clarke in his ’00 Firebird that faced Craig Porter in his ’04 Mustang on the money run, Clarke’s 10.321/124 got the light as Porter’s 9.856/169 broke out costing him the win.
Top Sportsman became a battle between the numbers one and two qualifiers, a ’63 Corvette and an ’06 Cobalt, however, it was the Corvette of Ronnie Davis that triumphed with a 6.768/173 win over the 6.989/215 from Jeffrey Barker’s try.
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