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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 15th annual and penultimate race in the Countdown to the Championship Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series crowned both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Champions plus the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Champion. In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series for Sportsman there were going to be some tight finishes. It was an international event with Europeans from Switzerland, Sweden and Great Britain competing against Americans and Canadians. The weather was kind and the grandstands packed. Top Fuel saw a couple of track records, a 3.722 from Antron Brown and a 332.67mph from Shawn Langdon. The 3.722 with a 326 put Brown top of the pile with Larry Dixon close behind, a 3.733/328 giving him second. Antron Brown took out Jenna Haddock in round one and in round two picked up the 2015 Mello Yello NHRA Top Fuel Championship when team mate and points rival Tony Schumacher lost and Brown beat Dave Connolly. Larry Dixon meanwhile was seeing off the likes of Leah Pritchett in one, Schumacher in two then a really close match saw a 3.829/318 from Clay Millican beaten with a 3.800/322. Dixon would come up against Doug Kalitta in the final with Kalitta putting away Steve Torrence in one, Richie Crampton in two and the new Champion, Antron Brown in the semis. The final saw Doug Kaliita in the Mac Tools car lettered in a Wrenching for a Cure wrap for breast cancer against the C&J Energy Services car driven by Dixon; a pretty even leave saw Dixon pedal three times through thick tyre smoke as Kalitta spectacularly boomed the motor destroying the blower and hat but clinching the all important win with a 4.239/207 to the losing 8.110/73.
Funny Car witnessed four track records almost one after the other with Tommy Johnson Jr. notching up a 3.931 and Courtney Force delivering a fine 325.77mph putting them one and two in qualifying. Johnson Jr. in the Make A Wish ’15 Dodge Charger was on a roll all weekend, he took out an instant in smoke Bob Bode in round one, a better leave left Alexis DeJoria behind but a pair of 4.008s with a 309 to a 291 speed respectively put TJ up against Ron Capps in the semi final, a close race ensued with a 3.968/313 win to a 3.978/319 lose from Capps. Meeting TJ for the event trophy and pay-cheque was Robert Hight who had qualified in third spot on a 3.937/314 in the Automobile Club of Southern California backed ’15 Camaro SS. The John Force Racing machine of Hight defeated Gary Densham in round one then a championship leading Del Worsham in round two, putting the race for the championship back on with Jack Beckman who also had gone out in round two. Chad Head was hauled in, losing with a 4.035/313 to a 39.71/323 to put Hight in the final. It was all over just after the start as Tommy Johnson Jr. went into big tyre smoke allowing Robert Hight the win on a 3.955/323 to the losing 8.279/85.
Pro Stock had Erica Enders-Stevens take total control, kicking off with a 6.579/209 top qualifier and bettering it to a track record 6.559/210.28 ahead of point chaser, Greg Anderson in at number two with a 6.584/209. Enders-Stevens then ploughed her way through to the finals in the Elite Motorsports ’15 Camaro dispatching Deric Kramer in round one, Shane Gray in two and as Anderson was taken out by Vincent Nobile, she became the Mello Yello NHRA Pro Stock Champion for the second time. The semis it was the turn of Drew Skillman to feel the power of the Elite Camaro, a 6.598/208 beating the 6.618/209. Meeting the champ in the final was Bo Butner in the Jim Butner Auto ’15 Chevy who beat V Gaines in one, Chris McGaha in two before taking out the giant killer, Vincent Nobile in the semi, 6.616/208 win to a 6.625/208. Erica Enders-Stevens added the icing to the cake by turning on the win light in the final, a 6.595/208 beating Bo Butner’s 6.610/209.
Pro Stock Motorcycle saw Jerry Savoie and his Savoie’s Alligator Farm ’11 Suzuki sit atop qualifying with 6.928/190 then a 6.876/194 before riding to a track record Low E.T. 6.852 at 196mph, Savoie featured in all the rounds, seeing of Fred Camarena, Steve Johnson and a 6.906/194 beat the 6.980/192 from LE Tonglet in the semi final. Point leader Andrew Hines meanwhile came from second qualifier to get the better of Jim Underdahl, Scotty Pollacheck and in the semi, Hector Arana, a 6.973/191 beating the 7.001/191. The final saw the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines ’15 HD V-Rod of Andrew Hines stay the legal side of the lights, recording a winning 6.920/193 as Savoie red it to a 6.911/193 lose.
Pro Mod saw a massive thirty entries headed by Don Walsh Jr. on a 5.774/259 from his Precision Turbo/Walsh Motorsport ’14 Camaro but his luck expired in round two going out to Pete Farber. Farber in the CRC Brakleen ’69 Daytona came from mid pack to defeat Eric Latino in one, Walsh in two and the new NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Champion, Troy Coughlin in the semis, a 5.967/242 beating the centreline crossing 7.594/130. Khalid alBalooshi in the Al-Anabi Racing USA LLC ’68 Camaro was ruling the other side of the ladder beating last year’s champ, Ricki Smith in round one, Steven Whiteley in two and a 5.860/246 beat the 5.911/247 from Rick Snavely in the semi. Finals time saw Pete Farber leave first only to be hauled in and passed by alBalooshi, 5.854/245 to the losing 5.942/244.
Top Alcohol Dragster had Garrett Bateman run his Hiplink machine to a 5.275/269 win over the 5.902/222 from Jackie Fricke.
Top Alcohol Funny Car Sweden’s Jonnie Lindberg set the clocks alight with a top qualifier, Low ET of 5.478/264 and a Top Speed of 267.32mph but unfortunately lost in round three to Doug Gordon. Gordon became runner-up with a 5.554.262 as winner, Mickey Ferro in the Bartone Bros. ’15 Camaro took the 5.546/266 win.
Competition Eliminator had Craig Bourgeois run his front-engine dragster to a 6.952/174 win to the losing 8.164/157 from Dan Fletcher in the ’08 Cobalt.
Super Stock win went to Jason DeForrest in the ’05 Cavalier with a 9.309/138 defeating the 11.920/104 from Dennis Paz’ ’65 El Camino.
Stock Eliminator was wrapped up by Scott Burton in a ’70 Firebird running a 10.630/119, beating the 11.584/104 from Tyler Wudarczyk’s ’69 Nova.
Super Comp had Scotland’s Colin Millar represent Britain and winning Best Appearing Crew after going out in round one with an under index number from his ’51 Anglia. Winner of the event went to Chad Langdon running a 9.053/163 taking out Greg Krause’s 9.038/163.
Super Gas was clinched by Troy Grant in his ’66 Chevy II, a 10.038 beating the 10.037/151 from Eddy Plaizier’s ’63 Corvette.
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