topeka sweep for mopar - Don Schumacher Racing

TOPEKA SWEEP FOR MOPAR
The NHRA Kansas Nationals last
weekend was one for the history books in
the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
and one Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie
Venables will not soon forget.
After setting the national elapsed time
and speed records on Friday night at
Heartland Park Topeka with a 3.862second pass at 335.57 mph, the fastest a Funny Car has ever traveled in 1,000 feet or a quarter-mile,
the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team led by Venables and assistant Michael Knudsen took the
event title on Sunday afternoon to earn an NHRA Wally trophy for the second straight weekend and jump
from ninth to fourth in the Mello Yello standings.
Under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s, NHRA fans tuning in live on Fox Sports 1 were
treated to a wild pedalfest in Sundays’ final round between Hagan and his Don Schumacher Racing
teammate Jack Beckman, who Hagan also beat in last weekend’s final round in the Southern Nationals
at Atlanta.
Hagan
pedaled his
10,000horsepower
Dodge Charger
R/T at least half
a dozen times
before crossing the finish line to
earn his 20th career event title
and first at Heartland Park
Topeka.
“It was wild,” Hagan said of
the final round. “It’s important to
put everything in perspective.
We set world records for E.T
and speed, and then to come back out here to win this race is a tribute to my guys and their hard work.
My butt was puckered pretty good on that last run.
“It was one of those deals where it was ‘oh no, oh no, oh no.’ I don’t know how many times I hit the
fuel pedal but it was a lot. Sometimes you’re just thinking ‘don’t blow up’. To see the win lights come on
all day, I’m just tickled about the job Dickie and all our Mopar/Rocky guys are doing.”
Hagan completed three of four runs between 3.942 and 3.951 seconds before the final-round
pedalfest.
Beckman, who
held on to second in
points and is only 12
out of first, and the
team led by crew
chief Jimmy Prock
with assistants John
Medlen and Chris
Cunningham nearly
became the first
Funny Car team to
compete all eight runs
in an event in less
than four seconds.
The semifinals,
however, might have been the turning point for Hagan.
A lengthy delay from a semifinals crash near the starting line by Tim Wilkerson, who was not injured,
resulted in a lot of fluid being deposited on the left lane where Wilkerson came to a stop. Venables and
DSR traction specialist Dave Fletcher made a major decision to switch lanes with Courtney Force
because Beckman was quicker in the previous round that earned lane choice in the semis.
Hagan blitzed the right lane while Force smoked the tires soon after leaving the line.
Ironically, the performance in the final round of both
nitro categories were polar opposites to what had been the
quickest weekend of racing in NHRA history.
Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team led
by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald were on the
cusp of stopping an 11-round winning streak by Doug
Kalitta in the final round, which was a replay of the previous
week in Atlanta.
At Topeka, both dragsters struggled to make it to the
finish line; Kalitta’s winning time of 5.452 (238.85) held off a
hard-charging Brown’s 5.687 at 298.60.
“It’s not what we wanted, for sure,” said Brown, the twotime and reigning world champion who move up to second
in the Mello Yello standings was racing in the 100th final
round of his career.
“That’s definitely a huge compliment, but that’s just a testament to our team. We always go into race
day with a lot of confidence, it doesn’t make a difference where we qualify. We just compete.”
It was a milestone weekend at ultrafast Heartland Park, where national
records were set by Hagan for time and
speed in Funny Car and Brittney Force
(3.676) in Top Fuel.
Although Beckman lost the elapsed
time record of 3.879, his best time of the
weekend (3.866) and speed (332.59) were
career bests.
Tommy Johnson recorded a time of
3.899 at a career-best speed of 327.51 in
the Make-A-Wish Dodge led by crew chief
John Collins and sponsored by Terry
Chandler, who also funds Beckman’s Infinite Hero Funny Car.
The Mello Yello Series is off this weekend and returns June 3-5 at Epping, N.H., to begin a daunting
stretch of four races in four weekends. Following Epping, the series moves to Englishtown, N.J., Bristol,
Tenn., and Norwalk, Ohio.
DSR shop expansion nears completion
Welcome FireAde, Leah Pritchett
Leah Pritchett became the fourth woman to drive for Don
Schumacher Racing when she debuted with DSR at Atlanta Dragway
in the FireAde Top Fuel Dragster
marking the first time DSR entered
four dragsters in one event.
It’s been a whirlwind year for
the winner of the NHRA Top Fuel
event title at this year’s second
race.
Her next races with DSR will be
at Englishtown, N.J., the following
weekend at Bristol, Tenn., and the
U.S. Nationals, all with support
from FireAde. More events are
expected to be added.
FireAde owners Ron and
This development brings her
Teresa Thames
nitro career full circle. The 28year-old native of Redlands, Calif.,
who lives in Avon, Ind., earned her
nitro Funny Car license with DSR eight years ago.
“I am thrilled to finally have Leah in the seat of a DSR racecar,” DSR
owner and drag racing pioneer Don Schumacher said of the Cal State San
Bernardino graduate.
“Don’t fight fires … extinguish them”
FireAde crew chiefs Mike
Guger and Joe Barlam
“She showed me a lot when she tested with
us and earned her NHRA license. But she is
much more than a very good driver; she is an
excellent marketer and outstanding
representative of our sport.”
FireAde provides the world’s most advanced,
innovative and environmental friendly
firefighting, tank cleaning and dust control
products. FireAde, a product of Fire Service
Plus Inc., is based in Fayetteville, Ga., near
Atlanta and was founded by chief executive
officer Ron Thames.
“A huge thanks goes to Ron and FireAde for the belief they have in us and making this happen so we
can keep racing,” Pritchett said.
Veteran crew chiefs Mike Guger and Joe Barlam joined Pritchett in her move to DSR.
“If you would have asked a couple of weeks ago if I’d being running Atlanta I wouldn’t have bet too
much on that happening,” Pritchett said. “When the door shut on all of us (at Bob Vandergriff Racing after
the April 3 event at Las Vegas) it was not a fend-for-yourself moment. Our goal was to continue to race
together and because of that we were able to go to Atlanta.
Two of the previous women to drive for DSR went on to win multiple NHRA world championships:
Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Melanie Troxel won two Top
Fuel titles for DSR.
“It’s ironic that it comes full circle for me that I will be driving for Don Schumacher in a Mello Yello
race. He was the first one to see my potential when I was a teenager and helped me get my first fuel
license.
“To be able to run under his umbrella is a very proud moment for me.”
ABOUT FIREADE
Fire Service Plus Inc. was established in 1998 by Ron Thames, president and chief executive officer.
Since 1984, Thames’ products continue to revolutionize and change the firefighting industry. He has
been awarded domestic and international patents and served on the U.S. President's small business
council in an advisory capacity.
Fire Service Plus is a recognized global leader that consistently surpasses industry standards by
manufacturing the most advanced, innovative and environmental friendly firefighting, tank cleaning and
dust control products. These groundbreaking products have 30 years of pioneering research and
development combined.
The Ronnie Thames Foundation
was founded in 2004 by Ron Thames
to honor his late son, Ronnie. They
worked together to develop FireAde
products before his untimely death.
The Ronnie Thames Foundation
(RonnieThamesFoundation.org) is
dedicated to community involvement
by creating a 1st through 3rd grade
program with local fire departments to
teach children about ire prevention
and safety.
One element of the program is to
each year honor firefighters who
believe in the spirit of community
service and dedication by shining the
spotlight on these silent heroes.
RonnieThamesFoundation.org
AutoImagery.com photos of the race
For DSR photos,
contact
AutoImagery.com
Clockwise from left: Atlanta winner Matt Hagan with his
No. 1 fan, Nolan Lopez; Above Red Fuel/Sandvik
Coromant crew member Gerad Steward uses Pennzoil to
lubricate the engine’s supercharger; and Ref Fuel
teammate Brandon Lambert keeps an eye on the
engine’s bottom end.
DSR drivers 2016: career statistics, standings (through Topeka)
DSR TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS
ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army *2015 WORLD CHAMPION
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup Semi
Qtr 1st rd Poles
2016
2nd
8
1
2
2
2
1
0
CAREER
342
55 (39 TF/16 PSB) 45
71
89
79
44
Best Time, Speed: 3.680 sec., (first below 3.7, 2015, Brainerd); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)
DNQ
W/L
0
15-7
3 583-284
TONY SCHUMACHER: U.S. Army
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup Semi
Qtr 1st rd
2016
8th
8
0
0
0
6
2
CAREER
440
80
58
68
120
106
Best Time, Speed: 3.719 sec. (2015, Topeka); 330.55 mph (2014, Las Vegas 2)
Poles DNQ
0
0
79
8
W/L
6-8
748-352
SHAWN LANGDON: Red Fuel Powered by Schumacher/Sandvik Coromant
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup Semi
Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ
2016
9th
8
0
0
1
2
5
0
0
CAREER
172
11
14
33
53
58
18
3
Langdon’s Best Time, Speed: 3.662 sec. (quickest ever, 2015, Brainerd); 334.15 mph (both with AJR)
W/L
4-8
204-158
DSR FUNNY CARS
JACK BECKMAN: Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
2016
2nd
8
0
2
2
3
CAREER
236
22
24
43
66
Best Time, Speed: 3.866 sec. (2016, Topeka); 332.59 mph (2016, Topeka)
1st rd Poles DNQ
1
4
0
74
19
7
W/L
13-8
310-207
MATT HAGAN: Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2016
4th
8
2
0
2
1
3
1
0
CAREER
176
20
18
24
56
54
22
4
Best Time, Speed: 3.862 sec., 335.57 (2016, Topeka; nat’l records, quickest and fastest ever)
W/L
12-6
237-152
RON CAPPS: NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
1st rd Poles DNQ
2016
6th
8
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
CAREER
467
46 (45 FC/1 TF) 46
83
96
177
18
19
Best Time, Speed: 3.885 sec., (2015, Pomona 2); 327.19 mph (2015, St. Louis)
W/L
12-6
584-402
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.: Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T
Pts
Events
Wins
Rup
Semi
Qtr
2016
10th
8
0
0
2
3
CAREER
382
12 (10 FC/2 TF)
21
51
92
Best Time, Speed: 3.891 sec. (2015, Pomona 2); 327.51 mph (2016, Topeka)
1st rd Poles DNQ
3
0
0
161
13
44
W/L
7-8
304-326
NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
(Official through Topeka after 8 of 24 events; wins in parenthesis; DSR drivers in BOLD CAPS)
TOP FUEL
1. Doug Kalitta (3)
2. ANTRON BROWN (1)
3. Brittany Force (2)
4. Steve Torrence (1)
5. JR Todd
5. Clay Millican
7. Richie Crampton
8. TONY SCHUMACHER
9. SHAWN LANGDON
10. Terry McMillen
11. LEAH PRITCHETT (1)
710
615
580
557
440
440
418
403
346
310
308
----95
-130
-133
-270
-270
-292
-307
-364
-400
-402
FUNNY CAR
1. Courtney Force (1)
2. JACK BECKMAN
3. Tim Wilkerson (2)
4. MATT HAGAN (2)
5. Robert Hight (1)
6. RON CAPPS (1)
7. Del Worsham
8. Alexis DeJoria (1)
9. John Force
10. TOMMY JOHNSON JR
601
589
554
511
510
504
485
451
448
404
----12
-47
-90
-91
-97
-116
-150
-153
-197
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NHRA NATIONAL RECORDS – through Topeka 2016
Top Fuel ET
Top Fuel MPH
3.676 Brittany Force
2016 Topeka
Funny Car ET
332.75 S. Massey-DSR
2015, Brainerd, Minn.
Funny Car MPH
3.862 Matt Hagan - DSR
2016 Topeka
335.57 Matt Hagan - DSR
2016 Topeka
NHRA track records – through Topeka 2016
(21 tracks in 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series)
TRACK
Atlanta
Brainerd
Bristol
Charlotte
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Englishtown
Epping
Gainesville
Houston
Indy
Las Vegas
Norwalk
Phoenix
Pomona
Reading
Seattle
St. Louis
Sonoma
Topeka
Top Fuel ET
Top Fuel MPH
Funny Car ET
Funny Car MPH
3.731 Kalitta 2016
3.662 Langdon 2015
3.745 Schumacher 2015
3.713 Todd 2015
3.729 Brown 2015
3.705 Crampton 2015
3.791 Dixon 2015
3.725 Brown 2015
3.742 Schumacher 2015
3.743 Lucas 2012
3.724 S. Torrence 2016
3.740 Langdon 2012
3.722 Brown 2015
3.731 Kalitta 2015
3.716 Kalitta 2016
3.700 Langdon 2015
3.701 Brown 2012
3.727 Crampton 2015
3.718 S. Torrence 2015
3.707 Brown 2015
3.676 B. Force 2016
328.66 Kalitta 2014
332.75 Massey 2015
331.04 Dixon 2015
332.18 Massey 2012
328.78 Connolly 2015
329.18 Connolly 2015
326.95 B. Force 2015
329.91 Massey 2012
327.91 Massey 2015
329.02 Massey 2015
330.07 Massey 2015
328.54 Schumacher 2014
332.67 Langdon 2015
332.51 Dixon 2015
329.91 Schumacher 2015
332.43 Langdon/DSR 2015
334.15 Langdon 2012
328.30 Massey 2015
329.99 Connolly 2015
329.10 Connolly 2015
331.85 Kalitta 2016
3.906 Hagan 2016
3.879 Hagan 2015
3.978 J. Force 2015
3.934 DeJoria 2016
3.966 C. Pedregon 2015
3.909 Beckman 2015
4.015 J. Force 2015
3.959 C. Pedregon 2014
3.988 Hight 2014
3.879 Beckman 2016
3.899 Wilkerson 2016
3.936 Beckman 2015
3.916 Beckman 2016
3.973 Hagan 2015
3.905 Hight 2016
3.884 Beckman 2015
3.897 Beckman 2015
3.912 Beckman 2015
3.883 Hagan 2015
3.921 Beckman 2015
3.862 Hagan 2016
329.02 Hagan 2016
329.58 Hagan 2015
323.43 J. Force 2015
323.50 Hagan 2016
322.50 C. Force 2014
326.32 Beckman 2015
318.39 J. Force 2014
321.04 Worsham 2014
323.35 C. Force 2014
329.26 Beckman 2016
328.06 Worsham 2016
323.74 Beckman 2015
326.71 Worsham 2016
322.96 Hagan 2015
327.11 Hight 2016
331.45 Hagan 2015
329.34 Hight 2015
322.88 Beckman 2015
330.47 Hagan 2015
325.77 Hagan 2015
335.57 Hagan 2016
Top Fuel ET
Top Fuel MPH
Funny Car ET
Funny Car MPH
Brown
Schumacher
Kalitta
Langdon/AJR
Crampton
S. Torrence
Todd
Dixon
Lucas
B. Force
5
2
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
Massey
Connolly
Dixon
Kalitta
Langdon/AJR
Schumacher
Langdon/DSR
B. Force
7
4
2
2
2
2
1
1
Beckman
Hagan
C. Pedregon
Hight
J. Force
Wilkerson
DeJoria
8
5
2
2
2
1
1
Hagan
Beckman
C. Force
J. Force
Worsham
Hight
8
4
2
2
3
2
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ABOUT DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered near Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Ind., fields eight professional NHRA
teams in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the 2012 and 2015
NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster driven by Antron Brown, the Red Fuel/Sandvik
Coromant dragster driven by 2013 world champion Shawn Langdon and the new part-time team for FireAde with
driver Leah Pritchett.
In Funny Car, two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots 2016 Dodge
Charger R/T, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge, the NAPA AUTO
PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR has won 271 NHRA national event titles and 14 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series (NOTE: order of events only correct for 2016)
REGULAR SEASON 2013 WINNNERS
1. 2/12-14 Pom 1
TF Langdon FC C.Force
2. 2/26-28 Phoenix TF TONY
FC RON
3. 3/18-20 G’ville
4. 4/22-24 LV 1
2014 WINNERS
TF alBalooshi FC J.Force
TF ANTRON FC DeJoria
TF ANTRON* FC GRAY
TF Kalitta
*DSR’s 200th
TF TONY
FC C.PedregonTF TONY
2015 WINNERS
TF Langdon
TF TONY
FC MATT
FC MATT
2016 WINNERS
TF Torrence
TF Pritchett
FC Hight
TF SPENCER
FC RON
TF B. Force
FC Hight
FC DeJoria
TF Crampton
FC J.Force
TF ANTRON
FC DeJoria
FC RON
FC Wilkerson
5. 4/1-3
CLT
TF SPENCER FC MATT
TF ANTRON
FC Hight
6. 4/29-5/1 Houston TF Vandergriff FC C.Pedregon TF ANTRON FC Hight
7. 5/13-15 Atlanta TF ANTRON FC GRAY
TF SPENCER FC Hight
8. 5/20-22 Topeka TF Langdon FC GRAY
TF SPENCER FC C.Force
TF ANTRON
TF Kalitta
TF ANTRON
TF Crampton
FC JACK*
*DSR’s 100th FC
FC RON
FC Wilkerson
FC JACK*
TF B. Force
FC Wilkerson
TF Kalitta
TF Kalitta
TF Kalitta
FC C. Force
FC MATT
FC MATT
FC J.Force
FC MATT
TF
TF
FC
FC
FC MATT
FC JACK
FC TOMMY
FC JACK
FC JACK*
TF
TF
TF
TF
TF
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
*DSR’s 250th
9. 6/3-5
Epping
10. 6/10-12 E’town
TF SPENCER FC C.Force
TF Langdon FC MATT
TF TONY
TF Crampton
FC RON
TF TONY
FC C.Pedregon TF ANTRON*
*AB’s 50th
11. 6/17-19
12. 6/24-26
13. 7/8-10
14. 7/2-24
15. 7/29-30
Bristol
Norwalk
Chicago
Denver
Sonoma
TF S.Torrence FC J.Force
TF Langdon
TF alBalloshi FC GRAY
TF ANTRON
TF TONY
FC MATT
TF ANTRON
TF SPENCER FC C.Pedregon TF Todd
TF Langdon FC RON
TF alBalooshi
FC TOMMY
FC J. Force
FC MATT
FC Hight
FC C.Force
TF Crampton
TF Kalitta
TF TONY
TF Torrence
TF ANTRON*
*DSR’S 50th Dble-up
16. 8/5-7
Seattle TF Lucas
FC MATT
TF Kalitta
FC J.Force
TF Todd
FC TOMMY TF
17. 8/19-21 Brainerd TF SPENCER FC RON
TF Lucas
FC RON (Indy) TF Crampton
FC Hight
TF
18. 9/2-5
Indy
TF Langdon FC Hight
TF Crampton FC DeJoria
TF Lucas
FC JACK
TF
Indy Traxxas
Traxxas FC/JACK
Traxxas TF/Antron Traxxas/FC JACK
COUNTDOWN
2013 DSR WINNERS
2014 WINNERS
2015 WINNERS
19. 9/16-18 CLT 2
TF Lucas
FC Hight
TF TONY
FC MATT
TF ANTRON
FC Worsham TF
20. 9/25-27 St. Louis TF ANTRON FC J.Force
TF ANTRON FC C.Force
TF ANTRON
FC Worsham TF
21. 9/31-10/2 Reading TF Langdon FC J.Force
TF TONY
FC MATT
TF ANTRON
FC JACK
TF
22. 10/14-16 Dallas TF Kalitta
FC C.Pedregon TF TONY
FC C. Force
TF Crampton
FC Worsham TF
23. 10/28-30 LV 2
TF ANTRON FC J.Force
TF SPENCER FC Worsham TF Kalitta
FC Hight
TF
24. 11/11-13 Pom 2 TF Langdon FC MATT
TF Lucas
FC MATT
TF SHAWN
FC Worsham TF
DSR TOTALS:
TF = 11
FC = 12
TF = 14
FC = 7
TF = 12
FC = 15
TF = 1
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC
FC = 3
DSR 2016 SEASON TOTALS
4 - Event titles (Antron 1, Matt 2, Ron 1)
DSR 2015 SEASON TOTALS
1 – World champion (Antron’s 2nd in Top Fuel)
12 - Top Fuel event titles (Antron 7, Tony 3, Shawn 1, Massey 1)
15 - Funny Car event titles (Jack 7, Matt 4, Ron 2, Tommy 2)
DSR ALL-TIME TOTALS
14 - World championships (Tony 8, Matt 2, Antron 2, Jack Beckman 1, Gary Scelzi 1)
271 - NHRA Mello Yello event titles (Top Fuel 136, Funny Car 114, Pro Stock 3, Pro Stock Motorcycle 18)
Leah Vaughn
vaughnl@shoeracing.com
Jeff Wolf
wolfj@shoeracing.com
Allie Bland
blanda@shoeracing.com