Teams gearing up for NHRA Winter Nationals
NHRA teams are hard at work in preparation for the season-opening event in Pomona, Calif. set for the first weekend in February. The Winter Nationals follows the Rolex 24-Hour race in Daytona by one week and is one week prior to the Daytona 500–all three events kick off their respective series' 2010 schedules.
Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations
CHUMACHER STRONG IN PRE-SEASON TESTING:
Reigning NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel world champion, Tony
Schumacher, drove his U.S. Army dragster to back-to-back passes of
3.759 and 3.753, unofficially the two quickest passes in history,
during pre-season testing Wednesday in
TROXEL TAKES GOLD, COUGHLIN GRABS SILVER AT THE LUCAS OIL GEOFF BODINE BOBSLED CHALLENGE:
NHRA star Melanie Troxel earned the gold medal, flying past the
competition in her first appearance at the annual Lucas Oil Geoff
Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering Sunday. Not
far behind Troxel was four-time NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world
champion Jeg Coughlin, who earned the silver medal in the competition.
NASCAR road-racer Boris Said took the bronze medal in the event. “I’m
shocked,” said Troxel. “That final (gold medal) run didn’t even feel
that fast. It seemed like I hit the wall a lot, but I guess it was
quick enough to win. There was definitely some beginner’s luck on my
side today.” Top Fuel teammates Shawn Langdon and Morgan Lucas finished
fifth and sixth, respectively. Langdon, like Troxel, was competing in
his first Lucas Oil Bobsled Challenge. Silver-medalist Coughlin had the
fastest pass of the event, reaching 102.62 kilometers per hour on the
20-turn Olympic course on Mount Van Hoevernberg in Lake Placid, N.Y. “I
skidded through a few of the lower turns in both runs, and that
scrubbed off a bit of speed,” Coughlin said. “But I’m really pleased
with this result. Two years ago, I came in third here and got the
bronze. Now I’ve got a silver medal to go with it, so we’ve improved,
and that’s exciting. I guess I need to come back and get a gold to
finish the set.” For more information and results from the Lucas Oil
Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, visit NHRA.com.
PRUDHOMME ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM DRAG RACING:
Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, one of the most accomplished drivers and
revered team owners in NHRA history, announced his retirement from the
sport of drag racing late last week. Prudhomme’s 47-year career
featured him behind the wheel for 32 seasons before he retired from
driving at the end of his 1994 Final Strike campaign. He then
transitioned to the role of team owner. Overall, Prudhomme has an
impressive combination of six NHRA world championships and 112 national
event victories. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to make a
living in drag racing and to have enjoyed some success along the way,”
said Prudhomme. “I would like to thank all of the great sponsors we’ve
worked with over the years, everyone at NHRA, the many track owners,
operators, and promoters, our past employees and team members, and all
of the drag racing fans that have support Snake Racing.”
“A true
legend in the world of motorsports and one of NHRA’s greatest
ambassadors and champions, we wish Don ‘the Snake’ Prudhomme much
health and happiness in his retirement,” said
“On behalf of
everyone within the NHRA community, I want to offer our sincere thanks
to Don for all he has done to help guide the sport. The NHRA will
forever be extremely grateful for his undying passion, commitment to
excellence, and long-term dedication to the sport.”
For more information on Prudhomme and his retirement, visit NHRA.com.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
KRAGEN O’REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT
NHRA
NHRA GATORNATIONALS,
HE SAID, SHE SAID
I LOVE THE SMELL OF NITRO IN THE MORNING: Top
Fuel pilot Antron Brown on the start of testing for the 2010 Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series: “To say we’re itching to fire up our Matco
Tools dragster and smell some nitromethane is an understatement. After
the season that we had in ’09 and finishing the year with a win at Pomona
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
31: That’s how many career wins Top Fuel pilot Doug Kalitta has in his 11-year career, yet his first NHRA Winternationals win came just this past season. It also came on the 50th anniversary of Kalitta Motorsports. “I’ve always wanted to win here,” said Kalitta, as he addressed the media after his 2009 win. “This is one of the places that ranks way up there on my list, and the Kalitta name has a long list here.”
DID YOU KNOW…
…that
NHRA Funny Car legend, John Force, will be celebrating his 25th year
with his title sponsor, Castrol, in 2010. To help celebrate the 25th
anniversary, fans can visit the website www.castrolforce.com, opening up this week, for more information on the Castrol/Force relationship and find photos, stories and video highlights.
