Wed, 12 Oct 2011, 07:46 PM Just Three To Go

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2011 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Line vs. Anderson

I received several e-mails last week after my story saying that Jason Line was the likely winner in the Pro Stock class this year. Most folks were gentle and suggested that it's not over until it's over and several even said that I may be jinxing Jason by making such a bold statement (if only I had such power). But, and there's always a but, one person went so far as to say that I didn't know what I was talking about and that Greg Anderson still had a chance to catch his Summit Racing teammate and that I would be proven wrong when Greg did take over the lead and win the championship. To that I say, I don't know what to say. It certainly is mathematically possible for Greg to catch Jason, it's even possible for Mike Edwards, Erica Enders and a lot of other racers to catch him, but is it realistically possible? Probably not. I don't pretend to know everything about the sport but I do know this, if Jason doesn't win the championship this year it will be the biggest surprise since the Phillies didn't make the World Series. Oh wait, that's a sore subject around my part of the country!!

Vincent Nobile

I should be getting my ballot any day now for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, known and loved as the Rookie of the Year award, and I'm not sure who I will be voting for. There are nine drivers on the list, and while several of them merit serious consideration I believe the choice will come down to two, Vincent Nobile and Hector Arana Jr.. If memory serves me correctly, and at my age I can't say that it always does, I had all but awarded the rookie title to Vincent a few weeks (or maybe months) ago. After all, he had been to five final rounds, including the 4-wide race in Charlotte, won a couple of races, including Houston and Norwalk and had earned a spot in the "Countdown." In a normal year that would be good enough to get my vote, but this hasn't turned out to be a normal year, at least not as far as the rookies are concerned. Hector Arana Jr. has made a serious charge in the points, won Indy, made the "Countdown" and then won Maple Grove and is in second place in the standings just thirty-five points behind the leader and

Hector Arana Jr.

that makes a very compelling case for him. The good thing is that the votes aren't due just yet (although they will be shortly) so I can take a few more days to make my decision. The Pro Stock Motorcycles will be in action this week in Phoenix for the first time so I will get to compare performances by both Vincent and Hector before casting my ballot. I do find it interesting that both drivers are second-generation racers and both have the support of their families as they pursue their goal of winning races and championships. It's just great to see that we have such a good field of candidates in the running for the rookie honor this year....Among the other nominees are Justin Finley, Steve Kent, Dominic Lagana, Buddy Perkinson, Michael Ray, Jerry Savoie and Brian Thiel and all are deserving of consideration. I will say that, in a normal year, Jerry Savoie would have to get some votes because he's having a very good season and he did make the "Countdown." Let's face it, making the top ten and being runner-up at Indy can garner you a whole pile of votes....Alexis DeJoria, sure to be one of the top rookie candidates next year, will make her second appearance in the Funny Car class and she'll he hoping to make her first start this week in Arizona.

Glidden vs. Rivera

With the 2012 schedule already released we know that moving the Phoenix race to the fall is just a one year experiment. Next year it will be back in its customary spot on the schedule as the second race of the year, but for now it will be a pivotal race on the calendar. Besides the fact that the bikes will run there it looks like it's going to be hot, very hot, this weekend in Arizona and that will make the racing very tricky. With temperatures near 100 degrees it could turn out to be a tuner's race and that always makes for an interesting weekend. While I don't claim to know everything about drag racing, and while I certainly don't know squat about tuning a car, I do know that hot temperatures will make it tough for any Pro Stock driver to set a record and pick up 138 or 150 points, something they may need if they want to catch Jason....I'm sure that most of you reading this know that the Phoenix race was originally run in the fall, and it remained that way for five years. Did you know that 1990, the first time that the race was run early in the year, was the last time that a Ford won in Arizona in Pro Stock? Bob Glidden, who won the first four years of the event, won again in 1990 and since that time nobody flying the blue oval has visited the winner's circle in a Pro Stock Car. I mention Fords because there has been a

Rivera and crew won Best Appearing Crew at that 1990 race.

bit of a resurgence this year with the brand. Led by Larry Morgan, Fords have been competitive, and even though they haven't won a race yet they have given their fans something to cheer about. Larry will be making his 25^th appearance at the Phoenix event and he'll be joined by Grace Howell in the Cunningham Motorsports Ford. With all of the excitement at Maple Grove it almost went unnoticed how well Grace did in just her third race in Pro Stock. Even though she didn't qualify she ran a solid 6.609 and she appeared very comfortable in the car, and if she continues to make progress she could make the starting field before the year is over, and if all goes well she could be a contender for that rookie title next year...As surprising as it is did you know that Warren Johnson is the only Pro Stock racer to make all twenty-six of the previous Phoenix races? I say surprising because you would think that Arizona native Gordie Rivera would have been at all of them but he hasn't. Gordie did go to the one and only final round of his career in 1990 when he lost to Bob Glidden. Did you know that Gordie was part of a rare double disqualification at the Phoenix event? At his home track and at a race that his sponsor, Atsco, was sponsoring in 1995, Gordie was racing Steve Schmidt when Steve was disqualified for taking too long to stage (timed out before that was even a phrase). Gordie, who was in the staging beams, never saw his green light come on when his crew member walked up, tapped on the window and told him he had a single run. Well, at that point Buster Couch tossed Gordie because the crew member wasn't allowed to touch the car once it staged. So two of the more memorable moments of his career both took place at Firebird International Raceway....Mike Edwards is the defending event champ and he'll look to become the first driver to win in consecutive years in a long time. Did you know that the last Pro Stock driver to win the event in back-to-back years was Jim Yates who did it in 1996 & 1997?

Massey vs. Brown

Top Fuel should be a lot of fun and you would have to think that this race will go a long way toward deciding the championship. Spencer Massey has opened up a 65 point lead over Antron Brown and there are only 140 points separating the top five drivers. With twelve rounds of racing remaining this year it is imperative that the drivers who are fourth and fifth, Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher, gain ground on the leaders this week if they want to keep their title hopes alive. Now before that same gentleman writes another e-mail I know how to do the math and I know that nobody can put this thing out of reach in Arizona, but if you leave town more than five rounds out of first it will be a tough final two races for you....Over the years the Arizona race, almost more than any other, has been wide open. Did you know that there have been nine drivers who have won multiple times in Phoenix and that's the second most of any event on tour? Only the Auto Club Finals, which has been around for almost fifty years, has had more multiple winners than Arizona in the Top Fuel class....There will be seven previous winners in action this

Snow vs. LaHaie in 1985 final.

week and that will include the defending champ, Cory McClenathan. Did you know that Cory and Tony Schumacher have each won three times at Firebird and that's tops in the dragster class? There will be three other drivers who have also won multiple times at the event and they are Larry Dixon, Rod Fuller and Brandon Bernstein. Did you know that Rod and Brandon are two of the three drivers who have won in back-to-back years in Top Fuel in Arizona and the other is Dick LaHaie?...The first year of the Phoenix race was 1985 and the Top Fuel field included Don Durbin, Ralph Pearson and Dennis Taylor. Gene Snow won that race when he beat Dick LaHaie in the final round and the low elapsed time that year was 5.460 by Gary Ormsby. Did you know that Gene won after qualifying sixteenth in the field and he is one of only two Top Fuel drivers to ever accomplish that? Mike Dunn, who won Dallas in 1993 from the sixteenth spot is the other one.

Force vs. Collins in 1985 final.

I mentioned at the start of the "Countdown" how well John Force had done at the tracks on the "Countdown" schedule, and while it seemed like a good thing to mention at the time it hasn't worked out too well for the champ so far. John, who has been to all twenty-six Phoenix events, and who did a lot of match racing there for owner Charlie Allen, will be looking for his first win in the "Countdown," not his first race win but his first round win. He is coming to one of his favorite tracks, a track where he has won eight times and has a 75% winning percentage. Did you know that John is 54-18 in his career at Firebird and that he went to the final round at the 1985 event where he lost to John Collins? That field included Graeme Cowin, David Benjamin and Mike Dunn...Of course John is out of title contention this year (no e-mails please) but he still can help his teammates, Mike Neff and Robert Hight by taking out some of the competition....The battle at the top of the pack is very interesting with Matt Hagan leading Mike Neff by

Hagan vs. Neff

two points and just fifty-five points separating the top five drivers. Robert, with his big win in Reading, jumped back into contention and that should make the next three races extremely exciting....Jack Beckman is the defending champ in Arizona and he is in fifth place in the standings. Jack will look to become just the second Funny Car driver to win the event in consecutive years. Did you know that in twenty-six years only John Force has ever won the race in back-to-back years and only four drivers have won it more than once? John (8), Jack (2), Ron Capps (2) and Del Worsham (2) are multiple winners and Del will be looking to accomplish two goals this week. Of course he'll be trying to get back to the top of the points in Top Fuel and he'll also try to become just the second driver to win in Arizona in both fuel classes. Did you know that only Kenny Bernstein has won in both Top Fuel and Funny Car so far at this event?...Todd Lesenko will make his NHRA debut when he enters the Funny Car class this week. Todd, who has driven a lot of nostalgia cars, will try to do what very few have ever done and that is qualify at his first national event. Blake Alexander did it in Reading but believe me, it's not easy. Good luck to Todd.

Eddie Krawiec

The motorcycles will have their first, and maybe last, trip to Arizona and they will all be facing unknown circumstances. Any time you race at a track for the first time it presents new problems and challenges and that will make for a very interesting weekend for the bikes. With only 109 points between the top guy, Eddie Krawiec, and the number five rider, Andrew Hines, the class appears to be wide open....Hector Jr. looks like the hottest guy in the class right now and he has been to four finals in the last five races but he's still in second place....As good as he has been lately Hector Jr. and the rest of the field are still looking up at Eddie who may have the best bike in the class. His Vance & Hines Harley Davidson is making big power and he has set top speed at two of the first three races in the "Countdown." On the other side of the coin Hector has been the top qualifier at two of the three races so his Lucas Oil Buell is running well, too. With Matt Smith, Karen Stoffer and Andrew Hines also in the top five there may not be a prohibitive favorite in the class and that's why the Phoenix race is so important....If the other classes are any indication the bike riders would do well to not qualify at the top of the field. Did you know that the number one qualifiers have won just twice in the last sixteen years in Top Fuel, twice in the last fourteen years in Funny Car and twice in the last eighteen years in Pro Stock?

Peter Biondo celebrates Reading win.

There are still some good battles in the Lucas Oil classes and some drivers will look to add to their totals this week in Arizona, at the rain-delayed race in Noble, Oklahoma and at Silver Dollar Raceway. Peter Biondo took a giant step toward a Super Gas crown with his win at Maple Grove and he's going to be tough to catch. David Tatum, the reigning champ, Tommy Phillips and Mike Sawyer all have races still to claim and all could catch Peter if they get hot, really hot. Peter also leads the Super Stock points but he is out of races to claim. Jackie Alley is in second place and there are a couple of other racers who could catch Peter but they need to do well at the few races that remain on the schedule....The alky cars don't run in Arizona but look for the Top Alcohol Dragster battle to resume in Las Vegas in two weeks.

NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - Factory Stock Showdown Qualifying, Session #1 Order
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Super Stock Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Super Gas Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Super Street Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Super Comp Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Stock Round 1 Eliminations
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Top Alcohol Dragster Eliminations Ladder
Oct 16- DALLAS - JEGS Allstars Top Alcohol Dragster Final Qualifying, Session #2 Order
Oct 16- DALLAS - Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying, Session #2 Order