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NHRA Countdown to One, down to one for Fuel cars
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John Force Racing Mustang
NHRA fuel cars roll into Pomona for one more stand of four fast rounds soon. Top Fuel leader Tony Schumacher carries a scant one point advantage over Larry Dixon into the final race of the year. Third place Cory McClenathan is only 48 points down. Any of the top three could snatch the championship.
In the Funny Car class the point race all year has been close and Robert Hight at John Force Racing was at the bottom all season. Hight has surged during the Countdown and now has a commanding 105 point lead over teammate Ashley Force Hood.
It’s all about points during championship quests. In NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series each round awards 20 points. Qualifying counts for 20 points with 10 bonus points available for top qualifiers. A national record awards 20 bonus points. The total possible points scored for each event is 150.
As this is the final race of the season, any team that is more than 150 points back of the leader is mathematically eliminated from winning the championship.
Top Fuel dragster
1. Tony Schumacher > [Leader @ 2,485]
2. Larry Dixon > [-1]
3. Cory McClenathan > [-48]
4. Antron Brown > [-80]
5. Brandon Bernstein > [-102]
6. Spencer Massey > [-148]
7. Morgan Lucas > [-185]
8. Shawn Langdon > [-196]
9. Doug Kalitta > [-215]
10. Clay Millican.> [-392]
Top Fuel dragster driver comments:
Larry Dixon [Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster]
“You’ve just got to go in there and race your own race and not get ahead of yourself,” Dixon said. “If we’re fortunate enough to go on to win the race, then obviously we’ll have made up some ground. We’re trying to not leave anything on the table because it’s not going to do any good to talk in the wintertime about what-ifs.”
Cory McClenathan [FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel dragster]
"I got here and ended up with the flu,” McClenathan said. “I started feeling better and for a while we had everything going our way. We'll just have to take it to Pomona, erase what happened in the past, and deal with the future."
Brandon Bernstein [Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster]
“We just want to go rounds,” said Bernstein. “And that was a big win for us. Antron is fourth in points just ahead of us, and we’re trying to work our way up the ladder.”
Spencer Massey [U.S. Smokeless Top Fuel dragster]
“Every race car out here is capable of winning races,” Massey continued. “The competition is so tight out here. It means a whole lot to me personally and to ‘Snake’ and everybody because we’ve been struggling here in the Countdown; we just haven’t been on our game. So it’s nice to come in here and throw down these good numbers and go A to B and not beat ourselves because that’s what we’ve really been doing all year long. We got a handle on it, and now we’ve got some momentum.”
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight > [Leader @ 2,485]
2. Ashley Force Hood > [-105]
3. Tony Pedregon > [-113]
4. Jack Beckman > [-114]
5. Ron Capps > [-127]
6. Tim Wilkerson > [-132]
7. Del Worsham > [-186]
8. Bob Tasca III > [-191]
9. John Force > [-217]
10. Mike Neff > [-250]
Funny Car driver comments:
Robert Hight [Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car]
The championship isn’t over yet, but to have a 105-point lead gives you a lot of confidence.,” Hight said. “You hate to make predictions, but way back in Bristol I said this car is too good and this team is too good and we will still contend for the championship. Back then we weren’t even in the top 10. Sometimes those predictions can come back to bite you, but I believed in our team and now here we are. I may not qualify at Pomona and be out of it, because anything can happen, but the way our car is running right now I like our chances. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Ashley Force Hood [Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car]
“My goal going into this year was to finish fourth or better,“ Force said. “I would be pumped with that. To be fighting for first or second this year has gone better than I ever expected it to. When you are right in the middle of it you get greedy and you want everything. Really if you take a step back I never expected to be running for first. Now after this year we will be gunning for first. hat is not to take away from my team we are only three years in. It is not something I expected to happen. The sky is the limit for us next year. If we can have a team like we did this year next year sometimes luck plays a part in it. We will just do the best we can. Either way if we can be celebrating in Pomona everything that builds up the stress and the anxiety doesn’t matter. In Pomona if one of our teams is on that stage in first place that is all that matters. That is what we have been working for all season.”
John Force [Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang Funny Car]
“One more race and we will know,“said Force. “I have two cars trying to run for the championship. We will be rooting for them and pulling hard for it.”
Ron Capps [NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Funny Car]
“You really have to put yourself in position going into Pomona to have a decent chance at it,” Capps said. “And that's probably gone now.”
Mike Neff [Ford Drive One Mustang]
“The biggest thing here for Team Force is we are thrilled to see Robert win,” Neff said. “We want to put a nail in that coffin for the championship. That is what it is all about and that is what our goal is.”
Jack Beckman [Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Funny Car]
"And we laid down a damned respectable number,” Beckman said. “It's a tough pill to lose one when you run that good. But there's nothing to do but take your hat off and congratulate the other team. I walked over and I congratulated Robert and, for all intents and purposes that run probably was and is going to be the championship. We're going to win Pomona and race for second place unless a miracle happens.
Final event, Countdown to One:
45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov, 12-15, Pomona, Calif.
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