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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 third in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series kicked off under warm blue skies in the sunny state of Florida, an event always popular with race fans as it includes the first race of the year for Pro Stock Motorcycle and the fabulous Pro Mods joining the Sportsman class and the pros. Large crowds witnessed some stunning numbers by twenty-three Top Fuellers, eighteen Funny Cars, twenty-one Pro Stockers, twenty-two Pro Stock Motorcycles and twenty Pro Mods. It was once again an international gathering with fans and race teams representing Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Puerto Rico and Sweden. Conditions were mainly warm and sunny but finals day was under cloudy skies and the onset of rain came during the winners circle presentations. The track proved tricky at times giving some unexpected wheelies to some Sportsman earlier in the event but also presenting difficulties as many of the fuel teams suffered traction problems. Apart from a couple of Top Fuel fireballs, one from Denmark’s Stig Neergaard, the other from the Amalie Motor Oil event sponsor car of Terry McMillan, a nasty looking top end fire from Pro Mods Mike Janis and the wall colliding of Fred Bear’s K.S. Pittman Willys Gasser demo the event went pretty much like clockwork. Top Fuel saw a great return to form for Antron Brown after his spectacular crash in the Winternationals eliminations; he qualified second behind Doug Kalitta in the Mac Tools car with a 3.787/324 to Kalitta’s 3.779/326 and took out a good try from Larry Dixon in the Aussie, Rapisarda car, a winning 3.782/321 to a chasing 3.881/302 in the initial round. Steve Torrence’s luck turned sour in round two as his great 3.793/326 proved not enough as Brown stayed ahead by half a car length to take the light with a 3.771/326. The semi final saw teammate, Spencer Massey come up against the 2012 Champion but Brown beat Massey off the line by four thousandths of a second and coupled with the 3.777/320 took the win as Massey’s 3.799/325 lost. On the other side of the fence it was Clay Millican that was having a good St. Patricks Day he sat in fourth qualifying place with a 3.812/323 then in round one beat Brittany Force with a 3.809/320 to a losing 3.873/301. A half car length on a holeshot was all it took to stay in front of Khalid alBalooshi in round two, a 3.835/321 beat the 3.835/321, then in the semis it was a 3.818/323 from Millican that took out top speed man, Doug Kalitta whose tyre hazing 4.125/243 told the tale. The final came under leaden skies with Antron Brown in the Matco Tools car out of the Don Schumacher Racing stable holding the upper hand as Clay Millican in the Parts Plus/BVR machine stood his ground but a holeshot by the champ easily clinched the deal, a 3.761/318 beating the 3.817/319 to end the exciting day.
Funny Car was once again led by Cruz Pedregon in the Snap-On Toyota Camry with a 4.047/305 that stayed ahead of Johnny Gray with a 4.071/313. Gray was on a roll all weekend as in round one his 4.038/311 put paid to Jeff Arend’s weekend as the 4.484/210 was no match. Gray continued with a 4.080/312 win despite a mid track wobble over Alexis DeJoria whose 4.127/307 stayed behind after a near equal leave. Gray’s next victim was teammate and Champion Jack Beckman a 4.140/303 beat the tyre hazing 4.390/290 to end the semis. Del Worsham enjoying a return to driving after a year off tuning made his way through to reach the final by beating Tim Wilkerson in round one, a cylinder losing and close to the centreline 4.689/253 luckily clinched the round one win as Wilkerson went up in smoke by the three hundred foot mark a lost with a slowed up 6.307/108. Round two pitted Worsham against Winternationals winner, Courtney Force, a slightly better leave had him stay ahead to notch up the winning figures of 4.122/306 as the 4.135/310 failed to get her there in time. Another team Force car fell in the semis to Worsham as Robert Hight went into tyre smoke by the three hundred foot mark, his 7.164/93 being no match for the winning 4.070/309. The final had the Pitch Energy Dodge Charger of Johnny Gray out of the DSR camp face the DHL Toyota of Del Worsham from the Kalitta stable. Gray, in his retiring year left first and stayed ahead all the way taking the route to the winners circle with a 4.053/315 to the losing 4.100/303 from Worsham.
Pro Stock saw a track record of 214.31mph and a national record of 6.473 go to Mike Edwards in the Interstate/I Am Second Camaro who ran those numbers to score top qualifier but was stopped in a crossed up semis attempt from advancing further by Jeg Coughlin Jr. Coughlin managed to plough his way through the tough field with wins over a slowed up Greg Stanfield in round one, the 6.510/212 beating the 13.912/60. In round two it was former champ Greg Anderson that fell under the cosh as his 6.540/211 was soundly beaten with a holeshot 6.526/212 ticket. Mike Edwards beat himself in the semis by getting well sideways away from the tree but a great .005 leave by Coughlin coupled with a 6.525/211 would have been hard to beat. Champion Allen Johnson meanwhile was making his way past the likes of Matt Hartford with a 6.514/212 win to the 6.593/210 lose, then a near pedalfest occurred as Johnson got a little sideways as opponent Erica Enders-Stevens shook and also got crossed up but Johnson held the winning ticket with a 7.201/151 to the losing 13.412/63. Into the semis and Johnson took out Jason Line by a couple of feet at the stripe a 6.532/212 beating the 6.501/212. It was Allen Johnson in the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Avenger that faced Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the Jegs.com/Mopar Avenger but Johnson took it on a great holeshot as the .005 along with a 6.535/212 got the trophy as Coughlin came second with a 6.514/212.
Pro Stock Motorcycle had everyone watching the Harley-Davidson boys who with rule changes from last year had to develop a new engine, they did not do too badly with numbers of 6.836/194 for Andrew Hines in fifth spot and champion Eddie Krawiec on a 6.882/194 in tenth place but leading the field was Matt Smith on a 6.804 197 from his Buell. Smith suffered problems and lost in round one. It was number two qualifier Hector Arana Jr. that made his way to the money run by beating Michael Phillips in round one with a 6.829/195 to a losing 9.170/93 then a bikes length in the lights got shot of Eddie Krawiec, a 6.876/193 on a holeshot to a losing 6.890/192. In the semis Arana Jr. took on and beat his dad Hector Arana, the pair of Buell’s both left fairly evenly but it was Jr. that got the light a 6.849/194 beating the old man who lost with a 6.844/196. “I knew I’d won but I didn’t want to punch the air in celebration in front of dad” said Hector Arana Jr. Coming up the other side of the ladder was Steve Johnson who qualified fourth and took out LE Tonglet in the opening round, a winning 6.881/194 to a red light 6.890/193. Johnson chased and beat Andrew Hines in round two, a 6.863/195 seeing off the 6.935/190. A slightly better leave kept Johnson ahead of Scotty Pollacheck in the semis and a 6.840/196 got the win against the 6.885/193. It was Hector Arana Jr. that ruled the day when his Lucas Oil Products Buell left first and hung onto the lead to take the final with a 6.888/195 and Steve Johnson on his Suzuki came in second with a 6.909/193.
Pro Mod saw Mike Castellana in the Al-Anabi Racing ’70 Camaro take pole on a 5.844/246 pass just ahead of Danny Rowe whose 5.852/248 and Peter Faber on a 5.886/247 were the only cars in the 5.8s, the remainder of the qualified field ran down in the 5.9s to 6.5s. However, none of these drivers made the finals as firstly Von Smith made his way through with wins over Troy Coughlin, a 5.967/244 beating the 6.036/232 from last year’s champ. A 5.898/245 then saw off the 5.913/247 from Danny Rowe’s ’68 Camaro in round two before a 5.899/246 got the better of a red lighting 5.920/245 from Pete Faber’s ’69 Daytona. Chip King took his ride to the final by way of wins over a breaking Kenny Lang, 6.111/250 win. Round two saw King take out the ’70 ‘Cuda of Puerto Rico’s Raymond J. Matos, 6.019/245 to a 6.046/232. The semis saw James Eric Dillard deep stage his ’11 Mustang and paying the price with a big red light as King notched up his ticket to the final on a winning 6.042/249 ticket. It was Von Smith in his Al-Anabi/Dr. Moon’s Rage ’68 Camaro that took home the event win with a 5.931/244 as Chip King in his Strutmasters.com ’69 Daytona red lit away his chances, the winning numbers were 5.931/244 to the wasted 6.046/250.
Top Alcohol Dragster saw the numbers three and eight qualifiers meet up for the run-off, Rich McPhillips in his Audubon Services machine against Ken Perry’s ‘Iceman’ PSI Racing Team and it was a holeshot win for McPhillips with his 5.331/266 beating the 5.420/262 try from Perry.
Top Alcohol Funny Car had a slight drama in the final as Todd Veney in the Permatex/Follow A Dream ’08 Impala SS pushed to the water box with the crew still frantically finishing work on the car and only a short burnout was able to be completed as opponent Dan Pomponio in his ’10 Monte Carlo staged. Pomponio wrapped it all up in 5.609 seconds at 259mph winning the trophy as Veney came in second with an off pace 6.988/140.
Competition Eliminator saw the small dragster of Frank Aragona Jr. take the event win with an 8.228/129 as Steve Ambrose in his ’23 Ford T altered lost.
Super Stock had Anthony Bertozzi in his Jegs backed ’98 Grand Am get the trophy with an 8.832/152 win as Herbie Null runner upped with a 9.754/134 from his ’87 Camaro.
Stock Eliminator saw multi time winner Bo Butner in his Jim Butner Auto ’13 Mustang end up the winner as his 9.679/134 beat the 10.976/115 from Charley Downing’s Varsity Ford/Big Stuff 3 ’10 Cobra Jet.
Super Comp had its usual huge amount of machines that were whittled down to a run-off between Greg Kamplain and Mia Tedesco, it was Kamplain’s day as his 8.919/172 took the win leaving Tedesco to runner up with a chasing 8.903/180.
Super Gas saw some good close bouts but it all went to Troy Coughlin Jr. who managed to take the legal 9.930/157 win in his Jegs.com’57 Corvette as opponent Mia Tadesco took her second runner up of the weekend with a breakout 9.884/172 this time in an ’04 Cavalier.
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