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WILL BECOMES 11TH WOMAN TO WIN A NATIONAL EVENT; FORCE, KRISHER ALSO WINNERS AT HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA
TOPEKA, Kan. – Hillary Will became the 11th woman in NHRA history to win a national event when she raced to the win in the Top Fuel category at the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals.
John Force and Ron Krisher also won in their respective categories at Heartland Park Topeka in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event.
Will drove her KB dragster to a 4.744-second run at 304.53 mph, which was just enough to get past No. 1 qualifier Larry Dixon and pick up her first win.
“There are so many emotions because there were times when I thought I can’t do this, maybe I shouldn’t be racing, maybe I don’t belong in Top Fuel,” said Will. “But it’s what I love to do and through everything you just can never, never, never give up.”
Defending POWERade Series world champion Tony Schumacher strengthened his points lead with a first round win over Alan Bradshaw. The five-time world champion has a 109-point cushion over second place Antron Brown.
In Funny Car, 14-time POWERade Series world champion Force picked up his first win of the season, driving his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang to a 4.996 at 299.66 past runner-up Tim Wilkerson. It was Force’s 126th career win and 9th at Heartland Park Topeka. It was also Force's first since his wreck in Dallas last year that sidelined the Funny Car legend for nearly five months.
“I didn’t want to go winless, not after that wreck and I didn’t want to get mental where I thought I had to quit,” said Force. “If you can’t do the job, then you’ve got to get out, and I didn’t want to get mental. I just told Wilkerson, ‘thank you, I needed this more than you needed the points or the money, I needed this mentally.’ Winning is what it’s all about.”
Wilkerson kept his points lead with his runner up finish and built a 81-point cushion over second-place Ashley Force after Ashley lost in the first round to her father John.
In Pro Stock, Ron Krisher drove his Valvoline Chevy Cobalt past Larry Morgan for his first win of the season. Krisher’s run of 6.758 at 204.70 was enough to put him in winner’s circle and give him his first win in over five years.
“I got my driving back, or more confidence in my driving and that’s what I needed,” said Krisher. “I lost confidence in my driving but we’ve got it back. We drove good today, nobody beat us up out there. We took every round.”
Kurt Johnson’s second-round win was strong enough to push him to the top of the Pro Stock point standings and give him a 20-point lead over second-place and defending world champion Jeg Coughlin.
The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series continues with the 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Route 66 Nationals, June 5-8 at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Hillary Will; 2. Larry Dixon; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Cory McClenathan; 5. Brandon Bernstein; 6. Morgan Lucas; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Joe Hartley; 9. J.R. Todd; 10. Doug Herbert; 11. Rod Fuller; 12. Doug Kalitta; 13. David Grubnic; 14. Alan Bradshaw; 15. Bob Vandergriff.
FUNNY CAR:
1. John Force, Ford Mustang; 2. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Impala; 3. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger; 4. Ron Capps, Charger; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang; 6. Melanie Troxel, Charger; 7. Jerry Toliver, Charger; 8. Gary Densham, Impala; 9. Frank Hawley, Charger; 10. Ashley Force, Mustang; 11. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger; 12. Jack Beckman, Charger; 13. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara; 14. Robert Hight, Mustang; 15. Tony Pedregon, Impala; 16. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo.
PRO STOCK:
1. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt; 2. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus; 3. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt; 5. Rickie Jones, Stratus; 6. V. Gaines, Stratus; 7. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP; 8. Dave Connolly, Cobalt; 9. Warren Johnson, GXP; 10. Jason Line, GXP; 11. Jim Yates, GXP; 12. Justin Humphreys, Stratus; 13. Greg Stanfield, GXP; 14. Allen Johnson, Stratus; 15. Greg Anderson, GXP; 16. Todd Hoerner, Stratus.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Sunday's final results from the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the ninth of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Hillary Will, 4.744 seconds, 304.53 mph def. Larry Dixon, 4.960 seconds, 281.42 mph.
Funny Car -- John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.996, 299.66 def. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Impala, 6.183, 152.61.
Pro Stock -- Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt, 6.758, 204.70 def. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 12.144, 62.96.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Mark Niver, 5.490, 263.41 def. Chris Demke, 5.447, 264.49.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Steve Harker, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.644, 256.65 def. Sean O'Bannon, Monte Carlo, 5.691, 255.73.
Competition Eliminator -- David Rampy, Bantam Roadster, 7.317, 179.37 def. Dan Fletcher, Chevy Cobalt, 8.202, 162.47.
Super Stock -- Jeff Town, Buick Regal, 10.926, 114.75 def. Peter Biondo, Chevy Cobalt, 8.944, 147.33.
Super Comp -- Tim Ekart, Dragster, 8.866, 171.90 def. Tommy Phillips, Dragster, 8.861, 169.57.
Super Gas -- Tommy Phillips, Chevy Corvette, No Time, No Speed def. Bill Mitchell, Corvette, broke.
Super Street -- Mark Underhill, Chevy Malibu, 10.852, 133.18 def. John Dasher, Chevy Camaro, broke.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final round-by-round results from the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Brandon Bernstein, 4.625, 311.99 def. J.R. Todd, 4.667, 286.74; Tony Schumacher, 5.862, 235.97 def. Alan Bradshaw, 11.201, 84.69; Morgan Lucas, 4.749, 305.98 def. Rod Fuller, 4.856, 261.98; Larry Dixon, 4.630, 308.85 was unopposed; Cory McClenathan, 4.587, 314.46 def. Bob Vandergriff, 13.150, 74.69; Antron Brown, 4.612, 294.50 def. David Grubnic, 8.328, 89.43; Joe Hartley, 4.727, 311.85 def. Doug Kalitta, 5.327, 208.84; Hillary Will, 4.633, 310.91 def. Doug Herbert, 4.672, 308.43;
QUARTERFINALS -- Dixon, 4.691, 302.14 def. Bernstein, 4.698, 309.70; Brown, 4.617, 318.99 def. Hartley, 12.117, 82.84; Will, 4.757, 292.58 def. Lucas, 4.780, 278.52; McClenathan, 4.660, 307.51 def. Schumacher, 5.657, 165.01;
SEMIFINALS -- Will, 4.809, 291.51 def. McClenathan, 7.197, 116.27; Dixon, 4.787, 302.01 def. Brown, 5.079, 236.01;
FINAL -- Will, 4.744, 304.53 def. Dixon, 4.960, 281.42.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Impala, 4.889, 307.79 def. Frank Hawley, Dodge Charger, 4.849, 306.95; Gary Densham, Impala, 4.962, 304.32 def. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.648, 135.43; Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.939, 309.06 def. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 6.199, 150.16; Melanie Troxel, Charger, 4.940, 297.81 def. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.976, 303.03; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.956, 307.37 def. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, foul; Jerry Toliver, Charger, 4.946, 305.22 def.
Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.950, 305.36; Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.927, 305.70 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 5.237, 219.72; John Force, Mustang, 4.890, 291.95 def. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.880, 307.93;
QUARTERFINALS -- Wilkerson, 5.005, 298.01 def. Toliver, 5.021, 292.27; Capps, 4.969, 300.06 def. Troxel, 5.016, 298.01; J. Force, 4.980, 295.34 def. Densham, 7.356, 114.60; Scelzi, 4.997, 298.14 def. Tasca III, 4.983, 296.83;
SEMIFINALS -- Wilkerson, 6.009, 194.32 def. Scelzi, 6.138, 210.70; J. Force, 5.009, 296.37 def. Capps, 7.119, 126.99;
FINAL -- J. Force, 4.996, 299.66 def. Wilkerson, 6.183, 152.61.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.772, 203.03 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.787, 203.34; Rickie Jones, Stratus, 6.772, 202.82 def. Warren Johnson, Pontiac GXP, 6.741, 205.44; V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.777, 203.19 def. Jason Line, GXP, 6.757, 203.25; Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.757, 204.11 def. Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.790, 202.67; Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.751, 203.52 def. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.770, 203.00; Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.737, 204.32 def. Justin Humphreys, Stratus, 6.769, 203.03; Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.754, 203.68 def. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.761, 203.12; Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.732, 203.92 def. Todd Hoerner, Stratus, 6.817, 202.76;
QUARTERFINALS -- K. Johnson, 12.660, 67.98 def. Gaines, foul; Coughlin, 6.774, 204.17 def. Edwards, 6.793, 203.28; Morgan, 6.772, 203.22 def. Connolly, 14.645, 56.77; Krisher, 6.745, 204.01 def. Jones, 6.779, 203.25;
SEMIFINALS -- Morgan, 6.768, 203.25 def. Coughlin, 8.007, 124.43; Krisher, 6.750, 203.83 def. K. Johnson, 6.755, 204.54;
FINAL -- Krisher, 6.758, 204.70 def. Morgan, 12.144, 62.96.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Tony Schumacher, 779; 2. Antron Brown, 670; 3. Larry Dixon, 659; 4. Hillary Will, 567; 5. Cory McClenathan, 527; 6. Rod Fuller, 502; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 480; 8. Doug Kalitta, 418; 9. David Grubnic, 391; 10. Doug Herbert, 377.
Funny Car
1. Tim Wilkerson, 643; 2. Ashley Force, 562; 3. John Force, 520; 4. Cruz Pedregon, 508; 5. Robert Hight, 506; 6. (tie) Ron Capps, 435; Tony Pedregon, 435; 8. Gary Densham, 407; 9. Mike Neff, 393; 10. Bob Tasca III, 374.
Pro Stock
1. Kurt Johnson, 621; 2. Jeg Coughlin, 601; 3. Greg Anderson, 592; 4. Jason Line, 591; 5. V. Gaines, 514; 6. Mike Edwards, 497; 7. Allen Johnson, 494; 8. Ron Krisher, 444; 9. Greg Stanfield, 436; 10. Warren Johnson, 388.
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