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HIGHT, SCHUMACHER AND EDWARDS SECURE VICTORIES AT O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS AT HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA
TOPEKA, Kan. – Robert Hight continued on his impressive three race hot streak and dominated the Funny Car field to get his third win in as many races during the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. Tony Schumacher took home the win in Top Fuel and Mike Edwards secured a victory in Pro Stock.
In the final round of Funny Car, Hight in his Auto Club Ford Mustang, was able to hold off the DHL Toyota Camry driven by Jeff Arend for his 17th career victory during his 4.104-second, 303.50 mph pass to the losing effort of 4.150-seconds at 300.80 mph by Arend. Hight started the day as the No. 1 qualifier and used to his advantage as he defeated a tough field of competitors including rival Ron Capps. With the win Hight, the 2009 Full Throttle Series World Funny Car Champion, closes within 49 points of current points leader and his team owner John Force.
“Right now what is happening to the Auto Club Ford is stuff you dream about. To win three in a row I’ve only ever won three races in a season and to win three in a row, to come out here and qualify No. 1 win from the pole is tough to do and not many guys do that,” said Hight following the race.
“It’s also all about the team. I like baseball, basketball all that stuff and a big Los Angles Lakers fan and Kobe Bryant. Kobe is the Lakers but it takes the entire team around him, he couldn’t win alone. You see Lebron James and what he does, they couldn’t win with just one guy. Kobe Bryant is Jimmy Prock [crew chief] and there are eight other guys putting that thing together perfectly every run not making any mistakes. All the variables there are with these fuel cars, clutch discs, tires, traction there so many variables and to run like this and to do a job like we are doing you have to give to the whole team.“
The Top Fuel final pitted Schumacher in his U. S. Army dragster up against his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Cory McClenathan. Schumacher took the lead off the starting line and was able to hold off McClenathan in the Fram dragster for the win with a run of 3.875-seconds at 310.27 mph to the losing effort of 3.864-seconds 312.35 mph. This is the third win of the season for Schumacher and he has yet to be defeated when making it to the finals.
“It was a heck of a day,” said Schumacher. “To go out and beat Cory by five-thousandths of a second, Dixon the round before, and Shawn Langdon by eight-thousandths of a second; that’s what racing is about. That’s why you get up in the morning. I say it all the time, it’s not the trophy, it’s getting up Sunday morning and knowing you’re going to have to dig real deep to get it, and we did.
“We needed to get [Topeka] off the list. It’s been a great career but there were two tracks I hadn’t won at, here and Atlanta. I’ve got Atlanta left and I’ve still got time in my career to go out and do that. I enjoy those big moments, where you have to really pull something off and that’s what we had today. Cory’s a great driver and he gave us a great race. We knew it was just going to be just inches no matter what.”
Edwards notched his fifth win of the season and his domination of the category continued when he was able to defeat Allen Johnson in the finals. Edwards in his Penhall / Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP, posted a winning run of 6.717-seconds at 204.63 mph to the losing effort of 6.710 at 205.19 of the Team Mopar / J7J Racing Dodge Avenger driven by Johnson. This year Edwards has 26 round wins to only four losses and also secured his seventh No. 1 qualifying position of the season during the course of the weekend.
“It’s been awhile since our last win in Topeka [in 1999], although we were runner-up to Allen Johnson last year,” said Edwards. “But what made this weekend so special was the fact that my parents, A.C. and Gladys were here to see the win. They’ve never been to any of the races that I’ve won before, and you can’t believe how much it means to me for them to see this one. They’re from Oklahoma., and they only get to come to this race and maybe a couple of times to Dallas.
“We managed to leave first today because, and that was a good thing because that Hemi Dodge of Roy and Allen Johnson is really running strong, they are a top-notch team and they’re going to be something to reckon with all year long. I’m not sure that they won’t make a lot of winner’s circles this year because they are running extremely strong.”
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to action on June 3 – 6 when they visit Route 66 Raceway for the running of the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Miller Welders.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the ninth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Tony Schumacher; 2. Cory McClenathan; 3. Brandon Bernstein; 4. Larry Dixon; 5. Antron Brown; 6. Doug Kalitta; 7. Shawn Langdon; 8. Terry McMillen; 9. David Grubnic; 10. Steve Torrence; 11. Mike Strasburg; 12. Dom Lagana; 13. Morgan Lucas; 14. Luigi Novelli; 15. Steven Chrisman; 16. Scott Palmer.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Robert Hight; 2. Jeff Arend; 3. Ron Capps; 4. Jim Head; 5. John Force; 6. Bob Tasca III; 7. Paul Lee; 8. Del Worsham; 9. Ashley Force Hood; 10. Matt Hagan; 11. Jack Beckman; 12. Tony Pedregon; 13. Cruz Pedregon; 14. Tim Wilkerson; 15. Jeff Diehl.
PRO STOCK:
1. Mike Edwards; 2. Allen Johnson; 3. Ron Krisher; 4. Rickie Jones; 5. Kurt Johnson; 6. V. Gaines; 7. Johnny Gray; 8. Greg Anderson; 9. Jeg Coughlin; 10. Shane Gray; 11. Bob Yonke; 12. Warren Johnson; 13. Jason Line; 14. Justin Humphreys; 15. Greg Stanfield; 16. Rodger Brogdon.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Sunday's final results from the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the ninth of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Tony Schumacher, 3.875 seconds, 310.27 mph def. Cory McClenathan, 3.864 seconds, 312.35 mph.
Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.104, 303.50 def. Jeff Arend, Toyota Solara, 4.150, 300.80.
Pro Stock -- Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 6.717, 204.63 def. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.710, 205.19.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Duane Shields, 5.409, 266.32 def. Mark Niver, 5.425, 260.11.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Jay Payne, Ford Mustang, 5.716, 250.04 def. Clint Thompson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.533, 155.88.
Competition Eliminator -- David Rampy, Bantam, 7.321, 178.78 def. Lou Ficco Jr., Pontiac GXP, 7.327, 185.43.
Super Stock -- Tim Nicholson, Chevy Nova, 10.410, 125.37 def. Kevin Helms, Olds Achieva, 9.429, 145.66.
Stock Eliminator -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.501, 121.49 def. Kevin Helms, Camaro, 10.468, 125.61.
Super Comp -- Dustin Long, Dragster, 8.954, 163.37 def. Larry Piper, Dragster, 8.934, 156.66.
Super Gas -- Jason McClure, Chevy Camaro, 10.048, 144.60 def. Mike Burkhart, Roadster, 9.993, 146.75.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final round-by-round results from the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Larry Dixon, 3.853, 315.19 def. David Grubnic, 3.893, 308.85; Cory McClenathan, 3.914, 309.34 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.095, 265.80; Shawn Langdon, 3.971, 276.18 def. Mike Strasburg, 4.026, 306.88; Antron Brown, 3.851, 314.68 def. Luigi Novelli, 4.176, 242.67; Doug Kalitta, 3.843, 317.34 def. Steven Chrisman, 4.182, 242.80; Brandon Bernstein, 3.897, 312.13 def. Scott Palmer, 4.278, 215.93; Tony Schumacher, 3.861, 316.60 def. Dom Lagana, 4.044, 298.54; Terry McMillen, 3.917, 307.86 def. Steve Torrence, 3.994, 303.50;
QUARTERFINALS -- Bernstein, 3.918, 306.67 def. McMillen, 3.949, 297.81; Schumacher, 3.882, 310.91 def. Langdon, 3.915, 308.92; Dixon, 4.031, 285.59 def. Brown, foul; McClenathan, 3.853, 313.88 def. Kalitta, 3.875, 313.58;
SEMIFINALS -- Schumacher, 3.899, 312.42 def. Dixon, 3.924, 274.33; McClenathan, 3.859, 313.58 def. Bernstein, foul;
FINAL -- Schumacher, 3.875, 310.27 def. McClenathan, 3.864, 312.35.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Paul Lee, Chevy Impala SS, 4.168, 298.60 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.269, 289.45; Jeff Arend, Toyota Solara, 4.146, 301.33 def. Jeff Diehl, Chevy Monte Carlo, 7.961, 87.18; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.150, 305.22 def. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.173, 302.01; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.074, 310.70 was unopposed; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.136, 299.40 def. Cruz Pedregon, Solara, 4.228, 289.94; John Force, Mustang, 4.144, 307.09 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.166, 300.66; Jim Head, Solara, 4.173, 303.64 def. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.204, 300.20; Del Worsham, Solara, 4.137, 304.87 def. Ashley Force Hood, Mustang, 4.117, 302.89;
QUARTERFINALS -- Head, 4.161, 300.73 def. Lee, 4.197, 299.20; Arend, 4.134, 300.80 def. Force, 4.152, 304.12; Capps, 4.126, 298.40 def. Tasca III, 4.184, 304.53; Hight, 4.127, 302.55 def. Worsham, 5.516, 138.29;
SEMIFINALS -- Arend, 4.165, 300.80 def. Head, 4.238, 250.46; Hight, 4.122, 304.87 def. Capps, 4.155, 301.47;
FINAL -- Hight, 4.104, 303.50 def. Arend, 4.150, 300.80.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Johnny Gray, Pontiac GXP, 6.730, 204.54 def. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.758, 204.29; Greg Anderson, GXP, 6.763, 202.91 def. Jason Line, GXP, 6.760, 203.92; Rickie Jones, GXP, 6.734, 203.71 def. Shane Gray, GXP, 6.733, 204.42; V. Gaines, Dodge Avenger, 6.744, 203.71 def. Bob Yonke, GXP, 6.755, 203.83; Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt, 6.701, 204.76 def. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 20.491, 38.00; Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.713, 205.04 def. Justin Humphreys, GXP, 6.763, 203.19; Allen Johnson, Avenger, 6.709, 205.54 def. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.767, 204.29; Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.735, 205.07 def. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, foul; QUARTERFINALS -- Jones, 6.746, 203.28 def. K. Johnson, 6.731, 204.48; Edwards, 6.720, 203.95 def. J. Gray, 6.758, 204.05; A. Johnson, 6.703, 205.66 def. Anderson, 6.790, 201.10; Krisher, 6.709, 204.05 def. Gaines, 6.744, 203.61;
SEMIFINALS -- Edwards, 6.725, 204.73 def. Krisher, foul; A. Johnson, 6.708, 205.63 def. Jones, 7.573, 138.26;
FINAL -- Edwards, 6.717, 204.63 def. A. Johnson, 6.710, 205.19.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Larry Dixon, 845; 2. Cory McClenathan, 748; 3. Tony Schumacher, 737; 4. Doug Kalitta, 690; 5. Antron Brown, 592; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 543; 7. Shawn Langdon, 448; 8. Morgan Lucas, 441; 9. David Grubnic, 339; 10. Steve Torrence, 338.
Funny Car
1. John Force, 728; 2. Robert Hight, 679; 3. Ron Capps, 592; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 591; 5. Jack Beckman, 575; 6. Matt Hagan, 530; 7. Bob Tasca III, 506; 8. Tony Pedregon, 491; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 479; 10. Del Worsham, 467.
Pro Stock
1. Mike Edwards, 958; 2. Allen Johnson, 691; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 603; 4. Greg Anderson, 546; 5. Greg Stanfield, 517; 6. Ron Krisher, 488; 7. Jason Line, 445; 8. Rodger Brogdon, 391; 9. Rickie Jones, 383; 10. Bob Yonke, 346.
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