Enders-Stevens Tops Pro Stock Qualifying At Maple Grove

MOHNTON, PA – Erica Enders-Stevens raced to the top of the Pro Stock ladder with a record-breaking run in Sunday’s final round of qualifying for Sunday’s 30th-annual NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Enders-Stevens took the No. 1 qualifying spot for the second week in a row and the third time in the last four events with just three races left in the Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher won the pole in the Top Fuel division, while Cruz Pedregon was top qualifier in the Funny Car division. Hector Arana, Jr. led the field in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Seasonably chilly temperatures led to excellent track conditions during Saturdays qualifying sessions, which translated to far quicker elapsed times on the track and a lot of leaders changing hands.

Such was the case in Pro Stock as Ender-Stevens and Shane Gray battled it out for the top spot over the two days of qualifying, with Gray taking to the opening round before Enders-Stevens came roaring back to the front in the second round.

On Saturday, both drivers came out swinging, with Enders-Stevens besting the mark to beat with a pass of 6.506, 212.43 in the opening round until points leader Jason Line moved to the top spot with a 6.500, 213.23 – but things weren’t over yet.

Enders-Stevens and Shane Gray came out as the last pair to close out qualifying, and both rocketed to the top of the ladder with Enders-Stevens clocking in at 6.465, 213.16 to take the top spot yet again over Gray, who posted a 6.484, 212.33 to take second.

The pole-winning run broke the track record ET of 6.477 set by Line in October of 2011 and earned Enders-Stevens her fifth top qualifier of the season and 11th of her career.

Enders-Stevens, who currently sits third in the points standings, now has three no. 1 qualifiers in the first four races in the Countdown, but has yet to race her way past the semi-finals.

“It was very exciting,” said Enders-Stevens, who will face Frank Gugliotta in the first round on Sunday. “We knew conditions were conducive for that. We didn’t necessarily expect to go a .46, we had thought we would be able to go a .48 so it even blew our minds a little bit. Great racing surface and the weather was awesome. How much fun was that?”

Line held on for the third position, followed by Allen Johnson (6.505, 212.79) and Vincent Nobile (6.505, 212.46).

In Funny Car, Cruz Pedregon’s top qualifying run from Friday held on through both of Saturday’s sessions to win the No.1 spot with a time of 3.991 at 319.52 mph.

Funny Car points leader John Force had the best chance to knock off Pedregon in the final round, but came just short with a run of 3.997 at 323.97 to move from sixth to second on the ladder, putting Pedregon and Force as the only two drivers to run under the three-second mark.

The top qualifying effort was his third of the season and third-career at Reading for Pedregon – barely hanging on in the tenth spot in the Countdown to the Championship points standings.

“I’m happy for the team,” said Pedregon, a two-time winner at Maple Grove Raceway. “This is our third (No. 1 qualifier) here at Maple Grove, been a good track to us. We need the points, all the help we can get. We’re trying to dig ourselves out of the hole points wise.”

Matt Hagan took the third spot with a run of 4.008, 321.50. Courtney Force (4.008, 320.36) and Robert Hight (4.009, 320.13) rounded out the top five.

John Bojec took the bump spot in his NHRA Funny Car debut and will face Pedregon in the opening round of eliminations.

In Top Fuel, Schumacher re-claimed the top spot after getting knocked off the pole in Friday’s late session, bumping off Brittany Force in the final qualifying session.
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Force had previously bested Doug Kalitta in Saturday’s opening round with a low ET of 3.737 at 328.78 mph that looked insurmountable, as no one in the final round had even come close.

Schumacher took to the track as the second-to-last pair with J.R. Todd in the opposing lane and powered do the track with a 3.733 at 327.51 mph to jump from fifth to first, picking up his seventh-career Reading pole and fourth of the season.

Schumacher, a four-time Reading winner, will face Bob Vandergriff in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday.

“We had a great race car,” said Schumacher. “That was a fantastic run. There was more left out there. I was stuck in the track. Mike (Green, crew chief) had an excellent baseline because that was exactly what we were going for.”

Force’s run in Saturday’s opening round was enough to get her the second position, while Todd marginally improved to hold onto the third spot with a 3.738, 325.77. Kalitta was fourth at 3.747, 326.95 followed by Antron Brown at 3.762, 323.50.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana, Jr. bumped points leader Andre Hines in dramatic fashion, posting a 6.796, 197.22 in the final round to score his second no.1 qualifier of the season and 15th of his career.

Having struggled through the first three rounds, Arana, Jr. took advantage of better track conditions in the final round to jump all the way from sixth to land his second-career Reading pole.

Hines, who himself bounced back to knock Jerry Savoie off the pole in Saturday’s opening round, came out as the last qualifier as managed to improve on his time with a 6.799, 196.27, but not enough to supplant Arana, Jr. Savoie (6.821, 195.62) held onto third, followed by Eddie Krawiec (6.822, 195.90) and Adam Arana (6.862, 194.58).

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Maple Grove Raceway – Mohnton, PA
Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals – Oct. 4, 2014

Sunday’s First-Round Elimination Pairings

Top Fuel — 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.733 seconds, 327.51 mph vs. 16. Bob Vandergriff, 7.358, 179.64; 2. Brittany Force, 3.737, 329.50 vs. 15. Terry McMillen, 3.977, 318.39; 3. J.R. Todd, 3.738, 325.77 vs. 14. Dom Lagana, 3.847, 315.86; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.747, 326.95 vs. 13. Clay Millican, 3.835, 316.15; 5. Antron Brown, 3.762, 323.50 vs. 12. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.834, 316.82; 6. Spencer Massey, 3.767, 327.90 vs. 11. Leah Pritchett, 3.821, 316.52; 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.773, 325.77 vs. 10. Richie Crampton, 3.814, 317.49; 8. Steve Torrence, 3.786, 324.83 vs. 9. Larry Dixon, 3.788, 325.30.

Funny Car — 1. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 3.991, 319.52 vs. 16. John Bojec, 5.029, 270.92; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang, 3.997, 323.97 vs. 15. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.568, 246.21; 3. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.008, 321.50 vs. 14. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.171, 293.98; 4. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.008, 320.36 vs. 13. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.093, 310.55; 5. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.009, 320.13 vs. 12. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.090, 314.46; 6. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.017, 316.97 vs. 11. Chad Head, Camry, 4.088, 309.34; 7. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.046, 316.15 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.087, 307.02; 8. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.063, 320.20 vs. 9. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.065, 316.01.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Mike Smith, 5.142, 228.07; 18. Jeff Diehl, 5.377, 302.14.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders-Stevens, Chevy Camaro, 6.465, 213.16 vs. 16. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Mustang, 6.599, 208.68; 2. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.484, 212.33 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Chevy Cobalt, 6.597, 208.59; 3. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.500, 213.23 vs. 14. John Gaydosh Jr, Pontiac GXP, 6.579, 210.14; 4. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.505, 212.79 vs. 13. Larry Morgan, Mustang, 6.575, 209.95; 5. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.505, 212.46 vs. 12. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.552, 210.93; 6. Richie Stevens, Camaro, 6.506, 212.26 vs. 11. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.540, 211.53; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.525, 211.93 vs. 10. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.539, 212.49; 8. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.528, 211.56 vs. 9. V. Gaines, Dodge Avenger, 6.531, 211.66.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Travis Mazza, 6.677, 207.30; 18. Val Smeland, broke.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.796, 197.22 vs. 16. Brian Pretzel, Suzuki, 7.309, 182.21; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.799, 196.27 vs. 15. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.074, 185.79; 3. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.821, 195.62 vs. 14. John Hall, Buell, 6.939, 190.32; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.822, 195.90 vs. 13. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.927, 193.38; 5. Adam Arana, Buell, 6.862, 194.58 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.922, 193.65; 6. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.863, 196.50 vs. 11. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.912, 191.62; 7. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 6.866, 191.92 vs. 10. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.900, 192.47; 8. Angelle Sampey, Buell, 6.868, 191.65 vs. 9. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.878, 192.58.