Force Leads Top Fuel Friday Qualifying At Route 66

Brittany Force led Friday’s Top Fuel qualifying for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Joliet, IL. Photo courtesy NHRA Media

JOLIET, IL – Brittany Force piloted to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel during Friday qualifying at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway.

Force ran a 3.791-second pass at 324.51 mph in her Castrol EDGE dragster to claim the top spot after the first two qualifying sessions. Force, the reigning Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner, has started in the top spot twice this season and will have two more attempts to secure a third top starting position.

“I was excited,” said Force, the first and only Top Fuel driver in John Force Racing history. “It felt like a quick run. I felt it pull me to the center line so I never thought we were going to be No. 1. But we got it down there. When I jumped out at the other end I was excited and just crossing my fingers it would hold.”

Force, who claimed her first career No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka earlier this season, held off Spencer Massey for the top spot. Massey, driver of the Battery Extender powered by Schumacher Electric dragster, has two wins on the season and ran a 3.804 at 324.83 for the No. 2 provisional spot.

In Funny Car, Hight raced his Auto Club Ford Mustang to a 4.026-second run at 317.64 mph to take the lead after the first two sessions. Hight, the 2009 world champ, topped Tommy Johnson Jr.’s elapsed time on the last run of the second session.

“(Crew Chief) Mike Neff was actually very happy with that run,” said Hight, who has four wins on the season. “We were No. 1 after the first session, and No. 1 again tonight, that’s six small points today. Tomorrow we’re going to get all over this thing. We’re going to get after it. We’re either going to run a three or we’re going to smoke the tires.”

Johnson, Jr.’s Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger was strong, running a 4.038 at 318.32 to claim the second spot after the first day of qualifying.

In Pro Stock, Johnson laid down a 6.574 at 209.43 in his Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart to top the Friday leaderboard.

“I would be surprised if you could have sucked another two-thousandths out of that run,” Johnson said. “It was perfect. There was nothing left. Actually both of the runs I made today were two of the best I’ve made this year, maybe even in my career. We left nothing on the table.”

Johnson, the 2012 world champ, is going for his third No. 1 starting spot of the season and has two more qualifying sessions to improve his performance. He has 33 career No. 1 qualifiers.

Points leader Erica Enders-Stevens sits second after the first day with her pass of 6.594 at 209.65 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro.

Krawiec shot to the top of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying with a track record 6.872 at 194.86 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. Krawiec, who has been No. 1 qualifier in three straight events, has yet to win or qualify in the top position at Route 66 Raceway.

An integrated and automated supply chain management process is necessary that can provide you with enhanced and real-time visibility and controls for the delivery of optimized order fulfillment cheap viagra order services. You’ll notice if you put cialis online your finger slowly into the slime it will act like gum somewhere between sections. Say for example, if you look carefully at Gary’s cialis pills for sale left arm, you will find an attention-grabbing elbow-cobweb fading into a Brooklyn skyline. The choice of person to help you cheap levitra with your problem. “The key is that we made two good passes today,” said Krawiec, a three-time world champ. “On the first run I ran a 6.93, which was good, but we also left a lot on the table. We used that run and came up with a good tune-up for Q2. The track is really good here and we can get after it.”

Hector Arana Jr., the No. 1 qualifier last weekend, sits second after a 6.941 at 192.74 on his Lucas Oil Buell.

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Route 66 Raceway – Joliet, IL
Route 66 NHRA Nationals – June 27, 2014

Friday Qualifying

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.791 seconds, 324.51 mph; 2. Spencer Massey, 3.804, 324.83; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.805, 320.13; 4. Antron Brown, 3.808, 319.75; 5. Tony Schumacher, 3.812, 323.81; 6. J.R. Todd, 3.837, 300.86; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.840, 322.65; 8. Bob Vandergriff, 3.840, 316.01; 9. Khalid alBalooshi, 3.844, 316.60; 10. T.J. Zizzo, 3.852, 318.39; 11. Shawn Langdon, 3.865, 315.93; 12. Terry McMillen, 3.868, 321.50.

Not Qualified: 13. Billy Torrence, 3.932, 316.08; 14. Pat Dakin, 3.944, 308.50; 15. Richie Crampton, 4.725, 156.75; 16. Tim Cullinan, 5.082, 133.78; 17. Chris Karamesines, 5.675, 114.29; 18. Clay Millican, 6.722, 86.58; 19. Luigi Novelli, 10.736, 80.24.

Funny Car — 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.026, 317.64; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.038, 318.32; 3. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.040, 312.50; 4. Courtney Force, Mustang, 4.047, 319.75; 5. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.048, 315.64; 6. John Force, Mustang, 4.049, 316.38; 7. Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 4.051, 315.12; 8. Chad Head, Camry, 4.067, 312.21; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.093, 303.50; 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.095, 311.92; 11. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.101, 307.72; 12. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.146, 307.23.

Not Qualified: 13. Tony Pedregon, 4.264, 260.51; 14. Bob Tasca III, 4.335, 236.09; 15. Brian Stewart, 4.901, 167.88; 16. Bob Bode, 5.360, 135.66; 17. Justin Schriefer, 6.189, 109.97; 18. Dale Creasy Jr., 6.515, 108.75.

Pro Stock — 1. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.574, 209.82; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, Chevy Camaro, 6.594, 209.65; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.604, 209.30; 4. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.604, 209.14; 5. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.605, 208.39; 6. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.610, 208.94; 7. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 208.81; 8. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.612, 208.91; 9. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.619, 208.01; 10. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.628, 209.14; 11. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.637, 208.81; 12. V. Gaines, Dart, 6.643, 209.01.

Not Qualified: 13. Mark Martino, 6.647, 207.43; 14. Larry Morgan, 6.674, 207.27; 15. Mark Hogan, 6.750, 205.32; 16. Kevin Lawrence, 6.759, 203.55; 17. Dave River, 6.836, 203.68.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.872, 194.86; 2. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.941, 192.74; 3. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.943, 193.40; 4. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.943, 192.11; 5. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.959, 192.99; 6. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.959, 192.36; 7. John Hall, Buell, 6.991, 190.67; 8. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.996, 190.75; 9. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.006, 190.97; 10. Angie Smith, Buell, 7.009, 191.10; 11. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.010, 191.38; 12. Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 7.021, 189.26.

Not Qualified: 13. Steve Johnson, 7.030, 190.19; 14. Adam Arana, 7.050, 191.35; 15. LE Tonglet, 7.055, 189.20; 16. Justin Finley, 7.057, 189.47; 17. Joe DeSantis, 7.069, 186.36; 18. Redell Harris, 7.089, 189.95; 19. Elvira Karlsson, 7.113, 183.07; 20. Craig Treble, 7.117, 188.52; 21. Michael Ray, 7.137, 183.10; 22. Mike Berry, 7.204, 182.38.