The racing weekend that was - Wk 21 updated

In Formula One, Monaco:

In what turned to be a very exciting race, a spectacular team order blunder gives the race to Nico Rosberg, though Lewis Hamilton had led from the start and had a 15 second lead. Despite the track known for tight racing quarters, the action was relatively good. What stood out for me were the passing maneuvers attempts and the drama of breaking under pressure!

Race highlights:
Rookie sensation Max Verstappen driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso, passes Pastor Maldonado in his Lotus for P8 but looses a lot of positions during a pit stop due to a problem with the right rear. After a good stint he switches to super softs and comes in p11 right behind third place driver Sebastian Vettel. Max decides to duck under the German's rear wing to make use of any blue flags given to Vettel. However, Romain Grosjean (Lotus) doesn't fall for the trick and quickly closes the door after letting Vettel pass. Hereafter Max exerts a great deal of pressure on the Lotus of Grosjean for the final points paying position (P10) and finally takes a gamble going into Ste Devote. The Dutchman went for a small opening but touched Grosjean's right rear tire breaking his own wing and suspension before vaulting  the Torro Rosso over the kerb into the barriers. This racing incident, though penalized by the race stewards, shows that the seventeen-year-old is not afraid to attack when he sees an opening. Good for F1!

Lewis at a loss for words

With the "virtual" safety car out for Verstappen's crash and with 14 laps to go, the Mercedes team decides to pit p1 driver Lewis Hamilton for supersoft. This was done before picking up the safety car and when Lewis resumes the race he realizes he has come behind team mate Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel and into third place. With ten laps to go Lewis' camp realizes they have gambled for no reason and lost it as well. Just 3-4 laps before the end of the race, Lewis radios in that it is impossible to pass Vettel.

Daniel Ricciardo made a aggressive move on Raikkonen going into Mirabeau. The Australian carefully nudged Kimi out of the way by clipping his right rear tire and sending him wide.
Kimi on team radio after the pass, "that was not nice". Really Kimi? I think Kimi's wings have been clipped for good.

Lewis Hamilton after the race: "The team has been amazing all year long - we win together and lose together."

To read the live commentaries on the race, please click here.

Top ten:
1. Nico Rosberg, GER, Mercedes-Mercedes,
2. Sebastian Vettel, GER, Ferrari-Ferrari,
3. Lewis Hamilton, GBR, Mercedes-Mercedes,
4. Daniil Kvyat, RUS, Red Bull-Renault,
5. Daniel Ricciardo, AUS, Red Bull-Renault,
6. Kimi Raikkonen, FIN, Ferrari-Ferrari,
7. Sergio Perez, MEX, Force India-Mercedes,
8. Jenson Button, GBR, McLaren-Honda,
9. Felipe Nasr, BRZ, Sauber-Ferrari
10. Carlos Sainz Jr, ESP, Toro Rosso-Ferrari.


NHRA at Topeka, Kansas:
On a race Sunday that had the NHRA Safety Safari working flat out trying to get the race in amidst the occasional rain showers, the e.t. God's were looking on and smiling. Whereas in the entire 2014 season 19 three-second runs were recorder, on Sunday a whopping 15 were set, with 5 of those going to the funny car winner. Chalk it all down to ideal air conditions...for the nitro cars.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force ran pretty good and got all the way to the semi's where Crampton send her packing. He then laid down a 3.738 at 318.09 to hold off Larry Dixon.

In Funny Car, Jack Beckman used a pair of sub four second passes to outrun Courtney Force and John Hale in earlier rounds and then outran Del Worsham in a close semi. In the final Jack beat none other than 16-time world champ John Force by running a 3.984 at 316.45 mph. He also took the 250th victory for his boss Don Schumacher. Get well soon, Don!

Beckman on racing Force, "I have all the respect in the world for John Force. It makes a difference when you race him. You're getting a chance to play against babe Ruth. It's so unique in our sport, that a guy [who is] the best there has aver been in this sport, can still mix it up with us. I've said it before, I can't wait to tell my grandkids I got to compete against John Force. This throphy will be extra special because it was John Force we beat in the final."

In Pro Stock, the Chevy's were charging hard to the semi's. In the final round of eliminations, KB racing's Greg Anderson ran a 6.591 at 209.14 but it wasn't quick enough to beat the red Camaro of Erica Enders, who herself was the quickest all day long.

Next the NHRA series will head June 4-7 to Englishtown, New Jersey.


Source: Crash.net, Drag Illustrated, Wikipedia
Photo credit: Getty Images, Autosport.com, Drag Illustrated

The racing weekend that was - Wk 46 - UPDATED

NHRA at Pomona, California:
What a final race to the NHRA 2014 season, with championships on the line and that of the Pro Stock category going down to the wire. To watch the race recap, click here.

In Top Fuel, Morgan Lucas took home his second victory this season and his 11th of his career by posting two of the top three quickest runs in category history. In the final round he bested newly crowned Top Fuel World Champion Tony Schumacher, who clinched a record eight championship at the end of qualifying on Saturday.

In Funny Car, a thriller showdown between Matt Hagan and 16 time world champion John Force, who were on opposite sides of the ladder, would go mano-a-mano all day long, Force would have an uphill battle though. First, in an uncharacteristic mistake his crew fired up the engine during a routine warm up without any engine oil. Then, Alexis DeJoria, who had run strong all day, tried to play the role of spoiler in the semis but ended up smoking the tires. And even though Force won that round, he did not set a backup record to earn him the necessary points to stay in contention for the championship, which went to Matt Hagan.

With the title lost, Force tried to win the race and deprive Hagan of the icing on the cake. And though Force seemed poised to win the finals, towards the finish he lost power leaving Hagan (pictured on the right) to blow by him and take the Wally. All in all, John Force put up a hell of a fight, as he usually does.

Worth notable mention, Tommy Johnson Jr. won a drag race by the closest margin of victory in Funny Car history, a mere .0001 second or 1 inch/ 2.5 cm.

In Pro Stock, the lady and gentlemen drivers of this category put up an epic battle on Sunday. The title contenders Erica Enders-Stevens and Jason Line, on separate sides of the ladder, kept going round after round. Though Line was mowing down the tree, Erica was running consistently in the 49's, which was faster than anyone else. One major hurdle for Line came when he had to face Dave Connolly, who's moving next year to Top Fuel. But Line managed to dispose of Connolly is commanding fashion. In a script ending that could not have been written better by Hollywood, Erica and Line would meet in the final round of the race. Line knew he had to cut a great light for Erica had the horsepower to beat him. What nobody foresaw was that both would red light. Unfortunately, Line moved first giving the win light (of the race) and with it the Pro Stock World Championship to Erica Enders-Stevens.

This marks the first time a woman has taken the Pro Stock championship.

Another notable mention, in the semi's between Erica and Jonathan Gray, both drivers had a reaction time of .000!!! Something that has never happened before, as far as I know. Incredible day of racing.


In Pro Stock bike, in what would become Adam Arana's last race as he will be joining the U.S. Coast Guard next year, his older brother maintained his families name in good standing. Hector Arana Jr. on his Buell outran newly crowned Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Andres Hines, to take home the Wally.

Andrew Hines clinched his fourth Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship, his first since 2006, after his first round win over Angie Smith. Hines won a total of 6 races on his Screamin' Eagle Vance and Hines Harley-Davidson. Of course, the H-D high brass were on hand to enjoy the moment.

The 2015 season begins Feb 5-7 at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif.

Update:
Below a picture of the stats of the Pro Stock drag race between Enders-Stevens and J. Gray. Just mind blowing for both drivers to get the perfect light. Thanks to MVM Motorsports for sharing.

Of course, when your daughter breaks down the barrier what happened in the photograph is understandable. Erica's mom jumps into the arms of her husband. Note the margin of error for both drivers!! Jason Line was way soon but Erica was pretty damn close to a perfect light..

NASCAR at Homestead, Florida:
One can imagine with all the rule changes in Nascar that the season finale would be intense. The race at Homestead saw for the greater part of the 400 mile race, the four remaining championship contenders running close together. These were Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano. Unfortunately, the latter had some bad luck, first with a lug nut issue and later when his car slipped off the jack, leaving him outside of the running towards the end of the race.

As is often the case in Nascar racing, tire strategy played a critical role in deciding who would challenge for the lead at the white line. At what would be the final restart of the race, Hamlin opted not to come into the pits for tires (2 or 4). Newman came in and took only two tires, while Harvick took four tires which put him in twelfth position. However, now with fresh new rubber he was able to cut through the field like a knife through butter and crossed the line just half a second ahead of Newman. What a race to the finish line it was!

2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick

"It didn't pan out real well there to be honest with you," Harvick admitted. "But that was the call that won us the race. We were able to go so hard on the restarts. [Crew chief] Rodney Childers isn't scared to make a call - he does what is right, and right or wrong we had to believe in what he did and kept going with it."

The top five of the race:
1. Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing
2. Ryan Newman, Richard Childres Racing
3. Brad Keselowski, Team Penske
4. Paul Menard, Richard childres Racing
5. Jamie McMurray, Chip Ganassi.....

Pole sitter Jeff Gordon finished in tenth after he decided to pit while running in second place after an accident brought out the yellow on lap 255.


More on the meaning of Erica's win on a later date.

Photo credit: Getty Images/kshb.com, NHRA, Mark J. Rebilas,

Challenging track conditions for NHRA PS

As a rule of thumb, I try not to favor one sport or topic, but what happened in NHRA on Sunday merits extra attention. Unlike the two nitro categories, the pro stock (PS) class cars reach 200 mph in the top end with very little down force. Consequently, if the track lacks the normal traction, meaning not enough traction compound has been sprayed onto the track, the car will skate around considerably. In the past, ex-champions have complained to the race officials about this, but to no avail. That is until last Sunday.

At the zMAX race in Charlotte, NC, PS driver Larry Morgan said he had the steering wheel turned a quarter turn in his first round race. Morgan, a veteran driver of 20 years, said he's never made this much of a drastic turn in his PS racing career.

Furthermore, this years' hottest driver Erica Enders, with three event wins in 2012, admitted she threw in the towel early on what could have been a winning round run because she felt the car do the same as when she crashed in testing a couple of years back.

"Nine times out of ten, it straightens up", explained Enders. "It's hard to say but I will tell you that's the loosest I've been in a race car in eight years."

Unfortunately, things only got worse once the second round eliminations got underway. Second generation PS driver, Shane Gray got the ride of his life when he lost traction in the top end, the same problem area.

Below, I have posted the pictures of the most spectacular PS crash I have ever seen. These pictures are courtesy of professional sports photographer Mark Rebilas, who acknowledged: "...the car flying through the air on fire is most likely a pro stock crash shot I will never top for the rest of my career."

Luckily, the driver walked away uninjured. NHRA usually doesn't share crash footage on YouTube, but this time they did. Below you can see NHRA's footage of the crash.



Larry Morgan, one of the drivers who had spoken out regarding track prep in years past, believed that this time around, the traction compound wouldn't adhere to the track. "[when] you have moisture in between [the track surface] and there's nothing you can do," explained Morgan.

Let's hope that going forward, both event as track officials are going to pay more attention to the top end traction situation for the PS class. Hopefully, we won't have to witness such a terrible crash again.

Thanks for reading.

Source: Competition Plus
Video Credit: NHRA
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas

First female Pro Stock winner

Erica soaking it all in

Erica Enders made history last Sunday when she became the first female to win an NHRA Pro Stock race, regardless of sanction. This also marks the 12th time a female has won an NHRA Pro category race. She follows in the footsteps of, amongst others, Shirley Muldowney,  Shelly Anderson-Payne, Angele Sampey, and Ashley Force-Hood.

In getting to her seventh career final, Erica beat Kurt Johnson, Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals. In the final round, she led points leader Greg Anderson all the way down the track to win with a e.t. of 6.627 seconds at 207.40 mph.

side-by-side racing doorslammers

The fact that it took longer than we all had hoped made it all the sweeter, for she had been banging on the door for a while now. And to win against none other than Greg Anderson, the man who didn't want to be "the one" to go down in history as loosing to a female for the first time.
Personally, I don't believe there's anything wrong with that, seeing that hard working women have made it to the top of their "game", be it in business, government or sports.

"It's awesome," said Enders. "I think that if I could have planned it, I would have asked to run Greg in the final. You know that he made it very clear he didn't want to lose to me. He's a very competitive guy, and I love him to death, but I couldn't wait to beat him."

FulTrot's followers will attest that I have been predicting that Erica's day would soon come. And there were many others who did so too, for her crew went nuts back at the starting line, as they screamed in the team's headsets. Crew chief Dave Connolly gave a great interview as well, saying that this win as crew chief was more gratifying than a win as a driver. Coming from Dave, one of the sharpest driver's in the Pro Stock category, says a lot about the win.

The video below shows the match up, race, celebrations and subsequent interviews:



The 28-year-old Houston-native and started driving in the Pro Stock category back in 2005, when car owner Victor Cagnazzi gave her the opportunity to drive a Pro Stock car, knowing that she had never let out the clutch of a race car before. Her rise as a youthful drag racer was portrayed in a Disney original movie "Right On Track".

"Twenty years, from the time I was eight years old in the Junior Dragster this has been a dream of mine and I have worked my butt off to get here," Enders said of the historical victory. "For all the kids (and forty-year-olds) who were told they couldn't do it. You CAN do it."

Erica and Team in the winner's circle

One of the first persons to congratulate Erica was the godfather of Pro Stock, Bob Glidden, who called her on her cell right after ESPN's interview.

Congratulations to Erica, her crew and team owner Victor Cagnazzy on the historical win. Great job Dave, although I'd rather see you behind a steering wheel though. That's where you belong.

Thanks for reading.

Source: NHRA, CompetitionPlus, Wikipedia.
Photo credit: NHRA, Mark J. Rebilas.

Ashley's win ranks in the top 10 in NHRA history

On September 6th last I included Ashley's first win in Funny Car to my personal picks of NHRA greatest moments. Well, this win has been picked by the fans to be the 8th greatest moment in NHRA history. It had been more than 30 years since Shirley Muldowney (oh that pink pioneer rail) recorded the first win by a woman in Top Fuel dragster, a woman had yet to win in NHRA's Funny Car class.
On April 27, 2008, NHRA reached another milestone when Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win in a Funny Car. The gorgeous daughter of Funny Car legend John Force had knocked on the door three times before banging it down a-la-force. And this landmark victory came, ironically enough, against her father, who was seeking to achieve a milestone of his own.

Shirley Muldowney

Thanks to people like Shirley and Lynn St. James (Indy Car driver) that nowadays we have female competitors in motorsports. I remember Pro Bike sensation Angele Savoy, who later became Sampey. She dominated and won the Pro Bike class three times (2000, 2001, 2002) and is the win-ingest female pro with 41 wins. And Melanie Troxel can be seen steering her In-N-Out Burger sponsored Funny Car down the track at the last races for 2011. She's a proven winner in the jaw-dropping Pro Mod class as well. Also from this category is Leah Pruet-Leduc who has just moved up to Funny Car. In the Pro Stock class Erica Enders will soon collect her first Wally. Crew chief Dave Connolly consistently gives her a car that has the potential to win in the final round. She's got the competition "sweating bullets". Greg Andersen in his own words, "I don't want to go down in history as the first to lose to Erica." Greg, it is just a matter of time!

Getting back to Shirley, in September she was honored as the 2011 recipient of the Mildred Marcum Pioneer Award. Other notable women in drag racing are Karen Stoffer (pro bike), Shelly Anderson (top fuel), Peggy Llewellyn (pro bike) and Hillary Will (top Fuel).

One of these days I have to write one about local women in drag racing. I think I will start with Berginie "Busa girl" Naar and work my way backward.

Thanks for reading