Go2Geiger Drag Racing News

Infineon Raceway's drag strip is a breath of fresh air following the altitude race in Denver. Sonoma is much more than the hundreds of wineries, scenic coastline and spiritual Russian River. The rolling valleys produce lots of oxygen for dragsters of all sizes when they race at the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals.

"This California air let's you go fast," Cruz Pedregon said. He had a challenge in Sonoma similar to his brother Tony in Denver, waiting until the last session to qualify.

While in line for his last qualifying run, Cruz's Snap-On Toyota was bumped out of the field. Then he made his pass, a run characterized by ESPN reporter Gary Gerould as "very aggressive," and leapt all the way to the No. 10 slot. That prompted anchor Paul Page to observe, "When Cruz needs to do it, he does it."

That good run for Pedregon was bad news for the Bandimere semifinalist Jeff Arend, as he was the one bumped out of the 16-car field. ESPN reported his last missed event was the Pomona finals in 2009.

Other than the Indianapolis 500's "Bump Day" qualifying, the ESPN drag racing qualifying show is the best of its kind in motorsports. Not only are most of the best qualify rounds raced on Friday night – giving the go-fast nitro classes plenty of airtime to display their brilliant torch-like flames – but the fourth-round qualifiers mix and jumble results with excitable regularity. All of the results, standings and consequences featured on ESPN are every bit as thorough and entertaining as the race day coverage.

In addition, while stories of the weekend are developing, the viewer is right along for the ride and kept up-to-date. When eliminations fire-up, one is ready, understanding the topics and rationales affecting outcomes.

A cool combo for fans is to get to the track for qualifying and afterwards watch the television coverage of those same rounds. It is surprising how much you will gain in knowledge and understanding of the sport, plus deepening one's familiarity of the drivers, teams and other personalities.

I've been in the golf carts of Dave Rieff and Gerould as they motor pit-to-pit or from the ESPN compound to the top end. They wave and talk to everyone like a mini traveling circus. One can only enjoy that at the event itself.

Whit Bazemore, in his temporary assignment with the television crew, sauntered up to the Al-Anabi team adjusting the wing on Larry Dixon's dragster while waiting in line for their next run. He asked about the reasons for the adjustment. The crew declined to answer, which is understandable.

Bazemore used his experience to theorize that the stiff headwind that had just cropped up would cause them to "take wing out," meaning less downforce. Even so, Dixon went into wheel spin, causing Page to note, "Wow, Al-Anabi is having troubles."

Not for long, though. When the Al-Anabi dragster of Del Worsham edged the FRAM entry of Spencer Massey by the narrowest of margins, .0029 seconds, Al-Anabi tuner Alan Johnson was about as ecstatic as he gets: "I don't need to tell anybody how big of a race that was."

The Sunday ESPN broadcast scheduled for a late 11 p.m. Eastern was delayed a further 45 minutes because of other programming running long. That meant the show ended Monday morning in three U.S. time zones. I don't record the programs ─ the schedule doesn't allow for such a luxury, meaning when would I watch it?

I view them when broadcast. So I shared the pain with other drag racing fans of a late Sunday night program, leaping up with an alarm clock for the start, only to discover the delay.

Fortunately, the last stop on the Western Swing, the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals from Seattle, begins at the normal 7 p.m. For the remainder of the broadcast year only the Lucas Oil Nationals from Brainerd, Minn., will broadcast eliminations at the 10 p.m. slot.

Those who didn't view the broadcast or record it missed a real treat: Don "The Snake" Prudhomme sharing the broadcast booth with Page and color analyst Mike Dunn. While opening the races with the command to start the engines, one knew there was something special in store when Prudhomme quipped like a praying preacher, "Thanks to the smokin' hot women at Sonoma."

He provided insights reflecting even he has to explain the appeal of the sport to others. "(The race) is over so quick," he said, noting the days of travel and qualifying for the teams, and perhaps losing in the first round in a matter of seconds, "like Bernstein, which is different from all other forms of racing. Drag racing turns me on."

He explained his belief that Funny Car is the toughest class of the pro classes. "That's why I admire John Force. I'm just amazed at him. We used to beat him like a drum."

Prudhomme made favorable comments about Cruz Pedregon and the performance of the Snap-On Funny Car he campaigns while balancing a limited budget, an affliction affecting many teams. When Gary Densham, racing a short schedule with his Densham Motorsports Dodge, snuck by points leader Mike Neff's Castrol GTX Mustang, Snake wisecracked, "That'll bring a man back to life."

Statman Lewis Bloom pointed out that No. 1 Funny Car qualifier Force last qualified and won from the pole position in 2004. That didn't bode well for Sunday either. His superb act of sportsmanship likely cost him the race when he met Tim Wilkerson in the semifinals.

Wilkerson's Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang team had swapped engines after an oildown in the quarterfinals, and Bazemore reported, "A lot of adrenalin in (their) pits."

The team was still working on the engine as they wheeled the car to the line with cameras on Wilkerson, in his firesuit and helmet, hunched over the motor.

Dunn related when he raced he used the time before a launch to get himself together, and empathized with Wilkerson's predicament. The broadcast said Force "knew Wilkerson was needing more time, so he went to his crew and said, 'Let's slow (our staging routine) down.'"

When nitro finals came, Page announced it saying, "We're going to shake the grapes now." Dunn presaged Ron Capps' win in his NAPA Charger by noting he "outran Wilk in every round."

In the Top Fuel finals, teammates Antron Brown with his Matco Tools dragster met U.S. Army's Tony Schumacher. The cameras focused on Brown's engine while the broadcast informed viewers the team adjusted the fuel flow, having it open earlier, so the result would be more speed at the start. That fix worked as he won by nearly a length.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class featured Angie Smith's Buell avenging husband Matt's loss with his Buell by besting a red-lighting Mike Berry on his Vroom/LAT Racing Oil Buell in the quarterfinals.

Later in the finals ─ Page called it, "Two guys from Louisiana" ─ Michael Phillip's Attitude Apparel Suzuki was beaten by 2010 champion, L.E. Tonglet, on the FRAM/Nitrofish Suzuki.

Statman identified the quarterfinals of Pro Stock as the second tightest race of the season with the Mopar Avenger of Allen Johnson losing to Jason Line's Summit Racing GXP fighting for a "less-than-one-inch victory at the stripe."

Line's teammate, Greg Anderson in his 100th final in the Summit Racing Equipment GXP, won by a razor's edge over Mike Edwards' Penhall GXP. The thin margin, .0024 seconds, earned him his fourth victory here, the best of any pro class competitor.

Anderson's thoughts on California? "I love this place."

Do you record or watch when the broadcast is a late show?

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All information published on go2geiger.com is protected by all applicable copyright laws of the United States of America and is the sole property of go2geiger.com unless mentioned otherwise. It is intended solely for the private use of the individual reader and may not be retransmitted or reposted in any form without the prior written permission of go2geiger.com.

The answer is "heat."

The question? "What did you expect from Chicago drag racing in July?"

That was illustrated by drag racers talking about rising temperatures while dripping with sweat and enduring high humidity, all while wearing their suffocating fire suits.

Hell on wheels for sure.

Del Worsham cools off with his buddy Wally.

The result? A leveling of the competitive field as detailed multiple times by the ESPN broadcast crew. Analyst Mike Dunn deftly explained that dragsters racing in hot conditions become more dependent on clutch setups than raw power, meaning there is a real possibility of the smaller teams pushing the powerful ones.

Though upsets were common in the early rounds, the major teams took the day’s hardware in the end.

Hometown hero Tony Schumacher's drought in Top Fuel continued as a theme from previous broadcasts, along with John Force’s same predicament in his Castrol GTX Mustang Funny Car. Dunn contrasted them with the success of upstart Vincent Nobile, the 19-year-old rookie Pro Stock sensation in his Mountain View Tire Dodge.

Lead broadcaster Paul Page questioned, "Where does it go from here?" In short order, the answer for all three became known.

Pit reporter Dave Rieff asked from the Morgan Lucas Racing compound, "Can Shawn Langdon dislodge 'the Sarge?'" In a flurry of threes, reporter Gary Gerould explained earlier the Army team had won this event three times. After his defeat, he asked "the Sarge" how it felt to lose in the first round for only the third time in three years, this time to Langdon’s resurgent Lucas Oil team.

Schumacher explained, "We’re a little off-key right now." But Schumacher won in his stint in the broadcast booth between Page and Dunn.

Like an expert poker player, Schumacher described the Top Fuel action in an even, direct manner, without emotion, just as if he were analyzing the probabilities of a hand of cards. Give ESPN credit for getting him in front of the camera. He may have lost the round, but scored with viewers with his television performance.

Force was also upset in the first round by eventual finalist Jeff Arend in his mustard-yellow DHL Solara. Combined with David Grubnic’s Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster making the finals, legend and businessman extraordinaire Connie Kalitta had two entries in the championship round for the first time in his storied career, a fact brought to light by ESPN.

Nobile proved in Pro Stock if you win by the sword ─ inches ─ you may lose by that same device. In the opening round, he ousted Greg Stanfield’s Coffman Tank Trucks Pontiac by 23 inches. Summit’s Jason Line and his Pontiac returned the favor in the quarterfinals by 15 inches.

As always, "Statman" Lewis Bloom’s observation on the Summit Pro Stock team proved accurate: when either Greg Anderson or Line qualifies at the top of the list, the team becomes heavy favorites to win the event. No. 1 qualifier Anderson snapped off one of his patented lights in the finals, a .011 reaction time, to spoil with a holeshot ZaZa Energy Chevrolet’s Erica Enders' bid to become the first woman to win in Pro Stock.

Dunn noted a staging error in the semifinals by Anderson ─ viewers could hear the revving of an engine at an odd time ─ and used the incident to demonstrate why he wins.

"He almost made a mistake," Dunn said. "(That took) great concentration to not let that affect him."

Anderson’s light in the finals was third-best in the class for the race. The best, Mike Edward’s .000, called "dead perfect" by Dunn, was wasted as his car quit in the quarterfinals against Enders.

Anderson held off Enders to win his first Chicago race.

In the post-race interview, Gerould coaxed Anderson to admit he stepped up his intensity against the history-seeking Enders. He made it clear he did not want to be the one on the losing side of her historic first win.

Omitting the opening stanza with Warren Johnson, drivers Enders faced had their best light of the day against her.

Enders handled the loss like a champion-to-be: "It was Greg's day. Kudos to him."

The heat and oppressive humidity created opportunities for things to go wrong, and they did. "Hot Rod" Fuller had a left-front tire go flat on his Yas Marina Circuit dragster - when’s the last time that happened? ESPN discovered for viewers that the culprit was something they rolled over on the way to the start. Fuller had no questions about running the lap, but starting line steward Rick Stewart did, so his racing day stopped.

Dana Sherman, cameraman on the start line, gave a live audio heads-up on Tony Pedregon’s STP Funny Car having clutch adjustment problems as he staged. The television audience was therefore unsurprised when his hot rod went up in smoke immediately on the launch, allowing Arend to advance and race the final.

When GEICO Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer broke before the start, she pinpointed the engine. She lamented, "I was heartbroken."

Two weeks in a row of poor luck will do that, yet she remains upbeat: "Whatever happens, happens."

Hector Arana Sr. had his quarterfinal round won ... at least in his head ... when the Lucas Oil Buell appeared to quit. "I say to myself, ‘I've got it.’ I finished saying those words in my head, and the motor quit on me, ‘Pop!’"

Then the engine fired up again.

"It sounded like it missing or hitting the rev limiter," Arana Sr. said. "Nothing I could do."

Drag racing in the heat can mess with your mind. Hector Arana Jr., the No. 1 qualifier with his Lucas Oil Buell, slowed suddenly in the second round. The bike looked like it nosed over, but later he said there was no mechanical issue. He had aborted the run.

"I was drifting a little bit, and my hand just pulled the clutch in," Arana Jr. said. "There was no thought process to it at all. I pulled the clutch, and I thought, ‘Why did I just do that?’ It was just a subconscious act."

The broadcast team was "shocked" over the smoky first-round end of Spencer Massey’s streak of clean runs in his Fram dragster. Page noted, "You said it Mike Dunn ... upsets are coming today."

Dunn made this point about the streak: "Massey has run in all kinds of conditions," which gave a nod to the difficulty of this track.

A Funny Car theme lasting all day came to an exciting conclusion in the finals with Mike Neff’s attempt to capture the 200th Ford win in Funny Cars for John Force Racing. Dunn analyzed his chances as they staged, "Neff consistently goes down the race track round after round."

Then with the call, Page notes Arend up in smoke early, exclaiming, "and they’re gonna get it!" Neff gave his fourth victory speech of the year, saying, "Ford is an awesome American company."

Giving hope for those of us who are always at the bottom of the list, page, record or roll ... note the Funny Car event entry page lists as the bottom guy, No. 7701 FC, Mike Neff.

At this rate in 2012, he may be replacing No. 1 on the list, 15-time champion Force.

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All information published on go2geiger.com is protected by all applicable copyright laws of the United States of America and is the sole property of go2geiger.com unless mentioned otherwise. It is intended solely for the private use of the individual reader and may not be retransmitted or reposted in any form without the prior written permission of go2geiger.com.

The movie Mulholland Drive opens with a shady character describing another’s personal black book as "the history of the world...in phone numbers."

From this book of dragsters and hot rods conceived and built over the decades by "TV" Tommy Ivo, the reader traces the history of the world...in drag racing. From a book reading like a movie, Ivo’s creative mind comes alive through his memories and a vast collection of explosive photographs documenting his life story.

Like many of the characters Ivo portrayed on screen, or like Ivo himself, this volume by noted author Tom Cotter is bright, colorful, and cheery.

A credentialed story-teller, Cotter created the In the Barn series of automotive-rescue books like The Hemi in the Barn, The Cobra in the Barn, and recently The Corvette in the Barn. He co-authored an award-winning account of the legendary race team, Holman-Moody, plus founded and later sold a pioneering PR firm to media giant Clear Channel.

What is Cotter doing these days? He told GoMotorBids.com, where he sells some of his stacks of memorabilia, that he's "Building a '32 Ford Hi Boy Roadster (I’ve) dreamed about since 15," confirming my theory that life is all about high school. He therefore is a perfect choice to write about Ivo’s life -- a movie star as a kid who grows up on drag racing’s stage but never really leaves high school.

Acting found a young Ivo through his enthusiastic stage presence, and the camera has always loved him. Through all of his experiences, he smiles that famous ear-to-ear Howdy Dowdy grin at every turn.

From a list compiled by IMDB.com, Ivo performed in 107 movies and television programs in his career, spanning from 1944's uncredited A Fig Leaf for Eve to his last credited performance, playing himself in the 2006 video Shirley Muldowney: Behind the Wheel.

Of course, a teenager’s fascination with hot rods leading to the discovery of drag racing is not a unique story. However, combining that with Ivo’s charisma and creativity is unique as he pulled the sport to its current status as the most fan-friendly in motorsports.

The best-known showman in drag racing today, John Force, gives Ivo credit in the book when he reflected on the famous glass-sided haulers that Ivo created.

"When he drove down the road, people could see it was a racecar," Force said. "It’s the same thing we’re doing now, but we’re just in a bigger arena. Ivo taught me to make people laugh even when I wasn’t winning. He taught me to look fans in the eye when I signed autographs, to ask their name, and to make them feel special."

According to IMDB.com Ivo performed in 107 movies and TV programs in his career.

This book closely tracks the developments of racing through Ivo’s radical creations and inventions such as the four-motor drag racer he called "Showboat," and its later surprising tour as "WagonMaster." These stories bring to life his charismatic personality.

When developing the biographical film, Heart Like a Wheel, Muldowney called Ivo "Mr. Hollywood himself."

Yet, he possesses a self-deprecating humor that endures him to fans. When asked why he got the role of filling in for Muldowney in the movie’s drag racing scenes, did he answer because he was a child actor, star of movies and television shows? No. He laments, "I was the only Munchkin who could fit in Shirley’s car."

One of the unique teams in drag racing, a most unlikely pairing, developed in Ivo’s teen years with Don "the Snake" Prudhomme. Their fixation was on building and racing hot rods, but these two together strike one like a mix of mint and jalapeno peppers — both spices but entirely different.

Reading Ivo’s prankish ways makes one wonder how they ever managed to travel together, or why the uber-intense Prudhomme didn’t strangle him weekly. In the book’s foreword, Prudhomme writes, "Like lots of friendships, ours turned sour over time when we regularly competed against each other. Plus, I didn’t think his practical jokes were as funny as he did."

One can only imagine the aftermath of a story in the book titled "Practical Jokes” where Ivo switched hoods on other teams' trucks in the middle of the night. This was more than 35 years ago, and the passing of time makes these stories fun. Today, the outcome of such a trick might not be as pleasant.

One of Ivo's hot rods.

Cotter allows a reader to enjoy Ivo’s creations in chronological order, dragster by dragster – including his radical twin engine side-by-side concept – and in the process provides a history of the sport. He details each impeccably finished hot rod with extensive photographs and surrounding history.

With an extensive writing background, the author artfully brings Ivo’s personality into the book — illustrating his growth into adulthood but without an apparent social maturity, for better or worse, accompanying his age. Cotter never judges him, but leads readers toward a better understanding of this kid who never grew up. Ivo’s way, it should be noted, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps if more of us loosened up, we might be able to smile easily like him.

The Ivo personality, though, is what created the showman of drag racing, pushing the sport forward. Just like a movie, there is structure to a race event intermingled with many moving parts. That he was far ahead of his compatriots in this arena is a given. Prudhomme gives him his due, noting, "It was Ivo who helped turn drag racing from a hobby into a profession. He deserves all the credit."

The book takes the reader along this journey, beginning with "The Kid with the Missing Front Teeth" as an early chapter is titled. Today, if Ivo had chosen, he might still be a television/movie personality. He instead followed his star on a two-lane paved stage. Cotter writes, "He chucked it all to pursue his new love: drag racing."

As a cute little boy who could tap dance and sing, he was groomed to be a male Shirley Temple. Instead, he became recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in racing through his induction to the Hot Rod Hall of Fame, receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Then in 2005, his career highlight occurred as he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America with notables like Richard Petty, Mario Andretti, and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.

The sport is fortunate Ivo turned his focus to drag racing. Readers are lucky Cotter took time out of his own garage to author this richly entertaining book, "TV" Tommy Ivo: Drag Racing’s Master Showman, documenting the story of the original entertainer of drag racing.

All information published on go2geiger.com is protected by all applicable copyright laws of the United States of America and is the sole property of go2geiger.com unless mentioned otherwise. It is intended solely for the private use of the individual reader and may not be retransmitted or reposted in any form without the prior written permission of go2geiger.com.

Topics identified early in the ESPN's broadcast of the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, were like Roman candles.

There was an initial pop, a sparkle, and then a moment of awe.

Drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney commanded the event’s start with a "Light 'em up" call to fire-up the engines. Muldowney's favorite driver, Antron Brown, then drove his Matco Tools dragster to a win in the first pair down the track.

A top story of the day revolved around Tony Schumacher’s 10-race winless streak that extended to 11 in Norwalk. Taken out by teammate Spencer Massey’s Fram dragster, this thrilling second-round race served up an opportunity for ESPN color commentator Mike Dunn to explain the designation of this unique race as a holeshot win.

Both had the same exact 3.926-second elapsed time, but since Massey was slightly quicker on the launch, he won the race. The pass would technically still be classified as a holeshot just as if he had won with a better reaction time that compensated for a slower elapsed time.

John Force failing to advance his Castrol GTX Mustang further than the quarterfinals this season was a highlighted topic with an insightful explanation of this slide for the 15-time and reigning Funny Car champion.

It seems Force is heavily involved in off-track activities involving multiple media projects such as a book, another stab at a reality program, a film ... all worthy distractions in winning brand recognition and further fame, but not a great recipe for success at the track.

This time, against rookie Dan Wilkerson and his Summit Racing Ford, who just collected his first-ever round win, Force notched another victory to make it to the semifinals.

Force's true spirit showed after his win over Wilkerson as he had the young rookie stand with him during the top-end interview, giving him kudos, "I’m proud of (Dan), I just love 'em."

Young Wilkerson was truly honored; "That man's a class act."

But in the semifinals, a resurgent Ron Capps in the NAPA Charger sent Force home for good.

Of major interest at Norwalk was the K&N Horsepower Challenge in Pro Stock, with Greg Anderson winning in his Summit GXP. That gave Anderson the opportunity to double-up – and earn an extra $50,000 – with a win on Sunday. Unfortunately for Anderson, Saturday's magic ended in the first pair of the first round when he lost a powerhouse No. 8-No. 9 matchup to Allen Johnson, who launched his Mopar Dodge out of the gate first, spoiling the chance.

Paul Page exclaimed, "Kiss that extra $50 grand goodbye," as Dunn explained Johnson’s run was mediocre but the R/T gap was so deep he won anyway.

Anderson, thinking he should’ve pepped up his performance by guzzling a can of Full Throttle, lamented soap-opera style: "It’s all my fault."

Losing sponsorship is like a financial punch to the gut: it stings, then it hurts, and finally you bend over in pain. These feelings were shared with viewers listening to Pro Stock Motorcycler rider Matt Smith as he explained his Buell wouldn’t carry the Al-Anabi banner for the remainder of the season.

Then Smith unexpectedly made the finals, and viewers enjoyed his racer/wife Angie Smith’s excitement. Page noted as the camera showed her rejoicing on the line, "Yeah, Angie, looking good," for a shot at the win.

Smith’s huge advantage on the launch against Eddie Krawiec’s Screaming Eagle Vance & Hines Harley was for naught though as, like his heart, the Buell broke.

Drag racing requires so much time and preparation to compete for just a handful of seconds the emotion of losing is often palpable. Take points leader Karen Stoffer’s GEICO Suzuki breaking on the starting line in Round 1.

Dunn observed, "Karen's visibly upset," while cameras showed her asking hard questions afterward. But the way racers survive is with optimism, which she displayed saying, "Everybody's heart broke on the starting line, but we'll mend it and come back in Chicago."

Jim Underdahl, the beneficiary of Stoffer’s problem, dejectedly had to explain to interviewer Dave Rieff how a small part failure kept his Extended Protection Suzuki from showing in the quarterfinals: "It was a cam switch...a minor cost item."

None though were more visibly upset than ill-looking Morgan Lucas on camera after a surprising red-light ended his day in the semifinals. His pale color afterward amplified the situation. "I’m just miserable right now," the GEICO racer said. "I let a long tree get the best of me."

Page then reminded his audience why we keep coming back each week to catch championship drag racing: "You see the passion these drivers have."

Winning has fervor, too, as Krawiec exclaimed into the ESPN microphone, "I could cry right now," while clutching his Pro Stock Motorcycle Wally.

Vincent Nobile took his Mountain View Dodge for another Wally run over a grateful Larry Morgan in his Lucas Oil Ford.

Morgan made his first finals of the season, and said afterward, "We're moving forward with this Mustang, and we're excited to head to the next race."

As for Nobile, Dunn said, "He’s the real deal," while the young sensation gave kudos to Morgan. "Everything I know about drag racing I owe to Larry Morgan," he said in a tribute bigger than a trophy, not the paycheck.

Dunn understated his forecast of the Funny Car winner as the final pair staged observing, "Capps has struggled to get here." After Neff’s Castrol GTX Mustang claimed the close race, Force chimed in for the cameras "Hand it to Capps, but Neff plays the game. God, they’re really good, like a broken record." Neff added, "It is a thrill to get this win."

Massey and Del Worsham’s Al-Anabi dragster ran identical ETs in the semifinals for both men to earn a shot at the Top Fuel trophy, with Worsham winning the side-by-side thriller. Team manager Alan Johnson notched his 100th win in the sport, commenting on a theme that had developed today, "The competitiveness in Top Fuel is really a battle."

Actually, competitiveness in all of the classes is a battle, fueling the zeal at these events, providing ESPN a drag racing reality television format that is unsurpassed.

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All information published on go2geiger.com is protected by all applicable copyright laws of the United States of America and is the sole property of go2geiger.com unless mentioned otherwise. It is intended solely for the private use of the individual reader and may not be retransmitted or reposted in any form without the prior written permission of go2geiger.com.

Rainstorms and delays across Thunder Valley -- who would have thought ESPN would shine this bright on a convoluted day.

White Lightnin’ is known in the mountains of Tennessee, but for this event it was in the form of bolts from the sky traveling faster than a nitro dragster, though Roger Burgess’ Pro Mod crash seemed to happen as quickly. That incident worked into the broadcast as he was back on the line celebrating Melanie Troxel’s first-round win in the ProCare Rx Toyota.

ESPN broadcast several views and repeat views of Burgess’ horrifying smash into the opposite wall, but the best image they caught was watching him inside the ambulance laying on the bed while talking on his cell phone. Troxel explained, “It’s scarier (watching) than for the driver.” The Pro Mod telecast will be July 3 at  p.m.

From the moment the broadcast signed on, the theme of the race was Father’s Day. Fathers, sons and daughters whipped up superlatives about their dads as this special occasion was celebrated hot rod style at the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals.

Dave Rieff covered his bases with “Paul, Mike and Gary … Happy Father’s Day.” Spencer Massey’s Fram dragster was framed by cameras with “Hi, Dad” on the cockpit. Paul Page pointed out a truism, “Father figures are very much in drag racing because there are a lot of combos out there.” Modern drag racing is very much a family sport.

The most common observation after a “Happy Father’s Day” greeting was chatter about the stormy weather. NHRA fans know the impact of the current weather through a tried-and-tested drag racing weatherman, ESPN’s Mike Dunn.  He gave important data on the effect of barometric pressure and race engines before and after the storms. As an example, a viewer heard his “lots of moisture in the air” more times than at a meteorologist’s confab.

Dunn covered key conditions important at a soak-fest like Bristol with the graphics built in the ESPN compound displaying the vitals a serious fan wants to know.  The information was laid out as clear as a cloudless day.

It’s almost as if the storms wait for his okay to move on. He speaks: “It looks pretty good,” and suddenly there is sky and the clear and the dry.

The weird schedule dictated by the gulley-washers gave the broadcast ample opportunity to strut their stuff. Since the normal flow was upset -- racing resumed at 4 p.m. -- the eliminations broadcast started just 30 minutes later, running for two-and-a-half hours, which slotted a number of holes for extra content.

Later in the night the semifinals and finals started at 10 p.m. for an hour; a little inconvenient but viewers were awarded an extra hour of prime drag racing.

Take the opening where Gary Gerould introduced one of the continuing stories of the day, “Tony Schumacher’s mini-slump” as he reported on the no-wins for the 2011 season for one of the sport’s strongest teams. He asked Schumacher about the fact Sunday was the first time in 2011 the Army Top Fuel dragster raced the opening pair. His reply? Something along the lines that he wanted to win as a father’s day gift. But it wasn’t to be.

Viewers were kept in the loop on the story of the squeeze in turn-around times though the minutes seeming varied from the standard 75 to either 55 or 65. Regardless, teams rushed and the cameras were there anticipating, watching every move from the track to the pit teardown and back to the line.

None was more enduring to fans than the senior citizen of drag racing, Chris Karamesines and the Strange Engine dragster, winning his first round of racing in decades, prompting Paul Page to exclaim, “The Golden Greek takes a win!” He added, “I told you it was going to be a great day,” while Mike Dunn chimed in the win was “pretty good for a mid-80’s racer.” Pretty good indeed.

The broadcasters explained Karamesines’ volunteer team using hand wrenches vs. pneumatic guns might not make it out for Round 2; the images showed that sad possibility just as well. One can get a little rusty in the 93 events since they had to prep for a quarter-final round. Karamesines lamented, “We might not make it …”

ESPN was at their pit waiting as the team arrived looking somewhat forlorn with the task at hand. Flipping back to them between the other rounds was exactly what viewers wanted. Their precision wasn’t the same as the big teams, but the sentiment of the audience for the underachievers was certainly as big as they come.

No fear! Tennessee isn’t the volunteer state for nothing. As teams were eliminated from competition, help drifted in; their small pit space became crowded from all of the vols.

Suddenly, this was the biggest story of the day, blowing up like a mountain thunderstorm, overwhelming everything else; totally unanticipated yet captivating for the viewer. Almost as if it were scripted, the broadcast team had reporters, tape and comments on the story flowing as smoothly as buttermilk in Bristol.

The one thought you would not hear inside the ESPN compound? “What do we do now?” Because this seasoned group rises to the occasion as predictably as runoff raises creeks.

Unfortunately, the Greek won the biggest red-light award of the season, too, relegating the first-round conqueror back to the pits.

Gerould smartly handed the post-lap interview to the winner, Antron Brown. Playing the broadcaster’s role he asked what made the difference today; Karamesines didn’t miss a promotional beat with his answer: “Must be that Lucas Oil.” Now that’s the way an old pro gives a sponsor due.

Gerould boosted the significance of the whole affair when he memorialized the entertaining banter between the old and younger drag racers with, “You guys made a moment,” a moment that will forever be remembered on Father’s day.

The odds-on leader to win the day was featured from the get-go, Larry Dixon and his Al-Anabi dragster. With a history of winning on Father’s Day – five times – he became the broadcast booth’s pick. Dixon was having nothing to do with happenstance, commenting, “It means nothing. I gotta go out and do my job.”

With another exciting final in the class, he did just that in a thrilling final round win against Brown’s Matco Tools rail.

ESPN’s cameras lingered at the far end as the Dixon clan showed up to celebrate with dad by slapping water balloons on him. How did the race champion notching his 61st Wally take that? One of his children was having trouble getting his balloon to break, so Dixon smashed it against his own head to the giggling delight of the kids.

One could see not only did he win … but feel he has won, too.

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No need to check the calendar. When drag racers start slipping and sliding during NHRA eliminations, fans know summer storms and oppressive heat have arrived.

The NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka always seem hot though this earlier date, now in its second year before Memorial Day, is a culmination of changes dating back to 1999.

That year the race was contested on the first weekend of October, but final eliminations were held over to Monday for the three professional classes, not because of excessive heat but a surprising cold snap.

The 1999 Topeka winner in Funny Car was John Force, notching win No. 79 while breaking a streak of three straight races of unceremoniously losing in round one. This time through his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang was brusquely sent to the trailer in the opening round by friend Jim Head and his Toyota.

However, John Force Racing was guaranteed a Wally in an all-Team Force final. He exclaimed, "That’s the way you do it." Robert Hight’s AAA of Southern California Mustang captured the prize -- the 200th win for the organization -- for his father-in-law, always a good strategy, while Mike Neff suffered tire spin in the Castrol GTX Mustang.

Paul Page remarked, "John Force Racing qualifies as a dynasty," as Hight boldly predicted 300 wins.

Neff was the subject of intense video scrutiny as his day appeared over in Round 1 after sliding to the centerline. On the initial replay, the film certainly appeared to show that he fouled out.

ESPN’s Mike Dunn gave clarity to the rule pertaining to crossing the centerline through multiple videos showing tire marks on the lane stripe. Doesn’t that disqualify Neff? "No," Dunn answered, because of two reasons. First, crossing the line means the tire, not the car body.

Additionally, tire marks have to cross the far edge of the stripe, bleeding over to the pavement for a foul. Touching the line is not against the rules. The official’s examination confirmed the tire marks remained on the white stripe -- not by much, by the way -- and therefore did not disqualify him.

Now the rule makes sense.

John Force doesn’t need a reality show -- he already has one at NHRA events, and they’re better than those on network television. Ashley Force Hood updated viewers on the progress of her baby bump while Courtney’s weekend college graduation picture with the family (sans racing) was televised for all to see. Destined to join the JFR stable of Funny Car drivers, she will discover professional drag racing shows no mercy regardless of one’s level of education.

Ask Paul Lee, a Wharton graduate with a JD and MBA, who was at the mercy of a slick lane for his Round 1 loss in the Rislone/Bar Leaks Impala. In the other, Johnny Gray’s Service Central Charger taught Lee a lesson on traction and winning. Mike Dunn reflected, "There’s a lot of slip sliding today."

After next dispatching the NAPA Charger of Ron Capps, Gray then faced Hight in the semifinals, losing as he slid toward the centerline. His day, though, was far from done. Why?

Because Shane Gray, driving the Service Central Pontiac GXP, won the opening lap against Erica Enders’ ZaZa Energy Chevrolet, launching an incredible run through the brackets.

Gray sent the hottest Pro Stock racer of 2011, Summit Racing’s Jason Line, spinning back to the trailer. Next, he dispatched reigning Full Throttle Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, as he got loose, culminating a bang-bang blow to the Summit team’s day.

However, there seemed no way Gray could overcome his final-round opponent. Greg Stanfield had rolled over his challengers during eliminations as his sponsor’s name implies -- Coffman Tank Trucks. He shocked the broadcast booth with a "perfect launch," as Paul Page called in Round 1, but how better to describe a .000 reaction time.

ESPN Statman Lewis Bloom pointed out the rarity of this feat, the first in the class since 2009. Shouldn’t someone sponsor a bonus for those?

Stanfield needed it, too, in his holeshot win over the hot Vincent Nobile pushing his Mountain View Tire Dodge to a stellar .015 R/T in the loss.

Another shock was why Stanfield was racing Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports GXP in the quarterfinals vs. the No. 1 qualifier, Mike Edwards’ Penhall/K&N/Interstate Pontiac. Simply, Freeman had won in a big surprise as Edwards’ performance on the slippery surface faded from his qualifying.

As Paul Page reminded us, the excitement in drag racing is always compounded because of the unpredictability of the sport. This is one of those examples.

Darting out of the groove, Freeman’s lap against Stanfield ended quickly. The brackets then arranged a potentially gigantic Pro Stock semifinals showdown of the truckers as Rodger Brogdon’s GXP is sponsored by Kent Services and Trucking. Brogdon had decent lights in the first two rounds, a .048 and .026, plus his performance was competitive with Stanfields. But the specter of Stanfields’ earlier .000 R/T may have unnerved him as he went red, spoiling the possible super lap between these two.

No nerves spoiled the final as Stanfield and young Gray left virtually together with Stanfield gaining a narrow lead. Gray edged by before the line, finishing with a winning nose for his second Wally, which set off a family celebration like a Fourth of July fireworks display.

It had to occur to some viewers the return of Cory McClenathan to Top Fuel with the Tuttle Motorsports team might just be spoiled by his Fram team replacement, Spencer Massey, winning the event. Fate, like drag racing, is unpredictable but has a way of raising its chancy head at most inappropriate times.

McClenathan, after qualifying cleanly, found himself with an oildown and penalties from the first-round loss to former teammate, Antron Brown with his Matco Tools dragster. The class act that he is, Brown had nothing but kudos for McClenathan.

Brown’s teammate, U.S. Army’s Tony Schumacher, spun less in their quarterfinal round, taking the win. Page noted, "As hot of a racetrack we’ve seen this year." Then another teammate, Massey, won his semifinal round over Schumacher in a sequence that seemed to be a DSR team race-within-a-race.

Bob Vandergriff Jr. earned his 13th try at a national Top Fuel title by winning each of his three rounds as the driver in the other lane lost traction. Dunn put it this way, "He did it without a really good run. Conditions are tricky."

The finals were a power match, no slipping here, but young Massey had his third win in hand with a quick .057 R/T. So how did Vandergriff handle the disappointment? "You’ll never hear me complain."

The television predictions are Vandergriff will get his first Wally and perhaps soon. Certainly, a team motivational meeting after the third round of qualifying discussed throughout the broadcast paid dividends. Vandergriff reasoned, "We had to pick it up."

In the final round of qualifying only the cream of top teams -- Larry Dixon and Del Worsham of the Al-Anabi stable plus Schumacher -- had a better run than the energized C&J Energy Services dragster, meaning the inspiration helped. One wonders how much rah-rah there was as opposed to the other type of incentive: continuing to be paid.

As it happens, noted songwriter Paul Simon composed lyrics and a great tune describing both track conditions with a team’s drive to win. He sang it this way: "You know the nearer your destination the more you're slip slidin' away."

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The blue pre-stage and staging lights used for the first time in two-wide racing set the stage for a special day of twists and turns at Houston’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals.

Time will tell, but a few exceptional reaction times in Pro Stock provided some evidence the new bulbs will tighten launches. This change means extra pressure on the driver creating the possibility of more red lights. Losses will turn some teams blue when they’re unable to collect the winner’s green.

No racing occurred Sunday at Royal Purple Raceway until the lady in pink, Shirley Muldowney, started the day with “Light ‘em up, guys.” She was a spectacular guest with announcers Paul Page and Mike Dunn as Top Fuel ran its second round. She provided opinions without any sugarcoating at all: “Matt Hagan is my favorite in Funny Cars — if he’s out, I turn the vacuum cleaner back on.”

Antron Brown is her pick of the class in Top Fuel.

John Force cleared up any question about this new look with his “It is different but the same” remark. Perhaps the blue light will continue creating opportunities for tight finals just like in Pro Stock where a rare pairing guaranteed a first time victor.

Rodger Brogdon’s keen eye in his Racer’s Edge Pontiac GXP helped earn a finals slot. Rick Green at Summit’s FastNews called his .007 second reaction time in the semifinals a “James Bond light” while Dunn used the phrase “James Bond reaction time” on the ESPN broadcast.

Brogdon followed that by nailing a .009 RT in the final against rooky prodigy Vincent Nobile’s Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger. Nobile, however, won the Wally with a .007 “James Bond holeshot,” as Dunn exclaimed. Nobile’s slim victory was even more exciting because he trailed Brogdon until near the finish.

Another rarity in the class was highlighted by Statman, Lewis Bloom, as Summit Racing’s Jason Line and Greg Anderson both red-lighted out of the event. He answered “Bristol, 2008” when asked where that last happened to the team.

The magic of the brackets gave Pro Stock Motorcycles a rarity, too: the first father/son duel ever for the class when the riders of the Lucas Oil Buells — Hector Arana and Hector Arana Jr. — met in the first round.

The class had other intriguing first-round pairings such as Karen Stoffer’s GEICO Suzuki and Angie Smith’s Coffman Tank Trucks Buell. No magic lights here, but Stoffer won and raced to the semifinals, where she lost to eventual winner, Andrew Hines on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley.

His second quickest pass for the class in the race, a 6.888, outdistanced her 6.974, but Stoffer had a shot — her first-round win over Smith was the quickest of the day. “We spun the tire pretty hard against Andrew,” explaining the drop off in performance.

The class was uncharacteristically slow on the tree, maybe reflecting their initial experience with the blue scheme in a race. Michael Phillips’ Racers Edge Suzuki did pin a .005 RT in round one but flagged in the finals.

Hines recorded a “James Bond” .007 RT in the quarterfinals against Gerald Savoie’s SAF & Motorcycles Specialties Suzuki who flirted disaster with a near perfect .001 light.

The color twisting team owner Bill Miller away from the start line in despair, caught by alert ESPN cameras, was a red light by BME dragster pilot, Troy Buff. The team has raced two NHRA events in 2011, and in both it faced Tony Schumacher’s U.S. Army dragster in the first stanza tallying two quick losses. The fact No. 1 qualifier Schumacher was once again in the opposite lane but smoked the tires early meant the No. 16 BME dragster missed its chance — maybe its only chance — to get some payback.

Afterward Page asked about the day’s red lights. Dunn responded the drivers were “antsy.” Such opportunities to best a team the caliber of the U.S. Army’s are rare for teams like BME; allowing one to slip away had to sting.

Miller’s team races a partial schedule and is one of the best of that group. Since they were not at Charlotte for the introduction of the new lights, the lack of experience with them may have contributed to Buff’s minus-.099 red.

In Funny Cars, Mike Neff sang the blues after he went red in the finals with his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, handing a win to Jeff Arend’s DHL Toyota Solara. In a foreshadowing of events to come, Dunn offered an analysis that Arend “on paper shouldn’t have brought it to the line, but he did it all day” and had a chance if Neff erred. When Neff jumped the light, Page and Dunn simultaneously exclaimed, “He’s got it!”

Neff took full blame, explaining, “I went brain dead. I haven’t eaten all day. My foot went down, and I couldn’t believe it. I blew it here today.”

Page noted, “How about that kind of honesty.”

A solution for Neff? Next time, get a blue plate special from the JFR hospitality tent … with free delivery, of course.

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The most controversial date on the NHRA schedule is the four-lane format raced at the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte’s zMax Dragway.

The drivers' public statements tiptoed around the challenges faced converting to this once-a-year setup, perhaps out of deference to the importance multi-track owner Bruton Smith has in the sport. They remember the NHRA Awards banquet last November when Smith was honored with his own Wally, the only such award ever. This special presentation recognized his achievements for sure, but subtly signaled a respect of his powerful stature.

What oft-heard word was bantered about in the broadcast to describe this race? Circus, as in "I went to a drag race and a four-ring circus broke out," – although no one said it that quite that way.

There are elements of that sentiment, sure, as with any big-scale event such as NASCAR's Aaron’s 499 raced live on television from Talladega. The 'Bama event was frequently mentioned in the ESPN broadcast because recent Gainesville Pro Stock convert, Kurt Busch, won Saturday’s Nationwide Series race. Erica Enders got a chance to talk about her day at a NASCAR event and all of the hoopla surrounding Busch’s crossover to drag racing.

With the NHRA Sunday night broadcast -- whose start was delayed 23 minutes for an unscheduled tour of Yankee stadium -- fans were already aware Jimmy Johnson had won Talladega, pushed across the line in spectacular fashion by Dale Earnhardt Jr. That is relevant because of the multiple references made to Busch’s win though it was Saturday’s baby version -- that point wasn’t clear.

Of course at the time of taping, Talladega was still underway. That finish, rivaling drag racing in the narrow margin of victory, was yet to occur.

A suggestion for a better word than circus to describe the spring Charlotte event is spectacle. Race fans know the Indy 500 bills itself the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," yet the total assortment of 33 entries -- and toss in the pace car, too -- have less horsepower than four nitro behemoths growling in the zMax lanes.

The spectacle in 2011, though, didn’t come from Funny Cars blowing their shells off like majorettes tossing batons -- the replays had to remind us of those from 2010’s third round of qualifying because none of that occurred this year. The 2011 version was more subtle but produced the strangest round of drag racing seen here since the first gold rush in the country occurred at old Charlotte town.
The new starting lights -- John Force called them "all blue and pretty" -- were highly visible to the drivers and television; only Ron Capps thought, at least publicly, they were too bright.

The staging quirks for Pro Stock, revving before launching as opposed to the press-and-go nitro classes combining with a history of drivers wanting to stage last, bit the No. 1 qualifier Jason Line and his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP hard. Ron Krisher exploited a blemish in the four-wide Pro Stock routine, either by plan or accidentally, when he rolled his Valvoline Pontiac GXP in and lit the first and second bulb (on a normal tree) or a full blue light with a bright white line across it here. That seemingly threw off the other three lanes while the seven-second clock engaged, ticking away until Rick Stewart tapped his hand-held for the green-and-go. Shane Gray’s Service Central Pontiac GXP timed out, never making it past the line so he was gone. A startled Line was as late as a 21-year-old on their birthday night. Rick Green of Summit’s FastNews wrote, "That caught Line with his RPMs down."

Disappointed, Line shrugged off his error with, "It’s one of those things." Mike Dunn responded as he did all day when drivers had challenges at the line: "Focus."

The Summit Pro Stock team continued their qualifying luck first brought to the audience’s attention by statman, Lewis Bloom. He discovered when either Anderson or Line qualified in the No. 1 position, the team won the event a spectacular 74 percent of the time. When Anderson, waiting next to his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP after earning a run in the next round said of Line’s loss, "A big disappointment," one should have bet he would continue their winning streak.

The Pro Stock final was thrilling. Watching the action from above, the class looked like super speedy slot cars with Dave Connolly’s Industrial Distribution Group Chevy Cobalt and Stanfield’s Coffman Tank Trucks Pontiac GXP neck-and-neck out of the gate, slightly ahead of Anderson who was making incremental gains. He caught and passed Connolly at the 330-foot mark but only nipped Stanfield by a coat of paint at the finish.

Had Stanfield maintained his previous round’s starting line margin over Anderson, the win could have gone to Stanfield. Instead, Anderson stepped up on the start and in performance, so the streak continues to improve. Statman calculated their win percentage ticked up now to 75 percent when they qualify No. 1. Who is going to stop them?

Fans at home found adjustments were necessary to view four-wide, causing one to question the format. Last year it didn’t seem so obvious; perhaps it was the novelty, perhaps it was the simultaneous explosions. When viewing the televised broadcast under the bright sunlight at Charlotte, identifying the cars in their separate lanes became difficult, particularly when showing all lanes. Adding four boxes to the bottom of the screen with each driver’s last name for the duration of the lap, aligning them with the correct lane from a head-on shot, would assist viewers. Leaving a space between the boxes would aid one’s eye in grabbing the name in a quick glance.

The graphic of the brackets for each class changes with four-wide, too. I found it difficult to read the tiny letters required in order to have all four on one side of the screen, marching right until the final four are determined. Why not show them similar to the listings during regular events or even NCAA Final Four style with two groups on the left, two groups on the right, and meeting in the middle? That way, the names aren’t as jammed, and the layout resembles what viewers are used to seeing.

After the stress and strains by teams to qualify and then race this format, the fans' real reward came in the finals. The question -- four why? -- was answered like a judge’s gavel hammering down a victorious verdict with the three finals on this four-wide weekend.

In Funny Cars, popular Jack Beckman won his first event in some time with the Aaron's/Valvoline Dodge Charger. He broke the juggernaut of JFR dominating the top and created a thrilling finish to the Funny Car group, while Bob Tasca III with his Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Mustang and Tim Wilkerson’s Levi, Ray and Shoup Mustang gave chase. The Head Racing Toyota Camry sliding over to the first lane from the position in the second, looked like Jim Head applied a little of Earnhardt Jr.’s advice in the final moments of the Aaron’s 449: "No matter what, don’t lift."

Perhaps foretelling the most satisfying final, Top Fuel, Kenny Bernstein opened the day’s competition, telling to teams to "fire up." Unfortunately for the "King of Speed," Brandon Bernstein’s Copart dragster left well enough but smoked the tires in the day’s first foursome.

The final four surviving Top Fuelers virtually launched together. In a duel between Al-Anabi Racing dragsters, Del Worsham caught and passed teammate Full Throttle champion Larry Dixon just prior to the lights while Spencer Massey’s Fram dragster and Shawn Langdon’s Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster gave chase. All four challenged off the line with an exciting win for the effervescent Worsham, providing fans a spectacular lap to end the day. With that, the realization occurred — these fantastic finals were the four-wide pay off.

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Live drag racing eliminations are hands down the best motorsport format for television. Every few minutes there is a new competition with a winner and a loser, celebrated with a jump for joy or a sulking handshake. Then it is done all over again for up to four pro classes working through a sweet-sixteen bracket in an afternoon. Slap-in-the-face reality racing, that’s drag racing.

What more could one ask? If Tony Pedregon answered … maybe adding Pro Stock Motorcycles at last week's Las Vegas race. Here’s why.

Pedregon unveiled a throwback look for Vegas with the infamous STP logo on his Impala SS, a cool look in a town where Elvis continues to impersonate real life just like back then.

His first round of qualifying early Friday afternoon set a tone for the team as it nailed the warm conditions for an early third place behind John Force, Bob Tasca III and ahead of Matt Hagan. The second round in late afternoon showed ET improvement though others stepped up more, moving him to sixth.

Saturday qualifying, early afternoon, Pedregon clicks it off as Robert Hight in the other lane shows the stout nature of his Prock rocket with a big speed. For the session, brother Cruz remained at the top of the list from his late Friday qualifier. In the fourth round with adjusted altitude now Denver-like, Tony turns in the third best ET. Force swipes the top qualifier away from Cruz with the quickest run in the class for the entire weekend, a resounding 4.136 seconds.

The brackets stick Tony ninth, facing Tasca III driving the Motorcraft/Quick Lane  Mustang in a perfect brand matchup: Chevy vs. Ford. They slide to the last pair to race as heat builds. Tasca is quickly up in smoke, but Tony completes a decent pass.

Earlier, in the third pair, Force’s Castrol GTX Mustang continued his mastery over Bob Bode and his Alard Machine Products Chevy. The magic of the brackets then sets the quarterfinals as the champion faces his former protégé champion in Round 2, always — always — a match to anticipate.

Two factors in their race affected the final outcome of the entire Funny Car class: one was Pedregon becoming extra keen at the tree, winning the round with a hole shot, putting Force and his 135th top qualifying position in the hauler.

Ashley Force Hood joined Paul Page and Mike Dunn on the broadcast set during this round as a funny and topical guest. Answering Page’s question “How will John take this loss,” she amusingly answered, “Harder than normal.”

Then in a recorded interview, Force revealed he had three names picked if one of his children had been a boy, joking “Axel, Bubba or Spartacus.” He implied they were available for her use should the baby be born a boy. Responding to those choices, Ashley played the role of an exasperated daughter — if you are a father of a daughter, you will know her look — answering if their baby is a boy, “It’s not any of those names.”

The other factor changing the outcome of the class was the fire erupting from Pedregon’s pipes crossing the line in his win. A nitro engine showing its disrespect for the stresses placed on it is not unusual in this sport; in fact, it is expected. The process then begins to get his dragster off the track, transport it back to the pits for a rebuild, and ready it for the next round.

And there is the rub …

The NHRA, squeezing time schedules to accommodate a live broadcast of the final round, announced the turnaround time was sliced a huge 20 minutes, leaving only 55 minutes for a team to do their normal duties and get to the line — makeable, but challenging.

Pedregon did not just have normal duties; the team stared at a major test to replace their burned-out powerplant, the associated wiring, tubes, and then make sure it all works, a hard enough job in the normal 75 minutes and a veteran team.

He doesn’t have a veteran team.

Any fan of the sport will have witnessed numerous scenes of teammates’ crews pitching in to, incredibly, get these rebuilds done on time and on the line. Meanwhile, Cruz’s Snap-On Toyota Solara team prepped his car for its semifinal fight with Hight, so that possible source of extra wrenches wasn’t available to Tony either.

If it had been eventual winner, Hight, needing help, for example, both of the other two JFR crews were available at the beck-and-call.

Mike Neff’s day also ended, weirdly enough, in Round 1 with the unpleasantness of the Castrol GTX Mustang’s chute popping out while racing side-by-side with the Service Central Dodge Charger driven by Johnny Gray. Instead of a rant or rave — what occurred wasn’t tire spin as he thought when strapped in the cockpit — Neff was low key. “I was ‘Oh, okay’ that makes sense.” Call him "Cool Hand Mike."

The semifinal brackets lined up perfectly for the possibility of an all-Pedregon final vs. their all-too-common first round pairings … except in a shocker, the STP machine did not show to race Gray. It was not immediately clear what was happening. Crew chief Lee Beard reportedly told Gray how to handle the confusion: “Sit down, shut up, and hang on.”

Between pairs, Dave Reiff grabbed Tony for an on camera interview in his pits. Any driver would have been steamed with this fate about then. However, Reiff brought the story to the television audience while keeping Tony cool.

I was with Reiff last summer interviewing Pedregon when the team was fighting under incredible funding stress to make the countdown. As a reporter he was perfect then and at Vegas in getting the responses the audience wanted to know. Maybe that was why Tony was calmly able to answer the hard question: that the rebuild from the fire fell short.

He explained further, “The (NHRA) left me sitting on the track for five minutes and didn’t get me off,” expressing his exasperation but controlling the fire that had to be roaring inside him with his shot at winning suddenly jerked away. He remarked live broadcasts are great, but the NHRA needs to have the equipment available to make their end run smoothly, too. He explained, “We blew a motor” and with a young crew the efficiency isn’t that of a sharpened group having years of experience working together, “so we’re a work in progress.”

His point is important. The weak link Sunday was the efficiency on the track, not with ESPN or the teams. Broadcasting live is the best television and even more opportunities will appear throughout the year. To pull it off successfully, the support, the human infrastructure has to be there even though they may not be used.

Penalizing teams for oil-downs, an incident that is a definite vibe killer, impacts the lower funded teams but less so those heavily sponsored. Mike Dunn felt penalties set up an obvious conflict — “Crew chiefs are getting paid to blow up parts,” summarizing an exasperating standoff with, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Gray was the beneficiary of three odd rounds, making the final to give Hight and his AAA of Southern California Mustang an unsuccessful, but competitive run for the money. With the Gainesville underachievement behind him, Hight heard the bracket message sternly delivered by Force. With the help of Jimmy Prock tuning, he qualified in the top half at Vegas, as all of the JFR machines did, stretching the John Force Racing winning streak to five.

Hight celebrated, “We prided ourselves on being the first nitro team to fire our engines every round,” an interesting insight to little touches of competition going on in the pits.

The official comments by Tony Pedregon on his situation were non-accusatory in tone: “That was a tough way to go out.”

Just think: if Pro Stock Motorcycles had been in Vegas, the extra time for their runs would have been there for his Funny Car team.

Pedregon was able to make a point of fan support while complimenting his brands, stating, “Overall, the reaction from the fans was more than I expected. It shows the strength of the STP and Armor All brands.” It also reflects the strength of the brand called Tony Pedregon.

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