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Todd holds top spot despite short schedule

Rob Geiger, Managing Editor
Saturday, 25 July 2009

J.R. Todd

J.R. Todd shook off any rust his partial schedule may have produced and secured the No. 1 starting position Saturday at the 22nd annual Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway.

In just his third start of the season, Todd coaxed a career-best 3.811 at 312.06 mph out of David Baca's Mach 1 Global Services dragster to secure his third career Top Fuel pole. The effort placed him alongside Funny Car first-timer Matt Hagan, Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, and Pro Stock Motorcycle leader Eddie Krawiec on the top qualifier's podium.

"This is a bit of a surprise," Todd admitted. "We're a part-time team that's only run a handful of races and I'm just making my third start of the year and second with this team. I'm just glad that number held up through today's two sessions.

"At Chicago I felt a bit behind for the first couple of passes but it all comes back pretty quick. I mean, I've made enough passes in these things at this point in my career. This week feels completely normal because we just raced a few days ago in Seattle so that helps all of us stay in rhythm. Now we just need to win some rounds."

Not much changed at the top of the charts with Larry Dixon (3.816 at 313.44 mph), Cory McClenathan (3.831 at 314.68 mph), and point leader Antron Brown (3.844 at 311.05 mph) rounding out the top four.

All 16 cars that showed up earned spots in the field.

Matt Hagan

Rookie Funny Car pro Hagan was thrilled to pocket his first career low qualifier award, which came courtesy of his 4.068 at 307.51 mph he posted Friday night in his Shelor.com Dodge Stratus R/T.

"This is huge right now," Hagan said. "I'm not so much worried about the rookie of the year thing as much as I am securing a spot in the playoffs. That's really important to us.

"It was great to see the smiles on the guy's faces this morning. I think we all knew we had a good chance to hold onto the No. 1 spot and we were able to get it done. This is a big moment in my short career."

Hagan is on the bubble for making the playoffs. He's currently 10th overall, just 14 ahead of reigning class champion Cruz Pedregon. Hagan and Pedregon are scheduled to race in the opening session after Pedregon anchored the field here with a 4.344 at 284.39 mph.

"It's a make or break match-up with Cruz tomorrow morning," Hagan said. "If we can get that win and go a few more rounds after that it could go a long way towards getting this playoff spot locked up."

Point leader Ron Capps struggled so far and is 14th with a best of just 4.232 at 289.07 mph. In a monster first-round match-up, he'll face second-place points earner Ashley Force Hood, who qualified third with a 4.099 at 304.67 mph.

Jason Line

Pro Stock teammates Anderson and Jason Line stepped up big Saturday, claiming the first two spots on the ladder in their identical Summit Racing Pontiac GXPs with a pair of 6.57-second passes. Anderson's 6.571 at 210.11 mph set the track elapsed time record, while Line's 6.572 at 210.44 mph reset the top speed mark.

This was the 23rd time the two secured the first and second spots on the grid.

"This is the biggest day I've had all year," said Anderson, a 57-time national event winner that has failed to score a victory this season. "I don't know if anyone has noticed but there hasn't been a lot of bright spots for me this year. I need my confidence back. I need a win. It would literally make my year at this point.

"We've stacked the deck exactly how we wanted so now we need to play it out. I promise a win tomorrow would feel better than any I've ever had."

Dodge racer Allen Johnson moved up to third with a 6.573 at 209.75 mph in his Stratus R/T, while Day 1 leader Ron Krisher dropped to fourth with a 6.573 at 208.84 mph.

Eddie Krawiec

Friday leader Krawiec said he could run a 6.8-second pass if he had a tailwind. Saturday he got the assist from Mother Nature but came up just a tad short with a best of 6.915 at 192.99 mph on his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Still, the pass was good enough to earn the class point leader his first pole of the season.

"We tried our best to run a 6.8," Krawiec said. "It was close but I think the sun being out put just enough heat into the equation to keep it from happening. The tailwind definitely helps because the Harley's don't have much faring so when we have a headwind there's nothing to hide behind.

"That was a fun session. A lot of people managed to go quicker and Matt Smith jumped in there and gave all the Suzuki riders hope. It should be a good race tomorrow."

Suzuki rider Matt Smith stepped up big-time with a second-best 6.919 at 192.58 mph on his NitroFish TL1000. Krawiec's teammate Andrew Hines fell to third with an improved 6.9312 at 193.65 mph on his V-Rod.

Fifty-six-year-old Junior Pippen anchored the field with a 7.117 at 185.05 mph on his PiranaZ Buell.

SUNDAY'S PAIRINGS

Top Fuel
1. J.R. Todd, 3.811 seconds, 312.06 mph vs. 16. Steven Chrisman, 7.015, 112.27; 2. Larry Dixon, 3.816, 313.44 vs. 15. Mike Strasburg, 6.997, 305.08; 3. Cory McClenathan, 3.831, 314.68 vs. 14. Terry Haddock, 5.494, 291.82; 4. Antron Brown, 3.844, 311.05 vs. 13. Troy Buff, 4.048, 286.98; 5. Spencer Massey, 3.850, 303.57 vs. 12. Joe Hartley, 3.981, 304.39; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.857, 309.20 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 3.908, 310.48; 7. Morgan Lucas, 3.868, 309.91 vs. 10. Doug Kalitta, 3.906, 307.44; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.880, 308.92 vs. 9. Brandon Bernstein, 3.898, 298.40.

Funny Car
1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.068, 307.51 vs. 16. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.344, 284.39; 2. Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.069, 305.42 vs. 15. Jerry Toliver, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.312, 296.37; 3. Ashley Force Hood, Mustang, 4.099, 304.67 vs. 14. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.232, 289.07; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.129, 300.00 vs. 13. Jeff Arend, Solara, 4.202, 294.37; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.133, 300.13 vs. 12. Brian Thiel, Monte Carlo, 4.186, 293.98; 6. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.133, 292.33 vs. 11. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.184, 290.38; 7. Del Worsham, Solara, 4.136, 302.48 vs. 10. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.176, 291.70; 8. John Force, Mustang, 4.138, 298.40 vs. 9. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.164, 293.41. Did Not Qualify: 17. Jeff Diehl, 4.379, 285.95; 18. Grant Downing, 4.794, 175.02.

Pro Stock
1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.571, 210.11 vs. 16. Ben Watson, Pontiac GTO, 6.677, 206.10; 2. Jason Line, GXP, 6.572, 210.44 vs. 15. V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.653, 207.34; 3. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.573, 209.75 vs. 14. Vinnie Deceglie, Stratus, 6.629, 207.75; 4. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cobalt, 6.573, 209.82 vs. 13. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.622, 208.10; 5. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.574, 210.14 vs. 12. Rickie Jones, Stratus, 6.622, 208.81; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.579, 209.92 vs. 11. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.614, 209.30; 7. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 6.581, 209.39 vs. 10. Rodger Brogdon, GXP, 6.609, 209.17; 8. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.590, 209.72 vs. 9. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.609, 210.21. Did Not Qualify: 17. Gordie Rivera, 6.691, 206.39; 18. Danny Gruninger, 6.703, 206.73; 19. Bob Benza, 6.732, 205.51.

Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.915, 192.99 vs. 16. Junior Pippin, Buell, 7.117, 185.05; 2. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.919, 192.58 vs. 15. Bailey Whitaker, Buell, 7.110, 183.64; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.931, 193.65 vs. 14. Katie Sullivan, Susuki, 7.093, 185.97; 4. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.960, 191.67 vs. 13. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.066, 188.99; 5. Douglas Horne, Buell, 6.970, 194.13 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.057, 191.87; 6. Hector Arana, Buell, 7.002, 190.35 vs. 11. David Hope, Buell, 7.056, 186.92; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.006, 191.57 vs. 10. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.052, 189.52; 8. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.010, 186.85 vs. 9. Shawn Gann, Buell, 7.012, 190.70. Did Not Qualify: 17. Mike Berry, 7.137, 182.33; 18. Ryan Schnitz, 7.200, 183.42; 19. Rhett Lougheed, 7.228, 185.05; 20. Ken Van Buren, 7.573, 177.21; 21. James Surber, 7.621, 165.36.

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