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Sunday
Cory McClenathan, Tim Wilkerson, and Greg Anderson all collected wins on Sunday at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Seattle, WA.
McClenathan, who swept the three-race Western Swing 13 years ago, began his march to do so again with a final round defeat of another drive who accomplished that same feat last season, Antron Brown, with a 3.88 to 3.90 count to collect his 34 Top Fuel Wally. Corry Mac opened eliminations with a rout of Mike Strasburg, and advanced on to the semifinals with a 3.85 to 3.91 count. He than made his way into the final opponent Shawn Langdon banged the supercharger at the hit of the throttle.
“There’s Antron (Brown) and myself in the final, we’ve both won (the Western Swing) … I want to be the first to win it two times,” said McClenathan. “I know that’s a lot to ask for, but you can’t get there until you win this first one and that’s what we did.”
Wilkerson, who traditionally runs very well in the summertime heat, found himself in his third consecutive final round and with and captured his second win of the summer portion of the schedule, besting Ron Capps in a great Funny Car final, 4.22 to 4.24. Wilkerson used defeats of Bob Tasca III, Cruz Pedregon, and Matt Hagan to make his way into the money round. With the win, Wilkerson and the LRS team moved into fifth place in the points standings.
“We’re happy to be in the position we’re in and we seem to really come into our own in this kind of weather,” said Wilkerson. “We try not to think about it or do anything to pull us backwards. Just go run the racetrack every round.”
Greg Anderson won his second straight at Seattle in Pro Stock, running a stellar 6.59 to Johnny Gray’s trailing 6.62. Anderson began his run to victor lane with an opening round defeat of a red-lighting Greg Stanfield, topped Rodger Brogdon in round two, 6.63 to 6.64, and then sent home the Mike Edwards juggernaut, with a holeshot 6.60 to 6.59 win.
“I’m the only guy (in Pro Stock) with a chance two sweep (the Western Swing),” said Anderson. “It’s a neat, neat deal. I’ve been able to do it once in my career and I remember what a great feeling that was. It’s still a long way down the road, and I’m not going to say we’re going to win those two races, but we’ve got a chance. I’ve got a great hot rod right now.”
Saturday
Doug Kalitta held on through Saturdays two remaining qualifying sessions to capture his first No 1. Qualifying position in Top Fuel since 2006, as the competition was unable to best his 3.844 at 313.58 MPH run from Friday evening. Kalitta will receive a bye in the opening round of eliminations.
“Obviously we held on today. Larry Dixon got close (a 3.896 in the third qualifying session). I’m real proud of my guys. It’s nice to get some performance out of (the Kalitta Air dragster) and our first low qualifier in awhile,” Kalitta said.
In Funny Car, Robert Hight garnered his 38th career No. 1 qualifying award with his Friday evening pass, and will open alongside Jeff Diehl in the opening stanza.
“The top 10 cars are so bunched up, anyone can win this deal,” Hight said. “It’s a big deal being No. 1 for points, but it really means nothing. No matter (where you qualify) in Funny Car, you’ve got a tough race.”
In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards was the only professional driver to make a move to the top of the qualifying sheet, running a 6.598 at 209.75 to earn his 10th No. 1 qualifier of the 2010 season.
“(On Friday), we stepped outside the box and tried a few things, and didn’t like what we seen (so) we went back (Saturday) morning and kind of ran the thing the way we ran it here last year,” said Edwards. “I really thought it was going to work out (Friday) … and it didn’t”
Friday
Doug Kalitta and the Kalitta Motorsports team stormed to the provisional top spot in Top Fuel qualifying with a great 3.844 at 313.58 MPH. If Kalitta can hold on to the position, it would be his first pole award since the Pomona finals in 2006.
“We were really happy with that,” Kalitta said. “Conditions were really coming to us at the end of the day. Obviously tomorrow (with cooler temps forecast) will be a little more challenging but so far so good for today.”
Robert Hight leads the Funny Car contingent into Saturday qualifying with a great 4.194 at 291.57 MPH.
“It’s supposed to cool off so I don’t know if that 19 is safe,” said Hight. “We knew it was going to be better than last year and that 4.19 was better than anyone ran all throughout last year – and it was probably hotter (today than it was at any point in last year’s race) so hat’s off to Seattle.”
Jason Line powered his Summit GXP to the provisional pole position in Pro Stock with a 6.612 at 209.01 MPH that, if it holds, will mark his first pole award of the season.
“I got six bonus points and that’s more than I’ve got since they started the program,” said Line. “(The 6.621 pass) is not going to hold up (Saturday). The weather’s going to be a lot different and as you know the Pro Stock drivers are affected dramatically by that.”
