Cory Mac, Hight, Line, Smith lead four-wide qualifying

Press Release from NHRA:

The historic NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the first NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event to incorporate a four-lane format in both qualifying and eliminations, got off to an as-billed start with wild actions across all four lanes at zMax Dragway. Cory McClenathan, Robert Hight, Jason Line, and Matt Smith are the first-day leaders.

All four lanes of Bruton’s Smith “Bellagio of dragstrips” seemed quite equal and were host to numerous four-wide, to-the-stripe passes in all four classes in both of the day’s final qualifying sessions. On several occasions, the Top Fuelers and Funny Cars were able to put four cars across the finish line within just a few hundredths of a second, wowing even the most jaded spectator. Drivers spent the day getting accustomed to the habit of staging with three other cars instead of just one and creating possible strategies for Sunday’s final eliminations. One other wrinkle for this event involves qualifying, where NHRA will not utilize the 12-car cutoff usually demarked after the first day and all qualifying runs from all sessions will count towards making the field.

McClenathan took the No. 1 spot in dramatic fashion on the day’s final pass with a stout 3.790 from his Todd Okuhara- and Phil Shuler-tuned Fram dragster, taking the pole from Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown who only a pair earlier had taken the lead from their other teammate Tony Schumacher, the first-session leader

Brown’s 3.819 in his special-edition Valvoline dragster looked like a polesitter as cold weather crept in at the end of a day delayed several times by rainshowers, especially considering few cars had made it down the track prior to that session. Brown’s run bettered Schumacher’s 3.830, which ended up third. Doug Kalitta holds down the fourth spot with a 3.848 in the Kalitta Racing machine.

The top eight is rounded out by Larry Dixon (3.850), Steve Torrence (3.879), Dave Grubnic (3.880), and Morgan Lucas (3.888).

Bobby Lagana Jr.’s troubled 10-second pass holds the current bump spot.

Hight ripped to a dazzling track-record 4.024 at 314.24 in the day’s second session – the third quickest and second fastest 1,000-foot pass in class history – to lead the field halfway through qualifying. The run nicely backed up his earlier 4.07 to show that tuner Jimmy Prock has a good handle on the Auto Club Mustang.

We’re definitely in a lot better shape than we were last year,” said Hight, who struggled early before ultimately winning the championship. “So far, our first two runs have been flawless. NHRA has done a great job setting up the tree so we can see who is where in staging.

“[Crew Chief] Jimmy Prock lives this car night and day. He gave it a ton more fuel and it worked. In the second run, we should have run 269 at the eighth-mile and we ran 271.45. We haven’t run that well since back when these cars were 150 pounds lighter. I’ve had the quickest runs in quarter-mile and 1,000 feet but I’ve never gotten a record. Tomorrow, my goal is to back it up. I’m going to have to or I won’t be the No. 1 qualifier.”

First-session leader Ron Capps was bumped to second despite a 4.039 that improved on his earlier 4.062, giving him also a nice pair of passes to open his account with the Ed McCulloch-wrenched NAPA Auto Parts Charger. Capps Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Jack Beckman, sits third with the Valvoline/MTS Dodge at 4.040, a career best, while Hight’s team leader, John Force, is fourth at 4.067.

The Mustangs of Ashley Force Hood (4.074) and Tim Wilkerson (4.088) are five-six, just ahead of Jeff Arend and Melanie Troxel, who qualified at 4088 and 4.091, making for a stout top eight.

Matt Hagan’s DieHard Dodge sits in the 16th position with an 8.72. Only 16 cars made runs Friday.

Line stole the No. 1 spot from first-session leader Jeg Coughlin with a 6.584 ripper in his Summit Pontiac, taking the pole from Coughlin’s 6.586 recorded in the first session. Coughlin’s JEGS Chevy was right there in the second session with a 6.591, but two good runs don’t equal a great one, so, for the first time in a while, someone other than Mike Edwards sits atop the Pro Stock pack.

“It feels good to run that good and have the Summit car on the pole, especially in front of a lot of friends and family and friends in our hometown,” said locally-based Line. “I don’t know if it will stay No. 1 but it’s good to be there for one night.

“The four-wide thing is definitely throwing us Pro Stock guys for a loop and it’s a challenge to get used to, but we’re definitely enjoying it. The run itself is no different, but you stage a Pro Stock car with the throttle and the clutch, so it’s a bit of a challenge. By Sunday we should have it down pat.”

Edwards, who has qualified No. 1 at the last 12 races dating back to last season, isn’t far behind as his Penhall Pontiac is third with a 6.601. Bob Yonke, who surprised everyone with a runner-up in the NHRA Arizona Nationals (completed in Gainesville), continues to look good as he put his Greg Stanfield-powered Pontiac into the No. 4 spot also with a 6.610; Edwards’ faster speed, 209.85 to 209.62, earned him the higher berth.

Stanfield (6.621) is right behind his team car, while Rodger Brogdon (6.622), Rickie Jones (6.623), and V. Gaines (6.626) round out the top eight.

Johnny Gray’s NTB Pontiac sits on the bump spot with a 6.664, ahead of eight other drivers – including Warren Johnson and Larry Morgan — who’ll have to bump their way into the show Saturday.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field ended the first day bookended by the North Carolina-based Smith family, with Matt atop the field with his 6.904 from the first session and wife Angie on the bump with a 7.064, also recorded in the first session. Matt may well have run even quicker aboard his Al-Anabi Buell had not he had mechanical problems on his afternoon run, where he ran 6.96 at just 177 mph.

“Lane three is great, not a single bump in it,” said Smith of the lane he ran on his run of record. “I also made a good run in the second session but I had no high gear. I still ran a 6.96 but it would have been No. 1 again.

“We ran the first race here two years ago and I really wanted to win. I was confident that I could pull if off but it just didn’t work out. This time, if I can stay No. 1 and do my job I think we’ve got a good chance.”

Behind Smith are fellow world champs Andrew Hines, Hector Arana, and Eddie Krawiec, who occupy spots 2 through 4. Hines was one of the few who improved on his second pass, guiding the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley Davidson to a 6.941 to better his earlier 6.96. Hines ran that pass in a great all-six-second foursome with his fellow top-four qualifiers, who all ran sixes. Arana ran 6.942 to take the third spot with his Lucas Oil Buell while Krawiec, who was second after the first session with a 6.949 was not able to better that pass, slowing to a 6.97.

The Buells of Junior Pippin (6.957) and Gainesville runner-up Shawn Gann (6.958) are fifth and sixth with the Suzukis of Craig Treble and Karen Stoffer rounding out the top eight with respective passes of 6.991 and 6.992. Ten bikes qualified in the sixes.

Top Fuel Dragster

 Psn  Driver               Vehicle                            ET   Speed
   1. Cory McClenathan     Fram Tough Guard Dragster       3.790@ 315.93
   2. Antron Brown         Matco Tools Dragster            3.819  312.93
   3. Tony Schumacher      U.S. Army Dragster              3.830  315.49
   4. Doug Kalitta         Technicoat Dragster             3.848  314.97
   5. Larry Dixon          Al-Anabi Racing Dragster        3.850  314.97
   6. Steve Torrence       Simple Mobile Dragster          3.879  307.30
   7. David Grubnic        Kalitta Motorsports Dragster    3.880  304.25
   8. Morgan Lucas         Geico Powersport/ Lucas Oil Dr  3.888  309.13
   9. Shawn Langdon        Lucas Oil/Speedco Dragster      3.898  302.96
  10. Doug Herbert         Irwin Tools Dragster            3.911  303.84
  11. Doug Foley           DAM Dragster                    3.912  276.75
  12. Pat Dakin            Commercial Metal Fabrications   3.915  308.28
  13. Terry McMillen       Amalie Oil Dragster             3.954  302.82
  14. Rhonda Hartman-Smith NitroStrike Dragster            3.982  307.02
  15. Brandon Bernstein    Copart/Lucas Oil Dragster       7.622   91.09
  16. Bobby Lagana Jr.     NTB Dragster                   10.061   84.14
          --------- Not Qualified ---------
  17. Luigi Novelli        National Machine Repair Dragst 12.038   82.07

Top Fuel Funny Car

 Psn  Driver               Vehicle                            ET   Speed
   1. Robert Hight         AAA of So. Cal Mustang          4.024@ 314.24&
   2. Ron Capps            NAPA Auto Parts Charger         4.039  310.34
   3. Jack Beckman         Valvoline/MTS Charger           4.040  310.48
   4. John Force           Castrol GTX Mustang             4.067  310.77
   5. Ashley Force Hood    Castrol GTX Mustang             4.074  308.99
   6. Tim Wilkerson        Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang       4.088  293.86
   7. Jeff Arend           DHL Solara                      4.091  306.12
   8. Melanie Troxel       In-N-Out Burger Charger         4.105  304.19
   9. Cruz Pedregon        Snap-On Solara                  4.110  303.43
  10. Bob Tasca III        Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang   4.179  262.74
  11. Tony Pedregon        Quaker State Impala             4.229  268.97
  12. Bob Gilbertson       Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters   5.723  158.06
  13. Paul Lee             Jim Dunn/Canidae/Lucas Oil Imp  7.251   91.64
  14. Del Worsham          Al-Anabi Racing Solara          7.631   78.54
  15. Jeff Diehl           Ideal Racing Monte Carlo        8.256   80.83
  16. Matt Hagan           DieHard Charger                 8.720   77.1

Pro Stock

 Psn  Driver               Vehicle                            ET   Speed
   1. Jason Line           Summit Racing Equipment GXP     6.584@ 210.50&
   2. Jeg Coughlin         Jegs.com Cobalt                 6.586  210.08
   3. Mike Edwards         Penhall/K&N/Interstae GXP       6.601  209.85
   4. Bob Yonke            Pints for Prostate GXP          6.601  209.62
   5. Greg Stanfield       Nitrofish GXP                   6.621  209.20
   6. Rodger Brogdon       Kent Services & Trucking GXP    6.622  209.01
   7. Rickie Jones         Elite GXP                       6.623  208.55
   8. V. Gaines            Kendall Oil Avenger             6.626  208.91
   9. Allen Johnson        Mopar/J & J Racing Avenger      6.627  208.97
  10. Greg Anderson        Summit Racing Equipment GXP     6.628  210.18
  11. Steve Spiess         Billet Specialties Cobalt       6.631  207.88
  12. Shane Gray           Gray Motorsports GXP            6.635  208.49
  13. Kurt Johnson         Mark Chriastopher Cobalt        6.638  208.52
  14. Ron Krisher          Valvoline Cobalt                6.642  208.17
  15. Ronnie Humphrey      Pro Stock Grills/THM GXP        6.644  210.31
  16. Johnny Gray          Gray Motorsports GXP            6.664  208.26
          --------- Not Qualified ---------
  17. Warren Johnson       K&N Filters GXP                 6.676  208.49
  18. Larry Morgan         Lucas Oil/Summit Mustang        6.684  206.80
  19. Jimmy Alund          J&J PERFORMANCE RACING GTO      6.713  206.29
  20. Bob Benza            BNB Racing GXP                  6.749  206.70
  21. John Gaydosh Jr      Gaydosh Performance GTO         6.837  204.29
  22. Wally Stroupe        STROUPE RACE CARS GXP           7.336  166.72
  23. Vinnie Deceglie      Mountain View Tire Avenger      7.550  135.74
  24. Erica Enders         Mustang                         8.252  118.13
  25. John Nobile          Nobile Racing Mustang          12.642   85.86
  26. Justin Humphreys     RaceRedi Motorsports GXP       13.429   64.87

Pro Stock Motorcycle

 Psn  Rider                Vehicle                            ET   Speed
   1. Matt Smith           Al-Anabi Racing Buell           6.904  193.16
   2. Andrew Hines         Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines   6.941  192.93
   3. Hector Arana         Lucas Oil Buell                 6.942  191.59
   4. Eddie Krawiec        Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines   6.949  195.34
   5. Junior Pippin        Pirana Z Buell                  6.957  190.65
   6. Shawn Gann           Rum Bum Racing Buell            6.958  192.19
   7. Craig Treble         Valvoline Motorcycle Oils Suzu  6.991  189.04
   8. Karen Stoffer        Geico Suzuki                    6.992  191.32
   9. Michael Phillips     MPR & DAM Sport Suzuki          6.993  193.60
  10. Steve Johnson        Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki     6.999  189.23
  11. Jim Underdahl        Suzuki Extended Protection Suz  7.005  192.17
  12. LE Tonglet           Buell                           7.019  190.92
  13. Douglas Horne        Horne Racing Buell              7.025  191.16
  14. David Hope           VRoom Racing Buell              7.034  190.59
  15. Mike Berry           MB Machining/ LAT Racing Oil B  7.056  188.83
  16. Angie Smith          Coffman Tank Trucks Buell       7.064  188.12
          --------- Not Qualified ---------
  17. Darin McCurdy        Darin McCurdy Racing Suzuki     7.090  189.60