Race Wrap: Bristol Legend Continues With Plenty Of On-Track Drama

Father’s Day at the Ford Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals at Bristol Dragway was a kaleidoscope of side-by-side racing and curious final-round scenarios.
 
Sandwiched between a pair of all-Texas showdowns Sunday was a Funny Car tale of fresh hope for struggling champion John Force that started with him dashing his own daughter’s chance to win. He earned his long-awaited 135th victory, while Pro Stock’s Rodger Brogdon finally captured his first and Top Fuel’s Steve Torrence got back in the winners circle and his targeted top 10.
 
For owner-drivers Torrence and Kent, the triumphs were validation that their recent personnel changes would yield positive results. For Force, it was proof that his steady brain trust of crew chiefs and team members would deliver the performance.
 
This 10th race on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series produced a rare weekend of rainless weather at Bristol that first granted cool Friday night temperatures ripe for record-setting, then hot, sunny conditions that prepared crew chiefs for the long, muggy stretch that includes the Western Swing.  
 
TORRENCE TORRID AGAIN – Kilgore, Texas’ Steve Torrence defeated Fort Worth’s Spencer Massey in a showcase of Top Fuel’s Nos. 1 and 2 qualifiers. No. 2 Torrence ended the day No. 1 with his first victory since last August at Seattle and his first since replacing crew chief Richard Hogan with Lee Beard. With his 3.871-second elapsed time at 320.13 mph in the Capco Contractors Inc Dragster on the 1,000-foot course, Torrence topped Massey’s 3.894, 317.19 in the Battery Extender Dragster out of Don Schumacher Racing. Torrence presented the trophy to his assistant crew chief, Tony Derhammer, who lost his father two weeks ago on race day at Englishtown, N.J. “It’s Father’s Day. We all got to call our dads. He didn’t,” Torrence said. “You can’t replace [his father], but you can try to do anything you can to help him get over it a little better.”

As for his progress with his new personnel — and a new six-disk clutch — Torrence said, “I didn’t expect the car to turn around nearly as quick as it did. The car’s not been representative of the caliber of team we have. We made some changes and it’s starting to come around. Lee Beard is a very accomplished tuner. I had a lot of confidence in him, but he definitely exceeded what I expected out of him.” (Coincidentally, last year’s race at Seattle marked the previous time Massey had been No. 1 qualifier and Torrence had won.)

FORCE REJUVENATED – Saying he’s going to go after Richard Petty’s NASCAR victories record of more than 200 “if I don’t fall over first,” 15-time Funny Car series champion John Force extended his NHRA-record victory total to 135 in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Eliminating youngest daughter, Courtney, in the opening round, Force, 64, fought the new face of drag racing — Matt Hagan and Blake Alexander — to reach the final, where he defeated longtime nemesis Cruz Pedregon. Force ran a 4.148-second, 305.29-mph pass against Pedregon’s 4.335, 224.02 in the Snap-on Toyota Camry.

Force said his wife slipped him a Fathers Day card in which she had written, “Don’t tell Courtney, but I hope you win. Love, Laurie.” He said that motivated him to win for the fifth time at Bristol Dragway: “It was like Mother Teresa fixed my car. Laurie’s the saint in our house. I’m a mess, all the time.”

The victory broke a 31-race drought, and Force said, “We haven’t won a championship and we haven’t made the Countdown, but we made the Traxxas Shootout. That is pretty cool, since that is my boss’ program.” Force won the inaugural specialty race last season. As for beating Traxxas Mustang driver Courtney Force, he said, “I really thought Courtney was going to take me out in the first round. Her Traxxas car has been flying.”
 
BREATHLESS – After defeating finalist Erica Enders-Stevens who he said was like a daughter to him because he and her family go way back in racing together, Pro Stock winner Rodger Brogdon said his career-first victory hadn’t sunk in right away. “I’m having trouble even breathing,” he said. He had brought in Brian Self as crew chief earlier in the year — after starting his own in-house engine program and moving the shop to Houston from Oklahoma — and predicted he would need about 10 races before his moves would start paying off. “And this just happened to be 10 races,” he said.

Brogdon posted a 6.745-second pass at 205.38 mph to nose out Enders-Stevens’ 6.752-second E.T. at a faster 205.66 mph. Brogdon said before eliminations, “We haven’t had a whole lot of new engine stuff to try, but we’ve been trying something new every round.” Whatever he tried Sunday, it worked. “First of all, I’ve got to give credit to Steve Kent. He’s got big money into this program,” Brogdon said after winning finally in his 110th event.

The ProtectTheHarvest.com Camaro driver said, “I’m sure it’ll get better as the day goes on and I keep walking around with this trophy in my hand. I don’t see it getting much better than this. And it’s Father’s Day; how about that? Man, my dad is going to be so happy.” Brogdon has won in the sportsman-level Competition Eliminator class, but his only other brush with victory ended in a runner-up effort against Vincent Nobile at his home track in Baytown, Texas.  

I’m sure it’ll get better as the day goes on and I keep walking around with this trophy in my hand. I don’t see it getting much better than this. And it’s Father’s Day; how about that? Man, my dad is going to be so happy. – Rodger Brodgon

MISSED FIELD BUT MADE ELITE CIRCLE – Warren Johnson didn’t qualify for the Pro Stock field. He was last among the 19 entrants, but he did make an even more exclusive club. “The Professor of Pro Stock,” a six-time series champion who has earned a class-best 97 victories, became the latest honoree as one of Bristol Dragway’s Legends of Thunder Valley. Six of his 13 International Hot Rod Association victories came here. After the NHRA returned to Bristol in the late 1990s, Johnson began his NHRA list of accomplishments at Thunder Valley: victories in 2002 and 2005. Educated by matching wits, savvy, and mechanical prowess with the likes of Rickie Smith, Ronnie Sox, Roy Hill, and “General Lee” Edwards, “The Professor’s” best IHRA success came at Bristol Dragway, with three straight and five overall Spring Nationals victories, two Summer Nationals, and two Fall Nationals. In combined NHRA and IHRA action, the Sugar Hill, Ga., racer has advanced to 11 final rounds at Bristol and led the field twice. Johnson joined previous inductees Jeff Byrd, Larry Carrier, Gene Fulton, Don Garlits, Shirl Greer, Wally Parks, Dale Pulde, Bruton Smith, Rickie Smith, and Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin.

 
LOYALTY REWARD – Allen & Roy Johnson received a special surprise Father’s Day presentation Sunday in front of their hometown crowd. Pietro Gorlier, Mopar president and CEO, gave them the inaugural “Mopar President’s Award” to honor their work as brand ambassadors and the family’s more than 45 years of loyalty and service and to celebrate their 2012 NHRA Pro Stock championship.
 
HERBERT BACK ON TRACK – Doug Herbert, who hadn’t fired up his B.R.A.K.E.S. Dragster in more than a year, squeezed into the Top Fuel field at No. 16 but didn’t get to make a race-day pass. His parachutes popped out at the starting line and his team pushed him and the car away, giving Spencer Massey a solo pass (only to watch him smoke the tires). Herbert had wanted a more successful Father’s Day outing as he carried the likenesses of sons Jon and James on his car. He lost his two sons in a North Carolina auto accident in 2008, and he took action to start B.R.A.K.E.S., a teen driving educational program.

 
EDWARDS STILL HOT – The Edwards Express continued to roll through qualifying. Mike Edwards raced his I Am Second/Interstate/K&N Chevy Camaro to the No. 1 qualifying spot for the ninth time in 10 races this year. He didn’t get his fifth straight victory at Bristol, but he did keep perfect his streak of low E.T. at every event, posted top speed for the seventh time, and set track performance records at 6.632 seconds, 208.23 mph in Friday qualifying.
 
RECORD DAY – The opening day of the event produced records in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Spencer Massey led the Top Fuel field with a run of 3.775 seconds at 326.79 mph from Friday night. In Funny Car, Del Worsham was quickest at 4.008 seconds, and reigning champ Jack Beckman was fastest at 317.05 mph.
 
777 FOR TAMMY – Kalitta Motorsports team members are sporting “777” wristbands to show their support for 30-year associate Tammy Oberhofer, who has been battling cancer for more than a year. She served as the organization’s public-relations representative and most recently as the team’s office manager, and she’s the wife of Jim Oberhofer, Kalitta Motorsports vice-president of operations and crew chief for the Mac Tools Dragster that Doug Kalitta drives. TV personality Jesse James, husband of Kalitta Motorsports / Tequila Patrón Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria, created and produced the “777” wristband as a symbol of gambling good luck and of “Tammy O’s” fondness for playing slot machines. Team members are wearing the wristbands to let Tammy know they’re thinking about her each day.
 
BROWN GOES IN CIRCLES AGAIN – Antron Brown took advantage of having a NASCAR Sprint Cup track next door. The current Top Fuel champion took the chance Friday morning to make about 30 laps around Bristol Motor Speedway. “We went out there and had some fun with the Dale Jarrett Driving School. It was a good, fun day to go out there, make some laps, and talk to his students. We made about 30 laps, and it felt good to get out there in a decent car,” Brown said. “The last time we were over there was back in 2009, when a bunch of us NHRA drivers were out there in old beat-up late models doing a fun run for Speedway Children’s Charity. It was good to get out there yesterday in a car that was a lot more realistic. We had fun turning some good laps and feeling that banking.”
 
OTHER WINNERS – Rickie Smith took the Pro Modified trophy,  defeating finalist Troy Coughlin. Sportsman winners were Anthony Bertozzi, (Super Stock), Drew Skillman (Stock), Ed Richardson (Super Comp), Sherman Adcock (Super Gas), and Marco Abruzzi (Top Sportsman).