SCHUMACHER, JOHNSONS, ARANA JR. GET THEIR KICKS ON ROUTE 66

Tony Schumacher notched his class-leading 80th career win on Sunday in Top Fuel at the Lucas Oil Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago, joining Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) on the winners podium.

NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Tony Schumacher, already the all-time wins leader in Top Fuel, crested another milestone Sunday at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, earning his 80th victory in the class with a 3.84 to 3.93 defeat of Larry Dixon in the final round. Schumacher’s Funny Car teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. made it a sweep for Don Schumacher Racing, as he defeated a tire-smoking Matt Hagan in an all-DSR finale. In Pro Stock, Allen Johnson finally broke though for his first victory of the season with a rout of Larry Morgan, and Hector Arana Jr. powered around Matt Smith in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final, 6.91 to 6.95, in a race decided by a mere .007-seconds.

Event Winners:

Top Fuel: Tony Schumacher
Funny Car: Tommy Johnson Jr.
Pro Stock: Allen Johnson
Pro Stock Motorcycle: Hector Arana Jr.
Top Alcohol Dragster: Chris Demke
Top Alcohol Funny Car: Steve Harker
Competition Eliminator: Troy Galbraith
Super Stock: Phil Unruh
Stock: Jeff Strickland
Super Comp: Gary Williams
Super Gas: Ray Connolly
Super Street: Rob Kropfeld
Top Sportsman: Mike Williams
Top Dragster: Steve Cohen

JEG’S Allstars

Anchored by victories from Kevin Brannon in Super Comp and Jeffrey Barker in Top Sportsman, the NHRA’s Southeast Division scored its seventh JEG’S Allstars team title. But it took some dramatic moments to make it happen, as Divisions 2 and 3 were tied with one final matchup remaining. In the Top Dragster final, Christopher Carrico fell to Division 7’s Mike MacBrair, leaving the two leading divisions tied. That left it to the tiebreaker, which is progressive round win total, falling into the hands of the Southeast Division by the slimmest of margins.

Top Alcohol Dragster: Joey Severance
Top Alcohol Funny Car: John Lombardo Jr.
Competition Eliminator: Jeff Lane
Super Stock: Phil Unruh
Stock: Anthony Fetch
Super Comp: Kevin Brannon
Super Gas: Luke Bogacki
Super Street: Scotty Rienschield
Top Sportsman: Jeffrey Barker
Top Dragster: Mike MacBrair

IHRA Nitro Jam Nationals

Jason Rupert powered to the AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car crown to headline the IHRA Good Vibrations Nitro Jam at the Spokane County Raceway in Washington over the weekend, as he downed Kris Krabill in the final round with a scintillating 5.64-second pass. In Nitro Harley, Mike Pelrine used a 6.49-second lap to oust Randal Andras, while Marisha Falk held off boss Elaine Larsen in the Jet Dragster finale, 5.88 to 5.94.

Nitro Harley: Mike Pelrine
Nitro Funny Car: Jason Rupert
Jet Dragster: Marisha Falk
Blown Alcohol Thunder: Dane Lachelt
Pro Alcohol Funny Car: Elaine Sellers

PSCA Rocky Mountain Summer Series

Colorado native Dave Walters collected the Outlaw 10.5 hardware at the second of three PSCA Rocky Mountain Summer Series events to be held at the Bandimere Speedway near Denver over the weekend, as he defeated Matt Frost, 4.52 to a 4.80. In Xtreeme Drag Radial/True 10.5, Brandon McBride powered from the No.1 qualifying spot to victory, routing Sonny Schaus in the final, 4.89 to 5.34, while No. 2 qualifier Andrew Osborne collected the win in Outlaw 8.5, using a string of 5.3-seconds runs to eventually down Craig Stringfellow in the final.

Outlaw 10.5: Dave Walters
XDR/TT5: Brandon McBride
Outlaw 8.5: Andrew Osborne
235 Limited: Ricky Daniels