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The Pedigree of a True Champion

2-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Tony Pedregon and the Crew Chief that guided him to both those championships, one with John Force Racing and the other as a team owner, parted company just two days prior to last weekend’s Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Crew Chief juggling and changing of teams is nothing new in the sport of drag racing but for any team at this point in the season, just three events shy of the cutoff for the Countdown to the Championship, it makes for a newsworthy story if their Crew Chief decides to move on. What can make it even more intriguing is when you consider the characters involved and the amount of success they have achieved recently.

The fact that Tony Pedregon and Dickie Venables had such a successful relationship in the past, and heading into Brainerd found themselves atop the Funny Car points standings made this story that much more interesting.

Now in most cases, under these circumstances, the majority of teams going through this type of transition would struggle for a few events with a new crew chief at the helm. Oh but not T-Ped. His veteran savvy helped him make all the right moves when it came to filling the vacancy on such short notice. Rather than allow someone to come in and change the winning combination in his Quaker State Impala, he went out and found two guys who could work with the data that Venables left in his wake, in order to keep the team on track. Pedregon acquired the services of Tony Shortall and former team owner Dexter Tuttle who were able to analyze the data and apply that knowledge to his Funny Car the same as Venables had been doing.

They say the proof is in the pudding and I guess when you go out and win an event just days after losing an integral part of your team youre obviously doing something right.

So my hats off to Tony Pedregon, who rather than putting his head down and avoiding the steely eyed glare of adversity, instead starred that menacing force straight in the eye and served notice to the rest of the drag racing world that he’s got one goal in mind…to win his third NHRA championship this year and he’s not going to let anything stand in his way.

Motivation is a powerful thing!

When Was the Last Time a Driver Truly Won an Event?

Now I know most of you are probably just reading this and licking your chops to get through it so you can post a comment about how “off beat” or “out of touch” I am with the reality of the sport. But before you run off on some rant consider the following things:

When was the last time that you saw a Top Fuel or Funny Car driver singlehandedly win an NHRA national event? And so you say, don’t they win them all? Technically yes, they are the ones with the stones big enough to jump into those 8000 horsepower, fire breathing monsters and aim them towards the ultimate glory our sport has to offer. But isn’t it time that we start to give a little more recognition to the crew chiefs, and to a lesser degree the team members, who put those drivers in the winner’s circle time after time?

Now granted, the driver has to perform under extreme pressure and is for all intents and purposes the face of their respective teams, but what about those unsung heroes that make the difficult and calculated decisions between rounds? Don’t they deserve a little more credit when a driver wins a Wally?

Just pause for a second, think back, way back…when is the last time you can remember off the top of your head that a Top Fuel or Funny Car pilot put his or her car in the winner’s circle, based solely on driving talent, on a consistent basis? Whether that is because they cut a better light than their competitor or had to do a pedal-job to get the car to recover and make it to the finish line first, it doesn’t happen as often as the car going from A to B without missing a beat.

Think about Antron Brown’s sweep of the Western Swing or Tony Pedregon’s recent dominance of the Funny Car class. How many of those races were won more so because of the crew chief, rather than the driver?

It appears to me that, although it still takes a ton of skill and guts to get behind the wheel of a car that accelerates form 0-100 miles per hour in a second, the current versions of Top Fuel Dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars have become point and push (the accelerator that is) machines.

The driver guides the crew chiefs vision down the quarter mile. If the driver pedals the car, pre-determined settings automatically retard the engine so the driver can recover quicker with less “feel” for the car. And just who do you think determines what those settings will be?

Whatever happened to classic pedal-fests like Force vs. Pedregon in ’92 and how can we bring those classic, crowd pleasing types of runs back? I say the answer lies somewhere in the NHRA’s commitment to reinstating 1320’ drag racing for the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. If you’re going to reduce the number of fuel pumps, blower overdrive, tire size or whatever it may be to slow the cars down, why not at the same time reduce the amount of electronic assistance the crew chiefs have at their aid and give some of the ability to determine a race based on driving skill and experience back to the drivers?

Just food for thought in world where everyone’s got an opinion…now let’s hear yours!

Media Misses the “Obvious” Story of Brown’s Sweep

Amidst the celebration and jubilation of Antron Brown becoming just the eighth driver to sweep the NHRA’s fabled “Western Swing”, ESPN and all the other media outlets failed to report one obvious storyline. It was right there in front of everyone’s eyes and somehow every media person at Infineon Raceway missed it. No one, not one person made a mention that Antron Brown is the first African-American to sweep the Western Swing. How could they have missed that very obvious fact? Read more

NHRA Needs To Do The Unthinkable

In this modern era when motorsports and sports media are interwoven, I am going to suggest the unthinkable. The NHRA needs to schedule the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Memorial Day weekend.

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the longest running and the most prestigous drag race the NHRA hosts, has traditionally been held on Labor Day weekend. The race is so large and the competitors are so numerous that an additional qualifying session is granted to the professional competitors and elimination rounds are held on Monday instead of Sunday. It truly is a unique racing experience given the history and tradition of “The Nationals”. So if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Because it could be so much better with just a slight change in date.

I would suggest the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals be moved to Memorial Day weekend. I am not suggesting moving the U.S. Nationals away from O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. I am not suggesting changing the daily racing schedule. I am merely suggesting moving the race dates from Labor Day weekend to Memorial Day weekend.

I can hear what everyone would be saying already… “Don’t you realize that the Indy 500 is held in Indianapolis that same weekend?”. “The NHRA can not compete with the Indy 500″. “The U.S. Nationals would get lost and pushed to the wayside in the wake of the Indy 500″. I would argue that the U.S. Nationals would greatly benefit from sharing the national spotlight with the Indy 500.

Let’s face it. The nation’s top motorsports journalists will already be in Indianapolis covering the Indy 500. With business travel budgets squeezed tighter than a drum, we all know that the Indy 500 is so huge that news outlets must budget every year to send at least someone to Indianapolis over Memorial Day weekend. They know their competitors will be there so they just find the money in the budget to go. Convincing a motorsports journalist’s editor to send a writer to Indianapolis to cover racing two times a year is nearly impossible.

I speak from a position of experience on this one. When I was working for the NHRA’s Media Relations Department I was the lead manager in charge of the U.S. Nationals for a few years. I would make calls and send emails to all the heavy hitters in the world of motorsports journalism and invite them to Indy for the U.S. Nationals. After all, it is the NHRA’s Super Bowl so why wouldn’t they be there covering it? Many of the responses from those big time journalists I had targeted was the same. “Sorry, there is no money to go to Indy twice a year. Given the fact they I was already in Indy in May, we can’t pull it off to go there in September.”

If the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals were moved to Memorial Day weekend, all the world’s motorsports journalists would be at The Brickyard on Sunday. I am not so naive to believe they would skip that race to attend the final day of qualifying of the U.S. Nationals. But extending their stay in Indy an extra day in order to cover the U.S. Nationals eliminations would not be a hard sell to those dolling out travel budget per diems. Everyone would prefer to have the reporters on site for qualifying and eliminations. But wouldn’t you rather have the number of reporters covering the eliminations be double or triple than what you normally get if they weren’t covering the NHRA on Sunday? After all, qualifying results are nice but it is the head to head racing that most people are concerned with.

Will this suggestion fall on deaf ears in Glendora? Possibly. But it is something to consider if the NHRA wants to be considered a major player in the world of motorsports. Sometimes you need to change things drastically that will undoubtedly annoy the traditionalists in order to move the sport forward. Then again, traditionalists are not the ones moving the sport forward. If it were up to them Fuel Altereds and Front Engine Dragsters would still be competing.

Follow Drag Racing Even More Closely Via Twitter

Do you use Twitter? How many “tweets” per day do you average? If you are wondering what I am talking about you probably have not been paying attention to what has become one of the biggest online phenomenons in 2009.

Twitter explained is basically an online social network where people post updates to the web on what they are doing, thinking, just experienced, etc. They are short messages limited to 140 characters and people can “follow” anyone to keep up with what they are doing. Twitter has become such a powerful tool in helping people stay better connected that large news organizations like CNN are using it to broadcast breaking news. Twitter is so powerful that even President Barack Obama is using it. Sadly, Obama’s 759,630 followers as of today ranks fourth behind CNN at No. 1, Britney Spears at No. 2 and Ashton Kutcher at No. 3.

It is not just celebrities and politicians who are using Twitter. Numerous drag racing teams, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and racing news organizations are keeping fans updated via Twitter. (FastMachines.com is using Twitter already.) So in an effort to keep you more informed with the most up to date racing information, here is a comprehensive list of those involved with Drag Racing that are using Twitter.

Drivers & Race Teams

@JFR_Racing — John Force Racing Funny Car Teams
@KennyBernstein — Kenny Bernstein Racing Top Fuel Team
@FCSD_TASCA_PR — Tasca Racing Funny Car Team
@MARNews — Mike Ashley Racing, Antron Brown Top Fuel
@TeamKalitta — The Kalitta Racing Top Fuel/Funny Car Team
@TerryMcMillen — Top Fuel Driver Terry McMillen
@BobVandergriff — Top Fuel Driver Bob Vandergriff
@bacamotorsports — Top Fuel Driver David Baca
@MattHaganRacing — Funny Car Driver Matt Hagan
@ACDelco_Racing — Pro Stock Team of Kurt Johnson
@FordRacing — All Ford Racing
@MKRacer — Crew Chief Mike Kloeber
@DougHerbert — Top Fuel Driver Doug Herbert
@topfueldragster — Stevens Family Top Fuel Team
@ITGMotorsports — In the Groove Nitro Funny Car/Pro Stock Bike Team
@RacerJRTodd — NHRA Top Fuel Driver J.R. Todd
@nitrokitty — Nostalgia Funny Car Driver Mendy Fry
@rodhouckracing — Pro Mod Driver Rod Houck

Drag Racing Sanctioning Bodies

@NHRA — NHRA Official Twitter
@IHRAMotorsports — IHRA Official Twitter
@March Meet — March Meet Nostalgia Drag Racing
@GSAProMods — NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge
@NAPA_Goodguys — Goodguys Events

Race Tracks

@norwalkracefans — Summit Raceway Park in Norwalk, OH
@gatewayraceway — Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, IL
@BMSUpdates — Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN
@OReillyRaceway — O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN
@InfineonRaceway — Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA
@RacePBIR — Palm Beach International Raceway in Palm Beach, FL
@ACSUpdates — Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA
@LVMotorSpeedway — Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV

Drag Racing News Outlets

@nhraphil – Phil Burgess, Editor for National Dragster
@FastMachines — FastMachines.com
@go2geiger — Go 2 Geiger Drag Racing News
@femaleracing — Female Racing News Network
@ProStockCars — Pro Stock Cars News
@ChevyHigh — Chevy High Performance Magazine
@SpeedFreaks — Speed Freaks Motorsports Radio & TV
@CrashGladys — Crash Gladys from Speed Freaks Motorsports Radio & TV
@SpeedSceneLive — Speed Scene Live Webcast

If that wasn’t enough for you you can even follow some of the FastMachines.com writers including Josh Katinger, the creator of FastMachines.com, and even me on Twitter. Although if you choose to follow yours truly you’ll probably get a lot of Twitter updates regarding my own blog, TailgatingIdeas.com, dedicated to tailgating and the tailgate party lifestyle.

FastMachines.com Staffers

@jkatinger — Josh Katinger
@TailgatingIdeas — David Lamm
@SheilaS — Sheila Scarborough
@albrewer — Allan Brewer

If I happened to miss someone or they have joined Twitter since this posting, feel free to share their Twitter profile link in the comments section below. Happy Tweeting!

Budweiser drops NHRA and Bernstein Racing sponsorship after 2009 season

Wow, the economy is poking holes into all kinds of formerly rock-solid business assumptions and relationships.

From a Bernstein Racing press release….

“Anheuser-Busch today announced the 2009 season will be Budweiser’s last as official beer sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and as primary sponsor of Kenny Bernstein Racing and the Budweiser Top Fuel dragster.

Budweiser has sponsored the NHRA since the early 1980s and is celebrating its 30th season with Kenny Bernstein Racing. The Budweiser-Bernstein relationship is the longest running in motorsports history, eclipsing Scientifically Treated Petroleum’s (STP) 28-year sponsorship of Richard Petty in NASCAR. Kenny Bernstein Racing, one of the sport’s most consistent winners, aims to continue racing if new sponsorship is secured for 2010.

“The NHRA and Kenny Bernstein Racing have been world class partners and we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished together,” said Dan McHugh, vice president, Media, Sponsorship and Activation, Anheuser-Busch. “For three decades Budweiser helped grow the sport while its association with the NHRA and Kenny Bernstein provided a unique opportunity to market to adult beer drinkers.”

“NHRA is grateful to Anheuser-Busch for their long association with the sport and Kenny Bernstein Racing,” said Gary Darcy, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Their 30-year run with the sport is a testament to the return on investment they’ve enjoyed and Kenny Bernstein’s personal commitment and dedication to the brand and its distributors.”

“Budweiser provided us the opportunity to make a career of doing what we love,” said Kenny Bernstein. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all the Anheuser-Busch employees and wholesalers we’ve worked with, as well as the fans and friends who’ve followed and supported us all these years.”

In 30 years together, Budweiser and Kenny Bernstein Racing captured six NHRA titles, including four consecutive Funny Car crowns (1985-1988) and two Top Fuel titles (1996, 2001). Kenny and son Brandon, who took the keys from his father in 2002, amassed 85 national event victories under the Budweiser flag and in 1992, Kenny became the first driver to surpass the 300 mile-per-hour barrier.

“The success and longevity of our relationship with the NHRA and Kenny Bernstein Racing is a tribute to their understanding of the Budweiser brand over the years,” said McHugh. “For his part, Kenny Bernstein has been nothing less than the ultimate ambassador for the brand. We thank him, his team and the NHRA for a great run.””

John Medlen Admitted To Indianapolis Hospital

Long-time John Force Racing crew chief John Medlen was admitted to an Indianapolis hospital for discomfort in his chest late last night. After an examination by doctors a routine medical procedure was performed and a stint was inserted into his heart. Read more

NHRA season kicks off to a soggy start

There’s a new NHRA sponsor - Full Throttle energy drinks replacing POWERAde. There are new faces racing for old favorites (Spenser Massey with Don “The Snake” Prudhomme) and old favorites in new places (Antron Brown’s Matco Top Fuel team was sold to Mike Ashley, but Antron’s crew chief Lee Beard went to Don Schumacher Racing.)

Some beat the economic odds and returned (Erica Enders is back, driving a Ford in Pro Stock.)

There are drivers still looking for a ride during the current economic crisis (Hillary Will, Dave Grubnic, JR Todd, “Hot Rod” Fuller, Melanie Troxel, Tommy Johnson, Jr., etc.)  They’ve relaxed the penalties for oildowns as a nod to tough times, and there’s a fan relief program to reduce the cost of many tickets including those for children and active duty military members.  The NHRA Web site has been revamped; I’m not sure it’s an improvement, frankly, but that’s a whole ‘nother post.

John Force even says he’s trading two hours in the bar for two in the gym, and he does look pretty buff these days.

It’s certainly an exciting and interesting new season kicking off with the 2009 Winternationals, but the first Wallys of the year will have to wait. They’ve been struggling all weekend with rain at Pomona, and finally NHRA called a halt today and announced that racing will resume tomorrow (Monday, February 9th.)

Talk about “one and done”….there was only time to complete mostly one round of eliminations before the droplets started up, and that came after cars got into the show based on the results of one clean qualifying round on Saturday (rains washed out Friday action.)

Top Fuel resumes at 11:30 am PST, and ESPN2 will air Monday’s action starting at 9:30 pm Eastern.  NHRA.com results and ladders are here.

Where Are They Now? Miss Winston Jackie Becke

Here is an easy way to win a bet with your friend who thinks he knows everything about drag racing. Ask him “From 1998 to 2001, who has appeared in the most NHRA Winner’s Circles?”. Of course he will probably answer John Force or Warren Johnson. The real answer is Jackie Becke. Although she never took a trip down the quarter-mile and never won a drag race, Jackie Becke served as Miss Winston and appeared in almost every winner’s circle photo during that stretch of time. If you ask any racer during the days the NHRA was sponsored by Winston, they will say the most gorgeous sight on Sunday afternoons was Jackie Becke. Not just because she is beautiful but seeing her smile meant they had just won the race. We were able to catch up with the former Miss Winston and ask her a few questions about her tenure in drag racing and what she is doing now.

Q: How did you become Miss Winston?

Jackie Becke: I worked the Winston suite in California as a hostess and became good friends with the Winston executives. When they were looking for a new Miss Winston I suggested they use me…That was the first time that they hired a Miss Winston that didn’t live in North Carolina. They didn’t know if it was going to work or not since they all traveled together. It ended up working perfectly because I was able to arrange my flights around theirs and meet them in the different cities.

Q: How many years did you serve as Miss Winston?

Jackie Becke: I was Miss Winston from 1998-2001. Four years.

Q: Now that you are not actively involved in drag racing, what are you doing now with yourself?

Jackie Becke: I am a mom to a 7 month old and in nursing school.

Q: Do you miss being Miss Winston?

Jackie Becke: Yes, it was the best job I ever had.

Q: What are some of your fondest memories of being Miss Winston and being involved with drag racing?

Jackie Becke: I have so many great memories of my time with the races. Watching John Force win a race since he was always so entertaining, hanging out at the top end with all the safety safari, walking in the pits and seeing how happy the fans got when they were able to see and talk to their favorite driver. The joy in the drivers’ faces when they won a race.

Q: What do you not miss about drag racing?

Jackie Becke: I certainly don’t miss having to get on an airplane every other weekend.

Q: Even though you are not actively involved in drag racing do you still follow the sport?

Jackie Becke: Yes, that is one great thing about living in California. I am able to go to the first and last race of the year (in Pomona, Calif.). I have kept up with a lot of the friends that I made and it is really nice to be able to spend time with them. Drag racing has a great group of people; it’s like going home, where you’re always welcome.

Q: What are your plans moving forward and where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years from now?

Jackie Becke: I will hopefully have graduated from nursing school and will be working at a children’s hospital. I would also like to have another child since my son is the apple of my eye and I am loving being a mom.

Poor Economy Hitting NHRA Hard

On the day that Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, hope for change and increased prosperity has never been higher. The folks out in Glendora, Calif., the headquarters of the National Hot Rod Association, are probably some of the many hoping that change at the top will help translate into a healthier outlook for the drag racing community. The increasing cost of professional drag racing combined with decreasing sponsorship dollars in a slumping economy has the NHRA scrambling to offer full 16-car fields for the season’s opening event in Pomona, Calif. To the NHRA’s credit, they will have full 16-car fields coming February’s season opening race but just barely. But will the Winternationals be the exception and not the rule this season?
Read more