He’s For Real: JR Todd Wins Again in Top Fuel
Written by Sheila Scarborough · July 30, 2006
Todd, Medlen, Line and Ellis take the wins at the FRAM-Autolite Nationals.
All sorts of excitement today in Sonoma in Top Fuel: young rookie JR Todd takes another win over defending champ Tony Schumacher with 4.619 seconds at 309.27 mph, Hillary Will puts together some great rounds after struggling earlier this season and Doug Kalitta continues to hold onto his points lead with a strong performance.
This was Schumacher’s fourth straight final round (and Todd’s second final in the last three races.)
“You couldn’t write it any better than this,” Todd said. “Beating Tony and that team once for your first trophy ever is like a dream. To do it twice in three races is unreal. I can’t even believe this is happening. You work so hard just to get to this level and you don’t even think what it will be like to actually win.
“I knew when Evan Knoll stepped up and gave us the backing to run full-time that we were really increasing our chances to win rounds and maybe even a race. This is beyond my expectations. Two races ago people were asking me where the driver was. Now they’re screaming my name. It’s so cool.”
Funny Car’s Eric Medlen has been winless since Memphis last year, but after beating his teammate John Force in the quarterfinals he took the Sonoma Wally. To get there, he also had to beat Cruz Pedregon, whose team miraculously pulled together Cruzer’s Monte Carlo after a horrific fire yesterday.
“This is very special for me,” said Medlen, who was born in nearby Modesto, Calif. “Mimi (his mother) is here and Jerald Camarillo, who taught me how to rope, is here. All my relatives from Oakdale [Calif.] where I grew up. You know, you always want to do well when it’s your home race but it usually works out where you have a bad weekend. Not this time.
“People ask me how aggravating it is to go a year without winning but I don’t even think like that. I’m out here having fun and we have a car that could have and should have won several times so you feel like you’re right in there any way. Man, it’s hard to win these things; that’s the deal. It’s not for lack of trying.”
Jason Line had a massive holeshot win over V. Gaines (.045 versus .076) to continue his dominating performance in Pro Stock with a fourth win for the season.
“This is a very, very satisfying win for me,” Line said, “especially doing it on a holeshot. Both of our cars ran great all weekend and between our two cars and V.’s car, I think we probably had the three best cars on the property. To be the one standing here [in the winner’s circle] is probably the best feeling I’ve had as a driver.
“We haven’t talked about the championship as far as Greg and I go other than the fact we want to make sure one of us wins the championship. It’s a unique deal for me because I came on as the second car in support of Greg’s car and now I’m ahead of him in the championship. Really, we’ve both struggled this summer; Greg’s just struggling a little more at the moment. What would be great is if both of us turn it on and have a great stretch run together.”
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Antron Brown is probably hating life tonight; a -.009 second red light cost him the win against Chip Ellis, particularly galling since Ellis’ motor blew halfway down the track and he got the win by coasting.
“They say motors always run really good right before they blow up and I guess that’s what happened today,” Ellis said. “We ran so quick early in the day and we just kept pushing it because we felt like if we didn’t, we couldn’t win. From the looks of things, I think we broke the crank. That was my favorite motor and I hate to see it die, but at least it went out a winner.
“To go into the sixes is a big honor and it used to just be me and Andrew. Now there are two more in that six-second deal and that just tells you how competitive everyone else has become out here. Man, it’s tough to win a round, let alone a race.”
The cars and teams can now take a short post-Western Swing break until the race in Brainerd MN August 10-13.
Final Top Fuel Ladder
Final Funny Car Ladder
Final Pro Stock Ladder
Final Pro Stock Motorcycle Ladder
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JR Todd is an exciting driver. I love to watch the races!
Melanie