• Home
• Blog
• Podcast
• Forum
• Racing On TV
• Speed Shop
• Archives
• About Us

Subscribe

• Channels:
• Formula 1
• IRL
• NASCAR
• Motorcycles
• NHRA

Midwest Madness in Ohio

What can you say when Funny Car maestros Force and Capps are both out in the first round at Columbus?

When Pro Stock’s Allen Johnson not only gets his first career low-qualifier position, but then keeps barreling through rounds and gets his first hole shot win of the year before the dream dies in the semis of the 42nd annual Pontiac Performance Nationals?

When Luigi Novelli, the “Rod Father,” gets into the show, beats Bob Vandergriff, Jr. and then gives Brandon Bernstein some excitement before losing in the second round?

In Top Fuel action, low qualifier Tony Schumacher and the US Army team continued their struggle to get it done on Sunday; they were booted in the first round along with Bristol & Atlanta winner Doug Kalitta. Earlier this month, Brandon Bernstein said, “We just need to exorcise the mechanical demons and get on with the season.” He and his team must have performed some voodoo on their Budweiser dragster; they got those Clydesdales running to take care of a blower-banging Cory McClenathan and win the Wally at Columbus with a 4.531 ET and speed of 329.58.

Said Bernstein, “I think we’re contenders. We certainly have the car and the capability to win the championship. This team has gotten it done before. [Melanie Troxel] got a good lead on all of us but we have a long way to go this year and if you can have a few days like today when she goes out early [she lost to Cory Mac 2nd round] and you go on, it doesn’t take long to catch up.”

With Capps and Force out, Funny Car ended up with Atlanta winner Tony Pedregon vs. Whit Bazemore in the final (Bazemore’s first final this season.) Bazemore came off the line first and was looking good until something popped and Pedregon’s Q Power Monte Carlo blazed past him going right down the middle to take the win with a 4.923 ET at 313.66 mph.

In case anyone forgets how expensive and challenging it can be to race at this level and win, here’s Pedregon: “We didn’t have any parts damage in qualifying then we come in today and for some reason our tune-up got touchy when the conditions and climate varied. We usually don’t have much damage but today we did. We had to switch motors every round. We’ve got eight motors in the trailer and we used four of them today, but it was worth it.”

Sunday was a hole-y day in Pro Stock, with Jim Yates taking a hole shot win over Jason Line in the semis and then winning the Wally over V. Gaines with another hole shot (6.726 ET, 205.72 mph speed.) It’s his first win since Reading, PA in 2002.

“Before the final [chassis tuner] Jamie told me he needed some help on the Tree because he didn’t think we had enough in the tune-up to win,” said Yates. “So I told him I’d get it done. We’re a team and we all contribute. I tell you, it’s such a joy to work with my son and my wife also. It makes it so special for all of us.”

There have been eight different Pro Stock winners so far in eight different races (we’ll run out of drivers soon and somebody will repeat.)

Yeah, the Harleys and Buells showed up in Pro Stock Motorcycle this weekend, but even with a slower R-time against Matt Smith (0.051 vs. 0.046) Angelle Sampey and her US Army Suzuki took it to them for her third win of the season.

“My goal this year was for the rest of the Pro Stock Motorcycles to hate the U.S. Army Suzukis,” Sampey said. “I learned a long time ago that if everyone else hates you then you’re doing good. Between me and Antron [Brown] we’ve won all four races this year so I’m sure the hatred is building out there.”

Sampey’s last was her best of the weekend: 7.046 ET at 188.52 mph and she regains her POWERade points lead.

Will Midwest Madness continue next weekend in Topeka, Kansas?

NHRA.com: Sunday recap.

Full results, all rounds, all classes.

CompetitionPlus Columbus Notebook.

Comments