Matt Hagan and the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T roars into the NHRA Countdown for the Championship with No. 1 seed. (PHOTO: AutoImagery.com) COUNTDOWN IS ON Hagan, Magneti Marelli/Rocky Boots team leads DSR into playoff with Funny Car top seed, Massey ranks second in Top Fuel The seven Don Schumacher Racing teams will get a well-earned weekend off before leaving next week to start the seventh annual Countdown to the Championship on Sept.13 at zmax Dragway near Charlotte Motor Speedway after the 18-event NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series concluded Monday. DSR s teams are in solid positions to make runs at NHRA world championships and $500,000 bonuses that go along with the titles. Leading the way will be Matt Hagan and the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T team that have made a miraculous turnaround after not qualifying for the Countdown a year ago and will start this year s edition as the No. 1 seed. Hagan s team, the 2011 world champion, suffered through 2012 without winning an event title or No. 1 qualifying position, but after 18 events this year with new crew chief Dickie Venables and rookie assistant Michael Knudsen the team has won four titles and four poles heading to the Countdown. Hagan starts as the top-seed with a 30-point lead over DSR teammate Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team. Before the points were reset for the Countdown after the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend, Hagan had built 215-point lead over. Hagan won the pole U.S. Nationals pole last weekend near Indianapolis by setting track records for time (4.007 seconds) and speed (319.22 mph). Assistant crew chief Michael Knudsen, left, and crew chief Dickie Venables along with the team helped Matt Hagan win four titles and four poles through the first 18 NHRA Mello Yello Series events. (PHOTO: AutoImagery.com)
DSR starts the playoff with its four Funny Car drivers seeded in the top-five: Hagan first, Capps second, Johnny Gray third and reigning Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman fifth. In Top Fuel, Spencer Massey and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher team with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, leads DSR with the No. 2 seed while seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher ranks third. Reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown is seeded sixth. DSR heads to Concord, N.C., after a highly successful regular season when it won 20 of a possible 36 nitro event Spencer Massey with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler lead DSR's Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster as No. 2 seed in Top Fuel for the Countdown to the Championship. titles a 55 percent winning rate. DSR has won 11 of 17 Funny Car titles (Gray 4, Hagan 4, Capps 3) and 9 of 17 in Top Fuel (Massey 4, Schumacher 3, Brown 2). Six times this season, DSR left events with both nitro trophies. NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Reset for start of six-event playoff that starts Sept. 13 near Charlotte) TOP FUEL FUNNY CAR 1. Shawn Langdon 2,110 1. MATT HAGAN 2,110 2. SPENCER MASSEY 2,080 2. RON CAPPS 2,080 3. TONY SCHUMACHER 2,070 3. JOHNNY GRAY 2,070 4. Doug Kalitta 2,060 4. John Force 2,060 5. Khalid albalooshi 2,050 5. JACK BECKMAN 2,050 6. ANTRON BROWN 2,040 6. Cruz Pedregon 2,040 7. Clay Millican 2,030 7. Courtney Force 2,030 8. Morgan Lucas 2,020 8. Tim Wilkerson 2,020 9. Steve Torrence 2,010 9. Robert Hight 2,010 10. Bob Vandergriff 2,000 10. Del Worsham 2,000 NHRA Countdown to the Championship schedule Sept. 13-15 zmax Dragway, Charlotte, N.C. Sept. 19-22 Texas Motorplex, Dallas Sept. 27-29 Gateway Motorsports Park, St. Louis Oct. 3-6 Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa. Oct. 24-27 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Nov. 8-11 Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, Calif. NHRA MELLO YELLO SERIES REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS (Final regular season after 18 events through U.S. Nationals) TOP FUEL FUNNY CAR 1. Shawn Langdon 1,488 1. MATT HAGAN 1,297 2. SPENCER MASSEY 1,273 2. RON CAPPS 1,183 3. TONY SCHUMACHER 1,238 3. JOHNNY GRAY 1,125 4. Doug Kalitta 1,086 4. John Force 1,115 5. Khalid albalooshi 1,074 5. JACK BECKMAN 1,110 6. ANTRON BROWN 1,035 6. Cruz Pedregon 1,099 7. Clay Millican 979 7. Courtney Force 1,071 8. Morgan Lucas 968 8. Tim Wilkerson 1,023 9. Steve Torrence 893 9. Robert Hight 1,015 10. Bob Vandergriff 821 10. Del Worsham 948 2013 TOP FUEL WINNERS: Langdon, SCHUMACHER, BROWN, SCHUMACHER, MASSEY, Vandergriff, BROWN, Langdon, Langdon, Steve Torrence, MASSEY, SCHUMACHER, albalooshi, MASSEY, Langdon, Lucas, MASSEY, Langdon. 2013 FUNNY CAR WINNERS: C. Force, CAPPS, GRAY, C. Pedregon, HAGAN, C. Pedregon, GRAY, GRAY, HAGAN, J. Force, C. Force, HAGAN, GRAY, C. Pedregon, CAPPS, HAGAN, CAPPS, Hight.
Beckman explodes to Traxxas Nitro Shootout title Valvoline/MTS Dodge sets off fireworks after winning $100,000 For the second consecutive year, DSR won a Traxxas Nitro Shootout (Spencer Massey won the Top Fuel title a year ago) and Jack Beckman did it in a very memorable way Sunday during the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis. Beckman s engine violently exploded and shredded most of the body on his Valvoline MaxLife/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, but used a superior starting line advantage to edge Cruz Pedregon at the finish line to win $100,000 for DSR in the Shootout. The reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion left Pedregon at the starting line that allowed him to overcome Pedregon s quicker elapsed time. Beckman used a tune-up from crew chief Todd Smith and assistant Terry Snyder to win the title by three-thousandth of a second that amounted to about one foot at 310 mph. Beckman s winning time of 4.086 seconds beat Pedregon s quicker 4.066. The winning difference was Beckman s reaction time of 0.052 seconds his best of the U.S. Nationals weekend that was considerably quicker than Pedregon s 0.075. Fast Jack, left, with his father, 'Slow Bob A blink of an eye after Beckman crossed the finish line, the explosion blew Beckman the body from behind the front fenders skyward while Beckman was able to maintain control of the bouncing Funny Car and brought it to a stop. Our car was haulin, he said with a smile that had been on his face from the moment he climbed out of his new convertible cockpit to stand atop a Goodyear racing slick with hands raised in victory. It was truckin. Right after it blew Todd Smith got on the radio and kept asking if I was OK. This s how great a guy he is. He didn t care about anything but me. I said I was fine but wanted to know if we won. Once he gave me a yes I felt even better. It was a big win for Beckman and his team, which has yet to win a regular NHRA Mello Yello Series title this year after winning three a year ago. But they came close on Monday when the team advanced to the championship round before losing to Robert Hight of John Force Racing. TRAXXAS FUNNY CAR NITRO SHOOTOUT Round 1: Cruz Pedregon (4.068 sec., 309.06 mph) def. John Force (4.056, 312.71); Courtney Force (4.116, 312.06) def. JOHNNY GRAY (4.122, 309.70); JACK BECKMAN (4.062, 310.20) def. RON CAPPS (4.118, 304.46); Tim Wilkerson (4.086, 312.50) def. MATT HAGAN (4.109, 311.20). Semifinals: C. Pedregon (4.124, 306.12) def. Wilkerson (4.107, 307.37); BECKMAN (4.082, 310.55) def. C. Force (4.099, 314.75). Final: BECKMAN (4.086, 310.77) def. C. Pedregon (4.066, 308.35)
SPECIAL DAY Pitch Energy honors John R. Gray by donating power wheelchair through the Darrell Gwynn Foundation over Labor Day Weekend The Darrell Gwynn Foundation, on behalf of Pitch Energy, Funny Car driver Johnny Gray and wife Terry, and Johnny's sister Terry Chandler, donated a custom power wheelchair to 4-year-old Aiden Brown of Noblesville, Ind., on Sunday at the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway. The wheelchair donation was made in honor of Johnny Gray and Terry Chandler's father, the late John R. Gray. We are very humbled to be associated with the Darrell Gwynn Foundation and be able to share this gift with Aiden," said Johnny Gray, who drives the Pitch Energy Dodge Charger R/T for Don Schumacher Racing. "My wife Terry and I, along with my sister Terry Chandler, have been touched by this foundation and those like it, and we sure hope that this presentation today raises awareness. We're real glad we can help Aiden, and we'd like it if other people became involved in helping these folks who really need it too." For more information on the Darrell Gwynn Foundation s Wheelchair Donation Program please visit DarrellGwynnFoundation.org. FANS OPEN HEARTS Eighth annual DSR Open house sets fund-raiser record during fun-filled day to benefit Riley Kids Everyone had fun at the Aug. 30 eighth annual Don Schumacher Racing Open House to benefit Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and Camp Riley. An overflow car and bike show put on by the Indy Hi-Winders was another resounding success along with the DSR autograph session when dedicated fans filled an hour-long line. Artist Bruce Tatman created a beautiful painting that saluted team owner Don Schumacher s induction this year into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. And best of all... the five-hour event raised $26,000 for Riley Kids that pushed the total raised by DSR for Riley to over $225,000. Mark the date for next year s event Aug. 29 that promises to be the biggest and best ever to help NHRA celebrate the 60th edition of the U.S. Nationals at nearby Lucas Oil Raceway.
The Cars...... Our DSR Stars Before... After Only at a DSR Open House would a fan give up his beard and hair to help Riley Kids. This unidentified guest made a donation to get a free haircut from a Salon 26 stylist. Salon 26 (1024 E. Main St., Brownsburg) raised more than $400 for Riley Kids. The CNC and machine shop was another big hit at the Open House as DSR's talented machinists gives fans an inside look at DSR's speed factory.
The identity of this mystery cartoonist will be revealed in the next issue of Shoe s News! About Don Schumacher Racing Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., starts 2013 with seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the 2012 NHRA Top Fuel world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown and the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher and the Battery Extender Powered by Schumacher dragster driven by Spencer Massey; and in Funny Car, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Valvoline/MTS Mail for Wounded Warriors Dodge Charger R/T, 2011 world champion Matt Hagan in the Magneti Marelli Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Pitch Energy Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 216 NHRA national event titles and 11 world championships. Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.