John Force is back in championship form. One year after going winless, the 14-time National Hot Rod Association Funny Car champion posted his fourth win of the 2010 season in Sunday’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
“This means a lot,” Force said. “I dedicated this win to my daughter Courtney. Today was her 22nd birthday, and she wants to drive this Ford Mustang for Castrol someday.”
Force posted a run of 4.317 seconds at 285.59 miles per hour in the finals to defeat Tim Wilkerson, who experienced mechanical gremlins early in his run. It was the 130th career victory for Force, who also claimed the points lead in Funny Car.
“I go all the way back to the old racetrack here,” Force said. “When I came, I didn’t have a prayer or any money. I just came in praying to the Lord that I might make it.”
The on-track temperatures reached as high as 138 degrees Sunday, challenging crews and drivers. The rejuvenated Force said he prepared for the endurance test by working in the gym Saturday night.
“I’ve got to get jacked up just to race with the kids,” Force said. “[Saturday] night I did 100 pushups after my workout. That ain’t nothing to a young kid, but to an old man it is. So I’m going to stay young.
“This is a great sport. I absolutely love it.”
There was another familiar winner in Top Fuel, as seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher defeated Brandon Bernstein in the finals with a run of 3.982 seconds at 306.53 mph.
It was the fourth victory of the season for Schumacher, who now has four career wins at Bristol. Sunday also marked the 65th career victory and 100th final round appearance for Schumacher. Current Top Fuel points leader Larry Dixon and the retired Joe Amato were previously tied with Schumacher with 99 finals. TriCities.com
For Mike Edwards, the dream season continued. Johnson knocked him off the pole Saturday, but a few adjustments put Edwards back at the head of the Pro Stock class.
“We really struggled, especially yesterday,” he said Sunday. “We were really bad when we left here last night, really scratching our heads. We made some wholesale changes this morning and we were low ET in every round this session.
“I don’t know what happened in the finals, but I was really fortunate to win that race.” Kingsport Times News
Edwards, the runaway points leader with seven previous wins and nine No. 1 qualifying berths in the season’s first 11 races, continued to run amok with the Penhall/Interstate/K&N Pontiac to collect his 28th career Pro Stock title with a final-round conquest of red-lighting Rickie Jones. Edwards now owns a monstrous 452-point lead over the field.
Von Smith won his second straight NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series race in his Barwa/Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro to take command of the points lead.
In the finals, Smith gave up 12-hundredths to Jay Payne at the Tree, but he tracked him down with a 5.994 at 241.54 to Payne’s 6.039 at 240.36 in his ’68 Camaro. He now leads second-place Danny Rowe by 92 points.
Smith qualified fifth, but because of a series upsets on his half of the ladder he didn’t meet a higher-qualified driver until the final when he was matched up against No. 2 qualifier Payne.
En route to the final, Smith defeated No. 12 qualifier Tony Pontieri, No. 13 Rick Stivers and No. 8 Ray Commisso.
In Lucas Oil action, Bob Dennis won in the Super Stock class, shutting down red-hot Joe Santangelo, while Slate Cummings collected the win in Stock over Russell Johnson. Lloyd Parfait captured Super Comp gold by turning away Trevor Denton in the final, while Ed Apple titled in Super Gas over Billy Upton. NHRA.com
| 
|