NHRA Northwest Nationals — the final stage of a series of Western Swing, which could be the fastest of the season, but for some reason did not. Otherwise, everything went on very familiar scenario: the engines go to pieces, Jack Beckman third stage in a row pushing the right pedal all the money, and the favorites of the championship show inappropriate for them low.
Tommy Johnson Jr. earned Wally second this season, JR Todd was finally able to get on the podium, while Chris McGahee second consecutive left no inheritance in the class championship leaders Pro Stock (PS). If the early stages of the series could identify any particular class, where the fighting has been particularly intense and rich in sensations, then at the last event in Seattle in all classes it was incredibly hot in the literal and figurative sense.
JR Todd walked in the semifinals of the defending champion Tony Schumacher NHRA, who could not be hooked at the start, and put it in a piggy bank eighth career victory, breaking the distance of 1000 feet per second 3.820 @ 322.04 in the final race.
The winner of the last stage in Sonoma Antron Brown again flashed outstanding results and was eliminated from the fight for the podium in the first round. For Brown, it is not the first gathering of the race at the beginning of the knockout rounds of the season, which is somewhat surprising, if we remember how confident champion in 2012 performed at the start of the national championship. In qualifying Antron met with Schumacher, and after bernauta few drops of oil spilled on the strip, the pilots were asked to switch off the engine as long as the track surface does not result in the order and re-start is always very detrimental effect on the returns of 10,000-horsepower engine.
As a result, eight-time champion showed the result of 3.737 seconds @ 288.33 mph. Veteran drag racing Mike Klauber said the situation as follows: «All things being equal, if there was not restart and the motor would operate at full power, Schumacher had a good chance to make a first-ever 3.6-second race.» But the story does not like subjunctive, and a couple of failed before the finish steel cylinders proof of that.
In Funny Car class Jack Beckman, who set last weekend a new world record, again forced commentators hysterically screaming into a microphone, and a crowd of spectators standing ovation. In qualifying he did the fastest race in the history of drag racing in its class — 3,912 seconds, thus achieving first place in qualifying. Unfortunately, a new record was not counted because according to the regulations is required to confirm the NHRA another result that is different from the record no more than 1%. Despite the fact that Backman said goodbye to hopes of a trophy NHRA Western Swing in the semi-final in the previous three stages, he came close to the leader of the championship, and now the gap with Matt Haganah acting lately badly, it is just five points.
The winner was Tommy Johnson Jr., who only thanks to his reflexes at the start was able to bypass the final Vorshema affairs, with a score of 4.073 seconds @ 308.00 mph. By the way, it was he who put an end to the dreams of Jack Beckman third consecutive victory in the championship. But John Force Racing team this weekend desperately unlucky: Force Senior Vorshemu conceded in the semifinals, and Robert Hite and Courtney Force «fell» in the first round of the knockout rounds.
In qualifying Alexis DeZhoria engine exploded, and its fiberglass body torn Toyota Camry as the layout of papier-mache. Despite the horror of what happened, pilotessa not suffered, what immediately signaled marshals raised hand, getting out of the destroyed car.
The hero of the class Pro Stock (PS), of course, was not the most top-end pilot Chris McGahee, who repeated his triumph in Sonoma. He is the second time in a row ranked first in qualifying, after leaving 6.5 seconds, and very confident bypassed all of his opponents, including five-time champion Jag Coughlin Jr. with a difference of 0.0141 seconds. By the way, this is the second consecutive victory over Chris titled veteran, whom he sent to the paddock in the semifinals at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Championship leader Erica Enders, Stevens and Greg Anderson again pleased productive performances and came out fighting in the second round of the knockout rounds.
Before Countdown To One remains only two stages. Outsiders need to be concerned about the passage in the top 10, but the leaders should think hard, because less titled pilots repeatedly reinforce its position and confidently gain points. See you in Brainerd at the last stage of this summer.
