Nearing Christmas and New Year. And along with the preparation for this wonderful holiday made to evaluate and analyze what he was leaving the 2015 th. He went to the end of the most important and most prestigious in the world championship drag racing NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 2015. As the absolute and on average for pilots this season, of course, was the fastest in the history of the races on the quarter-mile, the intrigue was in excess, titled veterans and then were wrong, and the less experienced riders advancing vengeance on their heels. With more than enough and nitromethane fireworks and drive sideways at speeds under 200 mph, and wins with a difference of a couple of inches at the finish. Today we remember the brightest moments of the last championship, we will discuss the major trends and changes in the regulations, to sum up the results and count up, which is expected next year. For convenience, we divide the material into classes, and traditionally begin with the fastest — Top Fuel. Chase!
Top Fuel
In fact, the fight for the championship throughout the national championship took place between Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown. Eightfold champion during the regular season, added to its piggy bank on a Wally less than his teammate, but in general, Schumacher was stable Brown, who after winning the same event could easily «merge» at the beginning of the races Shootout in the following. But the Countdown To One will put everything in its place. The most winning rider in the class constantly suffered from a lack of banal luck and clutch coated strip, but the 2012 champion had a whirlwind series of three consecutive victories and a second place at the event in Dallas, then the fate of senior trophy was almost solved. Purely mathematically, Tony still had chances, but he did not use them, while Antron continued his victory march, and if wrong, it is only in the final. Until the pile in Brainerd Brown set a new national record — 3.680 seconds, also improved its results in 2012.
However, replacing the two teams during the championship (Alan Johnson Racing and Don Schumacher Racing), Shawn Langdon in the same weekend, crossed the finish line on seven cylinders working with the result of 3.662, but, unfortunately, not been able to confirm their achievement. However, the average 3.6 seconds in a faulty technique, in my view, are an absolute guarantee of a new record in 2016. By the way, Langdon was replaced in the cockpit Red Fuel Dragster Spencer Meissen, put in turn speed record in the class at the same event in Brainerd — 332.75 mph.
Of course, it is worth noting newcomer Richie Kremptona last season, which this year won five victories and finished the championship in third place of the standings. The young pilot is growing before our eyes, and has all the features to compete on an equal footing with more experienced actors for his first career big title. It is also impossible to ignore the successes Brittany Force. The youngest daughter of the victorious driver in NHRA history repeatedly lit up in the final and stands more confidently from stage to stage.
Without the work were pilotessa Leah Pritchett and winner of the last championship played in Wally Shawn Langdon. Dote Racing Team and Alan Johnson Racing has never been able to solve their financial problems, and their participation in the season in 2016 remains today is a very big issue.
Funny Car
In Funny Car class with serious passions running high throughout the national championship. Leaders changed as gloves, smashing the old record with frightening stability, the gap in points between the favorites was always minimal, and the number of applicants for higher regalia significantly exceeded the number of actual competitors in the other divisions. The winner was Vorshem Affairs, butting up to the last Event Jack Beckman, who effortlessly disposes of the records in the competition and for a good half of the season. In the regular season Vorshem itself practically does not show, but in the Countdown To One champion in the class Top Fuel 2011 formless way to break through, and the decisive six stages pilot red-yellow Toyota Camry was simply unstoppable. The clearest example of a steel shutter, strong nerves and especially the sport of perseverance, which makes any event spectacular and makes the fans ripped up the vocal cords to empathize with their idols.
Jack Beckman did not have before his second title quite a bit. To his credit won the greatest number of steps and repeatedly rewritten the record time of passage tysyachefutovoy distance, the last of which began 3.884 seconds. And this is the great merit of the team chief mechanic Jimmy Proca. It was he who came up with the idea to reduce the slope of the discharge nozzles with respect to the Strip and has negatively affected the downforce, but gave a small increase in the dynamics of dregster. Yes, in a situation where the fight goes to the thousandth of a second, even such small things can change the course of history. Later, a similar scheme has been taken up and other teams, but judging by the results, it was Mr Proca got to make the most of this configuration.
If Beckman fought seconds, his teammate and last year's champion Matt Hagan fought for new speed records, in what many have succeeded. At the end of season five fastest speed performance at the finish in the history of the class number of the names behind him, the best of which was quite fresh record set at the final event in Pomona — 331.45 mph. Hagan has dominated in the first half of the regular season, while the initiative has not intercepted Beckman, but in a series of playoffs like a yo-the-box, drew Affairs Vorsha and swept every single team drivers Don Schumacher Racing, becoming the third driver in the NHRA, ever honored with the title in both classes of nitromethane. And this, we have to admit, more than a remarkable fact of biography.
On the NHRA Finals Affairs Vorsha on the way to his second title victory over Tony Pedregonom, for whom this was the last race as a pilot involved in the championship on a regular basis. Two-time champion and winner of 43 trophies a few months ago announced the change of its priorities, and now takes the chair to the TV coverage of events leading NHRA.
As commented on the rider himself: «One door closed for me, it is time to open another.»
Pro Stock
Until the middle of the summer Erica Enders-Stevens and Greg Anderson went on points and wins with a minimum difference, but closer to the autumn, the situation changed dramatically in favor of the pilots Elite Motorsports, while four-time champion of the NHRA, it would seem, did not miss a single opportunity to increase behind the leader. Anderson spent the second half of the national championship in the uncharacteristic extremely low, as evidenced by the number of false starts and lost starts, which in the classroom is one of the most important components of success. But Mrs. Enders Stephens from the Event to the event consistently demonstrated a lightning reaction time down to an absolute indicator of 0.000 seconds. Of the last eight stages Eric won five, thereby multiplying the already weak intrigue to zero.
Her teammate Drew Skillman, made its debut this season, was awarded Rookie of the Year, finished the championship in fifth place in the standings. One can only congratulate the rider to ensure the start of a professional career and wish him every success in the next year.
Record the time, as in other divisions, has also been rewritten during the season. The winner of the first stage of the Concorde in Pomona Jason Line overcame kvoter for 6,455 seconds, but the bracket rate established by the current champion a year ago, there was only one outcome that resist the onslaught of the riders.
At the beginning of season 2016 this duo will join the five-time champion and winner of the Pro Stock myriad other regalia Jag Coughlin Jr., who at zero phases NHRA was not equal. Over the past two years, Coughlin took part in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series on an ad hoc basis, but in February it will take a permanent pilot driving dregster Team Elite Motorsports, which promises to make the competition for the title even more dense and unpredictable.
Carburettor era of Pro Stock came to an end, the bosses NHRA after the tip main ring series of the New World NASCAR came to the conclusion that in the modern motorsport technology of the first half of the last century are somewhat archaic, so all cars will lose huge air intakes on the bonnet and the engine will be transferred to electronic fuel injection. Opinions pilots, mechanics and team managers on the subject radically different, but the new regulations in 2016 will inevitably come into force. How will this affect the balance of power between the parties and the stability of past records, it is difficult to judge, but that at first advantage is definitely on the side of the team, does not lack of funding, no doubt.
The following year, game events NHRA for inhabitants of America will cover the channel Fox Sports, and for you all the events and news of the cult championship drag racing, like so much else from the world of high-octane fuel, burning rubber and insane acceleration, still will appear on the site dragtimes.ru. Stay tuned!
