Stage 12 NHRA Mello Yello in Norwalk

In the first eight races of the season Shawn Langdon won just four wins in the races Shootout, but in June he was eleven times the first to cross the finish line, which allowed him to add to his piggy bank two trophies: in Bristol and Norwalk. On the way to the triumph of the champion in 2013 without any problems bypassed pilots occupying a higher place in the standings, including teammate Antron Brown and Brittany Force dominated the beginning of the year. However, in the first round for all Langdon could end, and it began. The winner of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals prevailed exclusively due to a false start outsider Troy Buff since otherwise high eight seconds at the absence of the hook, and the result is unlikely to allow him to continue to fight for trophies. Anyway, luck was on the side of Sean, and in the next three races of the pilot is no longer wrong, and equipment, properly rebuilt mechanics would not let failures.
Tony Schumacher finally started accelerated pace and earn points twice noted in the decisive races in Bristol and Inglishtaune, this time lost to Brittany Force and was eliminated in the second round. Steve Torrence, who missed the event due to health problems, quite expectedly remained in third place of personal credit, although the daughter of the most titled racing association did not have just one victory to knock him out of the top-3. The rest of the situation among the leaders has not changed in any way: Doug Kalitta continues to lead on points, Antron Brown was unable to significantly reduce the gap between the first and second place, but Brittany Force crept close to the Torrens and on his heels with a fourth position.

Team Ron Capps, despite the fact that one of the most victorious drivers in the history of the class has managed this season, once did not even get out of the qualification, to all appearances, was able to solve all the existing problems and to find the key to success. Capps has become the first three times at the last four of Event, and each time the level of his performances is so high that all the questions disappear by themselves. This weekend pilot Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) also did not commit a single mistake, and a series of eight races within the three-second zone finally over for veteran Wally forty-ninth of his career. However, it is worth noting that one of the results was not counted because steel panel located above the outlet nozzles and designed to protect the vinyl layer of the body from the effects of high-temperature exhaust, technical commission to define the category of «unapproved aerodynamic elements.» In other matters it had little effect on the outcome of the Event and unconditional domination Capps, mechanics removed the shield and dregster this does not become slower. However, the film with the logos of the sponsors have repeatedly glue after each race.
Courtney Force is back in a big game, and this time reached the final, losing only to the winner of the event. Individual decoration weekend was her duel with Alexis DeZhoriey in which almost until the last moment it was unclear who would be able to finish the first. However, with a negligible advantage won by Courtney than in many respects and has secured a place in the showdown. Pilots John Force Racing (JFR) were definitely much better than in Bristol, but there were some issues. In the semi-final victory over Robert Hite went to Ron Capps is literally on a silver platter, because his opponent just stayed there when it was necessary to push the right pedal floor. No information that caused almost a moment's delay at the start of Hythe, the press has been received, but the victory in this race has become extremely easy prey for Capps. In the end, Jack Beckman Courtney pressed with a second place, but the gap between it and the leader of the standings is still very impressive.

Once again, in the atmospheric division there were no surprises. Another trophy played together representatives KB Racing, and second consecutive championship leader Jason Line celebrated his triumph. Twelve of twelve podiums in the class was divided between members of the same team and the situation the pilots apparently so satisfied that reduce the momentum did not include in their plans. Today, Greg Anderson and Jason Line are the only riders in the championship, have already booked their place in the Countdown To The Championship, to which, by the way, there are still six stages. In any case, as far as the current situation like the undisputed favorite of the national championship, exactly as it is unnerving and motivates other participants that after the change of rules as one clattered into the category of hopeless outsiders. And this time, a ray of hope began to Shane Gray...
Failure Event: Six-time champion IHRA Clay Millican second consecutive lost in the first round of races Shootout Pat Dakin, who is not even ranked in the top 15 of the standings. And if in Bristol that surprised many, but now it already looks like a convincing statistics are not in favor of the most experienced competitor in the first NHRA trophy in his career.

Pilot Event: The first victory in this nomination goes the rider, who on the basis of stages has not appeared on the podium, and on it there are more than convincing reasons. Shane Gray throughout the weekend was extremely agile on the tree, and was almost sent home Greg Anderson in the semifinals.
Check Event: When we talk about the impossibility of perpetual dominance, we are referring to similar cases. Shane Gray for the first time this year, was able to get as close to the level of the pilots KB Racing. Gray started with a clear advantage, and throughout the Quarter it went to what was defeated Anderson deservedly become «failures Event», but the technical filling red Camaro with logo Summit Racing brought on the «no» to the advantage of Shane's reaction. Anderson won with a difference of a thousandth of a second. On the one hand, a victory is a victory, and time at the finish line does not matter. And on the other — perhaps this is the first bell, which finally usher in the emergence of sane competition in the classroom.
Photo: open source