Dave
Nitro Member
There are a lot more stats than just these i'm sure, but just some fun things I have found over the years to share. These are event based stats for the spring race, none of the fall events are included.
Top Fuel:
Larry Dixon scored the 100th win for Don Prudhomme as a driver and owner in 2005. He was the 3rd to reach 100 behind John Force and Warren Johnson.
Melanie Troxel became the first and only person in Top Fuel to make 5 consecutive finals to start a season by reaching the final and winning in 2006. It was her 6th straight overall going back to the final race of 2005.
15 of the 16 events have been won from the top 5 starting spots. Only Tony Schumacher coming from 9th in 2004 breaks the trend.
Steve is a pretty popular name for the 16th qualifier. Steven Chrisman (4 times), Steve Faria (2 times), and Steve Torrence (1 time) have all started raceday from last.
Kenny Bernstein won the first 2 events from the #1 qualifying position.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 3.758 - Antron Brown - 2014 / J.R. Todd - 2015
Event speed record: 328.78 - Spencer Massey - 2015
Closest field: .139 seconds - Tony Schumacher 4.479 to J.R. Todd 4.618 - 2007
Quickest bump spot: 4.036 - Steve Faria - 2015
Most entries: 22 - 2002
Fewest entries: 17 - 2003; 2010
Closest final round margin of victory: .012 Tony Schumacher over Doug Kalitta - 2014
Funny Car:
Robert Hight has been to 4 of the last 5 finals in this event, winning two of them.
While the track has seen a 3 second pass in the fall, the spring event has never produced one.
Mike Ashley recorded the fastest speed in 1,320 foot Funny Car history in 2007 at 334.32.
The #1 qualifier has only made the finals twice. Whit Bazemore was runner up in 2003 and Robert Hight won from the pole in 2012.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 4.006 Courtney Force - 2014
Event speed record: 325.37 Courtney Force - 2014
Closest field: .112 - Mike Ashley 4.725 to Jack Beckman 4.837 - 2007
Quickest bump spot: 4.245 - Jon Capps - 2014
Most Entries: 27 - 2000
Fewest Entries: 17 - 2004, 2009, 2015
Closest final round margin of victory: .0021 John Force over Robert Hight - 2015
Pro Stock:
When Greg Anderson qualifies, he will tie Warren Johnson for 2nd on the all-time consecutive starts list with 303. His last DNQ was ironically at Las Vegas in October 2002. (Another quick fact about that event, he and Jim Yates were 2nd and 3rd in points and both were DNQ's handing the title to Jeg Coughlin.)
Greg's streak is the longest current streak with 302, Tony Schumacher is 2nd at 298. At the current 24 national event per year rate, it will be near the end of the 2019 season before Greg could take the overall lead, and early in the 2020 season before Tony Schumacher could.
Matt Smith was 4th on the active streak list and had his broken with a DNQ at Gainesville.
If you include the fall races and K&N Challenge, Erica Enders-Stevens is on a 22 consecutive round winning streak heading into this weekends events.
The race has been won back to back 5 times, including the last 6 years. Jeg Coughlin (2000 - 2001), Greg Anderson (2003 - 2004), Mike Edwards (2010 - 2011), Allen Johnson (2012 - 2013), Erica Enders-Stevens (2014 - 2015)
Greg Stanfield had 3 straight runner ups (2008-2010)
The event has been won 3 times on a holeshot and lost once on a red light.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 6.606 - Jason Line - 2015
Event speed record: 209.17 - Jeg Coughlin - 2014
Closest field: .045 - Greg Anderson 6.880 to Jeg Coughlin 6.925 - 2003 and Greg Anderson 6.787 to Greg Stanfield 6.832 - 2006
Quickest bump spot: 6.724 - Mark Wolfe - 2014
Most Entries: 34 - 2002
Fewest Entries: 16 - 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .0031 - Kurt Johnson over Dave Connolly - 2006
Top Alcohol Dragster:
Tony Bartone has been number 1 qualifier in both alcohol categories. TAD - 2003 and TAFC - 2011
Joey Severance has won the last 3 events in a row.
Joey Severance has the most wins at 4 and has competed in 6 finals.
Low ET of the event has been set in the final round 3 times.
11 of the 15 prior races have been won by the number 1 or 5 qualifier. The number 1 qualifier has won 6 and the 5th qualifying position has won 5 times.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 5.269 - Joey Severance - 2014
Event speed record: 278.98 - Don St. Arnaud - 2014
Closest field: .195 - Sean O'Bannon 5.385 to Joe Windham 5.580 - 2006
Quickest bump spot: 5.580 - Joe Windham - 2006
Most Entries: 26 - 2006
Fewest Entries: 11 - 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .001 - Darren Nicholson over Mike Strasburg - 2000
Top Alcohol Funny Car:
Tony Bartone is the only driver to sweep the event, Win, #1 qualifier, low ET, and top speed. He did it in 3 consecutive years (2011-2013)
Tony Bartone has the most event wins at 4 and all of his wins have come from the #1 qualifying position.
Nick Janiuk went from a DNQ in 2013 to a win in 2014.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 5.539 - Tony Bartone - 2012
Event speed record: 263.67 - Annie Whiteley - 2015
Closest field: .135 - Jay Payne 5.682 to Rian Konno 5.817 - 2005
Quickest bump spot: 5.761 - Hannes Wernhart - 2013
Most Entries: 28 - 2000
Fewest Entries: 17 - 2012, 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .004 - Bucky Austin over Larry Miner - 2001
Streak busters:
Tony Pedregon snapped a 114 straight race qualifying streak in 2006. He had a run quick enough to make the show but forgot to stop at the scales after an engine explosion and got it tossed out.
Doug Kalitta snapped a 164 straight race qualifying streak in 2007.
John Force's 395 consecutive race streak also ended in 2007, and is still the record for the longest. The current active leader is Greg Anderson with 302
Jim Epler broke a 7 year winless streak in 2000. His last prior win was the 1993 Winston Finals.
Firsts, lasts, and onlys:
Jack Beckman won his first round of professional racing in 2005 in Top Fuel.
Bob Bode made his first career semi final apperance in 2008.
Ron Krisher scored his first career #1 qualifier in 2000.
Todd Paton had the only #1 qualifying position in his nitro Funny Car career in 2000.
Brad Jeter made his Pro Stock debut in 2000 driving Steve Schmidt's Firebird.
The first pro competitors to make a pass down The Strip - Jerry Haas and Rick Distefano - Pro Stock Truck, Lori Francis and Craig Treble - Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gordie Rivera and Jim Basko - Pro Stock, Cory Lee - Funny Car, Arley Langlo - Top Fuel.
Mike Ashley's first #1 qualifiier in 2007.
The only time 2 different drivers with the same name won the same event. Jim Hughes and Jim Hughes won Stock and Super Gas in 2002.
Kenny and Brandon Bernstein became the first father and son to win the same national event in 2001 when Kenny won Top Fuel and Brandon won Top Alcohol Dragster.
Rod Alexander, Ron August Jr, and Nick Janiuk won their first and currently only TAFC wins in this event.
Hillary Will and Jeff Isbel won their only career TAD races in this event.
Top Fuel:
Larry Dixon scored the 100th win for Don Prudhomme as a driver and owner in 2005. He was the 3rd to reach 100 behind John Force and Warren Johnson.
Melanie Troxel became the first and only person in Top Fuel to make 5 consecutive finals to start a season by reaching the final and winning in 2006. It was her 6th straight overall going back to the final race of 2005.
15 of the 16 events have been won from the top 5 starting spots. Only Tony Schumacher coming from 9th in 2004 breaks the trend.
Steve is a pretty popular name for the 16th qualifier. Steven Chrisman (4 times), Steve Faria (2 times), and Steve Torrence (1 time) have all started raceday from last.
Kenny Bernstein won the first 2 events from the #1 qualifying position.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 3.758 - Antron Brown - 2014 / J.R. Todd - 2015
Event speed record: 328.78 - Spencer Massey - 2015
Closest field: .139 seconds - Tony Schumacher 4.479 to J.R. Todd 4.618 - 2007
Quickest bump spot: 4.036 - Steve Faria - 2015
Most entries: 22 - 2002
Fewest entries: 17 - 2003; 2010
Closest final round margin of victory: .012 Tony Schumacher over Doug Kalitta - 2014
Funny Car:
Robert Hight has been to 4 of the last 5 finals in this event, winning two of them.
While the track has seen a 3 second pass in the fall, the spring event has never produced one.
Mike Ashley recorded the fastest speed in 1,320 foot Funny Car history in 2007 at 334.32.
The #1 qualifier has only made the finals twice. Whit Bazemore was runner up in 2003 and Robert Hight won from the pole in 2012.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 4.006 Courtney Force - 2014
Event speed record: 325.37 Courtney Force - 2014
Closest field: .112 - Mike Ashley 4.725 to Jack Beckman 4.837 - 2007
Quickest bump spot: 4.245 - Jon Capps - 2014
Most Entries: 27 - 2000
Fewest Entries: 17 - 2004, 2009, 2015
Closest final round margin of victory: .0021 John Force over Robert Hight - 2015
Pro Stock:
When Greg Anderson qualifies, he will tie Warren Johnson for 2nd on the all-time consecutive starts list with 303. His last DNQ was ironically at Las Vegas in October 2002. (Another quick fact about that event, he and Jim Yates were 2nd and 3rd in points and both were DNQ's handing the title to Jeg Coughlin.)
Greg's streak is the longest current streak with 302, Tony Schumacher is 2nd at 298. At the current 24 national event per year rate, it will be near the end of the 2019 season before Greg could take the overall lead, and early in the 2020 season before Tony Schumacher could.
Matt Smith was 4th on the active streak list and had his broken with a DNQ at Gainesville.
If you include the fall races and K&N Challenge, Erica Enders-Stevens is on a 22 consecutive round winning streak heading into this weekends events.
The race has been won back to back 5 times, including the last 6 years. Jeg Coughlin (2000 - 2001), Greg Anderson (2003 - 2004), Mike Edwards (2010 - 2011), Allen Johnson (2012 - 2013), Erica Enders-Stevens (2014 - 2015)
Greg Stanfield had 3 straight runner ups (2008-2010)
The event has been won 3 times on a holeshot and lost once on a red light.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 6.606 - Jason Line - 2015
Event speed record: 209.17 - Jeg Coughlin - 2014
Closest field: .045 - Greg Anderson 6.880 to Jeg Coughlin 6.925 - 2003 and Greg Anderson 6.787 to Greg Stanfield 6.832 - 2006
Quickest bump spot: 6.724 - Mark Wolfe - 2014
Most Entries: 34 - 2002
Fewest Entries: 16 - 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .0031 - Kurt Johnson over Dave Connolly - 2006
Top Alcohol Dragster:
Tony Bartone has been number 1 qualifier in both alcohol categories. TAD - 2003 and TAFC - 2011
Joey Severance has won the last 3 events in a row.
Joey Severance has the most wins at 4 and has competed in 6 finals.
Low ET of the event has been set in the final round 3 times.
11 of the 15 prior races have been won by the number 1 or 5 qualifier. The number 1 qualifier has won 6 and the 5th qualifying position has won 5 times.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 5.269 - Joey Severance - 2014
Event speed record: 278.98 - Don St. Arnaud - 2014
Closest field: .195 - Sean O'Bannon 5.385 to Joe Windham 5.580 - 2006
Quickest bump spot: 5.580 - Joe Windham - 2006
Most Entries: 26 - 2006
Fewest Entries: 11 - 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .001 - Darren Nicholson over Mike Strasburg - 2000
Top Alcohol Funny Car:
Tony Bartone is the only driver to sweep the event, Win, #1 qualifier, low ET, and top speed. He did it in 3 consecutive years (2011-2013)
Tony Bartone has the most event wins at 4 and all of his wins have come from the #1 qualifying position.
Nick Janiuk went from a DNQ in 2013 to a win in 2014.
The numbers:
Event ET record: 5.539 - Tony Bartone - 2012
Event speed record: 263.67 - Annie Whiteley - 2015
Closest field: .135 - Jay Payne 5.682 to Rian Konno 5.817 - 2005
Quickest bump spot: 5.761 - Hannes Wernhart - 2013
Most Entries: 28 - 2000
Fewest Entries: 17 - 2012, 2014
Closest final round margin of victory: .004 - Bucky Austin over Larry Miner - 2001
Streak busters:
Tony Pedregon snapped a 114 straight race qualifying streak in 2006. He had a run quick enough to make the show but forgot to stop at the scales after an engine explosion and got it tossed out.
Doug Kalitta snapped a 164 straight race qualifying streak in 2007.
John Force's 395 consecutive race streak also ended in 2007, and is still the record for the longest. The current active leader is Greg Anderson with 302
Jim Epler broke a 7 year winless streak in 2000. His last prior win was the 1993 Winston Finals.
Firsts, lasts, and onlys:
Jack Beckman won his first round of professional racing in 2005 in Top Fuel.
Bob Bode made his first career semi final apperance in 2008.
Ron Krisher scored his first career #1 qualifier in 2000.
Todd Paton had the only #1 qualifying position in his nitro Funny Car career in 2000.
Brad Jeter made his Pro Stock debut in 2000 driving Steve Schmidt's Firebird.
The first pro competitors to make a pass down The Strip - Jerry Haas and Rick Distefano - Pro Stock Truck, Lori Francis and Craig Treble - Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gordie Rivera and Jim Basko - Pro Stock, Cory Lee - Funny Car, Arley Langlo - Top Fuel.
Mike Ashley's first #1 qualifiier in 2007.
The only time 2 different drivers with the same name won the same event. Jim Hughes and Jim Hughes won Stock and Super Gas in 2002.
Kenny and Brandon Bernstein became the first father and son to win the same national event in 2001 when Kenny won Top Fuel and Brandon won Top Alcohol Dragster.
Rod Alexander, Ron August Jr, and Nick Janiuk won their first and currently only TAFC wins in this event.
Hillary Will and Jeff Isbel won their only career TAD races in this event.
