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Points Leader Kurt Johnson Scores Pro Stock Win at Route 66 Raceway
Team Chevy Doubles Up with Pedregon's Funny Car Victory
JOLIET, Ill., June 8, 2008 - NHRA Pro Stock points leader increased his lead in the class with a win in today's rain-delayed 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Raceway NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. In an all-Chevy final round Johnson drove his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt to a winning elapsed time of 6.733 seconds at 205.22 mph as Jeg Coughlin Jr. had a mechanical failure with his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt and slowed to a 19.775 e.t. at 72.78 mph. Tony Pedregon in the Q Horsepower Chevy Impala SS also had an impressive Funny Car victory in the team's back-up car.
"This was just a great day in Chicago," Johnson said. "The weather kind of threw us off a little bit there, but I just call this thing big Blue. That's what it was about today. It actually saved me on a few runs because I was a little late (off the line) against Greg (Anderson) and against dad. I was .58 and .60 (reaction times) but in the final we stepped up because we knew Jeggie would be tough out there. He's always tough. We made a good run and the car was flawless today."
After qualifying sixth, Johnson advanced to his 70th career final round and the third of the 2008 season by running with the consistency of bracket car. He ran a 6.717 e.t. in Round 1 to defeat Mike Edwards, a 6.713 e.t. in Round 2 to defeat fellow Minnesota native Greg Anderson, and then a 6.723 e.t. to defeat his father Warren in the semifinals. Warren, who qualified his GM Performance Parts Pontiac GXP No. 2, adanced to his first semifinal of the season. This was Kurt Johnson's 38th career Pro Stock victory and his second win in the last four races.
"We didn't run well in qualifying, but we made some changes last night in gearing and carburetors and the thing really responded. It went out there and ran that 6.71 the first round. I didn't know what kind of chance we had of winning today, but it really stepped up today and responded and was on a string all day. We just made minor changes. When it's that fast you just need to detail it. We won $50,000 last year in the Pro Stock challenge and won this race here in 2003 and 2006. Chicago's just my favorite place right now."
In Funny Car, two Team Chevy drivers advanced to the semifinal round including No. 16 qualifier Gary Densham in the Racebricks Chevy Impala SS. Densham upset No. 1 qualifier Melanie Troxel in Round 1, surprised Funny Car points leader Tim Wilkerson in Round 2, and then tried to match his final-round appearance at Gainesville earlier this season but fell short against Scott Kalitta. Kalitta had a winning elapsed time of 5.057 seconds at 251.02 as Densham hazed the tires and slowed to a 6.535 e.t. at 138.20 mph.
Tony Pedregon in the Q Horsepower Chevy Impala SS and his crew made an impressive recovery from a major fire on Saturday night's final qualifying run, the result being Pedregon advancing to his second final round of the season. Ironically, the defending POWERade champion defeated Densham at Gainesville. Today Pedregon, who qualified tenth, defeated Jerry Toliver in Round 1, No. 2 qualifier Mark Oswald in round 2, and Ashley Force in the semifinals to face Scott Kalitta in the DHL Toyota in the money round. In the finals Pedregon had a winning elapsed time of 4.818 seconds at 319.75 mph to Kalitta's 4.957 e.t. at 308.92 mph for his second win of the season and 38th of his career.
"What a day," Pedregon said. "I really want to thank the track. We wish all the track's out here were like Route 66 in Chicago. You good people out here have the finest track in the country. I was on fire a little more than 24 hours ago and I've got a bunch of guys that just busted their rears. They stayed up until 3:00 in the morning getting the car ready. They were dog-tired until we won that first round and then I saw that adrenaline getting stronger and stronger in them.
"That little incident last night took me back to the beginning of the year at Pomona (and a similar incident). It started out to just be a run where everything was going good and we jumped on it to try and get low e.t. It just pushed a head gasket out. There was a little flash fire and I thought it would go out. At Pomona I knew I had my hands full right away, but this just started kind of routine and then gradually got worse.
"We looked at the data and were real encouraged. As bad as a feeling and as expensive as it is it is to wipe a body out, but I looked at the numbers and the car was running good. I just felt good. We had a new chassis and there's always a little question mark if it's going to drive like the other one. It was brand new and had zero runs on it, but fortunately my guys had it ready. After that first run I had that confidence that I probably haven't had in awhile. When the car responds, I think that gives the driver confidence. This is just a good shot in the arm for us and gets us back in the game."
In the Sportsman class Frank Manzo in his Lucas Oil Chevy Monte Carlo defeated Roger Bateman in a Mustang to take the Top Alcohol Funny Car title. The win extended Manzo's impressive streak of 46 consecutive round wins over the course of seven national event wins and six points races.
"I can't ever remember this kind of roll that I'm on right now," Manzo said. "We're just trying to race smart, although I think we got beat in the Jegs All Stars (non-points Sportsman All-Star race held this weekend) all because we tried to race smart, and Doug Gordon stepped up in the finals and just picked our pocket. He ran good and almost picked our pocket again in the semis (of today's eliminations). He's a tough car.
"But we just work as hard as we can. There's so much mechanics in it anymore, you can easily have a mechanical problem, so you've also got to have some luck. People say, 'Aw, you're just good,' but you've got to have a certain amount of luck in racing because there are so many mechanical parts. This weekend we had the luck we needed for the big picture, and that's coming here to win the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals and get the points towards the world championship. We're just going to keep doing the best we can, preparing the car the best we can, and keep sticking this Chevy Monte Carlo in the winner's circle as much as we can."
The next stop on the 24-race NHRA POWERade circuit is the 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park on June 19-22, 2008, in Englishtown, N.J.
PRO STOCK
Winner - Kurt Johnson (Chevy Cobalt) 6.733ET/205.22MPH
Runner-up - Jeg Coughlin (Chevy Cobalt), 19.755ET/ 72.78MPH
No. 1 Qualifier - Jeg Coughlin (Chevy Cobalt), 6.705ET/204.98MPH
Low elapsed time - Jeg Coughlin, 6.705 seconds
Top Speed - Warren Johnson (Pontiac GXP), 206.95MPH
Top 10 - 1. Kurt Johnson (Chevy Cobalt), 735; 2. Jeg Coughlin (Chevy Cobalt), 699; 3. Jason Line (Pontiac GXP), 665; 4. Greg Anderson (Pontiac GXP), 648; 5. Mike Edwards (Pontiac GXP), 529; 6. Allen Johnson (Dodge), 525; 7. V. Gaines (Dodge), 524; 8. Ron Krisher (Chevy Cobalt), 499; 9. Greg Stanfield (Pontiac GXP), 488; 10. Warren Johnson (Pontiac GXP), 465.
FUNNY CAR
Winner - Tony Pedregon (Chevy Impala SS), 4.818ET/319.75MPH
Runner-up - Scott Kalitta (Toyota), 4.957ET/308.92MPH
No. 1 Qualifier - Melanie Troxel (Dodge)), 4.752ET/327.27MPH
Top 10 - 1. Tim Wilkerson (Chevy Impala SS), 695; 2. Ashley Force (Ford), 638; 3. Cruz Pedregon (Toyota), 562; 4. John Force (Ford), 553; 5. Tony Pedregon (Chevy Impala SS), 547; 6. Robert Hight (Ford), 537; 7. Gary Densham (Chevy Impala SS), 478; 8. Ron Capps (Dodge), 470; 9. Mike Neff (Ford), 425; 10. Bob Tasca (Ford), 406.
TOP FUEL
Winner - Tony Schumacher, 4.499ET/329.83MPH
Runner-up - Rod Fuller, 5.259ET/223.14MPH
No. 1 Qualifier - Tony Schumacher, 4.513ET/331.69MPH
Top 10 - 1. Tony Schumacher, 897; 2. Antron Brown, 707; 3. Larry Dixon, 705; 4. Hillary Will, 620; 5. Rod Fuller, 594; 6. Cory McClenathan, 559; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 512; 8. Doug Kalitta, 451; 9. Doug Herbert, 448; 10. Dave Grubnic, 445.
