Tony Shoe Wins.....

[Wes]

WOW!!!! I am completely stunned!

 

[d'kid]

let me see if I can grasp this. On the last possible run of the entire year Alan Johnson threw in an all, or nothing at all tune up to win the Championship by Nine Thousandths of a second!!!!!

This may be the last time you will ever see such a sensational chase for the championship boys and girls. In the last pass forever of the true championship style points system.

Can we postpone the new points system forever? And Yepper, congrats AJ and Todd for both setting new records, and the speed record while you were at it Todd... still in shock here...

Doug, Robert, Ron and Antron, you guys had great runs at the Titles, You too Melanie and Brandon... I'm proud of you all U2 GA

And Congrats to Jason, Andrew, Papa John, And AJ on your National Championships

 

[none]

That was just incredible! It all seemed like a blur, I saw Tony leave good and knew it had a chance, and then I saw the 4.428 come up and that's a threepeat. I didn't think anything could top last year's Finals when Scelzi clinched but am glad to say I was wrong.

 

[fizzle]

I think Alan just solidified his position as one of the baddest MF'ers to ever walk the face of the earth.

Congrats to the entire Army team!

 

[DLB]

T/f 1

Way to Sarge!
And a tip of the hat to Alan Johnson...
Of course, all these keyboard top fuel drivers on here could have done it with AJ tuning them.

I told my wife as soon as it was over (as I was excited as heck...)"Man, I feel bad for Doug now. It is a two-edged sword." I never could stop pulling for Tony, but I wouldn't have been totally dissapointed if Doug would have won, let's just put it that way.

 

[ProNitro Pete]

I think Alan just solidified his position as one of the baddest MF'ers to ever walk the face of the earth.

Congrats to the entire Army team!

WORD!!!!!

Damed that was Radical!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lisa]

TF & Tony Shoe, what a joke. Makes me sick they let him get away with ignoring the starter (Rick) and then they say he won the championship. He shouldn't have been in it today.

My thoughts exactly. I couldn't have said it better.

 

[DragFan2]

Something to make our troops cheer about !!!

UnfreakingBelievable!

Now that was excitement and drama to the max. The script was written last night as Alan & Tony knew what their mission was, and they accomplished it.

I was rooting for Doug every step of the way, though, and I thought when they threw down the low E.T. of qualifying guantlet, that the Sarge and their team were doomed. Man was I wrong. Dang, I had to root against Melanie in the Semi's and for Melanie in the finals, and both times I was on the wrong side of the coin. My hat's off to DSR and the whole U.S. Army team though, as they had to be PERFECT and they were. You couldn't have written this script any better. <edit> Other than Dougie laying down the guantlet when it mattered most, like against Melanie and then against Tony in the Finals. Doug Kalitta, you and Rahn are true champions, and somehow the stars did not line up for you but rather for Tony. Dang it!

PS: I'm glad I stayed off the 'Mater and the internet all day so I could enjoy the races on TV. You guys were posting the news 2-3 hours before it was on TV. Glad I resisted the temptation to peek.

 

[Kelly]

That was so completely amazing! Congrats to Tony and the team.......I think it took me about 2 minutes to pick my jaw up off the floor!

 

[Bubba]

My thoughts exactly. I couldn't have said it better.

By staging the car, Tony didn't benefit points-wise or in qualifying position so I think the monetary fine was entirely appropriate.

 

[ProNitro Pete]

My thoughts exactly. I couldn't have said it better.

Lisa And Maters,
Did any of you watch last nights qualifying?
CLEARLY there was time to stop Alan on his way around the back of the car. They DIDN'T...
Rick Stewart could have red bulbed the Run,
He DIDN'T
Alan clearly was paying attention trying to find the problem, walked the back half of the Car, and walked right past NHRA Linemen. He wasnt stopped or called to RS attention,
They let Tony Stage and Run.............

The actual fault is primary, the fine is secondary ,
but the ridicule is not necessary!

 

[Rusty]

Will never get any better...

The new system of points certainly will have it's work cut out for it because we'll be talking about this for years to come. As someone that gave the ultimate sacrifice for the sport, I'll always route for AJ - he's just a wizard. I was a little disappointed Melanie and Richard weren't mentioned in the post, after all they opened the door...bonus shot from Bandimere...

 

[Bob]

Lisa And Maters,
Did any of you watch last nights qualifying?
CLEARLY there was time to stop Alan on his way around the back of the car. They DIDN'T...
Rick Stewart could have red bulbed the Run,
He DIDN'T
Alan clearly was paying attention trying to find the problem, walked the back half of the Car, and walked right past NHRA Linemen. He wasnt stopped or called to RS attention,
They let Tony Stage and Run.............

The actual fault is primary, the fine is secondary ,
but the ridicule is not necessary!

You didn't watch the 5 minute segment of NHRA2day did you? Had you watched the analysis you would know that Alan made eye contact with Rick. He knew Rick ordered him to shut down.

Rick has a button to start the tree and does not have a button to control a red light for one lane.

What you call ridicule is my DISGUST with the NHRA and the Schumacher Team. Not ridicule by any stretch. Somebody could have been killed last night. A $20K fine is nothing to these guys. They should have been bounced from the event.

TV ratings was the name of the game. Had the NHRA taken appropriate action Tony would have been out of the race.

 

[Jenn]

By staging the car, Tony didn't benefit points-wise or in qualifying position so I think the monetary fine was entirely appropriate.

He was staging so he could run so he could set the record. So he did stand a chance at benefit points wise.

 

[megadeth]

Congratulations to Tony and the main reason he won it this year ALAN JOHNSON!
I have to say it because a lot of people might have forgotten what would that have made Blaine Johonson a six time T/F champion!

 

[RAPID]

Congrats to AJ, and the team. It was a one in a million shot, they pulled it off.

Rapid {Hoping it was Dougie's turn this year}

 

[Jenn]

"I don't want anyone to think I didn't see him," the U.S. Army Dragster driver said afterward. "I clearly saw him. It's not my job as a driver to shut the car off. "

What the heck do you mean, it's not my job to shut the car down? Drivers don't shut the cars down? What the heck do you do when something goes wrong down track? Have AJ tell you to shut her down?

That's just a bunch of bull there.

"Don't misunderstand. I don't think there was a person on the crew who didn't think that it was going to smoke the tires. It wasn't an issue of 'Is it going to make it?' No. Everyone knew it was going to smoke the tires."

If all you were going to do was intentionally smoke the tires, why risk the run? Especially after all the accidents that teams been envolved with.

No safety factor my butt.

 

[Lisa]

Lisa And Maters,
Did any of you watch last nights qualifying?
CLEARLY there was time to stop Alan on his way around the back of the car. They DIDN'T...
Rick Stewart could have red bulbed the Run,
He DIDN'T
Alan clearly was paying attention trying to find the problem, walked the back half of the Car, and walked right past NHRA Linemen. He wasnt stopped or called to RS attention,
They let Tony Stage and Run.............

The actual fault is primary, the fine is secondary ,
but the ridicule is not necessary!

Why are you targeting me here?? Is it because me and a handful of other people have the guts to say what they really feel?? Yes I watched qualifying last night but when a driver says he clearly saw he was supposed to shut the car off that shows a complete disregard for the safety of himself and the other driver. Regardless of whether the tree was activated or not he should have been a responsible driver and shut it off when "he clearly saw him" tell him to do so. Next time don't try to call me out on something when I am not the only one feeling this way.

 

[Toejam]

Has Alan Johnson signed with DSR for '07? I understand some teams are bidding for his services! Things that make you go Hmmmmmmmmm.........

 

[rocketman]

This was probably the greatest moment ever in drag racing regardless of who you like. If this happend in stock car racing the media wouldn't ever stop talking about it.