Where is it?????????

[Gregg Pickens]

I can't believe Andrew red lit in the first round and threw away a championship just so Eddie could set a national record! Those Harley guys are always thinking one step ahead of everyone else.

Congrats to Antron on finishing what has been a difficult season with a win.

 

[Toejam]

Come on Joe,really?????

Had he run Ashley or Robert in the early rounds, I would have put $100 on Force!

 

[TSK]

The championship was Hagan's to lose. And lose it he did.
Once Hagan stumbled, Force capitalized on the situation. Whether Force's opponents dived or not is a moot point.
Nobody would have been happier than me to see Hagan win it all. I was sick when I saw that puff of smoke out the left bank near the top end and his car slowed.
But, the fact of the matter is that Force did what he had to do to win.

 

[Greg]

For Tasca to intentionally go out and burn down a championship contender on the line instead of just running the race was BS.

Hagan screwed himself on that. There's no game if you don't play. Why ANYONE who was in his position would ever allow themselves to be sucked into that is beyond me.

 

[DrRocket]

Hagan screwed himself on that. There's no game if you don't play. Why ANYONE who was in his position would ever allow themselves to be sucked into that is beyond me.

This is the key point here. If Hagan thought he needed to stage, the solution was simple.

Stage.

Then it's Tasca's job to move his car into the beams.

The staging is a very small part of the whole game. The biggest part (In my mind, at least.) is to get down to the finish line first. I'm guessing that a big reason Matt was so upset after the race is that he was kicking himself for allowing Tasca to lead on the dance floor.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Hagan screwed himself on that. There's no game if you don't play. Why ANYONE who was in his position would ever allow themselves to be sucked into that is beyond me.

AGREED. It takes two to tango. If you don't want to get burned, stage the #$%@% car. (as a side note, I also was less than impressed with Tasca's attitude on TV about this....very unprofessional)

 

[Shaggy]

I completely agree about Hagen staging and not playing the game, but Tascas interview afterward where he said it was his intention was what pissed me off. He didnt need to be so arrogant about his intentions going into the round in his interview. He never said he was up there to beat Hagen, he said he was making it so he couldnt return next round, one way or another.

My issue is more with Tascas classless interview than what he did...

 

[PDQ]

Well Tascas wanted Ford to win and burndowns are part of the game. Hagen learned a lesson and Tascas took a chance of over heating also. Tascas coments in the Interview were not needed for sure, Hagen should have looked Tasca up and gave him a love tap like Ed the Ace would have.

 

[mick]

classless comments by tasca?.......REALLY?!
for a couple of similar aged guys, the owner took it to the employee yesterday.
tasca did nothing more than show brand loyalty yesterday.
matt should have expected a wait from bob and been ready to stage first;
he didn't and now matt will never really know if that wait affected his run.

ford won huge yesterday.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

No controversey here. All you guys in the Ford Camp kicked out collective DSR azz down the stretch. You should really enjoy this one! Good job!

 

[twostep]

The 'staging duel' was about 15-20 seconds. Not exactly a burndown, and as Weitzel pointed out, both cars were running. Still, staging games are best left to Pro Stocks. I'm surprised both Tasca and Hagen didn't smoke the tires. Clutches don't take kindly to such antics.

Bob Tasca could have left what he said, unsaid. Hagen was hurting enough as it was.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Just once I'd like to see the DSR fans (a few have and I'm grateful) acknowledge a superior performance and move on. Instead, we now have to endure "what WOULD have been" scenarios. Well, let's get out the horseshoes and handgrenades fellow fourth graders. Woulda, shoulda, coulda ain't gonna get it....John Force TOOK the championship Sunday. He didn't buy it. DSR didn't GIVE it away. He TOOK it. And he may not give it back. Matt Hagan is still a good guy and a heckuva driver with a good crew. I reserve judgement on the owner.

I think I've accomplished your desire somewhere here! JFR...good job. Earned! And EARNED for the 2nd year in a row!

 

[mw6789]

C'mon Ma, drag racing is just plain better when Force is winning!

He is the only guy out there who wins a lot that I dont tire of seeing him win over and over. And any 61 year old guy recently broken into pieces that can sprint down the return road like he did is A OK with me.

 

[JIMI B]

Congrats to John on his 15th first and foremost! He did what he had to do to win!

Now what I did see yesterday is that JFR has a true teammate in Tasca. For Tasca to intentionally go out and burn down a championship contender on the line instead of just running the race was BS. I lost whatever respect I had for the kid and his team when he made the comment that he intended to go out and burn Hagens car to the ground if he had to. There is no place for petty games with these cars. But hey I have grown to expect that kinda crap in the NHRA Big Show.


Hows that?

I am pretty sure his comment was he would burn his own car to the ground.. Talking about his own fire suit an what not.

Staging games are part of it. Growing up in racing I was always of the mind frame that Id just like to run my own race and not play any games. But I dont really mind a good burn down any longer. First of all it takes 2 as other said. Stage the car.. Hagan was equally guilty. Second of all anything to get tv viewers. We have no sport with out the money rolling in.

 

[Eracer]

Just once I'd like to see the DSR fans (a few have and I'm grateful) acknowledge a superior performance and move on. Instead, we now have to endure "what WOULD have been" scenarios. Well, let's get out the horseshoes and handgrenades fellow fourth graders. Woulda, shoulda, coulda ain't gonna get it....John Force TOOK the championship Sunday. He didn't buy it. DSR didn't GIVE it away. He TOOK it. And he may not give it back. Matt Hagan is still a good guy and a heckuva driver with a good crew. I reserve judgement on the owner.

Amen Stan - Way to go CHAMP!

 

[Kansas Stan]

Thank you, Steve Bullard. A class reply. Truthfully, there isn't a funny car driver out there that I would have a problem taking home the championship and I really like Hagan and Beckman,,,,there's just driving for the wrong side LOL

 

[SundayNiagara]

Congrats to John on his 15th first and foremost! He did what he had to do to win!

Now what I did see yesterday is that JFR has a true teammate in Tasca. For Tasca to intentionally go out and burn down a championship contender on the line instead of just running the race was BS. I lost whatever respect I had for the kid and his team when he made the comment that he intended to go out and burn Hagens car to the ground if he had to. There is no place for petty games with these cars. But hey I have grown to expect that kinda crap in the NHRA Big Show.


Hows that?

Oy vey!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[house]

I believe Tasca's point was that he wasn't going to go in first, even if it burned both of them down. His right to do that if he chooses. He was just excited about helping JF out and let that excitement override his brain a bit. I don't hold that against him....not that he would care about me

 

[TR]

classless comments by tasca?.......REALLY?!
for a couple of similar aged guys, the owner took it to the employee yesterday.
tasca did nothing more than show brand loyalty yesterday.
matt should have expected a wait from bob and been ready to stage first;
he didn't and now matt will never really know if that wait affected his run.

ford won huge yesterday.

Ford may have won the race but Tasca's comment could have a negative impact on the positive Ford message. Totally uncalled for, and not needed. Hagen got hod winked, but I don't think John Force had any thing to do with it, Tasca was just being stupid and he lost any respect from me anyway. Congrats to John and all of JFR racing, he struggled through the year but won, the sign of a true champion, never say never.

Rick

 

[clwill]

Two tweets from Bob Tasca about 1/2 hour ago:

What a race! That 1st round win was huge. I wanted more than anything to put Force in a position to win for Ford. Congrats to the JFR team

Followed shortly thereafter by:

I also want to tip my hat to Matt, Tommy D and their entire team. They had an amazing year and will be tough to beat next year.

Presented without comment.