NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

 

 

 

 

Familiar faces in winner's circle as Langdon, Capps, Line, Krawiec score again

26 Jun 2016
NHRA News
News

Schedule | Tickets | Entries | Results

Team reports | Photos | Race Notes | Points

Ron Capps continued his midseason dominance with his fourth Funny Car win of 2016 at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.
 
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the 12th NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event of the season in Norwalk.
 
Capps raced his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to a winning pass of 3.956 seconds at 317.49 mph to the losing run of Courtney Force at 4.010 at 314.17.  This is his third win in four races, and he now has a commanding 130-point lead over Force, who is second, and credits his Don Schumacher Racing team for the success. 
 

Ron Capps

Shawn Langdon

Jason Line

Eddie Krawiec

“What Rahn Tobler [crew chief] is doing right now is hard work,” Capps said. “This guy has been working his tail off. It is big picture to him. He is not just a good crew chief; he is a good racer, and I love that. When he is pointing at me in the windshield before a run, it gives me all the confidence in the world.”
 
With the win, the 49th of his career, he ties legendary racer Don Prudhomme for 11th on the all-time NHRA wins list. Capps is a former driver of the Snake and continues to admire the pioneer of the sport.

“He was my hero growing up,” Capps continued. “These wins happen, and you are told you have tied someone you are completely enamored with growing up, so when you are mentioned like that, it blows me away. It doesn’t seem possible, to be mentioned with someone like 'Snake' is crazy.” 
 
Langdon, a DSR teammate to Capps, piloted his Red Fuel dragster to his second consecutive win of the year when he bested J.R. Todd in the final. His winning run of 3.846 at 319.75 to the losing effort of Todd at 3.937 at 285.05 earned Langdon his 13th career Top Fuel victory. Langdon defeated Troy Buff, Antron Brown, Brittany Force, and Todd for the win. Langdon had fortune on his side in the first round when Buff red-lighted, giving Langdon the automatic win while his dragster lost traction early in the run.
 
“I think we are starting to see a little luck go our way. We really should have been out first round,” Langdon stated. “We were just fortunate Troy Buff red-lit, and we went back and looked at everything and couldn’t find out why it did what it did. We went back to what we did in qualifying on Saturday with a hot-weather tune-up. We were able to put together three good straight runs and felt like we had a very strong car today.”
 
In Pro Stock, Line faced his teammate and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson in the final. Line, in his Summit Racing Chevy Camaro, had the early advantage off the starting line and held off Anderson for his seventh win of the season. Line had a winning pass of 6.678 at 208.42 to Anderson’s trailing run of 6.717 at 208.36. Line defeated Curt Steinbach, Erica Enders, and Vincent Nobile en route to his final-round matchup with Anderson.
 
“It was a hard today; it was very hot out there,” said Line. “We didn’t run as well as we would have liked today, and there were cars that were very close to us. They are getting closer, and to win at the Summit race in a Summit Car at a Summit track is a huge deal. Greg and I have been very fortunate to make that happen a bunch of times. It’s fun.”
 
Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Krawiec won his third race of 2016 when he defeated his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Andrew Hines in the final. Krawiec, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, had a winning run of 6.926 at 194.72 to defeat Hines, who recorded a 6.937 at 193.29. Krawiecs path to victory was eventful because he went off the end of the track and into the sand trap following both his semifinal- and final-round runs.
 
“We went back to the pit and had to take out 30 pounds of pea gravel,” said Krawiec. “We put new brake pads on it, checked the fluid, drained everything, and made sure it was 100 percent. We stopped fine in the lanes and everything. I see my fourth-round win light against my teammate and went, ‘Not again’. I pulled the clutch in and went in for a ride.”
 
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing will resume July 7-10 with the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.

Billy Glidden raced to victory Sunday in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. This weekend’s Pro Mod racing, presented by the Real Pro Mod Association, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park is the sixth of 10 Pro Mod events on the 2016 season.

Glidden won with a 5.893-second pass at 245.63 mph in his Precision Turbo 2014 Chevy Camaro when Bob Rahaim red-lighted at the starting line in his late-model TLC Waste Disposal Services Chevy Corvette in Sunday’s final.

“I didn’t feel any pressure,” said Glidden, son of legendary Pro Stock racer Bob Glidden. “I felt a lot more pressure in the 70s, 80s, and 90s when Dad was racing. Inside the car, I really just don’t get nervous.”

Glidden qualified 10th and got past Von Smith and Mike Janis on Sunday en route to his first win of the season and second of his career. Glidden is sixth in the points standings.

Rahaim, who was the No. 1 qualifier, sprinted past Steven Whitelely and two-time national champion Rickie Smith in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Smith is still first in the points standings and is followed by defending national champion Troy Coughlin Sr. in second and Rahaim in third.

The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series continues at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Aug. 3- Sept. 5.


 
2016 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
Updated 6/26/2016 (Following the 12th of 24 events; season victories in parentheses)
 
TOP FUEL
PlaceDriverPoints
1.Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., Mac Tools dragster (3)1,009
2.Antron Brown, Indianapolis, Matco Tools dragster (2)940
3.Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contactors dragster (2)846
4.Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Monster Energy dragster (2)832
5.Tony Schumacher, Austin, Texas, U.S. Army dragster729
6.Shawn Langdon, Indianapolis, Red Fuel/Sandvik dragster (2)711
7.J.R. Todd, Indianapolis, SealMaster dragster645
8.Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., Denso/Great Clips dragster572
9.Richie Crampton, Indianapolis, Lucas Oil dragster570
10.Leah Pritchett, Danville, Ind., Nitro Ninja dragster (1)463
 
FUNNY CAR
1.Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger (4)966
2.Courtney Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Traxxas Chevy Camaro (1)836
3.Jack Beckman, Norco, Calif., Infinite Hero Dodge Charger823
4.Del Worsham, Villa Park, Calif., DHL Toyota Camry762
5.Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger (1)750
6.Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger (2)747
7.Tim Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang (2)723
8.Robert Hight, Yorba Linda, Calif., Auto Club Chevy Camaro (1)722
9.John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Peak Chevy Camaro668
10.Alexis DeJoria, Austin, Texas, Tequila Patron Toyota Camry (1)640
 
PRO STOCK
1.Jason Line, Mooresville, N.C., Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro (7) *1,389
2.Greg Anderson, Mooresville, N.C., Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro (5) *1,274
3.Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., Jim Butner Auto Chevy Camaro796
4.Allen Johnson, Greeneville, Tenn., Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart719
5.Drew Skillman, Bargersville, Ind., Ray Skillman Chevy Chevy Camaro683
6.Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills, N.Y., Mountain View Tire Chevy Camaro613
7.Chris McGaha, Odessa, Texas, Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevy Camaro557
8.Shane Gray, Mooresville, N.C., Valvoline/Nova Services Chevy Camaro532
9.Jeg Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, Magneti Marelli/JEGS Dodge Dart528
10.Alex Laughlin, Granbury, Texas, Gas Monkey Garage/360 Wraps Chevy Camaro498
 
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE (following the fifth of 16 events)
1.Eddie Krawiec, Brownsburg, Ind., Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson (3)557
2t.Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson (1)391
2t.Jerry Savoie, Cut Off, La., Savoie's Alligator Farm Suzuki391
4.Angelle Sampey, Mathews, La., Precision Service Equipment Buell (1)372
5.Chip Ellis, Brownsburg, Ind., PiranaZ Buell300
6.Hector Arana Sr., Milltown, Ind., Lucas Oil Buell291
7.LE Tonglet, Metairie, La., Nitro Fish Suzuki253
8.Matt Smith, King, N.C., Nitro Fish Victory192
9.Scotty Pollacheck, Central Point, Ore., Petrolhead Apparel Buell183
10.Steve Johnson, Irondale, Ala., RaceTheVote.com Suzuki179
 
*Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship