What a difference a day makes.
Saturday, John Force and daughter Courtney appeared comfortably ranked first and second in the NHRA Funny Car standings heading into Sunday’s NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove (Pa.) Raceway.
But in a surprising turn of events, both Forces lost in the first round of eliminations, while 2011 Funny Car champ Matt Hagan went on to win Sunday to take over the points lead with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.
Now, John Force’s bid for a record 17th Funny Car championship is in jeopardy.
Hagan sealed Sunday’s victory over Tommy Johnson Jr. with a bit of impromptu fireworks of his own, as his engine exploded when Hagan crossed the finish line.
It was Hagan’s third appearance in the final round of the Countdown and his second playoff win. With three wins in 2014 and 13 in his career, Hagan leaves Maple Grove with a 36-point edge in the standings over John Force.
“The points lead is huge but we showed up here to win a race,” Hagan said. “Points change, but the Wallys (event win trophies) you put on your shelf don’t.
“We did what we set out to do this morning and that was to turn the win light on four times (in Sunday’s four elimination rounds).”
Other winners Sunday were Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Rodger Brogdon (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
In Top Fuel, Schumacher continued to strengthen his bid for a record eighth championship, defeating John Force’s other drag racing daughter, Brittany.
Schumacher has now won three of the first four Countdown events and has a dominating 134-point lead in the Top Fuel standings over Doug Kalitta heading into the next-to-last race of the season, the Toyota NHRA Nationals Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 at Las Vegas.
“Luckily I don’t have the give up attitude,” Schumacher said. “I got back in it. I think I pedaled it twice and finally got it to hook up a little bit. I’ve been working on that a long time. That’s the first one of those I’ve won in a long time, I’ve been taken a beating. You’ve got to win those.”
It was Brittany Force’s fourth final round appearance of the season, and she continues in the quest for her first Top Fuel event win.
In Pro Stock, Brogdon earned his second career victory, defeating veteran driver and former champion Allen Johnson in the final round.
“I think that we can’t be taken for granted,” Brogdon said. “We’re working on hopefully a three-year deal with Owens Corning (as a sponsor) and this win definitely had to help.”
Jason Line left Maple Grove with a 35-point lead in the Pro Stock standings over No. 1 qualifier Erica Enders-Stevens.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Krawiec earned his fourth win of 2014 and the 27th of his career, defeating Scotty Pollacheck in the final round. Krawiec closes to within 25 points of PSM standings leader and teammate Andrew Hines.
“We were joking around that it looks like it’s going to come down to a two hog race instead of a two horse race,” Krawiec laughed because he and Hines both ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. “I knew that this was an important day for me personally. If I wanted to stay in championship contention I have to make sure I can make up every round.”
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FINAL FINISHING ORDER:
TOP FUEL: 1. Tony Schumacher; 2. Brittany Force; 3. Doug Kalitta; 4. Spencer Massey; 5. Khalid alBalooshi; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Steve Torrence; 8. Richie Crampton; 9. Bob Vandergriff; 10. Dom Lagana; 11. Antron Brown; 12. Terry McMillen; 13. Leah Pritchett; 14. Larry Dixon; 15. Shawn Langdon; 16. Clay Millican.
FUNNY CAR: 1. Matt Hagan; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr.; 3. Alexis DeJoria; 4. Jeff Arend; 5. Cruz Pedregon; 6. Bob Tasca III; 7. Tim Wilkerson; 8. Jack Beckman; 9. John Force; 10. Del Worsham; 11. Robert Hight; 12. Chad Head; 13. Ron Capps; 14. Courtney Force; 15. John Bojec; 16. Tony Pedregon.
PRO STOCK: 1. Rodger Brogdon; 2. Allen Johnson; 3. Erica Enders-Stevens; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Vincent Nobile; 6. Shane Gray; 7. V. Gaines; 8. Jason Line; 9. Dave Connolly; 10. Jeg Coughlin; 11. Frank Gugliotta; 12. Larry Morgan; 13. John Gaydosh Jr; 14. Richie Stevens; 15. Kenny Delco; 16. Jonathan Gray.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Eddie Krawiec; 2. Scotty Pollacheck; 3. Matt Smith; 4. Andrew Hines; 5. Chaz Kennedy; 6. Adam Arana; 7. Jerry Savoie; 8. Hector Arana Jr; 9. John Hall; 10. Steve Johnson; 11. Shawn Gann; 12. Hector Arana; 13. Angie Smith; 14. Joe DeSantis; 15. Angelle Sampey; 16. Brian Pretzel.
FINAL RESULTS:
Top Fuel — Tony Schumacher, 4.440 seconds, 291.13 mph def. Brittany Force, 4.652 seconds, 269.94 mph.
Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.333, 215.00 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 5.456, 152.31.
Pro Stock — Rodger Brogdon, Chevy Camaro, 6.516, 212.13 def. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 10.270, 90.64.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.793, 197.13 def. Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.853, 193.82.
FINAL ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE — Steve Torrence, 3.796, 322.73 def. Larry Dixon, 10.137, 81.09; Richie Crampton, 3.734, 325.06 def. Shawn Langdon, 10.488, 75.15; Spencer Massey, 3.765, 327.59 def. Leah Pritchett, 9.578, 83.46; Khalid alBalooshi, 3.777, 323.12 def. Antron Brown, 4.388, 180.74; J.R. Todd, 3.741, 323.50 def. Dom Lagana, 3.879, 315.12; Brittany Force, 3.886, 313.37 def. Terry McMillen, 8.158, 90.71; Tony Schumacher, 3.735, 327.35 def. Bob Vandergriff, 3.863, 286.68; Doug Kalitta, 3.759, 326.71 def. Clay Millican, broke;
QUARTERFINALS — Kalitta, 3.749, 326.08 def. alBalooshi, 3.751, 324.90; Massey, 3.757, 321.50 def. Todd, 3.767, 321.19; Schumacher, 3.752, 325.30 def. Torrence, 3.767, 326.40; Force, 3.972, 249.58 def. Crampton, 4.223, 305.56;
SEMIFINALS — Force, 3.733, 329.91 def. Massey, 8.867, 73.80; Schumacher, 3.739, 326.71 def. Kalitta, 3.718, 329.91;
FINAL — Schumacher, 4.440, 291.13 def. Force, 4.652, 269.94.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE — Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.040, 321.50 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 6.128, 114.19; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.279, 306.19 def. Chad Head, Toyota Camry, 5.380, 210.28; Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.408, 203.80 def. Robert Hight, Mustang, 5.248, 145.56; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.079, 313.15 def. John Force, Mustang, 4.210, 261.62; Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.057, 305.36 def. John Bojec, 12.535, 57.48; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.035, 319.37 def. Tony Pedregon, Camry, broke; Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.598, 221.45 def. Courtney Force, Mustang, 9.146, 77.38; Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.676, 200.17 def. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.983, 201.67;
QUARTERFINALS — Arend, 4.096, 308.85 def. Wilkerson, 4.147, 292.96; Johnson Jr., 4.008, 316.52 def. C. Pedregon, 4.077, 312.35; DeJoria, 4.084, 309.34 def. Tasca III, 4.115, 301.13; Hagan, 4.039, 315.05 def. Beckman, 5.560, 128.52;
SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 4.043, 319.60 def. DeJoria, 4.032, 312.64; Johnson Jr., 8.610, 62.22 def. Arend, foul;
FINAL — Hagan, 4.333, 215.00 def. Johnson Jr., 5.456, 152.31.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE — V. Gaines, Dodge Avenger, 6.503, 213.37 def. Jonathan Gray, Chevy Camaro, 26.236, 27.63; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.501, 213.60 def. Jeg Coughlin, Dodge Dart, 6.545, 212.23; Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.496, 212.69 def. Richie Stevens, Camaro, 7.078, 174.12; Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.485, 213.16 def. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.524, 211.89; Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.512, 212.13 def. Larry Morgan, Ford Mustang, 6.594, 210.41; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.509, 213.33 def. John Gaydosh Jr, Pontiac GXP, foul; Erica Enders-Stevens, Camaro, 6.469, 213.30 def. Frank Gugliotta, Mustang, 6.579, 209.79; Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.506, 212.36 def. Kenny Delco, Chevy Cobalt, 7.629, 137.95;
QUARTERFINALS — Anderson, 6.515, 211.99 def. S. Gray, 6.499, 211.96; Brogdon, 6.505, 212.13 def. Line, 10.980, 83.26; Johnson, 6.498, 213.06 def. Nobile, 6.479, 213.27; Enders-Stevens, 6.484, 213.60 def. Gaines, 6.507, 212.69;
SEMIFINALS — Brogdon, 6.539, 211.59 def. Anderson, broke; Johnson, 6.499, 212.69 def. Enders-Stevens, 6.759, 210.87;
FINAL — Brogdon, 6.516, 212.13 def. Johnson, 10.270, 90.64.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE — Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.858, 194.77 def. John Hall, Buell, 6.862, 192.82; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.886, 192.99 def. Angelle Sampey, Buell, 7.129, 174.64; Chaz Kennedy, Buell, 6.834, 192.82 def. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.915, 190.78; Adam Arana, Buell, 6.857, 194.91 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, foul; Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.806, 197.59 def. Shawn Gann, Buell, 6.886, 193.77; Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.816, 197.48 def. Brian Pretzel, Suzuki, 7.172, 183.79; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.849, 176.63 def. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.024, 188.83; Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.978, 191.70 def. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.908, 195.70;
QUARTERFINALS — Pollacheck, 7.034, 190.30 def. Savoie, 7.354, 161.30; Hines, 6.770, 197.71 def. Kennedy, 6.862, 192.25; M. Smith, 7.564, 131.43 def. Arana Jr, foul; Krawiec, 6.806, 195.39 def. A. Arana, 6.935, 194.49;
SEMIFINALS — Krawiec, 6.809, 196.10 def. M. Smith, foul; Pollacheck, 6.840, 194.63 def. Hines, broke;
FINAL — Krawiec, 6.793, 197.13 def. Pollacheck, 6.853, 193.82.
UPDATED STANDINGS:
Top Fuel: 1. Tony Schumacher, 2,462; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,328; 3. Steve Torrence, 2,319; 4. Shawn Langdon, 2,314; 5. Antron Brown, 2,292; 6. J.R. Todd, 2,288; 7. Spencer Massey, 2,273; 8. Khalid alBalooshi, 2,240; 9. Brittany Force, 2,188; 10. Richie Crampton, 2,177.
Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, 2,423; 2. John Force, 2,387; 3. Courtney Force, 2,351; 4. Tommy Johnson Jr., 2,309; 5. Robert Hight, 2,288; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 2,268; 7. Ron Capps, 2,254; 8. Del Worsham, 2,227; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2,207; 10. Cruz Pedregon, 2,196.
Pro Stock: 1. Jason Line, 2,421; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, 2,386; 3. Dave Connolly, 2,370; 4. Shane Gray, 2,322; 5. Allen Johnson, 2,315; 6. Vincent Nobile, 2,295; 7. Jonathan Gray, 2,279; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 2,266; 9. V. Gaines, 2,207; 10. Chris McGaha, 2,104.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Andrew Hines, 2,485; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,460; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2,317; 4. Steve Johnson, 2,285; 5. Matt Smith, 2,274; 6. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,268; 7. John Hall, 2,222; 8. Hector Arana, 2,210; 9. Angie Smith, 2,157; 10. Michael Ray, 2,071.
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