Victory lane at Sunday’s NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., was a reunion of sorts for some of drag racing’s best oldies but goodies.
— In Funny Car, record 16-time champion John Force, who turned 65 last month, rallied from deep in the pack to power his way to his second win of the season and 143rd of his career.
Force (4.160 seconds at 309.49 mph) defeated No. 1 qualifier Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round.
The win was also yet another milestone in Force’s legendary career: he now has at least one win at every track that has appeared on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit.
“I had a great day,” said Force, who climbed into third position in the Funny Car points standings. “I’m not going out of racing any time soon, but I was going to win at New England. I almost did the first year and this year I finally did.”
— In Pro Stock, 54-year-old Greg Anderson won his second race in a row (won last week at Englishtown, N.J.), his third race of the season and 77th of his career.
The four-time world champ had a winning run of 6.512 seconds at 214.72 mph in the Pro Stock final, defeating 2012 world champ Allen Johnson (6.530 seconds at 213.50 mph).
“My car has been fantastic,” Anderson said. “I’m absolutely having a ball. I’ve got a great race team behind me and they are doing a great job. I can’t wait to go to the next race.”
— And in Top Fuel, defending champion and 8-time world champ Tony Schumacher, at 45 the kid of the trio, roared to his second win of the season and 79th of his career.
Schumacher’s 3.809-second run at 321.35 mph run edged runner-up Larry Dixon (3.881 seconds, 319.60 mph) and pushed Schumacher to second in the Top Fuel standings.
“[Crew chiefs] Mike [Green] and Neal [Strausbaugh] did an outstanding job today,” said Schumacher. “I felt like I drove well today. Together as a team we went out and won. We did a great job, what a battle.”
Sunday’s race was the 10th event on the 24-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The next race is this coming weekend’s (June 19-21) Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.
FINAL FINISHING ORDER
TOP FUEL: 1. Tony Schumacher; 2. Larry Dixon; 3. Brittany Force; 4. Spencer Massey; 5. Dave Connolly; 6. Richie Crampton; 7. Terry McMillen; 8. Clay Millican; 9. J.R. Todd; 10. Dan Mercier; 11. Morgan Lucas; 12. Antron Brown; 13. Leah Pritchett; 14. Steve Torrence; 15. Doug Kalitta; 16. Shawn Langdon.
FUNNY CAR: 1. John Force; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr.; 3. Cruz Pedregon; 4. Courtney Force; 5. Del Worsham; 6. Matt Hagan; 7. Alexis DeJoria; 8. Robert Hight; 9. Ron Capps; 10. Tony Pedregon; 11. Tim Wilkerson; 12. Dom Lagana; 13. Bob Tasca III; 14. Jack Beckman; 15. Dave Richards; 16. Jeff Diehl.
PRO STOCK: 1. Greg Anderson; 2. Allen Johnson; 3. Jason Line; 4. Erica Enders; 5. Drew Skillman; 6. Vincent Nobile; 7. Chris McGaha; 8. Jonathan Gray; 9. Shane Gray; 10. Larry Morgan; 11. John Gaydosh Jr; 12. Alan Prusiensky; 13. Val Smeland; 14. Kenny Delco; 15. V. Gaines.
FINAL RESULTS
Top Fuel: Tony Schumacher, 3.809 seconds, 321.35 mph def. Larry Dixon, 3.881 seconds, 319.60 mph.
Funny Car: John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.160, 309.49 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.195, 304.25.
Pro Stock: Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.512, 214.72 def. Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.530, 213.50.
FINAL ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS
TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE — Richie Crampton, 3.779, 321.88 def. Dan Mercier, 3.956, 297.81; Brittany Force, 4.287, 211.03 def. Doug Kalitta, 5.039, 117.17; Larry Dixon, 3.785, 320.58 def. Antron Brown, 4.149, 236.38; Terry McMillen, 4.268, 259.56 def. Shawn Langdon, 7.004, 100.77; Tony Schumacher, 4.027, 250.69 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.070, 238.81; Dave Connolly, 4.172, 242.23 def. Steve Torrence, 4.257, 246.12; Spencer Massey, 4.090, 261.22 def. Leah Pritchett, 4.216, 219.08; Clay Millican, 3.822, 322.42 def. J.R. Todd, 3.911, 288.64; QUARTERFINALS — Massey, 3.875, 313.51 def. Connolly, 3.936, 298.93; Schumacher, 3.909, 320.13 def. Millican, 4.410, 197.10; Dixon, 3.905, 312.78 def. McMillen, 4.331, 212.59; Force, 3.885, 316.08 def. Crampton, 4.121, 265.06; SEMIFINALS — Dixon, 3.855, 322.73 def. Force, 3.894, 317.57; Schumacher, 3.865, 320.74 def. Massey, 3.908, 311.92; FINAL — Schumacher, 3.809, 321.35 def. Dixon, 3.881, 319.60.
FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE — Robert Hight, Chevrolet Camaro, 4.115, 315.19 def. Tony Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.320, 228.23; Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.109, 307.93 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.691, 211.30; John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.147, 314.39 def. Dave Richards, Toyota Solara, 6.420, 103.02; Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.202, 287.66 def. Jeff Diehl, Solara, 11.011, 81.12; Courtney Force, Camaro, 4.130, 312.28 def. Dom Lagana, Solara, 4.653, 186.98; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.101, 314.46 def. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.822, 177.70; Del Worsham, Camry, 4.366, 231.04 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.450, 208.59; Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.172, 292.90 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.212, 272.78; QUARTERFINALS — J. Force, 4.186, 309.84 def. Hagan, 4.182, 303.71; Johnson Jr., 4.157, 306.60 def. DeJoria, 4.439, 201.61; C. Force, 4.198, 307.72 def. Hight, 4.628, 192.06; C. Pedregon, 4.119, 284.51 def. Worsham, 4.152, 308.14; SEMIFINALS — Johnson Jr., 4.139, 309.77 def. C. Force, 10.651, 80.01; J. Force, 4.183, 298.14 def. C. Pedregon, 4.193, 265.59; FINAL — J. Force, 4.160, 309.49 def. Johnson Jr., 4.195, 304.25.
PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE — Allen Johnson, Dodge Dart, 6.567, 213.30 def. Larry Morgan, Chevy Camaro, 6.595, 213.00; Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.559, 212.53 def. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.565, 213.64; Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.538, 212.73 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 7.848, 128.16; Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.549, 213.37 def. John Gaydosh Jr, Pontiac GXP, 6.597, 211.10; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.513, 214.69 def. V. Gaines, Dart, 17.766, 39.39; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.515, 214.38 def. Val Smeland, Chevy Cobalt, 6.982, 158.84; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 9.389, 98.67 was unopposed; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.531, 213.50 def. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Avenger, 6.664, 210.31; QUARTERFINALS — Johnson, 6.554, 213.06 def. McGaha, 13.226, 65.40; Line, 6.615, 210.44 def. J. Gray, 13.876, 61.15; Anderson, 6.519, 214.11 def. Skillman, 6.533, 213.84; Enders, 6.506, 214.66 def. Nobile, 6.546, 213.47; SEMIFINALS — Anderson, 6.516, 214.42 def. Line, 6.533, 212.39; Johnson, 6.537, 213.33 def. Enders, 6.540, 214.21; FINAL — Anderson, 6.512, 214.72 def. Johnson, 6.530, 213.50.
UPDATED STANDINGS
Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 790; 2. Tony Schumacher, 757; 3. Spencer Massey, 657; 4. Richie Crampton, 640; 5. Larry Dixon, 600; 6. Doug Kalitta, 587; 7. Shawn Langdon, 568; 8. Brittany Force, 551; 9. J.R. Todd, 491; 10. Clay Millican, 479.
Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, 746; 2. Ron Capps, 685; 3. John Force, 652; 4. Del Worsham, 643; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 611; 6. Jack Beckman, 601; 7. Robert Hight, 546; 8. (tie) Alexis DeJoria, 540; Cruz Pedregon, 540; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 513.
Pro Stock: 1. Greg Anderson, 907; 2. Erica Enders, 837; 3. Jason Line, 776; 4. Chris McGaha, 646; 5. Allen Johnson, 554; 6. Drew Skillman, 540; 7. Larry Morgan, 518; 8. (tie) Shane Gray, 507; Vincent Nobile, 507; 10. Rodger Brogdon, 493.
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