In taking his fifth NHRA Top Fuel win of the 2012 season, Antron Brown is at the equal top of the Full Throttle Series points standings.
One of the tightest NHRA Top Fuel Championships in living memory has continued, with Brown beating home his team mate Spencer Massey for the win in Texas. The result was enough for Brown to join Massey at the top of the standings. Brown powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.898-second run to hold off Massey’s FRAM dragster, which finished with a 3.945 run.
“I have to give credit to my team for sticking together,” said Brown. “We were winning in the first round in Charlotte when we broke an input shaft. It’s so easy to get down after something like that. We came here, and the car was throwing us fits by being overaggressive. Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald, co-crew chiefs] kept backing it off until they got a good handle on it in the semi’s.”
Brown and Massey lead Tony Schumacher by 24 points. By no means was it an easy task for Brown to take the Texas win, he had to get around three fellow Countdown competitors in David Grubnic, Shawn Langdon, and Morgan Lucas before meeting Massey in the final.
FUNNY CAR
Two non-Countdown racers fought out a pedal fest in Funny Car, with Bob Tasca III edging across the line in front of outgoing NHRA Champion, Matt Hagan.
On his way to the final, Tasca III had a pair of female racers to eliminate – Alexis DeJoria and top qualifier Courtney Force respectively, then defending event winner Cruz Pedregon in the Semi-finals.
Ron Capps added more points to his Championship lead after being outrun in the semis by Hagan. He now leads by 96 points. Main combatant, Mike Neff went out in round number two.
PRO STOCK CAR
Allen Johnson rocked to the top of the Countdown race in Pro Stock by taking the victory over in-form lady racer, Erica Enders. Much like Brown, it was his fifth win of the season.
Johnson had to get by Warren Johnson, Dave Connolly and Vincent Nobile on his way to the finals. The win has seen Johnson increase his points lead to 93 over defending champion Jason Line.
“I looked at the elimination ladder last night and thought, ‘Oh, my, I’m going to have to work for this one,’ ” Johnson said. “Somebody who’s won several championships called me before this thing ever started and told me, ‘Just enjoy it, and have fun.’ That advice was very important. I’m up for this challenge, and I’m enjoying it.”
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
In Pro Stock Bike, local Texas racer, Michael Ray took out his first Full Throttle NHRA victory, his Buell beating home Karen Stoffer by one tenth of a second.
Eddie Kraewic’s lead in the Championship continued, opening the advantage now to 11 points.
The win has left Ray feeling confident and as though he may be a chance at taking the Full Throttle Championship.
“I think there’s no better time than now to start a run at [the championship],” Ray said. “Right now, I just want to go out and be consistent and then let the points shake out where they’re supposed to.”
The NHRA Full Throttle Countdown will continue next weekend at Gateway near St Louis.
