August 2008 Archives

John Force won't be racing Sunday.

The final day of qualifying for the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis certainly seemed like a Black Sunday.
I've covered NHRA drag racing since 1993 and can't remember a year where so many big names missed the field for the sport's biggest race.
The list is topped by NHRA icon John Force, who missed "The Big Go" for the second consecutive season. He is joined in the Funny Car ranks by four-time champion Gary Scelzi, who also failed to advance to the NHRA "playoffs," and Tommy Johnson Jr., whose first season with Kenny Bernstein's Monster Energy team has been a constant struggle, although they accounted for themselves pretty well on Sunday, making a solid 4.211 on a slippery race track during the final qualifying session. It was one of the better runs of the final session.
Morgan Lucas also saw his chances at making the Countdown to the Championship go up in smoke when he hazed the tires in his final qualifying attempt. HIs disappointment is elation for Doug Kalitta and David Grubnic, who both clinched their spots. The 20 positions for Top Fuel and Funny Car are all now filled.
I wonder what Monday will bring us, but for me expect Tony Schumacher, who struggled during the first two days of qualifying before recapturing the magic Sunday, to win in Top Fuel, with Tony Pedregon completing a Pedregon Racing double by winning in Funny Car, joining brother Cruz, who won Sunday's U.S. Smokeless Showdown, and I'll take Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock. I also see Matt Smith winning Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Alan Johnson, left, will leave the U.S. Army team to form his own team next season.

Alan Johnson, who has won more Top Fuel titles than any other crew chief, officially dropped the hammer on arguably the most dominant team in drag racing today.
Johnson, who helped Tony Schumacher win the past four Top Fuel championships and the reason Schumacher is cruising to a fifth this season with 10 wins through the first 17 events, announced today he will leave the U.S. Army team to form a two-car team with Qatar-based Al-Anabi Racing, beginning next season. The team will field a Top Fuel dragster and a Funny Car coupe.
Johnson hinted two years ago that if a deal to form his own way, he would strongly consider it. That time came today.
"This is an exciting opportunity for Alan Johnson Racing," Johnson said. "We look forward to our relationship with Al-Anabi Racing and the people of Qatar. It's widely known that my goal for quite some time now has been to become a team owner again, and this is my best opportunity to achieve that goal.
"I have enjoyed a wonderful experience with the U.S. Army race team. I wouldn't change the past five years for anything. My focus for the remainder of the season will be to put forth my best effort to win the fifth consecutive championship for the U.S. Army, Tony Schumacher, and (Don Schumacher Racing)."
This will be a major hit for Schumacher. At best, this drops the U.S. Army team to the rest of the field, and if you look at the pre-Johnson era for this team, even further down the ladder as it struggled before Johnson came aboard midway through the 2003 season.
Johnson? Don't be surprised if his team wins the title next season. But that also depends on who he brings in to pilot this new ride.

Will Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army dragster ever lose again?

This is either going to be the most dominant season in the history of NHRA drag racing, or the sports' cruelest hoax.
Tony Schumacher, who's already had incredible run winning the past four Top Fuel titles, has been unbelievable this season, winning an astonishing 10 of the first 17 events, including equally a class record by scoring wins in the past five national events. The team leads the Top Fuel standings by more than 500 points, and no one would be surprised if the team closed the season by winning the final six events. Of course, imagine the irony if Schumacher won 10 of the 18 "regular season" events, then fell on his face during the five-event playoff. Wouldn't that be the ultimate hoax?
But don't count on it.
The key to figure Schumacher's success? Look no further than crew chief Alan Johnson. It's no coincidence that the U.S. Army team has been unbeatable since NHRA reduced the drag-strip course for Top Fuel and Funny Cars to 1,000 feet.
The length is perfect for the A.J. setup, which has always been the best in the sport to 60 feet. Now with only 1,000 feet of drag strip, competitors don't have much asphalt to track the U.S. Army dragster down.
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Schumacher wins out the rest of the season, and scores 16 wins this season, obliterating John Force's pro record of 13 wins, which he achieved in 1996.
There appears to be no stopping this army.