HANNA SPEAKS FOR THE SPORTSMAN RACER
In case you sportsman racers hadn’t noticed, we now have Will Hanna writing a column in DRO (and, yes, other racers besides sportsman can read it). We had been looking for someone to expand our sportsman voice along with Jok Nicholson who addresses mostly bracket racing issues. Hanna, who hosts InsideTopAlcohol.com and also is a racer, fits the bill.
In this month’s “On the Tire” column Hanna gives Part III of his “new deal” for sportsman racers. You can access the earlier columns at the end of the column. Let us hear what you think about the suggestions. And if you have any topics you would like to see addressed, email hanna@dragracingonline.com. [8-10-2006]
SCHUMACHER TO HOST OPEN HOUSE
Don Schumacher Racing will host an open house at their Brownsburg, Indiana, race shop during the U.S. Nationals. Open to the public, the event is free, although the team is encouraging voluntary donations, which will benefit the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
The Matco Tools “Tales of the Rat Fink” Dodge Charger Funny Car and the original “Tweedy Pie” built by “Big Daddy” Ed Roth will be on display. The event will also feature DSR drivers, a sneak preview of the 2008 Dodge Challenger, Rampage and Gladiator, and a raffle of prizes. The event will be held Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1681 E. Northfield Dr., Brownsburg, IN. [8-10-2006]
FORCE STILL A FORCE
With all of the drama going on in the John Force camp you tend to forget he is still a dominant player in NHRA Funny Car. Consider the following factoids: The 120-time tour winner has been the only driver able to keep Ron Capps from turning the 2006 championship chase into a runaway. The two have been 1-2 in the points since the second race of the season with Capps's margin fluctuating between 15 and 122 points.
Force's current deficit is the equivalent of four racing rounds, a number he could make up in a single race. John Force has been a Funny Car finalist in almost half the NHRA races contested since 1989 (174 of 349). During that span, he has won 115 times. John Force has qualified a Castrol GTX Funny Car for a record 384 consecutive NHRA national events dating back to the start of the 1988 season. He has won at least one tour event for 20 straight seasons and if he wins this weekend's race, it would mark the 17th consecutive season in which he has won at least 30 racing rounds. [8-10-2006]
