NHRA at Dallas
Where did these guys come from?
For fans complaining that they were tired of seeing the same cars in the winner’s circle this season, Dallas was a breath of fresh air. None of the regulars won the O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex.
TOP FUEL
In Top Fuel, J.R. Todd saluted Tony Schumacher with the same gesture he used at the top end of the track in 2006, when he defeated the five-time U.S. Army-backed world champion three times before team changes yielded a dry spell that stretched a year and a half and ended with this win.
"This one almost feels like a first event win," Todd said. "The way this year has gone, I almost thought it would never turn around. Every race we'd be gaining ground in qualifying and I'd think 'this is going to be it. Finally.' And then we'd go out there and struggle first round on race day. Or if we'd get past first round, we'd never get past second round. Finally we got out of second round today and I thought, 'Uh oh, we've got some momentum going now.'"
Todd earned the first victory for the two-car Lucas Oil team on a hole-shot, turning in a .068 reaction time at the starting line to Schumacher's .084. He drove his Lucas Oil Octane Booster dragster to a 3.912 at 309.84 to a quicker and faster Schumacher, who piloted his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.910 at 310.63.
"If there was one guy I'd want to beat out here every day, it'd be him because he's the toughest guy out here, and if you beat him, you've accomplished something at the end of the day," Todd said.
After piling up 31 consecutive round wins since the Denver race in July, Schumacher was finally beaten in the final round by J.R. Todd.
“It had to end some time,” said Schumacher of his win streak. “You have to tip your hat to J.R. and his team. They did what they had to do.
“You know, this loss kind of takes the pressure off,” he added. “Instead of us hearing about records and streaks on a constant basis, now we can just concentrate on going out and winning another world championship.”
Clay Millican took out Bob Vandergriff in the first round, 4.197/222.07 to 4.279/235.43. In the next round a resurging Cory McClenathan turned the tables with a 3.968/294.37 to Millican’s 4.052/276.75.