SEVEN DRIVERS EARN FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP BERTHS AT NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS

Seven drivers clinched Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoff berths at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, bringing the number of drivers who have secured their invitations to the playoffs to 14.

Top Fuel racers Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher, along with Funny Car driver Ron Capps, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Jr. all locked up their positions during NHRA Sonoma Nationals qualifying.

On Sunday, Pro Stock racers Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile clinched by advancing to round two, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. clinched by advancing to the semifinals.

The NHRA Full Throttle Series regular season concludes Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus in Indianapolis. A six-race playoff series, the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, will lead to the crowning of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs. The Countdown begins Sept. 14-16 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.

COUNTDOWN FIELDS TO DATE

Top Fuel

1. Spencer Massey

2. Antron Brown

3. Tony Schumacher

Funny Car

1. Robert Hight

2. Ron Capps

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson

2. Jason Line

3. Allen Johnson

4. Mike Edwards

5. Vincent Nobile

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Eddie Krawiec

2. Andrew Hines

3. Hector Arana Jr.

4. Hector Arana Sr.

Arana's front-running Lucas Oil Buell prepped for Denver race

Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. sees this weekend's 33rd annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway as an opportunity. But he also knows it's a challenge not to be taken lightly.

The air in Denver is thinner because of the altitude, putting pressure on the moving parts of engines. Pro Stock Motorcycles will be three- to four-tenths slower in Denver than at other tracks, and teams will push their engines to the limits to get results.

Some competitors are psyched out about Denver before they even get there, but Arana isn't among them. Still, he issues a warning.

"Denver, you've got to be careful," Arana said. "It can get you. It can bite you hard if you miss your tuneup. We have notes from last year, so we've got to look at them and stay within those parameters of the math work we've done and the calculations on the clutch. We should be OK."

Arana will use a different engine for Denver, installing "Charlotte" in place of the engine he uses everywhere else, "Forrest." (His engines are named after Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte).

But he carries a lot of momentum to Denver, as Arana has qualified first or second in the last five races, with three No. 1 qualifiers. Plus, Arana has reached the semifinals in the last four events, including the finals in Englishtown.

"I'm definitely feeling confident going to Denver," Arana said. "We have learned a lot, and we think we'll be great over there."

Denver is the first of two races in a row out West, a long-haul grind for the Lucas Oil team, as the Aranas won't return home until after the meet in Sonoma, Calif.

"We will probably be gone for three-and-a-half weeks before we get back home," Arana said. "That means we had to rebuild quickly (from the last race in Norwalk, Ohio) and get loaded up.

"The Countdown is starting pretty soon, and that's when we have three races in a row, so we have some long-range things to get ready. The summertime is crazy, but I like it."

Arana sits fourth in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points standings with four races left before the Countdown to the Championship begins.

Arana and son crowd top of Norwalk's Pro Stock Motorcycle ladder

Past world champion Hector Arana and his rookie-of-the-year son Hector Arana Jr. earned the second and third positions, respectively, on the Pro Stock Motorcycle elimination ladder of this weekend's sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Arana has now qualified fourth or better on his Lucas Oil Buell in the six NHRA races the bikes have contested this year, a mark that includes three No. 1 qualifying efforts. He actually was No. 1 at this race until just near the end of the final qualifying session when he was nipped by Andrew Hines by .001 seconds, or about two inches. Arana's best time was a 6.962 at 188.02 mph

"I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow," Arana Sr. said. "My major concern so far has been to make sure the bike ran well, especially at the top end, on every run. The last two runs we made, we were able to stay on it all the way through. The bike did not hiccup, and it ran good, so I think we have everything dialed in. Now, I've got to get after my clutch and get back on it so we can run those good numbers and get a win."

Like his father, Arana Jr. also has been impressive in qualifying this year with a pair of No. 2 and four straight No. 3 qualifying results. His quickest pass here was a 6.984 at 192.69 mph.

"Our goal is to be consistent," Arana Jr. said. "Our 60-foots haven't been super killer, but we've been consistent, and the bike's run consistent. If we can do that on Sunday, I think we can go plenty of rounds and maybe even get a win."

Despite their great runs, the talk in the Lucas Oil pit was of the oppressive heat that has plagued the race since it's start.

"There's no escape from it," Arana Jr. said. "We get out of the sun, but the sun's baking the trailer, so the trailer's hot and humid. When we put those leathers on, we can barely get them on. You feel claustrophobic because you can't sit in the bike all the way down because you can't get the leathers all the way on because you're sticking to them.

"You try to put on your jacket, and you can barely get in on. Gloves, you can barely get on. It's really miserable. Then you get on the bike, and you're not 100 comfortable because you're sticking. It makes you totally uncomfortable, but I'm trying to get used to it."

Norwalk remains a magical place for Arana Sr.

A special feeling always washes over Hector Arana Sr. every time he walks through the gates at Summit Motorsports Park.

The track is the site of Arana's first career victory – a breakthrough on the Lucas Oil Buell after nearly 20 years of trying. This weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Arana is hoping that old Norwalk magic shows up again.

"I will never forget Norwalk," Arana said. "And maybe it might bring me my first win of this season."

However the temptations around the track might force him to move some weight off his bike.

"You get a pint of ice cream for a dollar there," Arana said. "You can’t beat that. I'll be eating ice cream every day. The downside, I'm gonna gain weight. Even if it's hot and I sweat off the weight, I'm just gonna have more ice cream. I can't resist."

Arana has been No. 1 qualifier in three of the last four races and made it to the semifinals in three straight, which is good enough for third in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings.

"The bike has been very good," Arana said. "We just need to get past the semis to put ourselves in a position to get those wins."

Last week in Chicago, the Lucas Oil Buell was plagued by engine that wasn't 100 percent in harmony. With races on back-to-back weekends, Arana said there isn't going to be much time for a thorough investigation of the problem before heading to Norwalk.

"By the time you get back to the shop, you really only have one day to be able to work," Arana said. "We have enough parts in the truck that we can get something fixed."