NEFF CAN LOCK UP PLAYOFF BERTH AT BRAINERD

Last year, Mike Neff inexplicably “lost the handle” on the tune-up that had carried his Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang to the regular season championship in the NHRA’s Full Throttle Series.

Unfortunately, the timing of such a stumble could not have been any worse.  After piling up a 215-point lead in the first 16 races and winning five times, the 45-year-old with the quiet demeanor and the Hollywood good looks saw everything slip away in the six-race Countdown to 1 NHRA playoffs.

As a result, this year has been all about getting ready for “crunch time,” determining what works and what doesn’t, analyzing graphs and charts and stockpiling enough proven parts to get through as many as 48 rounds of playoff racing.

Drag racing is all about making adjustments,” Neff said as he prepared for this week’s 31^st annual Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the next-to-last race before the points are adjusted in a system designed to add more drama to the championship chase. 

“Whether it’s Brainerd or Charlotte or Vegas, the track may be the same but the conditions that you have to deal with are never the same,” said the man who, as the driver and crew chief on the Castrol Ford, is trying this year to become the first in 37 seasons to win an NHRA Funny Car title in that dual capacity. 

“We’ve had a good car all year and I feel good about our chances this week,” said the former motocross racer and off-road truck mechanic, “but I really feel a lot better about the Countdown.  We learned from what happened last year (when he slipped from first to fifth in the final order) and we made a new plan.

“We’ve been kinda racing under the radar, trying different things,” he said.  “Some of them have worked and some of them haven’t.  Like everybody, we’ve been fighting some clutch issues but when they reshuffle the points after Indy (and the Labor Day Mac Tools U.S. Nationals), I think we’ll be ready to go.”

Instead of pushing himself and his resources to the absolute limit every week, Neff has opted this year for a more measured approach to winning his first driving championship and John Force Racing’s 18^th in the last 23 years.

“We’re just trying to improve in areas where we might have been a little weaker last year,” said the two-time championship-winning Funny Car crew chief (2005 with Gary Scelzi and 2010 with John Force).  “Nobody accumulated more points than we did last year but, like it or not, (the championship is) just based off six races and you have to try and plan so your program is strongest in those last six races.”

Although he hasn’t been as dominant as he was a year ago when he went to nine final rounds, Neff has kept himself very much in the middle of the championship conversation with wins at Houston, Texas, and Norwalk, Ohio. 

As a result, even though he suffered a rare qualifying failure at Atlanta, he will clinch a playoff spot simply by making a qualifying attempt this weekend.  His goal was to finish the regular season somewhere among the Top 5, which now is virtually certain.   

That means that he would start the playoffs no more than three rounds (60 points) behind teammate Robert “Top Gun” Hight or whomever winds up No. 1. Regardless, he will be far better prepared for the blitz that is the playoffs than he was a year ago. 

“The tricky thing about racing is sometimes it just doesn’t work the way you want it to,” Neff observed.  “The thing is, if it was easy, everybody’d be winning.”

NEFF TRIES TO REVERSE FORTUNES IN SEATTLE

In 10 trips to Pacific Raceways as either a Funny Car crew chief, driver or both, Mike Neff has enjoyed uncharacteristically little success.  He’s won just seven total rounds, only two in three appearances as a driver for John Force Racing, Inc. 

In fact, Seattle is the ONLY track in the NHRA Full Throttle Series on which Neff never has advanced a car to the final round.  Driver Gary Scelzi, with whom he won a championship in 2005, raced into the semifinals in 2004.  Neff never would have believed that, eight years later, that still would be his best result.

Nevertheless, the current driver AND crew chief on the Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang is determined to change those dynamics this weekend in the 25th renewal of the O’Reilly Northwest Nationals. 

If he can do so, the former motocross racer also has an outside chance of joining teammate Robert Hight as a confirmed qualifier for the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs which begin in September.

A two-time world championship-winning crew chief (he won with John Force in 2010), Neff most recently has excelled in the dual role that this week sends him into the season’s 15th race in fourth place in Full Throttle points. A two-time 2012 winner, the California native has no explanation for his modest results at Seattle but rejects the idea that there are tracks on which individuals simply can’t win just as there are tracks on which the same individuals seem never to lose.

“Drag racing is all about making adjustments,” said the 45-year old with the Hollywood good looks.  “It may be the same track, but the conditions that you have to deal with are never the same.  We have a good car and I feel good about our chances this week.”

Neff adopted a little different tactic this year in preparation for the six-race Countdown that pays a whopping $500,000 champion’s bonus.

Last year, he dominated the regular season, going to the final in half the regular season races.  He finished 215 points ahead of his nearest rival, a margin that, by rule, was reduced to just 30 points entering the playoffs.  Eventually, he finished fifth as Matt Hagan won the title.

“Last year, for whatever reason, we just lost the handle in the playoffs,” Neff said.  “It happens.  So this year we’ve been kinda racing under the radar.  We’ve been trying some things.  Some have worked and some haven’t but as long as you’re Top 5 (entering the Countdown), I think you’ve got a good shot.”

The points will be adjusted after the Labor Day Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, a race in which Neff is the defending champion.

“We’re just trying to improve in areas where we might have been a little weaker last year,” said the eight-time tour winner and 2008 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year. “Nobody accumulated more points than we did last year, but now, the championship is just based off six races and you have to try and plan so your program is strongest in those last six races.

“The tricky thing about racing,” he said, philosophically, “is sometimes it just doesn’t work the way you want it to.  So, you work on your weaknesses and try to get better.  The thing is, if it was easy, everybody’d be winning.”

MASSEY, NEFF, NOBILE, HINES CLAIM VICTORIES AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS IN NORWALK

Spencer Massey raced to his fourth Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. 

 

Mike Neff (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

 

Massey powered his FRAM/Prestone dragster to his first Norwalk win with a quicker reaction time at the start to hold off the quicker, but losing Capco Contractors dragster of final round opponent Steve Torrence. With the victory, Massey returns to the series points lead.

 

“I knew the final round was going to be huge," said Massey. "Steve was running awesome all day. He’s been running awesome all season, actually. I’m from Texas, he’s from Texas, and we both drove Top Alcohol Dragsters in Division 4. The weather here was even hot like it is in Texas."

 

In Funny Car, Neff claimed his second win of the season and second at this track by defeating Tim Wilkerson in the final round. Neff drove his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to a performance of 4.217 seconds at 298.21 to hold off Wilkerson's Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang.

“I don’t know how it all works, but Norwalk has definitely been good to me," Neff said. "We’ve done fairly well on the hotter racetracks. We usually do pretty well on those. And sometimes it just seems like you go some places that you just always do well at, and then there are some tracks you go to and it just seems like you can never do any good no matter how you’ve been doing up to that point. Tim Wilkerson put up a heck of a run over there. It had to be very close at the finish line, so it was just our day.”

 

In Pro Stock, Nobile celebrated an NHRA Sweep in the winner’s circle after claiming his second win of the season. In the final round, he powered his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger to a performance of 6.661 seconds at 208.01 mph to defeat the Summit Racing Chevy Camaro of defending world champ Jason Line. Nobile also defeated Line in the final of Saturday's K&N Horsepower Challenge.

 

With the victory, Nobile claimed more than $100,000 for the weekend, as he also won the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge race on Saturday, claimed $25,000 for the race win and another $25,000 for an NHRA Sweep Bonus for winning both events during the weekend. He also won here in 2011.

 

“I never thought in a million years that things would be going like this," said Nobile. "My team supplied me with the fastest car today, and I have to give them the credit. [The semifinal win over Allen Johnson] was the coolest round I ever won in my life. I saw Jason Line and Shane Gray get in a pedaling match in front of me, so I mentally prepared myself for that situation. Luckily, my dad [John] taught me how to drive and told me to find fifth gear as soon as possible if I ever had to lift and saw that the other guy wasn’t in front of me. I felt like Ron Capps in the car.

 

"The best part of the weekend was getting Peggy [Coleman], my partner in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, that Toyota Tundra. She was in a terrible situation where she lost her house, and it was great to give something back to her."

 

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, three-time world champ Hines claimed his third win of the season on  his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson with a performance of 6.929 at 193.43 in the final round against opponent Hector Arana Jr. , who rode his Lucas Oil Buell.  Hines is the first rider to win three times at Norwalk ( also 2009, 2007). It was Hines’ 28th career victory.

“It was a good weekend all around for our team, and we just treated it like we did in Joliet last weekend when I got the national event win,” said Hines, who remained in second place in the points standings. “We just slowly picked way at the tune-up. Conditions changed tremendously today. The air dried out a lot, and we struggled a little bit with my bike the first couple rounds, but we learned a lot against Eddie [Krawiec, teammate] in the semifinals, and luckily I was able to get the eight-thou win against Eddie in the semifinals and learned everything we possibly could and applied that to the final. That was our best speed of the weekend and our best e.t. of the weekend. It was a heck of a race with Hector Jr. I beat him on a holeshot in Houston, and that was huge, and to do it again is ‘ice cream’ on the cake.”

 

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues July 20-22 with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.

NORWALK, Ohio -- Sunday's final results from the Sixth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The race is the 12th of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

 

Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 3.916 seconds, 312.50 mph def. Steve Torrence, 3.894 seconds, 315.71 mph.

 

Funny Car -- Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.217, 298.21 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.244, 296.96.

 

Pro Stock -- Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.661, 208.01 def. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.705, 207.88.

 

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.929, 193.43 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.928, 191.84.

 

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Bill Reichert, 5.334, 264.70 def. Dan Page, 5.436, 266.06.

 

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Paul Gill, Ford Mustang, 5.639, 255.92 def. Cassie Simonton, Chevy Monte Carlo, 12.598, 93.17.

 

Competition Eliminator -- David Rampy, Bantam Roadster, 7.303, 178.85 def. Bo Butner, Chevy
Cobalt, 8.541, 158.09.

 

Super Stock -- Chad Taylor, Chevy Camaro, 10.414, 124.80 def. Jeff Dona, Pontiac Firebird, foul.

 

Stock Eliminator -- Larry Hill, Plymouth Baracuda, 10.538, 114.02 def. Randy Wilkes, Pontiac
Firebird, 10.443, 129.29.

 

Super Comp -- Al Kenny, Dragster, 8.911, 163.69 def. Brad Plourd, Dragster, 8.876, 163.95.

 

Super Gas -- Nathan Vrooman, Chevy Beretta, 9.952, 156.10 def. Steve Theodor, '27-T Ford, 9.873, 155.10.

 

Top Dragster -- Mike Laws, Dragster, 6.729, 197.80 def. Robert Mandell, Dragster, 6.590, 202.39.

 

Top Sportsman -- Gary Wojnowski Sr., Olds Cutlass, 6.906, 202.36 def. Jeff Sexton, Chevy Cavalier, foul.

 

 

 

JFR OUT EARLY IN BRISTOL

Thunder Valley was unkind to John Force Racing at the 12th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Ford Dealers as all four Mustang Funny Cars were ousted in the first round. This was the first time all four JFR Mustangs lost in the first round at the same event.

“It wasn’t a good day for John Force Racing. We are going to watch the competition to see if we get hurt (in the points). My Elvis/Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE Mustang is showing some consistency. Someday it is not your day to win. I promise all our sponsors – Castrol, Ford, AAA, BrandSource, MacTools, Traxxas, and Freightliner - we will stay after it,” said Force.

“We all got spanked today. (Rival team owner Don) Schumacher got a Father’s Day gift from me when all my hot rods went out first round. That oil down was really brutal. NHRA Safety Safari did a great job and gave us back a good race track. At the end of the day Courtney, Robert, Neff and I are going to watch some NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing.”

“It matters a lot because I like to be part of the race,” said Force in response to not advancing a Funny Car to the second round. “I am going to go up (to the starting line) right now and watch the competition. I am going to take Courtney up there and keep teaching her.”

Rookie of the Year front-runner Courtney Force was in the first pair of Funny Cars racing one of the hottest drivers on the series, Ron Capps. Courtney had her Traxxas Mustang glued to the center of the groove but just past half-track she smoked the tires while Capps made the quickest run of the session, 4.060 seconds. Capps would go on to win his second race of the season in his sixth consecutive final round appearance.

Three pairs later Mike Neff was a victim of the biggest upset for John Force Racing when his Castrol GTX Mustang smoked the tires in the right lane. His opponent Alexis DeJoria picked up her second round win of the season and eventually reached her first final round after beating teammate Jeff Arend and Jack Beckman. It was a short day for Neff, the No. 2 qualifier, as a driver and crew chief but one that he can correct heading to Chicago.

“It was loose and it was just kind of slipping the tires the whole way. It got out there far enough and knocked them loose. I just couldn’t get the set up right. The track obviously pretty good but for whatever reason our set-up was too aggressive,” said Neff. “I was trying to run good and I thought it would go. I was too aggressive yesterday and I thought the track got good enough that it would be OK. I didn’t really change it and it just wasn’t quite right.”

Right behind Neff, the No. 5 qualifier, John Force, smoked the tires against former teammate Tony Pedregon. This was the 82nd meeting between these two world champions and Pedregon managed to pick up his first round win of the season against the winningest driver in NHRA history. Force was racing a commemorative Elvis 35th anniversary Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE Ford Mustang which was the third Elvis Funny Car Force has raced in his illustrious career.

Robert Hight closed out the session versus Johnny Gray in a classic No. 9 versus No. 8 match-up. Hight and his Elvis AAA Insurance had to watch Johnny Gray pull away at about 700 feet when his Mustang struck the tires. Gray posted the third quickest time of the session, 4.091 seconds, advancing to the quarter-finals.

TOP FUEL’S SCHUMACHER ONE OF MANY RACERS IN NHRA’S NITRO GENERATION WHO WILL BE RACING FOR VICTORY THIS FATHER’S DAYnh

Enough with the corny neck ties and soap-on-a-rope.

               

This Father’s Day give dad the adrenaline rush of a lifetime, and take him to the 12th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers, Father’s Day weekend, June 15-17. Held at tradition-rich Bristol Dragway, the event is the 10th of 23 races in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.      

               

While tickets to the race are a great present for NHRA’s legion of dedicated fans to give their fathers on this special holiday, some of the racers entered in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event hope to be able to give their dads a brand new trophy by racing to a winning performance.

               

Seven-time NHRA world champion Tony Schumacher will be among those drivers in NHRA’s Nitro Generation hoping to come away with a Wally trophy to share with his father, team owner Don Schumacher, an NHRA Funny Car pioneer. Several other second-generation drivers – like Jeg Coughlin, Brandon Bernstein, Courtney Force, and Vincent Nobile, to name a few – will also be trying to secure a victory in hopes of having a special Father’s Day moment in Bristol Dragway’s winner’s circle.

               

Schumacher, who has not won since Oct. 2010, has a couple of other reasons for wanting a win at Bristol Dragway, a track where he has claimed four victories over the years. The driver of the famed U.S. Army dragster wants to use some of that Thunder Valley magic to put an end to a pesky winless drought, at 32 races and counting.

               

“We have been fortunate to have had our share of success in Thunder Valley,” said Schumacher, who fans call “The Sarge”. “It’s nothing I can easily explain, but I hope our history helps us get to victory lane this year. We need to get that first win of the season out of the way and get rid of that losing streak.”

               

Sitting in second place in the points standings, Schumacher has been to 11 final rounds since his last victory, but has come up empty in all of them. He also needs a victory to secure a spot in the upcoming Traxxas Shootout for Top Fuel, a special race-within-a-race event at Indy where $100,000 will be up for grabs for the eight qualified drivers.

               

With all of his past success at Bristol Dragway, this could be his time to finally break out of the rut.

               

“Bristol is one of those tracks I just enjoy racing at,” Schumacher said. “It’s a beautiful facility with a great racing surface.  If the weather conditions are there, you can usually put up some good numbers.”

               

Other Top Fuel drivers to watch include points leader Spencer Massey, who has three victories this season and recently posted the national speed record at 332.18 mph and also recorded the quickest run in his category at 3.728 seconds in his FRAM/Prestone dragster.  Antron Brown, Morgan Lucas, Steve Torrence and David Grubnic are all winners this season. Like Schumacher, two-time Bristol Top Fuel winner Brandon Bernstein also could use a little Bristol magic to try and end a winless slump that dates to Oct. 2009.

               

In Funny Car, defending race winner Robert Hight is leading the points with four victories in his Auto Club Ford Mustang. NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger driver Ron Capps, a two-time Bristol winner, is riding a five-race final round streak and in Englishtown clocked the quickest time in Funny Car history at 3.964 seconds. Mike Neff, Johnny Gray, Jack Beckman and 15-time world champ John Force have all won races this season and are among the pre-race favorites to win. Among the notable Funny Car drivers trying to break through for their first win this season are rookies Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria, along with two-time champs Cruz and Tony Pedregon, and the defending world champ Matt Hagan, who lives in nearby Christiansburg, Va.

               

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson leads the way in his brand new Summit Racing Chevy Camaro with four wins and is followed by teammate Jason Line, who will debut his new Summit Camaro over the weekend at Bristol. Local favorite Allen Johnson is a two-time winner this season and sits third in the points standings behind the wheel of his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger and would like nothing more than to grab a victory at his home track. New Yorker Vincent Nobile and defending race winner Mike Edwards also have scored wins this season in the competitive 200 mph category. Others to watch in the factory hot rod class are last season’s runner-up here Erica Enders, who is trying to become the first female winner in Pro Stock history, and past Bristol winners Jeg Coughlin, Kurt Johnson and “the Professor of Pro Stock,” Warren Johnson.

And to add to the excitement of celebrating Father’s Day at the track, the NHRA and Bristol Dragway will be serving an assortment of memorable and fan-friendly activities all weekend long.

On Friday evening, fans will be treated to the intense action of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing action Thunder Valley style, under the lights at Bristol Dragway. When the 7,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars blast off the starting line for the Friday evening qualifying session with massive flames erupting from their header pipes, it is truly one of the most awesome spectacles in all of motorsports.

You’ll want to get your cameras ready for Saturday’s autograph session and Party in the Pits and take advantage of the opportunity to meet and greet some of NHRA’s hottest drivers on the circuit, starting at 4:30 p.m. in NHRA’s Nitro Alley. On Sunday morning, NHRA fans are invited to walk down the actual dragstrip at famed Bristol Dragway, meet their favorite NHRA drivers and celebrate Father’s Day on the racing surface before the action gets underway.  NHRA Drivers who have participated in the popular track walk events in the past include John Force, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Brown, Schumacher, Cory McClenathan, Johnny Gray, Tony Pedregon, Brandon Bernstein and many more.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet.

* SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 15, and noon and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16. Final eliminations will begin at noon on Sunday, June 17.

* TICKETS: Tickets are available for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. For tickets, please call Bristol Dragway at (423) 989-6900 or visitwww.bristoldragway.com

* ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, June 16. ESPN and ESPNHD will televise two hours of eliminations coverage at 5 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, June 17.

* LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals also will feature competition in four categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 10 a.m. on June 15. Lucas Oil Series eliminations begin at 8 a.m. on June 16 and continue through June 17.

* NHRA PRO MOD SERIES PRESENTED BY PROCARE RX: NHRA’s popular Pro Mod touring series will make its fifth start of the 10-race 2012 season at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles, in quarter-mile competition. Two of three scheduled rounds of qualifying will be held on Friday, June 15 at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The final round of qualifying is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, followed by the first round of eliminations at 4 p.m. Eliminations will continue on Sunday, June 17 at approximately 3:30 p.m.

* ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet atwww.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

NEFF HOSTS KIDS FROM METRO MINISTRIES AT ENGLISHTOWN

Mike Neff knew last weekend was an important one for his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car team. It wasn’t the fact that he was the defending Toyota NHRA SuperNationals event champion or that his primary sponsor, Castrol, had their headquarters just around the corner. Neff was anticipating changing some lives of children who participate in the Metro Ministries program based in New York City.

“I met Pastor Bill Wilson a number of years ago and I have been involved with Metro Ministries since then. This is the first time we have hosted a big group of kids and it was amazing. I have to thank Castrol and Lori Anne Gola for going the extra mile with goodie bags and the tickets. They are a great sponsor and to help these kids like that means a lot,” said Neff.

“It puts a lot in perspective when you talk with the kids, some who might never have had a chance to leave the city, and see that they are seeing a whole new world. You hope that this inspires them and encourages them to keep being good kids. It was an awesome experience for me personally and I feel lucky to have been able to help Metro Ministries.”

On Saturday with the help of Castrol, Neff hosted ten kids ages 10-13 along with three chaperones for a day at the races. The group arrived in the morning and was welcomed to the Castrol suite where the received reserved front row seating as well as goodie bags with hats, t-shirts, toys and stickers. Before the first Saturday qualifying session the kids toured the John Force Racing pit area and Neff spent time with the kids welcoming them to the races and getting to know their various stories. After the qualifying session the kids returned to the JFR pits and Neff gave them a personalized walk-through of the teardown process his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was undergoing. The kids had many questions from “How does it feel to go 300 mph?” to “How sweaty do you get in your firesuit?”

The group also enjoyed the interactive displays throughout Nitro Alley especially the Traxxas display and the Harley-Davidson display. After a full day at the races the kids returned to the JFR pits to thank Neff for making a dream come true for them.

Metro Ministries is a Christian, non-profit organization dedicated to serving inner city children throughout the five boroughs of New York City and in various urban centers around the world. The organization was established in 1980 and has been serving low-income, inner city children and their families for more than a quarter of a century.

In 1980, Metro Ministries established its headquarters in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn, New York. With the growth of the ministry and a desire for greater community outreach in 2008, Metro purchased a nearby facility, a former hospital, encompassing an entire city block. Today, that building is the Metro World Ministries Center.

Upon final renovation, the Metro World Ministries Center will be a cornerstone of Metro Ministries. The Center will house a Community Food Pantry as well as hold after school programs for inner city youth. In addition, the Center will enable Metro to expand International training programs and house those who come to us from all over the world hoping to impact their own cities or nations.

For more information or to make a donation visit www.metroministries.org

JFR SOLIDIFIES TOP TEN POSITIONS AT ENGLISHTOWN

At the halfway point of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series holding onto Top Ten points positions is almost as important as wins. After nine races John Force Racing has six wins and three drivers – John Force, Robert HIght and Mike Neff - locked into the Traxxas Shootout - the $100,000 bonus race scheduled for Labor Day weekend. This early season success cannot be diminished by a tough day at the 43rd Toyota NHRA SuperNationals.

After advancing two Ford Mustang Funny Cars to the semi-finals, No. 2 qualifier Robert Hight and No. 13 qualifier Courtney Force, for the second consecutive race JFR did not advance at least on Funny Car to the final. Force lost a close race to Ron Capps after she dispatched fellow Ford racer Tim Wilkerson and 2011 Funny Car champ Matt Hagan in the first two rounds.

Courtney Force took the most advantage of her day at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. She entered the day only 37 points ahead of the 11th place driver and ended the day with a 77 point differential over Time Wilkerson. That is a two round improvement in the point standing and has her overall four rounds of racing ahead.

“I had Tim Wilkerson today in the first round. I knew it would be tough trying to get around him. He’s a great competitor and friend, and he’s also a Ford car and we’re always rooting for each other, so it’s tough going up against someone that you have such a great relationship with,” said Force. “You don’t want to be the one to take him out of the race, but you have to do your job and do the best you can and hopefully luck will come around and you’ll get the win. We had a little trouble on that run with the reverser. We got it backed up and then it gave me another problem going back into gear. I was thankful that Mike Neff was there to help out. We got back and figured out what the problem was and resolved it going into the second round.”

“In the second round we matched up against [Matt] Hagan, one of the Don Schumacher Racing Funny Cars, which is always a tough race. You have to be on your ‘A’ game. I did the best I could; I tried to work on my tree beforehand because I know he’s great on the line. He’s got a lot of energy and I knew I would have to be good. You have to practice to be able to compete with these guys, especially defending champs like him. We went up and we were able to run a 4.111 for that session and get the win light over him,” said an excited Force.

Force dropped a close race to Ron Capps in the semis but for the Rookie of the Year front-runner getting round wins is the key to success. The rookie continued to make solid passes down the track posting winning times of 4.111 and 4.123 before running 4.11 in a loss to a charging Capps.

After nine races in her young career Courtney’s stats match up favorably to her sister Ashley Force Hood. Both drivers had a round win record of 7-9 and each had advanced to two semi-finals.

HIght’s route to the semi-finals went through rookie Blake Alexander and teammate Mike Neff before he was bested by eventual Toyota NHRA SuperNationals winner Johnny Gray. In the first round HIght laid down the quickest run of the session a 4,094 seconds to get the win of Alexander.

“What is cool about this place is the wall is not out of bounds and it is way out there. There is a dotted line past the finish line and when you get to half-track and the tires are growing on the Auto Club Mustang you can really see where you are on the track and aim for the middle of your lane. It helps make for a really straight run. We knew we had to throw a good run down. Paul Smith and those guys were on a couple good runs this weekend and they had the parachutes fall out. You knew they were going to be tough,” said Hight.

In the second round Hight squared off with teammate Mike Neff in the race of the session. Hight got the win, 4.107 over Neff’s quicker 4.083. Neff was late on the tree but better on the track. At the top end Hight was supportive of his teammate’s dual role as driver and crew chief

“He (Neff) does a great job tuning and then to have the stress of driving is pretty amazing. I think we should have just raced our Ford Expeditions with EcoBoost and see who wins then.”

Neff was disappointed in his personal effort but proud of his crew’s skills all weekend with the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

“Today was just disappointing. The car ran really good. I just blew it. It revved the throttle up, I pulled my foot back then the tree came down and I was late. I feel terrible,” said Neff.

In the semi-finals versus Johnny Gray Hight again was in tight race, one that was decided by three thousandths of a second, at the finish line. Johnny Gray grabbed a slight advantage on the starting line in reaction time and he made that slim margin hold up to advance to the final round.

“My Auto Club Ford has been marching all weekend. We have made some the quickest runs of the weekend each day. I am disappointed I didn’t get another shot at Capps but we have the points lead and we are going rounds. This is a tough category and we need data to make these Funny Cars better. We got to make seven runs this weekend and only two cars got more information than us. That is pretty good. I have a title to defend in Bristol and I’ll be racing an Elvis themed AAA Insurance Funny Car so we’ll be ready,” said Hight.

Team leader John Force held a brief team meeting with his drivers and crew chiefs after the semi-final rounds. The gist of the meeting was to focus the teams on their collective success.

“What I see in the overall picture is we didn’t win the race here in Castrol country. We have a new boss at Castrol Des Johnson, Castrol’s Global Brand Director, who runs the marketing and we would have liked to have gotten him in the winner’s circle. We know how the game is played. He got to see how big the crowds were and see our operation,” said Force.

“At the end of the day what you have to look at is where you are in the points. Courtney and I both moved up and everyone behind us moved down. Mainly our Funny Cars made lap after lap after lap. When you make six runs in a row like me that is pretty good. I put a push rod out on one run and it still ran good. You are finding consistency when you do that,” added Force. “Courtney made seven runs. The Traxxas Mustang and the Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE Mustang are starting to run like the Auto Club and Castrol GTX Funny Cars. Today for me is bigger than a win. It will take all four cars to beat Schumacher and the rest of these teams. That is what we have to have and we are going to get there.”

Force made the most of his day defeating rookie of the year candidate Alexis DeJoria to hold the improving Funny Car driver at bay. In the second round Force lost to eventual winner Johnny Gray even though his Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE Ford Mustang showed marked improvement all weekend.

Neff defends title, Hosts Metro ministries kids

Mike Neff unquestionably is a champion.  He has the hardware to prove it.  However, the cause the 45-year-old former surfer is championing this week means more to him than a repeat victory in Sunday’s 43rd annual Toyota SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

          The native Californian, driver AND crew chief on the Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang, will take a little time from his pursuit of the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car Championship to play host, along with his principal sponsor, to a group of kids from Brooklyn-based Metro Ministries.

          The charity, which supports at-risk children in the inner city and elsewhere, has become one of Neff’s passions since first he met the group’s founder, Pastor Bill Wilson.  “Pastor Bill’s” ministry and message resonated with the two-time world championship-winning crew chief.

          Ever since the first meeting, Neff and his former crew chief, John Medlen, have been trying to raise public awareness of Metro Ministries and its work with homeless and abandoned children not just in the United States, but internationally.

          Ironically “Pastor Bill,” himself abandoned by his mother as a child, won’t be able to watch Neff defend his title this week because he is dealing with ministry work outside the country.  Instead, he has sent a group of 10 Metro Ministry kids to cheer Neff’s pursuit from the comfort of the Castrol suite.  

          “Obviously, since I have two kids of my own (Chase, 13, and Chloe, nine on June 15), I know how big a deal it is for these kids to have someone like Bill Wilson to be an advocate for them,” Neff said.  “I’m just trying to help them out any way I can and the kids that come out this weekend, we’ll be doing our best to get them in the winners’ circle with us.”

          If Neff can repeat as Funny Car champion, it would constitute a milestone in his brief driving career.  Four round wins in Sunday’s eliminations would give him 100 round wins in just three-and-a-half seasons behind the wheel.

          Last year’s regular season champion, Neff has endured an up-and-down 2012 campaign although much of the roller coaster ride has been self-induced, the result of a change in his racing philosophy.

          In addition to a victory at Houston, Texas, and runner-up finishes at Pomona, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz., Neff failed to make the 16-car starting lineup at Atlanta, his first such failure since 2008, and almost missed the field at Houston.

            “My attitude changed some after how we finished last year,” Neff said,” a reference to the fact that he led the points for 13 of 16 regular season races but ultimately finished fifth. 

          “These early races are worth nothing at the end of the season,” he continued, “because they’re going to reshuffle the points after Indy (the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals) anyway.  We’re trying some different stuff and some of it is working and some of it isn’t.”

          Last year, Neff led by 215 points at the end of the regular season but, with a single computer keystroke, the NHRA reduced that margin to 30 points entering the Countdown to 1 playoffs where everything that went right for the seven-time winner in the first eight months, went terribly wrong.

          Now, he’s just trying to learn as much as he can to give him the best chance of having the best car for the six-race showdown that determines the champion.

Pre-Race JFR photos for Topeka

Robert Hight goes up against fellow Ford racer Tim Wilkerson in Atlanta during Saturday’s qualifying sessions.

Rookie Courtney Force and her Traxxas team prepare to warm-up her Ford Mustang during Friday’s qualifying sessions.

Tuner/Crew Chief Mike Neff takes a moment before getting strapped in to make a few adjustments to the car. Neff suffered an unfortunate DNQ at the last event, making that only the third DNQ of his driving career.

Crew Chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli and team members prepare John Force’s Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE Ford Mustang in the staging lanes before Q4 on Saturday in Atlanta.

Courtney Force takes the stage with Jack Beckman during Sunday’s pre-race ceremonies. She later on beat Beckman in the first round of eliminations later on that day.