BROWN, GRAY, A. JOHNSON AND KRAWIEC RACE TO VICTORIES AT NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS

Antron Brown raced to the Top Fuel victory Sunday at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, and moved into position to become the first NHRA driver to sweep the three-race Western Swing twice.

Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event near San Francisco.

Brown, who became one of seven drivers in NHRA history to sweep the Western Swing in 2009, outran Spencer Massey in the final to claim his third win at Sonoma, his fourth victory of the season and 35th of his career. Brown’s Matco Tools dragster produced a final round performance of 3.814 seconds at 318.02 mph to hold off Massey’s charging FRAM/Prestone dragster, which finished in 3.826 at 323.50.

“The car is just running phenomenal, it’s so easy to drive,” said Brown, who defeated Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Brandon Bernstein to advance to the final round.

“The boys (crew chiefs Mark Oswald and Brian Corradi) made great decisions each and every round,” Brown continued. “It’s one of those weekends that worked out. It was brutal for us given the (eliminations) ladder we had. We had to take it one round at a time. We kept our head down and kept digging. We aren’t going to talk about (sweeping the Western Swing). We can talk about sweeping if we get to the final round at Seattle next weekend. First we have to qualify. Then we have to get past first round. The competition is just that good.”

Brown says he’ll try to remember what worked for him in 2009 as he approaches a second sweep of the Western Swing.

“We’re going to take the same approach this time like we did the last time,” Brown said. “We aren’t going to look into the future and we’ll just focus on the here and now.”

Due to qualifying bonus points earned by Massey, he and Brown moved into a tie for the series lead. They are 126 in front of third place Tony Schumacher, the seven-time world champ.

“We’re just trying to shoot for it and win as many races as possible,” Brown said. “We want to go into the Countdown as the points leader and there’s an extra 20 points on the line if you can do that. That proved to be huge last year in the final race of the season. We are clawing for everything that we can get.”

In Funny Car, Gray claimed his second victory of the season by defeating defending world champ Matt Hagan in the final round. Gray posted a winning effort of 4.142 at 305.15 in his Service Central Dodge Charger, while Hagan trailed with a 5.461 at 146.67 in his Aaron’s/Mopar Charger.

“We had a great race car all weekend,” Gray said. “We struggled a little in qualifying, but I have a great crew and crew chief and they gave me a great race car today.”

Gray won from the No. 6 qualifying position, beating Tim Wilkerson, Gary Densham and Denver winner Jack Beckman en route to his third final round of the season. With the win he remained in fifth place, but now trails fourth place Mike Neff by 18 points. He’s 62 points out of third.

“I’d like to move up a little bit more and earn a few more points to start the Countdown with,” said Gray, who didn’t make the Countdown last season. “I’m ready for the Countdown, we’ve got a great race car.”

Johnson raced to his fourth Pro Stock win of the season, beating four-time world champ Greg Anderson in the final round. Johnson, who will join Brown in a quest to sweep the Western Swing in Seattle next week, won from the top qualifying position with a final round effort of 6.542 at 211.76 in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, overcoming a near perfect reaction time from Anderson, who trailed with a 6.573 at 210.93 in his Summit Racing Chevy Camaro.

“We’ve got an awesome race car and a great team making decisions,” Johnson said. “It’s a sweet feeling knowing every time you go up there you are going to be the fastest car. You just have to be consistent as a driver. I was able to do that today and hopefully I can carry that on into Seattle.”

Johnson used a consistent string of low 6.50s to beat early round opponents Matt Hartford, Jeg Coughlin and Jason Line. He also had the quicker reaction time in each round except the final.

“We’re learning how to win, round by round by round,” Johnson said. “And we’re taking it one round at a time.”

Johnson, who increased his series lead to 54 points over Anderson, feels confident that he can become the eighth driver to sweep the swing and only the second Pro Stock driver to accomplish the rare feat, joining Anderson (2004).

“I can’t imagine winning two in a row and we’ve done it with earning maximum points,” Johnson said. “Every round of qualifying and eliminations we had the quickest car. It’s mind-boggling to me. We are getting in the championship mind set. I’ve never thought of myself as the best out here. So I have to start thinking that way and get my confidence up so we can get ready for the Countdown.”

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, top qualifier Krawiec raced to his fifth victory of the season and second in a row, once again beating teammate Andrew Hines in the final round. In a battle between Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidsons, Krawiec raced to a final round performance of 6.809 at 197.74 to drive around the quicker-reacting Hines, who trailed with a 6.839 at 196.27.

To advance to the final, Krawiec defeated Angie Smith, John Hall and Hector Arana Sr. Krawiec’s bike posted the low E.T. of the weekend in the first round win with a 6.785. He then ran low 6.80s in the final three round wins.

“You can’t make mistakes out here,” Krawiec said. “We’re focusing on round wins. You get enough of them and that will equal race wins and then enough of those will win championships. I just want to see win lights.”

The win was the eighth of the season for the Harley team and continues their domination dating back to last season. Hines advanced to his fourth consecutive final round appearance. The two riders are one and two in the series standings and pulling away from the pack.

“Hopefully we don’t peak before the Countdown,” Krawiec said. “We can dominate and be the team for the first 10 races, but we could fizzle out for the final six, and the end result is you don’t win the championship. Our main goal is to stay on top of our program and do the best we can.”

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues Aug. 3-5 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, the third and final leg of the Western Swing.

* * *

SONOMA, Calif. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 25th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Raceway at Sonoma.  The race is the 14th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1.  Antron Brown; 2.  Spencer Massey; 3.  Doug Kalitta; 4.  Brandon Bernstein; 5.  Clay Millican; 6.  Shawn Langdon; 7.  Tony Schumacher; 8.  David Grubnic; 9.  Steve Torrence; 10.  Bob Vandergriff; 11.  Mike Strasburg; 12.  Terry McMillen; 13.  Mike Salinas; 14.  Morgan Lucas; 15. Khalid alBalooshi; 16.  Scott Palmer.

FUNNY CAR:

1.  Johnny Gray; 2.  Matt Hagan; 3.  Jack Beckman; 4.  Cruz Pedregon; 5.  Robert Hight; 6.  Gary Densham; 7.  Jeff Arend; 8.  Alexis DeJoria; 9.  Courtney Force; 10.  John Force; 11.  Jeff Diehl; 12.  Mike Neff; 13.  Tim Wilkerson; 14.  Ron Capps; 15.  Dale Creasy Jr.; 16.  Bob Tasca III.

PRO STOCK:

1.  Allen Johnson; 2.  Greg Anderson; 3.  Jason Line; 4.  Mike Edwards; 5.  Vincent Nobile; 6. Erica Enders; 7.  Larry Morgan; 8.  Jeg Coughlin; 9.  Warren Johnson; 10.  Shane Gray; 11.  V. Gaines; 12.  Matt Hartford; 13.  JR Carr; 14.  Gordie Rivera; 15.  Kurt Johnson; 16.  Ron Krisher.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

1.  Eddie Krawiec; 2.  Andrew Hines; 3.  Hector Arana; 4.  Hector Arana Jr; 5.  Karen Stoffer; 6. John Hall; 7.  Scotty Pollacheck; 8.  Shawn Gann; 9.  Angie Smith; 10.  Jerry Savoie; 11.  Michael Ray; 12.  Steve Johnson; 13.  Katie Sullivan; 14.  Matt Guidera; 15.  Matt Smith; 16.  Michael Phillips.

SONOMA, Calif. -- Sunday's final results from the 25th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Raceway at Sonoma. The race is the 14th of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Antron Brown, 3.814 seconds, 318.02 mph  def. Spencer Massey, 3.826 seconds, 323.50 mph.

Funny Car -- Johnny Gray, Dodge Charger, 4.142, 305.15  def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 5.461, 146.67.

Pro Stock -- Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 6.542, 211.76  def. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.573, 210.93.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.809, 197.74  def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.839, 196.27.

Super Stock -- Justin Lamb, Cobalt, 8.586, 154.32  def. Dave Raybourn, Dart, 8.589, 154.14.

Stock Eliminator -- Tommy Gaynor, Camaro, 10.863, 109.19  def. Dave Bridgewater, Camaro, 10.505, 123.01.

Top Dragster -- Bobby Ray McMahan, Dragster, 6.553, 206.76  def. Val Torres Jr., Dragster, 6.648, 202.21.

Top Sportsman -- Ed Olpin, Camaro, 7.575, 181.11  def. Todd Stewart, Cobalt, 7.097, 186.20.

Super Comp -- Aaron Kinard, Dragster, 8.952, 164.75  def. Justin Morgan, Dragster, 8.894, 173.09.

Super Gas -- Rob Willis, Firebird, 9.958, 148.97  def. Ronnie Lahn, Cavalier, foul.

BRISTOL IS A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR THE GRAY FAMILY

The Gray family is the perfect example of Nitro Generation. Dad Johnny is coming off his first win of the season at the Toyota NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J., son Shane is debuting a new Chevy Camaro at the 15th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers at Bristol Dragway this weekend, and youngest son Jonathan will compete in Comp in Bristol, his fourth national event this year. Johnny is ecstatic to spend Father’s Day racing with his boys: “Of course, we’d like to turn around and double up with a win in Bristol in our NTB/Service Central Dodge, and I’d sure like to see Shane and Jonathan do well, but what’s really special is having the family all together. Jonathan and his family weren’t able to make it to Englishtown, but we’ll all be reunited in Bristol, and I’m really looking forward to that. Not every guy is as fortunate as I am to have their kids all together doing what we love to do.”

Johnny Gray and NTB Service Central Funny Car team journey to Bristol Dragway fueled up to double up

Funny Car pilot Johnny Gray and the NTB/Service Central Racing team were flying high when they left the most recent event on NHRA's Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour. A rejuvenated program, Gray's skilled navigation of the Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, and mindful application of lessons learned by crew chiefs Rob Wendland and Rip Reynolds paved the way to the winner's circle in Englishtown. For Gray, it was the second nitro Funny Car victory of his career, and one that was extremely rewarding with nearly all of his immediate family in tow.

Gray will have the opportunity to extend his round-win streak and gain more valuable points towards a secured position in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs this weekend at the 15th annual Ford Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals at Bristol Dragway, the 10th stop on the circuit.

"You know, it was great to get that win," said Gray. "But that was then and this is now, and this NTB/Service Central team has shifted gears and is focusing on what it will take to repeat. I can tell you that we are all very focused on taking everything that we've learned so far and building on it in Bristol.

"I feel just as confident as anyone out there right now. There is no reason we can't get two in a row. My car is running as well as anybody's, and I think my team is better than anyone's. There is absolutely no reason in the world that we can't turn around, go right to Bristol and double up."

Artesia, N.M.-based Gray will celebrate Father's Day weekend with his children in Bristol - eldest son Shane Gray, formerly a Pontiac pilot, will debut the NTB/Service Central Chevy Camaro in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class, and younger son Jonathan Gray will compete in the Lucas Oil Series driving the Service Central Pontiac GTO in Competition Eliminator. 

"It's such a special weekend, and you always hope that you can make it even more special," said Gray. "It would be great to win a race with both kids there, but really, just being with the family on Father's Day is such a blessing. It's so much more than so many other families have, and if all that happens is I get to spend the weekend with my kids, well so be it. It's going to be a great time no matter what."

TORRENCE, GRAY, ANDERSON AND KRAWIEC EARN VICTORIES AT TOYOTA NHRA SUPERNATIONALS IN ENGLISHTOWN

Steve Torrence raced to his second Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday at the Toyota NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which was slightly delayed by a passing afternoon thunderstorm as teams prepared for their final rounds.

Torrence beat Tony Schumacher and Spencer Massey in earlier rounds with quicker reaction times and then used a horsepower advantage to edge Brandon Bernstein at the finish line in the final round.  In the final, Torrence’s Capco Contractors dragster finished in 3.800 seconds at 323.66 mph while Bernstein’s MAV TV/Lucas Oil machine trailed with a 3.807 at 321.04.

“It’s really a little surreal coming out and having success in a short time,” Torrence said. “I figured this team to be a competitive team and run with these guys, but I didn’t expect to do as well as we have. It’s really gratifying to be able to go out and do that well. Today, we had some really tough races. Two races, we won by a thou against both of the Schumacher cars. I don’t know but it’s more gratifying when you go out and you really have races that you’ve got to beat the guy beside you rather than them smoking the tires or whatever. I had my best light of the weekend against Brandon that round, and I was pretty pumped up because I knew he’d been on it. I may have cheated the car a little bit. I think it was going to go .79 instead of .80, but I stole from the starting line.”

Massey, who failed to certify his his category-best low E.T. of the event as a national record, maintained his series lead over second place Schumacher with the semifinal effort. Torrence, who also won at Atlanta in May, has surged to fifth in the points standings.

“The car that I’ve got right now is the best Top Fuel car that I’ve ever driven, so I do feel like we have a championship contender car if it stays the way that it’s running,” Torrence said. “We’ll just see. [Contending for the championship] is in the back of my mind, but we’re still going one round, one race at a time because consistency is the key. We’re trying to get some parts built up for the Countdown, and when that time comes, we’ll start looking in that direction. I don’t want to get the cart before the horse. I just want to go out here and keep racing and hopefully get some round-wins.”

In Funny Car, Gray claimed his first victory of the season and second of his career by beating teammate Ron Capps in the final round. Gray pulled away from Capps, who was making his fifth consecutive final round appearance, with a performance of 4.078 at 314.39 in his NTB/Service Central Dodge Charger. Capps’ NAPA Auto Parts Charger, which posted the quickest run in NHRA history on Friday with a blast of 3.964 seconds, lost traction and finished in 5.358 at 160.71. Capps also failed to back-up his category-best performance during eliminations to certify it as a national record.

Gray faced tough competitors all day, as he beat Jim Head, John Force and Robert Hight in the opening rounds.

“There wasn’t anything easy about it,” Gray said. “Nothing is ever easy trying to outrun any of the fuel cars that are out there, but Rob [Wendland, crew chief], Rip [Reynolds, assistant crew chief], and all the guys just gave me a great race car all weekend. I think a .11 was our slowest pass of the weekend. What can you say? That car’s just awesome. It’s fun to drive. It goes good. It goes straight. You know what it’s going to do, so we’re really looking forward to going to the next race.”

With the semifinal finish Hight increased his series lead over Capps, who solidified his second place position with the runner-up effort. Gray, who failed to qualify for the Countdown playoffs last season, made a major move toward making the top 10 this season with this victory, climbing to fourth in the standings.

“We struggled a little bit and we lost it a little bit a few races back, but we made some changes along with the help of Rahn Tobler and Mike Green and just really all the guys over at the DSR brain trust,” Gray said. “They came over and kind of got us back on track and helped the guys kind of get the car lined up, and now she’s just a pooch. You just take her up there, and she goes right down the racetrack.”

Anderson raced to his fourth Pro Stock victory of the season and 74th of his career in a new car, a Chevy Camaro. Anderson defeated teammate Jason Line in the final round with a performance of 6.560 at 212.03 in his Summit Racing Equipment Camaro, while Line’s Summit Racing Pontiac GXP trailed with a 6.588 at 200.98.  It was also the 100th win for the KB Racing team, owned by Ken Black.

“We brought [the new Camaro] here with high hopes and surpassed those hopes,” Anderson said. “This is a fantastic weekend. Couple weekends ago I lost in the final to Allen Johnson. I thought I had the better car. I had a better light and we shook the tires. I lost and I told [team owner] Ken Black, that maybe you should be on hand for the 100th win for KB racing. For him to come across the country from Las Vegas, he must have had that feeling. He jetted all the way over here.”

Anderson, who qualified sixth, advanced to the final with early round wins over Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards and Allen Johnson.  It was his fifth career win at Raceway Park, which makes him the winningest Pro Stock driver in the track's history, moving past Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson.

Line pulled ahead of the final round race, but then slowed dramatically as the two cars charged toward the finish line.

“In the final, Jason would have won but he broke a valve spring and that cost him about two-hundredths,” Anderson said. “If this had been a 1,000-foot race he’d have won but this isn’t Top Fuel. We run a quarter-mile and that made the difference. It’s tough for Jason but the bottom line was we couldn’t lose in the final.”

Anderson, who increased his series lead with the victory, was thrilled to win with his new Camaro in its debut.

“It was a gutsy call to bring the Camaro here,” Anderson said. “It was a tough decision but I’m so excited about GM being back in Pro Stock, and the muscle car being back in Pro Stock. We knew that the sooner we got it out here the better off the class would be. Even if it wasn’t 100-percent, we were bringing it.”

Local favorite Krawiec, former Raceway Park general manager, claimed an emotional first Pro Stock Motorcycle victory at the historic track, taking the automatic victory when his final round opponent Hector Arana Sr. fouled at the start on his Lucas Oil Buell. Krawiec claimed his 14th career victory by finishing in 6.921 at 171.45 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.

“During my TV interview I actually started crying,” said Krawiec, an Englishtown, N.J. native who now calls Indianapolis home. “[Team owner] Terry Vance has said many times, that something that never comes out of Eddie’s mouth is ‘I have nothing to say.’ But I was speechless.”

Krawiec, who increased his series lead with the win, defeated Joe DeSantis and former world champs Matt Smith and LE Tonglet in the first three rounds to advance to the final. He knew he would need to be on his game for the final with Arana, who had posted some of the quickest runs of the day.

“I knew I had to hit the tree good and make a nice run to have a chance of winning,” Krawiec said. “I let Craig Treble whip me here in 2009 because I thought I had a better bike and I laid back on the starting line. He picked my pocket and still doesn’t let me forget it. I thought that was my one and only chance to win this race. Thankfully, it wasn’t.”

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues June 15-17 with the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.