The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series made its way to Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual NHRA Dodge Power Brokers US Nationals over the Labor Day weekend. At the event this year is a race within a race. While drivers are attempting to qualify for the US Nationals, four Top Fuel drivers and eight Funny Car drivers were to participate in the inaugural Pep Boys All Star Callout.
Top Fuel’s Callout began with a match up in which Steve Torrence defeated Leah Pruett to advance him to the semifinal round. He would be left to face Justin Ashley after Brittany Force called out Mike Salinas. Torrence put a 3.701 to Ashley’s 3.721 to advance to the final round. Force took down Salinas as his car lost traction almost immediately and she would lose traction further down track near the finish line running a 4.01 et. This run helped her advance into the final round of the Callout but she was still not qualified for the US Nationals. In the final round, Torrence put a 3.692 elapse time to Force’s 3.704 to capture the $80,000 pay day.
While Brittany Force may have lost the $80,000 dollar pay day on Saturday on Sunday, she captured the pole for the US Nationals by setting both ends of the track record in her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster posting a 3.64 et @ 337 mph. The Top Fuel class set another record by becoming the quickest field in the history of the sport from Force’s 3.640 to the number 16 qualifier Dan Mercier’ 3.758 et.
In the Funny Car Callout Ron Capps scored the $80,000 victory over Matt Hagan by .004 seconds. Capp’s 3.933 was just enough to hold off Hagan’s 3.90 as Capps got off the starting line first. Capps worked his way through Tim Wilkerson in round one and then the 16-time champion John Force in round two. While Capps won the Callout, he also qualified on the pole for the US Nationals with a 3.864 @ 333 mph.
In Pro Stock four-time champion Greg Anderson took the pole for Monday’s race with a 6.567 @ 208 mph and Pro Stock Motorcycle three-time champion Angelle Sampey scored the number one qualifying position with a 6.796 @ 199 mph.
The Dodge Powerbrokers US Nationals was scheduled to take place on Labor Day Monday, past sports press time; look for the results of that competition in the Sept. 14 issue.
