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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying THURSDAY, Aug. 28 LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations FRIDAY, Aug. 29 LUCAS OIL SERIES (featuring Mopar HEMI Challenge) PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 5:30 p.m. MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, Aug. 30 LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 2 and 5:30 p.m. TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (Top Fuel) rounds at 4, 5:25 and 7:45 p.m. MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. SUNDAY, Aug. 31 LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying and eliminations PRO MOD SERIES qualifying
at 10:30 a.m.; first round of eliminations at 2 p.m. TRAXXAS NITRO SHOOTOUT (Funny Car) rounds at 12:30, 1:55 and 4:15 p.m. MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. MONDAY, Sept. 1 Pre-race ceremonies, 9:45 a.m. MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
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A BOUT U.S. NATIONALS WHAT: 60th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, 18th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the last race in the NHRA Mello Yello Series regular season. At the conclusion of this event, the top 10 drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – will be locked in to begin the
six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs, leading to 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. WHERE: Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Ind. From I-465, exit Crawfordsville Road (Hwy. 136). Head west for four miles past downtown Clermont. The facility’s main entrance is on the
left, one-half mile past Raceway Road. From I-74 go south on Ronald Reagan Parkway, exit 68 and turn south. Turn east on U.S. 136 and entrance on the track will be on the right. COURSE: Championship dragstrip. Track elevation is 700 feet above sea level and track direction is south-to-north. WHEN: Aug. 27 through Sept. 1.
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Chevrolet Performance NHRA US Nationals runs 60th time in 2014 By Jeff Robison Flyer Correspondent
When it comes to the 2014 schedule at Lucas Oil Raceway, the highlight of the year will certainly be the 60th Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals drag racing championships that will be held from August 27 to Sept. 1. NHRA Senior Communications Manager Scott Smith is already gearing up to make the sure this year gives fans and drivers their best experience at the biggest event on the NHRA calendar. “In drag racing, this is our Wimbledon (tennis), our Super Bowl, our NBA Finals,” Smith said. “A driver cannot really say he has won something unless he wins here. Without a win, there is something missing from the resume. This is truly one of the iconic races in the country.” With this being a milestone anniversary for the event, the goal is to make this year bigger and better than other recent years. “We are celebrating that fact,” Smith said. “We will have a lot of different displays, almost like a theme park, that will show the histor y and traditions of drag racing and can be enjoyed by fans and drivers alike.” Much of Smith’s work through the year is focused on making improvements or planning to make sure Lucas Oil Raceway can deliver when the time comes for the facility’s biggest event of the year. “During the course of the year, we are always working toward (U.S. Nationals) to improve the facility or plan for the event,” Smith said. “Some of the things, fans may or may not see. It is a year-long process.” Among plans for 2014 are appearances for fans to meet and interact with NHRA legends “Big Daddy”
Don Garlitts, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, and Shirley “Cha-Cha” Muldowney. Four classes are the stars of NHRA drag racing — Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. For Smith, he has trouble picking a favorite. “All of the classes have something unique to offer, and I enjoy all of them,” Smith said. “A lot of the top drivers and teams live here in Hendricks County, and it is neat to see them here.” From a driver’s perspective, Avon resident Shawn Langdon knows the importance of the NHRA U.S.
Nationals. He capped off his 2013 Top Fuel season championship with a 2013 Nationals victory. “All of the legends have won here,” Langdon said. “You really cannot say you are someone in NHRA without winning at Lucas Oil Raceway. (Winning last year) was special for me as it was something I dreamed about as I grew up racing.” Langdon is one of many local NHRA stars based in Hendricks County, as the area also serves as the home base for other notables stars 2012 NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown of Pittsboro, Funny
Car stars John, and daughter Courtney, Force with a Brownsburg-based operation, and Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor Andrew Hines of Avon. Langdon admits the proximity of LOR is in his favor. “I compete in both Top Fuel and Sportsman brackets, and it is nice to have a track so close,” Langdon said. “I really like go out for Test and Tune on Wednesdays and try things out.” To Smith, what sets the NHRA apart from racing organizations like NASCAR and IndyCar is the accessibility fans have to the events and close competitions.
Few equipment changes are seen in NHRA as the organization has keyed on keeping things even. “NHRA Technical Staff, based out of LOR, is always making sure teams are playing on a level playing field,” Smith said. “That in turn helps fans and raises the bar for what fans will see — races coming down to hundredths and thousandths of a second.” In fact, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals may be one of the most family friendly events in all of racing. “It is a very affordable ticket, as 12-and-under are
granted free general admission with a paid adult ticket,” Smith said. “When you buy a ticket, you are right up close. And, every ticket is a pit pass. There is no better accessibility for fans.” Some fans are even afforded a more intimate experience. “Many times drivers will take kids behind the ropes and let them touch and sit in cars,” Smith said. “You do not see that in other motorsports. The entire facility becomes an interactive environment where you can actually see teams work and get autographs.”
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Brown looks for big weekend at LOR By Brent Glasgow brent.glasgow@flyergroup.com
With four wins, it has been a good 2014 for Don Schumacher Racing’s Antron Brown, who enters the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in second place in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings. “I definitely can’t complain with how things have gone this year,” Brown said. “We’re locked in solid to the Countdown, and everything is looking great. The competition is the best we’ve seen in the class in a long time, so it’ll be a Nationals to look forward to.” The season hasn’t come without its bumps and bruises, as Brown was involved in a fiery crash in May at Atlanta Dragway. Brown said it wasn’t as bad as his wreck last year at Pomona, and that trust in his team makes it easy to get back in the car. “They were very similar crashes, but the one in Pomona hurt a lot more,” Brown said. “It happens so fast, there’s no time to think about it. Both were over 300 mph, the last one at 318. Just being able to walk away from them is a testament to how blessed I am with the group of guys I have putting this thing together.” For the uninitiated, Brown was a three-sport high school athlete in New Jersey who grew up around racing, as his father and uncle ran in the Sportsman Weekend Warriors drag series. While he envisioned a career in racing, he went to a junior college, walked on with the track team, received an associate’s business degree and nearly went on to a fouryear school. Before that could happen, Brown, 38, decided it was time to live his childhood dream, and spent a decade racing Pro Stock motorcy-
cles before switching to Top Fuel dragsters in 2008. He has 46 career victories, and was the 2012 Top Fuel series champion, which made him the first black driver to win a major U.S. racing series. “To do it as a team, with all
you go through together, and also for all the years you put into racing, you just don’t know what it feels like until it happens to you,” Brown said. “We’d done everything but win it, and it made all the struggles and sacrifices worth it, to become a part of
history together.” Brown has three victories at the U.S. Nationals. “If you don’t win a championship, the next-best thing is winning the U.S. Nationals,” Brown said. “You have 10 more cars qualifying in each category,
throwing everything they have at it. The money’s double, and so is the prestige. You can tell by the standingroom-only crowd that it’s big and it’s special.” The U.S. Nationals attract thousands from throughout the country, including a
large contingent from Brown’s family. “I have people from all over coming,” Brown said. “A lot of my people from New Jersey will come in, and all my wife’s family is from Louisiana, and they’ll come up … and I’m not talking one or
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Johnson making most of opportunity By Brent Glasgow brent.glasgow@flyergroup.com
The economic crash of 2008 had a substantial impact on racing, and NHRA Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. was one of those affected. Johnson, who at 15 years old became the youngest to ever hold an NHRA competitive license, found himself without a ride at 40, when sponsorship for his Kenny Bernstein Racing team disappeared. This season, Johnson is back in the cockpit fulltime, as part of Don Schumacher Racing. “There were a lot of days that I didn’t know if it was going to happen again, but that’s what I worked for all that time,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t done yet. I had things left to do.” After his last full schedule in ’08, Johnson plugged himself into every facet of racing that he could, both to make a living and hopefully set up his next driving opportunity. He drove in Europe, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. He worked at Schumacher as a purchasing agent and track specialist. He appeared on ESPN and Velocity Channel broadcasts. He also started a racing supplies and parts company. “My dad had a mail-order parts business for 35 years,” Johnson said. “I guess that’s how I ended up back in it … you do what you know.” Johnson said around eight top-level drivers who raced before the Great Recession are still out of the business, while he and Kalitta Motorsports’ J.R. Todd rejoined the ranks this year. “When the opportunity comes back, you have to be ready, and I was more than
ready,” the nine-time event winner said. “Racing overseas was a good experience, but I always wanted to get back in a U.S. series full-time.” Johnson is back in the car this year thanks to a unique sponsor. Terry Chandler, a long-time race fan and brother of retired Schumacher driver Johnny Gray, has financed the estimated $3 million tab, and with a twist. Instead of a product advertised on the ride,
“If we can raise some money for Riley and awareness for the great things they do for all the kids that are sick, it’s just a great opportunity for us, and A.J.’s a great example of what can happen if you keep fighting.” Tommy Johnson Jr. Chandler gave the space to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, for free. “It’s nice to have somebody with such a big heart who wants to give back,”
Johnson said. “It sounds like she’s coming back and we’ll do it all again next year.” At the upcoming U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Race-
way, the car will feature a Riley Hospital for Children design. Riley Kids ambassador A.J. Stinger, 14, will be an honorary crew chief. “If we can raise some money for Riley and awareness for the great things they do for all the kids that are sick, it’s just a great opportunity for us, and A.J.’s a great example of what can happen if you keep fighting,” Johnson said. With one victory and a
fifth-place spot in the Funny Car standings, Johnson is pleased with his 2014 season. One thing would make it immeasurably better – a Nationals victory at Lucas Oil, where he has careerbest second-place finish. “Indy is our Super Bowl,” Johnson said. “I went there as a kid with my dad, and I competed there for the first time in ’84. To get to that final round and not get it done, it’s an empty hole in you that you want to fill.”
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CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE U.S. NATIONALS FACT SHEET
2013 EVENT WINNERS: Shawn Langdon, Top Fuel. Robert Hight, Funny Car. Mike Edwards, Pro Stock. John Hall, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel, 9; Bob Glidden, Pro Stock, 9; Don Garlits, Top Fuel, 8; Don Prudhomme, Top Fuel and Funny Car, 7; Warren Johnson, Pro Stock, 6; Dave Schultz, Pro Stock Motorcycle, 6; Ed McCulloch, Funny Car and Top Fuel, 6; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock, 6; John Force, Funny Car, 4; Larry Dixon, Top Fuel, 4.
EVENT HISTORY: The most historic and prestigious event in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals has been contested annually since 1955. Originally known as “The Nationals” and first held at an abandoned airstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the event made stops at Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Detroit before eventually moving to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 1961. Past winners include “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, an eight-time winner in Top Fuel; Shirley Muldowney, 1982 Top Fuel winner; Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, a seven-time winner and one of a handful of drivers to win the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car; and Bob Glidden, the legendary Pro Stock driver who dominated the race by advancing to the final round in 13 consecutive seasons from 1977-’89. The Indiana native won the event a record nine times, a mark he shares with current Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher. It is the only major motorsports event to be contested on Labor Day.
FAST FACTS: The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is the final of 18 regular season Mello Yello Series races. Following the conclusion of this event the top 10 drivers in each Mello Yello Series category will qualify for the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs that begin Sept. 12-14 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.… The Traxxas Nitro Shootout will offer $100,000 to the winners in special bonus events for qualified Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers… Tony Schumacher is an 11-time U.S. Nationals finalist in Top Fuel (winning nine)… Schumacher’s first career NHRA start came at the U.S. Nationals in 1996 and the then rookie posted a runner-up finish to Cory McClenathan… John Force, 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Series world champion and winner of a record 141 events, has won the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals four times,
TRACK RECORDS Top Fuel - 3.740 sec. by Shawn Langdon, Sept. 2013; 328.38 mph by Steve Torrence, Sept. 2013. Funny Car - 4.007 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. 2013; 319.22 mph by Hagan, Sept. 2013. Pro Stock - 6.538 sec. by Jason Line, Sept. 2011; 211.13 mph by Mike Edwards, Sept. 2012. Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.815 sec. by Andrew Hines, Sept. 2010; 196.76 mph by Hines, Sept. 2010.
NATIONAL RECORDS Top Fuel - 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. 2012, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April 2012, Charlotte, N.C. Funny Car - 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. 2014, Pomona, Calif. Pro Stock - 6.464 sec. and 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May 2014, Englishtown, N.J. PS Motorcycle - 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. 2012, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March 2011, Gainesville, Fla. his last coming in 2002… Three women have earned Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals victories, including Shirley Muldowney once in Top Fuel, Ashley Force Hood twice in Funny Car and Angelle Sampey twice in Pro Stock Motorcycle… Pro Stock’s Bob Glidden and Top Fuel’s Tony Schumacher are the winningest drivers in the history of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, with nine victories each… Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, Jim Head and Ed McCulloch have won the race in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, while Antron Brown has also won the race in multiple MYDRS classes, Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle… The event also will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series and the NHRA Pro
Mod Drag Racing Series, featuring high-horsepower machines that accelerate to more than 250 mph. WHAT TO WATCH: The Traxxas Nitro Shootout will offer $100,000 to the winners in special bonus events for qualified Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers… Tony Schumacher is seeking a record 10th Top Fuel victory at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals… A victory by Schumacher would break a tie with Pro Stock’s Bob Glidden for most Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals victories… Four-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson is seeking his seventh Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals victory… A driver from John Force
Racing has earned the Funny Car victory at this event each season since 2008, including Robert Hight last season and in ’08, Ashley Force Hood in ’09 and ’10 and Mike Neff in ’11 and ’12… Seven female drivers representing all four Mello Yello Series categories are pre-entered for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals… Several high-profile drivers are looking for their first victory in the world’s most prestigious drag race, including twotime Indy runner-up and current series points leader Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Tony Pedregon in Funny Car, defending world champ Allen Johnson in Pro Stock, and three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Eddie Krawiec… Drivers in several Mello Yello Series categories who are on the bubble to make it into the top 10 in points, including J.R. Todd, Bob Vandergriff and Clay Millican in Top Fuel, Tim Wilkerson and Jack Beckman in Funny Car, Greg Anderson and Jonathan Gray in Pro Stock and Steve Johnson, Adam Arana and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock Motorcycle, will be trying to earn every point possible to secure their berths into the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race postseason playoffs. TELEVISION: Aug. 31, ESPN2 will televise four hours of qualifying coverage at 11 a.m. (ET). Aug. 31, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET). Sept. 1, ESPN2 will televise six hours of eliminations coverage at noon (ET).
TRACK HISTORY: In 1958, led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward and Howard Fieber, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals invested $5,000 each to fund the development of what would become Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The group purchased a 267-acre farm about seven miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and developed a multipurpose auto racing facility. The original intention in creating Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis was to design a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course. Nearly as an afterthought, and as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the 2.5-mile road course design. Constructed with assistance from the NHRA, the drag strip was the first of the three courses to be completed, with the facility’s first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. During the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit, a handshake agreement between Binford and NHRA founder Wally Parks promised that the event would move to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 1961. The historic three-year pact was signed and sealed under a tree in Detroit Dragway’s pits, and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis eventually became the home of NHRA’s biggest annual event. The NHRA purchased the entire facility in 1979. The first major improvement came in 1983 with the construction and dedication of Parks Tower, the four-story drag strip tower. In 1998, new grandstands, suites and a tower complex on the front straightaway were completed at the oval track at a cost of nearly $2.5 million, which included the repaving of the entire oval surface as part of a three-phase facility improvement project. In 2001, NHRA and Lucas Oil Raceway constructed a new drag strip racing surface, replacing the strip with a 660-foot concrete pad and laying new asphalt on the remainder of the track and shutdown area. Prior to the 2003 race, eight new luxury suites were added along the top of the west-side grandstands of the drag strip, giving fans a unique perspective of the action on the famed track. In 2006, new soft barrier walls were added to the oval. In 2007, the track announced its first track entitlement with O’Reilly Auto Parts. In 2011, the track announced a new track entitlement with Lucas Oil Products. The track – formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park – is now known as Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. During the winter of 2008, a new main track office building was constructed near the track entrance.
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60 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE US NATIONALS AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY
1. Every ticket is a Pit Pass. Get up close and personal with the drivers while you watch the crews rebuild the engines in between sessions. You can also grab an autograph and even a picture with your favorite driver. 2. During the event, the NHRA will celebrate 6 major moments from the U.S. Chevrolet Performance Nationals. 3. Traxxas Top Fuel Shootout is on Saturday! 4. Traxxas Nitro Funny Car Shootout is on Sunday! 5. Fireworks will light up the sky Friday and Saturday night as racing concludes at the track for the day. 6. Wheels-up excitement of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown. 7. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits will recreate his famous beard shaving. 8. The “King of Speed” Kenny Bernstein will be honored for his historic “Indy Double.” 9. Want to go walk around but you are afraid you’ll lose your seat? Purchase reserved tickets and you don’t have to worry about losing that great seat. You also get to sit closer to the starting line. Prices range from $47 - $64. To upgrade or purchase reserved seating visit www. NHRATIX.com 10. Kids 12 & Under are FREE in General Admission with a paid adult. 11. The US Nationals is the final race before the points reset for the Countdown to the Championship. 12. Check out the trackside displays such as the Traxxas display, where you can drive one of their Traxxas radio control cars, or the Harley Davidson display, where you can sit on a Harley and envision yourself cruising down the road. And don’t forget about the Army display, where you can ride in a helicopter simulator and see what it feels like to a helicopter pilot in the Army. 13. Matt Hagan holds both the Lucas Oil Raceway Funny Car track records. During the US Nationals in Sept. 2013, Matt went 319.22 MPH at an elapsed time of 4.007 seconds, nabbing himself the new track record and #1 qualifier. 14. Want the whole drag racing experience? For $125 you can camp at the track all weekend. 15. Visit the midway for a chance to win some of the big prizes they are giving away. 16. The annual track walk gives fans the opportunity to walk down the historic drag strip with the drivers. 17. Take a trip back in time by
visiting the vintage car displays in the midway. 18. Cacklefest will allow fans a glimpse into the NHRA’s past as nostalgia cars gather on the drag strip to start their engines together and create a unique sound unlike any other. 19. Watch as female drivers compete with the males, including Courtney Force, who just grabbed the 100th NHRA Pro victory for female drivers! 20. Don’t worry about paying for parking each day. You can pre-buy a preferred parking pass for $100 and get VIP parking towards the front of the parking lot. For more information visit www.NHRATIX.com 21. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen, and Bob Glidden will all be at Lucas Oil Raceway to celebrate 60 years of US Nationals! 22. Nationals offer something for every racing enthusiast: Top Fuel Dragster, Top Alcohol Dragster, Fuel Funny Car, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod, Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator,
Super Comp, Super Gas, and Junior Dragsters. 24. U.S. Chevrolet Performance Nationals Official Fan Fest will shake up Monument Circle with car displays, music, autograph sessions and activities for fans on Wednesday before the racing begins at the track! 25. Each winner will receive a special edition 60th Anniversary Championship ring. 26. The NHRA U.S. Nationals have been an Indianapolis tradition since 1961. 27. Great family fun for Labor Day weekend. 28. Talk about an entrance! On Labor Day as the National Anthem plays in the background watch as a skydiver glides onto the drag strip proudly displaying the American flag for the crowd to see. 29. Watch over 1,000 drivers compete to earn a spot in NHRA history! 30. Want to feel like you are part of the action on the drag strip? Join the Top Eliminator Club for seats on the starting line, daily food and refreshments, and a gift bag. 31. NHRA’s first National’s Champion was 25 year old Calvin Rice in 1955. 32. Feel the ground shake as cars
go from 0 to over 300mph in under 4.5 seconds as they race down the Lucas Oil Raceway drag strip! 34. See NHRA legend, John Force, compete for another Wally. He is the only driver to win 16 Funny Car world championships! 35. Lucas Oil Raceway will be partnering with the town of Brownsburg for the Big Go Block Party on Aug. 19th. Join us for food and live music, visit @BigGoBlockParty on twitter for more information. 36. Tony Schumacher currently holds the record for the most career wins for Top Fuel with 75 victories. He has also won at Lucas Oil Raceway an amazing 9 times. That’s tied with Bob Glidden and one more than “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. 38. Who is going to be in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout? The shootout includes the first seven winners of a NHRA Funny Car or Top Fuel race leading up to the US Nationals. If the points leader in either category is not already qualified, he or she is automatically included as the top seed. The last spot is determined by a fan vote lottery, so if your favorite driver is not in the show yet there is still hope, but you have to make sure you vote. 39. The 1st woman to receive a
NHRA license was Shirley Muldowney in 1965. She then went on to win her first race in 1971, followed by her first championship in 1977. She is a pioneer for woman in the racing industry. 40. Mopar Hemi Challenge is on Friday and Saturday! 41. Thundering Jets will make their traditional exhibition passes on Friday and Saturday. 43. The fun doesn’t stop on Sunday! The Annual Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals is the only event during the season in which eliminations are held on a Monday. 44. See the 2013 Top Fuel World Champion and U.S. Nationals winner Shawn Langdon, compete for another Wally in Indianapolis. He also won the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. Can be double up again this year? 45. Want a big discount on tickets? Get a group rate when you purchase 20 or more tickets! For more information contact Andrew at azamarripa@ nhra.com or 626-250-2220. 46. Will a new top speed be set this Labor Day weekend? Come join the action and find out if Spencer Massey’s Top Fuel record of 332.18 will be broken.
47. The first year the Nationals took place the entry fee was only $5. 48. The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is the most prominent event in the Mellow Yellow Drag Racing Series. 49. Don’t miss any of the action. Get a general admission pass for the entire event for just $165! To buy tickets visit www.NHRATIX.com 50. NHRA has designed a unique special edition Wally just for the 60th Anniversary. 51. Don’t forget to stop by the nitro mall and get some souvenirs to remember your time at the 60th Annual US Nationals. They have everything from key chains, stickers, and cozies, to hats, shirts and sweatshirts. 52. Funny Car point’s leader, Robert Hight, will return to Lucas Oil Raceway to defend his win from last year’s U.S. Nationals. Do you think he will be victorious? 53. The 60th Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is the perfect opportunity to entertain employees with a suite or hospitality tent. 54. Lucas Oil Raceway offers many different concession stands so whatever you feel like eating, I’m sure we can accommodate you. 55. Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders-Stevens is dominating over all the boys in her class. Can she add to that lead at the 60th Anniversary? 56. The Nationals was born in 1955 in Great Bend, Kansas. It was held at Great Bend Municipal Airport, on their 8,000-foot runway. 57. Want to watch from the Parks Tower? You can purchase a public suite ticket and watch from the roof or AIR-CONDITIONED suite. It also includes free lunch and unlimited Coca-Cola products. 58. Although you can’t bring your own alcohol into the track, Lucas Oil Raceway will have a beer garden where you can go for an ice cold beer. 59. You may know that the winners in Top Fuel and Funny Car in the Traxxas Shootouts get a big $100,000 each but did you know that the top four finishers in each event also get money? The runner-up will receive $15,000 and the semi-final losers will receive $7,500. 60. The Lucas Oil Raceway ET and MPH records for Top Fuel were set by two different men. Shawn Langdon set the ET record at 3.740 seconds in Sept. 2012 and in Sept. 2013 Steve Torrence broke the mile per hour record at 328.38 MPH. Now those are fast!
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Local racer sees success surrounded by family By Ryan Palencer Flyer Correspondent
When it comes to racing, the last name Hines is universal, not just domestically, but also worldwide. For Vance and Hines Screamin’ Eagle HarleyDavidson rider Andrew Hines, over a decade of success has been a family affair. His father Byron Hines teamed with Terry Vance to create a legendary duo in racing, founding Vance and Hines, who have been producing performance exhaust equipment for motorcycles for decades on a world level. Bryon Hines has been involved in the racing scene since returning from Vietnam in the early 1970s according to Hines. This work has gotten the elder Hines to the top of his field. Andrew Hines said his father does 90 percent of the team’s shop work to make them faster. He has cutback going to races to focus on increasing this horsepower. In addition, Andrew Hines’ brother, Matt is his crew chief. Matt is also a three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion. “We have had a lot of success over the last 10 years,” Andrew Hines said. “The thing that I find the most cool is that I get to work with my dad and my brother every day. That is not something that everybody gets to do. We get to do that same things that we all love to do, day in and day out, of trying to help each other go fast and succeed.” Making the history the trio has been able to is the driving force to work as hard as they do. This bond also has all three working in the Screamin’ Eagle/ Vance & Hines race shop often with the assembly and testing of the team’s
Harley-Davidson V-Rod Pro Stock motorcycles. It all started in 2004, as a 21-year old Andrew Hines became the youngest world champion in NHRA history, when he claimed the Pro Stock Motorcycle title. From ‘04-’06, Hines earned three straight world titles. “It was a flood of success there early in my career,” Andrew Hines said. “I didn’t really understand it at the time. I grew up around drag racing and grew up with my brother doing extremely well in the class and seeing all of the achievements that Terr y Vance and my dad had from its inception. I really didn’t know any better. I was a young naive kid, who was almost expecting to go out there and win.” Andrew Hines admits that the early success led him to take a lot for granted, but he also has learned a lot over the last 10 years. He knows years of work and development allowed him to achieve those goals. After hitting a slump toward the middle of his career, Hines was able to learn many of these tricks. For his career, Andrew Hines has 35 wins and 59 final rounds. His best speed is 198.73. In 2010, he won five races and had seven consecutive final round appearances. In 2012, he
earned a career best six wins and 11 final round appearances. That season, he finished second in the points championship. While Hines had a down season last year, finishing outside of the top 10 for the first time in his career, he has bounced back. He is just outside of the top 10 so far this season, sitting at 11th with 706 points in the Pro Stock Motorcycle season. “Everything has panned out lately,” Andrew Hines said. “I have had a decent running motorcycle and that is all thanks to the things that have transpired with the team over a dozen years…this year, our team has really risen to the top. I have won three races, and my teammate, Eddie Krawiec has won one. To this point, he has been the No. 1 qualifier at the last five races. We are just pushing forward and looking toward a good middle of the season so we can lockdown our spots in the countdown to the championship.” The season is grueling for Andrew Hines mentally. The year kicks off in the middle of March in Gainesville, Fla. Then there is a month off in between the second race in Charlotte. After another month off, the season really starts to
get going when they head to Atlanta. If those first two races don’t go so well, there is plenty of time to think about it. He said that you learn a lot when you
get into the grind of back to back events. Living in Avon and working at the shop in Brownsburg is something that Andrew Hines lists a great
advantage. This also aids in helping finding talented, experienced crew members. In addition, it aids in finding parts, and with travel, being centrally located.
HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
10 | Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Langdon coming on at right time By Jake Thompson jake.thompson@flyergroup.com
Defending 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel Drag Racing Series champion Shawn Langdon is off to a good start in 2014. Langdon, an Avon resident and pilot of the Al-Anabi dragster, currently sits third in points. Doug Kalitta (1130) leads the Mello Yello Top Fuel Dragster competition with Brownsburg’s Antron Brown (1082) sitting in second while Langdon has accumulated 938 points. Though Langdon sits 192 points back of Kalitta, he is confident the team will finish the 18-race regular season strong and be vying for another championship when the six-race playoff begins. With 13 races down and five left on the schedule, every point counts. Langdon said the team has tinkered with different adjustments all season long, but has reverted back to some
setups from last year. “Coming off of such a great year last season, we had higher expectations this year,” Langdon said. “We’re not far out of it and the car is great at times and we’ve really turned the corner here lately. We’ve got ourselves in a great position once the countdown starts.” 2013 was a big season for Langdon as he claimed seven No. 1 qualifying positions and won seven races while claiming the world championship. Langdon also took home the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel an event he qualified for this year with a win at Bristol, Tenn. The 31-year-old driver also accomplished something no other driver in NHRA’s history last season by being the first to win titles in the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, the Lucas Oil NHRA Drag Racing Series and the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
“To be the first, it’s a great honor and I’m very proud of it,” Langdon said. “I’m proud of the people that’ve helped me along the way… and pushed me to the next level.” While records and statistics are certainly impressive, Langdon is focused on the future. The Avon driver hopes this is the beginning of a long run of continued success at this level and credited all the people around him for making this run possible including Team Owner KH Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, crew chief Brian Husen and team manager Alan Johnson. “I have a very big drive to be the best and continually try to work and be better, but it’s a team effort with a great car, team and driver,” Langdon said. “I want to be around as long as I can and live and breathe this sport. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder and would love to be around for years to come.”
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TOP FUEL 1. Doug Kalitta 2. Antron Brown 3 Shawn Langdon 4. Tony Schumacher 5. Steve Torrence 6. Spencer Massey 7. Brittany Force 8. Khalid Albalooshi 9. Richard Crampton 10. J.R. Todd
FUNNY CAR
Points
Pts. Trail
1345 1269 1146 999 920 895 856 855 808 774
0 -76 -199 -346 -425 -450 -489 -490 -537 -571
1. Robert Hight 2. John Force 3. Ron Capps 4. Courtney Force 5. Tommy Johnson 6. Alexis De Joria 7. Matt Hagan 8. Cruz Pedregon 9. Del Worsham 10. Tim Wilkerson
PRO STOCK 1. Erica Enders-Stevens 2. Allen Johnson 3. Jason Line 4. Jeg Coughlin 5. Dave Connolly 6. Shane Gray 7. Vincent Nobile 8. V Gaines 9. Chris McGaha 10. Greg Anderson
Tuesday, August 26, 2014 | 11
Points
Pts. Trail
1271 1224 989 980 975 961 949 894 848 815
0 -47 -282 -291 -296 -310 -322 -377 -423 -456
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
Points
Pts. Trail
1229 1197 1192 1128 1075 1015 959 742 718 647
0 -32 -37 -101 -154 -214 -270 -487 -511 -582
1. Andrew Hines 2. Eddie Krawiec 3. Hector Arana, Jr. 4. Hector Arana 5. John Hall 6. Matt Smith 7. Michael Ray, Jr. 8. Scott Pollacheck 9. Angie Smith 10. Steve Johnson
Points
Pts. Trail
853 762 614 542 516 483 462 461 435 430
0 -91 -239 -311 -337 -370 -391 -392 -418 -423
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12 | Tuesday, August 26, 2014
HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
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