Fearless Predictions: West by Mid-West
Friday, July 10, 2009 | 12:01 am
If I had to pick the one word used the most this week by NHRA Full Throttle Series drivers and media relations folks, it would be “grueling.”
That’s because this week the top-tier drag racing series kicks off its annual Western Swing: three races in three weeks, beginning this weekend with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Colorado’s Bandimere Speedway (qualifying, 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2, final eliminations, 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2), then from July 17-19 at Pacific Raceways in Kent, and ending up July 24-26 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
First run in 1989, the Western Swing is all about extremes. Teams will travel 2,115 miles in 21 days, with the hope of racing a maximum of 6 miles — 4.5 for the nitro classes of Top Fuel and Funny Car. Beginning in the thin air of the Rockies, they’ll end up near sea level in California, after dealing with the unpredictable weather in our own neck of the woods.
To make the pressure more intense, after the Western Swing there are just three more events for drivers to get into the top 10 in points before the NHRA’s championship playoff — the Countdown to 1 — begins.
Just six drivers have swept the Western Swing, including two-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon. Dixon, who’s won three of the past four events driving the Alan-Johnson Al-Anabi Racing dragster, commented on the difficulties of the Western Swing during an NHRA teleconference.
“It makes me glad I'm not a crew member anymore. All the miles that the teams have to drive in between all of these races,” Dixon said. “Let alone having to service the equipment and everything and getting ready for next event. It a lot of work on the teams, and the crew chiefs; it's a lot just in the preparation for the events.”
For tickets and more information about the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, visit www.pacificraceways.com.
First run in 1989, the Western Swing is all about extremes. Teams will travel 2,115 miles in 21 days, with the hope of racing a maximum of 6 miles — 4.5 for the nitro classes of Top Fuel and Funny Car. Beginning in the thin air of the Rockies, they’ll end up near sea level in California, after dealing with the unpredictable weather in our own neck of the woods.
To make the pressure more intense, after the Western Swing there are just three more events for drivers to get into the top 10 in points before the NHRA’s championship playoff — the Countdown to 1 — begins.
Just six drivers have swept the Western Swing, including two-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon. Dixon, who’s won three of the past four events driving the Alan-Johnson Al-Anabi Racing dragster, commented on the difficulties of the Western Swing during an NHRA teleconference.
“It makes me glad I'm not a crew member anymore. All the miles that the teams have to drive in between all of these races,” Dixon said. “Let alone having to service the equipment and everything and getting ready for next event. It a lot of work on the teams, and the crew chiefs; it's a lot just in the preparation for the events.”
For tickets and more information about the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, visit www.pacificraceways.com.
Sound advice for anyone from the veteran
During the conference call, Dixon, who was the NHRA rookie of the Year in 1995, was asked what one piece of advice he would give to a young drag racer looking to break into the NHRA’s top ranks.
“I think that whatever it is in your life, if you want to drive cars or tune cars or whatever, don't let anybody tell you no or you can't do it. You don't accept that as an answer,” Dixon said. “You know, in 1993, I'm up in Ennis, Mont., working on an Alcohol car not getting paid any money just so I can drive the car at Douglas, Wyo., on weekends. At the time you're asking yourself, ‘Like what the heck am I doing here.’ But at the same time, it's because this is what you want to do with your life, and you've just got to keep your eye on that target way down there and just don't let anybody tell you no.”
“I think that whatever it is in your life, if you want to drive cars or tune cars or whatever, don't let anybody tell you no or you can't do it. You don't accept that as an answer,” Dixon said. “You know, in 1993, I'm up in Ennis, Mont., working on an Alcohol car not getting paid any money just so I can drive the car at Douglas, Wyo., on weekends. At the time you're asking yourself, ‘Like what the heck am I doing here.’ But at the same time, it's because this is what you want to do with your life, and you've just got to keep your eye on that target way down there and just don't let anybody tell you no.”
Closer to home
Skagit Speedway will mark its mid-season championship on Saturday with fireworks and all four divisions — 410, 360, Sportsman Sprints and Outlaw Hornets — racing.
At Evergreen Speedway, the Super Late Models will be racing on the “big track,” and the Street Stock, Mini-Stock, Super Figure 8 and Stinger 8 divisions are also slated to run, Evergreen sales manager Marv Monty tells me there should be a good turnout of late-models for this big track race.
At Evergreen Speedway, the Super Late Models will be racing on the “big track,” and the Street Stock, Mini-Stock, Super Figure 8 and Stinger 8 divisions are also slated to run, Evergreen sales manager Marv Monty tells me there should be a good turnout of late-models for this big track race.
NASCAR’s Mid-West Swing
The Sprint Cup and Nationwide series are racing at what would probably be considered my home track, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The Nationwide Dollar General 300 is Friday (5 p.m., ESPN) and the LifeLock.com 400 on Saturday (5 p.m., TNT) marks the final broadcast of TNT’s block of NASCAR Cup races.
In eight years of Cup racing at Chicagoland, there have been six different winners: Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart have each won twice, while Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordan and Ryan Newman are one-time winners.
Harvick has also won two Nationwide races at Chicagoland, but no series driver has ever won back-to-back races, something 2008 winner Busch would like to change.
In eight years of Cup racing at Chicagoland, there have been six different winners: Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart have each won twice, while Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordan and Ryan Newman are one-time winners.
Harvick has also won two Nationwide races at Chicagoland, but no series driver has ever won back-to-back races, something 2008 winner Busch would like to change.
Open wheelers go left and right
The IndyCar series is in a mini-swing of its own, with last weekend’s race at Watkins Glen the first of three straight street/road course events. This weekend the series travels to Streets of Toronto for the inaugural Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday (10 a.m., ABC/Ch. 4). The mini-swing ends on July 26 on the Edmonton City Centre Airport course.
The soap opera that has become Formula One — Will there or won’t there be a breakaway series in 2010? Which teams will be racing in the “real F1” in 2010 and at what cost? — takes to the Nurburgring road course at Hockenheim, Germany, for the German Grand Prix on Sunday (tape delayed at noon, Fox/Ch. 13).
The soap opera that has become Formula One — Will there or won’t there be a breakaway series in 2010? Which teams will be racing in the “real F1” in 2010 and at what cost? — takes to the Nurburgring road course at Hockenheim, Germany, for the German Grand Prix on Sunday (tape delayed at noon, Fox/Ch. 13).
Picks
For the first stop on the NHRA’s Western Swing, I’ll go with Larry Dixon in Top Fuel, Ron Capps for Funny Car, Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock and Eddie Krawiec for Pro Stock Motorcycle.
I’m going to say the trend for first-time NASCAR Cup winner continues at Chicagoland, with three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson joining the list. Dual-duty driver Kyle Busch has 26 career Nationwide Series victories, including five this season, and is just one short of series leader Jeff Burton, who I think will widen that gap by winning on Friday.
For the open-wheelers, I’ll go with Graham Rahal to win the IndyCar race on the Streets of Toronto and for Formula One I’m thinking perennial runner-up Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP will take the German Grand Prix.
I’m going to say the trend for first-time NASCAR Cup winner continues at Chicagoland, with three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson joining the list. Dual-duty driver Kyle Busch has 26 career Nationwide Series victories, including five this season, and is just one short of series leader Jeff Burton, who I think will widen that gap by winning on Friday.
For the open-wheelers, I’ll go with Graham Rahal to win the IndyCar race on the Streets of Toronto and for Formula One I’m thinking perennial runner-up Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP will take the German Grand Prix.
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