Pacific Raceways NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Northwest Nationals - Event Preview
With less than one week to go before the start of the 24th annual Northwest Nationals, we've gathered all the information that's available so far. The entry list(s) are definitely shorter than in past years, highlighted (or low-lighted depending on how you look at it) by the EIGHT, yes, count 'em, EIGHT entries in Top Alcohol Dragster. Some of the other major categories aren't much healthier and the total car count as of Sunday, July 31st on the official list totals just 325.
Breaking that down by class reveals 16 cars in Top Fuel, 18 in Funny Car, 15 in Pro Stock, the aforementioned 8 in Top Alcohol Dragster, 15 in Top Alcohol Funny Car, 22 in Comp, 32 in Super Stock, 51 in Stock, 58 in Super Comp, 42 in Super Gas, and finally 48 in Super Street for that grand total of 325 competitors. In the "Major" group (Top Alcohol and up) we've got just 72 cars, then 105 in the "class" eliminators, and finally - padding the numbers - 148 cars in the "super" categories.
With an all-run situation in every eliminator below Comp, and only one over-subscribed field above it, the fact is that only TWO cars, nitro funny cars at that, are going home as non-qualifiers at this race. Not much drama going into eliminations, is there? On the bright side, considering the price of gas and diesel, and the still-shrinking economy, it's a bit of an accomplishment to get this many racers together at a location that's not exactly in the heartland of drag racing or near a group of really large population centres.
The Canadian quotient is a little thinner in some areas than in past years, and nowhere is that lack felt more keenly than in Top Alky dragster, with Shawn Cowie out of action for at least the balance of this season after his horrific road accident in Nashville in April, and Don St. Arnaud tending to his oil-patch business and Greg Sereda simply not here, it's up to Ashley Bart to be the canadian contender in this category. And she's had an eminently forgettable season so far. They did get the car untracked a few weeks ago at the Woodburn LODRS race and maybe they're back on track, performance-wise.
The Alberta presence will certainly be felt in Top Alky flopper, with no less than three entries, led by Roger Bateman in the YNot car, John Evanchuk in his Red Wolf entry and Ken Webster in the SynOil car. On paper, the odds on any of these cars winning the event are 5 - 1 and that's just about where I'd rank them too.
Comp Eliminator has the strongest Canadian representation, with 7 out of the 22 entrants hailing from north of the 49th parallel. Among them are two of the most dangerous competitors in the bracket - bar none. Jirka "First in the 5's" Kaplan from Calgary, and Rob Harrison of North Vancouver, the Winternationals winner earlier this year and Division Six All-Star rep last month at Joliet. Joining those two hitters are the 6-second cars of Alberta's Dale Giroux and lower mainland racers Bob Marshall and Terry Spargo. Rounding out the Canuck racers are two darkhorses: Casey Plazier from Edmonton and Mike McKeigue from Fort St. John, BC. The odds on a Canadian car taking home the Comp eliminator Wally are at least as high as the ratio of entries, with my guess being about 3 - 1 on one of them prevailing.
Below Comp eliminator, it's really just bracket racing once eliminations begin, and there certainly should be at least one Canadian winner in those categories, starting with Super Stock, as 10 of 32 entries are from north of the border, and continuing into Stock with 7 of 51, followed by 9 of 58 in Super Comp, 8 of 42 in Super Gas, and finally 7 of 48 in Super Street. The grand total of Canuck competitors in the event adds up to 52 out of the 325 cars entered. Sidenote: The slight majority (27 of 52) of those racers are from BC, and for the first time in... well, forever it seems, no one east of central Alberta is on the entry list.
The media machine won't kick into high gear until the Fram-Autolite Nationals at Sonoma, CA is complete and the NHRA traveling circus starts heading north to Seattle. Then we'll have some more material to add to this page. Until then, here's the entry lists for the top categories.
Top Fuel Dragster
| #### | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Larry Dixon Jr | Indianapolis IN | '09 Hadman | TFX 500 | AL-ANABI RACING |
| 2 | Tony Schumacher | Long Grove IL | '11 DSR | TFX 496 | U.S. ARMY DSR TF TEAM |
| 4 | Antron Brown | Pittsboro IN | '11 DSR | TFX 500 | MATCO TOOLS/U.S. ARMY DSR |
| 5 | Shawn Langdon | Brownsburg IN | '10 Hadman | TFX 500 | LUCAS OIL / SPEEDCO |
| 7 | Brandon Bernstein | Lake Forest CA | '11 McKinney | TFX 500 | COPART TOP FUEL DRAGSTER |
| 12 | Bob Vandergriff Jr | Alpharetta GA | '08 Hadman | TFX 500 | C&J ENERGY SERVICES DRAGSTER |
| 22 | Doug Kalitta | Ypsilanti MI | '06 Attac | TFX 496 | KALITTA MOTORSPORTS |
| 34 | Morgan Lucas | Brownsburg IN | '04 Hadman | TFX 500 | GEICO / LUCAS OIL |
| 44 | David Grubnic | Ypsilanti MI | '06 Attac | TFX 500 | KALITTA AIR |
| 99 | Del Worsham | Chino Hills CA | '10 Hadman | TFX 500 | AL-ANABI RACING |
| 421 | Spencer Massey | Fort Worth TX | '11 DSR | TFX 498 | FRAM/PRESTONE DSR TF TEAM |
| 497 | Troy Buff | Spring TX | '10 Bill Miller | BAE 500 | BILL MILLER ENGINEERING |
| 640 | Ron Smith | Kapowsin WA | '98 Hadman | TFX 498 | FOSTER MACHINE SERVICES |
| 700 | Steven Chrisman | Anaheim CA | '00 McKinney | TFX 500 | NITROFISH/CHRISMAN DRIVELINE |
| 3516 | Terry Mc Millen | Elkhart IN | '11 McKinney | TFX 500 | AMALIE OIL / UNOH |
| 5050 | Scott Palmer | Marionville MO | '09 McKinney | BAE 500 | MARCK INDUSTRIES |
Fuel Funny Car
| #### | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Force | Yorba Linda CA | '10 Mustang | Ford 500 | CASTROL GTX HM /FORD MUSTANG |
| 4 | Jack Beckman | Norco CA | '09 Charger | TFX 496 | AARONS/VALVOLINE DSR FC TEAM |
| 5 | Robert Tasca III | Hope RI | '10 Mustang | Ford 500 | MOTORCRAFT / QUICK LANE |
| 8 | Robert Hight | Yorba Linda CA | '10 Mustang | Ford 500 | AUTO CLUB OF S. CALIF/FORD |
| 9 | Tony Pedregon | Brownsburg IN | '09 Impala | TFX 500 | STP/ARMOR ALL |
| 10 | Tim Wilkerson | Springfield IL | '11 Mustang | TFX 500 | LEVI RAY & SHOUP INC |
| 28 | Ron Capps | Carlsbad CA | '09 Charger | TFX 496 | NAPA AUTO PARTS DSR FC TEAM |
| 31 | Johnny Gray | Artesia NM | '10 Charger | TFX 500 | SERVICE CENTRAL DSR FC TEAM |
| 71 | Cruz Pedregon | Brownsburg IN | '09 Toyota | TFX 496 | SNAP-ON / WIX FILTERS |
| 116 | Paul Lee | Anaheim CA | '10 Impala SS | BAE 500 | JIM DUNN/RISLONE/BARS LEAKS |
| 121 | Terry Haddock | Temple TX | '09 Toyota | BAE 500 | ACME REFINING/ DIPINTO INT'L |
| 170 | Jeff Arend | San Dimas CA | '08 Toyota | AJPE 500 | DHL TOYOTA SOLARA |
| 507 | Melanie Troxel | Duluth GA | '10 Toyota | AJPE 500 | IN N OUT BURGER |
| 717 | Brian Thiel | Pleasant Grove CA | '10 Charger | TFX 500 | LUCAS OIL N&S CASE FFA |
| 719 | Jeffrey Diehl | Salinas CA | '09 Monte Carlo | BAE 500 | JEFF DIEHL RACING |
| 782 | Gary Densham | Bellflower CA | '09 Dodge | BAE 500 | DENSHAM MOTORSPORTS |
| 2814 | Matt Hagan | Christiansburg VA | '09 Charger | TFX 496 | DIEHARD DSR FC TEAM |
| 7701 | Mike Neff | Indianapolis IN | '10 Ford | Ford 500 | CASTROL GTX FORD MUSTANG |
Pro Stock
| #### | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greg Anderson | Mooresville NC | '09 GXP | GM 500 | SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT |
| 2 | Greg Stanfield | Bossier City LA | '09 GXP | GM 500 | COFFMANTANK TRUCKS RACE TEAM |
| 3 | Mike Edwards | Coweta OK | '09 GXP | GM 499 | PENHALL/K&N/INTERSTATE |
| 4 | Shane Gray | Denver NC | '10 GXP | GM 500 | SERVICE CENTRAL |
| 5 | Jason Line | Troutman NC | '09 GXP | GM 500 | SUMMIT RACING |
| 6 | Allen Johnson | Greeneville TN | '10 Avenger | Dodge 500 | MOPAR/J & J RACING DODGE |
| 8 | Ron Krisher | Warren OH | '10 Pontiac | GM 499 | VALVOLINE |
| 9 | Rodger Brogdon | Tomball TX | '09 GXP | GM 500 | KENT SERVICES & TRUCKING |
| 21 | Kurt Johnson | Sugar Hill GA | '10 Pontiac | GM 499 | MARK CHRISTOPHER AUTO CENTER |
| 48 | Erica Enders | New Orleans LA | '10 Chevrolet | GM 500 | CAGNAZZI RACING |
| 55 | V Gaines | Lakewood CO | '11 Avenger | Hemi 498 | KENDALL OIL DODGE AVENGER |
| 154 | Vincent Nobile | Dix Hills NY | '10 Dodge | Dodge 500 | MOUNTAINVIEW TIRE |
| 208 | Warren Johnson | Sugar Hill GA | '10 GXP | GM 499 | K&N FILTERS |
| 357 | Larry Morgan | Newark OH | '10 Ford | Ford 500 | LUCAS OIL SUMMIT FORD RACING |
| 2062 | Ronnie Humphrey | Jacksonville NC | '09 GXP | GM 499 | GENUINE HOT ROD HARDWARE |
Top Alcohol Dragster
| #### | CLASS | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | B/AD | Chris Demke | Sunland CA | '04 URC | BAE 471 | PEEN-RITE/CLEANBOOST OIL |
| 55 | B/AD | Cody Perkins | Bluffdale UT | '08 Dragster | APS 471 | 801 RACING |
| 256 | A/FD | Blake Alexander | Wirtz VA | '09 Spitzer | BAE 452 | EXIDE/MIERSCH |
| 613 | B/AD | Joey Severance | Woodburn OR | '05 Hadman | Font 472 | SEVERANCE RACING |
| 663 | B/AD | Spencer Martin | Anchorage AK | '07 URC | BAE 464 | IMPATIENCE RACING |
| 700 | B/AD | James Butler | Prescott AZ | '02 Hadman | BAE 471 | LUCAS OIL / HUGH RIDLEY |
| 6121 | B/AD | Ashley Bart | Calgary AB | '00 Hadman | BAE 469 | OMEGA 2000 CRIBBING / LUCAS |
| 7599 | A/FD | Megan McKernan | Sierra Madre CA | '08 McKinney | BAE 433 | TRUCK-LITE/DAVCO |
Top Alcohol Funny Car
| #### | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Brian Hough | Junction City OR | '11 Ford | BAE 522 | OLYMPUS TRAILERS |
| 9 | Clint Thompson | Klamath Falls OR | '11 Chevrolet | Font 526 | THOMPSON RACING |
| 10 | Doug Gordon | Paso Robles CA | '07 Monte Carlo | Font 528 | MORRO BAY CABINETS RACING |
| 54 | Roger Bateman | Calgary AB | '08 Mustang | BAE 521 | YNOT RACING |
| 63 | Jeff Ashwell | Keizer OR | '09 Mustang | BAE 522 | NAPA/ WALERY'S PIZZA/G&S MA |
| 71 | Steve Gasparrelli | West Covina CA | '11 Monte Carlo | Font 526 | GASPARRELLI RACING |
| 72 | John Lombardo Jr | Brea CA | '10 Monte Carlo | BAE 526 | NAPA, PRO SERIES, LUCAS OIL |
| 562 | Kris Hool | Casper WY | '10 Monte Carlo | BAE 522 | GRIPPER HAND CLEANER |
| 660 | Jim Peters | Molalla OR | '08 Impala SS | BAE 511 | PETERS RACING |
| 744 | Shane Westerfield | Lake Forest CA | '11 Monte Carlo | BAE 526 | CP PISTONS |
| 799 | Sean Bellemeur | Tustin CA | '04 Camaro | BAE 521 | MASTERCAM/LUCAS OIL/VICTORY |
| 6352 | John Evanchuk | Edmonton AB | '10 Monte Carlo | BAE 521 | RUSH HOUR RACING |
| 6843 | Ken Webster | Red Deer AB | '10 Monte Carlo | BAE 526 | SYNOIL ENERGY SERVICES |
| 710D | Alexis De Joria | Venice CA | '11 Monte Carlo | BAE 521 | TEQUILA PATRON |
| 7976 | Keeter Ray | Newport Beach CA | '10 Mustang | BAE 526 | KEETER RAY RACING |
Competition Eliminator
| #### | CLASS | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | MAKE | ENG | ENTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | A/AA | Alan Ellis | Mapleton UT | '08 Neil & Park | GM 500 | WESTERN QUALITY CONCRETE |
| 61 | F/A | Aaron Strong | Auburn WA | '05 Cavalier | Chev 280 | STRONG TRUCKING |
| 62 | C/A | Brandon Huhtala | Puyallup WA | '10 GXP | Chev 357 | AUTOMOTIVE IMAGES |
| 63 | J/A | Rob Harrison | N Vancouver BC | '05 Escort | IGOR 351 | HARRISON/LOUGHEED RACING |
| 65 | C/D | Patrick Byron | Hoquiam WA | '11 ProStart | Chev 342 | BYRON RACING |
| 72 | C/TA | Randy Jones | Monarch Beach CA | '01 Chevy Truck | Chev 272 | ALPHA OMEGA SWISS |
| 600 | B/SMA | Jeff Lane | North Bend WA | '11 Chevrolet | GM 359 | RED LINE M/T TIRES K&N CP |
| 670 | AA/AT | Mark Wolfe | Marysville WA | '94 Thunderbird | Ford 419 | WOLFE RACING |
| 1214 | A/DA | Matthew Hartford | Phoenix AZ | '06 Spitzer | Dodge 508 | TOTAL SEAL / NICKENS |
| 1781 | B/EA | Dan Fletcher | Churchville NY | '08 Cobalt | Chev 315 | K&N/ MT/ R&B / PANELLA |
| 6016 | G/SM | Gary Anderson | Fox Island WA | '05 Cavalier | Chev 295 | ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION, INC. |
| 6088 | F/SM | Ryan Warter | Olalla WA | '92 Camaro | Chev 293 | JOINT VENTURE RACING |
| 6180 | AA/AM | Jirka Kaplan | Calgary AB | '23 Ford | Chry 370 | BEARSPAW PETROLEUM LTD |
| 6241 | B/SMA | Casey Plaizier | Edmonton AB | '04 Cavalier | Chev 353 | SPECIALTY AUTO / A-1 PERF. |
| 6410 | C/AA | Dennis Myers | Prosser WA | '02 Neon | Dodge 304 | MYERS RACING |
| 6431 | A/AP | Terry Spargo | Delta BC | '02 Cavalier | Chev 707 | SOUTHHILL ELECTRIC |
| 6618 | B/AA | Dale Giroux | Canyon Creek AB | '04 Cavalier | Chev 500 | GIROUX RACING |
| 6666 | A/AA | Barry Hobson | Seattle WA | '06 Pontiac | Schmidt 706 | BH MOTORSPORTS |
| 6731 | B/AA | Jim Hurlock | Black Diamond WA | '08 GTO | Pontiac 500 | SECURITY RACING |
| 6868 | C/AA | Mike McKeigue | Fort St John BC | '06 Dodge | BAE 374 | MIKE MCKEIGUE RACING |
| 6944 | B/AA | Bob Marshall | Langley BC | '09 GXP | GM 480 | TCS PRODUCTS |
| 7474 | G/SMA | Justin Lamb | Henderson NV | '08 Cobalt | Chev 304 | SUNSTATE-MADCAP-LA |
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