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Dragsters return to zMax for start of six-event playoff run

photo by James Nix

NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Antron Brown answers questions at a press conference at the zMax Dragway in Concord Thursday afternoon.

By Steve Winzenread | Independent Tribune

Published: September 17, 2009

CONCORD — Here they go again.
What was brand new a year ago will be more familiar this weekend as the best NHRA teams tackle zMax Dragway for the Carolinas Nationals.
As was the case in 2008, this kicks off the six-event Countdown to 1 playoffs that determine champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle racing.
The professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2:30 and 6 p.m. today, and 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Final eliminations are set for Sunday at noon.
The difference this year is that bonus points can be earned during each of the qualifying runs.
Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) open the Countdown to 1 in first place, 30 points ahead of their nearest competitors. The standings are based on results from the first 18 events in 2009.
Last year, only Tony Schumacher took the lead into the playoffs and wound up winning the series title, his fifth in a row.
This year, Schumacher sits third in the points behind Brown. But Schumacher won his eighth title at Indianapolis two weeks ago, tying him for most wins there with the legendary "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.
"Having Big Daddy there was great," Schumacher said. "He turned to me and said, 'I hope you do it.' I thought, 'How kind is that?'"
Brown made it to the final round at zMax last year, only to lose to Schumacher, who became the all-time Top Fuel wins leader.
Now Brown is the man to beat in Top Fuel. To maintain the top spot, he will have to do better than his recent showing at Indy.
"Indy caught us a little off-guard," Brown said. "It was our first race this year we lost first round. It brought us back into reality, how hard this sport is. ... I was already hungry and now I'm starving. Every team came out to Indy blazing. That's how each and everyone of these teams are going to come out here."
Jack Beckman, the Funny Car winner at zMax last year, is fifth in the points and trying to shake off a recent slump.
"For us, this is a must get-well," he said. "We know we're a championship-caliber team, but we haven't performed that way the last couple of races. Where we've struggled is qualifying."
The situation is different for Ashley Force Hood, who comes to zMax after winning at Indy and stands third in the Funny Car points.
"It's still sinking into my team that we managed to pull it off," she said. "It was quite a day for us. It's like everything just came together for us. It was close every race. ... We're trying to keep doing what we've been doing."
Her father, John Force, a 14-time series champion, is seventh in points.
Last year Force failed to qualify for final eliminations at zMax, where a grandstand is named for him.
"I've got to get in the show," Force said. "I'm on full-throttle. I'm on the edge of a heart attack.
"Last night Bruton Smith calls me and told me, 'If you don't get in the show, I'll take your name off the stands and I'm putting Pedregon on it.'"
Pedregon and Force had a confrontation at Indianapolis.