Inside the world of drag racing.

HD Partners Acquisition Corporation announces proposed acquisition of Professional racing from the NHRA

2007-05-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

HD Partners Acquisition Corporation and the National Hot Rod Association, the world’s preeminent drag racing organization, announced Wednesday the signing of a definitive agreement under which HD Partners will acquire all of NHRA’s professional racing assets, including the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing series, together with a broad set of rights to commercialize the NHRA brand. Upon consummation of the transaction, the acquired assets will be held in a wholly owned subsidiary of HD Partners named NHRA Pro Racing. The NHRA, which will remain a non-profit 501(c)(6) corporation, will retain all its non-professional racing, safety and educational activities and continue to be the sanctioning body for all NHRA racing activities, including the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Jack Muldowney dies

2007-05-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

Jack Muldowney dies; ex-husband helped launch Shirley's career

Jack Muldowney, who not only shared his last name with one of drag racing's greatest legends, three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champ Shirley Muldowney, but more importantly helped launch her career, passed away May 24 of cancer. He was 70.

Shirley married Muldowney, an amateur hot rodder, at age 17, and it was his love of fast cars that ultimately gave Shirley her start on the quarter-mile, first in a variety of street cars and then an injected gas dragster. The duo racked up more than 200 wins in their early days.

Muldowney, a longtime member of Schenectady N.Y.'s Road Kings Car Club, hand-built that first dragster in which Shirley earned her dragster license in 1965 and the couple match raced in the East and Midwest. That injected car was followed by a pair of blown gas dragsters, the second being a twin-engine monster with which she competed at the 1969 and 1970 U.S. Nationals and at Division 1 events.

ANRA Summer Nationals June 23rd 2007

2007-05-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia Drag Racing at it's finest. American Nostalgia Racing Association is holding its 2007 Summer Nationals at the famous Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Ca June 23rd. Gates open Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. so bring your family and friends to see the best nostalgia drag racing in Southern California and Show & Shine Car Show.

See everything from early Gassers to Front Engine Dragsters, Altereds, Funny Cars and more.
BE THERE!

Nat'l Hot Rod Reunion legends to attend

2007-05-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Nat'l Hot Rod Reunion legends to attend

The Legends Are Coming: Ivo, Garlits Set for Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion

It's "TV Tommy" Ivo and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits at National Trail Raceway June 15-17

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- (May 9, 2007) -- In the golden years of drag racing two of the most notable names were "TV Tommy" Ivo and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. Those two legends in the sport will join together at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by SoffSeal -- and they're bringing their cars to the three-day fanfest, June 15-17 at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.
"Garlits and Ivo match raced hundreds of times in the 1960s and '70s," said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Parks Museum, "often racing at one track, then towing 500 miles overnight to get to the next. "We're very pleased that they've chosen to come and bring their cars to the event so that their fans old and new can see them 'up close and personal.'"

NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion

2007-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion Expected to Bring Millions of Dollars to Local Economy

Columbus-area business will benefit from influx of hot rodders, racers

Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion: June 15-17, National Trail Raceway, Columbus, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- (April 25, 2007) -- When the 5th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by SoffSeal, comes to Columbus (June 15-17 at National Trail Raceway), the local economy can expect a major boost.

"In the past four years the Reunion was held in Bowling Green, Ky., where we brought more than $12 million to the local economy," said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, which produces and benefits from the event. "Columbus allows us more room to expand, so we're expecting even more impact on local businesses."

Castrol Highlights - John Force Racing

2007-04-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Castrol Highlights:

John Force's record of consecutive events for which he had qualified a Castrol GTX Funny Car ended at 395. That streak began with the start of the 1988 season. Castrol GTX driver Ashley Force moved from 15th to 12th place in POWERade point standings as Team Castrol made an emotional return to competition following the death of former Castrol SYNTEC driver Eric Medlen. The entire team skipped the previous NHRA national event in Houston. "

NHRA News: Force declares test session a success; JFR cars will compete in Las Vegas (4/11/2007)

2007-04-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

Force declares test session a success; JFR cars will compete in Las Vegas

After finally generating tire shake on the last of three test runs Wednesday in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force declared his race team ready to compete in this weekend's eighth annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

Force made runs of 200, 300, and 400 feet primarily to check roll-cage clearances of newly installed padding and determine the drivability of the Mustang after changes made by chassis builder Murf McKinney.

The cockpits of the three John Force Racing Funny Cars and both of the team's Super Comp dragsters were reconfigured to address the team's safety concerns raised by the death of JFR driver Eric Medlen in a testing accident last month at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway. The team did not participate in the most recent event in the NHRA POWERade Series.

“The first run, I had a little blurred vision, so we went back and made some adjustments to the padding in the cockpit area,” Force said. ”On the second run, one of the very first times in my career, my vision wasn't blurred when I left the line. That was really impressive to me.

Remembering Eric Medlin Decals

2007-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Remembering Eric Decals

Get Eric Medlin memorial decals for your race car or tow vehicle in remembrance of Eric Medlin. The sales of these decals have been approved by the Medlin family and all proceeds go to charity chosen by tthe Medlin family.

Click here to get your decal

ANRA Season Opener

2007-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

ANRA Season Opener -- LACR Palmdale, Ca. -- April 14, 2007

Nostalgia drag racing at it's finest. Come out and see 7 second altereds, front engine dragsters and gassers doing battle in the dessert. Fumes in the air...BE THERE!

Visit http://www.ANRA.com/ for more info.

Nostalgia Nitro Shootout

2007-04-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia Funny Car Association's Championship Drag Racing Series Points Update

The Nostalgia Funny Car Association's Championship Drag Racing Series Points have been updated to include the second stop on the Points Series, the 2nd Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion. Click on the "Series Points" link above to see the points update.

Nostalgia Nitro Shootout
April 21st
Auto Club Dragway
Fontana, CA

John Force Racing

2007-04-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

TEAM FORCE CONTINUES TO EVALUATE DATA; WON'T COMPETE THIS WEEK

BROWNSBURG, Ind., March 28, 2007 - John Force Racing, Inc., still is evaluating what occurred in the accident that caused the severe closed head injury which resulted in driver Eric Medlen’s death.

The JFR crew chiefs, headed by Eric's father, John Medlen, will be working closely with the NHRA, the PRO and the team’s vendors to evaluate the series of events that caused the tire blow-out and an extreme vibration beyond anything previously recorded in the sport.

“It is our sincere desire to provide a summary of the information taken from this accident to all parties,” said John Medlen. “That is what Eric would have wanted.”

In the near future, JFR will attempt to implement safety measures needed to prevent this type of tragedy from recurring.

Out of respect for the Medlen family and to allow the JFR family the opportunity to grieve its loss, team owner John Force confirmed Wednesday that the team will not compete in this week’s 20th annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas.

According to Force, the team felt the need to address changes in the driver cockpit area but hopes to return to competition, April 12-15, in the SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Medlen’s death was the first in the NHRA Funny Car division in almost 38 years. The last known NHRA Funny Car fatality was that of Gerry Schwartz, who died in a crash at the NHRA Springnationals in Dallas, Texas, on June 15, 1969.

“We appreciate your continued support and prayers for the Medlen and John Force Racing families,” said JFR spokesperson Kelly Antonelli.

In the team's absence, fans and supporters attending the Houston race can post personal messages on special Eric Medlen posters available at the BP/Castrol display on the Manufacturers Midway. Those posters subsequently will be presented to the family.

Genner Tests Bubbleup Flopper At Southwestern International Raceway - Nostalgia Funny Car News

2007-03-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jenner Tests Bubbleup Flopper At Southwestern International Raceway

Gordon Jenner recently completed the construction on Ron Hodgson's 'Bubble Up' Nostalgia Funny Car and towed down to Southwestern International Raceway last weekend during the 2nd Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion to put the flopper on the track for the first time. Jenner had some very knowledgable help on hand with veteran tuner Roland Leong helping him sort out the tuneup. Terry Capp was unavailable to be at the track last weekend so Genner enlisted the help of Sean Dale, who drives the 'Shakey Situation' Charger Nostalgia Funny Car. Dale made a pair of passes on Saturday. Both passes were planned shut off passes to see how the flopper would react on the track. Kenny Youngblood was on hand as well to put the finishing touches on the 'Bubble Up' flopper."

2nd Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion Is Now In The Books - Nostalgia Funny Car News

2007-03-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Nichols Wins / Adams Runnerup / Capps Low ET And Top MPH

The 2nd Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion got underway Friday at Southwestern International Raceway under dark brooding skys, which eventually opened up with torrential rain amid short periods of clearing. Mike Nervik, Manager of Southwestern International Raceway held out as long as possible, but ended up calling the days festivities by 3 pm. The weather fit everybodies mood at the track after learning of NHRA Funny Car Racer Eric Medlen's passing that afternoon."

Nichols Wins Second Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion - Nostalgia Funny Car News

2007-03-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Nichols Wins Second Annual Old Tucson Dragway Reunion

Steve Nichols in the "Mill Road Boys" Camaro bodied Nostalgia Funny Car won the Old Tucson Dragway Reunions Nostalgia Funny Car Crown last night. On his way to winning the event, Nichols made the quickest pass ever for a Chevy motored Nostalgia Funny Car with a 6.182 @ 222..66 mph. Southwestern International Raceway sits at 3400 ft and the corrected altitude was approximately 5000 ft. At sea level this run could very easily have been in the 5 Second range.

Mike Adams was the bridesmaid in his first event back in the Nostalgia Funny Car Association's Championship drag racing series. It was Adams first event with his new Plueger chassis.

Prepare for madness of drag-racing series

2007-03-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Prepare for madness of drag-racing series

To the average motorist, the idea seems crazy — hop into a cockpit, fire up the engine and drive a fire-belching vehicle down a quarter-mile track at speeds of more than 300 mph.

Now, here's the real kicker — for car owners in the Top Fuel division of this weekend's Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, the average expenses for three days of competition (about $35,000 per car) will outstrip the winner's check ($23,000).

So, which is crazier?
Is it driving the bone-rattling, 7,000-horsepower monster?"

David Ray's Nitro Pirates Vega Funny Car Body

2007-03-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at the future Spence Family Racing Vega Nostalgia Funny Car. We all can't wait to start working on this car to get it ready to race but, we're in no hurry. We have to take our time in putting this together because we're on a budget and have to find a car that fits the body correctly without having to dismantle the tree and tin work. This will be our first funny car and we're all very excited.

TESTING CRASH IN GAINESVILLE

2007-03-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

MEDLEN STILL CRITICAL FOUR DAYS AFTER TESTING CRASH IN GAINESVILLE

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four days after his Funny Car crashed into a concrete guardwalll during open testing at Gainesville Raceway, driver Eric Medlen remained in critical condition Friday at Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

The 33-year-old Medlen, one of the rising stars on the NHRA POWERade drag racing tour, survived a three-hour craniotomy on Tuesday that relieved pressure on the brain but, according to medical staff, the full extent of his injuries are still undetermined.

The six-time NHRA tour winner has been in a drug induced coma since being airlifted to the hospital on Monday.

March Meet 2007

2007-03-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

The 49th running of the fabled March Meet @ Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California was by far the best run, large scale Nostalgia Drag Racing event that my family and I have been associated with in our involvement with Nostalgia drag racing over the past 15 years! Blake Bowser and his father John did one fantastic job of running this event for the first time after control of the event was wrested from the Goodguys organization and deserve to be commended for their effort!

As most visitors to this website know we run two cars that are currently being raced in Nostalgia Eliminator II which is an 8.60 second index or break-out class. Here’s how we did.

At the 49th March Meet there were 37 cars trying to qualify for a 16 car field in NE-2 and I managed to qualify the dragster No. 1 in Friday’s qualifying session with an 8.61.1 but got moved down to No. 2 in Saturday’s qualifying session when George Chatterton moved up with an 8.60.2.

Jason was driving the Fiat at this race and in Friday’s qualifying session the Fiat decided to act like an Altered and made a hard left into the left lane just after the start. Jason peddled a couple of times and got it back into the right lane before the 330 mark and finished the run in his own lane with an ET of 11.608. We checked the roll-out of the slicks to see if that might have caused the car to hook left at the launch, but both tires measured 102.5 so that wasn’t the problem. We knew the air pressure of the tires were equal so we couldn’t think of anything else to do before the Saturday qualifying session. For Saturday’s session Alex Mikkelsen (American Roadster) who is our chassis expert suggested Jason do a longer burnout to lay down more rubber and hopefully give the Fiat a better track to run in. That seemed to work because the car lifted the front wheels off the ground and carried them straight past the 60 foot mark. Jason stayed in it and “legged” it to an 8.41 which was a great run, but a little too quick for the class.

Jason then moved over to help his brothers Scott and Mark who were crewing this weekend for both cars. I managed to make it through 3 rounds of eliminations and found myself in the final against a car driven by Dan See out of Fresno, California. He had been running consistent 8.60’s in eliminations whereas my times were ranging from 8.61 to 8.65. I figured that the only chance I had against his consistency was to try to get him on the line. I tried to cut the light, but only managed to “bulb” by .016 seconds. On top of that when I launched the car uncharacteristically got out of shape and since there was no way of catching See I lifted and motored through with an 11.641 ET.

Even though I didn’t win, Scott, Jason, Maria, Mark, Justine and I all agreed that this was one of the best weekends we’ve ever had! It wasn’t just the racing either. It was being with the old friends we’ve made at the track and the new people we met at this race. That’s what I love about Nostalgia racing. The atmosphere and the friendliness of the racers harkens back to the era I grew up in where we would rather beat an opponent on the track than in the pits, so we’d help him get his car running so we could do just that, beat him on the track.

Eric Medlin Updates

2007-03-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

MEDLEN HAS CRANIOTOMY; REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT SHANDS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Injured NHRA Funny Car driver Eric Medlen survived a delicate, three-hour craniotomy procedure to relive pressure and hemorrhaging Tuesday evening but remained in critical condition Wednesday at Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

Over the next two weeks, the 33-year-old will remain in a drug-induced coma designed to promote healing.

“We consider ourselves fortunate that Eric is in one of the top hospitals in the world for this type of injury and is getting absolutely the best treatment possible,” said John Medlen, Eric’s father and crew chief.

“We want to thank Eric’s friends, fans, sponsors and the entire NHRA drag racing community for their support in this very difficult time for our family,” he said. “We would ask that they continue to remember Eric in their prayers. He’s a fighter, but he has a long battle ahead of him.”

The elder Medlen also asked, for Eric’s sake and the sake of the family, that fans refrain from speculation, especially on the internet, where erroneous information already has been a source of considerable anguish.

Source: JFR

MEDLEN REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION WITH CLOSED HEAD INJURY

2007-03-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, injured in a testing accident Monday at Gainesville Raceway, remained in critical condition Tuesday in intensive care at Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

According to Medlen’s father, John, doctors are continuing to work to reduce pressure and swelling from what has been characterized as a severe closed head injury suffered when the 33-year-old’s car crashed heavily into the guardwall.

“We would ask everyone to keep Eric and his family in their prayers while at the same time respecting their need for privacy in this very difficult time,” said Kelly Antonelli, a spokesperson for John Force Racing, Inc.

“Obviously, our primary concern is for Eric’s health,” Antonelli said, “but we also are aware of erroneous information that has been posted on various internet sites and, unfortunately, that has been a source of additional pain for the family.

“To address that issue, we will continue to provide daily medical updates authorized by the family and the medical staff here at Shands.”

Source: JFR

ERIC MEDLEN HOSPITALIZED

2007-03-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

ERIC MEDLEN HOSPITALIZED AFTER TESTING ACCIDENT AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eric Medlen, 33, one of the bright young stars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, was injured Monday when his Funny Car crashed during a testing accident at Gainesville Raceway.

Medlen suffered undetermined injuries when the 8,000 horsepower hybrid he was driving crashed heavily into the rightside guardwall. He was transported via ShandsCair helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

The six-time NHRA tour winner, who participated in Sunday’s 38th annual ACDelco Gatornationals, was being treated in the surgical intensive care unit at Shands. He was listed in critical condition while being further evaluated by medical personnel.

Medical staff will provide a condition update at midday on Tuesday according to John Force Racing sources who emphasized that, at the present time, Medlen is not permitted to have visitors, phone calls, cards or flowers.

“Eric’s extended family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers,” said Kelly Antonelli, spokesperson for JFR. “At the same time, we would ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time and allow the medical staff to do its work.”

A former crewman on boss and teammate John Force’s championship-winning Funny Cars, Medlen began his own driving career in 2004, winning a race his first year. He won three more times in 2005 and two times last season in a Funny Car prepared by his father, John Medlen.

Source: JFR

Napa Valley Register | Bradley inducted into NHRA Hall of Fame

2007-03-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

"Bradley inducted into NHRA Hall of Fame

Monday, March 19, 2007
It all started when Frank Bradley bought his first car, 1947 Woody station wagon he paid a mere $65 for in 1958.

That’s when Bradley got the itch, the itch to start drag racing. He traded the wagon for a roadster and, after toying with his everyday car for a couple of years, came to the realization that he needed to build his own dragster. In 1963, he did just that and began his professional career.

Forty-nine years after he bought his first car, he was inducted into the National Hot Rod Association Hall of Fame on Thursday in Gainesville, Fla., just four days before his 65th birthday.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Bradley said of his induction. “I understand there’s a sellout crowd. It’s a pretty big deal. It wasn’t really in the 60s and 70s; I had no idea drag racing would get this big. And right now it’s huge.”

Bradley was born and raised in Napa and lived there until 1987, when he moved to Southern California for a year before relocating to his current hometown of Santa Rosa. He graduated from Napa High in 1960.

On top of his 24 combined wins between American Hot Rod Association and NHRA events, Bradley was the 10th driver to become a member of the prestigious four-second club. On Oct. 26, 1989, he powered his Top Fuel dragster down the quarter-mile in just 4.998 seconds at the World Finals in Pomona, Calif.

In 1988, Bradley broke the NHRA National Performance record for speed when he topped out at 286.71 mph in Gainesville, Fla., breaking Eddie Hill’s standard of 285.98 mph."

Bradley said he stuck with Top Fuel because it was the fastest division out there.

“That’s what I liked,” he said. “It was the ultimate. The 60s and 70s was probably the best years in drag racing. You could have a lot of fun doing it.”

He won the AHRA Championship three times. The series, known as the birthplace of professional drag racing, only lasted 28 years before ending in 1984. Many of those years, Bradley raced in both series. He notched 10 Top-10 finishes in NHRA points, his highest coming in 1976 when he was second behind Richard Tharp.

Bradley won twice at Pomona. The first came in 1976 and the second, his final win as a driver, came in 1991 at the season’s first race. He also picked up a win in 1989 at Sonoma’s track, known then as Sears Point Raceway.

“I was at the ground-breaking ceremony when they first broke dirt there (in August 1968),” Bradley said of what is known today as Infineon Raceway. “That was kind of nice. We towed the dragster out on the hill, then they took the hills out. It was quite a ceremony. It was hard to imagine there was going to be a race track there. It’s a beautiful facility. It’s one of the nicer facilities.”

“My favorite track was probably Pomona. It was always a big race. My second was Sears Point; I don’t know if that was because it was in my backyard or what.”

Bradley raced for himself until 1991, during a career that spanned four decades, then became involved outside of the car for the next five years before he threw in the towel for good. He was a crew chief for such notable drivers as Connie Kalitta.

In 1991, I was running out of sponsorship money and I wasn’t about to spend my money on the thing,” Bradley said. “I had enough money to retire on. I was just totally going to retire, then people starting calling me to put their racing organizations together. The first person who called was Connie Kalitta.

Bradley and Kalitta didn’t see eye to eye on enough issues and said their goodbyes, though they have remained friends. Over the next four years, Bradley worked with Roger Primm, Shelly Anderson and Australian Rachelle Splatt.

As Splatt’s crew chief, Bradley helped her become the 16th and final member of the Slick 50 300-mph club. She is the only female in that club after running 300.00 mph at Houston in 1994.

A year later, Bradley got tired of all the traveling and wanted to spend his time doing other things, such as riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, fishing and “just screwing off in general.

Bradley’s been retired for 11 years but admits he misses going to the track — though not just the racing part of it. He enjoyed the mechanics of racing as much as he did sitting behind the wheel. He said that was the hardest part about racing and where he faced the most challenges.

It evolved over the last 35 years,” Bradley said about drag racing. “Everything got bigger and more expensive and faster. That’s what it kept doing the whole time.

He added that he’s not sure if all the changes, modifications and added money necessary to be a top competitor are for the better.

When it started off, two guys could go racing with a top fuel and have some fun,” he said. “It takes longer to maintain the motor in between runs now. There’s more stuff you have to carry. It went from a two-man crew to eight-man crews. The average guy can’t do it anymore. To be competitive it takes almost $3 million to run one of these things.

Bradley still heads out to Infineon in June and July for the NASCAR Nextel Cup race and NHRA drag races, but admits he’s not the best spectator.

“I have to be in control of the thing,” he admitted. “That’s why I did so well with my own car. I built the engines, I drove them — kind of like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way. Pretty much my whole life that’s what I’ve done. It really has worked out.”

NHRA News: Fitting together the Power Puzzle, Part 1: Building blocks (5/1/2006)

2007-03-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

NHRA News: Fitting together the Power Puzzle, Part 1: Building blocks (5/1/2006):

"Building a 330-mph, 7,000-horsepower, nitromethane-churning Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car is sort of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle; if one piece is missing, it doesn't work. That's why each crewmember plays a vital role in making sure that the cars not only meet NHRA's strict tech requirements, but that they're also race-ready to blister the quarter-mile.

In this eight-part NHRA.com series, the Don Prudhomme Racing crewmembers on Larry Dixon's Miller Lite Top Fuel team will take you behind the scenes into their world and provide a closer look at what role each person plays on the race car. Short block specialist (engine builder) Shawn Ford kicks off the series. "

Ford, 29, from Ephrata, Wash., is in his sixth season building short blocks. After serving as the bottom-end guy for the Miller Lite team over the past five seasons, he recently began servicing the left cylinder head at each NHRA event. Known as “Sheriff” in the DPR camp, Ford is a tireless worker who often can be found at the team's Brownsburg, Ind., race shop long after the 5 p.m. whistle has sounded. He has developed a reputation for his commitment to a sanitary work environment and his keen attention to detail.

Building a short block is very tedious work. It takes time and a steady eye as everything must fit to near perfection within thousandths of an inch. If the team receives a shipment of bare engine blocks from manufacturer TFX, it can take Ford up to two full days at the shop to build a complete motor. If he's just doing a routine service following a race, then it's just a two- or three-hour job.

“When we receive a bare block, we have to modify it, and that's why it takes longer,” Ford said. “By the time we make all the necessary modifications that don't come from TFX, check everything and make sure it's correct, and give it a thorough clean, it's a good two days to put the motor together.”

When a bare engine block comes into the shop, Ford must check and make sure everything is within the proper specifications, such as the sleeve grooves being wide and deep enough, and that the main line is true. It's also vital to have proper clearance so that the pushrods do not hit the block. Then the block undergoes an exhaustive cleaning.

“Dirt is an engine's worst enemy,” Ford said. “A clean motor is a happy motor. After you've ground and machined the block, there's going to be flakes, dirt, and grime, all of which is very bad. You can't have dirt plugging up an oil passage.”

After the block has been machined and properly cleaned, the installation process begins. The 30 cylinder-head studs are placed into the block, their threads coated with anti-seize compound. Then the crankshaft is installed and measurements are taken to make sure it's straight and fits as it should. Next, the rack (rods and pistons) is placed in the motor. If the crankshaft isn't straight, the piston heights will be off. After that, he makes sure the piston heights are correct and the engine compression is where crew chief Don Bender would like it. This completes the lower end of the short block assembly.

Now it's time to degree in the camshaft, which can be challenging. The cam has to be installed flawlessly, and that doesn't always happen the first or second time. Parts and pieces don't always line as up they're supposed to. A gear could be off, or a combination of reasons could cause the specs to be off. Once the cam is installed, the short block is completed.

“Making sure the cam degrees in perfectly is probably the most difficult part about building a motor,” Ford said. “It can be a very tedious process, and it has to be absolutely correct.”

The Miller Lite Top Fuel team carries nine race-ready motors on the road to each event, including the motor in the dragster, which stresses the importance of employing a competent engine builder. If all goes well, they won't change engines the entire race weekend.

“We've only had to change one motor this season, at Gainesville,” Ford said. “Donnie has been excellent with the tune-up, so there haven't been any major problems to our motors. The worst weekend I've gone through is four motors. That kept me plenty busy.”

SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY
Part - Quantity

Engine block
1
Head studs
30
Crankshaft
1
Camshaft
1
Main caps
5
Oil pump
1
Upper, lower bearings
5, 5
Hub bearing
1
Hub
1
Cam gear
1
Crank gear
1

SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY LUBRICANTS
VP engine assembly lube
Lucas 30-weight plus
Lucas Red N Tacky # 2

SHORT BLOCK TORQUE SPECS
Engine piece - Foot-pounds of torque

Crank bolt
250
Main caps
160
Side mains
100
Rods
90
Crank hub
40
Cam gear
35
Oil pump
26
Fuel pump extension
20

ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals: Event home page

2007-03-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Schumacher, Capps grab Gator glory; Anderson, Stoffer also snap up wins

Teammates Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps pulled off a double win for team owner Don Schumacher by sweeping the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories at the 38th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals. The veterans shared a raucous Gainesville Raceway winner's circle with Pro Stock victor Greg Anderson and Pro Stock Motorcycle favorite Karen Stoffer.

Schumacher (pictured) detonated his motor in the final against Larry Dixon but his 4.54 was enough to take the stripe first. Defending race champ Capps held off a game Phil Burkart Jr. to win again with a 4.77. Anderson crushed Larry Morgan by a 6.57 to 8.07 margin, while Stoffer used a gigantic holeshot to dismiss a slightly quicker Matt Smith, 7.07 to 7.06."

Hight still flying on NHRA tour

2007-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

After Two Straight Runner-Ups, Former Top Rookie Leads Points GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two weeks ago he was soaring with Angels. This week, back on Mother Earth, Robert Hight hopes he hasn't lost his wings. The NHRA POWERade points leader, who took an hour-long ride in one of the Blue Angels' F/A-18 Hornets, isn't expected to slow his pace at least not by much when the tour moves this week to Gainesville Raceway for the 38th annual ACDelco Gatornationals. Son-in-law of 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, Hight has emerged as the heir apparent to the Force Racing legacy in just two-plus seasons at the wheel of the Jimmy Prock-prepared Team Castrol/Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang. In fact, at each of the season's first two races, the 37-year-old native Californian has lowered the "quickest ever" numbers in the Funny Car division even though he has not managed to grab the "official" record.