6/30/08

Goodnight, Nurse. What’s a team got to do to win a race around here?

I know, I know, there’s been a John Force Racing Mustang in every final round this season but two—Gainesville and Bristol—but as far as I know, nobody is out there hoping to be the runner-up.

The pattern in Norwalk was very similar to the patter in E-town a week earlier. Only two JFR cars could be found on the ladder following the second round and only one got as far as the finals. Ashley has had a real struggle lately getting past round one while John, Robert, and Mike have been blowing hot and cold from race to race. It would have been a big boost for Robert to take out Tony Pedregon in the Norwalk final and he came within a couple of hundredths of a second of doing it, but he just missed.

It was a weird weekend in Norwalk. From water seeping up out of the ground and holding everything up on Friday to rain delays and Gary Scelzi and Melanie Troxel getting DQ’ed for ballast that was secured to their cars outside the rules, this race was off kilter from the get-go.

Ashley, John, and Robert are 3, 4, and 5, respectively, in the points, which isn’t too shabby and Mike has been down around the ninth spot for a while. So, if you look at the upside, it appears everyone will be holding a place in the top ten for the foreseeable. Six races are left in the Countdown to Ten and Mike will have to watch his back between now and the U.S. Nationals with Bob Tasca III, Del Worsham, Scelzi, Jack Beckman, Melanie Troxel, and Jim Head all hoping to sneak up into one of the top ten slots.

And how about Doug Herbert? If ever there was a proper time for this really good guy to pick up a Top Fuel win, it would be when the sport is in desperate need of an uplifting story. He’s someone you would have a hard time rooting against under any circumstances, but after losing his two sons in a traffic accident in February just before the season began and having him dedicate his entire 2008 campaign to his kids—the “For My Boys” tour—in their memory, there wasn’t a disappointed fan to be found at Summit Racing Motorsports Park following Doug’s first win since Reading last year.

Even Brandon Bernstein, who Doug beat in the final on a hole shot (the second straight race Brandon has lost in the final that way) gave Doug a big hug after climbing out of his car at the top end. It was a great way to bring down the curtain on one of the most unusual national events we’ve seen in quite a while.

But back at JFR, it’s time to get ready for the Western Swing which begins in two weeks in Denver. Three races out west in three consecutive weeks as the climactic stages of this year’s Countdown to Ten come into view. Denver, Seattle, Sonoma—three towns which every dialed-in drag racing fan in the world ties together at this time every year. It’s exciting, punishing, exhausting, and intriguing all at the same time and the ultimate winners of this year’s POWERade championships may use the Swing to gather up the momentum they’ll use to lock up their class titles.

So take a breather, chill out for the next couple of weeks, and enjoy your July 4^th holiday. I’ll catch you back here “In the Groove” following the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on “Thunder Mountain”.

Until then, buckle up, use those directionals BEFORE you step on the brakes, and drive safely!