POMONA >> Greg Anderson is a drag racer, but knows a bit about weather.
As rain drops fell on Auto Club Raceway Friday afternoon, and prematurely halted the first qualifying session for the NHRA season-opening Winternationals, the four-time Pro Stock champion surmised it would be the first of three different days of weather.
“It’ll be a different landscape Saturday and Sunday,” said Anderson. “I want to take advantage by any means.”
He’ll be atop the field for today’s pair of qualifying sessions after covering the quarter-mile in 6.557 seconds at 210.60 mph. He narrowly edged KB Racing teammate Jason Line, who beat him by three points for the 2016 championship.
“We saw today that there are a dozen cars that can run low elapsed time. I predicted it, and it’s true,” said Anderson. “There will be cars that run even better tomorrow. It’s a different landscape this year, without a doubt, and all I can say is I told you so.
“We’ve done our best job to make sure it wouldn’t be that way, but unfortunately it looks like that’s going to be the way it is.”
Anderson was one of 16 Camaro drivers in the top 16. In fact, the Chevy brand took the first seven spots and Anderson noted he missed te days of Ford and Chysler in the field.
He also noted it’s a different day in the class.
“I’m 55 years old,” said Anderson, “and I’m racing 17-yar-old Tanner Gray. It’s age and experience against youthful experience.”
Gray, in his class debut, was 10th on the list with a run of 6.595.
Good start
John Force has won 16 Funny Car titles in his 40 years of NHRA participation. On Friday afternoon, the 67-year-old scored his first win of the new season.
He announced Peak Motor Oil as part of his group of sponsors. The company’s antifreeze business started with Force in 2014, increased its role in 2015 and became the primary sponsor last year when Force won four events to increase his career total to 147.
“I’ve found a great partner in Peak,” Force said at a midway press conference. “They’ve been big supporters of me and my race teams, and I love they’ve decided to expand what they do with us. I know I’m not getting any younger, but I still love driving and I love drag racing, so I’m going to be around a while.
“And Peak will be right there with me.”
Returning sponsor
Jack Beckman runs a Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing. Yet, funding for the team is provided by Terry Chandler. She’s the one responsible for the Infinite Hero Foundations decals found on the Dodger Charger.
“The best development during the off-season is that Terry Chandler and the Infinite Hero Foundation stayed with us,” said Beckman, a resident of Norco. “They recognize the importance of our campaign with Infinite Hero on the side of our car.
“We’re making a difference for injured vets.”
Beckman reached the rank of sargent during his tour with the U.S. Air Force. In 2016, he covered the 1,000-foot distance in 3.825 second at Pomona in November. His best speed is 334.15 mph, recorded in Kent, Wash.
Pit notes
• Devore’s Dave Bridgewater will continue to be in constant motion. He’s scheduled to compete in a Chevrolet COPO Camaro in Super Stock and Stock Eliminator.
Dan Fletcher has his eyes on a major goal, 100 sportsmen wins in his NHRA career. The Churchville, N.Y., driver, who once competed for Fontana car dealer Rick Braun, is seeking to become the third driver in NHRA history with 100 victories. Fletcher, a 20-year veteran of the quarter-mile, will compete in Stock Eliminator.
“It’s kind of like a Christmas present. I’d like to think within the first, second, third event of the year, I will knock it off,” said Fletcher, who seeks to join John Force and Frank Marzo on the 100-win
• The rear tire in the Pro Stock stock is the latest Goodyear version. The front tire measures 78.5 inches in circumference while the rear tire is 105.
“This will be the first event for our new Pro Stock drive tire, the D2433,” said Todd Rogers, Goodyear’s sales account manager for drag racing. “The teams can use the new tire or the D2211 through the opening part of the season (through Norwalk in late June). This will allow the teams to use up their existing stock of tires if they wish.” – Didn’t take long for Richie Crampton to get back behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster, although not in the U.S. Crampton, who scored seven NHRA wins while racing under the Lucas Oil banner, was released from his ride at the end of the 2016 season.
According to Competitionplus.com, Crampton will compete for Lamattina Top Fuel Racing in his native Australia, starting with the May 5-7 Nitro Thunder competition at Sydney Dragway.
“I have wanted to race back on Aussie soil for quite some time,” Crampton said. “And to now have that chance and drive the LTFR dragster for the Lamattina family is quite an honor, it’s a world-class team with world-class equipment, and while we’re up against some very strong opposition, we’ll be going all out to achieve a great result.”
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