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Ronnie Humphrey Claims First Career Pole at Royal Purple Raceway
A Look Back - Humphrey Claims First Career Pole at Royal Purple Raceway
Although racers were back in their conventional two-wide format at this past weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, TX, the task of qualifying was far from easy. Over the course of two days, the "factory hot rods" had to deal with steadily rising temperatures and increasing humidity, conditions which robbed their naturally-aspirated engines of power, requiring teams to take advantage of Friday's cooler conditions to secure a top spot for Sunday's field.
Ronnie Humphrey and his Summit/Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac
In a testament to the highly competitive nature of the Pro Stock category, for the second time this season, qualifying ended with multiple racers posting the low elapsed time, with Ronnie Humphrey and Rodger Brogdon each recording a 6.571-second clocking on their opening attempts. In accordance with NHRA regulations, Humphrey was awarded the No. 1 position as his Summit/Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac's 211.16 top speed bested his opponent's 210.93 Mph mark. This was the first No. 1 qualifying position of Humphrey's career. Even so, with only four races left to qualify for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, the second-generation racer from Jacksonville, NC will need help from the fans in order to make the eight-car field.
"My Summit/Genuine Hotrod Hardware Pontiac was awesome all weekend, and I have a lot of people to thank for helping me achieve this dream, starting with K&N for sponsoring the No. 1 qualifiers," said Humphrey. "K&N's participation means so much to the racers and this Troy Humphrey Motorsports team is proud to represent them as the No. 1 qualifiers for the O'Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston. Although we'd be thrilled to be a part of this year's K&N Horsepower Challenge in Norwalk, and certainly have a car capable of winning, the limited schedule we ran in 2010 means we will have to rely on the fans to get into the field. Who knows, maybe this performance will gain us a few votes."
A Look Ahead - With the competition heating up, competitors look to lock in to the HPC in Atlanta
As the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series prepares to head to Atlanta for the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, a look at the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge standings reveals close competition throughout the field, starting at the top where Jason Line and Allen Johnson are tied with 2380 points, with Mike Edwards trailing by a scant 80 markers. At the same time, defending HPC champion Greg Anderson is locked in a tight battle with Ron Krisher for the fourth spot, holding a slight 50-point edge over the veteran Ohio runner.
Naturally, the fight of greatest importance is the one for the seventh and final guaranteed position, with three racers separated by only 55 points. Veteran V. Gaines qualified on his fourth and final attempt in Houston to hold on to the seventh position, with sophomore racer Shane Gray gaining five points to trail Gaines by only 25. However, the biggest mover remains ninth-place Greg Stanfield, who has narrowed his deficit to the seventh spot by a whopping 115 points in the last two races, a trend he looks to continue at Atlanta Dragway.
With the number of races in which to score points towards this year's HPC dwindling, the field is starting to take shape, with three drivers potentially securing one of the seven guaranteed spots in Atlanta. While current co-points leaders Jason Line and Allen Johnson will simply need to maintain their current 550-point advantage over the eighth position to secure their spot, Mike Edwards will need to bolster his 470-point lead by 55 in order to lock in to his eighth HPC.
At the same time, numerous drivers are looking to the fans for their ticket into the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, including Houston race winner Vincent Nobile, four-time HPC winner Kurt Johnson and his father, 2010 Fan Vote winner Warren Johnson, with several, including Erica Enders and rookie Buddy Perkinson, using social media outlets to stump for votes.
There's Still Time to Enter and Win!
The K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes returns with eight finalists winning a trip to this year's SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, where they will be randomly paired with one of the drivers in this year's contest. The lucky finalist whose driver wins the K&N Horsepower Challenge will be awarded the all new 2011 Explorer courtesy of Ford.
K&N Horsepower Challenge Standings
(After 16 of 20 races)
1. Allen Johnson - 2380
2. Jason Line - 2380
3. Mike Edwards - 2300
4. Greg Anderson - 2140
5. Ron Krisher - 2090
6. Rodger Brogdon - 1950
7. V. Gaines - 1855
8. Shane Gray - 1830
9. Greg Stanfield - 1800
10. Kurt Johnson - 1720
11. Warren Johnson - 1615
12. Larry Morgan - 1485
13. Jeg Coughlin - 1440
14. Ronnie Humphrey - 1365
15. Johnny Gray - 1275
Pitt's second priority for the year is to win the Missouri OXC Series for the first time.
Epic Racing's John Pitts and Bryan Hulsey have been bumping elbows since round one of the Missouri State OXC Series. Hulsey took first in that one and Pitts was right behind with second. The two act like a speed-muse for each other, constantly pushing and nudging to pick up the pace. One makes the other faster and it doesn't matter if it's the Missouri Off-Road Cross-country (OXC) Series, or the Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV (OMA) Nationals, the odds are when the dust settles, one or both will be in front.
John Pitts says his first goal this year is to win the OMA National Championship once again.
The third round of the Missouri OXC Series went pretty much according to the Washington, Missouri based Epic Racing script, with Pitts taking the win this time and Hulsey recovering from being pinned to a tree by another rider, and still taking third on the podium. It was an ideal day for racing, not too much mud, and not too much dust, with the temperature topping out at 65 degrees.
"The Missouri OXC races are very tough, rough, and rocky with lots of elevation changes, said the K&N backed racer. "OXC races also put lots of physical demand on your body and machine, it's tough to stay together for the entire two hour race. Also, you need to pay very close attention to your surroundings and be careful not to hit anything, or you'll risk tearing up your bike. But with the OXC Series, even if there is tons of rain before a race, the tracks hold up very well cause of all the rock."
This is the view most competitors have had of Epic Racing's Bryan Hulsey in 2011.
"Hulsey and I race each other hard," Pitts continues. "We are both there for one thing - to win. But we do realize if we take each other out neither of us can win. We always have good battles, from beating on each other in the first turn, to hitting each other going for every pass, or just a bump in a corner, as if to say hey pick it up I'm still right behind you."
"I have to say it is a blast to ride with Hulsey, he is very fast and a very good rider who has taught me a lot, and he has won many races and championships of his own. We are good friends on and off the track. And we both know we can race hard and not worry about being getting taken out by each other."
Pitts says he primarily races the Missouri OXC Series and the OMA Nationals, along with hitting some races close to home, such as the Illinois District 17 Series. So Sunday after getting the win in the OXC Series, Pitts drove to Taylorville, Illinois for the District 17 cross-country race, which he won by a ridiculous ten minute margin ahead of second place.
"The District 17 races are less demanding on body and machine," Pitts remarked. "With most the tracks being dirt, and very few rocks that cause flats. Also, without too many rocks, tracks tend to be either very dusty or really muddy. The OMA races are a wide range of all different types of terrain, from dense woods, to wide open field runs, to mud and creeks and sand tracks, and even some motocross mixed in with them. They are a lot of fun, but they require a little more traveling, with races being in ten different states throughout the season."
Pitts says his number one goal this year is to win the OMA National Championship again. His second goal is to win the OXC Series for the first time, something he's wanted to do "really bad."
Says Pitts, "But It takes good finishes every weekend, so I just race for a win every race and hope at the end of the year it puts me on top. I am currently leading the OXC Series, and I'm in close second behind Hulsey in the OMA Nationals. We would like to thank K&N and all our sponsors for stepping up to help us out this year. We hope to go one and two in both series this year."
Epic Racing's John Pitts and Bryan Hulsey next OMA race is May 7, and their next OXC race is the following weekend of May 14.
Greg Pursley wins the K&N Pro Series West race at Miller Motorsports Park for the second year in a row.
Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah on Saturday and extended his lead in the West Series standings.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Race at Miller Motorsports Park
Two crashes late in the race extended it 13 laps past the scheduled 50. Eric Holmes had the lead on the second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish and ran out of fuel on lap 58. Pursley took over the lead on the ensuing restart and led the final five laps of the race.
Pursley won the K&N Pro Series West race at Miller Motorsports Park for the second year in a row. It was his second win of the season and his fourth in the past six races going back to 2010.
Moses Smith made a late charge but came up a little short. He finished second, followed by Jim Inglebright in third.
"Me and Eric Holmes had a great race there," Pursley said. "I've got to thank him for a little give and take there. We were having a great race together. And Moses gave us a great race there at the end."
Holmes, a three-time K&N Pro Series West champion, was able to make it back to pit road for fuel and stayed on the lead lap. He led the most laps and was in search of his first road course win, but ended up in 13th place.
Pursley won the season opener at Phoenix International Raceway in February and two of the last three races of the 2010 season. One of those wins was at Miller Motorsports Park in September.
Andrew Ranger set fast qualifying time and won the pole. He led the first 17 laps of the race, but had to pit early to replace a battery. When he returned to the race, he was two laps down.
David Mayhew took the lead for two laps before Smith passed him and was out front for the next 13 laps.
"We slowly started moving up through the field," Smith said. "At one point, we got in the lead, led quite a few laps and ended up getting a flat right rear tire. We just kept kinda working it, getting up through the field. We had enough yellows that it kind of bunched up the field and gave us a good jump on the guys again."
Holmes took the lead for the first time in the race on lap 34 and battled Pursley until lap 49. Isaac Sherman stalled on the last lap of the race bringing out a caution and setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
When the race restarted on lap 55, Brandon Davis and Dylan Kwasniewski crashed in turn 7. Holmes ran out of fuel three laps later under caution. He had to forfeit the lead to refuel, putting Pursley out front when the race restarted on lap 61.
"I actually thought we were going to run out there at the end," Pursely said. "We sputtered a couple of times. We got lucky there at the end. I'd rather be lucky than good right now. We've got a lucky streak going on."
Pursley beat Smith to the finish line and won by 0.196 seconds.
"Second's good. It's a good weekend," Smith said.
After three races, Pursley has a 58-point lead in the K&N Pro Series West standings over Smith. Jonathon Gomez, who finished fourth at Utah, is in third place in the West Series standings, 112 points behind Pursley.
The next K&N Pro Series race is at Iowa Speedway on May 21. It is a combined race beween teams from the K&N Pro Series West and East.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Driver Darrell Wallace Jr.
Darrell Wallace Jr. won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday night and took over the lead in the East Series standings.
Wallace took the lead on lap 79 and was out front for the last 21 laps of the Blue Ox 100, the third race of the K&N Pro Series East schedule.
Wallace took the lead on lap 79 and was out front for the last 21 laps of the Blue Ox 100.
"Awesome run overall. Definitely a hard-working team back at Revolution Racing," Wallace said. "They said they left the shop at 9 o'clock last night and got in late. My car was the last one out of the shop. Can't thank them enough."
Wallace won the third East Series race of his career and the first of the 2011 season. He won two as a rookie last year. It was the second win in a row for his team, Revolution Racing. Sergio Pena won the race at South Boston Speedway in Virginia on April 17.
Wallace took the lead from pole winner Max Gresham for the first time in the race on lap 55. Gresham took back the lead on a restart on lap 78, but Wallace regained the lead a lap later and held it the rest of the way.
Darrell Wallace Jr. takes checkered flag at Richmond International Raceway
"To get my first win on a big track here, it's pretty awesome. We just had to be patient and be there at the end," Wallace said. "Gresham, he was pretty strong. We had a little bit better car and a better line. We just took it away from him."
Brett Moffitt finished second, followed by Corey LaJoie in third. Gresham, who led a race-high 55 laps, fell off at the end and finished fourth. Rookie Alex Bowman was fifth.
The race was delayed for an hour and 48 minutes because of rain.
"We had something for him and I kept my word," Wallace said about his late battle with Gresham. "We went for it and we were able to come out with a win. We got into it a little bit coming off a two, but I gotta go talk to him and tell him it wasn't a big deal. I think we're all good. We'll go to Iowa and have another good race."
Moffitt rebounded after a disappointing end to the race at South Boston. He was leading late in the race when he tangled with a lapped car and fell out of contention.
"We were really strong. We definitely weren't a winning car, but we were a top five, top 10 car," Moffitt said after the race. "Things just went our way tonight. We ended up running second which was great for our points after South Boston. That race was a big disappointment, leading until six laps to go and then getting taken out by a lapped car. It was a great night for points. The guys worked hard in practice to get the car where we needed it."
LaJoie said NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick gave him some advice about how to race at Richmond before the race and it helped, especially in the second half of the race.
"We were in my opinion junk all day long," LaJoie said. "We couldn't run that fast lap, but we could keep running consistent times, which I didn't think was a very good thing because I didn't think the track lost much grip and it didn't wear tires. Harvick come up and talked to me before the race and gave me some tips on the line. He gave me some really useful tips that I didn't even pick up in practice, that I didn't even realize what to do. I really appreciate that."
Pena, Wallace's teammate at Revolution Racing, finished ninth. Wallace has a 24-point lead over Pena after three races in the K&N Pro Series East season.
"It's awesome, definitely a lot better than last year,." Wallace said. "Last year we tore up a bunch of race cars in the process. Now we're bringing ‘em home in one piece or a couple of pieces, like a fender coming off. Not on the tow truck or anything. I think we got a good set of drivers. It's definitely a lot better than last year."
The next K&N Pro Series race is at Iowa Speedway on May 21. It is a combination race between the K&N Pro Series East and West teams.
You would assume being a straight-A student takes a lot of dedication and focus. Josh Hodges has found a way to translate it to the track. The High School sophomore, who must maintain his 4.0 GPA in order to race, is off to this best start ever while running Sprint Cars throughout the southwest.
Hodges recently won his first ASCS Regional event, making him the youngest person to do so, at Aztec Speedway in New Mexico. The win brought a newfound confidence to the team, and Hodges has parlayed that into 5 top fives in 10 races this year. The track has always felt like home for his team.
ASCS 360 Sprint Car Racer Josh Hodges
"I have a little more experience there than other tracks…my dad raced there years ago as well," Hodges said. "I have experience in two different types of cars as well, and I think that helps me with the traits of the place. It was also the first place I ever raced a Sprint Car, so it's pretty special to me."
Hodges has competed wheel-to-wheel with drivers like World of Outlaws star Johnny Herrera and 3-time defending ASCS Southwest Champion Rick Zhiel this season. Hodges said it was a few mechanical changes that have made the difference this season.
"Our car has been feeling good with the upgrades we made to Vortex wings and we've figured out how I like to run my new Integra by Benic Shocks," he added.
Balancing the rigors of a sophomore high school student's life may seem difficult, but Hodges' parents have kept the pressure on, and the youngster understands that education is the foundation he needs if racing ends up his career.
"I get all my schoolwork done before I go work on the car, and I have to talk with my teachers often to get work for when I'm gone on Fridays and some Thursdays for racing. When you put all this work into it, though, and you do have a good run, it makes it that much sweeter," Hodges said. "I think it is important to get a good education so I will be able to race in the future, because less and less people these days are able to make a living racing, but I hope to go into a career field that involves the sport. I love being around the sport, and getting to drive is just an added bonus."
While his plans for the rest of the season are still uncertain, Hodges just wants as much seat time as possible. "We have run all of the ASCS Southwest races so far, but we may branch out and do some other ASCS and other 360 racing, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. I'm excited for whatever this year brings, and I hope that we just continue to get better and better. The end of last year was a bit tough, but we're back up to full speed and getting closer and closer to some more wins."
Hodges made sure to mention how appreciative his team is of K&N's quality line of filters. "In dirt Sprint Car racing, everything gets put to the test, especially the filters. K & N Filters do their job time after time, keeping the air clean and enhancing performance. Never have we had to mess with them (except for the needed maintenance) or have they malfunctioned. There isn't another product out there that can beat K & N's quality and performance."
