NHRA’s  Mello Yello Era Opener!

NHRA’s newest chapter, the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, began under perfect conditions at fabled Pomona California.  Courtney Force (FC), Shawn Langdon (TF) and Vincent Nobile (PS) recorded historic first Mello Yello title wins…..

Force powered her Traxxas Ford Mustang past NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger driver Ron Capps with a pass of 4.025 seconds at 317.12 mph to earn her second career Funny Car victory.

“It was definitely unbelievable,” Force said. “My team, (crew chiefs) Ron Douglas and Dan Hood, thanks to them, they had given me great race car all weekend long. I just try to keep it straight down the center and they really made my job easy. I really owe it to those guys. It was kind of bittersweet finishing here (at the NHRA Finals in November) and not getting that win, then coming back and picking up where we left off and finishing our job. We got the win and I’m just proud of my team.”

Courtney Force won her second career FC event — hitting low ET of the event in the final round.

In Top Fuel, Langdon drove his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to the win with his pass of 3.721 at 322.27, defeating seven-time champion Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team. In front of a hometown crowd, Langdon said the second victory is so much sweeter than the first.

“Couldn’t have scripted it any better really,” Langdon said. “We struggled a little in qualifying. We didn’t really have the car that we thought we should have had, but we qualified seventh. We knew the things we learned in testing that we had a car capable of winning. It showed today.”

Shawn Langdon also ran low ET of the event in the Top Fuel final round.

Scary Crash for Antron

In the second round of eliminations, 2012 world champion Antron Brown’s Matco Tools dragster went out of control and crashed near the finish line. Brown emerged from the crashed car under his own power and was checked and released by NHRA emergency services officials. He received only very minor injuries in the incident.

“I am feeling good,” Brown said. “I’ve got some scrapes on my legs and my back is a little sore, but overall I feel good. The best feeling was seeing how quickly the NHRA Safety Safari got to my car after it stopped. The car did its job and we’ll be ready for Phoenix.”

Nobile claimed his sixth Pro Stock victory with a performance of 6.571 at 211.03 in his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger, taking the automatic victory over Jeg Coughlin, who turned on the red light at the starting line and fouled out in his JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger.

Mopar cars dominated Pro Stock. Vincent Nobile emerged the winner

“It’s pretty awesome leaving here with the points lead,” said Nobile. “That’s every team’s goal. Now we just want to stay there, stay consistent and keep the wins coming.”

The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues next weekend when it rolls into Phoenix Feb. 22-24 for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway. 

DeFrank “Double” Highlights Sportsman Action

Jimmy DeFrank scored the illusive double this weekend at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and Jim Whiteley and John Lombardo took the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.  John Lombardo, Rick Beckstrom, Ross Wilson, Phil Dion, Jim Whiteley and Jimmy DeFrank 

DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., picked up his first double event win of his career winning in both the Stock and Super Stock classes to become just the 14 driver in history to do so. DeFrank beat Michael Iacono, Wading River, N.Y., in the final of Stock Eliminator with his ’69 Camaro then came back around to beat the defending event champion Mike Cotton in Super Stock.

World Champ Jim Whiteley scored in season opening TAD competition.

Whiteley, the reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster champion, started off his title defense with a win over another defending event winner in Chris Demke. The Grand Junction, Colo., racer recorded the low elapsed time of the event at 5.245 seconds, 273.39 mph on his winning run as Demke clocked in at 5.271 at 270.86.

Lombardo, Brea, Calif., made it two in a row at the historic facility beating Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., in theTAFC  final with a lap of 5.555 seconds at 216.17 mph.  His opponent was Rupert, driver of the Western Canadian based machine owned by Geoff Goodwin,  was first off the line before Lombardo came around him for the win.  Lombardo also won the 2012 season ending event at Auto Club Raceway last November.

Local runner Ross Wilson took the Comp Eliminator trophy home to Alta Loma, Calif., with a win in his ’05 Sunfire over Alan Ellis and his ’08 roadster. Phil Dion grabbed his first career win taking out Scott Taylor in Super Comp and veteran racer Rick Beckstrom won his first NHRA national event in Super Gas having earned four titles in Super Comp

Event Essentials:  2013 O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals – Feb. 14-17^th, 2013 Pomona CA

Johnny Gray was just one of a number of great looking new cars at Pomona — click on the link below to see more!

 Results Courtesy of NHRA Media Department

Photos by: Bruce Biegler

To view DragRaceCanada’s extensive event photo gallery click:  HERE