{"id":7120,"date":"2014-08-04T11:47:20","date_gmt":"2014-08-04T18:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=7120"},"modified":"2014-08-04T15:14:36","modified_gmt":"2014-08-04T22:14:36","slug":"kalitta-ties-big-daddy-force-to-win-at-nhra-oreilly-northwest-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/kalitta-ties-big-daddy-force-to-win-at-nhra-oreilly-northwest-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Kalitta Ties Big Daddy Garlits’ Record and John Force Wins at NHRA O\u2019Reilly Northwest Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"14SeattleDougKalittaActionPHOTO\"<\/p>\n

Photos: Courtesy of the NHRA<\/p>\n

Doug Kalitta won his second Top Fuel race of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello season in his ninth final round appearance at Sunday\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Northwest Nationals in Seattle, extending his Kalitta Racing points lead with two races remaining before the Countdown.<\/p>\n

John Force added Funny Car win No.141 to his prestigious career through pure driving excellence, and Jason Line won on a hole shot over his KB Racing Pro Stock teammate, Greg Anderson to round out the event.<\/p>\n

TOP FUEL<\/b><\/p>\n

\"14SeattleDougKalittaVictoryPHOTO\"Doug Kalitta extended his Top Fuel points lead to 76 when he turned back his final round opponent and title nemesis, Antron Brown, winning the O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Nationals at the Pacific Raceways. \u00a0He ran a time of 3.844 seconds, 318.84 mph to Brown\u2019s close time of 3.887 seconds, 311.70 mph.\u00a0 Kalitta’s 35th<\/sup> Top Fuel win — his first at Seattle–places his name alongside \u2018Big Daddy\u2019 Don Garlits in victories and is now tied for fifth place in total NHRA Top Fuel wins. Doug Kalitta couldn\u2019t be happier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve been keeping an eye on that one for a while,\u201d said Kalitta, who also has six runner-up finishes this season. \u00a0\u201cGrowing up around the sport, it\u2019s a big deal for me. \u00a0Don Garlits is somebody I\u2019ve looked up to and continue to look up to.\u00a0 That\u2019s something that\u2019s very special to me.\u00a0 I grew up idolizing Connie (Kalitta team owner, drag racing icon and Doug\u2019s uncle) and Garlits, so to be mentioned in the same breath with both of them is truly an honor.\u00a0 He\u2019s the man and I\u2019ve been trying to chase down that statistic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m real proud of (crew chief) JimO (Oberhofer) and my crew.\u00a0 They\u2019ve given me a consistent car and I just try to do the best I can do.\u00a0 The competition out here is tough; it\u2019s really something to even make it to a final. \u00a0We\u2019ve been banging on the door trying to get another win and we couldn\u2019t get it at a better place than Seattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a049-year old Ann Arbor, Michigan resident had to march to the win, his first since the Gatornationals in March, defeating Mike Salinas, Troy Buff and the determined reigning NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Shawn Langdon en route to an epic final round match-up against Brown.<\/p>\n

\u201dBeating Antron for this one was big for us,\u201d smiled Kalitta. \u201cWe\u2019ve just been trying to win rounds but Antron\u2019s been winning a lot, too. \u00a0He\u2019s got five wins this year, so I\u2019m glad we were able to get another one here today. \u00a0We\u2019ve got some momentum going into the next few races.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew the final was going to be a hard fight, but I\u2019m always extremely confident in my Mac Tools team and they gave me a great race car yet again. \u00a0Winning against anybody is tough these days because the competition level in Top Fuel is so high, but getting past Antron is even tougher.\u201d<\/p>\n

FUNNY CAR<\/b><\/p>\n

\"14SeattleJohnForceAction1PHOTO\"
Photo: John Force Racing\/Ron Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John Force and his Castrol Mustang Funny Car team celebrated the end of the annual NHRA Western Swing in the winner\u2019s circle as 16-time NHRA Mello Yello champion claimed his 141st career win and eighth at Pacific Raceways on Sunday.<\/p>\n

It was also Force\u2019s third win of the season and fourth consecutive final round appearance. \u00a0Not only that, JFR Funny Cars can also claim a Western Swing sweep, as Robert Hight\u2019s win at Denver, Courtney Force\u2019s victory in Sonoma and now John\u2019s success at Seattle have rewritten the NHRA record books.<\/p>\n

Going into race day, the 65-year old Force\u2019s had qualified in the No. 1 spot with an impressive 4.057 seconds at 307.86 mph. \u00a0It was John\u2019s fourth No.1 final qualifying position of the season, sixth at Pacific Raceways and the 150th of his career. \u00a0Ten years ago Force won this race from the No. 1 position as well.<\/p>\n

John Force faced Jeff Diehl in the opening round of eliminations crossing the finish line first with a 4.102 second run at 307.58.\u00a0 Force then headed into the quarter-finals where he would face arch-rival Cruz Pedregon. \u00a0These two fiercely competitive Funny Car drivers have squared off against each other 93 times in competition with John Force winning 63 of those match-ups.<\/p>\n

Force left first in their race and went straight down Pacific Raceways. \u00a0Pedregon gave it everything he had, but the times said it all. \u00a0John Force ran a 4.161 second pass at 302.48 mph to Pedregon\u2019s losing 4.184 elapsed time at 296.37 mph.<\/p>\n

The stage was now set for a semi-final battle between John Force and Alexis DeJoria.\u00a0 Unlike previous races, it was John\u2019s massive holeshot and great reaction time of 0.075 to DeJoria\u2019s 0.170 that allowed him to get the win despite running a slower 4.301 second pass to her quicker 4.252 second run.<\/p>\n

Force did lose lane choice as he went into final round against another seasoned veteran and old teammate Gary Densham. \u00a0These two drivers first raced each other 24 years ago in Montreal and over the years, they\u2019ve raced each other a total of seven times in prior final round match ups with John getting four wins reminiscent of the Brute Force vs. \u2018The Teacher\u2019s Pet\u2019 match race days.<\/p>\n

Once again, John\u2019s Mustang leapt off the starting line first, ahead of Densham and without missing a beat, crossed the finish line first with a 4.173 second run at 302.48 mph to his opponent’s tire smoking 5.808 second run at 120.44 mph.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to win, that is what it is all about,\u201d Force said.\u00a0 \u201cI raced Densham 40 years ago at this track and we were having so much fun down there in the staging lanes. \u00a0I know we\u2019re supposed to be serious, it\u2019s race day.\u00a0 But when you\u2019re racing a friend (Densham) and he comes up here on a budget; look how good he does, steps it up and races with these guys, and after only being out here few times all year getting in the final is awesome for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s win, his 78th in a Ford Mustang Funny Car, tied Force with NHRA Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden as the winningest Ford sponsored driver in any motorsports series.<\/p>\n

PRO STOCK<\/b><\/p>\n

\"14SeattleJasonLineAction\"<\/p>\n

In the 750th<\/sup> NHRA Pro Stock race, Jason Line defeated teammate Greg Anderson in the finals to claim his third career win at Seattle. \u00a0Line, in his Summit Chevy Camaro, defeated Anderson on a holeshot with a run of 6.611 seconds at a speed of 210.67 mph to Anderson\u2019s losing effort of 6.608 seconds at 210.54 mph.<\/p>\n

Anderson, on the strength of his runner-up finish moved into the Top 10 in the Mello Yello Countdown point standings for the first time this season. \u00a0He missed the first five events of 2014 recuperating from open heart surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very good day for KB Racing,\u201d Line said. \u00a0\u201cWe got both cars to the finals and Greg got in the top 10. \u00a0I was good when I needed to be today. \u00a0The car wasn\u2019t great, but it was good enough. \u00a0I guess the racing gods owed me one today. \u00a0It feels good to get another win. \u00a0I\u2019ve never won three races in a row though, so we\u2019ll see what happens at Brainerd.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the first time in three years Line had won back-to-back races and the first all-Summit Racing final round since the 2012 race in Englishtown, where Anderson got the win and the 100th win for KB Racing. \u00a0It would be the 70th final round for Line and the 116th for Anderson, and it would also mark the 22nd time that the two had raced in the finals.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had the better car all weekend,\u201d said Line.\u00a0 \u201cThe key today was surrounding me with good people.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long road back, but we\u2019re back and we\u2019re not going to let those Dodges beat us.\u00a0 Team Summit won today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting from the No. 3 position, Line drove to round wins over Mark Wolfe, V. Gaines and Shane Gray in a tight semi-finals race.<\/p>\n

In the final round, Line took a .005-second starting line advantage with a .028 reaction time to Anderson’s .033, and the tiny edge turned out to be the big difference at the top end. \u00a0Line got the win light on a holeshot, 6.611 seconds at 210.67 mph to Anderson’s quicker 6.608 pass at 210.54 mph. \u00a0The margin of victory was just .002-thousandths of a second.<\/p>\n

The win was the 34th of Line’s Pro Stock career and his third of the season. \u00a0It was particularly sweet as it came on the heels of a victory earned just last week in Sonoma.<\/p>\n

KB Racing teammate, Greg Anderson had the look on his face of dismay and frustration after hearing the results in the shutdown area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good points day, but I did not get what I came here for and I take full responsibility,\u201d Anderson sighed, so close to a win.\u00a0 \u201cI should have won that race.\u00a0 Obviously, I didn\u2019t do a good enough job driving.\u00a0 I got to find a way to win.\u00a0 If I can\u2019t win before I get to that Countdown, I\u2019m not so sure I need to be there.\u00a0 I had a great opportunity this weekend and a great race car and I didn\u2019t get it done.\u00a0 Apparently, it looks like I\u2019ve got to learn to win again and it\u2019s been two years since my last win.\u00a0 The good news is I\u2019ve got a great Summit Racing Chevy and a great chance going forward and two more opportunities to get it done.\u00a0 I can\u2019t screw up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Line is No. 3 in the Pro Stock standings and just 37 points outside of first place to Erica Enders-Stevens, who will be returning to competition in Brainerd. \u00a0Only five points separate Line and second place Allen Johnson.\u00a0 Jonathan Gray is now the odd man out in eleventh and is 26 points behind Anderson.<\/p>\n

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues Aug. 14-17 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn., home of the world famous fan oriented Zoo camping ground.<\/p>\n