Mopar Dodge Funny Cars Make 3-Second Passes a Habit in NHRA Norwalk Qualifying

  • Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars record series of 3-second passes in Summit Racing NHRA Nationals qualifying
  • All four Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopar Dodge Funny Cars to start from top half of field
  • DSR Funny Car pilot Matt Hagan No. 6 seed in Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T
  • Bonus qualifying points piling up for Team Mopar Funny Car drivers at season's halfway mark
  • No. 9 Jeg Coughlin Jr. in "Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar" JEGS.com Dodge Dart leads HEMI®-powered Pro Stockers at Summit Motorsports Park
  • Mopar Performance Dodge Dart pilot Erica Enders to start 10th at facility where she holds both ends of track record
  • All four Mopar-powered Dodge Dart Pro Stock drivers make Norwalk field 
June 25, 2016 , Norwalk, Ohio -  Exceedingly warm air and a very hot racing surface did little to hinder the performance of the Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars during qualifying for the 10th annual Summit Racing NHRA Nationals in Norwalk this weekend. Four Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) drivers, including No. 6 seed Matt Hagan and the Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger, made regular passes in the 3-second zone en route to very secure positions in the top half of the field.
 
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps led the DSR HEMI®-powered nitro beasts in Norwalk qualifying and will start from the No. 2 position based on four consistent passes: a killer 3.923-second blast at 321.88 mph to start the weekend was followed by an even better 3.882/324.90 in the later session on Friday. Capps was the only driver to break into the threes in the third session as he wheeled his speedy Charger to a 3.977/318.77, and he closed out qualifying on a 3.957/318.62.
 
"We were in race-mode setup today because we knew it would be hot all day tomorrow during eliminations," said Capps, who starts from the No. 2 position and will race Jeff Diehl in the first round on Sunday – the same driver he knocked out in the first round at the first two races this season. "[Crew chief Rahn] Tobler and every other crew chief will tell you the first run of the weekend is the most important. Keeping that up is nice. Being in the top three tells the driver your team really has a handle on the conditions and the car."
 
Defending Summit Racing NHRA Nationals titlist Jack Beckman is one of just two Funny Car drivers to have triumphed in Norwalk more than once. Beckman, who also won the event in 2009, has yet to score a trophy in 2016 despite three trips to the final round. The No. 5 seed will begin his charge for glory with a first-round matchup with Alexis DeJoria. His best qualifying time was a 3.891/236.63.
 
Six times this season, a Dodge Charger R/T has blasted past the competition and sailed straight into the winner's circle. Last weekend, it was Tommy Johnson Jr.'s turn in the Make-A-Wish Dodge as he came out on top in the fifth consecutive all-Mopar final round. Johnson is the No. 8 qualifier in Norwalk on a best time of 3.959/32.96 and will race Tim Wilkerson in round one. The two veteran drivers have yet to square off this season.
 
Hagan's Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge has twice earned the trophy this year in dominant fashion, and the two-time Funny Car champion is eager to make gains on Sunday in Norwalk to move up from No. 4 in the series points. Hagan made three sub 4-second runs in preparation for raceday at Summit Motorsports Park, commanding 10,000+ horsepower to a best time of 3.909/312.78 to slide into No. 6 in the lineup. He will race John Force.
 
"We just have to go out there and race the racetrack tomorrow," said Hagan. "That's the challenge. It doesn't matter who is in the other lane. We just have to go out there and do our jobs. It's that simple and that complicated – but we're ready. We have a great racecar, and we're excited that the car is running well in the heat. It's going to be even hotter tomorrow, so I think we can take some of what we learned today and work off that. It's a challenge truing to apply the power to the ground when it's sticky and greasy out there, but my crew chief Dickie [Venables] and the guys are doing a great job. We'll get a good night's rest and hope for the best."
 
The Baby Points
The Summit Racing NHRA Nationals marks the 12th race of 24 in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. As the season rolls forward, the bonus points available during qualifying become even more valuable. The quickest driver in each session receives three additional markers, the second-quickest is awarded two, and the third best nabs one. In all, Capps earned eight bonus points in Norwalk qualifying, padding his points lead. Hagan and Beckman each scored three additional markers, and Johnson Jr. earned two.
 
Pro Stock's Mopar Dodge Darts
Five-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. was the leader for the four Mopar Dodge Darts jockeying for position at Summit Motorsports Park. Coughlin drove the "Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar" Dart to a 6.653-second pass at 206.29 mph in the later session on Friday to take hold of the No. 9 position. Coughlin, of nearby Delaware, Ohio, has yet to reach a Norwalk final round, and Summit Motorsports Park is one of just two facilities on tour where he has yet to earn a trophy. Now a 58-time Pro Stock winner in NHRA competition, the Norwalk hardware is certainly something he would like to add to his illustrious collection, and he will begin the charge in the first round with a head-to-head match with young Alex Laughlin. Last weekend in Bristol, the HEMI under the hood of his factory hot rod took Coughlin all the way to the semifinals.
 
"This has been a season of one step forward and a half-step back," said Coughlin, who was No. 8 in the Pro Stock standings coming into the event. "These are absolutely some of the hardest working people I've ever been around in this Elite Motorsports pit. I will tell you that some monumental gains are coming, and the chase will be on. I'm excited to be part of it all. The car ran down the track here in weather we pretty much expect will repeat itself tomorrow, so it's a good start. We'll see if we can't come out tomorrow and wave a wand over this car like we did last week."
 
Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders, the reigning and two-time Pro Stock world champ, drove her Mopar Performance Dodge Dart to a 6.656/207.37 and will race out of the No. 10 spot. Her first-round opponent will be Chris McGaha, and the winner of the 2014 Summit Racing Nationals is looking for a repeat.
 
"We're not crushing it yet, but we were consistent today," said Enders, who clocked a 6.702 and 6.719 on Saturday in Norwalk. "We're proud of the direction we're going, and we'll keep chipping away at it."
 
Qualifying was an uphill battle for Mopar-powered Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart. Johnson struggled to dial into what the track required and entered the final qualifying session outside of the field. Fate was on his side, though, and he came through with his best run of the weekend, a 6.743-second pass at 207.34 mph, to land the lucky No. 13 position. Johnson will race Bo Butner in the first round on Sunday, a driver he has gotten the better of both times they've squared off this year.
 
V. Gaines, driving the Kendall Oil-branded Dodge Dart, qualified in the No. 14 position with a 6.750/205.72. He will race second-year competitor Drew Skillman in round one.
 
NHRA on FOX Sports 1
Qualifying highlights from the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will air on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Saturday night, June 25, beginning at Midnight ET. The first two rounds of eliminations will air LIVE on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday, June 26, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. Coverage will continue later that evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, on FOX Sports 2 (FS2).

About Mopar Motorsports
The Mopar brand’s commitment to professional motorsports competition was established in the 1950s when a partnership ignited with drag racing pioneer Don Garlits, resulting in the breaking of numerous speed and performance barriers in HEMI®-powered vehicles over the next several decades. In 2016, Mopar will look to once again vie for a NHRA World Championship title in both Pro Stock and Funny Car categories. While Mopar remains involved in a various professional motorsports series, it continues to honor its roots by being a proud supporter of Sportsman racing within the NHRA with its sponsorship of the HEMI Challenge and Mopar’s Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge.
 
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar  expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

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Darren Jacobs
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