Joliet: Goodyear Racing preview

BUSY RACING SCHEDULE NOT SLOWING NHRA SPEEDSTERS

AKRON, Ohio (June 2, 2005) -- The racers of the National Hot Rod Association have a week off before attacking their next challenge, Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. They will be competing in the Carquest NHRA Nationals.

The race at Route 66 will be the fourth in five weeks, part of a grueling seven week period in which they will race six times. But, if the crews and drivers are stressed by the difficult stretch, it is not slowing them down. Witness the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, where a track record was set in every professional class.

Race teams using Goodyear tires won five times at Topeka, more than all other tiremakers combined. For the season, Goodyear leads all tiremakers with 48 victories in NHRA national competition.

The Goodyear-shod winners at Heartland Park included David Grubnic in Top Fuel, John Force in Funny Car, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock, Steve Torrence in Top Alcohol Dragster and Justin Jenkins in Super Stock.

Grubnic became the first Top Fuel winner not born in North America and he said after beat Larry Dixon in the final, "God bless the United States and all the people here. I'm proud of that. -- We beat each other's brains out, but Larry was one of the first to come over to congratulate me after I won."

Force won his third straight event and the 118th Funny Car final of his career. Anderson also won for the third straight week and for the third straight year at Topeka.

Torrence's victory came in his first appearance in the final round of a national event.

Jenkins also won for the first time, but it was the second final round of his career.

The professional records set at Topeka include Dixon's speed record set in qualifying, 331.61 mph. Robert Hight lowered the track's elapsed time record in Funny Car with a qualifying run lasting 4.729 seconds. Anderson set a new elapsed time mark in Pro Stock with one qualifying run, then set another later in qualifying. The record now stands at 6.716 seconds. Kurt Johnson set a new Pro Stock speed record at 205.10 mph.

It could be more of the same when the teams roll into Route 66. The track produces consistently fast quarter-mile runs and track records frequently double as world records.

-goodyear-