The DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals returned to northern California wine country from July 17 through 19, thundering into Sonoma Raceway.
After an amazing event in Norwalk two weeks ago, Ron Capps and Maddi Gordon of Ron Capps Racing, were brought back down to earth. Both drivers were eliminated in the opening round of eliminations, when their cars lost traction against their opponents; Capps lost to Austin Prock and Gordon lost to Leah Pruett.
In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta captured the pole in qualifying by speed over Shawn Langdon, as both drivers went 3.714-seconds. Kalitta had the bigger speed, 337. 07 mph to 336.49 mph. In eliminations, Kalitta took out Clay Millican, had a bye in round two (due to a short field) and defeated Antron Brown in the semi’s, to advance to the final round.
Langdon had a bye in round one, when Will Smith was unable to get his car repaired for the round, but then Langdon’s day ended in round two, when Jasmine Salinas took him out (0.062, 3.776 at 309.91 mph to 0.083, 3.751 at 335.32 mph; hole-shot). Salinas then took out Pruett (0.068, 3.772 at 334.98 mph to 0.091, 3.751 at 331.94 mph; hole-shot) to advance to the final round.
Kalitta took the win in the final over Salinas, (0.072, 3.371 at 339.96 mph to 0.056 3.815 at 319.14 mph; Salinas left first) for his seventh win at this track. In addition, the win comes 30 years after his crew chief, Alan Johnson’s brother (Blaine Johnson) won this same event in Top Fuel, in 1996.
Langdon, despite his second round loss, still leads the points battle against teammate Kalitta by 85 points.
In Funny Car, Jordan Vandergriff and Jack Beckman of John Force Racing, took the top two qualifying spots with 3.849 at 332.43 mph and 3.873 at 333.16 mph qualifying efforts. In eliminations, Vandergriff took out Jason Rupert, Matt Hagan and Austin Prock to advance to the final. The driver’s starting line reaction time is often very important in achieving victory, but at this event it was different. He had very good reaction times in each round, but his opponents still left first, though none could hold off against his car’s performance.
Beckman took out Jeff Arend, then Cruz Pedregon and looked like he would head to the final round to square off against his teammate, Vandergriff. But Daniel Wilkerson changed that, as both drivers lost traction with their cars. Wilkerson was able to recover first to take a 5.159 at 299.33 mph to 5.793 at 205.19 mph win over Beckman.
In the final, Vandergriff once again left second, 0.057 to 0.065, but he charged on to a 3.900 at 330.72 mph to 3.950 at 301.33 mph victory to capture his second win of the season.
The event victory was special for the John Force Racing Team, as it comes 20 years after the late Eric Medlen scored a win at this same event in 2006, driving the John Force Racing Castrol Syntech Mustang Funny Car.
Ron Capps leaves the event, still on top of the points battle by 74 points over Vandergriff, followed by Beckman and Hagan.
In Pro Stock, many of the top cars stumbled performance wise over the weekend. By the end of the opening elimination round, three of the top four points leaders, Dallas Glenn, Greg Anderson and Matt Hartford, were all eliminated.
In eliminations, Greg Stanfield defeated his son, Aaron Stanfield, Mason McGaha and Jeg Coughlin, Jr. to advance to the final round. On the other side of the ladder, it was Erica Enders, who took out Kenny Delco, Matt Latino and Troy Coughlin, Jr. to get to the final round. In the final, Stanfield left first (0.015 to 0.032) to take a hole shot 6.551-211.30 mph to 6.550-210.87 mph win. It was his second straight victory at this event and seventh career win in Pro Stock.
Dallas Glenn still sits on top of the points battle, over Anderson and Stanfield.
The Pro Stock Motorcycles did not contest at this event, except for eight motorcycles, that competed in the special GETRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, run on Saturday. Two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Gaige Herrera took out teammate Richard Gadson in the final round.
The next event is in Washington, for the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals.
