Countdown update: Jones makes a move
or the second time in the last five races, Rickie Jones rode a hot hand on the Tree to a final that
F vaulted him into the Pro Stock top 10. In Atlanta, he opened with a holeshot defeat of Mike
Edwards and advanced to the final, where he was derailed by Jeg Coughlin Jr. DNQs in Chicago and
Englishtown dropped him out of the top 10, but he was back on the horse at the NHRA Thunder Valley
Nationals. He used a round-two holeshot against Ron Krisher and a misstep by Allen Johnson to reach
the final, where he red-lighted to Edwards. Still, Jones entered the weekend 32 points outside of the top
presented by 10, and by Sunday night, he was 30 points inside of the top
10. His move was the biggest in an otherwise quiet week
in the race for position and berths in the Countdown to
1. In Funny Car, John Force regained the points lead with
his fourth win of the season, and Tim Wilkerson advanced
Funny Car swap to the final to give himself plenty of breathing room (111
points) ahead of 11th-place Jeff Arend.
Effective
immediately,
John Medlen
will take over
The votes are in
as crew chief As announced on NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil June 20 on ESPN2, Warren Johnson won the
on the Ron fan vote to compete in the K&N Filters Horsepower Challenge. The winningest Pro Stock driver in
Capps-driven NHRA history will compete in the special bonus event for the 24th time. As the No. 8 seed, W.J. will face
NAPA Auto top qualifier Mike Edwards in the opening round. To earn a place in the field, he narrowly edged a number
Parts Dodge of other challengers, including Shane Gray, Johnny Gray, Bob Yonke, Greg Stanfield, Larry Morgan, Kurt
Johnson, and Erica Enders. For the complete story, see page 10.
Funny Car.
Team owner
Don Westcott bags title
Schumacher
announced Charlie Westcott Jr. hoped that hard work in the off-season would
the move pay off in the final round of the Mopar Hemi Challenge Series at
following the the 8th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion at historic
10th annual Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., June 19. Despite
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at giving up an advantage to David Barton off the starting line, Westcott
used the horsepower that he had built into the
Bristol Dragway. Medlen joined Don
engine of his War Fish ’68 Barracuda during the
Schumacher Racing in March as co-
crew chief to Tommy DeLago on the
DieHard Dodge Charger Funny Car
driven by Matt Hagan. Ed “the Ace”
winter to drive around his opponent, 8