A week before the regular season opens at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona next week, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be underway at its annual spring training session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.
Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars actually started Thursday and will continue through Saturday. Pro Stock will run Sunday through Tuesday before the nitro circus heads west to Pomona.
After a short offseason, racers and crew members are ready to get back to work. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) are the defending pro champions who will compete in Pomona. Pro Stock Motorcycle and winner Jerry Savoie will not open the season at Pomona.
“We have been working on quite a few things to make our car better. I can’t get into details about it, but we have been working on quite a bit of things,” Brown said. “In our clutch department and also on our chassis, so we are always developing new things. We are learning.
“We are at the infancy stage of some things, but really starting to dig into them and want to see how they are going to pan out as the year goes on. We are going to be incorporating them throughout the year to make our program better.”
It’s the time of year for optimism.
“I feel we’re the most competitive we’ve been in a long time, and all of our cars — all three Funny Cars and the Top Fuel dragster — have a shot at winning the title this year,” said Robert Hight, the John Force Racing Funny Car driver who won the title in 2009. “We made some changes over the winter and strengthened every single team.
“I can’t wait. It’s been too long since I’ve been out there racing, and we get back in the car in Phoenix this week. Looking forward to that.”
There are several drivers who will make their debut in 2017. J.R. Todd, a nine-time winner in Top Fuel and fourth in points last season, is moving into Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports. It’s also the same team that will field Troy Coughlin Jr. in Top Fuel after he drove Jr. Dragsters, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Dragster and Pro Mods.
Todd, the 2006 AAA Road to the Future rookie winner, replaces Del Worsham in the Kalitta Funny Car. His previous experience in the class came as a crew member on Bob Gilberston’s Funny Car during the 2003-2005 NHRA seasons with current Kalitta employees Nicky Boninfante and Tommy DeLago.
Several Pro Stock teams tested in Florida over the winter, including Greg Anderson, who finished second in points to teammate Jason Line.
“We made 18 runs in two days,” Anderson told National Dragster. “We were able to kill two birds with one stone at the test. It was a good opportunity to get the car ready for Bo (Butner) and give us a chance to test some engine projects we’ve been working on over the winter.”
King of Hammers
Once again, the desert area of Johnson Valley will become the mecca of off-road racing as the King of the Hammers begins its 11th annual run. Hammertown opens Friday but the feature race will take place Feb. 10.
King of The Hammers has the reputation as one of the toughest one-day off-road races in the world. In terms of competitors and spectators, it’s considered the largest off-road race event in North America, combining desert racing and rock crawling.
“2016 was our biggest and most successful King of The Hammers to date. We look forward to continuing that momentum into 2017.” Hammerking founder Dave Cole said.
Due to Presidents’ Day on Feb. 20, Hammerking moved the race back to its traditional place in the first full week of February. In recent years, opening day crept into late January due to President’s Day taking place earlier in February.
Over the years, KOH has expanded from one race to a series of five races held throughout the week, which include Smittybilt Every Man Challenge, Can-Am KOH UTV Race, King of The Motos, and Vision X Shootout.
Pit stops
• For the third consecutive year, the Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience will return to Perris Auto Speedway on Feb. 25. The school will feature Sprint Car, Late Model, Modified or a Legends Dirt Modifieds, or rides in the cars.
For reservations or more information, call 855-722-3347.
• So who was the most excited of the four NASCAR drivers to test at Phoenix earlier this week? If you said Dale Earnhardt Jr., you were on target. “Man, I don’t know why, I’m just freakin’ pumped up about this,” Earnhardt told Bob Pockrass of ESPN. “You miss the camaraderie and the friendships I have with my road crew. I think they miss me. So that makes you feel good. They seem excited that we’re working together and we’re back together.” Earnhardt last raced July 9, missing the final 18 races of the 2016 season due to concussion-like symptoms. He was medically cleared Dec. 8 after a test at Darlington Raceway, where he drove 185 laps during a nearly five-hour session with crew chief Greg Ives.
• For Monterey County’s board of supervisors, it will be a return to tradition. It has ruled the nonprofit Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula organization will oversee Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the renowned 2.2-mile road course. The parties have entered into a three-year agreement through at least 2019. SCRAMP’s tenure overseeing Laguna Seca started in 1957.
• The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach and Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks series have signed a multi-year agreement to return and race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach starting in 2017. The trucks will race around the 1.97-mile, 11-turn course augmented by temporary ramps. “It’s great to come back to Long Beach for our fifth year,” series founder Robbie Gordon said. “It’s pretty cool that we’ve been able to build a good following there and wow the fans. We’re really proud to be back because, in my mind, the Grand Prix of Long Beach is the biggest street race in North America.” The trucks will run practice and qualifying Friday, with races on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
• After the March 19 NASCAR Monster Cup race, say goodbye to the Phoenix Raceway we’ve known for so long. International Speedway Corporation has unveiled the details of a $178 million modernization of the track. The highlight will include a completely redesigned infield, with first-of-its-kind Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Garage Fan Zone; the start/finish line will be repositioned in Turn 2 just before the track’s well-known dog leg; and a new pedestrian tunnel will connect the infield to the new seating areas. • At last week’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, a pair of awards were presented. Chip Ganassi, a former race-car driver who is now one of the most successful and innovative race team owners, was honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club with the 2017 Phil Hill Award. Michael Shank Racing owner Mike Shank was named recipient of the 2016 Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award of Excellence.
• Sonoma Raceway will host the 2018 SCCA National Championship Runoffs on Oct. 16-21, the Sports Car Club of America announced this week.
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