Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Full runs expected at NHRA testing

Racecar drivers -- drag racers in particular -- generally approach testing as a necessary evil. Drag-racing test sessions rarely involve full-track passes because crew chiefs and drivers typically attempt to improve a car's performance on a specific portion of the quarter-mile racing surface.

Tommy Johnson Jr., however, said he can't wait for this weekend's three-day NHRA "Nitro Blast-off" test session at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Johnson, who drives the Skoal Racing Chevrolet Funny Car for team owner Don Prudhomme, said he is looking forward to the test for a couple of reasons.

"Normally in testing, we come out and make 60-foot squirts and then 330(-foot runs) and maybe half-track, but rarely do we make full runs," Johnson said. "From what Mike Green, my crew chief, has told me, we're going to go probably half-track the first couple of runs and from there on we're going to attempt to make full runs.

"(In testing), you never get to go all the way as a driver and that's kind of a letdown. When (Green) told me we're going to focus on making full passes, I (was) pretty excited about it."

Johnson will be among a dozen NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series drivers expected to test Friday through Sunday at The Strip. At least two NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series drivers -- Duane Shields of Las Vegas and Ashley Force -- also are scheduled to test their Top Alcohol Dragsters this weekend.

Although the 2004 NHRA season was a disappointing one for Johnson, who finished 11th in Funny Car points, he said the final race of the year left him eager to start the 2005 season. After an inconsistent season that saw him fail to advance to one final round, Johnson posted his career-best time (4.759) and speed (326.79) at the season finale in Pomona, Calif.

"We ran so badly last year during the season that three-quarters of the way through the year, we decided that we'd start testing," Johnson said. "This year, I expect to come right out of the box and run really well just because of how we finished the season."

During the winter, Johnson's teammate, Ron Capps, resigned from Don Prudhomme Racing to drive for Don Schumacher Racing and Prudhomme opted to scale back his Funny Car operation to a one-car effort with Johnson. While Johnson acknowledged there are benefits to running a two-car team, he said he likes being the lone Funny Car driver in Prudhomme's stable.

"There's got to be an advantage to having a two-car team -- if you can use it," Johnson said. "It can be a disadvantage, too, and for whatever reason ... we just never were able to use it to our advantage and I think maybe it was a distraction to have two teams.

"I'm really happy with what I see as far as the team's focus and attention and how everybody is focused on one goal and one car -- I think it's going to be an advantage to us."

One benefit of Capps' departure is that Johnson will have two fully prepared racecars to test prior to the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona in three weeks.

"Going to a single-car team, we're going at it a little differently," he said of this weekend's test. "We're actually bringing two complete racecars -- ready to run -- with us and we're going to run two complete racecars. I'm going to jump back and forth between two cars and we're going to try some things on one and try some things on the other one. It's not really much different from being a two-car team -- now, it's just we're a two-car team with one driver, basically.

"That's something probably no other one-car team has so it's a real nice luxury. It's kind of more like the NASCAR (Nextel) Cup teams; they take several cars with them and try different ones and then they pick a primary. That's kind of how we're going to go about it and in drag racing, you don't normally do that; you have one primary car and that's what you run."

Testing begins at 8 a.m. Friday through Sunday; the NHRA pro test sessions will begin each day at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Strip

at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Friday

8 a.m. -- Spectator gates open

8 a.m. -- NHRA Lucas Oil Series Sportsman testing

10 a.m. -- First NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

Noon -- Second NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

2 p.m. -- Third NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

4 p.m. -- Fourth NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

Saturday

8 a.m. -- Spectator gates open

8 a.m. -- NHRA Lucas Oil Series Sportsman testing

9 a.m. -- First Top Comp Association qualifying session

10 a.m. -- First NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

11 a.m. -- Second Top Comp Association qualifying session

Noon -- Second NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

1 p.m. -- Third Top Comp Association qualifying session

2 p.m. -- Third NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

3 p.m. -- Top Comp Association eliminations

4 p.m. -- Fourth NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

Sunday

8 a.m. -- Spectator gates open

8 a.m. -- NHRA Lucas Oil Series Sportsman testing

9 a.m. -- First Top Comp Association qualifying session

10 a.m. -- First NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

11 a.m. -- Second Top Comp Association qualifying session

Noon -- Second NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

1 p.m. -- Top Comp Association eliminations

2 p.m. -- Third NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

4 p.m. -- Final NHRA Powerade pro and Top Alcohol session

Participants

John Force; Robert Hight; Eric Medlen; Tommy Johnson Jr.; Del Worsham; Phil Burkart; Gary Scelzi; Ron Capps; Whit Bazemore; Bob Gilbertson; Mike Strasburg; David Baca; Ashley Force; Duane Shields.

Admission

Adult, single day $20; adult, three-day pass $50; children (6-12 years), single day $6; children, three-day pass $12; senior citizens, military and high school, single day $15; children 6 & under are admitted free.

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