TOPEKA SWEEP FOR MOPAR The NHRA Kansas Nationals last weekend was one for the history books in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and one Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables will not soon forget. After setting the national elapsed time and speed records on Friday night at Heartland Park Topeka with a 3.862- second pass at 335.57 mph, the fastest a Funny Car has ever traveled in 1,000 feet or a quarter-mile, the Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots team led by Venables and assistant Michael Knudsen took the event title on Sunday afternoon to earn an NHRA Wally trophy for the second straight weekend and jump from ninth to fourth in the Mello Yello standings. Under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s, NHRA fans tuning in live on Fox Sports 1 were treated to a wild pedalfest in Sundays’ final round between Hagan and his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman, who Hagan also beat in last weekend’s final round in the Southern Nationals at Atlanta. Hagan pedaled his 10,000- horsepower Dodge Charger R/T at least half a dozen times before crossing the finish line to earn his 20th career event title and first at Heartland Park Topeka. “It was wild,” Hagan said of the final round. “It’s important to put everything in perspective. We set world records for E.T and speed, and then to come back out here to win this race is a tribute to my guys and their hard work. My butt was puckered pretty good on that last run. “It was one of those deals where it was ‘oh no, oh no, oh no.’ I don’t know how many times I hit the fuel pedal but it was a lot. Sometimes you’re just thinking ‘don’t blow up’. To see the win lights come on all day, I’m just tickled about the job Dickie and all our Mopar/Rocky guys are doing.” Hagan completed three of four runs between 3.942 and 3.951 seconds before the final-round pedalfest. Beckman, who held on to second in points and is only 12 out of first, and the team led by crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham nearly became the first Funny Car team to compete all eight runs in an event in less than four seconds. The semifinals, however, might have been the turning point for Hagan. A lengthy delay from a semifinals crash near the starting line by Tim Wilkerson, who was not injured, resulted in a lot of fluid being deposited on the left lane where Wilkerson came to a stop. Venables and DSR traction specialist Dave Fletcher made a major decision to switch lanes with Courtney Force because Beckman was quicker in the previous round that earned lane choice in the semis. Hagan blitzed the right lane while Force smoked the tires soon after leaving the line. Ironically, the performance in the final round of both nitro categories were polar opposites to what had been the quickest weekend of racing in NHRA history. Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team led by crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald were on the cusp of stopping an 11-round winning streak by Doug Kalitta in the final round, which was a replay of the previous week in Atlanta. At Topeka, both dragsters struggled to make it to the finish line; Kalitta’s winning time of 5.452 (238.85) held off a hard-charging Brown’s 5.687 at 298.60. “It’s not what we wanted, for sure,” said Brown, the two- time and reigning world champion who move up to second in the Mello Yello standings was racing in the 100th final round of his career. “That’s definitely a huge compliment, but that’s just a testament to our team. We always go into race day with a lot of confidence, it doesn’t make a difference where we qualify. We just compete.” It was a milestone weekend at ultra- fast Heartland Park, where national records were set by Hagan for time and speed in Funny Car and Brittney Force (3.676) in Top Fuel. Although Beckman lost the elapsed time record of 3.879, his best time of the weekend (3.866) and speed (332.59) were career bests. Tommy Johnson recorded a time of 3.899 at a career-best speed of 327.51 in the Make-A-Wish Dodge led by crew chief John Collins and sponsored by Terry Chandler, who also funds Beckman’s Infinite Hero Funny Car. The Mello Yello Series is off this weekend and returns June 3-5 at Epping, N.H., to begin a daunting stretch of four races in four weekends. Following Epping, the series moves to Englishtown, N.J., Bristol, Tenn., and Norwalk, Ohio. DSR shop expansion nears completion Welcome FireAde, Leah Pritchett Leah Pritchett became the fourth woman to drive for Don Schumacher Racing when she debuted with DSR at Atlanta Dragway in the FireAde Top Fuel Dragster marking the first time DSR entered four dragsters in one event. It’s been a whirlwind year for the winner of the NHRA Top Fuel event title at this year’s second race. Her next races with DSR will be at Englishtown, N.J., the following weekend at Bristol, Tenn., and the U.S. Nationals, all with support from FireAde. More events are expected to be added. This development brings her FireAde owners Ron and nitro career full circle. The 28- Teresa Thames year-old native of Redlands, Calif., who lives in Avon, Ind., earned her nitro Funny Car license with DSR eight years ago. “I am thrilled to finally have Leah in the seat of a DSR racecar,” DSR owner and drag racing pioneer Don Schumacher said of the Cal State San Bernardino graduate. “Don’t fight fires … extinguish them” FireAde crew chiefs Mike Guger and Joe Barlam “She showed me a lot when she tested with us and earned her NHRA license. But she is much more than a very good driver; she is an excellent marketer and outstanding representative of our sport.” FireAde provides the world’s most advanced, innovative and environmental friendly firefighting, tank cleaning and dust control products. FireAde, a product of Fire Service Plus Inc., is based in Fayetteville, Ga., near Atlanta and was founded by chief executive officer Ron Thames. “A huge thanks goes to Ron and FireAde for the belief they have in us and making this happen so we can keep racing,” Pritchett said. Veteran crew chiefs Mike Guger and Joe Barlam joined Pritchett in her move to DSR. “If you would have asked a couple of weeks ago if I’d being running Atlanta I wouldn’t have bet too much on that happening,” Pritchett said. “When the door shut on all of us (at Bob Vandergriff Racing after the April 3 event at Las Vegas) it was not a fend-for-yourself moment. Our goal was to continue to race together and because of that we were able to go to Atlanta. Two of the previous women to drive for DSR went on to win multiple NHRA world championships: Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Melanie Troxel won two Top Fuel titles for DSR. “It’s ironic that it comes full circle for me that I will be driving for Don Schumacher in a Mello Yello race. He was the first one to see my potential when I was a teenager and helped me get my first fuel license. “To be able to run under his umbrella is a very proud moment for me.” ABOUT FIREADE Fire Service Plus Inc. was established in 1998 by Ron Thames, president and chief executive officer. Since 1984, Thames’ products continue to revolutionize and change the firefighting industry. He has been awarded domestic and international patents and served on the U.S. President's small business council in an advisory capacity. Fire Service Plus is a recognized global leader that consistently surpasses industry standards by manufacturing the most advanced, innovative and environmental friendly firefighting, tank cleaning and dust control products. These groundbreaking products have 30 years of pioneering research and development combined. The Ronnie Thames Foundation was founded in 2004 by Ron Thames to honor his late son, Ronnie. They worked together to develop FireAde products before his untimely death. The Ronnie Thames Foundation (RonnieThamesFoundation.org) is dedicated to community involvement by creating a 1st through 3rd grade program with local fire departments to teach children about ire prevention and safety. One element of the program is to each year honor firefighters who believe in the spirit of community service and dedication by shining the spotlight on these silent heroes. RonnieThamesFoundation.org AutoImagery.com photos of the race For DSR photos, contact AutoImagery.com Clockwise from left: Atlanta winner Matt Hagan with his No. 1 fan, Nolan Lopez; Above Red Fuel/Sandvik Coromant crew member Gerad Steward uses Pennzoil to lubricate the engine’s supercharger; and Ref Fuel teammate Brandon Lambert keeps an eye on the engine’s bottom end. DSR drivers 2016: career statistics, standings (through Topeka) DSR TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army *2015 WORLD CHAMPION Pts Events Wins Rup Semi Qtr 1st rd Poles DNQ W/L 2016 2nd 8 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 15-7 CAREER 342 55 (39 TF/16 PSB) 45 71 89 79 44 3 583-284 Best Time, Speed: 3.680 sec., (first below 3.7, 2015, Brainerd); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd) TONY SCHUMACHER: U.S.