Massey, Prestone/FRAM team runner-up to teammate at Gateway, visits second straight final to stay close to Countdown lead

September 30

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 30, 2012) – They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and that’s just the case for Spencer Massey and his FRAM/Prestone Top Fuel team.

For the second week in a row, Massey was a bridesmaid to Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown. Massey was also runner-up to Brown at last week’s NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing event near his hometown of Ft. Worth, Texas.
After qualifying second to Brown at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis, Massey came up short in the final when Brown clocked a 3.766-second lap to Massey’s 3.812-second pass.
“We’re doing exactly what we need to do and that’s go rounds,” Massey said. “We wish it would’ve run a little bit better in the final and it probably should have. We were trying to run a 3.76 or 3.77. It just fell off a little bit.
“Obviously we are happy to be in another final. That’s two final rounds in a row for us and you can’t go wrong with that. Antron’s team is just kicking butt right now.”
Massey and Brown entered the event tied in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship points standings and entered race day with Brown leading by one point after qualifying points were awarded. After the final round, Massey trails by 21.
“It’s going to be a dogfight all the way down to the end,” Massey said.
The team led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler always have a plan set and they are sticking to it.
“Our plan from day one has been to just go rounds. We went all the way to the final today and we needed that. It’s just another good showing for the Prestone team for making it to another final round.
“I’m glad we go racing again in just a few days (at Reading, Pa.) because this team is going after wins and we need one to get back to that top spot in points.”
Massey is the defending event winner at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading.
TOP FUEL
Event winner: Antron Brown (DSR)
No. 1 qualifier: Brown 3.737 sec., 326.79 mph

Spencer Massey, Prestone/FRAM dragster
Qualified: No. 2

Round 1: MASSEY (3.803 sec., 310.77 mph) def. ZIZZO (5.015, 144.16)
Round 2: MASSEY (3.782, 311.92) def. Khalid alBalooshi (3.831, 298.40)
Semifinals: MASSEY (3.795, 10.350) def. David Grubnic (10.350, 50.37)
Final: Antron Brown (3.766, 325.22) def. MASSEY (3.812, 324.05)

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 3.848 sec., 310.55 mph
Session 2: 3.752, 326.16
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 3.838, 321.19
Session 4: 3.838, 321.65

NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
After third of six events in the Countdown to the Championship
(Unofficial through Sept. 30, 2012; DSR drivers in CAPS)

TOP FUEL
1. ANTRON BROWN 2,378
2. SPENCER MASSEY 2,357
3. TONY SCHUMACHER 2,295
4. Shawn Langdon 2,274
5. Brandon Bernstein 2,238
6. Morgan Lucas 2,205
7. Steve Torrence 2,180
8. Doug Kalitta 2,168
9. David Grubnic 2,152
10. Bob Vandergriff 2,117

UPCOMING FULL THROTTLE EVENTS
Oct. 4-7, NHRA Nationals, Reading, Pa. (Philadelphia area)
Oct. 25-28, Big O Tires NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas
Nov. 8-11, Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona, Calif.

About FRAM
FRAM Group LLC has its headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio. Its leading automotive care products include FRAM® oil, air, transmission and fuel filters; Autolite® spark plugs and ignition wire sets; Prestone® antifreeze/coolant and car care products; and Holts® car care. It maintains R&D capabilities in the United States and Europe and has a manufacturing footprint in 10 countries worldwide.

About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., consists of seven professional NHRA teams: in Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the FRAM/Prestone dragster of Spencer Massey and the Matco Tools dragster of Antron Brown; and in Funny Car, 2011 NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan in the Aaron’s Dream Machine/Mopar Dodge Charger R/T, Valvoline NextGen Dodge piloted by Jack Beckman, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge of Ron Capps and the Service Central Dodge of Johnny Gray. DSR has won 195 NHRA national event titles and nine world championships.

- DSR -