Massey regains reaction time edge to lead FRAM/Prestone team to fourth title of the year and 185th for Schumacher Racing

July 08

NORWALK, Ohio (July 8, 2012) – Spencer Massey is known as one of the best drivers to react at the start of a drag race. He led that category last season in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

A few days after losing with the quicker Top Fuel Dragster because his opponent left the starting line first at the Full Throttle event at Joliet, Ill., Massey was sitting inside his FRAM/Prestone dragster while wearing his firesuit. The car was in Don Schumacher Racing headquarters and he was practicing his reactions with a “Christmas Tree” starting system simulator.

“There is not worse way to lose then being late on the starting line,” he said. “Nothing is worse.”

Massey, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, redeemed himself Sunday in northern Ohio when his quicker reaction offset Steve Torrence’s quicker elapsed time that provided Massey with his series-best fourth event title of the year that enabled him to grab the points lead for the fifth time in 12 events.

“I knew the final round was going to be huge," Massey said. "Steve was running awesome all day. He’s been running awesome all season, actually. I’m from Texas, he’s from Texas, and we both drove Top Alcohol Dragsters in Division 4. The weather here was even hot like it is in Texas."

Massey and crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler eliminated a quartet of all-stars to gain the 185th title for DSR. The drivers they eliminated – Morgan Lucas, teammate Antron Brown, David Grubnic and Torrence – have combined to win seven of 12 titles this year.

Massey, who improved his eliminations record to 26-8, was runner-up at Norwalk last year.

NORWALK RESULTS

TOP FUEL
Event winner: Spencer Massey

Spencer Massey, FRAM/Prestone dragster
Qualified: No. 7

SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: MASSEY (3.841 sec., 322.58mph) def. Shawn Langdon (3.853, 316.75)
Second round: MASSEY (3.923, 306.40) def. Antron Brown (4.038, 273.00)
Semifinals: MASSEY (3.951, 300.06) def. David Grubnic (9.944, 62.70)
Final: MASSEY (3.916, 312.50) def. Steve Torrence (3.894, 315.71)

QUALIFYING
FRIDAY
Session 1: 3.984 sec., 301.20 mph
Session 2: 9.103, 70.10
SATURDAY
Session 3: 3.923, 310.05
Session 4: 4.030, 297.09

FULL THROTTLE TOP FUEL STANDINGS
(Unofficial; DSR drivers in capital letters)
1. SPENCER MASSEY, 984
2. TONY SCHUMACHER, 955
3. ANTRON BROWN, 941
4. Steve Torrence, 877
5. Morgan Lucas, 729
6. Doug Kalitta, 684
7. Shawn Langdon, 650
8. David Grubnic, 593
9. Brandon Bernstein, 567
10. Clay Millican, 514
11. Bob Vandergriff Jr., 514

NEXT FULL THROTTLE EVENT:
July 20-25, Mopar Mile High Nationals, Denver

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 185 NHRA national event titles and nine world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.

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