Mission accomplished at PRO Winter Warm-Up in Florida; DSR heads back to Brownsburg to prep for Pomona

January 21

JUPITER, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2012) - Don Schumacher Racing's seven-car juggernaut completed five days of testing Saturday night with the conclusion of the PRO Winter Warm-Up at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.

The DSR teams will hit the road Sunday for the trip back to headquarters in Brownsburg, Ind., and then head west in two and half weeks for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series 2012 opener Feb 9-12 at Pomona, Calif.

Performances at preseason testing don't always translate into results when championship competition begins, but DSR crew chiefs and drivers were very satisfied with the outcome of Florida testing and not just the low elapsed times and speeds posted on the PBIR scoreboards.

Most new parts and configurations worked and crews seemed as sharp as when the past season ended.

Here are summaries of how DSR teams fared Saturday and during testing:

Jack Beckman/Valvoline NextGEN Dodge Charger R/T:

Saturday night:

Smoked tires; 9.248 seconds,83.07 mph

4.096 sec., 305.70 mph

Best run over five days: 4.037, 312.35

Crew chief Rahn Tobler was delighted after Saturday's final run by the Valvoline NextGen Dodge, and part of that was because of mechanical failure.

He said the engine dropped a cylinder 200 feet into Beckman's last run.

"We went 4.09 and went 305 on seven cylinders," Tobler said.

"We're very encouraged after the whole week. In the daytime we ran well and we ran well at night. We're very happy."

And the work is just beginning.

"We changed a lot of things when we came here so we need to get more spares of that and configure our spare car to match this car."

Ron Capps/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T

Saturday night:

4.092 seconds, 308.92 mph

4.242 sec., 308.92 mph

Best run over five days: 4.092, 308.92

Even a veteran like Capps likes a wake-up call, especially in preseason testing.

He received a reminder of how volatile a Funny Car can be on Friday night when a dropped cylinder just before the finish line sent his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge over the centerline but he was able to control it.

"That's what's great about making side-by-side runs in testing. It gets you ready for the season and gets your mind back in the groove.

"That reminded me of how quick you can get in trouble in these cars. You've got to be ready."

Matt Hagan/Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T

Saturday night:

4.123 seconds, 307.23 mph

No second run

Best run over five days: 4.062, 315.71

Hagan and crew chief Tommy DeLago felt they accomplished so much they opted not to make a second pass Saturday night after going 4.123 seconds at 307.23 mph early in the evening.

"We learned everything we needed to, and the guys have worked so hard this week. There really wasn't anything else for our Aaron's Dream Machine team to accomplish," Hagan said.

"We had fun, the weather was great. It was one of those deals when we were just excited to be here.

"I'm really happy with this new chassis DSR has put out here for us. It's worked really well."

Johnny Gray/Service Central Dodge Charger R/T

Saturday night:

Smoked tires; 9.471 seconds, 73.94 mph

4.085 sec., 311.99 mph seconds, mph

Best run over five days: 4.084, 312.06

"This gets you back up to speed," Gray of the test sessions. "When you don't drive these cars for a few weeks you get behind; the car starts running you down the racetrack.

"You come out and make a few runs and you get your brain back up to speed and get everything back in focus.

"Your brain starts keeping up with your car."

Antron Brown/Matco Tools-Aaron's Dream Machine Top Fuel Dragster

Saturday night:

3.821 sec., 317.72 mph

9.273 sec., 7.78 mph

Best run over five days: 3.794, 323.27

"Overall we had a great week down in south Florida," said Brown. "We just kept getting stronger as the testing went on and I think my crew did a great job.

"Everything went good tonight. The first run the Matco Tools dragster went A to B with a little funky wiggle at the top end so I clicked it off just a little early.

"The last pass we were just going for it. We were trying to rotate the earth. The track just wouldn't handle it.

The pre-season test session has Brown anxious for the start of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

"It's time to go to work and I'm ready. I feel really good, real relaxed.

I took a lot of time off the past few weeks to get myself rejuvenated. I'm ready, I'm hungry. We want to get off to a really good start."

Spencer Massey/FRAM Top Fuel Dragster

Saturday night:

3.818 sec., 322.27 mph

3.792 sec., 309.84 mph

Best run over five days: 3.792, 309.84

Massey, who won four races last year in his first season with DSR, drove a new chassis in Florida. It was the first one built for him by DSR.

"The plan was to just get down the racetrack," Massey said. "We've tested all week long and learned exactly what we needed to on the FRAM dragster.

"We didn't try anything new or exciting because what we had last year was obviously good and did an awesome job.

"We just want to get back on a streak like what we had in the middle of the year when we went 40 runs without smoking the tires.

"We're ready to go to Pomona right now. We could load up and go straight there and qualify. We're ready for it."

Tony Schumacher/U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster

Saturday night:

3.800 sec., 322.96 mph

9.495 sec., 79.56 mph

Best run over five days: 3.761, 324.28

Crew chief Mike Green and Schumacher won the Top Fuel championship in 2009, but is coming off a season when it made the championship round seven times but did not win an event.

"That certainly motivates us more. We have something to prove," Green said.

"It wouldn't matter if we didn't win any races as long as we win the championship. That's our goal.

"But winning races is part of it, and we plan to win a lot of races this year."

"The team made all runs using the new enclosed driver capsule built by Aerodine Composites in Indianapolis.

"The capsule has worked perfectly. Tony really likes it. We haven't had one issue with it.

"We're poised to run it at Pomona if we can get the OK (from NHRA) to do it.

"We've run pretty good," Green added. "We've tested everything on our list and most of it worked. Thinks look really good."

PRO WINTER WARM-UP RESULTS

Palm Beach International Raceway

Jupiter, Fla.

Saturday Night's Results

(Don Schumacher Racing drivers are indicated in bold/italic)

FIRST SESSION

FUNNY CAR

Courtney Force                                                                            7.836 sec., 94.84 mph

 W-John Force                                                                          6.876 sec., 97.13mph

Johnny Gray, Service Central Dodge Charger R/T                       9.471 sec., 73.94 mph

W-Tim Wilkerson                                                                       4.174 sec., 271.46 mph

W-Jeff Arend                                                                            4.180 sec., 286.19 mph

Robert Tasca III                                                                         7.560 sec., 79.57 mph

W-Ron Capps, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T            4.071 sec., 308.92 mph

Mike Neff                                                                                  9.860 sec., 71.88 mph

W-Robert Hight                                                                         4.071 sec., 315.49 mph

Cruz Pedregon                                                                          4.096 sec., 310.05 mph

Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T              9.248 sec., 83.07 mph

W-Matt Hagan, Aaron's Dream Machine Dodge Charger R/T     4.123 sec., 307.23 mph

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

Hillary Will                                                                                 4.217 sec., 231.75 mph

Clay Millican                                                                              4.538 sec., 174.93 mph

Terry McMillian                                                                                    3.938 sec., 269.89 mph

Bob Vandergriff Jr.                                                                    3.830 sec., 322.58 mph

David Grubnic                                                                          3.824 sec., 320.20 mph

W-Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army                                           3.800 sec., 322.96 mph 

Antron Brown, Matco Tools/Aaron's                                       3.821 sec., 317.72 mph 

W-Spencer Massey, FRAM                                                        3.818 sec., 322.27 mph

SECOND SESSION

FUNNY CAR

W-Johnny Gray, Service Central Dodge Charger R/T               4.085 sec., 311.99 mph

Mike Neff                                                                                  9.601 sec., 75.21 mph

W-Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T         4.096 sec., 305.70 mph

Courtney Force                                                                         11.705 sec., 40.16 mph

W-Bob Tasca III                                                                         4.098 sec., 308.64

John Force                                                                               4.213 sec., 297.88                                            

W-Cruz Pedregon                                                                      8.126 sec., 83.75 mph

Jeff Arend                                                                                11.307 sec., 74.56 mph

W-Robert Hight                                                                         4.034 sec., 316.67 mph

Ron Capps, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T                4.242 sec., 308.92 mph

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

Clay Millican                                                                              4.538 sec., 172.54 mph

Hillary Will                                                                                 4.053 sec., 275.11 mph

Terry McMillian                                                                          3.931 sec., 304.19 mph

W-Bob Vandergriff Jr.                                                               3.871 sec., 311.41 mph

W-David Grubnic                                                                       3.789 sec., 322.96 mph

Antron Brown, Matco Tools/Aaron's                                         9.273 sec., 7.78 mph

W-Spencer Massey, FRAM                                                        3.792 sec., 309.84 mph

Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army                                                  9.495 sec., 79.56 mph 

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