NHRA pros at Joliet

Jolly Joliet

Words compiled from team press releases by Kay Burk
Photos by Ron Lewis

It was a tale of two races, really, over the course of this Chicago weekend. After dealing with moderate to good conditions throughout qualifying, Sunday featured a change of weather and a change of track characteristics. Once the raindrops quit falling and racing got underway, it became a much faster and quicker race.

TOP FUEL

Yes, our name is really there! Team owner Don Prudhomme seems to be checking to make sure the trophy is really his, as Spencer Massey took his first NHRA Top Fuel win.

Spencer Massey, who drives for NHRA legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, just edged category points leader and event No. 1 qualifier Antron Brown at the finish line for his first win. Massey’s U.S. Smokeless/United Association dragster posted a performance of 3.856 seconds at 308.35 mph to take the win over Brown, whose Matco Tools/DirecTV dragster trailed with a 3.870 at 301.54.

Massey advanced to his second career final with earlier round wins over Troy Buff, Terry Haddock and Larry Dixon.

“This whole season has been a dream,” said Massey, one of four talented rookies eligible for the coveted 2009 Auto Club Road to the Future Award, which recognizes NHRA's top rookie driver. “I’ve been watching NHRA racing and wanting to drive a Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA since I was 4 years old and saw my first race. I watched Don Prudhomme win his last Top Fuel race in Dallas in 1994, and now he’s high-fiving me in the winner’s circle. That’s unbelievable.”