Morrison – After final-day qualifying for an NHRA event, the talk in the grandstands and garages typically centers on the No. 1 qualifiers in the four classes.
But on Saturday afternoon at Bandimere Speedway, Doug Kalitta (top fuel), Gary Densham (funny car), Jason Line (pro stock) and Chip Ellis (pro stock motorcycle) failed to find center stage by no fault of their own.
The hot topic – besides the record 101- degree heat – was the guy who failed to qualify for today’s eliminations in the 27th Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
Six-time pro stock world champion Warren Johnson, the event’s defending winner who also won in 2001 and 2003, ended 20th among 21 entries.
In four qualifying passes, Johnson’s best time was 7.17 seconds. Mike Thomas earned the 16th and final spot with a 7.14.
Johnson, from Sugar Hill, Ga., can’t blame his car or engine for his second DNQ of the year and 17th of his career in 490 races, because the division’s No. 1 qualifier, Jason Line of Moorsville, N.C., also competes in a 2006 Pontiac GTO with a GM motor.
Line rewrote the track’s elapsed time and speed records with a third-round pass of 7.06 seconds at 195.65 mph. And Johnson’s teammate, son Kurt Johnson, qualified sixth.
“We tested here two weeks ago, and ran relatively well,” Warren Johnson said. “We were as fast as anyone back then, but now it seems as if it can’t get out of its own way. There’s nothing obvious other than it acts as if it is 100 horsepower short.”
Kalitta’s top fuel pole sliced his deficit to points leader Melanie Troxel, a Colorado native, from 24 to 18 points. Troxel qualified 12th and would meet Kalitta in the semifinals if both win their first two races.
“The track is pretty tricky,” Kalitta said. “It could go either way (today). I hope like heck we’ll have the setup.”
Said Troxel: “It’s supposed to be the hottest day of the weekend, so it’s going to be tough on everybody. Anybody can win.”
Footnotes
Densham, who has not advanced past the second round this season, collected his first pole of the year and ninth of his career. … Ellis was the only No. 1 qualifier to produce his best run Saturday. He eclipsed the pro bike track record with a 7.33-second pass in the fourth and final session. … Ellis won the last race in Madison, Ill., and qualified No. 1 for the fourth time in the past events. … Ashley Force, who could make her funny car debut later this season, made a surprise appearance at Bandimere after being requested to attend a sponsor dinner. Force, the daughter of 13-time funny car champion John Force, is in her third year of competing in top alcohol dragsters. She joked she would go from Denver to Bermuda on Monday to avoid having to hear about that evening’s debut of “Driving Force,” the reality show about her family.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
