MORRISON — Since 1987, legendary funny car driver John Force has won at least one race a year for 22 seasons. That’s an NHRA record, well ahead of pro stock’s Kurt Johnson, who is second with 14.
Both drivers, however, are looking for their first triumph this season, and have just 12 races to keep their streaks alive. This weekend’s Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway is the 13th of 24 races.
“Sometimes if you try for records, you try too hard,” Force, the 14-time funny car world champion, said before Friday’s first-round qualifying session. “The real truth is, we’re going to do what we can do — try to win a race.
“I’m just glad that after my (2007) crash I can just be a part of it. We’re thinking we’re going to turn this thing around, and why not right here in Denver, a beautiful place on the hill?”
Pro stock’s Greg Anderson is also in jeopardy of having his consecutive-season winning streak snapped. He’s won at least one race the past eight seasons.
Questionable format.
Crew chief Chad Head of Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing said he and other top fuel and funny car team leaders are not happy about Bandimere’s late afternoon and evening nitro qualifying sessions.
Head said teams will go into Sunday’s eliminations guessing about car setups.
“We qualify Friday and Saturday, both at (around) 5 and 8 p.m., and we race first round at noon Sunday, and we’re done at 4:30 or so if we go all the way,” Head said. “It puts a strain on the crew chiefs because we have no track data during the time we run eliminations, and that can make or break you.”
In previous years at the Mile-Highs, there was at least one midday qualifying session, and the first round on Friday began at 4:15 p.m.
Racing delayed.
A rain delay stalled action Friday night. Light rain started at 6:31 p.m., followed by intermittent lightning.
When the rain stopped, workers started drying the track, but had to find shelter when the clouds opened up again. Fans found umbrellas and started heading to overhangs and tents to get out of the wet weather; many left for good.
Even after a 2 1/2-hour rain delay, officials were still holding out hope to get the last six dragsters down the track. There is not a curfew to stop the races.
Mike Chambers and Anica Wong, The Denver Post
