Mopar Set for First NHRA Playoff Elimination Round at Carolina Nationals

The final day of qualifying at the 6th annual Carlyle Tools NHRA Carolina Nationals didn’t produce too many surprises but it set the stage for the first set of elimination rounds in the 2013 edition of the “Countdown to the Championship” with Matt Hagan and Allen Johnson as the top seeded Mopar drivers in Funny Car and Pro Stock classes. Sunday’s eliminations will be the first of the six playoff events as Mopar drivers work to defend world championship titles won in both Funny Car and Pro Stock classes last season.

 

After Friday evening’s qualifying session, which produced most of the fastest Funny Car runs of the weekend including a three-second pass by Hagan and his Don Schumacher Racing Mopar machine, track conditions weren’t quite as favorable for seeing lower elapsed times. In fact, very few clean passes were made in the first session of the day and while better performances were seen in final qualifying, only a few drivers were able to improve their positions on the elimination ladder. Hagan did grab two more bonus points in the first Saturday session with a 4.105 sec (309.63 mph) which was good for second spot on the time sheets and then another point for the third quickest run (4.082 / 310.48) of the final session.

Hagan’s 3.992-second elapsed time was edged out by No.1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon (3.980 sec / 319.22 mph) on the qualifying score sheets, but the Rocky Boots / “Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar” entry did however come away with the top speed in qualifying at 320.58 mph. As second seed, Hagan will face fellow Dodge Charger driver Jeff Arend in the first round. Fellow DSR teammates Johnny Gray (4.093 / 308.14), Jack Beckman (4.099 / 309.91) and Ron Capps (4.103 / 308.14) found themselves seeded tenth, 11^th and 12^th respectively. Gray will see John Force as his first opponent, while Beckman will face off against Del Worsham and Capps will race Alexis DeJoria.

 

In contrast to their Funny Car counterparts, cooler temperatures for Saturday’s first Pro Stock qualifying session promoted quicker elapsed times than the prior evening’s runs. Allen Johnson’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge had the quickest elapsed time run of all the Mopar entries with a 6.549-second (211.59 mph) pass to take up the fifth place spot on the scoring sheets which were topped by adversary Jason Line who set the low e.t. at 6.541 sec (211.93 mph). Jeg Coughlin Jr. was right behind his Mopar teammate in sixth place on the strength of his 6.554 sec / 211.06 mph run.

 

In the fourth and final qualifying session, times didn’t improved but HEMI-powered V. Gaines paced the Mopars in that outing, setting the third lowest e.t. of the session (6.558sec / 211.46 mph) to earn a bonus point. Coughlin (6.569 / 210.87) was fourth quickest with Johnson (6.571 / 210.60) in fifth place.

 

Atop Sunday’s Pro Stock elimination ladder is No.1 qualifier Line who will face Warren Johnson in the first round. Mopar’s top qualifier, Johnson, is seeded fifth and will stage his Dodge against Larry Morgan while Coughlin, the sixth seed, will face Greg Stanfield. Gaines, in eighth spot, will line up next to Buddy Perkinson in a third Summit Racing car while fellow HEMI-powered Vincent Nobile is the tenth seed and will have Greg Anderson as his first round opponent.

 

Qualifying highlights from the 6th annual Carlyle Tools NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Raceway near Charlotte, N.C. will be televised on ESPN News commencing at 11:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Sept. 14, then replayed Sunday morning at 3:30 a.m. (ET) on ESPN2. Three hours of elimination rounds coverage will be broadcast on ESPN2 starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Sept. 15.

 

1. Mike Edwards (6) – 2154

5. Shane Gray – 2090

6. Jason Line (1) – 2087

7. Greg Anderson – 2063

9. Erica Enders-Stevens (1) –2045

10. Rodger Brogdon (1) – 2031

 

4. John Force (1) – 2096

6. Cruz Pedregon (3) – 2081

7. Courtney Force (2) – 2066

8. Tim Wilkerson – 2057

9. Robert Hight (1) – 2048

10. Del Worsham – 2037

  

About Mopar Motorsports
Mopar’s commitment to professional motorsports competition was established in the 1950s when a partnership ignited with drag racing pioneer Don Garlits, resulting in the breaking of numerous speed and performance barriers in HEMI®-powered vehicles over the next several decades. In 2013, Mopar looks to defend its two NHRA 2012 World Championship titles in Pro Stock and Funny Car categories, and celebrates 25 consecutive years as title sponsor of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Colorado. While Mopar remains involved in a various professional motorsports series, it continues to honor its roots by being a proud supporter of amateur racing within the NHRA with its sponsorship of the HEMI Challenge and Mopar Sportsman Cup.

Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes 280,000 parts and accessories. With the creation of the industrial alliance between Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A., Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar’s global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 markets. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group brands as well as Fiat brands.

Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat vehicles – a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.

 

Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

 

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words Motor and PARts) was trademarked for antifreeze product in 1937. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle-car era. The former Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use. The brand has expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Based in Italy (Corbetta, Milan), Magneti Marelli was established in 1919. The company is a subsidiary of Fiat Group and has a presence and reputation in racing, including Formula 1 and World Rally Championship (WRC) and now the NHRA. With 2012 revenues of $7,5 billion and approximately 36,900 employees, Magneti Marelli designs and produces advanced automotive systems and components. The company has 83 production facilities, 12 research and development centers and 26 application centers in 19 countries. The group supplies leading automakers in Europe, North America, South America and the Far East. Magneti Marelli USA coordinates the activities of all Magneti Marelli divisions in the NAFTA region from its North American headquarters, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

 

Magneti Marelli has established a significant presence in the world of aftermarket and service networks in the US, thanks to the partnership with MOPAR
 

Mopar Express Lane Service
Mopar Express Lane service, offered at participating Chrysler Group dealerships, provides a dedicated service lane for fast oil changes, and much more, in order to maximize customer convenience for all make and model vehicles. Available services include oil and filter changes, multi-point vehicle checkup, tire rotation with brake inspection, air and cabin filter replacement, wiper blade replacement, headlight and light bulb replacement and battery testing. Mopar Express Lane service is a consumer’s best choice for vehicle maintenance, with highly-skilled Chrysler Group dealership technicians ready to get to work and get you back on the road in no time. No appointments. No waiting. No worries.