Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Circle K NHRA Winternationals
February 9-12, 2017

Coverage by Sandra Alberti  and Tom McCarthy 

Circle K NHRA Winternationals

On Sunday during eliminations, it was the Jay Turner show as the Bull Dog from Julian NC, ripped through the field like a scythe harvesting all in it’s path.  Turner, who was the number one qualifier in Top Fuel Harley, was part of a very exclusive club for NHRA as all the #1 qualifiers won their respective professional classes at the Circle K, Winter Nationals: Jay Turner Top Fuel Harley, Leah Pritchet Top Fuel, Matt Hagen Funny Car and Jason Line in Pro Stock.

E-1 for the Harleys started off with Bob Malloy taking out Mike Beland in the first pair out.  Mike struck the tire just off the line and got out of the throttle and Bobby Malloy thundered on to the next round.  Ricky House had Tii Tharpe in the next pair to the line.

Sharkey had a late start but the big 196 CID Hawaya Racing engine just thundered horsepower with every expulsion of nitro and his machine just caught up to Tii and motored past him with power to spare.  The 196 MPH run by Tii was no match for the 217 MPH charge by Sharkey who just reeled him in.  Yes it’s ET that wins drag races but the magic of 1320’ of racing if even if a machine is quicker, given enough race track, ya just overpower him and Rickey House did just that.

The next pair out, Kevin Boyer Vs Tracy Kile: Kevin attacked the tree with a great .012 RT, but Tracy’s horsepower just motored past Kevin by the 400’ mark and Kile took his Bad Apple Racing machine into the semi-finals.

The fourth and final pair out was Jay Turner Vs Andy “The Joker” Beauchemin, #1 qualifier versus the #8 qualifier.  Jay beat him on the tree (.047 Vs .061) then beat him to the stripe (6.34 to 6.48) for the round win.  This also gave Jay lane choice over Bobby Malloy in the next round.

E-2 started off with Ricky “Sharky” House matching up with Tracey Kile.  Rickey got out first with a .069 reaction time to Tracey’s .099 and once again the Thunder Shark was on the attack.  House pounded out a 6.40 elapsed time to Tracy’s 6.77 and Rickey’s 218 MPH was again, just running away from the competition, 1320’ later.

As for JT’s match up with Bobby Malloy; these two veterans of several decades clashed like the Titans they are.  As the four ambers lit to yellow, Bobby Malloy responded with a .032 light to Jay’s .037 and it was a great drag race to half track that had the NHRA TV announcers really motivated in talking about the front tires in the air, side-by-side racing and they way the fuel bike pilots had to use body English to steer the bikes.  Jay crossed the finish line first with a 6.27 @ 225MPH to Bobby’s 6.50 effort.

In the final round it was all over on the starting line.  Rickey House fouled out with a .028 reaction time that had him shaking his head the moment he did it.  He then got out of the throttle for a millisecond, then hammered it again out of frustration and thundered on to a 6.69 @ 203 MPH pass.  Meanwhile Jay Turner laid down a 6.27 @ 218 for the win and a trip to the winner’s circle.

The essentials for the Top Fuel Harleys in competition for this race were actually televised on National TV, sometimes in live view, on FS1, that’s Fox Sports 1.  This is the first time Top Fuel motorcycles have received this kind of TV coverage during a Mellow Yellow race with the NHRA.  A marketing sales door has been opened for the T/F bikes they’ve always wanted and needed.  The motorcycle drag racing community owes the NHRA a great thanks for this.  And hat’s off to the Top Fuel Harley teams that have worked so hard for this for decades.

The next event is the NHRA Arizona Nationals, February 24-26 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ.

ELIMINATIONS FINAL ROUND

Turner takes the first win of the 2017 season over Rickey House who gave it away before it started with a red light.

LANE	DRIVER	RT	60 FT	330 FT	660 FT	1000 FT	ET	MPH
Winner	Jay Turner	.067	1.110	2.799	4.126	5.279	6.276	218.23
Loser	Rickey House	-.028	1.261	3.045	4.439	5.642	6.698	203.03

 

 

ELIMINATIONS ROUND 2

LANE	DRIVER	RT	60 FT	330 FT	660 FT	1000 FT	ET	MPH
Winner	Rickey House	.069	1.136	2.852	4.213	5.383	6.404	218.27
Loser	Tracy Kile	.099	1.180	2.967	4.371	5.601	6.778	179.16
Winner	Jay Turner	.037	1.106	2.799	4.121	5.276	6.274	225.71
Loser	Bob Malloy	.032	1.102	2.780	4.127	5.351	6.503	181.45

 

ELIMINATIONS ROUND 1

Winner	Bob Malloy	.134	1.127	2.815	4.166	5.380	6.460	203.31
Loser	Mike Beland	.100	1.498	5.539	9.682	13.591	17.361	55.54
Winner	Rickey House	.205	1.210	2.987	4.356	5.529	6.554	217.46
Loser	Tii Tharpe	.063	1.160	3.088	4.553	5.761	6.841	195.17
Winner	Tracy Kile	.152	1.168	2.949	4.344	5.568	6.643	199.26
Loser	Kevin Boyer	.012	1.122	3.059	4.630	5.905	6.991	195.99
LANE	DRIVER	RT	60 FT	330 FT	660 FT	1000 FT	ET	MPH
Winner	Jay Turner	.047	1.114	2.821	4.151	5.313	6.340	213.30
Loser	Andy Beauchemin	.061	1.077	2.768	4.167	5.354	6.485	186.90

 

 

 

 

QUALIFYING ROUND 2

The motorcycle drag racing season officially got underway this weekend with the Top Fuel Harleys leading the way via their inclusion into the NHRA Mellow Yellow series.  Ten T/F bikes entered the Circle K Winter Nationals, in Pomona, California.

There were rain delays throughout Saturday qualifying necessitating the Harleys only having two shots to qualify.

After all the tire smoke and nitro fumes subsided, Jay Turner, of Julian, NC was the #1 qualifier with a stout 6.44 @ 212 pass on Saturday.  Considering this is a brand new build with zero testing prior to this race, his 6.67 on Friday and the 6.44 on Saturday’s Q-2 indicate he’s got a good handle on things already.

The Top Fuel bikes are already putting on quite the show for the NHRA fans.  Aside from the exciting side-by-side wheels-up, flames belching runs of the world’s fastest and quickest T/F Harleys, the thrills of competition do get interesting.

On Friday during Q-1, Dustin Werner suffered an engine explosion and a fragment from the motor winged his right arm, penetrating his leathers.  He required 6 stitches for that, but he’s fine.  The motor damage was so extensive it ended his weekend of racing.

Not to be out done in the thrills & chills department, on Saturday during Q-2 action, Ricky House had an exciting pass when his parachute failed to open.  Ricky on the Shark Attack Top Fuel Harley, almost ended up in the sand trap, after running out of race track.  But with repairs Saturday night, he should be ready to race on Sunday as he’s currently qualified 6^th

INCREMENTAL TIMES

	DRIVER	RT	60 FT	330 FT	660 FT	1000 FT	ET	MPH
	Tracy Kile	.177	1.185	3.015	4.432	5.661	6.720	208.68
	Bob Malloy	.151	1.199	2.958	4.335	5.554	6.617	204.98
	Andy Beauchemin	.076	1.095	2.814	4.225	5.648	6.822	189.31
	Rickey House	.242	1.311	3.203	4.635	5.839	6.873	216.48
	Jay Turner	.104	1.169	2.891	4.233	5.413	6.446	212.26
	Mike Beland	.103	1.237	3.067	4.616	6.276	7.843	134.32
	Tii Tharpe	.095	1.241	3.034	4.330	5.476	6.474	216.93
	Kevin Boyer	.126	1.171	2.879	4.229	5.421	6.465	206.51

 

RUN ORDER

POSITION	DRIVER	ET	MPH
01	Jay Turner	6.446	212.26
02	Kevin Boyer	6.465	206.51
03	Tii Tharpe	6.474	216.93
04	Mike Beland	6.57	206.51
05	Bob Malloy	6.617	204.98
06	Rickey House	6.699	216.79
07	Tracy Kile	6.72	208.68
08	Dustin Werner	6.774	180.98
10	Ron Gledhill	9.972	89.59

VIDEO COVERAGE BY SANDRA ALBERTI

 

 

QUALIFYING ROUND 1

INCREMENTAL TIMES

	DRIVER	RT	60 FT	330 FT	660 FT	1000 FT	ET	MPH
	Dustin Werner	.087	2.020	—	—	—	—	—
	Andy Beauchemin	.130	1.211	2.970	4.381	5.600	6.774	180.98
	Mike Beland	.213	1.159	2.899	4.278	5.494	6.570	206.51
	Tii Tharpe	.098	1.199	2.990	4.321	5.450	6.563	183.57
	Bob Malloy	.325	1.169	2.913	4.298	5.678	7.026	156.30
	Ron Gledhill	.342	1.296	3.431	5.395	7.631	9.972	89.59
	Rickey House	.200	1.313	3.137	4.505	5.683	6.699	216.79
	Tracy Kile	.168	1.232	3.129	4.615	5.861	6.927	209.75
	Kevin Boyer	.184	1.184	2.904	4.275	5.489	6.564	194.77
	Jay Turner	.123	1.161	2.906	4.221	5.417	6.678	164.25

 

RUN ORDER

POSITION	DRIVER	ET	MPH
01	Tii Tharpe	6.563	183.57
02	Kevin Boyer	6.564	194.77
03	Mike Beland	6.57	206.51
04	Jay Turner	6.678	164.25
05	Rickey House	6.699	216.79
06	Andy Beauchemin	6.774	180.98
07	Tracy Kile	6.927	209.75
08	Bob Malloy	7.026	156.3
09	Ron Gledhill	9.972	89.59

 

VIDEO COVERAGE BY SANDRA ALBERTI

 

 

 

 

 

Words by Tom McCarthy E-mail Facebook

Video Coverage by Sandra Alberti

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers NHRA Jr. Street for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Gainesville Raceway in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com