NHRA Wrap-Up: Brown, Johnson, and Gray Win in Gainesville

Photo courtesy of TampaBay.com

Defending Top Fuel and Pro Stock champions Antron Brown and Allen Johnson returned to their winning ways Sunday at the Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL. Johnny Gray won in Funny Car.

Gray and Brown’s victories gave Don Schumacher Racing its 200^th win.

“It’s incredible,” Schumacher said. “It started in 1970 in Indianapolis when I won the U.S. Nationals. I am not someone who ever counts things like that. I never thought it would happen or even considered it. Thanks to all my drivers. They do an incredible job day in and day out.”

And it was a good weekend for Mopar. There was an all-Mopar final in Pro Stock, and Gray’s Mopar outdueled Del Worsham’s in the Funny Car finals.

Brown’s 3.761-second ET at 318.77 miles-per-hour propelled him past Clay Millican, who posted a 3.813 at 319.67.

Johnson defeated teammate Jeg Coughlin on a holeshot to capture his first Wally of the young season. The defending champion finished in 6.535 seconds at 212.59 miles-per-hour.

Team Summit driver Jason Line looked strong in the early going, beating Roger Brogdon and V. Gaines in the first two rounds before falling in the semifinals on a holeshot to the eventual winner, Johnson.

“Nobody on this Summit Racing team wants a race to be decided on a holeshot,” Line said. “I don’t want to lose on a holeshot, but really I don’t want to win on a holeshot either, to be honest. I’m glad I was able to get the win in the second round, but I want to outrun everybody. As a driver, you have to be good at the starting line, but racing is about being faster than the next guy. I want our Summit Racing Camaros to be the quickest cars out there.”

Line’s teammate Greg Anderson, debuting a new Camaro, defeated Kurt Johnson in round one, and lost to Coughlin on a holeshot in the second.

Pro Stock Championship point standings

  1.  Mike Edwards              263
  2.  Jeg Coughlin              247
  3.  Allen Johnson             231
  4.  Vincent Nobile            224
  5.  Erica Enders-Stevens      208

Funny Car Championship point standings

  1.  Ron Capps                 244
  2.  Johnny Gray               244
  3.  Courtney Force            216
  4.  Matt Hagan                209
  5.  Cruz Pedregon             181

Top Fuel Championship point standings

  1.  Antron Brown              269
  2.  Tony Schumacher           265
  3.  Shawn Langdon             207
  4.  Doug Kalitta              187
  5.  Khalid alBalooshi         183

The NHRA and Drag Race Central contributed to this report.