Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the nicest tracks that I have attended for a NHRA Event, and I have been to quiet a few tracks. LVMS was built in hopes to someday becoming a 4-Wide NHRA Event. It was purchased by Bruton Smith who owns Speedway Motorsports, Inc, in 1998. It is located just north of Las Vegas. It s a 1,200 acre multiple complex for automobile racing such as NHRA Drag Racing, NASCAR (1.5 mile oval), a Dirt Track(.5 mile clay oval, and a Bullring(.375 paved oval.

On March 1, 1998 was the inaugural Las Vegas 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in which Mark Martin was the winner. To view all the winners in NASCAR in the years following please visit .

April 7, 2000-Inaugural NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, winners were Kenny Bernstein (TF), Jim Epler (FC), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (PS), Angelle Seeling (PSB). Please visit the link above to see who the winners were in all the NHRA Events following the inaugural race.

The LVMS houses 2 NHRA Events a year. One is usually in April, the first part of the year, and then the NHRA comes back usually at the last weekend of October which is usually Halloween. So you get an added theme for the track as fans, drivers and crews dress up in their wildest costumes.

Even Ashley Force Hood was wearing Pumpkin Earrings.

This coming NHRA Event, the NHRA Big O Tires Nationals, is October 27-30, 2011, and is the second to the last race of the season and the "Countdown to the Championship". It looks to be a crazy and wild weekend as the end is coming close as are the points for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle. This is also the last race for the Pro Mods in the "Get Screened America Series" Please check out the links below to get tickets, event schedule and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Official Web Site.

Also, if you haven't experience the NHRA Fan Fest down at the Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas, then you're in for a treat. Alexis Dejoria, Erica Enders, Larry Dixon, Karen Stoffer and many more will be there signing autographs along with ticket giveaways and music. Click on the link blow to find out more on the NHRA Fan Fest in Las Vegas which is held on Thursday, October 27, 2011 starting at 5 pm.

Las Vegas NHRA Fan Fest 2011

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Official Wed Site

LVMS Tickets

NHRA Big O Tires Event Schedule

The "Hole Shot"

Have you ever wondered what the term "Hole Shot" was in Drag Racing? Or have you ever wondered why the guy in the left lane with the quicker Elapse Time lost to the guy in the right lane that had a slower Elapse Time? Well, this happens and people sometimes don't understand the term. Mainly determined on who got out of the hole first.
The winner in drag racing goes to the first car to cross the finish line. Elapse time does not matter much on final eliminations, but it does matter a whole lot on qualifying day. Usually at the NHRA events, qualifying days are Friday and Saturday where you race against the clock and not the other driver in the other lane. Sometimes on Thursday like in Pomona Ca and at Indianapolis, but mainly just 2 days. Sundays are reserved for Final Eliminations when there you race against the other driver in the other lane.
Ok, so this is how it plays out. A lot of the "Hole Shot" is determined from the drivers reaction time from cutting the Christmas Tree with the best reaction time. I will do this in simple terms so not to confuse you by using whole numbers.
Let's say the driver "A" in the left lane reacts to the tree with a .100 time and goes 4.100 elapse time, but the driver "B" in the right lane cuts a .000 perfect light, and goes 4.150, which is slower. Driver "B" in the right lane went slower in Elapse Time, but was perfect on the line, so he made it to the finish line .050 quicker because driver "A" in the left lane was slow to react with a .100 time. The difference is .050 faster for driver "B" to cross the finish line.
Another version:
A hole shot win is when the car with the fasted elapased time did not cross the finish line first. your reaction time to the green light is where this is figured. .000 seconds is a perfect reaction time. this means you left the stage beam at the exact time the light turned green. the timers don't start counting your elapsed time until you leave the stage beam. So if I had a reaction time of .050 and my elapsed time was 6.60 seconds and you had a reaction time of .000 and your elapsed time was 6.64 seconds this would mathmaticly (SP) put you ahead of me at the finish line by .010 seconds. Since my elapsed time was faster than yours but you took the stripe before I did, that would give you the holeshot win.

Check out this 2009 Hole shot win by Larry Dixon over Cory Mac at the finals in Pomona and watch what both Elapse Times are and how Dixon won on a hole shot.

Larry Dixon wins on a Hole Shot

I hope you can now understand it.

Antron Brown - New Points Leader after AZ

I have to say that Antron Brown, Top Fuel Driver for DSR - Don Schumacher Racing, is one of the most entertaining drivers out on the NHRA Full Throttle Series. During his speech this weekend at the NHRA AZ Nationals at Firebird International Speedway in Chandler, AZ, he had us all laughing and rolling from the jokes and quirks. He is a big fan favorite at the track, and also is a great driver.

Brown, 35, first operated a motorcycle at four-years-old shortly after learning how to ride a bicycle with training wheels. The 16-time NHRA winner first competed at 12-years-old in an 80-cc class in amateur youth motocross. His first competitive action on the drag strip came during his senior year in high school aboard a Suzuki GSXR 1100 that Brown routinely steered at runs at 9.20 seconds at nearly 160 mph. In 1998 he finished seventh in the standings despite a DNQ at Gainesville, his first career start. then in 1999 he won the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award that was presented to the NHRA racer destined for future greatness. He loves being at the track and best of all he knows how to treat his fans. After a great career in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Brown finished his last season as one of a two-driver operation for the U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle team owned by Don Schumacher, where he teamed with Angelle Sampey in 2007. He then went on to make a successful transition to Top Fuel from Pro Stock Motorcycle; Raced to victories at Houston and Atlanta; Was No. 1 qualifier at Pomona 1, Englishtown and Sonoma; Became only driver in NHRA history to win races in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. This was still under the DSR umbrella and Matco Tools. Antron is now the Points Leader in the Top Fuel Class of the NHRA Full Throttle Series with only 2 races left. This would be great to see Brown win the "Championship to the Countdown" in 2011. It couldn't happen to a a nicer guy. To learn more on Antron please follow the link to the Don Schumacher Racing web site below.

We were blessed in Arizona at the NHRA AZ Nationals to be able to attend DSR's Hospitality for Saturday and Sunday. After joking around with Antron on twitter, he invited myself, Corinna, and her son to be a part of DSR's hospitality. Between him and Ted, we had the best of time. Corinna's son was awarded with a signed blower belt from Antron, and they gave us a tour of their operation inside the DSR Trailers. It was such a fantastic weekend to be treated so well. Hopefully in the future, i will be able to schedule an interview with Antron for a future Blog. We'd like to thank Antron Brown, Ted, and all of Don Schumacher racing for making our weekend at the Arizona Nationals a memorable one.

2011 Full Throttle Series Points Standing with 2 races left

Antron Brown's Bio

Follow Antron Brown on Twitter

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Bob Tasca III AZ Nationals Interview

I was fortunate to be able to attend the NHRA AZ Nationals in Phoenix this past weekend, and met up with some of the great Nitro Twitter Group members. This was one of the best weekends at the races this year, but all that will be told in another blog. I met up with Corinna, a great Make-Up Artist, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in Las Vegas almost 2 years ago. She is such a beautiful person and we have so much fun whenever we get together. Corinna was the one who videotaped my interview with Bob Tasca III. You can also check out her blog at http://corinnabsworld.blogspot.com/ for some great information and tips in the glamor world.

While at the NHRA AZ Nationals, I had a great opportunity to interview Bob Tasca III on Saturday prior to the start of qualifying round three for my blog. I had set it up with Bob Tasca’s PR representative prior to attending the race. They are such nice people, and they love racing and their fans. They brought us into the lounge area of the coach, and made us feel so comfortable. Bob was working on his helmet as we walked in, getting it ready for the day of qualifying. As we were there, Bob’s father walked in and offered us something cold to drink. We told them both Happy Birthday since Bob III birthday was that Friday and Bob Jr’s birthday was that Sunday. Bob Jr was amazed that we knew when his birthday was. I mean who wouldn’t know unless you were not a Big Bob Tasca fan as we are were. I continued on with the interview, and Bob was so great on elaborating on the questions I had for him. This was such a great part of my day to be able to get a one on one interview with him. To view the interview, please click on the link below.

Here is the Press Release on Bob Tasca III after the AZ Nationals Race"

TASCA, NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVERS HOLD ON TIGHT AS FULL THROTTLE SERIES POINT STANDINGS MOVE LIKE MUSICAL CHAIRS

· The NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings turned into a high-stakes game of musical chairs at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

· Bob Tasca III, seventh entering the event, is now eighth, 141 points behind Beckman, who with the win moved around DSR’s Matt Hagan and John Force Racing’s Mike Neff for the lead.

· After one weekend off, the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 27-30, 2011 for the Big O Tires Nationals.

PHOENIX, Ariz., Oct. 16, 2011 – The NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings turned into a high-stakes game of musical chairs at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

At the end, Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman was the one with the best seat, the Wally event trophy and a victory over his teammate Johnny Gray – and, behind him, five hungry Ford drivers that can’t wait to get to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week.

One is Bob Tasca III, driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car. Tasca advanced to Round 2, where he lost to Kalitta Motorsports’ Jeff Arend by only thousandths of a second.

Tasca, seventh entering the event, is now eighth, 141 points behind Beckman, who with the win moved around four drivers – including DSR’s Matt Hagan and John Force Racing’s Mike Neff - for the lead. While he knows the fight will be a tough one, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are already preparing for the next race. Only two races remain on the schedule, including the season finale in Pomona, Calif.

“Certainly, we’ve had our challenges this season,” Tasca said. “It seems like we’ve had more bad luck than good, but we know we make our own luck and not only that, you also find out what you can do when times get really tough. You learn as much if not more from the hard times than you do when everything’s going the way you think it will.

“I have a lot of good memories from The Strip. It’s where I hit the throttle of an NHRA Funny Car for the first time. We’ll be ready to race.”

After one weekend off, the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 27-30, 2011 for the Big O Tires Nationals.

Bob Tasca Merchandise

Bob Tasca III Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMH3Nnw6DTg

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TIME IS NOW FOR TASCA

TIME IS NOW FOR TASCA, MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM; THREE RACES REMAIN IN COUNTDOWN PLAYOFFS

· Now’s the time to make your move. That’s what’s on the mind of the 10 drivers competing for the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car championship title. Only three races remain in the Countdown playoffs and there’s no time to wait.

· Tasca is in seventh place in the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car standings, 134 points behind leader Matt Hagan.

PHOENIX, Ariz., Oct. 13, 2011 – Now’s the time to make your move. That’s what’s on the mind of the 10 drivers competing for the NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car championship title. Only three races remain in the Countdown playoffs and there’s no time to wait.

Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car team have had a fair playoff season so far. They runnered-up at the first race of the Countdown, in Indianapolis. They reached the semifinals last week in Reading, Pa. But fair won’t win the title, a fact Tasca keeps top of mind.

“This is not a ‘maybe,’ an ‘if’ or a possibility,” Tasca said. “To stay alive, we have to win the race (in Phoenix).”

Tasca maintained his seventh-place position after last week’s race because of that semifinal finish and a few key losses for teams high in the points. He doesn’t expect to get that assist again.

“We got lucky in Reading, with a few of the top cars losing in the early rounds,” Tasca said. “You can’t count on that every weekend and with only three races left we have to put a W on the board.

“We’ve got a car that’s going rounds now, which is what we need. But we need a win. You got to close the deal on one of these races, and pick up the maximum amount of points.”

Typically, the hottest part of the season falls in the summer months of the Full Throttle Series schedule, which stretches from February to November. Not so this year. Conditions this weekend in Arizona are expected to be the hottest yet. Crew chief Chris Cunningham and Co-Crew Chief Marc Denner will use information gained through the summer to prep the Ford Mustang for this weekend.

“We should see conditions that we have good data on,” Tasca said.

There are two more reasons to celebrate at the track – both Bob Tasca III and his father Bob Tasca Jr. will celebrate birthdays.

“Dad’s 60th birthday is this weekend (on Sunday),” said Bob III, whose birthday is on Friday. “It would be nice to pick up a win this weekend.”

Next week I will have a blog on an Interview with Bob Tasca III from the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, AZ. Corinna will be assisting me in the interviews this weekend.

Countdown to the Championship 3 Events left

The 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series is slowly coming to an end, and with only 3 races left, the championship is still up for grabs except possibly in Pro Stock where Jason Line is 181 points in front of second place Greg Anderson. That is 8 rounds of cushion for Jason line with only 12 rounds of Final Eliminations left for the season. I believe that Jason Line could clinch the Pro Stock Championship next weekend in Arizona with a win. Of course there will be other variables that could change the course, like National Records etc, but I believe he has a good chance of winning the Pro Stock Championship for 2011.

All of the other 3 categories are still up for grabs with the points spread being in reach. In Top Fuel you have the top 7 still in contention. Although it would take a miracle for Doug Kalitta with 225 points back of Spencer Massey, to win 12 rounds in a row, and for the top 6 to go out in the first rounds at each event, stranger things have happened. Spencer Massey with DSR is leading the Top Fuel pack and has a great car and crew tuning him that is at the top of their game. I think he is the man to beat, and if he has a winning round streak like earlier in the year, then he will be unstoppable. Antron Brown with DSR is in second place only 65 points back has a real good shot of also winning the championship. He has been running on mean and I would not count him out. Antron came up in the ranks from riding Pro Stock Motorcycles and he handles that Top Fuel Dragster with charisma. Not only is Antron a great Driver, but he is one of the nicest guys on & off the NHRA Events. He loves his fans and is always has time to stop and talk to you or take a picture at the track, and if you see Big Daddy on twitter, he'll also pay his respects to you by responding to all your questions. Please follow him on twitter @AntronBrownTF

In third place is Del Worsham with Al-Anabi Racing. Del also is a great man and has stopped many times to take pictures with his fans and he'll even sit in the stands to watch the races with his fans too. He is 74 points back, which is less then 4 rounds, and he also has a good chance to win it all. With Alan Johnson tuning, don't ever underestimate his chances. Del coming from driving a Fuel Funny Car last year and done remarkably well handling the Top Fuel Dragster. Next year with the experience, he'll be the one to watch out for. Larry Dixon also of Al-Anabi Racing is in fourth place 108 points behind Spencer, and has been showing improvement it getting down the track. He is last years Top Fuel Champion and he know how to get it done. In fifth place is none other the DSR's Tony Schumacher. Surprisingly Tony has not won a single NHRA Event in 2011, but don't count him out. Tony is known for his Great comebacks, and this is what makes the countdown so exciting. Mike Green can get that car tunes and running on mean when need be. Brandon Bernstein who is in sixth place, 197 points back of Spencer, also has a chance, but it would take some strong racing and winning all the rounds to get him to the top.

Fuel Funny Car is also a tight race with Country Boy, Matt Hagan of DSR in first place just 2 points of JFR's Mike Neff. Mike Neff lead most of the season and now finds he has dropped to 2nd place. Matt Hagan with the Record Breaking run in Charlotte of 3.995 has the car to beat. I believe he could take it all, but I think this will be a fight to the finish in Pomona to the last round. This will be so exciting for the fans and probably go down in history as one of the greatest races to the championship. Mathematically it is still any ones ball game to win in Funny Car. The Top 6, Hagan, Neff 2 back, Cruz 32 back, Hight 52 back, Beckman 55 back, & Capps 90 back are all within 5 rounds. This is a very tight race. You have to be on your game and just one mistake could make the difference. Rounding out the remaining 10 is Bob Tasca III 134 back, Jeff Arend 135 back, John Force 167 back and Tim Wilkerson is 181 back.

Pro Stock Motorcycle With Eddie Krawiec leading the pack just 35 points in front of second place Hector Arana Jr. It is also a tight race to the championship in PSM too. There has been a lot of Passions flying within the ranks as it comes down to the wire. Matt Smith is in 3rd place just 70 points back and is a big fan favorite. From losing his funding with Al-Anabi Racing, he has kept it together and is running strong. I have to commend Matt Smith Racing for all they have accomplished in 2011 and 2012 looks to be even better for them. Rounding out the remaining 10 are Stoffer 97 back, Hines 109 Back, Phillips 157 back, Savoie 166 back, LE TOnglet 167 back, Arana 212 back and Underdahl is 244 back.

Be ready for some very exciting racing in the final 3 events of the year. I am attending the last 3 races in Phx, Vegas and Pomona. Hope to meet some of you out at the tracks..