Team Speed Society Thunders Into US Nationals – Friday Qualifying Update
The whole stable of Speed Society Racing drivers are back in action this weekend for the US Nationals, the NHRA’s most prestigious event each year. Weather conditions are unseasonably cool, with in the highs on Friday struggling to reach 70 when there have often been triple-digit temps recorded at The Big Go, held at historic Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Of course, cooler air means more power, and our drivers and their teams put the chill to work for them.
In Top Fuel, Leah Pritchett and the Papa Johns team picked up right where they left off at Brainerd, laying down a beautiful 3.661 at 329.50 MPH to plant herself atop the ladder. The run lowered the Lucas Oil Raceway track record for the third time on the day, and is likely to stand as the #1 spot through the weekend as conditions will be warming throughout the weekend. In the third spot, just a couple of ticks behind Leah, sits Antron Brown in his new-look dragster, now carrying the familiar Matco and Toyota colors along with Mello Yello and ARMY. Brown laid down a 3.689 elapsed time at 329.75 MPH to park himself in the number three slot, a number that co-tuners Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald will use as a reference for the rest of the weekend.
In the number four spot, after running a 3.689 of his own, sits Clay Millican in the Great Clips/Parts Plus dragster. Clay slid into the #4 spot based on his speed, which was a couple of MPH slower than Brown. Millican’s pass was his third run in the 3.60 range over the past 2 events, proving tuner David Grubnic has certainly got a handle on the tune. Millican will join Brown and Pritchett in the $100,000 Traxxas Nitro Top Fuel Shootout, the race-within-a-race that’s held annually at Indy. Congrats to all three Team Speed Society Racing top fuel drivers for their day-1 qualifying efforts, as well as making the Traxxas Shootout.
After taking a few races off, Alex Laughlin returned to action in Pro Stock at Indy and jumped right back into the thick of things, laying down a gorgeous 6.576 to put his Gas Monkey Energy Camaro in the #5 spot after the opening session. The run is exactly .010 off the #1 spot, a great example of how closely matched the cars are in the class. Laughlin’s 210.10 MPH speed is a great indicator that the team has the power to run out front, as long as they can keep the gearing and tune dialed in to the conditions.
There are two more qualifying sessions on Saturday, two more on Sunday, and racing takes place on Monday, so check back often for updates from the biggest race of the year!
