Current Category : News and Headlines : Racing :
Todd Ready to add his Name to Racing Lore
Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment driver, J.R. Todd can look back at his 2008 season and smile knowing that his name could become a part of racing lore.
If Tony Schumacher runs the table on the Top Fuel field, with a win at the 44th annual Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Todd can end his season and become the exception to the rule; that is if he doesn’t win himself adding more to this interesting legacy.
In conversations from this point on he’ll be bantered about as the only driver to snap the ‘Shoe’s’ year-end 31-round, seven race winning dominance when he defeated him in the finals at the Dallas race. Could history repeat itself?
“It wasn’t so much breaking the streak as it was I just wanted to win that day in Dallas,” grinned Todd. “When it got to the finals, I wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anything on the table. It was gamble that paid off and we’re glad to have our name talked about as part of it.”
Now, he would like to add to that legacy with another win at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. He’s had his fair share hits and misses of late, but in NHRA drag racing, the most unlikely can happen as proven in Dallas.
“We have to get started with a great run in qualifying and continue that the rest of the weekend,” said Todd. “We have to be able to get our Lucas Oil dragster running consistent and that’s the most important thing. We learn something new every pass we make and that has to be done with a full pull.”
The start of the 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals begins on Thursday, November 13 with a solo qualifying nitro run at 2:30 p.m. PST. The same agenda repeats on Friday with Top Fuel qualifying at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Top Fuel dragsters will have two additional qualifying sessions at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The race starts promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, November 16.
J.R. TODD -- LUCAS OIL RACING DRIVER NOTES:
J.R. Todd, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., has six NHRA POWERade Top Fuel wins out of eight final round appearances. He claimed his first win, the 2006 Mopar Mile-High Nationals in only his eighth start defeating Tony Schumacher in the finals. He finished eighth in the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel Point standings with 1,105 points after completing his first full season on the competitive 23-race NHRA circuit. He finished eighth with 2,273 points in 2007, making the cut of the first class for the Countdown to the Championship.
Todd's' quickest elapsed time is 4.473 seconds, set on Feb. 11, 2007 at Pomona Raceway. He sped to his fastest top speed of 334.24 mph on Nov. 4 in the first round of eliminations at the 2007 Auto Club Final in Pomona, Calif. He has won two Low E.T. qualifier awards -- his first on July 21 at the Seattle International Raceway recording a time 4.577 seconds and Sept. 22 on the all-concrete surface of the Texas Motorplex setting the pace with his run of 4.541 seconds. J.R. Todd’s first NHRA Top Fuel event came behind the wheel of the Dexter Tuttle-owned dragster in the 2006 CarQuest Auto Parts Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on February 12, 2006. He was awarded the 2006 Road to the Future award, which recognizes NHRAs top performing rookie driver. DOB: December 16, 1981. Last win: 2008 O’Reilly Fall Nationals, Dallas, Texas (9/21/08).
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY
(ALL TIMES EASTERN – ALL PROGRAMS ON ESPN2 HD)
QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday, November 15
11:00 P.M. – 1:00 A.M.
NHRA RACE DAY
Presented by Lucas Oil Products
Sunday, November 16
11:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
FINAL ROUND COVERAGE
Sunday, November 16
7:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Encore Performance
Friday, November 21
2:00 A.M. - 4:00 A.M.
