Drag Racing

A 25-year-old woman drag-racing with two other motorists died after her car spun out of control and slammed into a cement light pole, police said Thursday. Christine Eastham of San Clemente was driving up to 100 mph Wednesday night along West Coast Highway to outrun two friends when she lost control at a curve near Prospect Street, Newport Beach Police Lt. John Desmond said. Eastham was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian where she died.

Tony Schumacher ruled the world of top-fuel drag racing for six years. He was known as "The Sarge" not only for his U.S. Army sponsorship but because, in his father's words, "he looks like a soldier" with his crew cut and ramrod-straight posture. Schumacher was on top, setting every major record in the sport's fastest and most elite division. The records included six consecutive top-fuel championships from 2004 through 2009, giving him a record seven overall, and most career top-fuel wins with 67. Then came 2011 and . . . nothing.

Drag racer Jim Boyd of Redondo Beach is a walking, talking time capsule--a man trapped in a bygone era who sees no reason to escape. "I never found anything that great about the '90s," he says, "so I stayed in the '60s." Boyd, 61, hasn't cut his flowing blond hair since 1965. He wears the same bell-bottom jeans, complete with holes in the knees, that he wore 30 years ago. He still favors the music of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. He displays three Lava lamps in his apartment.

Drag racing has a new Force to be reckoned with. Courtney Force, 23, the youngest daughter of drag-racing legend John Force, will make her debut in the sport's top series this weekend at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona that start Thursday. She's driving one of the 7,000-horsepower Ford funny cars for her dad's Yorba Linda team in the National Hot Rod Assn.'s premier Full Throttle Series, where the nitro methane-fueled dragsters reach a blistering 300 mph in 1,000-foot races.

Hoping to slow drag racing, Los Angeles city officials called Friday for new laws that would allow police to more easily ticket spectators of illegal street races and to impound the cars involved. Saying he is concerned about the high number of street races in his north San Fernando Valley district, City Councilman Hal Bernson of Granada Hills was joined by Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski in introducing a motion to toughen the law against illegal races.

What goes through a drag racing driver's mind while he or she's rocketing to 300 mph in a mere 1,000 feet? A lot, it turns out. While it looks simple enough -- steer the car straight and step on the gas pedal -- actually driving an NHRA top-fuel dragster or funny car is anything but. In the four seconds or so it takes for the car to launch from a standing start to reach top speed, traversing the length of a football field in a second, its...

Don Prudhomme made the third-fastest run in drag racing history at the Budweiser Warm Up at Bakersfield Raceway with a elapsed time of 4.883 seconds and a speed of 295.66 m.p.h. Robert Moore of San Diego was hospitalized with a concussion when he lost control of his top alcohol dragster and flipped. The Budweiser Warm Up is a tune-up for next weekend's season-opening Chief Auto Parts Winternationals in Pomona.

Still carrying the psychic pain of a teammate's death three years ago and the physical pain from his own injuries from a racing crash six months later, John Force now faces another curve that life has thrown at the celebrated drag racer. The leader of John Force Racing arrives at this year's season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona with only three funny cars on his team instead of four, the woeful economy having recently forced him to park one dragster to save money. The remaining three cars are driven by Force, his daughter Ashley Force Hood and his son-in-law Robert Hight.

Drag racing, fueled by the John Force craze and side-by-side competition that startles the senses, has become one of motor racing's fastest growing and most entertaining facets. Sponsorship, the lifeblood of motor sports, and spectator response, the lifeblood of those sponsors, are increasing while many other racing organizations are struggling in a sagging economy. But you ain't seen nothin' yet. Here comes sport compact drag racing.

Driver-car owner Kenny Bernstein of Mission Viejo, who also has his hand in Indy cars and Winston Cup stock cars, came out of a drag racing slump Friday at Pomona Raceway to qualify his top fuel dragster in the top spot--provisionally--for Sunday's Winston Finals. Bernstein's run of 4.818 seconds (297.52 m.p.h.) in the second round of qualifying was his quickest since last May at Englishtown, N.J., when he ran 4.815 and went on to win his only national event of the season.

Del Worsham has had a decent drag racing career, finishing in the top 10 in points 14 times in the previous 20 seasons. However, he has never had a season like this one. He came into the National Hot Rod Assn. Finals trailing points leader Spencer Massey by two points and now, after three days of qualifying at the Auto Club Speedway in Pomona, he leads Massey by eight. Worsham had the fastest qualifying times twice, including Saturday, and ended up with eight bonus points. He earned another eight points for being the No. 1 qualifier going into Sunday's elimination round.

Several drivers are vying to win the championships in drag racing's two leading classes, top fuel and funny cars, as the NHRA holds its season-ending event this weekend in Pomona. The NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway opens Thursday with the first of three days of qualifying rounds, followed by final eliminations Sunday. In the top-fuel class of the National Hot Rod Assn.'s Full Throttle Series, Spencer Massey of Don Schumacher Racing leads by just two points over Chino Hills' Del Worsham of the Al-Anabi Racing team.

Persistent rain forced National Hot Rod Assn. officials to cancel Friday's racing at the Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. Qualifying will resume Saturday, weather permitting, but more rain and even snow at low altitudes are forecast. Continuous heavy rains in 2009 pushed the final day of the Winternationals from Sunday until Wednesday. Snow interrupting the Winternationals would not be a first. Top fuel national champion Larry Dixon recalled that happening in 1978, when he was 11. "The whole track was covered in snow," Dixon said.

Just before 5:30 p.m. on March 8, 1970, Don Garlits edged his top-fuel dragster to the starting line at the old Lions Drag Strip in Wilmington, the car's 2,000-horsepower engine belching directly in front of the drag-racing legend from Florida everyone called "Big Daddy. " When the green light flashed and Garlits stepped on the throttle pedal with his right foot, the dragster's transmission, which sat between Garlits' legs, exploded from the enormous power unleashed from the engine.

Still not ready to let Simon Cowell go? Talk about "Oprah Presents Master Class: Simon Cowell. " It's been less than a week, guys! But if you're not impressed with the new "American Idol" lineup, don't fret. Get your fix of the snarky Brit when he shares his stories and lessons. Let's hope Steven Tyler and J-Lo are watching. (Sunday) Sashay and chante ? and talk about "RuPaul's Drag Race. " The time has come for you to lip-sync for your life! The (man) ladies are back on LOGOTV.

Tony Schumacher inched up on Larry Dixon in the race for National Hot Rod Assn.'s Full Throttle Series top-fuel championship during the second day of qualifying Friday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona. But Dixon remains in the driver's seat. Schumacher had the second-fastest qualifying time of the day ? 3.855 seconds with a top speed of 307.72 mph ? to earn two points. Dixon's car lost traction during his run and finished back in the pack. Dixon said it was a case of too much power too soon.

Nostalgia drag racing -- which actually includes many new, powerful machines made to look like the front-engine dragsters of the '60s and '70s -- returns to the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona this weekend. The ninth annual Goodguys Pomona Nitro Nationals runs today through Sunday with more than 400 cars racing in 14 classes, including top-fuel dragsters that reach speeds of 250 mph.

After 22 races over nine months, the National Hot Rod Assn.'s Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship concludes at the NHRA Auto Club Drag Race Finals, a high-octane showcase of automotive derring-do. Drivers will compete for team and individual honors in such categories as Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Super Comp and Super Street, among others. Auto Club Raceway, 2780 Fairplex Drive, Pomona. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Thurs., 7:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sun. $40-$63.

Jamie McMurray held the bottom line at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, one eye on the finish line and the other on his rearview mirror. He was certain if he stayed put, Kevin Harvick's lone attempt to pass would be on the outside. He was wrong. Harvick ducked low in the tri-oval at Talladega, then drag-raced McMurray to the finish line Sunday, nipping the Daytona 500 winner for his first victory in more than three years. Harvick had been mired in a 115-race drought dating to the 2007 Daytona 500. The race went 200 laps because of three attempts at NASCAR's version of overtime, and there were a record 88 lead changes among a record 29 drivers.