Three drivers won their first career championships and one backed up his previous titles as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series’ 2012 season ended at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in California on Sunday, November 11. Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Ed Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home the end-of-season championships.
Brown became the first African American driver to win a major U.S. motorsports title with his win in Top Fuel. The Don Schumacher Racing driver lost in the first round of the NHRA Finals, but his lead over teammate Tony Schumacher held up in spite of Schumacher’s berth in the final round. Brown, who got his start in the NHRA in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks from 1998 to 2007, won six events and finished as the runner-up five times in 2012, winning the title by just seven points over Schumacher. Brown also reset the national e.t. record at the event in Reading, Pennsylvania in October (3.701 seconds), earning an additional 20 bonus points.
“If I can be an inspiration for any of the kids out there who have dreams, any Americans, that’s all I want,” said Brown after clinching the title.
Beckman, who won the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Comp title in 2003, won his first nitro title by just two points over his DSR teammate Ron Capps, who has now been championship runner-up four times. Beckman’s season included three wins, one runner-up finish and resetting the national e.t. and speed records at Reading (3.986 seconds, 320.58 mph).
Johnson, whose family team has been competing in Pro Stock since 1996, earned his first title by beating 2011 champ Jason Line by 185 points. Johnson won seven events in 2012 and recorded 10 No. 1 qualifiers, including six in a row from Bristol to Seattle. Johnson led the points standings from Denver (July) on through the end of the season.
“Determination and my father (who is his engine builder) is what got us to this point,” said Johnson of winning the title. “He wanted to do this all his life and my whole focus was winning this with him. A lot of hard work and determination went into winning this. We had a dominating performance in this Countdown, won a championship and ended with a win.”
Krawiec wrapped up his third title (also 2008 and 2011) in Pro Stock Motorcycle by 82 points over Vance & Hines teammate Andrew Hines; the two drivers have combined for six titles in the last nine seasons. Krawiec won nine times in 10 final-round appearances, also recording five No. 1 qualifiers.
Sources: “2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series World Champion Bios,” NHRA Media, November 11, 2012
“Bernstein, Pedregon, Johnson, Hines win drama-filled Finals,” NHRA.com, November 11, 2012
Paula is a long-time auto racing fan who also covers the NHRA at Examiner.com.
