Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka has a strong history with NHRA and became known as the House of Speed. It is most famous for being the location where the Funny Car class broke into the 4-second zone and exceeded the 300-mph mark. Chuck Etchells broke into the fours with a 4.987 and Jim Epler broke the 300-mph barrier for Funny Cars at 300.40 mph in the fall of 1993.
Crazy hot and humid, followed by rain, followed by great conditions for racing were the weather conditions for this latest event staged at the iconic track.
In Top Fuel, Steve Torrence showed he had his game back as his Capco dragster made consistent strong passes and qualified on the pole. It looked like they would be hard to beat. But Brittany Force and her team was coming around towards championship form and in round two, Force left first on Torrence on a 0.0543 to 0.078 holeshot and won 3.781 at 321.04 mph to 3.766 at 327.82 mph. She then took out Clay Millican, 3.717 at 329.91 mph to 3.762 at 326.00 mph to advance to the final round. On the other side of the elimination ladder was Justin Ashley, winner of three event wins this season, with the lowest reaction time average in the sport (in the 0.030-second zone) and the season Top Fuel point championship leader. After taking out Josh Hart, Leah Pruett and Antron Brown, with 3.7-second runs in his march into the final round, he was going to be a formidable opponent. In the final, Ashley left first (0.034 to 0.049) and drove away to low elapse time of the event at 3.702 at 323.56 mph to 3.707 at 322.88 mph. For Force, it was not all bad, as she and her team appear to have their car running back on course, with the new tune-up being put together by her crew chief, David Grubnic, as they near the six-event Countdown to the Championship after the US Indy Nationals.
In Funny Car it was like chasing a knuckleball for the tuners, with the crazy weather and track conditions. In the end, the final round matched up a driver and car that could not make a full run under power the entire event. Robert Tasca III came close to a full power run when he defeated the #1 qualifier, Robert Hight in the semi-final round, reacting first (0.044 to 0.056) and scoring an early shutoff, 3.933 at 305.63 mph to 3.969 at 320.58 mph win. In the final round, Tasca made his first full, under power run, as he defeated Matt Hagan with a 3.885 at 332.26 mph to 3.965 at 329.26 mph winning effort.
In Pro Stock, Erica Enders showed why she is the reigning five-time series champion. She qualified at #4, but out drove her competitors, with reaction times in the 0.020’s, including a 0.009 to 0.027 reaction time crusher over the series point leader, Dallas Glenn in her 6.637 at 206.54 mph to 6.629 at 204.94 mph win. In the final round, she matched up against the first competitor that she scored her first event win against, five-time champion, Greg Anderson. And she showed him no mercy, as she left first (0.023 to 0.033) and drove away to a 6.617 at 206.13 mph to 6.36 at 198.41 mph win. She will go in the books as the last Pro Stock winner at this race track. She and her team have been struggling a little bit, but like Brittany Force in Top Fuel, it appears that she is back in top form.
