Lucas, Neff, Nobile and Hines Score Victories at Houston's Royal Purple Raceway

 Six Straight Wins to Open Season 
Mike Neff continued John Force Racing's dominance in Funny Car as he raced to his first victory of the 2012 season Sunday at the 25th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway. With the win, Neff gave John Force Racing its sixth consecutive win to open the season.

Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earned victories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event near Houston.

Neff powered his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang past Ron Capps' NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T in the final round of eliminations. Neff's 4.239 second pass at 301.67 mph was too much for Capps, who hazed the tires in the Texas heat and clocked a 4.476 second pass at 211.79 mph.

"This whole race was one of a kind," Neff said. "To not be qualified until the last session and then have a wacky couple of rounds today was a nail-biter. Racing Jim Head, my old buddy, it took so long for the Tree to come on. I never let go of the brake but I blipped the throttle. Thankfully, I was staged shallow so I didn't red-light. I looked down and saw green so I legged it and then it smoked the tires. It was a total mistake on my part as a driver and a crew chief."

Neff struggled during qualifying and made it into the 16-car field during the final qualifying session in the heat of the day Saturday. That tune up proved to be what the JFR driver needed throughout Sunday's eliminations as he beat first round foe Head, top qualifier Cruz Pedregon and defending event winner Jeff Arend en route to his seventh career Funny Car victory.

Neff is currently second in the NHRA Full Throttle point standings behind his JFR teammate Robert Hight, who saw his four race win streak snapped with a semifinal loss to Capps.

"That was a heck of a string he had going," Neff said about Hight. "That's hard to do in Funny Car or any class for that matter. I'm just glad I could keep the string going for John Force Racing. I feel pressure but that's just the business we're in. We're a top team and we were built on winning. I feel it, but I don't get pressure from John or anyone else. Just myself."

In Top Fuel, Lucas proved that he is a championship contender with his win Sunday as he posted low e.t. during each round of eliminations. The GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster outran Antron Brown's Matco Tools dragster in the final round with his 3.848 second pass at 320.81 to Brown's losing 5.894 second pass at 117.05 mph.

"I'm just as proud as can be for this race team, the whole GEICO pit area, and my parents (Forrest and Charlotte)," Lucas said. "Just to be able to go up to the starting line on race day and feel like you can beat anybody is a feeling that I've never had before. This is probably the first time in my career, Top Alcohol Dragster included, that I've ever had low e.t. of every round of eliminations."

Lucas started from the No. 1 qualifying spot for the fourth time of the season and the win moved him to third in points. With the runner-up finish Brown took over the series points lead.

Nobile earned his first Pro Stock win of the season by outrunning veteran driver Dave Connolly in the final round. Nobile's 6.595 second pass at 210.14 in his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger edged Connolly's 6.604 second pass at 210.41 mph in his Alamo Iron Works/KLR Group Chevy Cobalt to claim his second consecutive win in Houston.

"It's an amazing feeling [to win this event two years in a row]," said Nobile, who beat Greg Stanfield, Larry Morgan and Mike Edwards to advance to the final. "In the semis, we actually had to swap motors in that short amount of time [before the final] and the crew did it with now flaws and everything was perfect. The crew produces a really fast race car. I owe it to all of them. My dad taught me everything I know about driving a race car and drag racing period. This win is a win for the both of us. He never won a Wally because he never had the power. But now we're doing it both together."

Nobile's win moved him from fifth to third in the series standings.

Hines used a perfect reaction time to beat sophomore rider Hector Arana Jr. in the final round in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Arana's 6.886 second pass at 196.33 mph on his Lucas Oil Buell was quicker than Hines' 6.905 second pass at 194.52 mph on his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, but Hines won the race on the starting line.

"I knew I'd need a good light, but I wasn't expecting a .000," Hines said. "I'm lucky I didn't roll in an eighth of an inch more or I'd have red-lighted. We had to add 20-pounds so I figured I'd need to win on a holeshot in order to have a chance, especially after he [Hector Jr.] ran that 6.84 in the semifinals."

Hines has won this event three years in a row and he is now the series leader in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

"I knew this was the 25th anniversary of this race so I really wanted to win that silver Wally," Hines said.

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., May 4-6.

Sunday's final results from the 25th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway. The race is the sixth of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series-

Top Fuel -- Morgan Lucas, 3.848 seconds, 320.81 mph def. Antron Brown, 5.894 seconds, 117.05 mph.

Funny Car -- Mike Neff, Ford Mustang, 4.239, 301.67 def. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.476, 211.79.

Pro Stock -- Vincent Nobile, Dodge Avenger, 6.595, 210.14 def. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.604, 210.41.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.905, 194.52 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.886, 196.33.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Jim Whiteley, 5.264, 273.77 def. Duane Shields, 5.380, 268.97.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Jay Payne, Ford Mustang, 5.631, 260.06 def. Steve Gasparrelli, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.652, 259.26.

Courtesy of NHRA Communications
Photo copyright 2012 Auto Imagery, Inc.