Don't miss the television or online coverage of the 12th round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Zions Bank Utah National. Get the rundown below on how to watch practice, the exclusive online pre-show and all four motos on Saturday, August 23rd. 

If you miss a race, full replays will be archived on ProMotocross.com throughout the season.

UNITED STATES

Online: 12:30 p.m. ET, ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra (LIVE)

The second practice session will only be available online and viewable on the Live Extra page and Mobile App (iOS / Android).

Online: 2:15 p.m. ET, ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra

New for 2014, ProMotocross.com presents an exclusive pre-show which will begin 45 minutes before the first moto at every round. You can watch it on the Live Extra page and Mobile App (iOS /Android).

TV: 3:00 p.m. ET, MAVTV (LIVE)

New for 2014, MAVTV will air the first motos of every round live. Use the MAVTV channel finder to see if you currently get MAVTV. You can also use the link to request that your cable provider carry MAVTV if they currently do not.

The live stream of first motos can also be viewed online via the Live Extra page and Mobile App (iOS/ Android).

TV - 250 Moto 2: 1:00 a.m. ET, NBCSN

NBCSN will have tape delayed coverage of second motos, with the 450 Class race airing at 6:30 p.m. ET and the 250 Class race airing at 1:00 a.m. ET. Use the NBCSN channel finder to see if you currently get NBCSN in your area.

The live stream of both second motos can be viewed online via the Live Extra page and Mobile App (iOS / Android) starting at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Please note: In order to watch a live stream of an NBCSN broadcast, you have to verify your cable provider.

They are actively working to add additional TV providers to this service, and recent additions include Cox, Charter and DirecTV.

TV: Thursday 8/28, 11:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN

NBCSN will have a one-hour show the week after each race recapping the action.

INTERNATIONAL

Online: 12:30 a.m. ET, ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra (LIVE)

The 2nd practice session will only be available online and viewable on the Live Extra page.

Online: 2:15 p.m. ET, ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra

New for 2014, ProMotocross.com presents an exclusive pre-show which will begin 45 minutes before the first moto at every round. You can watch it on the Live Extra page.

TV: ESPN Brazil, FOX Sports Asia

The live stream of first motos can be viewed via the Live Extra page.

The Nationals will also be simulcast to various countries across the globe. Check the TV listings for your local station (listed above) for the time in your area.

TV: ESPN Brazil, FOX Sports Asia, ESPN Latin America, Speed (Australia), Rogers SportsNet (Canada), Sport1 (Israel)

The live stream of second motos can be viewed via the Live Extra page.

The Nationals will also be simulcast to various countries across the globe. Check the TV listings for your local station (listed above) for the time in your area.

TV: ESPN Brazil, ESPN Latin America, Speed (Australia), Extreme Sports Channel

A one-hour highlight show recapping the race will air in various countries across the globe. Check the TV listings for your local station (listed above) for the time in your area.

(Lucas Oil Pro Motocross PR)

 Jack Beckman is in uncharted territory heading into the 60th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, which takes place Aug. 27-Sept. 1 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. But a strong performance in his 10,000-horsepower Valvoline Max Life/MTS Dodge Charger at the world’s most prestigious drag race would be just the turnaround his 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season needs. 

Beckman is currently in 11th place in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship and is on the verge of missing the Countdown for the first time in his career as a full-time driver. He trails Tim Wilkerson by 16 points for the final playoff spot, making an already huge event even bigger for the 2012 Funny Car world champion. 

It is also one of the must-see storylines heading into the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, as NHRA competitors in all professional classes will be looking to stay in the top 10 or move into the top 10 with a memorable showing at the last race of the regular season. 

“We've painted ourselves into a corner,” said Beckman, who won the Traxxas Shootout in Funny Car at Indy a year ago. “We've put ourselves into a position where we have to be (darn) near flawless at Indy to get in there. Now that's just the battle. But that's the only thing I can think about right now is Indy. Our goal is to run for the championship, which it isn't possible if we're not in the Countdown. If we can't get this Valvoline car into the Countdown, I'd be devastated, but it means that we didn't earn it.” 

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of an event that will once again be televised on ESPN2 in more than 10 hours of coverage. 

The Funny Car battle between Wilkerson and Beckman is the tightest race for 10th place in any of the four professional categories, but Wilkerson, who has finished in the top 10 in each of the past six seasons, won’t let that affect his approach. 

“There’s not really any added pressure, just the same sort of pressure we feel at every race, where we put it on ourselves to do our sponsors proud and do ourselves proud,” Wilkerson said. “I try to not let it affect the way we tune the car or the way I drive.” 

As for paying attention to what Beckman does during the weekend, Wilkerson, who trails Del Worsham by 52 points for the ninth position, is only worried about his own performance. That is, unless he sees Beckman or Worsham next to his Levi Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang in the opposite lane during eliminations. Eight-place Cruz Pedregon has also not secured his berth into the Countdown and will also be racing to get into the playoffs as well. 

“We definitely pay attention, but the bottom line is that the way we approach each run down the track doesn't really have anything to do with what other people are doing,” Wilkerson said. “If we line up in eliminations against Jack Beckman or Del Worsham, then you can scoreboard watch because all you want to see is the win light. Other than that, we're all too busy to be spectating. If we just win rounds, we don't have anything to worry about.” 

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson is a six-time winner of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals but the four-time world champion needs another strong performance this year in Indy to secure his spot in the Countdown to the Championship. 

He leads rookie Jonathan Gray by 32 points and certainly understands what is on the line. 

“Sure, there is a little bit of pressure,” Anderson said. “First of all, I love going to Indy. It's a magical place for me. I love that particular race, but this has been a different year for me. It's been challenging, but it's also been very rewarding. I feel very fortunate to be where I'm at, but I want to make the Countdown. If I don't, I might need therapy. I guess there is pressure, but I like that. In the past, I think I've done some of my best work under pressure. I'm going to Indy with a positive mindset and hopefully I can make it happen. 

Anderson, though, does not want to simply squeak into the Countdown. A strong performance from his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro, coupled with his first victory since 2012, would be the ideal start to a championship chase. 

“Right now, I'm thinking about winning races,” Anderson said. “I keep saying that as important as it is for me to get qualified for the Countdown and make up more points than Jonathan Gray, it's not nearly as important to me as winning a race. If I can't win a race, I don't know if I'm worthy enough to win a championship. I have to prove to myself that I can win again. I'm not going to worry about trying to survive an extra round. I'm going to Indy to win that race.” 

Gray, meanwhile, is simply excited for the opportunity to compete against one of the most successful Pro Stock drivers in NHRA history for a shot at a Countdown berth in his first Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals appearance. 

“I don't feel any pressure,” Gray said. “There is no sense in putting any pressure on myself because it's not going to do any good. It is what it is. I can only go out there and do what I can do. My mindset going into Indy is that we have to get qualified good, and we have to go a minimum of two more rounds than Greg. We have to qualify as good as he does, if not better, to start. I'm excited to go to Indy and have one last shot at trying to get in the Countdown. This is it.” 

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Adam Arana fully admits there is pressure on him. He trails Steve Johnson by 66 points for the final Countdown spot, meaning the rider of the ProtectTheHarvest.com/MAVTV Buell will need a spectacular performance in the two-wheeled category. Arana hopes that will bring out the best in him throughout the weekend. 

“That's why we race all year, to be able to compete for the championship, and if I don't make it into the top 10, then you don't get that opportunity,” Arana said. "I need to try to stay calm and consistent because if you think too much on the starting line, it can create mistakes. I just want to stay calm. I've been doing a pretty good job of that all year, so if we have a fast bike, I hope to be able to go rounds." 

In Top Fuel, Bob Vandergriff needs a banner weekend to move into the top 10. He trails J.R. Todd by 130 points heading into the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and must have a near-perfect weekend to unseat Todd, who recently won at Denver. 

Bonus bucks and bragging rights will also be on the line at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals for qualified drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car as they battle in the lucrative Traxxas Nitro Shootout. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel will be held on Saturday evening, while the Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car is contested Sunday afternoon. The winners in each Traxxas Nitro Shootout will earn $100,000.     

Drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Pro Mod Series will look to become winners of the prestigious event during the weekend. The fastest Super Stock cars will challenge for the ultimate bragging rights and a bonus purse during the popular Mopar HEMI Challenge as well. 

NHRA will also conduct official presentations to honor six of the most iconic moments in the history of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in the Hot Rod Junction Friday-Sunday of the weekend. On Sunday of race weekend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits will reenact his famous beard shaving scene that followed his triumphant 1967 victory and the “Indy’s Winningest Drivers” presentation, a ceremony honoring Schumacher, Bob Glidden and Garlits, also will take place; on Saturday Kenny Bernstein will be honored for becoming the first double-up winner at Indy, Shirley Muldowney will look back at her Indy memories including her 1982 victory, one she called the greatest victory of her outstanding Top Fuel career, and the 1978 Funny Car final where Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen defeated Don “The Snake” Prudhomme will be remembered; on Friday the harrowing 1970 Top Fuel final between Jim Nicoll and Prudhomme will be revisited. 

A special Monday edition of the SealMaster NHRA Track Walk also will take place prior to final eliminations, where many of the sport’s most celebrated drivers will walk alongside fans down the historic dragstrip. Fan-favorite Cacklefests and vintage racecars on display in the Hot Rod Junction, along with several autograph sessions featuring the legends of the sport as well as today’s biggest stars will be featured throughout each day of the event. On Friday, a special fireworks show will close out the day’s racing. 

The first of five Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29. Two more sessions will take to the track on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 1. 

The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel will be contested Saturday, Aug. 30 with rounds at 4 p.m., 5:25 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car takes place on Sunday, Aug. 31 for the eight qualified drivers, with rounds at 12:30 p.m., 1:55 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. 

ESPN2 will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. Five hours of qualifying coverage and coverage of the Traxxas Nitro Shootout will air on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ET) and 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31. Monday’s (Sept. 1) eliminations for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will be featured in six hours of coverage starting at noon (ET). 

To purchase tickets for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, fans can contact NHRA’s Ticket Sales Center at (800) 884-NHRA (6472), or get their tickets online atwww.NHRATIX.com.   

 Fans of the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship can now purchase tickets to attend the first ever race in Beijing on September 13 2014.

Raceday tickets, all of which offer reserved grandstand seating, can be obtained from one of three outlets. Local fans can use the www.shuiniaoticket.com platform, whilst spectators outside of China can visit the official website www.fiaformulae.com or global ticketing leader Ticketmaster – Formula E’s official ticketing provider. Ticketmaster will also provide ticketing technology solutions and project management for the championship, and become the exclusive ticketing partner in the countries where Ticketmaster already has a presence.

For the Beijing ePrix - which will see the 10 teams and 20 drivers compete on a temporary street circuit around the iconic Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium – organisers are offering two pricing options – Gold and Platinum priced at 488 RMB and 688 RMB (55 and 85 Euros respectively), dependent on the view of the track. Children under five will have free entry to the Beijing ePrix – as with all Formula E races (if accompanied by an adult) – with Beijing also having a limited amount of free trackside access. Tickets can also be brought at the track on the day.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ticketmaster International’s President, Mark Yovich said: “We are thrilled to be working with Formula E. Ticketmaster’s broad experience, and the global reach we offer to millions of sports fans, positions us perfectly to work with Formula E to grow this exciting new motorsport. We look forward to working with the team at the FIA Formula E Championship and providing the best possible service for motorsport fans.”

Francesca Triossi, Formula E’s Ticketing and Merchandising Manager, added: “Fans have been able to pre-register for tickets for several weeks now, but it’s great to have them officially on sale. We believe the first ever Formula E race in Beijing is going to be a fantastic spectacle with 20 top drivers racing around the ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium and we hope fans, both in China and from overseas, will join us in celebrating a new era of motorsport.

“We’re also very pleased to be working with Ticketmaster as they are the only ticketing provider that had the capabilities to serve our global business. Their world-class technology and service, coupled with their distribution and reach will be beneficial not only to our business, but to fans of Formula E and motor racing across the world.”

Formula E is the FIA’s new fully-electric single-seater championship designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans, whilst accelerating the interest in electric vehicles and promoting sustainability. Competing entirely on city-centre circuits – with races in China, Malaysia, Uruguay, Argentina, US, Monaco, Germany and the UK – it uses cars capable of speeds in excess of 150mph (225kph). Its 10 teams feature some of the leading international names in motorsport including Alain Prost and Michael Andretti, along with high-profile environmental supporters such as Sir Richard Branson.

For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com. Prices, further details and sale dates on forthcoming races will be announced shortly.

IN BRIEF: Red Bull Global Rallycross returns to action after a month-long break at Daytona International Speedway, competing for the first time at the World Center of Racing as it kicks off the second half of the 2014 season. 14 Supercars, the largest field since X Games Austin, have entered the two-day event.

TUNE IN INFORMATION:

• Saturday, August 23, 2:30PM ET on NBC (live) and liveextra.nbcsports.com
• Friday, August 29, 2:00AM ET (Thursday, August 28, 11:00PM PT) on NBCSN

SPOTTER GUIDE: Click here

LAST RACE: Ken Block completed the first perfect event under the current Red Bull GRC race format at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, sweeping qualifying, two heat races, his semifinal, and the main event. Sverre Isachsen came home second, overcoming a tough start to the season for his first podium and best finish in his Red Bull GRC career, while Nelson Piquet Jr. earned his fourth straight podium by coming home third.

DRIVER CHANGES: PMR Motorsports’ Pat Moro returns to Red Bull GRC for the first time since X Games Austin, while BMI Racing’s Sarah Burgess joins him to create Chevrolet’s first-ever multi-car lineup in a Red Bull GRC event. 12 of the 13 drivers who competed in Charlotte return, with the exception of Brian Deegan.

THE TRACK: Daytona International Speedway has built the largest track in Red Bull GRC history, a .924 mile course comprised of 13 turns within the track’s famed International Horseshoe. A wide, sweeping first corner (which also features the joker lane) will see drivers reaching the rev limiter in top gear, while tight dirt hairpins and technical paved sections complete the course.

NO STRANGERS TO DAYTONA: Four Supercars competitors have competed at Daytona in their racing careers so far. Nelson Piquet Jr., Scott Speed, and Steve Arpin, the top three drivers in the standings through the first half of the season, have all raced on Daytona’s 2.5-mile superspeedway in stock cars. The fourth driver, Rhys Millen, competed on part of the track’s road course as part of the TV special “Driven: A Race Without Boundaries.”

PIQUET IN CONTROL: Nelson Piquet Jr.’s Supercars points lead extended to 46 in Charlotte, the largest gap anyone has had over second place so far this season. To put that in perspective, if Piquet failed to make the final this weekend, second place driver Scott Speed would need to finish second and finish first or second in both heats just to tie for the championship lead.

MINOR CHANGE TO RACE FORMAT: Due to the extra length of the Daytona course compared to previous courses, this weekend’s main event will be comprised of eight laps, rather than the series’ typical 10 laps. All other event formatting remains consistent with typical Red Bull GRC events.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of this weekend’s Red Bull Global Rallycross event at Daytona International Speedway:

Rhys Millen, Driver, #67 Hyundai/Rhys Millen Racing Veloster Turbo: “My first time here was last year. What an opportunity for myself and the other drivers in the series to come to a site that is so rich in American auto racing, from NASCAR to the Daytona 24 Hours and now GRC. The course is fantastic—the length of the course is incredible, the runoff areas, the space, and just the general design. Even the turn one combination lends itself to the joker combination for the sport of rallycross. It’s just very fitting. Overall, the track, the challenge, the speed, the flow, the feel, the length, everything is really an indication of what GRC racing should be in the US.”

Patrik Sandell, Driver, #18 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST: “I really like the combination of the fast sections and the twisty, technical sections. Over a lap, you have everything. You have some dirt sections, you have the big jump, you have some really narrow corners where you have to be so precise, and then you have the really, really fast sections as well. For me, this is a proper track, and I love it. I was almost at the rev limiter in sixth gear on the first corner, so that’s the fastest my car goes.”

Austin Dyne, Driver, #14 Barracuda Racing Ford Fiesta: “I’ve always wanted to race here. I like the tarmac part of it, it’s amazing. There’s just so much grip here compared to the parking lot stuff we’ve done, and so much more of what I grew up doing. The dirt here is pretty sand-based, so I’m not sure how that’s going to be. The jump’s got a pretty gnarly kicker, and we won’t have any issue seeing cars in the air! The back section is really cool—it’s really technical, so it might be hard to pass, but as a driver it’s a lot of fun back there.”

Ken Block, Driver, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST: “I think the track is quite good, because I think there are some good places to pass here. When you have higher speed stuff that slows down to slow speed stuff, it really becomes very important to figure out the lines and the speeds, and get the braking points right. I think there are some good places to pass here, and there’s some good technical stuff. So I think it’s quite fun. It’s a little bit longer than some of the other tracks we’ve had, so I’m really looking forward to that. But this is the hottest I’ve ever been in the racecar—it’s going to be interesting to see who can handle that and continue to put in good, consistent lap times all weekend dealing with the heat.”

DRIVER POINTS:

1. Nelson Piquet Jr., 227
2. Scott Speed, 181
3. Steve Arpin, 164
4. Joni Wiman, 162
5. Ken Block, 155
6. Patrik Sandell, 120
7. Tanner Foust, 112
8. Sverre Isachsen, 109
9. Austin Dyne, 102
10. Bucky Lasek, 87
11. Brian Deegan, 85
12. Rhys Millen, 68
13. Emma Gilmour, 24
14. Pat Moro, 3

MANUFACTURER POINTS:

1. Ford, 472
2. Volkswagen, 293
3. Subaru, 196
4. Hyundai, 92
5. Chevrolet, 3

—

GRC Lites Race Preview: Daytona International Speedway

IN BRIEF: The largest track in GRC Lites history awaits the sport’s class of up-and-comers at Daytona International Speedway. With key championship player Kevin Eriksson out of the picture, full-timers will have a strong chance to make up points in the series championship this weekend.

LAST RACE: Mitchell DeJong got back to his winning ways in Charlotte, overcoming a last place finish in his first heat to win out for the rest of the weekend. Kevin Eriksson earned his third runner-up placement of the season behind him, while younger brother Oliver capped his second Lites race with his first podium.

SPOTTER GUIDE: Click here

DRIVER CHANGES: Blake Fuller replaces Austin Cindric at C4 Motorsports, making his series debut. Kevin and Oliver Eriksson, owing to a schedule conflict, will not compete in this weekend’s event.

THE TRACK: Daytona International Speedway has built the largest track in Red Bull GRC history, a .924 mile course comprised of 13 turns within the track’s famed International Horseshoe. A wide, sweeping first corner (which also features the joker lane) will see drivers reaching the rev limiter in top gear, while tight dirt hairpins and technical paved sections complete the course.

CHAMPIONSHIP SHAKEUP: Kevin Eriksson’s absence from this weekend’s event will allow other full-time drivers to come back into the championship hunt in Daytona. Eriksson currently sits second in series points with 207. Alejandro Fernandez, currently 92 points back of Eriksson at third in the championship, can make up over half of that deficit if he wins the race and both of his heats.

NOTABLE NEWCOMER: Blake Fuller, the 2002 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Open class winner, makes his series debut for C4 Motorsports this weekend in Florida. For Fuller, Daytona is his home race; he’ll step immediately into a vehicle that has shown speed all season, with Austin Cindric earning an X Games medal in his first race in the car and qualifying second in Charlotte last month.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE: How strong has Mitchell DeJong been in his second season of GRC Lites? Not only has he earned 217 points in four races, which would put him second to Nelson Piquet Jr. in Supercars standings despite having competed in one fewer race, but he has also posted faster times in heats than Supercars drivers on multiple occasions.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of this weekend’s Red Bull Global Rallycross event at The Dirt Track at Charlotte:

Tyler Benson, Driver, #60 Hyundai/Rhys Millen Racing GRC Lites: “It’s Daytona—it’s the pinnacle of racing, so just being here and experiencing it, it’s almost overwhelming how huge the facility is. I’m really looking forward to running a different style of track that’s a little less tight and more open. I think it should make for some interesting, fun racing.”

Geoff Sykes, Driver, #6 DTV Solutions GRC Lites: “There are definitely a couple of big factors to this race, one being that we are in the NASCAR capital of the world at Daytona International Speedway. But also, it happens to be the longest GRC track we’ve ever done, almost twice as long as some of the other courses. The going to be twice as long, and it’s going to be hot out here, so it’s definitely going to test us as drivers in endurance.”

Blake Fuller, Driver, #79 C4 Motorsports GRC Lites: “Just being a part of the inaugural race here is great, because Daytona International Speedway has been home to so many epic moments in motorsports. So for it to host GRC, and for it to time perfectly—it’s my home race, and it’s the inaugural one for me—it’s really good.”

DRIVER POINTS:

1. Mitchell DeJong, 217
2. Kevin Eriksson, 207
3. Alejandro Fernandez, 115
4. Geoff Sykes, 111
5. Austin Cindric, 97
6. Tyler Benson, 95
7. Oliver Eriksson, 82
8. Nelson Piquet Jr., 75
9. Atila Abreu, 72
10. Pedro Piquet, 43
11. Colton Herta, 16

(Red Bull Global RallyCross PR)

Several Top Fuel drivers, including nine-time Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher, defending winner Shawn Langdon and noted rookie Richie Crampton, raced to impressive performances Thursday during the final day of testing at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. 

NHRA teams utilized the two-day open test to prepare for the world's most prestigious drag race, which will be held next weekend (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) at the famed NHRA-owned multi-purpose motorsports facility that sits just west of downtown Indianapolis. The tradition-rich event is the final race in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season and will be televised by ESPN2 with more than 10 hours of coverage on Labor Day weekend. The event also will feature the lucrative Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel and Funny Car and many special activities with the sport’s legendary drivers in celebration of the milestone 60th anniversary.

 Schumacher posted the second-quickest run of the day with a performance of 3.810 seconds at 323.81 mph in his U.S. Army dragster. He comes to the Big Go this season looking to win the race for a record 10th time, which would break a tie for most wins he currently shares with Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden.

 “We don’t test as much as we used to, most teams don’t,” Schumacher said. “There are a lot of new parts and pieces we have to get on the car that we have to try before the race weekend and qualifying. We also have the (Traxxas) Shootout as well. It is a huge weekend, we have a chance to do something that very few cars have had the chance to do and that is to win Indy 10 times. You want to make some good laps and know that you are coming in here comfortable with your tune up.”

 Another Indy win would also give the seven-time world champ momentum heading into the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs. “The Sarge” has two victories and two No. 1 qualifying positions this season and is in fourth place in the points standings.

 “We have been coming on so strong and have such a great racecar and you know we keep saying we need one more run, one more run, and here we want to give ourselves four or five more runs to get what we need,” Schumacher said. “We’re definitely leaving the test session comfortable coming back in a few days.”

 Defending U.S. Nationals and Traxxas Nitro Shootout Top Fuel winner Langdon clocked a performance of 3.838 at 313.07 in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster and appears to be in good form heading into the event. He has one victory this season in five final round appearances and is in third place in the series standings.

 "Last year we had such a great weekend winning everything there was," said Langdon, also the defending Top Fuel world champion. "But you can ask anybody, those weekends don’t come by too often. You have to appreciate those weekends and we strive for those weekends like that, but at this point we will do the best job we can. We want to get back into the winner's circle and that paycheck for the Traxxas Shootout is nice as well so we are going to do the best job we can. The main thing is just getting this car ready for the Countdown and getting that big check at the end of the year."

 Rookie driver Crampton was fourth in his GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster with a performance of 3.814 at 322.73 as he prepares for his first Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals as a driver.

 "Everyone wants to win the U.S. Nationals and for most of us living here in Indiana now this is a hometown race," said Crampton, a native Australian who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2012. "It is the Big Go, it is the U.S. Nationals. It is at Lucas Oil Raceway so it is a home track for the Lucas Oil family. We definitely want to win this one. There are point implications going into the Countdown and there is also that $100,000 that Traxxas is putting up. This is the No. 1 on the list of races you want to win, and me as a rookie, I’d love to win."

 Al-Anabi Racing director of racing operations Brandon Bernstein got behind the wheel of Khalid alBalooshi’s dragster and posted the quickest performance of the day, a 3.801 second run at 299.26 mph.  Billy Torrence was third overall with a 3.811 at 323.04 in his Capco Contractors machine, while Leah Pritchett posted her best effort of the test, a 3.858 at 310.63 in her Gumout/Dote Racing dragster.

 Wednesday leader Matt Hagan continued to pace the Funny Car pack as he powered his Mopar Dodge Charger to run of 4.038 seconds at 316.75 mph. Tommy Johnson Jr. sped to the second-best time with a 4.042 at 317.19 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge and Jack Beckman was third in his Valvoline Dodge with a 4.164 at 264.96. 

Below is a listing of each Top Fuel and Funny Car competitor’s best performance from Thursday’s testing:

Top Fuel

1. Brandon Bernstein (in Khalid alBalooshi's car) 3.801, 299.26

2. Tony Schumacher – 3.810, 323.81

3. Billy Torrence – 3.811, 323.04

4. Richie Crampton – 3.814, 322.73

5. Shawn Langdon – 3.838, 313.07

6. Leah Pritchett – 3.858, 310.63

7. Spencer Massey – 3.913, 259.56

Funny Car

1. Matt Hagan – 4.038, 316.75

2. Tommy Johnson Jr. – 4.042, 317.19

3. Jack Beckman – 4.164, 264.96

4. Courtney Force – 6.983, 84.44

Tickets for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals are available by calling (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or logging on to www.NHRATIX.com.  

What does two Florida State Senators, a professional car race driver and a Television Sports Director all have in common?  And no, this is not a bad joke! 

All four of these professionals will be casting aside their normal vocations and become harness horse drivers on Saturday, September 13 at the inaugural Sunshine Stakes at Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village off Route 441/SR7 in Delray Beach, Florida. 

State Senators Joseph Abruzzo (D) Palm Beach and Marie Sachs (D) Palm Beach/Broward counties, local professional car race driver Tristan Nunez and Palm Beach TV 12’s Sports Director, Matt Lincoln, will all compete in a one mile harness horse race as part of the festivities at Sunshine Meadows. Nunez will also be bringing his Mazda Prototype Lites racecar that will be on display. 

In addition to the celebrity race, there will be more than $50,000 in stakes races held at the training facility on September 13 and 20^th. The races are sponsored by the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association and are for two and three-year-old trotters and pacers. 

There will be a free country fair atmosphere at Sunshine Meadows. Everyone is invited to come out and bring your lawn chairs (there is only grass seating). First race post time is 11:00 am. Rain date is the next day (Sunday). 

There will be free admission and parking, food trucks, vendor booths (free for 501C3 charities), arts and crafts, equine displays, pony rides and a children’s fun zone. 

“We wanted to show our community what a great facility we have,” said Brandon Mills, general manager at Sunshine Meadows. “And what better way than a real country fair with horse racing, displays, children’s events and now a great local celebrity race. People don’t know that we have nearly 200 acres hidden away here right off route 441 that is home to more than 600 harness racing and equestrian horses, many of whom are world champions. I hope that everyone will come out and have some fun.” 

Any vendors or 501C3 charity groups interested in being part of the two Sunshine Stakes days should contact Scott Miller at Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village by either calling 561.281.7659 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The $2,000 Cortech Performance Edge Award will go to the AMA Pro SuperBike rider who records the fastest lap in the most races during the 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing season. 

Cortech is the presenting sponsor of AMA Pro Racing's Live Timing and Scoring for both AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track. The industry-leading motorcycle gear company has been extremely gracious in allotting the winner of the prestigious Cortech Performance Edge Award a check for $2,000 following the season's conclusion at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) next month. 

With just one round and two races remaining this season, SuperBike rookie Cameron Beaubier leads three-time champion and seasoned veteran Josh Hayes by a single lap. Beaubier has recorded the fastest lap in five SuperBike races this season, including Race 1 at Daytona International Speedway, both contests at Road America, Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park and Race 1 at Mid-Ohio. 

As successful as Beaubier has been, Hayes has gone stride-for-stride with him all season. Hayes has recorded four fastest laps thus far, and if he can oust Beaubier in both races at the Kawasaki Devil's Showdown, scheduled to take place at NJMP in Millville, N.J., next month, then he will have secured the Cortech Performance Edge Award for the fourth straight year, as he's won the award every season since its inauguration in 2011. 

"Cortech is thrilled to help participate in what will be one of the more thrilling finishes in AMA Pro SuperBike," said Richard Kimes, CMO of Cortech. "Both Josh and Cameron are world-class athletes that know what it takes to perform on the edge, all of us at Cortech wish them both the best of luck at New Jersey." 

Whoever wins, there's no denying that Beaubier and Hayes have led a Yamaha attack in 2014 that has gone unrivaled. Tune into FansChoice.tv on Sept. 13-14 to catch all of the action and see who will be crowned the next Cortech Performance Edge Award recipient. For tickets and more information regarding the season finale at NJMP, please visit http://store.njmp.com/store/category/9/69/AMA-Pro-Racing/. 

Top Fuel driver J.R. Todd and Funny Car pilot Matt Hagan raced to the quickest passes Wednesday during the opening day of testing for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at historic Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. 

NHRA teams utilized the first day of the two-day open test to prepare for the world's most prestigious drag race, which will be held Aug. 27-Sept. 1 at the famed NHRA-owned multi-purpose motorsports facility that sits just west of downtown Indianapolis. The event, which will also feature the lucrative Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Top Fuel and Funny Car and many special activities with the sport’s legendary drivers to celebrate the milestone 60th anniversary, is the final race in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season and will be televised by ESPN2 with more than 10 hours of coverage on Labor Day weekend. 

Todd blasted down the historic Indy dragstrip with a category-best performance of 3.768 seconds at 314.17 mph in his Optima Batteries dragster. Todd, who comes to Indy hoping to wrap up the 10th and final position for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs, said he and his Kalitta Motorsports team were continuing to work out the bugs with his brand new race car that they introduced last weekend at Brainerd.

"We brought out a new car in Brainerd and wanted to get data on it and struggled in qualifying and didn’t make any full runs," Todd said. "The idea was to come here and see if the car is similar to Doug’s and that was the plan when we built the thing is to make it pretty identical to his car. The plan is to get some data on it and go from there and get ready for next week. Overall the plan is to get it close to the Mac Tools car so we can share info and help each other out. With them at the top and us in the No. 10 spot, the overall goal is for these cars to finish one and two at the end of the year and that is what we are striving for."

Todd, who joined the Kalitta Motorsports team at the Las Vegas race in April, leads 11th place driver Bob Vandergriff Jr. by 130 points for the 10th and final playoff spot in Top Fuel.

 "It would have been nice to wrap up the Countdown last week in Brainerd, but it is going to take a miracle for us to get bumped out of the tenth spot," Todd said. "I’m not saying it isn’t going to happen, but our main focus is the race. Take care of the race and everything else will take care of itself. It is the biggest race of the year and we don’t want to worry about the Countdown. We can just focus on getting this thing qualified hopefully Friday night solidly and go to work from there."

 Rookie driver Richie Crampton posted the day's second best time with a 3.773 at 320.97 in the GEICO/Lucas Oil dragster and defending winner Shawn Langdon, who also won the Traxxas Shootout in Top Fuel one year ago, powered to a testing best of 3.774 at 320.97 in his Al-Anabi Racing dragster. Antron Brown, 2011 U.S. Nationals winner, was fourth in his Matco Tools dragster with a 3.782 at 314.61.

 In Funny Car, Hagan was quickest with a testing best of 4.032 seconds at 309.70 mph driving an all-black Team Mopar Dodge Charger.

 "We are testing some new stuff and it is all going real well," Hagan said. "We laid down a nice number and it is fun to be out on the track with conditions and everything like that. Our car is starting to come around and running real good numbers, some of the best numbers we’ve run all year. I think we’re really starting to peak at the right time. Things are starting to come around."

 Hagan is one of the Funny Car drivers who would like to add a U.S. Nationals victory to his racing resume. Last year here he was the No. 1 qualifier and set low E.T. and top speed, which are both the current track records, but like all of his rivals, the Virginia cattle rancher wants to add his name to the list of Indy winners.

 "We are here to get tuned up for Indy," said Hagan, who has one victory this season and is seventh in the points standings. "Everybody wants to get that trophy because that is the biggest race of the year and every driver wants to put that trophy on their shelf. You don’t want to walk away from your career and say ‘I never won Indy.’"

 Robert Hight's crew chief, Mike Neff, posted the second quickest time at 4.036 at 315.42 driving the Auto Club Ford Mustang. Jack Beckman, who is 11th in points and needs a strong performance at Indy to make the Countdown playoffs, posted a 4.046 at 317.87 in his Valvoline Dodge Charger. Four-time Indy winner John Force's best lap of the day was a 4.060 at 315.34 in the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Force comes to Indy as the new points leader in Funny Car and is riding a five-race final round streak. He and Ron Capps will also decide the Funny Car final from Brainerd at Indy on Saturday during the third qualifying session.

 Force's daughter Courtney drove her Traxxas Mustang to a testing best of 4.101 at 316.45. Courtney is also trying to get her first Indy victory and follow in the footsteps of her older sister Ashley, a two-time winner of the Big Go. Courtney would also like to keep the current JFR streak of U.S. Nationals victories going, which started in 2008 with Hight.

 "It is a lot of fun coming out here for testing," she said. "It is a lot more laid back and it is exciting. It is always great being back here with the teams and the pressure is off. It kind of helps you as a driver since we will be back on this track next week for the U.S. Nationals. It is nice to get a few laps under your belt. We want to get the win at the U.S. Nationals and we start that when we get into qualifying. In the long run everyone is looking to have a consistent racecar when we get into the Countdown and this is where you prep for that."

 Steve Johnson made the only Pro Stock Motorcycle runs of the day and produced a best of 7.042 at 189.12 on his Suzuki. Former world champ Von Smith made the quickest Pro Mod run of the day with a 5.956 at 239.10 in his vintage Camaro.

Below is a listing of each Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Mod competitor’s best performance from Wednesday’s testing:

Top Fuel

1. JR Todd – 3.768,  314.17

2. Richie Crampton – 3.773,  320.97

3. Shawn Langdon – 3.774, 320.97

4. Antron Brown – 3.782, 314.61

5. Spencer Massey – 3.791, 323.19

6. Brittany Force – 3.808, 322.04

7. Billy Torrence – 3.835, 322.73

8. Tony Schumacher – 3.857, 259.31

9. Khalid alBalooshi – 3.864, 311.34

10. Leah Pritchett – 3.885, 275.56

Funny Car

1. Matt Hagan – 4.032, 309.70

2. Mike Neff (running Robert Hight car) – 4.036, 315.42

3. Jack Beckman – 4.046, 317.87

4. John Force – 4.060, 315.34

5. Tommy Johnson Jr, - 4.099, 309.49

6. Courtney Force – 4.101, 316.45

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Steve Johnson – 7.042, 189.12

Pro Mod

1. Von Smith – 5.956, 239.10

2. Billy Glidden – 6.351, 177.49

3. Danny Rowe – 6.357, 153.60

4. Steve Matusek – 6.446, 147.94

5. Mike Castellana – 13.024, 64.80

Tickets for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals are available by calling (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or logging on to www.NHRATIX.com. 

On Wednesday, August 20,  Pro Stock racer Erica Enders-Stevens, Top Fuel racer Tony Schumacher, and Funny Car racer Jack Beckman took part in a teleconference with assembled media discussing the NHRA Mello Yello Drag racing season so far. It was a lively discussion at times, and gave everyone who had the honor of listening in a glimpse into the minds of some of the top racers in professional drag racing today.

THE MODERATOR: Erica joins us after leading the Pro Stock points for the majority of the season. She'll head to Indianapolis where she'll be looking to get her No. 1 spot back before the playoffs begin with an untimely second round upset in Brainerd, she lost the point series lead, unofficially, to Jason Line. You have had a strong season. You kind of come into Indy knowing that after completion of the Brainerd race you'll lose that No. 1 spot. What's your mindset coming into that event?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: My mindset is going to be the same as it has been all year. I'm extremely blessed to be in the position I am in with, with a great team at Elite Motorsports standing behind me. But it's been a dream season up to this point. And we're hopeful to carry that momentum and that confidence through the end of the year, and I'm very optimistic about what's to come.

Q             You did have that early round exit in Brainerd. Did you and your team diagnose what happened there?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: Yes, we immediately found our problem. It was a parts failure, and we threw it in the trash and we're heading to St. Louis early next week to test prior to the U.S. Nationals. So everything will be fine and back to normal. It's just one of those fluke deals that happens occasionally. We've been fortunate enough to not encounter things like that very much this season. So I guess every once in a while it's everybody's turn to go through that. And it just so happened at Brainerd it was our turn. It was unfortunate. It certainly wasn't the comeback we were hoping for after taking those two races off in Sonoma and Seattle to get our engine program up to speed as we're bringing on two team cars starting in Indy in addition to our team driven by my husband, Richie Stevens and Shane Tucker is returning from Australia as well. So just one of those deals. But we figured the problem out and we'll be ready to go in Indy.

Q             Erica, with the momentum you had throughout the season and to kind of lose it, having to take races off, that kind of thing, now you're coming back, it wasn't really magic that you and your team had. You had a lot of effort, a lot of work. You can put all that back together. What's your take on just getting that feeling back again heading into Indy and then into the playoffs?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: Sure. The feeling that you speak of is not something that was lost. It was like I mentioned a second ago, just a fluke parts failure. I mean, there are a million and one things that have to go right in order to get a Pro Stock car to go down the racetrack and just an unfortunate situation in Brainerd. But you're absolutely right. There's a ton of effort and a lot of money spending and just blood, sweat and tears that go into our program. And we're right on track. We'll be just fine.

Q             And as far as how do you look at say Indy and how do you look the Countdown? Indy has such an aura, but perhaps the Countdown, you know, has a little bit more for you?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: Yeah, absolutely. It's how we finish the season that's going to be important. Indy obviously is the most prestigious race of the year, the Super Bowl of drag racing. So I'm very hopeful to go out there and just have a really great weekend and get our No. 1 spot back from Jason Line to go into that No. 1 seed into the Countdown into Charlotte. I don't believe any woman in a professional category has ever gone in in the No. 1 position so far. It's certainly at the top of our list of goals, but it's not detrimental if it doesn't happen, by any means. We'll just have to start out swinging in Charlotte as hard as we can and go from there and remain positive and continue to have fun as a team. And, like I said before, I'm very optimistic of what we'll be able to accomplish.

Q             What does it mean to you to know that you are on the last step to what could be an extremely historical moment, not just in drag racing, but in all forms of racing throughout the world?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: You know, it's really surreal to be in the position that we're in. But even if we aren't able to finish like we hope we can, it's been an extremely awesome season and I'm blessed to be in the position I am to drive for (team owner) Richard Freeman and Elite Motorsports, but, too, we've led the points for I guess 13 or 14 races of the year, almost the entire season. And we have four wins. We own both ends of the world record ET and speed wise. We won the K&N Challenge. So our accomplishments this year have just been awesome. It's a very surreal position to be in. And I know that we'll finish strong. I know that everything's going to be fine. And I'm very excited about the end of the year. It's hard to believe that we're already approaching the Countdown as it's gone by extremely fast. But I'm looking forward to it.

Q             And entering the U.S. Nationals, what is it, if you even can name it, about that one facility that just gets everybody excited, every driver so excited about being there and having a chance to win?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: It's just got so much history. And the legends that have raced there in the past. As a kid, I grew up watching all of these people that I looked up to, Shirley Muldowney and Bob Glidden and the ones after them, and it's just been one of those races and one of those facilities that's so awesome and holds so much history. NHRA held the first Junior Drag Racing League National Championship there in 1994. I was part of that. We run it off at that race in the eight and nine year old category and just holds a lot of really special memories there for me. In 2001 we got down to three cars out of 174 in Super Comp. And then in 2012 we were runner-up in Pro Stock as well. So I feel like I've got a lot of unfinished business there and I'm hopeful we can get it done this year. But just an awesome facility and it gives you goosebumps when you walk in the gate there. It's one of those deals that's hard to explain unless you've been there and experienced it yourself.

Q             You talked about the specialness of the event. Is there that little bit of added pressure or do you kind of get hyped up knowing that it will be a Chevy car during the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: I guess so. We certainly want to do well there for our time and for GM and Chevy Performance. But it's just a prestigious race. And I don't try to put any more weight on one race than another. They're all as equally important. Everyone is worth the same amount of points, but the U.S. Nationals is just one of those ones that would just be an added bonus to be able to put a "W" in the win column for our team. But very excited to go back.

Q             You set out the Western Swing obviously for a number of reasons. But are you at all concerned about the future of Pro Stock, Pro Stock class being that Larry Morgan said it costs him roughly $3 million a year to run his Ford. Is this becoming a lot more than a rich man's golf game, and are you concerned about the survival of the class?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: There are a lot of questions swirling around about Pro Stock as a class. You know, my team owner has, Richard Freeman, has brought a lot of things to the table, shedding light, if you will, on some of the issues that Pro Stock has. As a team that leases engines to other customers, we try to make it as affordable as possible. I mean, the engine leasing program is the most costly part of a Pro Stock program ranging from probably $800,000 to a million and a half dollars a year just to lease an engine, and of course you've got the cost associated with a race car, all the parts, your employees, travel expenses up and down the road. So I guess in the whole grand scheme of things there's a little bit of a concern about the future of Pro Stock considering we don't have full fields at some of these events. And that really stinks. I only started in 2004. So 10 years ago. And it's definitely taken a turn with the economy. So there are some issues that need to be addressed and worked through. But as a class, I mean, we have such a solid group of guys and then myself out there that are really working hard to make the class what it is. And I think we can have a really bright future. We just gotta keep working at it.

Q             Have you looked at other classes like Pro Mod and any options besides Pro Stock for your career?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: My heart and soul is in Pro Stock. I'm heavily invested. I really enjoy the challenge of driving a Pro Stock car. I love that all the pressure's on the driver's shoulder. Yes, you have to have horsepower and a really tremendous crew chief. But the cars are hard to drive. And I just love that challenge of it. I mean, I've driven a nitrous Pro Mod car and driven an alcohol Funny Car, top dragster, Super Comp, Super Gas, I've driven a lot of different classes. And I just absolutely love Pro Stock. So I'm a partner with Richard Freeman in this deal, and I feel confident that this is probably where I'll finish my career. I mean, given the attitude, I'll probably drive anything, but I absolutely love Pro Stock.

Q             Erica, with your dominating performance from Elite Motorsports in the horsepower part, how much will heat and humidity come against you at the U.S. Nationals?

ERICA ENDERS-STEVENS: Being that Pro Stock is naturally aspirated, they like cool, dry weather. They run better in those conditions. The past few years at Indy has been kind of a roller coaster as far as weather is concerned. 100 degrees one day and the next day a storm came through and we're racing in 50 and 60 degree temperatures. You never really know what to expect in the Midwest, but I'm excited to go back. And I've never had crew chiefs like I have right now. (Crew chiefs) Rick and Ricky Jones are just brilliant and very methodical and analytical, and I'm really proud to be teamed up with them this year and I have all the confidence in the world we'll be just fine in Indy. And no matter what Mother Nature gives us, I'll be excited to drive and I know that they'll do a great job for us.

THE MODERATOR: Next up: Tony Schumacher is the most decorated Top Fuel driver in NHRA history. He'll head into Indy to try to win the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals for the 10th time and break a record he currently holds with Pro Stock great Bob Glidden for the most wins here at the Big Go. The seven-time Top Fuel world champion also has his eyes set on winning another world championship. Tony, you've had a very special relationship with Indy. What makes this facility so special for you?

TONY SCHUMACHER: Oh, man. Back in '96, I was hired to drive Top Fuel by the Peek Brothers, and licensed in Denver, Colorado, and got licensed on Sunday and on Monday we left for the U.S. Nationals. Showed up, qualified 16th, and that was the same year we lost Blaine Johnson and Elmer Trett. But we went to the final round. And I mean it was very special. It's been that way for nearly 60 years. A lot of people have been able to live some great moments here. And fortunately for me, we're one of the teams that have been blessed with some of the best moments.

Q             Tony, athletes always talk about they never look at the stats during their career. They always look at them afterwards. But does it give you pause, when you see your name's next to Bob Glidden or next to Don Garlits. Do you ever just think, wow, and kind of revel in that?

TONY SCHUMACHER: No question about it. You're right, we don't look at the numbers. Definitely the media points them out, over and over. And I think there's no doubt that we know coming into this race that we have a chance to do something that no one's ever done. And I think it adds to the pressure. And I like that. I enjoy the pressure. But to be named with guys like who as a kid who would think your name would be listed with those kinds of names and to be in a position to have a chance to even beat some of those records. It's just… I really firmly believe I've had a very blessed life and some great teams and capable of being part of the situations and moments that we're just spectacular.

Q             Tony, certainly of course you mentioned it already, certainly tracks, some tracks have more tradition than others and Indy is certainly one of those. And so many classes come to this particular race, which means there's so many drivers there. What mindset would you recommend to all competitors heading into an important race at this very important track?

TONY SCHUMACHER: I think just show up prepared. You know, we're not coming here to have a great big party. Let the fans do that, and prepare for the moment. And it's not just the drivers and teams I'm talking to. It's kids all over the place. For the media, when I do 200 speeches a year to kids. And I ask many of them: How many of you had a test this week. All of them have their hands up, because they're in school. I say, how many studied so hard you were going to get an A? They all put their hands down, laugh and giggle. I say ‘That's fine,’ But what day will you stop not preparing. What day will you show up 100 percent prepared so you leave nothing on the table and get an A plus? Because in school, like basically based on a curve, but once you graduate, that curve goes away, man. Teachers have been teaching for way too long that everyone wins and everyone gets a trophy. I will guarantee you, that is not true. That is not life. It's not how life works. I get to the finish line and my win light comes on I get a trophy. If I get there, there's no win light, they don't also give me a trophy. Even though I was pretty close, and it was a heck of an effort, nothing. You just lose. I say you show up prepared. You eat right. Get the sleep you need. You try to win Indy. You make sure if you get beat, and you can, 15 cars are going to get beat in every class, you can walk away with your head held high that you brought everything and left nothing on the table. I think it's something that people forget. They show up and it's overwhelming and it's too big, and no, it's not. Somebody's going to win. Force the issue. I heard Erica earlier say we've got a good car and I hope, I hope. No, don't hope, force the issue. It's always been my opinion. Leave nothing on the table. Show up prepared and be a machine.

Q             As far as getting that record, you've got a lot of records. You get the possibility of coming away with another record at Indy. What's that mean to you, knowing that that's on the line?

TONY SCHUMACHER: It's fantastic. I thank God it's on the line because I'm a better driver when the pressure is big. I always have been. The easy races I tend to make mistakes on, the ones that don't matter. This one matters. And I know that people go oh, they're all the same. Well, this is Indy. And this is a chance. And you're not going to have that many chances. I get to drive another 10 years maybe. You're not going to have that many chances to go out and win it. People fight their whole life to win Indy once. There was a long period where we were the only car that was fast. It's not like that anymore. It's going to be difficult to win. And knowing it's going to be difficult to win is what makes us good. We'll have to try that much harder. I don't know where I'm going to find more, because I feel like I give everything I’ve got every time, but we always seem to come up with it when we need it. Always seem to find, whether it's the pressure, the rise of the heartbeat, the energy that comes with it, I don't know what it is. But we get better in these big moments.

Q             I wanted to ask you about the current state of competition for a number of years we had streaking champions. You put together a long run of course, and John in the Funny Car. Last several years, though, the championship's been swapped around in practically every class. Is there something that stands out to you as a primary reason for the change there?

TONY SCHUMACHER: Most definitely. For a long time there was just me and Alan Johnson or even Alan and (Gary) Scelzi before that. There was one car that was extremely good and a lot of people trying to catch up. We developed a few extra teams. They got our knowledge. Alan Johnson left and formed a few teams that had the same knowledge. And all of a sudden we had five or six teams and then seven or eight, it really became almost up to 10 teams now that are great in all the classes. That being said, if I was going to pay money to go to a race in any sport, I would choose this right now. It is better. It is better because the drivers who came from Junior Drag Racing League, something NHRA started not that long ago, circle track racing, they've had go carts and these kids come up get better and better. Drag racing didn't have that. I waited until I was 16 and got a car and went to the local racetrack. Now we're racing these kids that are trained since they're eight. And now I think they just brought it down to six years old where they're going to learn to go down a drag strip from an early age. By the time they work their way up into the pro classes they're going to be outstanding drivers. It's what we hope for. And I hope my kids are better than me. That's what  as a dad, that's what I aspire to raise my kid to be great. I hope people remember me for a good race car driver but a great father. These kids are getting better and more well trained and you're seeing them be great drivers. Garlits was a great driver. But Garlits was a great mechanic. He drove his car around. He's a great innovator. I don't know if he drove against the kids now if he would be as good as a driver as he was all around the machine. He did everything. And over the years, football players have done the same thing. You get bigger and stronger and you're trained well and you have agents and you have people showing you how to do it and doctors and mind doctors and body doctors and chiropractors, all this stuff making your body in shape ready for this intense race. We all have it now. And the driving level has gotten so good. These people are fantastic. And it makes the older guys like myself have to step up and work out more and try harder because these young guys are just prepared.

Q             What about the technology, has the best technology been spread more around the sport, too?

TONY SCHUMACHER: Oh, absolutely. And, again, with Alan Johnson, he worked with Mike Green, my crew chief. They worked together and Alan left and Mike came to my car. Now we had all this technology, and then he started two new cars and it spread.  And it not only spread, but it educated a lot of crew chiefs who were already very smart but helped along the way and made a number of great crew chiefs. And over the years last year, the season the year before, you expect this guy leaves, this car leaves and they've stuck together. And we've had teams two, three years now that have worked well together. And they learn each other and they get better as a team. And I show up on race day, last week qualified sixth, racing the car of Leah Pritchett, and it's not going to be an easy race. This is a car that doesn't run every race but look at how fast they can run. There's a lot of guys with some great knowledge and it makes the trophy that sits on the shelves valuable. It's hard to earn it. It's more difficult and it makes it more gratifying. And for the fans paying money, they're getting a show. They're getting their money's worth. We are entertainers. As much as I would like to think I'm a professional race car driver and athlete and all this stuff, we're entertainers. If we can entertain, we can fill the stands. If we can get that across to people, they're going to come out to these races that's what we have to do. And nobody wants to see an easy game. Nobody wants to see a one lane racetrack and I think lately it's been outstanding. At Brainerd, I lost by 5,000th of a second. Doug Kalitta put a strapping to me. And he worked me. And it's like, man, these races are great. They're not good, they're fantastic. I think for us, NHRA and Mello Yello drag racing, trying to sell a ticket to show people  to come out, you're going to see something exciting, that's what we're doing. We're giving outstanding racing. And I know fans complain about 1320 and we drop it down to a thousand feet; I think you're seeing better racing than you ever did by far at quarter-mile racing.

Q             Interesting comments you've already made. I'd like to know who taught you how to be so intense and to gain what you want to gain and do your children understand now the importance of what a tenth win would mean to you?

TONY SCHUMACHER: I don't know that they understand yet. My oldest son is 12. I don't know if he understands how important this one is to me. I don't know that at that young age you can even… I mean, you're still having fun. They're still having fun. They play baseball and they win and they lose, and they're reaching the age where winning is important. Up until now they were  heck, I played musical chairs with my kids not that long ago, and the teacher had six chairs laid out and there were six kids. So I moved a chair and she goes oh, no, no, they all win. I was like wow, no, they don't. I think I was daddy's helper that day. I was kind of an angry daddy's helper. You're raising weak kids. I'm sorry, that's not true. I wish I got As in school but the teacher didn't give them to me just because I showed up. You have to earn this stuff. And I have that attitude. And I've had it for a long time. I can say that when I was younger I probably didn't have it. I don't know where I learned it. My father's a fantastic leader. My team, my crew chiefs have been outstanding to work with, each and every one of them. And I think really they've taught me. Being gifted in one way that I drive for the Army has been the best gift I've ever had. These are people that I'm surrounded with every day that can't lose. And that attitude rubs off. It rubs off on me, my crew chief, Mike Green, and Neal (Strausbaugh, asst. crew chief) and my guys. We all talk about how important it is to be surrounded by great people. And when you're around that good of quality people, you learn a way to figure out how to win. Whether it's through the adversity of losing, which we have seen through the last year, you get beat, you realize you don't like this. This is not how we are. And you figure it out. Smart people with education get together and figure out how to win. And I get to watch this. And it's just whatever rubbed off on me, I won't say at a young age, but at a medium young age, I'm glad it happened. I'm glad I went through the trials and tribulations of all kinds of tough things to get to where I'm at. Because buying a race car and going fast isn't what it's about. It's figuring out how to win. I won't race forever. Whatever job I take next, whatever I go off and do, I'm going to have to figure out how to be good. And all these years of difficult situations, like racing, is a test. School ended for me years ago. Learning never has. It will always continue to go on.  I need to put myself around the right people to keep myself in the right direction. I think it's part of the lessons I teach during my speeches. Surround yourself with the right people. We always have centers of influence around us. The Army does and steers people in or out of the Army, away from it. And it's important to be around people that influence you correctly, that give you the right mindset to go into the game. Our battles are very intense. Very few sports do you sit at the starting line and you can see the goal, 1,000 feet away. The cone. That's the win. When you get there first you're going to be the champ. And being able to prepare for that moment really comes down to the people you surround yourself with every day.

Q             You always answer so definite and so awesomely. So one last question for you. Every drag race out there, every location seems to be the same. It's a thousand foot or it used to be a quarter mile and such. What is it about Indianapolis, about the U.S. Nationals that makes it so much bigger than almost any other facility used by the NHRA?

TONY SCHUMACHER: I wish I could give you that. I think it's you guys. I think it's the media that builds it so big. And we appreciate that. We need that. Because you're right, the racetrack, I could be in Iowa. Makes no difference. A thousand feet is a thousand feet. You're told so often how big it is that the fans believe it. And when the fans believe it they show up for a race and over the years, you know, there would be so many cars that would show up to race, it became more difficult. It was a harder race to win. It pays more money. It makes you just, makes you want to win it. And I probably have more people that want to win it because we've won it so many times, the Kalittas and Dixons and the guys that we've beaten in the finals, we've taken those away. They're just aching to win this race. I watched Langdon last year, as excited as they get when they win this race it seems like they're winning a championship. If you can't be the world champ they've always said this is the race you want to win to almost make it a little more, to ease the pain a little bit of not having that championship.

Q             I think you figured out your future. When you get out of the seat, I'm ready to strap in and squeeze the trigger. That's very motivational. How big is the win at Indy in starting to the run for the championship, how big is that win, putting that one, another notch in the belt, looking down the road to that big trophy at Pomona?

TONY SCHUMACHER: Oh, it's huge. And it's always been a question, should it be included in the Countdown. Is it a great place to end the battle. To me it doesn't really matter. It's such a massive race. You need this momentum. You need it. You need to go to the first race knowing you won the last one, you've got six to go. And I love golf, but you don't get to drop a ball, you can't kick the ball back on the fairway. You get beat, it's over. It's so quick and so nasty. No 500 laps. No other chance. And I think showing that you can win these four rounds, get that win at Indianapolis and go on with six races to go with absolutely no mistakes to be made, not one, you can't even think about making a mistake to win the championship. You have to be a machine, the whole team has to be perfect and flawless and having that momentum coming out of Indy is absolutely…it's possibly the most important thing you could see in the Countdown.

Q     I expect you to have that trophy.

TONY SCHUMACHER: I do too. But getting beat last week by (Doug) Kalitta will help me win Indy. He put a whooping on me. He did a better job driving a race car than I did last week. It will make me step up this week.

THE MODERATOR: OK, thanks for your time Tony. Now we are joined by Jack Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champion, heading into the final race of the regular season on the outside looking in. His primary mission at Indy will be to earn enough points to secure a Top 10 position and advance into the Countdown playoffs. Armed with a new crew chief in Todd Okuhara, Beckman will be one of the drivers to watch coming up next week. Jack, talk about that. You have the new crew chief with Todd. The car seemed to respond and run well in Brainerd. Are you close to kind of getting everything back together to make that one last run into the top 10?

JACK BECKMAN: I think. That's the plan. I feel we painted ourselves into the corner. We win a lot of races just kind of being mediocre, and the fact that we're not in the top 10, I'm in a position I've never been in in my entire nitro career this far into the season without a guaranteed spot into the Countdown. Even though the Countdown is relatively new, we've been only doing it since, what, '07, I think, it's just something that's unfamiliar to me, and it's been very frustrating. When I was a kid I thought I would give anything just to drive one of these cars. But I think once you've been to the top of the mountain you've won races, won a championship, you set your expectations a lot higher. So I think that we've made changes to go in the right direction to get this car into the Countdown. We just need to hope it's not too late.

Q             You did have success at this event last year, winning the shootout in spectacular fashion. Does that give you a little bit of confidence coming back into this track?

JACK BECKMAN: I just think it's how you take it. It can if you want it to. And it really makes no difference because it's a different year and it's different weather. Yes, it's the same racetrack, but right now it just started raining. We just made our run in testing. I ran up to the media tower and they shut off the next pair because it's raining. So the weather does so much to a racetrack with what it does to the rubber sticking there, that we won't even have the same racetrack next week that we're testing on right now let alone the same one as last year. So I'm always confident going in. I don't think because I've won two shootouts here it necessarily makes me more confident coming back to Indy.

Q             Jack, you understand the elements of drag racing both as a driver and as an instructor from your past. And you mentioned how important it is for you at this point in the juncture of the season. Is there a better time to be digging deep and could you explain what really digging deep is, a place like Indy?

JACK BECKMAN: That's not my saying and that's never been my saying. I don't know what the hell it means. I think digging deep can put you in a deeper hole sometimes. I think the drivers that say that, I think their intent is meaning finding something within yourself over and above what you've been displaying. Boy, I'd like to think that I bring my "A" game up there even in qualifying. So to say we'll just try harder because this round is more important, to me that's basically admitting you haven't done your best every other round before. I just want to continue doing the best that I can each time I go up to the starting line.

Q             As far as getting some momentum like having a good race at Indy, do you think momentum is as easy to achieve as it is to retrieve?

JACK BECKMAN: You know, that's a great question. And not to be sarcastic, but parachutes take away all the momentum at the end of the strip. You know, I think momentum in nitro racing means that you find that niche with your tune up where it's responding well to everything and you have enough clutch disks to get you 20 or 30 more runs without having to run out of one and replace it, that's what tends to put us in slumps or throw us a curveball. And to stick with that term, "momentum," yeah, we just haven't had any of that this year. We'd have a good car for a few runs and then it would hiccup. It would throw us a curveball. We thought we were going in the right direction and then it wouldn't. We'd either get outrun or smoke the tires. I think that bringing Todd Okuhara back, and when I say back, when I started driving at Schumacher racing in 2006, Todd was my crew chief. So it's very familiar to be around him to me even though we haven't been in the same trailer for several years. I think the intent of all of this is to give us back some direction. And what you need to do is be able to get your car to the finish line and make it predictable. Once you make it predictable, then you can lean on it and make it quick. And a quick, predictable car is pretty damned hard to beat. If you want to see that, look at what (John) Force and Robert Hight have been able to do this year. That's what two quick and predictable cars will do. They take home a lot of trophies. We've been one or the other, but not both this year. So I think that's where we're trying to get back to, is quick and predictable.

Q             You had great success in 2012 when you had a crew chief swap then. You've had another crew chief swap recently. How close are you to getting all the pieces put together to really mount that campaign in order to get into the top 10 but charge hard for the championship?

JACK BECKMAN: I don't mean to sound glib with you guys, but if you can fault us drivers in our interviews, we tend to be so cliché, it gets predictable. And we tend to put such a rosy spin on everything, that you really…  I wish most of these interviews were conducted at lunch over food. So you really got to understand what we were thinking and why we were thinking it. The reality is I don't know the answer to your question. With nitro in the tank and 10,000 horsepower, it's very difficult for me to tell you that we are back on track and we're going to be great. So what I'll go off of is track records. And everything I've seen Todd Okuhara do in my entire nitro career has been to take cars and make them run fast and make them run consistent and turn them into race winners. So with just knowing that, I feel much more confident about our ability to be able to go rounds here at Indy and get into the top ten. I would be surprised, I'd be devastated, and I'd also be surprised if we don't make the top ten. Tim Wilkerson's in tenth right now. It's a single car. Tim runs it on a pretty tight budget. Tim owns the car, finds the money for it, tunes the thing and drives the thing. I'm a hired driver on a seven car team for Don Schumacher Racing. And the amount of resources we have are very impressive. We have a lot of smart people over here that are able to put their heads together. If we can't get this Valvoline car into the Countdown, I'd be devastated, but it means that we didn't earn it.

Q             Number one, let me say I applaud you in your answer. You're so very respectful. So my question to you is quite simple. Have you ever faced such a challenge during a racing season and what did you do at that time to overcome the issues?

JACK BECKMAN: That's an interesting question. It's an interesting term when people say "overcome." I would say more to deal with it. I had a student at the school ask me one time, well, how do you do it? You never get nervous. I said I'm human. I get nervous. They said but you don't show it. Okay. It's how you manage it, how you deal with it. You don't necessarily overcome it. You manage it. You try to control it more than let it control you. Yeah, I've had some big moments, going up there. There's a lot of races where you're not qualified going into the last session and the bump spot's pretty slow. And you know if you get in trouble and you do a good job pedaling the car, you can get the thing in. And let me tell you that's a Mount Everest, when you're looking against it. Pomona 2012, we're leading Ron Capps by two points. First round, they go up there, they win. They're now ahead of us. We have to win. We do. We go back ahead by two points. Second round, they run in front of us. They go out there and win. Those were huge moments. And again one of you had mentioned digging deep. I just think that that's a cliché that some coach came up with. You know, you should be bringing that level every single time you step up there. Every single time. So there's times that I don't have a very good light. There's times that I have tremendously good lights. Is that because I dug deeper? I don't know. Something in my thought processes, my eyes weren't focused as well. In other words, I'm capable of doing really well and I'm capable of being mediocre up there. What I have to do is not think about that. I just have to do the things that are necessary for me to be the best I possibly can every time I step on that throttle and for four seconds while I'm guiding that thing down the drag strip and hope that everything that the crew did back in the pits, that everything that Todd Okuhara, Chris Cunningham and Terry Snyder did made that car quick enough to be better than the car in the other lane. It's a ruthless sport. You know I was listening to your guys questions to Tony and he had mentioned this is one of the few sports where you can see the finish line from the starting line. So it's kind of a lot like a 100 yard dash, except there's not eight people. And there's not a second place. If you're not the winner, you lost the race. Our sport is very cruel the way it defines each heat and then the ultimate winner. NASCAR, they're delighted for a top 5 finish. You never see a drag racer who loses second round jumping up and down because he finished top 5. It's very tough on emotions out here. And when you do this a lot of time have a lot of those big moments, you just learn to temper them a little more. The highs may not be so high, and the lows not so low. And I'll stick to my last comment: If we don't get in the Countdown, it's not because of dumb luck. We had a throttle cable break on us. We were staged in oil in one race. But the reality is those two rounds didn't put us in the position that we were in, it was the course of 17 races that have got us here. So we've painted ourselves into a corner. We've put ourselves into a position where we have to be damn near flawless at Indy to get in there. Now that's just the battle. But that's the only thing I can think about right now is Indy. Our goal is to run for the championship, which it isn't possible if we're not in the Countdown.

Q             Sounds to me like you just described not just drag racing and running for a championship, but life in general. So I applaud you and we'll see you at Indy?

JACK BECKMAN: Thanks to all you guys. Tony made a comment that you are the guys that make this race big. You guys are the ones that keep this sport alive. If it's not for the reporters and the announcers and photographers, we really don't have anything to present to people except the ones in the stands. So thank you guys for caring and doing great jobs.