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Forsberg also got a 410 win in Chico in the A&A Motorsports no. 92.
Andy Forsberg and the Forsberg Racing team recently traveled from their Auburn, California home to Petaluma, California for round one of 360 Civil War Series. The California Sprint Car Civil War Race Series features limited 360 cubic-inch Sprint Cars competing in multiple events, at several different California Speedways, between March and October. The series started back in the early '90's and has recently grown astronomically in popularity among both racers and spectators.
The Car Civil War Series win was only Forsberg's third night out in the F&F X1, and it was the team's first ever win at Petaluma Speedway.
The K&N sponsored Forsberg posted the time to beat, and went on to finish third in his heat race. Then, for the second consecutive evening an eight-pill was drawn for the A-main inversion, positioning Forsberg on the outside of row four. The track was uneven and heavy, but fast. Forsberg picked his way through the field and on lap 24 he made his move for the lead. He never looked back for the remaining six laps, claiming the victory in only his third night out in the F&F X1. The win was the first ever for the F&F X1 team at Petaluma Speedway, and their first Civil War victory since May of 2008.
The F&F X1 is owned by brothers-in-law Steve Tucheli and Alan Bradway. Both men have a long and storied family history with racing, and both raced up until 2002, when they decided to quit racing and join forces as car owners. The result is the Friends and Family (F&F) team. They opted to use the X1 number that Bradway's dad, Dave Sr., used for many years. Dave was a multiple Northern California Modified champion. And the family connection runs even deeper, as Forsberg's dad, Richard, raced against all of them and the families were all good friends. Forsberg also raced against Tucheli and Bradway growing up and would joke how one day he would drive for them. It took nine seasons, but he finally got his chance, and he didn't disappoint.
"Things are going pretty well so far this season, we have two wins under our belt, the Civil War win at Petaluma, and a 410 win in Chico in the A&A Motorsports no. 92," Forsberg told K&N Race News.
"The X1 team and I seem to be working well together and I think we can keep getting faster as we learn more about each other. Our goals for 2011 are to race for the Placerville Track Championship, and the CA Civil War Series Championship, along with various open 360 shows throughout the season. We race the A&A Motorsports no. 92 410 on Fridays in Chico, California and during the winter."
During the off season Forsberg kept busy building his own car, reviving the traditional red Forsberg no. 92. It's been since 2004 since that the Forsberg family has fielded their own car. Forsberg raced the first four National ASCS races in February, and ran a few Non-Wing USAC races early in the season before the F&F and A&A season got underway.
"We set an 82 race schedule for 2011 split between the 3 teams, F&F X1, A&A Motorsports, and the Forsberg no. 92," said Forsberg. "The F&F X1 races are all the Civil War and Placerville point races, the A&A Motorsports no. 92 races are all the Friday Chico 410 races, as well as a few King of the West shows and the World of Outlaws when they come to the Gold Cup. The Forsberg Family no. 92 races anywhere the other teams don't. It is definitely a crazy schedule, but we have a great group of guys, great sponsors doing everything they can, and lots of support from all the families involved."
Forsberg will be back in the F&F X1 on Friday May, 13th for a Civil War race and on the 14th the F&F X1 and Forsberg will be in Placerville, California for a 360 points race.
Tommie Phillips wins the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas
While Forney, Texas resident, Tommy Phillips will be the first to admit his 2011 season didn't start off the way he had hoped, he has more than made up for it with his latest streak of wins. The first being his double up at the IHRA Nitro Jam event in San Antonio, TX where we won both the 8.90 [Quick Rod] and 9.90 [Super Rod] classes and earned berths into the IHRA Tournament of Champions later this year. More recently, Phillips added another victory to his 2011 resume with his Super Comp win at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Texas, the twenty-second NHRA National Event of his outstanding career. The Wally also marked his third consecutive triumph at the annual event winning in Super Gas last season and Super Comp in 2009.
Tommie Phillips' Tigerflow/K&N Engineering TNT-Suns Super Comp dragster
Wheeling one of his Tigerflow/K&N Engineering TNT-Suns dragsters at Houston, Phillips landed himself number sixteen on the ladder after his 8.953 win in round one. That may not have put Phillips on the ladder exactly where he had hoped, but with the way the rest of the rounds went, quickly changed that thinking with a string of luck that Phillips seemed to be lacking in races earlier this season.
Phillips next shut down Bob Collins in round two by not being too greedy at the stripe and taking a .013 margin for the win light and that moved him on to round three for his first of two redlight round wins.
"Sometimes it just goes your way," said Phillips. "I really haven't had much luck in Super Comp over the last year. This weekend I got a lot of breaks, it was like payback in a way. I guess I should lobby for NHRA to have more races here in Houston," he joked.
In the final Phillips would line up against first time NHRA National Event finalist, Larry Thomason. Phillips used his .017 starting line advantage coupled with some veteran finish line driving to easily push Thomason out and way under the 8.90 index all while posting a safe 8.911 for the Super Comp title.
"I'm just happy to get a win for Tigerflow and K&N, and each of our associate sponsors. Those companies and individuals have really stepped up to bring the Philco Motorsports team to the next level. Without their involvement I wouldn't be out here, much less be able to enjoy this type of success," said Phillips.
Summit Racing/Hot Rod Hardware Pro Stock Pontiac GXP
While it may seem as a common feat to some, there are many drivers who never get to experience the major accomplishment of landing the number one qualifying position at an NHRA National event in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class. Until the NHRA rolled into Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas for the Spring Nationals, Jacksonville, North Carolina's Ronnie Humphrey was still looking to scratch that off his "to-do" list.
Ronnie Humphrey wins NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway
"It was a dream that was unexpected," admitted Humphrey of his career first pole. "My goal is just to be good on Sunday in any position, but to be able to get the number one was a great accomplishment."
Humphrey is part of the KB Racing Pro Stock team and with his qualifying triumph in Houston can now understand the excitement that his Summit Racing/Hot Rod Hardware teammates, Greg Anderson and Jason Line have experienced so many times before.
It's not the norm for the very first qualifying session to have the best air conditions of the weekend, as was the case at Houston. Humphrey sailed to the number one spot posting a 6.571 at 211.16 MPH with Rodger Brogdon on his tail and an identical 6.571 only losing out on the number one with his ever-so-slightly slower 210.93 MPH.
Ronnie Humphrey at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas
Although Humphrey himself may not have a lot of Pro Stock laps down the track at Houston, there is no lack of information that is shared between the three KB Racing teams. "We were right there neck and neck," said Humphrey of he and Brogdon during session one. "Our team just made the right pass at the right time."
The weather and track conditions, while still decent, for the remainder of the three sessions Friday and into Saturday were never quite as good to the teams as session one. Humphrey was unable to improve on his first pass of the event, but he did manage to post the second best ET's of the class during sessions two and four and hung on for the very first NHRA Pro Stock number one qualifier right along with the K&N Horsepower Challenge $3,000 Low Qualifier Bonus.
"It was just all so exciting," he said. "We have great equipment, great crew chiefs and we just have a good driver that's gotta get better. Hopefully we can repeat this, but as we all know NHRA Pro Stock is extremely competitive."
With only a handful of events remaining to qualify for the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge, to be held at Norwalk in June, Humphrey currently sits on the outside with little chance of getting in, other than the fan pick. But for Humphrey, he is already setting the stage to be ready to go for the 2012 Challenge and a shot at the $50,000 payday.
"I just went into this event with a different mind approach," he admitted. "The first two races of the season we were being challenged by the car, the last two races we were running pretty well. But I had been putting a lot of peer pressure on myself to try to make those perfect runs. All I did was stop thinking and just make it happen."
"Actually, I made six good runs," he continued. "When I say good runs, you know where the shift points need to be and that type of thing. I just need to go to the next step, as far as the driver side of it and quit thinking about the starting line and just go make it happen."
The teams have the weekend off for Mother's Day and will return in full force when the NHRA Full Throttle Series rolls into Commerce, Georgia for the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway May 13-15.
Teams are looking to secure their spot in the 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge. Current standings shown an extremely close competition throughout the pack and it starts right at the top with Jason Line and Allen Johnson who are tied with 2,380 points, K&N's Mike Edwards trails the pair by a 80 points and Greg Anderson, Ron Krisher, Rodger Brogdon and V. Gaines wrap up the top seven.
While the field may very well still have some bumps and moves over the next several events before it is set, fans can still vote for their favorite NHRA Pro Stock Driver that will fill the eighth and final spot. Also as part of the popular K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstake, eight finalists will win a trip to this year's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, where they will be randomly paired with one of the drivers in this year's 2011 K&N Horsepower Challenge . The lucky finalist whose Pro Stock driver wins the Challenge will be awarded an '11 Explorer courtesy of K&N Engineering and Ford.
There are just some tracks for drivers where no matter what, they can't seem to ever get out of first round and there are other tracks where the stars just seem to align no matter what, and one of those tracks for K&N Vice President of Research and Development, Steve Williams is Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho.
Steve Williams' 1963 Dennis Sarmento built Corvette Roadster
"Man, it was really-really cold up there," said the Loma Linda, California resident. "It was so cold that it rained on Friday, then all of the sudden it stopped and the sun came out and we started doing time runs and then about half-way into time runs, it started snowing. I don't think it got about forty or forty-one and the track temp couldn't have been more than fifty-five or sixty. But amazingly enough, the New family prepped the track and kept it sprayed and it was great how many cars got down that track without any trouble."
Unlike Super Gas racers who run on the east coast whose quarter-mile index stays a steady 9.90, folks in the west deal with many different indexes due to the huge changes in track altitude from one facility to the next. "I think we actually have four or five indexes out here," said Williams. "You have the regular 9.90, then Vegas at 10.05, Boise is 10.20, Fallon is 10.30. Then I believe Tucson is 10.18 You just adjust your throttle stop timer numbers and usually have to adjust your low stall (what rpm the engine goes to during time on throttle stop).
Williams wheeled his faithful 1963 Dennis Sarmento built Corvette Roadster, loaded up with a 565 BBC, through the Super Gas rounds and met up with Dairld Wurtz in the final. And where he didn't have the advantage on the tree, Williams' being the veteran that he is trusted his car and played the stripe to push Wurtz to .016 under the 10.20 index for the NHRA Division 6 Super Gas Wally.
"It was just one of those races where it was kinda hard because there were a lot of redlights and you didn't want to go red, so you kinda had to live with lights that were maybe a little bit slower than they normally would be," explained Williams. "To be honest, I probably didn't drive that well, but the car was just awesome."
"Over the last five years going to this event, I have had five finals. Four wins and one runner-up," he said. "I think Boise will stay on our schedule each year for now."
"The really cool part again about this whole trip was having my wife Janet and daughter Shelby there," he noted. "They get to go to some races with me, but not all of them and My wife's mom and dad live in Boise. So we always go up there for the division race and they get to visit and I get to race. Everyone was there for Sunday and anytime my wife and Shelby are with me when I win, it just makes it extra special."
Being the Vice President of Research and Development for K&N Engineering, and an avid drag racer, allows Williams to test numerous new products, on the very cars he competes with, along with working closely with many of the racers he encounters at each of the events he participates in.
"Three weeks ago, we made some additional pieces of carbon for our hood scoops, so we were testing that," he said of the product testing on his race cars. "We are always messing around with something including using a little bit of a different throttle stop that we are working on with [Number] One stop."
Although K&N offers over six thousand different air filters, when it comes to drag or any type of racing, there are still numerous one-of-a-kind combinations and Steve Williams is the first to step up during an event to help the racers get the K&N protection that they need for their special application.
"At many events, I'll go into R&D mode," he explained. "In a lot of cases for different guys it needs to be a little bit smaller top, or maybe slightly shorter, or else it needs to be oblong. So it allows me to get a firsthand view of what the challenge is that the racer is experiencing that wants an air filter. Then I can take those dimensions back to the guys at our R&D shop and we can make them a one-off K&N filter."
Williams is planning on running a heavier race schedule for 2011, one that started with a runner-up at the NHRA WinterNationals in Pomona and only a few events later, a win in Boise.
Because of the mutual respect Cody has with his cousin and teammate Jake, racing together is always enjoyable.
Cody Swanson, the 2010 USAC Western States Midgets Rookie of the Year, spent the last two Saturdays at Ventura Speedway in Ventura, California, competing in the Ventura Racing Association (VRA) Midget Series. And, although Swanson had some unforeseeable mishaps, the misfortunes were bracketed by illuminating glimmers of what's possible when Cody and his new car get to know each other a bit better. Despite the period of adjustment with his new ride, Swanson still managed two top-ten finishes (a tenth and seventh place). K&N Race News started the conversation with the lower radius rod that took him out of serious contention in the second round of the VRA series.
K&N sponsored Cody Swanson hopes to have all the bugs worked out of his new car in time for round four of the VRA series.
Why do you figure the front tire rubbed the lower radius rod during this race, did you just turn more than normal, or was it the track, and has that happened before?
"The right front tire rubbing the radius rod is a problem that has just come up this year. We built a new car this season with Jeff Wahl at Edmunds Autoresearch, and we used some components off of last year's Ellis Race car. The Wheels were among those components. The Edmunds Chassis is significantly wider than our old Ellis and so as a result the tires come closer to the suspension components when crossed up in a corner."
"On that restart that I referred to, I did get in the corner harder than normal. The field was bunched together and I saw this as a good opportunity to pass some of the guys in front of me, so I drove the car into the corner a little harder and when that happened the tire rubbed the radius rod and it actually rubbed so much that it locked up the tire. I was able to save it and keep it running by driving it up into the infield, but as you can imagine, I lost a whole lot of spots."
"During the week in between races we were able to come up with a quick fix to get us by for the next race. It will be a very easy fix though, all we need to do is buy a different offset right front wheel and the problem will be gone. It was just one little thing we overlooked while building the new car that came back to bite us. The reason why it didn't affect us at all until just now is because our two races before these were on a track surface that had much more traction."
You mention having a lot of fun moving up through the pack with your cousin and Swanson Motorsports teammate Jake Swanson, Tell us a bit about Jake, how long has he been with the team?
"This is Jakes third season running in the Midget series. We have a lot of fun whenever we are around each other mainly because we know we can trust each other out on the track. Some racers you really have to be carefully about passing, there's some dirty racing that takes place, but with Jake, I know that I can race him close and hard, because there's that mutual respect, and that's when racing is the most fun."
Round three of the VRA series went even better, including a win in the B-Main over Kory Kruseman on his home track how did that feel?
"That B main was a blast! We had a great set-up in the car and I knew it was going to be tough. Josh Ford, Josh Lakatos, Chris Ennis, and Kruseman are a few of the names that were in that race. All of them finished in the top 5 in the previous race. I knew It was gonna be tough. I got the jump on the start and got out to an early lead but I knew Cory would be coming fast. I believe he started fourth. He was charging hard, but only really caught me in the last three laps when I caught up in lapped traffic, but I was able to hold him off and took the win."
Talk about your round three move in the A-Main in turns one and two, why do you believe that move didn't work as planned?
"I didn't adjust the car as much as I needed to under the caution. We have adjustable shocks all the way around on the car, so I am able to do quick adjustments as needed on the track."
"Turn one and two was a lot drier than three and four at the end of the race, so in order to be fast on the top, I needed to free up the front shocks to get the weight back to the rear end. This tightens the car up and would give me more forward drive. Problem was I only went about half as much as I needed."
"It is a fine line because it is easy to adjust too far, and that would just make things worse, so I tried to play it safe. Next time I'll know better, especially at the point in the race."
Cody Swanson Motorsports returns to Ventura Speedway May, 14 for round four of the VRA series.
