Chris McGaha knew he had the talent and a car capable of winning in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Now that he has earned his first Pro Stock victories, it could signal the start of a strong run for the Odessa, Texas, native.
McGaha and his Harlow Sammons Racing Chevrolet Camaro visited the winner’s circle for the first time ever at Sonoma, capping off a dominant weekend that also included his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the 2015 season, then followed a week later with another triumph at the NHRA Northwest Nationals outside of Seattle.
Heading towards the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship on a good note, McGaha will look to keep his momentum going at Brainerd International Raceway for the 34th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Aug. 20-23.
“Finally getting that first win gave me a lot of confidence heading into these next few races and the Countdown,” McGaha said. “I feel like I have nothing to lose. From this point forward, I have nothing to lose.”
Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the pivotal event that will once again be televised on ESPN2. Pro Stock Motorcycle will make its return to Brainerd in 2015 after a two-year absence. It is the 17th of 24 races in the 2015 season and marks the penultimate race of the regular season.
Currently third place in the points standings, McGaha is assured of a position in the Countdown, but coming off the biggest moments of his Pro Stock career, McGaha has no plans of slowing down. A top spot is within reach should McGaha perform well in Brainerd and then again at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.
Brainerd also marks a significant point in McGaha’s career dating back to the 2012 season. In a sense, it marked the true beginning for McGaha and his team.
“Brainerd is a unique place, but it always stands out for us because I had to let my crew chief go in 2012, and Brainerd was the first race where I showed up by myself,” McGaha said. “It was just me, my dad Lester, and our crew guy Steve. I had just moved my engine shop to Odessa, and really, that’s where the uphill battle began for us. I had to park in the Comp pits and everything.
“We did end up qualifying, and I got beat by (Allen Johnson) in the first round – he was on his championship swing there. After that weekend, though, we knew we could do this. We came to the race all on our own, and the three of us really came together. Now we’ve got our crew chief Brian “Lump” Self and Mike Stryker, too. We’ve got a good team and a good car, and I’m looking forward to this race.”
After taking his own lumps early on, McGaha has developed into one of the top talents in the loaded Pro Stock class. His improvement was evident early on in 2015, advancing to the final round in Houston and Bristol and consistently showing impressive power in his Camaro.
But he wasn’t able to get over the hump until Sonoma, when everything came together perfectly. McGaha went 6.499 in qualifying first and then knocked off former world champions Jeg Coughlin and Erica Enders, the reigning Pro Stock titlist, en route to the victory.
“This is like getting the monkey off my back, and I hope it turns into the same thing that happened with the No. 1 qualifiers,” McGaha said. “I wanted one, then I got it, and it just got easier each time. Hopefully, the same thing happens but I’d take just one. If I never get another win, I’ll be more than content in this lifetime.”
Don’t expect McGaha to be content in Brainerd, especially considering he is a viable championship contender. To succeed at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, he will have to get through a field that includes points leader Greg Anderson, who has four victories in 2015, defending winner Line, Enders, Allen Johnson, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, Vincent Nobile, Drew Skillman and Larry Morgan.
“Brainerd is important, but with Indy and the extra points, if you can only win one I’d say let’s do good at Brainerd and win Indy,” McGaha said. “But if we won Brainerd, I’m not going to cry.”
Lucas earned his first victory of the 2014 season at Brainerd while competing on a limited schedule. He hopes to repeat that feat this year, while his Morgan Lucas Racing teammate, Richie Crampton, has three wins in 2015. Other Top Fuel standouts include points leader and reigning world champion Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Spencer Massey, Steve Torrence, Larry Dixon and Brittany Force, as well as Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, Clay Millican and Dave Connolly, who are all competing for the final Countdown playoff spots.
In Funny Car, Capps raced to the winner’s circle at Brainerd for his second victory of the 2014 season. Jack Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car world champ, failed to make the Countdown last year but has had quite the turnaround season in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T, currently sitting second in points with five wins. The rest of the star-studded class includes reigning world champion Matt Hagan, John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Tommy Johnson Jr., Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham, Alexis DeJoria and Robert Hight, who holds a 73-point lead over Courtney Force for the final qualifying spot.
Pro Stock Motorcycle hasn’t competed at Brainerd International Raceway since 2012 when Eddie Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to victory. Krawiec is the current points leader and will face off against top challengers like reigning world champion Andrew Hines, Hector Arana Jr., Karen Stoffer, Jim Underdahl and Jerry Savoie.
