Class Ceiling
First quarter-season NHRA recap
By Tery Red ( Crew Chief for Mr. Mad /RigTech Motorsports)
May 14, 2018, 6:37 am
So what If the NHRA were the NFL? Yike,s that would be crazy. Based on the opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, February 8-11,2018, here is how the season recap would go:
So go long! That was the scene at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals /Pamona where Top Fuel Round 1 went more than an hour. Q.B Brittany Force of the Monster Energy JFR team met with unnecessary roughness as she crossed the center line of scrimmage right across the middle and hit the wall on both sides of the track. Safety Safari was all over it, with no Zebras in sight. No worries. Safety valve in place with family on starting line. Whew. Our girl is all right. Her Passer Rating has her returning with a vengeance.
Wide receiver Doug Kalitta blew a supercharger round one but takes the finals against The Sarge and he scores! He goes on to become the Top Fuel winner making this his 44th career win.
And what does Bo know? Defending Champion Bo Butner makes a real football move by winning the season opener making this his sixth win in Pro Stock putting him on an 8 round winning streak.
Touchdown! Matt Hagan lands on "snake eyes" as he brings home his second straight Winternationals Funny car title, against Robert Hight, (matching Don "The Snake" Prudhomme who won the Winternationals back to back 1976-1977)., in what was dubbed the quickest side-by-side Funny Car race in NHRA history.
Perfect segue to the second event of the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, (Feb 23-25, 2018)the 34th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
This is where Courtney Force, blitzes the Funny Car field as she was the No. 1 qualifier and goes on to keep control of the ball in her Chevy Camaro, with a 3.834, 337.16 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., in his Dodge Charger.
A Hail Mary in Pro Stock as Chris McGaha, in his Chevy Camaro, runs a 6.529, at 211.59 mph def. Jason Line, in his Camaro. McGaha is a one car team, a one man army and had to take down Tanner Gray, Erica Enders and Alex Laughlin for his first win this season.
In Top Fuel: Steve Torrence,takes down the Big Uglies Steve Chrisman, Blake Alexander and his father, Billy Torrence, on his way in to the red zone. In the finals he runs a 3.729 seconds, 330.72 mph , def. Scott Palmer.
Fast Forward to the Amalie NHRA Gatornationals Gridiron at Gainesville Raceway in Florida (March 15-18,2018)...Tailgating is in full effect and yes, there is some fumbling past the rumbling.
Welcome to the Gatornationals 2018 Where Any Given Sunday is March 18, the day of the underdog! It is the day the Play Makers Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force and even Tony Schumacher were benched.
And the Wally goes to: In Top Fuel -- Richie Crampton. This player did not even have a car last year, and what an upset! He runs a 3.854 seconds, 314.90 mph def. Shawn Reed.
In Funny Car... I'd like to refer to fast Jack Beckman, and his teammates as The Option. Fast Jack gets his first Gainesville win in his Dodge Charger, 4.035, 323.58 defeating DSR mate Matt Hagan, in his Charger, Matt took one for the team!
And last but not least is Pro Stock: Young Tanner Gray, in his Chevy Camaro, ran 6.588, 210.18 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, making this Tanners first touchdown since last year in Charlotte.
What an Option: With team DSR, you have Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett, Tony Schumacher, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Tommy Johnson Jr, and Fast Jack Beckman.
As quick as the first half went by, that's what I call a no huddle offense!
For more Femmefanaticsports features from the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series - Checkout our other articles on SportsMap.com or reach out on twitter @red_tery.
The Houston Astros will try to build on Thursday’s bounce-back victory when they continue their series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.
Houston (70-58) ended a four-game skid with a 7-2 win in the opener, powered by Jesús Sánchez’s five-hit breakout and home runs from Christian Walker and Yainer Díaz. The victory evened the season series at 2-2 and kept the Astros a game over .500 on the road at 32-31.
Lance McCullers takes the mound for Houston, making his return from the injured list (blister). The right-hander has long been a stabilizing presence when healthy, and the Astros are counting on him after their rotation posted a 6.02 ERA over the last 10 games.
Baltimore (59-68) counters with Cade Povich, who enters 2-6 with a 4.98 ERA but has shown flashes of missing bats with 90 strikeouts. The Orioles have been at their best when keeping the ball in the yard, holding a 27-14 mark in games where opponents don’t homer.
Offensively, Baltimore leans on Jackson Holliday, who ranks second on the team with 34 extra-base hits, and Jordan Westburg, who’s 11 for his last 37 with a pair of home runs. For Houston, Díaz has emerged as a key run producer with 18 homers and 55 RBIs, while Carlos Correa has strung together an 11-for-39 stretch over his last 10 games.
Both clubs are trending differently of late—Baltimore has won six of its last 10 while outscoring opponents by 18 runs, while Houston has dropped six of 10 with a .193 team batting average and been outscored by 38 runs.
First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Betting odds
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Orioles -112, Astros -107; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
Roster Moves
Besides McCullers rejoining the roster, Houston also made some other moves. Newly acquired RHP Craig Kimbrel has joined the club in Baltimore. LHP Bennett Sousa heads to the 15-day IL(No!!!) with elbow inflammation. RHP Logan VanWey is returning to Sugar Land, and Brandon Walter has been moved to the 60-day IL.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/QyRnbpYq5D
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2025
Starting lineup
With a lefty on the mound, Joe Espada opts to shake things up with an all right-handed lineup. The top 3 in the lineup remain the same with Pena, Correa, and Altuve (DH).
LMJ Day.
⚾️: 6:05pm CDT | 7:05pm EDT
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/jxOk5CYPaK
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2025
Coming off a strong performance, Christian Walker (1B) will hit cleanup, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Ramon Urias (2B), Mauricio Dubon (LF), Cam Smith (RF), and Chas McCormick (CF).
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!