Class Ceiling
This week in motor sports: NHRA'S women of power
Tery Red ( Crew Chief for Mr. Mad /RigTech Motorsports)
May 7, 2018, 6:37 am
Who runs the world? GIRLS!!!! Dubbed the Weekend of Women, Brittany Force, Karen Stoffer and Melissa Surber: Oh my! (The latter two both run in Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The Classy ladies of the NHRA called the shots at the Atlanta Dragway for the NHRA Southern Nationals Powered by Mello Yello! Also in attendance: Erica Enders, ( Pro Stock) Angelle Sampey, Angie Smith, (Pro Stock Motorcycle) Courtney Force (Funny Car), Audrey Worm (Top Fuel), and Leah Pritchett. (Top Fuel) We continue to be intrigued as the NHRA Mello Yello Series 2018, heats up.
We are happy that J.R. Todd, stayed off the wall! (Excellent driving my friend.) Also one of my personal favorites, Clay Millican, the No. 1 Qualifier, set the Top Fuel Dragster speed record Friday, (someone get this kid a consistent car, He's a winner!) as the Matrons of Mello were gearing up for the winner's circle as the weekend went on!
DSR has issues with a blown motor for the Sarge, Antron Brown, not firing on all cylinders, but not to worry. Leah Pritchett brings home baby for the team with her first win of the year over track mate Blake Alexander.
Courtney Force , 2012 Rookie of the year, is a bad,bad chick. She surfed on by Diehl (Surfer Boy) as he got wicked right off the starting line in the eliminations round 1 and she went on to win Funny Car this weekend against Matt Hagan ,making it her second this season, her 10th career victory! She again has made NHRA history as the most victorious female funny car driver.
On a sad note, it is with our deep condolences that we report that Top Sportsman Racer Randy Alexander did not survive his injuries sustained after a high speed crash at the Atlanta Raceway. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the family and friends.
And the band plays on as the 2018 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series visits Topeka, Kansas, May 18-20, 2018 for the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals by Minties at Heartland Motorsports Park.
Check out Sunday's Results from the 38th annual NHRA Southern Nationals Powered by Mello Yello at Atlanta Dragway:
Top Fuel -- Leah Pritchett, 3.874 seconds, 322.42 mph def. Blake Alexander, Foul - Red Light.
Funny Car -- Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.046, 313.73 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.148, 291.13.
Pro Stock -- Vincent Nobile, Chevy Camaro, 6.599, 209.72 def. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.614, 209.52.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.922, 194.91 def. Scotty Pollacheck, Suzuki, 6.958, 193.18.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Josh Hart, 5.313, 269.40 def. Megan Meyer, 5.318, 269.94.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.557, 260.81 def. Ulf Leanders, Camaro, 5.645, 263.20.
Competition Eliminator -- Van Puckett, Chevy Cavalier, 8.682, 127.19 def. Brian Browell, Dragster, Foul - Red Light.
Super Stock -- Kevin Helms, Olds Achieva, 8.869, 148.92 def. Byron Worner, Chevy Camaro, Foul - Red Light.
Stock Eliminator -- Jeff Strickland, Chevy Camaro, 9.280, 141.85 def. Robbie Shaw, Pontiac Firebird, Foul - Red Light.
Super Comp -- Gene Quinn, Dragster, 8.907, 152.88 def. Lauren Freer, Dragster, 8.926, 181.84.
Super Gas -- Tommy Turner, Chevy Corvette, 9.922, 172.83 def. Carl Watts, Chevy Cavalier, 9.867, 160.35.
Super Street -- Keith Mayers, Porsche, 10.926, 143.58 def. Jesse McKnight, Chevy Camaro, 10.884, 127.17.
Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com -- Les Feist, Dragster, 6.089, 226.73 def. Larry Roberts, Dragster, 6.202, 225.33.
Top Sportsman presented by RacingRVs.com -- Bob Mandell Jr., Chevy Bel Air, 6.856, 191.97 def. Vince Hoda,
All-Star balloting opened up this week for what used to be known as the Midsummer Classic in Major League Baseball. I guess some still refer to it as such but the All-Star Game has been largely a bore for many years, though the honor of being selected on merit remains a big one. As always, fans can vote at all positions except pitcher. The fan balloting has resulted in mostly good selections for years now, though pretty much all teams still do silly marketing stuff trying to drum up support for their players. The Astros’ part in that silliness is their campaign to make it the “All-’Stros” game on the American League squad in Atlanta next month. It’s one thing to be supportive of your team, it’s another to be flat out ridiculous if voting right now for Yainer Diaz, Christian Walker, Yordan Alvarez, Mauricio Dubon, or Cam Smith. The Astros tried to game the system in submitting Jose Altuve as a second baseman where the competition is weaker than it is in the outfield, but given Altuve has played only about 25 percent of the games at second base this season he should not be an All-Star second baseman selectee for what would be the tenth time in his career.
Isaac Paredes’s recent freefall notwithstanding, he has a legitimate case as a backup third baseman, especially with Alex Bregman likely missing more than a month of games due to his quad injury. Jake Meyers is having a fine season but is obviously not an All-Star-worthy outfielder unless he is sensational for the rest of June. That leaves Jeremy Peña, who is simply the best shortstop in the big leagues so far this season. To be clear, no team in baseball (including the Astros) would rather have Peña going forward than the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., but we’re talking about the here and now. There are another 100 games to be played, but Peña not only is about a lock to deserve his first All-Star nod, but he is in contention to put in the books the greatest season ever by an Astro shortstop.
Over his first three seasons, Peña was a consistently mediocre offensive player. His highest batting average was .266, best on-base percentage .324, top slugging percentage .426. He is blowing away all those numbers thus far in 2025. While unlikely to come close to reaching his preseason goal of 50 stolen bases, Peña is swiping bags at the best success rate of his career. Add in Peña’s stellar defense and that he has played in every Astros’ game so far this season, and Peña has been irrefutably one of the 10 best and most valuable players in the American League. You could certainly argue as high as top three.
If Peña's productivity holds up for the rest of the season there are only three other seasons posted by Astro shortstops that are in the same league as what would be Peña’s 2025. Carlos Correa has two of them. Lack of durability may be the biggest reason Correa is not tracking to be a Hall of Famer. In only two seasons as an Astro did Correa play in more than 136 games. He was fabulous in each of them. 2021 was his peak campaign, playing in 148 games while compiling an .850 OPS, winning a Gold Glove, and finishing fifth in AL MVP voting. Correa’s Baseball-Reference wins above replacement number for 2021 was 7.3. Peña is at 3.6 with nearly 20 games still left before the midway point of the schedule.
For the other great Astro shortstop season you have to go back to 1983. Dickie Thon turned 25 years old in June of ‘83. He put up a .798 OPS, which gains in stature given Thon played his home games in the Astrodome when the Dome was at its most pitching-friendly. Thon won the Silver Slugger Award as the best offensive shortstop in the National League, and played superior defense. His Baseball-Reference WAR number was 7.4. He finished seventh for NL MVP playing for an 85-77 Astros’ squad that finished third in the NL West. Dickie Thon looked like an emerging superstar. Then, in the fifth game of the 1984 season, a fastball from Mets’ pitcher Mike Torrez hit Thon in the left eye, fracturing his orbital bone. Thon missed the rest of the ‘84 season. While Thon played in nine more big league seasons, his vision never fully recovered and he was never the same player. It’s one of the biggest “What if...” questions in Astros’ history.
Arms race
Players and the Commissioner’s Office pick the All-Star pitching staffs. Unless he suddenly starts getting lit up regularly, Hunter Brown can pack a bag for Georgia. Framber Valdez wouldn’t make it now but has surged into contention. Josh Hader’s first half is going vastly better than last year’s, so he is in line for a reliever spot.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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