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GOT TO ADMIT IT'S GETTING BETTER BUILDING AN 8,000-HORSEPOWER SWISS WATCH A RIDE ON THE ADRENALIN HIGHWAY HIGHS AND LOWS ON THE TOP FUEL HIGHWAY BME AND NEW DRIVER ALAN BRADSHAW GETTING COMFORTABLE IN TOP FUEL Former TAD Champ Alan Bradshaw earns Top Fuel license (Exerpts from Bill Miller Engineering's Top Fuel Blog by Rick Vogelin) GOT TO ADMIT IT'S GETTING BETTER CARSON CITY, Nev. - Although it's unlikely that the Beatles had the Bill Miller Engineering Okuma Top Fuel dragster in mind when they sang "Getting Better," Lennon and McCartney's lyrics are certainly appropriate: It is indeed getting better, a little better all the time for the BME team.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals saw another strong performance from the upstart team from Nevada. The BME machine qualified 12th with a 4.557-second elapsed time in the quickest Top Fuel field ever assembled. Driver Alan Bradshaw posted a career-best speed at 326.32 mph. Moreover, the Okuma-sponsored dragster carded two elapsed times in the 4.50s and three in the 4.60s over the long Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis.
"It was a really good weekend for the BME team," said Bradshaw. "The car was very consistent, and there was no drama. This season has been very productive in terms of gaining information and experience, and it showed in the car's performance at Indy."
The BME transporter rolled into O'Reilly Raceway Park with a stockpile of new aluminum blocks and cylinder heads. The race car that rolled out of the transporter was 20 pounds lighter, the result of a steady diet of titanium and carbon fiber parts.
"We put aside all of the old blocks and heads, and built brand-new engines with larger intake valves and our new valvetrain components," Miller revealed. The first run down the Indy quarter-mile on Friday evening produced a 4.606/304.25 time slip. That was bettered by a 4.557/326.22 mph run in Saturday's second session that put the BME machine solidly in the field. "After that 4.55, I said to myself, 'I think we just qualified for the U.S. Nationals,'" Miller recalled. "In fact, we qualified ahead of several top-quality cars, and we were right there with some of the full-time professional teams.
"Best of all, the engines looked perfect after every run - the bearings looked as though they were new. We've made huge strides in the last few months." Bradshaw's opponent in the first round of eliminations was No. 5 qualifier Melanie Troxel. Bradshaw was first out of the gate, but his 4.597/323.50 was shaded by Troxel's 4.527/326.71.
The rig then went to Chicago's McCormack Place, the site of the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), where the BME dragster was featured in Okuma's impressive display.
"The people who attend the IMTS show are into machines and technology, so there was a great deal of interest in our Top Fuel dragster," Miller reported. "We were very pleased to be a part of Okuma's exhibit and to have an opportunity to showcase the sport of drag racing."
The BME team will finish the 2006 season with races in Dallas, Richmond, Va., Las Vegas, and Pomona, Calif. This weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas kicks off the team's autumn campaign.
"I'm looking forward to racing in Dallas because the Texas Motorplex and Houston Raceway Park are my home tracks," said Bradshaw, a resident of Odessa, Texas. "It's a great opportunity to perform in front of my family, friends and customers.
"I'm very enthusiastic about the BME team's fall schedule," he continued. "We'll be racing every two or three weeks, and that will be good for our consistency. I think the next four races could produce strong results because we'll be in a regular routine. It's a great way to finish the season and prepare for next year."
BME RACE RESULTS Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Aug. 30 - Sept. 4 Qualified: No. 12 at 4.557/326.32 mph Round 1: Melanie Troxel (4.527/326.71) defeated Alan Bradshaw (4.597/323.50) BUILDING AN 8,000-HORSEPOWER SWISS WATCH
Driver Alan Bradshaw and the Bill Miller Engineering/Okuma dragster continue to be the giant killers of Top Fuel. The most recent No. 1 qualifier to come out on the short end of a match with the BME team was Brandon Bernstein, who fell to Bradshaw in the opening round of the Schuckís Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Seattle. With previous first-round victories over Tony Schumacher in Las Vegas and Chicago, the BME team is not to be taken lightly on race day. "We're climbing the learning curve every weekend," said Bradshaw. "To get a round win in Seattle in a pedaling contest with Bernstein was really nice. That made up for the one I lost in Topeka when I smoked the tires against Melanie Troxel. "I'm not going to abuse Bill's equipment but I thought I could get the car to the finish line for the win," Bradshaw reported. "Bill and I are getting more comfortable with each other as owner and driver, and he's given me the latitude to drive with confidence." Miller concurred: "Alan was bound and determined not to lose another pedaling contest," he said. "When the tires began to smoke, he started pedaling. Fortunately all of the management systems were fully activated by 1.5 seconds into the run, so closing and opening the throttle didn't cause any problems. He did a phenomenal job driving the car, and when we took the engine apart after the run, everything looked brand new. We learned that we can pedal the engine without inviting failure." A major revamp to the engine's valvetrain before the West Coast races improved performance and reliability, while a new clutch setup proved successful on a hot track. "The engine is running like a little Swiss watch now," Miller explained. "The rpm is up, the bearings and spark plugs look good, and everything is just really nice." That was evident in the car's consistency during qualifying for the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The BME machine carded times of 4.736, 4.632 and 4.679, ultimately qualifying 11th in the 16-car eliminator. "After three strong runs in qualifying, we decided to leave the setup alone for our first-round race with J.R. Todd," Miller reported. "At nine tenths of a second into the run, the tires started to shake and that ended our day." The BME/Okuma dragster will return to national competition at the biggest, richest and most prestigious event on the schedule, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, to be held in Indianapolis on Aug. 30 - Sept. 4. The car is undergoing a serious diet in order to shed some pounds before the Labor Day event. "We know the top cars are running close to the minimum weight while our car is about 100 pounds heavier," Miller noted. "The tires have to work harder to accelerate that additional mass, and sometimes they can't cope. Taking weight off a car becomes very expensive because you're replacing aluminum with carbon fiber and steel with titanium. Our goal is to get rid of 20 pounds before Indy and that's enough to make a difference that can be seen on the time slip." Bradshaw can't wait to make his first Top Fuel appearance in at O'Reilly Raceway Park, formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park. "It's always special to be at Indy, no matter what you're driving, but to be in Top Fuel at the U.S. Nationals is awesome," said the Texan. "The entire team is working so hard, and I'd like to do well for them in Indy. We didn't bring home any trophies from the West Coast races, but it was still a good learning experience. We're smarter than we were when we showed up, and as long as you keep learning, it's a good weekend." BME RACE RESULTS Schuckís Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, Seattle, July 21-23 Qualified: No. 16 at 4.827/311.49 mph Round 1: Alan Bradshaw (6.115/218.02) defeated Brandon Bernstein (7.965/94.25) Round 2: Tony Schumacher (4.657/323.43) defeated Bradshaw (did not run)
FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals, Sonoma, Calif., July 28-30 Qualified: No. 11 at 4.632/320.89 mph
Round 1: J.R. Todd (4.690/295.08) defeated Bradshaw (8.720/84.41)
NEXT RACE
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Aug. 30 - Sept. 4
A RIDE ON THE ADRENALINE HIGHWAY The CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago on June 11, was a breakthrough race for the Bill Miller Engineering/Okuma/Red Line Oil Top Fuel team. Qualified 16th, driver, Alan Bradshaw, enjoyed the best day of his brief Top Fuel career. Bradshaw beat three-time, NHRA champion and #1 qualifier, Tony Schumacher, in the first round of eliminations and, then defeated J.R. Todd in the second round. His winning streak ended in a semifinal match with Top Fuel points leader Melanie Troxel. Although Bradshaw didn't get the big trophy, the race was a high point for the BME/Okuma team. "Talk about a rush! You could have cut the adrenaline with a knife," said Bradshaw with a laugh. "The guys were having the time of their lives. They busted their tails, and we had a car to go to the starting line every pass. I'm just happy to be a part of that group because we're having career moments together. I love being the underdog and going out there and thumping the big names once in a while." But...the Chicago event didn't start out as a race to remember. After a pair of tire-smoking runs on Friday, the outlook on Saturday was as bleak as the weather. "Saturday dawned with rain, rain and more rain," recalled Team Owner/Crew Chief Bill Miller. "We were 22nd out of 22 cars, but as luck would have it, the rain stopped and we ran in the afternoon session. We made the show, but by the end of the session, Alan had been bumped down to 16th. Then, the rain started again, the fourth qualifying session was cancelled and we were in." Bradshaw claimed the final qualifying spot with a 4.640-second e.t. at 315.64 mph. But the BME team had a surprise in store for the No. 1 qualifier, the powerhouse U.S. Army team of Don Schumacher Racing, in the first round. Bradshaw was out first by four hundredths of a second, and his 4.545 e.t. at 325.77 mph were career-best marks. The result was a win by the BME dragster over the Schumacher machine for the second time in as many meetings. "I gave it a little more mag, a little more fuel, and a little more clutch," Miller reported. "As I turned around and walked back toward the staging lanes after the run, I heard about 50 voices say, 'Attaboy, Bill!' Everyone on the team did a great job." The victory came at the cost of an engine, so a fresh bullet was loaded for the second-round match with Todd. Miller picked the left-hand lane, and Bradshaw was again on his game with a .017-second advantage at the start. The black-and-yellow BME dragster took the win with a 4.620 e.t. at 312.71 mph to Todd's 4.770/300.66 but...that victory cost the BME/Okuma Team another engine. "It's like Dale Armstrong once told me, 'When the car is running good, it's awful hard to slow things down,' " Miller confided. "I thought, after the first round, that I should slow down the blower, but I decided to leave it alone and gave it more fuel. All that did was make a bigger bomb." The clock finally struck midnight for the Cinderella team in the semifinal round. Melanie Troxel, unloaded a 4.476 e.t. against Bradshaw's 5.144 as a third BME motor sustained internal damage. "We learned how to run 4.50s, but that performance came at a high price," Miller explained. "The conditions in Chicago were exceptional with dry air, a density altitude of about 1200 feet, and excellent traction." With fresh engines in short supply, Bill Miller decided to sit out the race in St. Louis and restock the inventory for the team's next outing in Seattle on July 21-23. "Chicago proved that anyone we race will have to go the starting line with their 'A' game because you never know what Bill will pull out of his hat," said Bradshaw. "You can't take anything for granted in drag racing. If anyone takes the BME/Okuma/Red Line team lightly, they have a surprise coming. I won back-to-back races in Seattle and Sonoma in 2003 driving an injected nitro car in Top Alcohol Dragster, so I'm looking forward to going back to the West Coast," Bradshaw continued. "I can't wait! Bill made the wise decision to sit out a couple of races, but with the enthusiasm and momentum this team has after Chicago; a few weeks off won't slow us down one bit."
BME RACE RESULTS
O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, Topeka, Kan., May 28, 2006 -28 Qualified: No. 16 at 4.805/303.30 mph
Round 1: Melanie Troxel (6.492/177.30) defeated Alan Bradshaw (9.793/86.32)
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Chicago, June 11, 2006 Qualified: No. 16 at 4.640/315.64 mph
Round 1: Alan Bradshaw (4.545/325.77) defeated Tony Schumacher (4.603/307.93)
Round 2: Alan Bradshaw (4.620/312.71) defeated J.R. Todd (4.770/300.66)
Round 3: Melanie Troxel (4.476/327.11) defeated Alan Bradshaw (5.144/195.68)
NEXT RACE
Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, Seattle, July 21-23
HIGHS AND LOWS ON THE TOP FUEL HIGHWAY A lot of nitromethane has passed under the supercharger since the last blog entry from the Bill Miller Engineering/Okuma/Red Line Oil Top Fuel team. The BME dragster competed in Houston, Las Vegas, and Bristol, Tenn., in the last five weeks. Highlights included driver, Alan Bradshaw's, first round win of his Top Fuel career with a victory over three-time National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher and a high-energy day at Okuma's headquarters in Charlotte, North Caraoline. The good times more than offset the disappointment of a close-but-no-cigar DNQ at Bristol, Tennessee. The BME team had new tubing in the car's chassis for the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston on March 31- April 2. In accordance with new NHRA rules which require heat-treated tubing to be used in the rear of the frame, the back half of the chassis was replaced with the specified material. The team also had to come to terms with the new, Goodyear Eagle Dragway Special 2420 slicks which are now mandated for NHRA's nitro-burning classes. Bradshaw's second pass at Houston Raceway Park produced a stunning 4.61-second elapsed time that virtually guaranteed a spot in the 16-car show. With the pressure to qualify removed, owner/crew chief Bill Miller had an opportunity to test the limits of the new tire and chassis combination on Saturday. Two tire-shaking runs later, the stage was set for a first-round showdown between No. 10 qualifier, Bradshaw, and No. 7 seed and current Top Fuel sensation, Melanie Troxel. Bradshaw was first out of the gate by .05 seconds, but severe tire shake again stymied the car's performance. "On Saturday morning we put on a prototype Gibson-Miller supercharger," Miller reported. "We were still coming to terms with the 2420 tire and got into tire shake. We made a change for the first round of eliminations to slow down the axle speed, but the tire shake was even more severe and we were done for the day." One week later, the team was back in action at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the site of the Summitracing.com Nationals. Adjustments to the tune-up to prevent overtaxing the tires proved productive as Bradshaw's third qualifying run produced a 4.70-second elapsed time that secured the 16th spot on the qualifying list. On Sunday morning, Bradshaw lined up against the powerhouse Schumacher Racing team in the first round of eliminations. Bradshaw put a .02-second advantage in the bank on the starting line and never looked back. The BME dragster ran 4.685 at 318 mph to upset the No. 1 qualifier as Schumacher slowed to an 8-second e.t. "If you're going to get your first round win, there's no better way to do it than to take out a three-time champion," said Bradshaw. "That doesn't take anything away from the U.S. Army team—we just had a better car that day. It was definitely exciting to get my first round win in Top Fuel for Bill and all of the guys who have worked so hard on this Team. "Running back-to-back races definitely moved the team up on the learning curve," Bradshaw explained. "The more runs we make, the faster we learn. It's all about improving on the previous race, so running two weekends in a row helped the team to come together. We were right there with the best of them, and I'm very proud of the job the guys did." Running on a slick track in the second round, Bradshaw was defeated by Doug Kalitta when the BME machine spun the tires. "I think we are getting a handle on the tires to some degree, and the new Gibson-Miller supercharger makes more boost than the previous version," Miller noted. "Things definitely are looking up for us." After the Easter holiday break, the BME band reunited at Bristol Dragway, site of the O'Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals. The Bristol race is the closest NHRA national event to Okuma's headquarters, and a large contingent of Okuma guests was on hand. "The track conditions were similar to Las Vegas, so that's where we started as a baseline," said Miller. "The track was green in the first session, and a lot of cars smoked the tires, including ours. I took a conservative approach to the Friday night session to make sure that we got a good run, and probably erred on the side of caution. "We ran 4.73 at 312 mph, which I thought would keep us in the field," he continued. "That turned out not to be true. We stepped up on Saturday morning, but the setup was just a little too aggressive. Then we lost the fourth run when the engine didn't have oil pressure on the starting line, and ended up 18th." Okuma, the world leader in CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machining technology, is using the marketing power of the BME Top Fuel dragster to enhance business relationships. In Houston, Okuma hosted Regal Machine Tools, a distributor that supplies Okuma equipment to the oil industry. There were 150 guests of Okuma at Bristol Dragway, and on the Tuesday following the race the BME team set up a display at Okuma headquarters in Charlotte for the company's employees. "We displayed the race car and trailer alongside the Okuma tent just like we do at the race track," Miller reported. "I gave a talk about Top Fuel, and then we fired up the car with Larry Schwartz, president of Okuma USA, in the driver's seat. It got their attention when I rapped the throttle a couple of times! It was a great day for us and for Okuma." The next race for the BME Top Fuel team will be the 18th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan., on May 26-28.
BME RACE RESULTS
O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, Houston, April 2, 2006 Qualified: No. 10 at 4.611/314.39 mph
Round 1: Melanie Troxel (4.570/329.42) defeated Alan Bradshaw (12.261/54.29)
NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, Las Vegas, April 9, 2006 Qualified: No. 16 at 4.702/309.49 mph
Round 1: Alan Bradshaw (4.685/318.24) defeated Tony Schumacher (8.105/93.66) Round 2: Doug Kalitta (4.603/330.39) defeated Alan Bradshaw (12.050/83.33)
O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, Tenn., April 30, 2006 Qualified: DNQ, No. 18 at 4.732/312.50 mph
NEXT RACE
O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, Topeka, Kan., May 25-28
BME AND NEW DRIVER ALAN BRADSHAW GETTING COMFORTABLE IN TOP FUEL
Can anyone truly be comfortable riding herd on 8,000 horsepower in a fire-breathing Top Fuel Dragster? True to his Lone Star heritage, Top Fuel rookie Alan Bradshaw is getting comfortable in the BME/Okuma/Red Line Oil Top Fuel Dragster and getting to know the BME team. After a brief preseason test session and a close-but-no-cigar outing in the NHRA season-opener, Bradshaw qualified for the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals in Phoenix. Although the BME/Okuma dragster came up short in its first-round match with the U.S. Army machine driven by three-time NHRA champion Tony Schumacher, the BME team is close on the heels of the big dogs. Bradshaw, the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil Series, Top Alcohol Dragster champion, has logged 16 runs since he joined the BME team, seven in testing and nine in national event competition. In that brief Top Fuel career, he's already set new personal-best marks at 4.627 seconds and 316.01 mph. "Things are coming together really well," said Bradshaw. "When I first met the team, I knew they were going to be good for me and look out for my best interests. It's a real solid group. They care, they're committed, and they bust their tails. That says a lot for Bill and his ability to attract good people. I'm very happy to be with this team. "A 4.62 is obviously quicker than a 5.19, which was my previous career best in Top Alcohol Dragster," Bradshaw noted. "But, at the same time, the protocol and routine is very similar in the two cars. The biggest change is that I've had to learn the 'hurry-up offense' on the starting line. In TAD, the driver has a little time, but in Top Fuel, everything is run by the stopwatch, so you must stage and leave on time." Miller is impressed by his driver's early-season performance: "After just four runs in the car, he was already running more than 300 mph," Miller noted. "Alan pays attention, he's well spoken, and he works his butt off on the car between passes." Former TAD Champ Alan Bradshaw earns Top Fuel license |