World Champ, Rookie of the Year & By Bob Frey-As posted on Drag Race Central
There aren't a lot of racers who can say that they have won an NHRA World Championship. There aren't many racers who can say that they have been a Rookie of the Year. And there aren't many racers who can say that they have won another world championship. And there aren't many racers who can say that they did all of those things and did it in that order. Well, Mike Edwards can. Mike won the Modified World Championship in 1981, and then, fifteen years later, he was named the Rookie of the Year for his performance in Pro Stock. In 2009, thirteen years later, he won the Full Throttle World Championship in Pro Stock. Now that's a pretty good resume any way you look at it, isn't it?
Since Pro Stock began as a class on the NHRA national event stage in 1970 there have only been fifteen series champions. That list includes some of the greats in the sport, like Ronnie Sox, Bill Jenkins, Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd, Warren Johnson and ten more drivers who have all contributed to the great legacy of the class. The latest driver to add his name to that list is Mike Edwards, a man who has been at this a lot longer than most fans realize. Before we get to his Pro Stock career we should mention that Mike had a great career in the sportsman ranks, and that included two really good years in the Modified Eliminator class. Did you know that Mike won a total of nine divisional races in Modified Eliminator and that his first final round came in 1979? It took place at Thunder Valley Raceway in Marion, South Dakota, when he beat Sie Vandenberg's C/SM Camaro in the final round. He followed that up with four more wins in 1980 and then added four more in his championship year of 1981. Following a good year in 1980 the folks at National Dragster named Mike the "Up and Coming Sportsman Driver of the Year," and he rewarded them by going out and winning the first race of 1981, the Winternationals in Pomona. Mike accomplished those goals while driving a Ford Maverick that was powered by a small-block Ford engine, and he did it with the help of his partner, Bill Long, and all along, everyone who watched him knew that he was something special, because just like he did this year, he had a dominant car that beat some of the best in the class at that time. A win at the Mile-High Nationals later in the 1981 season helped Mike win that national championship and it also earned him the coveted Quaker State Sportsman Cup as the top sportsman racer in the country. "I have to admit that I thought I was pretty hot stuff after winning that," Mike said. "And it paid $10,000 and that was a lot of money back then. It still is!" Mike will also have the distinction of going down in history as the last NHRA Modified champion ever, since after his title the class was merged into a combination of Super Stock and Competition Eliminator. With no place to race, Mike returned to the Winternationals in 1982 where he qualified in the Pro Stock class, but after that he basically returned to Oklahoma to work on the family farm and to help
Mike's 2009 trip to the championship was highlighted by the fact that he had one of the best cars in the class, not only for this year but in any year. Did you know that for the entire year Mike never qualified lower than fifth, and that he was the top qualifier sixteen times? And, when it really counted, at the end of the season, he ran off nine consecutive top qualifying spots and that's one of the best streaks in the history of Pro Stock. But, as I always say, in the interest of fair reporting, it's a long way from the record. Did you know that Bob Glidden once qualified number one at twenty-three consecutive races? He did that between 1986 and 1988 and that followed up his performance in 1978 and 1979 when he was the top guy at fifteen consecutive races. More recently, Greg Anderson was number one at eleven straight races in 2004 so Mike has something to shoot for when he starts the new year. Mike's sixteen number one spots this year moved him past such greats as Bruce Allen and Lee Shepherd on the all-time list where he now resides in the number seven spot. He also had big power and that means a lot of top speeds for the year. Coming into 2009 Mike had only set top speed at four races, and this year he did it fourteen times for a total of eighteen which is sixth best in the Pro Stock ranks. Like I said, it was a very good year for Mike.
Mike will be the first one to tell you that he and his team may have won even more races or put that championship away earlier if it weren't for one area, the driver. "I always said that I had the horse, now if I just have the rider I can win this thing," he said. "At times I was the weak link, but it all worked out well in the end. We had such a good car and I think I got a little defensive with my driving. I didn't want to give a race away and you just can't do that in this class. You have to be aggressive." And while he may not have always been first off the line, by the time the cars went by the sixty-foot clocks, more often than not Mike was out in front. "We had a very good car and we didn't make a lot of bad runs this year. I mean, this car was fast." That is something that caught the attention of the other races in the class. "Mike has a great car, he's making big power and the car just doesn't make many bad runs," Greg Anderson told me during the year. And then he added, "That's a tough combination to beat." That consistency showed in the fact that, for the entire year, Mike only lost in the opening round of eliminations twice, in St. Louis and Sonoma, and that's the way to put a lot of points on the board. After the St. Louis loss he got back on track, literally and figuratively, and went to the final round at the next five races. Along the way he was getting help from veteran crew man, Terry Adams along with Josh Robinson, Allen Lindsey and Jon Phillips at the track, while Nick Ferri and Paul Hoskins did most of the work back at the shop. It's that "at the shop" thing that may have
Winning a championship is nice, but to earn the respect and admiration of your peers is even better, and that's exactly what Mike did this year. All of the Pro Stock racers that I spoke with had nothing but nice things to say about him and they certainly admired what he did on the track this year. "Let's face it, he made us all look bad this year," Greg Anderson said. "It will make us all go back and work harder during the off-season." Of course, Mike will be working hard, too, and, despite what you may have heard, he will return as a driver in 2010. "A couple of times this year I thought that maybe we could do better with someone else behind the wheel, but I never really entertained the idea of having someone else drive," he said. "I like driving, but I also like making the car run fast. To me, that's what it's all about. Sometimes, when you're wearing two hats, tuning and driving, something has to suffer, and this year it was my driving." Mike added that he will begin testing after the first of the year and is prepared to open the season with the same Jerry Haas-built car that took him to the championship. "We also have another car, one out of V. Gaines' shop and we may test that one, too. We were going to use it in 2009 but we started the year so well that we just didn't want to change." Good call, Mike. He added that Ron Krisher drove one of the cars from V's shop this year and said that it looks like a very good chassis. "It's nice to have options, but we like what we had in 2009." I guess he did!
With a good car, a solid team, his own engine program and a wife that supports the entire operation, Mike said that 2009 was a dream come true. "You never really set out, at least I didn't, saying that you are going to win the championship. You like to improve, and that was our goal at the start of the year. Now we'll have to see what we can do to back it up." Based on what we saw in '09, the rest of the Pro Stock teams better get busy, because it appears they have a lot of work to do if they want to stop Mike from repeating as champ in 2010.
NHRA Awards Ceremony - Edwards Receives Championship Bounty And Much More For the first time in his NHRA Pro Stock career, and the second time overall, Mike Edwards stood on the NHRA stage as a champion. Edwards received his bookend trophy to his 1982 Modified crown during the Monday evening festivities for Monday at the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in West Los Angeles. Edwards was honored as the 15th different Pro Stock champion during the ceremony that included the crowning of the other three NHRA Full Throttle titlist and many other special awards. The moment highlighted Edwards run to the top which including a record-tying 16 top qualifying efforts, five victories, 10 final-round appearances, and only two losses in the opening round. Along with his championship hardware, Edwards earned the Quest for the Full Throttle Moment in Pro Stock with his record 6.509 run during the Richmond event. The title, which was voted on by fans through nhra.com, is considered the biggest moment during the 2009 racing season and earned Edwards and additional $15,000. Below is the link on nhra.com that recaps the entire festivities http://www.nhra.com/story/2009/11/16/full-throttle-series-champions-crowned-massey-named-top-rookie/ Catch All The NHRA Awards Ceremony On Internet The NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony will be available to viewers worldwide on the Internet at NHRA.com and the NHRA channel on YouTube beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. It marks the first time the event will be available to NHRA fans via the Internet. The NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony will be available via webcast nearly in its entirety. The webcast will feature five to six 30-minute segments, for a total running time of up to three hours. The NHRA Full Throttle Awards Ceremony, showcasing the world champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, took place Monday, Nov. 16, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Here's the direct link to where the ceremony will be shown http://www.nhra.com/ceremony.aspx
THIRD ANNUAL MIKE AIELLO AWARD PRESENTED TO MIKE EDWARDS
EDWARDS' DAY ARRIVES Zak Elcock, NHRA Publicist, introduced Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards to the assembled media at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca. As he said, “The 2009 NHRA Pro Stock champion Mr. Mike Edwards”, the newly crown champion smiled. It's Finally Over - Edwards Claims First The run for the ultimate prize in the NHRA vault finally came to an end for Mike Edwards at the conclusion of qualifying for the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, when he was handed the Pro Stock championship hardware. What was a mere formality of Edwards securing his first championship had to wait until qualifying concluded before he could be crowned the 15th NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock champion. "What an honor this is," Edwards said. "This team worked so hard to reach this goal and now I am proud to stand here with the championship trophy for them." Edwards took away any doubt that the champion trophy would be going home with his Young Life/A.R.T. team in qualifying. In the first session he blasted to the pole. In the last qualifying round of 2009, Edwards put the exclamation point on his first career championship with the quickest pass of the weekend, a 6.562 at 210.64 mph. It was Edwards' 16th No. 1 this season, matching the all-time single-season high in NHRA history (Greg Anderson in 2004). "It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm surrounded by a great bunch of guys. I feel like there's times I've let them down and they've never given up on me," said Edwards, who made his pro debut in 1982. "It's been a long time coming, we've all just been pulling from the same end of the rope . it's been worth the wait. "We gave everything we had to make this happen this year and it's paid off, it really has," said Edwards, who was awarded the $250,000 Pro Stock champion's purse EDWARDS ON THE CUSP OF TITLE
NHRA Pro Stock Championship Is Close To Reality For Edwards How close is Mike Edwards to winning his first NHRA Pro Stock championship? Well, a measly 12 points is all that stands between him and the gold Wally. Team Hopes To Leave 2009 With Exclamation Point On Season In the early years of NHRA, the champion was decided at the final race of the year, a winner-take-all format. Mike Edwards and his Young Life/A.R.T. team hope to put a beautiful capper to what has been an incredible 2009 season with the team's sixth victory and enjoy the off-season as not only the Pro Stock champion, but bragging rights as the only driver heading into the winter months on a winning note, and have that feeling they closed the year like a champion should. Quick Notes In Richmond, set the Pro Stock e.t. record in the first round with a 6.509. Has advanced to the final at 10 events in 2009, the most in Pro Stock. In 2009, has captured 15 No. 1 Qualifier awards, the most in Pro Stock. He is one short of equalling Greg Anderson for the most in one season. Captured five wins thus far in 2009 in Atlanta, Bristol, Seattle, Charlotte and the latest in Richmond. Has qualified in the top five positions in all 23 NHRA events in 2009, with four times earning the No. 2 spot, and three times in the No. 4 position to go with his 15 poles and a single No. 5 qualifying effort. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 20 of the 22 events in 2009. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at eight races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, Seattle, Brainerd, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Dallas, and Las Vegas 2), and has left with low e.t. three other events (Phoenix, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Richmond), while garnering top speed at four others (Houston, Atlanta, Norwalk, and Reading). With today being election day, lets all join forces and get Mike Edwards voted as the NHRA Full Throttle Moment Of The Year in Pro Stock when he set the national e.t. record with a 6.509 at the Richmond event. That moment is one of four finalist for the year-end award that will be announced at the end of the season. So log on to http://www.nhra.com/features/quest.aspx, and start voting today. The contest ends sometime next week. Make sure to get everyone you know involved, get your club clicking, and come back to NHRA.com each day and add another vote to put Mike Edwards on top of the election pole at the end.
Las Vegas Could Bring Big Payday To Edwards Team With two races remaining on the schedule and a 128-point lead, or just over six rounds, Mike Edwards knows the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock championship is within his grasps, but understands the chase is not over until he finishes some business at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Edwards' Career Has Sparkled Throughout At the Starting Line
For one of the few times in his career, in 2009, Mike Edwards has not had to rely so much on getting the jump on the starting line and a few media outlets have pointed to that as one of his struggles this year. But in Richmond, Edwards proved why he has always been considered one of the best leavers in the sport when he stole the victory from Greg Anderson on a holeshot.
Over the course of his career, Edwards has been one of the best at stealing round wins with his starting-line prowess. In 1996, he was named the Slick 50 Driver of the Year for winning the most rounds based on a slower e.t. Research compiled by dragracecentral.com, backs up the notion that Edwards is one of the elite at the art of the holeshot. Edwards has won a total of 59 rounds on his reaction time for his career. To put these numbers into perspective, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has a total of 72 holeshot wins to his credit. When you dig a little deeper, is when the true numbers come out. Coughlin has competed in 634 rounds of competition, while Edwards has pulled to the line 494 times. When you take the averages based on the number of rounds competed and the total number of holeshot wins, Edwards has an average of 11.9 percent to Coughlin's 11.4 percent. Quick Notes
In Richmond, set the Pro Stock e.t. record in the first round with a 6.509.
Recorded his 20th career victory in Richmond, and has reached 40 finals over his career. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 19 of the 21 events in 2009. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at seven races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, Seattle, Brainerd, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Dallas), and has left with low e.t. three other events (Phoenix, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Richmond), while garnering top speed at four others (Houston, Atlanta, Norwalk, and Reading). Story on Edwards Championship Run Graces Pages and Website of USA Today With his first NHRA Pro Stock championship within his grasp, the nationally-distributed USA Today newspaper has a feature on Mike Edwards and the uphill battle he has faced to reach this pinnacle point of his career. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nhra/2009-10-27-edwards-title_N.htm Break out the engraving tool and write the check, Mike Edwards has done everything a Pro Stock driver can do in what he rightly characterizes as close as he has ever been “to living our dream”. Waiting at the end of the rainbow is a mighty fine trophy and a check for $250,000. With each passing run the pacing got quicker, the tension stronger and the times quicker and quicker and quicker. The final round of Pro Stock qualifying for the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park was turning into a real nail-biter and Mike Edwards had the last set of fingernails in the session. Come Sunday, Edwards will be looking to not only go rounds, but to also use the 6.531 as the back up to a national record. Edwards can claim the national record with a run of 6.527 or quicker. It could happen. Richmond Crucial Crossroads In Championship Run Over the course of the first three stops in the Countdown to One, Mike Edwards has carted off a victory and two semifinals finishes to build a 78-point lead in the championship race.
With the tour swinging to the East Coast and Virginia Motorsports Park, outside Richmond, Va., Edwards knows he needs to continue going late rounds, but feels that the only way to make sure the championship comes back to Oklahoma, is he needs to collect the victory Wally.
Edwards Knows A Memphis Repeat Would Help Championship Cause Early in the season, Mike Edwards and the Young Life/A.R.T. team pulled into the Atlanta event as the defending champions and went out and picked up their first victory of the season. Now, Edwards and the gang hope the same holds true in Memphis for the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, where Edwards is the defending champion. "You can never be comfortable with the likes of Jeg Coughlin, Jason Line, and Greg Anderson chasing you," Edwards admitted. "They have all been champions and understand what it takes in preparation with the car and mentally as a driver to stand-up to the pressure. We are trying our best to keep the focus in the right direction and just make solid runs and let that carry us forward. "Memphis is a big race in the Countdown because when we leave, it will mark the halfway point and will give us a good understanding of where we stand and what we need to do at the final three stops to maybe, if God is willing, win the championship." For First Time In Pro Stock Career, Edwards Sits Atop The NHRA Points Standings After his victory at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Mike Edwards claimed the top spot in the standings, a position he has never held in the 14 years he has been competing in Pro Stock. Then, by reaching the semifinals in Dallas, Edwards continued to hold the spot for a second event, something he is proud of.
"I have been doing this for so long, it is just rewarding to me to finally see my name at the top of the points," he said. "I know the season is not over and we have a long way to go for the championship, but I am enjoying these moments because it is what every single person out here competing from Top Fuel down through the sportsman catergories is racing to achieve. It feels good."
In 1981, Edwards did find out what it felt like to be on top at the end of the season when he was crowned the NHRA Modified champion. "That was so long ago, you almost forget what it felt like, but I have always had those moments tucked away and they have kept me working harder and harder to try and get back to that same spot. We are close, but still have what seems like an eternity to go."
EDWARDS GUNNING FOR TRIFECTA If Mike Edwards were a horse, which some in the Pro Stock division would claim he is, then he would have returned the best possible payoff during two rounds of qualifying for the O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. If a driver makes a qualifying attempt, leads all four rounds of qualifying, and posts the quickest overall lap, a qualifying trifecta, the payout is a handsome 30 points. The best a fellow competitor could do would be 25 points. That would be the best mind you. Jason Line, second quickest after two days of qualifying scored 21 points. Jeg Coughlin, third quickest overall, also scored 21 points. Edwards Writes Perfect Charlotte Script With Victory To Grab Points LeadGrabs Pole, Sets Top Speed And E.T. In Dominanent Performance If you would have told Mike Edwards that during the first race of the Countdown to One NHRA Playoff, he would earn 10 of the possible 12 bonus points in qualifying, grab the No. 1 qualifying spot, setting low e.t. and top speed, have the field covered by more than three-hundredths each round of elimination, score his fourth victory of the season, and to top it off leave with the points lead, he would have called you crazy. That script is exactly what Edwards and the Young Life/A.R.T. Pontiac team wrote at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., as they captured the first event of the six-race playoff. Edwards's dominance of the Pro Stock contingent was most evident in the final against Indy runner-up Greg Stanfield. Edwards left first by .013-second and outran Stanfield by nearly four-hundredths. The end result was not only his fourth win this year and 19th of his career, but also the biggest points lead in any category. "My car was flawless. It went up and down the track every time. It was a great weekend and a great start for this Countdown," said Edwards, who is the points leader for the first time in his career and is the 25th driver to lead in Pro Stock. "You'll never know how hard I've worked and how much I've wanted this. I know it's a long way from being over, but it means a lot now. I've been the weak link; I've said that many times this year. When you qualify No. 1 11 times and only have four wins you know who to point the finger at. I'm 52 years old, and these guys are young and fast. Hopefully, we can keep this thing on a roll." With his defeat of Stanfield in the final round, Edwards was able to make the most of the first round exit of Jeg Coughlin and a second frame defeat of Jason Line to jump to a 56-point lead over Coughlin and 62 ahead of Line and Stanfield who are tied for third. "Jeg Coughlin has that No. 1 on the window for a reason," Edwards said. "That's a talented team and a talented driver. Jason is the same and has carried that No. 1 as well. We're battling every round and every run. The new points system, a few points here and there, might win this thing." The second stop of the playoffs is the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, just outside of Dallas this weekend. "After a win, you just want to keep going and hope that momentum stays with you for another couple races." He did it. Throughout the regular season in the Full Throttle Pro Stock championship battle, Mike Edwards was faced with very few opportunities to make up ground on rival Jeg Coughlin Jr. Now that the NHRA offers bonus points in qualifying, Edwards’ strength, he’s making the most of the opportunity. NHRA Playoffs Begins With New Focus, Edwards Start Title Chase For nearly eight months and 18 events, every NHRA Pro team has been working to be part of the Countdown to One NHRA playoff style event that kicks off with the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. For Mike Edwards, his spot in the playoffs was secured a few events back, giving the team a chance to make sure all focus is on the big prize, the NHRA Pro Stock championship. Contemporary Corvette Continues Partnership With Edwards Contemporary Corvette will continue its relationship with Mike Edwards' Pontiac for this weekends event, the NHRA Carolina Nationals at ZMax Dragway in Concord, N.C. The partnership, which started in Reading, has been extended to the first race in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoff, in an effort by owner Ron DeSmedt to help further the team's chance at a championship.
"What a group to be with," Edwards said. "They joined us in Reading and the relationship has really blossomed and has been beneficial to both sides. It just adds to everything we already have with this team." The company's name and website will adorn the front hood of the red Pontiac GXP of Edwards, while the 1-800-FOR-VETTE-PARTS will be on the hood scoop this weekend.
Located in Bristol, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, Contemporary Corvette opened its doors for business in 1990 with three Corvettes and a half-acre called "the Field of Broken Dreams." Now, after tremendous success, the company has expanded to four acres to house the nearly 450 Corvettes that occupy the grounds. The company features an all-inclusive website contemporarycorvette.com, where customers can find nearly any part for a Corvette, or 1-800-FOR-VETTE-PARTS to speak with them over the phone. Edwards Help CompetitionPlus.com Celebrate
10th Anniversary Of Racing Coverage For the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Mike Edwards will carry the competitionplus.com decal on the front fender of his Pontiac to help the website celebrate its 10th year of covering the quarter-mile. "Bobby Bennett and his entire group at Competitionplus.com have been a huge supporter of what we are trying to accomplish with this race team and we thought this would be a great way of showing that respect," Edwards said. The website, which focuses on all angles of drag racing, has become one of the major online players in the quarter-mile arena with its hard-hitting reporting, event coverage, and a one stop source for everything drag racing.
Reaching Out To Young Life Kids, Not On Thursday nights at many NHRA events, you will catch Professional teams out seeing the city, handling corporate commitments, relaxing before the stress of the race weekend, or traveling to the event. Those activities are the furthest things from the minds of Mike Edwards and his Young Life/ART crew. Before each event, Edwards and his team begin the weekend in a bit different manner. For the last nine years, Edwards has hosted the Giving Kids Hope program at the track for urban Young Life kids. These kids come from socially and economically challenged backgrounds, and Edwards and his team try to give them hope for the future. "This is what this team is all about, reaching out to these kids and hopefully making a difference," Edwards said. "To me, all the awards and accolades we receive on the racetrack the rest of the weekend pale in comparison to what we are trying to accomplish through this program. If we can turn the life of just one kid around who sees us on a given weekend, we have done what we set out to do nearly a decade ago." The kids, who are from local Young Life groups, come to the track and Edwards' pit area, where they enjoy food, tours of the trailer and car, and several acitvities with a racing theme. Edwards closes the evening by telling the kids how God has changed his life and encourages them to consider making that same choice. He also shares the role that God has played in his racing career and lets each kid know that many people care about them and that God will always be there for them. "It is a great feeling when you stand in front of these kids and see the future in their eyes," Edwards said. "You hope what you say to them will help them realize they can have a more fulfilling life if they only allow God to be a part of it." Since the program's inception in 2000, Edwards has hosted thousands of kids, many of whom have returned to see Edwards and allowed him to see the fruits of his labor. "The best part is when a kid comes out to the track, tells you that they came to one of your programs a few years ago, and lets you know that you were able to make them feel special that evening," Edwards reflected. "When Roger and Ann Stull created this race team, the goal was not to just win events on the track, but it was to capture the hearts of the kids and help them find God and to have a better future. "To us, Thursday night means more than what happends on Sunday," he continued. "In the big picture, what happens on race day will come and go, but an impact you can make on the life of a kid will last forever. That is why we do it." How ready does Mike Edwards want to be when Monday’s NHRA U.S. Nationals final eliminations roll around? The ten-time pole-earning driver in 2009 dispatched a crew from his Charlotte, N.C.-based shop to bring him the same engine he used to win the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle last July. Edwards wounded an engine during Friday’s lone qualifying session en route to a 6.581 elapsed time at 209.01. The strength of the pass kept him atop the field long enough to procure his tenth pole position of the season and first-ever in Indianapolis. The engine swap was the furthest thing on his mind Sunday afternoon. “I think I might have to pinch myself in qualifying No. 1,” said Edwards. “This is real special and ranks high up there on the list of things I’ve done.” Edwards has won Pro Stock once at the U.S. Nationals, securing the 1998 crown in honor of fallen team owner John Kite and was a runner-up for the 1981 Modified title. Sunday marked his first No. 1 and on Monday he’d like to add his first clean sweep to the resume. That’s why he sent for the extra bullet. Because of the competitive nature of this class, Edwards knows he might not get a second chance at a clean sweep. “We’ve got everything in place to give it all we’ve got,” Edwards explained. “I just really appreciate my guys for putting me in this position. I give God the glory for this opportunity.” Edwards could have raced with the inventory he’s got in the hauler now, but with this much on the line, he’s not in a gambling mood. “You never know what is going to happen,” Edwards cautioned. “We have several engines and we always like to keep one back at the shop for the dyno. We have to have a good one back home to run new parts and try and find a way to keep an edge on the competition.” The engine demands go beyond Edwards’ own personal needs. He’s also the engine supplier for Ron Krisher, the seventh qualifier for Monday’s final eliminations. There’s a good chance the engine delivered last evening could end up in Krisher’s car. “We sent for the new engine not because we were concerned about performance because all of our engines are good in the trailer, it’s just about ensuring that we are covered,” Edward said. “You have to make sure you have enough bullets to keep your guns-a-blazing.” Everyone Always Remembers Who Wins U.S. Nationals With Spot Secure In NHRA Playoff, Edwards Only Focus Is On Collecting Hardware That the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is the center-piece of the NHRA schedule ramps up the excitement of the event that much more. It holds so much history, from its early days in the 1950s and 60s, to today's version, the 55th annual trek to the NHRA showcase event. With all the spotlights on the tour stop at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Mike Edwards knows this is truly the event you want to shine. Flashback: 1998 U.S. Nationals Pro Stock victory Below is a flashback to the 1998 U.S. Nationals when Mike Edwards wheeled his way to his lone victory at the famed event.
Just more than eight months after the death of team owner John Kight, Mike Edwards fulfilled a goal of the pair when he drove the JK Racing Pontiac to the 1998 U.S. Nationals Pro Stock crown, ending a six-year reign of the Johnson family.
Edwards said about the victory at that time, "It's unfortunate that John, who meant the world to me, as much as my father, is not here to enjoy this feeling. This is the one race when we put this deal together, we wanted to win. I wouldn't have been surprised if a big rainbow broke out over the grandstands from him smiling over us reaching our goal. All I can say is this win is for my personal hero, John Kight."
When Kight died in January 1998, Edwards thought that the dream of standing in the winner's circle in front of Parks Tower would never come to fruition. But Kight's wife, Mary Lou, didn't allow that to end because she knew it was something here husband wanted desperately.
By keeping the team together, the pinnacle in drag racing was reached when he beat the likes of Jim Yates and Kurt Johnson before besting Warren Johnson in the final.
Now more than a decade past that emotional time, Edwards still calls the event the highlight of his career. "I don't believe there will ever be a time I'm happier and more grateful for anything. That truly was a crowning moment in not only my racing career, but in my growth as a human being."
Quick Notes Has advanced to the final at nine events in 2009, the most in Pro Stock.
In 2009, has captured nine No. 1 Qualifier awards, the most in Pro Stock.
Captured three wins thus far in 2009 in Atlanta, Bristol and the latest in Seattle.
Has qualified in the top five positions in all 17 NHRA events in 2009, with four times earning the No. 2 spot, and three times in the No. 4 position to go with his nine poles and a single No. 5 qualifying effort.
Recorded his 18th career victory in Seattle. Currently third in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock point standings, only trailing points leader Jeg Coughlin and Jason Line, with Indianapolis the final event to earn points toward the NHRA playoffs. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 14 of the 17 events in 2009. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at seven races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, Seattle, and Brainerd), and has left with low e.t. two other events (Phoenix and Las Vegas), while garnering top speed at four others (Houston, Atlanta, Norwalk, and Reading). Mike Edwards Racing has added Contemporary Corvette.com as an associate sponsor to the Young Life/A.R.T. Pontiac Pro Stock for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The newest marketing partner with Edwards will actively support and help promote the race team as part of the strategic partnership in respect to particular goals during the events at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The company was also on the car for the NHRA stop in Reading.
"We are very fortunate to have a company like Contemporary Corvette come on board and help us at this most crucial stage of the season," Edwards said. "We will do everything we can to make this partnership stronger and more valuable for them as we do with all of our marketing partners. By adding support to our team, it only helps us elevate our entire business model at all levels in promoting Mike Edwards Motorsports' team message." Located in Bristol, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, owner Ron DeSmedt opened his doors for business in 1990 with three Corvettes and a half-acre of what he calls "the Field of Broken Dreams." Now, after tremendous success, he has expanded to four acres to house the nearly 450 Corvettes that occupy the grounds. The company features an all-inclusive website contemporarycorvette.com, where customers can find nearly any part for a Corvette, or 1-800-FOR-VETTE-PARTS to speak with the Contemporary Corvette directly. In addition to the extensive yard of salvaged Corvettes, the company also has several warehouses full of engines, transmissions, suspension parts and electrical oddities. Most of the products Contemporary Corvette sells are previously owned, but also sells many new parts still in original wrappings, such as chrome trim, emblems and taillight lenses. Some of the salvages items include instruments, glass, steering columns and wheels, seats, wiper motors, A-frames, speakers, door panels, gas tanks, bumpers, moldings, half-shafts, rims and tires, and just about anything else, including Dana rears and complete rolling frames. Whichever part you would find in a Corvette can be purchased at Contemporary Corvette. The company's name and website will adorn the front hood of the red Pontiac GXP of Edwards, while the 1-800-FOR-VETTE-PARTS will be on the hood scoop this weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Edwards Close To Top With Two Stops Left With just two events remaining in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series before the "Countdown to 1" playoffs begin for the final six races, Mike Edwards knows how important these stops are in his quest to steal his second place spot back and hopefully the Pro Stock points lead before the tour hits Charlotte. Edwards is just 34 points behind leader Jeg Coughlin and a mere seven points back of Jason Line for second. An early exit by Coughlin and a victory at this weekend's 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway could place Edwards on top for the first time in his career, and put him in position to earn the 20 bonus points given to the points leader when the tour leaves Indianapolis Labor Day weekend.
For Edwards and his Young Life/A.R.T. Pontiac-backed team, they have reached the most finals in Pro Stock in 2009 with nine (Line has made eight finals, while Coughlin seven), and has had his share of good fortune in Reading, with a pair of runners-up in 1998 and 2002. But none of that has turned into a victory and a trip to the coveted winner's circle. This weekend all thoughts are set on changing that statistic. "We're still fighting as hard as we ever in this class of reaching the top," Edwards said. "We have been trying to get our edge back and have been testing real hard in achieving that. We had a good showing in Brainerd, but not exactly what we were hoping for only reaching the semifinals. For the rest of the season, our goal is reaching the final at every event and hope that leads us to a championship. Reading is such a pivotal race according to Edwards, being the last stop prior to the U.S. Nationals, which is everybody's last chance. "Maple Grove has created a lot of excitement over the years and we have come close a few times, but never able to grab the trophy there. I know every single member of this team is focused on performing at our best in Reading.
"In the past, you could always throw your best at the Maple Grove track and it usually would stick," he added, referring to the performance potential. "If God is willing, I hope this is the start of some great runs for this team that will include a victory and maybe start us down a path to the ultimate prize at the end of the season. All I know is I'm looking forward to it!" Quick Notes
Has advanced to the final at nine events in 2009, the most in Pro Stock.
In 2009, has captured eight No. 1 Qualifier awards, the most in Pro Stock.
Captured three wins thus far in 2009 in Atlanta, Bristol and the latest in Seattle.
Has qualified in the top five positions in all 16 NHRA events in 2009, with four times earning the No. 2 spot, and three times in the No. 4 position to go with his eight poles and a single No. 5 qualifying effort.
Recorded his 18th career victory in Seattle. Currently third in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock point standings, only 34 points behind leader Jeg Coughlin and seven points in rear of Jason Line. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 13 of the first 16 events. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at seven races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, Seattle, and Brainerd), and has left with low e.t. two other events (Phoenix and Las Vegas), while garnering top speed at three others (Houston, Atlanta, and Norwalk).
EDWARDS MAINTAINS BRAINERD TOUGHNESS
“I am scared to watch Mike Edwards come down the track,” said Anderson after making the fastest run of the weekend. Edwards quickly proved Anderson's fear was legitimate with a near perfect 6.694, 205.39 mph lap. Mike Edwards almost appeared to have a measure of guilt in admitting he took some time away from the daily grind known as Pro Stock on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The veteran driver from Broken Arrow, Ok., has been racing at breakneck speed lately, and though he ranks second in the championship points, one would think he’s out front trying to fend off the competition. Brainerd Not The Kindest Of Stops On The NHRA Tour In the world of drag racing, one would think that it would not matter what track you are at competing because almost all facets are the same. All the races are started by a Tree, each course is exactly 1320 feet long, and have a left and right lane. All those are a constant, so one would assume that if a driver performs well at one track it should be obvious they will do just as well at another. Two Weeks Off Gives Team Time To Recharge For Run After the grueling Western Swing, that went from Denver to Seattle and down to Sonoma, Calif., Mike Edwards and the entire Young Life/A.R.T. squad took the two weeks between California and Brainerd to get their feet back under them and take some time away for the track. Quick Notes Has advanced to the final at seven of the last 10 events.
Recorded his 18th career victory in Seattle. Currently second in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock point standings, only 60 points behind leader Jeg Coughlin. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 12 of the first 15 events. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at seven races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, and Seattle), and has left with low e.t. two other events (Phoenix and Las Vegas), while garnering top speed at three others (Houston, Atlanta, and Norwalk). Edwards Hopes Seattle Momentum Carries To Sonoma After being on the road for three weeks straight, many would look at the end of the trip as just an event to go through the motions and head home and get ready for the push toward the "Countdown to 1" championship playoff, but not for Mike Edwards and the Young Life/A.R.T.-backed team. The trip to Sonoma and the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway is a chance to grab a spot in Pro Stock the longtime campaigner has never held, the NHRA Pro Stock points lead. "When you start the season, you just hope you come out and make a good showing for your fans and those who support you and only imagine having a chance to sit on top of the class," Edwards said. "That is something that is now within our reach. We are working flawless as a team and I feel real good after winning Seattle, so we are heading to the bay area with hopes of leaving with not only the NHRA Wally, but the points lead." Edwards currently sits 20 points behind Jeg Coughlin for the lead, which translates into one round of competition. Thus, if Edwards qualifies better than Coughlin and goes a round further in competition, he will leave California with the lead. When Mike Edwards turned on the win light in the found round, downing Jason Line, who had got the best of the Young Life/Penhall team in the Pomona and Norwalk final, Mike knew he had another good day at the track. Has advanced to the final at seven of the last nine events. Captured three wins thus far in 2009 in Atlanta, Bristol and the latest in Seattle. Has qualified in the top four positions in all 14 NHRA events in 2009, with four times earning the No. 2 spot, and three times in the No. 4 position to go with his seven poles. Mike Edwards has grabbed either low e.t. or top speed at 12 of the first 14 events. He scored both the low e.t. and top speed of the event at seven races (Gainesville, Bristol, Topeka, Chicago, Englishtown, Denver, and Seattle), and has left with low e.t. two other events (Phoenix and Las Vegas), while garnering top speed at three others (Houston, Atlanta, and Norwalk). Runs string of 6.5s to garner Seattle crown For the third time this season, Mike Edwards has wheeled the Young Life/ART Pontiac GXP into an NHRA winner's circle. With a string of 6.5 elapsed times, Edwards earned the Seattle victory, which also marks the third win at the facility in his career. "We knew this was coming, it was just we had to be patient and not let a few setbacks at the last couple events slow our progress," he said. "I can't speak enough at the job everyone on this team is doing. They have been flawless and I'm starting to come around on my end in the car." Edwards started his run from the No. 2 spot and easily disposed of Ben Watson in the opening round 6.55. He followed that with a pair of 6.58s to down Greg Stanfield and engine customer Ron Krisher to reach his eighth final of the season. Waiting in the money round was Jason Line, who has defeated Edwards twice this year in the final. This time, Edwards didn't leave anything to chance as he left first and recorded a third straight 6.58 and a track record 211.03 blast to secure his third crown of the year.
With his victory, Edwards has moved to within 20 points of front runner Jeg Coughlin
For at least one weekend, Mike Edwards won’t have to answer questions from the media about having the car to beat all weekend and losing in the final round, which suits the Oklahoma native just fine. The victory moved Edwards to within 20 points of leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. EDWARDS TAKING THE HEAT ON AND OFF THE TRACK Mike Edwards is taking the heat, literally. Edwards, quickest after two rounds of Pro Stock qualifying at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle says the only one who can turn the corner on wins is himself. He admits to not dealing as well as he could with the pressure of winning qualifying and then going still rounds. Still, he having the time of racing life. "This has been my best season ever. When we started in this new direction two years ago I thought we'd either sink or swim. Right now we're swimming. We're second overall and that's not bad. As soon as we get of the Western Swing we'll have a chance to try some things and try to get a little better before the Countdown starts." Denver stop plays key role in push toward championship
Edwards Takes Aim At Possible Double-up Norwalk Weekend K&N Pro Stock Challenge - Saturday
With this weekend's stop at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Mike Edwards has a chance to walk away with two titles when he competes in the K&N Pro Stock Challenge on Saturday and then follow with a run at the NHRA Wally on Sunday. Three Straight Runner-up Finishes Not Sitting Well
Edwards Hopes Special Run Continues In Englishtown For Mike Edwards, the last five events have been what he has hoped for since he started driving Pro Stock full-time in 1996. In the stretch, he has reached the final four times, walking away with the NHRA Wally on two occasions, and at the same time grabbing the No. 1 qualifying spot three times, and the No. 2 spot at the other events as well. During this run, the A.R.T./Young Life-backed Edwards has jumped to second in the points, his highest showing in his 13 years "What can you say, it is like all of us on this team our living the fantasy of what we all hoped this would turn out like when we started down this path," he said. "It is just a special time right now and we are all enjoying it to the fullest. I just don't want it to end." The track has not been kind to Edwards and his Pontiac in the past, as he has only advanced past the first round only twice; the first in 1998 when he was runner-up and then last year by advancing to the semifinals. "It is weird how some tracks just don't fit what you do," he said. "I love coming to this part of the country, but I just have never been able to turn that into round wins. This year I hope to be different." EDWARDS: LIVING THE DREAM By his own admission, Mike Edwards is “living the dream”. A dream that has led him to his sixth No.1 qualifying effort in the first ten races of season. And, as in the case of the previous five efforts, Edwards was humble in his accomplishment. “We kept pecking away at the track and kept getting better and better,” Edwards said. “I feel comfortable right now and we made some adjustments to the car on that last run. We helped it and hopefully we can make a few more adjustments and be even better tomorrow.” Edwards #1 Qualifier for Sixth Time This Season Edwards continued to pace Pro Stock with his sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season. He earned this one with a performance of 6.587 at 209.88 in his ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP. He was the only driver in his category to post runs of 6.5-seconds in three of the four qualifying sessions. Edwards will try for his third win of the season by opening with No. 16 qualifier Ronnie Humphrey. “Where I’m at right now, I’m overwhelmed,” Edwards continued. “I’m in company where I’ve never been before: the Summit cars, the JEGS car, those kind of people, and those teams win championships. My team has overcome a lot. We made a lot of good decisions over the winter, and we made a lot of progress. A lot.” Edwards Hopes For Repeat Of 2001 Chicago March
EDWARDS: TWO RUNS AND SUNSHINE, A GOOD THING
On a day typical of the deep Midwest, one of the region’s finest Pro Stock drivers turned in what has been a typical performance for him this season. Mike Edwards ran a 6.674 elapsed time at 206.29 miles per hour. If his numbers hold, it will mark his fourth consecutive No. 1. Including eliminations, Edwards has been the quickest car in ten consecutive rounds of qualifying and eliminations.
With Strong Start to '09 Season, Edwards Driving Car to Beat in Pro Stock
If the Pro Stock performance that was put on display by Mike Edwards and his workaholic ART/Young Life Pontiac GXP teammates at Bristol Dragway two weeks ago is a preview of what's to come for his fellow competitors in the 200 mph category, those respective teams better get to work.
And they better get to work fast. At Bristol's Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards' driving was near perfect. His GXP's setup was flawless. He left his competition in his dust all weekend. He was the No. 1 qualifier. He won the race. And just for good measure, he set the low elapsed time for the event in his final-round victory over three-time series champ Greg Anderson. It was all in a day's work for this very humble and highly spiritual self-confessed total gear head from Oklahoma who now heads to Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas for the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, May 29-31. He will try to keep the momentum going so he can improve on his third place position in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points order. Hillary Will (Top Fuel); John Force (Funny Car); and Ron Krisher (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD. Edwards had been making waves and turning heads early in the season in spurts, taking three No. 1 qualifying positions, a runner-up finish at the season-opener in Pomona, Calif. and a victory in mid-April in Atlanta. However, his flashes of brilliance before his exclamation point victory at Bristol were tempered with a few moments of futility. After being recognized by his peers as having the car to beat with No. 1 qualifying performances at Phoenix, Gainesville and Las Vegas, he lost all three races in the second round. At St. Louis he qualified second but lost in the first round to Justin Humphreys on a red-light start. Heading into Bristol he decided to focus intensely on his driving and had his team work overtime to find more horsepower. The results were immediate. "I had been struggling with my driving and I felt like I gave a couple of races away," Edwards said. "I have been qualifying No. 1 and felt like I let my team down a few times. We have just tested, tested and tested and worked countless hours at this. I have the best group of guys in the world. Finally all the hard work is paying off and the results are showing."
"I don't know if people realize how hard it is to do well in this class," said Edwards, whose best series points finish in his 15-year career is third (1996). "I respect Greg (Anderson) and Jason (Line) and those are the guys you want to beat because they've been up there so long, just like Warren and Kurt (Johnson) too. To beat those guys ... I never dreamed I would be as competitive in this class and run like this. It's an awesome feeling." Courtesy of Drag Race Central, posted 5/27/09 Who Are The Favorites? Did You Know? Mike Edwards comes into the Topeka race fresh off one of the most dominating performances of his career. His win in Bristol was, as I mentioned last week, as close to total domination as you can get. But even though Mike has won in Topeka before it certainly isn't one of his better tracks, at least from a performance standpoint. Did you know that Mike has raced seventeen times at Heartland Park and has only qualified in the top half of the field five times? And of those seventeen trips to mid-America he has made it to the finals twice but he also has five round one losses. Of course he never came here with a car like he has this year. Did you know that when Mike won the Topeka race in 1999 he did it after qualifying sixteenth in the field? That puts him in a very select group of drivers, a group of three to be exact, who have won in Pro Stock after qualifying sixteenth and last in the field. As hard as it may be to believe, Mike was the first driver in the history of the class to win from the last spot when he did it in '99. Professional Drag Racing drivers very seldom sell their helmets to the public. Most keep them as a Winning bids will benefit PRO, a trade organization providing services and other benefits to professional drag racing team owners and drivers; with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Racers for Christ (Team RFC), an organization which has been servicing NHRA for over 25 years. This will be one of the few times in motorsport history where, you the fans; will get the opportunity to bid on a helmet worn by one of the top drivers in NHRA’s Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes. Visit www.greathelmetauction.com for more information Written by Bobby Bennett A bull in a china shop would have been less conspicuous than the domination Mike Edwards displayed this past weekend. Edwards left no doubt that he was the man to beat at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Pro Stock title from day one when he moved to the top of the qualifying order in the first session. He then solidified his hold on the top spot in the second qualifying session. On the final day of qualifying, when he couldn’t improve on his Friday effort, he was still the quickest each time down the track. Edwards Utterly Dominates Bristol In Victory In quite honestly, the most dominating performance in his NHRA Pro Stock career, Mike Edwards from the first qualifying run on Friday of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, to the final round on Sunday, the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac was the star of the class. On all eight runs, Edwards was the quickest each time, including earning his fourth top qualifier of the year. But, he saved his best for last as Edwards not only established a Bristol Dragway e.t. record, but captured his second title of the season.
Edwards has been the best car at nearly every event this year, but the NHRA Wallys were not rolling back with the team to Oklahoma, as little things upended the team on Sunday. It nearly happened in the first round again when Edwards was a bit off on the starting line, but the vaunted team horsepower prevailed over David Beakley. It was almost like Edwards got the wake-up call he needed and found his driving groove that he has been known for throughout his career. In round two, Edwards was the picture of perfection with a .000 light and 6.639 that ended Kurt Johnson's day. He followed it up with a 6.643 to defeat a red-lighting Jason Line and earn a spot in his 32nd final against Greg Anderson, who held a 29-5 win mark against Edwards and was perfect 1-0 in previous final rounds. Edwards had another near perfect light in the final and included that to a 6.633 that gave him the win over Greg Anderson's 6.658. Edwards, who also won in Atlanta, now has 17 Pro Stock wins to his credit. "We just ran so good," said Edwards. "Every run it just seemed like we got a little bit better and I can't believe we ran this well every run. Eight runs, and we were the fastest car every run down the track. I don't know if people really know how hard it is in this class to win one of these races. I respect Greg Anderson and Jason Line, Warren and Kurt Johnson, and everybody. They're the guys you want to try to beat because they've been up there so long. To beat those guys, I just never dreamed I could be this competitive in this class, and to run like this is just an awesome feeling. "I have a wonderful team. These guys, they work so hard. We have just tested and tested and tested, and it's paying off for us. My guys just work endless hours. Boy it feels good to do this. I've always wanted to win this race. There is a lot of tradition around here with that big old circle track. You get chills just being around here, so this feels good." The victory moved Edwards that much closer to the top of the Pro Stock field, as he sits third, trailing Jeg Coughlin by less than 100 points and Line. Edwards has consistently credited his new in-house engine program for his recent success. "Roger Stull, my long time friend and business partner, we made the decision that we were going to make one last attempt to do this the right way, or at least in the way we believed was right," Edwards said. "We lowered the boom, stepped out into the water and the Lord met us halfway."
EDWARDS MORE IMPRESSED WITH Written by Bobby Bennett Jr. Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier Mike Edwards confessed that he was more impressed with his pair of Saturday runs during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals than the one that put him atop the field for the fourth time in 2009. Saturday he may not have been quicker but he didn’t leave anything on the table headed into Sunday’s final eliminations either. The second day was spent seeking that edge of the envelope for race day. Edwards was nearly .05 slower on Saturday but that fall in performance was proportionate with the conditions he had to work with. He ran a 6.74 in the opening session and returned in the final with a 6.73, both runs representing the quickest of the day. EDWARDS: THE IMPORTANT MESSAGE Mike Edwards doesn’t want a valuable message lost in the midst of his recent success. “Young Life is on the car because of our love of kids and trying to lead them to Christ,” said Edwards. “We receive no financial support from Young Life; we do it because we want to. Applied Racing Technology, A.R.T., is a mail-order business in Florida. They have been with me for seven or eight years, and they’ve stepped up this year and really helped me a bunch. They’re great friends to us.” Edwards is not the only one that would like to see himself win in Bristol … a few members of Young Life also would be pretty happy. Edwards Shoots For Back-to-back Victories In St. Louis Stop After capturing his second straight Atlanta title, Edwards hopes to add a second title from the St. Louis stop to go with his 2006 trophy. "This has been a major hit or miss stop for us," he admitted. "We have struggled at times at Gateway Int'l Raceway (four DNQs), and then tasted the pinnacle of each event by grabbing the Wally in 2006. So, I hope what happened in Atlanta carries over to this weekend and we can make another trip to the winner's circle."
Currently Edwards sits in third place in the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock points, trailing points leader Jeg Coughlin by 63 points, and second place Jason Line by a mere 33. "We have had a great run the start of the season and have put ourselves in position to battle for the championship," he said. "We just need to keep that old friend momentum in our camp for 18 more races and see what happens at the end." With his victory in Atlanta, Mike Edwards has won an event in nine different seasons. By beating Jeg Coughlin in the final, Mike Edwards has squared off and defeated 11 different drivers in the final since his first at 2006 Houston. Of the group, he has defeated Kurt Johnson and Jim Yates on three occasions and Jason Line at two different events. The other drivers are Ray Franks, Rickie Smith, Warren Johnson, Richie Stevents, Troy Coughlin, Allen Johnson, and Larry Morgan. On the flip side, Mike Edwards other 15 trips to the final have him coming out on the losing end to eight different drivers, including Warren Johnson, Jim Yates, and Kurt Johnson each three times, and Jeg Coughlin twice. The other four are Tom Martino, Richie Stevens, Greg Anderson, and Jason Line. A note from Bob Frey's column on www.dragracecentral.com, "Mike has recorded low elapsed time three times this year and top speed twice. Did you know that he has already set low e.t. more times this year, in just six races, than in any other year in his career."
Written by Bobby Bennett Jr Edwards Gets Back To Atlanta's Winners Circle For the second straight time, Mike Edwards can say he is the champion at Atlanta Dragway. He scored his back-to-back title when he bested Jeg Coughlin in the final. In a weekend that could be termed the battle of the mail order companies, as the semifinals were composed of Coughlin's Jeg Mail Order ride and the vaunted Summit team of Greg Anderson and Jason Line. At the end, it was Applied Racing Technology and Edwards who grabbed the bragging rights. Late Sunday evening, Edwards downed Line, who had got the best of him in the Pomona final, when he used a better light and 6.63 to down the two-time 2009 winner's 6.64. With Coughlin taking care of Anderson in the other semifinal, it setup the third time that the Edwards and Coughlin would meet for the Pro Stock crown. "We've had a car that should have a couple more race wins by this time, but some areas of the entire package were not clicking," Edwards admitted. "This weekend through the adverse conditions of dealing with a different track each time, we made the right decisions and put this team back in the winner's circle and got another Wally. EDWARDS: RELAXATION THE KEY Mike Edwards has learned that when it rains it pours. At least that’s how it works for his Pro Stock team. EDWARDS BECOMES FIRST PROSTOCKER TO CRACK 212 MPH LAS VEGAS -- In the semifinals in Houston, Mike Edwards recorded history in NHRA Pro Stock competition, when he became the first driver to eclipse the 212 mph barrier with a 212.03 shot. It marks the first time that Edwards has left an event holding either the national speed or e.t. record. "What an awesome feeling to have that honor in your camp. Speed doesn't win races for you, but it sure proves all the effort is paying off in big numbers," he said. By grabbing the NHRA Pro Stock speed record, Edwards ended a streak by the Ken Black-owned Pro Stock stable of drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line, who between the pair have held the mark for nearly six years. At the 2003 Winternationals in Pomona, Warren Johnson grabbed the coveted record with a 204.91 mph shot, only to hand the title over to Anderson a few months later at the Englishtown stop with a 207.18 mph run. Since that time Anderson and Line have swapped the record a handful of times until Edwards blasted the sports first 212 mph run. "What an honor to be in the company of such drivers as Greg and Jason, who have been the kingpins of the class for nearly the last decade," Edwards added. "This is one of those things I will always remember and everyone on this team is just as proud." In competing in 11 of the possible 16 rounds of competition thus far, Mike Edwards has traveled a mere 2.75 miles enroute to seven rounds wins. In setting the NHRA Pro Stock speed record at 212.03 mph, Mike was traveling at 311 feet per second at the finish line. A normal street car going 70 mph is approximately 102 feet per second. Edwards Starts 2009 Season On Hot Streak The only thing missing from Mike Edwards 2009 resume to this point is an NHRA victory. Behind the wheel of his team's Pontiac GXP, he has started this year's campaign almost like a pre-season script every racer hopes for. At the beginning of the 2009 season, Mike Edwards expanded his racing operation and to include leasing engines to longtime Pro Stock campaigner Ron Krisher. After only four races into the partnership, it has paid huge dividends for both teams, as Krisher drove his Valvoline Cobalt to the winner's circle in Houston. "By adding Ron to the engine program helps both of us in so many areas," Edwards added. "It gives both of us that much more information to work with and to move the entire operation forward in a bit quicker manner. Ron and I have worked together in the past, and by getting back together again at the back-end of our driving careers, it gives us both that shot of reaching the top of the NHRA Pro Stock world. Everything has come together even quicker than we thought, which we hope leads to a real strong close to the year." En route to his victory, Krisher did sideline Edwards in the semifinals before taking care of reigning Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin in the final. "I think between Mike and me, we are as powerful as anyone in this class right now," Krisher added. "As a tandem we have been capable of running with anyone anywhere." The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has not been the nicest facility on the NHRA tour for Mike Edwards when it comes to victories, much less round wins. But, after the pre-season testing and how the year has started, Edwards believes the 2009 spring stop is when the luck changes. "For some reason, we have never done as well as we hoped at this track," he said. "This year though, in testing we had the quickest time and we hope that translates into a better weekend." In the previous 18 visits to Las Vegas, Edwards has only carded five round wins, never getting past the second round. "That kind of streak needs to end this weekend," he said. "It is weird that some tracks you can't do anything wrong and others, you could be nearly perfect and still lose. That is how I feel about Las Vegas." Las Vegas Television Coverage GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR EDWARDS 212.03 – Then Gets Beat By His Own Horsepower … EDWARDS ADJUSTING TO SUCCESS Edwards Grabs Second Straight Pro Stock Pole Backing up his performance three weeks prior in Phoenix, Mike Edwards has wheeled his special-design A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac GXP to his second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position of the season and eighth of his career, with a 6.582 at 209.95. Mike Edwards has come to realize that every Pro Stock driver has to have a niche if they hope to have a fighting chance of competing.
For the former sportsman world champion from Broken Arrow, Okla., his role is to be the driver who is able to make the most with the least, while simultaneously fighting to keep his place in the game, against many of the higher financed operations. To that end, Edwards and partner Roger Stull, a successful businessman, have invested their money wisely creating a team that can run with the best the class has to offer. Edwards drove his way to his second consecutive pole position in 2009, improving on a Friday run at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals that he deemed beatable by everyone but himself. After two more rounds of qualifying, Edwards prediction came true with a single exception. His competitors beat his time, but no by nearly enough, as he drove his Pontiac to a 6.582, a ful hundredth of a second faster than Greg Anderson, in a division measured in thousandths of a second. He used the third stop on the NHRA Full Throttle tour to provide yet another platform to showcase how he is making more with less, slaying the division giants in the process. "I think that is an overstatement. We just try," Edwards said humbly. "That's all we can do it try. You just do the best with what you've got. Right now, I'm probably in the best shape I have ever been since I've been racing as far as my engine program and the people I have in place. It's kinda on my shoulders."
Those who have supported Edwards over the years in his quest to make his place in Pro Stock know how deep is his desire to succeed. They know what drives this soft-spoken man who takes being humble to a new level. He's never carried the large corporate backing with unlimited budgets. Edwards has carried enough backing over the years with large corporations such as Penhall, to get the job done. He's even found a way to provide the necessary goodwill and humanitarian support to Young Life, an organization that works with inner city kids, in an attempt to give back to society what he has been blessed to have. Gainesville became an opportunity for Edwards to give back to a sponsor who has supported him faithfully over the seasons. Edwards made his 2009 debut with Derek and Cathy Steinbach's Applied Racing Technology [ART] in the primary sponsor role. He believed the southern Florida-based company could benefit most from the exposure. "They are kinda the last man standing for us this year," Edwards said. "We've lost all of our sponsors. They've [ART] hung in there with us. We wanted to represent them the best way we could and give them recognition and hopefully we can do a good job his weekend and have a good race for them. Nothing says recognition like a No. 1 qualifying position in arguably the most competitive class in professional drag racing. Nothing describes this kind of success for Edwards that being strongest at his monetary weakest. "You dream of having enough stuff to run really, really good and having a chance to come to a race," Edwards admitted. "We used to come to the races hoping we could just qualify and now we come thinking you can win. That's the mindset you have to have going in when you're in a position like we are now. It because of hard work, a lot of dedication and all the guys, Roger, the funding and all of our help." Edwards has clearly proven to be one of the more mild-mannered racers, choosing to let his actions serve as his Christian testimony. There are times, in the heated nature of a competitive class such as Pro Stock, that he can't help but feel like a wounded animal pushed in a corner. Consider his back-to-back No. 1's as his way of fighting back. Frugally and mentally, Edwards is on his game. Edwards To Debut A.R.T. Look At Gators |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike Edwards still finds success a foreign experience.Pro Stock racer Mike Edwards will showcase a special design scheme of one of the leading chassis component mail-order suppliers when he unveils the Applied Racing Technology (A.R.T.) special-edition Pontiac GXP beginning at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals this weekend.
 Since 2001, A.R.T., and the company's distinctive red and black logo, has been a featured partner with Edwards' Pro Stock operation and will continue to do so in a larger role. "This is a great plus for our team," Edwards said. "We have worked with A.R.T. over the years to formulate ways to market its brand in the drag-racing arena. This has helped us build a strong relationship with such individuals as A.R.T.'s owner Derek Steinbach over the last eight years and as a team we are fortunate to have their great company continuing to support us." "We hope that everything we have in place will only strengthen their business strategies for not only the 2009 season but well beyond."
Steinbach added, "Our company is proud to be a sponsor of the Mike Edwards Motorsports team. Their success and excellence on the race track is a very positive reflection for anyone associated with their organization." A.R.T. manufactures its own line of private label chassis and suspension components, and is also a warehouse distributor for over 70 other manufacturers' lines, allowing the company to offer its customers a wide range of products. The company is committed to personalized service and has become known for its sales advisors' knowledge and experience. Racing is a way of life for A.R.T. and their enthusiasm for the sport is reflected in their personal involvement and participation. For information on A.R.T., go to the company website at www.appliedracing.com. |
Building His Own Engine Pays Dividends For Edwards
Written by: Craig Wack as posted on SpeedTV
When Mike Edwards decided to improve his Pro Stock program he knew right where to start -- with his engines. Build 'em, test 'em, race 'em -- it was the best way to make the leap from qualifier to contender.
"Everybody who's been successful in this class has had their own engine program," said Edwards, who owns and drives his rcecar. "We decided to make the commitment and start our own program."
Shortly before the 2008 season, Edwards hired a staff, including Nick Ferri from Jeg Coughlin's team at Cagnazzi Racing, and began the process of constructing engines for this Young Life/Penhall Pontiac GXP. The going was rocky at times, but it was enough to catapult the 51-year-old Oklahoma native to a pair of wins (Atlanta, Memphis) and a fourth-place finish in the Full Throttle championship points.
After a little more than one year since the start of his in-house engine program, Edwards has now established himself as a solid early contender this year. He was runner-up to Jason Line in the series opener in Pomona and was No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix before bowing out in the second round.
"It's paying off for us already," he said. "We've come a long way in a short amount of time but we've still got a big mountain to climb. There are some good teams out there ahead of us.
"I'm definitely pleased with the way it's turned out and the direction it's going. At this point we've run good, just not raced real good on Sundays. The performance of the car has gone real well, we just need to get it all together and win a couple of these races."
The change in status--from mid-packfodder to bonafide title contender -- has given his team a big morale boost.
"Now when we go to races we know we have enough power to qualify," Edwards said. "It's just a matter of executing. Before this year we had to make an awesome run on the best session, weather-wise, just to make the show. Now with the program we feel like we can be one of the top two or three cars each session. When you do that you feel pretty confident about racing on Sunday."
He added that having his own program gives him a certain degree of flexibility he didn't have before.
"We've got some more stuff we're working pretty hard on," Edwards said. "It looks good, so we'll maybe bring that out in the middle of the season and see how that runs, too."
With the horsepower Edwards' car is producing, he's become at regular name the top of the qualifying ladder, which over the long haul will mean more points and better opportunities to go rounds and collect wins.
"It all adds up that's for sure. Anytime you can qualify up front, you've increased your odds," Edwards said. "That was one of the things we kept looking at (before starting the engine program). We'd go to these races trying to qualify, maybe go a round or two. Now you go to the race looking to qualify 1, 2, or 3 and maybe win the race. It's still a major task to win one of these races, but we're getting a better handle on it now."
Written by Bobby Bennett, Jr; Photo by Marty Reger
Saturday, February 21, 2009
IIn the desert, one can easily confuse reality with a mirage.
That’s the excuse Mike Edwards could give for not making his way to the media center for his post-qualifying press conference following the first day of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Slick Mist Nationals in Phoenix, Az.
The Coweta, Kan., driver of the Penhall/Young Life Pontiac drove his way to the quickest run in each of the two sessions on Friday, finishing the day with a track record 6.605-second run.
Heading into the race Edwards described Firebird International Raceway as one of the venues on the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle tour as “one that has stumped me over the years and I have never really got a solid handle on.”
Friday night he gripped that handle tightly and didn’t let go.
“Qualifying isn’t over yet, but at least we’re leading today and that means a lot. We really needed a run like we got on the first day.
“The first run I made didn’t feel like a No. 1 run but the second did. There are a lot of good teams out here that are capable of stepping up tomorrow with a good number.”
This season has begun with a blast for Edwards. Not only did he start off the season with a final round appearance in Pomona, but now he had the provisional No.1 qualifying effort to use as a pillow Friday night.
Not bad for a man, who could easily be construed as spread thin between maintaining his new in-house engine program and tending to newly signed engine lease customer Ron Krisher, who was seventh after two sessions.
“I am a little spread thin, but more importantly I am just trying to do the best that I can for both teams,” Edwards said. “We made a lot of headway on Friday and both of these cars have more left in them, especially Ron’s.
“For now, I am just going to celebrate our small victory today and be ready to battle it out tomorrow. You know how this Pro Stock class is. You’re on top one day and someone else can be there tomorrow.”
Mike Edwards
Firebird Int'l Raceway
Facts and Figures
Best Qualifying Position: No. 1 (2001)
Best Finish: semifinals (2002, 2008)
Round record: 8-8
First year to compete: 1996 (first round)
Mike Edwards-Career Driver Breakdown
Quick facts on Mike against Pro Stock drivers
Mike Edwards has lined up against 61 different drivers.
Mike Edwards has competed in a total of 432 Pro Stock rounds
Mike Edwards has won a total of 224 rounds, marking if he wins the first round in Phoenix, he will reach 225 for his Pro Stock career
Mike Edwards has raced Jim Yates the most - a total of 40 times, including the second round at the Winternationals. He holds a 22-18 mark against the former NHRA champion.
In Phoenix, Mike Edwards has raced 13 different drivers, of which only three more than one time. He has beat Ron Krisher in the pairs two encounters, split with Jim Yates, and lost both battles with Bruce Allen.
Firebird Int'l Raceway
Mike Edwards on the track: "It has been one that has stumped me over the years and I have never really got a solid handle on what needs to be done ot get our car down the track. It is a great setting, usually beautiful Arizona weather, and a track that produces near record numbers year-in and year-out, so I know it can be achieved."
2009 prognosis: "We are coming in this year with a head of steam after reaching the final in Pomona. The team - engine shop and the guys on the road - are working well together and when everything is clicking, the performance shows on the track. We are real high about our chances this year, the gang is making sure to get the car down the track, and when you do that fast, wins start rolling in."
Edwards Scores Runner-up Finish
Uses semifinal holeshot to oust one Summit car,
but can't topple Line in money round
For the second time in his Pro Stock career, Mike Edwards picked up a season-opening runner-up finish when he came up just short against Jason Line in the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
With rain washing out all but one qualifying session, Edwards powered his Young Life/ART Pontiac to the No. 4 spot with a respectable 6.62 during the lone shot Saturday morning. That is when the waiting game began as the Southern California area was hit with five days of rain that washed out all of qualifying prior on Thursday and Friday, eliminations on Sunday and the rescheduled finish on Monday.
With clear skies welcoming the racing on Tuesday, Edwards turned those perfect conditions into a great start to a 2009 campaign. He opened by squeaking by Greg Stanfield, and followed that by ousting former world champion Jim Yates. By moving into the final four, Edwards drew the one driver he has not had the best of success over the last few years, that being Greg Anderson. In the last six years, Edwards had beaten the multi-time champion only once, while falling to him more than a dozen time.
But Edwards pulled out his trusty starting-line talents and used a .008 light and 6.57 to stop Anderson, who the previous round recorded the quickest run in Pro Stock history, and make it two triumphs in the last three tries against Anderson.
In the final, Edwards couldn't stop both parts of the Summit camp as Line got the best of him, 6.56 to 6.57.
"If you would have told me that I would have opened the year with a runner-up finish, I would take that any time," Edwards said. "My whole team, from the guys at the engine shop to those at the track, did a phenomenal job in getting us ready for the season. We didn't get to test as much as we would have liked, but knew when we left Pomona in November we had team an engine program real close. Now, this time pulling out of California, as a group we feel confident that we have the whole package to be competitive all season and that gives us that extra little step to try even harder."
