Thompson Makes ADRL Pro Extreme Driving Debut

Long time Top Alcohol funny car stand out Clint Thompson surprised fans and fellow racers when he began testing a Pro Extreme Camaro last weekend at Bakersfield and then announced he would be running the full ADRL tour along with racing his own Top Alcohol Funny Car at up to 8 NHRA National Events. Racing on both circuits in two completely different kinds of cars makes this Thompson’s most ambitious season yet.

Thompson’s entry into the ADRL was simply a case of being at the right place at the right time, working for famed engine builder and close friend Bob Miner. “I was helping Bob Miner at his shop when Don Carter, a customer of Bob’s came by to pick up some parts. We all went to lunch when Don mentioned he was looking for a driver for his Pro Extreme car. I told him I think I could drive it and I’d love to give it a try” Thompson said. Next thing Thompson knew he was testing the car in Bakersfield one week before moving on to Houston for his ADRL debut this past weekend at Royal Purple Raceway. "We only got one day to test at Famoso, so I got three launches in the car as we sorted it out. It was intimidating going to my first race with so little testing, but everyone was very friendly and that helped." added Thompson

Thompson’s first attempt to make a pass at an ADRL event didn’t go the way he wanted as he ended up being pushed off the track when the battery went dead. “The battery tested good and had the correct voltage before the run but it went south after the burnout when I hit the trans brake to shift it into reverse the voltage dropped and the ignition went dead.” Thompson acknowledged.

In the second stanza, Thompson did what any good driver would do as he abandoned the run when the car made a sudden move towards the center line. “Everyone told me I did the right the thing by lifting. I watched a lot of You Tube videos and seen a lot of guys hit the wall or go on their lid so I have a healthy dose of respect for these cars but I’m getting use to it” Thompson said.

Weather played a role in qualifying as the third round was canceled. As a result, the team got just one more chance to qualify on Saturday afternoon and got in the show with a 3.89 only to be bumped out of the program minutes later. “Had we got that second run in on Friday night I think we would have got in. There were 25 cars for a 16 car field which makes just qualifiying a real challenge. It was still a good weekend as I’ve come away from Houston with the confidence that I can drive the car and we continue to run better every time out. My teammate Dan Myers went to the final round in the Xtreme 10.5 class so that made it a great weekend too”.

When asked what the difference is between driving the funny car and the Pro Extreme car, Thompson had this to say. “The Pro Extreme car is like a Pro Mod on steroids. It has a torque converter and a Bruno / Lenco two speed transmission instead of the clutch set up that is in my funny car. As a result, the Pro Extreme car uses a transbrake so it leaves much harder off the starting line. Another difference is you are sitting on the left side instead of in the center of the car. Also, there is really limited visibility on the right of the Pro Extreme car as it has a tall injector. Because of that it’s hard to see the tree when you are in the left lane. The ADRL runs 1/8 mile instead of the quarter mile so the run is over real fast, not much chance to fix a run for sure".

Finally, Thompson was asked what he likes best about the ADRL. “It’s laid back but still very professional. The tracks are prepared extremely well thanks to a couple of guys nicknamed the “Traction Twins” and the event was very well organized. This is also a different experience for me driving for someone else, all I have to do is show up and drive so that'll take some getting used to. The team did a great job on both cars thanks to Jeff, Ben, Bill, Cole, Cory, Al, and everyone else who helped out.

The next stop on the ADRL Tour 2012 is at famed Thunder Valley Raceway in Bristol Tennessee, April 20 -21.

Clint Thompson Finishes Second in Northwest Division, Eleventh Nationally

Pomona - The Thompson Racing Team ended the year in pretty good shape, finishing second in the Northwest Division 6 Top Alcohol Funny Car standings and just missed the top ten nationally by finishing eleventh. To have made the top ten, Clint Thompson needed to win the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

Unfortunately, Thompson was unable to reach that benchmark. The team began fighting gremlins on and off beginning at the Reynolds, Georgia division race “We had ignition problems. The car was shutting down as it was going down the track then it would start up again. We came home to Oregon and serviced the car before the Las Vegas races and I thought I had the problem fixed. On the second round of qualifying at the national event in Las Vegas, the car shut itself off so it didn’t get it fixed” Thompson said.

The team got the ignition problem fixed Friday night at the nationals but then another problem popped up as the team began burning pistons the following week at the Las Vegas divisional race in both the semis and the final rounds.

The problem continued into Pomona as the team burned a piston in the opening round of qualifying. The problem happened again in the second stanza but banged the blower too putting the team on the bubble. After a short turn around time the team made a good lap qualifying the Thompson entry 10th with a 5.66 at 252 MPH. “The crew did a fantastic job getting the car turned around in such a short time. My wife Danette, Bob Miner, Ronn Boehlke, and Will Stone really worked hard” Thompson said.

In round one, Thompson met up with John Lombardo, whom he saw plenty of in Vegas. Lombardo got off the line first and held on to take the win even though Thompson had a better ET. Lombardo recorded a 5.68 at 259 MPH to Thompson’s quicker 5.65 at 253 MPH. “ I feel bad for my crew that I lost on a hole shot. After I had that 0.15 light against him in Vegas, I knew he would be on his game and he was” Thompson explained. Summing up his Pomona outing, Thompson added, "probably the best thing all weekend was the surprise visit from my brother Tyler. It was great to see him and he jumped in and helped on Friday between rounds when we were thrashing."

In looking back at the season the team had a lot of success along with the mechanical pitfalls that are common in drag racing. The team had four final round appearances and traveled extensively this Fall as they were on the road 62 out of 68 days. Thompson was very appreciative of everyone’s help. “We had a musical crew this year with different guys helping at different events and I want to thank the cast of characters in the Team Thompson crew including:my wife Danette Thompson, Ronn Boehlke, Bob Miner, Vic Miller, Will Stone, Dan Hix, Hal Westerlund, Ross Davison, and Tyler Williams ”.

Clint Thompson Cruises to Final Round at Vegas Divisional Event

Clint Thompson had a great trip to Vegas as he went all the way to the final round at the last NHRA divisional event of the season held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last week at the Big O Tire Nationals also held there, Thompson went to the semi-finals. So not a bad trip for the Klamath Falls, Oregon based team.

In qualifying, Thompson was sixth with a 5.74 at 255 MPH. In round one he faced Shane Westerfield. Thompson lost to Westerfield last weekend so this was a chance to even the score. At the starting line, Westerfield got a slight edge out of the gate but Thompson grabbed the lead and never looked back to score the win. Thompson ran a 5.72 at 256 MPH to Westerfield’s close 5.78 at 254 MPH.

In round two, Thompson met up with Jay Payne whom Thompson had beat the previous week also in the second round. A the hit Thompson got off of the line first and never trailed as he took the stripe and advanced to the final round. Thompson ran a 5.67 at 246 MPH to Payne’s 5.71 at 252 MPH.

In the final round it would be Thompson taking on John Lombardo. Thompson laid down a great 0.015 reaction time to Lomabardo’s 0.073. Unfortunately for Thompson, his lead would slip away just past the 1000 foot mark as Lombardo would score the victory with a 5.65 at 256 MPH to Thompson’s valiant 5.74 at 239 MPH.

Next up is the Auto Club Nationals in Pomona, November 10-13.

Clint Thompson Makes it to the Semifinals in Las Vegas at Big O Tire Nationals

Clint Thompson’s Top Alcohol Funny Car team ended up having a good weekend after a slow start and went deep into eliminations making it to the semifinal round at the 11th annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.

Thompson landed in the 15th spot after some traction plagued runs in qualifying and drew John Lombardo in the first round. Both cars left nearly together so it was anybody’s drag race at that point. Thompson saved his best performance of the weekend for eliminations and got the win light by recording A 5.64 at 258 MPH to Lombard's 5.70 at 255 MPH.

In round two, Thompson was able to pull another rabbit out of his hat when he came up against Jay Payne. Payne got a slight edge over Thompson at the starting line but Thompson made a great run and got around Payne and charged to the finish line for the win. Thompson turned on the win light with a 5.64 at 257 MPH over Payne's close 5.66 at 256 MPH.

In the semifinals, Thompson took on Shane Westerfield. Unfortunately for Thompson, he lost traction and got out of shape. Meanwhile, Westerfield made a clean run and took the win.

Next up is the Las Vegas Locus Oil Divisional race, November 4-6.

Thompson Competes in Two Races Nearly 1000 Miles Apart on the Same Weekend!

In what would be reminiscent of the old match racing days when funny car racers would travel great distances to compete in races hundreds of miles apart on the same weekend, Clint Thompson pulled off what would be seemingly impossible these days. Thompson and his crew pulled an all nighter as he wrapped up a week long rain delayed race in Oklahoma on Thursday and then drove nearly 1000 miles to Reynolds, Georgia to compete at the Division 2 event held at Silver Dollar Raceway on Saturday and Sunday.

Beginning in In Noble, Oklahoma, at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Thunder Valley Raceway Park, Thompson was determined to stick around for nearly a week and hopefully win the event. “It’s been a long week. I feel like we have been here a month” Thompson said jokingly. Last weekend before the rain moved in, Thompson qualified fifth with a 5.84 at 248 MPH.

When race day finally arrived, he faced Ron Morrison in round one. At the light, Thompson was first out of the gate and never looked back as he scored the win with a 5.79 at 247 MPH to Morrison’s trailing 6.03 at 239 MPH. In the Semifinal round Thompson took on Canada’s Roger Bateman. Batement got the starting line advantage and never looked back as he took the stripe with a 5.66 at 253 MPH to Thompson’s 5.76 at 254 MPH.

After the semifinal finish in Noble, Thompson’s team loaded up and got on the interstate headed for Georgia, three states away. They made it to Silver Dollar Raceway in time to qualify and ended up sixth with a 5.81 at 246 MPH.

In the first round, Thompson took on Mark Billington. Both cars left together as they had identical reaction times. Unfortunately for Thompson, he began experiencing problems and had to abandon the run giving the win to Billington who ran a 5.69 at 255 MPH to Thompson’s 6.08 at 186 MPH. “I lost the round after being plagued by ignition troubles in qualifying and in round one” Thompson said.

Thompson’s reasoning for their overnight jaunt back to the east coast was an attempt to catch Steve Gasparelli for the Division 6 Championship. Gasparelli beat Brian Hough in the first round in Reynolds which kept Thompson in second place going into Las Vegas for the last divisional event of the year. Gasparelli and Thompson are now both out of races to claim. Hough can claim points at Vegas if he goes to the final round and will take over second place in the Northwest Division if he wins.

Thompson will be at the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona as well as the Las Vegas divisional to try and keep Hough from advancing. Thompson’s team can still earn points towards their goal of a top ten finish Nationally at the two remaining national events.

It’s been quite an extensive road trip for the Klamath Falls, Oregon based team. “We’ve been on the road now for five weeks and run six races in six weekends in a row. We’ve had fun and seen a lot of country traveling in 23 states on this tour. The crew did great, My wife has been a real trooper to put up with all of us, feed us, do our wash , AND work on the car. It’s been fun but we’re all tired now and still have 2300 miles to go to get home. Six days there and then off to Vegas for three more weeks on the road” Thompson said.

In addition, Thompson thanked everyone that made the tour possible. “Thanks to my wife Danette and crew members Ronn Boehlke, Hal Westerlund, Vic Miller, Ross Davison, And Dan Hix for their help. Thanks to Bob Miner of Miner Bros. Racing engines for getting us the parts we needed to get fixed after Medford so we could make the trip.”

Thompson Out of Shape in Round One

Reading PA - Clint Thompson and the Thompson Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car team, based in Klamath Falls, Oregon moved on from Dallas to Reading, PA for the rain plagued Auto Plus Nationals. Thompson was looking for an opportunity to improve his position on the national stage and finish the season nationally in the top ten.

Thompson qualified eighth with a 5.60 at 256 MPH and drew Lou Sgro in the first round. At the hit, Thompson had a nice .038 reaction time while Sgro red lit. Unfortunately, Thompson got out of shape 300 feet out and crossed the center line which disqualified him.

"The car left real nice and I didn't see Lou's redlight", said Thompson. Then it began to shake about 100 ft out. I drove through the shake and when the car hooked up it made a hard move to the right and I couldn't correct it. It was a huge disappointment for the team and myself to lose that way. The car is running well again and we feel good going into the final four races."

The team is headed back westward with a stop this weekend at Noble Oklahoma for the LODRS race there on their way home. Then on to Las Vegas and Pomona for the final three races of the season.

Traction Problems Sideline Thompson

Dallas - Clint Thompson made the long haul from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Dallas, Texas looking to score his first national event win of the season after three runner ups in regional competition.

Thompson qualified in the “lucky” 13th position with a 5.74 at 250 MPH to draw Mickey Ferro in round one. Ferro had qualified 4th so Thompson would have his work cut out for him. At the light, Thompson lost traction right of the line and shut it off. Ferro clicked off a 5.64 at 255 MPH to take the win.

The Thompson Racing team now moves on to east coast for the Auto Plus Nationals, Sept. 29 - Oct. 2 in Reading, PA.

Clint Thompson Goes to Third Final Round

Woodburn OR - Eliminations for the delayed NHRA Divisional event which was postponed in July was run in conjunction with the Fall Classic on Friday, September 16. Clint Thompson returned to Woodburn needing a win to make up some ground to points leader Steve Gasparrelli and almost won the event but lost to Sean Bellemeur in the final round.

In the first round, Thompson fortunately got a bye run as he spun the tires off of the line after making a test pass the day before trying to avoid traction problems on race day. “We struggling with our clutch adjustment so we were lucky to get a bye in the first round” Thompson said.

In round two, Clint faced Washington's Dave Germain. Thompson was able to get around Germain who got an early lead. But both drivers lost traction which lead to a pedalfest. “That was the highlight of the weekend beating Germain in that pedalfest” Thompson said. He got by Germain with a 6.27 at 240 MPH to Germain’s 6.76 at 231 MPH.

In the final, Clint took on Sean Bellemeur, who was celebrating his 30th birthday. It was a close race from start to finish but Clint had to pedal at mid track. Meanwhile, Bellemeur sailed to victory taking the stripe with a 5.72 at 252 MPH to Thompson’s 5.83 at 252 MPH. “It’s Sean’s 30th birthday so we gave him a birthday present. I had to pedal and Sean had a clean run. The Master Cam team is a great group of people and I’m happy for them” Thompson said.

Thompson wanted to thank the Woodburn fans who have come out to support the Thompson Racing team throughout the season. The team now moves into national event competition starting in Dallas TX this coming weekend before moving on to Reading PA.

Thompson Advance in Eliminations to Semi Finals at Champion Raceway in Medford

Medford OR - While some drivers have good luck at their home track when the Lucas Oil Series comes to town, other notable drivers seem to struggle when racing close to home. For Clint Thompson, Champion Raceway is one of those home tracks where the gremlins seem to prevent him from grabbing the Wally.

This year Thompson would improve in eliminations but struggled in qualifying as he had trouble getting his Monte Carlo Top Alcohol Funny Car to hook up. At the end of qualifying, Thompson would start in the sixth position but would face number one qualifier and Division 6 points leader, Steve Gasparrelli due to the short field.

On a sizzling hot Sunday afternoon, Thompson would have another shot at evenning the score with Gasparrelli, whom had already beat him in two final rounds this season. At the light, Thompson got out of the gate first with a sizable advantage over Gasparrelli. Thompson had an .069 reaction time to Gasparrelli’s .122. Thompson would go on to beat Gasparrelli at both ends of the race track with a 5.95 at 240 MPH to Gasparrelli’s 6.21 at 187 MPH. It appeared that the team found the right combination to handle Medford’s tricky track surface.

In the semi finals Thompson was awarded the single. After doing the burnout, Thompson sadly broke and would not advance to the final round.

Next, on the schedule is a trip to Woodburn Dragstrip where the Thompson Racing Team will participate in the Fall Classic and the NHRA Divison 6 make up race on Friday, September 16.