NHRA's Western Swing Is on, Sweep Is Often off

NHRA's infamous Western Swing fires up this weekend. The grueling back-to-back drag races in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma have been tough in the past because of changes in weather and altitude conditions. This year even the order of the tracks changed. 

What hasn’t changed is the probability of a three-race sweep. Only two racers in drag racing history have swept the Swing, Top Fuel Dragster driver Tony Schumacher and Pro Stock Car driver Greg Anderson.

"They've mixed up the order of the Swing and have us starting in Seattle and finishing in Denver this year," said Coughlin, the driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt. "It makes for an interesting transition. Instead of going from the heat and humidity of Norwalk to the mile-high altitude of Denver, we're going to a sea-level track that hopefully will offer optimum conditions.

"We won't be going slower like normal.”

Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher is one of two sweepers on the Western Swing.

“You leave one race, go to another one, the pressure builds,” Schumacher said. “It's amazing to put yourself on the short list of something. There's other short lists, but this one is very difficult. To go out and run in three completely different climates, altitudes, to go out and win all three of them in a season, man, with such great teams and competition, it's one of the accomplishments that we're going to be very proud of for a long time.”

Jeg Coughlin emphasized the significance of the Western Sweep for Team JEGS.

"This is the time when you have to step it up,” Coughlin said. “The Countdown to one (playoffs) is right around the corner and you want to hit that in full stride, not looking for your rhythm. The Western Swing is the time to get it cranked up, and it all starts in Seattle."

Funny Car driver Ashley Force Hood remembers Seattle as the place for her first big crash and first big lesson.

“It kept reacting and trying to hook up,” Force Hood said. “But then it would go up in smoke again (lose traction). Finally, it took off and I thought it was going to go – but then I knew it was gonna hit and I just braced myself.

“It taught me that there are limits. You can drive these cars when they’re a little out of control and still get them back (in the groove). You have to find where that line is at. That’s what Seattle taught me. The next time, I knew how far I could go before I was too far.”

When asked about sweeping twice Tony Schumacher pondered.

“Haven't even thought of that,” Schumacher said. “It would be incredible. Anybody that follows a sport, that is such a difficult thing to do, to do it once. 

Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has respect for his 2004 sweep and others who try.

“When you're able to go on a sweep of the Western Swing,” Anderson said. “You go on to be a champion because you're able to master all those different types of racetracks and conditions --very, very hard to do. You don't see it happen very often.” 

Drivers like Coughlin are eager for the challenge of the Swing for many reasons.

"Seattle is a great city,” Coughlin added. “It's the most picturesque place we visit with Mount Rainer and all the trees and lakes. We'll be ready to get after it, for sure."

Only Schumacher and Anderson can look forward to a second sweep, but for drivers Coughlin, Force Hood and others their first sweep of the Western Swing would be just super.

Weekend Schedule: Qualifying, Friday: 2 and 4:30 p.m.; Saturday: noon and 3 p.m. Sunday: eliminations at 11 a.m.