Coverage of the 2019 PRO Winter WarmUp from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park

NOTE: Click on the thumbnails to display the full-size images

Here's the first day results table and a couple of quick snaps courtesy of our photographer, Bob Snyder.

Steve Torrence	TF	3.725	327.66
Billy Torrence	TF	3.742	326.16
Mike Salinas	TF	3.821	317.94
Doug Kalitta	TF	3.821	278.98
Richie Crampton	TF	3.843	259.46
JR Todd	FC	3.930	305.22
Jordan Vandergriff	TF	3.980	233.44
Robert Hight	FC	4.061	249.12
Brittany Force	TF	4.816	158.32
Clay Millican	TF	5.010	141.98
John Force	FC	6.084	109.39
Jonnie Lindberg	FC	6.327	103.39
Bob Tasca III	FC	8.031	88.12
Shawn Langdon	FC	8.379	72.70

Here's all, or at least all our correspondent Bob Snyder was able to gather at today's first Nitro Test of the season. There's still two or three more days of the event (weather dependent with rain forecast for Saturday) and more of the 20 (so far) fuel cars on hand will be hitting the waterbox tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow, with possibly a few later tonight.

Here's the first set of pictures from yesterday's action on the first day of testing at Phoenix. A few new paint schemes, a few new drivers, new crews and sponsors. It's all new for at least this weekend, then it gets very real next week at Pomona. Yes, just seven days until the 2019 NHRA Winternationals kicks off.

On the left, it's Brittany Force in her newly sponsored Advance Auto Parts dragster, and a new crew chief (Dave Grubnic) and his entire crew that came over from the Clay Millican car. On the right, it's Clay Millican in the Parts Plus - Strutmasters car, running with a new crew chief (Mike Kloeber) and all-new crew. And the drag racing merry-go-round continues to spin....

Flopper time on the left, with Jonnie Lindberg in the Jim Head car, and on the right, it's rookie Top Fuel pilot, Jordan Vandergriff in the as-yet-unwrapped D-A Lubricants car. He's running as part of a two-car team owned by his uncle Bob Vandergriff and Shawn Reed is his teammate

A slightly different paint scheme for Doug Kalitta on the left, and Bob Tasca III sporting fresh colours on his Motorcraft Ford Mustang Funny Car

No, you're not seeing double. To the left, it's defending world champion Steve Torrence, and on the right, it's his father, Billy Torrence in the second Capco team car

Here's Thursday's photos from our intrepid photog, Bob Snyder, basking in the (luke)warm Arizona sun while the rest of the continent is freezing. While the weather wasn't too hot at Wild Horse Pass, the on-track action certainly was, with Steve Torrence first to dip into the 3.60's with a testing best of 3.689 - 328.78 to easily top the charts.

(LEFT) It's Bob Tasca III who carded a day's best of 4.011 - 308.99, while on the (RIGHT) it's the sole Don Schumacher Racing funny car in attendance, the Dodge/SRT of Matt Hagan who laid down a 3.959 - 319.22 best for the day

Two of the Connie Kalitta "Horsepower Factory" dragsters are up next. (LEFT) it's Doug Kalitta launching to a 3.78 at an early shutoff 289.07, while teammate Richie Crampton followed with similar numbers at 3.807 - 273.94 as neither driver ran it out the back door

(LEFT) Starting the season with sponsorship from Vance & Hines (reportedly for only the first four races), is fan favourite and many time champion Angelle Sampey piloting a Harley-Davidson for a change. (RIGHT) Making another pass is Robert Hight as he cranked out a solid 3.94 - 314.68 to finish the day just behind JR Todd on the performance ladder

Closing out our day two pics is another shot of rookie Jordan Vandergriff getting ready to lay down his career best (so far) pass of 3.738 at 325.45

Friday photos from the PRO Winter WarmUp at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (Phoenix, AZ)

Things really started to heat up Friday, with the first 3.6-second pass of the session, by Steve Torrence no less. Here's the list of the best passes of the day.

Steve Torrence 3.689 - 328.78
Billy Torrence 3.731 - 325.14
Jordan Vandergriff 3.738 - 325.85
Mike Salinas 3.747 - 296.24
Antron Brown 3.769 - 293.73
Doug Kalitta 3.780 - 289.07
Richie Crampton 3.780 - 275.00
Brittany Force 3.831 - 259.71
Robert Hight 3.863 - 326.87
JR Todd 3.868 - 324.36
Shawn Langdon 3.905 - 327.35
Scott Palmer 3.921 - 242.50
John Force 3.942 - 311.13
Matt Hagan 3.959 - 319.22
Bob Tasca III 3.972 - 310.20
Chad Green 4.090 - 252.80
Jonnie Lindberg 4.169 - 242.67
Cruz Pedregon 4.377 - 200.11
Clay Millican 4.925 - 142.45
Greg Carrillo 5.057 - 142.94
Jim Maroney 10.972 - 46.22

PRO Winter WarmUp photos from DAY SIX at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (Phoenix, AZ)

Monday provided a real mix of cars and bikes, ranging from Pro Stock Motorcycles to Top Dragsters, lots of Pro Stock cars, a few Nitro Harleys, some Top Alcohol cars, and even a Top Fuel car thrown in for good measure. The TFer we're referring to was driven by the latest addition to the John Force Racing driver roster, Austin Prock, son of legendary tuner extraordinaire Jimmy Prock. And if we dial-up the "waay-back" machine, grandson of the famous 1970's nitro Funny Car driver, Tom Prock of "Detroit Tiger" fame.

At the end of the day, almost everyone in attendance packed up and pointed their rigs west towards Pomona for the official start of the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season, the Lucas Oil Winternationals. As I write this, the first day of qualifying for Sportsman cars is well underway, with the Top Alcohol cars scheduled to come out late this afternoon. The big noise, big show cars are on tap for two qualifying sessions tomorrow afternoon and Saturday, then final eliminations for all categories on Sunday.... Sunday.... Sunday. (With another nod to the "waay-back" machine).

We'll fill in the details on Monday's pics as soon as we get time this weekend. It's been a busy week as our long-stalled new home project is finally kicking into high gear and approaching a late March finish. Just like the second half of a quarter-mile, that finish line will surely come up quickly.

(LEFT) It's Top Fuel Harley rider Ricky House who finished #4 in the Mickey Thompson Top Fuel Harley series last year, and on the (RIGHT) the storm clouds gather, but thankfully held off for the day

(LEFT) Another Top Fuel Harley, this time from Redding, CA, ridden by Beau Layne who finished #6 in the Mickey Thompson series in 2018. (RIGHT) It's Deric Kramer in his American Ethanol backed car, looking to repeat, or better, his #9 finish in the Pro Stock standings in 2018

(LEFT) Yes, another Pro Stock Camaro, this time the iconic Jeg's sponsored Jeg Coughlin Jr. who has to be considered the favourite to take the 2019 World Championship following the off-season retirement of last year's winner, Tanner Gray. (RIGHT) For a change of pace, we've got Alaska's Ray Martin in his "International Incident" Top Alcohol Funny Car. Oh yes, it's another Camaro

(LEFT) It's an odd-looking Camaro... because it's a Dodge Dart, wheeled by Alan Prusiensky who's been running Pro Stock for four years now, and has a total of three round wins to his credit. But he's out there at every event, makes almost every qualifying session, and never gives up. (RIGHT) We don't have much info on this new-to-the-class Pro Stock bike rider, and all we know about Tiffany Butler is that she is reportedly Terry Haddock's girlfriend

It's a tale of two dragsters, as on the (LEFT), Arizona's Phil Dion launches in his Top Dragster, while to the (RIGHT) it's Zach Sackman in his A/Fuel Dragster, working on a tuneup for the Winternationals. The test session must have worked, as he blasted out a career best of 5.181 - 276.52 for the #2 spot on the ladder in the first qualifying session Thursday at Pomona

Amping up the volume by a TONNE (LEFT) it's Austin Prock in his public debut in the new John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster. He's licensed in both the nitro classes and will make his competition debut in Top Fuel on Friday at the Winternationals. (RIGHT)

(LEFT) Back for another kick at the Pro Stock can, the Texas Camaro (actually, they're almost all Camaros in the class, aren't they?) of Chris McGaha launches his season. (RIGHT) Another Nitro Harley, this time under the whip of Bob Malloy who's looking to improve on his #8 position in the points standings last season

(LEFT) Despite what we reported earlier, there are a couple of non-Camaro entries still in competition, and Utah's Jeff Isbell is fielding one of them: a brand-new Jerry Haas-built 2019 Mustang for his return to the class after competing five times in late 2014 - early 2015. (RIGHT) One of three Alberta (Canada) racers in the Top Fuel Harley class, Edmonton's Kevin Boyer had a tough season in 2018, finishing well down in the standings in the #9 slot. He's hoping for better luck and better results this year

Still more PRO Winter WarmUp photos from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (Phoenix, AZ)

(LEFT) It's Doug Kalitta