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NHRA: Day 1 Leaders Maintain Top Spots At Route 66
Written by: Rob Geiger - Go2Geiger.com
go2geiger.com   http://www.go2geiger.com
06/07/2009
Joliet, IL
 
All four Day 1 leaders maintained their top spots Saturday at a warmer Route 66 Raceway as qualifying for the 12th annual United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals roared to a close.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Doug Horne (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each survived a handful of challenges to gain favored status heading into eliminations at the 10th of 24 races on the Full Throttle tour.
Antron Brown maintained his from from Friday in Top fuel. (Go2Geiger.com) ยป More Photos

Brown didn't need a calculator to know how many points behind Tony Schumacher he is in the current Top Fuel points, pointing out that the margin was just 42 points, or about two rounds of elimination action. His 3.826 at 317.94 mph in the Matco Tools rail earned him his fourth No. 1 qualifying effort of the season.

"We need to do everything we can to suck in that gap on Tony," Brown said. "Every one counts. We've seen it before where you get to the end and the difference is those bonus points you earn in qualifying.

"We want the lead back. Tony's taken it from us twice. I think it's 100 times better to be in the lead than to try and chase someone down. Plus, when the playoffs start you get a bonus if you're No. 1 and I like bonuses."

Very little changed opn the qualifying sheets Saturday as Route 66 Raceway was just hot enough to keep times in check. Brown's 3.860 was the best of Round 3, while Schumacher's 3.836 was quickest in the fourth session.

In Funny Car, Pedregon closed Saturday's action with the best run of the weekend, a 4.079 at 302.48 mph to earn his second Funny Car pole of the year. Pedregon is a three-time Chicago winner and is the defending event champion.

"It used to be that when you earned the No. 1 spot you generally got a slightly easier first-round match-up," Pedregon said. "We're No. 1 and we get (points leader Ron) Capps. I guess it's good because they're struggling a little this weekend and we have a chance to take him out early and gain some ground."

The season long point leader, Capps' best pass was a 4.228 at 288.39
mph.

Edwards continues to ravage the Pro Stock category, running the quickest elapsed times in both of Saturday's sessions, posting a 6.591 at 208.71 mph and a 6.596 at 209.72 mph. Although his best of the weekend, which earned him his sixth pole of the year, came Friday night when he went 6.587 at 209.88 mph, which set both ends of the track record.

"It's an honor to be up here again," Edwards said. "I'm overwhelmed. It's so hard to qualify No. 1 in the Pro Stock class. To have done it six times this year now doesn't even seem real.

"I'm in company I've never been in before. You run with the JEGS and the Summit cars and you think, 'Hey, those guys have won championships.' It's really something. I feel really good about where we are. We're on a roll and things are coming our way."

Three-time champion Greg Anderson of Team Summit is second with a 6.612 at 208.46 mph, while Jeg Coughlin Jr. from the JEGS.com outfit is third with a 6.616 at 208.55 mph.

Horne continues to make his case for Rookie of the Year as he followed up his two runner-up finishes earlier this season with his first career No. 1 qualifying effort. His 6.938 at 191.84 mph on the Dragstar Buell got the job done.

"This is a big deal for us," Horne said. "The other guys up for Rookie of the Year -- Spencer Massey, Shawn Langdon, and Matt Hagan -- have all been No. 1 qualifier or gone to the finals so I feel like I gotta keep pace. Really, since I don't have as many races as they do, I have to almost do more. All I can do is make the best of what I got.

"It just wasn't quite as good as yesterday so that gave us a chance to work on gathering some data for Sunday. The bike's running good, though, we're happy."

Lucas Oil pro Hector Arana stayed second with a best of 6.954 at 191.89 mph.
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