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NHRA: Dixon Strikes Back
Written by: Rob Geiger - Go2Geiger.com
go2geiger.com   http://www.go2geiger.com
11/13/2009
Pomona, CA
 
By Kelly Wade, go2geiger Staff Writer

The second day of qualifying at the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals did not disappoint in terms of excitement, particularly in Top Fuel, where the points lead continued to change hands. In the last pair of dragsters down the track, Larry Dixon snatched the lead away from a tire-shaking Tony Schumacher with an extraordinary 3.801-second pass at a track-record speed of 318.99 mph.
Larry Dixon took his turn to lead on day two of qualifying Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. (Go2Geiger.com) ยป More Photos

Dixon ended the day a single point ahead of rival Schumacher en route to what may parlay into his 10th start from the No. 1 spot this season and the 41st of his career.

"Obviously, it can all flip back tomorrow," Dixon said. "But there were three points on the table today, and we got two yesterday and three today. We're just trying to do as much as we can in a given day. Tomorrow there are six points on the table, so you obviously want to try to get as much as you can, and go into Sunday a round up as opposed to a round down.

"It's exciting to come to the last race of the season and have a chance to win a championship. As a driver, unless you've wrapped it up with three to go or something, that's all you want; you want a shot at it. I haven't been in that position in awhile so I'm enjoying it. This is fun. If you're not having fun now, you're never going to have it."

Dixon's thrilling pass was preceded by other spine-tingling happenings, including Netherlands-based racer Lex Joon's brief encounter with the guard wall after losing traction, and veteran dragster pilot Chris "the Greek" Karamesines celebrating his 81st birthday with a career-best 3.897 at 308.57 mph.

Fourteen-time Funny Car world champion John Force made his quickest run ever to the 1,000-foot finish line to the tune of audible gasps as the 4.060 at 307.72 mph flashed on the scoreboard. The awesome run produced his first provisional No. 1 of the season that, if it holds, will be the 132nd low qualifier award of his career and his first since the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2006.

"Tomorrow is a new day and conditions will be good," Force said. "They'll run quick out there. Right now there is a lot of focus on just trying to get me back in the game. This is probably the second worst season I've had in my career since I started. Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly have been working really hard and I'm not getting any younger, so it's tougher.

"But credit really goes to the brain trust. John Medlen came over to work on our car and left [Mike] Neff to work on his, and we've got Dean Antonelli. We've got a good combination working together, and they got me out of my embarrassing situation. I'll take it, but it'll be gone tomorrow, without a doubt. It's just good to see something come out of this season. I used to take low qualifiers for granted."

Force's teammate Robert Hight, the incoming points leader, nearly beat the boss to the top but forfeited the No. 1 spot he earned Thursday when he drove his Auto Club Mustang to an improved 4.069. Hight picked up another two bonus points in his championship quest, and NAPA Auto Parts Charger driver Ron Capps finished the day in the No. 3 spot. Among those surprisingly still on the outside are Del Worsham and Cruz Pedregon.

Pro Stock's Mike Edwards, looking to end the season strong, continued his dominance in the class with a crushing
6.575, nearly four-hundredths ahead of next-best Allen Johnson and his Hemi-powered Stratus, and Charter Communications/Attitude Apparel campaigner Rodger Brogdon closed out the day in the No. 3 spot with an improved 6.621.

"Conditions were really good out there, but this track gets raced on two times a year, and when you get a full day of racing on it, it just gets better," Edwards said. "It should be really good for us in the morning. I look for a lot of good teams to run really good, and tomorrow will be the run. I think I'll have to improve if I want to stay No. 1.

"Hats off to my guys, we've been running so good. I'm always ready for the season to be over, but I almost want to keep going a little bit more. When you run this good and are having the time of your life racing and enjoying it, it's an awesome feeling and I'm real blessed and honored."

Defending Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. recovered from a dreadful first-session outing and temporarily took over the top spot before finishing the day in the top eight by driving his Roy Simmons-tuned JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt to an efficient 6.632.

Top 10 players Kurt Johnson and Ron Krisher will enter the final day of qualifying still looking to break into the field, as will Las Vegas winner Larry Morgan who shook the tires and pulled abruptly across the center line just after launch.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Larry Cook surprised with a low-of-the-round career-best 6.987 to pick up three bonus qualifying points and blast into the No. 3 spot aboard the Mohegan Sun Buell, but no one bettered GEICO Powersports Suzuki rider Karen Stoffer's 6.982 of the previous day.

Rookie rider Doug Horne scored a pair of bonus points for his second-best of the round 6.989, and Eddie Krawiec's 6.995 was an improvement on his troubled run of the day prior to close out the top three of the session and add an additional point to his increasing total. Hector Arana, the incoming points leader battling for his first championship title, spun the tires early in the run and was unable to improve upon his time from yesterday, ultimately ending the day fifth.

"We did gather some good information, and tomorrow we've got good information to go out and do those two hits and set up the bike accordingly," Stoffer said. "The GEICO Powersports Suzuki was on a good run, and I think had we been in the other lane and had the same setup on it, we definitely would have bettered our 6.98.

"Tomorrow, the conditions are going to be a little bit better and I think that now that we all have data on both lanes you'll see even more of those Larry Cook amazing runs come out, and I don't think our 6.98 is going to hold. I think we're going to have to better ourselves, and there is definitely room for us to improve."

Unexpectedly lingering outside the top 12 is Matt Smith, the 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion who entered the final event of the season fourth in the standings. Smith and the remainder of the drivers in the Professional classes will have two more hits on Saturday to battle for a raceday start and accrue valuable points towards championship titles.
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