Truth in Announcing

War Stories with Scott Kalitta

Common Misconceptions about Nitrous Oxide

Clutch University - Part 4

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Project Muscle – Piecing it all together

Super Stock Pontiac Diehard – John Clegg

Beadlock Wheels as explained by John D.

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Ted Jones and the Inside Drag Racing Success

Interview with Tim Richards

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SUNDAY - RUSSELL, WORSHAM, ANDERSON AND HINES EARN WINS AT PONTIAC EXCITEMENT NHRA NATIONALS

Top Fuel -- Darrell Russell, 4.569 seconds, 326.00 mph def. Tony Schumacher, 4.602 seconds, 320.13 mph.

(6-13-2004) - Greg Anderson earned his eighth win of the season Sunday, earning the Pro Stock title at the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Bike) also earned victories in their respective categories at the $2 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event.

Anderson has been to the final round in all but one race this season, winning 8-of-9 final rounds in his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am. The defending Pro Stock champion has a 378-point lead over the No. 2 driver (Kurt Johnson) in the standings. Anderson turned in a 6.854-second run at 201.73 mph, defeating Dave Connolly's 6.937 pass at 201.55 in his Bullet Motorsports Chevy Cavalier.

"This was a tuners race and a lot of teams fell off but we didn't," Anderson said. "All the credit goes to (crew chiefs) Rob Downing and Jeff Perley because it was the warmest conditions we've raced in this season and we learned a lot."

Anderson is averaging 111.6 points per national event. The most any racer can accumulate in one race is 138. Anderson has three consecutive wins at National Trail Raceway.

"That is very cool," Anderson said. "This is a tough place to win and to end the day in the winner's circle is quite an accomplishment. We're doing some special things and you never know when it's going to end. You hope it never does. We have big goals and things we want to accomplish but the main thing is to get set for next weekend and the next race."

Russell earned the sixth victory of his career and first since July 2002 when he covered the quarter-mile in 4.569 at 326.00 in the Keystone/DeeZee dragster. Current points leader Tony Schumacher turned in a losing pass of 4.602 at 206.95 in the U.S. Army dragster.

The win was more special considering the lane he had to run. Russell beat Larry Dixon in the semifinal, but due to an electronic problem, no time or speed was recorded. Because of that, he lost lane choice to Schumacher.

Funny Car -- Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.487, 254.62 def. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 5.651, 206.95.

"It was definitely nerve-wracking going into the final," Russell said. "I think we would have had lane choice if we had gotten a time against Larry but there was an electronic problem so Tony got it. Maybe it played to our favor because they couldn't look at what we had done in the semis. All I know is we raced the lane we had and that thing accelerated so hard from mid-track on that I knew we were on a run."

Team owner Joe Amato - the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history with 52 wins - celebrated his 60th birthday on Sunday.

"Joe is upside down right now," Russell said. "It's really cool to see him this happy. It's so cool it happened on his birthday and it's a great lift for the team all the way around. We needed this. It had been almost two years since we won and you do start to doubt yourself at times.

"To run 4.50s all day in hot conditions like this is a credit to my crew chief, Wayne Dupuy. He likes it when it's hot and maybe this will be the start of a big summer for us."

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.854, 201.73 def. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.937, 201.55.

Worsham earned his third win of the season and 17th win of his career by beating Gary Scelzi in a tire-smoking battle. Worsham went 5.487 at 254.62 in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo to earn the win over Scelzi's 5.651 at 206.95 in his Oakley Dodge Stratus.

Worsham closed the gap in the Funny Car points lead. Whit Bazemore is at the top of the standings, 21 points ahead of Worsham.

"Whit's been to five finals and we've only been to three yet we're right there with them, which is awesome," Worsham said. "But we all know there's a long way to go and I still say John Force will be in the mix before it's all said and done."
All three of Worsham's wins this year have come when he qualified in the bottom half of the field.

"Maybe our key to winning is starting off in the bottom half," Worsham said. "It's sure seemed to work. We had times where we were in trouble today but fortunately the guys in the other lane were also. I only saw Scelzi once but I know he was out there. We just got hooked enough to get to the other end first."

Hines earned the second win of his career by beating Steve Johnson in the Pro Stock Bike final. Hines went 7.131 at 185.56 on his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, beating Johnson's 7.447 at 180.16 on his K&N Filters Suzuki.

Pro Stock Bike -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.131, 185.56 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.447, 180.16.

"We had the fastest bike all day," Hines said. "It was awesome. This Screamin' Eagle Harley is so consistent and easy to ride. It just flies. I know that all I have to do is (be consistent on the lights) and we'll win.

Hines has built a 119-point lead over the rest of the two-wheel field. Still, Hines said he knows anyone can win the next race.

"The Pro Stock Bike class has gotten tougher and tougher over the last three years and we really have reached a point where anyone is capable of winning," Hines said. "Right now looks like it's our time. I'm just going to stay focused on the championship and getting points. We're a third of the way into our season and it's great to be out front. I don't want to look back.

"The crowd support for our program has been tremendous. People love to see these Harleys go fast and beat up on the Suzukis and the Kawasakis. It's another manufacturer in the class and that can only make it better."

The next NHRA POWERade series event is the 35th annual K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., June 17-20.

Sportsman Finals

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Jeff Bohr, 5.641, 249.90 def. Arthur Gallant, 5.832, 232.23.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Bob Newberry, Chevy Camaro, 5.684, 252.24 def. Jay Payne, Camaro, 6.393, 188.20.

Competition Eliminator -- Ed Bennett III, Dodge Neon, 7.275, 189.68 def. David Eaton, Roadster, 6.970, 185.46.

Super Stock -- Tom Sheehan, Chrysler Sebring, 10.284, 128.48 def. Peter Biondo, Pontiac Firebird, 10.279, 128.36.

Super Gas -- Billy Leber Jr, Chevy Corvette, 9.897, 151.05 def. Bill Yates Sr., Chevy Cavalier, 9.859, 167.01.

Super Street -- Tom De Pascale, Chevy Vega, 10.880, 140.40 def. Don Garbinski, Dodge Challenger, 10.869, 133.17.

Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing at National Trail Raceway, the tenth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Larry Dixon, 4.636, 321.42 def. David Grubnic, 4.614, 314.02; Bob Vandergriff, 5.136, 224.70 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 7.059, 112.66; Doug Kalitta, 4.640, 316.38 def. Scott Weis, 7.405, 115.19; Darrell Russell, 4.585, 321.27 def. John Smith, 4.663, 319.07; Scott Kalitta, 4.594, 322.88 def. Don Lampus, 5.261, 197.02; Doug Herbert, 4.982, 264.96 def. Josh Starcher, 8.635, 87.94; Tony Schumacher, 4.552, 326.00 def. Luigi Novelli, 5.137, 209.36; Mitch King, 5.102, 239.57 def. Brandon Bernstein, 7.215, 113.39;

QUARTERFINALS -- D. Kalitta, 4.857, 285.83 def. Herbert, 4.916, 268.44; Dixon, 5.262, 276.63 def. King, 6.010, 178.24; Russell, 4.596, 318.02 def. S. Kalitta, 6.003, 141.42; Schumacher, 4.606, 322.19 def. Vandergriff, 9.278, 86.41;

SEMIFINALS -- Schumacher, 4.629, 319.90 def. D. Kalitta, 4.713, 305.29; Russell, broke def. Dixon, 5.382, 185.31;

FINAL -- Russell, 4.569, 326.00 def. Schumacher, 4.602, 320.13.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.822, 315.86 def. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.901, 279.44; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.953, 290.94 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 6.425, 142.45; Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.989, 301.07 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 7.268, 123.53; Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.863, 313.58 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 5.258, 218.58; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.838, 315.64 def. Jim Head, Celica, 9.190, 90.10; John Force, Mustang, 4.869, 313.95 def. Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 6.665, 134.85; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.959, 300.80 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 5.181, 235.10; Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.909, 305.01 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 8.499, 99.09;

QUARTERFINALS -- Worsham, 6.193, 260.26 def. Toliver, 6.246, 221.31; Medlen, 4.869, 302.69 def. Bazemore, 4.946, 309.06; Scelzi, 4.953, 313.15 def. Densham, 6.663, no speed; Burkart, 10.286, 86.20 def. Force, foul;

SEMIFINALS -- Worsham, 4.922, 312.71 def. Burkart, 7.053, 134.42; Scelzi, 4.936, 313.00 def. Medlen, 4.912, 301.60;

FINAL -- Worsham, 5.487, 254.62 def. Scelzi, 5.651, 206.95.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.869, 200.92 def. Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.911, 200.62; Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.892, 200.68 def. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.863, no speed; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.861, 201.16 def. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus, 6.904, 200.62; Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.877, 200.35 def. JR Carr, Cavalier, foul; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.823, 202.21 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.901, 200.98; Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.853, 201.49 def. Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.895, 200.35; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.835, 201.70 def. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.901, 199.49; Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.831, 202.42 def. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.898, 200.05;

QUARTERFINALS -- Smith, 6.898, 200.32 def. Morgan, 6.874, 201.19; Anderson, 6.853, 202.00 def. K. Johnson, foul; Allen, 6.904, 200.05 def. Johns, 6.891, 201.31; Connolly, 6.930, 200.35 def. Line, 8.437, 115.35;

SEMIFINALS -- Connolly, 6.900, 200.53 def. Smith, 6.887, 201.22; Anderson, 6.835, 201.64 def. Allen, 6.899, 201.46;

FINAL -- Anderson, 6.854, 201.73 def. Connolly, 6.937, 201.55.

PRO STOCK BIKE:

ROUND ONE -- Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.252, 183.17 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.306, 186.43; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.219, 185.82 def. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.254, 184.47; Keith Dennis, Suzuki, 7.284, 182.55 def. Fred Collis, 10.666, 76.46; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.126, 187.78 def. Redell Harris, Suzuki, 7.466, 179.25; Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.195, 185.15 def. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.349, 182.08; Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.192, 185.77 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, foul; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.205, 179.56 def. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.355, 180.26; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.291, 182.45 def. Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.296, 182.67;

QUARTERFINALS -- Johnson, 7.291, 183.24 def. Dennis, 7.436, 180.31; Scali, 7.229, 184.67 def. Tonglet, 7.208, 191.43; Savoie, 7.217, 184.85 def. Gann, 7.312, 180.67; Hines, 7.214, 188.89 def. Brown, 7.254, 183.42;

SEMIFINALS -- Johnson, 7.327, 181.74 def. Savoie, 7.368, 183.42; Hines, 7.131, 187.86 def. Scali, 7.238, 184.55; PRO STOCK BIKE:

FINAL -- Hines, 7.131, 185.56 def. Johnson, 7.447, 180.16.

---

SATURDAY - BERNSTEIN, PEDREGON, ANDERSON AND HINES QUALIFY AT THE TOP AT PONTIAC EXCITEMENT NATIONALS

Doug Kalitta ended up third in qualifying with a 4.520, 327.43.

(6-12-2004) - Cruz Pedregon earned the No. 1 qualifying position for the first time since 1998 Saturday during the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

Brandon Bernstein, Greg Anderson and Andrew Hines also earned the No. 1 qualifying position in their respective categories at the $2 million race, the 10th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Pedregon earned the 30th No. 1 qualifying position of his career and first since the Pomona (Calif.) Finals in Nov. 1998. Pedregon drove his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo to the top Funny Car spot by setting the E.T. track record with a 4.769-second pass at 301 mph.

"This year we have not been anywhere close to reaching the potential of this team," Pedregon said. "This is scratching the surface, but we've got to keep going. I haven't been pushed back in the seat like that in quite awhile. What a great morale boost for this team."
Pedregon and his brother, Tony, have each earned an NHRA POWERade Funny Car championship. Cruz took the title in 1992 and Tony followed in his footsteps and earned the 2003 honors. They teamed up for the 2004 season, hoping to share ownership duties and track knowledge.

Cruz Pedregon earned the 30th No. 1 qualifying position of his career and first since the Pomona (Calif.) Finals in Nov. 1998..

"We've had a problem for the last three races with (our car) dropping cylinders but that time we just happened to hit all eight and the Monte Carlo body really kept us planted," Cruz Pedregon said. "Obviously, I'm elated with the end result."

Bernstein earned the fourth top qualifier of his career and third of the season with a 4.489 run at 328.86 in his Budweiser dragster to lead Top Fuel.

"We're in a good position, we think" Bernstein said. "I double-stepped it in the final session there and we lost a good chance to get some data under some sunshine but I think Tim [Richards, crew chief] has a good enough handle on this thing. We'll aim for the semis or the finals, like always, and try to accumulate more points."

Bernstein leads the Top Fuel point standings after the first nine events of the season. But second-place Tony Schumacher is just 21 points behind. Still, Bernstein said he feels comfortable driving the car into tomorrow's round. So far the Budweiser team has earned three wins in four final round appearances.

"There's not as much pressure when the car's running like this," Bernstein said. "All you have to do is make sure you don't make any mistakes as a driver. I feel like I just need to get a good light and then let the car take care of the rest."

Anderson paced the Pro Stock class for the seventh time this season and 24th time in his career with a 6.790 pass at 203.06 in his General Construction Pontiac Grand Am.

Darrell Alderman will meet Mopar teammate Larry Morgan in the first round.

"We made some wholesale changes in the chassis today," Anderson said. "We've been struggling at the top end so we had to do something. When you have all these races in a row you don't have time to test and we knew we had run well enough yesterday to stay in the field so the only thing we had to lose was the (No. 1 qualifier). We decided that would be okay. As it turns out we got even quicker so I'd have to say our little test session went real well."

Not only does Anderson have seven wins this season but his teammate, Jason Line, has one win too.

"We've learned a lot this weekend, not the least of which is that a lot of cars out here have gotten better," Anderson said. "I'll take a lot of the credit for that because I think we've put so much heat on everyone else that we forced them to go home and work that much harder."

Andrew Hines earned the fourth top qualifying position of his career and fourth of the season when he rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a track-record time of 7.081 run at 187.99 to lead the Pro Stock Bike category.

Hines earned the fourth top qualifying position of his career and fourth of the season when he rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a track-record time of 7.081 run at 187.99 to lead the Pro Stock Bike category.

"The first run of the day was the cleanest pass we've made all weekend," Hines said. "We just went out and did our normal deal and the .08 came up. I just need to keep the red lights out of my lane and we just need to get our setup ready for the possibility of four clean passes tomorrow.

"Being the No. 1 qualifier is nice for the team, but it really doesn't matter on Sunday. A lot of racers have won from a lot of positions outside the No. 1 spot."

Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. Sunday.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing at National Trail Raceway, the tenth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Brandon Bernstein, 4.489 seconds, 328.86 mph vs. 16. Mitch King, 5.506, 181.37; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.511, 327.03 vs. 15. Luigi Novelli, 5.184, 231.24; 3. Doug Herbert, 4.520, 327.43 vs. 14. Josh Starcher, 4.764, 295.98; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.530, 330.39 vs. 13. Don Lampus, 4.692, 306.12; 5. Darrell Russell, 4.537, 326.32 vs. 12. John Smith, 4.664, 310.48; 6. Doug Kalitta, 4.541, 317.64 vs. 11. Scott Weis, 4.651, 320.13; 7. Bob Vandergriff, 4.549, 322.58 vs. 10. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.649, 320.58; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.550, 326.48 vs. 9. David Grubnic, 4.642, 321.04.

Funny Car -- 1. Cruz Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.769, 301.00 vs. 16. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.008, 290.69; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.774, 325.92 vs. 15. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.967, 309.70; 3. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.794, 321.73 vs. 14. Jim Head, Celica, 4.948, 307.72; 4. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.801, 319.82 vs. 13. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.871, 313.29; 5. John Force, Mustang, 4.811, 319.60 vs. 12. Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 4.869, 316.82; 6. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.812, 323.81 vs. 11. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.851, 317.72; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.829, 318.54 vs. 10. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.847, 316.90; 8. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.837, 317.87 vs. 9. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.846, 312.64.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.790, 203.06 vs. 16. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.862, 200.14; 2. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.807, 202.61 vs. 15. Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.862, 200.86; 3. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.810, 202.79 vs. 14. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cavalier, 6.862, 201.94; 4. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.814, 203.00 vs. 13. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.857, 201.22; 5. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.815, 202.76 vs. 12. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.857, 201.07; 6. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.820, 202.33 vs. 11. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.844, 202.27; 7. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.832, 202.09 vs. 10. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.836, 202.27; 8. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.833, 202.21 vs. 9. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.833, 202.18.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.081, 189.39 vs. 16. Redell Harris, Suzuki, 7.292, 189.20; 2. Fred Collis, 7.127, 183.72 vs. 15. Keith Dennis, Suzuki, 7.282, 184.40; 3. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.133, 186.56 vs. 14. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.263, 183.39; 4. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.134, 187.57 vs. 13. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.248, 183.24; 5. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.148, 191.51 vs. 12. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.241, 185.59; 6. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.151, 191.76 vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.197, 186.72; 7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.183, 186.85 vs. 10. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.195, 186.61; 8. Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.186, 185.89 vs. 9. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.194, 184.67.

FRIDAY - BERNSTEIN, BAZEMORE, ANDERSON AND HINES LEAD QUALIFYING AT PONTIAC EXCITEMENT NATIONALS AT NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY

Brandon Bernstein set the track record for time with a 4.489 at 328.86 in his Budweiser dragster to lead Top Fuel and become the first driver in the 4.40s at National Trail Raceway. .

(6-11-2004) - Brandon Bernstein and Scott Kalitta drove to milestone numbers and track records Friday during the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

Bernstein, Whit Bazemore, Greg Anderson and Andrew Hines lead qualifying in their respective categories at the $2 million race, the 10th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Bernstein set the track record for time with a 4.489 at 328.86 in his Budweiser dragster to lead Top Fuel and become the first driver in the 4.40s at National Trail Raceway. Scott Kalitta set the track record for speed with a 330.39 to become the first driver in the 330s.

"That was pretty spectacular," Bernstein said. "The car left real hard and had the wheels up. Then it started shaking the tires so much so that I almost lifted because I couldn't see. But just like that it drove through it and then just got down through there nice and straight. We're running a new Murff McKinney chassis and we weren't sure how it would react but it was great. It stayed nice and straight both runs.

Whit Bazemore drove his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to a 4.774-second run at 325.92, setting both ends of the track record to lead the Funny Car category.

"It's hard to see at night here. You have to really concentrate on the finish line and keeping the car in the center of the groove. I went out there today on my bike and kind of mapped it all out so I felt pretty comfortable, even though this is my first time here."

Bazemore drove his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to a 4.774-second run at 325.92, setting both ends of the track record to lead the Funny Car category after two sessions.

Qualifying continues at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. on Sunday.

"We felt good going into the night session," Bazemore said. "We were second-quickest during the day, and that was shutting it off early, so we were in a position to go for low E.T. In the summer months, Friday night is the time to go for No. 1 and I credit [crew chief] Lee Beard with finding the right tune-up.

"It was a handful down-track. It's a little slick and the groove is very narrow. The car wanted to move around. It's hard driving at night because the car fills up with clutch dust and you really can't see. You have to gauge where you are by feel and by looking at the wall and the centerline, which is hard to see as it is. I can barely see it sitting here [in the pressroom]. Imagine what it looks like going 325 mph."

Anderson drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to the top in Pro Stock, setting the E.T. track record with a 6.822 run at 201.10. Steve Johns set the track record for speed with a 201.91 in a Chevy Cavalier.

Greg Anderson drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to the top in Pro Stock, setting the E.T. track record with a 6.822 run at 201.10.

"They've done a great job with this race track," Anderson said. "The new surface is tenfold better than it was last year. My guys have really done a nice job of getting this car to run well in either lane this year and tonight was no exception. They did a great job of reading the left lane and we were able to get low E.T. over there.

"The only concern for us at the moment is the back-half numbers. We continue to struggle from fourth gear on. It's really got us stumped. Still, we were able to run quick enough to be No. 1, so that's good. I can't wait to figure out what's wrong because when we do we'll be that much better."

Hines has the inside track on his fourth low qualifying effort in five Pro Stock Bike races after posting a track record 7.140 at 187.00 mph. The old elapsed time mark of 7.177 seconds was set in 2002 by Hines' brother Matt, the three-time champ who now tunes his younger brother's bike.

"I didn't know that," Andrew said. "I'll be sure and remind him when I get back to the pit. Seriously, Matt's doing a great job tuning this thing and the whole team continues to give me an awesome bike to ride each weekend. My bike is going fast this year. We've got the horsepower.

Andrew Hines has the inside track on his fourth low qualifying effort in five Pro Stock Bike races after posting a track record 7.140 at 187.00 mph. .

"This is beyond what I expected. You hope you'll have a bike like this but I don't think I would have expected our two Harleys to be two of the top bikes out here. Coming off last year we were doing okay but we were kind of middle-of-the-pack. We found some horsepower in the off-season but I didn't think it would be enough for us to run like we have been. It's exciting."

Houston winner Karen Stoffer came off her Geico Direct Suzuki just after completing a 7.372-second pass at 177.81 mph. It appeared the front brake of her bike locked up, which immediately threw her clear of the machine. She slid on her stomach for a couple hundred feet before springing up in time to watch her bike continue rider-less into the top-end sand trap.

"That was the weirdest sensation I've ever felt before," Stoffer said after being checked and released by track medical personnel. "I'm not sure what happened but just as a grabbed for the brake the bike went right and I bailed. Other than a scrape on my elbow, I'm fine, but this is a very tough brake for us because we're on a limited budget. I feel so bad for my team owner and my team."

Stoffer, who came off a bike going 183 mph once before during testing, does not have a back-up bike. She is currently 17th in the field and may try to qualify on someone else's No. 2 bike if offered the chance.

Results Friday after qualifying for the 40th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals presented by Summit Racing at National Trail Raceway, tenth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Brandon Bernstein, 4.489 seconds, 328.86 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.511, 327.03; 3. Doug Herbert, 4.520, 323.58; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.530, 330.39; 5. Bob Vandergriff, 4.549, 322.58; 6. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.649, 317.87; 7. Scott Weis, 4.651, 320.13; 8. John Smith, 4.664, 310.48; 9. Larry Dixon, 4.679, 309.27; 10. Josh Starcher, 4.831, 292.77; 11. Don Lampus, 4.849, 296.89; 12. David Grubnic, 5.207, 312.35; 13. Mitch King, 5.506, 181.37; 14. Darrell Russell, 5.548, 263.15; 15. Cory McClenathan, 5.729, 256.84; 16. Doug Kalitta, 7.798, 104.58.

Funny Car -- 1. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.774, 325.92; 2. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.826, 319.82; 3. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.858, 315.86; 4. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.867, 312.64; 5. Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 4.869, 316.82; 6. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.886, 316.90; 7. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.907, 309.27; 8. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.913, 299.73; 9. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.948, 307.37; 10. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.005, 248.29; 11. Jerry Toliver, Celica, 5.122, 267.64; 12. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 5.397, 197.51; 13. John Force, Mustang, 5.457, 286.38; 14. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.587, 213.03; 15. Gary Densham, Mustang, 7.512, 114.60; 16. Tony Bartone, Camaro, 9.198, 89.78.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.822, 201.10; 2. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.828, 201.49; 3. Rickie Smith, Chevy Cavalier, 6.838, 201.37; 4. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.849, 201.37; 5. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.851, 201.16; 6. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.854, 201.43; 7. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.856, 201.01; 8. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.858, 201.91; 9. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.860, 201.49; 10. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.868, 200.98; 11. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.868, 200.17; 12. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.870, 199.82; 13. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.880, 200.89; 14. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.880, 200.32; 15. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.881, 201.10; 16. Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.882, 200.29.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.140, 189.39; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.152, 185.31; 3. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.185, 183.77; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.206, 184.77; 5. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.207, 183.17; 6. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.218, 183.84; 7. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.251, 186.61; 8. Fred Collis, 7.253, 181.11; 9. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.258, 183.00; 10. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.296, 181.64; 11. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.300, 181.50; 12. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.302, 178.99; 13. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.307, 182.62; 14. Lloyd Straus, Suzuki, 7.338, 179.76; 15. Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.349, 180.52; 16. Keith Dennis, Suzuki, 7.361, 180.33.