Larry Dixon pointed out the importance of the NHRA’s bonus points awarded to the top three qualifiers in each session. Without them, Dixon, driver of the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Top Fuel dragster believes the 2009 NHRA Top Fuel championship would have already been decided.

“Against a car like Schumacher’s you couldn’t make up seven rounds in two races,” Dixon explained. “With the bonus points you can absolutely do that. We were able to pick up a couple on him today.”

Larry Dixon pointed out the importance of the NHRA’s bonus points awarded to the top three qualifiers in each session. Without them, Dixon, driver of the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Top Fuel dragster believes the 2009 NHRA Top Fuel championship would have already been decided.

“Against a car like Schumacher’s you couldn’t make up seven rounds in two races,” Dixon explained. “With the bonus points you can absolutely do that. We were able to pick up a couple on him today.”

Dixon is 47 points behind Schumacher in the championship point standings. During first day qualifying at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, the bonus points enabled Dixon to cut that lead to 45.

“That was a far more outstanding run than our first one,” Dixon said of the 3.805, 318.24 he ran during Friday’s second round of qualifying at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas.

“It was just a nice lap. The track conditions were perfect and the air was cool. It held up and I didn’t know it would run that well. When we spun the tires on the first run, I figured they might calm it down a little so we could get down the track and get qualified.”

Crew chief Jason McCulloch did just that.

“And it still ran a 3.80,” said Dixon with a chuckle. “That’s a great run for our team.”

With Sheik Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani in attendance this weekend, Dixon and the team are throwing out all the stops in this first of two remaining races.

“There’s a lot on the line this weekend,” Dixon said. “We’re out there trying to do our best. And if we are fortunate enough to stay up top, that will be worth a few more. We just need to keep knocking at that lead until it’s less than two rounds.”

Dixon’s run, if it holds up, could represent his ninth top qualifying effort of the season and the 40th of his career.

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