One driver is banking on history; the other is leaning on the former's previous crew chief. Both drivers are hunting a championship.

With four rounds of qualifying and four rounds of eliminations remaining in the season, only one point separates Tony Schumacher from Larry Dixon heading into the final race on the NHRA Full Throttle Championship tour. Sitting within striking distance, waiting on both to falter, is Cory McClenathan, 48 points behind.

“We’re locked in an incredible battle,” said Schumacher. “Any one of us can win the thing come Sunday.”

Dixon finished second in the Countdown last year to Schumacher and is making his third countdown appearance in as many years.

One Point Might As Well Be A Tie Headed Into Series Finale …

One driver is banking on history; the other is leaning on the former's previous crew chief. Both drivers are hunting a championship.

With four rounds of qualifying and four rounds of eliminations remaining in the season, only one point separates Tony Schumacher from Larry Dixon heading into the final race on the NHRA Full Throttle Championship tour. Sitting within striking distance, waiting on both to falter, is Cory McClenathan, 48 points behind.

“We’re locked in an incredible battle,” said Schumacher. “Any one of us can win the thing come Sunday.”

Dixon finished second in the Countdown last year to Schumacher and is making his third countdown appearance in as many years.

“This race is an opportunity to win a championship,” Dixon said. “For all practical purposes, Tony  and I are tied, and Cory’s right there, too.  So it’s really winner take all; whoever does better at this race is gonna win it.  I feel great because I have Alan Johnson and Jason McCulloch on my side, and with their record at Pomona, I’m excited about the weekend.”

Looking back in time, Dixon knows what the combination of Johnson and McCulloch can do.

Schumacher, once teamed with Johnson, enjoyed a flair for the dramatic in winning last minute championships in 2006 and 2007. Last season Schumacher and Johnson had the title wrapped up before they got to Pomona.

“We definitely have had some big moments in Pomona over the years and, of course, we’ll be looking to add another one this weekend,” Schumacher pointed out.

Last season, Dixon, who drove for Don Prudhomme, won the season-ending Pomona event. He was the No. 2 qualifier; and defeated Clay Millican, Doug Herbert, Cory McClenathan and Rod Fuller on his way to victory circle.

Dixon believes he’s in the perfect position to challenge for the title.

“I don’t really feel pressure; it’s more of an opportunity because I don’t have anything to lose,” said Dixon. “We’ll go into Pomona, do our best and hope it’s enough.  I think anybody in my position would love to have to wrapped it up early, but that’s not the case. Looking back at my two championships, it didn’t take the full season for our team back then, but there’s 24 events on the slate this time. For us to have an opportunity to win it, it’ll take the 24th race so that’s how it lays out; we’ll do our best to finish the job this weekend.

“I don’t know what Alan and Jason’s game plans are, but right now, I’m not thinking any further than Thursday’s qualifying round.  I want to do the best we can possibly do there, and then move my focus to Friday.  After Friday, I’ll think about Saturday and then Sunday; we have eight possible runs this weekend in Pomona, and if we compete in all eight of them, we should be in pretty good shape so we’ll just have to see how it all plays out.”

How it will play out, Schumacher believes, is a fight to the finish.

“We have to perform flawlessly starting with the first qualifying session on Thursday,” Schumacher said. “We need to go out and grab every point possible. We can’t let Larry and Cory breathe for a second.”

Should Schumacher end up hoisting the Full Throttle world championship trophy at weekend’s end, it will be his sixth consecutive crown and the seventh of his career.

Dixon won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 2002 and ’03.  He is currently third on the NHRA’s all-time Top Fuel winner’s list with 48 victories.  Joe Amato is in second place with 52 wins; Schumacher tops the list with 61 wins.

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