Von Smith was able to race his way to victory over a tough class of NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series entrants during the event at Gateway International Raceway.

Final round-by-round results from the 14th annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, the seventh of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 14th annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, the seventh of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series -

Sunday's final results from the 14th annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway. The race is the seventh of 23 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Cory McClenathan snagged his third No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 36th of his career during the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.

McClenathan recorded his quickest pass of 3.815 seconds at 305.63 mph in Saturday’s opening qualifying session. On Friday, he smoked the tires and limped into the eighth spot headed into the final day of qualifying.

“Our No. 1 qualifying run was on a string,” he said. “Everything went right, the track was in good condition, everything was kind of going along and we still shut off at 900 feet, smoked the tires, put a couple cylinders out. For the sake of parts we shut off early. I was surprised we ran that quick.”

“Big” Jim Dunn, a five decades drag racing veteran, who is known to be tough and an unlikely candidate to wear his emotions on his sleeve, actually opened up a little bit on Saturday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.

Big Jim actually smiled.

Then when he thought no one was looking, he smiled again.

Two weeks ago Summit Racing Pontiac driver Jason Line became the first competitor in the history of the NHRA’s Pro Stock category to qualify for the first 150 races of his career.  The streak came to an end on Saturday at the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison, IL, as Line’s quickest pass of 6.701 seconds fell 15/1000ths of a second shy of making Sunday’s starting field.   As a result, for the first time since making his Pro Stock debut in June 2003 at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, the 21-time national event winner will be a spectator in race day.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 14th annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, the seventh of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

It was a picturesque evening at Rockingham Dragway Friday as fans poured into the legendary facility to witness the new Nitro Jam – and the new show certainly did not disappoint.

From side-by-side jet trucks to side-by-side nitro racing the new Nitro Jam was a hit with North Carolina fans as Bruce Litton (Top Fuel) and Peter Gallen (Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car) put on a show with their second straight race wins and Mike Manners finally broke through with his first victory of the 2010 season in Pro Fuel.

Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) defeated Spencer Massey in the Top Fuel final as the pair stayed glued to one another nearly the length of the quarter-mile. Massey held an early advantage off the line and carried that lead through the first 660 feet, but Litton was able to charge at the top end to drive around and take home his second win of the season.

Cory McClenathan held off defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher to pick up the No. 1 qualifying spot Saturday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

John Force, Mike Edwards and Hector Arana also took the top spots in their respective categories as qualifying came to an end at Gateway International Raceway.

McClenathan drove his FRAM dragster to a 3.815-second run at 305.63 mph and past provisional No. 1 qualifier Schumacher to earn his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and 36th of his career.