In one of the tour’s most breathtaking environments, Pacific Raceways is surrounded by towering pine trees and parked in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier. The trees add more than beauty at the middle stop on the Western Swing: They emit tons of power-enhancing oxygen to feed the appetites of the high-horsepower machines, resulting in prime performances.

 

 

		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

 

EVENT FINAL - SCHUMACHER CONTINUES DREAM-TEAM SEASON AS BARTONE,LINE ALSO WIN IN SEATTLE

After a shaky first half of the season that included six DNQs, Tony Bartone raced to his first NHRA POWERade Series victory Sunday at the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals after more than six years of professional racing.

Bartone defeated veteran driver Ron Capps, also looking to break out of a winless streak that dates back to Richmond 2007, in the final round. Bartone powered his Canidae Pet Foods Chevy Monte Carlo to a 4.454-second pass at 238.17 mph to get the long-awaited win, while Capps posted a 4.708 at 227.46 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T.

Tony Schumacher and Jason Line also were winners at scenic Pacific Raceways, the 14th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Series.

Before beating Capps in the final, Bartone outran Gary Scelzi, Mike Neff and Tony Pedregon in earlier rounds.

"Looking back at last weekend in Denver, we had an extreme amount of trouble getting down the track," Bartone said. "We blew up and were on fire many times, and we were able to turn our program around and put together a pretty good racecar to race with today and we went the four rounds and brought home the bacon. We made the qualifying passes on Friday and we chose to sit out yesterday in the heat, and we were lucky enough to come up with a good race-day tune-up today. It wasn’t perfect, but it went rounds."

A standout in the Lucas Oil Series, the developmental league for NHRA pros, Bartone won 25 events and one world championship title in Top Alcohol Funny Car in the 1990s. However, he said his win today for legendary team owner Jim Dunn tops his list.

"This is what you dream about – this is what you wait your whole career to do, is win in the pro ranks," Bartone said. "It’s the old adage – you never say die, you never give up, you keep plugging and things like this happen."

Despite losing in the first round to No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight, Tim Wilkerson maintained his points lead and earned his spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

There was no less drama in Top Fuel, where Brandon Bernstein looked to unseat Schumacher as a regular resident in Seattle’s winner circle. On Sunday Schumacher won his third consecutive event at Pacific Raceways, and his fourth out of the last five at the track. He had already qualified No. 1 with a solid performance on Friday and handily won in the final round, driving his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.902 at 309.98 to Bernstein’s 4.056 at 291.19. Schumacher became the first driver to clinch his position in the Countdown to the Championship in Denver last week.

"It’s a blast," said Schumacher, who defeated Steve Chrisman, Dave Grubnic and rival Rod Fuller in the opening rounds. "We’ve been a pressure team for years. Under pressure we step up; we do good. Right now, for whatever reason, we’re just having a great time and the car is running good. When you get on a roll like this, watch out. You see those football teams, when they start smiling and start playing together really as a team, like we do, we’re hard to beat. It’s been outstanding."

Schumacher, who also won last weekend in Denver, could become the sixth driver in NHRA history to sweep the Western Swing with a victory at the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals next weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Only Joe Amato, John Force, Cory McClenathan, Larry Dixon and Greg Anderson have accomplished the feat previously.

"We’re setting records that nobody thought possible," Schumacher said. "We’re doing amazing things together. It’s hard to believe, but it’s great to be part of."

In Pro Stock, Line earned his first victory in Seattle and his second win of the season and the 15th of his career, charting a 6.659-second run at 208.10 mph in his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP to better Allen Johnson’s 6.664 at 207.78 mph in his Team Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus.

"It feels great to win, especially here in Seattle," said Line, who beat Warren Johnson, Kurt Johnson and Greg Stanfield in the first three rounds. "I’ve been out there before I don’t know how many times. I’ve even been out here in my Stocker (Lucas Oil Series) and just never had any success whatsoever, so it feels really good to win here and feels even better to drive good. It’s a good day for all of us. We did not have the greatest car. We had a lot of issues. We tested some parts along the way which was kind of cool, but you don’t want to be testing parts at a national event. But it all worked out good."

On Saturday, Line’s teammate Greg Anderson punched his playoff card by qualifying higher than 12 – and although Line is comfortably in the Top 10 at third place, he’s anxious to seal his own invitation to the Countdown to 1.

 

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Sunday's final results from the 21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The race is the 14th of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Tony Schumacher, 3.902 seconds, 309.98 mph def. Brandon Bernstein, 4.056 seconds,

291.19 mph.

Funny Car -- Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.454, 238.17 def. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.708, 227.46.

Pro Stock -- Jason Line, Pontiac GXP, 6.659, 208.10 def. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.664, 207.78.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Mark Niver, 5.411, 260.81 def. Duane Shields, 6.118, 262.69.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Brian Hough, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.728, 253.52 def. Steve Gasparrelli, Ford Mustang, 5.721, 252.19.

Competition Eliminator -- Alan Freese, Pontiac Firebird, 7.489, 179.25 def. Rob Harrison, Chevy Cavalier, 7.821, 170.43.

Super Stock -- Mark Faul, Pontiac Grand Am, 10.282, 126.34 def. Brad Plourd, Chevy Cavalier, 9.062, 149.80.

Stock Eliminator -- Mike Lewis, Chevy Corvette, 10.509, 124.80 def. Toby Lang, Chevy Chevelle, 11.938, 108.35.

Super Comp -- Don Sefton, Dragster, 8.916, 171.99 def. Dennis Kooker, Dragster, foul.

Super Gas -- Curtis Geise, Pontiac Trans Am, 9.880, 161.50 def. Gene Heaton, '27-T Ford, 9.950, 146.30.

Super Street -- Jeff Jackson, Ford Mustang, 10.955, 146.51 def. Wayne Linder Jr, Chevrolet, foul.

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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - CONNOLLY, HIGHT, SCHUMACHER EARN NO. 1 QUALIFIERS, CRUCIAL POINTS ENTERING SUNDAY’S RACE NEAR SEATTLE

Tony Schumacher has been in the final round in Seattle every year since 2004. Out of four consecutive final rounds here, he’s won three. He looked primed to add a fifth after qualifying No. 1 Saturday at the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, piloting his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.802-second pass at 316.90 mph in prime conditions Friday for his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 51st of his career.

"We’ve been lucky at a lot of tracks," Schumacher said. "Indy’s (O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis) another good track for us, and this is one. If you can hand-pick a few, the Western Swing is a beautiful place to have a good streak on and so is Indy. I’m not going to complain about it and I’m sure not going to look for answers. I’m just going to let them ride out the storm here and enjoy it. It’s fantastic."

Robert Hight and Dave Connolly also will lead their respective categories into Sunday’s eliminations on the power of the No. 1 qualifiers they earned during prime weather conditions of the first day of qualifying, on Friday.

Schumacher and competitors in every category got a sneak preview Saturday of what race conditions may be like on Sunday at the Pacific Raceways dragstrip in the NHRA POWERade Series event when final eliminations start at 11 a.m.

"I guess I’d have to say I’m real glad it got hot out (Saturday), and we got to make that run because it’s not going to be the conditions we’ve had all weekend (on race day)," said Schumacher of his final qualifying pass. "We’re good when it’s hot out. We backed it down (on the fourth run), we just didn’t back it down enough, but had that been the first round we would have been in trouble. It’s always good to get that tire smoke out. I’ve always said it – I love that full throttle, going down the track four times -- but we’ve got to find the limit when we do that. It’s good to be able to do that, good to have good computer data on that run on this track and we’ll be able to go back and evaluate it."

Hight also hung on to the No. 1 qualifier spot with his Friday performance of 4.056 at 304.39 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang for his third consecutive No. 1 qualifier in Seattle. Hight faces NHRA POWERade Series points leader Tim Wilkerson in the first round of eliminations. Wilkerson became the second driver to secure a spot in the 2008 Countdown to the Championship, and the first this year in Funny Car, by entering this event.

Hight’s boss, team leader and driver John Force, did not qualify for the event. It was the first time since Sept. 3, 1979 that he will not start in Seattle on Sunday.

"It’s not that big a deal when you haven’t capitalized on (qualifying No. 1), and went on to win on Sunday," Hight said. "A lot of times you get four shots in qualifying, and sometimes you can throw one down and get at the top, but that doesn’t mean you can win on Sunday, and that’s what this whole game is about. Luckily this week we have a pretty big chance here. It’s no secret Tim Wilkerson is way out in the points lead, but if we can capitalize on how he qualified – we can’t rely on the other guys to take him out, and he took me out last week so I didn’t do my job either. If we can get him tomorrow first round and win this race, it’s a little more realistic in catching him before this Countdown.

"With John not qualifying, I feel like it’s mine and Neff and Ashley’s job to try to stop some of these guys and make this as little bit of a damage to his team as we can, because we want all four of our cars in this Countdown and he could take a bit hit tomorrow if some of these guys behind him win. So we’ve got to do our jobs and try to take them out."

Connolly was just 53 points out of playoff contention entering this event despite missing the first five races of the season. He took advantage of Friday’s conditions to drive his Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt to a 6.573 at 209.49 for his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier in Seattle, his second of the year, and seventh of his career. Perhaps more crucial are the points he earned for leading the pack.

"We’ll see what happens tomorrow," Connolly said. "Sunday’s the most important day…We’re playing catch-up right now, so we have our work cut out for us, but by way things are going this weekend, we just hope to continue making good runs like we have. What a difference a week can make, from last week to this week. Our team morale is at a high right now, so for GM and Chevy, we got to keep this Cobalt in the No. 1 spot and we’ll see what tomorrow brings."

Greg Anderson became the first Pro Stock driver to secure a spot in the playoffs by qualifying No. 2. He needed only to qualify higher than 12th to secure his position in the Countdown.

 

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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 14th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.802 seconds, 316.90 mph vs. 16. Steven Chrisman, 4.232, 279.32; 2. Brandon Bernstein, 3.820, 316.52 vs. 15. Troy Buff, 3.956, 301.74; 3. Antron Brown, 3.831, 312.06 vs. 14. Bob Vandergriff, 3.882, 306.95; 4. Rod Fuller, 3.841, 313.73 vs. 13. Steve Torrence, 3.880, 307.58; 5. Morgan Lucas, 3.848, 312.50 vs. 12. Doug Kalitta, 3.878, 310.48; 6. Larry Dixon, 3.858, 309.27 vs. 11. Doug Herbert, 3.870, 307.72; 7. J.R. Todd, 3.860, 312.86 vs. 10. Cory McClenathan, 3.869, 313.80; 8. David Grubnic, 3.862, 302.69 vs. 9. Hillary Will, 3.866, 313.37. Did Not Qualify: 17. Ron Smith, 4.377, 267.53; 18. Craig Smith, 5.972, 180.16.

Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.056, 304.39 vs. 16. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Impala, 4.156, 302.62; 2. Del Worsham, Impala, 4.073, 301.33 vs. 15. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.135, 299.53; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.083, 301.13 vs. 14. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.130, 301.33; 4. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.089, 303.84 vs. 13. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.129, 302.08; 5. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.092, 303.37 vs. 12. Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.107, 303.64; 6. Jerry Toliver, Charger, 4.095, 303.98 vs. 11. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.104, 299.40; 7. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.095, 299.66 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.102, 301.47; 8. Melanie Troxel, Charger, 4.096, 302.55 vs. 9. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.098, 299.33.

Did Not Qualify: 17. John Force, 4.158, 295.59.

Pro Stock -- 1. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.573, 209.49 vs. 16. Ben Watson, Pontiac GTO, 6.725, 203.98; 2. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.583, 210.08 vs. 15. Greg Stanfield, GXP, 6.664, 207.53; 3. Jason Line, GXP, 6.584, 210.14 vs. 14. Warren Johnson, GXP, 6.654, 209.56; 4. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 6.591, 208.68 vs. 13. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.649, 206.67; 5. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.592, 208.88 vs. 12. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.612, 208.04; 6. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.596, 209.92 vs. 11. Justin Humphreys, Stratus, 6.612, 208.88; 7. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.596, 209.17 vs. 10. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.606, 208.36; 8. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.603, 208.81 vs. 9. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.605, 208.97. Did Not Qualify: 17. Max Naylor, 6.736, 206.26.

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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - CONNOLLY, HIGHT, SCHUMACHER POWER TO PROVISIONAL NO. 1s AS QUALIFYING ENTERS FINAL SESSIONS

Dave Connolly entered the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals near Seattle 53 points below the Top 10 cut in the points – the line that in just one month will separate those who will battle for the 2008 world championship titles from those who won’t.

Since his return at the Atlanta event in April, Connolly has hunted his way up the point standings with one win in three final-round appearances and it appears he’s not ready to stop. Connolly turned in a blistering track-record time of 6.573 seconds at 209.49 mph behind the wheel of his Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt to lead the Pro Stock field into Saturday’s final qualifying sessions Friday at Pacific Raceways, where Tony Schumacher and Robert Hight also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories.

"We’re on the chase to try to make it in the Top 10 now and we missed the first five races of the season, so we have our work cut out for us," Connolly said. "To be honest with you, I think last weekend (in Denver) we let a good opportunity slip away on top of that mountain. We struggled from the time we got to that track and we come here and looked over everything from head to toe…it’s a complete 180 from last weekend, and that makes the driver feel good.

"Even though we have a great car right now, we still have tomorrow morning’s sessions just to get by and try to hold on to this No. 1 spot for Charter Communications."

 Hight paced the Funny Car category in his Auto Club Ford Mustang, recording a 4.056 at 304.39.

"You really don’t know where you’re at, coming here," Hight said. "Denver is so much different from anywhere else we race. It’s hard to come out of Denver (where Hight advanced to the semifinals) with a lot of confidence, when we’re coming back to sea level, and we have had engine gremlins all year, not making it even to 1,000 feet cleanly. It runs really good to 1,000, then it was burning itself up and just making a mess of it. Honestly, this new format I think is kind of helping us. Get to 1,000, not hurt it, and work on our tune-up."

The race distance for Top Fuel and Funny Car was changed from the traditional quarter-mile to 1,000 feet as an interim safety measure after the death of the late Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta in Englishtown.

"It’s going up and down the track a lot," Hight said. "That’s what you’ve got to do. That’s why Tim Wilkerson’s leading the points. He’s way out there, but it’s still not unattainable to catch him."

Schumacher is on track to earn his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the year with a 3.802 at 316.90 in his U.S. Army dragster. Schumacher’s no stranger to success in Seattle – he comes to this year’s event riding a streak of four consecutive final-round appearances.

"Our team is so good at being calm and cool and doing what we have to do," said Schumacher, who clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship last weekend in Denver. "I oversimplify this and I say it every week – the fact is, the light comes on and you push the pedal down. You react to the light. I don’t want to get out and go ‘oh, the third cylinder did this and that’ like you hear some of the drivers do. It doesn’t matter.

"It’s not going to help you drive your car. Drive it like you know how to do – push the pedal down and let your body do what it knows how to do."

Qualifying continues Saturday at noon and noon and 2:30 p.m. for Sunday’s 11 a.m. eliminations.

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Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways, 14th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.802 seconds, 316.90 mph; 2. Brandon Bernstein, 3.820, 315.12; 3. Antron Brown, 3.831, 312.06; 4. Rod Fuller, 3.841, 313.73; 5. Morgan Lucas, 3.848, 312.50; 6. J.R. Todd, 3.860, 312.86; 7. Hillary Will, 3.866, 313.37; 8. Larry Dixon, 3.879, 305.29; 9. Steve Torrence, 3.880, 307.16; 10. Bob Vandergriff, 3.882, 299.20; 11. Cory McClenathan, 3.932, 283.61; 12. David Grubnic, 4.002, 288.58. Not Qualified: 13. Doug Herbert, 4.118, 218.87; 14. Ron Smith, 4.845, 241.32; 15. Doug Kalitta, 4.926, 150.48; 16. Steven Chrisman, 6.874, 116.95; 17. Craig Smith, 7.937, 77.44; 18. Troy Buff, 17.636, 122.50.

Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.056, 304.39; 2. Del Worsham, Chevy Impala, 4.073, 301.33; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.083, 301.13; 4. Mike Neff, Mustang, 4.089, 303.84; 5. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.092, 303.37; 6. Jerry Toliver, Charger, 4.095, 303.98; 7. Ashley Force, Mustang, 4.095, 299.66; 8. Melanie Troxel, Charger, 4.096, 302.55; 9. Tony Pedregon, Impala, 4.098, 299.33; 10. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Solara, 4.102, 301.47; 11. Gary Densham, Impala, 4.104, 299.40; 12. Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.107, 303.64. Not Qualified: 13. Tim Wilkerson, 4.118, 302.62; 14. Bob Tasca III, 4.130, 302.08; 15. Jack Beckman, 4.136, 301.33; 16. John Force, 4.140, 295.59; 17. Ron Capps, 7.970, 79.00.

Pro Stock -- 1. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.573, 209.49; 2. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 6.583, 210.08; 3. Jason Line, GXP, 6.584, 210.14; 4. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 6.591, 208.68; 5. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.592, 208.88; 6. Mike Edwards, GXP, 6.596, 209.17; 7. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.603, 208.81; 8. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.605, 209.82; 9. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.605, 208.97; 10. Justin Humphreys, Stratus, 6.612, 208.88; 11. Jim Yates, GXP, 6.612, 208.04; 12. Jeg Coughlin, Cobalt, 6.617, 208.36. Not Qualified: 13. Greg Stanfield, 6.625, 207.53; 14. Warren Johnson, 6.643, 209.56; 15. Max Naylor, 6.649, 206.26; 16. V. Gaines, 6.662, 206.67; 17. Ben Watson, 6.764, 203.98.
   

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EVENT PREVIEW - HIGHT, BECKMAN EXPLAIN HOW MENTAL EDGE CAN WIN OR LOSE RACE BEFORE IT BEGINS AS POWERADE SERIES HEADS TO SEATTLE

Jack Beckman describes the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series as the “Top Gun” for race car drivers. Its categories are the fastest motorsports contests in the world; where extremity runs headlong into a deep pool of stubborn talent.

And it’s where, as rookies soon find out, being just ‘good’ doesn’t always win.

Most of the focus in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing is, naturally, what happens during a run – the four-point-something-seconds-plus between the green light and a win light.

But what happens before that?

For drivers, another few seconds, the ones on the starting line, are perhaps equally important. The seconds when holding on too tight can push you over; when drivers strive to do what is, essentially, remarkable.

They…clear their minds.

Consider this: A driver has step-by-step instructions that must be followed with precision before each run. In front of a live audience. On national television. On a scale of nerves? Imagine making your wedding vows during your first driver’s test. It could be a little like that.

Somehow, at least for Beckman and Robert Hight (who is, incidentally, nicknamed “Top Gun”), it isn’t. Instead, clear minds yield focus.

“I take a deep breath, put the visor down and stare at the pre-stage bulb,” said Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Charger R/T. “At that point you want to be as focused as you can be. No need to be tense or intense; just focused.”

The NHRA POWERade Series comes to Seattle for the 21st annual Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals July 18-20, at Pacific Raceways. It is the 14th of 24 events in the Series, and near the end of the regular season of the Countdown to the Championship. Beckman (Funny Car), Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

Burn-outs, staging and starting line behavior, like almost everything about drag racing, are strategic. From the length of a burn-out to how long it takes each driver to stage, each choice is the result of a decision made in advance, or a mistake. A new driver takes time to think each step through, Hight said. A veteran does it by intuition.

Mistakes and variations – and even time itself - are what drivers want to avoid.

“The more you do it, the more things kind of slow down; the more things can go through your head,” said Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang. “I think it’s bad. That’s why I try to keep my mind occupied. Since I know everything that’s going on in the car, I’m always constantly looking at the oil pressure, making sure the fuel level is where it needs to be, that I have the right amount of fuel going in the motor. Keeping my mind occupied with what’s going on right now (with the car). After you’ve done this a while, you just done things (by memory). It gives your mind an opportunity to start wondering and being nervous, things that are negative. I try to keep my mind busy until it’s time to stage and step on the gas.”

Once the crew chief and team make final adjustments, they’re left behind.

“As a fuel driver, there isn’t anything you can do to make that car run quicker than the tune-up, but there are a lot of things you can do to slow it down, if you make mistakes,” Beckman said.

The starting line process begins well before each car noses onto the track. Hight walks the track in advance. Beckman roams up to see the action like a “big kid” fan with no restrictions. Others listen to music with earbuds, do breathing exercises or sit in their tow vehicles until the last second before each run.


Some ask for advice or use others as inspiration. Hight’s walk down the track to check where the groove is and test the traction with his foot was inspired by former fuel driver-turned-ESPN2 personality Mike Dunn.

“At times, when you get up to the pro ranks, with some people, there’s a lot more ego there,” Beckman said. “It almost reminds you of ‘Top Gun,’ like flight school. Everyone likes to think they have a great handle on this. I don’t mind talking to other drivers to get input. Gary Scelzi has been an unbelievable help to me, because he’s been there. If anything else, he’s been there to help me deal with the emotional part. It’s not just the mechanics, it’s the emotional part.”

Both Hight and Beckman prefer to be around other people, with their teams and other drivers. Others prefer to go it alone.

“We try to make it fun,” Hight said. “We’re serious, but we still have some fun…I don’t want to be left alone and be in my own little world. I want to talk to everybody. We pay attention to what’s going on (on the track), listen to the NHRA announcer and our team radios when our crew chiefs and other drivers make their runs, and when one of our drivers wins, we’re celebrating back in the two vehicle. The (crew) guys are in the staging lanes, double-checking themselves. It’s a business, but we all have fun doing it.”

The “edge” is not definable; something you feel or do but don’t see. It’s the split-second moment between now and unknown. Keeping that edge, they say, is about focus.

I think, for anybody who is at the top of their profession, that last edge is always mental,” Beckman said. “In an athletic sport, physical conditioning will get you on-par with the average participant, but the mental (aspect) will always get you that extra edge.”

Hight and Beckman are two of the cars to beat in Funny Car heading into Seattle. Despite being one of the hottest talents on the circuit, Beckman, who posted a runner-up finish last weekend at Denver and cracked the Top 10 for the first time this season. He is now in the hunt for a spot in the Countdown to the Championship, when the top 10 drivers in each field will compete for the NHRA POWERade Series world championship titles. In 2007, Beckman won in Denver and Seattle for an almost-sweep of the historic Western Swing. Others to watch include Hight’s team owner and father-in-law John Force, who made a remarkable recovery in 2008 after a late-season accident in Dallas last fall. John’s daughter Ashley became the first woman to win an NHRA event in Funny Car in Atlanta and she remains a car to beat, along with independent owner/driver Tim Wilkerson, a surprise category leader who has won four times this season, including last weekend in Denver.

Schumacher, the five-time and defending NHRA POWERade Series world champion, remains the man to beat in Top Fuel as evidenced by his sixth win of the year last weekend in Denver. However, David Powers Motorsports’ teammates Antron Brown and Rod Fuller are ready for the challenge of trying to dethrone him. Don’t count out upstarts Brandon Bernstein and Hillary will or veterans Cory McClenathan and Larry Dixon.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson has emerged as the mid-season leader with Kurt Johnson and Anderson’s KB Racing teammate Jason Line right behind him. The Cagnazzi Racing duo of Jeg Coughlin and young Connolly are in the mix too.