Throughout the 2010 Top Fuel season, Larry Dixon has been dominant. This weekend at the Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals, things were no different.
Dixon qualified on the pole and then won the event in convincing fashion at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
In the finals, Dixon beat rival Tony Schumacher, clocking a 3.879-second pass at 317.12 mph. Schumacher came across in 4.006 seconds at 300.73 mph.
“I’m trying to beat whomever I’m lined up against,” said Dixon, who has beat Schumacher six of the nine times they have raced this season. “You’re racing a car (in Schumacher) that has won six championships in a row, and you better bring your ‘A’ game when you race them. They didn’t win that many races and championships by being lucky, they’ve been good. You go up there and race them and do the best job you can and hope that it is enough.”
With the win, Dixon remains in the season points lead with 1,444 points. Schumacher is now second at 1,233 followed by his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Cory McClenathan at 1,227.
After crunching the numbers from Sunday, it appears Dixon also has clinched the No. 1 seed for the Countdown to 1 playoffs. The 17-race regular season of the Countdown to the Championship runs through the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 12-15 in Brainerd, Minn.