Schumacher drove away from runner-up Larry Dixon to take the stripe with a 4.575 at 331.94 mph to earn a spot in the winner's circle with emotional Funny Car victor Mike Ashley, new Pro Stock points leader Dave Connolly, and stunned Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Craig Treble.

The three-time defending world champion is atop the points for the first time all season and with a 31-point lead over second-place Dixon and a 102-point cushion over fifth-place Bob Vandergriff -- the top four drivers after the four-race playoff will advance to the championship round -- he is in excellent position to move on to the two-race championship round at Las Vegas and Pomona.

"I guess we're a really good pressure team," Schumacher said. "The guys know they can rely on each other and it all comes together so well. Alan [Johnson, crew chief of the U.S. Army dragster] is fantastic. We ran 4.50s all day except for when it was just too hot there in the semis and we had to do what we needed to do to get down the track.

The win was Schumacher's 40th, tying him with Dixon for 10th place on the all-time NHRA POWERade Series wins list and second on the all-time Top Fuel wins list (Joe Amato, 52).

Running a special tribute body in memory of good friends Donnie and Holly Faulkner's baby son Eric Blake Faulkner, who was still-born, Ashley was the emotional favorite in the Funny Car final.

Fortunately for his supporters, which included the Faulkner family on the starting line, they didn't have to wait long to see who would win as Hight's Ford Mustang encountered trouble early in its run. Ashley might have been tough to beat anyway as he posted a 4.894 at 323.74 mph in his Torco Dodge Charger to Hight's coasting 8.072 at 104.08 mph.

"It was very, very emotional and I knew when I decided to do this tribute car that it would add a bunch of pressure to the day," Ashley said. "I just wouldn't allow myself to think about what it all meant too much. I just did the best I could all weekend for Donnie and Holly.

"This is the Super Bowl of drag racing. To win Indy is unreal but then you add to it the recognition we can bring to the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation and it makes it stratospheric. This is a day I'll always remember and appreciate. I'm so proud of my team and the generosity of Evan Knoll and Jim Jannard and all our other sponsors to step aside for a race and let us banner this car. What a group I have behind me."

Hight did escape the day as the Countdown to Four points leader in Funny Car. He's now 21 markers ahead of Ashley, who jumped up to second place -- after starting the day in sixth place -- with his third career win.

The Pro Stock final was the closest of the day as Connolly overcame a slight .023- to .034-second starting line advantage by Anderson to take the biggest win of his career by .0088 seconds. Connolly had caught Anderson by the 60-foot timer and went on to post a 6.710 at 206.32 mph in his Torco Chevy Cobalt to Anderson 's 6.729 at 205.79 mph in his Summit Racing Pontiac.

"I can never remember having a car that has the field covered by four hundredths of a second," Connolly said. "It's a real tribute to [team owner] Victor Cagnazzi and the organization he's put together. To win back-to-back races for the first time it seems like we're peaking at the perfect place in the schedule, especially with the Countdown starting. It's just an awesome feeling right now.

"I knew Greg had won 19 rounds in a row at this race going into the final but I still felt pretty confident. That team has been the class of Pro Stock for four years so it's remarkable to get in front of them for once. It really hasn't sunk in yet."

Anderson and Connolly entered the race first and second in the points with Anderson enjoying a slight 10-point edge. With his win and superior qualifying effort here, Connolly moved ahead of Anderson by 14 points.

He doesn't have a sponsor, but Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Treble does have his first U.S. Nationals trophy to go with a No. 2 ranking in the POWERade points. Treble survived final-round opponent Matt Smith's stout 6.977 at 189.63 mph in the final when Smith fouled out by -.003 seconds on his Buell V-Twin. Treble posted a game 7.037 at 190.83 mph to take the win.

"I'll take a win here however I can get it," Treble said. "I was lucky three outta four rounds today but all I know is that 20 years from now someone will look in the record books and say, 'Hey, Craig Treble won in 2007.' It's there forever now."

Smith can take some solace in the fact he pumped his lead in the Countdown to Four up to 51 points. Treble went from the bottom of the eight-car championship group to the No. 2 position with his win.

CLERMONT, Ind. – Point standings for the eight drivers in each class who have qualified for the NHRA playoffs, following the 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 23 races in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series (after 21 races, the top four drivers in each class will advance to the two-race championship round at Las Vegas and Pomona):

Top Fuel

1.  Tony Schumacher,   2,178; 
2.  Larry Dixon,       2,147; 
3.  Rod Fuller,        2,144; 
4.  Brandon Bernstein, 2,092; 
5.  Bob Vandergriff,   2,076; 
6.  J.R. Todd,         2,040; 
7.  Doug Herbert,      2,032; 
8.  Whit Bazemore,     2,020.

Funny Car

1.  Robert Hight,  2,155; 
2.  Mike Ashley,   2,134; 
3.  Tony Pedregon, 2,113; 
4.  Ron Capps,     2,104; 
5.  Jack Beckman,  2,086; 
6.  John Force,    2,060; 
7.  Gary Scelzi,   2,042; 
8.  Jim Head,      2,031.

Pro Stock

1.  Dave Connolly,  2,176;
2.  Greg Anderson,  2,162; 
3.  Allen Johnson,  2,095; 
4.  Kurt Johnson,   2,094; 
5.  Jeg Coughlin,   2,083; 
6. Jason Line,      2,061; 
7.  Larry Morgan,   2,033; 
8.  Warren Johnson, 2,020.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1.  Matt Smith,      2,165; 
2.  Craig Treble,    2,114; 
3.  Chip Ellis,      2,108; 
4.  Andrew Hines,    2,106; 
5.  Angelle Sampey,  2,092; 
6.  Karen Stoffer,   2,072; 
7.  Eddie Krawiec,   2,051; 
8.  Peggy Llewellyn, 2,043.

Top Fuel

Tony Schumacher, 4.575 seconds, 331.94 mph  def. 
Larry Dixon,     4.748 seconds, 268.44 mph.

Funny Car

Mike Ashley, Dodge Charger, 4.894, 323.74  def. 
Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 8.072, 104.08.

Pro Stock

Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.710, 206.32  def. 
Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO,  6.729, 205.79.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.037, 190.83  def. 
Matt Smith, Buell,    foul.

Top Alcohol Dragster

Marty Thacker, 5.390, 264.91  def. 
Dave Hirata,   5.442, 260.81.

Top Alcohol Funny Car

Frank Manzo, Chevy Monte Carlo , 5.562, 263.15  def. 
Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang,     5.779, 248.43.

Competition Eliminator

Jason Coan, Ford Bantam,          8.357, 153.47  def. 
Scott Richardson, Chevy Roadster, 7.932, 162.59.

Super Stock

Brandon Wilkinson, Chevy Corvette, 9.114,  131.11  def. 
Michael Mans, Pontiac Formula,     10.912, 118.77.

Stock Eliminator

Peter Biondo, Chevy Camaro, 10.688, 114.72  def. 
Matt Welker, Camaro,        11.022, 109.76.

Super Comp

Pat Fitzpatrick, Dragster, 8.901, 153.47  def. 
Ron Erks, Dragster,        8.892, 177.74.

Super Gas

Andrew Thomas, Ford Roadster,    9.884, 149.63  def. 
Brian Forrester, Chevy Corvette, 9.871, 163.59.

Pro RWD

Boris Rojas, Mazda,         7.802,  163.04  def. 
Manny Cruz, Mercury Cougar, 10.755, 90.49.

Pro FWDGary Gardella, Chevrolet Cobalt, 7.335, 197.59  def. 
Jason Hunt, Cobalt,                     7.412, 200.02.

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Cory McClenathan, 4.621, 321.58 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.620, 326.71; Hillary Will, 5.238, 198.58 def. Doug Foley, 11.251, 86.55; Rod Fuller, 4.556, 322.27 def. Doug Herbert, 4.659, 306.05; Melanie Troxel, 4.556, 329.34 def. Bruce Litton, 4.678, 302.41; Tony Schumacher, 4.546, 324.59 def. Clay Millican, 4.643, 325.77; Larry Dixon, 4.578, 321.81 def. Alan Bradshaw, 15.498, 55.21; Bob Vandergriff, 4.582, 322.11 def. T.J. Zizzo, foul; Brandon Bernstein, 4.525, 324.90 def. David Grubnic, 5.676, 210.24;
QUARTERFINALS -- Dixon, 4.699, 308.43 def. Will, 12.738, 77.45; Fuller, 4.734, 312.93 def. Vandergriff, 9.311, 102.54; Troxel, 4.606, 325.77 def. Bernstein, 4.620, 319.82; Schumacher, 4.544, 327.98 def. McClenathan, 5.154, 202.94;
SEMIFINALS -- Dixon, 4.642, 316.23 def. Fuller, 6.083, 156.59; Schumacher, 4.641, 325.45 def. Troxel, 4.839, 284.03;
FINAL -- Schumacher, 4.575, 331.94 def. Dixon, 4.748, 268.44.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Tony Pedregon, Chevy Impala, 4.944, 270.16 def. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Solara, 4.954, 313.00; Kenny Bernstein, Dodge Charger, 4.922, 307.16 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.877, 316.82; Ashley Force, Ford Mustang, 4.784, 323.89 def. Tim Wilkerson, Impala, 4.965, 305.01; Jon Capps, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 4.896, 316.15 def. Jeff Arend, Impala, 4.927, 317.79; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.902, 318.24 def. Scott Kalitta, Solara, 5.032, 289.26; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.882, 317.79 def. Jim Head, Dodge Stratus, 6.318, 152.24; Mike Ashley, Charger, 4.835, 327.11 def. Gary Densham, Chevy MonteCarlo, 5.023, 265.17; Del Worsham, Impala, 4.841, 322.04 def. Gary Scelzi , Charger, 4.872, 318.92;
QUARTERFINALS -- T. Pedregon, 5.111, 290.63 def. J. Capps, 6.903, 131.27; Hight, 4.876, 323.50 def. Bernstein, 10.430, 84.48; Worsham, 5.624, 311.63 def. A. Force, 8.319, 117.68; Ashley, 4.882, 324.12 def. Beckman, 5.305, 299.66;
SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 4.961, 319.90 def. Worsham, 6.526, 169.68; Hight, 5.002, 307.23 def. T. Pedregon, 6.376, 179.85;
FINAL -- Ashley, 4.894, 323.74 def. Hight, 8.072, 104.08.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.738, 206.89 def. Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cobalt, 7.073, 157.80; Kenny Koretsky, Cobalt, 6.763, 205.76 def. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.947, 203.71; Justin Humphreys, GTO, 6.692, 205.76 def. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.721, 205.66; Max Naylor, Stratus, 6.706, 205.82 def. Steve Schmidt, Cobalt, 9.670, 91.33; Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.702, 206.67 def. Craig Hankinson, GTO, 6.722, 205.76; Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.648, 206.64 def. Jason Line, GTO, 6.691, 206.86; Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.698, 205.63 def. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.765, 205.26; Jim Yates, GTO, 6.706, 206.01 def. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.758, 204.23;
QUARTERFINALS -- Anderson, 6.735, 206.54 def. Naylor, 6.732, 205.69; Koretsky, 7.379, 170.23 def. Yates, broke; K. Johnson, 6.748, 205.26 def. A. Johnson, 6.814, 205.63; Connolly, 6.704, 206.39 def. Humphreys, 6.749, 205.72;
SEMIFINALS -- Anderson, 6.719, 206.10 def. K. Johnson, 6.749, 205.91; Connolly, 6.697, 206.04 def. Koretsky, 6.799, 203.49;
FINAL -- Connolly, 6.710, 206.32 def. Anderson, 6.729, 205.79.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE -- Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.083, 187.99 def. Peggy Llewellyn, Buell, 7.105, 186.56; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.083, 188.81 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, foul; Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.033, 190.54 def. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.059, 188.12; Chris Rivas, Buell, 7.024, 188.70 def. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.056, 188.25; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.974, 191.38 def. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 7.067, 187.44; Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.994, 189.90 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, foul; Hector Arana, Buell, 7.047, 188.91 def. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 18.079, 95.68; Matt Smith, Buell, 7.020, 189.23 def. Barry Henson, Suzuki, 7.127, 188.60;
QUARTERFINALS -- Arana, 7.046, 189.20 def. Johnson, 7.161, 186.05; Smith, 7.030, 189.02 def. Rivas, 7.262, 154.33; Ellis, 6.994, 190.86 def. Brown, 7.061, 189.39; Treble, 7.060, 189.60 def. Hines, foul;
SEMIFINALS -- Treble, 7.112, 187.63 def. Arana, 7.360, 152.52; Smith, 7.050, 187.94 def. Ellis, 7.056, 187.78;
FINAL -- Treble, 7.037, 190.83 def. Smith, foul.

53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the 18th of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.Professional competitors in four categories earn points leading to 2007 POWERade Series world championships. Sportsman competitors in seven categories earn points leading to 2007 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championships. Sport Compact competitors in two championship classes will earn points leading to its 2007 NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series world championship.

WHERE:            

O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Clermont , Ind. 
From I-465, exit Crawfordsville Road (Hwy. 136). Head west for
approximately four miles through the town of Clermont . 
The main entrance to the facility is on the left-hand side, 
one-half mile  past Raceway Road.

COURSE:          

Quarter-mile drag strip.

WHEN:               

Wednesday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 3.

PURSE:              

Cash and contingency awards of more than $2.6 million.

SCHEDULE:
      
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29
Sportsman qualifying and time trials, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, Aug. 30
Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, Aug. 31
Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 1
Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1 p.m. and 6:05 p.m.

RINGERS GLOVES PRO BIKE BATTLE at 2:15 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.

SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD & PRO FWD) 
QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 2
Sportsman eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SKOAL SHOWDOWN ELIMINATIONS at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 5 p.m.

SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD & PRO FWD) QUALIFYING SESSION at 9 a.m.

SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD & PRO FWD) FIRST ROUND ELIMINATIONS at 6:30 p.m.

MONDAY, Sept. 3 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 9:30 a.m.

FINAL ELIMINATIONS at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:     

Sunday, Sept. 2, 
ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 12:30 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Sept. 2, 
ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, 
a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET).           

Sunday, Sept. 2, 
ESPN2 HD will televise three hours and 30 minutes 
of qualifying coverage at 2 p.m. (ET).

Monday, Sept. 3, 
ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at midnight (ET).

Monday, Sept. 3, 
ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of early eliminations coverage at noon (ET).
          
Monday, Sept. 3, 
ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).

2006 WINNERS:         

Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; 
Robert Hight, Funny Car; 
Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; 
Matt Smith, Pro Stock Motorcycle;

John Force, Skoal Showdown; 
Andrew Hines, Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle; 
Brad Personett, Pro RWD.

MOST VICTORIES:       

Bob Glidden, Pro Stock,                9; 
Don Garlits, Top Fuel,                 8; 
Frank Manzo Alcohol Funny Car,         8;
Don Prudhomme, Top Fuel and Funny Car, 7; 
Warren Johnson, Pro Stock,             6; 
Dave Schultz, Pro Stock Motorcycle,    6; 
Ed McCulloch, Funny Car and Top Fuel,  6; 
Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel,             5;             
Greg Anderson, Pro Stock,              5; 
John Force, Funny Car,                 4.

The most historic and prestigious event in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals has been contested annually since 1955. Originally known as “The Nationals” and first held at an abandoned airstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the event made stops at Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Detroit before eventually moving to O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1961. Past winners include “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, an eight-time winner in Top Fuel; Shirley Muldowney, 1982 Top Fuel winner; Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, a seven-time winner and one of a handful of drivers to win the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car; and Bob Glidden, the legendary Pro Stock driver who dominated the race by advancing to the final round in 13 consecutive seasons from 1977-’89. The Indiana native won the event a record nine times. It is the only major motorsports event to be contested on Labor Day. In 2004 the event celebrated its 50th anniversary in memorable fashion with spectacular racing witnessed by one of the biggest crowds in NHRA history. This year the inaugural POWERade Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s first-ever playoff series to determine champions in each pro category, kicks off at the U.S. Nationals.

FAST FACTS:

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is the first-round of the Countdown to Four, the playoff segment of NHRA’s inaugural POWERade Countdown to the Championship. The top eight teams in each pro category, who earned a spot during the 17-race regular season and are officially in championship contention, enter this event with their point totals reset from 2070 for first place to 2000 for eighth… Tony Schumacher has advanced to the last five Top Fuel final rounds at the event and is a seven-time U.S. Nationals finalist… Schumacher’s first career start came at the U.S. Nationals in 1996 and the then rookie posted a runner-up finish to Cory McClenathan… Pro Stock phenom Greg Anderson has won the race five times in the past six years… Eight female drivers representing all four professional categories will compete at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Angelle Sampey, a two time winner, and Shirley Muldowney, who won the race in 1982 in Top Fuel, are the only women to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals… It is the first time in U.S. Nationals history where all four pro categories will feature at least one female competitor … Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) and Melanie Troxel (Top Fuel) could become the first married couple to share winner’s circle at a POWERade Series event in NHRA history. The two drivers live in nearby Avon , Ind . …John Force, 14-time NHRA POWERade world champion and winner of a record 124 events, has won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals four times, his last coming in 2002… Force has won the Skoal Showdown a record six times, including last season… It will be Force’s 24th start in the Skoal Showdown, also a record… “The Professor” Warren Johnson has six Pro Stock victories at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but none this decade. His last victory there came in 1999 when he defeated his former crew chief Greg Anderson in the final round… For the third consecutive season the NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series will be represented at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, with competition in two categories featured: Pro FWD and Pro RWD.

WHAT TO WATCH:

The top eight teams in each pro category will be battling for championship glory in this first round of the Countdown to Four, the opening playoff round of NHRA’s inaugural POWERade Countdown to the Championship. The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is one of four races – along with stops at Memphis , Dallas and Richmond , Va. – which comprise the Countdown to Four. The top four poinots earners in each pro category following those four races will advance to the Countdown to One, NHRA’s championship round of the POWERade Countdown to the Championship, the season’s final two races in Las Vegas and Pomona , Calif. … Tony Schumacher is seeking his sixth Top Fuel victory at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals… Only four drivers in NHRA history have won the U.S. Nationals in both nitro categories (Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Jim Head and Ed McCulloch). Two drivers have an opportunity to join that group this weekend: Whit Bazemore in Top Fuel and Gary Scelzi in Funny Car. Bazemore is a two-time Funny Car winner at Indy (’01 & ’97), while Scelzi won Indy in Top Fuel in 1998… Three-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson is seeking his fifth straight and sixth overall Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory. Only two other Pro Stock drivers, Warren Johnson and Bob Glidden, have won the U.S. Nationals in four or more consecutive starts… Top seed Robert Hight will lead the eight best Funny Car drivers in pursuit of the $100,000 Skoal Showdown victory… A purse of $25,000 will be on the line to the winner of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, a special event for the eight best Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors.

BONUS RACES:

Two lucrative bonus races will be showcased during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

SKOAL SHOWDOWN

A special bonus race offering $100,000 to winner, with rounds Sunday at 12:30, 3:30 and 5 p.m. The race features the eight quickest Funny Car drivers from the last 23 races.

Defending winner: John Force

Most victories: John Force, 6; Al Hofmann, 3; Ron Capps, 3; Kenny Bernstein, 2; Mark Oswald, 2.

RINGERS GLOVES PRO BIKE BATTLE

A special bonus race offering $25,000 to winner, with rounds Saturday at 2:15, 6 and 8:10 p.m. The race features the eight quickest Pro Stock Motorcycle riders from the last 23 races.

Defending winner: Andrew Hines

Most victories: Matt Hines, 4; John Myers, 4, Andrew Hines, 2.

NHRA offers a Double-Up Bonus for any driver/rider who can win his or her respective bonus race and the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. The NHRA Double-Up Bonus for competitors in the Skoal Showdown is $50,000. The NHRA Double-Up Bonus for competitors in the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle is $10,000.

Past NHRA Double-Up Bonus winners:

Skoal Showdown – Del Worsham, 2005; Gary Densham, 2004; John Force, 1996 and 1993; Jim White, 1991; Don Prudhomme, 1989; and Kenny Bernstein, 1983;

Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle – Reggie Showers, 2003; Antron Brown, 2000; Matt Hines, 1998; and Jim Bernard, 1991.

QUICK QUOTES:

Tony Schumacher, Chicago, U.S. Army dragster, five-time U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner: “Needless to say, O’Reilly Raceway Park will always be special to me. I really can’t explain why we do so well there, but I’m certainly not going to complain either. To have won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals five times just blows my mind. Who knows, perhaps, we can win another four to break Don Garlits’ record (eight wins). If there’s a team that can accomplish a goal like that, it would clearly be my U.S. Army team. They’re the best around.”

Ron Capps, Carlsbad , Calif. , Brut Dodge Charger, three-time Skoal Showdown winner: “Obviously, being involved with the Skoal Showdown is something every team strives for. Your qualifying points all through the year are what get you in the Showdown, so on top of every other goal a team has, being in the Skoal Showdown is huge. I was lucky enough to win it three times. For over nine years I was sponsored by U.S. Tobacco and so when they took over the sponsorship of that race it just went up to another level. It's only the top eight guys and you start looking down the list every year of eight guys you think should be in the Skoal Showdown and you're leaving out another eight guys who probably should be in it. It's a very hard thing to keep those points up to get into the Showdown. I've never won the U.S. Nationals. Gary Scelzi and I were talking the other day and we were talking to some other drivers about places they've never won, and it's pretty cool when you just kind of go down the list. I've been lucky enough to be able win at a lot of the tracks on our circuit. The same with Scelzi. He only has a handful of races he's never won at, which is amazing. And for me it's the biggest one we have and it's the U.S. Nationals. I won the Skoal Showdown there three times, I've been close to winning the race, but my crew chief has won it so many times. I'm surrounded by people who I work with, whether it's my owner or my crew chief, who have all been there. My teammates. Look at those guys who have won Indy. It's one of those very empty spaces on the mantle in a whole group of trophies. I just wouldn't be complete if I never get to win Indy. And right now, this year especially, with Indy being the first race of the Countdown, it brings a whole bunch more importance to the race, besides the fact it's the U.S. Nationals. I’m so happy for the race itself because it should stand out more than any other race on the schedule. It's our biggest race and it should stand out. And I think the past several years it's kind of fallen into the cracks with some other races. I'm glad to see that Indy is back to being our biggest race of the year.”

Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., Summit Racing Pontiac GTO, five-time U.S. Nationals Pro Stock winner: "Obviously, winning four in a row at Indy has been pretty cool for me. I think there is only two other Pro Stock guys that have done that -- Bob Glidden and WJ (Warren Johnson). I don't believe that anyone has ever won five, so if I could do it that would put me alone in the record book. That would be a heck of a feather in our cap, winning five. Indy is a special place every time you go there. It's our Super Bowl. It means so much and maybe even more this year with the start of the final two segments of the Countdown to the Championship. I can't imagine the feeling when you roll in there this year knowing not only that it's the biggest race of the year, and the one that means the most to us, but it's the first race of the all-important Countdown. So the stress level is going to be ultra high. Obviously, I've never been through what we are going to experience Indy weekend as far as stress and worrying about what's going to happen. To perform under pressure that weekend is going to be the most pressure any of us probably has ever had. It's going to be a very, very interesting weekend."

Andrew Hines, Indianapolis, Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, defending Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle winner: “Last year I red-lighted in the seminfinals and I threw the race away. I really felt like I had a bike capable of winning the race and I just blew it. So I want to make up for that this year and put winning the biggest race of the season on my resume. It's not going to be easy with the new points format. We don't know what everyone has in the bank right now and I know every team is going to bring out their best stuff at the U.S. Nationals to win that race and help move them into the top four of the point standings.”

TRACK HISTORY:

In 1958, led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward and Howard Fieber, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals invested $5,000 each to fund the development of what would become O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis . The group purchased a 267-acre farm about seven miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and developed a multipurpose auto racing facility. The original intention in creating O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis was to design a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course. Nearly as an afterthought, and as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the 2.5-mile road course design. Constructed with assistance from the NHRA, the drag strip was the first of the three courses to be completed, with the facility’s first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. During the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit , a handshake agreement between Binford and NHRA founder Wally Parks promised that the event would move to O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1961. The historic three-year pact was signed and sealed under a tree in Detroit Dragway’s pits, and O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis eventually became the home of NHRA’s biggest annual event. The NHRA purchased the entire facility in 1979. The first major improvement came in 1983 with the construction and dedication of Parks Tower , the four-story drag strip tower. In 1998, new grandstands, suites and a tower complex on the front straightaway were completed at the oval track at a cost of nearly $2.5 million, which included the repaving of the entire oval surface as part of a three-phase facility improvement project. In 2001, NHRA and ORP constructed a new drag strip racing surface, replacing the strip with a 660-foot concrete pad and laying new asphalt on the remainder of the track and shutdown area. Prior to the 2003 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, eight new luxury suites were added along the top of the west-side grandstands of the drag strip, giving fans a unique perspective of the action on the famed quarter-mile track. Last year, new soft barrier walls were added to the oval. Earlier this year the track announced its first track entitlement with O’Reilly Auto Parts. The track – formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park – is now known as O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

NATIONAL RECORDS:         

Top Fuel

4.428 sec. Nov. ’06, Pomona , Calif. and 
336.15 mph May ’05, Columbus , Ohio by Tony Schumacher

Funny Car
4.659 sec. Feb. ’07, Chandler , Ariz. by Tony Pedregon; 
333.66 mph Nov. 2006, Pomona , Calif. by Jack Beckman

Pro Stock — 6.536 sec. March ‘07, Gainesville , Fla. by Greg Anderson; 
211.69 mph March '07, Gainesville , Fla.             by Jason Line

Pro Stock Motorcycle6.871 sec. June ‘07, Englishtown , N.J. by Angelle Sampey; 
197.45 mph, March '05, Gainesville , Fla.                   by Andrew Hines

 

TRACK RECORDS: 
               
Top Fuel
4.459 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Sept. 2005; 
332.67 mph by Brandon Bernstein, Sept. 2006
        
Funny Car

4.691 sec. by John Force, Sept. 2006; 
331.04 mph by Robert Hight, Sept. 2006

Pro Stock

6.662 sec. and 206.95 mph by Greg Anderson, Sept. 2006

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 6.994 sec. by Matt Smith, Sept. 2006; 
193.85 mph                        by Andrew Hines, Sept. 2005

INTERNET:         

For complete online coverage of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, 
please visit www.nhra.com. 

TICKETS:           

For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). 
Tickets also are available at www.ticketmaster.com, 
www.nhra.com, 
and www.oreillyracewaypark.com.

(includes pit pass) – Wednesday: Adult, $8, Junior (6-12 years), free; Thursday: Adult, $12, Junior (6-12 years), free; Friday: Adult, $34; Junior (6-12 years), $10; Saturday: Adult, $42; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $48; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Monday: Adult, $48; Junior (6-12 years), $10; Child (5 years and under), free in general admission and pit areas each day.

RESERVED

(includes pit pass) – Friday: Adult, $44; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years and under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $50-$54; Junior (6-12 years), $18-$22; Child (5 years and under), $8-$12. Sunday: Adult, $56-$60; Junior (6-12 years), $20-$24; Child (5 years and under), $10-$14. Monday: Adult, $56-$60; Junior (6-12 years), $20-$24; Child (5 years and under), $10-$14.

With the added stresses of watching his rookie daughter Ashley earn her competitive stripes in the 7,000 horsepower Funny Car category, and dealing with the tragic loss of longtime teammate Eric Medlen in a testing accident in March, Force appeared to be destined for his worst points finish since his dominance in the category began in the early 1990s.

But with all that going on, who could blame him?

He was as low as 20th in points early on, and following the season’s 11th race – a first round loss at Norwalk , Ohio – Force was in 15th place and time was running out on his opportunity to make the Top 8 in the inaugural POWERade Countdown to the Championship.

Everyone – fellow competitors, fans and the media -- had written off the 14-time world champion’s chances of making a miracle run.

But Force has proven over his amazing career that includes an NHRA record 125 career victories, that miracles can happen.

Starting at Bristol in early July, Force began his comeback run that included a five-race stretch with three victories, one runner-up finish and a semifinal appearance. He secured his top-eight spot in the Countdown and has moved up to third in the standings following his runner-up finish in Reading .

Now he’s in position to earn another POWERade Series world championship and that run will start this weekend in NHRA’s first-ever playoff series, the Countdown to the Championship at the world’s most prestigious drag race, the 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Aug. 31-Sept. 3. The event, contested at historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis , is the 18th of 23 races this season and will be televised by ESPN2 with more than 10 hours of coverage.

“I didn't wake up one morning and not know how to drive,” said Force, who pilots the familiar Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang, “and (crew chief Austin ) Coil and Bernie (Fedderly, co-crew chief) didn't wake up not knowing how to tune a hot rod. We just had some issues.”

Exactly what those issues were is still a mystery to the team. However, he said a chassis change at Bristol seemed to make a huge difference. Since then his car has returned to its high-performing self.

“This season has been something,” Force said. “Early on I couldn't beat anyone, including that girl named Force, and I remember a while back telling Coil we were pathetic. Something just had us snake-bit, and we never did find what it was. Heading into Bristol , John Medlen got into me and said I needed to start being the leader of this team. Eric [Medlen's] gone, and it was time to get up and do our job. It was hard to get up for the fight, but then the car came around and we got on a roll.”

Force says he’s more determined than ever to win this championship. Along the way to earning his three victories this season he’s dedicated every trophy to the Medlen family and Eric’s memory. He would love to dedicate a POWERade Series world championship trophy to the young racer’s memory as well.

“We’ll just have to see what happens now that we’re in the Countdown,” said Force, a four-time winner of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and six-time winner of the Skoal Showdown, a special bonus race for Funny Car drivers held during the running of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

Other Funny Car racers who have qualified for the Countdown to the Championship include season long points leader Ron Capps, who earned three victories in six final rounds in his Brut Dodge Charger, Force teammate Robert Hight, fast-talking and fast-driving New Yorker Mike Ashley, Jack Beckman, Tony Pedregon, Gary Scelzi and category journeyman Jim Head.

In Top Fuel, five-time U.S. Nationals winner Tony Schumacher hopes to turn his past Indy success into a momentum-builder in the Countdown to the Championship. Brandon Bernstein has had an impressive season racing to five victories in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster and may be primed to win his first world championship. Gritty Rod Fuller has kept the points lead for most of the season and veteran Larry Dixon has emerged as a top contender this season in his SkyTel dragster.

Greg Anderson has won the last four U.S. Nationals titles in Pro Stock (five overall) and leads the standings in the Countdown to the Championship. He has won seven times this season in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO. He’ll receive his biggest challenge from three-time season winners Jeg Coughlin and Dave Connolly. Coughlin, who drives the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt, is a past two-time world champ and two-time Indy winner as well.

Matt Smith will try to keep his season-long momentum going after racing to three victories on his Torco Buell. Smith is the defending winner at Indy and was runner-up at the event in 2005. He will open the Countdown to the Championship as the leader and will be challenged by three-time defending POWERade Series champ Andrew Hines, who is looking for his first Indy win on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, and two-time Indy winner and three-time world champ Angelle Sampey, who rides the U.S. Army Suzuki.

2007
COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
POINT STANDINGS



Following 17 of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Updated 8/22/2007 (Season victories)

Top Fuel

1.  Rod Fuller,        (2) 2,070; 
2.  Tony Schumacher,   (4) 2,060; 
3.  Larry Dixon,       (2) 2,050; 
4.  Brandon Bernstein, (5) 2,040; 
5.  J.R. Todd,         (2) 2,030; 
6.  Bob Vandergriff,       2,020; 
7.  Whit Bazemore,         2,010; 
8.  Doug Herbert,          2,000.

Funny Car

1.  Ron Capps,     (3) 2,070; 
2.  Robert Hight,  (2) 2,060; 
3.  John Force,    (3) 2,050; 
4.  Tony Pedregon, (2) 2,040; 
5.  Jack Beckman,  (2) 2,030; 
6.  Mike Ashley,   (2) 2,020; 
7.  Gary Scelzi,   (2) 2,010; 
8.  Jim Head,          2,000.

Pro Stock

1.  Greg Anderson,  (7) 2,070; 
2.  Dave Connolly,  (4) 2,060; 
3.  Jeg Coughlin,   (3) 2,050; 
4.  Allen Johnson,  (1) 2,040; 
5.  Jason Line,     (1) 2,030; 
6.  Kurt Johnson,   (2) 2,020; 
7.  Warren Johnson,     2,010; 
8.  Larry Morgan,       2,000.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1.  Matt Smith,      (3) 2,070; 
2.  Angelle Sampey,  (1) 2,060; 
3.  Andrew Hines,    (3) 2,050; 
4.  Karen Stoffer,   (2) 2,040; 
5.  Chip Ellis,          2,030; 
6.  Eddie Krawiec,       2,020; 
7.  Peggy Llewellyn,     2,010; 
8.  Craig Treble,        2,000.

WHERE: O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Clermont, Ind. From I-465, exit Crawfordsville Road (Hwy. 136). Head west for approximately four miles through the town of Clermont. The main entrance to the facility is on the left-hand side, one-half mile past Raceway Road.

COURSE: Quarter-mile drag strip.

WHEN:	Wednesday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 4.

PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $2.6 million.

SCHEDULE:	
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 30 -- Sportsman qualifying and time trials, 10:30 a.m. 
to 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, Aug. 31 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 8 a.m. to 7 
p.m.

FRIDAY, Sept. 1 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 
9:30 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 6:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 2 - Sportsman qualifying and eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 
9:30 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
RINGERS GLOVES PRO BIKE BATTLE at 2:15 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:25 p.m.
SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD) QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 9:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 3 -- Sportsman eliminations, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
SKOAL SHOWDOWN ELIMINATIONS at 12:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 4 p.m.
SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD) QUALIFYING SESSION at 9 a.m. 
SPORT COMPACT (PRO RWD) FIRST ROUND ELIMINATIONS at 6 p.m.

MONDAY, Sept. 4 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 9:30 a.m. 
FINAL ELIMINATIONS at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:	
Saturday, Sept. 2, ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying 
coverage at 5 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine 
show at 11:30 a.m. (ET).	
Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying 
coverage at noon (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying 
coverage at 11 p.m. (ET).	
Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of eliminations 
coverage at noon (ET).
Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations 
coverage at 4 p.m. (ET).

EVENT HISTORY: The most historic and prestigious event in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals has been contested annually since 1955. Originally known as "The Nationals" and first held at an abandoned airstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the event made stops at Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Detroit before eventually moving to O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1961. Past winners include "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, an eight-time winner in Top Fuel; Shirley Muldowney, 1982 Top Fuel winner; Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, a seven-time winner and one of a handful of drivers to win the event in both Top Fuel and Funny Car; and Bob Glidden, the legendary Pro Stock driver who dominated the race by advancing to the final round in 13 consecutive seasons from 1977-'89. The Indiana native won the event a record nine times. It is the only major motorsports event to be contested on Labor Day. In 2004 the event celebrated its 50th anniversary in memorable fashion with spectacular racing witnessed by one of the biggest crowds in NHRA history.

FAST FACTS: Track performance records were set in all four pro categories in 2005 for both elapsed time and speed... Tony Schumacher has advanced to the last four Top Fuel final rounds at the event and is a six-time U.S. Nationals finalist... Schumacher's first career start came at the U.S. Nationals in 1996 and the then rookie posted a runner-up finish to Cory McClenathan... Pro Stock phenom Greg Anderson has won the race four times in the past five years... Five female drivers representing three professional categories will compete at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Angelle Sampey, a two time winner, and Shirley Muldowney, who won the race in 1982 in Top Fuel, are the only women to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals... Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) and Melanie Troxel (Top Fuel) could become the first married couple to share winner's circle at a POWERade Series event in NHRA history. The two drivers live in nearby Avon, Ind. ...John Force, 13-time NHRA POWERade world champion and winner of a record 121 events, has won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals four times, his last coming in 2002... Force has won the Skoal Showdown a record five times... It will be Force's 23rd start in the Skoal Showdown, also a record... "The Professor" Warren Johnson has six Pro Stock victories at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but none this decade. His last victory there came in 1999 when he defeated his former crew chief Greg Anderson in the final round... Rookie driver Erica Enders, who last year became the first female Pro Stock driver to qualify for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, will try to earn her first career victory at the prestigious event... For the second consecutive season an NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series category - Pro RWD -- will be included as an official eliminator at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals... Defending Skoal Showdown winner Del Worsham, who earned the rare NHRA Double-Up last year, will not get to defend his title this season as he failed to qualify for the eight-car lineup in the lucrative bonus event... GT Tonglet, the defending Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle winner, also will not get to defend his bonus event title as he failed to qualify for the eight-bike starting lineup.

WHAT TO WATCH: Tony Schumacher is seeking his fifth Top Fuel victory at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals... Three-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson is seeking his fourth straight and fifth overall Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory. Only two other Pro Stock drivers, Warren Johnson and Bob Glidden, won the U.S. Nationals in four or more consecutive starts... Top Fuel series points leader Doug Kalitta, who drives the Mac Tools dragster, is in a tight world championship chase with Tony Schumacher, Brandon Bernstein and Melanie Troxel. A runner-up at Indy in 2004, Kalitta has never won the U.S. Nationals ... The Funny Car points race is close as well as 17 points separate leader John Force with second place Ron Capps. Capps had led the standings for most of the season until he gave up the lead to Force at Memphis... Jason Line holds a 121 point lead over teammate Anderson in Pro Stock, while Dave Connolly and Kurt Johnson are also still in the points chase with six races to go... In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Andrew Hines holds a slim three point lead over Indianapolis resident Antron Brown. Chip Ellis and Angelle Sampey also are in the thick of the two-wheel championship chase... Top seed Robert Hight will lead the eight best Funny Car drivers in pursuit of the $100,000 Skoal Showdown victory... An increased purse will offer $25,000 to the winner of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, a special event for the eight best Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors.

BONUS RACES: Two lucrative bonus races will be showcased during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

SKOAL SHOWDOWN ($100,000 to winner, Sunday, rounds at 12:30, 2:15 and 4 
p.m., pairings below)
No. 1 Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang  vs.  No. 8 Whit Bazemore, 
Matco Tools Dodge Charger
No. 2 John Force, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang  vs.  No. 7 Tony Pedregon, 
Q-Racing Chevy Monte Carlo 
No. 3 Eric Medlen, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang  vs.  No. 6 Ron Capps, 
Brut Dodge Charger
No. 4 Gary Scelzi, Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger vs. No. 5 Tommy Johnson 
Jr., Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo

Most victories, Skoal Showdown: John Force, 5; Al Hofmann, 3; Ron 
Capps, 3; Kenny Bernstein, 2; Mark Oswald, 2. 

RINGERS GLOVES PRO BIKE BATTLE ($25,000 to winner, Saturday, rounds at 
2:15, 6 and 7:25 p.m., pairings below)
No. 1 Chip Ellis, Drag Specialties S&S Buell vs.  No. 8 Craig Treble, 
Team Tigue Suzuki 
No. 2 Andrew Hines, Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson  vs.  
No. 7 Tom Bradford, Hal's Speed Shop Buell
No. 3 Matt Smith, Torco Race Fuels S&S Buell  vs.  No. 6 Ryan Schnitz, 
Trim-Tex Buell
No. 4 Antron Brown, U.S. Army Suzuki  vs.  No. 5 Angelle Sampey, U.S. 
Army Suzuki  
	
Most victories, Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle: Matt Hines, 4; John 
Myers, 4.   

Past NHRA Double-Up Bonus winners: Skoal Showdown - Del Worsham, 2005; Gary Densham, 2004; John Force, 1996 and 1993; Jim White, 1991; Don Prudhomme, 1989; and Kenny Bernstein, 1983. Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle - Reggie Showers, 2003; Antron Brown, 2000; Matt Hines, 1998; and Jim Bernard, 1991.

QUICK QUOTES: Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo, 2005 U.S. Nationals winner and Skoal Showdown winner: "Until I win the POWERade championship, I'm pretty sure no single victory is ever going to mean as much to me as the 2005 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. All the wins, all the highlights, all the great days you can have in your career are great, and I treasure every one of them, but when you've added your name to the list of greats who have won Indy, well you've taken it to another level. I will always be Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion, no matter what happens to me for the rest of my career. We had already won the Skoal Showdown when we went into the race, so there's no getting around the fact you're really thinking about it. We got out of the first round, and things started falling our way. When we got to the final, I'm not sure any of our crew guys took a breath or said a word servicing the car. The tension and the excitement in our pit was like a heavy blanket on everyone, it was just a huge weight on all of us. I can never remember a moment in my career when the tension was that thick. When we won, it was a huge release. It was almost unbelievable. A year later, it's still unbelievable."

J.R. Todd, Lawrenceburg, Ind., Skull Shine dragster, first U.S. Nationals start: "I am pretty excited about racing at Indy. I actually raced at the U.S. Nationals back in 1993 in my Jr. Dragster. It was really cool at the time to be able to line up in the staging lanes beside Kenny Bernstein and John Force. If I could win Indy it would cap off my season. That's the biggest drag race there is. Just the history of the race is incredible and to be able to add your name to the list of past winners is a big accomplishment. To win a race that you know everybody is shooting to win with everything they've got, it would be an amazing feeling for sure."

Tony Schumacher, Chicago, U.S. Army dragster, four-time U.S. Nationals winner: "I made my first start in a Top Fuel dragster at Indy in 1996 and we went to the final round. It's a coincidence that since then I have been able to have so much success at that race. I've said many times before that every driver has one race where everything seems to go their way, and I am fortunate that my lucky race is the U.S. Nationals. I am not sure why that is, but I am not going to fight it."

Melanie Troxel, Avon, Ind., Skull Shine/Torco dragster, fourth in NHRA POWERade point standings: "The U.S. Nationals is the most prestigious event of the year. I don't think there's any event that I would pick that I would rather win than the U.S. Nationals. It definitely has a lot of history surrounding the event and it's probably the one that we look forward to most throughout the year. Behind winning a championship that's the biggest you can do in your career. Certainly we have a focus on the championship, but I think everybody can't help but go into that race with a little extra enthusiasm."

Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., Summit Racing Pontiac GTO, four-time U.S. Nationals winner: "Just to win that race one time can make someone's career, so to have the opportunity to win it four times in a row is pretty special. Winning that race just means a little more and we treat it that way in how we prepare for it. I've won the last three championships and each year I won Indy so that makes the championships that much more special. In my opinion it's a hollow resume if you win the championship and don't win Indy the same year. I want to win this year more than any just because I haven't won a race since February. I think if I can win it, it will be the biggest win of my career just because of the slump we've been in. We have a new car and we're making gains on it every week and it feels like we're just about to figure it out. I love racing at ORP because the track surface is really smooth and it will take everything you can throw at it. We've been in pretty good shape there the last few years and we hope we can keep it going this time around. "

Jim Yates, Alexandria, Va., Sea Ray Boats Pontiac GTO, 2002 U.S. Nationals runner-up: "Winning Indy is the only thing that we haven't done yet. I've won two championships, 25 races, been No. 1 qualifier 29 times, won the King Demon Crown two times; but Indy is still out there for us. Every year you ask yourself, 'Will this be the year?' In 2002 we had an extremely fast race car and let one slip away against Jeggie (Jeg Coughlin) in the final. You always look back and say if I could have done this or that, we could have won. But for this team winning Indy is still one of our goals and the way we've been running this year I think we have a good shot at it. "

Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Snap-on Tools/Wyotech Suzuki, 2005 U.S. Nationals winner: "In my 20 years in Pro Stock Motorcycle no race has ever matched the importance and prestige of the U.S. Nationals. It's Indy, for crying out loud, and there's nothing else like it. Just say the word "Indy" to any racer or fan, and they know what you're talking about. Winning last year while beating one of those 160 cubic inch 'tractors' in the most controversial Pro Stock Motorcycle finale ever is the highlight of my racing career to date, and I'd like nothing better than to match that again this year -- without the controversy."

TRACK HISTORY: In 1958, led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward and Howard Fieber, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals invested $5,000 each to fund the development of what would become O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The group purchased a 267-acre farm about seven miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and developed a multipurpose auto racing facility. The original intention in creating O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis was to design a 15-turn, 2.5-mile road course. Nearly as an afterthought, and as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the 2.5-mile road course design. Constructed with assistance from the NHRA, the drag strip was the first of the three courses to be completed, with the facility's first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. During the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit, a handshake agreement between Binford and NHRA founder Wally Parks promised that the event would move to O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1961. The historic three-year pact was signed and sealed under a tree in Detroit Dragway's pits, and O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis eventually became the home of NHRA's biggest annual event. The NHRA purchased the entire facility in 1979. The first major improvement came in 1983 with the construction and dedication of Parks Tower, the four-story drag strip tower. In 1998, new grandstands, suites and a tower complex on the front straightaway were completed at the oval track at a cost of nearly $2.5 million, which included the repaving of the entire oval surface as part of a three-phase facility improvement project. In 2001, NHRA and ORP constructed a new drag strip racing surface, replacing the strip with a 660-foot concrete pad and laying new asphalt on the remainder of the track and shutdown area. Prior to the 2003 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, eight new luxury suites were added along the top of the west-side grandstands of the drag strip, giving fans a unique perspective of the action on the famed quarter-mile track. Last year, new soft barrier walls were added to the oval. Earlier this year the track announced its first track entitlement with O'Reilly Auto Parts. The track - which had long been known at Indianapolis Raceway Park - is now known as O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

POWERADE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS:

Top Fuel

1.  Doug Kalitta,      1,270; 
2.  Tony Schumacher,   1,134; 
3.  Brandon Bernstein, 1,118; 
4.  Melanie Troxel,    1,112; 
5.  David Grubnic,     966; 
6.  Rod Fuller,        937; 
7.  Larry Dixon,       911; 
8.  Morgan Lucas,      830; 
9.  Hillary Will,      801; 
10. Cory McClenathan,  741.

Funny Car

1.  John Force,       1,243; 
2.  Ron Capps,        1,226; 
3.  Tony Pedregon,    1,079;
4.  Eric Medlen,      1,050; 
5.  Robert Hight,     1,024; 
6.  Tommy Johnson Jr.,972; 
7.  Gary Scelzi,      968; 
8.  Whit Bazemore,    861; 
9.  Del Worsham,      717;
10. Cruz Pedregon,    707.

Pro Stock

1.  Jason Line,     1,245; 
2.  Greg Anderson,  1,124; 
3.  Dave Connolly,  1,074; 
4.  Kurt Johnson,   968; 
5.  Jim Yates,      928; 
6.  Mike Edwards,   926;
7.  Allen Johnson,  914; 
8.  Larry Morgan,   814; 
9.  V. Gaines,      800; 
10. Greg Stanfield, 745.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1.  Andrew Hines,   830; 
2.  Antron Brown,   827; 
3.  Chip Ellis,     739; 
4.  Angelle Sampey, 715; 
5.  Ryan Schnitz,   600; 
6.  Karen Stoffer,  581; 
7.  Matt Smith,     579; 
8.  Tom Bradford,   537; 
9.  Matt Guidera,   492; 
10. Craig Treble,   461.

NATIONAL RECORDS:	
Top Fuel -- 4.437 sec. (Sept. '05, Joliet, Ill.) and 336.15 mph (May 
'05, Columbus, Ohio) by Tony Schumacher.
Funny Car -- 4.665 sec. (Oct. '04, Joliet, Ill.) and 333.58 mph (Oct. 
'04, Joliet, Ill.) by John Force.
Pro Stock -- 6.631 sec. (July '06, Sonoma, Calif.) and 208.23 mph 
(March '05, Gainesville, Fla.) by Greg Anderson.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.968 sec. (July '05, Sonoma, Calif.) and 197.45 
mph (March '05, Gainesville, Fla.) by Andrew Hines.

TRACK	RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 4.459 sec. and 329.18 mph by Tony Schumacher, Sept. 2005 
Funny Car -- 4.726 sec. by John Force, Sept. 2005; 328.14 mph by Del 
Worsham, Sept. 2005
Pro Stock - 6.689 sec. and 205.72 mph by Greg Anderson, Sept. 2005
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 7.081 sec. and 193.85 mph by Andrew Hines, Sept. 
2005

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Wednesday: Adult, $5, Junior (6-12 years), free; Thursday: Adult, $12, Junior (6-12 years), free; Friday: Adult, $32; Junior (6-12 years), $10; Saturday: Adult, $40; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $46; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Monday: Adult, $46; Junior (6-12 years), $10; Child (5 years and under), free in general admission and pit areas each day.

RESERVED (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $42; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years and under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $48-$52; Junior (6-12 years), $18-$22; Child (5 years and under), $8-$12. Sunday: Adult, $56-$60; Junior (6-12 years), $20-$24; Child (5 years and under), $10-$14. Monday: Adult, $56-$60; Junior (6-12 years), $20-$24; Child (5 years and under), $10-$14.

NHRA POWERADE SERIES POST RACE NOTES:



52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Aug. 30-Sept. 4, O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis , Clermont , Ind.

TOP FUEL

· It was Schumacher’s third victory of the season and 33rd of his career. It is the fifth consecutive year Schumacher has advanced to the final at this event, and his seventh career final here.

· Schumacher drove his U.S. Army dragster to his 10th No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and the 31st of his career, clocking a category-leading 4.475-second run with a speed of 332.59 mph. It was his third No. 1 effort at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis .

· Bernstein clocked a track speed record of 332.67 mph in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

· Schumacher is the first nitro category driver to win from the No. 1 qualifying position this season.

· With his victory, Schumacher cut Doug Kalitta’s points lead to 54. Kalitta was upset in the first round. With the runner-up finish, Bernstein moved to third, 96 points behind the leader.

· Brandon Bernstein defeated Cory McClenathan by .0023-second in the semifinal round to earn the $1,000 Motel 6 Who Got the Light Award

· No. 16 qualifier J.R. Todd anchored the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history with his qualifying run of 4.585 seconds in his Skull Shine dragster.

· Two crew members for the Top Fuel dragster driven by Scott Weis received minor injuries when the car’s engine backfired at the starting line during qualifying. Steve Prince, the bottom end specialist, and Frank Mazzarrelli, the cylinder head builder, were standing near the dragster when the engine backfired. Both were checked and released at the track by NHRA emergency services officials.

· Rod Fuller’s Valvoline/David Powers Homes dragster crew won the Full Throttle Pit Crew challenge award

· It was Hight’s second victory of the season, first at the U.S. Nationals and fourth of his career. It was Bazemore’s fourth career U.S. Nationals final round (2 wins, 2 runner-up finishes).

· John Force raced to the No. 1 qualifying spot with a track record time of 4.691 seconds at 328.54 mph in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. It was Force’s sixth No. 1 position of the season, 10th at this track and 131st of his career.

· Gary Scelzi drove his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger to the first 330 mph run in ORP history during qualifying (330.31 mph). During eliminations, Robert Hight set the track record with a 331.04 mph run in his Auto Club Ford Mustang.

· Force won the $100,000 Skoal Showdown for the sixth time in his career, powering his Castrol GTX Mustang past Tommy Johnson Jr.’s Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo for the victory. It was Johnson’s first final round appearance in the special bonus event for Funny Car.

· No. 16 qualifier Jim Head anchored the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history with his qualifying run of 4.801 seconds in his Head Racing Dodge Stratus.

· Jim Head was disqualified in the semifinals for crossing the centerline when his Dodge Stratus hit a timing cone. Whit Bazemore was awarded the round win.

· Ron Capps advanced to the semis and moved back into the series points lead. He is 19 points in front of John Force, who lost in the first round with an uncharacteristic red light start.

· Eric Medlen was docked 15 points for oiling the racing surface during eliminations.

· Tommy Johnson Jr.’s Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo team won the Full Throttle Pit Crew challenge award.

· It was Anderson ’s fourth consecutive U.S. Nationals victory and his fifth overall at this event. He joins Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson as the only Pro Stock drivers to win the U.S. Nationals in four consecutive seasons.

· Anderson claimed the No. 1 qualifying spot in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO with a track record performance of 6.662 at 206.95 mph. It is Anderson ’s 10th top qualifying effort of the season and third at this track.

· With the victory, Anderson cut Jason Line’s series lead to 59.

· Veteran Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher was transported to a local hospital after his Valvoline Chevy Cobalt went out of control and crashed during the second round of eliminations. His car, which was competing in the right lane, veered across the track and impacted the left guardwall. Krisher was alert and conscious after the crash and reported to have only minor injuries by NHRA emergency services officials.

· Jason Line’s Summit Racing team won the Full Throttle Pit Crew challenge award.

· It was Smith’s second victory of the season and his career.

· Smith claimed the No. 1 qualifying spot on his Torco Buell with a track record performance of 6.994 at 189.68 mph. It is Smith’s second career No. 1 qualifying effort.

· With his time of 6.994 seconds, Smith became the fifth member of the eight-rider Mickey Thompson Pro Stock Bike Six-Second Club and earned $500 for the achievement.

· Andrew Hines raced to the $25,000 Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle victory, defeating Chip Ellis in the final round of the special bonus event for Pro Stock Motorcycle. It was Hines’ second victory in the event in only three career starts. It was Ellis’ second consecutive runner-up finish in the event in as many starts.

· Andrew Hines increased his series points lead to eight over Antron Brown. Both riders lost in the semifinals.

· Andrew Hines’ Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines team won the Full Throttle Pit Crew challenge award.

SCHUMACHER, HIGHT, ANDERSON AND SMITH
EARN VICTORIES
AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS

Schumacher's final round win over Brandon Bernstein at the $2.6 million NHRA POWERade Series race put him alongside fellow Indy champs Robert Hight (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle.) Like Schumacher, Anderson's win was his fifth at the world's most prestigious drag race, including the last four in a row.

Schumacher immediately dedicated his win to crew chief Alan Johnson's brother Blaine, who lost his life in a crash 10 years ago at this event. Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster was the quickest of every round as he raced past J.R. Todd, Dave Grubnic, Rod Fuller, and Bernstein's Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster for his third win of the year and 33rd of his career.

"There are a lot of reasons to win races -- the fans, your sponsors, the championship chase, whatever -- but today we raced for Blaine," said Schumacher, the first nitro category driver this season to win from the No. 1 qualifying position. "My first Indy race was 10 years ago and I would've raced him in the first round if he hadn't died. To come back now and win with Alan as my crew chief, it was meant to be. This trophy is going on the Johnson family mantle. That's where it belongs."

With the victory, Schumacher cut Doug Kalitta's points lead to 54 with five races remaining. Kalitta was upset in the first round by David Baca.

Hight was a picture of relief and bewilderment after winning the sport's biggest race in just his second appearance here as a driver. He had to work for this one, getting chased by Whit Bazemore all the way down the race track, but he reached the stripe first with a 4.737 at 328.38 mph in his Auto Club Ford Mustang to Bazemore's 4.756 at 327.82 mph in his Matco Tools Dodge Charger.

"This is unbelievable," Hight said. "I didn't think I'd ever get to drive one of these cars, let alone drive for John Force. To come here, to a race I watched so many times as a fan and as a crew guy for John, and to find a way to win is beyond anything you can dream of. I always wondered what I'd do if I was here in this spot and now I don't know what to do."

John Force gave the Funny Car points lead back to Ron Capps after just one race on top by red-lighting against first-round foe Jim Head. Capps, who went to the semifinals, now leads by 19 points.

Skoal Showdown winner Force, a winner of 13 world championships, 121 events and four U.S. Nationals titles, was disappointed with his early round miscue.

"I have the best car here and I failed," Force said. "This is Indy. It's not where you make mistakes. I'm the best there is and I forgot how to race. If you lose like this at Indy you deserve to have your (butt) kicked."

Anderson broke his longest winless streak since his first career victory by taking out starting line specialist Dave Connolly, who fouled at the start in his Skull Gear Chevy Cobalt. Like Schumacher in Top Fuel, Anderson entered race day as the No. 1 qualifier and posted the quickest pass of every round in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO to win his second race of the season and 41st of his career.

"Man I needed a win so badly, and what better place to get it than Indy," said Anderson, who joined Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson as the only Pro Stock racers to win four consecutive Indy races. "It's incredible in this day and age to win four in a row at the race where everybody goes all out to win. I know the competition was awesome when those guys did it, but it's even more brutal now. I feel very humbled and privileged."

Anderson's victory cut teammate Jason Line's series lead to 59 points.

One year ago, Smith felt the elation of an Indy Pro Stock Motorcycle win for about a day, only to have it stripped away when ESPN2 replays proved that a timing malfunction had occurred and opponent Steve Johnson had actually won the final. Although Smith agreed with the decision and was gracious in the turn of events, the incident has stayed with him.

On this day, any chance of a repeat performance was extinguished at the starting line when Sampey left the tree too early, thereby handing the win to Smith at the starting line. He went on to post a 7.222 on his Torco Buell to Sampey's 7.147 on her U.S. Army Suzuki.

"No one's taking this one away," Smith said as he clutched the trophy at the top end. "I saw her red-light come on and I was like, 'Thank you, thank you.' I doubt very seriously I made a very good run because I was screaming my head off in my helmet. I don't even remember going through the gears."

Andrew Hines and Antron Brown remain 1-2 in the point standings after a pair of semifinal finishes with Hines ahead by eight points.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The $2.6 million race is the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL: 1. Tony Schumacher; 2. Brandon Bernstein; 3. Rod Fuller; 4. Cory McClenathan; 5. Melanie Troxel; 6. David Grubnic; 7. David Baca; 8. Larry Dixon; 9. Doug Kalitta; 10. Alan Bradshaw; 11. Doug Herbert; 12. J.R. Todd; 13. Morgan Lucas; 14. Doug Foley; 15. Hillary Will; 16. Andrew Cowin.

FUNNY CAR: 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Charger; 3. Ron Capps, Charger; 4. Jim Head, Dodge Stratus; 5. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo; 6. Scott Kalitta, Toyota Solara; 7. Mike Ashley, Stratus; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 9. Gary Scelzi, Charger; 10. Eric Medlen, Mustang; 11. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 12. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo; 13. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus; 14. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo; 15. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo; 16. John Force, Mustang.

PRO STOCK: 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO; 2. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt; 3. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus; 4. V. Gaines, Stratus; 5. Jason Line, GTO; 6. Greg Stanfield, GTO; 7. Steve Schmidt, Cobalt; 8. Ron Krisher, Cobalt; 9. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt; 10. Tom Martino, GTO; 11. Warren Johnson, GTO; 12. Larry Morgan, Stratus; 13. Mike Edwards, GTO; 14. Dave Howard, Cobalt; 15. Bob Benza, Cobalt; 16. Dave Northrop, Stratus.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Matt Smith; 2. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson; 4. Antron Brown, Suzuki; 5. Shawn Gann, Suzuki; 6. Paul Gast, Suzuki; 7. Chip Ellis; 8. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki; 9. Chris Rivas; 10. Ryan Schnitz; 11. Tom Bradford; 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki; 13. Geno Scali, Suzuki; 14. Matt Guidera; 15. Michael Phillips, Suzuki; 16. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Monday's final results from the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The $2.6 million race is the 18th of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Tony Schumacher, 4.505 seconds, 325.22 mph def. Brandon Bernstein, 4.602 seconds, 274.00 mph.

Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.737, 328.38 def. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Charger, 4.756, 327.82.

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.687, 206.83 def. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, foul.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Matt Smith, Buell, 7.222, 176.95 def. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, foul.

Pro RWD -- Brad Personett, Scion, 6.439, 218.80 def. Matt Scranton, Solara, foul.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Bill Reichert, 5.244, 271.13 def. Randy Meyer, 5.273, 267.37.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Frank Manzo, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.569, 258.57 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 9.165, 97.28.

Competition Eliminator -- Glen Treadwell, Ford Roadster, 8.089, 158.54 def. Lee Zane, Ford Bantam, 9.055, 145.11.

Super Stock -- Mark Faul, Pontiac Grand Am, 10.156, 124.67 def. Scott Stillings, Grand Am, 8.799, 155.38.

Stock Eliminator -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.698, 118.87 def. David Edwards, Camaro, 10.860, 119.56.

Super Comp -- Heather Robilotto, Dragster, 8.890, 148.23 def. Jimmy Lewis, Dragster, 8.888, 168.41.

Super Gas -- Iggie Boicesco, Chevy Corvette, 9.941, 157.25 def. Regis Lepage, Chevy S-10, 9.931, 161.90.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Final round-by-round results from the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- David Grubnic, 4.549, 327.03 def. Morgan Lucas, 4.884, 228.27; Brandon Bernstein, 4.514, 332.67 def. Hillary Will, 8.463, 84.82; Cory McClenathan, 4.519, 327.35 def. Doug Herbert, 4.604, 324.12; Rod Fuller, 4.508, 329.02 def. Andrew Cowin, broke; Tony Schumacher, 4.486, no speed def. J.R. Todd, 4.606, 317.57; Larry Dixon, 4.549, 321.73 def. Doug Foley, foul; David Baca, 4.542, 316.52 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.517, 323.12; Melanie Troxel, 4.527, 326.71 def. Alan Bradshaw, 4.597, 323.50;
QUARTERFINALS -- McClenathan, 4.606, 316.45 def. Baca, 8.173, 87.65; Bernstein, 4.551, 329.02 def. Dixon, 9.996, 97.12; Fuller, 4.578, 324.20 def. Troxel, 4.613, 306.46; Schumacher, 4.497, 327.51 def. Grubnic, 4.798, 273.11;
SEMIFINALS -- Bernstein, 4.524, 332.51 def. McClenathan, 4.588, 323.04; Schumacher, 4.519, 330.88 def. Fuller, 4.586, 324.12;
FINAL -- Schumacher, 4.505, 325.22 def. Bernstein, 4.602, 274.00.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.789, 323.58 def. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 4.731, 330.96; Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.800, 327.11 def. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.748, 323.19; Jim Head, Dodge Stratus, 4.825, 324.05 def. John Force, Mustang, foul; Scott Kalitta, Toyota Solara, 4.761, 320.97 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 8.066, 114.52; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.715, 331.04 def. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 4.888, 308.43; Whit Bazemore, Charger, 4.790, 324.05 def. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 12.262, 82.45; Ron Capps, Charger, 4.769, 323.66 def. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.805, 324.51; Mike Ashley, Stratus, 4.754, 326.95 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.753, 318.17;
QUARTERFINALS -- Bazemore, 5.072, 275.96 def. C. Pedregon, broke; Capps, 4.865, 314.53 def. Kalitta, 6.677, 129.53; Head, 4.901, 10.91 def. Ashley, 9.642, 97.71; Hight, 4.808, 321.42 def. Burkart, 4.843, 316.15;
SEMIFINALS -- Bazemore, no time def. Head, foul; Hight, 4.768, 324.67 def. Capps, 4.841, 319.67;
FINAL -- Hight, 4.737, 328.38 def. Bazemore, 4.756, 327.82.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Greg Stanfield, Pontiac GTO, 6.690, 206.20 def. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.696, 206.10; Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.684, 205.26 def. Tom Martino, GTO, 6.685, 206.20; Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.689, 205.85 def. Dave Howard, Cobalt, foul; V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.686, 206.26 def. Bob Benza, Cobalt, 6.733, 205.22; Jason Line, GTO, 6.671, 206.39 def. Warren Johnson, GTO, foul; Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.712, 205.29 def. Mike Edwards, GTO, foul; Greg Anderson, GTO, 6.670, 206.86 def. Dave Northrop, Stratus, 6.752, 203.77; Steve Schmidt, Cobalt, 6.709, 206.01 def. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.678, 206.48;
QUARTERFINALS -- Gaines, 6.741, 205.29 def. Krisher, 6.789, 183.74; A. Johnson, 6.701, 205.32 def. Schmidt, 6.722, 205.76; Connolly, 6.707, 205.63 def. Line, 6.682, 206.42; Anderson, 6.673, 206.61 def. Stanfield, 6.712, 205.63;
SEMIFINALS -- Connolly, 6.711, 205.82 def. A. Johnson, foul; Anderson, 6.678, 206.39 def. Gaines, 6.750, 205.41;
FINAL -- Anderson, 6.687, 206.83 def. Connolly, foul.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE -- Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.089, 187.91 def. Matt Guidera, Buell, foul; Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.068, 185.31 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.152, 184.19; Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.077, 184.67 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.219, 186.12; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.028, 189.18 def. Chris Rivas, Buell, 7.091, 184.90; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.079, 186.59 def. Tom Bradford, Buell, 7.110, 186.85; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.111, 185.23 def. Ryan Schnitz, Buell, 7.094, 184.22; Matt Smith, Buell, 7.020, 186.64 def. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, foul; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.067, 186.15 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.185, 184.65;
QUARTERFINALS -- Brown, 7.186, 181.32 def. Ellis, 7.206, 179.04; Sampey, 7.137, 181.94 def. Stoffer, 7.223, 179.16; Hines, 7.098, 186.10 def. Gast, 7.196, 180.52; Smith, 7.151, 180.96 def. Gann, foul;
SEMIFINALS -- Smith, 7.163, 183.87 def. Brown, 7.148, 183.29; Sampey, 7.135, 184.12 def. Hines, foul;
FINAL -- Smith, 7.222, 176.95 def. Sampey, foul.

CLERMONT, Ind. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1.  Doug Kalitta,      1,306; 
2.  Tony Schumacher,   1,252; 
3.  Brandon Bernstein, 1,210; 
4.  Melanie Troxel,    1,166; 
5.  David Grubnic,     1,019;
6.  Rod Fuller,        1,012; 
7.  Larry Dixon,       968; 
8.  Morgan Lucas,      862; 
9.  Hillary Will,      834; 
10. Cory McClenathan,  815.

Funny Car

1.  Ron Capps,         1,300; 
2.  John Force,        1,281; 
3.  Robert Hight,      1,141; 
4.  Tony Pedregon,     1,112; 
5.  Eric Medlen,       1,069; 
6.  Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,008; 
7.  Gary Scelzi,       1,001; 
8.  Whit Bazemore,     956; 
9.  Cruz Pedregon,     759; 
10. Phil Burkart,      756.

Pro Stock

1.  Jason Line,     1,301;
2.  Greg Anderson,  1,242; 
3.  Dave Connolly,  1,166; 
4.  Kurt Johnson,   1,005; 
5.  Allen Johnson,  987; 
6.  Mike Edwards,   960; 
7.  Jim Yates,      938; 
8.  V. Gaines,      875; 
9.  Larry Morgan,   846; 
10. Greg Stanfield, 798.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1.  Andrew Hines,   907; 
2.  Antron Brown,   899; 
3.  Angelle Sampey, 809;
4.  Chip Ellis,     794; 
5.  Matt Smith,     697; 
6.  Karen Stoffer,  637; 
7.  Ryan Schnitz,   634; 
8.  Tom Bradford,   568; 
9.  Matt Guidera,   525; 
10. Geno Scali,     488.

"I knew if I was going to get back in the championship chase, it was going to have to start here this weekend," said Anderson. "I can't thank the guys enough, the guys that work on this team. Really about the last three, four, five races we've had the horse and we've either had a problem with me or some mechanical problem, whatever it might be, but I knew we were so close to breaking through. We proved we could do it this weekend.

"We won our fourth Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in a row and it's a special feeling to me. This has been the toughest one of all four. When you come in and haven't won in so long, it seems like a long way to that winner's circle. When you come in on a win streak, it almost seems easy some times. This was the toughest, hardest fought one, without a doubt. It feels great to get back on that horse and win. Hopefully this will get us momentum which we haven't had all year, and we'll be able to win again and get back in that points championship chase. This is neat. Dave Connolly's charging hard, and he's proven what a fantastic driver he is every race we go to, so somehow we've got to hold him off whether it's (teammate) Jason (Line) or me. Right now, it's great for me to be back in the points chase, but it's also special because he's knocking on our door and he's trying to beat the both of us, and man, he's close."

Anderson ran the table for performance with a No. 1 qualifier, low e.t and top speed of the weekend, low e.t. in each of the four rounds of eliminations, and of course, his fourth consecutive and fifth overall U.S. Nationals title.

"I wish I could answer what it is about this place - it's just magic to me. It's not like I've just been lucky every time I come here and they've just handed me the trophy when we've come in the gate. We've earned every one of them. It's just one of those racetracks we really like and it really takes our combination. It's a great racetrack and you can use all of the horsepower you've got. I can't thank my engine guys and the car guys enough. I had a horse under me this weekend that was just second to none. I was starting to wonder if we could still do it, and I guess this proves that we still can. This gets my blood flowing again. It seems like it's been awhile since I had the heart pumping, and it sure feels good to be back here [in the winner's circle]."

This was the 23-year-old Connolly's first career final-round appearance at the U.S. Nationals, and the young Ohio native was looking to add to his class-leading four wins for the season. Connolly scored an important hole-shot win over points leader Jason Line in the second round to tighten the Pro Stock points chase. Line now leads teammate Anderson by 59 points and third-place Connolly by 135 with five races remaining.

"It really wasn't a bad day because we got to the finals at Indy," said Connolly. "Greg had a performance advantage on us and we needed him to screw up . . . and he gave us plenty of room, but I didn't take advantage of it. I let the clutch pedal up a little (at the starting line in the finals) and it almost came up all the way. It was almost a rolling red light. We probably would have been in good shape if I'd kept it all the way in. I thought we did a good job getting to the finals. The crew worked hard and at times they were (forced) to hurry up to get ready. They did a great job giving us a shot at it."

Even more good news for the GM Racing family was the report on Valvoline Chevy Cobalt Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher. He was alert and conscious after a scary crash during the second round of today's eliminations when his Chevy lost control from the right lane and rolled several times at the top end of the track before making impact with the left guardwall. He was transported to Indianapolis's Methodist Hospital for observation, but he was later released with an apparent fractured rib and a few minor burns and amazingly was back at the team's transporter at the track by early evening.

In Funny Car, Cruz Pedregon and Phil Burkart Jr. both advanced their Chevrolets with first-round wins before losing in Round 2 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history. Pedregon in the Advance Auto Parts Chevy defeated Ford driver Eric Medlen on a hole shot in Round 1 with an elapsed time of 4.800 seconds at 327.11 mph to Medlen's quicker but losing 4.748 e.t. at 323.19 mph. Pedregon's reaction time was .046 seconds to Medlen's .103 seconds. In the second round, Whit Bazemore defeated Pedregon with an elapsed time of 5.072 seconds at 275.96 mph to Pedregon's tire-hazing 5.814 e.t. at 174.17 mph.

Burkart defeated defending Funny Car champ Gary Scelzi's Dodge in Round 1, also on a hole shot, with a .054-second reaction time to Scelzi's .116 seconds. Burkart in the Murray's Discount Auto Chevy had an elapsed time of 4.789 seconds at 323.58 mph to Scelzi's quicker but losing 4.731 e.t. at 330.96 mph. Burkart lost in Round 2 to Medlen's teammate, Robert Hight, with an elapsed time of 4.843 seconds at 316.15 mph to Hight's winning 4.808 e.t. at 321.42 mph. Hight went on to defeat Whit Bazemore in the final.

"Well, first of all, this was the quickest Funny Car field in the history of drag racing, so there's no one on the ladder that you want to face," Burkart said. "Everyone is fast, and everyone is amped up to win the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but getting Gary in Round 1 was one of those 'good news, bad news' things. The good news was that we were in the field, and running well, but the cold reality was that you earned the right to run the champ in Round 1. You never know how the ladder is going to look until you finish qualifying, and it doesn't necessarily matter where you end up because all 16 spots are up for grabs and great cars land all over the grid. We qualified well here, but the ladder threw Gary Scelzi and then Robert Hight at us. There's nothing you can do about it, so you just have to beat the guy they line you up against, and today we went 1-for-2 against two great cars and two great drivers. As badly as we all wanted to keep advancing, I think we all have plenty to be happy about."

In Top Fuel, GMC-sponsored Cory McClenathan made his third semifinal appearance of the weekend before losing to Brandon Bernstein by a mere two thousandths of a second. McClenathan defeated Doug Herbert in Round 1 and David Baca in Round 2 before meeting Bernstein in a repeat of their final-round battle at Columbus in May. Unfortunately for McClenathan the result was the same as he had an elapsed time of 4.588 seconds at 323.04 mph to Bernstein's 4.524 e.t. at 332.51 mph. Bernstein went on to lose to Tony Schumacher in the final.

"We had eight really good runs during the weekend and we went some rounds on race day," said McClenathan, "and I'm really happy with the good job (crew chief) Wes (Cerny) and (assistant crew chief) Tony (Shortall) have been doing. It's great to have a consistent car again and I think the other drivers know we have a car that can win a race. We're all tired because this race takes a lot out of you, but we are already looking forward to going to Reading (Pa., site of the Toyo Tire Nationals, Sept. 15-17)."

In the Sportsman classes, Frank Manzo won a U.S. Nationals title for the eighth time in his career by driving his Lucas Oil Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car to the Top Alcohol Funny Car title over Bob Tasca III. Other GM winners included Mark Faul in a '98 Grand Am in Super Stock, Dan Fletcher in his '69 Summit Racing Camaro in Stock Eliminator and Iggie Boiceaco in an '02 Corvette in Super Gas.

"Every time we get to the final we just capitalize here, said Manzo. "It's very hard. This is the U.S. Nationals, the best of the best, and you know, we just got the job done today."

Force also was the No. 1 qualifier in his category at the $2.6 million Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world's most prestigious drag race. Tony Schumacher, Greg Anderson, and Matt Smith also were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

A 13-time series champion, Force used consistency to earn the Showdown trophy, beating Tony Pedregon with a 4.790, Eric Medlen with a 4.805, and Johnson with 4.789 at 327.19 mph. Johnson gave it a run in the final in his Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo, posting a 4.823 at 321.04 mph, but Force simply had too much horsepower in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

"This is a great day for all of John Force Racing," said Force, who was competing in this event for the 23rd time. "It takes a team like this to win one of these deals because it's so hard to win anymore. It's a lot of stress because it's so much money on the line and your sponsors really want this trophy."

In Top Fuel, Schumacher will begin race day as the favorite to win his fifth U.S. Nationals trophy. His 4.475 at 332.59 mph in his U.S. Army dragster, the fastest pass ever at this facility, earned him his ninth low qualifier award of the season and 31st of his career. He'll try to become the first Top Fuel or Funny Car driver this season to win from the No. 1 position during Monday's 11 a.m. eliminations.

"No one has won a race from the No. 1 spot this year and half of that can be blamed directly on me," Schumacher said. "I'm the dummy screwing up the curve. I know it's starting to bother Alan [Johnson, crew chief] a little bit and he really wants to win this deal tomorrow and put an end to that streak. He's motivated to win, believe me."

Force's 131st low qualifying effort brought him within five of the all-time record held by Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson, who has 136 No. 1 starts. His 4.691 at 328.54 mph from Saturday evening, probably the coolest session of the weekend, ended up being his run of record.

"Being No. 1 is good because that's a few more points on (Ron) Capps and that's a good thing because we need them all," Force said. "Every day you wonder if you're done. Every time we do something good (crew chief Austin) Coil says, 'Do you think this is our last one?' You never know, it just might be. I don't feel like I'm done yet. I got some fight left in me, but it'll run out at some point."

Anderson's 6.662 at 206.95 mph run in his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO Sunday morning reset both ends of the ORP record for Pro Stock. This marked the 10th time this year and 50th time in his career that the three-time and reigning series champion has qualified in the No. 1 position.

"This is great but I need a win," said Anderson, who last won at the season-opening race in Pomona, Calif. "It seems like an eternity since I've won and I know it won't be easy to win here. Everyone brings their best to this race because of what it means and every round will be a knock-down, drag-out fight."

Smith's track-record 6.994 at 188.70 mph from Saturday remained the best run in Pro Stock Motorcycle, awarding the Torco Buell racer his second consecutive top qualifying effort.

"This weekend's been awesome for us," Smith said. "The cooler weather was a surprise. It worked out well for us because it allowed us to make more horsepower with the motors. We love to go fast."

INDIANAPOLIS -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Monday for the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Sunday.

Top Fuel
1. Tony Schumacher, 4.475 seconds, 332.59 mph  vs. 16. J.R.Todd, 4.585, 322.58; 
2. Larry Dixon, 4.492, 328.38 vs. 15. Doug Foley,                4.583, 326.00; 
3. Doug Kalitta, 4.497, 322.65  vs. 14. David Baca,              4.581, 327.11; 
4. Rod Fuller, 4.509, 329.67 vs. 13. Andrew Cowin,               4.572, 323.50; 
5. Melanie Troxel, 4.521, 326.08  vs. 12. Alan Bradshaw,         4.557, 326.32; 
6. Cory McClenathan, 4.524, 329.34  vs. 11. Doug Herbert,        4.545, 322.50; 
7. Hillary Will, 4.531, 325.69  vs. 10. Brandon Bernstein,       4.544, 328.46; 
8. David Grubnic, 4.541, 327.51  vs. 9. Morgan Lucas,            4.543, 316.67.

Funny Car
1. John Force, Mustang, 4.691, 328.54 vs. 16. Jim Head, Stratus,            4.801, 323.35; 
2. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.692, 326.56 vs. 15. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus,    4.793, 318.92; 
3. Tommy Johnson, Monte Carlo, 4.701, 325.14 vs. 14. Scott Kalitta, Solara, 4.790, 322.11; 
4. Whit Bazemore, Charger, 4.718, 327.43 vs. 13. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo,4.784, 319.37; 
5. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.728, 324.12 vs. 12. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo,  4.779, 325.92; 
6. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.730, 324.67 vs. 11. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo,     4.770, 319.98; 
7. Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.735, 330.31 vs. 10. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo,   4.760, 328.54; 
8. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.735, 325.30 vs. 9. Mike Ashley, Stratus,   4.737, 328.30.

Pro Stock
1. Greg Anderson, GTO, 6.662, 206.95  vs. 16. Dave Northrop, Stratus,  6.717, 205.44; 
2. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.672, 206.83  vs. 15. Steve Schmidt, Cobalt, 6.716, 205.85; 
3. Jason Line, GTO, 6.676, 206.64  vs. 14. Warren Johnson, GTO,        6.710, 205.79; 
4. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.682, 206.32  vs. 13. Bob Benza, Cobalt,       6.707, 205.29; 
5. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.683, 206.73  vs. 12. Ron Krisher, Cobalt,      6.705, 205.66; 
6. Dave Howard, Cobalt, 6.686, 206.07  vs. 11. Dave Connolly, Cobalt,  6.702, 205.13; 
7. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.690, 205.57  vs. 10. Tom Martino, GTO,    6.695, 206.10; 
8. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.693, 206.35  vs. 9. Larry Morgan, Stratus,   6.694, 206.20.

Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.994, 188.70  vs. 16. GT Tonglet, Harley,       7.117, 186.85; 
2. Andrew Hines, Harley, 7.020, 189.68  vs. 15. Chris Rivas, Buell,    7.102, 185.03; 
3. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.041, 189.23  vs. 14. Tom Bradford, Buell,  7.098, 186.98; 
4. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.053, 188.52  vs. 13. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.097, 187.89; 
5. Ryan Schnitz, Buell, 7.069, 187.70  vs. 12. Antron Brown, Suzuki,   7.096, 185.61; 
6. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.070, 186.41  vs. 11. Geno Scali, Suzuki,  7.095, 189.15; 
7. Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.078, 186.64  vs. 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki,    7.092, 185.95; 
8. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.085, 185.69  vs. 9. Shawn Gann, Suzuki,      7.088, 188.81.

SKOAL SHOWDOWN: ROUND ONE -- Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.750, 324.36 def. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 9.373, 85.93; Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.770, 323.35 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.793, 320.05; John Force, Mustang, 4.790, 322.58 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.834, 295.46; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.768, 321.58 def. Whit Bazemore, Charger, 4.860, 310.41;

SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.805, 320.51 def. Medlen, 5.876, 159.76; Johnson Jr., 5.325, 259.16 def. Hight, 6.314, 146.51;

FINAL -- Force, 4.789, 327.19 def. Johnson Jr., 4.823, 321.04.

Johnson, a race winner just three weeks ago at Brainerd (Minn.), defeated Gary Scelzi's Dodge in Round 1 and Robert Hight, Force's Ford teammate, in Round 2 before squaring off with Force. In the final Force had a slight advantage off the starting line and never looked back in a good, side-by-side drag race. Force had an elapsed time of 4.789 seconds at 327.19 mph to Johnson's 4.823 e.t. at 321.04 mph to claim the $100,000 special-event title for the sixth time in his career. Johnson received $15,000 for his runner-up finish.

"We felt really confident coming in here the way this car's been running," said Johnson. "I think all of the other guys in the class kind of see how we've come on, and it gives you a lot of confidence going into something like this. We beat part of the Force camp today, but we just couldn't quite do it in the final. You're disappointed, but you can't be too disappointed with just getting outrun. We didn't smoke the tires, I didn't have a bad light. John Force was just the better car in the final. It was a good, close drag race, and that's all you can hope for."

Unfortunately, Tony Pedregon in the Q Racing Chevy Monte Carlo faced event-winner Force in the first round and lost a close battle with his former team owner. Pedregon had an elapsed time of 4.834 seconds at 295.46 mph to Force's winning 4.790 e.t. at 322.58 mph.

Johnson has his Chevy qualified third for tomorrow's eliminations at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and will face Scott Kalitta in the first round.

"We may have lost the Skoal Showdown today, but we've got a really good race car going into the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals tomorrow" added Johnson. "Going to the final today obviously didn't hurt our momentum for tomorrow."

2006 SKOAL SHOWDOWN FINAL STANDINGS

1. Robert Hight, Anaheim Hills , Calif. , Auto Club Ford Mustang        3,495
2. John Force, Yorba Linda , Calif. , Castrol GTX Ford Mustang          3,415
3. Eric Medlen, Indianapolis , Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang              3,370
4. Gary Scelzi, Fresno , Calif. , Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger            3,035
5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon , Ind. , Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo             3,025
6. Ron Capps, Carlsbad , Calif. , Brut Dodge Charger                    2,965
7. Tony Pedregon, Chino Hills , Calif. , Q-Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo 2,920
8. Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis , Matco Tools Dodge Charger              2,850

2006 SKOAL SHOWDOWN ROUND PAIRINGS

FIRST ROUND

      Hight vs. Bazemore

      Force vs. Pedregon

      Medlen vs. Capps

      Scelzi vs. Johnson

SEMIFINALS

      Hight-Bazemore winner vs. Scelzi-Johnson winner

      Force-Pedregon winner vs. Medlen-Capps winner

FINAL (4 p.m., Sept. 3)

Top Fuel 
1.  Tony Schumacher,   4.475 seconds, 332.59 mph; 
2.  Larry Dixon,       4.492, 328.38; 
3.  Doug Kalitta,      4.497, 322.65; 
4.  Melanie Troxel,    4.521, 326.08; 
5.  Rod Fuller,        4.523, 327.43; 
6.  Cory McClenathan,  4.524, 329.34; 
7.  Hillary Will,      4.531, 325.69; 
8.  Morgan Lucas,      4.543, 316.67;
9.  Brandon Bernstein, 4.544, 328.46; 
10. Doug Herbert,      4.545, 322.50;
11. David Grubnic,     4.548, 324.98; 
12. Alan Bradshaw,     4.557, 326.32; 
13. Andrew Cowin,      4.572, 323.12; 
14. Doug Foley,        4.583, 326.00; 
15. Joe Hartley,       4.595, 327.51; 
16. J.R. Todd,         4.598, 322.58.

Funny Car
1.  John Force, Ford Mustang,             4.691, 328.54; 
2.  Robert Hight, Mustang,                4.692, 326.56; 
3.  Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.701, 325.14; 
4.  Whit Bazemore, Dodge Charger,         4.718, 327.43; 
5.  Eric Medlen, Mustang,                 4.728, 324.12; 
6.  Ron Capps, Charger,                   4.730, 324.67; 
7.  Gary Scelzi, Charger,                 4.735, 330.31; 
8.  Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo,           4.735, 325.30; 
9.  Mike Ashley, Dodge Stratus,           4.737, 328.30; 
10. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo,            4.760, 328.54; 
11. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo,            4.770, 319.98; 
12. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo,           4.779, 325.92; 
13. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo,           4.784, 319.37; 
14. Scott Kalitta, Toyota Solara,         4.790, 322.11; 
15. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus,              4.793, 318.92; 
16. Jim Head, Stratus,                    4.801, 323.35.

Pro Stock
1.  Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO,   6.681, 206.23; 
2.  Mike Edwards, GTO,            6.685, 205.91; 
3.  Dave Howard, Chevy Cobalt,    6.686, 205.76; 
4.  Jason Line, GTO,              6.687, 206.16; 
5.  Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.690, 205.29; 
6.  Greg Stanfield, GTO,          6.694, 205.85; 
7.  Kurt Johnson, Cobalt,         6.696, 205.57; 
8.  V. Gaines, Stratus,           6.700, 205.94; 
9.  Tom Martino, GTO,             6.703, 205.07; 
10. Dave Connolly, Cobalt,        6.705, 205.10; 
11. Larry Morgan, Stratus,        6.708, 205.51; 
12. Ron Krisher, Cobalt,          6.712, 205.01; 
13. Steve Schmidt, GTO,           6.716, 205.26; 
14. Jim Yates,