EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK GSA PRO MODS POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND  FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - AFTER A LONG DAY, WINNERS ARE CROWNED

IT'S FATHER'S DAY, IT'S DIXON - Larry Dixon never used the phrase "getting the monkey off my back" or "finally winning" Sunday after he bested buddy Antron Brown in the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals final round at Bristol Dragway.

It certainly wasn't lost on the reigning Top Fuel champion that he hadn't won any of the previous eight Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events. Neither had he forgotten that his Al-Anabi teammate Del Worsham had won three times in four final-round appearances.

Dixon said he just never regarded Worsham's success as his own loss, even though Worsham bested him in the finals at Charlotte and  Houston and in the Englishtown semifinals two weeks before. He simply is happy to have reinforcements against the loaded Don Schumacher racing team.

"Last year, there were three of them (at DSR) and one of us. Now there's two of us racing three of them. When Del wins, I don't look at it as a loss. I look at it as win for us, for our Al-Anabi team," Dixon said. "It's our team versus theirs -- and all the rest of the teams. As long as it (the victory) comes to the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Team, that's what we're supposed to do."

Dixon did exactly what he was supposed to do Sunday, clocking a winning 3.836-second pass at 318.09 mph on the 1,000-foot course. Brown recorded a 3.851-second elapsed time at 306.19 mph in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Matco Tools Dragster, as DSR struck out in both nitro-class finals (with Jack Beckman's loss to Robert Hight in the preceding Funny Car run).

The winner took no credit, while Brown took all the blame.

Immediately Dixon told reporters, "Great job by the team. I think we've got a great car." And he said, "It's hard to beat (team manager) Alan Johnson." He said crew chief Jason McCulloch's tune-up was just right against Browns car that he said "hauls the mail." Dixon said other drivers haven't been frustrated by racing him, but rather "they're frustrated by racing against Alan Johnson."

For Dixon, Fathers Day had seemed to mean an automatic victory at Englishtown, N.J.  Four of his six victories there came on Fathers Day. The NHRA changed the fathers Day venue, but that made no difference to Dixon. This 61st career victory of his was his sixth on Fathers Day for the dad of three. It's also his second at Bristol.

Brown, also a dad of three (like Dixon, he has a daughter and two sons), improved from two straight quarterfinal losses but blamed himself for not closing the deal.

"Interestingly enough, we may have won the race against Dixon, but I pulled the chutes early. I truly believe I had the car to beat today, but I didn't get the job done," he said.

"You always want to win, but we went deep into the race, which is important."

After all, he had said coming into the event, "We need to get back to business, This is only the ninth race of the year, but you don't want to wait too long before turning up the wick. We want to get to as many finals and get as many wins as possible as we get closer to the Countdown to 1."

Brown was all business, all right. He knocked off Bob Vandergriff, who's getting hungrier after a final-round appearance at Topeka; upset-minded veteran Chris Karamesines, who defeated Doug Kalitta in the opening round for his first Sunday round-victory since 1990; and DSR mate Tony Schumacher, who was long overdue and dedicated to giving his Army sponsor the trophy for its 236th birthday.

So he heads to Norwalk Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals with a personal assignment -- and a promise.

"We're definitely heading where we need to go, but  like the rest of the teams, we still have to keep refining things as the season moves along. The racing is so tight these days, you have to try and keep improving on the tune up. You can't rest on your laurels or else you will be left behind in a big hurry," Brown said.

As for Dixon, Brown said, "If we get the opportunity to face him again in the finals up there, we will certainly try to turn the tables on him."

Dixon participated in a charity event at Brown's church in Brownsburg, Ind., recently, and their children play together. Said Dixon, "I can't get pissed off to race Antron. Antron is such a good driver and a good friend."

He is, even in that moment they line up against each other in the final round or any round. But that won't stop Dixon from throwing all his horsepower at Brown. After all, Dixon said he's enjoying "being on the right side" of a tight side-by-side drag race for a change.

Besides, Dixon has won 61 races, and this pewter Wally statue might be lonely without at least one more matching one on his mantel.

UP ON ROCKY TOP - The hills were alive with the sound of music, at least to Robert Hight they were.

In defeating Jack Beckman at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and becoming perfect in four final rounds this season, Hight backed up the national speed record he had recorded in the semifinal. That engine-humming 316.45-mph speed -- the fastest in class history -- echoed through the hills of East Tennessee.

"The only thing you can feel is it is pulling on you all the way to the finish line," Hight said of that run that helped him conquer Bristol Dragway.

Sunday's symphony of success left Hight in harmony with his Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang. Still third in the standings, he sliced No. 2 Beckman's cushion to just 14 points, improved his elimination-round mark to 18-5 after nine races, and stuck another feather in Ford's cap. Furthermore, it means JFR drivers -- he and points leader Mike Neff -- have combined to win six of the nine races so far this year.

But that sound, that beautiful engine sound . . . Hight couldn't get it over it.

"The nicest thing there is, is the sound of that engine," he said. "It is singing when it is running 316 mph and the RPMs are way up. When the engine is happy and it has all eight pistons still in it, that is music to your ears. I wish everyone in this room (the Bristol media center) could hear that sound. That is music."

Conductor Jimmy Prock tuned the Mustang to go 4.092 seconds at 314.90 mph, more than enough to secure the record that comes with no points but a huge measure of satisfaction and morale-boosting.

"We threw the kitchen sink – and more – at Hight in the finals, but it was too much," Beckman said after countering with a tire-striking 5.615, 152.66 in the Aaron's Dream Machine/Valvoline Dodge Charger . "We thought we would need more car than we had in the third round to beat Robert but ended up spinning the tires."

It simply was Hight's day to shine on a day that started with rain that delayed the noon start for more than four hours.

"The speed record is huge. I have never set a record before. I have made the quickest runs at 1,000 feet and a quarter-mile but I never backed them up," Hight said. "I know the speed record is no points, but there are some bragging rights. It is great to have that record with the Auto Club Ford."

Bristol Dragway had been one of those stubborn places that had denied the popular John Force Racing driver for so long. His best finish at Thunder Valley had been a semifinal effort in 2008.

"We finally got Bristol," Hight said happily. "We were joking around that all the races that start with Bs we have trouble at, like Brainerd and Bristol. We turned this one around, and what better way to do it than with Ford as the title sponsor at Thunder Valley?"

He did it by beating Ron Capps, points leader teammate Mike Neff, and Jeff Arend to reach the final round.

"If you look at what we had to do to do it . . . beating guys like Ron Capps. He is coming around, and he has crew chiefs that have him turned around. My teammate and the points leader Mike Neff in the second round, he has been to the last four finals, and that was a huge race," Hight said. "In the semis we had to race Jeff Arend, who has already won a race this year, and then in the finals we get Beckman, who has won a couple races this year. It wasn't an easy day."

Hight added this pewter Wally statue to the ones he earned at Pomona, Las Vegas, and Topeka.

"This season has been feast of famine for my Auto Club Mustang. That is a tough way to try and win a Funny Car championship," Hight said heading into this event. "I know Jimmy is looking at a couple of things and we are sneaking up on a consistent tune up. The big thing for us is we never get too high off a win and we never get too low off a tough weekend."

He could be excused for an extra day of celebrating this one, but he must have had a sense that he was going to break his string of unfortunate luck at Bristol, for he said, "I am excited to be heading back to Bristol, because I have been having some luck this season getting some firsts.

"I defended my Topeka championship this year, and that was the first time I have ever gone back-to-back at an event. This is the earliest I have ever had three wins. I was also lucky enough to win the 200th Funny Car race for John Force Racing in Topeka," he said. "Neff picked up the 201st win in Englishtown, and I know we can get to 300 Funny Car wins. It won't happen this year, of course, but I would love to get more wins in the last half of the regular season and then battle Neff and Force for the championship in the Countdown."

Beckman, a two-time winner (at Charlotte and Atlanta) for Don Schumacher Racing, had said, "I would really like to win it, but for more than the obvious reason. My dad's here. He rode his motorcycle 1,020 miles from his home in Texas, and I would really love to give him a Wally for Fathers Day."

Beckman said afterward, "Even though neither (DSR mate) Antron (Brown, who lost in the Top Fuel final to Larry Dixon) nor I won, the Aaron's guys were very happy and excited that we both made it into the finals. They had a lot of fun and are really enjoying their initial year in drag racing."

HISTORY OF HIS OWN - The Pro Stock final ensured that the fans who sat in the rain-rinsed bleachers Sunday for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at historic Bristol Dragway would see some more drag-racing lore unfold.

Erica Enders was on the verge of becoming the first female Pro Stock driver to win, and Mike Edwards was shooting for a more personal feat of winning for the third straight time at the same venue.

Edwards denied Enders her first victory and NHRA fans the chance to see the class gender barrier broken. He won with a 6.685-second elapsed time on the quarter-mile at 205.79 mph in his Penhall/K&N/Interstate Batteries Pontiac, as her ZaZa Energy Cobalt lost traction just after she got the jump on him at the Christmas Tree. She cut a .040 light, while he had what he called a "comatose, dead-late" .093.

"Erica, she's going to win soon," Edwards said. "She had me whupped. She had me beat there, for sure. I don't know what happened to her."

Enders took the disappointment in stride.

"It just wasn't meant to be today, and that's OK. I trust that there are better things in store. And we get to try again in four days," she said, referring to this week's Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio.

"It's awesome," Enders said. "I was standing out there with a slightly broken heart, and the fans were just so great. They're telling us how good of a job we've done, that they were rooting for us and how loud the grandstands were. All those things mean the world to me. To be able to cheer me up for that is awesome. It just shows how great they are. I appreciate them so much."

She said her car and team have "had the capability of (winning) from Day 1," Enders said. "The stars didn't line up the way they needed to for us to get past second round. Today, they did. We had a great car this weekend. My ZaZa guys did a tremendous job. I can't say enough about them. They worked their butts off, and they want this thing as bad as I do. We had a consistent car, and consistency pays off. And it will. It did today, and it will further into the season.

"There's nothing to be disappointed about. Is it heartbreaking? Absolutely. These final rounds are very few and far between and we know how important they are when we get there," Enders said.

"I would like to race every week if I could," the Cagnazzi Racing driver said. "We tested our guts out the week before, and it's starting to pay off. I'm excited about it. We came here and ran well, and we were consistent. We're learning and doing well together. Thursday, we'll show up in Norwalk and start all over. We've got all the confidence in the world."

Confidence was not something Edwards had in his pocket Sunday.

"Me and my team fought through it," he said of his day, which included a bit of back surgery at the on-site care center. "We made some ugly runs. Somehow we were able to turn on the win light. Some days you pull up there it seems like no matter how bad you do, you win. That's the kind of day we had. Congratulations to my team. This car has given us some headaches."

Even before he pulled into the gates at Bristol, Edwards was skeptical about earning that third consecutive victory in Thunder Valley.

"Winning three times straight at anything is really hard to do. And then spread it over three seasons, that makes it seem almost impossible," Edwards said. "The great part is we come in as the two-time defending champ and will carry a little chip on our shoulder that nobody is going to beat us in Bristol. We need to come out swinging hard like we did the last two years and make this event a statement race for 2011."

He did, leading Friday qualifying. But Allen Johnson, from nearby Greeneville who along with dad Roy and his extensive IHRA background at Bristol had some added incentive to excel, cast a bit more doubt for Edwards. Johnson swiped the No. 1 qualifying position and ended up posting low E.T. and top speed of the meet (6.668 seconds, 206.89 mph).

So Edwards already wasn't convinced. He had said, "Would I love to have a third straight time in Bristol? That is a resounding yes. I know it probably will not be the case, and we will have to fight and work our tails off to walk away with the trophy again. I have a group around me that is not afraid to put that extra time and effort to make that happen, and behind the wheel I will do everything I can to reach that goal."

But Edwards didn't believe the race would go Sunday at all, with relentless rain in the morning and a storm system forecast to move through the area after a respite. So he decided to visit a doctor on site, to have him look at "a big ol' knot that kept getting bigger and bigger" on his back. "They cut me open," he said. "It hurts. We'll worry about that Monday."

Imagine his surprise when he eliminated Richard Freeman, Vincent Nobile, and Greg Anderson to set up his run for a 30th career Pro Stock victory and second of the season. The victory put him on a list only with Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher as racers to score three victories in a row at Bristol Dragway. ("That's not a bad list to be on, is it?" Edwards said.)

"I praise The Lord, just thank Him for my blessings. It's all about Him. It's just a great day, anytime you can win one of these things, especially here at Bristol. It's an awesome place. It means so much to me," Edwards said.

"I want to dedicate this win to my good friend, Jeff Byrd," he said. "The people, fans, and everybody here, I want them to know he's got a special place in my heart and in my team's heart."

Byrd passed away last year after a battle with cancer.

Both Edwards and Enders will participate in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, the Pro Stock class' 27th annual bonus race-within-a race. A fan vote gave Enders the eighth and final position. The top seven earned their spots based on points standings beginning after the event last year.

Neither has won, but each has extra motivation after what happened at Bristol. Edwards said he would like to win the event for the first time and to keep his momentum rolling. Enders said she would like to give back to the fans to allowed her to participate.

"To be voted in the K&N Challenge is so exciting. It's a huge honor. It means that besides the seven other guys who earned their positions, I was the fan favorite. That's exciting for me. This is a dream come true for me to even be driving one of these cars, and I know I'm a blessed and lucky girl," Enders said. "I'm going to do my best to go and win the race for the fans who voted for me. They get all the credit, because we wouldn't be there without them."

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TOP FUEL

ROUND ONE

TOP FUEL

FIRST ROUND

QUICK TURNAROUND - Because of a four-hour rain delay, the professional teams were put on a 65-minute turnaround.

YES!!! – The first round might as well have been the final for 78-year old Chris “The Golden Greek” Karamesines. When Doug Kalitta struck the tires, Karamesines went smokeless and straight to a 4.058, 298.27 victory.

The round win was his first since 1990.

“Been a while since I’ve been in this position, I’m happy about it,” Karamesines said.

Funny Car racer Jack Beckman had the opportunity to hang out with Karamesines during the pre-event rain-delay and the victory only solidified the legend in his eyes.

“I hung out with the Greek is that the coolest thing?” Beckman said. “He drove a nitro car in 1954 and turned on a win-light in 2011. I love getting paid to do this.”

IS THIS PRO STOCK OR TOP FUEL? – Four first round Top Fuel winners scored victory while running a 3.883 elapsed time. A fourth winner turned in a 3.884.

PASSING THE TIME – When you have a four hour rain delay, you have many options of what to do. The Top Fuel division might have featured the most resourceful of the professional racers.

“I watched a movie on HBO,” Larry Dixon admitted. “The Book of Eli, awesome movie.”

“I was hanging with the fans,” Antron Brown proclaimed. “I was hanging around with the homies out here. The rain was soaking it down and we were hanging with them.”

It might have been point leader Del Worsham with the most challenging way to pass the time. He assembled a jigsaw puzzle.

“My wife’s working on it, not quite finished,” Worsham said with a smile.

KUDOS TO SAFETY SAFARI – Tony Schumacher defeated Shawn Langdon with a 3.883, 322.33 in the first pair of cars following a four-hour rain-delay.

“For the U.S. Army who has put in 236 years of service and the Safety Safari, who did the last service we needed, making this race track outstanding to give the fans a side-by-side race in the first pair. You’re the best Safety Safari.”

TICKS ME OFF – Morgan Lucas advanced to the second round with an inspired victory over Terry McMillen. Lucas beat McMillen 3.883 second pass.

“Seeing something like that can piss you off, and inspire you win,” Lucas said after watching teammate Shawn Langdon lose ahead of him. “We love Shawn, and his team, and they deserve to win as much as anyone. It’s just way their luck has gone this year.”

Actually, Langdon didn’t get off to a lucky start on the day. During a rain-delay card game, he dropped $72 to Lucas.

TOP HALF ADVANCES – Low qualifier Brandon Bernstein, Antron Brown, Larry Dixon, Spencer Massey and Del Worsham won their first round races.

QUARTER-FINALS

TAKING OUT THE TOP RUNNER – Tony Schumacher is successful at Bristol winning three consecutive events here and four overall. He flexed his muscles in the second round by knocking off No. 1 qualified Brandon Bernstein.

“I love these days, high pressure days,” Schumacher said. “We were the first pair out racing today and it’s moments like this where you have to suck it up.”

ADDING TO THE STATS – Top Fuel racing determines success from failure by those who are consistent. Spencer Massey made clean run 29 in a row as he knocked off point leader Del Worsham in the second round.

“This team is unbelievable,” Massey said, bragging on his Fram team led by Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. “I’m having a great time.”

IT’S FATHER’S DAY – If it’s Father’s Day, then Larry Dixon has his eye on the winner’s circle. He’s won five times on this special day in seven races.

Dixon added to his bid for a sixth by defeating Morgan Lucas.

A special note, Dixon ran a 3.883 second pass, an elapsed time ran by three different drivers in the first round.

CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT – As impressed as Antron Brown is with the 78-year old Chris Karamesines, he ended the legend’s Cinderella bid with a 3.876.

SEMI-FINALS

THREE VS. ONE - The semi-finals opened with three Don Schumacher Racing dragsters squaring off with the lone remaining Al-Anabi Racing entry.

Antron Brown beat Tony Schumacher in a battle of Don Schumacher Racing teammates. Brown ran a 3.832 to beat Schumacher’s 3.869.

Larry Dixon met up with Spencer Massey, winner of the last two events, and beat him by a 3.843 to 3.866 margin.

“It will be a battle and they’ll keep us honest,” Dixon said. “Plus it's Father’s Day.”

And Dixon has won five times on Father’s Day but hasn't won since the 2011 season began.

FINALS

FINALLY, SOMEONE DID IT – Nine races into the season, none of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Champions had won a national event. This was the case until Larry Dixon reached a final round on Father’s Day.

Dixon won his first race of the season and sixth on Father’s Day by stopping Antron Brown in the final round.

Brown was slightly quicker on the tree but the Alan Johnson horsepower of Dixon thundered by in the lights for the victory with a 3.836, 318.09. Brown made a race of it until the end with a 3.851, 306.19.

ROUND ONE

SHE’S OKAY WITH THE RAIN –

“Bristol’s been a good track to me and the rain just plays into my hand,” Troxel said. “The last time we won here, we didn’t run the final until midnight. With the rain coming and going, I believe it bodes well for this team.”

The victory over Tim Wilkerson marked her second round win of the season. She’s won the first round twice in the last three races after failing to qualify for the first seven events of the season.

BECKMAN WINS ON LINE – Jack Beckman is a two-time winner in 2011. The majority of those times he won with superior horsepower. In the first round, he beat Jim Head, 4.157 to 4.137, by grabbing .06 on the starting line.

“These guys give me the winning car so many times, it feels good just to give them a win,” Beckman said with a smile.

ROUTINES – A long rain delay can wreak havoc on a driver’s mental psyche. Matt Hagen found a way to keep focused in beating Paul Lee in the first round.

“You kind of get in a routine with these cars and to get this car to run strong – it’s repetition,” Hagan said. “We have to go up there and redo the day … start over … pretend it’s Noon all over again.”

A LOT LIKE ME – Bob Tasca III isn’t the oldest Funny Car driver in the pits, but he certainly knows who’s the youngest and is impressed with the youthful Dan Wilkerson, his first round victim.

“The kid is going to be hot, reminds me a lot of myself,” Tasca said.

Tasca was red-hot in the first round with low elapsed time of the opening round with a 4.076, 312.28. He was the only driver in the opening round to run in the 4.0-second range.

I’M NOT ONLY THE DRIVER, I’M THE CREW CHIEF – Mike Neff the driver was pretty proud of his crew chief in winning the first round over Ron Capps. Mike Neff the crew chief was proud of his driver.

“That’s what I was looking for,” said Neff, who pulls double duty. “I warmed the car up and got a little nervous and slowed it down. I ran exactly what I wanted. It’s one round at a time and you have a lot of time to sit around and think. It feels good to get this one out of the way.”

COUNTING POINTS – Five feet shy of the finish line, the blower belt on Jeff Arend’s Funny Car was holding on by a thread, literally. This resulted in a victory over Johnny Gray.

“Right before the finish line, it laid over just a little bit,” Arend said. “It was dropping cylinders and luckily it remained on.

CRUZ BEATS FORCE – Cruz Pedregon had a front tire go flat in winning his titanic first round battle against John Force. Pedregon came to a stop safely after running a 4.103 elapsed time.

Pedregon said he believed the tire was punctured by something from the body.

For the first time this season, Force has experienced back-to-back first round losses.

QUARTER-FINALS

LET US KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT – Jeff Arend used his pedaling talents in running a pedestrian [by nitro standards] 4.653 to beat Matt Hagan, who struck the tires early. Arend hit the tires further down track and recovered first.

Team owner Connie Kalitta, who has long been known for his wayward eye, became the source of a trivia question.

NHRA announcer Alan Reinhart asked Arend, “Name one driver who could drive a car with one eye on the finish line, one out the side window and still have your foot going up and down like that?”

“That’s easy if you’re Connie,” answered Arend.

RACING INSPIRED – Jack Beckman drives the MTS Funny Car and one of the themes promotes its “Mail From Home” program which enables race fans to send letters to the troops serving abroad.

Beckman, who served in the U.S. Air Force, is racing inspired.

“I am racing with the dog tags of a Navy Seal who lost his life in Afghanistan four years ago. We want to get these in the final round,” Beckman explained. “I have them in one pocket and a Navy coin in the other.”

Beckman beat Melanie Troxel, who made a close run of it with a 4.144 to 4.150 race.

CRUZ’S CALAMATIES – Strapped with a 65-minute turnaround and damage from a flat tire in the first round, Cruz Pedregon limped to the staging lanes for his second round match against low qualifier Bob Tasca III.

Pedregon scored the win, but it was costly with an explosion at the tail end of a winning 4.110, 301.47. Tasca lost with an off-pace 4.185.

“I thought I was really going to catch on fire [bad] but the fire bottles kicked in,” Pedregon said. “We’re pushing the car hard to run the numbers.”

NO EMPTY POCKETS – Robert Hight beat teammate Mike Neff in a race where he felt there was no room for error. There was room; however, for a quote from the movie Smokey and the Bandit.

“I didn’t come all this way to come home with empty pockets,” Hight said, quoting the movie.

SEMI-FINALS

FINALS SET – Jack Beckman soloed to his third final round of the season when Cruz Pedregon couldn’t start his engine for their second round match. Beckman singled for a 4.116.

Hight flexed his muscles in the semis with an event best 4.047 elapsed time at 316.45 miles per hour to more than take the measure of Jeff Arend’s 4.151, 305.91.

FINALS

MR. SPEED - Robert Hight scored his fourth national event victory of the season by defeating Jack Beckman in the final round. In addition to winning his 22^nd career title, Hight also established a new speed record at 311.20 miles per hour.

Hight was first off of the line and by mid-track was unbeatable as he posted a 4.090 in victory. Beckman lifted early and coasted to the runner-up finish.

Hight’s fourth victory tied the most wins he’s earned in a season.

PRO STOCK

ROUND ONE

Enders defeated Larry Morgan on the run.

“It’s huge for us to win the fan vote, especially because we have such a competitive car,” Enders said. “I really owe it to my fans, friends and family who voted for me. I’m excited to have this opportunity.”

PAYBACK –Greg Anderson and Greg Stanfield have met in the first round twice this season. Stanfield has won both of those meetings, most recently two weeks ago in Englishtown, NJ.

Anderson grabbed the win this time with a 6.710. The victory paired him with Rodger Brogdon, a driver he’s only raced once and beat in the lone meeting.

“That cat has definitely been a thorn in my sock,” Anderson said. “You have to beat them all to make it to the finals. You might as well get it on early and get it over with.”

TOP HALF DOMINATION – The first round went as expected with seven of eight top half qualifiers winning. Of the eight, only Jason Line won, while technically racing from the bottom half No. 9.

AJ GETS BY – Allen Johnson wasn’t up to the same torrid pace which landed him on the pole position. However, his conservative 6.706 was enough to get by Steve Kent.

“I was a little nervous, I’ll admit it,” said Johnson. “We’ll go back to Plan ‘A’ in the next round.”

QUARTER-FINALS

JUST ENOUGH – Mike Edwards only held .002 going past the tree against Vincent Nobile but the slight performance advantage combined with .011 in performance was enough to put him into the semis.

“That Vincent is pretty mean, if you’re not on the tree, he’ll drill ya,” Edwards said. “I was fortunate to win that one.”

GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME – In the first round, No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson’s Mopar got unexpectedly lazy. There was no slackness as he laid down the quickest run of the session, a 6.679, to eliminate Jason Line.

HEAR HER ROAR – Erica Enders has had a good season but not spectacular. But, for at least one event, the newest member of the K&N Horsepower Showdown field has been stunning.

She ran low elapsed time in the first round and in the second round, stopped Ron Krisher with a 6.693.

“This is our first time past the second round,” said Enders. “We’re going to have to make consistent fast runs to win this one.”

SEMI-FINALS

THE LADY AND THE FORMER CHAMP - Erica Enders continued her rampage through the Pro Stock field and into the finals by upending Allen Johnson in what could be described as the round match of the event. Enders grabbed .006 on the tree and this made the difference at the finish line as scored a 6.697 to 6.692 victory.

On the other side of the ladder, Mike Edwards continued his march to the finals in a battle of the most recent series champions. Edwards won at both ends of the track with a 6.708 elapsed time.

FINALS

EDWARDS WINS, ERICA DENIED – Erica Enders was riding a wave of momentum into the finals and even left the starting line first, but breakage denied her a place in drag racing history.

Enders, seeking the honor of being NHRA Pro Stock’s first female race winner, was off the line .053 ahead of Edwards but her Chevrolet broke at mid-track.

Edwards took advantage of the situation and drove by for the 6.685, 205.79 victory and his historic third in a row at the former Thunder Valley Dragway.

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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - RAIN CAN'T DAMPEN THE ENTHUSIASM OF FAST RACING

THE WAIT IS OVER - Top Fuel's Brandon Bernstein had to wait 58 races, a couple of typical East Tennessee June showers, and his final turn at the starting line Saturday nail down his first No. 1 qualifying position since the 2008 Memphis race.

With a 3.828-second, 316.52-mph pass on the 1,000-foot Bristol Dragway course, in the Copart Dragster he insisted was about to show its full potential, Bernstein earned the honor of leading the field for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Although his 3.859 elapsed time held up through three qualifying sessions, Larry Dixon and Doug Kalitta landed big punches of their own Saturday evening as they took aim for the top spot.

Dixon slid Bernstein down a notch when he registered a 3.831, 319.37 run in the Al-Anabi Dragster in the fourth and final session. Kalitta, driving the Kalitta Air entry, followed with a blast of 3.856, 320.66 to improve to the No. 2 spot. That forced Bernstein to battle back from third place in the order.

Antron Brown, sitting in the left lane next to Kalitta, had been dogging Bernstein as the No. 2 driver this weekend. But his Matco Tools Dragster sat shockingly silent as Kalitta launched his run that moved him sixth place to second. Reports from Brown's camp blamed throttle linkage problems. So that gave Bernstein some encouragement that he didn't also have to overcome another sizzling number from Brown and leapfrog three other drivers.

"It definitely gives you a lot of satisfaction to know that when you have to run the number you can run the number. It's one of those deals that you know you're No. Friday night but you've got to hold it on Saturday if the weather does what it did today. So to come in there and know that somebody got underneath you and go right back and take it back, it feels pretty good," Bernstein said.

"You know Alan (Al-Anabi Team Manager Alan Johnson) is going to throw everything at it to try to get that No. 1, and you know Dixon's a great driver. I didn't think it (his Friday E.T.) was going to hold. I really didn't," he said after securing his third top spot at Bristol and his career 14th.

Bernstein said he had reassurance as he was about to take off.

He said crew chief Todd Smith "leaned in and said, 'Hey - I'm going to go for it.' My dad leaned in and said, 'Keep it in the groove as best you can and shallow-stage it really good, and let's try and get it back.' And that's what we did. Went just out there and did, and it was a great run by he whole team, the Copart team.

"We've got a race car now, it seems like," Bernstein said. 'We've got a really good race car, and it seems like everything's going in the right direction."

Saturday's first run today was hot and with sunshine on the racing surface. The final pass came in cooler, dank weather. "Either way," Bernstein said, "we've got a good setup and racetrack that we know, after these four runs, that we can down in any condition it's in.

"I know I've got to be on my game. It depends on how the conditions are tomorrow, and I'm going to do the best that I can inside the cockpit. That's all that's ever asked of me. I'm asking the guys to do the best that they can do. It's a team effort here," he said. "We're going to go out with that mentality on Sunday and try to win a race."

Bernstein will face Hoosier Thunder Motorsports car chief-racer Austin Lambright, who'll be making just his sixth pass of his Top Fuel career (including licensing), in the first round of eliminations. Action is scheduled to begin at noon Sunday.

REALITY CHECK - Drag racing has its peaks and valleys, the competitors always say. For Funny Car's Bob Tasca III, he experienced his Mount McKinley  and Grand Canyon all within seconds of each other Saturday at Bristol Dragway after regaining his status as No. 1 qualifier.

Tasca, whose Rhode Island-Massachusetts car dealership network is one of Ford's largest in the nation, understandably was joyful for rebounding from the No. 7 spot with his career-best, track-record performance in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

He had to climb back to the top ahead of Matt Hagan, Mike Neff, Jack Beckman, Tim Wilkerson, Robert Hight, and Johnny Gray.

"It's pretty humbling, sitting in that car and you're No. 1 and you end up seventh. We were seventh when we pulled up to the water box," Tasca said. He told crew chief Chris Cunningham, "You got nothin' to lose." Cunningham, unruffled, said, 'don’t worry -- it’s going to go fast."

And, the driver said, "It did. One of our missions coming into this racetrack was to qualify better. And I told him, 'You can check that box.' "

But Tasca's celebration came to a hammering halt when he caught sight of Roger Burgess' violent crash in the first round of Pro Modified eliminations.

Suddenly Tasca's 4.056-second elapsed time at 314.31 mph -- the one about he said, "I've been waiting four years for that run!" -- wasn't appropriate to cheer.

"Oh my God . . . " Tasca said, finally breaking his startling silence as he watched the replay on closed-circuit television in the Bristol Dragway tower.

He has seen in just the past couple of years the on-track deaths of Scott Kalitta, Neil Parker, and Mark Niver. Another of his alcohol-ranks buddy, Bobby Martindale, died in a sportsman race. While this horrifying accident (the second of the weekend, after Rickie Smith's Pro Mod qualifying crash Friday) spared Burgess, it nevertheless stunned Tasca and left the talkative driver almost speechless.

"That takes the oomph out of everything," Tasca said.

Only because he was asked did Tasca comment further.

"That's harsh reality of this sport. Boy . . . The best way to avoid something like that is not to get in (a race car). I don't know . . . That's the worst of the worst in drag racing," he said. "It doesn't get any worse than that. That's as bad as I've ever seen.

"That was the first round of eliminations, right?" he asked. "I guarantee he never stays in it that long in qualifying. That's the racer in you to want to win and not step off when you should. Man . . . "

He stared in disbelief at a scene he knows all too well is believable.

With that, he ended his interview with reporters by saying, "We'll be ready for Sunday, fellas."

Tasca, leading the field for only the second time in his career (his first was at the 2009 Gatornationals), will meet Daniel Wilkerson in the opening round of eliminations.

JOHNSON DOES IT TO EDWARDS AGAIN -  Mike Edwards knew better than to celebrate his Friday provisional No. 1. The former Pro Stock series champion had an idea Allen Johnson was lurking in the shadows.
 
Edwards’ intuitions were spot-on.
 
In a replay of last year’s NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying at Bristol, Johnson waited until the final qualifying session to knock Edwards from his perch and score his first pole position of the season.
 
Johnson’s 6.668, 206.89 pass put .01 between him and Edwards headed into final eliminations. Edwards ran a 6.678 during Friday’s evening session.
 
“Our Mopar Dodge Avenger, is that an awesome car?” Johnson asked. “This car is getting more and more awesome each week. The guys are just tweaking it and we did it at good ol' Bristol. This track has been good to us.”
 
Johnson said he believes the greatest attribute of his car throughout the course of the last two events isn’t horsepower but consistency.
 
“We’ve made four really good runs in a row,” Johnson said. “We’ve made 12 in a row, if you take one off where we made a boo-boo. The car is responding and we are easing into this with this new car. We have the confidence we can dial it to ‘A’ and it runs to ‘A’ … dial it to ‘C’ and it runs to ‘C’. We are getting there. Almost there.”
 
Johnson was the quickest car throughout the final day of qualifying.

 “That was our plan,” Johnson said. “On the first run, we usually don’t get too aggressive. We try to get from one end of the track to the other in a quick fashion. We never want to get too aggressive and stay true to the [computer] graph and see how the car responds to it. The car responded to the changes.
 
“The Mopar Dodge Avenger is most solid race car I’ve ever had under my butt.”
 
And at least for Bristol, Edwards will agree with the statement

LOSING A HOME RUN – Del Worsham was both quick and spectacular during Friday evening’s Top Fuel qualifying. While his performance was a treat for the fans, it did little for his qualifying efforts.

Worsham thundered his way to a 3.880 second run at 311.99 miles per hour to claim the provisional pole position. Unfortunately for him, fire and oil trailed the Al-Anabi dragster through the lights causing the run to be disqualified due to the NHRA's new  oildown policy.

The rule allows a team one oildown, but after the freebie, each infraction costs the team the offending run, possible monetary fines or point deduction.

“I didn’t feel so bad about the run as much as I did blowing up the engine and oiling the track,” Worsham said. “It’s not good because you make 50 good runs in a row and you get the one bad one and you’re screwed. The rules are the same for everyone, it’s just a shame you don’t get credit for the good ones.”

Worsham said the engine dropped cylinders and pushed out a head gasket. The disqualification of the run left Worsham unqualified headed into Saturday’s qualifying.

“The next day when it goes out there and smokes the tires, you have to pedal it and if it puts oil down then you’re in the situation again,” Worsham explained. “You just basically pedal it enough to beat out one guy.”

Bristol’s Top Fuel field is comprised of 17 entries and after the first session, Worsham earned his way back in with the 15th quickest run.

HE’S OKAY – This was the prognosis on Tim Freeman, crew chief on the Rodger Brogdon-driven Pro Stocker, following a night undergoing tests at the Bristol Regional Medical Center.

Track personnel transported Freeman to the hospital via ambulance on Friday evening.
 
“After yesterday’s first round, Tim Freeman was feeling some mild discomfort and chest pains,” said team spokesperson Bob Unkefer. “He was checked out by the medical staff here at Bristol Dragway and transported to Bristol Regional.”

According to Unkefer, the doctors found no signs of a heart attack. They ran a battery of tests throughout the night.

Freeman made his way back to the track in time for Saturday’s third session.

NIGHT RACING? THUMBS UP! - Ron Capps got the conversation rolling Friday with a remark over the public-address system that Bristol might be an ideal place for a night race. Early leader Bob Tasca III seconded the motion, saying it's an unfair statement that nitro racers don’t like running at night.
 
"The truth is we just need lights. That's all," Tasca said. "We don't ask for much. At 308 miles an hour, we just want to see."
 
He said he'd welcome a night race at Bristol Draway, "at a track like this that's that's well-lit. I'm not going to mention the tracks that aren't well-lit, (where) when you go past the finish line and you lose the wall and the stripe and you don't know where you are. That's why you'll hear some complaints about it."
 
So he clarified his position: "I love night racing. It certainly showcases the best our sport has to offer with the flames and the sound.  I would be all for an night race here and at a few other tracks in the summer -- at tracks that invest in the proper lighting. It's not that difficult. That would be an awesome idea."

LAMBRIGHT DEBUTS - Fellow crew members with Terry McMillen's Amalie Oil/UNOH Top Fuel team have given Austin Lambright the nickname "Austin Coil Lambright," paying tribute to the mechanical wizard who spun his magic for years for Funny Car icon John Force. And the 23-year-old Hoosier with Hoosier Thunder Motorsports indeed has a bit of that Coil magic in his hands.
 
But Saturday, Lambright, who's still the car chief for McMillen's dragster, will get his hands on the wheel of the team's second entry. Lambright earned his license in just four passes. And Saturday's first attempt will be just his fifth pass.
 
"It's 10-grand a lap, and I don't have that kind of money," Lambright said, explaining his lack of on-track experience in the dragster. (He has driven a Funny Car in IHRA competition and has raced in Super Comp.) "we're a small team and we did what we needed to do."
 
Just the same, he promised, "We're going to make some noise."
 
Lambright laughed at the Coil connection -- he has said he also admires sportsman standout Bucky Austin. He said the attention should not be about himself, anyway -- "It's about the team Terry McMillen has built."
 
McMillen said that Lambright is light years ahead of where he was at age 23. And he said he admired Lambright's skills as a mechanic and a driver. "At 23 years old . . . Most people 50 years old don't even have that ability. He has earned his place to be here."
 
He's grateful to Lambright, who preps the cars during the week to make crew chief Richard Hartman's job much easier when he flies in from Anderson, S.C. Lambright builds McMillen's motor and superchargers, and that allows McMillen to chase money to support the team.
 
"He's my future," McMillen said of Lambright and added that he is ready to overdeliver for sponsors Amalie Oil and UNOH.
 
"If we're ever going to make that happen, to showcase what we can do, it's now. It's today," McMillen said.

FARBER ON THE CRASH - Pete Farber was feeling very lucky Saturday morning.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Farber was uninjured when he was involved in a high speed crash with Rickie Smith during the second round of the Get Screen America Pro Modified qualifying Friday night at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

“I was very fortunate,” Farber said. “A lot could have happened. He could have collected me in the door and it could have been a lot worse. If our parachutes were not out and he collected me, we both could have gone into the wall at 240 mph. I know he hit the wall hard and he collected the front of my car and spun us around, but you have to look at the light side of things. You can fix the nose (of the car) and retube the front and spend $25,000 on it, but you can’t replace yourself or your health.”

According to officials at Bristol Regional Medical Center Friday, Smith suffered a fractured left knee in the crash.

Smith’s Camaro began drifting towards the centerline towards the end of a 6.006, 224.92 mph pass.  As the parachutes deployed, Smith continued to move towards the right lane, crossing the centerline.

Smith’s ’68 Camaro drifted into the opposite lane and was collected by Farber’s '69 Daytona where they remained together through the shutdown area. Farber had just completed a 6.177-second run at 235.35 mph.

“I wish all the well wishes in the world for Rickie Smith,” the 35-year-old Farber said. “He is a good racer and a veteran racer and I do not know what happened over there. We went down there nice and straight and I put the chutes out and I saw a whole lot of Camaro. He came across the front of me and hit the wall in front of me and his chutes gathered up into my car and it was crazy. There was absolutely no way I get out of the way. Before I could I hit the brake pedal, his car was driving over the front of mine. His chutes came over the back of my car and grabbed my parachute mount and we went down the road backwards. We did a couple of 360s. It spun us around, around and around. I do not what was going through my mind. There was so much going on so fast. I was just worried about getting the car stopped and that everybody would be OK. There was smoke and dust everywhere. It was unbelievable.”

Farber did praise the quick response by NHRA’s Safety Safari. Smith and Farber didn’t come to a stop until about 600 feet after the finish line.

“I wasn’t done cursing and the Safety Safari was right there helping me out of my car,” Farber said.

Farber, who is competing full-time on the NHRA GSA Pro Mod Series for the first time this season, isn’t going to be able to compete the rest of this weekend.

“We have too much body damage (on the car) and we do not have enough panels here to fix it,” Farber said. “We are just gathering everything up and hopefully we can have it fixed for Norwalk.”

The GSA Pro Mod Series competes at Norwalk (Ohio) June 23-26 as part of the NHRA’s 5th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals. - Tracy Renck

NO. 1 NICE, BUT . . .  -  If Robert Hight can top Bob Tasca in Saturday's Funny Car order, he would halt his streak of races in which he has not qualified No. 1. If not, his streak would grow to 18, dating back to the 2010 Seattle race. But Hight isn't getting caught up in any of that talk. Why should he? In those 18 races, he has won four times.
 
"I am not worried about a No. 1 qualifier streak. Our goal is to be consistent and win races," he said. "It is hard to win races from the No. 1 spot for some reason. And trust me,  we want to be No. 1 every race, but I am not going to lose sleep over that. I am glad to have a Ford at the top here at the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals. We want to get those qualifying bonus points and go rounds on Sunday," the Auto Club Ford Mustang driver (who has 38 top-qualifying positions to his credit) said.

BEING SMART, NOT A HERO - Announcer Bob Frey had a bit of fun Friday with Funny Car's Dan Wilkerson, who has zero points because he's making his first appearance of the season at this event. Wilkerson, son of veteran driver Tim Wilkerson, was the first Funny Car driver down the Bristol Dragway strip. So Frey's reaction to Wilkerson's not-blazing-but-respectable 4.324-second elapsed time in the Summit Racing Equipment Shelby Mustang was to egg on the 23-year-old: "Get out of the car, grab your cell phone, and call all your friends to let them know you're No. 1 qualifier in Bristol."
 
The younger Wilkerson has been busy since he last raced, in June 2010, at Joliet Ill.'s Route 66 Raceway. He earned a Bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Illinois - Springfield and took a job there in his hometown at a tax prep and accounting office. But the numbers he was excited about were on the scoreboard at the racetrack.
 
He was pretty pleased with his eighth-place effort in the first session but had some problems on his second run, had to shut the engine off early, and settled Friday night for a No. 13 spot overnight.
 
"The first one was just soft, but it went down there OK, and it was great for me as a way to ease back into the seat," he said. "On the second one, it was starting to get loose and spin down there. And if there's one thing my dad teaches me, it's to be smart, not a hero. If it was spinning, it wasn't going to be that good, anyway. So we let that one go. We'll get back at it on Saturday, and we'll see where we land."
 
Said Wilkerson, "Great to be back out here, even though it was a marathon of a day for us. We were out here at about the crack of dawn, and we'll be back at the hotel by about the crack of midnight, but that's how it goes when you're making your season debut in June. There's a lot to do, and as a team we don't have that much time together.
 
"It sure seems like more than a year ago, but I'm not looking backwards now," he said. "To have Summit Racing behind us and to have this unbelievably beautiful car all ready to go, it just makes this even more special. I suppose my first pro race in the NHRA will always be a highlight, but this is right up there, with us having Summit Racing on-board and all the shiny parts and pieces ready to go. And, of all the places you could go to race, Bristol would have to be right near the top, too. There's nothing like Thunder Valley. I got to test my dad's car (here), and even inside the car you can tell the surroundings are different. Driving down the track into that valley is awesome, and the fan experience is pretty wild, too. The noise just echoes and rumbles. It's a great place to race."
 
UNHAPPY WITH RACING SURFACE - Points leader Jason Line was fifth after Friday's two sessions. Many drivers would be happy with that but not Line. He was miffed at the track prep, he said.
 
"Our first run was certainly not what we were looking for, and unfortunately we were thrown a bit of a curve in the evening session when they changed the track prep at the last minute," Line said. "As a result, the changes we had made based on the afternoon run were not suited to the conditions we encountered and actually took us in the wrong direction.
 
"The good news," he said, "is that we have two more attempts (Saturday) to try and match our Summit Racing Pontiac to whatever the track conditions may be. The bottom line is that it's the same for everyone out there, so we need to regroup and do a better job tomorrow, putting ourselves in a better position for race day."
 
Teammate Greg Anderson agreed that the racing surface was not what he expected to encounter, although he said his own problems (which left him sixth Friday) involved other issues.
 
"We tested here a few weeks ago and came back to a completely different racetrack," Anderson said. "As a result, we ended up behind the eight ball, and we weren't alone, going by the number of cars that either slowed or shut off in the evening session. In fact, it probably would have been better if we didn't even test.
 
"However, our troubles go beyond our issues with the race track, as we keep battling to find the right tune-up for this race car. There is definitely room for improvement, and we need to make the right changes for tomorrow so we can better match our Summit Racing Pontiac to the race track," he said. "The good news is that Fridays over, we're in the show,  and we certainly have room to improve. So that's what we're going to focus on."
 
'WE'RE WAY OVERDUE' - Sometimes a successful weekend starts on a sour note. Tony Schumacher is hoping that will be his story at Bristol Drag way -- where he has won four times, more than any other NHRA Top Fuel driver. He already has the sour part behind him but remained positive as he anticipated two more qualifying chances -- chances to improve from the No. 7 spot.
 
"We needed to get down the track without issue in that second run (Friday), since we lost the first run due to a broken top-blower pulley," the U.S. Army Dragster driver said. "It's tough when you don't get data to use from the first session. But, as usual, the guys did a terrific job."
 
The Army celebrates its 236th birthday this week, and the overdue Schumacher said this would be a perfect time to nail down that first victory. "We're way overdue for a trip to the winners circle. Maybe this will finally be our weekend. We like making our Army Strong Soldiers happy. We take great pride in representing all of those brave men and women. Obviously, we want to get that first win in the worst way."
 
That might be how he'll get it.
 
ALWAYS A NEW GOAL - Greg Stanfield had his best Pro Stock finish last November, as runner-up to Greg Anderson. This year he's enjoying his best start to a season, with thee final-round appearances and No. 2 showing in the standings. But that's getting old, that "runner-up" label, that "No. 2 status," considering he also was No. 2 on the final 2001 Pro Stock Truck list.
 
Stanfield is a racer who has won in five categories, including Comp Eliminator, Stock, and Super Stock. Until Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s May 16 victory at the JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals at Fontana, Calif., Stanfield shared the distinction with Coughlin and Peter Biondo of earning Wally trophies in more different categories than any one else.
 
Coughlin has won in six classes, but Stanfield told Joe Castello of Competiton Plus Audio that he might catch up one of these days.
 
"I never looked as it as a record," Stanfield said of his feat. "We're going to look at that when I'm done with this Pro Stock deal -- maybe Pro Mod, Top Fuel, Super Comp. We're not going to stop at five (categories).  We're going to do something. We're going to raise it up there."
 
For right now, he said, "Our goal this year is to stay above the top five in points before the chase starts so we don't get behind the curveball."
 
That strong year-end performance that left him No. 2 taught him something, he said.
 
"Every time we race we learn lessons. This points deal is huge, how it's set up. So you got to be really smart," the Bossier City, La., driver said. "We learned a lot over last year. It's going to be interesting."
 
He and his Nitro Fish/Coffman Tank Trucks Pontiac GXP team tested at Tulsa before heading to Bristol. And, Stanfield said, "It looks like it's working good for us." With continuing support from Kenny Koretsky and additional funding recently from Lucas Oil, Stanfield and J.D. and Teresa Coffman, he said, "We've got a good deal going."
 
ONLY TWO - Greg Stanfield told Competiton Plus Audio early Friday that he expected to see "quite a few 6.60 runs tonight. I hope we're one of them." His prediction was off on both counts. Only three drivers posted 6.60-second-range elapsed times Friday, and only two of them did it in the evening session. Mike Edwards led the field overnight with his nighttime run of 6.679 seconds, and Allen Johnson posted a 6.696 to take third place. Rodger Brogdon hit the 6.6 mark with a 6.696-second E.T., identical to Johnson's, but Brogdon took the No. 2 position with a faster speed.
 
UNDESIRABLE WHO'S WHO LIST - Some accomplished drivers and a couple of promising ones were among the Pro Stock drivers unqualified as Saturday approached. They were Bob Benza, Buddy perkinson, Larry Morgan, Steve Spiess, Frank Gugliotta, John Gaydosh, and Kurt Johnson. 

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - THUNDER UNDER THE LIGHTS

HAIRY, I TELL YOU - Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III could hear the Pro Stock cars running their second qualifying session of the day at Bristol Dragway. Then he kept glancing at the damage-control commotion going on in his Motorcraft/Quick lane pit. And he was getting antsy.

"We put a brand-new motor in the car, and [crew chief Chris] Cunningham didn't like the cylinder temperatures when it warmed up," Tasca said. "We downloaded the data, and they got the valve covers off. They're adjusting valves, changing coil boxes, changing wires. And then they found an oil leak. We started the motor up on gas, just to make sure everything was good. And they're thrashing to fix the oil leak. Pro Stock's running, and I knew were either first or second pair."

He turned to Cunningham and asked, "Are we all right?"

Cunningham shot him a glance -- that Cunningham glance. "Everything's all right," he said, snapping his attention back to the task at hand.

"Chris is one cool cat. He was under pressure," Tasca said.

So was Tasca, registering a 4.107-second elapsed time at 308.21 mph to grab the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals at the scenic and historic East Tennessee racetrack carved into the hills.

If it holds, it will be his first of season, second of his career. And Tasca said he thinks that number has an excellent chance to do that.

"Hopefully it will hold in the heat tomorrow. I think it will. I don't think you're going to run 10 in the heat tomorrow," he said. "It'd be real nice to keep a Ford on the pole for the Ford Nationals.

"Tomorrow's going to be kind of race mode, getting ready for Sunday, much hotter race track. I'd be just as happy to run low E.T. tomorrow, whatever that number may be. That'll be a number that'll be something we'll shoot for on Sunday," Tasca said.

"I don’t think you'll see conditions anything like this, even on Sunday morning. The cars the run good tomorrow will be the cars that'll be the ones to watch out for on Sunday," he said.

He called his team's whole second-session effort "a little hairy."

"These night traces, as a driver, just finding the groove is important," Tasca said. "If you get it out of the groove and you're pulling real hard on the engine, you got a  good chance of smoking the tires."

He said his Mustang "got out there and it started really moving around. I had my hands full and hit the parachutes, knew it was on a good run. We're were real happy with the (4.)10, real happy with the speed. I've got to be honest with you, I didn't think it was going to hold, because we figured someone was going to run a  (4.0)6 or a 7. We weren't really in safe, by any stretch of the imagination.  So we were just wanting to go down the racetrack. Obviously it was a better run than we gave it credit for."

Some crew chiefs, Tasca said -- citing in particular Jimmy Prock, with Robert Hight's Auto Club Ford Mustang that's No. 2 overnight with a 4.110-second E.T. at a top speed of 304.53 mph --as playing it more conservative. But, he said, "A few of the cars were trying to run a little harder than a 10 and didn't make it.

"Truthfully, the track is bumpy. It's definitely bumpier than, let's say, a Charlotte or even an Englishtown. That'll do two things -- that'll give you some free wheel speed, kind of loosen the car up a little, and if it holds it'll run quicker than you give it credit for," he said .

"I think it was just the way the chips fell. Fortunately, we ended up on top," Tasca said. "I wouldn't have predicted a (4.)10 be low E.T. tonight."

He had another surprise Friday. His wife Therase told him in a phone call that she was with their four sons at their local Stop & Shop grocery store in Rhode Island. He asked her what she was doing there with all the children on a  Friday night. Before she could answer, one of his crew members interrupted and told Tasca he had some people who wanted to see him. Tasca ended the phone call and saw his entire family waiting outside the hauler to greet him at the start of this Fathers Day weekend and cheer him on.

So in front of his hooky-playing children, Tasca truly could enjoy the Bristol Dragway experience.

"There's nothing like being here - the echo of the mountains, the header flames at night. I can tell you: sitting in that race car, when you hit the throttle at night, it's an orange-amber glow and as you come up on half-track it starts to disappear. And that's when you know you're really hauling. Header flames start to lay back. It starts to get dark again. The car's really, really accelerating," Tasca said. "Fun ride for us in the Motorcraft/QuickLane team."

ALMOST THERE - Brandon Bernstein almost giggled Friday night.

His No. 1 qualifying position for the Top Fuel field at the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway isn't official.

But his 3.859-second elapsed time was plenty quick enough overnight to put him on track for his career 14th top spot -- but more important for his first of this already-taxing season for the Copart Dragster team and his first since September 27, 2008, at Memphis.

"It's been a long time since we've been here, in this position where we've been No. 1," the joyful Bernstein said.

In his evening run he traded spots with Antron Brown, who had been No. 1 in the opening session. Brown, in the Matco Tools Dragster, and strong-running Terry McMillen, in the Amalie Oil/UNOH Dragster, line up behind him. So Bernstein sat though a few anxious moments.

Brown, who had slipped to No. 7 by the time he staged, came up with a 3.864-second pass but left Bernstein as the lone Top Fueler in the 3.85 range for now. McMillen sits No. 3 at 3.864 -- his career-fastest pass for fifth in the tentative order.

Larry Dixon (3.864) and Spencer Massey (3.866) are third and fourth, respectively, so far with two more sessions scheduled for Saturday.

So the night belonged to Bernstein.

He wasn't so sure for awhile, he said.

"Those two cars behind us could run probably just as well as or even better than what we just ran," he said he told himself.

He knew that his run was a signal of what this Copart Dragster could do.

"The run itself was a great run," Bernstein said.

But he indicated it was in spite of some wacky circumstances inside the cockpit. "My visor fogged up just a little bit right before we left. That's why I was really late on the tree," he said, laughing at his crazy luck. "It went right down there. It felt like it moved around a little bit down there [at the top end], but that's probably because I couldn't see as well as I wanted to see."

Still he never took credit. To Bernstein, the night belonged to crew chiefs Todd Smith and Donnie Bender and the Copart crew. "Great run by the guys," Bernstein said.

"We've been struggling a lot in the beginning of the season, and now we're getting it fine-tuned, it seems like," he said. He said Smith and Bender and the team "are working overtime to get this car where it needs to be. We know it's got the potential. We know it's run good numbers. It's just getting he consistency there."

Points leader Del Worsham has the bump spot heading into Saturday's final day of qualifying, and Troy Buff is the odd man out among the 17 entrants this weekend.

Bernstein said he was a little puzzled that the numbers shook out as they did.

"I thought maybe there'd be some bigger numbers tonight, especially because the session got later and later," he said. "I was a little surprised that there weren't a lot more cars that ran in the (3.)80s and  low 80s. To tell you the truth, I was thinking that a high (3.)70 was going to be low when we started this session. So it was a little surprising."

Doug Kalitta at No.6, Tony Schumacher at No. 7, and Morgan Lucas at No. 8 round out the top half of the provisional ladder.

With the late Jeff Byrd, longtime president of Bristol Dragway, being honored this weekend as one of the NHRA Legends, Bernstein said Byrd's memory "definitely is a great motivator in our family Jeff Byrd was such a great, great friend, not just to my father [Kenny Bernstein], but to me, also. He was always smiling at me, always gave me a big hug."

Hugs will go all around in the Copart pit Saturday night if Bernstein can break his streak and lead the field for this ninth of 22 races on the Full Throttle Dag Racing Series tour.

HEY, I'LL TAKE IT - Mike Edwards wasn’t going to argue with his good fortunes, but wondering what happened to the competition during the final session is still open for debate.

During Friday qualifying at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, Edwards expected a quick and fast Pro Stock session only to find out he was in a world of his own. Edwards was the quickest Pro Stocker on the property with a 6.679, 205.94, nearly .023 over second quickest Rodger Brogdon.

“The track got really good there for sure,” Edwards said. “We made a good run, hat’s off to my guys, they made a really good call. We scrambled a bit on that run and we are in the sights of something good now. We made a good run but we have to make some adjustments for tomorrow.”

Pro Stock’s third session, scheduled for 11:30 AM, could provide atmospheric conditions as favorable as, if not better than those of the Friday evening session.

“The starting line got so much better in the evening session than in the first,” Edwards said. “We ran later than what we expected and when this track cools off, this track gets really, really good.”

Edwards believes he adapted to the starting line better in the second session. This attributed to his performance gain.

“I think we out-traveled them a couple of hundredths to the 330,” said Edwards. “I think that’s where we picked up. I really believed several other cars would pick up. I’m not sure why they didn’t. I was surprised.

“Our first run wasn’t the best and we left a little room for the second. We ran what we were supposed to run tonight.”

As much as Edwards would love to say the run will hold through both of Saturday’s sessions, he learned last year the downfalls of assumption.

“I was sitting here on a Friday as the No. 1 qualifier, and some guy named Allen Johnson came along and kicked me,” said Edwards, pausing to smile.

If the run holds, it will represent his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 38th of his career.

A PAIR OF LEGENDS, BRISTOL AND RICKIE SMITH - Rickie Smith, driver of the IDG nitrous-injected ‘68 Camaro, returns to Bristol Dragway, looking to fight

SMITH CRASHES! - Veteran Pro Modified driver Rickie Smith was involved in a two-car crash with Pete Farber during Friday GSA Pro Modified qualifying at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

Smith, who was reportedly complaining of leg pain while being extracted from his car and  transported to Bristol Regional Medical Center for evaluation, while Farber was  checked and released at the track by NHRA emergency services officials.

Smith’s Camaro began drifting towards the centerline towards the end of a 6.006, 224.92 pass.  As the parachutes deployed,  Smith continued to move towards the right lane, crossing the centerline.

Smith’s ’68 Camaro drifted into the opposite lane and was collected by Farber’s '69 Daytona where they remained together through the shutdown area.

We’ll have more details as they become available. - Bobby Bennett, Lauren Jones

Updated - According to officials at Bristol Regional Medical Center, Rickie Smith suffered a fractured left knee after being involved in a high speed crash during Friday's second round of Pro Modified qualifying.

With new sponsorship from IDG, great strides in the healing process, and competing at a track where he is greatly admired, Smith looks for the chips to fall in his favor this weekend. - Lauren Jones




A TREND? - The most recent Funny Car winner, Mike Neff, looks to be following the same pattern of success that has led him to the past four final rounds in a row and a win two weeks ago in Englishtown. Neff also recorded the 14^th quickest time in Englishtown on Friday and for the crew chief turned driver a less than stellar Friday has led to a bounce back performance on Saturday and then a steady march through the competition on Sunday in the Castrol GTX Mustang.

FULLER SETTLES BACK INTO THE GROOVE - Hot Rod Fuller mixed his nitro, getting just the right combination of nitro and alcohol mix. Some routines remain familiar, no matter how long you’re out of the game.

Now, thanks to Yas Marina and a newly brokered deal with Bob Vandergriff Motorsports, Fuller is set to run a 10-race schedule, beginning with this weekend’s NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

“I sure miss racing full time,” Fuller said, pausing from his duties. “I miss running up against Dixon, Schumacher and those guys. I’ve had a lot of fun being a part of this Yas Marina team and in U.A.E. and Abu Dhabi.”

Fuller has been relegated to part-time status since 2008, the last year he was a full-time player on the NHRA Full Throttle tour. A lot has changed for Fuller following the David Powers Motorsports days. He’s a drag racing academy instructor in Abu Dhabi, in addition to serving as the driver representing the country located in the United Arab Emirates.

“I’ve also visited four different countries,” Fuller said.

Now Fuller is back racing in the United States and racing at a facility where he has history. A team parked across the pit area provided a reminder.

“I reached my first Top Fuel final here and I lost on a holeshot to Doug Kalitta,” Fuller said, pointing to the Kalitta Motorsports hauler. “This is a really good track for me. I also reached the finals here in 2007. I lost that one to Doug Kalitta, too.”

This weekend Fuller is carrying the DiGiorno Pizza livery on the Yas Marina dragster as part of a Wal-Mart promotion. And for Fuller, he’s planning to deliver for the new pizza sponsor.

“I’ve always been a little on the cocky side,” admitted Fuller. “I feel like we can go out and win right off of the bat. I’ve been fortunate in Abu Dhabi with my three-seat dragster to put in 225 runs to keep sharp, see the tree, and stage. I tell people it takes three races to get really into it.

“Look at me by Denver and I'll really have the rust knocked off.”

Rust or no rust, nothing is stale about his desire to renew the old rivalry with Tony Schumacher. Never mind who’s atop the Top Fuel points standings. Fuller’s goal is mix it up with the seven-time champion just like they did 2007.

“My rival is Tony Schumacher and will always be,” said Fuller with a smile. “Even last year it was painful when I was over there [at Don Schumacher Racing] and was teammates. We have unfinished business. I don’t care what he says or what goes on. He’s always No. 1 on my target list.”

And if Fuller has his druthers, he will be around for the long term to be a thorn in Schumacher’s side.

“A lot of people look at us, the Yas Marina and Abu Dhabi circuit, like money grows on trees in the Middle East,” said Fuller. “The way the Yas Marinas circuit manages this team is like a business. It has to be profitable and worthwhile. You’re not going to see this team disappear because we’re tired of doing it. We’re a business and that’s how we want to run this thing. If we can show and prove to our corporate board and Abu Dhabi that this is a legitimate, profitable deal we will do this forever.”

ALLEN'S DAD READY TO WIN - Last season Roy Johnson’s Drag Pak Challenger Stocker was the talk of the Bristol Dragway pits.

Johnson, an iconic figure in Tennessee sportsman racing, had been out of the driver’s seat for over two decades when his son, Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson, surprised him with the modern day musclecar as a Christmas present.

In his driving debut, the elder Johnson drove his way to a semi-final finish.

Johnson has gotten past the novelty phase and is now concentrating on the details which made him a sportsman hitter back in the day.

“I’m ready to go racing now,” said the enthusiastic Johnson, prior to Friday’s qualifying at the NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals. “Last year we came so close and that was an achievement. But to red-light was a heartbreaker.”

Johnson lives in Greeneville, Tn., and it is a mere stone’s throw from the facility once known as Thunder Valley Dragway, now renamed Bristol Dragway. He’s always inspired to win at home, but success isn’t limited to his backyard.

“There’s always an incentive to win regardless of where you’re at,” Johnson confirmed. “But, there’s nothing like winning at home.”

Should the momentous victory come on the hallowed grounds of Johnson can not find the words to describe what the moment would mean to him.

Johnson has a new lease on life since suffering a heart attack in February 2007. Now he believes he’s strong and even if he does win, the ticker is strong enough to take the excitement.

Johnson even smiles at the notion of a father-son victory on Sunday, Father’s Day, with Allen, who is the most recent winner on the NHRA Full Throttle Series.

He smiles but understands the experience might be the victory which could do him in.

“Yeah, my ticker WOULDN’T handle that one,” he said with a smile.

FIRED UP - Funny Car racer Brian Thiel flamed his Funny Car up during the first session. The car is repairable but not for the rest of Friday qualifying.

NEW SPORTSMAN SPONSOR - Stock eliminator competitor Grace Howell is racing at this weekend’s Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with a new sponsor adorning her Cobra Jet.

Howell represents Fas Mart, a regional convenience store with 215 locations.

 “We couldn’t be more pleased with the partnership with Fas Mart,” said Chris Harrison, the team’s marketing manager. “This is a perfect fit for the Howells to work with a company familiar with the motorsports industry and interested in investing in the success of the teams. Looking forward to more opportunities to work with them in the future.”

Howell is pulling double duty this weekend, also racing a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier in Super Stock. She’s just excited about racing at Bristol, running two cars is a bonus.

“This is a neat track and very unique how it’s situated in the mountains,” said Howell. “There is an added element of difficulty because of the altitude but I always enjoy racing there. My Dad won this event in 2001 so it’s a special track for our family.”

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