Tony Schumacher's iron grip on the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals title fell limp Monday in a tire-smoking National Hot Rod Ass'n. semifinal battle against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Cory McClenathan.
 
That's all Larry Dixon needed to become Top Fuel king again at O'Reilly Raceway Park, as he blazed to his 10th triumph in as many final rounds this year and his fourth at the storied track that's a stone's throw from his adopted home in Avon.
 
Ashley Force Hood scored back-to-back Indianapolis triumphs in the Funny Car class, this time at the expense of father John Force in an all-Castrol Ford Mustang final. She and Dixon joined Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) in the winners circle at this 56th edition of drag racing's marquee event.
 
In their third final-round meeting this season, Dixon and McClenathan made it a close one, but the Jason McCulloch-tuned Al-Anabi Dragster produced a 3.838-second elapsed time and 319.60-mph speed to best the FRAM rocket prepared by Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. McClenathan registered a 3.870 / 319.82.

Tony Schumacher's iron grip on the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals title fell limp Monday in a tire-smoking National Hot Rod Ass'n. semifinal battle against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Cory McClenathan.
 
That's all Larry Dixon needed to become Top Fuel king again at O'Reilly Raceway Park, as he blazed to his 10th triumph in as many final rounds this year and his fourth at the storied track that's a stone's throw from his adopted home in Avon.
 
Ashley Force Hood scored back-to-back Indianapolis triumphs in the Funny Car class, this time at the expense of father John Force in an all-Castrol Ford Mustang final. She and Dixon joined Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) in the winners circle at this 56th edition of drag racing's marquee event.
 
In their third final-round meeting this season, Dixon and McClenathan made it a close one, but the Jason McCulloch-tuned Al-Anabi Dragster produced a 3.838-second elapsed time and 319.60-mph speed to best the FRAM rocket prepared by Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler. McClenathan registered a 3.870 / 319.82.
 
Dixon was the winner here over Schumacher in 2005 and  runner-up to Schumacher in 2009, 2007, and 2002. In the only U.S. Nationals final round of the past decade that didn't include Schumacher, Dixon defeated current ESPN commentator Mike Dunn to capture his first trophy at the NHRA's "Big Go."
 
Dixon has won each of the six races in which he qualified No. 1 this year.
 
"It just means so much to me personally," he said. "My dad racing here forever . . . Racing with Snake and knowing how much it means to him . . .  Now racing with Sheik Khalid . . ." And alluding to Blaine Johnson's death here during qualifying in 1996, Dixon said, "And now with Alan Johnson and the Johnson family, I know how much this race means to them and how much they've sacrificed at this race. It means everything, this race. Nothing against Atlanta and Phoenix, but I’d trade them all in for Indy wins."
 
As for whether this is his most cherished Indianapolis Wally statue, Dixon said, "Throw all the Indy in a hat and draw. Indianapolis is big, especially when Tony wins it every year. That doesn't leave much for us."
 
Dixon said of Schumacher's incredible run, "It hasn't been hard to watch him dominate. I appreciate what he's been able to do. I have a lot of respect from him and the teams he's been able to do it with, because he's done it with different teams. He's done it with Alan and Jason. There's no jealousy or anything like that with him winning. I don't have any hate on him or his team. There are a lot of times I got to race him for the Indy trophy and we couldn't get it done. We just weren't good enough to beat him. It just means when you get another shot at it, you try harder.
 
"A lot's been talked about me and Tony, but I'm racing Cory every qualifying session. He's not going to go away. That's a great car and a great team. Todd and Phil are doing an awesome job. But Alan and Jason and our Al-Anabi team, we were a little bit better this week. But great job by them. Cory made a great run that final round, probably the best of the day. He's not going away. They kept us honest."
 
He fondly recalled "all the years coming here with my dad. Now [his crew chief] Jason McCulloch, all those years he was coming here, helping his dad win Indy, and now he wins his first Indy as a crew chief. I'm jacked up for him. This race is so big."
 
With a .0648-second margin of victory, McClenathan earned the chance to run for his first U.S. Nationals victory since 1999 and his third overall. He denied Schumacher the chance to pass "Big Daddy" Don Garlits as the event's most successful champion.  He remains tied with the legend at eight triumphs.
 
"I'm not even thinking about that right now," Schumacher said. "To be honest, I was more concerned with starting the Countdown to One on a successful note. We lost some ground today, but we have five more races to get the job done.
 
"There's not a lot you can say," the U.S. Army Dragster driver said. "I thought I could get the car hooked up and get past him, but it just wouldn't go. Of course, I'm disappointed. This is our biggest race of the year and you always want to win this one more than any other one on the schedule."

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