John Force recorded his 125th Funny Car victory Sunday and secured a spot in the
Countdown to the Championship by beating fellow legend Kenny Bernstein in the
closest drag race of the 26th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd
International Raceway. Force nipped Bernstein by .0048 seconds, or about two
feet, with a 4.794-second pass at 316.60 mph to Bernstein's 4.801 at 320.43
mph.

Bernstein's son Brandon quickly brightened his
father's mood by beating friendly rival Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel final, 4.525
to 4.586. In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin became just the 11th racer in 56 years of
NHRA competition to score 50 national event wins when he beat Greg Anderson. An
all-Harley Pro Stock Motorcycle final between teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie
Krawiec favored Hines.

Force and Bernstein last faced each other in 1989
at the SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J., an event that Bernstein went on to win
for his last Funny Car victory. Bernstein now holds a 13-8 mark against Force,
including a 6-2 record in final rounds. Force's career record improves to
125-74, while Bernstein's falls to 69-51.

"Austin Coil [crew chief] has run this track a lot
more than me from the old days of match racing and he really knows this place,
whether it's hot or cool here," said Force, who now has 11 wins at Brainerd.
"This season has been something. Early on I couldn't beat anyone, including that
girl named Force, and I remember awhile back telling Coil we were pathetic.
Something just had us snake-bit and we never did find what it was.

Sunday's final results from the Amalie Oil North American Nationals
presented by New England Dodge Dealers at New England Dragway.  The 
race is the seventh of 11 in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam
Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.980 seconds, 285.29 mph  def. T.J. Zizzo, 5.714 seconds, 171.93 mph.

Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the
Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge
Dealers at New England Dragway, the seventh of 11 events in the $19.5
million 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -

Final round-by-round results from the Amalie Oil North American
Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers at New England
Dragway, the seventh of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll-Gas
Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:

Last season Bobby Lagana Jr. won his second career IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Top
Fuel event at New England Dragway, claiming a final round win over his drag
racing mentor and idol, Chris Karamesines. This year the opponent was different,
but Lagana ended up in the same place Sunday afternoon by visiting the winner’s
circle after a finals win over T.J. Zizzo during the Amalie Oil North American
Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers.

Other professional
winners include Dale Creasy Jr. (Nitro Funny Car), Mike Janis (Pro Modified),
Mark Thomas (Alcohol Funny Car) and Frank Gugliotta (Pro Stock).

Lagana, from
Scarsdale,
N.Y. carded a 4.980 at 285.23 mph to secure
the win over Zizzo, who ran a 5.714 at 171.93. Despite losing, Zizzo leaves the
race No. 1 in the points chase over Bruce Litton.

“I really just
wanted to qualify so we could come out here and have some fun on Sunday,” said
Lagana Jr. “My dad, he came down to top end crying. He was so happy. Problem is
now he wants to take a lap in the car.”

ASHLEY GRABS HIS FIFTH POLE OF 2007 IN BRAINERD;
SCHUMACHER, LINE AND ELLIS ALSO SITTING IN TOP SPOT

Mike Ashley had the quickest Funny Car
of all four qualifying sessions to easily secure the No. 1 position in the
elimination field of the 26th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Bob Gilbertson, Gastonia, N.C., qualified No. 1 in Knoll Gas Torco
Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car during the Amalie Oil North American
Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers. Gilbertson covered
the New England Dragway quarter-mile in 4.953 seconds at 309.91 mph,
also earning Last Man Standing in front of the capacity crowd.

Other professional No. 1 qualifiers include TJ Zizzo (Top Fuel), Mike
Janis (Pro Modified), Terry Munroe (Alcohol Funny Car) and Brian Gahm (Pro
Stock).

Trailing Gilbertson in Nitro Funny Car qualifying is Andy Kelley and
Mike Smith, two and three. Points leader Dale Creasy Jr. sits fourth, followed
by Jack Wyatt, Mitch King, Jeff Diehl and Terry
Haddock.

Zizzo topped the Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top
Fuel class with a 4.610, 320.13, which earned the
Lincolnshire,
Ill., driver Last Man Standing as well. Terry McMillen
qualified second, 4.663, followed by Scotty Cannon and Bobby Lagana Jr. Current
points leader Bruce Litton is fifth. His lead over Zizzo is less than one round,
and the two will meet in the first round of
eliminations.

Friday professional qualifying was cancelled at New England Dragway during the
Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers. Cold
temperature, down-time and the on-set of dew led to the decision.

Top Fuel points leader "Hot Rod"
Fuller navigated a sweltering hot Brainerd International Raceway in 4.607
seconds Friday night to take the provisional qualifying lead at the 26th annual
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.