Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 23rd
annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals presented by Castrol at Firebird
International Raceway, the second of 23 events in the  NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series Countdown to the Championship -

Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA
Nationals presented by Castrol at Firebird International Raceway, the second of
23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Sunday's final results from the 23rd annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA
Nationals presented by Castrol at Firebird International Raceway.  The  race is
the second of 23 in the  NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Roy Johnson, father and co-crew
chief of veteran Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson, suffered an apparent heart
attack late Saturday at Firebird International
Raceway near Phoenix, where the Greeneville, Tenn.-based team is competing in
the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals.

SCHUMACHER, HIGHT AND LINE EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT
CHECKER
SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS

Four-time Top Fuel
champion Tony Schumacher raced to his 37th career No. 1 qualifying position Saturday after covering
Firebird International Raceway's quarter-mile dragstrip in a track
record time of 4.430 seconds -- the fourth quickest run in NHRA history.

Robert Hight and Jason Line also earned No. 1 qualifying honors at
the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals presented by Castrol, the
second of 23
events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Countdown to the
Championship.
Sunday's eliminations start at 11 a.m. (MT), with television coverage
on ESPN2
at 7 p.m. (ET).

Saturday's drama came in the form of last-ditch qualifying efforts by
John Force and Doug Kalitta. With their class-leading qualifying
streaks
hanging in the balance, both drivers managed to make the starting
lineups in their respective categories during the final session. Force
powered his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang to a 4.818 and
Kalitta posted
a 4.547 in his Mac Tools dragster. Force has now qualified for 394
consecutive
events, while Kalitta has reached 162 straight race days.

Photographer Marty Reger had a wild day on the top-end at Firebird Raceway. It started with Cruz Pedregon and then spread to Bob Vandergriff, Jr. and Del Worsham.

Things heated up for Cruz Pedregon during Saturday's opening
qualifying session. Ace lensman Marty Reger was there to capture the
carnage.

Scott Griffin confirmed
that he will sit out the 2007 season despite making an announcement he would
field a car with Scott Weis driving. Griffin
cited the lack of available quality crew chiefs to be the deciding factor in
his decision.

The second episode of the return season of American Dragster will be cablecast
on ESPN2 Sunday, February 25th, 11:30AM EST, 8:30 PST.

Robert Hight raced to the quickest Funny Car run in
NHRA history Friday at the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird
International Raceway near Phoenix.

Hight's performance of 4.636 seconds at 327.74 mph
in his Auto Club Ford Mustang overshadowed Top Fuel leader Tony Schumacher's
track record time of 4.430 seconds, the fourth-quickest run ever in that
category.