Robert Hight doesn’t need motivation when the mission is racing the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

For the 39-year old driver from Yorba Linda, Ca, the inspiration came
while visiting his friend Eric Medlen at the cemetery on Monday morning.

Hight stopped on his way into the cemetery as he saw John Medlen on his way out.

“He stopped and rolled the window down and he couldn't even talk,”
Hight recalled. “His eyes were filled with tears. It's so tough to see
what this guy has to go through every day. All I could say was let's go
get them today. He drove off and I went and saw Eric. After I beat Mike
Neff [Medlen’s driver]  in the second round he came up to me and said,
'did you make a deal with Eric today?' I said 'whatever it takes. Yes.”

Rickie Jones, although in his rookie
year, certainly did not act like one at this weekend's U.S.
Nationals.

Jones qualified solidly in the number eleven position
and captured a round win in the Labor Day eliminations. Jones was
pitted against Ron Krisher in round one. Jones had him on the tree .039
to .089 and was able to hold him off despite Krisher's slightly quicker
elapsed time. The round win was outstanding for this rookie team. Jones
elaborates:

"We didn't really know what to expect going into our first race here at
Indy. We knew it was going to be tough and we would definitely have to
have our game together. We were thrilled just to qualify in this
extremely tough field. Winning a round today was pretty special for
this Quarter-Max Mopar Dodge Stratus team. We feel that's a great
accomplishment for any rookie team running at Indy."

Don Schumacher stepped away from the sport of drag racing, but came back as car owner where his success over the last ten

Don Schumacher says he's as proud as he can be of what his teams have accomplished over the past ten years. (Jon Asher)

years has added volumes to the NHRA record books. Still, he is
humble about his part in the program and humble about the importance of
the numbers in the books.

“I am very fortunate to be able to put great people together and form a
great team with great sponsors and have my son be at the top,” the
elder Schumacher recounted when asked of his part in the team's almost
unbelievable record runs which include six championships, eight Indy
wins, and 52 Top Fuel victories posted by Tony, which ties the junior
Schumacher with legendary Joe Amato.

Photos by Roger Richards

Robert Hight, Dave Connolly, and Steve Johnson round out winners at 54th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

Five-time
champion Tony Schumacher capped off a historic performance at the 54th
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Sunday with his decisive final-round win over
longtime foe Doug Kalitta.

Schumacher set NHRA Top Fuel records for wins in a row (6) and wins in
a season (11) and he tied Joe Amato for most wins all-time in Top Fuel
(52). It was also his seventh Mac Tools U.S. Nationals win and third in
a row.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following
the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at
Indianapolis, the 18th of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series -

Top Fuel

1. Tony Schumacher, 1,764; 2. Antron Brown, 1,197; 3. Larry Dixon,
1,140; 4. Cory McClenathan, 1,096; 5. Rod Fuller, 1,046; 6. Brandon
Bernstein, 1,029; 7. Hillary Will, 963; 8. Doug Herbert, 896; 9. Doug
Kalitta, 824; 10. David Grubnic, 768.

Final round-by-round results from the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 24
events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Antron Brown, 3.870, 308.50 def. David Grubnic, 4.045,
294.11; Doug Herbert, 3.918, 311.85 def. Clay Millican, 8.402, 74.18;
Doug Kalitta, 3.957, 304.12 def. J.R. Todd, 4.212, 253.14; Brandon
Bernstein, 3.906, 310.98 def. Rod Fuller, 3.945, 303.78; Cory
McClenathan, 3.871, 306.95 def. Pat Dakin, broke; Hillary Will, 3.914,
310.13 def. Steve Torrence, 3.948, 305.91; Tony Schumacher, 3.842,
316.90 def. Bob Vandergriff, 3.972, 300.66; Larry Dixon, 3.909, 308.71
def. Troy Buff, 3.915, 304.46;

QUARTERFINALS -- Kalitta,
5.447, 229.04 def. Bernstein, 6.479, 144.44; McClenathan, 4.521, 244.38
def. Herbert, 5.041, 270.37; Brown, 3.894, 309.13 def. Dixon, 3.954,
295.27; Schumacher, 3.897, 314.31 def. Will, 4.130, 232.23;

SEMIFINALS -- Schumacher, 3.947, 305.42 def. McClenathan, foul; Kalitta, 4.015, 296.37 def. Brown, 4.661, 229.59;

FINAL -- Schumacher, 3.916, 309.13 def. Kalitta, 4.036, 299.86.

Monday's final results from the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
The race is the 18th of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Tony Schumacher, 3.916 seconds, 309.13 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 4.036 seconds, 299.86 mph.

Father Against Daughter, Brother Against Brother Made The U.S. Smokeless Showdown Even Better

Cruz Pedregon’s Toyota proved to be the class of what appears to be the last U.S. Smokeless Showdown field. (All Photos by Jon Asher)

The winner’s trophy for the Showdown was exceptionally nice.  That champagne looks good, too!

Why is it that
some races are harder to win than others? There doesn’t seem to be
any logical explanation, but it’s nevertheless fact. Winning Indy,
the U.S. Nationals, may be the toughest one of all, however the Skoal
Showdown is a close second. It’s just doesn’t seem reasonable,
yet winning reduces drivers to tears and that’s certainly not the
result of winning $100,000, although that’s definitely a hefty pay
day.

Cruz Pedregon made
it to the finals of what used to be the Big Bud Shootout and now,
for the last time, the Skoal Showdown, four times in the past and
lost every time.

When he triumphed
at O’Reilly Raceway Park on Sunday afternoon he appeared to be
pretty much in control of his emotions, but as he spoke to ESPN
commentator Garry Gerould his voice cracked and tears appeared in his
eyes.

CRUZ PEDREGON WINS U.S. SMOKELESS SHOWDOWN, TOP FUEL FIELD SET

Larry Dixon, Tony Pedregon, Allen Johnson, Matt Smith qualify No. 1

Cruz
Pedregon capped a momentous Sunday at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals by
defeating Tim Wilkerson to win the U.S. Smokeless Showdown, the annual
bonus race for Funny Cars, and the $100,000 first prize that comes with
the title.

“I tried not to think about the money,” said Pedregon, a former
POWERade Series and three-time Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion who
won the bonus race for the first time in his career, powering the
Advance Auto Parts Toyota Solara past Wilkerson's Levi, Ray & Shoup
Chevy Impala, 4.184 to 4.280. “I’m still kind of in shock (but) I’m
going to enjoy this one.”