Super-tuner Dick LaHaie, who was lured out of retirement by the
blandishments of team owner Connie Kalitta, will return to a quieter
existence after next weekend’s Finals.

Las Vegas’ own “Hot Rod” Fuller completed the best weekend of his
three-year professional career by winning the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA
Nationals to surge back into the POWERade points lead with one race
left in the season.

Fuller's third win of the year in his CAT dragster and sixth of his
career followed a thrilling victory Saturday in the Technicoat Top Fuel
Shootout.

In Funny Car, Tony Pedregon put a stranglehold on the 2007 title chase
with his fourth win of the year in his Q Horsepower Chevy Impala SS,
the 36th of his career and his third in Las Vegas. The other three
racers fighting for the Funny Car title in the Countdown to 1 all lost
in Round 1.

Point standings for the four drivers in each class who have
qualified for the Countdown to 1, following the Seventh annual ACDelco
Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the
22nd of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Sunday's final results from the Seventh annual ACDelco Las Vegas
NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is
the 22nd of 23 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Final round-by-round results from the Seventh annual ACDelco Las
Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 22nd
of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

If your name is Tony and you race at Las
Vegas, bypassing the scales after a good run isn’t a recommended
action. Last year Tony Pedregon had a 4.79 run thrown out and that
caused him to DNQ after 114 consecutive starts. Pedregon complained
that he was conducting business as usual.

Tony Schumacher said the same thing Sunday as he bypassed the scales
after beating Melanie Troxel in the second round of the $100,000-to-win
Technicoat Shootout. NHRA officials denied that claim and disqualified
the defending world champion and reinstated Troxel.

Schumacher alleges that he stopped and offered to weigh.

“There’s a green light and a red-light at almost every track scales
that we race at,” Schumacher said. “After we passed the scales, I got
out to do the number one deal and Rich said, ‘Hey you passed the
scales.”

“We had been 40 pounds over all day and I said, ‘There are my guys, if
you want to weigh them, then grab them and weigh. Graham Light asked me
why I passed the scales and I told him that I had told Rich to grab my
guys if he wanted them to weigh.”  

Top Fuel legend Shirley Muldowney, who was at The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway on Friday, was hospitalized Saturday after complaining
of possible food poisoning.

‘COUNTDOWN’ DRIVERS EARN TOP QUALIFYING POINTS; FULLER EARNS FIRST TECHNICOAT TITLE IN LAS VEGAS

Tony
Schumacher, Robert Hight, and Chip Ellis held on to their No. 1
qualifying positions Saturday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals,
each earning eight vital points in their quests for NHRA POWERade
Series world championship titles, while Countdown contender Dave
Connolly usurped Justin Humphreys to keep his historic momentum going
in Pro Stock.

Local favorite Rod Fuller also made headlines,
earning his first $100,000 winner’s share of the Technicoat Top Fuel
Shootout after a runner-up finish last season.

Schumacher
piloted his U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster to a 4.482 at 327.59 for his
11th No. 1 qualifier of the year, the 46th of his career and his third
at The Strip.

“We've run so well here the last few years but
that does not in any way, shape, or form mean we'll run good tomorrow,”
Schumacher said. “I do feel a lot better getting down the track today
because we'll see these same sort of conditions tomorrow. If we get
beat, we'll have gotten beat by a great car, no matter when it happens,
because there are a lot of great cars out there.

After rattling off consistent 6.0-second runs in qualifying, Santa Rosa Fla.
resident Tim Tindle took the cash the $50,000 ProCare Rx Pro Mod Clash with a
tire-shaking, back and forth wild ride down the quarter-mile in the final
against Jay Payne. Tindle also earned the No. 1 qualifying spot in the ACDelco
Vegas NHRA Nationals on the strength of his first round Clash time of 6.023
seconds.
 
"I can't even explain how this feels," Tindle said as he
hoisted the $25,000 cash over his head and shouted. "We've worked so hard all
year, and Chuck [Ford, Tindle's tuner] found the sweet spot on this Mustang. I'm
overwhelmed."
 
ProCare Rx Chairman and CEO Roger Burgess said, "I know
Tim has put a lot into this series, and it makes me really happy to hand him
this cash and award him this trophy for all of his hard work."
 
In
addition to the cash prize, Tindle also received a two-and-a-half foot tall
statue of a knight in armor riding a war-horse, made of silver and gold overlaid
on exotic wood.