Pro Stock Motorcycle newcomer Peggy Llewellyn won her first NHRA national event
at a critical juncture in the season, pushing her way into the Countdown to One
field by the slenderest of margins Sunday evening.
The San Antonio-based rider shared a somber Texas
Motorplex winner's circle with new POWERade points leaders Larry Dixon and Tony
Pedregon, as well as Pro Stock juggernaut Dave Connolly, who collected his
fourth trophy in a row, at the 22nd annual O’Reilly NHRA Fall
Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec.
The mood of the day was tempered greatly by an
accident involving John Force, who suffered a broken left ankle and wrist and
numerous abrasions, and Kenny Bernstein. Force was airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
Dixon used his third victory of the season to
take the Top Fuel lead in the Countdown to Four. The driver of the SkyTel
dragster was ready for the final, leaving with a .059-second reaction time.
Final-round foe Bob Vandergriff was close behind in his UPS rail, taking off in
.065 seconds, but his car was soon smoking its tires, allowing Dixon to take the 41st win
of his career in 4.629 at 310.91 mph.