Although few drag-racing fans got to see the improvements Friday because the first two qualifying sessions were rained out, Pacific Raceways has a few new features to show off this weekend.

Doug Greenfield, new general manager of the facility that will celebrate its 50th birthday next year, said a number of program are in the works, with even more to follow in their 5-7-year plan. “We’re making changes like you wouldn’t believe around here,” he said.

SCHUMACHER, BECKMAN AND CONNOLLY WIN RAIN-PLAGUED SCHUCK'S AUTO SUPPLY NATIONALS

Capps, Fuller and Connolly clinch berths in the Countdown playoffs

Four-time
Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher defeated Brandon Bernstein on a
holeshot by just .004-second to claim the Top Fuel title on a
rain-plagued Sunday at the 20th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA
Nationals.

"Fast Jack" Beckman made it two wins in a row in Funny Car when he
defeated John Force in a final round that concluded with Force's
Castrol GTX Ford in flames but, other than some singed paint, he was
okay.

Connolly climbed back into the winner's circle and ended Allen
Johnson's bid for not just a second straight win on the Western Swing
but also his second straight in Seattle with the quickest pass of the
weekend.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
20th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways,
the 14th of 23 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series

Final round-by-round results from the 20th annual Schuck's Auto Supply
NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 14th of 23 events in the NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Ashley Force followed her father down the track in the second pairing
of Round 2. Right after he advanced by defeating Tony Pedregon, the
14-time champion praised his daughter’s progress but said that every
run provides a learning experience. He alluded to the rookie’s
accomplishments but joked, “It took me 30 years and I still suck!“

During
qualifying in Denver, Jerry Tolliver’s Rock Star Toyota went off the end of the
racing surface and ended up on its side in the sand trap. The team
replaced the already heavily used and visibly repaired body with a
fresh shell for eliminations, and that would have been the end of the
story but for what took place the following morning.

Tolliver’s crew left the now even more damaged body on the ground in
the pits with no note or written notice of any kind affixed to it. As
far as everyone who saw the body is concerned, it had been left for
scrap. If, as Tolliver’s people are now suggesting, a shipping company
was to pick up the shell and return it to Roush Engineering for
repairs, there was no note attached to the remains to that effect. In
other words, there was nothing left with the body that would have
stopped a track clean-up worker from picking up the remains with a
forklift and depositing it in a Dumpster.

Sunday's final results from the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented
by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex. The race is the fifth of 11 in the
$19.5 million 2007 Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:

Scotty Cannon Finds Winner’s Circle For First Time in Top Fuel

Creasy, Spiess, Commisso and Noakes also claim Wins at Mopar Canadian Nationals

Scotty Cannon made his bones in the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro
Modified class, winning a record 28 national events and taking home six
world championships. At the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam event at Grand Bend
Motorplex Cannon was able to win another Ironman…but it was unlike any
of his previous ones.

Cannon stepped into a Top Fueler this season, driving Evan Knoll’s ’06
Hadman Dragster. Sunday during the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented
by Castrol he was able to break through and head back to the Winner’s
Circle for the first time in 10 years by stopping Jim Cavaleri in the
final round. Cannon clocked a 4.967 at 293.92 mph to better Cavaleri’s
5.071 at 256.06.

“I really have to thank the Canadian fans,” Cannon said. “They were
just incredible. It’s been 10 years since I’ve won one of these, but
this win was just as sweet as the last one.”

Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following
the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend
Motorplex, the sixth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll - Gas
Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -