If you thought Kenny Koretsky's performance last weekend was a fluke, he showed in Denver there's more where that came from.

Koretsky has now reached the semifinals in two consecutive races,
backing up his runner-up finish last week at Bristol with a semifinal
appearance in today's race. The self-proclaimed "Captain Chaos'
qualified No. 3 for eliminations and defeated Max Naylor in Round 1 and
Jeg Coughlin in Round 2 before losing to Krisher in the semis.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the
28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the
13th of 23 events in the  NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series -

BATTLE OF NITRO TEAMMATES FAVORS BECKMAN, FULLER; SMITH, JOHNSON ALSO SCORE

 
 
Top Fuel points leader "Hot Rod" Fuller handled teammate Whit Bazemore
in Sunday's final of the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at
Bandimere Speedway to win for the second time this year.
 
In Funny Car, "Fast Jack" Beckman did the same thing, beating his Don
Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps to claim his first Wally of 2007.
 
Pro Stock victor Allen Johnson and Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Matt Smith joined them in the winner's circle.
 
Bazemore got the jump on Fuller in the Top Fuel final, leaving with a
.077-second start to Fuller's .106-second launch. But Fuller had passed
his stablemate before they crossed the halftrack timers and went on to
win with a 4.683 at 312.93 mph in his Wagner CAT dragster to Bazemore's
4.770 at 308.35 mph in the Matco Tools rail.

Final round-by-round results from the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the 13th of 23 events in the  NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series:
 
 
TOP FUEL:
 
ROUND ONE --
Whit Bazemore, 4.858, 256.60 def. Bob Vandergriff, 5.287, 225.00; Larry Dixon, 4.790,
310.41 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.791, 302.82; J.R. Todd, 5.257, 270.32 def. Doug Herbert, 12.505, 60.43;
Mike Strasburg, 5.395, 210.57 def. Melanie Troxel, 6.060, 213.50; Rod Fuller, 4.781, 310.91 def.
Morgan Lucas, 4.941, 304.87; David Grubnic, 4.806, 302.69 def. Cory McClenathan, 4.895, 267.43;
Tony Schumacher, 4.805, 320.13 def. Clay Millican, 7.482, 112.43; Hillary Will, 4.753, 309.77 def.
Brandon Bernstein, 6.655, 144.41;

 

Top Fuel -- Rod Fuller, 4.683 seconds, 312.93 mph  def. Whit Bazemore, 4.770 seconds, 308.35 mph.

TROXEL, HIGHT, JOHNSON, SMITH, HOLD ON TO NO.1 SPOT AFTER RAIN DELAYED SATURDAY QUALIFYING AT DENVER

Melanie Troxel, Robert Hight, Allen Johnson, and Matt Smith -- remained
in control of their respective categories as NHRA racers got a bonus
nighttime session of qualifying after weather delayed Saturday's
qualiflying session at the 28th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA nationals
at Denver's Bandimere Speedway.

Squelch the rumor mill;
there’s no hidden agenda behind Bill Miller and Alan Bradshaw’s absence from
Bandimere Speedway this weekend. The Mopar Mile High Nationals never ranks high
on the high-profile independent team’s preference list.     

“It has never been on Bill’s
agenda to attend the Denver
race,” said Bradshaw. “There are enough challenges as it is now to run a fuel
car without having to go up on the mountain and try to figure that out. We just
don’t go up there because it has never been a race Bill has wanted to attend.”

The BME team will join the
western swing in Seattle and then Sonoma.

Richie Stevens and Allen Johnson fared much better in Friday’s Denver
qualifying runs in their Stratus Pro Stock cars than they did at
Thursday night’s “Rumble In The Rapids” inner tubes during sponsor
Mopar’s Big Block party in nearby Golden, Colorado.
 
Stevens came out of frigid Clear Creek with a banged-up knee after
Thursday evening’s rubber-raft race against  Don Schumacher Racing
teammates Johnson, Jack Beckman, and Gary Scelzi. Crew member Mike Gott
said Stevens was limping for awhile (not to mention shivering, because
his pal with the towel was on the opposite bank from where he exited
the water). But Gott said Stevens’ knee improved after a few beverages
later that night: “That diminished the pain.”

TROXEL, HIGHT, JOHNSON AND SMITH PACE FIELD IN DENVER
 
Denver's own Melanie Troxel picked the perfect race to lead the Top
Fuel qualifying field, racing to the top of the 28th annual Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals Friday night with a 4.610 at 322.42 mph.

Roy Hill has had a change
of heart. He says he no longer yells at his drag racing school, but takes the
time to methodically explain the ins and outs of driving technique.

Those of us who have ever
been on the receiving end of one of his school tirades have a hard time
believing that. But, you have to look into his eyes to know that something his
changed his heart.

Blame it on the kids.

Hill has found solace in
working with the next generation of drag racers. The newest program at Roy Hill’s
Drag Racing School
enables parents to bring their children and their cars to Hill for orientation
and instruction.