SCHUMACHER, HIGHT AND LINE EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITIONS AT
CHECKER
SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS
Four-time Top Fuel
champion Tony Schumacher raced to his 37th career No. 1 qualifying position Saturday after covering
Firebird International Raceway's quarter-mile dragstrip in a track
record time of 4.430 seconds -- the fourth quickest run in NHRA history.
Robert Hight and Jason Line also earned No. 1 qualifying honors at
the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals presented by Castrol, the
second of 23
events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Countdown to the
Championship.
Sunday's eliminations start at 11 a.m. (MT), with television coverage
on ESPN2
at 7 p.m. (ET).
Saturday's drama came in the form of last-ditch qualifying efforts by
John Force and Doug Kalitta. With their class-leading qualifying
streaks
hanging in the balance, both drivers managed to make the starting
lineups in their respective categories during the final session. Force
powered his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang to a 4.818 and
Kalitta posted
a 4.547 in his Mac Tools dragster. Force has now qualified for 394
consecutive
events, while Kalitta has reached 162 straight race days.