In the past nine months, there have been very few obstacles capable of stopping Pro Stock racer Mike Edwards. Amazingly, the Strip at Las Vegas has been one of those obstacles.

“Not sure why I have never done well at this track,” said Edwards, who lost last year’s fall Las Vegas event in the quarter-finals. He needed the round win to clinch the 2009 championship.

“If I knew exactly what it was I would fix it and start turning on a ton of win lights in the desert. We do make good runs, but little things have bitten us in the past that we cannot explain.”

Edwards, who has qualified on the pole five times thus far this season, has instructed his crew to do the necessary maintenance and double-checking to ensure the Vegas race day shortcomings cease this weekend.

Edwards qualified No. 1 in both 2009 Vegas races but didn’t make it past the second round in either event. Historically Edwards has never reached the semi-finals in Las Vegas.

The Strip at Las Vegas is one of only two tracks on the NHRA tour where Edwards has not reached a final round; the other being Brainerd Int'l Raceway.

“In all honesty, this should be one of my favorite tracks on the tour,” Edwards admitted. “We have many fond memories of Las Vegas over the years of racing and we always hope those would carry over to the quarter-mile.”

Edwards first broke into Pro Stock in 1982 with Las Vegas team owner John Kight.

Edwards heads into Sunday's eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier.