A TIGHT RACE AT THE TOP OF NHRA.Byline: TIM TIM Timothy TIM Technical Interchange Meeting TIM Transient Intermodulation Distortion TIM Time Is Money TIM The Invisible Man (movie) TIM Telecom Italia Mobile (Italian cellular provider) HADDOCK Motor Sports Larry Dixon This article is about the novelist and fantasy artist. For the senator from Alabama, see Larry Dixon (politician). For the professional racer, see Larry Dixon (drag racer). Larry Dixon (b. July 28, 1966) is a fantasy artist and novelist. never has been in this position before. The NHRA NHRA National Hot Rod Association NHRA Northland Human Resource Association NHRA National Human Resources Association NHRA Nursing Home Reform Act NHRA National Hospice Regatta Alliance NHRA National Heritage Resources Act (South Africa) POWERade Top Fuel driver for Don Prudhomme Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme, (born April 6 1941, San Fernando, California) is an American dragster racer, who won the NHRA funny car championship four times in a thirty-five-year career. He was the first funny car driver to exceed 250 mph. Racing won back-to-back championships in 2002-03, but he practically led wire-to-wire both times. If Dixon wants to add a third NHRA Top Fuel championship, he will have to chase down division leader Doug Kalitta Doug Kalitta (b. August 20 1964, Ypsilanti, Michigan) is an American auto racing driver. He was the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Champion and is a current NHRA top fuel drag racer. Doug Kalitta is the nephew of Hall of Fame driver Connie Kalitta. . This might be the year for something like that to happen. There already have been six different winners in the first 12 events. Dixon has won twice, most recently two weeks ago at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Raceway Park (1938–2000) was 1/4 mile stock car race track located in Blue Island, Illinois, on 130th Street between Western Avenue and Halsted Avenue, used for stock car races from the mid 1930's until the year 2000. in Englishtown, N.J. Kalitta and Tony Schumacher This article is about the drag racer. For the German football players, see Toni Schumacher. Tony Schumacher (born December 25, 1969 in Long Grove, Illinois), is an American drag racer, currently competing in the NHRA top fuel class, of which he is a four-time have three victories apiece. Scott Kalitta has two. David Grubnic and Brandon Bernstein each have one. ``The last four or five races, we got a pretty good handle on these things power-wise,'' said Dixon, a Van Nuys High graduate. ``For the car to be considered a contender, you got to be able to put up numbers every weekend. It's pretty black and white.'' In previous years, Dixon dominated the Top Fuel class, winning races at a record pace. He started out in 2002 by winning the Winternationals at Pomona Raceway and led the points standings until the season finale in November, back at Pomona. In 2003, he had only one hiccup hiccup or hiccough, involuntary spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by a sharp intake of air, which is abruptly stopped by a sudden, involuntary closing of the glottis (opening between the vocal cords); the consequent blocking of air , leading the Top Fuel standings every week but one. In those two years, he won 17 races in 46 events. This year is not shaping up like 2002, when Dixon set an NHRA record by winning nine events en route to his first Top Fuel title. The top four drivers in the Top Fuel class are separated by 99 points. Bernstein, sixth in points and 181 out of first, won his first race of the year Sunday at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway Gateway International Raceway is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just minutes from Downtown St. Louis, Mo. It hosts a NASCAR Busch Series event and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on a 1. in Madison, Ill. Dixon lost with a 4.819-second elapsed-time run in the first round to Scott Weis, who made his pass 4.793 seconds and 310.89 mph. ``It spun the tires, and we got outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. ,'' Dixon said. ``We had the fifth-quickest run of the session, so it wasn't that bad of a run.'' Dixon is in third place, 71 points behind leader Doug Kalitta and 28 points behind Schumacher. Dixon credits rule changes the NHRA adopted at the start of the season for the close races and the tight standings. Among other things, the NHRA made adjustments to tire compounds, engine designs and aerodynamics aerodynamics, study of gases in motion. As the principal application of aerodynamics is the design of aircraft, air is the gas with which the science is most concerned. . The biggest change the NHRA made, according to Dixon, was the introduction of rev limiters to better control the RPMs the dragsters produce, thus reducing their top speeds. Dixon has mixed feelings about the change. ``From a competitor's standpoint, you always want to go quicker and faster,'' said Dixon. ``But the changes are not always the easiest to swallow. I'm not arguing with them. I'm not the one running the show. I'm all right with it.'' In a way, the introduction of rev limiters has made driving the top fuel dragsters more manageable. Dixon is certain the 340 mph barrier would have been broken this year if not for rev limiters. ``It keeps cars from running crazy speeds,'' Dixon said. ``Certainly, a lot of cars can win on any given Sunday. Part of that is because of all the rule changes. It's tightened the pack up a little bit.'' Dixon is in that mix, and he likes his chances. He is entering the time of year when his cars have run their best. And his team is visiting tracks where he has won in the past. ``We run well at all these tracks,'' Dixon said. ``Through the course of time, we've always had a better car in the heat than in the cool. I hope we have a heat wave all the way until Pomona.'' Although Dixon isn't the lead driver in the Top Fuel standings, he's happy to be back in the hunt. ``It seems like a long time since we've been in this position,'' Dixon said. ``November's a long ways away from right now.'' CAPTION(S): box Box: RACE WEEK BY TIM HADDOCK |
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