DIXON'S TEAM WORKS OUT KINKS.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 For all the things that went wrong last year, 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) Top Fuel driver 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. can point to a few things that went right. First, his team won two races, which moved him into a tie with drag-racing legend Don Garlits Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as the "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag-racing, he, with the help of T.C. for third all-time in Top Fuel victories. He and Garlits each have 35 wins. Kenny Bernstein Kenny Bernstein (born September 6 1944 in Clovis, New Mexico), is an American drag racing driver. Drag racing career Bernstein first became a full-time professional Funny Car driver in 1979, although he had participated in a few events in preceding years. has 39 and Joe Amato For the Milwaukee mobster, see . Joe Amato (born June 13, 1944 in Exeter, Pennsylvania) is an American dragster driver, who won the NHRA Top Fuel championship a record five occasions and scored 52 event victories. leads with 52. Second, with the NHRA Powerade season opening this weekend at Pomona Raceway for the CarQuest Auto Parts Auto parts are components of automobiles. They mainly are, in alphabetic order (only car specific articles or articles with car section):
Make no mistake, there were a lot of kinks to work out. ``It was definitely a rebuilding year,'' said Dixon, a Van Nuys High graduate. ``We had to basically take a couple steps back, ultimately, to be better than the other teams.'' Dixon finished sixth in points, his worst showing since 1999, when he was eighth. He also failed to qualify for the races at Route 66 Speedway in Joliett, Ill. It was the first time in 53 consecutive events that Dixon did not qualify, a streak that dated to 2002 and was the second longest among active NHRA Top Fuel drivers. ``It didn't really surprise me that we didn't have a good year,'' said Prudhomme, a Van Nuys High graduate and owner of Dixon's Miller Lite Miller Lite is the name of a popular pilsner beer sold by Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a 4.2% ABV. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Top Fuel team. ``We had to search for things to be better. The good news is we got all that behind us. So far, things are going good.'' Winter tests would indicate the Snake Racing team has regained its championship form. Testing at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., last month produced times in 4.5-second range, and topped out at 324.90 mph. ``Our goal was to work on the engine and clutch and, as the weekend went on, we were able to make the car go quicker and faster,'' Dixon said. ``I think that we didn't make as many runs as we thought we were going to make, but (crew chief) Dick LaHaie was pleased with our progress and the performance of the race car. We were able to sort through various clutch, ignition and engine pieces and he feels fairly comfortable to take this combination to Pomona.'' But for the first time in three years, Dixon and Prudhomme are not the defending top fuel champions. To add to their frustrations, NHRA Top Fuel driver 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 broke one of Dixon's records to win the 2004 championship. Schumacher won 10 top fuel races, breaking Dixon's record of nine in a season. It was a record Dixon shared with Gary Scelzi Gary Scelzi, (born August 11, 1960, Fresno, California), is an American dragster racer and midget car owner who has won the NHRA Powerade Top Fuel championship on three occasions and the Funny Car title once. . ``They had a real good year,'' Prudhomme said. ``They could have won the championship without breaking the record. They got bragging rights.'' A series of rule changes, in part prompted after the death of Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell during 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., created headaches for the team, Dixon said. The Snake Racing team used five types of tires throughout the season. Some of the changes were mandated by the NHRA after the crash that killed Russell. ``There were a series of things,'' Prudhomme said. ``That tremendous crash with Darrell threw everybody off. That was a factor, but it was the same for all the teams.'' It wasn't until the end of the year, for the Auto Club Finals in November at Pomona, that things started clicking again for the team. They were clocking their best elapsed times and fastest laps of the year. Though they were knocked out in the first round of eliminations, the car was the quickest it had been all year. ``At the end of the year, we had a good car,'' Dixon said. ``As the season wound down, I thought we had a pretty good car.'' Prudhomme said his team is starting where it left off last year. ``We were off. But we still were able to muster a couple wins,'' Prudhomme said. ``But now things look better. Certainly the things we did over the winter make us faster. We ended up pretty good last year. Everybody was pumped to fine-tune it.'' --Funny car: Prudhomme also owns the NHRA Funny Car team for Tommy Johnson Jr. If Johnson and Dixon win this weekend's races at Pomona, it will be the 100th career victory for Prudhomme. Only two other active drivers/owners have reached 100 wins: John Force and Warren Johnson. This season also marks the 40th anniversary of Prudhomme's first NHRA win, which came at Pomona in 1965. ``I want to be part of that,'' said Johnson, driver of the Skoal skoal interj. Used as a drinking toast. [Danish and Norwegian skaal, cup, skoal, from Old Norse sk Racing Funny Car for Prudhomme. ``It would be part of something special. ``For myself, I want to win. I'd like to double here. It would be awful sweet and a nice way to celebrate his 40th anniversary.'' Tim Haddock, (818) 713-3715 timothy.haddock(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): box Box: RACE WEEK BY TIM HADDOCK |
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