Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly Mid-South
Nationals
Memphis, Tenn.
(Sept. 18-21)

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Larry Dixon Miller Lite Top Fueler

Reports: Monday Sunday Saturday Friday Pre-race

Memphis, Monday: Defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon posted a runner-up finish in Don Prudhomme's Miller Lite Dragster at the 16th annual O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals Monday while remaining the Top Fuel leader at 1,688 points.

The Miller Lite dragster was one of five pairs to pilot down the quarter-mile at Memphis Motorsports Park before rain forced the postponement of racing until Monday. Dixon scored a round one win against Scott Weis with a time of 4.589-seconds Sunday with a speed of 319.90 mph.

Round two of Monday eliminations paired Dixon and the Snake Racing team against Cory McClenathan. Dixon's 4.624-second run at 320.13 mph edged out McClenathan time of 4.638-seconds (314.31 mph).

In their fifth meeting of Sunday eliminations this season, Dixon took on Darrell Russell in the semifinals. Crew chief Dick LaHaie having lane choice for the third time directed the Miller Lite dragster into the left lane. Once again Dixon powered for the win with a speed of 318.69 mph (4.592 ET), passing Russell, who smoked the tires from the start.

The win advanced Dixon to his 12th final round appearance of the 2003 season and 59th of his career, marking an impressive 49-9 round record for the 2003 season.

The win also marked the second time this year Dixon would meet Tony Schumacher in the final round. Dixon holds a career record of 3-3 against Schumacher in the finals. It was last year at Memphis Motorsports Park that Dixon, driving his Elvis-0themed dragster, defeated Schumacher in the finals and was looking for a repeat performance here today. But Schumacher's lap of 4.581 E.T. (317.79 mph) would beat Dixon's time of 4.651 E.T. at 316.52 mph.

"You're never happy to just get into the final round," said Dixon, "it's a place where you'd like to win. It's what makes people competitors. You don't want to be the guy that's just there, you want to go out there and win. Unfortunately, we didn't. We were able to gain points against Doug Kalitta, which was nice."

Memphis, Sunday: Defending Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon and the Snake Racing team won in round one of the 16th annual O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals but would be one of the last to go down the quarter mile due to heavy rain.

Just after Dixon's win against Scott Weis a light sprinkle picked up and turned into a downpour. The rain did not let up forcing NHRA officials to suspend final eliminations until Monday at 11 a.m.

The Miller Lite dragster was one of five pairs to run at Memphis Motorsports Park. Dixon's match-up with No.12 qualifier Scott Weis marked the first time this year the two had met on Sunday. The Snake Racing pilot improved his 6-1career record against Weis with a winning lap of 4.589-seconds at a speed of 319.90 mph.

Although three pairs of Top Fuel dragsters have yet to run, Dixon learned that in round two of eliminations he will have lane choice over Cory McClenathan, weather permitting.

Memphis, Saturday: Defending Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon and the Snake Racing team moved up to the No.5 qualified position headed into tomorrow's final elimination round of the 16th annual O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park. Dixon drove the Miller Lite dragster to a 4.586-second run at a speed of 322.19 mph during the third qualifying session Saturday.

For the second time during qualifying the Don Prudhomme owned dragster paired against Team Army. Tony Schumacher struck the tires midway down the track and Dixon went on for the win, posting a lap of 4.586 ET (322.19 mph) and improving his qualified position to No.5.

In the fourth and final round of qualifying Dixon paired against David Baca. Both drivers struck the tires, Dixon at the start and Baca at 200 feet. The Miller Lite dragster posted a time of 11.556 ET at 72.86 mph.

Dixon will pair against No.12 qualifier Scott Weis tomorrow in the first round of Sunday eliminations. The Miller Lite/Mac Tools dragster has a successful 6-1career record against Weis.

Miller Lite crew chief Dick LaHaie has a game plan for tomorrow and plans to put it in motion. "We plan to take a different approach tomorrow, we'll look at a few things, make some adjustment and go from there.

"We realize what we'd done wrong last night. Today we put it back to normal, came out and bettered our qualifying position. We came back and said let's step it up a little and the car said no."

Not even LaHaie know for sure which lane the Snake Racing dragster will choose. "I prefer the right lane," said LaHaie, "only because we haven't been down the left lane. Tomorrow we'll take a look at the cars ahead of us and see how they do and make a decision from there. Right now I don't know which lane we'll choose."

When asked if he consulted data from last years win at Memphis Motorsports Park, LaHaie quickly answered "No. It's not even in the same zip code. We've changed so many things that the information no longer applies. You can compare the weather from last year but that's it."

Memphis, Friday: The 2002 NHRA POWERade defending Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon and the Miller Lite dragster qualified No.7 after the first day of racing Friday at the 16th annual O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park (Sept.19-21st). Dixon drove the Miller Lite dragster to a 4.592-second run at a speed of 322.27 mph during the first qualifying session of the day.

Plagued by a season of rain and postponements, NHRA teams were finally able to race without the threat of rain. The Miller Lite team took advantage of warm afternoon temperatures and the opportunity of a second consecutive victory at Memphis Motorsports Park.

In the first qualifying session Dixon and his Miller Lite dragster paired against Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools mobile. Dixon posted a time of 4.592-seconds at 322.27 mph to Kalitta's 4.573 ET (321.88). Kalitta had the quicker time but Dixon ran the faster speed, earning him the track speed record for a short time.

For the second run of the session, Dixon was forced to shut it off posting a time of 7.072 ET (90.11 mph). "I stepped on the throttle," said Dixon, "and it lifted the wheels up. It wasn't going to come down so I had to shut it off." In the right lane Tony Schumacher also shut it off but not by choice. Schumacher experienced a crash that was near identical to Dixon's crash in the same lane three years ago, going completely vertical at the end of the run and crashing in a thousand pieces; Dixon suffered a broken ankle in the 2000 crash.

In 1988 Dixon joined Don Prudhomme Racing to work on Snake's Funny Car, his main responsibility was working the bottom end. But tonight the defending Top Fuel champ could be found working on the front end of his own car, making adjustment to the damaged A-arm, which endured more than 2,175-pounds when the car slammed down from the wheel stand.

Dixon's first qualifying run of 4.592 (ET) would guarantee the NHRA points leader a qualified position headed into Saturday's final two sessions.

Memphis, pre-race: NHRA POWERade defending Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon plans to rock and roll this weekend at the 16th annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals. The driver of the Don Prudhomme dragster will try to make a repeat victory at Memphis Motorsports Park this weekend.

With a little help from the King, Elvis Presley, the Snake Racing driver defeated Tony Schumacher in the finals last year racking up another career victory but a first in Memphis. At Memphis Motorsports Park this weekend there will be talk of Elvis sightings but it won't be on the side of Larry Dixon's Miller Lite dragster. Dixon and the Snake Racing team retired the 'King of Rock and Roll' Elvis Presley paint scheme last year after victories in Las Vegas and Memphis.

Instead of paying tribute to the King on the side of the Miller Lite dragster, Dixon will be looking to pay his respects in a different fashion, by keeping the No. 1 alive. Tunes like "Jail House Rock," "Hound Dog," and "Don't be Cruel" were each hit songs for Elvis. Dixon hopes to play a hit song of his own at the tune of 330 mph en-route to the finals.

But after two exhausting rain postponements in both Indianapolis and Reading, Dixon and the Snake Racing team are simply hoping to see a dry track and be able to start their nitro-methane-powered engine. "I'd just be happy to go to a track and actually race," said Dixon.

Assuming the track is dry, the rest of the plan remains the same. "My agenda is to try and qualify," said Dixon, "to go three rounds and get to the finals and eventually win the race. Hope to get enough points to take the championship at the end of the year."

Dixon, who leads the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel category by 269 points, enters the Memphis race with confidence and a solid record to back it up. Even with six races remaining crew chief Dick LaHaie has lead Dixon and the Snake Racing team to successful 2003 NHRA season, earning an impressive eight wins in 11 final round appearances, moving Dixon's career win total to 33.

However the Miller Lite driver is taking every race one lap at a time and as LaHaie would say acting "cautiously confident." Dixon won the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals last year in addition to several runner up finishes in years past, but in September of 2000 he made a run in the finals that would forever be etched in his mind.

In his fifth year piloting the Snake Racing dragster, Larry Dixon paired against Gary Scelzi in the finals, Dixon anxious to achieve a win at Memphis Motorsports Park. However the Miller Lite driver underwent a tremendous accident approaching the finish line and thankfully Dixon walked away unhurt.