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Brandon's testing diary  Budweiser Top Fuel pro Brandon Bernstein provides this testing diary from Tucson. Our first run today went to about 900 feet before I could feel it go away and spin the tires. So Tim (Richards, crew chief) backed it down quite a bit the next time up and we were able to get the Budweiser dragster down through there with a nice 4.59. That's a pretty good run for this track. We're at a bit of altitude here so it was good to put up a number like that, especially for the fans that have been here all day rooting for all of us. A lot of people have asked about how it feels to be back in the car and the word that comes to mind is 'comfortable.' It all came back very quickly. As soon as I made a full pass I thought, 'Oh yeah, I remember this.' Dad told me I'd be surprised how quickly it all comes back and I was. Physically, I'm 100-percent. I've had no pain at all going through the normal rigors of a day at the track. I feel great and I'm extremely excited to be back racing in the NHRA again.

Top Fuel sophomore Brandon Bernstein hit a grand slam to end the second day of testing at the PRO Warm-ups at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. The second-generation driver used the last Pro session of a chilly day to post a 4.592-second pass at 319.67 mph in his Budweiser dragster, by far the quickest and fastest pass of the weekend.

In Funny Car, the Team Force triumvirate of Gary Densham, John Force, and rookie Eric Medlen, finished 1-2-3 on the charts. Densham's Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang was the quickest after a 4.806 early in the day, while Force's Castrol GTX Mustang took top speed honors after reaching 318.47 mph during a 4.846-second pass. Medlen wasn't far off with a 4.848 at 312 mph.

The only other nitro-powered Pro to make a notable run was NHRA part-timer Clay Millican, who posted a steady 4.630 at 304.05 mph late in the day in his 104+ Octane Boost rail, his best effort so far.

Pro Stock standouts Warren Johnson and Mark "Cowboy" Pawuk also had respectable passes Saturday. Johnson, a.k.a. "the Professor of Pro Stock," carded a 6.99 at 197 mph in the GM Performance Parts Grand Am, while Pawuk cruised to a 7.03 at 194 mph in his Summit mount.

Saturday Race Report No. 1 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – It was another brisk morning here in Tucson, but it is warming up nicely. The Pros will be able to come up and test whenever they want, so we will bring you the results as they happen. Here we go with the first passes of the day. The track temperature is 74 degrees, air temperature is 54 degrees, 19-percent humidity, and the barometric pressure is 30.13 inches.

12:00 p.m. Gary Densham: 0.879 2.296 3.292 256.84 4.107 4.806 314.83 Densham made a move toward the wall and then was back close to the centerline before he reeled into the groove for the quickest pass of the weekend.

Clay Millican: 0.870 2.572 4.905 88.04 7.765 10.599 76.21 Millican with tire shake right off the starting line and clicks it off.

John Force: 0.892 2.340 3.334 251.34 4.166 4.867 319.45 Force drove through a little tire shake, but stays with it for the top speed of the weekend.

Brady Kalivoda: 0.868 2.628 Brady is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle.

Eric Medlen: 0.897 2.341 3.328 257.04 4.143 4.848 312.64 The rookie with another great looking pass here until right in the lights when it looked like it used up and engine.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.874 2.491 4.619 97.55 7.149 9.623 87.35 Rhonda shook the tires hard by 60 feet and clicked it off.

Troy Critchley: 1.061 2.819 4.288 149.73 5.894 7.498 133.68 Critchley got loose around 330 feet and gets off the throttle. That will wrap up the Pro cars for this session.

Saturday Race Report No. 2 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Here we go with the second round of Pro cars.

1:25 p.m. John Smith: 0.861 2.237 3.344 192.03 4.662 6.094 143.93 Smith lost traction at the transition point here.

Clay Millican: 0.858 2.211 3.467 169.36 4.971 6.632 122.93 Millican hazed the tires around the 330-foot mark.

Troy Critchley: 1.021 3.001 5.349 92.99 7.933 10.523 82.06 Critchly smoked the tires by 100 feet.

Eric Medlen: 0.125 0.899 2.353 3.380 244.74 4.238 4.966 306.60

Gary Densham: 0.118 0.887 2.335 3.369 244.52 4.350 5.402 196.47 Side by side, this is a little match race situation set up by the Force team to give Eric some experience in a real race situation. He will be back later today to race the boss. Track temperature is 93 degrees, air temperature is 61 degrees, 11-percent humidity, and the barometric pressure is 30.05 inches. Densham is out of the gate first and then the car drifted toward the centerline and the E.T. and mph suffered as Medlen was able to drive around Densham at 900 feet.

John Force: 0.891 2.330 3.324 254.47 4.147 4.846 318.47 Force with a great looking pass here.

Brandon Bernstein: 0.860 2.220 3.158 257.19 4.128 5.199 191.57 Brandon with his first pass of the weekend, and he started to lose traction then dropped cylinders on the right side.

Saturday Race Report No. 3 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Here we go with the third round of Pro cars.

2:54 p.m. Brady Kalivoda: 0.875 2.224 3.196 249.35 4.217 5.347 181.35 Kalivoda started to skate around at half track and lifted.

Mark Pawuk: 0.085 1.028 2.936 4.516 155.01 5.884 7.037 194.77
Warren Johnson: 0.043 1.037 2.930 4.505 156.55 5.864 7.008 196.58 It is our first Pro Stock passes this weekend and it is a good side-by-side race here. Warren was out of the gate and never looked back. Good passes for both cars at this altitude-adjusted track.

Clay Millican: 0.846 2.161 3.105 265.33 3.926 4.781 238.38 Millican was on a great looking pass here until around 1,100 feet when he got out of the groove and real close to wall.

Troy Critchley:1.021 2.760 4.197 165.97 5.658 7.141 141.94 Critchley got loose just past half track and clicks it off.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.852 2.386 4.365 105.37 6.710 8.989 96.49 Smoked the tires at 330-foot mark.

Saturday Race Report No. 4 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Here we go with the fourth and final round of Pro cars.

4:14 p.m. Brandon Bernstein: 0.843 2.177 3.109 270.00 3.900 4.592 319.67 Great looking pass for Bernstein hitting on all eight through 1,320 feet.

Warren Johnson: 1.029 2.933 4.498 156.52 5.853 6.993 Warren with a little wiggle right off the starting line and dips into the six-second zone.

John Force: 0.106 0.888 2.476 4.201 121.64 6.304 8.436 98.19
Eric Medlen: 0.104 0.887 2.342 3.431 208.71 4.643 5.955 157.48 Medlen trying to got two for two here against his teammates. He has the slight starting line advantage and then Force started to blister the hides and clicked it off. Medlen started to lose traction before half track and clicks it off, but coasts on through for the win.

Troy Critchley: 1.034 3.252 6.018 78.80 9.086 12.183 68.42 Critchley smoked the tires right off the starting line.

Mark Pawuk: 1.017 2.931 4.506 154.71 5.877 7.032 194.38 Pawuk with a little wiggle early in the run, and almost runs an identical E.T. from earlier today.

Clay Millican: 0.847 2.179 3.102 267.43 3.908 4.630 304.05 Millican with his best pass of the day here.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.855 2.221 3.524 161.90 5.108 6.878 114.75 Rhonda launched hard and then started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Brady Kalivoda: 0.867 3.024 6.913 78.01 8.897 11.704 77.82 Kalivota smoked the tires as soon as he hit the throttle.

John Smith: 0.875 2.249 3.641 152.87 5.289 7.070 115.84 Smith just like his wife is up in smoke by the transition. That will wrap up the Pro test passes for today.

PRO Warm-ups Friday report