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Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel and Jason Line in Pro Stock are halfway to claiming their first No. 1qualifying berths of the season after opening passes at the NHRA Northwest nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, Robert Hight lead the field in Funny Car.

The event marks the opening of the Western Swing, a staple on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour since 1988. teams spend a grueling three weeks in the western U.S. racing in three different types of conditions in a span that will help determine the final positions in the NHRA's regular season, which ends one race later. This year, the tour is revered as the Seattle event, traditionally either the second or third leg on the Swing, kicks off things. The teams head next week to Sonoma, Calif., before going back east to compete in Denver in two weeks.

Doug Kalitta

Kalitta raced to the top of the Top Fuel pack with a 3.884 ion the afternoon session and is halfway to his first No. 1 qualifying berth of the season. Kalitta, who has qualified No. 2 three times this season with the Kalitta Air Dragster, has 28 previous No. 1 berths in his career but none since the 2006 NHRA Finals, the race at which he lost the season title due to "The Run," Tony Schumacher's national e.t. record-setting final round victory.

"We're real happy with that," said Kalitta, who is coming off back-to-back first-round losses after an otherwise strong early season.  "We shut off early on the first run, because we changed so much stuff around since the last race. We were happy just to get down and very happy to be No. 1. 3.88 certainly won't hold off it cools off tomorrow, but it's a great start.

"We switched to newer-style Alan Johnson heads, got our blowers freshened, and got our blower dyno up and running again. I'm real proud of Jim [Oberhofer, crew chief], Troy [Fasching, asst. crew chief], and everybody on the team for making this happen on our car."

Points leader Larry Dixon and the Al-Anabi Racing team hold down the No. 2 spot halyway through qualifying with a 3.904 while Schumacher Racing teammates Cory McClenathan and Schumacher are third and forth with respective passes of 3.936  306.46 and 3.959. Schumacher had the best run o fthe first session with a 3.979.

The third DSR car, the Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron Brown, resides in the No. 5 spot with a 3.964 while Brandon Bernstein occupies the six hole with his Copart/Lucas Oil entry after posting a 3.976. Shawn Langdon (3.995) and Terry McMillen (4.041) round out the top eight.

Mike Strasburg holds down the all-important No. 12 spot, the final performance that will transfer into Saturday's final two sessions, after posting a 4.47 with his B & J Transmissions entry.

Robert Hight

Hight is on the hunt for his fourth No. 1 qualifying spot in the last six events with his Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang after posting a 4.194 to take the qualifying lead from his teammate, Ashley Force Hood, whose Castrol Mustang led the first session but slipped to second despite improving on her4.27 with a 4.22 in the afternoon. Bob Tasca III's Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang is qualified third with a 4.269 and team boss John Force fourth with a 4.269.

"How about those Fords?" Hight asked rhetorically. "That's what we shoot for. Jimmy [Prock, crew chief] always swings for the fences. He studies the track conditions and has the car on kill all the time. We've won a lot of races and been No. 1 qualifier a lot for that reason.

"The first run always seems to set the tone for the rest of the weekend, so I felt pretty good about how we ran off the trailer. Tonight's run won't be safe at the top, because it's going to cool off. I just love racing on the Western Swing. I'm a West Coast guy, and we have a lot of fans here. It's good to see guys like Gary Densham and Grant Downing when you come out here to race."

Jack Beckman has the field's first non-Ford after placing his Valvoline/MTS Charger in the No. 5 spot with a 4.275. Jeff Arend (4.276), Tim Wilkerson (4.277), and Del Worsham (4.315) round out the top eight.

Cruz Pedregon's Snap-On Solara holds down the No. 12 spot with a 4.341.

Jason Line

Line had the best run of both of the day's sessions with his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac, bettering his opening 6.666 with a 6.612 in the evening session. If Line, the 2008 winner of the event and last year's runner-up, can hold onto the No. 1 spot it will be his first of the season and the 17th of his career. His previous best this yeas was third in Charlotte.

"What did we find? We found Tommy Utt," said Line, who last qualified on the pole at the Houston event last season. "It's hard to run two cars with one crew chief, and him and Rob [Downing] make a good team. It's the best thing that's happened to our team in a long time.

"We got six bonus points today, which i think is more than we've got since the system started last season. We couldn't be happier. Our time definitely won't hold up for No. 1 tomorrow, because the weather is going to be so much cooler, but the good news is that we have a car that can do it again. We couldn't be happier about how the car is running."

Allen Johnson's Mopar Avenger jumped into the No. 2 spot with a 6.618 at 209.52 mph, which is tops for the class. Behind him is defending event and world champ Mike Edwards, who powered his Penhall/K&N/Interstate GXP to a 6.631. Edwards' engine customer, Ron Krisher, has his Valvoline Cobalt in the fourth spot after a 6.648.

Johnny Gray (6.655), Greg Anderson (6.656), Shane Gray (6.660), and Johnson (6.663) round out the quick eight. Jeg Coughlin's JEGS.com Cobalt has the final spot that will transfer into Saturday's final two passes after posting a 12th-best 6.685.