“I think we did better than anyone expected.” -- Dixon after ousting D. Kalitta and Bernstein from the Shootout, but losing traction in the final against Grubnic

“I've had so many races it seems where we looked like we were going to win and then you'd see someone's nose sneak past you at the end. This time I never saw or heard Larry and when I went through the scoreboards and saw my win light come on I realized we'd finally done it. The first thing I did was get on the radio and tell my crew chief, 'We just won a hundred thousand dollars.' What a thrill!” -- Grubnic after earning his first Top Fuel victory by beating Dixon in the Bud Shootout final

"This is a humbling sport. Last night after our last qualifying pass we were on top of the heap. Today, we have a part that probably doesn't cost $50 break.”
-- Baca after a push rod failure cost him the first round against Andrew Cowin

"We dropped a cylinder at the hit (of the throttle) and we couldn't recover. There was just no power there. All I could do was watch Doug drive away." -- Bernstein on his opening-round loss to Herbert

“This just proves that there are a million ways to lose a drag race and only one way to win.” -- Dixon after his engine inexplicably dropped a cylinder in his first-round loss to Morgan Lucas

"I tried to pedal it and catch the tires, but then we ended up putting a cylinder out and I couldn't run her down." -- Schumacher on his unexpected loss to Rhonda Hartman-Smith in round two

FUNNY CAR

“Vegas is definitely one of the top-five track surfaces, and race tracks, we race on.” -- Cruz Pedregon on why he likes visiting The Strip

"The backset has caused us some frustration, and we dumped it on the workbench after Chicago; but we feel that we really need to get a handle on it. It's heralded to be so almighty, so we decided we had better learn how to make work for us. We don't think that running on 85 percent nitro will give us enough power in Vegas, so it seems like a great place to try it again." -- Tim Wilkerson on the backset blower he tried and abandoned earlier this season, but that he still believes is the way to go in the long run

"I'm still riding horses. It's just a different exhaust system." -- Eric Medlen alluding to his previous vocation as a rodeo cowboy

"We can catch them, I have no doubt about that. We have the equipment, the know-how, and the desire. What we don't have is a lot of time.” -- Phil Burkart, 10th in points, before the race on having just one more chance after Vegas with Tony Pedregon only 12 points ahead of him in ninth, while Pedregon’s brother Cruz holds the eighth spot with a 43-point edge

"I know this, we can't count on Scelzi losing, so the only defense we have is our offense. If we keep winning rounds, he can't catch us. If we open the door, though, I'll expect him to come through.” -- Del Worsham on his battle to hold on to second place in the points with Gary Scelzi close behind in third