Steve Chrisman’s gorgeous Vintage Fuel Magazine TF entry still uses no onboard management and late-1980s engine combination; a 5.03/279 best was extremely impressive to those who understand the car’s low-tech approach.

"We broke two motors on Friday and we just needed to figure out the reasons why and make all the right changes today. We just can't do that on every run because we hurt too many parts. The good thing is that Wayne (Dupuy, crew chief) got a couple of things sorted out and we did better today." — Doug Herbert on starting from the 6th position

"This car is doing what we wanted new crew chief Wes Cerny to do here this weekend—that being to get this car to go from A to B and do it consistently. We had three qualifying runs in the 50s (4.50-second range), so Wes and the guys did their job." — Cory McClenathan after qualifying 8th

Despite repeatedly dropping cylinders, Doug Foley’s Torco Fuels TF entry qualified fourteenth with a 4.65/300 and stunned third qualifier Melanie Troxel’s Skull Gear machine in the first round before narrowly falling to Doug Herbert’s Snap-On rig in round two.

"Our other heads were three years old, so we're now running the modern stuff. Mike (Kloeber, crew chief) had intended to test them on Monday (Oct. 10) in Rockingham (N.C.), but that race was rained out so we had to start working with the new parts during qualifying here. It's scary when you have 23 fuel cars trying to qualify." — Clay Millican after qualifying 15th

"I got off the throttle, grabbed the brake handle and then hit the throttle again, but it was still smoking the tires. I didn't see Doug but then the car made a move towards the centerline and he shot past me. It all comes down to experience. Doug has been driving one of these cars for a long time and I'm still in my first year." — Jack Beckman on his tire-smoking duel with Herbert in round one

"NHRA told us that they prepped the track differently this morning and from the amount of cars that smoked the tires it became a factor. We were one of casualties. We've got a great car and we're a great team and we didn't get to show it." — Larry Dixon on joining the victims of traction loss in the opening round

"I could hear cars smoking the tires and then I saw Alan (Johnson, crew chief for Schumacher) running away from the starting line and I knew he was making (tune-up) adjustments to get the car down the race track. Changing lanes turned out to be a good

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maneuver for them, too, because they got down the track and we didn't."— Millican, the four-time defending IHRA champion, after a tire-smoking loss in round one to the back-to-back NHRA champ

"Today we had some issues with the track prep and it's very screwed up. I feel on my part that it was very much ill handled. Nevertheless, you know that's racing and there's going to be days like this. He who recovers the best will have the best day. I had to pedal it the first round and it was somewhat exciting." —Lucas on outpedaling Joe Hartley in round one, but losing with more traction woes in round two against Grubnic

"We wanted to walk out of the desert with a Wally trophy, but I guess that will have to wait for the '06 season." — Herbert after falling to Schumacher in the semis

"Sure, I'm very disappointed, but you can't win them all. The loss is tough, but it was still a good weekend for us both on and off the race track." — Grubnic after coming up short in the final round