Drag Racing Online - Race Results

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IT'S ALWAYS THE LITTLE THINGS…
A broken valve keeper preceded a supercharger explosion on Tommy Johnson Jr.'s first qualifying run at Bristol. Fortunately, the driver of Don Prudhomme's blue Skoal Camaro, qualified on the run at 4.992 (15th) because it wasn't until Monday testing that crew chief Ed "the Ace" McCulloch found an undiagnosed fuel system problem that resulted from the explosion. The problem rectified, Johnson Jr., winner earlier this year at Las Vegas, improved on each of his test runs.

PEDREGON DNQ DROPS HIM OUT OF TOP 10 POINTS
Joining Chuck Etchells on the sidelines at Bristol was Tony Pedregon, driver of John Force's Castrol SYNTEC Ford, who failed to qualify for only the second time since joining Force's operation and for the first time in a race in which he made all four qualifying attempts.

Victimized by the same problem that made him a first round loser in the four events immediately preceding Bristol, Pedregon ran 5.020 on his final qualifying lap, missing the No. 16 spot by .013 of a second.

The DNQ knocked Pedregon, second in the Winston standings three times in the last five years, out of the Top 10 for the first time in six years.

THE GOLDEN YEARS
Kris "the Golden Greek" Karamesines continued to enjoy his second - or third or fourth - childhood at Bristol where the world's oldest Top Fuel driver qualified 13th at a career best 4.890 seconds. He still missed 300, though, with a best of 297.16 mph.

'HAT TRICK' FOR PRUDHOMME

Ron Capps won his first NHRA Funny Car race of the season and gave team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme his third straight Winston Series victory Sunday in the Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Capps drove Prudhomme's Skoal Racing Green Camaro over Al Hofmann in the title round for his 10 career triumph and ninth in Funny Car. He followed Skoal Racing Blue Camaro teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. and Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon into the winner's circle. Johnson won at Las Vegas (April 8) and Dixon won at Gainesville, Fla. (April 21).

Prudhomme's career wins total reached 70, 49 coming as a driver and the last 21 as a team owner. One of those victories, ironically, came at the last NHRA national event held at Bristol Dragway 33 years ago. Dixon has 11 wins and Johnson one.

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