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PRO STOCK

It may be a bit early to make a declaration, but based on the Topeka results, the Balance of Power in Pro Stock may have shifted. At the close of qualifying, Greg Anderson seemed to have the field at his mercy. And once eliminations began, it became clear that he did.

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Combining some newly found horsepower with an effective gear ratio setup, Anderson whipped the biggest of the bracket's big names. Leaving on all of his opponents save Kurt Johnson in the final, Anderson's consecutive runs of 6.82, 6.83, 6.81 and 6.80 left V. Gaines, Jeg Coughlin, Warren Johnson and KJ close on paper, but not at the stripe.

And it could have been worse. Anderson claimed to be struggling a bit finding the best low gear ratio for the Topeka surface. As imposing as a string of 6.80s are, 6.70s would make it that much tougher for the rest of the Pro Stock crowd to get excited about going to Joliet-the race track, not the lock up. If the balance of power hasn't shifted, Anderson has at least sent the troops back to the armory, looking for more ammunition.

CHAIN OF COMMAND

The Sarge, Tony Schumacher, will get some new marching orders starting in Joliet. Wes Cerney is out, and Alan Johnson is in as crew chief of the Army Top Fuel dragster. Seen in some circles as a sudden development, DRO has it on good authority the move has been brewing for some time. (Such as midway through Sarge's string of first round losses.) At any rate, the Army should be marching better soon.

TOPEKA TOPPER

Larry Dixon Jr had won just about everywhere on the NHRA tour -- but never at Topeka. Scratch off one albatross, thanks to another dominant performance. LDJR was aided somewhat by having lane choice, but that's part of the drill. After the final, LDJR credited his car and crew. "The car was perfect today. It feels good to finally win at Topeka. Just about everyone on my team has won here, so now I can hang with them and be a part of the club. The team worked hard and they deserved to win today."