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Number-one qualifier Doug Kirk -- also the third member of the 6.40s club after posting a 6.498 in round two -- made up the other half of the final round pairing in his 2003 Don Smith Ford Mustang. Baker got the jump off the green by .017 secs, and needed it as Kirk went a quicker and faster 6.537 at 211.76 to Baker's winning 6.543 at 211.36 mph.

TOP FUEL

Two-time defending IHRA Top Fuel champ Clay Millican easily defeated first-time finalist Grant Flowers with a 4.690 pass at 310.55 mph in his Werner Enterprises dragster to secure his third victory in four attempts at the western Ontario strip. Millican started from on top of the eight-car field, then beat Bobby Lagana in the opening round despite smoking the tires off the start and survived another huge pedal fest against Jack Ostrander in the semis to reach number-seven qualifier Flowers.

"Talk about winning ugly. This was one tough day for the Werner team and I'm really happy that we got through it as well as we did," Millican said. "This track here at Grand Bend has given us some great times in the past, but not today. We had to earn everything we got."

Also of note was the Top Fuel competition debut of Canadian driver Todd Paton in the Crosbie Industrial dragster. Paton, a former IHRA Funny Car champion who most recently has been campaigning a nitro Funny Car part-time on the NHRA circuit, netted a 5.291-second pass in his first qualifying attempt that stood up to place him fourth on the ladder for raceday. He bowed out in round one to Jack Ostrander, however, when his car lost traction early in the run and dropped a couple of cylinders before reaching the finish line.

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