"We're going to go to an updated cylinder head, manifold, and supercharger package. We'll change some things in the clutch, but no set-back blowers for us at the moment," said Dixon, who'll try to follow Amato with a third straight championship. "The biggest thing on my mind is to qualify for the Winternationals. To say it will be more competitive than any other year, I don't know about that. Every year is competitive, to me."

Dixon's 4.616 Saturday reminded that tuner extraordinaire Dick LaHaie knows how to send a car down a hot, sticky, challenging surface. Said Dixon of his fortune to drive for Prudhomme and have LaHaie as a crew chief, "It's more than I ever thought I would have gotten out of life."

He has been the star of the show, and the Feb. 19-22 season-opener at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway will be the first opportunity to see if the pressure to run in the 4.40/333 range is on.

"The cars are going to be quicker and faster this year because of the changes that are being made this winter to all the teams," Kenny Bernstein said. "We saw the improvements in performance with those two teams at the end of last year."

The Kalitta operation owns the quickest and fastest cars in NHRA history. Scott Kalitta, who un-retired and rejoined the show at the U.S. Nationals last Labor Day weekend, has the fastest dragster, the Mac Tools Jesse James entry, at 333.95. (Doug Kalitta, in

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the other Mac Tools car, has three of the next four best speeds, all at 333 or better. Schumacher is in the mix with a 333.08.) Doug Kalitta ran a 4.428 e.t. in September at Chicago but failed to back it up for a national record, leaving Schumacher the honor at 4.441 in his October blast at Reading, Pa. (Schumacher also has the third- and fourth-quickest times at 4.449 and 4.455.)

One of the drivers who posted a 4.4-second e.t. last fall was Cory McClenathan, whose 4.463 is the fifth-quickest Top Fuel run ever. The Anaheim, Calif., native had been unemployed since funding fell through in December for owner Darrell Gwynn. However, he announced last weekend the he has signed a multi-year contract to drive the Carrier Boyz Racing Berryman Top Fuel Dragster. Jimmy Walsh will be crew chief.

McClenathan was not in Phoenix but said his new team will test at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Monday and Tuesday. "I feel I've finally found a home with Andy and Mark and Carrier Boyz Racing," he said. "I think we can be a factor from Day One."