Drag

Norwalk: Bruce Litton race report

NORWALK, Ohio - Just one week after making it to the semifinals at an NHRA event in Brainerd, Minn., IHRA Top Fuel pilot Bruce Litton smoked the tires in the first round of this weekend's Mopar Performance Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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NORWALK, Ohio - Just one week after making it to the semifinals at an NHRA event in Brainerd, Minn., IHRA Top Fuel pilot Bruce Litton smoked the tires in the first round of this weekend's Mopar Performance Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs at Norwalk Raceway Park.

Litton, from Indianapolis, qualified his Wix Filters Top Fuel Dragster fourth in the eight car field with a 4.768 second elapsed time at 306.53 mph. In the first round, he squared off against the No. 5 qualifier, Jim Bailey. After taking a substantial .528 to .824 holeshot, Litton's mount immediately went up in smoke, handing an easy win to Bailey, who went on to run a 4.864 at 288.95 mph.

"We just missed our combination," explained Litton, who also met the same inexplicable fate last season in Norwalk. "Our record hasn't been anything to write home about from here, but that's okay, there are other races left. The championship race is not over yet and we'll keep fighting until we get what we want. We want a win."

Not only was the first round loss a tough pill to swallow at the event, but also hurt his national points standings. Litton, who entered the event third in IHRA Top Fuel standings, will lose valuable ground to Clay Millican and Paul Romine, No. 1 and 2, respectively, who both made it past the first round. Nonetheless, Litton and his team plan to put this event behind them, and concentrate on the remainder of the season.

"Going to Indy will provide us with the opportunity to test at home and get ready for Epping," explained Litton. "We did well there last year and reached the final round. We set a record and that was the race that pulled us back in the championship hunt when it looked like we were falling by the wayside."

The next stop for the Wix Filters Top Fuel team will be in Litton's home town, Indianapolis, for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, next weekend.

-www.BruceLitton.com

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