Brainerd: Larry Dixon final summary

DIXON DRIVES TO ROUND-ONE EFFORT AT B.I.R.

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 13, 2006) - Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon drove his Don "the Snake" Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster to a first-round finish Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway after the 38-time NHRA winner qualified third at the 25th annual Lucas Oil Nationals.

Dixon started eliminations from the No. 3 qualifying spot after racing to a run of 4.550-seconds on Saturday afternoon at B.I.R. In the first round of eliminations, both Dixon and opponent Doug Herbert used solid reaction times, but in a close drag race, the Miller Lite/Lucas Oil rail dropped a cylinder and slowed to a run of 4.700 seconds at 307.23 mph. That allowed Herbert to sneak around to score the narrow victory with his pass of 4.613-seconds. Dixon remains seventh in the NHRA Top Fuel standings.

"We had a fuel system malfunction and the motor dropped a cylinder and the car slowed down," crew chief Don Bender said.

The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 19th annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals, August 18-20, at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tenn. Dixon is a two-time winner of the Memphis race (2002, '04).

-credit: www.snakeracing.com