Dallas Larry Dixon Qualifying Notes

ENNIS, TX. (Oct. 23) - Larry Dixon improved the Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite Dragster 12 spots up the qualifying ladder with his best lap of 4.603 seconds at 301.20 m.p.h. Saturday and will face Kenny Bernstein in the first round of eliminations Sunday at the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex.

The Dixon/Bernstein first-round meeting Sunday will mark the fourth straight NHRA event that the two drivers have squared off in the first round. Dixon has faced Bernstein a total of six times already this season and owns a mark of 3 wins and 3 losses.

After the first two qualifying sessions Friday, Dixon saw his No. 91 car sitting in 20th position in the field after a series of mechanical problems. Crew Chief Dick LaHaie and the Miller Lite squad straightened things out as Dixon's first lap Saturday proved to be his top provisional effort. With a baseline tune-up in place, LaHaie called for a "safe" run on the fourth and final lap that produced a 4.679 E.T. at 304.3 m.p.h. Dixon has qualified the Miller Lite Dragster on the pole on three occasions this season (Gainesville, Houston, Dallas) and currently sits fourth as the best overall qualifier among top fuel drivers for the season-ending $100,000 exhibition shootout.

He has recorded one victory in three final round appearances this season and also owns the national elapsed-time record as the first driver to break the 4.5-second barrier (4.486 seconds). Dixon has seven NHRA national event wins in 17 final round appearances and was the 1995 NHRA Rookie of the Year.