Gainesville Saturday Recap

GAINESVILLE - Saturday Recap Record Fields Head 30th Gatornationals by Ed Dykes GAINESVILLE, Fla. - SUMMIT FastNews The fields are set at the 30th annual NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals, and Larry Dixon, Whit Bazemore, Warren Johnson, and Angelle Seeling lead their respective professional categories. Larry Dixon extended his lead in the Top Fuel category when he covered the quarter-mile in 4.532 seconds at 321.65 mph today in his Miller Lite dragster. The sixteen-car qualified field was the quickest in history, with Paul Romine's 4.697 second performance taking the last slot. Cory McClenathan escaped serious injury earlier today when the engine in his MBNA dragster exploded with sufficient force to blow it completely out of the frame rails. The chassis was damaged and the crew spent the afternoon preparing a backup car for Sunday's eliminations. In Funny Car, Whit Bazemore drove the Kendall Camaro to the top spot in the final session, moving early leader John Force to the second position. Warren Johnson held onto the pole position in the Pro Stock category, followed by his son Kurt in the second spot. Angelle Seeling heads the Pro Stock Motorcycle category, followed by reigning series champ Matt Hines. Final eliminations in all categories will begin Sunday morning at 11:00 am. The $2.1 million race is the third of 22 events in the $40 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. Results provided by the FastNews Network, courtesy of Summit Racing Equipment ** http://www.summitracing.com/ **