Madison: Larry Dixon final summary

DIXON RACES TO FIRST-ROUND FINISH AT HOT ST. LOUIS RACE

MADISON, Ill. (June 26, 2005) -- Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion (2002-03) Larry Dixon drove his Miller Lite dragster to a first-round performance under scorching summer conditions Sunday at Gateway International Raceway.

Dixon, who qualified the Miller Lite rail in the fourth position with a 4.601-second elapsed time, drove to the early lead over first round opponent Scott Weis before the Miller Lite/Ameriquest rail spun the tires, allowing Weis to sneak around and earn the trip to round two. Dixon clocked a pass of 4.918 seconds at 289.63 mph, while Weis drove to the second quickest pass of the round at 4.793 at 310.89. Dixon's 4.918-second E.T. was the fifth quickest of the opening round of Top Fuel eliminations.

"It spun the tires and we got outrun," Dixon said. "We had the fifth quickest run of the session, so it wasn't that bad of a run."

Through the midway point of the 2005 NHRA campaign, Dixon and Don Prudhomme's Miller Lite team stand third in the Top Fuel points chase with two victories and four final-round appearances on the season. Dixon trails category leader Doug Kalitta by 71 points or less than four rounds of competition.

The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 26th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals, July 15-17, at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. near Denver. The Miller Lite crew will return to the team's Brownsburg, Ind. race shop to gear up for the Western Swing and the second half of the 2005 NHRA campaign. Dixon is a two-time winner of the Denver race.

-snake racing-