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Larry Dixon has been to the final round in Richmond, Va., twice. In fact, the two-time NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion is the defending winner at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Sure, the last time the NHRA raced there was in 2000 and Dixon beat Kenny Bernstein in the final. But don't think Dixon doesn't have visions of a repeat appearance in Richmond. Dixon said the Miller Lite team is on the cusp of a win and he would be crazy not to have winning visions running around in his mind.
"I would like to see us win the final three races of the season," Dixon said. "People might think that sounds crazy, but if I didn't think we had a chance to win every race, I wouldn't be out here racing every weekend. We're going to the event, so why not go out and try and win it? Our team has shown some good performance numbers over the past few races and I think it's a matter of time before we break out and get into the win column."
Dixon - a 38-time NHRA event winner behind the wheel of the Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster - earned his first career No. 1 qualifying award in Richmond during his rookie season in 1995. He also has a runner-up finish there from 1999.
"I'm excited we're going back to Richmond," Dixon said. "I was disappointed that race went off the schedule. It's a nice track with great race fans that are really supportive of drag racing. We haven't been there since 2000, which means there is going to be a lot of pressure on the crew chiefs to make their best educated guess possible to kick off the weekend. They are going to have to look at the track really well and I can imagine teams might take a cautious approach on Friday and then get more aggressive as the weekend goes on."
First on the schedule for the Miller Lite team? A party. Hey, these guys don't have a choice. It's tradition.
"One of the best parts about racing in Richmond again is having our pre-race party with Kozak Beverages on Thursday," Dixon said. "They have been one of the best distributors and biggest supporters of drag racing since I was a rookie. They have been so good to us throughout the years and it's nice that we can go back and race in front of them again. It's a great way to start the weekend."
Qualifying for the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va., starts Friday with sessions at 3:30 & 6:30 p.m., continuing Saturday at 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. All the action can be seen on ESPN2 starting Saturday at 10 p.m. (ET) and continuing on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET).
Dixon Driving Into Virginia Motorsports Park as Defending Top Fuel Champion
Larry Dixon has been to the final round in Richmond, Va., twice. In fact, the two-time NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion is the defending winner at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Sure, the last time the NHRA raced there was in 2000 and Dixon beat Kenny Bernstein in the final. But don't think Dixon doesn't have visions of a repeat appearance in Richmond. Dixon said the Miller Lite team is on the cusp of a win and he would be crazy not to have winning visions running around in his mind.
"I would like to see us win the final three races of the season," Dixon said. "People might think that sounds crazy, but if I didn't think we had a chance to win every race, I wouldn't be out here racing every weekend. We're going to the event, so why not go out and try and win it? Our team has shown some good performance numbers over the past few races and I think it's a matter of time before we break out and get into the win column."
Dixon - a 38-time NHRA event winner behind the wheel of the Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster - earned his first career No. 1 qualifying award in Richmond during his rookie season in 1995. He also has a runner-up finish there from 1999.
"I'm excited we're going back to Richmond," Dixon said. "I was disappointed that race went off the schedule. It's a nice track with great race fans that are really supportive of drag racing. We haven't been there since 2000, which means there is going to be a lot of pressure on the crew chiefs to make their best educated guess possible to kick off the weekend. They are going to have to look at the track really well and I can imagine teams might take a cautious approach on Friday and then get more aggressive as the weekend goes on."
First on the schedule for the Miller Lite team? A party. Hey, these guys don't have a choice. It's tradition.
"One of the best parts about racing in Richmond again is having our pre-race party with Kozak Beverages on Thursday," Dixon said. "They have been one of the best distributors and biggest supporters of drag racing since I was a rookie. They have been so good to us throughout the years and it's nice that we can go back and race in front of them again. It's a great way to start the weekend."
Qualifying for the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va., starts Friday with sessions at 3:30 & 6:30 p.m., continuing Saturday at 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. All the action can be seen on ESPN2 starting Saturday at 10 p.m. (ET) and continuing on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET).
