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BRAINERD, Minn. -- Larry Dixon is quite familiar with the roller coaster ride that is NHRA drag racing. Top Fuel's winningest active racer is one of the more seasoned drivers in drag racing's elite category, and throughout his 12 years as Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's successor, the 1995 NHRA Rookie of the Year has remained both grounded and level when it comes to on-track success.
So, as the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to action with the popular summer event in the North Star State, August 10-13, at Brainerd International Raceway, the Miller Lite driver is hoping that a new race car and a few changes with the tune-up of his 8,000 horsepower race car give him a consistency to post solid mid four-second elapsed times on B.I.R. quarter mile. The two-time winner of the Lucas Oil Nationals did just that one season ago, clocking two passes in both the 4.5 and 4.6-second range during qualifying, setting the Miller Lite team up for a runner-up finish last August.
"We changed the race car following Sonoma because we've been running that car for a year," Dixon said. "It's like changing the oil in your car. It's time. It has so many miles on it and you need to do it. I don't think it's necessarily the car as much as all the parts on the race car and how your turn the knobs that make it run well. In the middle of the Sonoma (Calif.) race, we started going down a different path to try and make our car better, and I think it will respond to the changes. I'm anxious to see how we perform."
Entering the Brainerd race just five rounds of racing from the No. four position in the POWERade Top Fuel standings, the two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion has shown flashes of brilliance this season in his Don Bender-tuned rail. Dixon raced to the final round at Englishtown, N.J. in June and has qualified his Miller Lite/Lucas Oil dragster second at three races this season. Always utilizing a cautious eye, the 38-time NHRA winner knows consistency is the key to winning rounds and races, and that's something the entire Don Prudhomme-owned race team expect at B.I.R.
"I more concerned about having a good, consistent running race car week-in and week-out," Dixon said. "If you do, you'll win the rounds that you're supposed to and winning events is just a byproduct of that. We just need to get qualified well each race. If you qualify well, you have a good running car and you should be able to take that and do something with it on Sunday. It's important to make four good runs down the race track."
**LARRY DIXON BRAINERD NOTES**
. Dixon is a two-time winner at Brainerd International Raceway (1999 def. E. Hill, 2001 def. D. Russell). It is one of 19 active NHRA tracks where Dixon has earned at least one victory.
. Dixon also has earned two runner-up finishes at B.I.R. (2002 K. Bernstein, 2005 D. Kalitta).
. Brainerd International Raceway is one of 11 tracks where Dixon has scored multiple race wins.
. Dixon is one of five Top Fuel racers to have captured multiple wins at B.I.R. (J. Amato, K. Bernstein, D. Kalitta and T. Schumacher).
. Dixon has qualified in the No. 1 spot at B.I.R. twice in 11 career races at the Minnesota track (2002 - 4.594 seconds, 2003 - 4.638 seconds).
. Dixon earned top speed of the meet at B.I.R. in 2003 (321.42 mph).
. Dixon recorded low E.T. of the event at the Brainerd race in 2001 (4.594 seconds) and 2003 (4.638 seconds).
. Dixon and then Funny Car teammate Ron Capps (def. W. Bazemore) doubled-up to sweep the nitro categories at B.I.R. in 2001.
. Dixon's team owner, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, earned his 48th career victory by defeating Scott Kalitta in the final round of Top Fuel at Brainerd International Raceway in 1994. It was the Snake's next to last win as a driver.
Dixon Hopes Consistency Leads to Round Wins at Brainerd
BRAINERD, Minn. -- Larry Dixon is quite familiar with the roller coaster ride that is NHRA drag racing. Top Fuel's winningest active racer is one of the more seasoned drivers in drag racing's elite category, and throughout his 12 years as Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's successor, the 1995 NHRA Rookie of the Year has remained both grounded and level when it comes to on-track success.
So, as the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to action with the popular summer event in the North Star State, August 10-13, at Brainerd International Raceway, the Miller Lite driver is hoping that a new race car and a few changes with the tune-up of his 8,000 horsepower race car give him a consistency to post solid mid four-second elapsed times on B.I.R. quarter mile. The two-time winner of the Lucas Oil Nationals did just that one season ago, clocking two passes in both the 4.5 and 4.6-second range during qualifying, setting the Miller Lite team up for a runner-up finish last August.
"We changed the race car following Sonoma because we've been running that car for a year," Dixon said. "It's like changing the oil in your car. It's time. It has so many miles on it and you need to do it. I don't think it's necessarily the car as much as all the parts on the race car and how your turn the knobs that make it run well. In the middle of the Sonoma (Calif.) race, we started going down a different path to try and make our car better, and I think it will respond to the changes. I'm anxious to see how we perform."
Entering the Brainerd race just five rounds of racing from the No. four position in the POWERade Top Fuel standings, the two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion has shown flashes of brilliance this season in his Don Bender-tuned rail. Dixon raced to the final round at Englishtown, N.J. in June and has qualified his Miller Lite/Lucas Oil dragster second at three races this season. Always utilizing a cautious eye, the 38-time NHRA winner knows consistency is the key to winning rounds and races, and that's something the entire Don Prudhomme-owned race team expect at B.I.R.
"I more concerned about having a good, consistent running race car week-in and week-out," Dixon said. "If you do, you'll win the rounds that you're supposed to and winning events is just a byproduct of that. We just need to get qualified well each race. If you qualify well, you have a good running car and you should be able to take that and do something with it on Sunday. It's important to make four good runs down the race track."
**LARRY DIXON BRAINERD NOTES**
. Dixon is a two-time winner at Brainerd International Raceway (1999 def. E. Hill, 2001 def. D. Russell). It is one of 19 active NHRA tracks where Dixon has earned at least one victory.
. Dixon also has earned two runner-up finishes at B.I.R. (2002 K. Bernstein, 2005 D. Kalitta).
. Brainerd International Raceway is one of 11 tracks where Dixon has scored multiple race wins.
. Dixon is one of five Top Fuel racers to have captured multiple wins at B.I.R. (J. Amato, K. Bernstein, D. Kalitta and T. Schumacher).
. Dixon has qualified in the No. 1 spot at B.I.R. twice in 11 career races at the Minnesota track (2002 - 4.594 seconds, 2003 - 4.638 seconds).
. Dixon earned top speed of the meet at B.I.R. in 2003 (321.42 mph).
. Dixon recorded low E.T. of the event at the Brainerd race in 2001 (4.594 seconds) and 2003 (4.638 seconds).
. Dixon and then Funny Car teammate Ron Capps (def. W. Bazemore) doubled-up to sweep the nitro categories at B.I.R. in 2001.
. Dixon's team owner, Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, earned his 48th career victory by defeating Scott Kalitta in the final round of Top Fuel at Brainerd International Raceway in 1994. It was the Snake's next to last win as a driver.
