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LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28, 2006) - Larry Dixon and the Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster turned some heads on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
That head-turning performance, however, caused a lot of work for the Miller Lite crew. The car suffered mechanical problems in the second round and the flames and fireworks might have been a show for the fans, but will be lots of work for the team. The car was on a good run before the engine let go with a big fireball just past the 1,000-foot mark for a 4.629-second pass at 269.94 mph.
"Everything behind the driver's seat had to be replaced," Dixon said. "We broke a few things, but nothing the team can't fix. It was a big explosion with a pretty big fire that created a lot of work for our guys.
"I stayed and tried to help out as much as I could, but they were still hard at work at the end of the day trying to prepare for the final elimination rounds."
Dixon is qualified for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals in the No. 14 position with a best run of 4.587 at 325.22. He will face J.R. Todd in the first round.
"We changed some things around with the fuel system and I think the car is going to be ready to go," Dixon said. "The car responded well and we had the quickest time to half track on that pass. We're showing great signs of life. If we can get the car back together I think we are going to take advantage of the data we collected today."
Dixon's 4.587 pass came during the first round of the Budweiser Shootout - the bonus event for Top Fuel drivers who have qualified well over the course of a calendar year.
Dixon beat Melanie Troxel in the first round before losing to Doug Kalitta in the second round. Dixon has earned three wins in the bonus event in his career.
In just seven seasons of racing in Las Vegas Dixon has earned four wins in five final rounds. Dixon swept the spring and fall events in 2002, won the spring event in 2003, was the runner-up in the spring in 2004 and won the spring race in 2005. He also has two No. 1 qualifying awards from 2001-'02.
Final eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. All the action can be seen on ESPN2. Final eliminations will air on Sunday at 8 p.m. (ET).
Dixon's Miller Lite Dragster Qualified and Ready to Race for Las Vegas Trophy
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28, 2006) - Larry Dixon and the Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster turned some heads on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
That head-turning performance, however, caused a lot of work for the Miller Lite crew. The car suffered mechanical problems in the second round and the flames and fireworks might have been a show for the fans, but will be lots of work for the team. The car was on a good run before the engine let go with a big fireball just past the 1,000-foot mark for a 4.629-second pass at 269.94 mph.
"Everything behind the driver's seat had to be replaced," Dixon said. "We broke a few things, but nothing the team can't fix. It was a big explosion with a pretty big fire that created a lot of work for our guys.
"I stayed and tried to help out as much as I could, but they were still hard at work at the end of the day trying to prepare for the final elimination rounds."
Dixon is qualified for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals in the No. 14 position with a best run of 4.587 at 325.22. He will face J.R. Todd in the first round.
"We changed some things around with the fuel system and I think the car is going to be ready to go," Dixon said. "The car responded well and we had the quickest time to half track on that pass. We're showing great signs of life. If we can get the car back together I think we are going to take advantage of the data we collected today."
Dixon's 4.587 pass came during the first round of the Budweiser Shootout - the bonus event for Top Fuel drivers who have qualified well over the course of a calendar year.
Dixon beat Melanie Troxel in the first round before losing to Doug Kalitta in the second round. Dixon has earned three wins in the bonus event in his career.
In just seven seasons of racing in Las Vegas Dixon has earned four wins in five final rounds. Dixon swept the spring and fall events in 2002, won the spring event in 2003, was the runner-up in the spring in 2004 and won the spring race in 2005. He also has two No. 1 qualifying awards from 2001-'02.
Final eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. All the action can be seen on ESPN2. Final eliminations will air on Sunday at 8 p.m. (ET).
