NHRA News: Denver Post-Race notes
POST RACE NOTES: 26th annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals July 15-17, Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colo. TOP FUEL * Two-time and defending Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher, of Long Grove, Ill., topped his category in record-setting fashion, setting the track mark for speed at 331.45 mph with a 4.617-second finish in the final round at Bandimere Speedway. It was Schumacher's fourth win in as many final round appearances thus far this season. * Schumacher's win was his first at Bandimere, and the 25th of his career. He defeated Morgan Lucas in the final round, who covered the quarter-mile in 4.778 at 309.91 behind the wheel of his Lucas Oil ride. Lucas has reached the final round three times in 2005, but has yet to win. * Schumacher claimed the points lead formerly held by Doug Kalitta and now holds a 20-point edge over the pilot of the Mac Tools dragster. * Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, qualified No. 1 and carried the Low E.T. of the event (4.596) into race day, but was eliminated after a malfunction on the starting line prevented him from taking the light. Bernstein would have advanced automatically on a bye if he would have completed the pass. * Larry Dixon's Miller Light/Ameriquest crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award. FUNNY CAR * Robert Hight, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., topped defending event winner Phil Burkart Jr. for his second victory of the year. The driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang reached the finish line in 4.897 at 316.60, while Burkart turned in a 5.650 at 187.57 effort for runner-up honors in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo. * Hight has made three final-round appearances in his rookie season and has qualified No. 1 five times. * Hight took advantage of uncharacteristically cool temperatures brought on by rain to set the track records for both time (4.796) and speed (322.58). * With the win, Hight claimed the points lead with a 22-point edge over his father-in-law, team owner and 13-time and defending Funny Car world champion John Force. * Force's Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award. PRO STOCK * After a lengthy burn down that brought the crowd to its feet, six-time Pro Stock world champion Warren Johnson rolled to victory when Dave Connolly fouled with a red-light start. * Johnson's winning pass of 7.131 in 193.16 behind the wheel of his GM Performance Pontiac marked his 95th career victory and fifth at Bandimere. * Johnson's final trip down the Bandimere quarter-mile was his 812th career round win. * Connolly defeated 2004 world champion Greg Anderson in the second round. Anderson was the No. 1 qualifier and recorded the low E.T. of the event (7.106), a track record, while Johnson set the track record for speed at 194.24. * Johnson, of Sugar Hill, Ga., now sits atop the point standings, 31 ahead of Anderson. * Anderson's Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE * Ryan Schnitz, of Decatur, Ind., earned his second career victory in as many final round appearances on his Muzzy Buell with a win over Antron Brown. Schnitz is the first repeat winner in his category for 2005. * Schnitz blasted down the track in 7.513 at 184.37, while Brown posted a 7.555 at 176.60 on his U.S. Army-backed Suzuki. * Defending category champion Andrew Hines, the event's No. 1 qualifier, turned in a track record low E.T. of the event (7.436). He was defeated in the second round by Brown, who is now one point behind points leader G.T. Tonglet. * Hines' Vance and Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod's crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship.