NHRA NEWS: Friday Qualifying, O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals

RECORDS FALL AFTER RAIN DELAY AT O'REILLY MID-SOUTH NATIONALS QUALIFYING

Greg Anderson and Matt Smith set track records; Robert Hight and Rod
Fuller lead nitro classes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Three-time and reigning Pro Stock champion Greg
Anderson posted the quickest pass in Memphis Motorsports Park history --
a 6.742 at 203.83 mph -- to lead Friday's qualifying action at the $1.6
million O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals 

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Matt Smith also set a MMP elapsed time record
with his 7.086 at 185 mph, while Rod Fuller and Robert Hight took early
leads in the nitro ranks at the 17th of 23 events in the $50 million
NHRA POWERade Series.

Only one round of qualifying was executed as a four-and-a-half hour rain
delay forced the outright cancellation of the second round of
qualifying, which will not be made up. Saturday's two rounds of time
trials are slated to begin at 2 and 6 p.m.

Defending event champion Fuller obviously remembered the quickest way
down the Memphis quarter-mile with his class-leading 4.575 at 318.54 mph
in the Valvoline/David Powers Homes dragster. Fuller's win here one year
ago was his first as a professional.

"We're still the baddest car on the property," Fuller said. "Basically,
we're riding the data from last year with some tweaks and a new car. We
really feel confident here and we feel like we know this track very
well."

U.S. Army dragster driver Tony Schumacher was second with a 4.578 at
321.35 mph. Brainerd winner Brandon Bernstein remains quick with a
third-best 4.605 at 324.05 mph in the Budweiser dragster, while former
points leader Melanie Troxel wound up fourth in the Skull Shine rail
after a 4.638.

The best qualifier in Funny Car this season, six-time low qualifier
Hight, has his Auto Club Ford Mustang at the top position once again an
impressive 4.849 at 297.75 mph to lead the field by more than
four-hundredths of a second.

"When it's down to one run it's hard to press too much," Hight said.
"Although Jimmy (Prock, crew chief) still pushed it plenty hard there.
It makes you nervous when you lose a round to rain. We know that
tomorrow's two runs will be in much hotter conditions so it makes this
one tonight so important."

Points leader Ron Capps had to pedal his Brut Dodge to get it down the
track. He ended up 15th with a 5.168.

Anderson impressed with his track-record 6.742 at 203.83 mph, which
erased Jeg Coughlin's mark from 2003. The Summit Racing Pontiac GTO
driver has 48 low qualifier awards to his credit although he's never
earned one here.

"It's good to get the upper hand for now but qualifying hasn't been our
big snafu this year, it's race day," Anderson said. "But we feel like
we're ready to break though and get on a roll where we win some races.
Our confidence is higher now than it's been all season."

Dodge driver Larry Morgan helped the Safety Safari sweep the water off
the racetrack, then he navigated it in 6.767 seconds at 203.03 mph to
grab second place for his zMax Micro Lubricants team. Jason Line, the
POWERade Series points leader and Anderson's teammate, was third with a
6.768 at 203.72 mph, the best pass in the right-hand lane.

G-Squared Motorsports racer Smith proved the Safety Safari did a superb
job of prepping the racetrack after the rain, breaking a 3-year-old
track elapsed time record with a 7.086 at 185.26 mph on his Torco Buell
V-Twin. The previous record was Angelle Sampey's 7.096 from 2003.

"I saw Michael Phillips run a 7.14 in front of us and I thought either
he had the perfect pass or the track was that good," Smith said. "We had
the better lane and the bike was strong. It pulled the front end up on
every gear change and it hardly ever does that."

Sampey also bettered her old MMP mark with a 7.090 at 183.99 mph,
placing her U.S. Army Suzuki second overall. Fellow championship
contender Andrew Hines ended up third with a 7.091 on his Screamin'
Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod, while points leader Antron Brown is fourth
with a 7.136 on his Army ride.

 

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MILLINGTON, Tenn. -- Results Friday after qualifying for the 19th annual
O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Memphis
Motorsports Park, 17th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final
eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Rod Fuller, 4.575 seconds, 318.54 mph; 2. Tony
Schumacher, 4.578, 321.35; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 4.605, 324.05; 4.
Melanie Troxel, 4.638, 298.93; 5. Scott Palmer, 4.642, 308.92; 6. Cory
McClenathan, 4.655, 319.98; 7. J.R. Todd, 4.656, 291.07; 8. Doug
Kalitta, 4.678, 297.16; 9. Larry Dixon, 4.685, 306.53; 10. David
Grubnic, 4.686, 310.34; 11. Morgan Lucas, 4.763, 280.60; 12. David Baca,
4.771, 297.61; 13. Bob Vandergriff, 4.789, 299.73; 14. Clay Millican,
4.836, 285.83; 15. Hillary Will, 5.080, 204.70; 16. Scott Weis, 7.022,
120.90. 

Funny Car -- 1. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.849, 297.75; 2. Cruz
Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.892, 304.80; 3. Tony Pedregon, Monte
Carlo, 4.899, 304.80; 4. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.907, 305.08;
5. Jim Head, Dodge Stratus, 4.923, 275.56; 6. Mike Ashley, Stratus,
4.942, 303.50; 7. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.943, 310.55; 8. Gary
Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 4.955, 301.67; 9. John Force, Mustang, 4.976,
290.76; 10. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 5.045, 289.45; 11. Whit
Bazemore, Charger, 5.048, 264.49; 12. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 5.053,
297.88; 13. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 5.073, 294.69; 14. Gary Densham,
Monte Carlo, 5.079, 254.04; 15. Ron Capps, Charger, 5.168, 291.07; 16.
Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 5.476, 242.76. 

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.742, 203.83; 2. Larry
Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.767, 203.03; 3. Jason Line, GTO, 6.768, 203.77;
4. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.768, 202.97; 5. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt,
6.784, 203.03; 6. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.785, 203.34; 7. Allen Johnson,
Stratus, 6.791, 202.64; 8. Jim Yates, GTO, 6.796, 202.45; 9. Dave
Howard, Cobalt, 6.797, 203.25; 10. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.803, 202.15;
11. Tom Martino, GTO, 6.806, 202.03; 12. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.819,
203.40; 13. Dave Northrop, Stratus, 6.820, 201.40; 14. Mark Pawuk, GTO,
6.833, 201.46; 15. Erica Enders, Stratus, 6.837, 201.43; 16. Ron
Krisher, Cobalt, 6.842, 201.76. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.086, 185.26; 2. Angelle
Sampey, Suzuki, 7.090, 183.99; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.091,
186.59; 4. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.136, 181.84; 5. GT Tonglet,
Harley-Davidson, 7.138, 184.85; 6. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.148,
186.85; 7. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.148, 184.17; 8. Craig Treble, Suzuki,
7.151, 186.85; 9. Ryan Schnitz, Buell, 7.156, 184.32; 10. Karen Stoffer,
Suzuki, 7.160, 187.42; 11. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.171, 186.15; 12. Shawn
Gann, Suzuki, 7.172, 180.36; 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.197, 183.00; 14.
Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.199, 185.95; 15. Wes Wells, Suzuki, 7.206,
185.69; 16. Chris Rivas, Buell, 7.231, 184.32.