NHRA NEWS: FRIDAY QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM PHOENIX

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 695-6649

ENDERS SEEKS DRAG RACING HISTORY AT CHECKER SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA
NATIONALS
Schumacher and Medlen also qualifying leaders at Firebird International
Raceway

CHANDLER, Ariz. --  Sophomore Pro Stock racer Erica Enders is poised to
make drag racing history if the 22-year-old can hold on to the No. 1
qualifying position she earned Friday night during the opening day of
the 22nd annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals.

Enders covered Firebird International Raceway's quarter-mile in 6.679
seconds at 206.48 mph in her Slammers Ultimate Milk Chevrolet Cobalt,
becoming the first female in class history to earn provisional low
qualifier honors. Saturday's final two qualifying sessions will set the
field for Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations.

Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher and Funny Car racer Eric Medlen also
led their respective fields at the $1.5 million race, the second of 23
on the POWERade Drag Racing Series. Schumacher ran a 4.459 at 330.97 mph
in the heat of the day in his U.S. Army dragster. Medlen got the job
done in Round 2 when he roared to a 4.707 at 321.96 mph in his Castrol
Syntec Ford Mustang. 

Only six female racers have earned the No. 1 qualifier position before
and none have done so in Pro Stock. Overall, Enders is just the sixth
female to compete in the class since its inception in 1970.

"This is big because we had 10 DNQs early on last year and we were so
disappointed," Enders said. "Then we got it together and started doing
lots of things in the second half where I was the first female to do
this or that. I think it's cool. We still want to be thought of as
racers first but I don't mind being the first girl to do something."

After a slow start where she failed to complete her first run, Enders
overcame the fact she ran early in the second session to post her big
run.

"We just missed the set-up in Round 1," Enders said. "It made us all a
little nervous going into Friday night because we were the third pair
out. You know it's going to be the best session of the weekend and you
have to trust the set-up you have because you don't have many cars ahead
of you.

"My car was really loose in third and fourth gear. Thoughts of shoving
in the clutch did pop into my head. But I stayed with it and we got the
6.679 so I'm glad I kept my foot in it." 

Medlen also had a lot on his mind as he moved into the top spot in Funny
Car.

"We're making executive decisions as we go down the track because we
only have one of the new bodies so you sure don't want to blow it up or
catch it on fire," Medlen said. "Everybody in this class is so close
right now and we're looking for inches. I know the new car is quicker. I
don't want to go back to the old body."

After running such a great number in the first Top Fuel session,
anticipation was high that Schumacher would set the national record
after it cooled off. But it wasn't meant to be as he slowed slightly to
a 4.47. Even so, his two passes were the only ones in the 4.4-second
range.

"We were going for the record, no doubt," Schumacher said. "We wanted to
get those 20 (bonus) points right there. We just missed it, that's it. 

"We tend to run better in the heat of the day. The facts are we put more
effort into day runs because we race in the day. We don't race at night
and we don't make many runs at night so it's not something we spend a
lot of time on."

Qualifying continues Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m.


CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Friday's qualifying results for the 22nd annual
Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals presented by  Castrol at Firebird
International Raceway, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series.  Qualifying continues Saturday for Sunday's
final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.459 seconds, 330.96 mph; 2. Larry
Dixon, 4.501, 329.91; 3. Rod Fuller, 4.505, 327.59; 4. David Grubnic,
4.517, 323.27; 5. Melanie Troxel, 4.521, 319.75; 6. Doug Kalitta, 4.525,
321.96; 7. Clay Millican, 4.532, 317.27; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 4.548,
326.32; 9. David Baca, 4.563, 321.65; 10. Hillary Will, 4.565, 288.77;
11. Bob Vandergriff, 4.572, 324.36; 12. Doug Herbert, 4.579, 314.75; 13.
Cory McClenathan, 4.580, 325.77; 14. Alan Bradshaw, 4.627, 316.01; 15.
Bruce Litton, 4.771, 302.41; 16. J.R. Todd, 4.962, 205.79. 

Funny Car -- 1. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.707, 321.96; 2. Cruz
Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.717, 325.45; 3. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo,
4.722, 328.70; 4. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.724, 317.19; 5. Ron
Capps, Dodge Stratus, 4.738, 324.44; 6. John Force, Mustang, 4.742,
289.88; 7. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.764, 316.15; 8. Bob Gilbertson,
Stratus, 4.769, 316.23; 9. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.774, 318.02; 10.
Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.780, 315.71; 11. Tim Wilkerson, Monte
Carlo, 4.836, 305.42; 12. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo, 4.844, 317.19; 13.
Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.899, 295.92; 14. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 5.006,
293.15; 15. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 5.586, 177.35; 16. Jack Wyatt,
Pontiac Firebird, 5.678, 171.64. 

Pro Stock -- 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Cobalt, 6.679, 206.48; 2. Greg
Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.685, 206.42; 3. Richie Stevens, Dodge Stratus,
6.685, 205.38; 4. Jason Line, GTO, 6.689, 206.70; 5. Mike Edwards, GTO,
6.692, 206.95; 6. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.701, 205.76; 7. V. Gaines,
Stratus, 6.701, 205.35; 8. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.710, 205.41; 9. Dave
Connolly, Cobalt, 6.720, 205.35; 10. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt, 6.723,
206.23; 11. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.723, 205.38; 12. Warren Johnson, GTO,
6.725, 206.80; 13. Max Naylor, Stratus, 6.730, 204.85; 14. Rickie Smith,
Cobalt, 6.731, 204.98; 15. Mike Thomas, Stratus, 6.735, 204.66; 16. Jim
Yates, GTO, 6.740, 204.73. 

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