Todd Wants Encore Performance

ENNIS, Texas. Sept. 16, 2008 - Last year's No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier, J.R. Todd knows how to get down the all-concrete surface of the Texas Motorplex, but if you ask him what he remembers about the run, he'll say 'not much', after all, it was such a short trip. Since he won the 2007 pole for the O'Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals, Todd feels there's not any reason why he can't do it again.

"At each race, we come prepared to win and this weekend we want to win some rounds and salvage what's left of the season," said five-time Top Fuel winner, Todd. "We want to end the year on a high note and dig ourselves out of our situation in the next five races and get ready for 2009."

Todd's top qualifying run in last year's race was 4.541 ET, 321.96 MPH and out of the four qualifying runs, it clearly shows Friday night is THE night to get the maximum out of the race car.

"The Friday night qualifying run is the most pivotal run of the weekend," said Todd. "That's normally when the tuners are going to get after it and roll the dice. We need to make a good run on our first pass on Friday afternoon to give us a baseline and that way we're not tip-toeing on the night session. Either way, we have nothing to lose, so you might as well as go for it pretty much every run.

The start of the 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals begins at the Texas Motorplex on Friday, September 19 with two nitro qualifying sessions starting at 3:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EDT). On Saturday, the Top Fuel dragsters will have two additional qualifying sessions at 12:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The race starts promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 21.