Bob Tasca won here at Maple Grove in 2009. This is the 121st race for John Smith and his 14th in the Funny Car class. This is the first time Smith and Tasca III have faced each other in eliminations. Smith's crew went wild at the starting line after Smith took his car down the groove for the win. In the other lane, Tasca's car shook the rear tires hard as soon as it launched. He tried to pedal it but just spun and smoked the tires for a few hundred feet before he clicked it off.