Wed, 26 Mar 2003, 11:07 AM NHRA Champ Larry Dixon Speaks to NASCAR Fans at Bristol

Courtesy of Skip Allum

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Reigning NHRA POWERade Top Fuel Champion Larry Dixon, driver of the Don Prudhomme Racing Miller Lite Dragster, spent this past weekend addressing over 160,000 NASCAR fans and media at Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Dixon at Bristol

Using one of his few off weekends during the 23-race NHRA season, Dixon made the trip from his Avon, Indiana home to Bristol, Tennessee on Saturday to help generate awareness for the upcoming Third Annual Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway (April 25-27).

"It was a real neat deal," said Dixon. "They had me down there to help promote our race when we come back to Bristol in a month. I got to spend some time with the folks from the local TV stations and did a lot with the newspaper guys. Then at the start of pre-race on Sunday, I was the first guy they introduced. I went up on the stage and talked about how quick and fast we go and told the fans that they need to come back and see us race if they want to see some serious horsepower."

During his time in Bristol, Dixon was able to mingle with the media, race fans and track VIPs. He was pleased with the reception he got from the motorsports media who are becoming more aware of NHRA drag racing. "The people that I talked with certainly knew about our race there and about our sport," said Dixon. "The biggest response I got was that people are really excited that our race in Bristol has become a points-paying race. From that standpoint they are excited that it's a real event."

He also spent time rooting on fellow Miller Lite Racing teammate Rusty Wallace in his bid for another short-track victory and soak in some of the atmosphere at one of NASCAR's premier events.

"Bristol is a major event, I mean, 160,000 people," said Dixon. "From the looks of it, I'll bet that about half of them camp out there. It was nothing but campers throughout the whole drag strip pit area and spectator parking area. If you had a car, you were parking at least a mile down the road."

"I have gone to the Saturday-night fall race there in Bristol quite a few times in the past, so this was my first daylight race at Bristol," said Dixon. "You have got 43 cars on that racetrack and at the green flag, the guy in last place is already a half-lap down. There's a lot of beating and banging going on and tempers are raised up a little bit when they get on that race track. There isn't a whole lot of room for a whole lot of people on that track. It was an exciting race and I wish that Rusty had done better, but I am sure that he wished he had done better as well."

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