Thu, 12 Nov 2009, 07:32 PM Schumacher, Hight, Edwards and Stoffer Lead Qualifying after Day One

Courtesy of NHRA Communications Photo copyright 2009 Auto Imagery, Inc.

POMONA, Calif. --

Tony Schumacher

Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon entered the final race of the season separated by a single point and in the first round of qualifying they were separated by just a thousandth of a second.

Lined up side-by-side for the final pass of the first day of qualifying at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals Thursday, Schumacher, the points leader, ran a 3.832 at 316.52 to Dixon's 3.833 at 314.31.

The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 24th and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

The Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the sixth and final race in NHRA's six-race playoff, the Countdown to 1.

Hight all but secured his first career NHRA Full Throttle Series world championship in Funny Car with a pace-setting 4.093 at 309.34. He entered the weekend with a 105-point lead over Ashley Force Hood and if he maintains at least a 101-point lead through qualifying he will clinch the title.

In Pro Stock, Edwards effectively locked up his first career NHRA Full Throttle Series championship with the pace-setting 6.637 at 209.46 mph. He will be crowned once points are awarded after the fourth and final round of qualifying Saturday.

If Edwards maintains the No. 1 position, it would be his 16th and that would match the all-time single-season high in NHRA history, previously set by Greg Anderson in 2004.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Stoffer set the pace with a 6.982-second pass at 191.70 mph.

Qualifying resumes Friday and Saturday with Rounds 2-4 before the 16-car fields are set for Sunday's final eliminations.

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