Mon, May 11, 10:15 AM Larry Dixon Miller Lite Top Fuel Fact Sheet

Courtesy of Joe Sherk

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -

Next Race: Mopar Parts Nationals, May 15-17, Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.

Qualifying: Friday, 3 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.;

Eliminations: Sunday, 11 a.m.

This Season: After beginning the year with a victory (at Pomona, Calif.) and a runner-up finish (two races later in Gainesville, Fla.), Dixon, crew chief Dale Armstrong and the team encountered traction problems which handicapped the car's performance in recent outings.

However, Dixon recorded his quickest run in four races during the first round of the Lone Star Nationals (May 3 at Ennis, Texas), and the outing may be the harbinger of things to come. After qualifying 12th (4.800 seconds, 291.63 mph), the Lite dragster unleashed a 4.669-second, 313.37 mph run against Mike Dunn's 4.707 at 303.95 mph, only to fall one-thousandth of second short (about three inches) at the finish line. The difference came on starting line reaction times. Dunn's was .474, Dixon's .513.

The tire-shaking and tire-smoking runs led to two previous first-round setbacks and one DNQ (at Richmond, Va.).

Dixon did record his quickest (4.571 seconds) and fastest (321.08 mph) run in Gainesville, but the engine expired in a huge fireball. His best run until the first round in Texas was a 4.64-second time at Houston (March 22).

Standing: Dixon is sixth with 344 points. Cory McClenathan leads with 604.

At Englishtown: In three appearances, Dixon has won (in 1995, setting a national elapsed-time record), finished second ('96) and lost in the second round. He's qualified No. 1 ('95), No. 2 ('96) and No. 3 ('97).

Dixon Quotes: "I was disappointed with my performance in the race car in Texas. I strive to not be a factor in the car and let the car do the talking as it goes down the track from point A to point B. I like to get off the line even with (the other drivers) or at the same time, but I didn't get it done this time.

"I'm anxious to put all this behind us and go to Englishtown. All of Snake's (car owner Don Prudhomme) cars have done well there and we won there three years ago."