Reading: Larry Dixon Friday summary

DIXON GRABS PROVISIONAL NO. 2 POSITION FRIDAY AT MAPLE GROVE WITH 4.538-SECOND RUN

MOHNTON, Pa. (Sept. 16, 2005) -- Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon raced his Miller Lite dragster to the provisional No. 2 qualifying position Friday at Maple Grove Raceway after the 38-time NHRA winner clocked a 4.538-second elapsed time.

After collecting his third career Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory on Sept. 5 at Indianapolis, Dixon, ranked third in the POWERade Top Fuel standings 79 points behind category leader Tony Schumacher, used a tune-up from crew chief Dick LaHaie to power the Miller Lite/Ameriquest dragster to the second quickest effort of the opening qualifying session, 4.592 seconds at 324.90 mph.

Dixon and the LaHaie-led Miller Lite/Lucas Oil crew improved upon their opening attempt when the veteran Top Fuel pilot's dragster stopped the Maple Grove Raceway timers in 4.538 at 323.43 to finish second in the 16-car Top Fuel order. Dixon qualified 10th at the event formerly known as the Keystone Nationals one year ago.

"I think everything went according to plan," Dixon said. "We wanted to go down the track on the first run and we were second quick of the session. That allowed Dick LaHaie to stand on the gas and we ended up second after the night run. I thought Friday was a good day."

This crew chiefs faced unseasonably warm and muggy race conditions on Friday in Eastern Pennsylvania as temperatures soared into the 90s with high humidity, a drastic change from the cool, damp conditions the teams are used to battling at the Reading event. The Maple Grove Raceway quarter mile reached 120 degrees on Friday's first qualifying session.

"We could have run a little better," LaHaie said. "I'm not going to complain though. We're qualified and that's what matters. It could rain tomorrow and we're ready to race on Sunday.

"You've got to set the car up differently to counter the warm conditions. We had a 120-degree race track this afternoon. It's just a matter of making adjustments to what we think the car will run."

Dixon and Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's Miller Lite team eye their fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season as Top Fuel qualifying resumes with sessions scheduled for noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday (ET) at the ultra-quick Pennsylvania drag strip.

-www.snakeracing.com