Topeka: Goodyear Racing race report

GOODYEAR TIRES PROPEL FIVE NHRA WINNERS AT TOPEKA

TOPEKA, Kansas (May 24, 2010) -- Racing at a facility where Goodyear tires have helped many drivers to victory through the years, the Akron, Ohio-based tiremaker won the most races during the O'Reilly Auto Parts Summer Nationals NHRA race at Heartland Park Topeka.

The venue includes a state of the art road racing facility where Goodyear-shod cars have won more SCCA amateur sports car national championships than any other tiremaker. Goodyear-equipped racers were at it again, winning five times during the drag races. All other tiremakers combined could only tie Goodyear's trophy haul.

The Goodyear-shod winners included Full Throttle Drag Racing Series professionals Tony Schumacher (in Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), along with Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsmen Duane Shields (Top Alcohol Dragster) and Tim Nicholson (Super Stock).

Schumacher beat Cory McClenathan in the final round on a holeshot. The win was the third of the season for Schumacher and moved him to third in the standings. Larry Dixon leads with 845 points, McClenathan is next with 748 and Schumacher has 737.

Hight's win was his third straight. He narrowly beat Jeff Arend in the final round after Arend got off to a quicker start. Hight's margin of victory was just .0255 of a second, estimated at 11 feet by tracksiders. John Force held his lead in the standings with 728 points. Hight is second with 679.

Edwards is the only driver in a professional category to pass the 900-point mark so far this season. The Pro Stock leader faced his closest competitor in the standings, Allen Johnson, in the final round and won in a terrific drag race. Edwards' margin of victory was a scant .0037 of a second, estimated at 13 inches. Edwards leads with 958 points, Johnson has 691.

Shields has won his last four final rounds in Top Alcohol Dragster and he won his second national event of the season.

Nicholson's Super Stock win was his first in a national event, having raced once before in a national final round.

-source: goodyear racing