Three-time NHRA champion Angelle Sampey ran the quickest Pro Stock Motorcycle pass in history Saturday to highlight the final day of professional qualifying at the 38th annual ProCare Rx NHRA SuperNationals presented by R2B2 Motors. The former nurse and beauty queen zipped through the timers in 6.871 seconds at 194.21 mph to shatter the previous mark by three hundredths of a second, a massive amount of time in drag racing.

Tony Schumacher, Tommy Johnson Jr., and Greg Anderson shared the low qualifier's podium with Sampey. Schumacher paced Top Fuel with a 4.455 at 331.94 mph. Johnson fronted Funny Car with a 4.729 at 321.96 mph, and Anderson stole away the top spot in Pro Stock from Friday leader Richie Stevens with his 6.592 at 210.57 mph, both the quickest and fastest run ever at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Angelle Sampey

Sampey had a hard time getting her arms around her record elapsed time, which occurred just past noon. It was by far her most impressive of her 42 career top qualifying efforts. The U.S. Army Suzuki rider has now earned the No. 1 position three times this year.

"I was totally shocked," Sampey said of her record run. "The bike left well, it felt straight, and I hit my shift points. Steve [Tartaglia, tuner] was aiming for a 6.91 so I figured it was close to that. Then I pulled off and the EMTs were clapping and jumping around so I pulled over there and they said 6.87. I had to ask them three times because I didn't believe it. I wanted to see the [time] slip.

"We were thrilled to get the 6.87 and then of course we wanted to back it up to get the record. I didn't think I had run quicker than the 6.939 (which she needed to back up the 6.871 to make it official) because I was hanging off the bike to keep it straight but we still ran a 6.92 so we got it done. That could have been a 6.89 at least if it had gone straight."

Friday's top gun, Andrew Hines, slipped to second with his career-best pass of 6.910 at 193.57 mph on the Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Chip Ellis remained third on his Drag Specialties S&S Buell with a best of 6.950 at 192.30 mph. 

Final qualifier Mike Berry draws Sampey in Sunday's opening rounds of elimination session. He ran a 7.033 to anchor the field.

Tony Schumacher

Schumacher's nighttime pass of 4.455 at 331.94 mph was untouchable in Saturday's heat, so the U.S. Army racer was able to secure his fifth pole of the year and 40th low qualifier award of his career. Schumacher opens against Dave Grubnic, who limped into the field in the final session with a 4.808 at 314.09 mph in his Zantrex-3 dragster.

"Like usual, the Friday night run was the hero run, but being low of that round we just finished with a 4.60 is just as impressive to me," Schumacher said. "That was just a good, old-fashioned get-it-down-through-there run in the heat of the day.

"This track owes us. It's been a tough place for this team and for Alan [Johnson, crew chief]. But right now he has a handle on it and when he gets a handle on a place he's usually pretty hard to beat."

Rod Fuller (4.479) and Torco's Clay Millican (4.487) remained the only other drivers to be in the 4.4-second range. Budweiser's Brandon Bernstein (4.500) and Fram's Cory McClenathan (4.516) have also been steady this weekend.

Tommy Johnson Jr.

Funny Car racer Johnson was thrilled to hold onto the No. 1 slot he earned in Round 2 when no one bettered the 4.729 at 321.96 mph he posted in his Skoal Chevrolet Impala. He'll start Sunday's action against Gary Densham, who made a last-gasp 4.938 at 304.32 mph in his Torco/Racebricks Impala to make the field.

"It's looking more and more like we have found the consistency we've been lacking," Johnson said. "We pushed the limit this morning and smoked the tires so we put it back, so to speak, to the way it was before and we were low of the final session with a 4.86, so it's responding to the changes we're making.

"The good E.T.s, I like them, but it's more for the guys. They're the ones that put in all the hard work. For the struggles we've had in the first nine races, it's great to give them this and see the smiles in the pit when you get back from the top end. I'll say this, even when we were down, the chins were up with my group. They're professionals."

John Force and his daughter Ashley remained second and third, respectively. John, who like Johnson has struggled mightily this year, had a best of 4.747 here in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang. Crowd-favorite Ashley credited her crew chief Dean "Guido" Antonelli for getting her Mustang into the third position with a 4.760. Ashley will race her teammate Robert Hight (4.893) in Round 1.

Two-time series champ Scott Kalitta recorded his best qualifying effort of the season with a 4.768 in his DHL Solara.

Greg Anderson

Anderson's seventh low qualifier of the season's first 10 races ruined Stevens' chance to be the low man in the class for the first time since last year's Chicago race. Instead it will be Anderson's Summit Racing Pontiac GTO leading the way once again as the current POWERade points leader will try to extend his lead over the chase pack.

"I've got so much beyond what any driver could ask for," Anderson said. "I have a great car that can win every week. I'm a very lucky man to have the team I have around me and to have [team owner] Ken Black's support. I was kicking the dog yesterday when I was second. That's how spoiled I've become.

"We made two great runs today and two above average runs yesterday so I think we've got a great package going into race day. We've got Craig Hankinson in Round 1 and he may be new to driving but he's not new to the class. He'll be tough, just like everyone else, and we'll need to be perfect to win."

Stevens settled for second with his Round 2 pass of 6.598 at 209.20 mph in his Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T. Jeg Coughlin will try to win from the No. 3 spot after a 6.612 in the Jegs.com Cobalt. Coughlin started race day in the same slot two weeks ago when he won the Chicago race.

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