A late afternoon rain shower pushed Saturday's final round of Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying back for more than an hour, making the final session of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals extremely exciting as teams took advantage of the improved conditions. But in the end the same drivers that lead Friday's action -- Melanie Troxel, Robert Hight, Allen Johnson, and Matt Smith -- remained in control of their respective categories. 

Melanie Troxel

Troxel is doing everything she can to erase the memory of five first-round losses in a row, qualifying No. 1 in Top Fuel for the first time this season in her Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA dragster. The Littleton, Colo., native used her 4.610 at 322.42 mph from Friday night to earn the podium.

"There's been some controversy about the No. 1 qualifier not winning on race day but we're looking forward to taking our shot at changing that," Troxel said. "Growing up here, I couldn't think of a better place to turn our season around. We have a win and a runner-up this year, but aside from that we've only won one other round. You've got to be able to get past that first round to be a contender. I feel very fortunate that we've been able to hold on to that No. 8 spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

"We came into the day on a high after last night. We all know how important that Friday night session has become and we had a great pass when it counted. We didn't get down the track either time today. We had some mechanical issues. I guess it's better to get them out of the way now."

Dave Grubnic cranked his Zantrex-3 dragster up Saturday and almost took the top spot from Troxel when he posted a 4.612 at 314.97 mph in the final session. POWERade points leader "Hot Rod" Fuller slipped to third with a 4.615 at 319.75 mph.

Part-timer Mike Strasburg carded a 16th-best 4.886 in his B&J Transmissions dragster to earn a first-round race against Troxel.

Robert Hight

This was Hight's fifth low qualifying effort of the season, which leads the Funny Car class. The driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang has maintained second place in the points despite missing the Houston race following the death of teammate Eric Medlen. 

"I didn't think that 4.86 would stay in because with that long weather delay we basically ended up with a bonus night session," Hight said. "I saw Beckman run my exact e.t. and I thought for sure someone else would be quicker. But I also thought that maybe we could get quicker also.

"This mountain is the great equalizer. I can already tell you that Gary Densham (16th qualifier) will be a real test for us in Round 1. This place can humble you, but at the same time I feel as though I have a great team behind me, led by Jimmy Prock. We'll be ready to race and I hope to go some rounds tomorrow."

Mike Ashley of Team Torco followed Hight and Beckman in third place with a 4.889.

Jerry Toliver started the final session on the bottom of the qualifying sheet. By the end of the round he was all the way up to the No. 4 slot with a 4.893 at 319.60 mph. Unfortunately, his Rockstar Toyota Solara ended up on its side in the top-end sand-trap after Toliver's 'chutes came out late. 

"We just took delivery of our back-up car today so we'll be ready to race no matter what," said Toliver, who was unhurt in the accident.

After a wild final session where drivers were bumping in and out after virtually every pair, Ashley Force, Cruz Pedregon, and Tim Wilkerson all ended up outside the 16-car field. Wilkerson was top qualifier at the last event in Bristol, where Pedregon raced to a runner-up finish.

Allen Johnson

Team Mopar Pro Stock racer Johnson secured the third No. 1 qualifying award of his 259-race career in the perfect place -- the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals -- with his Friday night pass of 7.032 at 195.73 mph in his Dodge Stratus R/T. 

"I was just talking to Dad [engine builder Roy Johnson] and he said this is a dream come true for us and he's right," said Johnson, who ran a 7.049 and a 7.088 Saturday. "For him especially, with his heart problems and all from earlier this year, he's still put in so much work to make us faster. He was dead on the table in Phoenix and three days later he was at the shop working.

"It got a little hotter today and we stayed No. 1, which is just awesome. This being the Mopar race and all, you couldn't ask for any more. Last year we were No. 1 on Friday and then Jason Line took it from us in the final round. Not today."

The top of the ladder is all Mopar blue as Johnson's team driver Richie Stevens has his identical racecar right behind his boss in the No. 2 position after a best of 7.035 at 195.05 mph.

Greg Anderson finished his worst qualifying session in two years in the No. 9 slot. His Summit Racing Pontiac GTO recorded its best pass of the weekend in the final session when he went 7.075 at 194.94 mph. 

Stevens will face Erica Enders (7.109) and her Mach 1 Air Services Dodge in Round 1, while Johnson squares off against final qualifier Greg Stanfield, who coaxed a 7.109 out of his PiranaZ GTO.

Matt Smith

Smith's fourth low qualifier of the year in Pro Stock Motorcycle, courtesy of a Round 3 pass of 7.347 at 179.92 mph, means he's had the quickest bike at half the races this season. Now the Torco Buell rider and current POWERade points leader will try to improve on his 1-4 final-round record.

"We've got to start winning more races," Smith said. "We're winning lots of rounds but we're just having weird things happen to us in the final round. Today's a great example. We ran the 7.34 in the first session and then broke a crank trigger in the second session and the bike just quit. That could have easily happened in the first round of eliminations and we would have been done.

"It was hot when we ran that 7.34 and that's about the same conditions we'll see tomorrow when we start racing so we're excited. My dad (Rickie Smith) has been helping me a lot over the phone with how to tune for this place, the timing and the jets you need compared to being at sea-level and it's really helped. It's a family effort over here."

Reigning POWERade champion Andrew Hines, who beat Smith two weeks ago in the final round in Norwalk, Ohio, moved up to second Saturday with a 7.382 at 180.55 mph on his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod.

Two-time Denver winner Angelle Sampey parked her U.S. Army Suzuki in the No. 7 slot after a 7.403 at 179.21 mph.

Mike Berry of nearby Littleton, Colo., anchored the field with a 7.487, setting up a first-round date with Smith.

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