"I'm glad that [John Force is] alive," Dixon said. "From that point you can fix anything. A lot of credit goes to the Safety Safari, the medical team, and the rules package for the way the cars have to be built so that you can survive an accident like that. I feel safer in my car that goes 330 mph than I do in my rental car going 55 mph on the way to the track. I feel like I could run over a nuclear bomb, and I trust in that. He'll be back racing one day; you can count on that.

"[The points lead] is just a fringe benefit of the win. I look at what's the points spread to fifth place. First or fourth, doesn't matter. All I know is you need to be in top four before Vegas. Let [Tony Schumacher and Rod Fuller] have all the headlines. I just want to win the race.

"We didn't make any runs during the day in qualifying, so [tuner] Donnie Bender and the team stayed out here late last night going through the car to figure out what was wrong."

Vandergriff extended his record streak of futility in final rounds to 0-11, but he did move to within 21 points of the top four. The Countdown to Four field now shows Dixon with 2,297 points, Rod Fuller with 2,252, Tony Schumacher with 2,247, and Brandon Bernstein with 2,221.

Tony Pedregon

The battle of the Pedregon brothers went to younger brother Tony as Cruz had to give up his pass just before half-track when his Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala SS started smoking its tires. It was a fortunate outcome for Tony as his Q Horsepower Chevy neared the centerline at the top end of the track, which forced him to lift off the gas to avoid crossing the line and getting disqualified. His 5.010 at 254.06 mph was definitely beatable, but Cruz was already in spectator mode, eventually drifting across the stripe in 6.882 seconds at 131.31 mph.

Both Pedregons reached the final round with bye runs. Tony would have raced John Force, and Cruz would have faced Ashley Force, who left the track to be with her father at the hospital. 

"I was watching Force's race on the monitor, and I saw what happened," Pedregon said. "I have to admit it really shook me up. It took me back to when I was a kid and my dad told me about these wrecks where cars got cut in half. I ran over there to try and help, and there was no cockpit. It really scared me. I just wanted to hear that he was okay. Broken bones will mend. I wanted to hear he was talking, and if he was swearing, even better. From what it looked like, he's very lucky.

"We didn't qualify so well, but it really worked out because I looked at the pairings this morning and thought we really had a chance to make a move today. To go from fifth to first in one day under this new format is exciting."

Pedregon's big weekend lifted him from out of the top four and into the points lead with one racing remaining before the Countdown to One begins. Former points leader Robert Hight failed to qualify. He dropped to second overall, 16 behind Pedregon. "Fast Jack" Beckman is now third, 30 points behind Hight, and Force moved up to fourth, 22 behind Beckman.

Ron Capps, Gary Scelzi, and Mike Ashley are less than a round behind Force, who is out for the season. They'll fight it out for that last spot in Richmond, Va.

Dave Connolly

Connolly has now won four Pro Stock races in a row, the last three over three-time world champion Greg Anderson, to pad his lead in the Countdown to Four standings. This one was easy as Anderson began leaking oil after his burnout and was forced to shut off and surrender the race. Connolly attempted a pass anyway but quickly shut off and coasted to the win after his Torco/Seelye Wright Chevrolet Cobalt went toward the centerline.

This was Connolly's seventh win of the year, which ties him for the class lead with Anderson, who fell to 7-4 in trophy rounds this year. Connolly is 7-1 on the year and 16-12 overall.

"We were ready to do battle," Connolly said. "I guess Greg had some problems, and I'm sure he isn't happy about it. Either way, the team did a great job for the first three rounds. The driver was a little off his game today. I feel a little under the weather, and I know I didn't leave on anyone all day. The team jumped in and picked me up this time. 

"Things are just clicking for us right now. We're gonna ride this high for as long as we can. Drag racing is a humbling sport, and you never know when it's gonna end. This isn't the best way to win a race. We wanted to get after it for the third time in a row. But the lights were on in our lane at the end, and that's all that matters."

Connolly and Anderson clinched berths in the Countdown to One this weekend, meaning they'll both run for the 2007 world championship at the last two races of the season. Connolly is 52 points ahead of Anderson, who is 154 ahead of third-place Allen Johnson. Jeg Coughlin rounds out the top four. He's 16 points behind Johnson.

Peggy Llewellyn

Llewellyn needed to win her first NHRA national event to make it into the Countdown to One field, and she delivered with a huge holeshot victory over points leader Andrew Hines. Hitting the Christmas Tree with a .010 reaction time in front of Hines' .045-second start, Llewellyn held off a hard-charging Hines to win with a 7.020 at 190.00 mph to Hines' quicker but losing 7.007 at 191.16 mph.

"A year ago I was back in my real estate company working behind a desk thinking I wasn't gonna race anymore," Llewellyn said. "I keep on telling my crew guys, 'Pinch me, pinch me'; it's pretty exciting. At the same time, it's important to remember John Force right now and to keep him in all of our thoughts and prayers.

"I just went through the day like I have every race. George [Bryce, crew chief] always talks about having a process, and I really stayed within that round by round. No one on the team said a word about the Countdown deal. I'd ask about it, and they were like, 'I don't know.' They didn't want me to get nervous."

This was Llewellyn's 20th NHRA event. The San Antonio-based rider of the Rush Racing Products S&S Buell V-Twin was a clear favorite in her home state, and when the win light came on in her lane, the crowd roared its approval.

Hines will enter the final two-race sprint to the championship with the most points. His Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod is 4-2 in final rounds this year. Matt Smith and Chip Ellis will also run for the Pro Stock Motorcycle title.

Related article(s):

• Friday: Todd makes move to pick up ground; Wilkerson, Anderson, Hines also lead (9/21/2007)
  
• Saturday: Todd, Wilk, Anderson, Ellis net No. 1s; Countdown's Herbert, Hight both DNQ (9/22/2007)
  

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