Championship Drag Racing

Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
Denver, CO
(July 15-17)

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Larry Dixon Rapisarda Racing dragster

Denver, Sunday: Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion (2002-03) Larry Dixon piloted his Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster to a second-round performance Sunday at Bandimere Speedway during the 26^th annual Mile-High Nationals.

The 37-time NHRA Top Fuel winner used the second quickest elapsed time of the opening round of eliminations to collect the win over No. 14 qualifier Mitch King. Dixon’s Dick LaHaie-tuned rail powered to a performance of 4.753 seconds at 306.52 mph to score the round win. 

Dixon used a starting line advantage to race to the early lead against veteran Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan before the Miller Lite/Ameriquest rail dropped a cylinder allowing McClenathan’s dragster to edge Dixon’s car at the finish line in a close second round matchup. The Miller Lite/Lucas Oil dragster recorded a run of 4.796 at 308.83, while Cory Mac drove to a 4.742, 315.49 effort.

“The fact of the matter is that we had a cylinder out a second-and-a-half into the run and we ran a 4.79 on seven cylinders,” Dixon said. “The bummer of the thing is that we would have beaten any other car that round. It’s just the luck of the draw.”

The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 18^th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals, July 22-24, at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash. near Seattle. Dixon won the Seattle race in 2003. The Miller Lite team will service the dragster and prep for the second race of the Western Swing on Monday at the Denver track before making the trip to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday morning.

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