Nitro Dogs Racing

Schumacher, Dixon resume TF battle; Worsham takes over Funny Car lead

Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon, who finished the 2008 season numbers one and two in the points, completed the second day of testing at the NAPA National Time Trials at Firebird Int’l Raceway in

Phoenix the same way, with reigning world champ Schumacher barely ahead of his fellow former world champ by just one thousandth of second.

Alan Johnson, who last year wrenched Schumacher to his sixth world title and now tunes for

Dixon had double reason to smile as his Al-Anabi Funny Car, driven by Del Worsham, has the meet’s quickest Funny Car time with a stout 4.04. Most teams took their full allotment of four runs Saturday and will return Sunday for four more.

Dixon was the leader of Friday’s short schedule with a 3.84, but Schumacher who sat out Friday, climbed to the top of the pack with his opening lap in the U.S. Army car, a 3.830 at 315.86 (also top speed of the meet); Dixon followed not long after with a 3.831.

“It’s going to be fantastic rivalry,” predicted Schumacher, who also had finished testing in south Florida last weekend a scant thousandths ahead of

Dixon and Johnson. “It’s going to be great year, and the ultimate battle between us and Alan. The fans are in for a real treat. They’re going to see a battle all year.”

A number of other Top Fuel drivers also raced their way into the three-second range, led by Morgan Lucas (3.86) and followed by Antron Brown (3.87), Spencer Massey (3.89), Brandon Bernstein (3.91), and David Baca (3.98.)

Twelve Top Fuelers have made testing passes, among them nitro-licensee hopefuls Shawn Langdon and Steve Faria. Both former Alcohol Dragster racers need to make two runs quicker than 4.50 and faster than 240 mph on the 1,000-foot course.

Langdon has the best marks of the two so far with a 4.04 but at just 231 mph. He’ll need to make one more run quicker than 4.50 and two faster than 240. Faria has been as quick as 4.38 and as fast as 264.91 and needs just one run in excess of 240 to complete his licensing runs in his Dave Uyehara-built racer.

Worsham’s 4.04 is quicker than 4.05 he used to lead the Florida tests, and shows that Johnson has found a quick handle on the new Toyota. Overall, the nine-time champion crew chief is happy with the progress of both cars, despite smoking the tires on passes later in the day as he tested new components.

“It’s pretty much what I expected, and we’re certainly pleased,” said Johnson. “Once we got some good passes down with both cars we started testing new parts. On the Funny Car, for example, we have a new supercharger, injector, and barrel valve on it, but we’re having a few problem with it. Tomorrow we’re going to put both cars back to where they were and go down the racetrack a few more times to race the car under those type of conditions. Overall, I’m very happy.”

After struggling on his first three runs, rookie of the year Mike Neff, in an unlettered body used last season by teammate Robert Hight, got his John Medlen tuned Mustang down the sometimes t

ricky course with a 4.12, 269.78 to have the second quickest Funny car pass of the first two days.

Matt Hagan, who’ll be battling for this season’s rookie crown, is third with a 4.139 in his BrakeSafe Dodge, just ahead of the 4.15 registered by second-year fuel coupe pilot Bob Tasca III.

Neff’s John Force racing teammates have struggled in their initial outing of the season with team patriarch John Force, whose car has a new injector on it, banging two blowers en route to a 5.57 best. His daughter Ashley Force Hood, has just a 6.89 best while Robert Hight, despite some of the class’ best 60-foot times, has been held to a 7.33 best.

Eleven Funny Car entries have made runs so far during the course of the event, which officially completes tomorrow, although many teams are expected to stay into early next week.

Best runs over two days:

TOP FUEL
Tony Schumacher	3.830, 315.86
Larry Dixon	3.831, 313.15
Morgan Lucas	3.869, 303.50
Antron Brown	3.870, 310.63
Spencer Massey	3.899, 306.60
Brandon Bernstein	3.912, 300.20
David Baca	3.988, 272.17
Joe Hartley	4.029, 235.72
Shawn Langdon	4.041, 231.64
Cory McClenathan	.067, 227.31
Troy Buff	4.248, 203.19
Steve Faria	4.382, 239.87
FUNNY CAR
Del Worsham	4.049, 306.88
Mike Neff	4.127, 269.78
Matt Hagan	4.139, 299.46
Bob Tasca III	4.152, 296.63
Jack Beckman	4.156, 280.43
Jim Head	4.251, 231.91
Ron Capps	5.030, 149.55
John Force	5.570, 126.14
Jeff Arend	6.873, 93.80
Ashley Force Hood	6.892, 93.19
Robert Hight	7.338, 91.06