Friday, April 02, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Two-time Top Fuel champ off to slow start in 2004

Dixon in ninth place after first three events

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Larry Dixon has dominated the Top Fuel division of the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series for two years, winning 17 of 46 titles, three at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After three races this year, Dixon, the winner of the last two Las Vegas spring events and the fall affair in 2002, will start today's SummitRacing.com Nationals ninth in the standings.

"Yeah, we haven't had a good showing yet. The position we're in, we deserve it," said Dixon, a two-time reigning Top Fuel world champion.

Dixon's nemesis this season has been Doug Kalitta, who drives one of three cars owned by his uncle, drag racing legend Connie Kalitta.

Dixon, who drives for team owner Don Prudhomme, said he just "got flat whupped" by Kalitta in the opener in Pomona, Calif., then had a victory over Kalitta turn into defeat in the second round in Phoenix when a blower belt left Dixon's engine and his dragster began to slow. And two weeks ago in Gainesville, Fla., Kalitta beat him by one-thousandth of a second in the first round.

"Normally your toughest rounds would start in the semis. That's when you'd face another top-five car," Dixon said.

"Now, gosh, (Connie) Kalitta has three cars that could win any race, and he's talking about adding a fourth."

But Dixon quickly notes that winners of this year's three events have been teams campaigning one Top Fueler, like Prudhomme's; points leader Tony Schumacher has won twice, and Brandon Bernstein has won the other.

"You're going to have tougher matches in the opening rounds," Dixon said. "We've gotten off to such starts the last couple years."

Like last year, when he won eight times in 11 final-round appearances through the first 15 events. He clinched the championship with two races remaining, and his fall 2002 win here clinched the title with one event left.

Returning to Las Vegas, where he set a national speed record of 332.75 mph a year ago, could help Dixon.

"The car keeps going quicker and faster, and I don't expect it to slow down," said Dixon, winner of 33 NHRA titles.

• NEW FUNNY CAR TEAM -- Jeff Arend returns to Nitro Funny Car competition today in a Paul Smith-owned car sponsored by Las Vegas resident Urban Casavant, who owns a diamond mining operation in Canada, according to team publicist and marketing director Bob Golden.

Arend, who won the 1996 NHRA event near Reading, Pa., driving one of Smith's funny cars, plans to run the remainder of the season.

• SOUTHERN NEVADANS -- The following Southern Nevadans have entered the Sportsman competition this weekend: Duane Shields (Top Alcohol Dragster); Gordon Loeffler, John Gallina, John Irving, P. Thomas Ely and Maureen Ely (Competition Eliminator); Milton Gedo, Bill Koski, Carl Cannavo, Don Kruse, Bob Miller, Justin Lamb, Vince Terrano, Steve Bones, Randolph Scott and James Earl (Super Comp); and Mike Flake, Jimmy Lintz, Bob Miller, Paul Bledsoe, Kenny Yeoman, Mike Giordano and Bobby Buoy (Super Gas).