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Dixon's Victory Leads Team Valvoline at the NHRA Gatornationals
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15, 2009) -- Larry Dixon's Top Fuel win in Sunday's ACDelco Gatornationals gave Team Valvoline its third win in as many races in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Funny Car driver Ron Capps, who scored victories for Team Valvoline at the first two races of the season, lost in the opening round at the Gatornationals. He remains in first place in the driver point standings.
Dixon defeated Cory McClenathan in an all-Team Valvoline Top Fuel final. Dixon's elapsed time and speed in the 1,000-foot run was 3.898 seconds at 311.05 miles per hour. McClenathan's dragster lost traction early in the run.
The victory at Gainesville Raceway was Dixon's 44th career win, his fourth at the Gatornationals and it was also the first win for the new Al-Anabi team owned by Alan Johnson.
"I know how hard it is to make these cars go down the track, but they make it look easy," said Dixon, who is third in driver points. "It's an amazing group. Alan Johnson is a genius and (crew chief) Jason McCulloch is working right underneath him, and I'm happy for him to get his first win. I'm also happy for Sheik [team co-owner Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani] and to be able to get his first win the third race out. I'm honored to be driving the car."
Team Valvoline rider Matt Smith out of the Don Schumacher Racing stable, claimed a runner-up finish in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. He lost to Hector Arana in the final round.
Dixon's win lifted Team Valvoline to six professional victories early in the NHRA/NASCAR season. Other Team Valvoline winners so far in 2009 were: Capps (twice in Funny Car), Matt Kenseth (twice in NASCAR Cup) and Greg Biffle (once in NASCAR Nationwide Series).
The Gatornationals Funny Car winner was Bob Tasca and the Pro Stock winner was Jason Line.
The following are Team Valvoline's NHRA Gatornationals results.
NHRA Full Throttle Series
March 15, 2009
NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville, Fla.
Top Fuel:
Larry Dixon, Alan Johnson Racing
Won Event
Point Standing: 3rd
Cory McClenathan, Don Schumacher Racing
Runner-up
Point Standing: 6th
Tony Schumacher, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Quarter Final Round
Point Standing: 5th
Funny Car
Jack Beckman, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 11th
Ron Capps, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 1st
Matt Hagen, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 7th
Tim Wilkerson, Team Wilkerson Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 12th
Del Worsham, Alan Johnson Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 3rd
Pro Stock
Ron Krisher, Krisher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 9th
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Matt Smith, Don Schumacher Racing
Runner-up
Point Standing: 2nd
Next NHRA Event
March 29
Houston Raceway Park
Baytown, Texas
