A different view of Brandon Bernstein and Antron Brown as they ready for their first-round match. Brown advanced.. (Ron Lewis photo)
Top Fuel winner Tony Schumacher, despite his self-critical opinion of his final-round performance, and Jeg Coughlin, despite his Pro Stock runner-up finish, emerged from the Virginia Nationals as drivers with the magic touch.
And Cruz Pedregon regained some of his Funny Car magic, finding the winners circle for the first time since the April 2006 Las Vegas race. With his first victory in 64 events, he
shook up the Funny Car dynamics as the Countdown to the Championship focus shifts to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the ACDelco Nationals, Race No. 23 of 24 on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series schedule.
Schumacher said Sunday that his driving job in his first final-round appearance at Virginia Motorsports Park wasn't up to U.S. Army Dragster standard. Nevertheless, he continued to stomp the competition in record fashion.