Track records tumble in Memphis; Dixon, Hight, Edwards, Hines lead
Amazing atmospheric weather conditions and eager Full Throttle Countdown playoff teams converged in a perfect storm of performance at Memphis Motorsports Park Friday where Larry Dixon, Robert Hight, Mike Edwards, and Andrew Hines emerged as opening day leaders of the 22nd annual O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals.
Seven of eight track records were broken Friday, including the 3.825, 313.88 Top Fuel marks. Both Dixon and Antron Brown ran 318.99, the third fastest passes in the 1,000-foot era, to tie for the new track speed mark with runs more than a five mph faster than the old mark. Hight recorded a speed of 310.70, the third fastest Funny Car speed in the 1,000-foot era that blew away the incoming track record of 302.28 while his leading e.t. was five-thousandths quicker that the 2008 mark. Both ends of the Pro Stock track record (6.591 seconds, 209.17 mph) also were broken by Edwards in Friday’s first two of four qualifying sessions while the incoming Pro Stock Motorcycle speed record (193.21) was shattered by more than three miles per hour and the class e.t. record seriously challenged. The event is the third of six in NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs that began two weeks ago in Charlotte before moving to Dallas last weekend.
Seven of eight track records were broken Friday, including the 3.825, 313.88 Top Fuel marks. Both Dixon and Antron Brown ran 318.99, the third fastest passes in the 1,000-foot era, to tie for the new track speed mark with runs more than a five mph faster than the old mark. Hight recorded a speed of 310.70, the third fastest Funny Car speed in the 1,000-foot era that blew away the incoming track record of 302.28 while his leading e.t. was five-thousandths quicker that the 2008 mark. Both ends of the Pro Stock track record (6.591 seconds, 209.17 mph) also were broken by Edwards in Friday’s first two of four qualifying sessions while the incoming Pro Stock Motorcycle speed record (193.21) was shattered by more than three miles per hour and the class e.t. record seriously challenged. The event is the third of six in NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs that began two weeks ago in Charlotte before moving to Dallas last weekend.
