Prudhomme double winner as owner at SuperNationals
Raceway Park hosted event for 38th year

PHOTOS BY JEFFGRANIT staff Above, Funny Car driver John Force races down the track at the ProCare Rx NHRA SuperNationals at Raceway Park in Old Bridge on Sunday. At right, another Funny Car driver smokes the tires prior to racing, while below, Tommy Johnson beats John Arend to the line in the semifinal en route to winning the Funny Car competition. At bottom, crew members work through the heat.

Don "the Snake" Prudhomme enjoyed many a weekend at Raceway Park.

During his famed National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Hall of Fame career, Prudhomme won Funny Car titles at the Old Bridge drag strip five times.

Last weekend, when Raceway Park hosted the NHRA for the 38th time presenting the ProCare Rx SuperNationals, Prudhomme did something he wasn't able to do as a driver: win two titles in the same year. Prudhomme was a double winner as a car owner, as his drivers, Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Tommy Johnson (Funny Car), won their respective championships Sunday afternoon.

For Johnson (Skoal Racing Impala), it was a very hot weekend. It began with his dragster catching fire during the opening round and culminated with his win on Sunday in the final round against Tony Pedgregon (Q Power Impala), 4.994-5.022. Along the way, he was the fastest qualifier.

Prior to Sunday's final, Johnson had never won as the top qualifier. However, all of that changed as he took his Impala down the quarter-mile drag strip in 4.994 seconds, reaching a speed of 305.84 mph.

Johnson moved from 12th to eighth in the point standings that are topped by Ron Capps.

Dixon (Sky Tel Dragster) won the 40th National event of his career (second all-time in Top Fuel), beating Doug Herbert (Snap-On Tools Dragster) 4.625-4.675. Dixon streaked down the track at 321.73 mph. He moved into second place in the NHRA Top Fuel points race, just 35 points behind Rod "Hot Rod" Fuller.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment GTO) bested Jeg Coughlin (Jegs.com Cobalt) when Coughlin red-lighted jumping the start.

Anderson picked up his sixth win in 10 events in 2007. His 6.617 was quicker than anything that Couglin had turned in during the weekend. Anderson now has a 201-point lead over Coughlin.

The win was the 49th of Anderson's career, tying him with Prudhomme on the NHRA's all-time career wins list.

Craig Trebel (Team Tigue Suzuki) finally tasted victory at Raceway Park. After three runner-up finishes in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division, Trebel topped defending champion Andrew Hines (Screamin' Ralge/Vance & Hines) in the final. Treble's run took 6.990 seconds as he reach 191.70 mph. Trebel moved up to fifth place with the win. Matt Smith leads the motorcycle division.

Other winners at the SuperNationals were: Pro Mod - Tim Tindle ('67 Mustang); Top Alcohol Dragster - Jim Whiteley (Y'Not Racing B/AD); Top Alcohol Funny Car - Bob Tasca III (Quick Line Mustang); Competition Eliminator - David Rampy; Super Stock - Jeff Tripp; Super Competitor - Chris Depascale; Super Gas - Dan Fletcher; and Super Street - Shawn Fricke.

Fricke was making his Super Stock debut.

The NHRA's next stop is this weekend in Norwalk, Ohio, the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals.