Words compiled by Kay Burk
Photos by James Drew, Ron Lewis and Gary Nastase

John Force clinched his NHRA-record 15th Funny Car championship on Sunday to complete an improbable and emotional comeback from the horrific accident in Dallas three years ago that left his racing future in serious jeopardy.

The 61-year-old Force – who also won the race, his sixth of 2010 – became the oldest champion in NHRA history on the same day that the Series crowned its youngest champion as well, 20-year-old Pro Stock Motorcycle rider LE Tonglet. Earlier Sunday, Larry Dixon clinched his third Top Fuel championship and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2002-03.

The Pro Stock championship was decided on Saturday when Greg Anderson successfully qualified into the field. The title was Anderson’s first since he won three straight from 2003-05.

TOP FUEL

(L-R) Jason McCulloch, Larry Dixon and Alan Johnson. (James Drew photo)

The Top Fuel championship went according to form with Dixon clinching the title with his first-round win over Mike Strasburg.

“I’ve never had so much excitement for a first-round win in my life,” said Dixon, who drives the Al-Anabi dragster for team manager and renowned tuner Alan Johnson, crew chief Jason McCulloch and team owner Sheikh Khalid Al-Thani.

“If you want to win in this sport you have to surround yourself with talent and I believe we have the best in the business,” Dixon said. “(Alan), he has his own team again, so I’m very proud of him. And I know if (his brother) Blaine (Johnson) was still here, he’d be the one talking to you right now.”

Dixon entered eliminations with an 82-point lead over Schumacher and the rival U.S. Army team, which needed to win the race, set the national record and have Dixon lose in the first round. Any hopes of another Tony Schumacher miracle – he famously won the 2006 and 2007 titles on the last pass of the season – were put to rest early with Dixon’s first-round win.

“Everyone has to realize, we love to battle and it’s been an amazing battle,” Schumacher said. “We got beat, no way to beat around the bush. They deserve to be the champion right now.”