Grimes (shown), riding the Raleigh-based bike of Harley legend Ray Price, lowered the Top Fuel record from 6.224 to 6.215 seconds with a booming second round victory over Robert Stewart of Gloucester, Va., but he suffered a mechanical failure against Horne that denied him any shot at his second victory this season.

Horne, who crashed his bike at 200 mph and missed six races during the 2009 season, won his eighth tour event in Top Fuel and 18th in Pro Fuel since he first burst onto the scene at age 19.

En route to the Top Fuel title, he beat veteran former champion Jay Turner of Julian, N.C., in the semifinals.  His four round series was the quickest in history at 6.261, 6.222, 6.296 and 6.291 seconds. 

TOP FUEL

Qualifying – 1. Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.217, 223.88 mph; 2. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., 6.242, 229.94 mph; 3. Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 6.256, 232.43 mph; 4. Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 6.258, 224.47 mph; 5. Steve Dorn, Milwaukie, Ore., 6.347, 226.70 mph; 6. Tracy Kile, Leicester, N.C., 6.419, 207.27 mph; 7. Damian Cownden, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 6.478, 219.29 mph; 8. Takeshi Shigematsu, Iyo, Ehime, Japan, 6.494, 217.60 mph.

Round 1 – Robert Steward, Gloucester, Va., 6.398, 224.24 mph, def. Takeshi Shigematsu, Iyo, Ehime, Japan, 9.166, 98.75 mph; Larry “Drums” Brancaccio, Nutley, N.J., 7.804, 210.11 mph, def. Randal Andras, Amelia, La., 7.956, 204.32 mph; Steve Dorn, Milwaukie, Ore., 6.318, 225.86 mph, def. Russell Sowers, Hermitage, Pa., no time; Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., 6.261, 232.59 mph, def. Chuck Jones, St. Petersburg, Fla., 15.199, 60.08 mph; Damian Cowndon, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 6.643, 191.51 mph, def. Armon Furr, Orangeburg, S.C., 6.854, 203.06 mph; Jay Turner, Julian, N.C., 6.372, 216.72 mph, def. Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 6.558, 222.99 mph; Tracy Ile, Leicester, N.C., 6.473, 202.73 mph, def. Jason Pridemore, Garrettsville, Ohio, 7.804, 140.23 mph; Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.249, 219.40 mph, def. Larry Stanley, Coopley, Ohio, 7.737, 170.97 mph.

Round 2 – Grimes, 6.215, 222.88 mph, def. Stewart, no time; Dorn, 6.369, 225.90 mph, def. Brancaccio, 6.491, 181.91 mph; Horne, 6.222, 227.80 mph, def. Cownden, 7.406, 148.07 mph; Turner, 6.284, 222.14 mph, def. Kile, 6.511, 210.87 mph.

Semifinals – Grimes, 6.286, 221.96 mph, def. Dorn, 10.108, 98.57 mph; Horne, 6.296, 230.92 mph, def. Turner, 17.149, 63.17 mph.

FINAL – Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., 6.291, 233.68 mph, def. Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., no time.