Tony Bartone (near lane) got the TAFC win over Jay Payne.  (Tim Marshall photo)

Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., qualified No. 1 and ran low elapsed time of the event, 5.539 seconds, 261.62 mph in the final against Payne. The win was Bartone’s 38th national event win. Payne clocked in at 5.641, 255.53 out of the No. 2 qualifying position.

Dan Fletcher and Jeg Coughlin Jr. joined in with NHRA national event win numbers 76 and 67 respectively giving Bartone, Fletcher and Coughlin 181 wins between them. 

Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., took the Comp Eliminator win in his Rick Braun owned ’09 Cobalt running 7.816 seconds at 170.30 mph to Doug Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., at 8.511, 153.32 mph in his  ’06 Pontiac.  (James Drew photo)

Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, who has won in six different NHRA classes, held off Mike Miller in Super Comp with a 9.060 at 163.28 to Miller’s 9.030, 178.42 out of Santa Fe, N.M.  (James Drew photo)

Coughlin came close to not even racing in the event, because if his wife Samantha was able to get a late entry into the race, he was planning on pulling out and letting her drive the JEGS.com dragster.

"We were hoping Samantha would be able to get an entry early in the week," Coughlin said. "We brought her car out, but it's a twin to the car I run back home. We use an ISP Pour In seat in the car, so when she didn't get in we swapped my seat in and it felt exactly like my car.

"I've worked so much on this car with her and it's just a phenomenal, predictable car."