In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Manzo made the two quickest runs of the event in qualifying, back-to-back 5.61s, but, like everyone else, struggled with the conditions in eliminations. Following a consistent 5.65 in the first round against Fred Tigges, Manzo shut down to a 9-second time in the semifinals but advanced when recent Norwalk runner-up John Anderika's car refused to go into reverse after the burnout.

"There was nothing wrong with the track," said Manzo, who has won the Maple Grove event 19 times – more than any driver in any class at any race in Lucas Oil Series history. "Right now, I just have no window with the clutch, period. If I leave 50 rpm different from the run before, it doesn't go. I don't know what the problem is. It was fine in testing and stable in the first round, but whatever's been wrong with this car all year is still wrong."

Gill had the most consistent car all weekend. He was the only driver other than Manzo to run in the 5.60s, with a 5.64 and a 5.67 in qualifying and another 5.64 and another 5.67 in eliminations. His 5.67 in the opening round took out 2012 Jegs Allstars rep Eric Lourie, who shut off, and a 5.64 (low e.t. of eliminations) in the semi's dropped Dan Pomponio's 5.90.

In the final, anything close to what he'd been running would have been enough to take out the vulnerable Manzo, but Gill had even bigger problems and slipped to a 6.07 at just 206 mph.

"I was lucky," Manzo admitted. "I had to pedal it twice. As soon as the car started shaking, I thought I was done because Paul hadn't made a bad run all weekend. I figured he'd run a 5.62 or another .64, but he never came around me."

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1
2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.462, 249.72 def. 7) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., broke
1) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.434, 261.93 def. 8) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 5.520, 253.14
5) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.427, 268.60 def. 4) Dan Page, Hampstead, N.H., 5.455, 264.08
6) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.490, 256.80 def. 3) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., broke

Semifinals
Shields, 5.407, 268.60 def. Bourke, 5.555, 253.75
Reichert, 5.429, 255.58 def. Finke, 5.577, 255.39

Final
Reichert, 5.452, 259.71 def. Shields, 5.457, 265.01