(Richard Muir photos)

Veteran Top Fuel racer Morgan Lucas gave Schumacher a big scare in Round 1 Sunday morning, but despite leading the all-time class leader nearly all the way down the track, he ultimately lost his upset bid just before the finish line.

Following a lengthy delay caused by an oil-down in the previous pairing, Lucas and Schumacher got off to nearly identical starts before Schumacher's motor dropped a cylinder. That allowed Lucas' Sig Sauer/Lucas Gun Oil dragster to pull ahead until he encountered some engine issues himself, and when his powerplant let go in a big fireball downtrack, Schumacher was able to inch by and take the win with a 4.027 at 250.69 mph to Lucas' 4.070 at 238.81 mph. Ironically, Schumacher's engine exploded as well.

"We both dropped cylinders," Lucas said. "His car lost one right at the hit and so we were able to pull away a bit, but then ours lost a hole as well. That just puts the whole thing out of wack and you know it's hurting the motor. I could tell I was ahead of him, I couldn't see any part of his car, so I just kept the hammer down.

"I think we broke a lifter and that denoted the engine. He blew up about the same time, and for a moment there we were both coasting to the finish line. I think we would have won but my parachutes deployed, and that slowed us just enough that he was able to win. That's drag racing. It's wildly disappointing but it happens."