Team owner Bob Vandergriff Jr. was unhappy about NHRA’s oil-down policy and said so. He was afraid that if driver Dave Connolly oiled the track in his final round against Morgan Lucas that Connolly would be out of the Countdown. He didn’t, so left Indy still in the Countdown. (Chris Haverly photo)

Antron Brown, the driver known for having the consistently best reaction times in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series fell a little short Monday at the U.S. Nationals. Brown's reaction time was good in the quarterfinals but it was 0.020 of a second slower than that of Dave Connolly that allowed his slower elapsed time of 3.828 seconds to beat Brown's 3.825 to the finish line.

The U.S. Nationals wasn't a complete loss for Antron and the Matco team, however. They won Saturday night's Traxxas Top Fuel Shootout to earn DSR a $100,000 bonus. (Ron Lewis photo)

In the first weekend back in the seat of a 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster, Khalid alBalooshi said he felt comfortable under the DSR canopy enclosed cockpit.

(Ron Lewis photo)

"I love Top Fuel," he said. "I am very comfortable in this car. It is unfortunate we didn't go rounds today."

After qualifying No. 13 for Monday's Labor Day eliminations, the Sandvik team led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler posted their best elapsed time of the weekend at 3.809 seconds and 326 mph but was edged out by Dave Connolly's 3.820-second pass at 324 mph. Connolly used a starting line advantage to get the round win.

AlBalooshi also drove in Pro Mod, where his Camaro got past Don Walsh and T.J. Coughlin only to break in the semifinal, allowing Mike Janis to move on to the final round against Rick Snavely.