(Tom Schiltz photo)

Leah Pritchett and Don Schumacher Racing's Papa John's Pizza Top Fuel team started the year's biggest drag race and last of 18 in the Mello Yello standings tied with Terry McMillen for the 10th and final spot in the Countdown.

She qualified for Monday's championship eliminations in the 10th spot to earn two bonus points while McMillen was 16th and only earned one point.

She started eliminations with a one-point lead and it held up after both lost in the opening round.

"I've never been a bigger Clay Millican fan," she said. "Terry and I are friends but this is business, and I wanted Clay to win big."

Clay Millican got the first-round win when McMillen turned on the red light. Millican set a new Elapsed Time track record of 3.692 seconds during qualifying., but was ousted by JR Todd in the second round of eliminations. (Ron Lewis photo)

In the second round Antron Brown was off the line first, but started to haze the tires and dropped cylinders around half track, giving Tony Schumacher the win. (Chris Haverly photo)