Guest Columnist Larry Dixon: Muldowney helps Dixon to first championship

Monday, Oct. 28, 2002 | 10:05 a.m.

Editor's note: Larry Dixon, driver of the Miller Lite Don Prudhomme Top Fuel dragster, has been writing a daily column exclusively for the Las Vegas Sun in conjunction with the second annual AC Delco NHRA Nationals.

When I was asked to share my thoughts about our race weekend, I never could imagine the kind of weekend we would have.

First off, I have to say what a great team Don Prudhomme has put together. He has gathered a super team with a crew chief like Dick LaHaie and the support of the Miller Lite brand of the Miller Brewing Company. It doesn't come any better.

We had consistent runs throughout the weekend and qualifying went in our favor with three runs in the 4.50s. We held the pole position for three qualifying rounds and were just edged out in our final attempt. Starting second wasn't a bad place to start the race.

In my first race of the day, we ran a 4.62 time to beat Scott Weis. As drag racing luck would have it, Shirley Muldowney defeated Kenny Bernstein in their first-round battle after she ran a 4.58 e.t., her career best, which pretty much assured that the championship would be ours.

I was putting on my helmet when I heard a 4.58 and I wasn't sure who won. Then I heard they were interviewing Ron Tobler, Shirley's husband and crew chief. I told them when they beat Kenny in Columbus in June that I would come over and mow their lawn. Tobler then said over the public address 'Dixon, you're going to owe us more than a lawn-mowing job after that,' so I knew then that they had won. That was a very opportune time to make that run and it certainly helped us out.

I saw Shirley after she lost to Schumacher in the second round when she came around the corner to our pits. I gave her a big hug to say thank you. She really helped us out. I told her I would paint her house and she said they just got new siding so I'm off the hook for that, but she has four acres of lawn to mow; that ought to keep me busy.

After that, it was back to concentrating on the race. But suddenly you're not thinking about rounds or this and that, it's just go out there and try to win the round and win the race.

I'm still in shock by all of this.