Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Bud-Miller peace treaty will let Dixon compete in $100,000 all-star race

Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 | 10:10 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon received a second chance from a very unlikely source to race for $100,000 this weekend.

Dixon, who drives the Miller Lite-sponsored dragster for team owner Don Prudhomme, was allowed by rival sponsor Budweiser to compete for the wild-card spot in Saturday's Budweiser Shootout all-star race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway even though he was unable to attend Thursday night's draw party in person -- as required by NHRA guidelines.

As late as Wednesday night, the NHRA maintained that Dixon would not be one of eight Top Fuel drivers to take part in a blind draw for the eighth and final spot in the field for Saturday's event because Dixon had a conflicting commitment Thursday night. Officials from Budweiser stepped in Thursday afternoon and allowed a member of Dixon's team to make his selection during the draw party at the Hard Rock hotel-casino.

Ted Yerzyk, Dixon's publicist, drew the winning wild-card number, giving Dixon the right to race defending Shootout winner and No. 1 seed Doug Kalitta in Saturday's first round.

"I'm just shaking my head -- I can't even believe that we got in," Dixon said Thursday night. "I've really got to thank Budweiser because they were the ones that made concessions on it because NHRA wasn't going to budge on that at all.

"That was (Budweiser's) call and they allowed Ted to take my place."

Other first-round pairings will have No. 2 seed Tony Schumacher facing seventh-seed Doug Herbert, third-seed Scott Kalitta meeting No. 6 seed Dave Grubnic and fourth-seed Cory McClenathan facing fifth-seed Brandon Bernstein. In addition to the $100,000 from Budweiser, the Shootout winner would receive a $50,000 bonus from the NHRA if he also wins this weekend's ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

Dixon, a three-time Shootout winner, said it didn't matter to him which driver he faced in the opening round of the event -- although it had been predetermined that the wild-card entry would face the No. 1 seed in the opening round.

"There ain't a soft one in the bunch," Dixon said of the eight-car field. "Every one of those cars that is in this deal is stout. But you've got to be in to win and we're in now. Now we're going to try our best to go and win the thing."

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. released a statement Thursday night that said "drivers were informed by NHRA and Budweiser representatives about being available for (Thursday night's) function" and that a "written rule will be in force for future competitions." Dixon had maintained that nobody from Budweiser of the NHRA had told him he had to be present at the draw party.

The qualifying format for the Budweiser Shootout was changed for this year's event. In the past, the eight quickest Top Fuel qualifiers from the previous calendar year qualified for the event. This year, the seven quickest qualifiers earned a spot in the field, with the eighth spot to be determined via a blind draw from among the eight drivers who qualified in positions 8-15 in the final qualifying points order.

With the exception of the Doug Kalitta-Dixon matchup, the other first-round pairings also were determined Thursday by a blind draw.

Coughlin will campaign a 1967 Shelby G.T. 500E sponsored by Jeg's Mail Order under the Gotham City Racing banner.

"I have wanted to do this for quite some time and this is great for Jeg's," Coughlin said. "What a thrill this is going to be. They are 30 to 40 miles per hour faster than Pro Stock cars. It throws you back in the seat and it keeps you there. There's nothing that compares to driving one."

Roberts also selected Schumacher and Doug Kalitta as co-favorites at 5-2 to win Saturday's Budweiser Shootout.

Jonathan Spencer Jr. was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of injury to personal property for allegedly pouring paint on two cars at a Cornelius home on Oct. 6.

"Over the past several weeks, there has been a steady and gradual improvement in the Morgan-McClure racecar and Spencer has been an integral part of this drive for success," team owner Larry McClure said in a prepared statement.

"While his part has been greatly appreciated by everyone here at Morgan McClure Motorsports, it has been decided, by mutual agreement, that it would be beneficial to both the team and to Jimmy Spencer to release him so that he may pursue other driving opportunities within the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series."

Morgan-McClure has hired Mike Wallace to drive the team's No. 4 Chevrolet in this weekend's Nextel Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Hmiel, who is signed through the 2005 season, will take over for Stremme beginning with Saturday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stremme left Braun racing to take over the No. 14 Navy-sponsored entry in the Busch Series for FitzBradshaw Racing.

The award is given annually to the driver that best represents "Moore's legacy of outstanding talent on track, as well as displaying a dynamic personality with fans, media and the Champ Car community," according to Champ Car. Moore was a rising star in open-wheel racing when his life was cut short in a racing accident in 1999.

Other nominees for the award include A.J. Allmendinger and Ryan Hunter-Reay from Champ Car and Jon Fogarty from the Toyota Atlantic Championship. The award will be presented at Champ Car's awards banquet Nov. 7 in Mexico City.

Heller, who regularly races stock cars at the local track in Carson City, will be making his first start in an ASA Speed Truck. Also on the racing card will be Super Late Models, Late Models and IMCA Modifieds.

Qualifying for all divisions, IMCA Modified heat races, Super Late Model C-Main and B-Mains for Late Models and Speed Trucks will be held tonight while Saturday is reserved for the championship main events and B-mains for Super Late Models and IMCA Modifieds.

Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. today and 4 p.m. Saturday.