Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team deal themselves a third victory of the season defeating defending NHRA POWERade champion Larry Dixon in a close final round. Schumacher powers to a winning 4.525 secs at 331.53 mph, while Dixon's Miller Lite dragster trails at 4.571 secs 323.97 mph. The win is Schumacher's first victory in three career final round visits at “The Strip” at LVMS and strengthens his overall lead in 2004 NHRA points.

Scott Kalitta earns his first pole qualifier since 1999 and since his comeback when he powers the Jesse James/Mac Tools dragster to a track ET record 4.472 at 333.74 mph. Scott wins his round match over Steve Chrisman easily however his powerful machine smokes the tires in round two and he loses out to Schumacher.

Scott’s cousin Doug Kalitta clocks the fastest speed ever seen in NHRA history when he rides the Mac Tools dragster to an astounding 335.57 mph. Doug cannot however back-up the speed within the required 1% for an official national record. Doug had previously laid claim to drag racing’s all time quickest recognized run -- a 4.428 secs -- at Joliet last season.

Brandon Bernstein runs a special edition/new look Budweiser dragster at the event and runs strong, qualifying 2nd. Bernstein runs a thrilling 4.479 secs at 333.66 mph, which comes along side Scott Kalitta’s 4.472 secs at 333.74 mph marking the quickest and fastest side-by-side match in NHRA history. The dazzling pairing comes at the end of Top Fuel qualifying on Saturday night.

It does rain in the desert! As unlikely as it may seem the event does lose all of Friday any much of Saturday to the elements. As a result the professional and Top Alcohol fields are set based on two qualifiers only.

Funny Car racing produces some drag racing history with the first win ever by a Chevy Monte Carlo bodied car. Phil Burkart Jr. wheels the Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory earning his second career title. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo brand was introduced to class competition this year at the season-opening Winternationals. Burkart‘s last win came in 1999 at Columbus, Ohio. It was the third consecutive victory for the Checker Schuck's Kragen Funny Car team, with Phil’s teammate Del Worsham winning the previous NHRA events at Phoenix and Gainesville.

World Champion Tony Pedregon wheels his Quaker State Chevy Camaro to the pole with a track record ET of 4.747 secs. That is Pedregon's 26th career No. 1 effort, however his first since becoming a team owner. Tony faces off against his former boss John Force in the 2nd round but spins his tires and loses out.

Gary Densham sets top speed of the meet in FC driving the Auto Club Ford Mustang at 327.27 mph -- a track record.

FC racing features the return of Canadian Jeff Arend to competition. Jeff is driving for the all new CMKX-treme Team which is being backed by Canadian diamond miner Urban Casavant. Jeff’s event effort is ultimately curtailed by the rain as the loss of two qualifying attempts prevents him for renewing his licence in time for Sunday’s competition. That is unfortunate because Jeff wheels the Paul Smith-tuned Corvette to a seemingly effortless 4.941 secs at 306.95 mph which would have qualified him 13th.

Jim Head debuts the latest creation from Lions Gate Entertainment at Las Vegas running special edition “The Punisher” paint on his Toyota Celica as part of that new movie‘s preview. Head runs a 5.180 secs at 302.35 mph to qualify but gets punished himself in round one by Tony Pedregon.

North Carolina’s Greg Anderson continued his domination in Pro Stock, driving his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to its third win of the season. Anderson posts a final round run of 6.849 secs at 201.31 mph to knock off top rival Kurt Johnson, who recorded a losing 6.908 secs at 200.08 mph in his ACDelco Chevy Cavalier.

Anderson keeps his No. 1 qualifying streak alive at Las Vegas, earning his ninth consecutive pole dating back to the CARQUEST Nationals at Chicago last season. That comes despite Anderson did not get an ET slip on his first of two qualifying runs due to an apparent computer glitch. Anderson leaves nothing on the table -- he sets both low ET and top speed of the meet with a track record performance of 6.812 at 202.03 in his Grand Am.

NHRA’s Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley demonstration eliminator is run off at the event -- the first of three scheduled appearances this season. Steve Stordeur wins convincingly riding his machine to low ET of the meet at 6.387 secs in the final round to defeat Mike Romine. Romine had set top speed while pacing the field in qualifying at 220.04 mph. Stordeur’s victory also includes round wins over Mark Revels and Doug Vancil.

Stordeur dedicates his Nitro Harley win to the memory of legendary class racer Jim McClure who passed away just prior the Las Vegas event due to complications from recent heart surgery.

TAFC class racing sees Iowa’s Cy Chesterman keep his brand new Chippewa Spring Water-sponsored Pontiac Firebird undefeated for the season winning again in dominate fashion. Using the tuning expertise of Canada’s Les Davenport, Chesterman runs top speed of the meet at 255.58 mph in the final round while turning back Mark Woznichak’s Chevy Camaro, 5.647 secs to 5.746 secs. Steve Gasparrelli, driving a Pontiac Firebird had low ET overall in TAFC at 5.637 secs.

Morgan Lucas drove his injected nitro car to the TAD title beating first time class finalist Chris Demke in the final round. Lucas clocked low ET of the meet at 5.389 secs in the championship final round. Earlier he had set top speed at 263.31 mph.

Sportsman racing was highlighted by a popular win in Competition eliminator by California’s Vince Deceglie who wheeled his Hemi-Chevy A/Altered Corvette to victory lane. Deceglie, who’s only previous national event win had come at Pomona last November, ran down the Pro Stock Truck of Brian Self in the final round.

The late rounds of Super Gas eliminations on Sunday feature a truly scary crash involving class racer Richard Okerman. In one of the absolute most vicious crashes on record, Okerman collects both guard walls hard and has his car burst into flames. Miraculously he escapes the car under his own power but does receive some burns. Okerman in fact did win the round but could not return due to obvious reasons. The overall Super Gas title goes to Todd Stewart. Ironically Stewart was involved in a final round crash at the same Las Vegas event last year.