Doug Kalitta moved back on top of the 2005 NHRA POWERade Top Fuel points podium when he recorded his 4th win of the season. Driving his special edition Mac Tools dragster, Kalitta uses a final round holeshot to beat the Snap-On Tools dragster driven by Doug Herbert. Kalitta wins with a 4.665 secs 319.90 mph compared to Herbert’s 4.603 secs at 319.98 mph.

Kalitta, after qualifying #2, had defeated Bobby Lagana Jr, Scott Kalitta and Larry Dixon in earlier competition. Doug’s victory combined with Tony Schumacher’s 2nd round loss to Brandon Bernstein puts the Michigan-based racer 16 points in the lead over Schumacher following 15 of 23 events so far this season.

Doug’s win at Sonoma was in fact his 5th career victory at the facility. He was also the defending 2004 event champion.

New track records for Infineon Raceway were established during the event. Brandon Bernstein rewrote the ET mark to 4.524 secs driving his Budweiser-sponsored dragster while enroute to a strong semi-final round finish. Larry Dixon, driving the Miller Lite-sponsored dragster upped the track’s speed mark to 329.02 mph.

Don Schumacher’s Funny Car camp makes big noise at the Sonoma event. All three of his machines are in the “final four” and the championship bout features a match-up between the Dodge Stratus cars driven by Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps. Scelzi won that pairing and with that victory moved even closer to points leader Robert Hight who was eliminated in a round one by Phil Burkhart Jr.

John Force’s troubles continued at Sonoma. Force qualified #7 but he was eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight NHRA event. Force was driving a special-edition James Dean Castrol Mustang at the event.

Tony Pedregon reset the Infineon Raceway track ET when he drove his Quaker State-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo to the pole with a 4.759 secs. Pedregon however lost out to Tony Bartone’s Chevy Monte Carlo in round two.

Andrew Hines rode a national record setting effort to victory in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Hines recorded the quickest PSM run in history at 6.968 secs during round one and never looked back while taking his 1st win of the 2005 season. Hines, riding the Sceamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley Davidson, used a pole qualifying run of 7.021 secs to back up the mark as an official record.

Hines defeated Karen Stoffer for the event championship. Karen, riding her Geico-sponsored Suzuki got out of the gate first but Hines was able to run her down and take a 7.253 secs 186.46 mph to 7.343 secs 181.64 mph victory.

Ryan Schnitz, who had won the PSM circuit’s previous event at Denver, set top speed of the meet at 195.11 mph aboard his Buell.

PSM racing at Sonoma feature a very swift field with the bump spot dipping to a stout 7.172 secs.

Greg Anderson won his fourth race of the season and gives the Pontiac GTO model its very first Pro Stock victory. Anderson, driving the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac defeated recent Seattle event winner Kurt Johnson in a marquee final round. “KJ” got away first (.016 to .033 RT) however Anderson was able to ultimately beat him to the stripe: 6.732 secs 205.63 mph to 6.760 secs 204.23 mph.

Anderson’s win helped him stretch out his points lead over Warren Johnson. Johnson was defeated on a holeshot in round one by David Connolly who advanced to the semi-final round before losing out to Kurt Johnson.

The Top Alcohol Dragster title was won by the “red hot” B/AD driven by Steve Federlin, from Oregon. When Federlin defeated the A/FD driven by Duane Shields in the final round (5.438 secs to 5.499 secs) it marked his fourth straight NHRA circuit win (2 national titles/2 divisional races) driving the “Impatience” dragster.

Utah’s Aaron Olivarez set low ET for the TAD breed at 5.270 secs while up-and-coming lady racer Hillary Will nabbed top speed at 270.64 mph driving her supercharged machine.

Round #2 of TAD qualifying produced the events most harrowing movement as the machines of Sean O’Bannon and Darrell Hitchman collided at the top end. O’Bannon lost control of his machine and slid up side down into the back of Hitchman’s car. Neither driver was injured and Hitchman was able to make repairs in time to return for round one of competition.

California’s Steve Gasparelli took the event’s TAFC program driving his Pontiac Firebird. Gasparelli powered to a final round 5.772 secs at 247.84 mph to beat out Doug Gordon’s Camaro. Prior to that he had beaten Bucky Austin, Clint Thompson and Don Hudson.

Larry Miner, driving his Firebird set low ET of the meet for TAFC at 5.622 secs. Ron August Jr. had top speed for the breed at 256.31 mph.