Repeat winners highlighted Professional racing action at NHRA Atlanta as recent Las Vegas event champions, Brandon Bernstein, Robert Hight and Greg Anderson all scored second consecutive circuit victories.

Brandon Bernstein assumed the overall POWERade points lead when he used a final round 4.662 secs at 305.01 mph driving the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to end a strong event showing from North Carolina’s Doug Herbert, driver of the Snap-On Tools sponsored machine.

Bernstein, who had qualified #8, bested the second quickest Top Fuel field in drag racing history (4.579 secs bump) by beating David Grubnic, Doug Kalitta and Doug Foley in earlier competition.

Herbert’s impressiver Top Fuel R/UP finish saw him beat Larry Dixon, Hillary Will and Bob Vandergriff after qualifying 2nd.

Arizona’s Brady Kalivoda also had an impressive event in Top Fuel placing 3rd in qualifying with a 4.519 secs run and winning his first round match over Clay Millican in fiery fashion. Georgia’s Bob Vandergriff and IHRA regular Doug Foley also ran well with semi-final round placings.

Robert Hight closed the gap behind Funny Car points leader Ron Capps to 49 points with his victory. Despite a lane choice disadvantage, Hight rode his AAA Auto Club Ford Mustang to a winning 4.882 secs at 314.61 mph to turn back the bid of New York’s Mike Ashley for his first NHRA FC event win.

Ashley, who had in fact entered the final as a slight favorite after running both low ET and top speed (4.704 secs & 331.04 mph) to take the pole, slowed from the pace to a losing 5.167 secs in the final round.

Hight beat points leader Capps in a 3rd round head-to-head showdown, winning a 4.906 secs to 4.989 secs decision.

After sitting out Houston and being a DNQ at Las Vegas, John Force did qualify at Atlanta. But he surprisingly still remains winless in round counts this year after he lost a very high profile first round match to his daughter Ashley Force – the first ever match-up between a Father and Daughter in FC class history. Ashley won convincingly at 4.779 secs 317.05 mph while John went up in tire smoke. Ashley Force then beat Tony Pedregon in round two before losing out to Mike Ashley’s Torco Race Fuels Dodge Charger in the semi finals.

The event included the debut of four more new Chevy Impala Funny Cars which included new machines for Jeff Arend and Tony Pedregon. Arend was rewarded immediately with a career best 4.712 secs at 327.66 mph in the CSK sponsored machine. Tony Pedregon was not as fortunate when his car suffered a very dramatic structural failure which ripped apart the new Impala body on it’s first full run in competition on Friday. Pedregon then completed the event (qualifying 4thand finishing in round two) with his Q-Racing Chevy Monte Carlo.

Greg Anderson strengthened his POWERade lead in Pro Stock winning for the 4th time in four final round appearances this season. Anderson defeated sentimental crowd favorite Warren Johnson (from nearby Sugar Hill GA) in the final round, winning rather handily; 6.671 secs 207.62 mph to 6.719 secs 205.79 secs.

Anderson’s victory also included low ET and top speed of the meet – new Atlanta Dragway track record marks of 6.627 secs and 208.71 mph driving the rampaging Summit Racing Pontiac GTO.

Pro Stock racing was yet another very swift and competitive affair as it saw all 16-qualified cars bunched between 6.627 secs and 6.696 secs.

Female racers continued their season long domination in Pro Stock Motorcycle racing winning for the third time in three races so far this year. Nevada’s Karen Stoffer rode to her second win of the season aboard the Geico-sponsored Suzuki, defeating the Buell of Matt Smith which broke on the starting line in the final round.

Stoffer’s 5th career NHRA title also included round wins over Steve Johnson, Andrew Hines and Geno Scali. The victory has moved Karen into first place in NHRA POWERade PSM points.

Angelle Sampey, who won at NHRA Houston on April 1st paced the field with a track record 6.976 secs before going -.034 red in round one. Craig Treble, riding a Suzuki set top speed at a swift 191.87 mph.

Texan Josh Hernandez claimed his 3rd straight AMS Pro Mod Challenge title of the season driving the powerful Dr. Moon’s Rage ’68 Camaro. The PM final was however rather anti-climatic because Hernandez’s opponent Doug Palmer was shut off on the starting line because of a fuel leak.

Prior to that however Hernandez was impressive, qualifying on the pole with a 5.974 secs, and topping Quain Stott, Matt Hagan and Jay Payne with consecutive very quick runs.

Canada’s Raymond Commisso had another strong event, a “final four” finish from the #3 qualified position driving the Steelback-sponsored Chevy Camaro. Commisso was in fact credited with top speed of the meet in PM at 241.97 mph before losing out to Doug Palmer on a holeshot.

The event included for the 3rd year in a row the prestigious Dart Dash for Top Sportsman cars – the only national event in NHRA which includes that class. A total of 29 elite racers were invited to that annual feature.

Homestate racer Jeff Barker won the Dart Dash title in his nitrous-injected Camaro when he beat the Oldsmobile of Jeremy Glidewell in the final round.

Top Alcohol dragster featured a first time winner with Texan Spencer Massey scoring in a final round battle of injected nitro cars over Quebec’s Daniel Mercier. Massey’s winning time was a 5.624 secs at 249.58 mph as Mercier’s machine slowed from it’s earlier faster pace.

Defending NHRA World Champion Bill Reichert set low ET and top speed at 5.217 secs and 280.54 mph in TAD but bowed out unexpectedly with a -.002 foul start in round two racing Marty Thacker.

The TAFC crown went to New Jersey’s Frank Manzo who dominated action again driving the Lucas Oil-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo. Manzo ran a final round 5.577 secs at 262.18 mph to easily handle opponent Marc White.

For Manzo it was his 68th career win and counting and included both low ET and top speed for the breed at 5.499 secs and 264.96 mph.