Returning to the site of his first career victory, Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon raced to his first win of the season during the 24th Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals held at Arizona’s Firebird International Raceway.

Jack Beckman and V Gaines also were winners at the second NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event of the 2008 season.

The event’s Professional racing program was set based on only 2 qualifying runs instead of four after persistent rain curtailed scheduled action on Friday.

Dixon drove Don Prudhomme’s U.S. Smokeless Tobacco dragster to a 4.532 secs, 327.19 mph victory over runner-up Dave Grubnic, to pick up his first win of the season, second at Firebird, and 42nd of his career. The win ties him with Tony Schumacher for 9th on the NHRA all time wins list and second overall in Top Fuel.

Dixon beat Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein and Tony Schumacher in earlier rounds.

Brandon Bernstein was the event’s #1 qualifier in Top Fuel running a 4.515 secs ET however Fuller took away low ET of the meet from him when he ran 4.491 secs while winning in round two.

Top speed of the meet was claimed by star female driver Hillary Will who sped to a 334.32 mph clocking during qualifying. Hillary also set top speed at the season opening Carquest Winternationals two weeks prior.

Even though recovering from a bad case of the flu, Jack Beckman still managed to drive his Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T to a 4.868 secs run at 320.20 mph to beat Robert Hight in the FC final. It was Beckman’s first win in Phoenix and the fourth of his career.

Beckman, who had qualified 15th, upset Mike Neff, Gary Scelzi and Jim Head while enroute to the final round.

Hight’s runner-up finish allowed him to remain as the current overall POWERade points leader. Hight also set low ET for the breed running his AAA Auto Club Mustang to 4.766 secs on Sunday.

Illinois-based driver Tim Wilkerson earned the pole with a 4.775 secs and he set top speed in FC at 327.03 mph. Wilkerson however fell in a major round one upset to #16 qualifier Bob Bode.

The event featured a rather shocking and untimely DNQ from Del Worsham, driver of the C.S.K.-sponsored Chevy Impala.

Popular Colorado-based racer V. Gaines grabbed his first win in seven years, driving his Kendall Dodge Stratus to a 6.702 secs at 205.38 mph to win easily over a tire shaking 2006 POWERade Series world champion Jason Line in the Pro Stock final round. Gaines’ win was his first in a Mopar, he had last won racing a GM at Dallas in 2001.

Gaines had beaten Greg Stanfield, Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin in earlier action using some great reaction times including .009 and .007 RTs.

Pro Stock racing was paced by another Mopar, the Tennessee based father and son team of Roy & Allen Johnson who ran 6.631 secs. They in fact quickened their pace during Sunday’s final eliminations running 6.629 secs (low ET) before falling out in round two.

Although he lost in the second round to Gaines, three-time world champion Greg Anderson kept his over POWERade point leads in Pro Stock. The driver of the all new Summit Racing-sponsored Pontiac GXP set top speed in PS at 208.55 mph.