Drag Racing | NHRA drivers catch fire at Pacific Raceways

KENT — Tony Bartone has wrecked two Funny Cars this season, failed to qualify six times and been on fire more times than he can count.

After Sunday, he can say he has also made the trip to the winner's circle.

Bartone, 52, won the first professional race of his career with an upset of Ron Capps in the Funny Car division at the 21st annual Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals Sunday at Pacific Raceways.

"This is a special moment, a culmination of what you try to accomplish as a racer," Bartone said. "It's the old adage, but when you never say die, you never quit and you just keep plugging, days like this happen."

While it was all new for Bartone, winning is becoming old hat for Tony Schumacher in the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster.

Schumacher won for the third consecutive year at Pacific Raceways and for the fourth time in the last five years.

He has also won seven times this season and, with 48 wins in his career, needs just four more victories to catch Joe Amato for the all-time lead.

"When you get on a roll like this, watch out," Schumacher said. "We're setting records that nobody thought possible. It's hard to believe, but it's great to be a part of. I think I'm driving really well, but they're giving me just a great car."

Schumacher, a five-time world champion, has already clinched a spot in the countdown to the championship.

"It's not luck, we have stepped it up," he said. "When I push the pedal down, it makes noise and it moves. It's unbelievable. It's just an outstanding team, a group of guys who are just the best."

Schumacher covered the 1,000-foot track in 3.902 seconds at a speed of 309.98 mph to beat familiar foe Brandon Bernstein by more than half a second.

Bartone, who began racing Funny Cars last season, beat Ron Capps in the final as both wobbled midway down the racetrack. Bartone had an elapsed time of 4.454 at 238 mph, a speed that would not have even qualified him for the race.

"Last week in Denver we blew up and were on fire many, many times," Bartone said. "We were able to turn our program around."

Capps, who won the first race of his career here in 1995 in a Top Fuel dragster, moved into sixth place in the Funny Car points standings.

"[Bartone] is one of those guys that if you didn't win you kind of secretly pull for him," Capps said. "I know that feeling of winning your first race. I'm sure he's ecstatic and it's a relief for him. It's good for guys like that to get a taste of it."

Jason Line, the Pro Stock world champion in 2006, won for the 15th time in his career when he beat Allen Johnson in the final. Line had an elapsed time of 6.659 at 208.10 mph, just better than Johnson's 207.78.

It was Line's first win at Pacific Raceways.

"I've never had any success here at all," he said. "We changed the engines this morning and it was a gamble that paid off."

Dave Connolly, the defending champion and top qualifier in Pro Stock, broke a lifter during his burnout before the second round and was eliminated by Johnson, whose last win came here in 2006.