Larry Dixon joins NHRA’s 500 club

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Larry Dixon, a National Hot Rod Assn. top fuel driver and Van Nuys High graduate, is one of only seven drivers to reach the 500-round win milestone. He notched his 500th round win at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee two weeks ago and added four more round wins en route to winning the top fuel portion of the NHRA races at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas on Sunday.

Ron Capps, the leader in the NHRA funny car standings, was supposed to drive in Tony Stewart‘s Prelude to a Dream race at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, but rain washed out the charity dirt track race. Capps, who won at Topeka, extended his lead in the funny car standings to 119 points over Del Worsham, a driver from Chino Hills.

Jack Beckman, an NHRA funny car driver from North Hills, has a new paint scheme on his car and a new cause. Valvoline will commit $300,000 to educational materials if he, Cory McClenathan and Reed Sorenson qualify for their respective races this weekend. Valvoline is a sponsor on all three cars. McClenathan drives in the NHRA top fuel division, and Sorenson is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Go to www.haddockinthepaddock.com for comments from the drivers and previews of the drag races at Route 66 Raceway in Illinois.