The largest crowd in Bristol Dragway history watched independent Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson knock off all the heavyweights to lead the qualifying action at the seventh annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q. Wilkerson's 4.819 at 321.42 mph placed him alongside Top Fuel leader Tony Schumacher and Pro Stock's Jason Line on the Day 1 low qualifiers podium.
Racing without the benefit of a teammate or a big-name sponsor, Wilkerson (pictured) showed the little guy can still hang with the big dogs, if only for a day. Schumacher seemingly picked up right where he left off last Sunday when he won the Norwalk race, zipping to the front of Top Fuel with a 4.544 at 321.12 mph. Defending series champ Line seems to have shaken off his recent doldrums with a solid 6.789 at 203.86 mph.
NHRA - Wilkerson is surprise low FC qualifier; Shoe, Line also front Bristol fields
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