MORRISON, Colo. -- Track records fell in all four events on
the first day of qualifying at the Mile High Nationals Friday
night.
The run on the Bandimere Speedway record book began in the first
session when Brandon Bernstein set the speed record for the Top
Fuel Racers and Whit Bazemore improved on the elapsed time that he
set last year.
During the day's second session, Ryan Schnitz broke two records
in the Pro Stock Motorcycle. Schnitz's elapsed time, 7.453 seconds
and speed mark of 186.54 mph, erased the marks of Andrew Hines,
7.509 seconds and 185.66 mph.
Moments later, Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson set records in
the Pro Stock classification. Anderson, 7.106 seconds, broke his
own elapsed time record of 7.159 seconds and Johnson, at 194.24
mph, was better than Anderson's one-year speed record of 193.40
mph.
Bernstein's speed of 324.75 mph bettered the previous mark of
324.54 mph set by Joe Amato in July, 1999. Bazemore's elapsed time
of 4.835 seconds was better than the old record, his own, of 4.842
seconds.
Bazemore has won this event in 1997 and 2000. He was runner-up
in 1999.
Bernstein bettered his speed of two hours earlier of 324.75. His
second run improved to 330.88 mph.