Competition.(Correction)(news about automobile racing personalities)

Schumacher wins U.S. Nationals

* Trying to get two drag racers to agree on anything can be tricky. After all, the sport's whole concept is based on the confrontation resulting when two drivers try to find out whose car is quicker. But among drag racing fans, two facts are indisputable. The sport was born 50 years ago in Southern California, and, the U.S. Nationals is the most important national event on the NHRA schedule.

Held each Labor Day weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park since 1961 (after briefly being held in Great Bend, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Oklahoma City and Detroit), this year's edition featured the appearances of three bona fide Hall of Famers: Top Fuel legends ``Big Daddy'' Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney and Chris ``The Greek'' Karamesines. Of the three, only Muldowney made the field. Garlits got bumped in the last qualifying session and Karamesines never really found a working combination. Muldowney eventually lost in round two to Andrew Cowin.

The major players in this year's Top Fuel championship tangle, defending series champion Kenny Bernstein and points-leader Larry Dixon, the 2001 Indy champ, met in the semifinal round on Monday. In one of the great side-by-side matches in U.S. Nationals history, Dixon beat Bernstein by virtue of a better reaction time, 4.64/320.89 to a quicker 4.62/322.96.

In the final, Dixon surprisingly smoked his tires after eight previous trouble-free passes and saw 1999 series and Indy champion Tony Schumacher snatch his first win since Phoenix in February, where he also beat Dixon in the final. Schumacher's 4.66/ 315.93 easily covered Dixon's 5.16/240.29. Despite the loss, Dixon increased his points lead over Bernstein to 103.

John Force has had some wretched luck in recent years at IRP. But the 11-time Funny Car champion added another U.S. Nationals trophy to the three he has won previously when he beat Tommy Johnson Jr. on a holeshot in the final, 5.02/280.02 to a quicker 4.99/ 308.43.

Force's win, combined with Whit Bazemore's DNQ and the first-round losses of both Del Worsham and Ron Capps, gave him a big boost toward his 12th championship, with only his two team drivers, Tony Pedregon and Gary Densham, near him in the points.