In his first ever NHRA race Andy Carter was paired against Brandon Bernstein. With 17 career Top Fuel wins Brandon is a very experienced and highly regarded driver. Andy Carter gives his thoughts on pairing up against the Budweiser dragster...

I knew I had a good chance of beating Brandon being as we were on a track that had hardly anything down it all weekend and loads and loads of rain on it, also a really narrow-if any groove at all. Although the controls on the Terry's car were not ideal for me, especially the reverser, once Richard had strapped me in I did feel comfortable and could have been anywhere, I was hungry and ready!

I have not seen the run on video but my recollection of the run was that it left good, my light was .080, but I hit big and hard shake at about 50ft, I could see him right by me so I didn't let the car settle a little (as I normally do with this kind of shake) just squeezed it down, but quickly and got going, about 660ft maybe I got a wheel out of the non existent groove cause it made a hard turn right and I remember stopping it from crossing my centreline line, as I did this 3 body panels went flying by my window caused by the flexing and stress put on the chassis by turning that hard, but then I was heading straight for the finish line cones and remember thinking I mustn't hit them, I managed to miss them and thought I had it, I got the win light and there was lots of cheering on the start line and people told me in the crowd too.

Then the officials deemed I had crossed the centreline, I didn't believe it and said so in an interview at the end of the track. Once we got back as it had started to rain again I walked the track and saw I had crossed it, couldn't have been much more that 1/4 inch according to the tyre tracks, but I did cross it.

In all my time drag racing I have never hit a cone and have never crossed a centreline, what a bad time to cross my first centreline. I got the timing ticket right here next to my laptop and it says my time was a 4.525 at 239.23 WIN, Bernstein 4.758 at 192.69, so I got a winning timing ticket at Pomona for what its worth, which isn't much...I think considering I hadn't been in a TF dragster for 5 months and the track was loose - I drove well.

Losing didn't seem to hurt much at the time and I thought - this is funny why is it not hurting? But last night it started and it is hurting me now, in couple of days I'll be fine.

I would like to thanks to Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, all at Lucas Oil USA, all at Lucas Oil UK, Terry Haddock, Impact Safety, Richard Bruton, Eddie Corr, Jimbo E, all the crew, everyone who came over and offered support there was lots, all my friends and family, thanks, it was a hell of a weekend!

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