LaHaie Posts Drag Racing’s Quickest-Ever Run

Dick LaHaie of Lansing, Mich., recorded the quickest elapsed time in history Friday night during qualifying for Sunday’s 18th annual NHRA Summernationals drag races at Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

LaHaie, seeking a record fourth consecutive race victory, drove his Top Fuel dragster down the quarter-mile in 5.171 seconds at 271.32 m.p.h. The time bettered the 5.176 by Darrell Gwynn of Miami in April.

Kenny Bernstein of Newport Beach broke the track Funny Car elapsed time record with a 5.563-second, 259.96-m.p.h. run to take the No. 1 qualifying position for the $861,150 event.