One thing the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series didn't need this weekend was another rainout. The season's most important race, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, needed two weeks to complete because of wet weather and with only six races remaining on the 2003 schedule, rescheduling again would be a problem.

The weather forecasts as late as this past Wednesday were encouraging, with little chance of rain predicted for the central Pennsylvania area, site of this weekend's 19th Lucas Oil Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway outside Reading, Pa. But the National Weather Service issued an updated forecast Thursday which called for rain throughout much of the weekend in many parts of the northeast.

On Friday, after seven hours of a light drizzle delayed qualifying at Maple Grove until around 9 p.m., the grandstands slowly began to fill up again as the rain subsided, the NHRA's Safety Safari dried the track, and action got underway. The air was cool, the track surface skillfully prepared, and although there were no national records set in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, or Funny Car during their opening sessions, the feeling that hung in the air was that something big was going to happen in the upcoming Top Fuel frame.

And big it was.

Tony Schumacher, driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel car which only a week ago carried him to his third career win at the U.S. Nationals, obliterated the national elapsed time record with a roaring pass of 4.465 seconds -- the quickest Top Fuel run in history --which could establish a national mark should he back it up within one percent before the event is over. In 2001, Schumacher made, what was at the time, the fastest Top Fuel run in history at Maple Grove with a pass of more than 333 miles per hour, but missed backing it up for a new record.

Alan Johnson, Schumacher's tuner who led the team to victory in their first race together at Joliet this spring, took the potential record run in stride. "We knew the air had actually gotten better as the session continued so we knew we could make some power. The track has a narrow groove but we expected a big number if the car stayed in the center of the lane. Tony drove it right down through there."

Team owner Don Schumacher said with a wry grin following the run, "We're happy but just a little disappointed. Alan said we'd run a 4.45."

But there was little disappointment in the grandstands where those who had braved the wet and miserable elements throughout most of the day got to see an historic run, with the added drama of seeing it unfold under the lights of Maple Grove Raceway. Now, if only the rain can hold out for another 48 hours.

Bill Stephens covers the NHRA for ESPN and ESPN.com.