Daily coverage:
IHRA President's Cup Nationals, Budds Creek, Md.
The latest results from the eleventh stop on the 2004 IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series
by Brian Wood
Photos by Chris Simmons, Brian Wood and Bryan Epps

SUNDAY - Foley takes Top Fuel Victory, Atchison, Harper and Berner also Winners at President’s Cup Nationals

Top Fuel -- Doug Foley, 4.720 seconds, 309.49 mph def. Clay Millican, 4.782 seconds, 305.56 mph.

(9-26-2004) - It was a celebration of firsts at this weekend’s 13th annual President's Cup Nationals, and even though Top Fuel winner Doug Foley has already celebrated one big win this season, his exciting victory over perennial champion Clay Millican on Sunday was certainly a landmark event for the Sewell, New Jersey rookie.

Joining Foley in the winner’s circle were Billy Harper (Pro Modified), Rob Atchison (Funny Car) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock).

Foley, who qualified in the No. 2 spot, defeated Todd Paton and Bruce Litton on the way to his dream match-up with top qualifier Millican. In the final, Millican left first, .038 to .085, but Foley powered by Millican to trip the scoreboard lights first, 4.720, 309.49 to 4.782, 305.56. The race had some major implications for Millican, who could have clinched his fourth Hooters IHRA Top Fuel title with a win over Foley.

“I had said that if we could beat Millican in a flat-out head-to-head race that it would mean more to me than the first win we had this year in Canada,” Foley said. “This is just a huge accomplishment to beat such a great team, and I have to take my hat off to my team and my partner Tim Lewis. We have put together a championship-caliber team in a short period of time, and I can’t be more excited.”

Pro Modified -- Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.542, 168.94 def. Mike Janis, Chevy Corvette, 11.380, 80.30.

For his part, Millican was gracious in defeat, saying “well, this just goes to show you how good this Top Fuel program is getting here in the IHRA. There are guys here now that can beat you, and we have to work harder to stay on top. I guess I was a little too quick to pull the trigger when the car went into tire shake in the final, but that’s the way this deal is. In any case, it was a real entertaining race for the fans, and that’s why we’re out here.” Millican will now have to wait until the upcoming rain date in Norwalk to earn championship No. 4.

In the Pro Modified final, points leader Mike Janis was looking to get a hammerlock on the 2004 championship, but he left the door open just a crack when he blew the tires off his supercharged ’63 Corvette and watched as Billy Harper paced his nitrous-injected Dodge Viper to his first IHRA win.

“We’ve been working real hard to get the nitrous system on the car working right,” Harper said. “It’s actually been a problem for the last couple of racers, but we finally found something that has us going in the right direction again. We leaned on it pretty hard in the final and burned it up, but that’s all right, because we won the race.

Funny Car -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.881, 239.61 def. Joe Comella, Firebird, broke.

Janis, who said he and his team concentrate more on individual races than the year-end championship, was nevertheless upset at giving away the chance to put the title on ice. “We would have been in better shape in the points race if we would have won, that’s for sure, but we still gained some points,” he said. “I don’t have any idea what happened in the final – we just blew the tires off at the hit. In any case, we need to look ahead to the last two races and see if we can wrap up the championship.”

The Funny Car title fight is building up to be one huge blowout as perennial rivals Rob Atchison and Mark Thomas head into the last two events of the year separated by just one round of competition. This weekend in Maryland, perhaps the most important races of the year took place when the two faced off in the second round of eliminations. With the season literally on the line, Thomas left too soon, lighting the foul light and allowing Atchison to advance to the next round.

He went on to meet Joe Comella in the final, and again a mis-step by an opponent gave Atchison the win, moving him closer to Thomas in the overall standings.

“This was a fantastic weekend for our team,” Atchison said. “We struggled a bit early on, qualifying in the ninth spot, but we worked through it. We had a tough group of guys to run against, but that second round against Mark was huge. By winning that one, there’s just a round of competition between us with two races left to go. It’s going to be a real brawl to the finish.”

Veteran racer Comella was philosophical about the result of the final round, saying “I guess I had some brain fade or something in the final – I left before the tree came down and that was the end of it. We had a tough time figuring out the atmosphere here this weekend, but overall I think we did a pretty good job, and going to the final was really a good deal for this team.”

Pro Stock -- Pete Berner, Ford Mustang, 6.511, 215.41 def. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.596, 213.27..

Another first-time winner at MIR was Sunoco Pro Stock competitor Pete Berner, who outlasted Frank Gugliotta in a great final round of competition. The pair left the line together, with Gugliotta’s .013 just slightly ahead of Berner’s .016. The two battled the entire length of the quarter-mile, and at the stripe it was Berner crossing first, 6.511, 215.41 to Gugliotta’s slowing 6.596, 213.27.

After the race, Berner said “I have to give this one to the team this weekend. They made the right calls every time, and our runs were very consistent. We’re really excited about getting our first win in the IHRA - we’ve had some runner-up finishes, and we won the Sunoco Shootout in Norwalk, but this is an awesome feeling!”

For his part, Gugliotta said “we really had a good weekend, and going to the final against my friend Pete Berner was great. Of course we would have liked to have won the race, but as tough as this Pro Stock class is these days, just going as far as we did is an accomplishment. I can’t think of anybody I’d rather race than Pete, and I’m glad that he was able to get his first win here this weekend.”

Sportsman Finals

Top Sportsman -- Gary Bingham, Pontiac Grand Am, 7.198, 189.82 def. Davy Dins, Chevy Monte Carlo, 7.287, 184.25.

Top Dragster -- Steve Drummond, Dragster, 6.979, 189.26 def. Ricky Adkins, Dragster, broke.

Quick Rod -- Greer Scott, Dragster, 8.909, 159.63 def. Bill Huber, Dragster, 8.906, 154.51.

Super Rod -- Bernard Weaver, Dodge Daytona, 9.907, 147.49 def. Tommy Corbett, Daytona, 9.882, 153.49.

Hot Rod -- Robbie Welch, Ford Fairlane, 10.957, 117.58 def. Quentin Holloway, Chevy Chevelle, 10.948, 131.28.

Super Stock -- Monty Bogan Jr., Chevy Camaro, 9.129, 148.76 def. Bryan Worner, Camaro, 10.068, 130.17.

Stock -- Craig Marshall, Dodge Dart, 11.009, 114.02 def. Jamie Lucas, Chevy Chevelle, 11.856, 109.04.

Final round-by-round results from the 13th annual IHRA President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, the 11th of 12 events in the 2004 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Tim Cullinan, 4.796, 308.50 def. Joel Collins, 4.868, 289.20; Bruce Litton, 4.923, 287.35 def. Bobby Lagana Jr., 7.516, 107.42; Doug Foley, 4.777, 310.13 def. Todd Paton, 4.780, 298.21; Clay Millican, 5.301, 268.87 def. John Sipple, 16.279, 62.74;

SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 4.732, 302.08 def. Cullinan, 4.987, 240.77; Foley, 4.751, 311.27 def. Litton, 5.045, 246.35;

FINAL -- Foley, 4.720, 309.49 def. Millican, 4.782, 305.56.


PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Rick DiStefano, Chevy Corvette, 6.271, 226.51 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.599, 173.27; John Russo, Pontiac Trans Am, 8.761, 134.56 def. Steve Vick, Chevy Camaro, 10.897, 79.80; Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.373, 221.49 def. Tom Carter, Corvette, 10.486, 85.81; Chuck Ulsch, Corvette, 6.326, 225.00 def. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 10.287, 102.28; Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.270, 227.77 def. Pat Moore, Chevy Bel Air, 6.762, 198.55; Mike Janis, Corvette, 6.189, 230.92 def. Milt Decker, Corvette, 6.506, 221.74; Mitch Stott, Corvette, 6.290, 228.04 def. Al Billes, Corvette, 8.616, 124.51; Chip King, Dodge Avenger, 6.258, 222.00 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, foul;

QUARTERFINALS -- DiStefano, 6.247, 229.31 def. M. Stott, 6.745, 165.40; Harper, 6.231, 226.92 def. Halsey, 6.267, 225.07; Janis, 6.195, 230.61 def. Russo, 6.266, 225.33; Ulsch, 29.870, 23.43 def. King, broke;

SEMIFINALS -- Harper, 6.251, 226.66 def. DiStefano, 6.668, 191.24; Janis, 6.279, 229.78 def. Ulsch, 6.294, 224.88;

FINAL -- Harper, 6.542, 168.94 def. Janis, 11.380, 80.30.


FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 5.886, 238.22 def. Bill Naves, Pontiac Firebird, 6.506, 228.07; Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.971, 238.85 def. Charlie Gambino, Avenger, 6.009, 234.45; Joe Comella, Firebird, 5.924, 237.13 def. Jim Sickles, Avenger, 8.890, 99.42; Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.929, 233.80 def. George McNeil, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.048, 231.87; Jeff Burnett, Firebird,
5.994, 234.49 def. Neal Parker, Chevy Camaro, foul; Scott Wildgust, Firebird, 5.943, 238.17 def. Mark Poyser, Camaro, 6.106, 230.10; Tony Bogolo, Oldsmobile Achieva, 5.936, 219.15 def. Dave Ray, Ford Mustang, 5.940, 238.34; Rob Atchison, Firebird, 5.862, 240.17 def. Bunny Burkett, Avenger, foul;

QUARTERFINALS -- Atchison, 5.911, 239.65 def. Thomas, foul; Comella, 6.048, 228.81 def. Bogolo, broke; Foster, 6.001, 234.94 def. Burnett, 5.990, 234.78; Wildgust, 5.997, 236.30 def. McMillen, 6.021, 239.14;

SEMIFINALS -- Atchison, 5.918, 239.53 def. Foster, 6.027, 235.27; Comella, 6.057, 235.80 def. Wildgust, 6.143, 234.25;

FINAL -- Atchison, 5.881, 239.61 def. Comella, broke.


PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Mike Bell, Ford ZX2, 6.516, 214.45 def. Richard Penland, Ford Mustang, 6.504, 214.45; Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.522, 214.93 def. John Nobile, ZX2, foul; Rick Jones, Dodge Stratus, 6.507, 214.04 def. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.524, 213.47; Steve Spiess, Chevy Cavalier, 6.526, 214.89 def. Jason Collins, Mustang, foul; Rob Mansfield, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.496, 216.00 def. Kenny Benso, Cavalier, 6.518, 214.52; Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.494, 215.27 def. Chuck DeMory, Escort, foul; Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.502, 214.01 def. Robert Patrick, Mustang, 8.688, 134.74; John Montecalvo, Cavalier, 6.505, 215.86 def. John Bartunek, Grand Am, 12.207, 92.01;

QUARTERFINALS -- Gugliotta, 6.513, 216.06 def. Montecalvo, foul; Jones, 6.557, 214.45 def. Gillig, 6.641, 186.43; Mansfield, 6.478, 216.62 def. Bell, 7.581, 136.03; Berner, 6.485, 215.55 def. Spiess, foul;

SEMIFINALS -- Gugliotta, 6.501, 215.89 def. Jones, 6.584, 213.37; Berner, 6.525, 214.42 def. Mansfield, foul;

FINAL -- Berner, 6.511, 215.41 def. Gugliotta, 6.596, 213.27.

SUNDAY NOTES

Timing is Everything – With the 2004 Pro Modified championship so enticingly close, the last thing Harold Martin wanted was a DNQ at this weekend’s 13th annual President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. Unfortunately, the best he could muster during two days of qualifying was the first alternates spot, placing his EFI and nitrous-injected 2004 Pontiac Grand Am in 17th with a best effort of 6.373, 227.27. To make matters worse, current points leader Mike Janis is on a roll in Maryland this weekend, leading qualifying with a pass of 6.150, 231.95, and running a string of “6-teens” deep into the elimination rounds.

It Wasn’t Supposed to Happen This Way – Speaking of Pro Mod drivers, there are some that never expected to be playing the role of spectator on race day. Most notably, on the outside looking in after the preliminaries was Shannon Jenkins, whose best pass of the first two days was 6.414, 224.43, only good enough for the No. 20 spot. In addition, Pat Musi, winner of the last event in Epping, NH, failed to make the show this time around, running a best of 6.645, 213.84 to end up in the No. 28 slot.

More Sunday Spectators – Pro Modified wasn’t the only class where favorites failed to make the cut. In Sunoco Pro Stock, defending champion Brian Gahm put a rare DNQ into his logbook after struggling for the first two days to get a handle on the track. His best effort in three sessions was 6.858, 215.55, only good enough for the No. 27 spot. Also missing from the top 16 positions on the qualifying sheet were top runners John Konigshofer, Doug Kirk and Carl Baker, among others.

Local Favorite on a Roll – There’s a surprise player in the Pro Modified mix this weekend, and he’s making the tour regulars sit up and take notice. His name is Chuck Ulsch, from nearby Clarksville, Maryland. A regular in the “Frantic Seven” program here at MIR, Ulsch placed his nitrous-injected ’63 Corvette into the No.11 spot in the qualified field on the strength of a solid 6.278, 224.58 pass. So far in Sunday’s eliminations, Ulsch is proving that his presence among some of the best doorslammer pilots in the sport is no fluke, as he took out defending event champ Carl Spiering in the first round, and then advanced into the semifinals when opponent Chip King failed to make the call.

The Clock Strikes Midnight – For the first time in five Hooters IHRA national events, Jim Sickles won’t be in the Funny Car final. Sickles, of Caledonia, New York, qualified his bright yellow 2002 Dodge Avenger in the No. 2 position, posting a mark of 5.891, 240.08 to earn the berth. During the first round of eliminations, Sickles took a great .008 to .060 starting line advantage over opponent Joe Comella, but his car immediately launched into tire shake, and he was forced to shut it of at the 330-foot mark.

Saturday - Mansfield Leads Record Pro Stock Field into Eliminations; Thomas, Janis and Millican Also Earn No. 1 Qualifying Honors

Rob Mansfield extended his string of Sunoco Pro Stock top qualifying efforts to three in a row during the final qualifying session for this weekend’s 13th annual President’s Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. He was joined by No. 1 professional qualifiers Mark Thomas (Funny Car), Mike Janis (Pro Mod) and Clay Millican (Top Fuel).

Mansfield led the preliminary rounds all weekend long, capping off the final session on Saturday night with a stout pass of 6.465, 216.06. The outstanding air and track conditions at MIR led the Pro Stock contingent to smash the existing record for the quickest-ever field in IHRA history, with all 16 competitors seeded in the field at 6.539 or better. In fact, the first 12 cars on the list ran quicker than the old track record of 6.532-seconds. In addition, Steve Spiess rounded out the record-breaking weekend when he reset the world speed record at 216.24.

Mansfield was followed by John Montecalvo, who posted a mark of 6.465, 215.41 to leap into the No. 2 spot after being bumped out earlier in the session, and Robert Patrick, who claimed the third spot with a best pass of 6.491, 214.69.

In Funny Car, points leader Mark Thomas flexed his performance muscles during the first two days of action in Maryland, keeping defending champion Rob Atchison at arm’s length as the two continue to battle for class supremacy this season.

Thomas, with tuning help from former Funny Car champion Jimmy Rector, set the standard in the class with a best pass of 5.870, 239.36. Just behind him was Jim Sickles at 5.891, 240.08 and Terry McMillen, who posted a mark of 5.903, 238.85 to nail down the No. 3 position. Atchison laid down a pass of 5.986, 240.08 to claim the No. 9 spot heading into the elimination rounds on Sunday.

The last session of qualifying for the Pro Modified cars was a highly entertaining affair, with provisional leader Mike Janis losing, and then regaining the top spot from Billy Harper. Heading into the last go-round, Janis held the No. 1 position with a best effort of 6.187, 229.94, but things would quickly change. Harper laid down an impressive lap of 6.158, 227.69 to claim the top position for the nitrous camp, but Janis was right behind him, and he reasserted dominance for the compressor gang with a blast of 6.150, 231.95. Rounding out the top three was defending class champ Mitch Stott, who earned the position on the strength of his best run of 6.192, 229.43.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican was as impressive as ever, smashing the MIR track E.T and speed record handily when he piloted the Werner Enterprises fuel dragster to an electrifying lap of 4.616, 316.75. Just behind him Doug Foley maintained his steady pace, finishing up the first two days of preliminary action with a solid mark of 4.718, 314.90, which briefly stood as the new speed record until Millican’s effort. Holding on to the No. 3 spot was Bobby Lagana, Jr., in with a mark of 4.732, 307.02.

One of the more interesting stories of the day was the effort of John “Doc” Sipple, who blew up most of his car’s components on Friday night. Thanks to the help of a number of the other Top Fuel teams in the pits, however, he was back out for tonight’s final shot and made it count, grabbing the No. 8 spot in the field with a good-looking run of 5.100, 240.38.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 13th annual IHRA President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, the 11th of 12 events in the 2004 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.616 seconds, 316.75 mph vs. 8. John Sipple, 5.100, 240.38; 2. Doug Foley, 4.718, 314.90 vs. 7. Todd Paton, 4.916, 288.21; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.732, 307.02 vs. 6. Bruce Litton, 4.864, 290.19; 4. Joel Collins, 4.810, 285.95 vs. 5. Tim Cullinan, 4.813, 305.22.

Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Janis, Chevy Corvette, 6.150, 231.95 vs. 16. Milt Decker, Corvette, 6.360, 224.51; 2. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.158, 227.69 vs. 15. Pat Moore, Chevy Bel Air, 6.328, 223.65; 3. Mitch Stott, Corvette, 6.192, 229.43 vs. 14. Al Billes, Corvette, 6.313, 227.80; 4. Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 6.198, 228.11 vs. 13. Chip King, Dodge Avenger, 6.298, 229.04; 5. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.214, 226.13 vs. 12. Chuck Ulsch, Corvette, 6.278, 224.58; 6. Rick DiStefano, Corvette, 6.216, 230.92 vs. 11. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.271, 228.38; 7. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.224, 226.20 vs. 10. Tom Carter, Corvette, 6.270, 226.47; 8. Steve Vick, Camaro, 6.259, 226.13 vs. 9. John Russo, Pontiac Trans Am, 6.262, 226.66.

Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 5.870, 239.36 vs. 16. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.116, 234.09; 2. Jim Sickles, Avenger, 5.891, 240.77 vs. 15. Joe Comella, Pontiac Firebird, 6.103, 234.82; 3. Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.903, 239.06 vs. 14. Charlie Gambino, Avenger, 6.083, 229.90; 4. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.917, 234.78 vs. 13. George McNeil, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.070, 231.24; 5. Neal Parker, Chevy Camaro, 5.953, 236.42 vs. 12. Jeff Burnett, Firebird, 6.050, 233.64; 6. Scott Wildgust, Firebird, 5.971, 235.51 vs. 11. Mark Poyser, Camaro, 6.042, 228.38; 7. Dave Ray, Ford Mustang, 5.972, 237.42 vs. 10. Tony Bogolo, Oldsmobile Achieva, 6.001, 226.66; 8. Bunny Burkett, Avenger, 5.978, 241.15 vs. 9. Rob Atchison, Firebird, 5.986, 240.08.

Pro Stock -- 1. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.465, 216.06 vs. 16. Kenny Benso, Chevy Cavalier, 6.539, 215.17; 2. John Montecalvo, Cavalier, 6.485, 215.41 vs. 15. John Bartunek, Grand Am, 6.534, 213.00; 3. Robert Patrick, Ford Mustang, 6.491, 214.86 vs. 14. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.533, 214.08; 4. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.492, 214.72 vs. 13. Chuck DeMory, Ford Escort, 6.533, 214.25; 5. Steve Spiess, Cavalier, 6.502, 216.24 vs. 12. Jason Collins, Mustang, 6.525, 215.86; 6. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.503, 214.04 vs. 11. Rick Jones, Dodge Stratus, 6.516, 214.79; 7. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.504, 215.10 vs. 10. Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.512, 213.84; 8. Richard Penland, Mustang, 6.509, 215.55 vs. 9. Mike Bell, ZX2, 6.511, 214.83.

Saturday Notes

It’s What Friends Are For – During last night’s qualifying session, the Top Fueler driven by John Sipple suffered serious breakage as the car approached the top end of the track.

“We broke an input shaft, which in turn tore up the clutch and bellhousing,” said Sipple. “We also hurt the crank and the rear-end, but fortunately the engine block didn’t get hurt, so we’ll be able to put everything back together again, thanks to the help from some good friends.”

The San Diego, California-based crew for the car driven by T.J. Nelson this weekend have pitched in to help the Sipple team stay in the show, providing a pressure plate and throwout bearing for the car. In addition, they are repairing Sipple’s bellhousing. “This is why we’re out here, after all,” commented one of the Nelson crew. “Those guys would do it for us.”

With a clutch can and other assorted parts purchased from the Todd Paton team, and the great help from the Nelson guys, Sipple will be ready to go when the day’s first qualifier kicks of today at 2 PM.

Giddyup - Sunoco Pro Stock competitior Jason Collins has admittedly been struggling throughout the 2004 season to get a handle on his new Mustang Cobra.

In last night's qualifying session, however, it looked like his long trial by fire may finally be over. Collins, from Rainbow City, Alabama, clicked off a straight and solid pass of 6.525, 215.86, a number that surprised even him.

"It was on a real pass, despite the fact that the engine bogged just off the line," Collins said. "It could have easily dipped well into the 6.40s otherwise. We have worked so hard to get this car to run straight down the groove, so now we can hopefully look ahead to qualifying well and going rounds."

Collins sits in the No.8 spot with two sessions to go.

One To Go – The top professional names in qualifying for this weekend’s 13th annual President’s Cup Nationals remained the same after today’s second of three preliminary sessions.

There were some changes down through the orders, however, and as was the case in Sunoco Pro Stock last night, another provisional world speed record was set today. Rob Mansfield, top qualifier after the first two sessions, saw his 216.06 mark from Friday eclipsed by the 216.24 laid down by Steve Spiess. In other changes, John Montecalvo and Rick Jones bumped into the field, while Doug Kirk and Tommy Franklin moved in the other direction. Of the remainder of the drivers not yet in the field, defending champion Brian Gahm is undoubtedly the biggest name.

In Pro Modified, Mike Janis held on to his top position, but a number of other drivers were shuffled through the deck. Steve Vick and Harold Martin made it into the top 16, while Ed Burnley and Ted Smith were dropped back into the ranks of the hopefuls. Missing from the list altogether are top runners Shannon Jenkins, Al Billes and Ed Hoover. They’ll have one more opportunity to get into the show tonight.

The battle between Funny Car rivals Mark Thomas and defending champion Rob Atchison for the 2004 World Championship appears to be going right down to the wire. Points leader Thomas maintained his hold on the top qualifying spot in today’s first session, but “Atch” improved from No. 15 to No. 7 on the strength of his 5.986, 240.08 run this afternoon. The only two competitors currently on the outside looking in are Melinda Green-King and Bill Neves.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican’s name remained at the top of the qualifying sheet, but there are a couple of guys right on his tail. Bobby Lagana made a huge move in the heat of the day, jumping from the No. 10 spot into the second slot with an impressive pass of 4.732, 307.02. He was followed closely by Doug Foley, who sits third, thanks to the 4.742, 311.70 he posted last night. Just to let the guys know he wasn’t intimidated, however, Millican improved on his class-leading 4.75 with a blast of 4.690, 307.02 to close out the second session.

FRIDAY - Rob Mansfield Leads Pro Stock Record Assault during Friday Qualifying; Mike Janis, Mark Thomas and Clay Millican also On Top After First Day

Mike Janis thundered to the top spot in Pro Modified qualifying.

(9-24-2004) - The racing surface at Maryland International Raceway is famous for producing record runs just about every time the Hooters IHRA Drag racing Series comes to town, and the first session of qualifying for this weekend’s 13th annual President’s Cup Nationals was no exception.

No more was this more evident than in Sunoco Pro Stock, where no less than nine drivers eclipsed the old track E.T record of 6.532-seconds, and eight also buried the previous mile-per-hour mark of 213.91.

Rob Mansfield, of Margate, Florida, led the assault, setting the bar with an impressive 6.48, 216.06 behind the wheel of his 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. His speed mark also bettered the IHRA World Record of 215.37 mph.

Mansfield was followed by Pete Berner (6.492, 214.08) and Robert Patrick (6.500, 214.86). The bump spot is held down by local runner Tommy Franklin.

Next up were the Funny Cars, and the first two cars to the line were the rival machines of points leader Mark Thomas and defending champ Rob Atchison, who are battling for the title once again.

Atchison launched his 2002 Firebird into a wheelstand and lifted, allowing Thomas to place his 2004 Avenger in the low qualifier spot with a lap of 5.870, 36.

Rob Mansfield's domination of Sunoco Pro Stock qualifying continued on Friday.

Holding down the No. 2 position in the provisional field is Jim Sickles (5.903, 239.74), followed by Terry McMillen (5.903, 238.85). The 16th place is currently the domain of Melinda Green-King.

In Pro Modified, the session started off slowly, but by the time the heavy hitters took to the quarter-mile the action heated up considerably. When the smoke cleared, the blower contingent held the first day’s advantage.

Leading the charge was points leader and former champion Mike Janis, who clicked off an impressive 6.187, 229.94 behind the wheel of his blown ’63 Corvette. He was followed by defending class champ Mitch Stott (6.192, 229.43) and Mike Castellana, who carried the flag for the nitrous contingent with his mark of 6.198, 228.11. Sitting in the bump spot is Ted Smith.

Once again Clay Millican dominated the first day of Top Fuel qualifying, leading the pack behind the wheel of his Werner Enterprises dragster. In an impressive session which featured plenty of full passes and towering header flames, Millican tripped the timers in 4.72-seconds at 311 mph, followed closely by Doug Foley’s 4.72, 311.70 and Tim Cullinan’s 4.813, 305.22.

The No. 8 man on the list, with two sessions to go, is John Sipple.

Qualifying continues tomorrow with professional sessions scheduled for 2 and 7:30 PM.

Results Friday after qualifying for the 13th annual IHRA President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, 11th of 12 events in the 2004 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.725 seconds, 311.85 mph; 2. Doug Foley, 4.742, 311.70; 3. Tim Cullinan, 4.813, 305.22; 4. Bruce Litton, 4.864, 288.89; 5. Todd Paton, 4.931, 288.21; 6. C.J. Nelson, 5.215, 262.79; 7. Joel Collins, 5.671, 163.95; 8. John Sipple, 6.207, 144.44; 9. Louie Allison, 6.620, 128.35; 10. Bobby Lagana Jr., 7.321, 106.55; 11. Rick Cooper, 9.597, 78.32; 12. Roger Dean, 10.066, 76.15.

Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Janis, Chevy Corvette, 6.187, 229.94; 2. Mitch Stott, Corvette, 6.192, 229.43; 3. Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 6.198, 228.11; 4. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.214, 224.02; 5. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.224, 226.20; 6. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.231, 226.16; 7. Tom Carter, Corvette, 6.270, 226.47; 8. Chip King, Dodge Avenger, 6.309, 226.66; 9. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.316, 225.18; 10. Chuck Ulsch, Corvette, 6.345, 223.10; 11. John Russo, Pontiac Trans Am, 6.356, 222.58; 12. Charles Carpenter, Chevy Bel Air, 6.388, 222.07; 13. Rick DiStefano, Corvette, 6.389, 224.14; 14. Steve Engel, Corvette, 6.483, 211.39; 15. Ed Burnley Jr, Corvette, 6.523, 212.96; 16. Ted Smith, Corvette, 6.548, 206.83.

Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 5.870, 239.36; 2. Jim Sickles, Avenger, 5.903, 239.74; 3. Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.903, 238.85; 4. Scott Wildgust, Pontiac Firebird, 5.971, 235.51; 5. Neal Parker, Chevy Camaro, 6.001, 235.10; 6. Tony Bogolo, Oldsmobile Achieva, 6.001, 226.66; 7. Bunny Burkett, Avenger, 6.014, 237.00; 8. Dave Ray, Ford Mustang, 6.015, 237.42; 9. Chris Foster, Avenger, 6.048, 191.65; 10. George McNeil, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.070, 231.24; 11. Joe Comella, Firebird, 6.103, 227.73; 12. Mark Poyser, Camaro, 6.172, 227.96; 13. Charlie Gambino, Avenger, 6.247, 229.35; 14. Jeff Burnett, Firebird, 10.600, 80.77; 15. Rob Atchison, Firebird, 11.322, 70.95; 16. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 12.627, 57.73.

Pro Stock -- 1. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.480, 216.06; 2. Pete Berner, Ford Mustang, 6.492, 214.08; 3. Robert Patrick, Mustang, 6.500, 214.86; 4. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.504, 215.10; 5. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cavalier, 6.511, 215.27; 6. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.516, 214.04; 7. Richard Penland, Mustang, 6.523, 213.13; 8. Jason Collins, Mustang, 6.525, 215.86; 9. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.530, 213.47; 10. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.533, 213.40; 11. John Bartunek, Grand Am, 6.534, 212.69; 12. Kenny Benso, Cavalier, 6.539, 214.83; 13. Dwayne Rice, Cavalier, 6.558, 213.27; 14. Ron Miller, Cavalier, 6.562, 212.19; 15. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.568, 212.69; 16. Tommy Franklin, Cavalier, 6.577, 210.97.

FRIDAY NOTES - That lucky Billes, Hot time in the Janis pits and checking out the new Cavalier...

Al Billes has a wild towing story to tell. The veteran Pro Modified racer had a front tire on his rig blow out.

Just Happy To Be Here – Pro Modified racer Al Billes considers himself darn lucky to be on the grounds at Maryland International Raceway for this weekend’s 13th annual President’s Cup Nationals.

Billes, who hails from Barre, Ontario, was driving his race rig along 407 Highway in Toronto recently when a “perfectly good” right front tire exploded, sending the team’s toterhome and trailer on a scary and violent trip.

Fortunately, Al’s young son was securely strapped into the passenger seat, but the rest of the Billes team were holding on for dear life as the rig, which was traveling in the middle of three lanes, crossed the right lane and headed for the guardrail.

Just in the nick of time, an off-ramp presented itself, and Billes managed to wrestle the rig off the busy highway and bring it to a stop. “That tire only had 40,000 miles on it and looked perfect,” Billes said. “It was pretty hairy there for a couple of seconds, but thankfully we were in the middle lane and that ramp came up. Otherwise we would have likely gone into the ditch and hurt somebody, plus we would have likely destroyed everything.”

The truck did suffer quite a bit of damage, however, and after $4,000 worth of “band-aid”repairs the team got the rig back just hours before they had to leave for Budds Creek. Needless to say, Billes is hoping for a trouble-free weekend out on the track.

Mark Thomas was given the opportunity to display his car in Washington after a thorough security screening.

A Capital Idea – The last thing you’d expect to see in the middle of Washington, DC in the post-911 era, considering the extraordinary security and safety measures now in place, is a bright green and yellow IHRA Funny Car, complete with tractor-trailer and crew.

Believe it or not, however, that’s exactly what the local citizenry saw sitting behind the Capitol building on Wednesday, thanks to former IHRA Funny Car champion and current points leader Mark Thomas.

Thomas, driver of the “Ethenol Performs” Dodge Avenger, explained how this surprising spectacle came about: “We’ve tried for the last five or six years when we come to Budds Creek to get our car into Washington, but unfortunately, with all the terrorist problems and so on, much of the city has been off limits, and quite frankly I didn’t think we’d ever make it happen.

“I was pretty surprised then when I got a call last Tuesday and found out that we had been given permission to set the car up, and on Wednesday we were there ready to go. Security was extremely tight, as we expected, and we got a police escort right through the city. As we were going into the area they wanted us to set up one of the guards came over and told us that there were “7000 cameras on us, and about as many machine guns. He also said they could count the whiskers on my chin, and that they could read lips, so to be careful what we said!”

As we pulled up to the spot that wanted us to set up in, a big black Suburban with blacked out windows drove up. One of the windows came down, and I could see there were four guys inside with black suits and black sunglasses on. I leaned over and said “Wanna race?” Without a trace of a smile, one of the guys leaned forward and said "just how lucky do you feel? With that, the window went up and they drove away.

They then put the entire rig through a huge X-Ray machine, and once we cleared security we were escorted to a spot between the reflecting pool and the Capitol building. It was unbelievable, and we stayed there for nearly ten hours.

It was one of the coolest things I ever did, and the people were great. We had the Capitol Hill Police, SWAT teams and the Secret Service with us all day, and they were really interested in the car and in drag racing in general. I’m sure it was the first time a Funny Car was on display at the U.S. Capitol!

After we were through, we got to take a private tour of the Capitol, and at the end of the day we were standing up on the upper balcony looking down at the guys with the guns who had been looking down on us all day - it was real cool!

Mike Castellana and Shannon Jenkins check out the new Pro Modified Cavalier of Mark Hayes.

A Cavalier Effort – One of the trends that appears to be gathering momentum in the Pro Modified ranks is the debut of the innocuous Chevy Cavalier into competition for 2005. Several drivers, including Mike Castellana, are having the sleek little coupes built for next season, so it wasn’t surprising to see him and teammate Shannon Jenkins giving the newly-completed ride of local racer Mark Hayes the once-over.

Hayes has the first of the new generation Pro Mod machines on hand in Budds Creek this weekend, having taken delivery from builder Jim Geese at Vanishing Point Race Cars in Pennsylvania just a few days ago. The team started the weekend off on a bad note, however, suffering a carburetor backfire during their first attempt to warm the new nitrous-injected Fulton powerplant in the pits.

Repairs have been completed, so it looks like Hayes will make the call for the first qualifying session - rest assured that a lot of eyes will be on the new Cavalier as the weekend unfolds in Maryland.

Hot ‘Vette – There were some exciting moments in the pits of Pro Modified points leader Mike Janis on Friday afternoon. As the car was being fueled, a stray spark, apparently from an extension cord, caused the fuel to ignite.

Since methanol burns without a visible flame, things got real hot real quick. The crewman handling the fuel can suffered burns to both of his hands, as did Janis, who placed his hand over the top of the open fuel cell in an attempt to smother the fire. The flames were quickly extinguished, but it was a real scary moment that thankfully wasn’t any worse.

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