He dreamed of it and personally predicted it to himself as well as a select few members of his team. He wasn’t cocky. He was confident. Still he had to secure the crown officially before he could exhale. When friendly hometown rival John Montecalvo lost early in final eliminations during the Bethesda Softworks IHRA World Finals at Rockingham Dragway, newly christened Hooters IHRA Sunoco Pro Stock World Champion John Nobile was able to breathe correctly, or at least somewhat. The reality of it is that Nobile exhaled with all the intensity of the big bad wolf huffing and puffing and blowing down one of the three little pigs’ houses.

Nobile, a trucking company owner from Dix Hills, NY., is a big-hearted individual whose demeanor is nothing like that of the evil wolf of fairy tale lore, except when he pulls next to an opponent on the starting line. Two seasons removed from first competing on the NHRA’s 500-inch Pro Stock tour, Nobile captured his first career championship in a season that saw him rewrite the record books several times, reach the final round more than twice and win his first career Hooters IHRA national event crown in a race that he dedicated to a fallen friend.

Nobile is usually an outspoken individual, but winning the championship is something that still leaves him speechless at times.

"This is a great feeling and it certainly gives you a sense that you have accomplished something that is reserved for a select few individuals," Nobile said. "It’s certainly not the same kind of feeling you get when you win something average. Though I’ve never won a Super Bowl, I’d have to say this one is even more exciting.

"I know that this is a team effort, but in the end, the driver gets credit for it. It’s personalized. This is an awesome deal."

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When it comes to winning a championship, Nobile wouldn’t have wanted to do it in any other fashion – except, maybe sooner. His assessment is that it is ‘bitchin’ for the fans, but hell on your nerves" when the title comes down to the wire.

Nobile fought tooth and nail much of the season with his cross-town rival/friend Montecalvo. While some might have drawn the assumption that it was a storyline that was too good to be true, Nobile wasn’t so surprised that it came down to the two for the title.

"I knew he would be a player based on what he did last year," Nobile said. "When he signed Jeff Dobbins as a crew chief I knew it would make him even better. We knew he was going to be real good.

"The difference between John and I is that I can race the car all by myself. I know every inch of it inside and out. I can call every shot. I’m an engine guy, clutch guy and a chassis guy all in one. I guess you could say I’m the equivalent to Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson over in the NHRA - I call the shots just like they do."

The impressive part of Nobile’s 2004 campaign is that it marked his first full season in competition since the middle part of the last decade. Nobile actually made strides toward returning to IHRA competition in 2003 on a limited basis.

When he came back he changed auto manufacturers and engine builders, rendering much of his previous data unusable. On top of that Nobile had to account for nearly a decade’s worth of advancements in technology.

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"I told one of my crew guys at the beginning of the season that I was going to make the switch to a Ford and use an engine from Jon Kaase," Nobile explained. "I had always considered myself a racer that raced with a handicap. We never had the horsepower that the other racers had. I always seemed to run just as good, but not good enough to win."

During his tenure in the NHRA, Nobile admitted that he picked up quite a wealth of knowledge in working alongside of Warren Johnson and legendary engine builder Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins. Despite the fact the engine displacements between the two styles of racing differed by almost 300 cubic inches and the chassis configurations were vastly different, Nobile felt the general knowledge he accrued along the way led him in the right direction. It also helped to bring him up to speed on which direction he needed to go with the mountain motor Pro Stock car.

"I knew with competitive horsepower and the right combination that I could realistically fine tune my way to a championship. I told my crew guy Richie that we were going to win everything we could win, break some records and be the fastest Pro Stock car on the planet. I said point blank to him, ‘I am going to win this championship."

Nobile held nothing back.

"I told him before I took possession of my car that I was going to win the championship. I wasn’t bragging. I was just confident. I knew that for the first time in my career I was going to go racing with a weapon equal to the competition. I knew I wasn’t going to go out there handicapped.

"Don’t take this as cockiness. Like I said, I’m not bragging. I just had to rely on experience to pull me through this. I had the same as everyone else and just turned it into a little more. I didn’t have more power. I just had more knowledge."

Nobile used only one test session in Bradenton, Fla., prior to the season-opener in San Antonio, Texas, to reel off a 6.45 elapsed time. That would have set the record at the first race of the season. Nobile put the new Escort back in the box and prepped for the season. Pretty much that’s the way Nobile made it through the season. The only time the car came out of the trailer was at the track.

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"My car wasn’t ready for the first Bradenton test session," Nobile added. "I watched Rick Jones run a 6.46 and I watched Pete Berner go a 6.45. The big difference when I ran mine was there weren’t twenty cars out there running and the air was not 600 feet below sea level.

"The air was about 1600 feet worse, in fact. There were no other teams there. I told my crew chief Kenny (Sevier) that we were the baddest Pro Stocker on the planet at that time. I didn’t care what those other guys had run. They didn’t do it in our conditions.

"At the first race we qualified third and went to the finals on Sunday. On Sunday, we showed them who their Daddy was. We were the quickest car every round including the final. We led qualifying for the first four events. That had to say something. We only tested once."

Nobile swears his car remained dormant between races.

"We had no time to test," Nobile said. "We were too busy working on my regular company to have time for the race car."

Just ask Nobile how easy it was to win the championship and that will immediately draw his ire.

"By no means was this easy," Nobile countered. "I sometimes made it look that way. The real deal is that when most of the people are out eating or have already gone to bed, we are still out there working on the car. When we are at the track, the car gets our full undivided attention. When I’m racing, I’m only concentrating on racing; to heck with everything else."

However, there was the one event where Nobile’s mind was anywhere but at the track. On Thursday of the Amalie Oil North American Nationals in Epping, NH., Nobile received a call informing him that his that longtime friend Bob Losordo had succumbed to cystic fibrosis after a lengthy battle with the illness.

Nobile proclaimed to his crew that one shot of qualifying would have to be sufficient for the weekend. Not only did he make the field, but he established a new track record and paced the field. This mark held until a record-setting field was established on Saturday evening.

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Nobile drove home to Long Island to pay his respects with no intention of returning on Saturday. In his best words, "If we didn’t make it on Friday, we just didn’t make it. I was going to pay my respects."

As fate would have it, a chartered flight opened up and Nobile made it back in time for the final session. While he didn’t maintain his pole position, he did set the stage for one of the most emotional first-ever national event victories that this sport has ever witnessed.

Nobile won the event, assumed the point lead and returned home in time to put his first-ever trophy in the casket of his close acquaintance. It was all in a day’s work for the veteran.

Nobile is certain that next year’s Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock championship will also breed a fight that is destined to be unparalleled in professional drag racing.

"Are you kidding me?" Nobile asked. "They’ve approved the three-disc clutch for this class and with the help of Pat Norcia of RAM clutches we are going to be quick. We have some tricks up our sleeve that we’re excited about putting into place. You had better have a 6.30 in your game plan for 2005.

"I have to thank Pat because we won this championship together. He was very instrumental in making it happen and for believing in me. I want to thank Rick and Irene Mitsos of Mountainview Tire. They are my very good friends. They sponsored me 100% with tires for the last few years. I don’t have any money sponsors. Outside of the help from RAM clutches and Rick and Irene, everything comes out of my pocket."