SAME DAY COVERAGE
IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
San Antonio, Texas
By Susan Wade & Bobby Bennett
Photos by Roger Richards, Bryan Epps

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SUNDAY FINAL - Millican is the man again; Hoover, Atchison and Seamon score victories

(4-2-2005) – Clay Millican needed only a run or two to settle back into his old groove. The defending four-time Top Fuel World Champion continued his unbeaten streak at San Antonio Raceway by winning his 38th national event and keeping his point lead intact since 2001. Millican stopped Louie Allison in the final round on Saturday evening.

Millican was joined in the winner’s circle by Ed Hoover (Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified), Rob Atchison (Funny Car) and Dan Seamon (Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock).

Millican entered eliminations in the unfamiliar third qualifying berth and was not the least bit deterred despite an oildown infraction that he incurred while stopping Paul Athey during the opening round. He returned to his normal form in the second round with a 4.610, 319.82 to pull away from Mitch King.

Millican used a quicker reaction time and a 4.700, 304.80 to secure the win over Allison’s aborted effort in the finals. Despite the victory, Millican’s oil infraction only provides him with a one point cushion over Allison.

For Allison’s part, he eliminated Rick Cooper and low qualifier Bruce Litton before reaching the final round.

Hoover entered this event with enough pent up frustration to make quitting an easy proposition. Over the winter, Hoover’s team owner Paul Trussell retained the services of two-time World Champion Jimmy Rector as crewchief, and the end result for the Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified driver was a trip to the winner’s circle for the first time in two years.

Hoover stopped Shannon Jenkins in the final round to claim his eleventh career national event victory. He did it in impressive fashion by doing it from the pole position.

Prior to that, Hoover used impressive performances to eliminate Steve Engel and Mike Lockwood before blasting out low elapsed time with a 6.162, 228.92 to drive around Jim Halsey. In the final round, Hoover needed only a 6.218, 227.84 to secure the win.

Jenkins was in the driver’s seat for the nitrous fraternity throughout the event after qualifying third. He scored victories over Charles Carpenter, Eddie Ware and Quain Stott to reach the final round.

Atchison started off his 2004 Funny Car title defense with a victory, but it wasn’t an easy one. In a semi-final victory over arch-rival Mark Thomas, the London, Ontario-based driver suffered severe engine damage to the point that final round opponent Terry McMillen’s crew pitched in to help him make the call for the final round.

While Atchison may have handily covered McMillen in the final round with a 5.749, 242.41, he needed a 5.735, 243.77 to eliminate Jim Sickles in the first round and a 5.761, 230.61 to get the best of Thomas.

McMillen’s impressive run to the final round included wins over Terry Munroe and Mark Poyser.

Seamon proved a seven-year itch was worthy of scratching as he won his first national event since 1998 by taking out Brian Gahm in the final round of Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock. The event almost ended for Seamon before it began on Friday.

Seamon was in the first pair of professional entries to run in the first session on Friday when Jeff Dobbins crashed as the result of high winds. Dobbins actually shredded one of Seamon’s parachutes in the mishap.

Adding insult to injury, Seamon’s run would have put him in the field and the session was cancelled negating his qualifying effort. It took Seamon until the final session to earn a berth in the program.

From that point, Seamon used masterful driving skills to put away Ed Machacek, low qualifier Robert Patrick, and Pete Berner.

Seamon drove Charlie Taylor’s Ford Escort to the winner’s circle. In 1998, Seamon drove for Taylor when he won the world championship.

Gahm, of Lucasville, Ohio, qualified second and defeated such foes as Doug Kirk, Jerry Haas and defending Torco Racing Fuels Pro Stock World Champion John Nobile en route to finishing runner-up.

The next stop for the IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series tour will be in Rockingham, NC., April 22 – 24, for the 35th annual IHRA Spring Nationals.

Sportsman Final Rounds

SATURDAY ELIMINATION NOTES – Fire the Hoover up, Gator Bites and Can’t Wait Until the Rock…

(4-2-2005) - Just getting started -- Ed Hoover ran the table in the Pro Mod class, qualifying No. 1, setting low elapsed time and top speed, and earning the $10,000 winner's payoff. It was especially gratifying for him, because it broke a 32-race winless streak -- since the 2002 Grand Bend, Ontario, event -- and was quite a contrast from the way he finished the 2004 season -- 15th in the final standings.

The Gilbert, S.C., driver never had won with a supercharged car, but his blown '63 Corvette consistently ran in the low 6-second range all day en route to the final victory over three-time series champion Shannon Jenkins. Hoover said crew chief Jimmy Rector and team owner Paul Trussell deserve the credit.

"Jimmy Rector brings a lot to the table. He knows what he's doing. He's confident in himself. He said there's no reason why we shouldn't win every race," Hoover said. He added that the team chemistry is going to show up in his performance "a lot more than just what you've seen here in one race. That car is unbelievable what it does. It is a hot rod."

He said he doesn't ask Rector what he's doing with the set-up. "None of that's on my mind now," he said.

Hoover said the team they have assembled "has turned it around and taken pressure off of me. I used to try to do it all, and it's at a different level now. It's made it a pleasure to be out here. Last year I could've walked out of this place and never set foot back on it again. I was ready to quit. I don't walk away from things, but I hate to burn a man's money up when we're not being successful. You can't come out here and watch your crew walking around with their heads down and tripping over their bottom lip. It kills me to see that. But Mr. Rector brought something to the table that's going to be really good for us. Paul Trussell dumped a fortune in this operation. I thank him a lot. To see him happy makes it better than the win. I've got a different attitude now. You're going to see it."

Hoover also was top qualifier in the recent NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

True friend -- Funny Car winner Rob Atchison said he had mixed feelings after he defeated Terry McMillan in the final round. McMillen, after all, had helped him prepare his car for the final round after the engine let go on his Erickson Manufacturing Pontiac Firebird. "He took it hard," Atchison said.

McMillen, a 50-year-old veteran from Elkhart, Ind., might also have been thinking about his son Jason, who was 20 years old when he passed away five years ago this month with an aorta valve problem. "He was going to drive my car that year," McMillen said.
Atchison said he knew McMillen helped him because he wanted the final round to be a true test of which team was better at a given time. But he said he knew McMillan did it because "he's an honorable and honest man."

"It was tough to beat Terry," Atchison said. "We're such good friends. I wish he hadn't helped me now. I feel bad. What do you do? I'm here to win. He knows I'm here to win. He wanted to drag race. He wanted to go down to the race track and beat me. That's very noble of him. I couldn't have done it without those guys, but then again, have to turn around and beat them. It was a tough win." He said McMillen has "a great crew. They're going to win."

Atchison claimed the $7,000 winner's share of the purse with a 5.749-second run at 242.41 mph, while McMillen drive his Torco/Amalie Oil Dodge Avenger to a 5.922/218.44.

Rite of passage -- Dan Seamon's final-round victory over Brian Gahm in the Torco Pro Stock final marked his growing up. The 32-year-old from Bellevue, Ohio, sat out the last six years and started a family with wife Jennifer since winning the 1998 championship. Now that he has reconnected with car owner Charlie Taylor and won his first race back on the IHRA tour, Seamon said, "it means I miss it. It feels good. The way the weekend started out [being in the opposite lane from Jeff Dobbins' season-ending accident] , I never would've dreamed it. That kind of put a dark shadow over us. We next morning we got up and we were going to try to do better." He said when he defeated top qualifier Robert Patrick, who had run stunning numbers in testing and early in the weekend, "we kind of figured we could go to the finals."

Seamon said he and Taylor parted company six years ago "partly because I was a kid and had a big head. It took us two years when we started this deal, and we've been working at it and working at it and finally it transpired."

Veteran John Montecalvo had a little to do with it, too, Seamon said. "How this all got started again," he said, "was I got to thinking, and John Montecalvo put me in a car about a year or two ago. I think that got Charlie excited again."

Jennifer Seamon said, "It's such an honor for him to get in the car and to drive."

However, her husband indicated the move seemed like a natural one. He said if he didn't seem overly excited about his second career victory and his first since the 1998 Southern Nationals at Darlington, S.C., it's because "it kind of feels like where I left off. To come out here and hit with these guys is pretty serious. To whip them like we did is pretty neat."

Not that simple -- Clay Millican's runaway victory over Louis Allison -- with a 4.700-second elapsed time at 304.80 mph -- looked plenty easy as Allison had tire shake, shut off his engine, and rolled to a 10.523/86.99. It was the Drummonds, Tenn., dominator's fourth consecutive victory in an IHRA season-opener with Lehman Racing's Werner Enterprises Dragster. On the surface, it was another predictable $20,500 outcome for Millican, considering that last season he qualified first at all but one event, was 26-5 in elimination rounds, and grabbed seven victories in nine final-round appearances.

It wasn't, though. Millican was No. 3 qualifier, behind Bruce Litton and Doug Foley. But Saturday morning's qualifying run, he said, "was a freaking disaster." He oiled down the track, which docked him 15 points and forfeited the five points he would've accumulated.

"Then we made a little fire in the first round, didn't we?" the 38-time winner said of his win over Paul Athey. "It burned a head gasket." Against Mitch King he set low E.T. and top speed of the meet.

"The class as a whole is getting much better," Millican said, adding that his crew are "winners. They don't have any plan, except to win. This is how we feed our families. This is no game. It's not like it's going to be an easy thing to win the championship this year."

Surprise! -- Louie Allison, an auto pinstriper from Denver who just 11 days ago celebrated his 50th birthday, couldn't derail Clay Millican's unparalleled IHRA run. However, the former Jack Ostrander crew member surprised quite a few in his Vista Foods Dragster. After chasing down Rick Cooper in Round 1, he denied top qualifier Bruce Litton a trip to his second straight Texas Nationals final.

It was a chance Litton desperately wanted. He had crashed after winning his semifinal in 2004 but was unable to run, handing Millican the victory. But Allison benefited from the engine problems of eventual Funny Car winner Rob Atchison in the semifinal; the track clean-up bought him some time.

Allison had the services of Mike McLaughlin, who guided Don Lampus to the 1999 championship. He also was using parts from drag-racing pioneer Connie Kalitta's three-car NHRA operation. It paid off with a $12,500 runner-up check.

Get a piece of the Rock -- Clay Millican said he's looking forward to IHRA's second race of the season, the April 22-24 Spring Nationals at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway. And why not? He'll be aiming for his ninth consecutive victory there. It also was the track at which he first qualified and reached his first career final round.

"We had no idea what we were doing. There was one guy there who knew what he was doing, and that was [crew chief Mike] Kloeber," Millican said. "And he couldn't do everything by himself, although he tried. We had the wrong push rods in the car and we couldn't make the final. That's always going to be special."

No. 1s bite the dust -- Tom Carter, the oral surgeon from nearby Cuero, Texas, was down in the mouth because he was unqualified heading into Funny Car's final session Saturday morning. He captured the top spot but couldn't report for his first-round run against Mark Poyser. His '99 Camaro left a puddle of fluid in the staging lane, and he didn't even try to start the car.

Robert Patrick, Pro Stock's quickest qualifier, was trying to turn his track-record 6.427-second elapsed time from qualifying into a national record. But Dan Seamon eliminated him in the first round by .011 seconds.

Serious Funny Car run -- Atchison set both ends of San Antonio Raceway's Funny Car record in his opening-round match-up against Jim Sickles. He lowered his own elapsed-time record and eclipsed Mark Thomas' speed mark with his 5.735-second pass at 243.77 mph.

Who knew? -- Rob Atchison's Firebird sat in "cold storage" during the winter, so he was a wee bit startled that it ran so well in the wildly fluctuating weather conditions at San Antonio. "I didn't expect it to run those numbers," the Canadian from London, Ontario, said. "The driver was bit rusty. We would test if we were in a climate that allowed it. It's just a scenario where it's too much driving to get anywhere we can actually run. And then to get a track that's prepared like the IHRA tracks, it's tough. we left it alone, because the car was fast when we stopped.

"The first time I started the car was here at the track," he said. "We rolled around the corner and I asked the guys, 'Do I know how to do this? I'm kind of rusty.' But once the body went down and I did a burnout, it all came back."

He said, "We did a couple of little things that might pick it up, mechanical stuff, and it looks like it helped."

Atchison said he rather likes the notion that he won without a lap of testing while others who tested didn't show as well. "It's really going to put a bug in their ear and maybe bother them a lot more," he said of his rivals.

He also said he enjoys taking an early lead, something he didn't do in claiming the series titles the last two seasons or in his previous six seasons, for that matter. "It's a good spot to be in," he said. "It's slippery and it's lonely, but it's a good spot."

Atchison said his car "is running good numbers." Then referring to his engine dropping a rod and triggering his oildown and the late thrashing in the pits, he said, "We've just got to keep all the oil inside of it. Running the numbers we ran and doing all things I wanted to do already, I was happy where we were going to be even if I lost. When the car runs fast, I know I . . . have a chance to win. So it was a win-win before I ever won the race."

He said, "I've hurt more parts this weekend than I've hurt in three years." He said the car was running fast in qualifying but "it wasn't happy. I knew I had a problem. I probably hurt the motor by the time I figured out the problem. I don't have crystal ball to say I should change the motor before running again."

Hate the eight? -- Even though he managed to navigate the nuances of the new, reduced-field format in his class, Funny Car winner Rob Atchison said he wasn't keen on the idea. "This is the first taste of it. I don't know if I like it that much. It is definitely tough." His first two tests were against Jim Sickles and Mark Thomas, and he said that was "like two final rounds in a row. What's it going to be like when I get to the finals? It was good for the team to knock those guys down and let them know we're here to win, not to play games."

Your door is ajar -- Pro Modified's Al Billes had a less-than-perfect debut in Jim Oddy's Summit Racing entry. The door of his 1953 Corvette popped open on his losing first-round effort against Jim Halsey.

No magic for 'Wizard' -- Harold Martin reached the Pro Mod finals in last year's season opener after his ACDeclo crew thrashed overnight to fix the damage to his Pontiac Grand Am in a qualifying accident. He lost to Glen Kerunsky. The former General Motors engineer, who pioneered electronic fuel injection and earned the nickname EFI Wizard, couldn't work any magic, mechanical or otherwise, this season. Martin crossed the center line and was disqualified in Friday's lone session, leaving him last among the 20 entrants vying for one of 16 spots. He jumped to seventh place in Saturday's final qualifying session but didn't answer the call in the first round of eliminations. His tow vehicle was threading him through the staging lanes as his opponent, Billy Harper, was performing his burnout.

Funny Car with bite -- The alligator painted on Terry McMillen's Torco/Amalie Oil Dodge Avenger has had his choppers cleaned and sharpened for the 2005 Funny Car season. But the Elkhart, Ind., driver hopes he can ruin the clean, white look of those teeth soon. He plans this year to continue his tradition of putting on each tooth the name of the competitor he defeated.

"We've got to start all over again this year," McMillen said. Will he have enough teeth? "If we don't, we'll put another row on there," he said. "If they don't want to autograph it, I'll put their names on for them. We have a mission."

He can hand a pen to Terry Munroe and Mark Poyser.

Test drive -- NHRA regular John Smith, the 2003 Texas Nationals runner-up, was bumped from the Top Fuel field Saturday. But he wasn't totally unhappy. He was able to use his two qualifying runs to test the blower sealing strips that have been giving him trouble in the first three NHRA national events.

Soaring -- Clay Millican was musing about the cold, windy, then warm and finally cold-again weather at San Antonio Raceway during the two-day event. "It was weird weather Friday," he said. "Maybe we should've had a kite. That would've been fun. Man, that would've been good."

Final round-by-round results from the Fourth annual Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira Cars, Trucks & RVs and the San Antonio Express-News at San Antonio Raceway, the first of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Louie Allison, 4.780, 292.27 def. Rick Cooper, 5.095, 261.88; Clay Millican, 4.902, 242.67 def. Paul Athey, 6.836, 128.95; Mitch King, 17.087, 92.88 def. Doug Foley, broke; Bruce Litton, 5.156, 264.44 def. Roger Dean, 6.333, 141.43;

SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 4.610, 319.82 def. King, 4.961, 298.27; Allison, 4.622, 317.87 def. Litton, 4.663, 310.77;

FINAL -- Millican, 4.700, 304.80 def. Allison, 10.523, 86.99.


PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Mike Lockwood, Chevy Corvette, 6.363, 200.17 def. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.392, 221.52; Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.464, 223.32 def. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, broke; Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.289, 226.05 def. Al Billes, Corvette, 8.946, 104.03; Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.284, 231.71 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 10.715, 94.07; Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.288, 229.43 def. Steve Engel, Corvette, 6.454, 222.36; Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.441, 218.62 def. Rick DiStefano, Corvette, 13.116, 64.47; Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.265, 224.96 def. Charles Carpenter, Chevy Bel Air, 9.237, 106.80; Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.236, 230.72 def. Cody
McManama, Corvette, 9.969, 87.42;

QUARTERFINALS -- Halsey, 6.207, 227.08 def. Radford, foul; Hoover, 6.219, 229.94 def. Lockwood, 6.308, 221.85; Jenkins, 6.218, 227.04 def. Ware, 6.213, 226.77; Stott, 6.265, 229.98 def. Harper, 6.328, 224.58;

SEMIFINALS -- Hoover, 6.162, 228.92 def. Halsey, 6.536, 225.07; Jenkins, 6.229, 226.73 def. Stott, 6.223, 229.82;

FINAL -- Hoover, 6.218, 227.84 def. Jenkins, 7.765, 118.27.


FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.735, 243.77 def. Jim Sickles, Dodge Avenger, 5.850, 240.12; Mark Poyser, Chevy Camaro, 6.505, 166.99 def. Thomas Carter, Camaro, broke; Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.923, 240.98 def. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.895, 238.51; Terry McMillen,
Avenger, 5.866, 240.94 def. Terry Munroe, Firebird, 6.064, 226.32;

SEMIFINALS -- Atchison, 5.761, 230.61 def. Thomas, foul; McMillen, 16.167, 71.37 def. Poyser, broke;

FINAL -- Atchison, 5.749, 242.41 def. McMillen, 5.922, 218.44.


PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Daniel Seamon, Ford Escort, 6.495, 216.93 def. Richard Penland, Ford Mustang, 6.548, 214.08; Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.559, 215.13 def. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.972, 208.20; Robert Patrick, Mustang, 6.459, 216.90 def. Ed Machacek, Cavalier, broke; Brian Gahm, Mustang, 7.043, 210.80 def. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 9.660, 100.14; Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.476, 216.90 def. Frank Snellings, Mercury Cougar, 6.548, 213.91; John Nobile, Escort, 6.509, 216.06 def. Chuck DeMory, Escort, 6.732, 201.34; Steve Spiess, Cavalier, 6.504, 217.11 def. Frank
Gugliotta, Escort, 12.932, 66.55; John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 7.223, 210.31 def. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac Grand Am, 16.580, 71.72;

QUARTERFINALS -- Gahm, 7.024, 159.12 def. Haas, broke; Nobile, 6.471, 217.25 def. Montecalvo, 6.455, 215.93; Berner, 6.462, 217.14 def. Spiess, 6.523, 213.67; Seamon, 6.464, 217.00 def. Patrick, 6.475, 216.79;

SEMIFINALS -- Gahm, 6.575, 214.04 def. Nobile, 12.442, 68.61; Seamon, 6.444, 217.32 def. Berner, 6.475, 216.27;

FINAL -- Seamon, 6.454, 216.97 def. Gahm, 7.607, 142.63.

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FINAL QUALIFYING - Funny Car racer Carter provides only change in low qualifiers as qualifying concludes

(4-2-2005) – What a difference 24 hours made for the racers at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira. Following a day hindered by high winds and cool air, the weather Gods took pity on the teams and graced them with beautiful cloudless blue skies and 70 degree temperatures for Saturday’s final qualifying session.

Leading the way in qualifying were Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified), Thomas Carter (Funny Car) and Robert Patrick (Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock).

Litton retained the top position with a 4.735, 316.67 and successfully fending off a challenge from teammate Doug Foley, who slipped into second with a 4.772, 289.14.

Defending World Champion Clay Millican was third with a 4.789, 240.85.

Roger Dean anchored the field with a 5.175.

Hoover held onto his Friday top spot with a 6.197, 232.23 ahead of Quain Stott’s 6.207, 230.45. Shannon Jenkins was third with a 6.248, 225.94.

Steve Engle rounded out the 16-car field with a 7.096, 145.14.

Carter, an oral surgeon by trade, took the Funny Car field by surprise when he drove his ’99 Camaro to the head of the pack in the final round of qualifying by laying down a solid 5.844, 240.77 pass. The class rookie out qualified the reigning world champion, Rob Atchison who concluded qualifying in the No. 2 spot with a 5.845, 239.06 run. Carter is utilizing the crew formerly employed by Laurie Cannister.

Mark Thomas slid into the No. 3 slot with a 5.887, 241.28.

Rounding out the newly imposed eight-car field was Mark Poyser with a 6.159, 229.43.

Patrick failed to back up his Friday evening lap and maintained his top qualifying position in Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock with a 6.427, 217.14 run. The Fredericksburg, Va.-based driver needs only a 6.491 to back up and claim a new elapsed time record.

Brian Gahm held steady in the No. 2 spot with a 6.460, 217.39 pass and securely obtained a new track MPH record.

John Nobile landed in the third spot and he was able to back up his world speed record of 217.18.

Ed Machacek rounded out the program with a 7.043, 200.08 run.

Final eliminations are scheduled for 4 PM.

Final qualifying order for the Amalie Oil IHRA Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway.

Top Fuel

1. Bruce Litton, 4.735 seconds, 316.67 mph; 2. Doug Foley, 4.772, 289.15; 3. Clay Millican, 4.789, 240.85; 4. Louie Allison, 4.801, 250.92; 5. Rick Cooper, 4.852, 279.09; 6. Paul Athey, 4.917, 246.57; 7. Mitch King, 5.094, 266.42; 8. Roger Dean 5.175, 258.32

Torco Race Fuel Pro Modifieds

1. Ed Hoover, Chevy Corvette, 6.197, 232.23; 2. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.207, 230.45; 3. Shannon Jenkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.248, 225.94; 4. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.304, 225.60; 5. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.304, 222.03; 6. Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.322, 225.07; 7. Harold Martin, Grand Am, 6.330, 223.91; 8. Mike Lockwood, Corvette, 6.428, 223.50; 9. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.445, 213.16; 10. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.506, 216.24; 11. Mike Castellana, Cavalier, 6.584, 172.21; 12. Rick DiStefano, Corvette, 6.604, 206.35; 13. Al Billes, Corvette, 6.648, 227.15; 14. Charles Carpenter, Bel Air, 6.728, 217.46; 15. Cody McManama, Corvette, 6.850, 211.03; 16. Steve Engel, Corvette, 7.096, 145.14;

Funny Car

1. Thomas Carter, Camaro, 5.844, 240.77; 2. Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.845, 239.06; 3. Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 5.887, 241.28; 4. Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.944, 235.93; 5. Terry Munroe, Avenger, 5.962, 239.61; 6. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.983, 234.82; 7. Jim Sickles, Avenger, 5.999, 237.00; 8. Mark Poyser, Chevy Camaro, 6.159, 229.43;

Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock

1. Robert Patrick, Ford Mustang, 6.427, 217.14; 2. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.460, 217.39; 3. John Nobile, Ford Escort, 6.461, 217.18; 4. Steve Spiess, Cavalier, 6.467, 217.00; 5. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.470, 216.38; 6. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.479, 215.44; 7. Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.516, 215.86; 8. Dan Seamon, Jr., Escort, 6.523, 216.51; 9. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.557, 213.00; 10. Robert Mansfield, Grand Am, 6.558, 212.53; 11. Richard Penland, Mustang, 6.543, 212.36; 12. Frank Snellings, Cougar, 6.575, 213.00; 13. Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.613, 212.90; 14. Chuck DeMory, Escort, 6.696, 209.01; 15. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.986, 213.23; 16. Ed Machacek, Cavalier, 7.043, 200.08;

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That's gonna leave a mark

(4-2-2005) - Dennis Radford gets crossed up in the shut-down area during Saturday's final Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified qualifying session. He qualified on the run.

SATURDAY NOTES - Hot conditions for final qualifying session, Speed record hangs in limbo and Jawbreaker becomes backbreaker...

(4-2-2005) - Lost traction, lost chance -- Top Torco Pro Stock qualifier Robert Patrick will have to wait until eliminations to go for the national record. The Fredericksburg, Va., driver needed to run a 6.491-second elapsed time. That would have backed up the 6.427 he used Friday night to lead a pack of five drivers quicker than the track E.T. record. But he lost traction right off the launch and coasted on through the lights. Patrick retained his No. 1 spot.

Waiting Gahm -- Brian Gahm was fastest among the Torco Pro Stock qualifiers Friday night with a track-record 217.39-mph run in his Ford Mustang that put him in second place with a 6.460-second E.T. That speed could have turned into the national record, as well, except he failed to back it up by running within one percent of that Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, John Nobile's 217.18 mph from his third-place qualifying effort Friday also surpassed the 216.62 that Rob Mansfield set last September at Budds Creek. Nobile's Saturday morning pass came at 216.41 -- good enough to claim the national mark if it holds up through the evening's eliminations. Nobile's bid isn't a lock, for Patrick, Gahm, and Steve Spiess (who hit 217.00 in Saturday morning qualifying) also have a chance to rewrite the record.

Cobalt Poster Boy -- John Montecalvo, last year's No. 1 Torco Pro Stock qualifier and event champion, will start No. 6 in the lineup. Steve Spiess and Pete Berner edged him down two positions, but his Citgo Chevy entry was the only one of the three new Cobalts to make the cut. Dwayne Rice was .325 seconds too slow with a 7.368 E.T., as Ed Machacek grabbed the final position with a 7.043. Although it doesn't count, Rice was 3.6 mph faster than Machacek. Rick Jones crossed the center line for the second straight time, nixing his chances to show off the handiwork from his own shop in Galesburg, Ill.

Mansfield in field -- Rob Mansfield jumped from 17th place -- from the outside looking in -- to the 11th spot with a Saturday pass of 6.558 at 212.53 mph in his Pontiac Grand Am. Frank Snellings, who didn't stage the car Friday, took 12th position.

From zero to hero -- Thomas Carter, the Funny Car driver from nearby Cuero, Texas, who couldn't get his Hemi-powered Camaro into the eight-car field Friday night, captured the No. 1 spot with a 5.844-second run at 240.77. That bumped Rob Atchison, the two-time and defending series champion, from his lead. Canadian Trevor Lebsack, who had been on the bump at 7.107, fell out of the field. Mark Poyser, despite ending up against the wall following his burnout, anchors the field at 6.159.

From hero to zero -- The Pro Mod class' defending event champion Glen Kerunksy was ninth in the order coming into Saturday's final qualifying session. But he slid down to 18th among the 21 entrants, after he was black-flagged for an oildown. He also got a lesson in deficit spending when it comes to points. He will start his season 15 points in the hole.

Defending series champion Mike Janis improved his time Saturday morning but it wasn't enough to move on to eliminations. His 7.167-second E.T. in his new Dodge Stratus was .071 of a second slower than Steve Engel's bump-sport effort of 7.096. He began the day 11th in the lineup.

Eddie Ware moved in the other direction, vaulting from 19th to the upper half of the ladder.

OK, you can cheer for this -- The industry rule is "No cheering in the press box." But Steve Vick rated rare applause from the media -- and the crowd -- Saturday for his masterful driving, keeping his '68 Camaro off the wall when it got out of the groove and went slip-sliding all over the right lane. Vick started the session in the mix at 14th but wound up 19th and headed home early to Mocksville, N.C.

FRIDAY - Litton rebounds from 2004 crash to lead Top Fuel qualifying at IHRA Texas Nationals

(4-1-2005) - Bruce Litton couldn’t have written a better storyline than the one he experienced during Friday’s qualifying for the Amalie Oil IHRA Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas. One year removed from a nasty 300 mile per hour crash, Litton drove the same lane to the quickest elapsed time during the first round of Top Fuel qualifying.

The Lucas Oil/Torco Race Fuels-sponsored Litton, was joined in the circle of top qualifiers by Ed Hoover (Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified), Rob Atchison (Funny Car) and Robert Patrick (Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock).

Litton’s 2004 crash came during the semi-finals and his victory would have paired him opposite of Clay Millican. Millican just happened to be in the other lane on this evening as well.

Litton, of Indianapolis, completed some unfinished business.

“That was the final round I never got to run, God blessed me with a good car and safety tonight. I’ve wanted to put this behind me for a long time, and this was the first time I had an opportunity. I realize how ironic it was to be in the same lane. That was my thinking even though I had made over 100 runs since then.”

Millican was the second quickest with a 4.789, 240.85. Louie Allison was third with a 4.801, 250.92.

Gary Cooper is currently eighth with a 7.087.

Hoover, of Columbia, SC, can relate to Litton’s memories as he almost crashed last season when a weight bar came loose and slid underneath the rear tire of Paul Trussell’s 1963 Corvette. He failed to make the show as a result of that misfortune. Not so this year.

Hoover, benefiting from the tuning expertise of Jimmy Rector, charged to a 6.197 with a potential world speed record of 232.23. His rapid pace put him ahead of Quain Stott. Stott recorded a 6.207, 230.47. Shannon Jenkins had the quickest nitrous entry with a 6.248, 225.94.

Marc Dantoni is in the sixteenth spot headed into Saturday’s final qualifying session.

The Funny Car battle picked up where it left off in 2004, with a battle between Atchison and Mark Thomas. In a repeat of the points battle last year, Atchison was atop the program and only needed one run to lay down a 5.845, 239.06. Atchison, a Canadian from London, Ontario, wanted more but chose the safe route.

“I knew Mark and I would pick up where we left off last season,” Atchison said. “We didn’t get after the tune-up as much as we wanted to. The weather hurt our master plan.”

Thomas produced a respectable effort as he nailed down the second spot with a 5.957, 240.85. Chris Foster was third with a 5.983, 234.82.

Trevor Lebsack holds down the bubble on the eight-car field.

Patrick sat high in the drivers seat for the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock record after one session in a run that admittedly fell short of his expectations. In pre season testing, Patrick had recorded the first-ever 6.3-second run by a car in his classification. He was gunning for the mark and despite falling short with a 6.427, 217.42, Patrick, of Fredericksburg, Va., concluded the first session as the provisional top qualifier.

“To run a 6.3 in testing is an impressive feat, but it really doesn’t mean a thing until you do it at a national event,” Patrick said. “The weather changed quite a bit during the course of the day and we just did our best to stay on top of it.”

“We’ll be gunning for that record tomorrow, but every other Torco Pro Stock entry will be doing the same thing.”

The top three qualifiers all eclipsed both ends of the track record in the first event since the implementation of the three-disc clutch.

Brian Gahm and defending World Champion John Nobile qualified second and third respectively. Last season’s Pro Stock Shootout winner, Pete Berner, anchored the field with an aborted run.

The final qualifying session is slated for Saturday at 11 AM, CST. Final eliminations begin at 4 PM.

Friday’s qualifying order for the Amalie Oil IHRA Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway.

Top Fuel

1. Bruce Litton 4.735, 316.67, 2. Clay Millican 4.789, 240.85, 3. Louie Allison 4.801, 250.92, 4. Rick Cooper 4.852, 279.09, 5. Paul Athey 4.917, 246.57, 6. Mitch King 5.094, 266.42, 7. John Smith 5.622, 206.26, 8. Gary Cooper 7.087, 113.78

Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified

1. Ed Hoover 6.197, 232.23, 2. Quain Stott 6.207, 230.47, 3. Shannon Jenkins 6.248, 225.94, 4. Kenny Lang 6.445, 213.16, 5. Mike Castellana 6.584, 172.21, 6. Rick DiStefano 6.604, 206.35, 7. Jim Halsey 6.888, 164.29, 8. Steve Engel 7.096, 145.14, 9. Glen Kerunsky 7.860, 132.54, 10. Dennis Radford 8.010, 107.95, 11. Mike Janis 8.805, 150.87, 12. Burton Auxier 9.772, 90.67, 13. Charles Carpenter 10.904, 83.81, 14. Billy Harper 11.176, 77.10, 15. Steve Vick 11.593, 94.14, 16. Marc Dantoni 11.909, 87.00

Funny Car

1. Atchison 5.845, 239.06, 2. Thomas 5.957, 240.85, 3. Chris Foster 5.983, 234.82, 4. Terry McMillen 6.127, 218.76, 5. Mark Poyser 6.159, 229.43, 6. Sickles 6.310, 232.75, 7. Burl Brown 6.988, 126.26, 8. Trevor Lebsack 7.107, 137.88

Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock

1. Robert Patrick 6.427, 217.14, 2. Brian Gahm 6.460, 217.39, 3. John Nobile 6.461, 217.18, 4. John Montecalvo 6.481, 214.45, 5. Jerry Haas 6.516, 215.86, 6. Elijah Morton 8.100, 156.64, 7. Frank Gugliotta 8.638, 77.60, 8. Larry O’Brien 9.261, 102.21, 9. Dan Seamon 10.541, 86.80, 10. Chuck DeMory 11.258, 78, 11. Rick Jones 11.331, 77.88, 12. Steve Speiss 11.621, 83.58, 13. Doug Kirk 12.753, 74.21, 14.Tony Gillig 13.569, 59, 15. Ed Machacek 14.703, 56.90, 16. Pete Berner 15.648, 52.34

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FRIDAY NOTES - The Janis Family Cruise, Rahn's working this weekend and the story behind the Jeff Dobbins crash

(4-1-2005) - If Mama Ain’t Floating – Mike finally sprung for a family vacation, but the timing might have been enough to short-change them. Just seven days into a ten-day cruise, the team departed the ship in Mexico and caught a flight to San Antonio.

Janis didn’t dare take a pass on this vacation for fear of his wife.

“We got the cruise and found out that it was going to conflict,” Janis admitted. “Last year my wife went alone and this time she let me know in no uncertain terms that ship wasn’t going to float this year.”

Tobler Flying Services - In a sordid kind of way, Team Kalitta had a presence at this weekend’s IHRA Texas Nationals. Grant Flowers and team driver Paul Athey purchased engines from Rahn Tobler. Tobler, who normally wrenches for the MAC Tools-sponsored team, made the trek to San Antonio to offer tuning assistance to his customers.

Tobler’s presence coincided with Athey’s first career four-second run, a 4.917 which was a planned 1,000-foot shut-off.

Timing is everything – Earlier in the week, Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock racer Robert Patrick announced that he was going to join forces with noted NHRA engine builder Bob Ingles on a new program. Patrick stormed to the top of the qualifying pecking order. When asked about his new engine program, Patrick was quick to point out the engine in his car was from Kaase. Proof that even officials read the news, an IHRA official who requested we keep his identity anonymous, fielded a call from Patrick following the momentous run.

He answered, “Kaase Race Engines, may I help you?”

Revolving Door Tune-ups – Paul Trussell is one of the few Pro Modified team owners that plans to run a dual IHRA Hooters and NHRA AMS/TLR tour with the same car. That provides an interesting challenge for crewchief Jimmy Rector and driver Ed Hoover.

“It provides an interesting challenge,” Rector said. “The 29% combination is a lot more forgiving. When it’s at 20%, you have to hop it up and make it real mad. The higher overdrive is fun. But, I know the place to be is with the IHRA.”

Must Be The Fuel - Robert Patrick had the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock world buzzing about his unofficial and unverified 6.38- and 6.39-second passes in winter testing at Bradenton, Fla.

His Friday night qualifying pass of 6.427 seconds at 217.14 mph proved he and his Purvis Ford Mustang are on the fast track to challenge for the championship.

His E.T. not only set a track record as one of five cars to break John Nobile's 6.529-second standard, but it also could hold up as the national record. Nobile still owns the mark with the 6.435 he ran at Rockingham. Patrick needs to post a 6.491 before the event is over for his Friday mark to become official.

"I'm confident we'll be able to do it tomorrow night," Patrick said. "But there area lot of capable teams who could do it if they hit the clutch right."

Three cars -- Patrick's, Brian Gahm's, and Nobile's -- were faster than the 216.62-mph national speed record Rob Mansfield set at Budds Creek. Gahm was fastest Friday night with a 217.39 mph in the Rare Breed Mustang.

Modern Spider Man - Rob Atchison said it was like "knocking the cobwebs off." He began his quest for a third consecutive Funny Car championship by doing what he did here last March at San Antonio Raceway.

However, he's ready to reverse what happened to him ultimately here in 2004. In a field of only seven cars, he and keenest rival Mark Thomas reached the final round, and Thomas won. But in Friday night qualifying, Atchison was .112 seconds quicker in his Erickson Manufacturing Pontiac Firebird than No. 2 Thomas.

"I expected that," Atchison said of Thomas and Company. "They're a good team."

His 5.845-second pass at 239.06 mph was .031 seconds off his own track-record elapsed time of 5.814.

"It was a nice deal for the first lap of the year. We're way ahead of the game," the London, Ontario, driver said, although he added, "It was a bit safer than planned. Missing the first [session] this afternoon hurt the master plan. We were expecting hotter weather."

Another Canadian, Trevor Lebsack of Slave Lake, Alberta, is on the bump as the field was pared down this year from 16 cars to eight.

Texan Thomas Carter and Pennsylvanian Terry Munroe are out of the lineup. Three of the class' top 10 finishers -- Scott Wildgust, Neal Parker, and Fred Tigges -- are not entered. Wildgust has said he does not plan to attend any events this season because of the shortened field. He renounced his Bars Leaks sponsorship, telling the company he didn't think he could be a top-eight qualifier and didn't want to deny it a decent return on its investment.

Clean Sweep for Hoover - Pro Mod's Ed Hoover said last year's struggles made him decide that "we are going to come out here and not suck." So far so good for the Gilbert, S.C., driver. He's No. 1 with a 6.197-second pass at a track-record 232.23 mph.

"We turned it back," Hoover said of his set-up, "because everybody was smoking the tires. We didn't want to put too much motor in it. I never thought it was that fast, because it was soft. We kept backing the motor down. We kept taking clutch away from it."

Hoover said he is learning to adjust to new crew chief Jimmy Rector, who was Mitch Stott's crew chief for the past two seasons and helped orchestrate one championship. "It's a different thing to trust somebody and tell him, 'You go ahead and make decisions and decide on the tune-up,' " he said.

Evidently Rector made the correct calls Friday, after shifting weather patterns had them changing their settings more times than they had planned. "Everything was perfect," Hoover said. "I never moved the wheel" during his run.

He said he hopes the No. 1 position holds through Saturday morning's final qualifying session. "If it doesn't, we'll step on it some more."

Hoover's speed erased Zach Barklage's 229.16 mph. Preliminary No. 2 qualifier Quain Stott, like Hoover driving a '63 Corvette, recorded a 230.45 speed (and 6.207 E.T.), also faster than Barklage's previous record.

Fittin' for Litton - Bruce Litton has made about 100 Top Fuel passes since he crashed in the semifinals of the 2004 Amalie Texas Nationals. Still, Friday night's session, his first since that ugly wreck that sent him to the hospital and cost him the chance to give Clay Millican a real battle in the final, was one he said he has wanted "behind me for a long time." It came in the same lane -- the right one -- as that previous pass.

"I thought of that, Litton said of his quickest and fastest pass of 4.735 seconds at 316.67 mph in the Lucas Oil Dragster. "That was the final round I didn't get to run. I didn't remember that run, but this one I remember."

It wasn't perfect. "I pedaled it once," the Clermont, Ind., resident said. "But God blessed me with a good car, and the rest is history."

Litton said he tried hard not to dwell on the past. "You've just got to focus on going from A to B," partly because it's the healthy approach and partly because Friday night, he said, "the track was good, actually too good." Besides, he said, "I have my heart set on doing as good as I can here."

Millican shut off early but still ran 4.735 seconds at 316.67, good enough for No. 2 so far. He and Litton were the only two Top Fuel drivers with 4.7-second showings.

Still unqualified for the Top Fuel field are Gary Cooper, Bobby Lagana, Bill Ancona, Chris Karamesines, Roger Dean, and Todd Paton.

That Blows - Jeff Dobbins, sadly, turned out to be a prophet Friday morning. In the staging lanes before the first qualifying session, the Wilmington, N.C., driver said, "I don't think I've ever run in this kind of wind. It'll be interesting to see what happens when we pull the 'chutes."

Minutes later, he and his brand-new Ford Escort were caught in a crosswind at the top end of the track that triggered a scary season-ending accident. It was his first official run in his return to the seat in the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock class after serving as John Montecalvo's crew chief in 2004.

The high winds that caused the crash were clocked at nearly 40 miles an hour, forcing cancellation of the season's initial pro qualifying session.

"As soon as I went through the finish line, it changed lanes on me," he said of his car. His parachutes deployed first in the right lane, then when Dan Seamon in the left lane came alongside him, one of his parachutes grabbed Dobbins' wing and spun him around. The Escort then barrel-rolled at least three or four times. It caught fire, hit the wall, and came to rest upside down and still in flames.

Dobbins waited nearly 30 seconds for the safety and emergency medical personnel to arrive. "I finally figured they weren't coming or it was going to be awhile," Dobbins said. "I saw my windshield melt and thought, 'I'd better get out of here.' I was upside down. I released the belts and fell to the roof. I kicked the passenger door off the door and went out that way. It was just the fear of burning."

Declining to go to the hospital, he pronounced himself fine. He said the on-site physician visited him in his motor home and verified that Dobbins was OK. The driver admitted he was feeling a bit sore.

Dobbins said the rescue crew was hampered because it doesn't have any access to the track through the wall. "They either have to come from the starting line or all the way from the turnoff," he said, noting the configuration of the San Antonio Raceway dragstrip.

"They need to come up with a little better way to access the racer if you do have a crash," he said. "I don't know how they're going to do that, because anytime they cut the wall out, that's just a recipe for disaster. I don't know what's worse. I don’t fault them at all. They do the best they can do."

He said he thought an accident was imminent, given the high winds: "I believe it would've probably happened to just about anybody." He said of the decision to cancel the session, "They probably should've done that earlier."

The damage to his Ford, Dobbins figured, was in the $300,000-$400,00 range. "We'll have to have a new car," he said. "We're going to go home, take it apart, and see what's salvageable. It takes so long to put a car together and chassis builders are six, eight, 12 months behind schedule that we're done for the year."

Dobbins said most IHRA racers "pretty much have one car," eliminating any chance of purchasing a spare one from a fellow competitor. "I'll probably be forced to try to crew-chief for somebody, to stay on top of the technology."

We will return - Jimmy Johnson, co-owner of Dobbins' Pro Stock Escort along with Kevin Duncan, said the team plans to return to action as soon as it can. "I thank God we're a blessed team," he said. "I pray to God, and it never crossed my mind that [Dobbins] wouldn't be all right."

Johnson and his father, Mel, put the crash in perspective. " We all wanted to go racing. It's a tragedy for my pocketbook," Jimmy Johnson said, managing a laugh, "but it's not a tragedy."

That term, Mel Johnson said, is reserved for occurrences such as his son Tyrone's fatal motorcycle accident only an hour or so before his wedding three years ago.

Mel Johnson said that years ago, Jimmy had an accident at a Virginia drag strip he remembers vividly for one macabre detail. His son's shoes were among the items he collected as he followed the trail of debris down the track.

Oh Chute - Jerry Haas, renowned chassis builder and Pro Stock competitor, said in Dobbins' accident, "the culprit was the parachute." He said he uses and recommends the cross-form parachute, as opposed to the balloon style, the kind he calls "Joe Cool Parachutes." The latter, Haas said, might be desirable because of its tempting advertising potential but is dangerous because of the way it directs the wind.

Said Haas of the cars, "I build 'em. I've seen 'em crash. I know what makes 'em crash. I drive 'em." He said the cross-form parachutes allow the wind to circulate in a more stable pattern, adding that they cost no more than the balloon type.

That Stinketh - Jeff Dobbins posted a 6.519-second E.T. at 214.79 mph in his fateful Torco Pro Stock run Friday morning, and Dan Seamon posted a 6.578/212.86. However, both runs were erased, because the opening session was cancelled for all pro classes. Dobbins was unable to run again. Seamon got another shot at qualifying and wound up No. 9. However, Seamon had to settle for a 10.541 E.T. at 86.40.

What is it about this place? - Harold Martin lost to Glen Kerunsky in the Pro Mod final round at San Antonio in last year's opener. As he awaited Friday evening's session, he recalled his own Friday accident in 2004 and how his crew thrashed overnight to fix the AC Delco Pontiac Grand Am.

"We had some brand-new wheel studs shear off. It's just one of those misfortunes that can occur with new parts," Martin said. "We were out of the game. We had significantly damaged our race car. Clearly, we had an exhaustive night, changing parts and dealing with all kinds of issues -- and the fortune of a lot of other race teams loaning us parts. Through that and the tenaciousness of my team and the long hours of putting it all back together, we were able to come back. And boy was it a comeback story."

Martin's crew might have to demonstrate its amazing ability Saturday, for

Martin crossed the center line and was disqualified in Friday's lone session. That left him last among the 20 entrants vying for one of 16 spots.

One out of three ain't bad - The first three Chevy Cobalts to hit a dragstrip had mixed results Friday. John Montecalvo, last year's top Pro Stock qualifier at San Antonio, fared the best of the trio. He sits in fourth place with a 6.481-second E.T. at 214.45 mph. Dwayne Rice and Rick Jones weren't as fortunate in their maiden runs. Rice anchors the field of 16. He experienced tire shake and took a 15.839-second E.T. at 51.80 mph. Jones, who built his own and Montecalvo's chassis, crossed the center line and was disqualified. He's last in the lineup of 19 entries.

You're My Guy, Kinda Sorta - Top Fuel racer Bobby Lagana said he received 75 phone calls and 35 e-mails from folks offering to help him replace the truck that was destroyed in a fire as he was preparing to leave his home in Scarsdale, N.Y. What got him to San Antonio was a loaner from Top Dragster's Don "Gio" Giovannone of Warren, Ohio.

The Scarsdale, N.Y., resident's unhappy luck continued Friday night. He's 10th in the eight-car order, .077 seconds slower than NHRA regular John Smith's 5.622-second effort.

Furthermore, his NHRA fortunes might be short-lived. He won't make his debut in the Bill Miller-owned BME Dragster until the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Baytown, Texas, near Houston. Already, though, Miller reportedly will put NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Paul Jones in the seat for a test following the next race, at Las Vegas. Jones earned his license in one of the Hartman Racing Top Fuel cars in October 2002 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

What's Up Doc? - Lenco Racing Transmissions dangled a carrot in front of the Torco Pro Stock drivers. It established the 6.30s Pro Stock Challenge for the first 16 cars to make a qualifying or elimination run in the 6.30-second range. No one became the first member Friday, although the quickest four in the class were in the 6.4-second range.

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FRIDAY NOTES - Friday Professional Qualifying Delayed by high winds

(4-1-2005) - Winds gusting as high as 30 mph as a crosswind and the combination of a top-end crash by Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock racer Jeff Dobbins prompted IHRA officials to postpone the first qualifying session. Dobbins, in his driving debut with Jimmy Johnson's Pro Stocker, deployed the parachute at the completion of a 6.519, 214 mph lap and that's when his problems began. The rear of the car the became airborne and flipped reminscent of Bob Glidden's NHRA Southern Nationals crash in 1986. Dobbins made contact with both retaining walls and the car slid to a stop.

Dobbins exited the car under his own power and is being further examined by medical personnel.

Sportsman qualifying will resume instead of the professional session.

(2-25-2005) - Stay tuned as our staff arrives in San Antonio, Texas, for the 4th annual IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals. Check in daily for news and notes from this event.

FRIDAY, April 1, 2005

Gates & Tech Open 8:00am
Tech Closes 8:00pm
Sportsman Qualifying 9:00am
Run Order: HR, ST, SR, SS, TD, TS, QR, ET
PRO Qualifying 1:00pm
Run Order: TSK, PS, FC, PM, TF
Sportsman Qualifying After Pro Round
Run Order: HR, (ST-Class), SR, (SS-Class), TD, TS, ( STK & SS Class),
QR, (Conclude STK & SS Class), ET
“NIGHT OF FIRE” Pre-Race 7:30pm
PRO Qualifying 8:00pm
Run Order: TSK, PS, FC, PM, TF, Cool Bus, Motz, Fireworks!

SATURDAY, April 2, 2005

Gates & Tech Open 8:00am
Tech Closes at the end of each class’s Final Qualifying Session
Special Awards 8:00am
Sportsman Eliminations (Rd 1) 8:30am
Order: ET, HR, ST, SR, SS, (TD-Qual), (TS-Qual), QR
PRO Qualifying 11:00am
Run Order: TSK, PS, FC, PM, TF
Autograph Session After Pro Round
Sportsman Elimination’s After Pro Round
Run Order: TD, TS, ET, HR, ST, SR, SS, QR, ET
PRO Eliminations (Rd 1) 4:00pm
Run Order: TS, TD, TSK, PS, PM
Sportsman Elimination’s Continue After Pro Round
Run Order: ET, HR, ST, SR, SS, TD, TS, QR
Pre Race Ceremony 5:30pm
PRO Eliminations (Rd 2) 6:00pm
Run Order: TF, TSK, PS, FC, PM, Cool Bus, Motz, Sportsman
“NIGHT OF FIRE” PRO Eliminations 8:00pm
Run Order: TSK, PS, FC, PM, TF, Sportsman
FINALS: 10:00pm
Run Order: Sptsmn, TSK, PS, FC, PM, TF, Cool Bus, Motz, Fireworks!   

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