SAME DAY COVERAGE
NHRA CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals
Joliet, Ill.
By Bobby Bennett; Photos by Roger Richards

SUNDAY - Sweet sixteen! Ashley wins unprecedented 16th round win en route to fourth 2005 victory

(6-12-2005) – After winning a third consecutive national event victory last month in Bristol, Tenn., defending AMS TLR champion Mike Ashley pulled into a tie with Shannon Jenkins for the most consecutive wins by a driver on the tour. This weekend Ashley felt like being stingy.

Ashley, a New York mortgage banker, secured all the glory by defeating first-time finalist Joey Martin in the final round of the NHRA CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, Ill. This marked the fifth time in six national events the Torco Race Fuels-sponsored driver had reached the final round.

Nothing soothes the soul like winning four in a row.

“This feels so good,” Ashley said. “I have certainly had good fortunes on my side. This car is incredible and I have to say that Tommy Mauney builds a helluva car. This thing nearly drives itself. I’m just along for the ride.

“My team does a great job. This win is for them. They’ve earned it.

“But, then there’s Evan Knoll and Torco Race Fuels,” Ashley continued. “Ever since we put their name on this car it has been unstoppable. What a great opportunity they’ve provided for us.”

If Ashley checks his stats, he’ll see just how correct his words are. Since signing his sponsorship with Torco race Fuels, Ashley has won more events this season than he had prior to 2005.

Ashley entered eliminations as the sixth qualifier and earned the right to race on Sunday after soundly defeating Mike Bell in round one. He registered low elapsed time for the round with a 6.183.

Ashley continued a torrid pace in the quarter-finals as he beat Shelly Payne on both ends of the track. Out of the gate, he strapped a nearly .04 holeshot and extended another low elapsed time effort with a 6.141, 230.13. Payne made a close race with it, falling short with a 6.211, 230.53.

Frankie Taylor learned quickly that one can live by the sword and die by it as well. Just one round after beating Troy Coughlin on the starting line, he nearly became a victim at the hands of Aussie Troy Critchley. Critchley snagged .05 out of the gate and seemed destined for a trip to the semis to race Ashley. However, tireshake set in and the AMS-sponsored driver crossed the centerline. Taylor had been the victim of tireshake earlier and shut-off. He coasted to a 12.163, 77.93 win.

Martin capitalized on a tire-shaking Rick Stivers to advance to the semis with a 6.382, 220.08. Stivers shook the tires violently and lifted before the 60-foot mark.

Zack Barklage, who got in as an alternate and beat Chip King on a holeshot during Saturday’s opening round, continued his winning ways with a 6.281, 227.27 victory over Ron Muenks. Muenks, who was reinstated when low qualifier Josh Hernandez was disqualified, took a shot at the tree and pulled off a holeshot before shaking the tires and lifting.

Just one round removed from the final, Ashley grabbed the quicker reaction time against Taylor and extended it to a winning 6.191, 229.16. Taylor suffered tireshake and lifted early with a losing 6.636, 200.26.

On the other side of the ladder, Martin drove his ex-Ashley Willys to a winning 6.371, 219.76 to prevent Barklage from scoring his second consecutive final round appearance. Barklage fell off of the pace with a losing 6.502, 217.63.

The final round provided little challenge for the determined Ashley who quickly repelled a quicker reaction time from Martin. Ashley secured his sixteenth consecutive round win by stopping Martin with a 6.152, 229.86.

The victory comes on the eve of Ashley’s nitro Funny Car licensing date. Ashley will begin licensing runs tomorrow behind the wheel of Dale Creasy’s Torco Race Fuels-sponsored car.

“I know I should feel as if this provides a lot of momentum for tomorrow, but it doesn’t,” Ashley said. “The fact of the matter is that today’s triumph has no bearing on tomorrow. Running a nitro Funny Car is a huge challenge and one that is going to demand my complete attention.

“I’ll get a good nights sleep and go after this with my full focus.”

SATURDAY - Ashley extends winning streak to 13 rounds; Another Ashley versus Payne match on Sunday

(6-11-2005) - Mike Ashley extended his winning streak to 13 rounds during Saturday's first round of eliminations by defeating drag racing school instructor Mike Bell in the first round. That victory set up a quarter-final match between he and Shelly Payne, the wife of Jasy Payne, his closest point adversary in the quest for a second consecutive championship.

The Torco Race Fuels-sponsored Ashley laid down the low elapsed time of the first round with a 6.183, 228.69 to defeat Mike Bell, who red-lighted. Ashley refused to get into the winning streak talk.

"There's still three rounds left to win," Ashley said. "It's not going to be easy. I'm not focused on a winning streak. I'm more concerned with winning each round one at a time."

Payne had the second quickest elapsed time of the first round as she defeated her husband with a 6.223, 229.39.

Other first round winners included Zach Barklage (who got in as an alternate for younger brother Cody), Rick Stivers, Frankie Taylor, Joey Martin and Troy Critchley.

Ron Muenks was reinstated for the second round after low qualifier Josh Hernandez was disqualified.

Eliminations will resume on Sunday afternoon.

SATURDAY QUALIFYING - Hernandez pulls a slingshot manuever to the top of the field

(6-11-2005) - Josh Hernandez admittedly was too concerned with keeping the car off of the retaining wall during the final session to realize that he'd just captured his first career pole position. The Conroe, Texas-based driver for Tommy Lipar rode dangerously close to the left lane retaining wall en route to a 6.182, 228.11.

Hernandez, a rookie driver on the AMS TLR tour, was all smiles after gaining to premiere qualifying position.

"I was afraid Tommy was going to start yelling at me for getting too close to the wall on that run," Hernandez said. "Instead, there was a silence and his voice reached a high pitch as he screamed out we ran the low elapsed time. I am very excited about final eliminations.

"To be honest, I think I was practicing my Mike Ashley impersonation," Hernandez said of the defending champion's tendency to make over the edge runs without crashing.

Sliding into the second spot was the AMS-sponsored entry driven by Troy Critchley. The native Australian nailed down a 6.209, 227.27. Claiming the third spot was Shelly Payne, who produced a 6.211, 230.45.

Rounding out the sixteen-car field was Ron Muenks with an off-pace 6.531.

Zach Barklage, who finished runner-up in Bristol, and Jay Payne, two-time finalist and past point leader in 2005, also failed to make the cut.

Ashley, the three-winner in 2005 and defending series champion, was sixth.

FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS

1. Josh Hernandez versus 16. Ron Muenks
8. Chip King versus 9. Cody Barklage
4. Thomas Patterson versus 13. Joey Martin
5. Kirk Kuhns versus 12. Rick Stivers
2. Troy Critchley versus 15. Scott Ray
6. Mike Ashley versus 11. Mike Bell
3. Shelly Payne versus 14. Steve Engel
7. Frankie Taylor versus 10. Troy Coughlin

SATURDAY - File this in the "We've seen it all" Category

(6-11-2005) - Until Saturday's final qualifying session, we at Torco's CompetitionPlus.com had never been a witness to a car hitting the sandtrap backwards. That is until Steve Engel came along. Engel was uninjured. (Motel6Vision Photo)

FRIDAY - Patterson breaks slump and nails down provisional #1

(6-10-2005) - Thomas Patterson has understandably endured a tough season. That was a distant memory after the lone AMS/TLR Pro Modified session during the CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, Ill. Friday's evening session was cancelled by NHRA officials to make up time lost from rain delays.

Patterson blasted out a 6.214, 226.43 during hot and humid conditions to edge out Shelly Payne, who officially became the quickest female Pro Modified driver with a 6.216, 229.66.

"We've tested in 95-degree weather," Patterson said. "We did well just making short hits and those laps paid off today. We'll see what tomorrow brings."

The AMS/TLR Pro Modified cars have one qualifying session scheduled at 1:30 PM on Saturday. The first round of eliminations are scheduled to commence at 5 PM.

Frankie Taylor (6.242) and Joshua Hernandez (6.242) were third and fourth respectively. Ironically, the two drivers were involved in a two-car crash during the pre-season in Houston.

Slipping into the fifth spot was Chip King, whose 228.61 broke a 6.286 tie with four-time 2005 winner Mike Ashley.

Kirk Kuhns and Mike Bell rounded out the top half of the field. Brian Daniels holds down the anchor on the sixteen-car field.

Of the 19-car field, all were supercharged. This marks the second event in 2005 that no nitrous cars have attended an NHRA AMS event.

SUNDAY, June 12, 2005
Pit and Spectator Gates Open 8:00 AM
Sportsman Eliminations 9:00 AM
Pre-Race Ceremonies 10:00 AM
Final Eliminations 11:00 AM
Secure Event 4:30 PM

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