SAME DAY COVERAGE
IHRA Motor City Nationals
Milan, Mich.

By Bobby Bennett; Photos by Roger Richards, Bryan Epps

SUNDAY - Millican Uninjured After Spectacular Crash in Milan

Louie Allison wins Top Fuel Ironman at Milan Dragway for the second year in a row

(7-17-2005) - In a race marred by four-time defending IHRA Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican's unbelievable accident, Louie Allison (Denver, Colo.) won his second straight Ironman in the class as he defeated Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) in the final of the Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals at Milan Dragway.

Allison's 4.799/297.22 was good enough to top Litton's 4.813/309.34 and put him in the Winner's Circle for the second time in his career. It was deja vu for Allison as he mirrored what he did last year in the first round and in qualifying. In '04 he qualified #7 and had to face #2 qualifier Tim Cullinan (Franklin Park, Ill.) in the first round. This year he qualified #7 and squared off with Cullinan in the first round. Last season he defeated Cullinan in a pedal-fest to advance to the semifinals. This year the same thing happened as both cars got out of the
groove early and struggled down the track. Last year, the Milan Dragway event was the first IHRA national event Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) did not win. This year was also Millican's first loss.

"It was like that movie Groundhog Day with Punxsutawney Phil," Allison said of the weekend. "I knew, when I qualified, that I had a decent chance. Then when I saw I had Tim in the first round it felt like last year all over again."

Though Allison got the victory, much of the attention was on Millican's accident. Millican, the four-time defending IHRA Top Fuel champion, experienced a complete blowover in his semifinal round against Bruce Litton. Millican was traveling at over 200 miles per hour when the front wheels of his '05 Hadman Dragster lifted off the ground at half track and did not stop. He ended up blowing all the way over before skidding well past the finish line before coming to a stop
upside down.

IHRA safety personnel arrived at the scene within seconds and Millican climbed out of the car almost immediately. He was talking with the safety crew and the track doctor and was reportedly cutting up with the paramedics en route to the hospital, where he was taken as a precautionary measure.

"God bless him," Allison said of Millican. "I really hope he's doing okay. Those blowovers are uncomfortable. The next time you get in the car you can't have that in your mind, but until then you certainly relive it over and over again."

Speaking of reliving things, Dan Seamon (Bellevue, Oh.) became the first driver to relive a trip to the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock Winner's Circle, becoming the only IHRA national repeat winner this season when he defeated Steve Spiess (Manhattan, Ill.) in the final. Seamon also won at the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals. It was extra special for Seamon because his two young daughters were in attendance and it was car owner Charlie Taylor's birthday.

"I didn't think I was going to get around Steve as tough as he was driving this weekend," Seamon said. "This weekend started off terribly for us. We didn't get in until the last qualifying run.we were having clutch trouble or driver trouble, whatever. But my crew stuck in there and worked hard. It was really special because my girls were here and it was Charlie's birthday this weekend. This was a present for him from me and everyone else."

Seamon's victory catapulted him into third in the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock World Championship standings.59 points behind Spiess. Robert Patrick (Fredericksburg, Va.) is in second place, nine points behind Spiess.

One of the most bizarre moments of the competition came when Seamon faced Patrick in the semifinals. After both racers pre-staged, they sat through a nearly two minute burndown staging war. Patrick finally rolled into the second beams, but could not hold Seamon off on the track.

"I would have sat there until Monday morning," Seamon said of the staging war. "There are no rules that say who has to go in first or last. It started off slow and I was ready to go, then I decided no, I wasn't going to go. Me and Charlie talked about it and we were going to sit there for awhile."

Rob Atchison (London, Ont. Canada) continued his IHRA Funny Car dominance by defeating Jim Sickles (Caledonia, N.Y.) to claim his fourth Ironman of the season. He also has been the #1 qualifier at all six '05 IHRA national events.

Though he was happy with the victory, Atchison was sanguine about the weekend.

"It was tough with the weather and everything going on around," Atchison said. "Clay is a good friend and so is Al Billes, and this was a tough race mentally and physically. But we have an awesome car."

Billes, a Torco Pro Mod driver, suffered a crash Saturday morning that sent him to the hospital. He was not seriously injured.

Mike Castellana (Westbury, N.Y.) became the sixth different Torco Pro Mod Ironman winner in as many events as he defeated a red-lighting Harold Martin (West Bloomfield, Mich.) in the Pro Mod final. In fact, Carl Spiering (Jordan Station, Ont. Canada) also red-lighted to Castellana in the semifinal.

"I won the first round, then won the second round on a holeshot," Castellana said. "The last two rounds.what can I say? It was our day."

It was Castellana's third career national event victory.

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Sunday's final results from the Third annual Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals presented by GM Performance Division brought to you by the Milan News Leader and Saline Reporter at Milan Dragway. The $1.1 million race is the sixth of 12 in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Louie Allison, 4.799 seconds, 297.22 mph def. Bruce Litton, 4.813 seconds, 309.34 mph.

Pro Modified -- Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 12.357, 74.78 def. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, foul.

Funny Car -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.843, 238.55 def. Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.831, 240.85.

Pro Stock -- Daniel Seamon, Ford Escort, 6.536, 214.52 def. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.529, 214.18.

Top Stock -- Paul Mercure, Chevy Camaro, 9.770, 137.11 def. Joseph Teuton, Plymouth Barracuda, 9.932, 135.80.

Top Sportsman -- John Nechiporchik, Chevy Monte Carlo, 7.322, 185.51 def. Billy Thoman, Pontiac Firebird, 7.270, 187.76.

Top Dragster -- Jason Folk, Dragster, 7.048, 170.32 def. John Anderika, Dragster, 7.272, 169.32.

Quick Rod -- Rusty Cook, Dragster, 8.880, 173.96 def. Steve Seredich, Dragster, 8.869, 167.14.

Super Rod -- Rusty Cook, Chevy Corvette, 9.908, 162.16 def. Alan Kenny, Corvette, 9.944, 146.72.

Hot Rod -- Michelle Furr, Chevy Camaro, 10.888, 130.86 def. Vicki Novotny, Ford Mustang, 10.852, 130.12.

Super Stock -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.006, 130.66 def. Russ Abrams, Pontiac Firebird, 10.112, 132.13.

Stock -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.907, 103.21 def. Larry Hill, Dodge Charger, 11.173, 106.94.

ET Box -- John Morgan, Chevy Nova, 11.121, 116.22 def. Sean Parker, Dragster, 8.330, 157.43.

ET No Box -- Mickey Adams, Chevy Camaro, 10.205, 105.48 def. Wes Buckley, Chevy Malibu, foul.

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Final round-by-round results from the Third annual Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals presented by GM Performance Division brought to you by the Milan News Leader and Saline Reporter at Milan Dragway, the sixth of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Bruce Litton, 5.268, 264.86 def. Todd Paton, 8.666, 90.70; Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.198, 239.23 def. Doug Foley, 5.728, 168.51; Louie Allison, 5.575, 209.69 def. Tim Cullinan, 8.327, 109.72; Clay Millican, 4.691, 312.06 def. Roger Dean, 5.277, 236.75;

SEMIFINALS -- Allison, 4.860, 289.45 def. Lagana Jr., 4.895, 304.94; Litton, 4.891, 294.11 def. Millican, broke;

FINAL -- Allison, 4.799, 297.22 def. Litton, 4.813, 309.34.


PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.323, 221.67 def. Dennis Radford, Chevy Corvette, 6.365, 222.58; Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.230, 229.86 def. Roy Wasko, Chevy Camaro, 17.683, 42.85; John Russo, Camaro, 6.245, 226.39 def. Mike Lockwood, Corvette, 6.320, 221.71; Burton Auxier, Corvette, 7.112, 202.79 def. Jim Halsey, Camaro, foul; Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.267, 227.57 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.312, 229.27; Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.263, 224.66 def. Charles
Carpenter, Chevy Bel Air, 6.353, 222.88; Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.257, 228.34 def. Tommy D'Aprile, Corvette, 6.399, 217.35;

QUARTERFINALS -- Martin, 6.263, 226.73 def. Ware, 9.578, 105.14; Spiering, 7.415, 205.16 def.
Auxier, 8.168, 209.56; Russo, 6.269, 226.32 def. Jenkins, broke; Castellana, 6.292, 227.34 def. Hoover, 6.291, 228.31;

SEMIFINALS -- Castellana, 8.875, 101.64 def. Spiering, foul; Martin, 6.497, 183.47 def. Russo, broke;

FINAL -- Castellana, 12.357, 74.78 def. Martin, foul.


FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.814, 240.51 def. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 5.989, 231.91; Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.930, 239.48 def. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 6.322, 169.55; Thomas Carter, Chevy Camaro, 19.364, 37.95 def. Frederick Tigges, Camaro, foul; Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.957, 234.78 def. Chris Foster, Avenger, 8.252, 107.59;

SEMIFINALS -- Atchison, 5.832, 240.51 def. Thomas, foul; Sickles, 5.816, 243.55 def. Carter, 5.864, 239.70;

FINAL -- Atchison, 5.843, 238.55 def. Sickles, 5.831, 240.85.


PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Pete Berner, Ford Mustang, 6.561, 211.56 def. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.608, 213.43; Daniel Seamon, Ford Escort, 6.540, 215.03 def. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.573, 213.03; Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.618, 210.14 def. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.756, 210.90; John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.532, 213.91 def. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.559, 212.43; Ed Machacek, Chevy Cavalier,
6.593, 210.01 def. Rick Jones, Cobalt, 9.796, 113.50; Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.520, 214.55 def. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.488, 213.37; Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.504, 213.91 def. Chuck DeMory, Escort, 6.597, 210.60; Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.466, 215.48 def. Jerry Haas, Cavalier, 6.572, 213.10;

QUARTERFINALS -- Nobile, 6.580, 214.28 def. Machacek, 6.641, 210.83; Gugliotta, 6.609, 209.01 def. Morton, 6.710, 209.79; Seamon, 6.561, 214.01 def. Patrick, 10.416, 90.40; Spiess, 6.510, 215.07 def. Berner, 6.572, 213.50;

SEMIFINALS -- Seamon, 6.540, 214.96 def. Gugliotta, foul; Spiess, 6.481, 215.41 def. Nobile, 6.563, 214.52;

FINAL -- Seamon, 6.536, 214.52 def. Spiess, 6.529, 214.18.

Hang On, Clay!

In their wildest adventures Bo and Luke never went for the kind of scary ride that Top Fuel standout Clay Millican found himself on during eliminations for the Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals. Fortunately, Millican, whose car was sporting a special "General Lee" paint scheme this weekend in Michigan, was unhurt in the spectacular blow-over accident. Stay tuned for more details.(Photo sequence by Roger Richards)

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SATURDAY - Billes Crashes Again During Saturday Qualifying Session

Second accident in three weeks sends Torco Pro Mod driver to hospital

(7-16-2005) - Summit Racing Equipment driver Al Billes (Barrie, Ont.) ran the fastest Torco Pro Mod pass in Milan Dragway history in his Saturday morning qualifying pass at the Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals. Unfortunately, for Billes and team owner Jim Oddy, his parachutes picked the wrong time to malfunction.

When Billes finished his 231.08 mph pass his chutes failed to deploy. One fell and wrapped around the wheelie bar, causing Billes to have to stand on the brakes to attempt to stop the Summit '05 Stratus. As he approached the sand pit he attempted to turn off, but his front wheel caught the pit and sent the car into a series of barrel-rolls, four in all, through the sand trap and into the retaining fence.

Billes exited the car under his own power and was transported to the local hospital as a precautionary measure. Three weeks ago at a match race against Mike Janis at Lancaster Dragway, N.Y., Billes wrecked his car and suffered a concussion. No further information was available about Billes' condition Saturday evening.

Three rain delays lengthened the race day at Milan Dragway Saturday, but all pro qualifying sessions were completed. Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) headed up the final Top Fuel Dragster qualifying list as his afternoon 4.647/317.49 pass gave him his third pole of the season.

Bobby Lagana, Jr. (Scarsdale, N.Y.) used the afternoon session to fight his way into the field as his 4.810/315.19 pass put him safely in the middle of the field. Lagana ended up in the #6 qualifying position. He will face Doug Foley (Sewell, N.J.) in the first round Sunday.

"I cannot wait to make a charge tomorrow to win this race," Lagana said. "So many people help us and I have so many family and friends rooting for me. My dad isn't here and I wish he was but he couldn't make it. I also really want to thank Evan Knoll at TORCO Race Fuels for helping us out. It really makes a difference when a great company like TORCO shows faith in you."

In Torco Pro Stock Robert Patrick (Fredericksburg, Va.) and Steve Spiess (Manhattan, Ill.) posted identical 6.472 passes in the Saturday evening qualifying round, but by virtue of a track record 215.72 mph it was Spiess claiming the #1 qualifying spot. In fact, Spiess owns both ends of the track record, breaking both marks for the second time in 24 hours. His #1 qualifying post is the second of his career.both coming this season. He also was atop the qualifying list at the ACDelco Nationals in Virginia.

Spiess will face Jerry Haas (Fenton, Mo.) in the first round of eliminations Sunday while Patrick will square off with Chuck Demory (Glen Ellyn, Ill.).

Daniel Seamon (Bellevue, Ohio) used the final qualifying session to his fullest advantage, jumping from the #18 spot to a place in the field as he put a 6.58 on the board to claim the #10 spot. He will face Doug Kirk (Lenoir, W.Va.) in the first round of eliminations Sunday.

Rob Atchison (London, Ont.) continued his IHRA Funny Car dominance by claiming the #1 qualifying post for the sixth time in six Hooters IHRA Racing Series national events this season. Atchison's 5.799/241.15 put him on the pole where he is set to face Terry McMillen (Elkhart, Ind.) in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Atchison's run put him in front of the field by almost .5 of a second over Jim Sickles (Caldonia, N.Y.), who recorded a 5.840/241.67.

Harold Martin (West Bloomfield, Mich.) saved his best for last Saturday night when he went from the #7 qualifying spot to the pole with a 6.197/212.53 pass. Martin, who claimed his first pole of the '05 season, will face Keith Baker (Dothan, Ala.) in the first round tomorrow. The top of the field was crowded with quality times as Mike Castellana (6.198), Carl Spiering (6.209), John Russo (6.219), Shannon Jenkins (6.222) and Jim Halsey (6.225) were all within a whisker of the top qualifying spot.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Third annual Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals presented by GM Performance Division brought to you by the Milan News Leader and Saline Reporter at Milan Dragway, the sixth of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.647 seconds, 317.49 mph vs. 8. Roger Dean, 5.023, 282.13; 2. Tim Cullinan, 4.670, 305.91 vs. 7. Louie Allison, 4.853, 284.87; 3. Doug Foley, 4.681, 305.15 vs. 6. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.810, 315.19; 4. Todd Paton, 4.746, 301.81 vs. 5. Bruce Litton, 4.805, 304.05.

Pro Modified -- 1. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.197, 224.32 vs. 16. Keith Baker, Chevy Corvette, 6.387, 219.54; 2. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.198, 228.81 vs. 15. Tommy D'Aprile, Corvette, 6.382, 225.33; 3. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.209, 230.61 vs. 14. Roy Wasko, Chevy Camaro, 6.376, 222.33; 4. John Russo, Camaro, 6.219, 228.00 vs. 13. Mike Lockwood, Corvette, 6.321, 221.13; 5. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.222, 226.39 vs. 12. Charles Carpenter,
Chevy Bel Air, 6.304, 222.47; 6. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.225, 226.01 vs. 11. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.291, 223.62; 7. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.231, 229.51 vs. 10. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.291, 228.61; 8. Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.274, 223.06 vs. 9. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.276, 223.95.

Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.799, 241.15 vs. 8. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 5.983, 234.00; 2. Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.840, 241.67 vs. 7. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 5.980, 235.19; 3. Frederick Tigges, Chevy Camaro, 5.848, 242.06 vs. 6. Thomas Carter, Camaro, 5.943, 236.09; 4. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.908, 238.60 vs. 5. Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.918, 236.51.

Pro Stock -- 1. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.472, 215.72 vs. 16. Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.603, 213.37; 2. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.472, 214.48 vs. 15. Chuck DeMory, Ford Escort, 6.599, 210.80; 3. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.501, 212.93 vs. 14. Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.599, 213.64; 4. Rick Jones, Cobalt, 6.505, 214.21 vs. 13. Ed Machacek, Cavalier, 6.584, 211.10; 5. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.509, 215.20 vs. 12. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.574, 211.53; 6. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.539, 211.89 vs. 11. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.572, 211.03; 7. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.553, 212.83 vs. 10. Daniel Seamon, Escort, 6.571, 214.93; 8. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.559, 213.10 vs. 9. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.565, 212.96.

SATURDAY NOTES - Oddy says he’s done, A Grumpy Pro Stock team owner and Daredevil Nobile strikes again…

(7-16-2005) - Billes crashes – Al Billes suffered his second crash in the month of July during the second round of Torco Pro Modified qualifying. The parachutes on his supercharged Dodge Stratus malfunctioned on the heels of a run that netted the Barrie, Ont.-based driver an unofficial track speed record.

Billes nailed the sand-trap with enough speed to force the car into four barrel rolls. The veteran driver exited under his own power but was transported to a local hospital for further examination.

Adding further disgrace to a disappointing situation, his 6.238, 231.08 was disallowed because the car was unable to pass the scales.

Billes was already recovering from a concussion and a severe case of whiplash sustained during a match race accident in Lancaster, New York, just two weeks earlier. He was driving the team’s 1953 Corvette at the time.

Team owner Jim Oddy was visibly distraught as he loaded parts into the team’s transporter to drive back to Elma, NY.

“That’s it for me,” Oddy said, as he gathered various parts of the car. “I’m through with drag racing. Two was enough for me. I am not going to get my driver killed.”

My name’s not Grumpy, &%#%&@@! – Just to think, Bill Jenkins thought he was the only Pro Stock figure that was given the nickname Grumpy. In IHRA Torco Pro Stock, team owner Charlie Taylor has rightfully earned the label some say.

Taylor doesn’t understand how it all came about.

“I think IHRA President Aaron Polburn gave me that nickname,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know I was that bad. I am the way I am and if that’s the way I’m perceived, then so be it.

“I’m sure I get that way sometime. I’m no different than anyone else out here. When it gets hot and my underwear gets wet, I get testy as does everyone else.”

Driver Dan Seamon defended Taylor’s moniker by saying, “Look at him, he’s grumpy. He wakes up grumpy and it doesn’t change much from there.”

Happy Birthday, Boys – Over the course of the weekend, the Torco Pro Stock ranks celebrated two prominent birthdays. The above-mentioned Charlie Taylor was one and the other was Pete Berner, who turned 50.

Berner, who jogs 10 – 12 miles a week, admitted that he feels better than he’s ever felt.”

As for Taylor, he’s still in denial when it comes to his age.

Taylor said. “I didn’t turn 61. It’s the 32nd anniversary of my 29th birthday.”

Motown Addition – Mopar officials confirmed a rumor that has been circulating around the pits over the course of the weekend. Apparently, Dodge is planning to become involved in IHRA competition during the 2006 season.

Captain Chaos’ excellent adventure – What’s a newly christened Top Fuel team owner to do when his plane lands at 3:05 and a qualifying session is slated to begin 5 minutes earlier? If you’re Kenny Koretsky, a businessman who is often accused of burning the candle at both ends, you snag your bag and have your driver put the rental car on the red-line.

“Thank goodness I had a good driver that knew how to work the traffic,” Koretsky said. “I was able to see the car with five minutes to spare. I guess the ride was as scary getting to here as it was for Clay at the finish line.”

In that qualifying run, both Millican and Doug Foley nearly choreographed a high-speed centerline meeting in the traps following the Werner Enterprises-sponsored driver’s low qualifying 4.647, 317.49.

The run provided a dramatic memory jog for Koretsky whose last appearance at an IHRA event dates back to 1989. Koretsky drove both Top Fuel and Pro Stock during that event.

“They’ve done a lot of good things over here,” said Koretsky, who campaigns a 500-inch Pro Stocker on the NHRA side. “I’m thrilled to be here and it’s an honor to be back.”

Hey Ya’ll Watch This – Since Torco Pro Stock racer John Nobile lives in New York, he can never be accused of redneck acrobatics. However, he came close to pushing the edge of the envelope during his recent 4th of July pool party.

Nobile concocted the incredible plan to put his son teenage son Vince atop his shoulders and jump into the pool. How did it turn out?

Not too good, if you notice the medical boot on Nobile’s left foot. Apparently he did serious damage to the muscle connecting to his Achilles.

HMO’s beware. Nobile is ready to go for it again.

“You can count on it,” Nobile quipped. “This time I’ll warm up a bit better and stretch a little bit too.”

Let the Big Dog Eat – One might think a driver that sat out the pre-season and much of the spring might be behind the eight ball in the summertime. That’s certainly not the case for Torco Pro Modified racer Carl Spiering, as he not only paced the field in Edmonton and was atop the show in Milan after the first session of qualifying.

“We’ve been doing well,” Spiering said. “I disappeared in the winter and in the spring.

Spiering points out the secret of his success has been the development of his new business known as ERD, short for Engine Research Development. He added a DTS dyno that enables him to run engines up to 3000 horsepower. Spiering also admitted that it didn’t hurt when he moved his engine builder Terry Vince of Competition Speed into his new building.

We’ve been doing a lot of homework improving our stuff,” Spiering added. “It’s not that we’ve found a ton of horsepower. We’ve just removed a lot of the inefficiencies we’ve had. There were a lot of bugs that kept us from running up to our full potential.

“We’ll see how it goes. We’re not where we need to be yet, but the car is starting to show progress as it did in Edmonton and here in Milan. We’re finally doing what the other guys have been doing for years. I made a big investment and it’s starting to payoff.”

Being a true drag racer at heart, Spiering admitted that being a spectator is not something he’s proficient at.

“It bothered me to be at home and watching the guys out there racing,” Spiering admitted. “I knew I had a goal that I had to get to. I had to get my business up and running the dyno to where it needed to be so I could run the engine. Of course, it’s going to bother any racer to sit at home and watch. It bothered me.

“My sponsors, the Eaton Power Trip, are the most important thing to me. They have certain races they want me at and I’m going to go to those and do the best I can do. You may see us in Rockingham.”

Spiering expressed regret that scheduling conflicts with prevent him from being in Norwalk later this season.

“I’ve got another winter coming up and who knows…I might end up at them all next season.”

Yankee Pedaling - Dale Creasy was still talking about his run on Friday evening. The longtime Funny Car driver launched straight in Evan Knoll’s Skull Gear Top Fuel dragster only to have the car make a beeline towards the centerline.

Creasy instinctively pedaled, corrected and drove it hard to an off-pace 6-second lap. While he saved the car, the run was nowhere in the neighborhood to make it into the eight-car field field.

“I was starting to steer it with the front end in the air,” Creasy admitted.

Hangin’ (Out) Ten - Top Fuel driver Bobby Lagana, with the help of a fellow TF team, has purchased a used tractor with living quarters to pull his team's trailer.

However, now that they have a trailer, something has to be done about Lagana's footwear. Lagana asked that we not post this photo on the Internet or he will have 100 pairs of shoes waiting for him when he gets home. He added, "Please don't send any size 12 Simpson shoes to my home on Woodruff Street in Scarsdale, New York.”

FRIDAY - Track Records Toppled at Milan Dragway

(7-15-2005) - Both ends of the track record fell in Torco Pro Stock and Torco Pro Mod while the Top Fuel Dragster speed record was eliminated during the Friday night qualifying session of the Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals at Milan Dragway.

Clay Millican (Drummonds, TN) claimed the provisional #1 qualifying spot in Top Fuel while debuting the General Lee paint scheme on his '05 Hadman dragster as he posted a 4.70 at a track record 313.66 mph.

In the Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock class Steve Spiess (Manhattan, IL) rewrote both ends of the track record in claiming the provisional #1 qualifying spot. Spiess' 6.489 et eliminated the previous mark of 6.515 set by defending world champion John Nobile. His 215.07 mph speed erased his own record of 213.43 set last year.

In Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Carl Spiering (Jordan Station, Ont.) grabbed the top spot with a 6.209/230.61. His et and mph eliminated both ends of the record, both previously held by defending world champion Mike Janis, of 6.219 and 228.85 mph.

Rob Atchison (London, Ont.) claimed the provisional top spot in Funny Car with a 5.830/241.07.

In Top Fuel Doug Foley (Sewell, NJ), Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, IN), Tim Cullinan (Franklin Park, IL) and Todd Paton (Paris, Ont.) join Millican in the top five.

The provisional Torco Pro Modified top five, after Spiering, has Jim Halsey (Street, MD), Mike Castellana (Westbury, NY), Ed Hoover (Gilbert, SC) and John Russo (Middleton, MA) respectively.

The provisional Torco Pro Stock field includes, along with Spiess, John Nobile (Dix Hills, NY), Tony Gillig (Lake Bluff, IL), Doug Kirk (Lenoir, WV) and Larry O'Brien (Lakeshore, Ont.) as the top five.

In Funny Car Jim Sickles (Caledonia, NY), Chris Foster (Davenport, IA), Mark Thomas (Louisville, OH) and Melinda Green-King (Norfolk, VA) round out the top five along with Atchison at #1.

Results Friday after qualifying for the Third annual Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals presented by GM Performance Division brought to you by the Milan News Leader and Saline Reporter at Milan Dragway, sixth of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.701 seconds, 313.66 mph; 2. Doug Foley, 4.788, 303.64; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.805, 298.14; 4. Tim Cullinan, 4.806, 305.91; 5. Todd Paton, 4.831, 301.81; 6. Louie Allison, 4.853, 284.87; 7. Roger Dean, 5.033, 282.13; 8. Rick Cooper, 5.076, 226.13.

Pro Modified -- 1. Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.209, 230.61; 2. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.225, 226.01; 3. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.228, 228.81; 4. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.231, 229.51; 5. John Russo, Camaro, 6.241, 227.42; 6. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.268, 226.39; 7. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.283, 224.32; 8. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.291, 228.07; 9. Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.334, 222.99; 10. Charles Carpenter, Chevy Bel Air, 6.340, 221.42; 11. Mike Lockwood, Corvette, 6.355, 220.66; 12. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.398, 223.28; 13. Roy Wasko, Camaro, 6.412, 222.33; 14. Keith Baker, Corvette, 6.428, 219.54; 15. Brian Robbins, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.460, 217.56; 16. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 8.524, 115.80.

Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.830, 241.07; 2. Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.892, 238.64; 3. Chris Foster, Dodge Avenger, 5.908, 238.60; 4. Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.918, 229.66; 5. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 5.980, 234.13; 6. Frederick Tigges, Chevy Camaro, 5.995, 239.53; 7. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 6.038, 234.37; 8. Mike Comella, Chevy Corvette, 6.118, 221.82.

Pro Stock -- 1. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.489, 215.07; 2. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.519, 215.20; 3. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.531, 212.29; 4. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.571, 212.23; 5. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.574, 211.36; 6. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.589, 212.96; 7. Ed Machacek, Chevy Cavalier, 6.606, 208.91; 8. John Konigshofer, Mercury Cougar, 6.621, 211.00; 9. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.632, 210.05; 10. Ron Miller, Cavalier, 6.799, 176.17; 11. Michael Bruno, Cavalier, 6.800, 204.48; 12. Chuck DeMory, Ford Escort, 7.197, 194.77; 13. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 7.354, 205.63; 14. Rick Jones, Cobalt, 10.173, 100.79; 15. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 10.193, 98.54; 16. Dwayne Rice, Cobalt, 11.003, 118.33.

FRIDAY NOTES - Billes recuperating, Killer Brooks is back and no rebel flag for the General Lee…

Regrouping – Pro Modified team owner Jim Oddy knew his driver Al Billes had taken a hard shot as he looked on from the starting line at Lancaster Dragway recently during a match race with cross-town rival Mike Janis.

“I saw the car take a sharp left and I knew immediately that something had to have broken,” Oddy said. “Al is one of the most experienced drivers out there and I felt that if it just stayed close to the wall it would shave some speed off of the car and slow it down. There would have been cosmetic damage to it.

“Then the wheel came out from under the car and it took a sharp right, then I got worried. I wasn’t worried about the car like I was about Al. I don’t know how many of these wrecks you can have.”

Oddy said the rescue team did an admirable job of extracting Billes, who had suffered a concussion and whiplash. He’s been participating in physical therapy at least three times a week and visits the doctor every other day.

“The doctors told him he would be sore and they were right,” Oddy added. “He’s sore and I don’t know that we should be doing what we are doing this weekend. We just wanted to give it a try.”

“The hardest point of it all is making sure Al is into it mentally. The doctor tells him that he can do it but it would be better if he could wait for a few weeks. We don’t want to injure Al. We just want to be as careful as we can be in a car that runs six seconds at over 230 miles per hour. That’s the part that worries me. I want to be cautious. I don’t know how tire shake is going to affect him and it scares me when it comes to the g-forces associated with pulling the parachute.

“Our crew is ready to do whatever it takes to make him feel comfortable. He’s healing but it is going to take a little time.”

Oddy added the team may try to make the field on one shot and use the balance of the time to rest Billes.

It’s Killa Time – It has been said that driving a racecar is like riding a bicycle; you don’t forget how to do it. Lorenzo “Killer” Brook admitted that he has some butterflies before making his first Top Sportsman runs after a near fifteen-year absence. That all changed once he dumped the clutch on his Z-24 Cavalier known affectionately as the Predator.

“I had a lot of butterflies headed to the line,” Brooks said. “It had been a while but once I dumped the clutch it all came back to me. Reality set in. Reality told me that I could do this again.”

Brooks admitted a few fans and fellow racers remembered him from his pioneering days in Pro Modified. He is credited with being the first African-American drag racer to win an IHRA Pro Modified event dating back to 1991 in Cayuga, Ont.

The time he’s spending in Top Sportsman is nothing more than a way of enabling him to get his feet wet before returning to Pro Modified.

“I have to be there,” Brooks said. “It makes the most sense. You spend nearly as much money doing this and the pay just doesn’t compare. Plus, I love racing heads-up.”

With the mass exodus to the blower combination, don’t expect Brooks to follow suit.

“I’m one of the diehard nitrous guys,” Brooks said. “I’ve always felt that I did well with nitrous and with the help of Waddy from NOS, I will be back.”

The Berner Defection? – Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock driver Pete Berner may soon be writing a new chapter in his racing career and the story could be one he’s seen before. Berner has all but made his mind up that he’s abandoning his Ford program and returning to his roots with a GM-bodied vehicle.

“We haven’t officially signed the papers, but we’ve had an order in with Jerry Haas on one of the new Mustangs,” Berner said. “But, I think we’ll come out with a new GTO.”

Berner’s decision was swayed by the belief the new Mustang isn’t as aerodynamic as the new GTO. He expects to have the new car by October.

Berner will continue his association with noted engine builder Jon Kaase. Kaase, known mainly for his prowess with Ford engines, has begun to make huge strides with the Chevrolet combination.

“Jon is certainly up to the task and I’m not leaving because this car isn’t running right,” Berner said. “A lot of this seems to be self-induced. We’ve changed a lot on this Mustang and it’s starting to come around.

“The reason I’m making the switch is to get the best body that I can. This class is getting so close and you cannot simply afford to compete at a deficit.”

Meyer’s Weekend Gig – Veteran nitro tuner Larry Meyer admitted it’s been nearly twenty years since he’s worked at an IHRA event. This weekend Meyer will be the chief tuner on the Skull Gear Top Fueler owned by Evan Knoll and driven by Dale “Peanut” Creasy.

“I’ve been helping Dale since he got his license in the dragster,” Meyer said. “I just told him that I’d come over and help him out. “

Meyer declined speculation on his length of stay with Knoll’s team but admitted some decisions will be made after this weekend. The former tuner for such notables as Joe Amato and Lori Johns added that he’s not sure as to his status with David Baca’s team.

Meyer looks forward to the challenge of putting Knoll’s car into final eliminations for the first time.

“I walked the track with Dale last night and it looked good and smooth,” Meyer said. “Whoever did it really did a good job. It’s sprayed well and doesn’t have excessive rubber.”

Creasy is also making a debut of sorts. This marks the first event for Creasy as a licensed Top Fuel driver. He began licensing procedures in Rockingham back in April, but parts failure severely hampered his efforts. Creasy, a longtime nitro Funny Car driver, admits the transition was not as difficult as some might believe.

“It’s a different view, that’s all,” Creasy said. “When you’re in the car you can’t see anything but what’s in front of you. In the Funny Car, you get to see a lot of things. I can’t hear the motor as well in the dragster as I could in the Funny Car. As long as I have Larry and the crew behind me I will be fine.”

Creasy says he feel a measure of confidence with Meyer at the helm.

“I made a few stupid mistakes in Rockingham,” Creasy admitted. “I feel more at ease with him here. I don’t have to worry as much.”

The Passion Still Burns – Clay Millican has been a devoted Dukes of Hazzard fan as long as he can remember. That’s why when the chance came along for Millican to fly the flagship for the upcoming movie, he jumped at it. The icing on the cake was getting to drive one during Thursday’s chamber of commerce gathering.

“This whole deal is exciting for me personally,” Millican said. “To get to drive one of these General Lee cars was like being back in 1982 all again. The problem is that my hair is not as long and it’s got gray in it. Driving that car down the racetrack was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do.”

Not only did Millican stomp the replica of Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrain’s squad car, but also turned around and drove back to the starting line doing a slalom of the timing cones.

“It wasn’t part of the plan,” Millican added. “I know Jeff Foster at Compulink was pulling his hair our wondering if I was going to hit one.”

Millican didn’t describe his experience of driving a car that he adored for much of his life as scary, but one that made him giddy like a kid.

“I felt right at home because I’ve had lots of time behind the wheel of a ’69 Charger. The only thing that was different is that we weren’t in Drummonds, Tenn.”

When it comes to Millican’s Werner-sponsored Top Fueler, the car was painted to match the feature automobile in the movie. However, there was a major discrepancy.

The original rendering featured a rebel flag as was on the roof of the car. That idea was nixed, according to Millican, by the IHRA.

“We had the artwork already done and we submitted it to them…it came back with a no,” Millican said. “I think that just goes with everything today being politically correct. The General Lee has to have a rebel flag. I don’t want to get into that political stuff. The IHRA probably felt that was the best decision.

“The General Lee to me is a ‘69 Charger with a rebel flag and 01 on the side. The Dukes of Hazzard was a good, family television show. What happened 150 years ago is what happened. It’s part of American history as far as I’m concerned. A lot of evil things happened, and whether or not you had a confederate flag or an American flag. A lot of Americans died for reasons they thought were good. I don’t know. I just prefer to stay away from that stuff.”

Gotta Love the 4-4-2 – It may not be at the front of the pack, but it is certainly one of the more memorable cars competing.

That’s exactly how Brian Robbins feels about driving Keith Engling’s supercharged Oldsmobile 4-4-2. Normally the car competes in Pro Street competition, but this weekend Robbins decided to go Pro Modified.

“That’s our plans,” Robbins said. “We’ve run the car in Pro Street for some time. We wanted to come out and run with the big boys this weekend.”

The car actually began as a wrecked Oldsmobile street car that was converted to a bracket car and eventually upgraded to its current status.

“Everyone loves the car that comes by it,” Robbins added. “You don’t get to see a lot of Oldsmobile-bodied cars at the track and to have a special edition only adds to that attraction. It turns a lot of heads wherever it goes.”

Seeing Double – Jim Halsey has a brand new bag and it looks a lot like a brand new 1968 Camaro from chassis builder Tim McAmis. Halsey brought the new car along to Milan and while he isn’t planning to run it this weekend, its debut is scheduled for the near future.

Those that keep up with Pro Modified will recall that last year Halsey debuted his current ride and proceeded to amass a 14-round winning streak beginning at a local Quick Eight and extending through the NHRA U.S. Nationals before ending in the semi-finals during the IHRA North American Nationals in Epping, NH. Even then, Halsey admittedly gave the race away when he underestimated his opponent.

“We just wanted a spare car,” Halsey said. “We wanted to have another one in case something happened. This car was actually ordered in the fall of 2004.”

Halsey is no newcomer to Pro Modified. He drove a national event contending nitrous-injected Lumina in the early 1990s with sponsorship from Castrol GTX. He went on a lengthy break when business demands of his construction company and Cecil County Dragway (a track Halsey owns) depleted much of the time he had allotted for racing.

Halsey’s victory recently in Edmonton marked his second career IHRA final round. His previous venture dated back to 1993 when he dropped a final round decision at the Empire Nationals to Pete Williams.

Feeling the love again – When Robert Patrick returned to the IHRA Pro Stock wars after a stint in 500-inch racing, he envisioned the day he would return to being a championship contender as he was before he left. Last season he began the trek with little or no data to work on. After all, the Purvis Ford-sponsored driver had been out of the game for ten years.

A decade later Patrick is atop the championship points standings.

“We’re doing exactly what he had set out to do…winning rounds and remaining consistent,” Patrick said. “We’ve won a race and held the record for a while and that puts us well on our way to accomplishing many of the goals we had established.”

Patrick admits that he’s wanted to be in the lead for a while. He’s now there.

“It all goes back to consistency,” Patrick said. “If we go out of this race and lose a bit of ground, I’m not going to be too overly concerned. There’s a lot of races left to go. I think this championship is going to go down to the end.”

Patrick currently leads Steve Spiess by 32 points and has almost 100 on third place Tony Gillig.

Patrick has embarked on a new engine program with Bob Ingles, a noted 500-inch expert. The top ranked driver feels the program is on the way to yielding huge dividends in the future.

“We are working on some stuff that I think will have us in real good shape by the end of the season,” Patrick said. “I think the really great thing is when we make a change to the engine, we are seeing results. It’s important to maintain that same horsepower level all the time.”   

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