SUNDAY FINAL - McClenathan Ends Millican’s Dominance at The Rock
(4-23-2006) - Clay Millican had owned Rockingham Dragway for a long time, winning nine consecutive national events heading into the Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts. One thing about winning streaks…they eventually come to an end.
Cory McClenathan ( Lake Havasu City, Ariz.) ended Millican’s dominance and won his first eMax Drag Racing Series event when he squeaked by Andrew Cowin (Wrightsville Beach, N.C.). McClenathan became the first driver to visit the Top Fuel winner’s circle at Rockingham Dragway since Paul Romine won the 2001 spring race at the track.
The ironic thing is Cowin advanced to the final in the car McClenathan drove in competition last year. Scott Griffin, when he put his Top Fuel team together, purchased much of his equipment from McClenathan’s race team, the Carrier Boyz.
“Andrew and I are good friends and there is a strong relationship between Scott Griffin and the Carrier Boyz,” McClenathan said. “It was funny because Scott was up in our lounge before the final, we were all up there cutting up and having fun. When do you think the last time two teams were going to the final against each other and they were hanging out in each other’s trailer? There is a lot of friendship there. They have a great car and are a great group of guys.”
Cowin left early on McClenathan in the final, taking a .044 second advantage at the starting line, but his Serta dragster’s engine gave out just past the 1,000-foot mark and McClenathan beat him to the stripe.
“They should have beat us,” McClenathan said. “Andrew got me at the stripe and had me at the 1,000 foot mark, but our car didn’t give up and his did just a little.”
McClenathan ran a 4.712/309.91 pass to top Cowin’s 4.786/281.54.
“This means a lot, especially for Mark and Andy Carrier since their father, Larry, founded the IHRA,” McClenathan said. “I have won plenty of times in NHRA competition, but this was my first one over here. I always wanted that Ironman and it is going to have a special place in my trophy case.”
Jack Wyatt also visited the winner’s circle for the first time in eMax Drag Racing Series competition. Wyatt ( Corydon, Iowa) topped Vinnie Arcadia ( Lancaster, N.Y.) in the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car final at Rockingham Dragway, posting a 5.033 pass at 290.01 mph.
“The car was very consistent all weekend,” Wyatt said. “I really didn’t have a run I could point at as being my toughest. The car and crew did a great job and it was great to get a win here at Rockingham. The crowd was incredible this weekend and the fans really treated us well.”
Joshua Hernandez was another driver who captured an Ironman for the first time at Rockingham Dragway. Hernandez ( Conroe, Tex.) topped Calgary, Alberta resident Glen Kerunsky in the final to take home his first Torco Pro Modified win. Kerunsky won Pro Modified in the first eMax Drag Racing Series event of the season, the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals in San Antonio.
“We just love to race,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter where we are or what organization we are in, anyone who will let us come and race we’re going to do it. We had a really good weekend here and were able to get the win, so that’s pretty much all we can ask for.”
Hernandez has now won races in both exhibition Pro Modified series, the ADRL and AMS/NHRA, and now has a professional win under his belt. His 6.274/228.07 pass easily put him out in front of Kerunsky, who got out of the groove and had to lift in the final.
Sunday’s Torco Pro Stock victory wasn’t the first for Tony Gillig ( Lake Bluff, Ill.), but it was his first in a very long time. Gillig had not won on the eMax Drag Racing Series circuit since 1998.
“It sure feels good to get the monkey off my back,” Gillig said. “It was about time I won one of these. The competition in Pro Stock is so tight and the field so balanced, anyone can win in any round.”
Gillig defeated Bert Jackson (Glen Ellen, Va.) by running a 6.499 pass at 203.28 mph. It was Jackson’s first career final.
Tom Carter ( Cuero, Tex.) moved into an Alcohol Funny Car prior to last season. After finishing fourth in the points standings last season, Carter finally broke through and captured his first Ironman.
“It is all about consistency,” Carter said. “I just try to do the same thing every time I get in the car, and it paid off. I don’t know what to think right now, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. This is great.”
Carter defeated Fred Tigges ( Holbrook, Mass.) on a holeshot. His elapsed time was worse than Tigges’, 5.944 to 5.931, but he made up for it by taking a .049 advantage at the tree.
The next event on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series is the MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, June 2 – 4, at Grand ( Ontario) Bend Motorplex.
Sunday's final results from the Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway. The $1.1 million race is the second of 11 in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Cory McClenathan, 4.712 seconds, 309.91 mph def. Andrew Cowin, 4.786 seconds, 281.54 mph.
Nitro Funny Car -- Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 5.033, 290.01 def. Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 5.102, 296.44.
Final round-by-round results from the 36th annual IHRA Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway, the second of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Clay Millican, 4.744, 274.05 def. Bruce Litton, 4.791, 306.67; Doug Foley, 4.705, 295.01 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.929, 273.16; Andrew Cowin, 4.758, 305.63 def. Michael Gunderson, 49.187, 32.31; Cory McClenathan, 4.807, 250.92 def. Rick Cooper, 5.478, 205.54;
FINAL -- McClenathan, 4.712, 309.91 def. Cowin, 4.786, 281.54.
NITRO FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 5.010, 283.79 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.208, 217.77; Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 5.453, 269.78 def. Gary Cooper, Dodge Stratus, 15.685, 78.43; Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 5.969, 254.47 def. Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 10.168, 103.33; Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 6.409, 164.89 def. Paul Lee, Camaro, 7.965, 104.07;
FINAL -- Gillig, 6.499, 203.28 def. Jackson, 6.930, 209.98.
Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the 36th annual IHRA Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway, the second of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Doug Foley, 200; 2. Clay Millican, 176; 3. Bruce Litton, 134; 4. Rick Cooper, 131; 5. Cory McClenathan, 121; 6. Andrew Cowin, 119; 7. Louie Allison, 72; 8. Bobby Lagana Jr., 71; 9. Michael Gunderson, 56; 10. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 55.
Pro Modified
1. Glen Kerunsky, 213; 2. Tommy D'Aprile, 159; 3. Josh Hernandez, 111; 4. Quain Stott, 110; 5. Jim Halsey, 107; 6. Rick Distefano, 100; 7. Carl Spiering, 99; 8. (tie) Mike Castellana, 88; Mike Janis, 88; 10. Dan Rowe, 87.
Alcohol Funny Car
1. Mark Thomas, 195; 2. Rob Atchison, 182; 3. Thomas Carter, 178; 4. Trevor Lebsack, 114; 5. Larry Dobbs, 110; 6. Frederick Tigges, 99; 7. Terry McMillen, 89; 8. Terry Munroe, 73; 9. (tie) Chris Foster, 57; Neal Parker, 57.
Pro Stock
1. (tie) Tony Gillig, 193; Frank Gugliotta, 193; 3. John Nobile, 113; 4. (tie) Rob Mansfield, 112; Steve Spiess, 112; 6. Larry O'Brien, 104; 7. Robert Patrick, 98; 8. Bert Jackson, 96; 9. Jeff Dobbins, 87; 10. John Montecalvo, 79.
Nitro Funny Car
1. Gary Densham, 204; 2. Bob Gilbertson, 138; 3. Jack Wyatt, 130; 4. Vincent Arcadi, 103; 5. Dale Creasy Jr., 100; 6. Cruz Pedregon, 81; 7. Frank Pedregon, 80; 8. Terry Haddock, 72; 9. (tie) Paul Lee, 54; Todd Simpson, 54.
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Cowin One-Ups Millican Again,
Ends IHRA Streak at The Rock
IHRA's longest streak of track domination by one race team went up in smoke Sunday afternoon at Rockingham Dragway.
Clay Millican said "not anything in particular" was to blame for his loss in a tire-spinning Top Fuel semifinal run to Andrew Cowin in the Nicko’s N.Y. Style Pizza Spring Nationals.
Millican's nine-race victory streak -- which dated back to the spring race of 2001 -- ended when his Werner Enterprises/Kenny Koretsky Racing Dragster left the starting line first but lost traction about half-track.
Back in October 2004, Cowin eclipsed Millican's Top Fuel national elapsed-time record here, although Millican got it back. And with a 4.942-second E.T. at 275.06 mph to Cowin's 5.075/234.66, he halted Millican's reign.
"We had one get away from us," Millican said. "Neither of us had a good run going, and he just made the better run. He smoked the tires, too, and he still got there before we did."
The Drummonds, Tennessee native indicated that a number of factors might have combined to keep him from steamrolling the competition as he has done in the past.
"This is one of the hottest springs I can remember here. Maybe that had something to do with it," he said. "Maybe there are few things I don't know about this race track. Without a doubt, this is still my favorite place on Earth. We've won a lot of races and won a lot of money. The fans here are the best, too. They're so knowledgeable and friendly. They've always treated me great. I guess it's just someone else's time."
Millican, uncharacteristically, is winless in both 2006 eMax Drag Racing events this season -- a first since 2001. Even so, he remains second in the standings behind Doug Foley, who was a semifinal victim of Cory McClenathan, the No. 1 qualifier and eventual winner.
"Sure, I'm disappointed," Millican said immediately after his semifinal loss. "Coming here and asking the finals as many times as I have, to fall a little short is frustrating. But this is racing You never know what's going to happen. I never expected to go to every final I went to at this track. At the same time, it's a little bit of a letdown, standing there, not getting ready to race again. I hope those guys have a great final, but to be honest with you, I don't care who wins."
He didn't mean that in a snide way. "It doesn't matter if I win or lose," he said. "As long as they're lining up for my autograph, I'm still a hero."
Millican said he was "happy to be back in my favorite Brad Hadman [built] car, chassis number 387. Its nickname is Flipper, because it’s the same chassis that flipped over last year [at Milan, Michigan]."
The Werner Enterprises/Koretsky Motorsports team will run back-to-back NHRA races at Bristol, Tennessee this weekend and at Atlanta the next. Its next IHRA outing will be June 2-4 at Grand Bend, Ontario.
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY: Andrew Cowin, Top Fuel driver of the Scott Griffin Motorsports/Serta Dragster
Cowin spoiled Clay Millican's bid for a 10th consecutive victory at the historic North Carolina track known as "The Rock." Although he didn't win the Top Fuel crown at Rockingham Dragway, the playful Australian swiped Cory McClenathan's Ironman trophy at the top end of the track following their final-round race, posed for pictures with it, and mugged in the winner's circle with the Carrier Boyz/FRAM Boost Dragster team.
After all, his own Scott Griffin Motorsports/Serta deal is a product of Mark and Andy Carrier's negotiating skills.
But the Sydney native quickly has become less identifiable with kangaroos than he is with sheep -- the Serta Perfect Counting Sheep popularized in television commercials. They're painted on his dragster and team hauler, and the little stuffed replicas are arguably the most popular sponsor item to hit drag racing in a long time.
Although Cowin refused to lift the throttle in his final run against McClenathan when he started having traction trouble and had an engine fire, he gave "Cory Mac" a close side-by-side race. McClenathan beat him with a 4.712-second elapsed time at 309.91 to Cowin's 4.786/281.54.
"We had him till about 400 feet. I pushed out a head gasket, and our fuse wasn't long enough," Cowin said.
He said he senses his team is on the verge of winning: "This team is up and coming, and we're going to win one of these drag races. Just hold on, buddy.
"Our team did a great job," Cowin said, pleased with the strong showing despite some thrashing in the pits. "We didn’t even get a chance to fire that thing in the pit. We went up to the final round without lighting the thing in the pits. I put my life in these guys' hands. We just need a little more track time, probably testing and stuff. We've got a bad-to-the-bone hot rod right now."
As for his match-up against Millican, Cowin said, "I owed him one. Actually, the last time I raced at The Rock, he beat me in the semifinals. He's a great guy to race, great personality, great crew. When you race against people like that -- that's a Triple-A team. That really brings out your best."
PIT e-PATTER
Heavy Hearts – Roy Hill said it the best when he pointed out that drag racing had lost a hero with Ronnie Sox's death Saturday evening. On Sunday, he lettered his Blue Max tribute Mustang with an “In Memory of Ronnie Sox” decal.
Sox won six times in IHRA Pro Stock competition dating back to 1971. In 1972, Sox made a clean sweep of events in Rockingham.
Sox won his only IHRA Pro Stock championship during the 1981 season, driving a Dean Thompson Mustang and powered by a Jack Roush engine.
Sox passed away at 7:55 p.m. at his residence in Richmond, Virginia, with his family and friends by his side.
'Finally! A real one!' -- It was not lost on Tommy Lipar, owner of Josh Hernandez's winning "Dr. Moon's Rage" '67 Camaro, that the IHRA recognizes the Torco Pro Modified class as a professional category. The NHRA, on the other hand, has kept the class at exhibition status. So when Hernandez jumped from his car at the top end of the track and held his Ironman trophy, Lipar grabbed onto it and exclaimed, "Finally! A real one!"
Tricky Right Lane – Maybe the right lane required a complex combination, but the stats proved a select few had it during the first round of Torco Pro Modified and Torco Pro Stock divisions. Out of 16 first-round pairings, only two drivers won in the right lane.
John Bartunek was the first winner with a holeshot victory over Jeff Dobbins. Five pairs later as Pro Modified opened, Glen Kerunsky defeated Matt Hagan.
In the first two rounds of competition, only eight right-lane winners emerged out of 36 races. The reason for that might be that the left lane was four degrees cooler -- and that could have been aided by the large concrete grandstands on the left side.
New Territory – Drag racers found the warmest track temperature of the weekend as it reached 109 degrees by Noon on Sunday. Prior to that, the warmest it had been was 99. By the end of the second round it was 122.
New dragster coming -- First-year owner Scott Griffin probably would field a dozen hot rods if he could guarantee every weekend would be as exciting as this one. But long before his Serta Dragster driver Andrew Cowin ended Clay Millican's Rockingham streak to advance to the final round, Griffin was heading in that direction.
"I've made no secret about it. I'm going to have another car next year, another dragster," Griffin told 1320tv.com. "We're real, real excited about it. We'll probably make an announcement here in the next 30 days about who the driver's going to be. [We] do not have sponsorship lined up, but I feel very confident that will come. We're like everyone else: we're like a squirrel digging for a nut. And every day we turn over a new rock."
No Crewmen injured in the filming of this movie – Scott Cannon fell short of making the Torco Pro Modified field, but he achieved an even larger feat in the weeks leading up to this race. His father, Scotty, a six-time Pro Modified champion, and the team worked long hours in close quarters and only one fight broke out.
The spat was between father and son.
"We had a small one," Cannon the Elder said. "He and I usually have about two or three good ones a year. But, he and I have a great relationship. If I was an outsider and I could see the relationship I have, I'd be jealous. This was what I call a spit-spat.
"He drives the car, painted it and tunes on it. I could sit and brag on him all day long. But that would bore everyone to death."
Sometimes the answer is no -- Ricky Jones, son of and crew chief for Pro Stock driver/car builder Rick Jones, sought divine intervention during Saturday's rain delay. His father was unqualified and needed that one last chance. But the rain was persistent, and the IHRA pulled the plug on qualifying after just two opportunities. Jones didn't make the show, but it was not because his son didn't try everything.
Winning scary -- Tony Gillig's final-round victory in the Torco Pro Stock class might have looked effortless, but tFord Mustang driver said the 6.499-second, 203.28-mph trip down the Rockingham Dragway quarter-mile was anything but a joyride. He said opponent Bert Jackson (6.930/209.98) easily could have defeated him, if only his Chevy Cavalier had been healthy.
"Something happened at about 1100 or1200 feet. The car made a hard move to the right an got near the center line," he said. "Thank God -- for me -- that Bert had trouble early and shut it off. I was there for the taking."
Gillig said he couldn't identify what caused the trouble.
"I don't know what happened or what it got into, but it definitely shot over to that center line," he said. "It woke me up in a hurry. Usually by high gear, you're just along for the ride with nothing to do. We got lucky. We definitely dodged a bullet."
Weird was how his entire Sunday afternoon went, especially in the second round. He faced John Montecalvo, whom his dad advises and for whom his brother-in-law Billy used to work. Then top qualifier Frank Gugliotta red-lit in the opposite lane, sending him into his first final round since last summer at Edmonton -- where he was runner-up to . . . Frank Gugliotta.
For Gillig, a Rockingham victory was especially gratifying. "This place," he said, "has been kicking my butt for three years."
'Say aaaaaaagh!' -- Just as a doctor can better help a patient by understanding his personality, a drag racer needs to be aware of his hot rod's feelings if he is to get the most productivity from it. Alcohol Funny Car winner Tom Carter -- Dr. Tom Carter -- balances racing with his dental practice in Victoria, Texas. And he was trying psychology on his car at the end of his winning pass.
It turned out he had more than Fred Tigges and his 5.931-second E.T. at 240.29 mph to overcome for his career-first triumph. Not only did Carter beat Tigges on a holeshot with a slower 5.944/236.42 in his '05 "Jawbreaker" Camaro, but he did it despite running over what he called "a big wad of metal" that inexplicably and uncharacteristically was on the track.
"Just as the 'chutes came out," Carter said, "the car got really upset." He wondered why the usually well-behaved car acted up. A safety worker gave him the answer, showing him a large piece of shrapnel that his car evidently ran over.
"It was just a fluke thing," Carter said. "These guys do a great job with track preparation. At every event it's pristine."
Going for the title -- Jack Wyatt, who said his 2002 Race Girl Pontiac Firebird Nitro Funny Car "was nice and clean and ran the same every run," used a 5.033-second elapsed time at 290.01 mph to squeak past journeyman Vinnie Arcadi, whose 5.102/296.44 capped his day of career-first round-wins and outstanding performances.
"We're going for the championship. We know we can run well," Wyatt, of Corydon, Iowa, said. "Even if it’s a little slower, if you get the consistency down, you can make little changes to make it quicker. "
He said he and Arcadi shared a moment of fun and anticipation before they got in their cars in the staging lanes, for each was about to make probably the biggest and boldest statements of his career.
Oblivious -- According to IHRA President Aaron Polburn, Arcadi was almost in shock at going so many rounds when he cruised past the hard-working, low-budget driver's pit beforehand. Polburn suggested to a slightly frenzied Arcadi,who was packing his parachutes at the time, that because the temperature was in the 80s, he might want at least to unzip and peel down his fire suit to stay cool. Polburn said Arcadi looked up at him and said, "Oh, OK," then just continued packing the 'chutes, all bundled up.
La la . . . Life is good -- Former policeman Hernandez, with a 6.274-second E.T. at 228.07 in his Dr. Moon's Rage '68 Camaro, denied Glen Kerunsky back-to-back victories in the Pro Mod final. Kerunsky limped across the finish line with a 10.258/101.12.
"The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I've got an Ironman I'm taking home for the first time, so I'm very happy," Hernandez said.
Hernandez has won races in the American Drag Racing League and NHRA's exhibition-class Pro Mod series. Said Hernandez, "Wherever they let us in the gate, we're going racing."
Wrong car, wrong time -- Bruce Litton said the reason he didn't beat on-track rival Clay Millican in their first-round meeting was simple: "We just raced the wrong car at the wrong time."
Litton was first out of the gate with a .047-second reaction time for a .036-second advantage. He ran a 4.791-second elapsed time at 306.67 mph -- his best run of the weekend -- but Millican won with a 4.744/274.05.
"The rain hurt us somewhat," Litton said. "We were in the hunt for a good bit of the race When you lose a race that close you can't help but be disappointed. We do our very best to make [sponsors] Forrest Lucas (Lucas Oil) and Evan Knoll (Torco Race Fuels) proud of us."
Champion gone early – Steve Spiess snapped a five-year dry spell at Rockingham by winning the Torco Pro Stock crown at Rockingham last April. Today his success dried up in the first round. It wasn't for lack of effort, though.
Spiess, of Manhattan, Illinois, snagged the early lead with an impressive .009 reaction time. Despite the starting-line advantage and a 6.498-second elapsed time and 212.76-mph speed, he still lost to top qualifier Frank Gugliotta.
Spiess recorded his lowest qualifying effort -- No. 9 -- in more than a year. Ironically, the IHRA changed its pairing system in 2006, reverting back to the procedure that pairs the quickest qualifier with the quickest second-half qualifier.
Maybe because Spiess and his team were unaccustomed to being in that position, but his hauler driver pulled out of the pits with his electrical power line still hooked up.
Patrick second-guesses himself -- Second-guessing will always be a part of drag racing.
Robert Patrick, driver of the Purvis Ford-sponsored Torco Pro Stock entry, had the chance to change lanes before his second-round encounter with Larry O'Brien. He second-guessed his gut feeling to switch and stayed put.
Patrick's mountain-motored Mustang got loose at the one-two shift, and that was enough to force his usually reliable machine out of the groove. He lost the race to O'Brien.
"I went through low gear just fine, but then I put it into second and it felt like I was I was driving on a sheet of ice," Patrick said. "Obviously we didn't have the right combination for second gear, because it went all over the place."
Patrick admitted the clutch graph on his run was the best that it had been all weekend.
"I should have gone with the right lane after I saw John Nobile get out of shape in the left," Patrick said. "I had the lane choice and I know this thing had a 6.44 in it. I guess it was a could've, would’ve and should've thing."
Patrick, the No. 2 qualifier, was the clear favorite.
This was the final event on his current Cobra SVT and plans to have his new 2006 Mustang GT500 at the June 2-4 race, in Grand Bend, Ontario. "It ought to be fun," Patrick said.
SATURDAY - Gilbertson Shatters Nitro Funny Car Mark; Sets Rockingham Dragway track record while securing #1 qualifying post Saturday
(4-22-2006) - Rain washed away the final pro qualifying round at Rockingham Dragway Saturday. Prior to that Bob Gilbertson washed away the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car track record. Gilbertson, from nearby Gastonia, N.C., clocked a 4.837 second / 312.86 mph pass during afternoon qualifying to claim the top spot and erase Cruz Pedregon’s previous Rockingham best of 4.884 set in 1998. When thunderstorms washed out the evening qualifying session Gilbertson found himself atop the ladder at the Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts.
“This is wonderful,” Gilbertson said. “Being at our home track and breaking the track record…it just doesn’t get any better than that. It felt real good, but that was a mediocre run for me. We left a lot on the table but we wanted to make sure we got down the track.”
Gary Densham ( Bellflower, Cal.) claimed the second qualifying spot with a 5.050/234.13 pass while Dale Creasy, Jr. ( Beecher, Ill.) closed out the top three with a 5.132/250.92 run Friday.
Vincent Arcadi ( Lancaster, N.Y.), Terry Haddock ( Lynwood, Wash.), Paul Lee ( Bala Cymwyd, Pa.), Jack Wyatt ( Corydon, Iowa) and Gary Cooper ( Omaha, Neb.) rounded out the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car field.
Cory McClenathan ( Lake Havasu City, Ariz.) claimed the top qualifying spot in Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel, but it was Andrew Cowin’s Saturday afternoon pass that sent a buzz through Rockingham Dragway. Cowin, originally from Sydney, Australia but now residing in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., drove the Scott Griffin Motorsports/Serta Mattresses ’06 Hadman Dragster to the #2 qualifying position with a time of 4.559 and a speed of 322.88.
Griffin hired Cowin to drive his entry in December, and Cowin was pleased to be able to put down a strong number at his boss’ home track.
“Scott gave me a chance to drive this car and I am so grateful for that,” Cowin said. “This was the second time I have run a .55 at Rockingham and it meant a lot for me that I was able to do it for Scott Griffin Motorsports. We’re getting a handle on this car, if I can put a couple of runs like that together tomorrow it could get really interesting.”
After failing to break into the top eight Friday, five-time defending Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) and the winner of the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals Doug Foley ( Sewell, N.J.) were able to jump into the field Saturday. Millican’s 4.641/308.57 pass put his Werner Enterprises dragster into the #4 position while Foley’s 4.628/319.67 placed him third.
Rick Cooper ( Boise, Id.), Michael Gunderson ( Middleburg, Fla.), Rhonda Hartman-Smith ( Williamston, S.C.) and Bruce Litton ( Indianapolis, Ind.) rounded out the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel field.
Rob Atchison (London, Ontario) laid down the best Alcohol Funny Car pass Saturday, posting a 5.774/245.14 to vault into the #1 qualifying spot. The three-time defending AFC World Champion fell to Mark Thomas in the finals at the season opener in San Antonio, but he nosed in front of Thomas in Rockingham. Thomas ( Louisville, Ohio) posted a 5.826/243.02 to claim the second seed while Fred Tigges ( Holbrook, Mass.) finished third with a 5.840/242.63 pass.
Trevor Lebsack ( Slave Lake, Alb.), Neal Parker ( Millville, N.J.), Melinda Green-King ( Norfolk, Va.), Larry Dobbs ( Welland, Ont.) and Thomas Carter ( Cuero, Tex.) rounded out the Alcohol Funny Car field.
Tommy D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Fla.) proved his Torco Pro Modified finals appearance in San Antonio was not a fluke. In his first year of driving Quain Stott’s second car, D’Aprile ran a 6.132/230.69 to end up on the pole when qualifying was finished. Three weeks ago D’Aprile fell in the final to Glen Kerunsky at the San Antonio Raceway.
Former Pro Mod World Champion Mike Janis (Lancaster, N.Y.), trying to overcome a difficult ’05 race season, continued his strong ’06 campaign by running a 6.138/230.84 pass to finish in the #2 qualifying position. Calgary resident Rick Distefano, the #1 qualifier in San Antonio, ended up in the third position while ’05 World Champion Mike Castellana ( Westbury, N.Y.) was fourth.
Frank Gugliotta ( Mt. Airy, Md.) followed up his Torco Pro Stock victory in San Antonio by claiming the pole at Rockingham Dragway. Gugliotta’s 6.420/216.51 put him in front of the #2 man Robert Patrick ( Fredericksburg, Va.), who posted a 6.428/214.35 pass. Tony Gillig ( Lake Bluff, Ill.), John Nobile ( Dix Hills, N.Y.) and Jeff Dobbins ( Wilmington, N.C.) rounded out the top five.
The Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals will continue Sunday morning at Rockingham Dragway with professional elimination rounds beginning at 11 a.m. Gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday tickets will be honored Sunday with corresponding ticket stub.
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway, the second of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Cory McClenathan, 4.549 seconds, 326.32 mph vs. 5. Rick Cooper, 4.664, 314.17; 2. Andrew Cowin, 4.559, 322.88 vs. 6. Michael Gunderson, 4.677, 316.23; 3. Doug Foley, 4.628, 319.67 vs. 7. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.790, 299.40; 4. Clay Millican, 4.641, 308.57 vs. 8. Bruce Litton, 4.794, 304.94.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Corvette, 6.132, 231.24 vs. 9. Mike Bell, Ford Mustang, 6.198, 229.35; 2. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.138, 230.84 vs. 10. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.201, 231.95; 3. Rick Distefano, Corvette, 6.141, 231.16 vs. 11. Josh Hernandez, Chevy Camaro, 6.201, 231.28; 4. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.157, 229.70 vs. 12. Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.208, 227.15; 5. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.173, 230.80 vs. 13. Steve Vick, Corvette, 6.214, 222.66; 6. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.183, 224.92 vs. 14. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.216, 226.73; 7. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.190, 223.47 vs. 15. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.218, 226.77; 8. Glen Kerunsky, Bel Air, 6.196, 228.04 vs. 16. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.218, 227.46.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.774, 246.08 vs. 5. Neal Parker, Monte Carlo, 5.963, 235.39; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.826, 243.02 vs. 6. Melinda Green-King, Dodge Avenger, 5.967, 232.87; 3. Frederick Tigges, Avenger, 5.840, 242.63 vs. 7. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.975, 232.63; 4. Trevor Lebsack, Ford Mustang, 5.905, 231.08 vs. 8. Thomas Carter, Chevy Camaro, 5.988, 234.94.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.435, 216.90 vs. 9. Michael Bruno, Pontiac GTO, 6.488, 214.93; 2. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.438, 214.93 vs. 10. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.492, 213.94; 3. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.446, 215.86 vs. 11. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.496, 214.14; 4. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.449, 215.62 vs. 12. Bert Jackson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.520, 212.33; 5. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.466, 216.17 vs. 13. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.522, 212.39; 6. Jason Collins, Mustang, 6.473, 214.52 vs. 14. Doug Kirk, Escort, 6.529, 214.31; 7. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.483, 213.03 vs. 15. Ron Miller, Cavalier, 6.541, 210.80; 8. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.484, 214.35 vs. 16. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.550, 211.83.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 4.837, 312.86 vs. 5. Terry Haddock, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.421, 266.11; 2. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 5.050, 234.13 vs. 6. Paul Lee, Chevy Camaro, 5.908, 163.99; 3. Dale Creasy Jr., Monte Carlo, 5.132, 250.92 vs. 7. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 6.441, 157.50; 4. Vincent Arcadi, Camaro, 5.402, 281.71 vs. 8. Gary Cooper, Stratus, 6.521, 170.32.
Snake Bitten
Billy Harper shook the tires and the force carried him into the left retaining wall. He was uninjured but complained of a sore rib after the mishap.
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY: Pete Berner, Pro Stock, Pontiac GTO
The Crete, Illinois, driver who's a member of the FBI -- Fast Boys from Illinois -- probably is wondering, "What's a guy to do?" He improved 10 places in Saturday's qualifying session, but he still missed the cut by a mere five-thousandths of a second. His 6.502-second elapsed time at 211.36 mph put him 17th, as Bert Jackson anchored the field with a 6.497 E.T.
Berner, who's making his second national event after switching from a Ford to a Pontiac GTO, said he just missed the combination Saturday.
"We missed the call today," Berner said. "The track looked like it had a lot more in it. We erred by being too aggressive. When we ran today we backed it down too much.
"The bottom line is that we just didn't have enough info on this car and the track. It went down the track well in testing at Mooresville and on a few runs the incrementals showed some 6.30s for the quarter-mile.
"We just have a car that is totally different from anything else we've run before."
PIT e-PATTER
The Early Birds – The event's second qualifying session was moved to noon in anticipation of rain, and a subsequent thunderstorm pushed the start time until almost 2 p.m.
Top Fuel
Present better than past -- Cory McClenathan definitely has had a better time at Rockingham Dragway than he had in his previous visit.
Thirteen years ago, in 1993, he had a major accident in his dragster, but this weekend he has dominated the Top Fuel class with his FRAM Boost/Carrier Boyz Dragster. In Friday qualifying, he seized the top spot with a 4.549-second pass and set the track speed record with a 326.32 mph that was slightly off Clay Millican's national record 326.63.
"I've had a checkered past at Rockingham," McClenathan said. "I crashed pretty hard there in '93 and ended up in the burn center for a few days. I have been back since, but not in a Top Fuel dragster."
He held off a hard-charging Andrew Cowin, who moved up from the eighth and final spot in the field to second with a Saturday run of 4.559 E.T. at 326.32 mph. And he withstood the performances of No. 3 Doug Foley, the San Antonio winner who wasn't in the field after Friday's session, and No. 4 Clay Millican, who had missed the grid Friday also.
Rained out -- Among the hard-luck Top Fuel drivers who had no chance to make a last-ditch effort to get into the field were Louie Allison, T.J. Zizzo (who had been seventh Friday and predicted that this "is a very competitive field and it will be tough keeping this car in the top eight"), Bobby Lagana, and Chris Karamesines.
Flipper is back – The Top Fuel dragster Clay Millican drove during last year's IHRA Motor City Nationals at Milan, Michigan, earned a nickname in conjunction with his top-end blow-over. The car is known as "Flipper." This weekend Flipper replaces the dragster Millican drove at NHRA's Pomona event and the events leading up to Houston. That car was named "Squeaky."
The difference between Flipper and Squeaky is the rear half of the car. Flipper has the required NHRA heat-treated tubing, which is actually a thinner, but stronger version of the tubing. The NHRA required this process to be implemented on all cars by April 1, and each back-halving process costs the teams anywhere from $7,500 to $8,000.
According to Millican crew chief Mike Kloeber, the NHRA's implementation was based largely on a Murf McKinney design. The owners of Brad Hadman cars have complied with the revision.
Millican's car features a few extra braces to prevent what happened to Cory McClenathan. In Gainesville, McClenathan's dragster was sidelined with a bent frame rail.
When a Top Fuel dragster launches the top frame rail is generally pushed forward while the rear is pulled back. The extra tubing on Millican's car should keep the rails from flexing inward, as it did with McClenathan's.
Millican was floundering after the first day here with Flipper, smoking the tires. But he qualified fourth Saturday with a 4.641-second elapsed time.
Nitro Funny Car
Not feeling pampered -- Dale Creasy Jr. was demoted from second place to third after Saturday's first session, the second overall. His weekend-best 4.936-second, 287.29 mph effort was tossed out because the containment device commonly known as the "diaper" on his Torco Monte Carlo was dragging. The 5.132-second elapsed time from Friday night, which was quickest, was only third-best by that time. The ruling elevated Gary Densham to second place.
Scaring everybody? -- Gary Densham -- winner of the previous race, the season-opener at San Antonio -- excited the crowd with his 5.050-second pass at 234.13 mph in the second overall session Saturday. And, with the way his Racebricks Chevy Monte Carlo lurched toward the center line toward the end of his run, he scared IHRA President Aaron Polburn, who was taking a turn at the public-address system microphone. "That scared the hell out of me!" Polburn declared.
Better reason -- NHRA regular Bob Gilbertson, who had said at San Antonio that he enjoys IHRA competition "because we're not on probation over here," has a new reason to love it even more. He put his Prestone/Autolite Chevy Monte Carlo at the top of the order Saturday with a 4.837-second run at 312.86 mph.
Eighth spot filled – On Friday, only seven Nitro Funny Cars were on the grounds of Rockingham Dragway. The eighth slot filled up Saturday, but not before a good bit of lobbying and logistics.
The original plan was for the Virgil Hartman team to gather enough engine parts to run Bob Gilbertson's Jungle Jim tribute Funny Car with John "Bodie" Smith driving. Then Hartman offered to bring in one of his nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars.
In the end, Paul Richard's transporter rolled in. The team left West Palm Beach, Fla., at 1 a.m.., and it took almost 11 hours to drive here -- and eight of that was consumed with a temperamental trailer that had lighting and brake problems for almost eight hours.
The weekend should be prosperous as the team has second-generation tuner Mike Smith helping out.
With Paul Lee doing the driving the team slipped into the seventh spot with a run of 5.908 seconds at 163.99 mph.
Haddock improves -- Paul Lee's arrival from Maryland for Saturday competition filled out the Nitro Funny Car lineup of eight, and his 5.908-second effort also helped Terry Haddock.
Haddock, in the H57 Hoodia '05 Monte Carlo, erased his 10.130-second, 103.35-mph performance with a 5.421/266.11 Saturday. That lifted him to fifth place with a session left.
It was a pleasant turn of events for the low-budget, Lynnwood, Washington-based driver whose team hauler encountered a transmission problem about 200 miles away from Rockingham earlier in the week. "We limped into the track," Haddock said, estimating that the problem would cost $5,000 that he doesn't have. "But we'll be all right," he said.
Haddock said that despite his first-round defeat to eventual event champion Gary Densham, he enjoys competing at IHRA races in the newly re-established class.
"I was disappointed we didn't run better, but I thought it was a real nice race track,” Haddock said. "I also have to thank all the track officials for how we were treated. The customer service IHRA provides will be one of the things, I think, that will make this class grow. Racers respond to being treated well.
"I think a lot of people thought it was going to be easy pickin's in San Antonio," Haddock said. "It really wasn't and I think Nitro Funny Car is going to be a very competitive class this year and for years to come.”
He said. "What you saw in San Antonio wasn't characteristic of this team. San Antonio definitely was not indicative of how we can run. We found a few small problems we didn't find in San Antonio and we should run a whole lot better."
Pro Modified
You’re Outta Here – Torco Pro Modified team owner Paul Trussell has had enough of the 1963 Corvette his driver has piloted for the last three years. Trussell says the car is for sale and that he has purchased the G-Force Race Cars-built 1963 Corvette of Al Billes.
Harper's bizarre -- Torco Pro Modified driver Billy Harper learned a valuable lesson about Rockingham Dragway during Saturday's qualifying session: The walls at Rockingham aren't soft.
As his nitrous-injected Dodge Viper launched, it encountered severe tire shake which caused the Mopar to fishtail a bit before making a direct door hit on the concrete left retaining wall.
Harper emerged from the car, but not before feeling the effects of the mishap which he feels might have broken or at least bruised a rib.
"I think it hurt my feelings a lot more," Harper said. "We're done for racing at this event. I may stay on Monday and make some short testing hits, but this car will have to go on the jig before it makes a 200 mile-per-hour run."
Harper might not have too hard of a job repairing the cosmetic work. He reportedly has an extra front end and door handy.
"We just overpowered the track," Harper said. "I am disappointed for the crew. We had a good race car this weekend."
Work not paying off yet -- Scott Cannon said his crew "has worked and worked . . . for two weeks, 24 hours a day" to repair his new Vanishing Point Race Cars-prepared Pontiac GTO that crashed in the season-opening race at San Antonio. But the Skull Gear-sponsored entry never could make the 16-car field, as Cannon improved from 23rd Friday to just 21st before the rains hit.
"Our team has shown a lot of resolve since this happened. The team pulled together to get the job done," he said. And the GTO was worth salvaging. It registered a 237-mph clocking during the first session of qualifying during the Amalie Oil IHRA Texas Nationals.
Dad Scotty said, "Friday was the first run we had made on the car since San Antonio. We had no testing whatsoever. On the first run we had some brake problems, and that caused some problems in staging. When we ran today, that 6.24 was the first full run under power we had made.
"We're encouraged by the progress we've made in just two runs, and we went up there knowing we couldn't get greedy after losing our first run and knowing there was a chance for rain today. We needed a baseline run today and we got it. Our only problem is that we didn't turn up enough."
A few years after the elder Cannon had his first crash, he made his Top Sportsman debut at Rockingham Dragway in 1987. While Scotty admits to bouts of superstition, he said couldn't help but notice the numbers that made up his best run. He made the field with a 7.77 at 177 miles per hour.
Scotty retired from the Pro Modified class in 1998 to pursue a nitro Funny Car program. He returned in 2004 for another run in Pro Modified, but he stepped aside in 2005 for his son to drive. Incredibly, Cannon still ranks as the most successful driver in the class.
"We just worked hard in those days," Scotty Cannon said. "After this accident, it's like we never left. We're still working hard."
Pro Stock
No ulterior designs -- At least nobody can accuse chassis builders Rick Jones and Jerry Haas of hogging all the best Chevys for themselves. Jones couldn't get his Cobalt into the 16-car field after two tries, although he improved one spot Saturday afternoon. Haas and his Cavalier dropped two positions, to 27th with one more session remaining.
Fueling speculation – The honor system was in effect for Friday's Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock qualifying session. Normally the class, which runs a spec fuel, is fueled in the staging lanes. This time the drivers were given permission to fuel the cars in the pits.
Rumors quickly surfaced suggesting that the IHRA was looking to catch drivers cheating because some had gone as quick as low-6.30s in private test sessions. That scuttlebutt was neither confirmed nor denied by the IHRA's Mike Baker.
Baker said it isn't an "every-race" procedure and will be done periodically.
"We just decided to let them start fueling their cars," Baker said. "We're not worried about anything illegal. We're still checking the cars at the top end, so they can't get anything by us. We have all the measurements and numbers associated with the fuel.
"Tomorrow we may fuel them in the lanes. I don’t know."
The sanctioning bodies adopted the procedure of fueling the cars with Torco Race Fuels 118NOS blend in the lanes to prevent improprieties.
On his Gahm -- Brian Gahm was one driver who was glad IHRA bumped up its first Saturday qualifying session. He jumped 14 spots to the No. 12 position.
EARLY SATURDAY - Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals Racing Resumes
(4-22-2006) - After a short rain delay, racing has resumed at Rockingham Dragway for the Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts. Times for the rest of the day are as originally scheduled with the final round of professional qualifying at 6:30. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m.
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FRIDAY - MCCLENATHAN SETS RECORD IN FIRST DAY QUALIFYING DURING NICKO’S NY STYLE PIZZA SPRING NATIONALS
(4-21-2006) -Driving for the sons of IHRA founder Larry Carrier, Cory McClenathan of Anaheim, Calif., raced to a Rockingham Dragway speed record Friday and took the first day lead in Torco Racing Fuels Top Fuel qualifying at the Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts.
McClenathan, driving for brothers Andy and Mark Carrier, was clocked in 4.549 seconds at 326.32 miles per hour, shattering the 323.19 mph record held by five-time IHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican.
If there was a Friday surprise in Top Fuel, it wasn’t so much that McClenathan was No. 1, it was that Millican was not in the eight-car lineup after the first of three qualifying sessions. The 40-year-old veteran from Drummonds, Tenn., was forced to abort his first attempt when his dragster shook hard and lost traction.
It was a rare stumble at Rockingham for the IHRA champ who is bidding for his 10th consecutive victory on the North Carolina track, a streak that dates to 2001.
With Millican, points leader Doug Foley and former IHRA record holder Andrew Cowin all experiencing traction problems, McClenathan’s 4.549 was all the more impressive.
Traction problems were not limited to Top Fuel.
In the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class, contested at Rockingham for the first time since 1998 and in the eMax Drag Racing Series for the first time since ‘92, pre-race favorites Gary Densham of Bellflower, Calif., and Bob Gilbertson of Gastonia, N.C., both experienced traction problems.
As a result, the first day spotlight belonged to Dale Creasy Jr. of Beecher, Ill., who was clocked in 5.132 seconds at 250.42 mph to lead a short field of seven cars.
Densham, the 2004 winner of the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., drag racing’s biggest single event, was clocked in 5.481 seconds at only 184 mph. Winner of the season-opening IHRA Lone Star Nationals at San Antonio, Texas, the former auto shop teacher will have two opportunities to improve his position on Saturday.
Other first day leaders were Tommy D’Aprile of Port Charlotte, Fla., in Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified; Frank Gugliotta of Mt. Airy, Md., in Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock; and reigning series champion Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, Canada, in Alcohol Funny Car.
D’Aprile was the quickest of the 32 who made qualifying runs in the increasingly popular Pro Mod category. He drove his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette replica to a time of 6.139 seconds at 231.24 mph to take the provisional No. 1 with Rick DiStefano of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, second at 6.157 and Jim Halsey of Street, Md., third at 6.183.
Asheboro’s Mike Bell, the track record holder at 6.046 seconds, was the quickest Carolinian at 6.198 seconds, good enough for the No. 4 spot ahead of Chip King of Semora, N.C., and Josh Hernandez of Conroe, Texas, both at 6.201.
Results Friday after qualifying for the 36th annual IHRA Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway, second of 12 events in the2006 eMax Drag Racing Series.Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Cory McClenathan, 4.549 seconds, 326.32 mph; 2. Rick Cooper, 4.664, 314.17; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.794, 304.94; 4. Louie Allison, 4.810, 297.55; 5. Michael Gunderson, 4.831, 287.23; 6. Rhonda Hartman, 5.042, 262.74; 7. T.J. Zizzo, 5.112, 197.86; 8. Andrew Cowin, 5.670, 181.35.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.132, 250.92; 2. Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 5.402, 281.71; 3. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 5.481, 184.50; 4. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 6.441, 157.50; 5. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 7.800, 128.81; 6. Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 10.130, 103.35; 7. Gary Cooper, Stratus, 12.719, 84.50.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Corvette, 6.139, 231.24; 2. Rick Distefano, Corvette, 6.157, 230.53; 3. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.183, 224.73; 4. Mike Bell, Ford Mustang, 6.198, 229.35; 5. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.201, 231.95; 6. Josh Hernandez, Camaro, 6.201, 231.28; 7. Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.208, 227.15; 8. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.217, 229.51; 9. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.218, 224.32; 10. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.239, 222.62; 11. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.239, 221.34; 12. John Russo, Camaro, 6.242, 224.21; 13. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.243, 225.82; 14. Keith Baker, Corvette, 6.273, 222.77; 15. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.281, 224.32; 16. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.288, 205.19.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.774, 245.14; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.826, 243.02; 3. Frederick Tigges, Dodge Avenger, 5.840, 242.63; 4. Trevor Lebsack, Ford Mustang, 5.905, 231.08; 5. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 5.967, 232.63; 6. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.975, 232.63; 7. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.995, 207.94; 8. Neal Parker, Monte Carlo, 6.014, 233.56.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.435, 216.90; 2. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.438, 214.93; 3. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.446, 215.86; 4. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.449, 215.62; 5. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.466, 216.17; 6. Jason Collins, Ford Mustang, 6.473, 214.52; 7. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.483, 213.03; 8. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.484, 214.35; 9. Michael Bruno, Pontiac GTO, 6.488, 214.93; 10. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.492, 213.94; 11. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.496, 214.14; 12. Bert Jackson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.520, 212.33; 13. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.522, 212.39; 14. Doug Kirk, Escort, 6.529, 214.31; 15. Ron Miller, Cavalier, 6.541, 210.80; 16. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.550, 211.83.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK
Family Hartman's Top Priority; Nitro Racing Just Play Now
Virgil Hartman studied the factors before him and made the most logical decision he could.
"I still had a car, a trailer, and all the parts," Harman said. "We have some longtime sponsors that we've had for years, and we wanted to keep them happy and the kids wanted to race. So we're here and we are running."
Hartman and daughter Rhonda Hartman-Smith, along with son-in-law John "Bodie" Smith have brought their Top Fuel dragster out for the first time in 2006. In 2005, John drove when Rhonda took maternity leave.
For the elder Hartman, this marks a second year of running an independent schedule. After years of competing respectably with limited funds, Hartman and his team are adjusting to a simpler life in which they race on their terms.
Hartman went back to work in his plastics shop in Williamston, South Carolina.
"I returned to my plastics business that had fallen with my absence," Hartman said. "It became our primary focus over the winter. It has grown back to where we want it, and now when I have the urge to go racing, I have my nostalgia cars."
Indeed, Papa Hartman has a brand-new interest, despite a work regimen that brings him to work at 5:30 a.m. and home that evening by 8. It's not all work and no play, though.
"I still work hard at the shop, but I take more time for the family stuff," Hartman said. "Racing is playing for me. I spend my time going to the school activities with my grandchildren. [Granddaughter] Megan is playing basketball. Richard's kids are playing softball now. That's the recreation for me and my wife is seeing them play."
Those are activities that Hartman admits that he missed for many years in chasing championships. But when the time to return presented itself, it wasn’t Hartman who encouraged it, but rather his daughter, Rhonda.
"She really wanted to be back out there," Hartman said. "We had talked about going to Gainesville and then to Houston. It took us until now to get out here."
Running on his own dime is nothing new to Hartman and the family. Hartman put together a program with FRAM-Autolite for years, but before that he was an independent.
"Rhonda and her husband John [Smith] are actively pursuing sponsorship," Hartman said. "They are looking for something for 2007 and beyond. If that happens, I will join the team in a management position.
"We are looking for enough money to do this right. We took a year off to get everything in order and put things in perspective. Last year it was as if we were in quicksand. The harder we pedaled the further we sank. We decided to sit back and let things sort themselves out."
Hartman has more going on than just the part-time family fueler on the off-weekends. He runs a four-car nitro nostalgia Funny car program.
"It's an affordable way to stay involved in nitro," he said, "not to mention it's a lot of fun."
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY: Dale Creasy Jr., Torco Chevy Monte Carlo Nitro Funny Car
Whoever took the provisional Nitro Funny Car lead in Friday night qualifying automatically was going to set the track record elapsed time. Dale Creasy Jr. took the honors with a performance of 5.132 seconds at 250.92 mph, despite a minor fire in his Torco Chevy Monte Carlo at the top end of the track. The Beecher, Illinois veteran led a field of seven.
Top Fuel
Cory Mac still sizzling -- Cory McClenthan created a stir when he came over to IHRA competition last August at Norwalk, Ohio, qualified No. 1, and gave winner Clay Millican a tough challenge in the final round.
The NHRA veteran seemed to pick up where he left off, leading the field Friday with a 4.549-second pass at a class-best speed of 326.32 mph in the Carrier Boyz FRAM Boost Dragster.
"I love to run IHRA when we can. If it were up to me, I would race every weekend,” said McClenathan. “It’s a lot of fun and the fans are always good to us at Rockingham."
He said before arriving at Rockingham Dragway that he was looking forward to racing familiar NHRA faces Millican, Doug Foley, and T.J. Zizzo -- and longtime colleague Rhonda Hartman-Smith, who grabbed the No. 6 spot in Friday's session.
Millican qualifying woes continue -- Clay Millican said he doesn’t feel any pressure to extend his Rockingham streak of nine straight victories. All he might be feeling pressure to do after Friday's run is qualify.
His tire-smoking 7.639-second pass at 95.77 mph in the Kenny Koretsky/Werner Enterprises Dragster wasn't enough to put him in the eight-car field. Andrew Cowin in the Scott Griffin Motorsports/Serta Dragster took the bump spot ahead of him at 5.670 (at 181.35 mph).
"To me, pressure is something you put on yourself," Millican said. "We are [at] another IHRA race this weekend that happens to be at a race track where we have done very well."
From the fall of 2001 through the fall of 2005, Clay Millican won nine straight races at Rockingham Dragway. It is a feat unprecedented in IHRA history. So are Millican’s 46 Top Fuel career victories and five straight series championships. He also owns the track speed record at 323.19 mph.
This is first time in five years he hasn't led the standings. Although he is unused to being in second place, like he is now as San Antonio winner Doug Foley leads, Millican said, "We haven’t been in that spot for a long time, but Foley did a better job than we did at San Antonio."
But he has two qualifying runs scheduled and has a chance to improve if the weather holds out. He is driving the Brad Hadman-built chassis that set the elapsed time record (4.484 second) at The Rock last fall.
“We spent the last two weeks working on getting the car ready,” Millican said. “We’ve had it front-halved and back halved. It’s the same chassis that we flipped over (at Milan, Michigan, last summer). Mike [crew chief Kloeber] has been working on the car for the last week, and I think we are going to be just fine."
Nitro Funny Car
Dream must wait -- John Smith had envisioned a comeback to nitro drag racing at Rockingham along with wife Rhonda Hartman-Smith.
"I grew up around Rockingham over the years and raced with my Dad there in the late '70s," he said before Friday's opening qualifying session. "It has always been a dream of mine to race Nitro Funny Car, and I'm happy to see that dream come true at Rockingham."
Smith, IHRA’s 2003 Rookie of the Year, had planned to make his Funny Car debut in the Racing Craftsman Tools entry that his dad, Paul Smith, owns. The car wasn't ready, but he planned to drive Bob Gilbertson's Jungle Jim tribute car.
However, IHRA had a different idea.
The sanctioning body ruled that Smith wasn't experienced enough to compete in a nitro Funny Car. He could have run, had he had either a National Hot Rod Association license or had made several passes at 5.50 seconds or quicker.
Paul Lee to the rescue -- Paul Lee was on his way from Maryland late Friday, after learning that John Smith would be unable to drive the Jungle Jim car in the Nitro Funny Car class. Tuner Paul Smith, who had hoped to oversee that car with his son John in the seat, had stayed at home when he found out that IHRA wouldn't permit that. So when he heard Paul Lee would be available and willing to drive the car, he headed to Rockingham from Florida.
No. 3 Densham back for more -- Points leader Gary Densham, who at San Antonio won the first Ironman trophy of the year in the reinstituted Nitro Funny Car class, was third in the eight-car field Friday. His 5.402-second run (at 281.71 mph) gave him and his his Racebricks ’05 Chevy Monte Carlo a secure spot as drivers kept an eye on the weather forecasts for Saturday.
“I had such a great time in San Antonio, and winning the race made it even better,” Densham said. “I would like to run all the eMax events, but I can’t this season. Hopefully we can come to Rockingham and win some more money. I think we have just as good a chance as anyone to win, and that’s what we’re setting out to do.”
Arcadi fastest -- Vincent Arcadi ran the fastest speed in the class Friday with a 281.71-mph pass.
Pro Modified
Martin fighting weather, performance disadvantage -- Harold Martin, driver of the ACDelco Pontiac, said, "The Rock can truly make you or break you, and we have certainly seen some very low times there," Martin said. He was runner-up in 2003 but had a devastating explosion the following season.
He can put Friday's performance on that "break you" list. He isn't broken, but he didn't have a great evening. He finished Friday 29th out of 32 drivers. Worse yet, it comes in a race that has had the specter of rain showers being a potential problem. That means his 12.350-second elapsed time at 76.34 mph was a wasted chance that could have been his only chance to qualify.
Martin said he figured that his car, one of the top nitrous-powered cars, would have to overcome the performance advantage that supercharged counterparts enjoy.
"This weekend we’ll have to drive by what Mother Nature delivers to us," he said, and that, he added, narrows his chances of doing what he wanted with his set-up.
He said he approached the weekend "somewhat behind the eight-ball, because the blown cars have a performance advantage over the nitrous-injected ones. "As a nitrous team, we know we have to bring our A-plus plus game on every run down the race track," Martin said. "That makes for a very difficult racing environment, because a year or two ago, you could strategize from the middle of the pack, bumping yourself higher or even taking a shot at the pole, without putting the engines completely on the line. In the current conditions, we find ourselves having to continually search for higher levels of performance that we have yet to find. Essentially, it puts us in a David against Goliath situation."
Martin also had a suggestion for the IHRA: "We believe the current atmosphere merits a closer look by the sanctioning body if they would like to restore parity to this most exciting class." He said his team is "not about to give up. In fact, this just makes our ACDelco Pro Mod team more determined."
He said the team has spent six months trying to find what will take it to that next level and "is excited by the potential of our work."
Pittman's changes pay off -- Alan Pittman said he and car owner Mel Bush "found some things wrong in the clutch can right after we got back from San Antonio, and we have made a lot of changes" in their unique ’62 Chevy Bel Air "bubble top."
Those changes paid off Friday, as Pittman applied his Carl Spiering-built supercharged engine and earned a tentative upper-half-of-the-field spot. He ended the day seventh, with a 6.20-second elapsed time at 227.15 mph.
"We ran a 6.18 [at the season-opener], despite having some real problems, which told us that the car itself was fine," Pittman said. "We were making plenty of horsepower, but unfortunately we couldn’t use it all because the clutch was so far off. As soon as we got home and took everything apart, we could see exactly what the problem had been and we made a lot of changes. We know we have a lot left."
Stott not hot -- Quain Stott and his Lee Boy 1963 Corvette were sizzling last season at this race, qualifying No. 1 and reaching the final round. This year, he needs the weather to hold up and his car to perform much better if he's even going to make the 16-car grid. After Friday's session, he was unqualified, 24th out of 32 Pro Modified racers.
However, teammate Tommy D'Aprile, in the Evan Knoll/Torco-sponsored "Support Our Troops" '63 Corvette, continued to be hot. He was runner-up to Glen Kerunsky at the San Antonio season-opener in March. And he closed Friday as the class' low qualifier with a 6.139-second elapsed time at 231.24.
The Columbus, North Carolina, resident, who had to travel only 160 miles to Rockingham, had been so disappointed with his first-round loss at San Antonio that he ran off some of his aggression and did some test runs at the American Drag Racing League event at Gateway International Raceway, at Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis.
He did well there. He qualified strong and is paired against John Lynam in the finals of the rain-delayed event which will be completed in Memphis later this season. Stott has won twice in three final rounds in the four ADRL events he has entered. Should Stott win the St. Louis re-do, he'll be second in ADRL points.
Stott said he enjoys making as many ADRL races as his schedule will allow. "These are great bonus races for our sponsors and our fans. It's our way of showing appreciation for all of their support," Stott said. While the team had not planned on making an appearance in Memphis, Stott said, "I don't like unfinished business. Plus, it could solidify our position in the year end shootout."
King fastest -- Chip King, in the tentative No. 5 position Friday, was fastest Friday in his Dodge Daytona at 231.95 mph, just .71 mph better than leader Tommy D'Aprile.
Alcohol Funny Car
Not even a renewed respect for Rockingham Dragway helped Terry McMillen and his Amalie Oil InstiGator Dodge Avenger Friday night.
McMillan, owner of the Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team, said, "Rockingham had been good to us up until last season.Somehow we took The Rock for granted.
"Rockingham plays a very important role for us," he said. "We need to do well here to carry some of the momentum we fought for in San Antonio." He had a semifinal appearance and left San Antonio third in points.
That might be in jeopardy, unless the unqualified McMillen can improve his 6.187-second, 186.36-mph showing that put him only 10th in the lineup for the eight-car field. He was .173 of a second behind Neal Parker's bump spot of 6.014.
McMillen began last year with a runner-up finish in San Antonio but left Rockingham with a DNQ.
"We fought hard the rest of the season, but never got back on track after Rockingham," McMillen said. "Steve Earwood has one of the nicest facilities on the circuit and possibly the best racing surface a drag racer could ask for, we just have to find that magic formula we had in 2004 to make this a great race for us."
In 2004, McMillen used a semifinal finish in Rockingham to propel the team to a career best third place finish for the season.
"Right now, we control our destiny," McMillen said.
Atchison still trouble for Thomas -- Mark Thomas rekindled one of the longest-standing rivalries in the class at the season-opener at San Antonio, knocking off three-time defending champion Rob Atchison in the finals. But Thomas, the five-time world champion, had not been able to overtake Atchison in the last three seasons. In that time, he finished second to Atchison twice, and he was third last year.
Finally, in a new Chevy Monte Carlo, Thomas beat Atchison to claim the points lead.
But Atchison got the upper hand Friday. He was first with a 5.774-second, 245.14-mph pass that topped the class, while Thomas was No. 2 heading into the final qualifying sessions Saturday with a 5.826/243.02.
Pro Stock
Different look -- The previous time the IHRA visited Rockingham, Brian Gahm was the top qualifier with a 6.354-second elapsed time -- a provisional national record he was unable to back up -- and Elijah Morton ended up on the bump spot with a 6.457-second E.T. as the class saw its quickest field in series history.
So far this time, the Torco Pro Stock class looks dramatically different. Muggier springtime conditions contributed greatly to the fact that Bob Bertsch's bump spot was 6.550-second E.T. and Gahm was 25th of the 28 drivers Friday. The 16-car field was quick in San Antonio, too. It was the second-fastest grid in class history.
Meatball at top of the menu -- Frank Gugliotta, the Mt. Airy, Maryland, driver whose nickname is The Flying Meatball," was No. 1 qualifier here last year. With his 6.435-second, 216.90-mph effort in his 2005 Ford Escort, he took the provisional top spot Friday night.
On the back Berner -- Pete Berner qualified his 2006 Pontiac GTO in sixth place and lost in the first round to Frank Gugliotta at the season-opener in San Antonio. And so far in this second race of the season, Berner has been disappointed and Gugliotta was on top.
Berner, fifth in points, was 27th in the lineup of 28.
During the winter, Berner had Rick Jones build a Pontiac GTO and engine-builder Jon Kaase prepare a new Chevrolet Hemi combination. A newly confident Berner even nicknamed his lead engine "Kong," but it wasn't the king Friday night.
His last victory came at the 2004 IHRA President’s Cup Nationals at Budds Creek, Maryland.
No messing up -- Robert Patrick explained his first-round loss at San Antonio by saying, "I just messed up." He didn't mess up Friday, although his elapsed time was 78-thousandths of a second slower than his track and national elapsed-time record of 6.360 seconds.
His 6.438-second E.T. was second-quickest to Frank Gugliotta's 6.435 at a top speed of 216.90 mph.
Patrick said, "This is a quick track and one we always look forward to racing. It has always been a track conducive to IHRA Torco Pro Stock racing. We did a lot of testing, and he data we gathered should be applicable to the conditions we expect to see this weekend.
The Purvis Ford-sponsored driver entered this event ranked outside of the top 10 for the first time since he returned to IHRA competition in 2004.
"You have to start somewhere, and Rockingham is where we plan to pull it together."
His last victory was at Cayuga in 2005.
Really quick rod -- Mike Manner has the distinction of having the fastest Quick Rod car in competition at 8.90 seconds. Driving a dragster with muffled zoomie headers, he blasted a speed of 206.42 mph.
SUNDAY, April 23, 2006
Gates Open 8:00am
God Speed Church Service 7:30 & 8:15am
Special Awards Presentations 8:30am
Sportsman Elimination’s Continue (follow Saturday order) 9:00am
PRO Eliminations (Rd 1) PS, PM 11:00am
Sportsman Elimination’s Continue After Pro Round
Pre-Race Ceremony 12:15pm
PRO Eliminations (Rd 2) NFC, TF, PS, AFC,PM 12:30pm
PRO Semi-Finals: PS, AFC, PM, NFC, TF 2:30pm
Finals: Sportsman, PS, AFC, PM, NFC, TF, Jet, Shockwave 4:30pm
Pro Sessions will start at the times listed above.
Schedule is Subject to Change at any time.
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The ironic thing is Cowin advanced to the final in the car McClenathan drove in competition last year. Scott Griffin, when he put his Top Fuel team together, purchased much of his equipment from McClenathan’s race team, the Carrier Boyz. 
Jack Wyatt also visited the winner’s circle for the first time in eMax Drag Racing Series competition. Wyatt ( Corydon, Iowa) topped Vinnie Arcadia ( Lancaster, N.Y.) in the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car final at Rockingham Dragway, posting a 5.033 pass at 290.01 mph.
“We just love to race,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter where we are or what organization we are in, anyone who will let us come and race we’re going to do it. We had a really good weekend here and were able to get the win, so that’s pretty much all we can ask for.” 
“It sure feels good to get the monkey off my back,” Gillig said. “It was about time I won one of these. The competition in Pro Stock is so tight and the field so balanced, anyone can win in any round.” 
Carter defeated Fred Tigges ( Holbrook, Mass.) on a holeshot. His elapsed time was worse than Tigges’, 5.944 to 5.931, but he made up for it by taking a .049 advantage at the tree. 
Clay Millican said "not anything in particular" was to blame for his loss in a tire-spinning Top Fuel semifinal run to Andrew Cowin in the Nicko’s N.Y. Style Pizza Spring Nationals. 
Cowin spoiled Clay Millican's bid for a 10th consecutive victory at the historic North Carolina track known as "The Rock." Although he didn't win the Top Fuel crown at Rockingham Dragway, the playful Australian swiped Cory McClenathan's Ironman trophy at the top end of the track following their final-round race, posed for pictures with it, and mugged in the winner's circle with the Carrier Boyz/FRAM Boost Dragster team. 
Heavy Hearts – Roy Hill said it the best when he pointed out that drag racing had lost a hero with Ronnie Sox's death Saturday evening. On Sunday, he lettered his Blue Max tribute Mustang with an “In Memory of Ronnie Sox” decal. 
'Finally! A real one!' -- It was not lost on Tommy Lipar, owner of Josh Hernandez's winning "Dr. Moon's Rage" '67 Camaro, that the IHRA recognizes the Torco Pro Modified class as a professional category. The NHRA, on the other hand, has kept the class at exhibition status. So when Hernandez jumped from his car at the top end of the track and held his Ironman trophy, Lipar grabbed onto it and exclaimed, "Finally! A real one!" 
No Crewmen injured in the filming of this movie – Scott Cannon fell short of making the Torco Pro Modified field, but he achieved an even larger feat in the weeks leading up to this race. His father, Scotty, a six-time Pro Modified champion, and the team worked long hours in close quarters and only one fight broke out. 
Sometimes the answer is no -- Ricky Jones, son of and crew chief for Pro Stock driver/car builder Rick Jones, sought divine intervention during Saturday's rain delay. His father was unqualified and needed that one last chance. But the rain was persistent, and the IHRA pulled the plug on qualifying after just two opportunities. Jones didn't make the show, but it was not because his son didn't try everything. 
Champion gone early – Steve Spiess snapped a five-year dry spell at Rockingham by winning the Torco Pro Stock crown at Rockingham last April. Today his success dried up in the first round. It wasn't for lack of effort, though. 
Patrick second-guesses himself -- Second-guessing will always be a part of drag racing. 
“This is wonderful,” Gilbertson said. “Being at our home track and breaking the track record…it just doesn’t get any better than that. It felt real good, but that was a mediocre run for me. We left a lot on the table but we wanted to make sure we got down the track.” 
Cory McClenathan ( Lake Havasu City, Ariz.) claimed the top qualifying spot in Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel, but it was Andrew Cowin’s Saturday afternoon pass that sent a buzz through Rockingham Dragway. Cowin, originally from Sydney, Australia but now residing in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., drove the Scott Griffin Motorsports/Serta Mattresses ’06 Hadman Dragster to the #2 qualifying position with a time of 4.559 and a speed of 322.88. 
“Scott gave me a chance to drive this car and I am so grateful for that,” Cowin said. “This was the second time I have run a .55 at Rockingham and it meant a lot for me that I was able to do it for Scott Griffin Motorsports. We’re getting a handle on this car, if I can put a couple of runs like that together tomorrow it could get really interesting.” 
Rob Atchison (London, Ontario) laid down the best Alcohol Funny Car pass Saturday, posting a 5.774/245.14 to vault into the #1 qualifying spot. The three-time defending AFC World Champion fell to Mark Thomas in the finals at the season opener in San Antonio, but he nosed in front of Thomas in Rockingham. Thomas ( Louisville, Ohio) posted a 5.826/243.02 to claim the second seed while Fred Tigges ( Holbrook, Mass.) finished third with a 5.840/242.63 pass. 
Tommy D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Fla.) proved his Torco Pro Modified finals appearance in San Antonio was not a fluke. In his first year of driving Quain Stott’s second car, D’Aprile ran a 6.132/230.69 to end up on the pole when qualifying was finished. Three weeks ago D’Aprile fell in the final to Glen Kerunsky at the San Antonio Raceway. 
Frank Gugliotta ( Mt. Airy, Md.) followed up his Torco Pro Stock victory in San Antonio by claiming the pole at Rockingham Dragway. Gugliotta’s 6.420/216.51 put him in front of the #2 man Robert Patrick ( Fredericksburg, Va.), who posted a 6.428/214.35 pass. Tony Gillig ( Lake Bluff, Ill.), John Nobile ( Dix Hills, N.Y.) and Jeff Dobbins ( Wilmington, N.C.) rounded out the top five. 
The Crete, Illinois, driver who's a member of the FBI -- Fast Boys from Illinois -- probably is wondering, "What's a guy to do?" He improved 10 places in Saturday's qualifying session, but he still missed the cut by a mere five-thousandths of a second. His 6.502-second elapsed time at 211.36 mph put him 17th, as Bert Jackson anchored the field with a 6.497 E.T.
Not feeling pampered -- Dale Creasy Jr. was demoted from second place to third after Saturday's first session, the second overall. His weekend-best 4.936-second, 287.29 mph effort was tossed out because the containment device commonly known as the "diaper" on his Torco Monte Carlo was dragging. The 5.132-second elapsed time from Friday night, which was quickest, was only third-best by that time. The ruling elevated Gary Densham to second place. 
Eighth spot filled – On Friday, only seven Nitro Funny Cars were on the grounds of Rockingham Dragway. The eighth slot filled up Saturday, but not before a good bit of lobbying and logistics. 
Haddock improves -- Paul Lee's arrival from Maryland for Saturday competition filled out the Nitro Funny Car lineup of eight, and his 5.908-second effort also helped Terry Haddock. 
You’re Outta Here – Torco Pro Modified team owner Paul Trussell has had enough of the 1963 Corvette his driver has piloted for the last three years. Trussell says the car is for sale and that he has purchased the G-Force Race Cars-built 1963 Corvette of Al Billes. 
As his nitrous-injected Dodge Viper launched, it encountered severe tire shake which caused the Mopar to fishtail a bit before making a direct door hit on the concrete left retaining wall. 
Work not paying off yet -- Scott Cannon said his crew "has worked and worked . . . for two weeks, 24 hours a day" to repair his new Vanishing Point Race Cars-prepared Pontiac GTO that crashed in the season-opening race at San Antonio. But the Skull Gear-sponsored entry never could make the 16-car field, as Cannon improved from 23rd Friday to just 21st before the rains hit. 
No ulterior designs -- At least nobody can accuse chassis builders Rick Jones and Jerry Haas of hogging all the best Chevys for themselves. Jones couldn't get his Cobalt into the 16-car field after two tries, although he improved one spot Saturday afternoon. Haas and his Cavalier dropped two positions, to 27th with one more session remaining. 
On his Gahm -- Brian Gahm was one driver who was glad IHRA bumped up its first Saturday qualifying session. He jumped 14 spots to the No. 12 position.
As a result, the first day spotlight belonged to Dale Creasy Jr. of 
D’Aprile was the quickest of the 32 who made qualifying runs in the increasingly popular Pro Mod category. He drove his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette replica to a time of 6.139 seconds at 231.24 mph to take the provisional No. 1 with Rick DiStefano of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, second at 6.157 and Jim Halsey of Street, Md., third at 6.183.
Hartman and daughter Rhonda Hartman-Smith, along with son-in-law John "Bodie" Smith have brought their Top Fuel dragster out for the first time in 2006. In 2005, John drove when Rhonda took maternity leave.
Cory Mac still sizzling -- Cory McClenthan created a stir when he came over to IHRA competition last August at Norwalk, Ohio, qualified No. 1, and gave winner Clay Millican a tough challenge in the final round. 
Smith, IHRA’s 2003 Rookie of the Year, had planned to make his Funny Car debut in the Racing Craftsman Tools entry that his dad, Paul Smith, owns. The car wasn't ready, but he planned to drive Bob Gilbertson's Jungle Jim tribute car. 
No. 3 Densham back for more -- Points leader Gary Densham, who at San Antonio won the first Ironman trophy of the year in the reinstituted Nitro Funny Car class, was third in the eight-car field Friday. His 5.402-second run (at 281.71 mph) gave him and his his Racebricks ’05 Chevy Monte Carlo a secure spot as drivers kept an eye on the weather forecasts for Saturday. 
Martin fighting weather, performance disadvantage -- Harold Martin, driver of the ACDelco Pontiac, said, "The Rock can truly make you or break you, and we have certainly seen some very low times there," Martin said. He was runner-up in 2003 but had a devastating explosion the following season. 
Pittman's changes pay off -- Alan Pittman said he and car owner Mel Bush "found some things wrong in the clutch can right after we got back from San Antonio, and we have made a lot of changes" in their unique ’62 Chevy Bel Air "bubble top."
Stott not hot -- Quain Stott and his Lee Boy 1963 Corvette were sizzling last season at this race, qualifying No. 1 and reaching the final round. This year, he needs the weather to hold up and his car to perform much better if he's even going to make the 16-car grid. After Friday's session, he was unqualified, 24th out of 32 Pro Modified racers. 
Not even a renewed respect for Rockingham Dragway helped Terry McMillen and his Amalie Oil InstiGator Dodge Avenger Friday night. 
Meatball at top of the menu -- Frank Gugliotta, the Mt. Airy, Maryland, driver whose nickname is The Flying Meatball," was No. 1 qualifier here last year. With his 6.435-second, 216.90-mph effort in his 2005 Ford Escort, he took the provisional top spot Friday night. 
