SUNDAY FINAL - Lagana Shocks Millican to Claim First Career Top Fuel Ironman;Creasy, Pittman, Thomas and Berner also take titles at MOPAR Canadian Nationals
(6-4-2006) - On his way to Grand Bend, Ontario for the MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, Bobby Lagana, Jr., did not make it up to his home in Scarsdale, N.Y., to pick up his father. If the younger Lagana is a superstitious man the elder Lagana may have seen his last drag race in person.
Lagana captured his first Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Ironman by snapping Clay Millican’s four-event win streak at Grand Bend Motorplex. In a match-up of the two ends of the Top Fuel spectrum Lagana with his rag-tag crew made up of family members and friends and Millican with his heavily-sponsored Werner Enterprises, Kenny Koretsky Motorsports Team, the underdog took the win light in a pedal fest. He carded a 5.367 pass at 236.59 miles per hour to top Millican’s 6.611/140.05.
“I wanted to win worse than any other run I’ve ever made in my entire life,” Lagana said. “Those guys on Clay’s team have almost brought us to where we are right now. To beat the people who put you there is special. We’re the happiest team at this race track right now. But Clay’s team, with Clay and Kloeber, are the second-happiest.”
While Millican is the five-time defending IHRA Top Fuel World Champion it was Lagana who had the better car all weekend. He qualified in the #3 position and made two clean passes during the rounds of eliminations, all in the 4 second-range, before the tire-shaking run that produced his first victory. In just the third eMax Drag Racing Series event of the season it appears as if Lagana Crew Chief Jay Lewis has a handle on the team’s new ’06 McKinney Dragster. He also was thrilled for his driver and friend.
“That kid lives, eats and sleeps racing,” Lewis said. “That’s all he wants to do. I am way happier for him than I am for me. He deserves every piece of this. The whole Lagana family, his sister Marie and Laura, his brother Dom, his dad, his mother God rest her soul; the whole family are all beautiful people. They will do anything for anyone at any time. They are such genuine people and they’ve all earned this.”
After the run Lagana looked at his brother Dom and briefly reflected on their journey to the Winner’s Circle. Just eight years ago Lagana’s throttle stuck and he ended up running off the end of the track and into the trees at New York International Raceway.
“We just looked at each other and said ‘We’re complete,’” he said.
Dale Creasy, Jr. completed a journey as well when he defeated Bob Gilbertson in the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car final. It was Creasy’s first career win in a Nitro Funny Car and put him into second place in the eMax Drag Racing Series point standings. His 4.999/296.44 pass enabled him to nose Gilbertson’s 5.057/295.95.
The whole weekend was full of firsts for Creasy and his Torco-backed operation.
“There were a lot of firsts for us here,” he said. “We got our first #1 qualifier, our first round-win of the year, our first bye run ever, our first final ever and our first win ever. Everything was just great. You just couldn’t script it any better than this.”
Creasy was pleased to be able to get by a strong hitter like Gilbertson in the final.
“I’m worried about every driver out here, but Gilbertson, in my opinion, has the best car out here,” Creasy said. “When (Gary) Densham and he are at a race they are in a league of their own. We just kept chasing after them and hoping we were going to beat them one of these days. When I was up against him I knew we had to pay attention and do our own thing because Bob is so good. I knew I couldn’t make any mistakes.”
The Knoll Gas – Torco Pro Modified final matched Alan Pittman (Greenville, SC) against Calgary, Alberta, resident Glen Kerunsky. After winning the season opener in San Antonio Kerunsky advanced to the final in Rockingham a month later. He advanced to his third consecutive final round in Grand Bend, but Pittman was able to shut him down in the race for the Ironman.
“Like I told my crew before the final round, I love Canada,” Pittman said. “Canada has been real good to us. Plus I have Carl Spiering from Canada who does my engine program, he’s a good guy who has a good race team. That’s what makes all this work.”
Pittman capped a consistent weekend by nosing Kerunsky with a 6.243/227.10. He was in the 6.20s throughout qualifying and eliminations and qualified in the middle of the pack at #9.
Pete Berner put his Rick Jones-built ’06 Pontiac GTO into the Winner’s Circle for the first time when he defeated Robert Patrick in the Knoll Gas – Torco Pro Stock final. Patrick just took delivery of his ’06 Mustang two weeks prior to the MOPAR Canadian Nationals and knocked off Jerry Haas, who built his Mustang, Rob Mansfield and Tony Gillig to reach the final.
Berner toppedJohn Bartunek, Elijah Morton and Jeff Dobbins to advance to the final round. When he topped Patrick to claim the Ironman it was Berner’s first victory since the President’s Cup Nationals in 2004.
“I’ve had Jerry Haas cars and I’ve had Rick Jones cars,” Berner said. “They both build great cars, but this car I have now is just like magic. I had a car like this in 1998, the car Jerry built for me that I crashed in Darlington, and that car we thought would go down a dirt road. This car is very similar. It’s just an awesome piece.”
The victory in Grand Bend was the first for the 2006 Pontiac GTO in IHRA competition.
Mark Thomas continued his hot start to the 2006 season, defeating Terry Munroe to win his second Alcohol Funny Car Ironman in three events. Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) has been down this road before. As a five-time IHRA World Champion he is accustomed to hot starts, but realizes it isn’t how you start the season that counts. What counts is who is in front of the end of the year.
“Yes, we’re doing pretty well so far,” Thomas said. “But we have to keep working. To be able to win two events in a new car has been great for us, but it’s a long season and everyone is stepping up their program.”
Thomas increased his points lead while three-time defending Alcohol Funny Car World Champion, Rob Atchison (London, Ont.) continues to look for his first event win of the season. Atchison fell to Fred Tigges in the first round of eliminations.
“You feel bad for Rob because this is his home track,” Thomas said. “But we’ve been down that road in Norwalk at our home track. You like to come here and do well. Rob and his group knows how to go real fast, you know they will be back and I know we have to take advantage of every chance we have to take advantage of them.”
The next event on the eMax Drag Racing Series is the CARS RV, Marine and Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Race Fuels, June 23 – 25 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Sunday's final results from the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, race three of 11-event 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.367 seconds, 236.59 mphdef. Clay Millican, 6.611 seconds, 140.05 mph.
Nitro Funny Car -- Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.999, 296.44def. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 5.057, 295.95.
Pro Modified -- Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.243, 227.10def. Glen Kerunsky, Bel Air, 6.849, 210.77.
Alcohol Funny Car -- Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.898, 243.37def. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.979, 235.17.
Pro Stock -- Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.452, 216.81def. Robert Patrick, Ford GT 500 Mustang, 6.478, 217.49.
Top Stock -- Joseph Aluise Jr, Plymouth Belvedere, 9.550, 138.78def. Paul Mercure, Chevy Camaro, 9.582, 138.78.
Top Sportsman -- Kevin Wicke, Chrysler LeBaron, 7.310, 188.60def. Gary Bingham, Pontiac Grand Am, 7.322, 181.08.
Top Dragster -- Jeff Brown, Dragster, 7.195, 175.67def. Tim Slone, Dragster, 6.895, 197.93.
Quick Rod -- John Hickman, Dragster, 8.920, 161.63def. Donny Urban, Dragster, 8.960, 161.60.
Super Rod -- Leo Zynda, Chevy Cavalier, 9.929, 156.52def. Jason Kenny, Chevy Corvette, 9.928, 157.17.
Hot Rod -- Tim Shuck, Chevy Camaro, 10.948, 128.24def. Budd Gilbert, Chevy Malibu, 10.920, 125.69.
Super Stock -- Donn Rhode, Chevy Camaro, 9.497, 137.17def. Anthony Bertozzi, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.242, 146.55.
Motorcycle - Ray Portiss, Suzuki, 9.382, 134.97 def. Dan Becker, Suzuki, 9.189, 126.44.
ET Bracket -- Dave Wainman, Chevy Monza, 10.824, 122.59def. Grant Kimber, Chevy Corvette, 9.328, 143.22.
ET No Box -- Dave Wainman, Chevy Monza, 10.778, 122.86def. Lui Ramundo, Chevy Nova, 9.809, 134.62.
ET Box -- Grant Kimber, Chevy Corvette, 9.345, 142.85def. Rob Gray, Chevy Camaro, 8.822, 153.58.
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Final round-by-round results from the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, the third of 11 events in the2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Chris Karamesines, 5.005, 257.06 def. Louie Allison, 7.592, 105.70; Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.877, 279.15 def. T.J. Zizzo, 5.933, 151.51; Clay Millican, 4.987, 269.05 def. Kevin Jones, foul; Rick Cooper, 4.720, 294.11 def. Mitch King, 5.185, 207.37; SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 9.102, 74.64 def. Karamesines, foul; Lagana Jr., 4.897, 283.82 def. Cooper, 4.943, 259.36; FINAL -- Lagana Jr., 5.367, 236.59 def. Millican, 6.611, 140.05.
NITRO FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.267, 146.67 was unopposed; Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 5.466, 264.47 def. Gary Cooper, Stratus, 9.232, 80.50; Paul Lee, Monte Carlo, 6.015, 160.77 def.
Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 6.993, 127.49; Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 5.221, 262.62 def. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 5.858, 159.09;
FINAL -- Pittman, 6.243, 227.10 def. Kerunsky, 6.849, 210.77.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Terry Munroe, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.846, 239.23 def. Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 5.989, 240.12; Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.853, 244.96 def. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 5.972, 237.65; Frederick Tigges, Avenger, 5.818, 244.10 def. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 7.827, 111.95; Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.070, 223.76 def. Trevor Lebsack, Mustang, 6.153, 230.47;
FINAL -- Berner, 6.452, 216.81 def. Patrick, 6.478, 217.49.
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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK -
Ripe for the picking - Sometimes you just don't forget how to play the game. Alan Pittman made a vow the competition would see more of a certain red car and at the end of the day made good on his promise.
He was referring to the unique 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air "bubble top" that he and his crew had constructed last winter. The car sported a stealthy coat of black primer at the first two races of the season, but during the recent month-long competitive layoff it was treated to a bright red paint job.
Pittman ninth on the grid with a best pass of 6.217, 227.56. Rain on Saturday cut the preliminary rounds from the customary three to two, but by then Pittman was securely in the tough 16-car field and looking ahead to the elimination rounds.
He then took out No. 1 qualifier Tommy D'Aprile, his engine builder Carl Spierring and then Quain Stott..
"I said that I wasn't going to give it to Tommy, he was top qualifier with a 6.08, and that's real impressive, but we were going to go down fighting," Pittman said. "Me and my team decided that if it blew the tires off in the first round, then so be it. We knew we had to do something."
'We needed a couple of passes to get the set-up the way we wanted it, and we were fortunate enough to get them," Pittman said. He took out Carl Spiering, his consultant from the night before, when he left too early in the second round, and then advanced to the final by way of the holeshot once again, his .022 to .119 jump at the light more than covering Quain Stott's 6.231, 23.85 to 6.307, 227.27 advantage at the top end of the track.
Pittman capped his comeback to competition after a two-year layoff when he got past Canadian Glen Kerunsky, who fought handling problems at half-track. Pittman posted his best numbers of the elimination rounds, 6.243, 227.10, to easily handle Kerunsky's 6.849, 210.77 effort.
"We needed that win so bad," Pittman said. "We have had such a tough time since (car owner) Mel (Bush) and I decided to build this car last fall. It's just been one thing after another. We've fought dozens of gremlins in the car, the truck, the trailer, you name it. We knew we had to keep our chins up and have faith in the man upstairs and we'd get the monkey off our back. He fell off today, I promise you."
"I have always said that if you can make the field for one of these races then you have a chance to win, and we proved that here this weekend," Pittman said. "We weren't the quickest car out there, but we combined some luck with a positive approach and we ended up with the big trophy."
Kong first; Terminator Next - Headed into this season, Knoll Gas – Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock driver Pete Berner knew there would be a period of transition from his Ford combination of the last half-decade to a General Motors program. Let the record reflect that it took only three races for Berner to re-establish that comfort zone.
Berner scored his second career IHRA eMax national event victory when he stopped Robert Patrick in the final round of the Mopar IHRA Canadian Nationals hosted by the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.
Berner wasn’t the quickest entry in the field, but then again, he didn’t need to be.
“We just tried to kill them with consistency,” Berner said. “We came here knowing the track and the conditions would be really good…much better than we had last year. The air was cool which is really conducive to making these big cubic inch cars run.
“We didn’t try to overpower the track. We tried to qualify in the top four or five. We just nit-picked the car and worked on that tune-up. My guys did an incredible job. Pat Norcia from RAM Cluches, who is my crewchief, made the right calls along with Greg and Randy, who just worked their butts off to make the car run as well as it did. They had the car the first one in the lanes when we were called. When you have people like that, it makes it really fun to do what we do.”
While Berner wasn’t looking to set the track on fire, he wasn’t letting grass grow under his feet either.
“Rick Jones has given us a car that works like magic,” Berner admitted. “Whenever we load it up with a lot of clutch and tire speed, it seems to be able to handle it. We loaded it up with a lot of engine. All of our engines are by Jon Kaase, who in my opinion is the best in the business.”
Berner entered eliminations as the fourth quickest with a 6.420, 216.45. He methodically worked his way through the field by taking out John Bartunek (6.410), Elijah Morton (6.421) and Jeff Dobbins (6.443).
In the final round, Berner gave up .01 on the starting line but made it up at the finish with a 6.452, 216.81 to outrun Patrick’s 6.478, 217.49.
With this monumental victory, Berner is already hard at work preparing for the next event in Edmonton, Alb. The engine in his Pontiac GTO, appropriately nicknamed “Kong”, is being freshened and will be ready in time to test within a week.
As if that’s not enough preparation, Berner is having Kaase build another engine.
If Kong was the winner in Grand Bend, what will the name of this new powerplant be called?
“Terminator,” Berner said. “It means I will be back.”
This victory moves Berner into the third spot in the IHRA eMax Knoll Gas – Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock point standings.
Welcome Aboard - The Ohio-based automotive aftermarket supplier JEG’S High Performance/JEG’S Mail Order has signed an agreement to assume title sponsorship rights to the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Top Stock class. The agreement, which became effective prior to the MOPAR Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex June 2 - 4, was put together by class participant Bo Kenney and will continue at least through the remainder of the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series schedule.
“We’re very happy JEG’S came on board with us,” Kenney said. “Johnny (Coughlin) was very instrumental in it. He has been providing my team with parts and a lot of support. They have wanted to come back into sportsman racing and were looking at the Top Stock class. They are a great company to be associated with and I think they are going to bring a lot to Top Stock. They give us a lot of credibility as far as a major sponsor, and I think they will do a lot for other classes as well. Other racers will be able to look at a Top Stock car and know everything on it is available from their catalogue or JEG’S.com.”
Top Stock is a heads-up muscle car class that features everything from 1960s classics to late model fuel injected sports cars. The class is run at nine of the 11 eMax Drag Racing Series event on the 2006 schedule.
“We’re thrilled JEG’S came on board with us to sponsor the Top Stock class,” IHRA President Aaron Polburn said. “I think this is a perfect marriage between a class dependent on a wide array of aftermarket parts and a sponsor who can showcase a great deal of product. I’m very confident this will be a big win-win situation for everyone involved.”
Kenney thinks the IHRA had a lot to do with JEG’S coming on board.
“(Vice President of Racing Operations) Skooter Peaco knew, if we put the big purses out there it would make the class attractive for a major sponsor,” he said. “That’s what happened with JEG’S. Once JEG’S looked at the value IHRA was going to provide for them they decided it was a good place for them to be. And they thought this class would be the right class because the cars go fast and JEG’S has everything cars need to go fast. You name it, you can get it from JEG’S.”
No. 1 upset -- Alan Pittman interrupted Tommy D'Aprile's thrilling run in the first round, taking out the driver who has qualified No. 1 at the past two races.
Just as Tony Gillig did to Frank Gugliotta in the opening round of Pro Stock action, Pittman knocked out the top qualifier on a holeshot. Pittman, driving a '62 Chevy Bel Air, used a quicker reaction time (.053 to .072) to win with a 6.293-second elapsed time at 225.39. D'Aprile got a 6.283/225.84 from his Quain Stott-owned '63 Corvette but lost by 0.0097 seconds, or about three feet. Pittman, though, gave away lane choice to Round 2 opponent Carl Spiering by less than a hundredth of a second.
Grandmother passes away -- No. 3 qualifier Rob Atchison has raced this weekend with a heavy foot and a heavy heart. His 90-year-old grandmother, Lois Atchison, of London, Ontario, passed away Wednesday. Funeral services will be Tuesday. Donations in Lois Atchison's memory may be made to the Children's Hospital in London. Online condolences may be expressed at www.evansfh.ca.
G Whiz! -- The fortunes of Frank Gugliotta and Tony Gillig have been entwined since the start of the season -- and Sunday's action signaled more of the same.
The two entered the event tied for the points lead. Gugliotta had beaten Gillig in the semifinals on the way to the victory at San Antonio. Gillig was the Rockingham winner, thanks in part to Gugliotta's red light in their semifinal match-up.
Gugliotta led the field here at Grand Bend Motorplex, and with the new pairing system this season, he found himself meeting Gillig, the No. 9 qualifier, in the opening round.
Gillig won on a holeshot, despite wiggling all over the left lane all the way down the track. He had a .065-second reaction time against Gugliotta's .104, and his 6.420-second elapsed time at 218.39 mph upset Gugliotta's quicker and faster 6.412/218.39. Gillig's margin of victory was .0312 seconds, or about 10 feet.
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SATURDAY - Cooper Tops Top Fuel Qualifying at MOPAR Canadian Nationals; Dale Creasy, Jr., Frank Gugliotta, Terry Munroe and Tommy D’Aprile also claim poles at rain-shortened qualifying day
(6-3-2006) - Rick Cooper had to wait out the weather, but he ended up where he had always aspired to be. When rain washed away the final qualifying session at the MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, Cooper claimed his first-ever #1 qualifying position on the strength of his 4.646/313.04 run earlier Saturday afternoon. The Boise, Idaho, resident will face #5 qualifier Mitch King in the first round of eliminations Sunday.
The day was bittersweet for Cooper, however, as fellow Foley/Lewis racing teammate and current eMax Drag Racing Series points leader Doug Foley could not get down the track in two qualifying attempts and failed to make the field.
“This is my first #1 qualifier at an IHRA national event so I’m super excited about that,” Cooper said. “The only part I’m bummed out about is that we have a two-car team and one of our cars didn’t make it. That hurts the whole team and brings me a little bit down, too. I just have to stay focused and go out and win my first drag race tomorrow.”
Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) finished in the #2 qualifying spot with a 4.668/320.97 pass while Bobby Lagana, Jr.(Scarsdale, NY) finished third by clocking a 4.753/308.74 pass. Millican will face Kevin Jones ( Berea, Ky.) in the first round Sunday while Lagana, Jr. will square off with T.J. Zizzo ( Lincolnshire, Ill.). In the other first round match-up Louie Allison ( Denver, Colo.) will face Chris Karamesines ( Chicago, Ill.).
Beecher , Ill. resident Dale Creasy, Jr. claimed his first career pole by carding the quickest Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car pass of the two sessions. Creasy piloted his ’06 Monte Carlo to a 4.870/306.01 pass to secure the #1 position and will receive a bye run into the semifinals.
“It feels real good,” Creasy said. “That was actually my career-best run and it’s the first time we’ve ever been the #1 qualifier. We’re excited about it but we don’t want to get too excited because going into race day it’s anybody’s game.”
Paul Lee ( Bala Cymwyd, Pa.) finished in the second spot while Terry Haddock ( Lynwood, Wash.) claimed third.
“We’re confident we can get this car down the race track,” Creasy said. “We’ll just see what happens.”
Frank Gugliotta ( Mt. Airy, Md.) claimed the top spot in Knoll Gas – Torco Pro Stock by being the only driver to dip into the 6.30s. Gugliotta’s 6.393/218.28 pass put his Charley Taylor-owned ’05 Escort into the top spot. Gugliotta, who won the season opening eMax race in San Antonio, will face #9 qualifier and Spring Rockingham winner Tony Gillig ( Lake Bluff, Ill.) in the first round.
Jeff Dobbins ( Wilmington, NC) captured the second qualifying spot while Robert Patrick ( Fredericksburg, Va.) finished third.
No Alcohol Funny Car drivers improved in the top half of the ladder on Saturday, leaving Terry Munroe (Beaver, Pa.) in the pole position for Sunday’s eliminations. Munroe posted a 5.802/240.83 pass to secure the #1 spot. Current points leader Mark Thomas ( Louisville, Ohio) ended up second while three-time defending world champion Rob Atchison ( London, Ont.) placed third.
Tommy D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Ill.) finished on the pole in Knoll Gas- Torco Pro Modified as he drove his ’63 Corvette to the pole with a 6.084/235.10 pass. Mike Janis ( Lancaster, NY) wrestled the #2 spot away from D’Aprile teammate Quain Stott ( Columbus, NC) with a sizzling 6.133/233.16 pass that bumped Stott down to third.
The MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol will continue Sunday morning at Grand Bend Motorplex with professional elimination rounds beginning at 11 a.m. and finals at 4:15 p.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 Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, the third of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Rick Cooper, 4.646 seconds, 313.04 mph vs. 5. Mitch King, 4.845, 281.51; 2. Clay Millican, 4.668, 320.97 vs. 6. Kevin Jones, 5.117, 233.76; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.753, 308.74 vs. 7. T.J. Zizzo, 5.864, 154.98; 4. Louie Allison, 4.784, 295.08 vs. 8. Chris Karamesines, 6.030, 227.56.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.870, 306.01 vs. Bye; 2. Paul Lee, Monte Carlo, 4.955, 301.70 vs. 5. Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 6.063, 154.03; 3. Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 5.482, 201.47 vs. 6. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 6.397, 175.81; 4. Gary Cooper, Dodge Stratus, 5.552, 210.13 vs. 7. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 7.658, 122.74.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Corvette, 6.084, 235.10 vs. 9. Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.217, 227.56; 2. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.133, 233.16 vs. 10. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.222, 227.21; 3. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.157, 231.54 vs. 11. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.227, 223.15; 4. Steve Bareman, Dodge Stratus, 6.161, 234.37 vs. 12. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.229, 228.94; 5. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.172, 230.71 vs. 13. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.234, 222.44; 6. Glen Kerunsky, Bel Air, 6.184, 230.29 vs. 14. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.244, 228.07; 7. Dan Rowe, Corvette, 6.189, 231.00 vs. 15. Steve Vick, Corvette, 6.250, 223.38; 8. David Roemer, Camaro, 6.204, 225.56 vs. 16. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.251, 222.66.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Terry Munroe, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.802, 240.83 vs. 5. Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 5.968, 238.85; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.862, 244.69 vs. 6. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 5.968, 237.65; 3. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.887, 246.57 vs. 7. Frederick Tigges, Avenger, 6.033, 237.84; 4. Trevor Lebsack, Mustang, 5.935, 236.59 vs. 8. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.089, 232.43.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.393, 218.28 vs. 9. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.425, 216.55; 2. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.402, 218.28 vs. 10. Rick Jones, Chevy Cobalt, 6.441, 216.86; 3. Robert Patrick, Ford GT 500 Mustang, 6.409, 217.02 vs. 11. Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.449, 215.93; 4. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.420, 216.81 vs. 12. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.451, 217.91; 5. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.423, 217.33 vs. 13. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.456, 215.31; 6. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.423, 217.18 vs. 14. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.458, 215.51; 7. Rob Mansfield, Cobalt, 6.424, 216.34 vs. 15. Michael Bruno, GTO, 6.460, 216.76; 8. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.424, 216.19 vs. 16. Elijah Morton, Escort, 6.479, 214.59.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK
FEATURE: 'FLYING MEATBALL' DISTASTEFUL
AT FIRST, GUGLIOTTA CONFESSES
Italians love food.
So it was a bit of a surprise when Pro Stock points leader Frank Gugliotta said Saturday that his "Flying Meatball" nickname was an acquired taste.
"Now I do like the name. It has been good to me," Gugliotta told interviewer Clay Millican in a "Quarter-Mile Confessions" segment on 1320 TV ( www.1320tv.com ).
It began as a joke that Steve Thodos, the car owner for whom Gugliotta drive for three years, orchestrated.
"The first car he got for me to drive, it was a black and white car. All Thodos' stuff was red. Everything had to be red," he said.
So Thodos sent the car to a paint shop to have it changed to the color of spaghetti sauce. But the car owner, egged on by a couple of the team members, decided to add a cheesy little touch of his own. He had "The Flying Meatball" lettered onto the windows.
Gugliotta accompanied him to the shop of see the newly painted race car. "I walk right by this red car, because I'm looking for a black and white car. And right on the windows: 'The Flying Meatball.'
"Well," Gugliotta said, "they all laughed and they made a big joke about it. It was just a joke at that time is all it was. Everybody decided we're just going to leave it on there. They did and it caught on.
"In the beginning it did kind of bother me a little bit, but it caught on," he said. "I have no problem with it. I honestly do love it."
He said he also loves working with new team owner Charlie Taylor, for Taylor jump-started Gugliotta's stalled career two weeks before the season-opener -- which Gugliotta went out and won.
"Charlie's not a bad guy. I'll stick with him," Gugliotta said, alluding to Taylor's reputation for being precise and a bit demanding in his focus. "I heard a lot of horror stories. He's not a bad guy like everybody thinks he is. He's been good to me."
The first thing Taylor did to help Gugliotta was give him a pillow -- to sit on.
"His car had an extremely tall hood scoop," Gugliotta said of his 2005 Ford Escort, "so he put a pillow under me. I've got really short legs. I can't reach the pedals that good. He cut the clutch pedal in half this weekend. You will adjust yourself just to make pass. You'll make yourself go down if you have to."
Gugliotta said he has reveled in sharing the Pro Stock points lead with Tony Gillig, winning at San Antonio, and leading the field here at Grand Bend Motorplex.
"You've got to enjoy it while you can," he said. All of it -- including a funny nickname.
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY: Doug Foley, driver of the Torco Racing Fuels Dragster
The Top Fuel points leader spent his 42nd birthday Saturday trying to make the eight-car field but ultimately falling victim to the stubborn rain that hit just before the final qualifying session. The pass he didn't get the chance to make was one he so desperately needed.
Foley was last among seven drivers after Friday qualifying. He had to settle for a 10.134-second elapsed time at 89.80 mph after losing traction at about 300 feet.
Then on Saturday, he managed a 7.505/101.53 showing, despite losing traction before half-track. But he didn't cruise into the field this time, because two more competitors who hadn't run Friday got their acts together.
Mitch King, who had no time Friday because a cracked supercharger sidelined him at the hit of the throttle, came back Saturday with a 4.845-second, 281.51-mph pass to claim the fifth spot. And Chris Karamesines set the bump spot at 6.030 seconds after forfeiting his turn Friday because the blower on his dragster locked up and he didn’t have time to fix it.
So Foley, the San Antonio winner, dropped to the 10th spot, joining No. 9 Bruce Litton off the grid along with Todd Paton, Bob Leverich, and Jack Ostrander.
TOP FUEL
Super Cooper -- Rick Cooper improved five places Saturday afternoon, driving his Torco Race Fuels Dragster to a 4.646-second elapsed time at 313.04 mph and taking the provisional lead from Clay Millican by 22-thousandths of a second.
It was a contrast to teammate Doug Foley's performance through two qualifying sessions. Foley, the points leader, missed the cut on his first two chances.
Rain a blessing -- T.J. Zizzo missed the season-opening race at San Antonio by four-thousandths of a second and didn't enter the next race, at Rockingham. And Saturday, the rain, which frustrated so any of his fellow drivers, turned out to help him. He was seventh in the order when the skies opened up. And that's where he'll start Sunday. He'll meet Bobby Lagana in the opening round of eliminations.
PRO MODIFIED
Here's the scoop -- Harold Martin said before qualifying began that a driver in this competitive class must be aggressive. The ACDelco Grand Am driver certainly looked like he was throwing everything he had at the track Saturday afternoon, as his hood scoop blew off his car and about 30-40 feet into the air at the hit of the throttle. Martin also had said, "You don’t have to rotate the Earth, but you also can't leave a lot in the trailer." Harold Martin fans had to hope he had another scoop, or the tools to fix that one, in his trailer, for he was 28th among the 29 entrants with just one more qualifying opportunity.
Disappointed -- Shannon Jenkins, last year's No. 1 qualifier, wasn't even close to making the field. He was 24th of 29 Pro Mod drivers. In the 17th position, four-thousandths of a second in the brand-new '63 Corvette that he purchased from Al Billes.
Also leaving with DNQs were Eddie Ware, Charles Carpenter, Kenny Lang, Roy Wasko, Tony Pontieri, Mike Lockwood, Chip King, Rick DiStefano, Mike Stawicki, Harold Martin, and Scott Cannon.
Technically speaking . . . -- Mike Castellana said he wants to set the record straight. He really wasn't trying to take anything away from 19-year-old Jason Hamstra, but he had some trivia to share.
He said he read an article that appeared on an Internet website (not Competition Plus) that reported that Hamstra, in April at Rockingham, was the first driver with an automatic transmission to qualify for a professional-class field. Hamstra, from Demotte, Indiana, made the field with his family's G-Force-built '63 Corvette with a 6.216-second elapsed time at 226.73 mph.
However, Castellana, the reigning IHRA Pro Mod champion, said he owns the historical distinction -- although, he said, "I lucked into it."
He said he qualified 16th at Epping, New Hampshire, in 1992, in his small-block '69 Camaro with a Powerglide transmission. Castellana said he was using his appearance at that race as a test session for an upcoming match race. His was just one of 17 cars entered, and he earned the 16th and final berth. His luck ran out in the opening round that day, as he lost to Scotty Cannon.
Hamstra, though, is the first in the "modern" era to qualify with a Lencodrive, with a purpose-built car that is actively engaged in competing for a spot in the field.
NITRO FUNNY CAR
Gamble paid off -- Jack Wyatt had wanted to take it easy on his Race Girl Pontiac Firebird, so he sat out Friday night qualifying. And he made the field in the No. 6 position, as the class drew just seven cars for the field of eight.
His parachutes blossomed too early Saturday and he dragged them down the quarter-mile to post a 6.397-second elapsed time at 175.81 mph.
The Rockingham winner had no chance to top No. 1 Dale Creasy Jr.'s 4.870-second elapsed time. Creasy, the journeyman from suburban Chicago, earned the first top-qualifier award of his career in the Torco Race Fuels Chevy Monte Carlo.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
From outside to top half -- Canadian Trevor Lebsack, from Slave Lake, Alberta, didn't make a pass Friday night. But early Saturday, he jumped into the top half of the eight-car field (at No. 4), bumping John Anderika.
From hero to zero -- Dr. Thomas Carter, the Rockingham winner, failed to post a time in two tries and missed the cut. With no prior run because he pulled out of line Friday night, he had nothing to fall back on when during Saturday's first -- and, as it turned out, only -- session he left the starting line before the Christmas tree was activated.
Shakin' it -- Rob Atchison, last year's top qualifier, said he couldn't improve from his No. 3 spot in Saturday's first session to overtake Terry Munroe and Mark Thomas because his new Chevy Monte Carlo had "shake, then it shook some more, followed by more shake." His early Saturday elapsed time was no match against his 5.887 Friday. And he couldn't equal or improve his track-record speed of 246.57 mph, posting a 245.09.
FRIDAY - Clay Millican Serves Notice During Round One of Top Fuel Qualifying at MOPAR Canadian Nationals
6-2-2006 – Make no mistake about it, Clay Millican remains Knoll Gas -Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel’s top gun. Millican, the five-time defending Top Fuel World Champion, has yet to win on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. But Canada has always been special for Millican...Grand Bend Motorplex in particular.
It was in Grand Bend that Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) first visited the Winner’s Circle in IHRA competition. He defeated Shirley Muldowney in 2000 to chalk up career Ironman #1. Last season, exactly one year and one day ago, Kenny Koretsky purchased Millican’s race team from Peter Lehman. Millican also secured a small piece of the race team with Koretsky, and they celebrated by winning for the fourth consecutive season at Grand Bend.
Millican proved his mastery of the quarter mile strip on the shores of Lake Huron again Friday, erasing his own track speed record with a 320.97 mph pass to claim the provisional #1 qualifying position at the MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol. Millican, in the last pair of the first qualifying session, ripped straight down the groove to post the quickest time of the session at 4.668 seconds. Louie Allison ( Denver, Colo.) took the provisional #2 spot with a 4.784 pass.
Dale Creasy, Jr. ( Beecher, Ill.) clocked a 4.870 pass at 306.01 mph to step into the provisional top qualifying spot in Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car qualifying. Creasy outpaced Paul Lee ( Bala Cymwyd, Pa.) for the top spot. Lee posted a 5.072 pass at 301.70 to settle into second.
Frank Gugliotta ( Mt. Airy, Md.) continued his strong Knoll Gas-Torco Pro Stock season shattering the previous track record and claiming the provisional pole position after Friday qualifying.
Gugliotta drove the Charlie Taylor Racing ’05 Escort to the top qualifying spot by clocking a 6.393/218.28 mph pass in the last pair of Pro Stockers to go down the track Friday.
Gugliotta was not alone in topping Brian Gahm’s previous track elapsed time record of 6.476 as 13 drivers slipped under that mark. Robert Patrick ( Fredericksburg, Va.) debuted his new ’06 Ford Mustang in IHRA competition at Grand Bend Motorplex and was able to claim the provisional #2 qualifying post with a 6.409/217.02 pass.
Terry Munroe (Beaver, Pa.) captured the provisional Alcohol Funny Car pole with a 5.802/240.83 pass. Munroe was quicker than Rockingham winner Mark Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) and three-time defending World Champion Rob Atchison (London, Ont.), who claimed the second and third spots respectively. Thomas currently sits atop the Alcohol Funny Car points in the eMax Drag Racing Series.
Tommy D’Aprile, still looking for his first-ever Knoll Gas-Torco Pro Modified victory, blew away the field in Friday qualifying. D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Fla.) was the runner up at the season opener in San Antonio and claimed the provisional #1 spot at Grand Bend Motorplex with a 6.084/235.10 pass. Columbus, NC resident Quain Stott, who happens to own D’April’s car, finished #2 Friday with a 6.157 pass at 231.54 mph. Steve Bareman ( Elma, N.Y.) currently sits third on the qualifying sheet.
Professional qualifying for the MOPAR Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex resumes Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. with final round at 4:15 p.m.
Results Friday after qualifying for the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, third of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.668 seconds, 320.97 mph; 2. Louie Allison, 4.784, 295.08; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.021, 233.52; 4. Kevin Jones, 5.117, 233.76; 5. T.J. Zizzo, 5.864, 154.98; 6. Rick Cooper, 8.467, 93.77; 7. Doug Foley, 10.134, 89.80.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Corvette, 6.084, 235.10; 2. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.157, 231.54; 3. Steve Bareman, Dodge Stratus, 6.161, 234.37; 4. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.178, 230.47; 5. Glen Kerunsky, Chevy Bel Air, 6.198, 229.41; 6. David Roemer, Chevy Camaro, 6.204, 224.83; 7. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.211, 229.88; 8. Alan Pittman, Bel Air, 6.217, 227.56; 9. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.222, 227.21; 10. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.227, 223.15; 11. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.244, 228.07; 12. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.251, 222.66; 13. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.255, 222.71; 14. Eddie Ware, Camaro, 6.273, 222.44; 15. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.290, 202.52; 16. Roy Wasko, Camaro, 6.293, 222.77.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Terry Munroe, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.802, 240.83; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.864, 243.83; 3. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.887, 246.57; 4. Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 5.968, 238.85; 5. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 5.968, 237.65; 6. Frederick Tigges, Avenger, 6.033, 237.84; 7. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.089, 231.18; 8. John Anderika, Chevy Camaro, 6.257, 213.67.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.393, 218.28; 2. Robert Patrick, Ford GT 500 Mustang, 6.409, 217.02; 3. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.415, 217.70; 4. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.420, 216.45; 5. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.423, 217.33; 6. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.423, 215.25; 7. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.424, 216.19; 8. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.425, 216.55; 9. Rick Jones, Cobalt, 6.441, 216.29; 10. Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.449, 215.87; 11. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.456, 215.31; 12. Rob Mansfield, Cobalt, 6.459, 215.72; 13. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.475, 215.20; 14. Elijah Morton, Escort, 6.479, 214.59; 15. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.480, 217.12; 16. Jason Collins, Mustang, 6.487, 213.16.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.870, 306.01; 2. Paul Lee, Monte Carlo, 5.072, 301.70; 3. Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 5.482, 201.47; 4. Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 6.063, 154.03; 5. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 9.511, 100.04; 6. Gary Cooper, Stratus, 12.916, 75.59.
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK
FEATURE STORY - When worlds collide; mythical beasties meet the real thing
(6-2-2006) - In drag racing, there are gremlins and there are Gremlins. There are thousands of the former and very few of the latter.
The first variety comes in all shapes, sizes, and strengths and can exhibit stubbornness ranging from the annoying-but-relatively-simple to downright jump-off-a-cliff nasty. The second variety just comes in a few different colors.
The first variety is imaginary, an attribution given to any and all problems, difficulties, glitches, or situations that conspire to keep a race car from realizing its true performance potential. The second variety is all too real, a product of gone-but-not-forgotten American Motors.
Both types are unusual in their own ways, but when you combine gremlins with Gremlins, well, strange and unpredictable things can happen. Unfortunately, Bill and Connie Rudy learned this the hard way while en route from their home in Lima, Oho, to this weekend’s IHRA race in Grand Bend, Ontario.
The couple, who field a pair of the unusual little cars, were shocked to discover that sometime during their trip to Canada a fire had broken out in their trailer. Fortunately, if there is a fortunately in this story, the relatively air-tight confines of their enclosed rig suffocated the blaze before it could gain full strength.
The Rudys had no idea that anything out of the ordinary had happened until they opened the trailer door while waiting in line to enter the gate at Grand Bend Motorplex. They were immediately greeted by the sickening smell of smoke and burned rubber and the sight of two charred race cars.
Connie’s Hot Rod-class car, which was on the floor of the trailer, suffered the most damage, while Bill’s Super Rod roadster, the only one of its kind in drag racing, fared better. It was still wounded, however, and under normal circumstances it would have not been track worthy. But they were here to race and they were determined to do just that.
After unloading the cars and assessing the damage, Bill set to work salvaging parts from Connie’s car to make one car out of two.
“I came to Grand Bend to race, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said as he stripped vital components from his wife’s car. As for Connie, well, she’s going to offer the most help and support that she can while her husband takes to the track. “I guess now I’m the cheerleader and car washer this weekend,” she said.
It looks like we have to call this one a tie – the gremlins got one, but Bill and Connie Rudy are determined to give their Gremlin a shot at evening the score.
Newsmaker Of The Day - Mitch King
The man from Texas is running both Top Fuel Dragster and Fuel Funny Car in Canada this weekend
Mitch King loves nitro, and in order to fulfill his desire for speed the Galveston-based racer has immersed himself in Top Fuel and Fuel Altered competition for years.
Now he’s added another card to his hand, this one in the form of a fuel Funny Car which he recently purchased from Paul Smith. This weekend in Canada the confectionary owner from Texas has set the bar high for himself and his crew. He’ll attempt to qualify both the Funny Car and the Top Fuel Dragster, and he’s not totally sure why he’s doing it.
“Well, if they let me out of the insane asylum maybe we can go racing a little bit at these IHRA races, but obviously I’m certified crazy,” he said, pretending to knock his head against his trailer wall, repeatedly.
“Actually, we’re going to try to [run both cars] at the Canadian races this year,” he said. “We want to continue to run the Dragster as long as we can, but our goal is to run the Funny Car at the rest of the IHRA races this season.”
The Funny Car that he refers to has an impressive record, having most recently been driven by Jeff Arend in NHRA competition. It is also the same machine that King earned his license in back in 1999.
King wasn't going to be the only driver pulling double duty at Grand Bend this weekend, however. Local hero Todd Paton was also going to drive a Top Fueler Dragster and a Funny Car, but a last-minute snag with his licensing prevented that from happening.
PIT e-PATTER
Top Fuel
Litton looking for break -- Bruce Litton is looking for a breakthrough victory. For the past seven seasons, he has advanced to a final round by the third race of the year. But this year is different. Doug Foley and Clay Millican squared off for the money in San Antonio, and Cory McClenathan went against Andrew Cowin at Rockingham.
Moreover, he hasn't won a race at the Grand Bend Motorplex, but he's not complaining.
He has been top qualifier at Grand Bend, and he set a track record that lasted a season. His best finish came in 2001, when he was runner-up.
His record in Canada is 1-for-3 in final rounds. But his lone victory north of the border was in Western Canada, at the 2004 Rocky Mountain Nationals at Edmonton, Alberta.
"I always look forward to racing there," the Lucas Oil/Knoll Gas-Torco-sponsored driver said of Grand Bend, a staple on the IHRA eMax Drag Racing tour since 2000. "This is always the first of the Canadian events, and it brings in the excited race fans. They are diehard. Rain, sleet or snow, they are out there and they don't leave until it's over with. That’s what drag racing fans are all about. Although, with the way the weather can be at Grand Bend, I'm not so sure we won't have that put to the test one day. Regardless, those drag racing fans will be there cheering us on."
The even-keel Hoosier doesn't appear remotely close to being frustrated.
"Seems like we always have things changing, and that's just something you have to adjust to," he said. "I'm not frustrated. There are a lot more things in this world to be frustrated about."
His attitude served him well Friday night. He couldn't get his dragster in reverse following his burnout. So he made the long trip down the quarter-mile alone and posted no time.
Red-hot meets red tape -- The car is red-hot, but it's parked this weekend because of government red tape. Cowin couldn't arrange for the proper visa paperwork that would allow him into Canada and back into the U.S.
When this event kicked off, he was sixth in the Top Fuel standings with 119 points, just two short of cracking the top five -- with McClenathan not entered. So his absence could put a significant dent in his quest to gain on No. 4 Rick Cooper, who had 131 points coming into Grand Bend, and No. 3 Bruce Litton, who had 134. Clay Millican, because of his early-season struggles with the tune-up (that contributed to a loss to Cowin in the previous race), had only at 176 points for second place. Leader Doug Foley also has to watch his step, for he started the weekend with 200 points.
"This team is up and coming, and we're going to win one of these drag races. Just hold on," Cowin had warned.
Fans might have to wait until the July 7-9 Motor City Nationals at Milan, Michigan, to find out if Cowin's prediction will ring true. Unless he can get his visa situation settled soon, he's likely also to miss the next race, the June 23-25 Rocky Mountain Nationals at Edmonton, Alberta.
Pro Modified
Janis on the move -- Mike Janis, the two-time series champion, felt the sting of not qualifying for last year's Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout. And he's making up for it.
Buoyed by his No. 2 qualifying performance at Rockingham, Janis is ranked third among the elite eight eligible for the specialty race. He trails top-seeded Mike Castellana, the reigning series champion, and No. 2 Carl Spiering, who won the Shootout and its $20,000 first-place prize last season.
Janis' provisional No. 4 spot Friday night, with a 6.178-second, 230.47-mph effort in his Chevy Cobalt, didn't hurt his cause.
Drivers in the Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified class earn points based on their final qualifying spot at each national event. The top eight point-earners will participate in the bonus race, which is scheduled for Martin, Michigan, during the Aug. 4-6 Northern Nationals.
The rest of the top-10 drivers vying for the eight spots are, in order, Jim Halsey, Scott Cannon Jr., Quain Stott, Shannon Jenkins, Rick DiStefano, John Russo, and Steve Bareman.
The runner-up will earn $9,000, semifinalists $2,500, and quarterfinalists $1,500.
As an additional perk at each event on the IHRA tour, Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels will present a total bonus of $1,000 to the top four qualifiers in the class: $400 for the No. 1 qualifier, $300 for No. 2, $200 for No. 3, and $100 for No. 4.
Fast Friday -- Tommy D'Aprile set both ends of the class' track record in his Corvette with a quarter-mile run of 6.084 seconds at 235.10 mph. That erased Mitch Stott's 6.145-second elapsed time and Al Billes' 233.08-mph speed. No. 3 Steve Bareman also went faster than the speed of Billes, his predecessor in the Jim Oddy-owned Dodge Stratus. In another touch of irony, Mitch Stott is brother of Quain Stott, D'Aprile's car owner.
No fairy-tale ending yet -- Scott Cannon Jr., frustrated with crashing his brand-new Skull Gear Pontiac GTO during qualifying at San Antonio then failing to make the cut at Rockingham, said he is going to be on a mission this weekend.
"We still have something to prove. And we are going to get after it like nobody's business when we get to Canada," he said while prepping for the Cannon family's introduction to Grand Bend.
He left Friday feeling the same way.
The younger Cannon never has raced in Canada, and his father has raced in Canada only once in his career but never in Grand Bend.
Despite the fact Cannon Jr. said he had "heard a lot of good things about the Grand Bend Motorplex" and called it "a challenge I can't wait for," his performance was far behind Camaro driver Roy Wasko's 6.293 bump spot.
Cannon experienced tire shake early and packed it in early for a 9.085-second elapsed time at 94.35 mph.
He had said, "We'll just go in there and do what we know how to do best – race. He hasn't gotten much of chance yet to show what he and his GTO can do.
So Cannon's team will put in some extra hours once again to get the car running straight and quick.
Just a month ago, he and his crew worked 18-hour days to repair the car's Texas-sized damage and haul it from Lyman, South Carolina, to Rockingham, North Carolina. Then he missed the field.
"We were happy just to be there, but deep down inside, we wanted to win. We didn't put in all that work to be an also-ran. That’s just being blunt, but it's the truth," Cannon said.
"Just goes to show you," he said, "that drag racing doesn't always have a happily-ever-after storyline."
It hasn't yet for Cannon, but he has a couple more chances Saturday.
Nitro Funny Car
Smax attack– In 2003 he was the European Top Fuel champion, and this weekend he’s writing another chapter in a career that has spanned thirty-three seasons. Smax Smith, a native of Great Britain, finds himself handling the driving duties behind the wheel of the fuel Funny Car owned by Canadian Spiro Contos.
On Wednesday he had no idea that he would be in Grand Bend, but a chance visit with friend Barry Paton, father of Top Fuel and Funny Car driver Todd Paton, caused him to make some hurried last-minute plans. It was quite a change of scenery for the 52-year-old, who was in England driving a Top Fuel Dragster last weekend.
Contos was in dire need of a driver, and Smith, who now lives in Ontario, had just arrived home. He dropped in to Paton’s place to tell him how the race in England went, and found out about the quest that Contos was on. A series of phone calls led to a meeting on Wednesday night, and by Thursday the team and their new “shoe” were on their way to Grand Bend.
It was the chance the extroverted Smith was waiting for. “I used to have my own nitro Funny Car back in the early 2000s, and I drove it for three years. It was too expensive to run, though, so I put it up for sale. I got a deal to run a Top Fuel car in England after that, and I’ve been doing it ever since. All I’ve ever said is ‘give the kid a chance,’ so this might be my opportunity to do something over here.”
The Contos team passed up today’s qualifying session, opting to spend more time orienting Smith with the new car. Look for them to take to the track on Saturday.
'Sit & Save' Plan -- Jack Wyatt said his 2002 Race Girl Pontiac Firebird "was nice and clean and ran the same every run" as he earned his Ironman trophy at Rockingham. He'll have to wait until Saturday to see if it's still behaving the way he likes. He chose not to make a run Friday evening to save his resources for the remainder of the event. Three others made the same decision: Mitch King, Vicky Fanning, and 2003 European Top Fuel champion Smax Smith.
Alcohol Funny Car
Sneaking up on leaders -- While Mark Thomas and Rob Atchison drew the attention of Alcohol Funny Car observers, Beaver, Pennsylvania, driver Terry Munroe went out in his Chevy Monte Carlo and upstaged the points leaders. Munroe swiped the provisional No. 1 qualifier spot with his best speed of the year so far in a 5.802-second, 240.83-mph pass.
Pro Stock
O, Canada! -- In truth, driver Robert Patrick is a Virginian, from historic Fredericksburg. But in his Purvis Ford-sponsored race cars, he feels right at home in Canada.
He has won twice since returning to the Mountain Motor Pro Stock ranks in 2004, after a decade-long run in 500-inch Pro Stock. He won in 2004 during the Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park and is the defending champion of this event.
Patrick was just 16-thousandths of a second slower than Frank Gugliotta's low elapsed time with a 6.409-second, 217.02-mph pass in his brand-new 2007 Mustang GT500 Friday.
The driver already had recorded 6.40s at more than 217 mph during the recent World Ford Challenge at St. Louis.
Until now, Patrick has struggled this season. He had a staging malfunction in San Antonio, then drifted out of the groove against Larry O’Brien in the second round at Rockingham. He entered this event ranked seventh in the IHRA Knoll Gas - Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock standings. He's second in the special $20,000 Torco Pro Stock Showdown, a bonus race within a race that is scheduled for September at Maryland International Raceway.
Couldn't make it unanimous -- Only three qualified Pro Stock drivers did not go quicker than Brian Gahm's previous track elapsed-time record of 6.476 seconds. Elijah Morton was three-thousandths off in his Ford Escort with a 6.479 E.T., and John Bartunek came close at 6.480 in his Chevy Cobalt. And No. 16 qualifier Jason Collins, driving a Ford Mustang, established the bump spot at 6.487 seconds.
THURSDAY NOTEBOOK
FEATURE:
OH, SAY, CAN YOU SING? McMILLEN HOPING TO FIND HARMONY
Oh, Lord! Cover your ears!
Terry McMillen is thinking Friday night is Karaoke Night at Grand Bend Motorplex.
Johnny Reid and Blue Rodeo will perform together for the fans at the Mopar Canadian Nationals following the first qualifying session of the weekend. And oh, McMillen has some fantasy about jumping up there on stage and singing with them.
"I've been listening to Johnny Reid and Blue Rodeo the past few weeks, McMillen, of Elkhart, Indiana, said with a little devilment in his eye. "Maybe by Friday I'll have their songs down enough they'll want me to sing along."
McMillen's crew chiefs "Skinny" Brent Lidgard and "TV" Tad Heflick spoke out in unison - "NO!"
Said TV Tad, "Let's leave the singing to the professionals."
Skinny chimed in: "Have you ever heard him sing? I haven't heard anything like that
since my grandma rocked her chair over the cat's tail!"
McMillen lately hasn't been in harmony with his Amalie Oil InstiGator Alcohol Funny Car, either.
He's seventh in the standings. But he said, "There's no doubt that this where the rubber meets the road. This race begins a championship journey."
McMillen's InstiGator wasn't taking a bite out of enough people to suit him. And after a disappointing appearance at Rockingham, he gathered the team to renew commitments.
"Any time you're faced with a DNQ, it's time for a gut check," McMillen said. "For me it was calls to Amalie and Torco. Andrew Bornstein and Evan Knoll have been partner to
this team for a long time. They have always given us the level of support and confidence that any team needs to be successful."
McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator team left Rockingham and headed for the May 13 National City Thunder Nationals in Martin, Michigan-- where Jason and Stephanie Peterson, owners of US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, featured McMillen's car on billboards.
The National City Thunder Nationals featured Pro Mods, Alcohol Dragsters, Alcohol Funny Cars, the Bar's Leaks Supercharged Thunder, and even the nitro-burning Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster, plus two 300-mph Jet Dragsters and the World's Quickest Wheelstander. "This is one of the best events that we do all year," McMillen said. "It's non-stop action!"
It was one of his best performaces, and it meant non-stop action for him, for he went to the finals. But fellow Hoosier Mick Snyder beat him.
Still, McMillen's team left Martin with renewed confidence and motivation. "We were able to make 4 good passes at Martin," Lidgard said. "We've had a lot of time to spend checking and rechecking every possible element of the engine. We're as ready as we have ever been for an event."
But McMillen can't seem to help thinking about the concert.
"This deal is just as exciting for the teams as the fans," he said. "Every team works so hard to race [that] it's going to be nice to take some time Friday night and enjoy a concert side by side with the fans."
Still, his crew chiefs won't let him embarrass himself in front of their special guests, who will include the Honorable Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, special representatives of the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox organization, the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, and renowned Greenberg Traurig attorney Ira Gould.
"A great concert, a great drag race, a great facility and plenty of friends," said McMillen. "This is what summer is all about."
A victory would strike a sweet note, too.
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY: Alcohol Funny Car drivers Mark Thomas and Rob Atchison
The Mark Thomas-Rob Atchison rivalry will continue at the Motorplex. Thomas, who has a 13-point edge on three-time defending class champion Atchison, seems to enjoy reminding his pal that Grand Bend Motorplex doesn't look like Home Sweet Home.
London , Ontario, native Atchison calls Grand Bend Motorplex his home track, but he hasn't won here since 2003. So Thomas has enjoyed reminding him of that.
"I love going to Grand Bend and doing well," Thomas, the 2004 winner, said. "Grand Bend to Rob is like Norwalk to me. It's home. Rob has never won or been the top qualifier at Norwalk, while I have won and qualified No. 1 at Grand Bend. That really spices up the rivalry a little bit.
"Rob always wants to win at Grand Bend so badly, and that makes me want to win there even worse," Thomas said. "What can I say?" We like kicking sand in each other's faces when we can."
Just the same, Atchison was the top qualifier here last year. He also owns the track elapsed-time record at 5.727 seconds.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: From Quain Stott
"Every win is special, every round win is special, but there's nothing quite as sweet as the next win."
PIT e-PATTER:
Extras -- Folks in Grand Bend will have bonus events Friday and Saturday nights.
Each ticket to Friday night's "Nitro Jam" includes a free concert by Blue Rodeo and Johnny Reid as they perform live at 8 p.m., after the first session of pro qualifying.
The Saturday Dodge "Night of Fire" show will feature a session of professional qualifying under the lights – including two flame-burning nitro-fueled classes – and the "Jet Ambulance" of Pat Davidson.
The schedule is: Friday, June 2: Gates open 8 a.m., Sportsman qualifying 9 a.m. Pro qualifying at 5 p.m. (Q1) "Nitro Jam" Concert 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 3: Gates open 8 a.m., Sportsman qualifying 9 a.m. Pro qualifying at 3 p.m. (Q2) and 7 p.m. (Q3) (Dodge “Night of Fire”)
Sunday, June 4: Gates open 8 a.m. Sportsman eliminations 9 a.m.
Ready for more drama -- Some pretty unbelievable stories have swirled around Clay Millican and Grand Bend Motorplex.
Six years ago, as virtual unknowns, driver Millican and crew chief Mike Kloeber made their marks with the Werner Enterprises Dragster by eliminating veteran Paul Romine in the semifinals and drag-racing legend Shirley Muldowney in the final.
"It's our first IHRA final round and we were racing Shirley Muldowney," Millican recounted, still sounding in awe. "We're getting ready to race the finals, and Shirley does her burnout and then had trouble backing up. We waited for her . . . and then we outran her. Grand Bend is a very special race track for us.
"Grand Bend always brings a smile to my face, because that's where I got to race Shirley," he said. "Win or lose, racing against her was one of the highlights of my career. She is such an icon in our sport."
Forty-five race victories and five IHRA championships later, Millican, Kloeber and the team – which Kenny Koretsky owns – have impressive credentials, including a four-race winning streak at Grand Bend. Only Jim Bailey, in 2001, has interrupted Millican's streak at the Motorplex.
Almost as incredulous as that 2006 upset is the fact that this time, Millican arrived on the shores of Lake Huron without a victory this season and trailing Doug Foley in the Top Fuel standings, 200-176.
"Twenty-four points is 24 points," Millican said. "It's awesome that so many other Top Fuel teams have stepped their programs up and are running well. It really makes what we do a lot of fun."
Kloeber might not think of the past few weeks as barrel of laughs. He has made several fuel-system changes and said it has taken longer than expected to fix the problems. But he said he's moving closer to the right tune-up.
“Mike had the car going down the track at Topeka [in the NHRA's O'Reilly Spring Nationals] last weekend, and that’s what we need to do to win races," Millican said. "He also plans to use the same type of Goodyear tires we ran at Topeka. NHRA rules mandate a different tire than IHRA, and we had been running both tires. Mike needed two different tune-ups, and that was tough to do."
The Kenny Koretsky Motorsports team also has reverted to the car Millican drove to the 2005 title. The car, nicknamed "Flipper" for its blow-over in Milan, Michigan, last summer, came off the trailer at last month's National Hot Rod Association race at Commerce, Georgia.
The team will be fresh from a run to the semifinals at Topeka Sunday in heat and humidity.
"We sure won't mind if that's the same kind of weather we'll see this weekend," he said, "but we will be ready to go, no matter what the weather brings."
Whatever they encounter, Millican said, "Grand Bend is one of those places you feel good going to, no matter how the car is running. The people are always so nice and happy to see you. They really appreciate us coming to Canada, and it usually makes for a great weekend."
Top performer absent -- Cory McClenathan, who isn't entered in the Mopar Canadaian Nationals, is the only Top Fuel driver who's undefeated in eliminations rounds. He won the only IHRA event he has entered this season -- April's Spring Nationals at Rockingham. The Lake Havasu City, Arizona, driver also owns the class' best elapsed time (4.549 seconds) and top speed (326.62 mph). He was runner-up to Brandon Bernstein at the May 21 Columbus, Ohio, NHRA race.
Pro Modified
Kerunsky in charge -- Canadian Glen Kerunsky leads the Torco Pro Modified point standings. He won the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals in San Antonio and advanced to the final in Rockingham. He has 213 points, 54 ahead of second-place Tommy D’Aprile.
Say that again? -- Burton Auxier won the Torco Pro Modified class Ironman here last year on his way to an eighth-place finish in the series standings with his '53 Corvette. The Dixie, West Virginia, driver, happens to be the current Pro Nitrous points leader in American Drag Racing League action.
But 1320 TV announcers Al Tucci and Amy Johnson had some fun with him at the recent ADRL race at Memphis, asking fellow competitors how to pronounce "Auxier." After everybody shrugged, begged off, or mangled Auxier's name, the man himself set the record straight. It's pronounced "Oxer," as in rhymes-with-boxer.
At Grand Bend Motorplex, he's simply called winner.
D'Aprile wants luck -- Tommy D'Aprile, driver of the "Support Our Troops" TORCO Race Fuels Corvette, knows a thing or two about his bosses.
"There are two things I know about Evan Knoll," D'Aprile said. "Evan loves drag racing, and he loves to support the troops. He's one of the most passionate people that I've ever met."
The Port Charlotte, Florida, resident is No. 2 in the TORCO Racing Fuels Pro Modified standings and trails Glen Kerunsky by 54 points. He was runner-up to Kerunsky at San Antonio and, although he was No. 1 qualifier at Rockingham, he lost to team owner/crew chief/boss Quain Stott in the quarterfinals.
"Quain Stott had this car ready to race right off of the truck," D'Aprile said. "Evan Knoll is a great supporter of not only drag racing, but all of the men and women of the Armed Forces. Our team was proud to qualify that well for the Troops and for Evan."
D'Aprile indicated that on the track, he isn't intimidated by the boss. "The best scenario for me would be to meet Quain in the finals," D'Aprile said. "We're going to turn the tables on him if it happens again, boss or no boss."
While D'Aprile said he's happy with his performances so far, he said he knows the season is far from over and that luck is as much a part of the equation as skill.
"The season is a long haul," he said. "We've had some success but not a lot of luck. Along
with hard work, it takes a certain amount of luck to be successful in drag racing. Maybe we can get some luck on our side. Hey, I'd rather be lucky that good any day."
Either way, he said he's keeping his nose to the grindstone: "We've updated some stuff on the car. We've got our crew ready to go, and we've got a lot of racing left to do. We're going to do our best. There's a bunch of racing left to do."
His '63 split-window Vette has a camouflaged paint job. But the rest of the class can see him just fine -- out in front.
'More than pretty red race car' -- Alan Pittman has a promise for his fellow Pro Modified competitors: "We're planning to show them a whole lot more than a pretty red race car this weekend."
His '62 Chevrolet Bel Air "bubble top" is resplendent in red, sporting the as-stock-as-possible look that Pittman and team owner Mel Bush first envisioned. But pretty is as pretty does, and Pittman said he has decided what has prevented his car from achieving peak performance.
It's an air throttle, a piece of hardware he has used on his cars for years. He said he has to abandon the tried-and-true system, because it's robbing him of valuable off-the-line performance -- and in today's ultra-competitive Pro Mod world, every tick of the clock is crucial.
"I have always used an air throttle – I’ve never swapped feet in a car, ever," Pittman said, referring to the new technique he literally had just hours to master once he got to Ontario. "I have to make the change, though, because with the air throttle, the clutch is grabbing the motor way too soon, and that's killing our reaction times, our 60-foot times, and our elapsed times.
"I set up a timer on a practice tree in the shop and tried launching the car with the air throttle and by swapping feet, and the difference was unbelievable," he said. "There's no question – we have to make the change. The only problem is that I haven't had a chance to test any of this on the track, so we'll have to try to qualify in Canada with the air throttle. And if that goes all right, we'll look at changing over."
Powering his Chevy is a supercharged Hemi engine that fellow Pro Mod racer Carl Spiering built. Dyno testing at Spiering's shop showed that the motors he provided to Pittman generated plenty of horsepower, but at the first two races of the season getting the power to the ground was the challenge.
"We know why most of the top runners have an edge on us now," Pittman said as he prepared in his South Carolina shop for this first of three races north of the border. "And we also know that we have one bad hot rod, one that will run with anything the other guys put on the track."
Stott prepared for anything -- Quain Stott improved six places in the standings in the previous race, at Rockingham, moving from 10th to fourth -- just one point out of third place. He said he wasn't happy, though, that he did it at teammate Tommy D'Aprile's expense.
The inverted ladder IHRA began using this season worked against his Lee Boy/Torco team. He met D'Aprile in the second round and beat him but lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Josh Hernandez.
"Our team worked real hard to qualify well, and if we continued to do our job the No. 1 [teammate D'Aprile] and No. 5 qualifier would see each other in Round 2. "If someone said that I wasn't happy about that, it would be an understatement. But we're bound to see each other more than once this year," Stott said. "Maybe next time it will help us instead of hurt us when we qualify so well."
So, considering the way the pairings played out at Rockingham, Quain Stott, who won this race in 2004, said he is prepared for anything at Grand Bend.
"The weather up there this time of year can be tricky," Stott said as he worked this past week on his '63 split-window Corvette powered by TORCO Racing Fuels. "No one really knows if it will favor the nitrous cars or the blower cars, but we're ready for anything."
Stott has not been idle since the second race of the eMax Drag Racing Series schedule. He raced at the ADRL Memphis Drags, where he emerged in fourth place in the Pro Extreme class. He won the postponed St. Louis Pro Extreme title that Friday night and finished the weekend as a quarterfinal victim of John Lynam.
"We've had a lot of success over there [in ADRL competition]," he said, "and it has helped us from a testing standpoint," Stottsaid. "When we tested in Memphis last week, the track was very hot, we put down some good numbers with the Lee Boy car and the Support Our Troops car. We're really happy with the test results."
Turning the corner? -- Harold Martin and his ACDelco Pro Modified Pontiac Racing team have not wasted their five-week "layoff."
They've done extensive research and development work at their headquarters in New Hudson, Michigan, and combined that with on-track test sessions, as well as several sponsor appearances, including the ACDelco High School Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
Martin said he's confident -- at least cautiously optimistic -- that they have made some improvements heading into Grand Bend.
“At no point in the last few weeks was there any time that we felt we had a layoff,” Martin said. “From doing events on behalf of ACDelco to working on our program at the shop and testing, this entire ACDelco Pontiac crew has been extremely active. Although we believe we have a good race car, we are constantly looking to elevate our performance level. For example, we’ve been working on a new engine program that has taken some time to complete, and we are now about 15 to 20 days away from putting it on the dyno.
“With the toughness of the competition, you have to be aggressive and bring your ‘A’ game on every run. You don’t have to rotate the Earth, but you also can’t leave a lot in the trailer. This is compounded even further by the variables outside of your control, such as the weather or the condition of the racing surface."
Said Martin, "It comes down to making sure you have done every single thing possible to make your race program the best that it can be for the opportunity available."
Martin and his crew should like this event’s location. During the last few seasons, they have excelled at races north of the border. They include his first IHRA national-event victory in Edmonton and a final-round appearance at the 2004 Grand Bend race.
“We’ve had a great history on the Canadian swing, and the entire crew looks forward to racing there,” Martin said. “Hopefully, it will be the rub of fortune going our way that we can build on. We’ve worked hard enough on every aspect of our racing for the timing to be right, and it would be wonderful to have this weekend be the start of our turning the corner.
“The Grand Bend race environment has been a good one for us. We know the racing surface very well, with its location right off the lake providing a good atmosphere. We’ve got some good notes from our previous successes there and know how to set up our car to best maximize its performance for the conditions. It‘s something we look to capitalize on this weekend," he said.
Martin said the forecast of cool with the possibility of rain could reduce the number of qualifying sessions. "It may not be the perfect scenario," he said, "but there is no quit in this ACDelco Pontiac race team. We’ll go there with the very best we have available and make an aggressive effort.
Out to launch -- With the Pro Mod victory at Rockingham, Josh Hernandez, driver on the AMS Rage team, has achieved success in three drag-racing series: NHRA's AMS Pro Modified Challenge series, the American Drag Racing League, and finally the IHRA.
"That was tough," Hernandez said. "We just stayed with the proven combination and worked at it all day."
One of the proven factors was his lightning-quick reaction skill. He beat San Antonio winner Glen Kerunsky in that Rockingham final, after defeating Quain Stott in the semifinals on a holeshot.
"He was consistent on the tree all day," Stott said that afternoon in North Carolina. "It wasn't like it was a fluke or something. You could see it coming."
Nitro Funny Car
Up for grabs -- The championship chase in Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car is already a scramble. Gary Densham, who won the season opener in San Antonio, leads the pack with 204 points. Vinny Arcadi and Bob Gilbertson are right on his heels with 138 points, while Rockingham winner Jack Wyatt, is fourth with 130 points.
Because of a scheduling conflict, Densham will not make the trip from his Bellflower, California, home to Grand Bend. That leaves the class wide open and gives the other members of the top five a chance to make a move.
The Nitro Funny Car class returns to Grand Bend Motorplex after a 13-year absence on the IHRA tour. Among the drivers expected to race are Gilbertson, Dale Creasy Jr., Terry Haddock, and Paul Lee.
Alcohol Funny Car
Disappearing act -- Jim Sickles' victory here last season was part of his stellar performance of four wins in six final-round appearances in 2005. The Caledonia, New York, driver, who finished second in the final standings, hasn't entered a race this year.
Touting Ethanol -- Mark Thomas, the Ohio farmer and five-time IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion who drives the Ethanol Performs Dodge Avenger, made his pitch for renewable fuels in motorsports earlier this month on yet another big stage.
Thomas spoke in early May to a regional group of General Motors dealers at Haydocy Automotive in Columbus, Ohio. Then on May 11, he joined Indy Racing League's Rahal-Letterman Racing drivers Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick as part of "Ethanol Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
Thomas, who owns a family farm near Canton, Ohio -- near Louisville, Ohio -- displayed his Funny Car at the historic track during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. Thomas, Patrick, and 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Rice also participated in a press conference with United States Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Executives from the Ethanol Promotion Information Council (EPIC) will were on hand to speak about the merits of Ethanol.
"This is a big deal," Thomas said of the appearance. He said he had been "really looking forward to meeting, face to face, with the biggest players in this industry. As this Ethanol surge continues the industry will get even more attention. That's what this is all about. We want to get the message out there to as many people as possible, because I truly believe in Ethanol and its benefits."
Thomas has been working with General Motors as part of its "Live Green -- Go Yellow" flex fuel vehicles campaign. He is also working closely with EPIC.
"The people from EPIC are really stepping up with promotions like this," Thomas said.
In another press conference three days before the Indianapolis 500, one which Thomas did not attend, Ethanol was the focus. Patrick called the fuel "product with a purpose" as she joined a dozen speakers in paying tribute to her late teammate Paul Dana, who was killed during practice at Homestead, Florida, the day Thomas won the 2006 season opener at San Antonio. Dana had worked with Thomas in extolling the merits of Ethanol and pushing for its acceptance in racing.
Pro Stock
Tight race -- The Torco Pro Stock points race is as close as it could possibly be. Frank Gugliotta and Tony Gillig, who both have one event victory and advanced to the semifinals in the other eMax Drag Racing Series event, are tied for the lead with 193 points.
Follow your gut -- Defending event champion Robert Patrick undoubtedly will remember his lesson from the Rockingham race: Trust your instincts.
The Purvis Ford-sponsored Torco Pro Stock driver 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. His 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," Patrick said, "but then I put it into second, and it felt like I was I was driving on a sheet of ice. 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 was a favorite after qualifying No. 2.
He'll park his Cobra SVT and should have his new 2006 Mustang GT500 out in Grand Bend.
Lagana captured his first Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Ironman by snapping Clay Millican’s four-event win streak at Grand Bend Motorplex. In a match-up of the two ends of the Top Fuel spectrum Lagana with his rag-tag crew made up of family members and friends and Millican with his heavily-sponsored Werner Enterprises, Kenny Koretsky Motorsports Team, the underdog took the win light in a pedal fest. He carded a 5.367 pass at 236.59 miles per hour to top Millican’s 6.611/140.05. 
Dale Creasy, Jr. completed a journey as well when he defeated Bob Gilbertson in the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car final. It was Creasy’s first career win in a Nitro Funny Car and put him into second place in the eMax Drag Racing Series point standings. His 4.999/296.44 pass enabled him to nose Gilbertson’s 5.057/295.95.
The Knoll Gas – Torco Pro Modified final matched Alan Pittman (
Berner topped
“Yes, we’re doing pretty well so far,” Thomas said. “But we have to keep working. To be able to win two events in a new car has been great for us, but it’s a long season and everyone is stepping up their program.”
Ripe for the picking - Sometimes you just don't forget how to play the game. Alan Pittman made a vow the competition would see more of a certain red car and at the end of the day made good on his promise. 
The day was bittersweet for Cooper, however, as fellow Foley/Lewis racing teammate and current eMax Drag Racing Series points leader Doug Foley could not get down the track in two qualifying attempts and failed to make the field. 
Beecher , Ill. resident Dale Creasy, Jr. claimed his first career pole by carding the quickest Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car pass of the two sessions. Creasy piloted his ’06 Monte Carlo to a 4.870/306.01 pass to secure the #1 position and will receive a bye run into the semifinals. 
Frank Gugliotta ( Mt. Airy, Md.) claimed the top spot in Knoll Gas – Torco Pro Stock by being the only driver to dip into the 6.30s. Gugliotta’s 6.393/218.28 pass put his Charley Taylor-owned ’05 Escort into the top spot. Gugliotta, who won the season opening eMax race in San Antonio, will face #9 qualifier and Spring Rockingham winner Tony Gillig ( Lake Bluff, Ill.) in the first round. 
No Alcohol Funny Car drivers improved in the top half of the ladder on Saturday, leaving Terry Munroe (Beaver, Pa.) in the pole position for Sunday’s eliminations. Munroe posted a 5.802/240.83 pass to secure the #1 spot. Current points leader Mark Thomas ( Louisville, Ohio) ended up second while three-time defending world champion Rob Atchison ( London, Ont.) placed third. 
Tommy D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Ill.) finished on the pole in Knoll Gas- Torco Pro Modified as he drove his ’63 Corvette to the pole with a 6.084/235.10 pass. Mike Janis ( Lancaster, NY) wrestled the #2 spot away from D’Aprile teammate Quain Stott ( Columbus, NC) with a sizzling 6.133/233.16 pass that bumped Stott down to third. 
So it was a bit of a surprise when Pro Stock points leader Frank Gugliotta said Saturday that his "Flying Meatball" nickname was an acquired taste. 
The Top Fuel points leader spent his 42nd birthday Saturday trying to make the eight-car field but ultimately falling victim to the stubborn rain that hit just before the final qualifying session. The pass he didn't get the chance to make was one he so desperately needed. 
Rain a blessing -- T.J. Zizzo missed the season-opening race at San Antonio by four-thousandths of a second and didn't enter the next race, at Rockingham. And Saturday, the rain, which frustrated so any of his fellow drivers, turned out to help him. He was seventh in the order when the skies opened up. And that's where he'll start Sunday. He'll meet Bobby Lagana in the opening round of eliminations. 
Here's the scoop -- Harold Martin said before qualifying began that a driver in this competitive class must be aggressive. The ACDelco Grand Am driver certainly looked like he was throwing everything he had at the track Saturday afternoon, as his hood scoop blew off his car and about 30-40 feet into the air at the hit of the throttle. Martin also had said, "You don’t have to rotate the Earth, but you also can't leave a lot in the trailer." Harold Martin fans had to hope he had another scoop, or the tools to fix that one, in his trailer, for he was 28th among the 29 entrants with just one more qualifying opportunity. 
Disappointed -- Shannon Jenkins, last year's No. 1 qualifier, wasn't even close to making the field. He was 24th of 29 Pro Mod drivers. In the 17th position, four-thousandths of a second in the brand-new '63 Corvette that he purchased from Al Billes. 
Gamble paid off -- Jack Wyatt had wanted to take it easy on his Race Girl Pontiac Firebird, so he sat out Friday night qualifying. And he made the field in the No. 6 position, as the class drew just seven cars for the field of eight. 
Shakin' it -- Rob Atchison, last year's top qualifier, said he couldn't improve from his No. 3 spot in Saturday's first session to overtake Terry Munroe and Mark Thomas because his new Chevy Monte Carlo had "shake, then it shook some more, followed by more shake." His early Saturday elapsed time was no match against his 5.887 Friday. And he couldn't equal or improve his track-record speed of 246.57 mph, posting a 245.09. 
6-2-2006 – Make no mistake about it, Clay Millican remains Knoll Gas -Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel’s top gun. Millican, the five-time defending Top Fuel World Champion, has yet to win on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. But Canada has always been special for Millican...Grand Bend Motorplex in particular. 
Gugliotta drove the Charlie Taylor Racing ’05 Escort to the top qualifying spot by clocking a 6.393/218.28 mph pass in the last pair of Pro Stockers to go down the track Friday. 
Terry Munroe (Beaver, Pa.) captured the provisional Alcohol Funny Car pole with a 5.802/240.83 pass. Munroe was quicker than Rockingham winner Mark Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) and three-time defending World Champion Rob Atchison (London, Ont.), who claimed the second and third spots respectively. Thomas currently sits atop the Alcohol Funny Car points in the eMax Drag Racing Series. 
Tommy D’Aprile, still looking for his first-ever Knoll Gas-Torco Pro Modified victory, blew away the field in Friday qualifying. D’Aprile ( Port Charlotte, Fla.) was the runner up at the season opener in San Antonio and claimed the provisional #1 spot at Grand Bend Motorplex with a 6.084/235.10 pass. Columbus, NC resident Quain Stott, who happens to own D’April’s car, finished #2 Friday with a 6.157 pass at 231.54 mph. Steve Bareman ( Elma, N.Y.) currently sits third on the qualifying sheet. 
(6-2-2006) - In drag racing, there are gremlins and there are Gremlins. There are thousands of the former and very few of the latter. 
The Rudys had no idea that anything out of the ordinary had happened until they opened the trailer door while waiting in line to enter the gate at Grand Bend Motorplex. They were immediately greeted by the sickening smell of smoke and burned rubber and the sight of two charred race cars. 
“I came to Grand Bend to race, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said as he stripped vital components from his wife’s car. As for Connie, well, she’s going to offer the most help and support that she can while her husband takes to the track. “I guess now I’m the cheerleader and car washer this weekend,” she said. 
Mitch King loves nitro, and in order to fulfill his desire for speed the Galveston-based racer has immersed himself in Top Fuel and Fuel Altered competition for years. 
Litton looking for break -- Bruce Litton is looking for a breakthrough victory. For the past seven seasons, he has advanced to a final round by the third race of the year. But this year is different. Doug Foley and Clay Millican squared off for the money in San Antonio, and Cory McClenathan went against Andrew Cowin at Rockingham. 
Red-hot meets red tape -- The car is red-hot, but it's parked this weekend because of government red tape. Cowin couldn't arrange for the proper visa paperwork that would allow him into Canada and back into the U.S. 
Janis on the move -- Mike Janis, the two-time series champion, felt the sting of not qualifying for last year's Knoll Gas-Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout. And he's making up for it. 
Fast Friday -- Tommy D'Aprile set both ends of the class' track record in his Corvette with a quarter-mile run of 6.084 seconds at 235.10 mph. That erased Mitch Stott's 6.145-second elapsed time and Al Billes' 233.08-mph speed. No. 3 Steve Bareman also went faster than the speed of Billes, his predecessor in the Jim Oddy-owned Dodge Stratus. In another touch of irony, Mitch Stott is brother of Quain Stott, D'Aprile's car owner. 
No fairy-tale ending yet -- Scott Cannon Jr., frustrated with crashing his brand-new Skull Gear Pontiac GTO during qualifying at San Antonio then failing to make the cut at Rockingham, said he is going to be on a mission this weekend. 
Smax attack– In 2003 he was the European Top Fuel champion, and this weekend he’s writing another chapter in a career that has spanned thirty-three seasons. Smax Smith, a native of Great Britain, finds himself handling the driving duties behind the wheel of the fuel Funny Car owned by Canadian Spiro Contos. 
He has won twice since returning to the Mountain Motor Pro Stock ranks in 2004, after a decade-long run in 500-inch Pro Stock. He won in 2004 during the Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park and is the defending champion of this event. 
"I've been listening to Johnny Reid and Blue Rodeo the past few weeks, McMillen, of Elkhart, Indiana, said with a little devilment in his eye. "Maybe by Friday I'll have their songs down enough they'll want me to sing along." 
The Mark Thomas-Rob Atchison rivalry will continue at the Motorplex. Thomas, who has a 13-point edge on three-time defending class champion Atchison, seems to enjoy reminding his pal that Grand Bend Motorplex doesn't look like Home Sweet Home. 
Six years ago, as virtual unknowns, driver Millican and crew chief Mike Kloeber made their marks with the Werner Enterprises Dragster by eliminating veteran Paul Romine in the semifinals and drag-racing legend Shirley Muldowney in the final. 
Top performer absent -- Cory McClenathan, who isn't entered in the Mopar Canadaian Nationals, is the only Top Fuel driver who's undefeated in eliminations rounds. He won the only IHRA event he has entered this season -- April's Spring Nationals at Rockingham. The Lake Havasu City, Arizona, driver also owns the class' best elapsed time (4.549 seconds) and top speed (326.62 mph). He was runner-up to Brandon Bernstein at the May 21 Columbus, Ohio, NHRA race. 
Say that again? -- Burton Auxier won the Torco Pro Modified class Ironman here last year on his way to an eighth-place finish in the series standings with his '53 Corvette. The Dixie, West Virginia, driver, happens to be the current Pro Nitrous points leader in American Drag Racing League action. 
"There are two things I know about Evan Knoll," D'Aprile said. "Evan loves drag racing, and he loves to support the troops. He's one of the most passionate people that I've ever met." 
'More than pretty red race car' -- Alan Pittman has a promise for his fellow Pro Modified competitors: "We're planning to show them a whole lot more than a pretty red race car this weekend." 
"I set up a timer on a practice tree in the shop and tried launching the car with the air throttle and by swapping feet, and the difference was unbelievable," he said. "There's no question – we have to make the change. The only problem is that I haven't had a chance to test any of this on the track, so we'll have to try to qualify in Canada with the air throttle. And if that goes all right, we'll look at changing over." 
Stott prepared for anything -- Quain Stott improved six places in the standings in the previous race, at Rockingham, moving from 10th to fourth -- just one point out of third place. He said he wasn't happy, though, that he did it at teammate Tommy D'Aprile's expense. 
Turning the corner? -- Harold Martin and his ACDelco Pro Modified Pontiac Racing team have not wasted their five-week "layoff." 
Touting Ethanol -- Mark Thomas, the Ohio farmer and five-time IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion who drives the Ethanol Performs Dodge Avenger, made his pitch for renewable fuels in motorsports earlier this month on yet another big stage. 
The Purvis Ford-sponsored Torco Pro Stock driver 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. His 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.
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