IHRA NORTHERN NATIONALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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SUNDAY FINAL RESULTS - Andy Kelley Captures First Career Nitro Funny Car Ironman
Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Jim Halsey (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Jeff Dobbins (Pro Stock) also claim class championships at IHRA Torco Northern Nationals
Kelley, a Piedmont, S.C. resident, defeated Paul Lee in the Torco Pro Nitro Funny Car final round to claim his first career national event victory and get the financial boost he needed to be able to compete at the Sooner Nationals later this month.
“We were broke and thinking about quitting,” Kelley said. “Now we did something silly and won some money so we pretty much can’t quit. We have to keep on going. I’m glad I was able to win this and glad to be a part of IHRA. When the president of the sanctioning body comes over and shakes your hand to congratulate you…that makes you feel pretty special.”
Kelley qualified #5 and knocked off #1 qualifier Cory Lee in the first round. He then defeated John Lawson, who was driving the car Dale Creasy Jr. drove to the world championship last year, in the semifinals to move into the final-round match-up with Lee.
Lee (Wynnewood, Pa.) hazed his tires in the final round while Kelley made a clean pass right down the groove. He posted a 5.544 at 263.20 to grab the Ironman.
“This is a dream come true, it’s just unbelievable,” Massey said. “With three races left we’re 41 points in the lead, so I guess we kind of control our own destiny. It’s because of this whole Mitch King racing team, they are the best.”
Massey took over the points lead in the semifinals when he was able to slip past Litton. He then knocked off McMillen, who shook his tires at mid-track. Massey clocked a 4.741 at 312.57 to take the win light.
“I always say I just have to take things one race at a time, one round at a time,” he said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We just have to keep our focus and not worry about the points, they will take care of themselves.”
Though Castellana had the quicker car all day Halsey was able to get his Yellowbullet.com ’68 Camaro into the winner’s circle at US 131 Motorsports Park. Castellana had the advantage at the tree, .026 to .057, but he did not have enough power left to hold Halsey off on the track. Halsey clocked a 6.088 at 235.64 mph to better Castellana’s 6.124/229.12.
“Some of the blower guys were asking me if they were going to put a weight penalty on us,” Halsey said with a chuckle. “But if it’s our time it’s our time. They’ve had a run at it for awhile now so we’ll enjoy it while we can.”
Halsey defeated current points leader Kenny Lang in the first round, Steve Salvadore in the quarterfinals and Jason Hamstra in the semifinals to advance to the final round.
“Mike Castellana and that entire team work very hard and they’re good at what they do,” he said. “I think they had a motor that was a little less than perfect because they hurt it a little bit in the semifinals. And he cut a good light on me. He was way out in front of me…I saw a lot of that maroon car for a long time.”
Most Alcohol Funny Car drivers have seen a lot of Laurie Cannister’s Kalbones ’99
Cannister coasted to the finish line after Noakes lit the red-light by -.162 of a second.
“It’s incredible because we’ve been trying to figure the car out because there’s something wrong with it,” Cannister said. “It’s been a bug-fogger all weekend and we’re thrilled we were able to get this win.”
While Cannister has been dominating the rounds of eliminations this season, recently her qualifying efforts have been less than stellar. She wants to turn that around. She qualified in the bottom half of the field in Martin, ending up #5 on the ladder, before turning up the heat in eliminations.
“That’s happened at the last couple of races, we’ve struggled in qualifying,” she said. “We had some kind of gremlin and ended up changing engines for today. For some reason this engine liked the track a little better. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Jeff Dobbins (Wilmington, N.C.) has seemingly righted the ship after a second-round red-light in Grand Bend two weeks ago
Berner out-performed Dobbins in the final, clocking a 6.383 to Dobbins’ 6.387, but his -.021 red-light start rendered his performance advantage useless.
“I saw it when I went by the tree, I knew he red-lighted, but we wanted to make another good run,” Dobbins said. “That made it eight good runs this weekend so we were pretty happy with how the weekend turned out.”
Dobbins historically has not done well at US 131 Motorsports Park, so he was pleased he was able to get that monkey off his back.
“We had never done really well here,” he said. “We had done well at the other Michigan track (Milan Dragway) but this was our first final round here. In fact this was our first semifinal here, so we’re happy with how things turned out this weekend.”
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Sunday's final results from the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park. The race is the seventh of 10 in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:
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SATURDAY FINAL QUALIFYING - Record Crowd sees Record-Setting Performances at US 131 Motorsports Park
Three track records fall as fields finalize for Sunday eliminations at Torco Northern Nationals
“We were lost,” Lee said. “We had some problems with our computer and also had some problems with some engine parts. We had a lot of work to do.”
The team was able to come through under pressure. They thrashed away to get ready for the evening qualifying session, then went out and moved to the #1 qualifying position. Lee’s 5.053 at 292.90 mph put him on the pole and set up a first-round match-up with Andy Kelley Sunday.
“It was a pretty good run,” Lee said of his Saturday evening pass. “It had to be. We went from being the worst car out here to being the best. We figured some things out and should be ready for eliminations Sunday.”
Terry McMillen, the winner in Grand Bend two weeks ago, ended up second in qualifying with a 4.659/316.01 shot. He will face Tim Boychuk in the first round Sunday.
Mike Castellana (Westbury, N.Y.) red-lit his chance at a $50,000 payday in the final of the Torco Pro Modified Shootout, held in conjunction with Pro Modified qualifying, but his track-record 6.009 at
Castellana’s 6.009 pass was the quickest nitrous-assisted Pro Modified pass in IHRA history.
Ed Hoover, who qualified #4, won the $50,000 first prize by knocking off Castellana in the final qualifying session.
“This was a great deal,” Hoover said. “I’ve never been involved in a race with this much money at stake. I’m really happy I was able to get the job done.”
Hoover’s 6.073/233.96 pass gave him the Shootout title and secured him the largest single-day Pro Modified payday in drag racing.
Rob Atchison (London, Ont.), Thomas Carter (Victoria, Tex.) and Paul Noakes (London, Ont.) rounded out the top half of the Alcohol Funny Car qualifying field.
Pete Berner (Crete, Ill.) captured his second #1 qualifying position of the season, using a track-record 6.365 at 218.69 mph to move to the top of the qualifying sheet. Berner is very comfortable at US 131 Motorsports Park.
“This is our home track and we test here all the time,” he said. “It’s a beautiful facility and the track is always in awesome shape. It was a nice run
Berner entered the Northern Nationals fourth in the championship points standings. He will get the chance to make up some ground on points leader Frank Gugliotta Sunday because the two will square off in the first round of eliminations. Coincidentally it was Gugliotta who previously held the track record at US 131 Motorsports Park with a 6.386.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park, the seventh of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Mike Strasburg, 4.612 seconds, 326.32 mph vs. 5. Bruce Litton, 4.704, 307.02; 2. Terry McMillen, 4.659, 316.01 vs. 6. Tim Boychuk, 4.754, 294.24; 3. Spencer Massey, 4.683, 313.88 vs. 7. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.860, 307.02; 4. T.J. Zizzo, 4.691, 298.60 vs. 8. Kevin Jones, 4.863, 295.08.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Cory Lee, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.053, 292.90 vs. 5. Andy Kelley, Chevy Camaro, 5.166, 296.18; 2. Paul Lee, Camaro, 5.064, 286.07 vs. 6. Todd Simpson, Camaro, 5.168, 252.95; 3. John Lawson, Chevy Impala, 5.131, 259.91 vs. 7. Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo, 5.192, 279.50; 4. Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.132, 295.27 vs. 8. Jeff Diehl, Monte Carlo, 5.221, 252.24.
Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.009, 238.05 vs. 9. Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.123, 232.11; 2. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.045, 233.76 vs. 10. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.124, 234.90; 3. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.065, 236.55 vs. 11. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.129, 224.88; 4. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.073, 234.17 vs. 12. Tim O'Hare, Camaro, 6.133, 231.12; 5. Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.091, 232.47 vs. 13. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.140, 231.40; 6. Mike Stawicki, Camaro, 6.095, 231.79 vs. 14. Steve Salvadore, Camaro, 6.162, 233.76; 7. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.117, 234.25 vs. 15. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.166, 229.12; 8. Rickie Smith, Corvette, 6.118, 232.59 vs. 16. Jason Hamstra, Camaro, 6.168, 227.00.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Dale Brand, Chevy Camaro, 5.729, 245.05 vs. 5. Laurie Cannister, Camaro, 5.856, 240.72; 2. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.794, 245.32 vs. 6. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.872, 246.89; 3. Thomas Carter, Monte Carlo, 5.801, 245.00 vs. 7. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.887, 238.55; 4. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.851, 238.30 vs. 8. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.945, 239.57.
Pro Stock -- 1. Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.365, 218.76 vs. 9. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Mustang, 6.399, 219.15; 2. Jeff Dobbins, Ford Escort, 6.376, 220.33 vs. 10. Dean Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.405, 219.08; 3. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.378, 219.36 vs. 11. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.416, 217.74; 4. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.384, 219.01 vs. 12. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.420, 216.90; 5. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac GTO, 6.392, 218.58 vs. 13. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.427, 218.97; 6. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.396, 218.23 vs. 14. Michael Bruno, GTO, 6.427, 217.91; 7. Robert Patrick, Mustang, 6.397, 218.09 vs. 15. John Konigshofer, Mustang, 6.440, 217.00; 8. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.398, 218.80 vs. 16. Richard Freeman, Cobalt, 6.457, 219.76.a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - Terry McMillen headlines as provisional Top Fuel low qualifier
Prior to the Mopar Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, veteran crew chief Doug Kuch joined up with Terry McMillen’s Hoosier Thunder Motorsports Top Fuel team. Early returns are in and the numbers do not lie…Kuch has made a world of difference.
McMillen, from Elkhart, Ind., grabbed his second career Ironman by defeating Spencer Massey in the final round two weeks ago at Grand Bend Motorplex. He followed that up Friday at the Torco Northern Nationals by vaulting to the top of the provisional Top Fuel qualifying sheet, posting a strong 4.659 at 316.01 mph. McMillen also claimed five bonus points for being the quickest driver who also turned on his win light as part of IHRA’s “Last Man Standing” program.
Mike Strasburg (Lindon, Utah) was right behind McMillen after Friday’s qualifying session, recording a 4.669. His 317.94 mph speed was the fastest speed of the Top Fuel session. Current points leader Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) was third on the qualifying sheet with a 4.705/297.81 pass while Spencer Massey (Fort Worth, Tex.) rounded out the top half of the provisional field with a 4.734 at 304.53 mph.
Veteran Top Fuel driver Luigi Novelli (Crete, Ill.) ended up sixth on the provisional Top Fuel qualifying sheet with a 4.866. But his 315.49 mph speed was a career best.
Todd Simpson was the sole survivor of a difficult Nitro Funny Car qualifying session as ideal weather gave the racing surface at US 131 Motorsports Park more bite than most NFC
“That was tough,” Jeff Diehl, who ended up third on the provisional sheet with a 6.189 at 160.06 mph, said of the Friday evening qualifying session. “A lot of guys will be making some serious adjustments before tomorrow’s afternoon session.”
Mike Castellana (Westbury, N.Y.) cleaned up during Torco Pro Modified qualifying. The grocery store owner ended up on top of the provisional qualifying sheet with a career best 6.031 pass at 237.00 mph, also claiming “Last Man Standing” honors and five bonus points. Jim Halsey (Street, Md.) was second on the provisional qualifying sheet with a 6.063/232.99 pass, putting two nitrous cars at the top of the
Castellana’s 6.031 pass was the second-quickest nitrous-powered pass in history, second only to Pat Stoken’s 6.022 set at Maryland International Raceway this June.
Dr. Tom Carter (Victoria, Tex.) moved to the top of the provisional Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sheet when he posted a 5.801 pass at 245.00 mph. Carter, in his ’08 Monte Carlo, was followed by Larry Dobbs (Welland, Ont.) who clocked a 5.872/246.89 pass. Dobbs claimed Last Man Standing honors, garnering five bonus points.
Jeff Dobbins (Wilmington, N.C.) drove his ’06 Escort to the top of the provisional Torco Pro Stock qualifying sheet, clocking a 6.399 at 218.80 mph. Dobbins was a thousandth of a second quicker than both John Montecalvo (Center Moriches, N.Y.) and current points leader Frank Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) who both checked in at 6.400. Montecalvo, who matched Dobbins’ speed at 218.80 mph, was second on the provisional sheet due to his speed advantage over Gugliotta’s 217.07.
Pete Berner (Crete, Ill.) was fourth in provisional qualifying with a 6.401/218.02 while Steve Spiess (Manhattan, Ill.) rounded out a tightly-bunched top five with his 6.405 at 218.34…the fastest time clocked of the round. Gugliotta, who had the quickest ET of the evening session while also winning against the car in the other lane, won the Quarter-Max Pro Stock Challenge. He will gain five bonus points and receive a $500 check from Rick Jones at Quarter-Max.
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Results Friday after qualifying for the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park, seventh of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Terry McMillen, 4.659 seconds, 316.01 mph; 2. Mike Strasburg, 4.669, 317.94; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.705, 297.81;
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Todd Simpson, Chevy Camaro, 5.168, 252.95; 2. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 5.407, 269.51; 3. Jeff Diehl, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.189, 160.06; 4. Justin Schriefer, Camaro, 9.016, 96.62. Not Qualified: 5. Tim Cullinan, DQ; 6. Paul Lee, DQ; 7. Steven Macklyn, broke.
Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.031, 237.00; 2. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.063, 232.99; 3. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.077, 233.96; 4. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.105, 234.17; 5. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.117, 234.25; 6. Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.131, 231.28; 7. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.140, 231.40; 8. Kenny Lang, Chevy Corvette, 6.155, 233.76; 9. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.162, 230.41; 10. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.166, 229.12; 11. Rickie Smith, Corvette, 6.201, 230.06; 12. Mike Stawicki, Camaro, 6.205, 223.62; 13. Jason Hamstra, Camaro, 6.212, 227.00; 14. Steve Salvadore, Camaro, 6.220, 230.41; 15. Tim O'Hare, Camaro, 6.223, 229.90; 16. Jason Stock, Corvette, 6.273, 219.54. Not Qualified: 17. Chris Russo, 6.277, 232.11; 18. Steve Vick, 6.286, 224.70; 19. Quain Stott, 6.313, 232.11; 20. Burton Auxier, 6.386, 220.66; 21. Mark Nielsen, 6.737, 200.83; 22. Steve Bareman, 7.060, 153.72; 23. Pat Stoken, 9.929, 80.48.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Thomas Carter, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.801, 245.00; 2. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.872, 246.89; 3. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.928, 242.23; 4. Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.943, 238.60; 5. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.945, 239.57; 6. Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 5.973, 236.22; 7. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.974, 236.42; 8. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 6.039, 202.73. Not Qualified: 9. John Hart, 6.310, 227.23; 10. Wayne Mellinger, 6.322, 181.98; 11. Tony Bogolo, 7.864, 113.33; 12. Dylan Hache, 12.157, 68.40; 13. Jason McKnight, 13.479, 74.33; 14. Rocky Hummel, 15.029, 69.05.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jeff Dobbins, Ford Escort, 6.399, 219.04; 2. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.400, 218.80; 3. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Mustang, 6.400, 217.39; 4. Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.401, 218.02; 5. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.405, 218.34; 6. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac GTO, 6.409, 217.98; 7. Dean Goforth, Cobalt, 6.416, 217.91; 8. Robert Patrick, Mustang, 6.418, 215.68; 9. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.423, 216.03; 10. John Konigshofer, Mustang, 6.440, 217.00; 11. Michael Bruno, GTO, 6.441, 216.69; 12. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.444, 216.86; 13. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.445, 215.65; 14. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.457, 217.53; 15. Richard Freeman, Cobalt, 6.469, 218.02; 16. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.472, 216.58. Not Qualified: 17. Brian Gahm, 6.488, 218.97; 18. Ron Miller, 6.488, 214.59; 19. Chuck DeMory, 6.516, 214.21; 20. Scott Hintz, 6.548, 213.70; 21. Trevor Eman, 6.589, 216.24; 22. Mark Martino, 6.589, 211.76; 23. Sylvester Barnes, 6.701, 210.14.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RACES TIGHTEN UP HEADED INTO MARTIN
The 2008 IHRA professional points chases are heating up, and with just four events remaining on the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule the time is now for championship hopefuls.
The Torco Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich. will play a large part in determining who will end up at the top of the heap when all racing is completed this season. Aug. 1-3 IHRA’s biggest stage will host one of its most critical races.
“There aren’t a lot of races left, so there aren’t a lot of points out there to be had,” current Torco Pro Nitro Top Fuel points leader Bruce Litton said. “With four races left, now is the time to make a move. It isn’t ‘do-or-die’ time yet, but it’s getting close. This is when you simply cannot afford to make a big mistake because you could end up putting yourself in a hole you don’t have time to dig your way out of. Now is when those butterflies start flying around a little more than usual.”
Litton, the defending IHRA Top Fuel World Champion, speaks from a wealth of experience. For years he was in position late in the season to secure a world championship. He finished second in the season points standings three times (2002-04) before finally breaking through last season. He knocked off J.R. Todd to win the Top Fuel Ironman last season in Martin and fought it out with T.J. Zizzo down the stretch…clinching the championship by winning the season finale, the IHRA World Finals in Rockingham.
This season things are different. Where Litton came from behind to win what was a two-driver spring to the finish last season, this year there are six Top Fuel drivers with legitimate shots at the world championship. Litton leads with 499 points, but rookie Spencer Massey is right on his tail with 497 points. Bobby Lagana is also firmly in the mix, sitting third with 445 points while Mike Strasburg is fourth in the points chase with 438. Kevin Jones and Terry McMillen, both with one event win this season, are also in the hunt with 354 and 351 points respectively.
“There are so many good teams and so many good cars this season,” Litton said. “Every single round is huge. The five Last Man Standing points make each evening qualifying session a big deal, and in the elimination rounds you can’t take anyone for granted because if a car qualifies for the field it can go rounds. The eight-car field with the sportsman ladder really adds to the importance and excitement.”
IHRA uses the “sportsman ladder” during eliminations, so instead of the #1 qualifier taking on the #8 driver, he must square off with the #5 qualifier. The #2 qualifier takes on #6, the #3 races #7 and the #4 qualifier goes up against #8.
“We’re fixing to mix the Top Fuel points chase up a little bit,” Terry McMillen, the winner of the Mopar Canadian Nationals, said. “We have four races left and our goal is to come out and get as many points as we can to see what happens with the points championship at the end. It’s really tough and we certainly hope we have the opportunity to prevail.”
Terry Haddock made a move to the top of the standings by winning the Torco Pro Nitro Funny Car Ironman in Grand Bend. After the season-ending injury to two-time defending World Champion Dale Creasy Jr., things are wide open. Haddock leads with 408 points with Creasy in second with 392. Steven Macklyn is third with 380 points while Rockingham winner Matt Hagan (374) and Budds Creek champion Paul Lee (344) are well within striking distance.
Haddock is thrilled to be in the points lead for the first time in his career, regardless of sanctioning body.
“This is a great deal,” he said. “We really appreciate IHRA giving us a place to race. This is just incredible. The points standings were real tight before Dale got hurt and this tightens them up a little more. We really miss Dale and wish he could be out here.”
Now that he has the points lead, Haddock knows he has his work cut out for him.
“I’ve been driving a fuel Funny Car for 12 years,” he said. “I’ve put my heart and soul into it. Is it going to get easier from here on out? No, because everyone out here has the same goal and they all work so hard. We’re all out here late at night when things are broken, we sleep 15 guys in a hotel room and we’re all out here scrambling to get things done. So it’s definitely not going to get easier.”
Kenny Lang won back-to-back events earlier this season to build a large points lead, but a number of drivers are making mid-season charges to bring Lang a little closer to the rest of the pack. Lang’s 90-point lead is comfortable, but there are plenty of points left on the table.
Tommy D’Aprile, driving the Mel Bush-owned 1968 Firebird, cut into Lang’s lead by reaching the semifinals in Edmonton before advancing to the finals in Grand Bend. Though he remains in search of his first career national event victory, D’Aprlie’s recent hot streak put some pressure on Lang.
Defending World Champion Scott Cannon Jr. also has Lang in his sites. Cannon is 106 points back with 344 points, but has yet to hit his stride this year. Last season Cannon claimed 55 total “Last Man Standing” points during qualifying and, at times, appeared to be unbeatable. With one of the stronger teams on the circuit behind him, Cannon’s 106-point deficit could disappear quickly.
Two-time champion Mike Janis, who won world titles in 2001 and 2004, is just 10 points behind Cannon and could make a run at the top of the standings before all is said and done as well.
Laurie Cannister has dominated the Alcohol Funny Car class this season, driving her Kalbones Grillin’ Sauce ’99 Camaro to four wins in five events heading into Grand Bend. There, however, she proved to be human by falling to Larry Dobbs in the semifinals. This marked the first time in 2008 she had not been to a final round, but her points lead heading to US 131 Motorsports Park will still be significant.
Cannister leads the class with 647 points, well in front of three-time World Champion Rob Atchison who sits in second with 480. Paul Noakes, who won in Grand Bend behind the wheel of Terry McMillen’s Amalie Oil InstiGator, is third with 457. This is the first season in the InstiGator for Noakes, who feels like he is finally getting comfortable in his new car.
“I’m just starting to figure the car out and it’s not as easy as you would think to go from one Funny Car to another,” Noakes said. “The guys keep working on the car, they keep changing it to make it the way I like it and that makes my job a lot easier.”
Noakes is aware he has little room for error the rest of the season.
“We struggled at the first two races of the season and let Laurie kind of run away from us,” he said. “We’re just going to keep on our mid-season charge and hopefully we can catch up with that Kalbones team. But they are so strong and Laurie and that whole team does such a great job. But the race is on.”
Frank Gugliotta found the Torco Pro Stock Winner’s Circle for the second time in three events when he stopped Pete Berner in the final at Grand Bend Motorplex. He gave up the chance to make it three in a row when he decided to sit out the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton. Despite the points he left on the table by skipping the Edmonton event, Gugliotta’s recent hot streak gave him the 2008 points lead.
Driving Bob Yoak’s 2007 Mustang, Gugliotta slipped past Jeff Dobbins in the points chase with the win in Grand Bend, coupled with Dobbins’ uncharacteristic red-light loss in the quarterfinals against Pete Berner. Gugliotta will head to Martin with 407 points in his pocket while Dobbins has rolled up 388.
Even though Gugliotta has the points lead he knows things can change in an instant.
“I have gotten close so many times,” he said. “And I know it is not over until Rockingham when that final round goes past. This is a great bunch of racers and they’re all dedicated. Trust me, they’re working day and night.”
The Torco Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park will also feature a “race within a race” in the Pro Modified class as the top eight drivers in the class will square off for their share of the $100,000 purse. Mike Janis will be the #1 seed followed by #2 Scott Cannon Jr., #3 Kenny Lang, #4 Ed Hoover, #5 Chip King, #6 Jason Hamstra, #7 Mike Castellana and #8 Jim Halsey. Tommy D’Aprile and Quain Stott are the first and second alternates.
The sportsmen racers will have a special weekend as well as 32 sportsmen will do battle for their share of the $51,000 Moser Axle Mania purse.
“This is a very big weekend for our professional and sportsman racers,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “The Torco Pro Modified Shootout is always a huge deal and we always love the Moser Axle Mania. Moser brings a lot of people to the race from their facility in Indiana, which makes this one of my favorite weekends of the year.”
