Lagana, Atchison, Patrick and Ware also take home Ironmen at the Amalie Oil North

American Nationals

(9-10-2006) - The IHRA Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car championship points battle might not be a two-man race after all. Bob Gilbertson, who entered the Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers a distant third, picked up some ground on front-running Dale Creasy Jr., and second place Jack Wyatt by defeating Paul Lee in the final in Epping, N.H.

Gilbertson blew up his ’05 Stratus in the finals, but Lee handed him the victory by leaving the starting line early and activating the red-light for the automatic disqualification. The win was the Charlotte, N.C.-resident’s first IHRA national event victory of 2006, his other coming in 1992 in Cayuga, Ontario.

“This feels really good,” said Gilbertson, who hasn’t competed at New England Dragway since 1992. He didn’t even get to finish that race due to emergency dental surgery that his son needed. That was the last race IHRA had in Nitro Funny Car prior to this year.

“People expect a lot out of us because we go over there (NHRA) and do pretty well, but it’s come down to luck a lot this year. That’s what makes drag racing unique,” added Gilbertson.

The Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel class, for the first time in five years this late in the season, is led by someone other than Clay Millican. When Doug Foley, the No. 1 qualifier, took a first-round bye run while Millican fell to Bruce Litton, the drag racing school instructor from Sewell, N.J., took a six-point lead in the class.

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