Ashley Provisional Nitro Funny Car No. 1
Resets Knoll Gas Motorsports Park Speed Record

Mike Ashley, Melville, N.Y., took the No. 1 Nitro Funny Car qualifying position after round one during the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at Knoll Gas Motorsports Park at US 131. Ashley covered the quarter-mile south of Grand Rapids, Mich., in a track record-setting 4.812-seconds to kick off the first night of the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam. Ashley Provisional Nitro Funny Car No. 1
Resets Knoll Gas Motorsports Park Speed Record

Mike Ashley, Melville, N.Y., took the No. 1 Nitro Funny Car qualifying position after round one during the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at Knoll Gas Motorsports Park at US 131. Ashley covered the quarter-mile south of Grand Rapids, Mich., in a track record-setting 4.812-seconds to kick off the first night of the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam.

Trailing Ashley in Nitro Funny Car is Bob Gilbertson, 4.860, followed by Terry Haddock and Dale Creasy Jr. Ashley also earned the Last Man Standing bonus for the class, awarded to the quickest winning pass for the night and worth a 5 extra points.

In Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel, Doug Foley took the top spot with a 4.579 elapsed time, resetting the track record and earning the Last Man Standing. J.R. Todd is second, 4.597, followed by Bruce Litton, who reset the track speed record with a 328.54. Clay Millican, IHRA’s defending world champion, is fourth. Current points leader T.J. Zizzo sits on the bump spot.

Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified points leader Scott Cannon Jr. currently sits qualified No. 1 and earned the night’s Last Man Standing, followed by Quain Stott and Kenny Lang. Mike Janis sits fourth and reset the track speed record with a 237.80 mph pass.

Mark Thomas, who entered the race No. 1 in the Alcohol Funny Car point standings, sits in the provisional No. 1 spot with a 5.815, 245.85. The Louisville, Ohio-resident also earned the Last Man Standing bonus. Larry Dobbs sits second, followed by Scott Wildgust and Terry Munroe. Rob Atchison, last season’s Northern Nationals No. 1 qualifier, is currently not in the field. Tim Stevens, of Dorr, Mich., sits No. 9, just outside the eight-car field.

In Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, Pete Berner, Crete, Ill., jumped to the No. 1 position with a 6.409 ET, however, current points leader Robert Patrick had a better reaction time and crossed the finish line first during the run. Therefore, Frank Gugliotta, who picked up the No. 2 spot with a 6.414, earned the Quarter-Max Pro Stock Challenge for the quickest winning pass. Bob Bertsch, Willis, Mich., sits third, followed by Patrick and John Montecalvo.

Racing resumes Saturday at 9 a.m., with professional qualifying rounds at 12 noon and 7 p.m. For more information, log onto www.ihra.com. The Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals is the sixth of eleven events on the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.

Results Friday after qualifying for the Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at Knoll Gas Motorsports Park at US 131, sixth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.  Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Foley, 4.579 seconds, 327.03 mph; 2. J.R. Todd, 4.597, 307.16; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.630, 328.54; 4. Clay Millican, 4.671, 318.39; 5. Melanie Troxel, 4.673, 322.19; 6. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.725, 305.42; 7. Scotty Cannon, 4.737, 314.31; 8. T.J. Zizzo, 5.918, 148.04. 

Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Mike Ashley, Dodge Stratus, 4.812, 316.23; 2. Bob Gilbertson, Stratus, 4.860, 289.07; 3. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 4.991, 298.21; 4. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.041, 297.68; 5. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 5.120, 297.88; 6. Jack Wyatt, Stratus, 5.520, 193.54; 7. Gary Densham, Chevy Impala, 5.574, 201.01; 8. Mitch King, Chevy Corvette, 10.878, 71.64. 

Pro Modified -- 1. Scott Cannon, Pontiac Firebird, 6.118, 228.96; 2. Quain Stott, Chevy Corvette, 6.123, 234.00; 3. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.124, 228.54; 4. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.125, 237.80; 5. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.146, 234.49; 6. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.189, 231.12; 7. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.210, 218.12; 8. Mark Nielsen, Chevy Camaro, 6.236, 229.63; 9. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.239, 218.72; 10. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.276, 223.21; 11. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.277, 227.15; 12. Kenny Rucker, Willys, 6.349, 218.44; 13. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.773, 224.17; 14. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 8.736, 105.51; 15. Shannon Jenkins, Pontiac GTO, 10.267, 85.90; 16. Jason Stock, Camaro, 11.620, 72.94. 

Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.815, 245.85; 2. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.843, 242.41; 3. Scott Wildgust, Monte Carlo, 5.891, 246.35; 4. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.893, 239.36; 5. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 6.001, 233.28; 6. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 6.002, 234.13; 7. Paul Noakes, Mustang, 6.007, 234.37; 8. Don Gerardot, Pontiac Firebird, 6.075, 185.51. 

Pro Stock -- 1. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.409, 218.51; 2. Frank Gugliotta, Chevy Cobalt, 6.414, 219.15; 3. Bob Bertsch, Ford Mustang, 6.423, 217.14; 4. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.425, 218.12; 5. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.433, 217.91; 6. Dean Goforth, GTO, 6.470, 216.62; 7. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.473, 219.04; 8. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.482, 216.51; 9. Ron Miller, Chevy Cavalier, 6.502, 213.87; 10. Doug Kirk, Cobra, 6.530, 213.77; 11. Ed Machacek, Cavalier, 6.658, 210.34; 12. Bert Jackson, Cavalier, 6.904, 182.58; 13. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 7.061, 178.40; 14. Chuck DeMory, Ford Escort, 9.231, 165.70; 15. Ned Katuran, Cobalt, 10.106, 92.80; 16. Anthony Paone, GTO, 10.695, 114.70.