Former IHRA Torco’s CompetitionPlus Pro Stock world champion John Nobile knew he had an uphill battle headed into this weekend’s Pro Stock Showdown. He’s got another challenge in figuring out how to spend the $20,000 that he won courtesy of Evan Knoll, Torco Race Fuels and Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Saturday evening.

Nobile ran a 6.304 elapsed time at 221.49 miles per hour to defeat Frank Gugliotta, who drove Rick Jones’ Chevrolet Cobalt to a 6.320, 222.51.

“I couldn’t be any happier than I am now,” said Nobile. “We knew we’d be a player, but things looked grim after the first session and tried to piece things together after hurting the engine. We wanted to come out here and just make things work.”

Nobile’s event started out on a questionable note when he pulled through the gates at Maryland International Raceway with no engine in his Ford Mustang. The Jon Kaase engine that normally resides between the fenders of his car was damaged twice on the dyno due to faulty parts.

Nobile said he knew just getting to compete was a stand-alone achievement.

“It was a rush deal and anytime you rush things in Pro Stock, they don’t usually work all that well. The motor responded each round and just got better and better. After the first round, it became apparent to me that we could win this thing.”

Nobile credited the resolve of Kaase for making it all happen...

“John Kaase worked all through the night and delivered the engine to me personally on Thursday night. We put the motor in on Friday morning and here we are. There’s no better than Jon Kaase. He puts his heart and soul into these engines. He works for everybody out here.”

Nobile entered the event as the eighth seeded entry and earned his way into the finals by taking out Robert Patrick and John Montecalvo.

For his part, Gugliotta eliminated Steve Spiess and Pete Berner to reach the final round. 

 

Final round-by-round results from the Torco Racing Fuels CompetitionPlus Pro Stock Showdown, a special event held during the Torco Race Fuels President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, the tenth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:

 

PRO STOCK SHOWDOWN:

ROUND ONE -- John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.499, 218.55 def. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 7.996, 130.09; Frank Gugliotta, Cobalt, 6.352, 221.27 def. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.343, 223.54; Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.328, 221.05 def. Rob Mansfield, GTO, 6.359, 220.66; John Nobile, Mustang, 6.349, 220.30 def. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.332, 222.58;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Nobile, 6.334, 222.22 def. Montecalvo, 6.382, 222.33; Gugliotta, 6.346, 221.60 def. Berner, 6.328, 222.44;

 

FINAL -- Nobile, 6.304, 221.49 def. Gugliotta, 6.320, 222.51.