2009 IHRA GRAND BEND - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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SUNDAY FINAL - DEAN GOFORTH STUNS PRO STOCK FIELD ON UPSET SUNDAY
Cox wins second race of season; Hoover strikes again in Pro Mod
It was a day of upsets and great racing as Del Cox (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), Dean Goforth (Pro Stock) and Bruce Boland (PMRA) all took home Ironman trophies at the 10th annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals Sunday at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.
Also claiming victories during Part Source Championship Sunday were Gary Wojnowski Sr. (Top Sportsman), Jim Rubino (Top Dragster), Jim Marshall (Stock), Pete D’Angnolo (Super Stock), Ron Folk (Quick Rod) and Tony Elrod (Super Rod and Hot Rod) in sportsman action.
Two crazy days of racing to open the weekend gave way to a beautiful Sunday afternoon as the IHRA wrapped up its two-race Canadian Tour with a great weekend in Grand Bend and will return to the U.S. with four races to go in the 2009 Nitro Jam season.
Del Cox Jr. began the year on quite a roll, but a few early exits and poor qualifying runs over the last three races left many wondering if the boy wonder had used up all of his beginners luck.
Sunday afternoon Cox proved that luck has nothing to do with it.
Cox put himself right back into championship contention over the weekend, qualifying first with the fastest lap of the year before mowing through the Top Fuel field on Sunday to record his second victory of the season.
“We are back on top of the mountain. Paul Smith is the man, he gave me a great car this weekend,” Cox said.
Cox (Downey Calif.) ran a solid 4.882 elapsed time at 285.77 miles per hour, edging points leader Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) who ran a 4.945 E.T. at 256.31 mph in one of the closest battles of the event.
“I went out there and smoked the tires, but anything for the win these days,” Cox said.
Cox’s victory allowed him to make up a little ground in the Top Fuel title chase, but Litton’s fifth final in six tries still gave him some breathing room over the rookie. Litton leads Cox by 68 points with four races remaining this season.
“There are a few more races and we are going to win them too. Little by little, a couple more No. 1 qualifiers, a couple more wins and we should be able to catch him in no time,” Cox said.
On Sunday Cox defeated Bobby Lagana Jr. and Litton to claim the win.
It was Cox’s second win of the season, knocking off Litton the first time as well three months ago in Rockingham.
Litton reached his fifth final in four tries with a win over Tim Boychuk in the semifinals. The two drivers nailed the tree and were glued together over the first 1,000 feet, but both lost power at the top end giving Litton a chance to drive around the Canadian and take the win.
Litton ran a 5.065 E.T. in the semis while Boychuk coasted across with a 5.251 second pass.
Cox received a free pass into the final when team owner Mitch King did not show. Cox smoked the tires at midtrack and ran a 6.027 E.T., giving lane choice to Litton.
In quarterfinal action it was business as usual as all four of the top qualifiers moved on to the next round.
Cox was able to keep in the throttle in his win while opponent Bobby Lagana Jr. battled to keep it off the wall at half track and did a nice job of saving the car. Litton, in his first successful pass with the backup motor, topped the 300 mile per hour mark for the first time this weekend in a win over Tim Cullinan.
King kept up his recent success with a win over Dom Lagana in his first full weekend of competition and Boychuk blew by Fred Farndon.
“I want to thank all of the boys on the team, Bexar Waste, Lucas Oil, Mitch King, RG Industries, Sparco Race Products – everybody,” Cox said. “I wish my grandpa was here, this is for him. Without him I would be nobody.”
When discussing the race for the 2009 IHRA Pro Modified world championship, only two names can be included as a part of the conversation – Ed Hoover and Kenny Lang.
And they intend to keep it that way.
For the third consecutive race the two rival drivers met in the final round of an IHRA national event, with Ed Hoover once again getting the edge when it mattered most.
“It feels good to overcome the adversities we had this weekend. We put an engine in last night until 3 a.m. and first thing this morning I did a burnout and the thing had zero oil pressure,” Hoover said. “Luckily the guy red lighted on me and we came back and got the engine fixed.
“Thankfully the engine stayed together enough to get us the win. It was a great weekend for Trussell Motorsports.”
Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) ran a solid 5.988 elapsed time at 237.71 miles per hour on Sunday, his best lap of the weekend, to rocket to his second consecutive victory while Lang finished as runner-up for the fourth time this year.
“I beat Mitch Stott here in one of my last years of nitrous racing and that was the last time I had two wins in a row,” Hoover said. “It has been a long time and it feels good to do it again.”
Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) ran an equally impressive 6.025 seconds at 237.75 miles per hour.
“He is a good racer and he has a really good team,” Hoover said. “That is what happens out here in the IHRA. You go to the front one weekend and are down the next. We work on this thing fulltime and that is what it takes out here in Pro Mod.”
Sunday marked the third consecutive race the two drivers have met in the final and the fifth straight race they have faced off on Sunday. In those five showdowns Lang has won three times and Hoover twice, but both of Hoover’s wins have come over the last two events.
Thanks to that consistency Hoover jumped ahead of Lang in the Pro Mod championship standings by 11 points.
“We have to take this momentum right now and get a lead with it because I don’t want to go to Rockingham and depend on that one race for the championship,” Hoover said. “I want to go in there with it under my belt. I want to go in there with a cushion and that is what we are trying to work on now before it is too late.”
Hoover recorded wins over Ike Maier, Gary Irving and Lang to claim the win.
Lang reached the final thanks to a win over the fastest man of the weekend Pontieri in the semifinals, recording a solid 6.018 elapsed time at 237.71 miles per hour to gain lane choice. Pontieri coasted across the line after smoking the tires.
Hoover reached the final via a bye run in the semis.
In the quarters all of the top drivers moved on as Pontieri coasted to a win over Russo who smoked the tires at the line and Hoover blew by Gary Irving with a six-flat run. Lang also moved on via a second-round bye.
In first round action Pontieri and Irving both received bye runs, Hoover defeated Ike Maier who went red, Lang ran away from Harold Martin and Russo defeated Melanie Troxel.
Only her second race behind the wheel of the popular door car, Troxel produced an impressive lap on Saturday to propel herself into the top five in qualifying, but is still searching for that elusive first round win.
It was only a matter of time before Dean Goforth put his bright orange GXP in victory lane.
So it should come as no surprise that when Goforth crossed the finish line Sunday afternoon to claim his first career victory, he would need a few moments to take it all in.
“We finally got it done. It has taken us three years, but I mean it feels good,” Goforth said. “Honestly you try hard and things go wrong and today nothing went wrong. It was just a great day.”
After years of trying Goforth finally got his wish as he managed to drive around IHRA legend John Montecalvo in the final of Sunday’s MOPAR Canadian Nationals to claim his first career victory in his second ever final.
“If you go back and look at all the people I had to run today, it wasn’t luck,” Goforth said. “Beating Pete in the first round and John in the final and Richard and J.R. in the middle – that is a good weekend.”
Goforth (Holdenville, Okla.) ran a 6.401 elapsed time at 218.87 miles per hour got around Montecalvo as the New York native fell short of a win for the third time this season.
Montecalvo had trouble right from the start, limping across the line at 10.222 seconds.
Goforth defeated Richard Freeman, J.R. Carr and Pete Berner to get the win.
“I will say the luckiest thing I did today was have a triple zero reaction time and not red light. When I saw it at the end of the track it scared me to death,” Goforth said. “Everybody knows I will pull a red light and I thought what was I thinking, that was crazy.
“We made eight runs and seven of them were heck. We had been sneaking up on it all weekend and finally got it done this evening.”
It was the second time this season a Goforth has won a race as Goforth’s son, Cary, claimed his first career victory three months ago in Rockingham.
But on Sunday, it was all Goforth.
“Other than the boo-boo we had in Tulsa we have had a really good year,” Goforth said. “We have been to the final round three times as a team.
“That is pretty good for a bunch of farm boys.”
And what a weekend it was for the 65-year-old.
Goforth reached his second career final with a win over Richard Freeman in one of the best races of the afternoon. The two cars were welded together the entire run, but a perfect reaction time proved the difference as Goforth crossed the line on a 6.351 E.T. to Freeman’s 6.353 second run – mere inches at the line.
And that wasn’t even the closest race of the weekend for Goforth.
He produced a first round win over two-time champion Pete Berner that didn’t even register on the scoreboard – an astonishing .0000 second margin of victory – on a day where everything seemed to fall his way.
In quarterfinal action the crazy first round gave way to a slew of new faces in the final eight.
Montecalvo reached the finals thanks to a commanding win over Cale Aronson who turned out to be one of the best stories of the weekend. Driving in a borrowed car that hadn’t been on a track in well over a year, Aronson knocked off pole sitter Frank Gugliotta in the first round and made it all the way to the semifinals where his dream weekend finally came to an end at the hands of Montecalvo.
Despite not getting the win, Montecalvo leaped from fourth to second in points thanks to the wild day of Pro Stock racing. Montecalvo is now six points back of Gugliotta.
In quarterfinal action the crazy first round gave way to a slew of new faces in the final eight.
Aronson stole Gugliotta’s second round bye with his stunning upset to put himself in the semis while Montecalvo produced some big numbers to beat Jason Collins.
Goforth continued his breakout weekend with a win over Elite Motorsports Pro Stock entry J.R. Carr and Freeman won a staging war with John Pluchino.
Upset Sunday got underway early during the first round of professional eliminations in Pro Stock as the top three in points all fell out in the opening round, giving Montecalvo an easy road back into the hunt for the ’09 title.
While the first round was filled with stunners, by far the biggest upset of the first round came when Aronson knocked off No. 1 qualifier Gugliotta. Aronson struggled during the first two days of competition with oil downs and poor passes, but put that all behind him on Sunday.
Aronson knocked off the pole sitter with a solid pass as Gugliotta struggled from start to finish. Goforth also got a stunning first round win when he knocked off No. 2 qualifier Berner in one of the closest drag races in Pro Stock history.
Goforth edged the two-time champion by the slimmest of margins, recording an unheard of .0000 second margin of victory. It was also Goforth’s best career pass by a tenth of a second.
Cary Goforth also struggled in the opening round with his second consecutive first round loss as Freeman knocked him off on a morning where the right lane proved the downfall of a lot of teams.
In other first round action Montecalvo beat Chris Holbrook, Pluchino defeated John Konigshofer, Carr beat Bob Bertsch and Collins beat Mark Martino.
In the special Pro Modified Racing Association action Bruce Boland (Stoney Creek, Ontario) was able to pull out a victory over Eric Latino.
Boland ran a 4.105 elapsed time at 178.05 miles per hour on the eighth mile to get around Latino who ran a 4.504 E.T. at 163.53 miles per hour.
Boland reached the final with wins over Mark Nielsen, Tim Martin and Latino while Latino reached the final of the eighth mile challenge with wins over Jeff Roth and Jack Grainy.
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SATURDAY FINAL QUALIFYING - RECORD RUNS FLOURISH IN COOL SATURDAY EVENING CONDITIONS
Cox blasts to No. 1 in Top Fuel; Pontieri (Pro Mod) and Gugliotta (Pro Stock) top charts
A pair of Canadians owned the Pro Modified class as Tony Pontieri leaped to the top of the charts in the popular doorslammer category 
and Del Cox (Top Fuel), Frank Gugliotta (Pro Stock) and Bruce Boland (PMRA) all claimed spots at the top of the charts during the popular “Night of Fire” at the MOPAR Canadian Nationals Saturday at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.
Rain showers wreaked havoc on the evening portion of the schedule, but after a few delays the ‘Night of Fire’ produced some of the best racing of the weekend before a final storm ended the evening just a few runs shy of the finish.
But not even the rain could slow down Del Cox.
Cox (Downey, Calif.), in the first professional pass following the delay, blasted to the top of the Top Fuel charts with a blistering 4.725 elapsed time at 317.94 miles per hour to knock points leader Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) from the top spot.
“It was a little nerve racking going out there after the rain because these are the baddest hot rods in the world. It was dark, it was cold and that was the most driving I have had to do, but we got it down the track,” Cox said.
Did he ever.
Cox’s run was the fastest speed of the entire year as he made a bold statement in his attempt to get back in the Top Fuel title chase and make up some ground on Litton.
“She was moving, there was no doubt about that. I think we are back,” Cox said. “We got another five points and if the car runs like it did tonight I don’t think we will have a problem. The weather has been pretty similar so we will go with the same tune-up and go again tomorrow.”
Just behind Cox was Litton whose 4.810 second lap on Friday was enough to keep him in second. Boychuk also dropped a spot to third via a 4.865 second pass Friday night.
Outside of Cox, the other big story on Saturday was Dom Lagana in his first professional run in Top Fuel.
After making a so-so pass on Friday, Lagana opened it up on Saturday with a solid 4.978 elapsed time at 290.82 miles per hour in his first weekend of competition in Top Fuel. Lagana was the fourth car to venture into the four-second range.
Mitch King (5.057) was fifth heading into Sunday.
Pontieri (Bolton, Ontario) blasted to the top of the Pro Mod charts with a record setting performance, setting both ends of the Grand Bend track record with a 5.974 second pass at 241.93 miles per hour to top the charts during the cool afternoon session.
“This is a car that has like three laps on it. Actually, the laps that you saw here at this track were some of our first,” Pontieri said. We were out prior last weekend on our local track and we only got 60 foot times so we came here blind. We tried all the stuff we had over the winter and we got this car three weeks ago, got it painted, did some work to it and you saw the results.”
Not only was it a track record, but Pontieri’s pass was also the quickest and fastest pass in the history of Pro Modified racing in the country of Canada.
“I woke up this morning feeling good after we cleaned the car last night I did some adjustments and I told my crew chief to get ready because if I get it into second gear we are going in the fives,” Pontieri said. “When I hit second gear the car got a little loose, but not bad enough it was out of control. I put it back in the groove and she just charged to the end of the quarter mile.
“I knew it was fast because I could feel it and then I saw everybody jumping at the end of the track. It went from the team working hard over the past month to this tonight. It was quite a run for everybody involved with this team.”
Kenny Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) tucked himself in behind Pontieri and leaped from the bottom of the charts to second with another blistering lap of 5.993 seconds at 237.82 miles per hour. Lang also claimed Saturday’s Last Man Standing award for producing the fastest winning time during the “Night of Fire” qualifying session.
Ed Hoover ran a 5.999 E.T. at 237.34 miles per hour to fall in behind Lang in third as three cars dipped into the five-second zone on Saturday. Gary Irving (6.071) and Melanie Troxel (6.130) rounded out the top five heading into Sunday.
Troxel’s afternoon pass was her best lap in a Pro Modified vehicle since switching over to the door car this season.
Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) ruined Pete Berner’s (Crete, Ill.) attempt at his first pole of the season, running a solid 6.330 elapsed time at 219.83 miles per hour to qualify No. 1 and claim Saturday’s Quarter-Max Last Man Standing Award in Elite Motorsports Pro Stock.
“It was an awesome run. My guys did a great job, everybody from the bottom to the top. Richard Freeman, I can’t thank him enough. J.R. Carr, Agripak, Elite Motorsports – everybody,” Gugliotta said. “Really this is a whole team effort. We look out for each other and try to make everybody run the best we can and it was me tonight.”
Berner ran a great 6.349 E.T. at 219.04 miles per hour during the afternoon session and looked poised to claim his first No. 1 qualifying spot of the season, but the points leader was able to knock him off the top spot and beat him head-to-head during the final qualifying session of the weekend.
“This is the hardest class out here, it really is. It is so close, one little mistake, one turn of a screw one way or the other can be the difference,” Gugliotta said. “We had fun running Pete tonight. He is one of my good buddies and a two-time champion and we would like to be where he is.”
Saturday’s marked Gugliotta’s first pole of the season.
Just behind Gugliotta and Berner was Elite Motorsports head man Richard Freeman who ran a solid 6.358 at 218.72 miles per hour. Friday’s Last Man Standing John Montecalvo (6.359) dropped to fourth.
Mark Martino rounded out the Pro Stock top five with a solid 6.372 second lap, but it was his speed that turned a few heads. Martino was just off of the track record with the fastest lap of the weekend at 220.15 miles per hour during the brisk evening hours.
Saturday night’s highly touted “King of Canada” match race between Alcohol Funny Car stars Paul Noakes and Rob Atchison turned into a one round show due to the rain – and what a round it was.
In the only pass of the weekend for the pair of cars Atchison was able to make the most of his brief moment in the spotlight with a solid 5.792 second pass at 246.57 miles per hour, edging Paul Noakes who ran a 5.848 E.T. at 240.98 miles per hour.
Jason McKnight, a late addition to the event, actually put down the quickest and fastest lap of the afternoon with a 5.779 elapsed time at 251.86 miles per hour. Larry Dobbs ran a 5.993 E.T. at 237.96 mph.
The Pro Modified Racing Association points leader Bruce Boland (Stoney Creek, Ontario) put down the fast lap of the weekend Saturday night with a blazing 4.030 elapsed time at 193.39 miles per hour on the quarter mile.
Jack Grainy (Tonawanda, N.Y.), Friday’s fastest man, dropped one spot to second one a 4.031 second pass at 179.97 miles per hour.
Jeff Roth (4.161), Mark Nielsen (4.174) and Jason Kalso (4.175) rounded out the top five in the PMRA Challenge at Saturday’s MOPAR Canadian Nationals.
Sunday’s action will get underway at 9 a.m. with sportsman eliminations followed by professional eliminations beginning at 11 a.m.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex, the sixth of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Del Cox Jr, 4.725 seconds, 317.94 mph vs. 8. Bobby Lagana Jr., 10.162, 81.36; 2. Bruce Litton, 4.810, 261.88 vs. 7. Tim Cullinan, 6.129, 131.18; 3. Tim Boychuk, 4.865, 303.64 vs. 6. Fred Farndon, 5.165, 266.11; 4. Dom Lagana, 4.978, 290.82 vs. 5. Mitch King, 5.057, 224.25.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tony Pontieri, Chevy Camaro, 5.974, 241.93 vs. Bye; 2. Kenny Lang, Chevy Corvette, 5.993, 237.92 vs. 9. Harold Martin, Martin M 4, 7.287, 139.92; 3. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 5.999, 240.68 vs. 8. Ike Maier, Corvette, 6.475, 222.55; 4. Gary Irving, Corvette, 6.071, 231.99 vs. 7. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.234, 224.47; 5. Melanie Troxel, Corvette, 6.130, 238.89 vs. 6. Chris Russo, Corvette, 6.159, 235.06.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Pontiac GXP, 6.330, 220.33 vs. 14. Cale Aronson, Ford Escort, 6.496, 215.51; 2. Pete Berner, GXP, 6.349, 219.04 vs. 13. Dean Goforth, GXP, 6.463, 215.51; 3. Richard Freeman, GXP, 6.358, 218.72 vs. 12. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.441, 217.84; 4. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.359, 219.29 vs. 11. Chris Holbrook, Ford Mustang, 6.429, 215.51; 5. Mark Martino, Cobalt, 6.372, 220.15 vs. 10. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.429, 217.18; 6. John Konigshofer, Mustang, 6.377, 219.47 vs. 9. John Pluchino, Mercury Cougar, 6.422, 217.18; 7. JR Carr, GXP, 6.392, 197.10 vs. 8. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.394, 219.40.
PMRA Challenge -- 1. Bruce Boland, Chevy Nova, 4.030, 183.39 vs. 8. Tim Martin, Chevy Corvette, 4.313, 141.52; 2. Jack Grainy, Chevy Camaro, 4.031, 179.97 vs. 7. Dave Earhart, Camaro, 4.271, 170.13; 3. Jeff Roth, Willys, 4.161, 181.42 vs. 6. Tony Piselli, Corvette, 4.245, 151.20; 4. Mark Nielsen, Camaro, 4.174, 175.62 vs. 5. Jason Kalso, Plymouth Barracuda, 4.175, 168.05.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -
COMMISSO’S WILD RIDE - Friday’s racing action at the 10th annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals saw a little bit of everything from new 
track records to two cars putting it on their tops.
One of those accidents, which saw Ray Commisso get hard into the wall and flip onto its roof, left one of the top contenders of the weekend on the sideline and his car in pieces.
Just moments after Ed Hoover put down a new track record in the same lane, Commisso made his pass with solid numbers all the way to half track. Once there the tires began to shake on Commisso’ Camaro and before he knew it he was in for the ride of his life.
“Something terribly drastic went wrong. I stuck the car in second gear and felt a little tire shake, nothing unusual. I have had that tire shaking running 5.90s before so it is not a big deal, but as the tire shake started something really bad happened,” Commisso recalled. “The car went hard left all by itself into the wall. What I remember I hit that first wall and barrel rolled and was upside down for a while and flipped over again and went head-on into the other wall and hit the other wall dead-on and the car burst into flames. I jumped out and that was all of it.”
After getting out of the car Commisso was transported to a local hospital and was released and returned to the track in the early morning hours.
“I am sore. I went to the hospital and they were great here in London. The trauma unit, the doctors and nurses were all great,” Commisso said. “They took me right away and gave me a CT scan. I had a few bruised ribs and a torn muscle in my shoulder, but otherwise the car took the worst of it.
“The car did its job, it kept me safe.”
POTATOES, ONIONS AND DRAG RACING - Odds are you have probably tasted a potato or onion at some point in your life grown by 
J.R. Carr and his company.
As one of the leading potato and onion suppliers in the United States, Carr has dedicated his life to providing quality food to such restaurants as Outback Steakhouse and will be quick to admit that, despite the perception, it is a year round job for everyone involved with his company.
“It is every week, year round. We take care of Outback Steakhouse and many others year round and we also export our potatoes and onions so it is a 52 week a year job,” Carr said.
While the potato and onion business definitely keeps Carr busy, in his spare time Carr doesn’t rest. No, on the weekends Carr fittingly does just what his last name suggests – he races 220 mile per hour Pro Stock race cars.
From the first time Carr watched a vehicle go down a drag strip at the age of 15 he was hooked – and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I was 15 and Spokane Raceway has a fence really close to the track and I went to a race and it was packed and I watched several different cars go down the track, but when I saw the Pro Stock and door cars I said to myself I have to have one,” Carr said. “A few years later, I got one.”
Carr began his racing career in the Super Pro class and spent a few years there until he one day decided that he wanted to race something a little faster.
Actually, Carr decided he wanted to race something a lot faster.
After taking a few years off following the 2004 racing season, Carr became friends with Michael Brotherton and eventually Richard Freeman and the rest, as they say, is history. Freeman, driving in the quickest and fastest Pro Stock class on the planet, invited Carr to a race last season and before you knew it Carr was behind the wheel of his very own Pro Stock car.
“I knew Michael and met Richard and we all began talking back and fourth. I had been out of racing since the end of ’04 and I really wanted to race, but I needed to stay home and take care of my business and that is what I did,” Carr said. “They finally invited me to a race and once I went to the race I ended up sitting in the car and I shouldn’t have. I ended up racing at Rockingham later that year.”
That partnership eventually took off as Carr and Freeman became better friends and when Freeman decided to open up his own three-car racing operation for the 2009 season Carr was one of the guys at the top of that list.
Now Carr is a member of the most powerful Pro Stock team in the sport, teaming up with Freeman and current points leader Frank Gugliotta in the three-car Elite Motorsports Pro Stock operation.
“It is an excellent operation, everybody does their part and with Frank and his knowledge of setting these cars up it has been a night and day difference,” Carr said. “You can go out there and make laps for years and never really be as good as you should be and with them helping us it has made a world of difference.”
In four starts this season Carr has a 4-4 round win-loss record with one semifinal appearance. Carr is seventh in standings, one spot behind Freeman and Gugliotta currently tops the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock class.
“A win is the first thing we want to go after and hopefully helping Frank with the championship. Either one of those would mean the same to me,” Carr said.
GETTING READY FOR SUNDAY - With a short field this weekend in Pro Mod, the pressure is off many of the teams as they try to focus 
on moving up the ladder and getting ready for Sunday instead of worrying about possibly missing the race.
And that is exactly what Pro Mod rookie Melanie Troxel needs in her first full season behind the wheel of a supercharged monster that is IHRA Pro Mod.
“We are still trying to sort this car out. This car sat in the shop for a year and wasn’t running at all this year,” Troxel said. “Everybody is going to qualify so there is no reason to go out and push things too extreme and that is kind of nice. We get four runs to go out and play around and really make some big changes to the car and not feel under pressure.”
While pressure is nothing new to Melanie, a five time winner with the NHRA in both Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car, she admits that the adjustment to he short wheelbase of the Pro Mods and drastic differences in finessing these cars down the track has definitely been a learning experience.
“It is quite different. The setup is different than the other cars,” Troxel said. “It tends to want to get out of shape when we get aggressive. It is going to take some time learning these things.
“We have had a hard time getting this car to get through the 1-2 shift and to be under control. It wants to spin the tires which is what we did in our first pass. We made some pretty big changes to the setup of the car on the second pass to make it more like our other cars and it didn’t really accomplish what we had hoped either.
“We aren’t getting down the track just yet, but this has worked out like a test session for us so we will get this car sorted out.”
ROCK STAR - It is always fun being the center of attention – just ask Alcohol Funny Car driver Paul Noakes.
As a professional race car driver racing in front of his home crowd this weekend, Noakes’ name has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue heading into this race. Appearing on television and radio stations and in dozens of newspapers across the area, Noakes’ showdown with Rob Atchison this weekend has garnered plenty of attention and has race fans thrilled about Saturday night’s showdown.
“I am not sure about being a local celebrity, but we do have a good following of race fans here in Canada. That is why the IHRA comes to Canada,” Noakes said. “There are a lot of fans that fill the stands that will sit through rain storms, snow storms and anything the weather throws at them.
“That makes it nice to have a bunch of people who really enjoy what I do.”
Noakes, a London, Ontario native, will be competing in the King of Canada match race against fellow London driver Atchison Saturday night at the Grand Bend Motorplex as the two drivers, who have combined for 47 final round appearances three victories at Grand Bend over the years, try to earn Ontario bragging rights for the next year.
“This is my 22nd year of racing so I have got to know a lot of people by always saying hi and always signing autographs and that is what gives me a little bit of an advantage up here in this really fun match race,” Noakes said. “There are a lot of people that are going to be cheering us on this weekend.”
STILL RACING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS - Fred Farndon is a name drag racing fans have been hearing for over 50 years.
The 70-year-old has been racing for years, everything from boats to Top Fuel dragsters, and is still going strong after decades behind the wheel.
So what keeps a man that should be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping tropical drinks racing in a 300 mile per hour dragster?
“Just the people. You can’t find people like this in any other sport,” Farndon said. “Everybody helps each other out, it is like a big brotherhood and the IHRA has a platform that lets us race without being too uppity. My crew and the people out here are what keep me going.”
And Farndon showed he still has it during Friday’s opening round of qualifying with the second fastest lap of the evening at over 266 miles per hour, good enough to put him in fourth heading into the final day of qualifying.
“We had it set on mush, it was pretty soft. We just wanted to go down the track,” Farndon said.
Now he will try to hold off a hard charging crew behind him that includes the drivers who are currently second and third in points Del Cox and Bobby Lagana Jr. If his times hold, Farndon will qualify for his first IHRA race of the season in four tries.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - HOOVER CONTINUES PRO MOD DOMINANCE
Litton wins seventh Last Man Standing award of season; Montecalvo tops Pro Stock
Cool weather created great racing conditions Friday night as more track records fell by the wayside in Pro Modified and Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), John Montecalvo (Pro Stock) and Jack Grainy (PMRA) held down the top spots in their respective divisions.
After resetting the track records in Edmonton last week Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) repeated that feat Friday with a new track speed record at over 240 miles per hour to take the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot and Last Man Standing award in Pro Mod at the MOPAR Canadian Nationals Friday at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.
Hoover ran a 6.021 elapsed time at 240.68 mph to take the top spot in Pro Modified just moments before Ray Commisso (Toronto, Ontario) took the ride of his life.
Commisso, running just moments after Hoover laid down the new track record in the same lane, took a hard left into the wall at the quarter mile mark before flipping onto its top and coming to a stop a few hundred feet from the finish line.
It was the second such incident on the night as PMRA driver Tony Piselli put it on its top at the quarter mile after completing his eighth mile pass.
Despite those two issues the Pro Mod drivers produced plenty of exciting racing headlined by Hoover’s record setting lap.
“We missed it at the 60 foot mark really bad, but the motor is just so powerful it will still run a good E.T. like that,” Hoover said. “Trussell Motorsports needed those five bonus points tonight and we need them again tomorrow night. We need to keep plugging away at this championship; we need it this year bad.”
Just behind Hoover is Toronto native Gary Irving who ran a 6.071 E.T. at 230.37 miles per hour during the pristine evening conditions. Chris Russo is third with a 6.159 second lap at 236.06 mph.
“The track is super tight and my car drove to the left, but when the car gets a hold of the track that hard it will drive to the left so I knew we had a good track in front of us,” Hoover said. “We will make a few adjustments for tomorrow. With this good cool air the engine really comes alive and if you don’t babysit it you will get in trouble.”
Ray Commisso held down the fourth spot until his incident, while Tony Pontieri (6.272, 229.31) was fifth.
There were no surprises in Top Fuel as once again Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) took the Last Man Standing award and provisional No. 1 qualifying spot with a blazing 4.810 elapsed time at 261.88 miles per hour.
However there were a few issues after Littons run as his motor went south near the quarter mile mark. Now the team is left trying to move in a new motor overnight.
“Tonight is just one of those things that happens. Mike treats these motors like children so I hate to hurt one, but that is just the nature of the beast,” Litton said. “We will just change the motor, but no matter how you look at it it is expensive. It just kind of puts a somber mood on things.”
Despite the incident, Friday marked Litton’s seventh Last Man Standing award in 10 tries.
“We have been fortunate and we try to be consistent and we try to race the track and it has worked well for us. We have been blessed,” Litton said.
Litton knocked off Edmonton native Tim Boychuk who looked like he was going to easily take the top spot with a 4.865 second lap at 303.64 miles per hour, by far the fastest lap of the night. Mitch King is currently third with a lap of 5.057 seconds.
The rest of the top five featured two surprise qualifiers as journeyman Fred Farndon (5.358) qualified fourth and newbie Tim Cullinan (6.129) took fifth.
In Elite Motorsports Pro Stock a trio of drivers put down identical times of 6.370 seconds to create a three-way tie at the top of the charts.
Montecalvo, Frank Gugliotta and Richard Freeman all ran identical laps under the brisk evening conditions with Montecalvo getting the edge as he produced the fastest lap at a quick 219.29 miles per hour, just off of the track record held by Brian Gahm.
“You know, it is incredible. These Pro Stockers here, it is just a tough battle. Three identical times, we took the No. 1 spot by mile per hour and it is just unbelievable how close this racing is,” Montecalvo said.
With that pass Montecalvo (Center Moriches, N.Y.) not only claimed the provisional No. 1 spot, but he also claimed a crucial five bonus points via winning Friday’s Last Man Standing award.
“We really need this to be a breakout race for us. We are falling a little behind here; Frank is out in front of us and widening his margin. Really, this is it. This one and Martin we really have to do well,” Montecalvo said.
Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) was just off Montecalvo’s pace with a lap of 218.72 miles per hour and Freeman hit 217.28 miles per hour to set the provisional top three heading into the final day of qualifying.
Pete Berner (6.373, 215.34) was fourth and John Konigshofer (6.393, 218.09), representing Canada, was fifth.
As an added bonus to the racing this weekend in Grand Bend the highly popular Pro Modified Racing Association was on hand for two rounds of qualifying on the eighth mile Friday night.
While a slew of Ontario natives made up the top eight, it was actually New York native Jack Grainy holding down the top spot after two rounds with a 4.094 elapsed time at 178.76 miles per hour.
PMRA points leader Bruce Boland (Stoney Creek, Ontario) was second with a lap of 4.156 seconds at 176.67 miles per hour. Jeff Roth (4.161), Jason Kalso (4.175) and Tony Piselli (4.245) rounded out the top five in PMRA competition.
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Results Friday afterqualifying for the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex, sixth of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Bruce Litton, 4.810 seconds, 261.88 mph; 2. Tim Boychuk, 4.865, 303.64; 3. Mitch King, 5.057, 224.25; 4. Fred Farndon, 5.358, 266.11; 5. Tim Cullinan, 6.129, 131.18; 6. Dom Lagana, 9.583, 76.62; 7. Bobby Lagana Jr., 10.162, 81.36; 8. Del Cox Jr, 11.141, 72.81. Not Qualified: 9. Smax Smith, 12.734, 89.82.
Pro Modified -- 1. Ed Hoover, Chevy Camaro, 6.021, 240.68; 2. Gary Irving, Chevy Corvette, 6.071, 231.99; 3. Chris Russo, Corvette, 6.159, 235.06; 4. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.234, 224.47; 5. Tony Pontieri, Camaro, 6.272, 229.31; 6. Harold Martin, Martin M 4, 7.287, 139.92; 7. Ike Maier, Corvette, 8.037, 138.98; 8. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 8.698, 105.62; 9. Melanie Troxel, Corvette, 9.307, 95.61.
Pro Stock -- 1. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.370, 219.29; 2. Frank Gugliotta, Pontiac GXP, 6.370, 218.72; 3. Richard Freeman, GXP, 6.370, 217.28; 4. Pete Berner, GXP, 6.373, 216.79; 5. John Konigshofer, Ford Mustang, 6.393, 218.09; 6. John Pluchino, Mercury Cougar, 6.422, 216.55; 7. Chris Holbrook, Mustang, 6.429, 215.51; 8. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.459, 216.55; 9. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.491, 215.58; 10. Cale Aronson, Ford Escort, 6.589, 213.70; 11. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.698, 174.98; 12. Mark Martino, Cobalt, 6.759, 209.43; 13. JR Carr, GXP, 7.526, 119.88; 14. Dean Goforth, GXP, 8.333, 114.20.
PMRA Challenge -- 1. Jack Grainy, Chevy Camaro, 4.094, 178.76; 2. Bruce Boland, Chevy Nova, 4.156, 176.67; 3. Jeff Roth, Willys, 4.161, 181.42; 4. Jason Kalso, Plymouth Barracuda, 4.175, 168.05; 5. Tony Piselli, Chevy Corvette, 4.245, 151.20; 6. Dave Earhart, Camaro, 4.271, 170.11; 7. Eric Latino, Chevy Coupe, 4.484, 136.57; 8. Tim Martin, Corvette, 5.185, 133.82. Not Qualified: 9. Joe Boniferro, 5.959, 103.30; 10. Mark Nielsen, 6.707, 68.75.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - THE NIGHTLIFE AND THE DAYLIFE TOO
OIL, GREASE AND AN APPLE MARTINI - As many race fans will tell you, there is simply nothing like the sights, sounds and smells
From the whiff of nitro, to the rush of 300 miles per hour all topped off with an ice cold Apple Martini.
Okay, so maybe an Apple Martini may not exactly be the drink of choice for most race fans, it is however a very popular drink at the upscale Dimmi Bar and Trattoria restaurant in downtown Toronto.
So what does the fine dining of the Dimmi Bar have to with drag racing?
As it turns out, a lot actually.
The Dimmi Bar and Trattoria is owned and operated by one of Pro Modified racings top players, R2B2 Racing wheelman Ray Commisso.
Driving a ‘67 Camaro on the weekends and running the upscale Trattoria during the week, Commisso has quite a bit on his plate – both literally and figuratively – as he tries to manage the two operations at the same time.
From serving up Rigatoni Al Gorgonzola and Cosmopolitans during the week to serving up wins and world records on the weekends, it is safe to say that Commisso is a busy man both on and off the track.
“The restaurant is another world compared to what we do out here. I have been blessed with the restaurant and to be surrounded by such a great crew,” Commisso said. “The transition between the two was difficult at first, but has become easier over the years. As we speak my partner is working right now while I get to come out here and play.”
On top of running the highly popular dinner destination, Commisso is currently in the top five in points driving for both the IHRA and NHRA with a win coming in both sanctioning bodies this season.
Commisso claimed a victory at the season opening IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in Baton Rouge and also claimed a victory in Englishtown on the NHRA side and holds track and national records with both organizations.
“The thing that makes this easy for me to do is the people I am surrounded with. We have Al Billes who builds the motors and tunes the cars and then you have a great supporting cast with my crew and of course the great sponsor in Roger Burgess, Pro Care RX and R2B2 Motors,” Commisso said. “It is a great atmosphere and it is a great team. I feel lucky to be able to do what I do.”
And as difficult as it is to believe, Commisso said he has learned a lot in his restaurant over the years that actually carries over to the track.
“I kind of relate them to one another. When you are busy at the restaurant you have to do 10 things at once and make sure things are running properly, customers are happy and the servers and kitchen guys are doing their jobs,” Commisso said. “When I come out here I kind of relate the same thing. When I come out here there are a lot of little things I need to do to be on my game and the restaurant has helped me balance a busy plate.”
The Dimmi Bar and Trattoria is located at 140 Cumberland Street in downtown Toronto.
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM - On most race weekends Mitch King’s job is, first and foremost, to help his rookie driver have the
best event possible.From helping set up the car to giving advice on getting down the track, King enjoys his role as mentor to whoever is driving his second car at the time.
As for his second job, well King can also be found making laps during race weekends – wheeling a 300 mile per hour Top Fuel dragster alongside teammate and rookie Del Cox Jr.
King, who fields two cars in IHRA Top Fuel competition, drives one and mentors Cox in the other and through five races this season he has both cars firmly in the top five in points. While Cox has been the star of the operation thus far with one win while battling Bruce Litton for the points lead, King has shown he is no slouch either, making quite a stir at the IHRA’s last stop at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Claiming just one round win in his first four tries, King stunned the field last weekend with a shocking first round victory over Cox followed by another upset of Terry McMillen, placing King in his first career final against Litton.
While King wasn’t able to grab his first career victory, he was able to garner some extra attention to his operation and make a statement that his car can be just as competitive as the other top contenders.
“We had to go out there and race and it just so happened that I had the better car on that day on that track,” King said. “It was great for AFD (Alberta Fuel Distributors) who are long time supporters to help us up there. We needed to go out there and put on a good show for the fans and for all of the people who have helped us out. It was a great weekend.”While it was a great weekend for King, his stunning first round upset of his second car left quite a sting in the garage as King’s victory helped Litton pull ahead by 84 points in the Top Fuel points chase.
“I thought I was going to get my head chopped off when I got back to the pits over here. Everybody was mad at me,” King said. “I told them we are going to race and they thought I was lying.
“But I did give him lane choice. I had lane choice and I gave him the good lane so I blamed it on them. They should have been able to get their car down the track.”
While the upset definitely left some mouths gaping and slightly hurt his own cars bid for a title, King admits that it isn’t always about Cox. While he loves helping his young drivers succeed, he is also a competitor first and foremost and when he pulls into his lane it is all about getting to the finish line first no matter who the opponent.
“I wouldn’t mind winning a race or two or a championship myself,” King said. “We feel like we have a car that can contend with the best of them. As it turned out Bruce and Richard seemed to have a handle on it at Edmonton, but a lot of the big horsepower cars were having trouble getting down the track. That is where my car does well, when there is a marginal track so that was my day to shine.”
Now all eyes will once again be on King and Cox, especially if they meet up on the track once again.
“We are here to try to win this race with Del or myself and we are going to go out and give it our best effort.”
LOOKING FOR NO. 1 - Pete Berner currently sits just three points out of first place in the IHRA Elite Motorsports Pro Stock standings.
But that isn’t quite good enough for the defending champ.
With his sights set on a third Pro Stock world title, Berner is thinking this weekend may be the perfect time to make his move and put himself on top of the standings. Berner made it to the finals of this event last year, a key move in his bid for the 2008 world championship and with this weekend marking the halfway point of the ’09 Nitro Jam season, what better time to make a move than now.
“We have been very fortunate with this race team, in the past and so far this year. A lot of that comes from the guys on this team that work incredibly hard and keep us running with the best,” Berner said. “We’ve had some curve balls every now and then in trying to figure out our new engine program, but I am excited with what we’ve put together.
“We’ve got what it takes to win a championship and being only three points out is a great position to be in halfway through the year. Hopefully we will be in that top spot instead of chasing after Grand Bend.”
Berner, who always enjoys racing against his own personal marks just as much as against the competition, is hoping to topple both this weekend.
“Half of the fun of this thing is in improving your own game. That’s why I enjoy having my own engine program so much. We get to do our best and then start over again and see if we can reach new heights,” Berner said. “That’s what we’re always looking for. That’s what we will be looking for again this weekend.”
SPORTSMAN REPORT - Tradition is an important part of family life, along with passing those traditions to the next generation.
Although still in their teens, Lisa and Monica Spiering have grown up around race tracks, and have always been at the races while father Carl Spiering progressed his way from street-based cars to racing in the popular Pro Modified class.
But during the past two years, Carl has spent more time with his daughters, nurturing them into the world of drag racing as he stepped back from competing himself to teach and mentor.
While they are not seasoned racers like their father, Lisa, now 18, is competing in the Top Dragster class, while 15-year old Monica is running in the Junior Dragster 790 class.
And for this year, Spiering, who won the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in 2008, the IHRA ACDelco Canadian Nationals in 2005, and the IHRA Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout in 2005, has entered the Top Sportsman arena with a new Chevy Cobalt.
For this weekend’s 10th annual IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals, the Carl Spiering Motorsports Team will be prominent as all three will be competing in this major drag racing event.
With the support of Eaton's Electrical Business (Canadian Operations) and the Eaton Powerware products for the team, Lisa, who will soon begin her post-secondary studies in Biomedical Science at the University of Waterloo, will be driving her 2005 Undercover Dragster, powered by a 522-cubic inch ERD (Engine Research & Development) engine.
While grade 11 student Monica will be driving her Junior Dragster at Grand Bend this weekend, in the near future she is planning to step up to a Spitzer Enterprises 235" Dragster powered by a 565-cubic inch ERD engine which John Weima is debuting this weekend in the Top Dragster class.
The Cobalt of the elder Spiering is a Jerry Bickel Race Cars product, with a 737-cubic inch ERD powerplant.
Spiering, one of the initial founders of the Ontario-based Pro Modified Racing Association in 2004, and a regular competitor, with PMRA event wins to his credit as well as setting the eighth-mile elapsed time record (3.970 seconds), now competes in the newly-formed Quick 32 Sportsman Series for Top Sportsman and Top Dragster cars. Daughter Lisa is also a regular in the new Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts with her dragster, and both will also be racing in selected IHRA national events.
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COMMISSO EXCITED TO RACE BEFORE HOME CROWD
This weekend's IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex is the closest race to home for R2B2 Racing Pro Mod pilot
Raymond Commisso, and the Toronto-native is anxious to race in front of
fans and friends at what he calls his home track, less than two hours
from his house.
Commisso, who won the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in March of this year,
said Canadian fans are just the same as Americans, but there's
something about the hometown crowd that excites him.
"I always love racing in front of family and friends. It's exciting to
be home, but it's difficult too, because they are all there to enjoy
the show, and I have a job to do - race the car," Commisso said.
To say that he's been getting that job done lately would be an
understatement: just a month ago, Commisso won his first-ever Pro Mod
Challenge event in Englishtown, New Jersey, and along the way set the
world ET record at an astonishing 5.856 seconds. He also holds the IHRA
speed record of 246.08 mph, a mark that he set earlier this season.
"The car is really running extremely well, and we haven't changed
anything since Englishtown, so really, I expect us to go up there and
try to be one of the top three cars. We won the race here two years ago
and last year we qualified number one, so we've had a lot of great
success at that track," he said.
Commisso is also a partner in a Toronto-area restaurant that's nestled
in the exciting Yorkville area, surrounded by museums, shopping
centers, and the University of Toronto main campus. When not at the
racetrack, he can be found at the restaurant, doing everything from
making the gourmet thin-crust pizzas to running the floor and greeting
the guests.
Making the jump from restaurant entrepreneur to Pro Mod record-setter
hasn't been difficult for him because of the people in his life.
"That saying, 'if you surround yourself with the best people, you can
expect the best results' is really true. My partner in the restaurant,
Leslie Chan, is a chef by trade, and has created some of the best
dishes I've ever had - he's awesome. Then, on the racing side, I've got
Al Billes.
"I can't say enough about Al (crew chief) and how he tunes these cars.
He has taught me so much about everything from driving to how to run a
team, he's amazing. I'm fortunate to have him and a sponsor like Roger
Burgess and ProCare Rx in my life - they make all this possible so I
can chase my championship dreams," he said.
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LAGANA VERSUS LAGANA IN GRAND BEND
Earlier this season, Dominick Lagana entered and qualified for his
first drag race at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Last weekend Dominick Lagana got his first opportunity to race his
older brother Bobby Lagana Jr. during a match race in Epping, N.H. He
won their best two out of three match race.
This weekend he’s back to continue his Cinderella story by attempting
to qualify and win at the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend,
Ont.
“I am at a total loss for words, I am so excited and happy, life is
Good,” said Dominick, who was told of the extra outing just moments
after completing the Epping match race.
This weekend’s event follows what has proven to be a Lagana tradition
in 2009, making last minute decisions on when and where to race.
Bobby feels as though an angel has been guiding the team this year.
“The way this year has gone it could not have been scripted any better,
to be able to race my brother was awesome, and now for us both to
compete for an Iron Man is unbelievable,” Bobby said. “Dom and I both
agree our Mom has been leading us for most of this year. I just want to
thank our family, crew, friends, sponsors, IHRA and all the fans. Thank
you, Thank you. Thank you.”
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BORLAND CARRIES SLIM PMRA POINT LEAD INTO GRAND BEND
With
a good showing, last year’s PMRA Champion, Bruce Boland of Hamilton,
Ontario, hopes to stretch his present points lead at this weekend’s Pro
Modified Racing Association event, The PMRA Challenge presented by
Motorsport 1320.
This race, the third in the 2009 tour, will be held during the 10th
annual running of the IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals at the Grand Bend
Motorplex July 17-19.
Driving the B&B Racing 1967 Chevy Nova, Boland, with 585 points,
has a mere four-point advantage in the Championship Points Award Series
Standings over Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario with 581 points.
Next in line is Branford, Ontario’s Mark Nielsen, who has made it be
known he will pursue the 2009 PMRA championship with his 1968 Chevy
Camaro. The former Cayuga Dragway winner (2006), and series top speed
record holder (237.30-mph) has 563 points.
Fourth in PMRA Championship Point Award Series is Joe Boniferro of
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Dave Earhart of Strathroy, Ontario is fifth,
and rounding out the top ten is Tony Piselli, Jeff Roth, Jason Kalso,
Eric Latino and Jack Grainy.
Maier won the opening round at Cayuga, and Boland won the second event,
also held at Cayuga. Boniferro has been to the PMRA winner’s circle
twice (Grand Bend, 2006, 2007), and Earhart has a win to his credit, at
Sanair in 2007.
A large contingent of PMRA Pro Modifieds is expected to do battle at
the Grand Bend Motorplex, and will be running in eight-mile competition.
This is a new venue for the PMRA, which traditionally races at the
Southwestern Ontario track during Labor Day. Last year’s Labor Day
winner was Ralph Andreacchi of Maple, Ontario, with his Al Billes-tuned
1953 Studebaker.
All of the front-runners will be competing at the Grand Bend Motorplex,
along with debut appearances by Dave Kulik Jr. of Elma, New York, and
Barrie, Ontario’s Tim Martin with his 1963 Corvette.
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TROXEL RACING PRO MOD IN GRAND BEND
What does a woman who has won just about everything there is in drag racing do for an encore?
Keep winning more, of course.
And that is exactly what Pro Modified driver Melanie Troxel intends to
do as she looks to add another victory in yet another drag racing class
to her resume at the next two IHRA Nitro Jam national events at Grand
Bend and Martin later this month.
“I know everybody on the team is looking forward to going up there. We
have heard a lot of great things about Grand Bend and Martin and we are
excited to be a part of both,” Troxel said.
Already holding wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, one of only 14
drivers in the history of the sport to do so, Troxel will look to add a
win in yet another series when she makes her second career start behind
the wheel of her supercharged “Voodoo” Pro Modified car July 17-19 at
the MOPAR Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.
She also intends to run at the IHRA Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan two weeks later.
“It will be fun going to a few new tracks and to get some more
experience,” Troxel said. “I am still getting used to these Pro Mod
cars. They are quite a handful.”
Troxel is a five-time winner with the National Hot Rod Association,
claiming four wins in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car before switching
over to Pro Modified this year.
Among her many accomplishments includes being named the 2006 United
Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year and being nominated for Driver of
the Year after going to the finals at the first five events of the ’06
season on her way to finishing fourth in points in Top Fuel.
Over the course of her career she has claimed five wins and 11
runner-up finishes and will be looking to add an Ironman to her Wally
collection from behind the wheel of her alcohol-burning supercharged
’63 Corvette later this month.
“My dad won at least one if not a couple of different IHRA races and I
have always seen his trophy room showing off his stuff and it would
absolutely be a great opportunity to kind of add that to the family
mantle,” Troxel said.
A win would also give Troxel a few bragging rights in her own home as
she admits to a bit of competition between herself and husband Tommy
Johnson Jr.
“My husband Tommy and I have a bit of a rivalry going as to who has
more wins in more classes. I think we are tied right now, but I hope to
change that,” Troxel said. “We are both competing in a few different
classes this year, kind of seeing who can be the first one to have more
wins in more categories.
“That will give me some household bragging rights, I think.”
Troxel made her Pro Modified debut at Englishtown in June as a part of
the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge, qualifying 10th before
being eliminated in the first round.
Now she will take that experience and try to maneuver her “Voodoo” machine to a much better showing later this month.
“The two qualifying passes we made in Englishtown were actually my
first two passes to the finish line so it was kind of a relief to get
those out of the way and get the car to the finish line,” Troxel said.
“It was a big relief for me to get the event out of the way and get in
some full passes. The car didn’t run quite as well as we would have
liked, but we know what it is capable of.
“Our other two R2B2 cars ran great. Roger (Burgess) ran well and
Raymond (Commisso) ran terrific that weekend so we know the performance
is there. We just need more passes on this car and certainly more
experience wouldn’t hurt.”
Not only was Englishtown Troxel’s first race behind the wheel of a Pro
Modified, but it was her first time in many years in a car with a short
wheelbase and a suspension – a big stretch from the 300 mph nitro
machines she had been fighting down the quarter mile over the past few
years.
“These cars are entirely different than the nitro cars and really every
car you race has its own personality. There are quite a few things that
set these cars apart,” Troxel said. “Beside the fact that it has a
short wheelbase, I can’t even remember the last time I drove something
with a suspension and that adds a whole different level to what you
have to get used to in the car.
“The suspension just really makes the car react differently, especially
when the car gets in trouble a little bit. And these cars are
definitely known to get in trouble.”
Troxel will join R2B2 racing teammate Ray Commisso at both events as
the two Al Billes powered cars look to take on points leader and
defending world champion Kenny Lang, IHRA legend and Edmonton winner Ed
Hoover and a collection of others at two of the largest events IHRA
events on the Nitro Jam circuit.
“I am looking forward to the next two events and I am looking forward
to coming back to the IHRA. I really love racing with the IHRA,”
Commisso said.
Commisso, who set the new IHRA speed mark earlier this season at over
246 miles per hour, will be looking for his second IHRA victory of the
year and third total, also claiming a victory at the Get Screened
America Pro Mod Challenge at Englishtown last month.
“I attribute a lot of the success we have had to Al Billes drilling all
of his knowledge into my head over the past four years. It also helps
being involved with a great sponsor and great friend in regards to R2B2
Motors and Roger Burgess,” Commisso said. “It is the environment I am
in right now with Al Billes and the team. You know how the saying goes,
if you surround yourself with the best you will become the best and
that is the situation I am in right now.
“I couldn’t ask for a better deal. It really is a dream come true.”
A Toronto native, Commisso would love nothing more than to continue his success at his home track next weekend.
“I am really looking forward to it. It is our home race; it is a great
facility and a great track with a beautiful beach just five minutes
away. I love going there,” Commisso said. “We are going to have a lot
of people there that weekend and I am looking forward to racing in
front of my friends and family. It is always good to come home and try
to do your best.”
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FUNNY CAR MATCH RACE HIGHLIGHTS IHRA MOPAR CANADIAN NATIONALS
A trip to Grand Bend wouldn’t be complete without the storied rivalry between two of London, Ontario’s best going head to head at
nearly 250 miles per hour on the quarter mile.
And that is exactly what drag racing fans are going to get when the
IHRA returns to Ontario for the MOPAR Canadian Nationals July 17-19 at
the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Rob Atchison and Paul Noakes, both London residents, will join recent
additions Larry Dobbs and Jason McKnight in a weekend long grudge match
to determine who truly is the King of Canada in Alcohol Funny Car.
“I have loved watching these guys compete ever since we opened the
track 14 years ago and it wouldn’t seem right not to have them here,”
said track owner Paul Spriet. “We knew we had to do something to
showcase these amazing drivers. We also wanted to do something for the
fans as this is the only time they get to see these guys race so close
to home.”
Atchison, a three-time IHRA Alcohol Funny Car world champion, and
Noakes, last year’s AFC runner-up and a two-time MOPAR Canadian
Nationals winner, will go head-to-head all weekend long in a clash of
Canada’s best in Alcohol Funny Car.
“It should be a lot of fun. It is definitely a different concept than
we have ever done before where we have always in the past been racing
for points and this time we get a chance to let our guard down and have
a little more fun and just try to take home the title as King of
Canada,” Atchison said.
Atchison is a three-time IHRA world champion, winning all three titles
consecutively in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He also has 20 wins – second
all-time – and 15 runner-up finishes over the course of his highly
successful IHRA career.
“I got my first win here, I qualified No. 1 for the first time here so
this has always been a special place for us,” Atchison said. “And this
will be the first time I have run here in Ontario all year and maybe
the only time.
“It is going to be great to be able to go out there and do a nice smoky
burnout and get the entire crowd on their feet and put on a good show
for them all.”
Noakes hasn’t had quite the numbers as Atchison, but that hasn’t
stopped him from garnering plenty of attention himself. Noakes has been
gradually climbing the Alcohol Funny Car ladder culminating with a
runner-up finish in points last season, finishing one spot ahead of
Atchison.
Noakes also has six wins and six runner-up finishes over the course of
his career including a pair of wins at his home track in Grand Bend.
“We are really the excited. We have been testing up here and are
looking forward to it,” Noakes said. “This is our local track so we
will have a lot of people up here yelling and screaming for us.
“There is a lot of passion, a lot of history that goes back a long way
at Grand Bend racing with the Noakes family. I really have a lot of
ownership with that place.”
With the addition of Dobbs and McKnight, the Alcohol Funny Car field at
Grand Bend will be well represented with three world titles, three
championship runner-up finishes, 29 wins and 54 final round appearances
combined between the quartet of drivers.
“Rob is a friend and a great competitor so it should be a lot of fun in
this no holds barred race,” Noakes added. “We are all friends until we
get the seatbelts on and the body down. At that point we are not
friends anymore.”
