IHRA PRESIDENT'S CUP NATIONALS - EVENT NOTEBOOK

Keep up with this weekend's IHRA President's Cup Nationals by reading our behind-the-scenes event notebook. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the pits.


		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - SPORTSMAN ELIMINATIONS UNDERWAY WITH BIG UPSETS

Super Stock ace Dan Fletcher pulls a trademark wheels-up launch. He was a first round victim at the hands of Bob Cupp.

Nothing says old school Super Stock like a stick-shifted AMX. This beauty belongs to Rick Golliday and while the car ran strong in qualifying, he lost in Saturday's first round of eliminations.

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – TOUGH FIRST DAY IN MARYLAND

TOUGH DAY – Friday’s evening qualifying session was delayed when an abnormal circumstance transpired. Two heart attacks simultaneously in the grandstands depleted the track’s ambulatory services and put the event on hold until they could return from transport.

Racing resumed after an hour delay.

A LEGEND HONORED -

Bunny Burkett donated her championship-winning 1986 Dodge Laser Funny Car to adorn the new Hot Rodz Diner at Maryland International Raceway. Her championship represented the first in the IHRA Alcohol Funny Car division.

GETTING THINGS STRAIGHT – Dale Creasy Jr., admitted he had a talk with his driver headed into the President’s Cup

Nationals. The topic of the conversation was one race earlier when a steering problem forced him into a cone leading to his first round disqualification.

“We had a little problem in Milan, but I think it was more the guy steering the car than the actual car hitting the cone,” Creasy said. “We looked at a couple of things and made some changes. The car really responded and it’s handling much better.”

Creasy is winless thus far in 2008 and this provisional pole position goes a long way to getting his second championship defense season on track. Last season raised the bar high for Creasy who finished the season with a 26-5 round record.

This season has produced a lion’s share of disappointments including a final-round loss to Steven Macklyn in San Antonio was followed by a pair of first-round exits, one in Rockingham and the disqualification at Milan Dragway.

The season is still young for Creasy.

“We’re just now heading into the heart of the season and my guys have been working hard,” Creasy said. “We’re only one round and a point out of first place in the standings so I would say we’re in pretty good shape. This division is so competitive and I’m really excited to see how this points chase shakes out.”

HONORED - Creasy came to MIR fresh off his duties as Honorary Starter at the NHRA’s Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals in Joliet.

"That was a pleasant surprise,” Creasy said of being honored in Joliet. “I’m an IHRA guy through and through, but to go over there and spend some time with the NHRA guys was pretty cool. I have a lot of friends who run on the NHRA side and I enjoyed spending some time with them. But after that it was time to get back to work.”

THUNDERING IN THE NIGHT

Steve Macklyn burns out prior to recording the seventh-quickest run of Friday nitro Funny Car qualifying.

ELIJAH THE SCHUMACHER? – Five Pro Stockers owned by one team? If the IHRA ever decides to limit team ownership, then Pro Stock runner Elijah Morton might be at the limit already.

Morton, the winner of the Springnationals in Rockingham, N.C., this past April, has three Ford Pro Stockers competing. A source tells CompetitionPlus.com that he’s planning to add two more before season’s end.

Longtime mountain motor racer (and first Pro Stock driver into the 6.40s) Tom Lee drove one of Morton’s Mustangs to a 6.380 elapsed time at 220.69 miles per hour land in the third provisional spot. Morton was seventh at 6.402 seconds.

The third entry was driven by Steven Boone and is unqualified headed into Saturday.

THE NEXT GENERATION -

Kelly Martin, son of Pro Modified pioneer Michael Martin, is running Pro Stock this weekend. He was unqualified following two sessions.

LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT, LITERALLY

Bob Gilbertson launches with flames lighting up the mid-atlantic night. Shortly into the race, the engine backfired and slowed him to a 6.06. He is unqualified headed into Saturday qualifying.

TOUGH BREAK

This photo can be deceiving. While it looks like Kevin Jones is on a strong pass, he actually rolled the beams and drew no time.

WHAT’S A SPORT COMPACT TO DO? – If the NOPI series keeps canceling events like it did this week, then Jason Hunt might have found a home in the IHRA’s Top Sportsman division.

Hunt planned to race this weekend in preparation for the upcoming NOPI event in Denver. That event was cancelled yesterday afternoon, along with another in Utah.

Hunt’s 4-cylinder Ecotec-powered Chevrolet Cobalt is front-wheel drive and has exceeded 200-miles per hour in competition.

The one disadvantage for him is that he’s never raced the Matco Tools Chevy Cobalt on a handicap tree before, so qualifying provided a learning curve. They car is also running with limited electronics keeping the car legal for their next race.

“We will be happy to even qualify. The field will be large and fast, hopefully we can fall somewhere in the middle. I think some of the other competitors will be surprised at what 130 cubic inches can actually do.” informed Hunt.

Hunt failed to get in the field after two sessions with a 7.616, 199.23 best. He is second alternate for the 32-car field.

ADDED INCENTIVE - Professional Racers making the trip to the 2008 Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton will have additional incentive this season.

The Rocky Mountain National IHRA Crew Bonus will provide the top 12 Alcohol Funny Car drivers and the top 18 in both Pro Stock and Pro Modified (according to IHRA points standings following the President’s Cup Nationals) with a free car and driver entry, plus four crew entries, for the 2008 event. This will be in addition to the Edmonton travel incentive already in place.

“This is another way we want to take care of our racers. We understand the tow to Edmonton for the Rocky Mountain Nationals is the longest on our circuit and, with the price of fuel, our racers could use a break,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “With our cash incentives this is a great opportunity we hope our professional drivers will take advantage of. We think a free car and driver, with the additional crew entries, is an excellent added value. This is a great idea Rob Reeves from Castrol Raceway wanted to see in place and we all owe him a thanks for this.”

TIED – Pro Modified racer Mike Janis headed in Budds Creek tied with Shannon Jenkins for the second place amongst all-time winners in the Pro Modified division. Janis has reached 27 final rounds while Jenkins has been to 31.