Hagan Wins First Career Ironman; Knocks off Paul Lee in Nitro Funny Car Final at Rockingham Dragway

Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car),
Kenny Lang (Pro Modified) and Elijah Morton (Pro Stock) claim Ironmen
at IHRA Spring Nationals in Rockingham

Matt Hagan captured his first nitro Funny Car title since stepping up from the Pro Modified ranks.

Matt
Hagan spent two seasons trying, unsuccessfully, to find the Winner’s
Circle in IHRA’s Pro Modified class. He moved into a Nitro Funny Car
for the 2008 season…a move that has agreed with him so far.

Hagan secured his first career NFC round win on his way to his first
career national event victory at the 37th Annual IHRA Spring Nationals
in Rockingham. He defeated Paul Lee in the final round to claim his
first national event title.

Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following
the Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts and Castrol at
Rockingham Dragway, the second of 11 events in the  2008 Knoll-Gas
Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -

Sunday's final results from the Spring Nationals presented by Advance
Auto Parts and Castrol at Rockingham Dragway.  The  race is the second
of 11 in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Spencer Massey, 4.712 seconds, 313.51 mph def. Bruce Litton, 4.764 seconds, 310.13 mph.

Final round-by-round results from the Spring Nationals presented
by Advance Auto Parts and Castrol at Rockingham Dragway, the second of
11 events in the  2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Mike Strasburg, 4.735, 316.23
def. Kevin Jones, 4.947, 283.79; Spencer Massey, 4.765, 309.91 def.
Scott Palmer, 4.855, 265.43; Bruce Litton, 4.682, 300.20 def. Terry
McMillen, 9.574, 83.63; Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.691, 323.27 def. Michael
Gunderson, 12.749, 76.38;

SEMIFINALS -- Massey, 4.709, 315.34 def. Strasburg, 5.037, 228.23; Litton, 4.724, 315.27 def. Lagana Jr., 4.902, 254.81;

FINAL -- Massey, 4.712, 313.51 def. Litton, 4.764, 310.13.

The popular rumor circulating throughout Rockingham Dragway suggested
six-time IHRA World Champion Scotty Cannon had sold his newly
constructed Vanishing Point Race Cars-fabricated 1968 Pontiac Firebird.
Cannon confirmed the rumor as truth.

So who did he sell his car to?

“We sold it to an unknown guy,” Cannon responded.

“An unknown guy?” we asked.

“When he pays you it's his, regardless of his name and who he is,”
Cannon explained. “He just doesn't want his name revealed yet. I guess
it's sort of a surprise. We did some testing with it at Darlington; he
did some driving with it and he's happy and all good. Everybody will
know pretty soon who it is. It won't take long, I'm sure.”

Two Carolinians Among Summit All-Star Winners in Rockingham – North
Carolinians Scott Macy of Randleman and Brett Nesbitt of McLeansville
were among the winners of the IHRA Summit All-Stars Pro-Am event
contested Saturday in conjunction with the 37th annual IHRA Spring
Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.

Macy won an all-Plymouth Volare final round with Michael Beard of
Seagrove, N.C., to win the Stock Eliminator title while Nesbitt drove
his dragster past the similar machine of Rusty Cook of Cynthiana, Ky.,
to claim the Quick Rod title.

Huge Crowd Sees Lee Jump to Top of Nitro Funny Car Qualifying Sheet at Rockingham Dragway

Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car),
Mike Janis (Pro Modified) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock) also claim #1
qualifying spots at IHRA Spring Nationals

Paul Lee hadn't planned to come to Rockingham and after changing his mind, drove to the top spot.

Paul Lee, whose weekend participation at Rockingham Dragway was almost
an afterthought, drove Paul Smith’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo Funny Car to
a track record Saturday and, as a result, will start Sunday’s 37th
annual IHRA Spring Nationals from the No. 1 starting position.

Lee covered the quarter mile in 4.797 seconds at 315.34 miles per hour,
shattering the Funny Car record of 4.877 seconds set last October by
Charlotte’s Bob Gilbertson.  As a result, the Wynnewood, Pa., driver
will start from the No. 1 position for the first time in his pro career.

Torco's CompetitionPlus.com obtained a copy of the letter recently
submitted by Don Schumacher Racing legal counsel Cory Watkins to NHRA
President Tom Compton regarding the recent fine levied against the team
for having unapproved fuel in their pit area. This letter was on
official DSR letterhead.

Dear Tom:

Roger Richards captured Chris Russo's scary qualifying run on
Friday. In this picture, Russo appears headed towards a really bad
fate. Check out the full sequence. You will be shocked.

COMPLETE SEQUENCE 

The new ownership of the Union County Motorsports Park in Union, South
Carolina continues to progress at a rapid rate. Under the leadership of
Curtis Teems, the facility is expected to complete in the fall with a
full schedule for 2009. The facility, located in the upstate of South
Carolina, is expected to be in operation for the 2009 season.