During the second half of the season, no one has had more bad luck than Cary Goforth.
After two final rounds and an incredible 9-2 win-loss record through the first three races of the season, Goforth’s last four national events have included two first round losses, a second round exit and a no show.

During the second half of the season, no one has had more bad luck than Cary Goforth.

After two final rounds and an incredible 9-2 win-loss record through the first three races of the season, Goforth’s last four national events have included two first round losses, a second round exit and a no show.

Thanks to that stretch all Goforth could do was watch as his point lead through three races slowly dwindled from first to the bottom half of the top five entering this weekend’s event.

But on Sunday Goforth finally managed to get his act together and return to championship form with a victory over Bob Bertsch at the IHRA President’s Cup Nationals Sunday at Maryland International Raceway.

“It goes to show you that you have to keep chipping away and find what is wrong. I told everyone when you see us again we won’t be in the bottom half of the field anymore,” Goforth said. “Chris Bell just would not let me give up and it has paid off yet again.”

Goforth (Holdenville, Okla.) ran a solid 6.334 elapsed time at 219.61 miles per hour to pick up his second career victory, getting around Bertsch’s (Willis, Mich.) 6.343 E.T. at 219.61 miles per hour as Bertsch fell just short in his second consecutive Elite Motorsports Pro Stock final.

“I think it felt better than it would had we not had any bad luck. It was just as sweet as the first one, I just didn’t cry this time,” Goforth said. “We are happy and it means just as much to us, maybe more with the trouble we have had.”

Goforth blasted through the field on Sunday with victories over Bertsch, John Montecalvo, John Pluchino and Lester Cooper to pick up the win. Bertsch also made his share of noise on Sunday with a pair of upset victories to severely shake up the Pro Stock point standing with one race remaining.

“We shot ourselves in the foot for a championship, but we didn’t give up. Dad got us all together and told us how proud he was of everyone and he got chocked up a little and he doesn’t show emotion,” Goforth said. “This has been one hell of a year for us and I hope we can keep it going.”

With Gugliotta’s third first round loss in the past four races, he dropped to second in the standings as John Montecalvo leaped to the top of the charts by 33 points heading into Rockingham. Berner also moved up into the hunt and is now just 61 points behind Montecalvo as the three head to the World Finals with a chance to claim the 2009 Elite Motorsports Pro Stock championship.

In the quarterfinals Montecalvo continued to expand on his brand new points lead with a victory over Ned Katuran, Cary Goforth moved on via a win over John Pluchino, Bertsch continued to knock off giants with his second straight win over a driver in the top three in Pete Berner and Dean Goforth defeated Mark Martino.

Montecalvo took over the points lead thanks to a strange victory over Richard Freeman in the opening round. Both cars shook the tires off of the line, but Freeman went red by the narrowest of margins. Montecalvo got back in the throttle and coasted across the line to take the win light.

Freeman gave it all he had in an attempt to save Gugliotta’s points lead, but his jump start allowed Montecalvo to overtake the lead heading into the World Finals in Rockingham next month.

Montecalvo was able to take the points lead via a huge upset win by Bertsch in the opening round. Bertsch had a solid launch off of the line while Gugliotta went into a severe wiggle, shutting it off moments later.

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