When Hurricane Hanna hit the Epping, New Hampshire area during the Amalie Oil North American Nationals IHRA officials had to adjust the race schedule to ensure they were able to get the race in. One of the victims was the IHRA Pro Stock Showdown.

The $100,000 Showdown, which included the top eight Mountain Motor Pro Stock drivers in the business, was scheduled to run to completion at New England Dragway. The first two rounds were completed at NED, but when rain washed away the Saturday evening Night of Fire the decision was made to move the final round to the final race on the 2008 IHRA schedule…the IHRA World Finals at Rockingham Dragway Sept. 17-19.

The delay could possibly have been the best thing that happened to Montecalvo. Berner was tearing things up in Epping, running a pair of 6.30’s passes during the Showdown, grabbing both Quarter-Max Pro Stock Challenge bonuses, qualifying on top of the qualifying sheet and ultimately winning the Ironman. It was his weekend in New England.

Pete Berner and John Montecalvo to lock horns in the Torco Pro Stock Showdown final round at Rockingham Dragway   

When Hurricane Hanna hit the Epping, New Hampshire area during the Amalie Oil North American Nationals IHRA officials had to adjust the race schedule to ensure they were able to get the race in. One of the victims was the IHRA Pro Stock Showdown.

The $100,000 Showdown, which included the top eight Mountain Motor Pro Stock drivers in the business, was scheduled to run to completion at New England Dragway. The first two rounds were completed at NED, but when rain washed away the Saturday evening Night of Fire the decision was made to move the final round to the final race on the 2008 IHRA schedule…the IHRA World Finals at Rockingham Dragway Sept. 17-19.

The delay could possibly have been the best thing that happened to Montecalvo. Berner was tearing things up in Epping, running a pair of 6.30’s passes during the Showdown, grabbing both Quarter-Max Pro Stock Challenge bonuses, qualifying on top of the qualifying sheet and ultimately winning the Ironman. It was his weekend in New England.

“The car was running well and we had tremendous power,” Berner said of his weekend at New England Dragway. “With this one-month layoff we’ll just have to see what happens but it does seem like we’re peaking at the right time.”

Montecalvo has been pretty much neck-and-neck with Berner this season performance-wise, but things changed in Epping. The one-month delay suits Montecalvo just fine.

“I think it was a blessing that the race got delayed,” he said. “Pete had some momentum. At the time I had some mixed feelings because I really thought we had a shot at winning the thing, but looking back at Pete’s performance that weekend this really was a blessing. We were equal to Pete most of the season but in New Hampshire he pulled ahead of us for some reason. I don’t know if he was really fast or if we were slow, maybe the air favored his car, I don’t know.”

When he comes to Rockingham Berner will have quite a bit on his plate. He not only will be going against Montecalvo in the final of the Showdown, he has a 25-point lead in the championship points race and will have to keep his focus on both areas.

“We looked at it after New England, heading to this race to run in the Showdown while also having a 25-point lead for the championship,” Berner said. “That’s quite a large sum of money. There is a lot on the line.”

Montecalvo has a lot riding on his performance at the World Finals as well.

“We’re a dark horse for the championship, but my goal is to double up,” he said. “I want to win the Showdown and win the event, then see where things end up.”

Montecalvo is heading to Maryland International Raceway to get some test laps in. His team also rebuilt both motors for his 2006 Cobalt.

“We’re going to test to work on a few things,” he said. “I’m really anxious, I just want to get to Rockingham and get this race going. I haven’t driven the car in a month so we’re going to MIR to get back in the swing of things, to get the juices flowing again.”

Montecalvo also noticed Berner is sticking to his routine in preparation for the World Finals.

“Yeah, I read where Pete said he’s doing all the same things to get ready for this race, sticking to his routine and doing things the same way,” Montecalvo said. “He talked about how he runs five miles every day. Well, the way I look at it we only have to run a quarter of a mile, but we have to do it faster than the other guy. That’s what I’m focusing on.”