When Pete Berner scored his first point this weekend, it effectively eliminated Frank Gugliotta from championship contention in the Pro Stock division. Gugliotta repaid the favor by snaking away 25 points by not only winning the Last Man Standing award but also backing up a new record.

Berner had established the front end of a new world record with a 6.278-second lap when Gugliotta stepped up with a 6.270 which was backed up with an earlier 6.291 elapsed time.

Gugliotta considers himself a friend to both championship finalists Berner and second place Jeff Dobbins, but on this evening he had to do what he had to do.

When Pete Berner scored his first point this weekend, it effectively eliminated Frank Gugliotta from championship contention in the Pro Stock division. Gugliotta repaid the favor by snaking away 25 points by not only winning the Last Man Standing award but also backing up a new record.

Berner had established the front end of a new world record with a 6.278-second lap when Gugliotta stepped up with a 6.270 which was backed up with an earlier 6.291 elapsed time.

Gugliotta considers himself a friend to both championship finalists Berner and second place Jeff Dobbins, but on this evening he had to do what he had to do.

“When I got down at the finish line I looked over at Jeff and told him that he owed me big time,” said Gugliotta in the post qualifying press conference. “Those points would have hurt Jeff bad. It was good to help him out but Pete’s a good friend of mine too. I’m not sitting on the fence because I wish the best to both of them.

“I came in this weekend with nothing to lose,” Gugliotta continued. “This is the first time since 2005 that I came in here with no chance for a championship. I have nothing to lose and no pressure coming along with that. I am on max kill every run.”

Gugliotta has been busy on his off weekends tuning the NHRA Pro Stock racer of Justin Humphreys. While a miniscule amount of technology is interchangeable, Gugliotta said the extra time on the track always adds to the knowledge banks.

He was confident something was left on the table with Saturday’s record run.

“There’s more to be had out there,” Gugliotta admitted. “If this track can hold more on Sunday, these cars will hold more than a 6.270. It wouldn’t shock me for someone to run a high-6.25.”

Going after such a run will require a large gamble.

“It will take a ballsy team to go after that especially if someone is going for this championship,” Gugliotta said. “But, me, I could go for it.”

Gugliotta admitted that he’s having the time of his life and others in the class are as well. Case in point, when Dobbins walked to the starting line in an Underdog outfit, Gugliotta got more than a chuckle out of the gesture. He’s said that a laugh is always welcomed in these uncertain times of the IHRA.

He’s not sure how Pro Stock will fit into the new IHRA in 2009.

“I’m very concerned and I’ve heard a lot of rumors,” Gugliotta said. “I’ve heard all of the rumors of downsizing to eight car fields, but let me ask you if we had an eight-car field do you think we’d have 28 cars here this weekend? Would you really want an eight-car field and throw away 20 cars?

“I’m very concerned.”