2009 IHRA TULSA - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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SUNDAY FINAL - BERNER THREE-PEATS, LANG AND BOYCHUK WIN AMIDST RAIN AND MUGGY CONDITIONS
Not even torrential rains and muggy conditions could not deter the drivers and crews racing at this weekend’s IHRA Sooner Nationals from putting on an absolutely spectacular day of racing.
After a lengthy delay to start the morning, the action got back underway during the mid-afternoon hours and it was nothing but blue skies and great racing from then on as Tim Boychuk (Top Fuel), Kenny Lang (Pro Modified) and Pete Berner (Elite Motorsports Pro Stock) battled through the tricky conditions to record victories at the third annual IHRA Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine Boots and Academy Sports and Outdoors Sunday evening at Tulsa Raceway Park.
And it was three of the closest championship finals in drag racing history.
All three wins were decided by inches at the line and provided a thrill for fans that preserved through the morning weather.
It was also a weekend dominated by veterans as the three winners combined for 31 career final round appearances.
In sportsman competition Allen Firestone (Top Sportsman), Jacky King (Top Dragster), Allan Patterson (Super Stock), Mike Cotton (Stock), Jimmy Stookey (Quick Rod), Shawn Carter (Super Rod) and Jay Bunce (Hot Rod) all claimed wins at the IHRA Sooner Nationals
TOP FUEL
Last year it took until the final two races of the season for Canadian Top Fueler Tim Boychuk to find his footing.
This year, Boychuk decided not to wait so long.
Boychuk drove past Litton in the finals of the IHRA Sooner Nationals for his first win of the season and the third of his career Sunday at Tulsa Raceway Park after the fourth of 10 races on the 2009 Nitro Jam schedule.
And what a race it was.
Boychuk (Edmonton, Alberta) won in a holeshot over Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) with a 4.929 elapsed time at 294.31 miles per hour to Litton’s 4.919, 284.51 mph pass.
“It was a great race. With our new body I have had a hard time seeing the front end of the car and when we went to stage the car I accidentally staged the bulb right away, which I did not want to happen,” Boychuk said. “It threw me off a bit, but we waited for Bruce and we went in and made a run at it and it just went great.
“I knew the only way we could beat Bruce was with a holeshot because I felt he had a little bit of a superior car to ours so I knew I had to be on my game. Thank goodness it worked out for us.”
It was a nice step in the right direction for Boychuk who hadn’t even claimed a round win until two weeks ago in Dallas.
Struggling out of the gate, Boychuk started to turn the corner in Texas with the No. 1 qualifying spot and followed that up with a run through the Top Fuel later on Sunday to claim his third win in the last six races.
“Over the winter we missed a few things on the car that should have been done that weren’t done and it took us a few races to find those problems and fix them,” Boychuk said. “I think we have got rid of all those gremlins now and we are finally back.”
With the win Boychuk leaped from sixth to fourth in points, while Litton used his runner-up finish to leapfrog Del Cox Jr. back to the top of the Top Fuel charts.
“We have never been up in the standings so to be up there is really cool. It is going to be fun trying to chase down Del and Bruce,” Boychuk said.
Sunday’s Top Fuel semifinals saw the most exciting pairings of the season as Litton battled Cox and Lagana took on Boychuk.
Boychuk, who has had nothing but trouble through the early portion of 2009, reached his first final of the year with a win over Bobby Lagana Jr. in the semis. Litton reached his third final of the year with a win over Cox.
Litton came into Sunday’s eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier and was one of the cars to beat all weekend long, rolling past points leader Cox and Todd Simpson to reach his third final in four tries.
Boychuk was right on Litton’s heels throughout the weekend, however, qualifying second and easily dispatching Lagana to reach his third career final round. Boychuk received an impromptu bye in the first round when Mike Bowers couldn’t get his car fired.
The biggest matchup of the quarterfinal round saw Dallas winner Scott Weis take on Lagana. Weis actually got a jump on the New York native, but Lagana was able to drive around him for the win by eight hundredths of a second at the line.
In other first round action Boychuk got a free pass when Bowers couldn’t get his car fired, Litton got an easy win over Todd Simpson who went red and Cox beat team owner Mitch King.
It is now off to Edmonton, Boychuk’s hometown, for the next race on the Nitro Jam schedule.
“This is just a great way to go into Edmonton. Knowing that we will have a lot of backing up there and with this win it is going to make it a whole lot sweeter,” Boychuk said.
PRO MODIFIED
The third time truly proved the charm for Pro Modified ace Kenny Lang Sunday evening as Lang drove to his third straight final round, 
finally making it pay off with a win over Ed Hoover during final eliminations at the Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park.
Lang ran a 6.119 elapsed time at 233.56 miles per hour to get around Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) who ran a 6.132 E.T. at 237.05 mph as Lang claimed his fourth career win and extended his points led to 29 points over Hoover.
“We struggled early this weekend, but making it to the finals was the first step and getting around Ed was big for us,” Lang said.
And the closeness of the contest made the win even that much more exciting for Lang.
“I knew the lights were going to be close and I had to be ready for that and then the car nosed over on me at about 1,000 feet,” Lang said. “I didn’t see Ed at that point, but as soon as it started to nose over Ed pulled up beside me and foot by foot he started to gain on me. Going through the lights I honestly could not tell if I had him.”
And what a victory it was for the Grande Pointe, Manitoba resident.
After losing in the first round of the season opener in Baton Rouge, Lang made the finals of the next two races at Rockingham and Dallas, but fell in both appearances to first time winners Tim Tindle and Chris Russo.
Sunday, Lang put his troubles behind him and returned to victory lane.
“It just seems like the last couple races we have had some stuff break which is very uncharacteristic of the car,” Lang said. “We haven’t been getting our stuff together until later in the weekend. We seem to struggle early, but lap by lap I get a hand on it.
“That is the way it worked in Dallas and that is the way it worked here. It isn’t planned, but that is the way it has been working out. And today, it definitely came around for us.”
Lang reached his third straight final by doing exactly what he does best – save it all for the end.
Lang qualified in the bottom half of the field last week in Dallas, but turned it on during eliminations and did it again on Sunday, knocking off No. 1 qualifier Taylor Lastor to reach the final round.
Lang absolutely destroyed Lastor at the tree with a .14 second reaction time and took the win light with a 6.06 E.T. to Lastor’s 6.10.
Hoover easily reached his first final of the year when Senft went red. Hoover ran a 6.11 at 229.74 miles per hour.
Despite the short field, the action on the track was still worth the price of admission.
Lang nipped Kirk Wilmes by inches at the line in the semifinal round to advance and Ed Hoover did the same to Oklahoma native Dave Pierce as the two drivers posted identical 6.18s. Hoover’s advantage came on the line.
In other first round action Senft pulled a huge upset in his King Kong ’69 Camaro when he cruised past Dallas winner Chris Russo. Russo had nothing but trouble off the line, shaking the tires as Senft had it won at 60 feet. Top qualifier Taylor Lastor had a free pass into the second round.
Lang and Hoover continued their dominance of the Pro Mod class this season, while Russo moved up to third, Ray Commisso slipped to fourth and Lastor rocketed to fifth.
“I wanted to thank R2B2 Motors and Al Billes for his great engine program. Without them this isn’t possible,” Lang said.
ELITE MOTORSPORTS PRO STOCK
Make it three-in-a-row for Pete Berner.
Berner came into this year’s IHRA Sooner Nationals having won the last two races at Tulsa Raceway Park and continued his dominance at the Oklahoma track with a win over John Montecalvo in the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock final Sunday evening at Tulsa Raceway Park.
“This is a great facility. We have just been fortunate the last three years and we have certainly had the tune-up for these kinds of conditions,” Berner said. “We tested here a couple weeks ago and felt very happy with that and when Jim (Weinert) gets over here and preps this track it is as good as any track in the country. And with the way the fans come out and support us here, it has just been unbelievable.”
Berner (Crete, Ill.) and Montecalvo (Center Moriches, N.Y.) met in the final round of the 2008 Sooner Nationals and were 1-2 all weekend long at this year’s event, but it was Berner’s experience at the track that helped him get the nod over top qualifier Montecalvo and record his eighth career win.
“It was an unbelievable race. I didn’t even know at the stripe who had run it was so close,” Berner said. “I saw a lot of his fender so knew it could have gone either way. He is such a great driver and I have been racing him for a long time. That is the reason I love racing, going up against people like him.”
Berner ran a 6.386 elapsed time at 218.34 miles per hour to propel him past Montecalvo who ran a 6.395 E.T. at 218.02 mph in Sunday’s finals.
It was an absolutely tremendous drag race as the two veterans were never separated by more than a few hundredths of a second at any point during the run and Berner edged his opponent by less than five inches at the line.
“We pushed it some runs and then slowed it up and for the finals we found a happy medium. I knew I had to be on my toes because Monte wasn’t going to cut me any slack,” Berner said. “We went out there, staged the car and let the clutch out. Whoever wins wins. There was no fooling around, we just went out there and raced and that is why it is such a pleasure racing John and his crew.”
Despite falling in the final, Sunday provided a much needed turnaround for Montecalvo who ended a streak of two straight first round losses with a trip to the finals this weekend.
In the end, however, Berner’s dominance of Tulsa was the story of the weekend.
Berner, who had been suffering from a string of redlights, actually found himself as the beneficiary of a false start as he reached the finals via a redlight by Dallas winner Frank Gugliotta in the semis.
On the other hand, Montecalvo had a much tougher road to the final.
Montecalvo needed every inch of the 1,320 feet to get around Scott Hinz in the semis as Hintz smoked the New York native at the line and held the lead until the 1,000 foot mark when Montecalvo came storming back and ended the dream weekend for Hintz.
In quarterfinal action Hintz continued his career weekend.
After knocking off Cary Goforth in the first round, Hintz fired off another upset in round two with a holeshot victory over J.R. Carr setting up the big matchup with Montecalvo.
But Hintz wasn’t the only person making noise in round one as Montecalvo put down a pair of track records with a 6.38 elapsed time at 220.15 miles per hour to overcome Richard Freeman who had a nice advantage off the line.
Berner and Gugliotta set up their semifinal round as Berner received a bye and Gugliotta won his sixth straight round over Cale Aronson.
With the win, Gugliotta took over the Pro Stock points lead. Gugliotta claimed that lead thanks to a big upset in the first round.
While most of the first round went according to plan, a huge upset of points leader Goforth allowed Gugliotta to take over the top spot.
Competing in front of his home crowd, Goforth tried to go for it all on the line but left well before the light, essentially giving a free pass to Hintz who picked up his first round win of the year.
It was an incredibly disappointing loss for Goforth who had posted two straight final round appearances. Sunday also marked the first time this season Goforth has lost prior to the semifinal round.
Berner also leaped over Goforth into second, while Montecalvo tucked himself in behind the former points leader in fourth.
“We have a great car and a great motor program. We are pretty blessed to have some great people helping us along,” Berner said. “You surround yourself with great people and this is what happens.
SPORTSMAN
In Sportsman action Allen Firestone (Velma, Okla.) defeated Rick Wilson in Top Sportsman, Jacky King (Norman, Okla.) defeated John Brimer in Top Dragster, Jimmy Stookey (Claremore, Okla.) defeated Heidi Robsinson in Quick Rod, Shawn Carter (Park Hill, Okla.) defeated Scott Wagner in Super Rod, Jay Bunce (Oklahoma City, Okla.) defeated Dwight Allen in Hot Rod, Allan Patterson (Augusta, Kan.) defeated Justin Jenkins in Super Stock and Mike Cotton (Broken Arrow, Okla.) defeated Tony Wood in Stock.
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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - LASTOR SURPRISES IN PRO MODIFIED, MONTECALVO EDGE BERNER IN PRO STOCK
Saturday’s pristine evening conditions set up some solid laps and a few records as Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Taylor Lastor (Pro Modified) and John Montecalvo (Pro Stock) topped qualifying at the IHRA Sooner Nationals Saturday at Tulsa Raceway Park.
And what it was for Top Fuel ace Bruce Litton.
With many of the drivers struggling to find grip under the hot afternoon sun, Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) finally had a breakthrough under the cool evening conditions with a 4.737 second pass at 310.13 miles per hour to top Top Fuel qualifying and take home the Last Man Standing award Saturday night at the Sooner Nationals.
“Mike reminded me that this should be a pretty good lap. They had it set up to go down the track and it did,” Litton said. “It felt like it made a good move off the line and it continued to carry down the track so I knew we had put up some pretty good numbers.”
Litton rocketed past Tim Boychuk (Edmonton, Alberta) with the last pass of the evening in a pretty good drag race with Del Cox Jr. (Downey, Calif.). Litton edged Cox at the line to grab the five bonus points associated with being Saturday’s Last Man Standing.
Dallas top qualifier Tim Boychuk was second, putting up a solid 4.878 E.T. at 296.05 mph with the second run of the evening session.
Bobby Lagana Jr. (Scarsdale, N.Y.), who had the hot lap during the afternoon sessions, dropped to third on a 4.921 second lap at 252.47 miles per hour.
Cox (5.003) and Mitch King (5.158) rounded out the top five.
While the evening sessions usually determine the top qualifier, the night session is usually considered more of a show as the drivers try to show what kind of power they are capable of under pristine conditions.
The runs that pay the most, however, are made during the afternoon and Litton feels he learned enough during the first two qualifying sessions to really pay off on Sunday.
“That is a completely different race on Sunday. We will just take it round by round and see what the track gives us, see what the weather is tomorrow,” Litton said. “We know what we are capable of, we will just see what happens and take it as it is.”
Taylor Lastor put down the lap heard round the world in Pro Modified Saturday evening with a blazing 6.057 elapsed time at 235.72 miles per hour to top Pro Mod qualifying and claim the Last Man Standing award heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
“This is an all new combination for us. Every run the last couple of races we have been picking it up,” Lastor said. “We finally made a run tonight like it should run. It was a really good lap and I think we still have some left in the tank.”
Lastor (Cleveland, Texas) flipped spots with IHRA veteran Ed Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) Saturday night, overtaking the 14-time national event winner with a nice pass under the cool evening hours.
Now Lastor hopes he can continue this success into Sunday.
“It will take three of four good runs and a little luck as always. You have to drive well, but we just need to a break to be able to win,” Lastor said. “We have what we need, hopefully everything will fall into place tomorrow.”
While Lastor topped the charts, Ed Hoover had a triumph of his own Saturday night, setting a new track speed record at 237.42 miles per hour while also placing himself second in qualifying with a 6.083 second run.
Behind Lastor and Hoover are Dallas winner Chris Russo (6.181), Kenny Lang (6.233) and Kirk Wilmes (6.344).
It was déjà vu all over again in Elite Motorsports Pro Stock.
John Montecalvo (Center Moriches, N.Y.) and Pete Berner (Crete, Ill.), who made up the final round of the Sooner Nationals in 2008, 
found themselves 1-2 yet again on Saturday as Montecalvo used a tremendous lap of 6.385 seconds at 218.80 miles per hour to shoot to the top of the qualifying charts and grab Saturday’s Last Man Standing award.
“We came into this race really needed to have a breakout event, we need to make a move here and do something and that was a pretty good move, a pretty good statement,” Montecalvo said. “We had a few issues in the past, but we have done a lot of testing and a lot of racing and it is just a matter of the whole thing coming together.”
Behind Montecalvo was Berner, who held the top spot throughout the afternoon until Montecalvo rocketed past him during Saturday’s evening session. Berner’s lap of 6.396 at 218.87 mph places him second heading into Sunday’s final eliminations.
Berner and Montecalvo were the only drivers to put down laps in the 6.30s and both also topped the speed charts.
Saturday marked Montecalvo’s second No. 1 qualifying spot of the season, also taking top honors at Rockingham six weeks ago. It also places two of the best in the sport 1-2 heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
“We have been up and we have been down this year, but soon enough it is all going to come together for us,” Montecalvo said. “Hopefully that starts tomorrow.”
Berner will be looking for his second consecutive win at Tulsa Raceway Park on Sunday.
Rounding out the Pro Stock top five are Mark Martino (6.413), J.R. Carr (6.423) and Cary Goforth (6.428).
Sunday’s professional eliminations will get underway at 11 a.m. with final eliminations scheduled for 4 p.m.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the IHRA Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park, the fourth of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Bruce Litton, 4.737 seconds, 310.13 mph vs. 8. Todd Simpson, 5.331, 211.53; 2. Tim Boychuk, 4.878, 296.05 vs. 7. Mike Bowers, 5.323, 267.11; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.921, 282.36 vs. 6. Scott Weis, 5.310, 191.84; 4. Del Cox Jr, 5.003, 275.90 vs. 5. Mitch King, 5.158, 278.06.
Pro Modified -- 1. Taylor Lastor, Chevy Camaro, 6.057, 235.72 vs. Bye; 2. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.083, 237.42 vs. 7. Dave Pierce, Chevy Corvette, 7.811, 125.58; 3. Chris Russo, Corvette, 6.181, 233.72 vs. 6. Rick Senft, Camaro, 6.640, 214.62; 4. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.233, 234.25 vs. 5. Kirk Wilmes, Pontiac Firebird, 6.344, 227.00.
Pro Stock -- 1. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.385, 218.80 vs. Bye; 2. Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.396, 218.87 vs. 13. Jerry Haas, Cobalt, 6.513, 215.07; 3. Mark Martino, Cobalt, 6.413, 218.72 vs. 12. Cale Aronson, Ford Escort, 6.480, 216.83; 4. JR Carr, GXP, 6.423, 218.41 vs. 11. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.474, 216.00; 5. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.428, 218.37 vs. 10. Scott Hintz, Ford Mustang, 6.459, 215.82; 6. Frank Gugliotta, GXP, 6.438, 218.23 vs. 9. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.453, 217.46; 7. Dean Goforth, GXP, 6.446, 218.19 vs. 8. Richard Freeman, GXP, 6.453, 217.74.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -
HOMETOWN PROUD - There is nothing more satisfying in the world of sports than to be able to perform in front of your home crowd.
Several drivers competing in this weekend’s IHRA Sooner Nationals presented by SafeAuto are getting to live that dream.
Elite Motorsports owner and driver Richard Freeman and Pro Modified wheelman Dave Pierce are among a number of Oklahoma based race teams competing in this weekend’s event at Tulsa Raceway Park and all are excited about the chance to do well in front of friends, family and fans.
“We are only two and a half hours away so this is pretty phenomenal,” Freeman said. “I was talking to a buddy of mine about how this is a whole different atmosphere. You come in here and it is kind of like a family feeling. It is just a neat deal.”
Freeman drives one of three Elite Motorsports Pontiac’s backed by Freeman’s company. The three car operation, which also includes IHRA legend Frank Gugliotta and J.R. Carr, has all three cars safely in the top 10 with Gugliotta holding down second, Freeman in sixth and Carr in eighth in Elite Motorsports Pro Stock competition.
“Pro Stock over here is a serious deal and even though a lot of people didn’t think this three car deal would work it is actually working out very well for us,” Freeman said. “We have first class people and a first class group working on these cars and we are excited about everything that is going on.”
And Freeman isn’t quite done in obtaining his goal of making Elite Motorsports one of the biggest contributors to IHRA drag racing.
“We should be making a major announcement in the coming weeks on a deal that will make a lot of people happy across the board,” Freeman said. “We can’t wait to continue to grow our relationship with the IHRA and drag racing.”
But Freeman isn’t the only Oklahoma man representing his state this weekend.
Pierce, who made his IHRA debut two weeks ago in Crandall at the Texas Nationals, brings his purple Corvette back out for another go in IHRA Pro Modified competition.
“I was born in New Jersey, but we moved here in 1979 and raised two kids here in this great state,” Pierce said. “This is our home track, we have run here for like 20 years and it is always exciting to come here and do well in front of the hometown crowds.”
Pierce didn’t have the best debut two weeks ago, falling in the first round to Harold Martin after qualifying third, but Pierce is confident that he has the bugs worked out and is ready to be a contender this weekend.
“We didn’t do very well in Dallas, we were off our game. We had some issues with the car, but we fixed that,” Pierce said. “We have had a few clean testing runs so we hope to do a lot better here.”
TWO DAY TRIBULATIONS - In the world of professional drag racing, three day marathons are considered the norm.
But this weekend, the IHRA is taking a bit of a different approach.
This weekend’s Sooner Nationals will feature a rare two-day show with three professional qualifying rounds packed into Saturday’s action before eliminations begin on Sunday.
While the two-day format gives drivers a chance to make a few more runs during the heat of the afternoon, simulating Sunday’s final rounds, it also gives crews a little less turnaround between appearances.
While there are definitely pros and cons to be found on both sides of the fence, one thing is for sure – it sure creates for a lot of excitement for fans and drivers alike on both days of competition.
“Really the biggest challenge for the Top Fuel guys is mechanical failure. There is no overnight fixing if something goes wrong,” said Top Fuel driver Bobby Lagana Jr. “The good thing is there are three runs so if you screw up on the first run, you have that second run if you need it.
“You have to be on your game and sometimes you have to be a little more conservative than normal.”
But sometimes the challenge can be more of a personal one rather than a mechanical one.
“It is definitely a challenge. You have to turn around three times on Saturday and by the time you are done it is almost 9 p.m. You then have two or three hours of crunching data and getting ready for Sunday leaving me getting to bed well after midnight,” said Elite Motorsports Pro Stock driver Cale Aronson. “Once you get up in the morning you have had like six hours of sleep and while that is good for a lot of people, it isn’t for me because it isn’t good sleep. You are laying there for hours thinking about how you did and what you are going to do on Sunday.
“It is a little more stressful, but on the other hand it has its benefits as far as overall performance. It is definitely going to be interesting.”
RETURN TO THE TOP - It is safe to say that the last two races have not been what Elite Motorsports Pro Stock driver John Montecalvo 
had hoped for.
After making the finals at the season opening Mardi Gras Nationals, Montecalvo has since lost in the first round at two straight IHRA events including a disheartening first round loss as the No. 1 qualifier six weeks ago in Rockingham. He also lost in the first round two weeks ago at Dallas.
“Both losses were very unfortunate. One was mechanical problems, the other was driver problems. We really need to have a breakout race this weekend to get back on track” Montecalvo said. “We need to make our move now. We are going to have to get rid of some of these mechanical gremlins, but the team is doing a good job and I am confident we can get this turned around.”
With a runner-up finish combined with two early exits, Montecalvo is currently fifth in the Pro Stock point standings 125 points back of leader Cary Goforth. And right now, he has high hopes that he can put his recent woes behind him and turn in a good performance this weekend in Tulsa.
“We know we have good power. We were No. 1 in Rockingham and Cary (Goforth) was No. 1 in Dallas so we know Sonny is making good power. We just need to minimize our problems and take it from there,” Montecalvo said.
With 24 final round appearances in his long and successful IHRA career, Montecalvo knows that if he can put the mechanical and driver issues behind him it won’t be long until he is back in final No. 25.
“It is do or die time for us right now. We are going to have to put some of these issues behind us, but I think from here on in we can get this situation fixed,” Montecalvo said. “I think from here on in it is take no prisoners.”
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FRIDAY - PREPARING THE MEDIA BLITZ
In
preparation for this weekend’s Sooner Nationals, drivers and IHRA crew
members were out in full force Friday afternoon getting ready for two
days of edge-of-your-seat drag racing action Saturday and Sunday at
Tulsa Raceway Park.
And part of that excitement was a day-long media tour throughout the Sooner state.
Elite Motorsports Pro Stock points leader and Oklahoma native Cary
Goforth was the focus of Friday’s Tour of Tulsa, visiting several media
outlets throughout the Tulsa area in preparation for this weekend’s
action.
“It really is a thrill to be able to race right here in my home state
and to be able to take the points lead into Tulsa truly is a dream come
true,” Goforth said. “This is a going to be a big weekend, not just for
us, but for all the drivers and teams. Hopefully we can leave here the
same way we came in – with the points lead.”
Goforth has been the talk of the Nitro Jam series through the early
portion of the season, getting his first career win two months ago in
Rockingham.
Along with the win, Goforth has an IHRA best 9-2 round win-loss record
and leads the Pro Stock point standings by 32 points over Frank
Gugliotta.
Along with Elite Motorsports Pro Stock, the Sooner Nationals will also
feature the world’s fastest machines competing in 300 mile per hour Top
Fuel action along with with Pro Modified, seven categories of sportsman
competition and a number of extras including Nitro Harley’s and the
20,000 horsepower “X-Treme Machine” jet semi.
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WEDNESDAY - LOADED TOP FUEL FIELD ON TAP FOR IHRA SOONER NATIONALS
Through the first half of the 2009 Nitro Jam season, one of the most competitive classes in all of the IHRA has been Top Fuel.
And it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon.
A full field of Top Fuel teams will head to Tulsa next weekend for the
annual IHRA Sooner Nationals June 13-14 at Tulsa Raceway Park and after
what was seen through the first three races of the season – it appears
anything goes.
Unlike previous seasons where the same handful drivers meet week in and
week out in the finals, five different drivers have filled the six
final round spots through three races so far this year leaving the 2009
championship battle wide open entering Tulsa.
Rookie Del Cox Jr., coming off of his worst weekend of the year,
actually took over the points lead exiting Dallas when former top man
Bruce Litton stumbled in the first round.
“Taking the points lead was really the one positive that came out of
the weekend so we are happy with that,” Cox said. “We just had one
thing after another go wrong with the car. We had problems with the
clutch, the motor department – everything.
“But we are working on the car as we speak and hopefully we can have it
turned around and have it running like is has been at Tulsa.”
Cox
has used the strength of two No. 1 qualifying positions and a win at
Rockingham to propel him to the top of the charts with 273 points.
“We go into ever race attempting to win, but consistency is the name of
the game,” Cox said. “This is all new to me, but we are learning as we
go. We don’t know much about Tulsa, but we are looking forward to it.
It is going to be interesting with the two day race format.”
While Tulsa may be new to Cox, it isn’t new to his crew. Cox’s car
visited victory lane at Tulsa last year with eventual champion Spencer
Massey at the helm and Cox’s crew would love nothing more than to pull
a repeat.
“Every person on this crew was a part of the championship team last
year, I am the only new piece,” Cox said. “Those guys are happy and I
am stoked to be where I am right now. Everybody is happy to be leading
the points again.”
Right on his heels is veteran Top Fuel ace Litton who is the only
driver to reach the finals more than once this season. He has one win
(Baton Rouge) and a runner-up to Cox at the Spring Nationals.
Despite multiple final round appearances, however, his two-point lead
entering Dallas was quickly erased when Terry McMillen bumped him in
the first round in a race that was decided by a mere 12 inches at the
line.
Litton is currently second with 256 markers.
“We didn’t qualify well and like I have said before, you have to first
qualify, then qualify well and then finish the race. We didn’t do that
in Dallas,” Litton said. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and
last weekend we were a few thousands short.”
Both
Litton and Cox will be looking to rebound at Tulsa after less than
stellar performances last month that saw both of them qualify in the
bottom half of the field and fall well short of the finals.
“We have to adjust to the track and tune accordingly. We have a great
race car, but last weekend we just had a bad outing and that is
racing,” Litton said. “We are right there and don’t need to change much
to get back to where we want to be.”
And the trip to Oklahoma will be especially sweet for Litton who made
his first ever Top Fuel pass at the track over 10 years ago.
“I like that track, it was the one I drove at to get my license in
1998,” Litton said. “It may not be the same track, but it is in the
same place and I can’t wait to go back there.”
McMillen turned around a very slow start with his first finals
appearance of the season at Dallas, propelling him to third 77 points
back of Cox.
Bobby Lagana slipped to fourth (191), falling in the first round for
the second straight race after making the finals at the season opener
in Baton Rouge., while Mitch King moved up to fifth (169).
King, who owns Cox’s car, has both dragsters firmly in the top five and
is very excited about the possibilities that await him and his team as
the season kicks into high gear.
“I enjoy going to Tulsa. It’s not far from home and it is a track we
have had a lot of success at,” King said. “We won Tulsa last year with
Spencer (Massey) and it was the first time that both of my cars ever
ran each other so it is kind of a special place.”
Still, even with the great start, King admits that there are plenty of
bugs that need to be worked out before they are ready to contend for
the championship.
“Even though we moved up in points I hope we do a hell of a lot better
than we did in Dallas. We looked like a bunch of rookies out there with
all the things we broke and problems we had,” King said. “Luckily we
didn’t hurt things too badly. We are going up there looking to qualify
at the top and win the race.”
Rounding out the Top Fuel top 10 are Dallas No. 1 qualifier Tim Boychuk
(166), Terry Haddock (127), Paul Lee (123), Dallas winner Scott Weis
(115) and Todd Simpson (60).
Other drivers scheduled to be on hand at the Sooner Nationals include
local products Scott Palmer and Fred Farndon, newcomer Michael Bowers
and Smax Smith.
One of the best storylines entering the weekend will once again be Weis.
After sitting out for two years due to a broken back suffered at a 2007
race in Chicago, Weis made his racing return at the Texas Nationals
last month, sweeping through the field in a borrowed car to claim his
first ever IHRA Top Fuel Ironman.
“To get in that car for the first time in two years and win is pretty
neat,” Weis said. “I hadn’t been in a race car in two years, but once I
was in it was like riding a bike. As many laps as I had made in a fuel
car it didn’t take long to get back in the groove.
“I had been trying for a really long time to win in a fuel car and to
do it in my first time back after sitting for two years is amazing.”
With that momentum, Weis heads to Tulsa ready to make it two-in-a-row at the Oklahoma strip.
“We are headed to Tulsa now because it is an exciting deal and we like
running with the IHRA,” Weis said. “I can’t wait to do this again.”
Another driver anxious to hit the track is Missouri native Scott Palmer
who grew up racing at Tulsa Raceway Park as a teenager and will now
make his return to the IHRA and his home track driving in drag racing’s
top class.
The IHRA Sooner Nationals will get underway Saturday, June 13 and run
through Sunday as over a dozen of the world’s fastest machines join the
loaded fields of Pro Modified, Pro Stock and Sportsman drivers looking
for an Ironman at Tulsa.
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TUESDAY - CHAMPIONS SHINE IN TULSA
Last year’s IHRA Sooner Nationals provided a pivotal turning point in the IHRA championship point battles.
All three eventual point champions in Top Fuel, Pro Modified and Elite
Motorsports Pro Stock claimed victories at the legendary Tulsa Raceway
Park, providing a key boost in their championship chases.
This year, drivers will once again be looking to make a statement when
Nitro Jam invades Oklahoma for the annual IHRA Sooner Nationals
presented by SafeAuto June 13-14 at Tulsa Raceway Park.
“Dan Gutterman and his staff at Tulsa Raceway have come a long way
since the first year and I know that they have been working hard on
continually improving the facility so that everyone has a great
weekend,” said IHRA Vice President of Racing Operations Scooter Peaco.
“Tulsa has a great racing surface and we’ve moved the date earlier in
the year this season to try and get a break on the weather.
“This will be a fast track in early June and the fans should be treated to a great show by our pro racers.”
Always one of the marquee events on the Nitro Jam schedule, the Sooner
Nationals once again promise to provide non-stop drag racing action as
many of the world’s best driver’s flock to the Sooner State for a shot
at an IHRA Ironman and chance to make a statement in their bid for a
world title.
The
Sooner Nationals presented by SafeAuto is the fourth event on the
10-race 2009 Nitro Jam schedule. It will feature three professional
classes of racing, including the world’s fastest machines in Top Fuel,
IHRA’s own Pro Modified class and the quickest and fastest Pro Stock
cars on the planet competing in Elite Motorsports Pro Stock.
Last year, Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Kenny Lang (Pro Mod) and Pete
Berner (Pro Stock) all took home Ironman trophies from Tulsa and used
that momentum to help them claim the championship in their respective
classes.
While Massey is no longer turning tires in IHRA Top Fuel competition,
Lang and Berner will both be back to defend their titles while a slew
of others will be looking to challenge them as the 2009 Nitro Jam tour
approaches mid-season.
Leading that list is a man who will be representing his home state next
weekend in Tulsa, Holdenville, Okla. native Cary Goforth.
Goforth leads the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock standings with one win
and a runner-up finish in three races so far this season. He has
compiled an impressive 9-2 round win-loss record and will be extremely
hungry to taste victory lane at his home track.
Other point leaders entering the Sooner Nationals include Top Fuel
rookie sensation Del Cox Jr. and defending IHRA Pro Modified champion
Kenny Lang.
All three classes feature tight battles as the season enters a pivotal point in each drivers bid for a world title.
Sportsman
racing will also be featured at the event as drivers from IHRA’s seven
sportsman classes will have another chance to punch their ticket to the
brand new year-end Tournament of Champions.
Tulsa will be especially exciting for the sportsman racers who have found it tough in the past to compete on a national level.
“Tulsa’s location makes it tough to travel so we’ve never really seen
those sportsman competitors able to compete on the national stage in
the past,” Peaco said. “Now each class winner will qualify for the
Tournament of Champions so I am personally looking forward to seeing
the best racers in the region compete for those exclusive spots in the
world championship race.
“There are already 10 past world champions qualified for the world
championship tournament and I’d bet there are many sportsman racers in
the Tulsa area looking forward to getting into the mix.”
The action will get underway at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 13 and will
feature sportsman qualifying and two rounds of professional qualifying
throughout the day capped off by the Warren CAT Night of Fire at 7 p.m.
Saturday night.
The Warren CAT Night of Fire will feature professional qualifying under
the lights and the awesome show-stopping spectacle that is the 20,000
horsepower “X-Treme Machine” jet semi. Saturday’s show will also
feature the 220 mile per hour return of Nitro Harley’s.
“The Night of Fire is always the highlight of any Nitro Jam event and
once again we have a show that won’t disappoint,” said IHRA Director of
Media Larry Crum. “From the thunderous Top Fuel cars and ‘X-Treme
Machine’ to the insane Nitro Harley’s and everything in between, the
Tulsa Nitro Jam is going to be a very exciting event.”
The Sooner Nationals will wrap up with the most exciting day in all of
racing – Championship Sunday. Sunday’s action will begin at 8 a.m. with
pro eliminations set to get underway at 11 a.m. and ending with final
eliminations for all classes at 4 p.m.
“We always look forward to coming to Oklahoma and putting on a great
show and this year is no exception,” Peaco said. “Last year this race
played a big part in the championship standings and we expect the same
kind of drama and exciting racing this season as many of the best
drivers in the world try to conquer Tulsa’s tricky track.
“I can’t wait to see what happens this year.”
