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.

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.”

After winning his first race as the driver of "Nitro" Nick Boninfante's
"U.S. Male" nitro nostalgia Funny Car last month at Englishtown, N.J.,
driver Phil Burkart won again Saturday night at New England Dragway's
"Funny Cars Under The Stars" setting both ends of the nostalgia Funny
Car track record in the process.

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.

Ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and driving a Top Fuel

dragster can both bring a rush.  Morgan Lucas, one of seven racers who
participated in the prestigious opportunity on Wednesday afternoon, 
was an eye-opener for Lucas.

“It’s definitely not like watching [the movie] Trading Places and
seeing how people work,” Lucas explained. “It was an incredible
opportunity to witness that and to know that 40-percent of America’s
wealth goes through that building.”

Terry Haddock told CompetitionPlus.com at the beginning of the season that he planned to run two nitro cars
in 2009, focusing on each event to determine which provided his team
the best opportunity to qualifying and win. The defending IHRA World
Champion who has become an NHRA regular opted to run both cars, one
dragster and one Funny Car, in Englishtown because the events   provide
an excellent opportunity to win.

The wins Haddock have in mind have little or any impact on whether he
lights up the scoreboards. The real victory he seeks is in awareness.

The Top Fuel dragster he drives this weekend carries the logo of the
Dream House for Medically Fragile Children while his Funny Car, driven
this weekend by Cory Lee, spread the message of the veteran’s group
Fueled by the Fallen.

Ashley
Force Hood held on to the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car as rain ended
qualifying early at the 40th annual United Association NHRA
SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

Tony Schumacher also kept the top position in Top Fuel while Ron
Krisher and Hector Arana were able to move in to the top spots in their
respective categories before rain showers hit at the 11th of 24 events
on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Force Hood continued her No. 1 qualifier success, as her Friday pass of
4.071-seconds at 303.37 mph in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang stay strong
to give Force Hood her fourth No. 1 qualifier in the past six races.

Just before the clouds opened up with a deluge that would force the
cancelation of racing for the day in the United Association NHRA SuperNationals,
the cars of the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge treated the
crowds at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park to one of the very best
qualifying sessions ever, featuring a possible record-setting ET, the
quickest-ever nitrous run, and the quickest-ever side-by-side pass in
Pro Mod.
 
In the quickest side-by-side run ever, R2B2 Racing Raymond Commisso
took the number one spot with a mind-blowing 5.894 at 244.60 mph, with
Matco Tools/Lend America driver Joe Baker running right alongside with
a smoking 5.911 at 244.83 mph. Commisso obliterated the Raceway Park
Pro Mod Challenge track record and can possibly claim the Challenge
record if he is able to run a 5.953 or quicker during eliminations.

One year after the tragic death of NHRA Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, a concerted effort on
behalf of the NHRA and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park officials has
resulted in the Englishtown, N.J. facility implementing a run-off area
similar to those in Pomona, Indianapolis and Charlotte.

A wider and more elevated safety net spans from one side of the track
to the other and is clearly visible from 2,243 feet away. That is just
one of the more noticeable improvements to a part of the track that has
been relentlessly criticized over the last year.

“It was a combination of our efforts, Wayne McMurtry (NHRA) and the
University of Nebraska,” said Graham Light, NHRA Vice President of
Operations. “They have done a phenomenal job here and did exactly what
we asked of them. We’re very happy with what we see.”

Ever wonder why Ashley Force Hood has been so dominant in 2009 NHRA Funny Car qualifying? The No. 1 qualifying
efforts provide the second generation drag racer with her most peaceful
moments during an event. During the cart ride from the pits to the
press room for the post qualifying press conference gives her time to
decompress.

Knowing qualifying number one gives her that moment is why Ashley  had
a broad smile on her face when she nailed the throttle of her Castrol
GTX-sponsored, Ford Mustang during Friday qualifying at the NHRA
SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.. Her intuitions were rewarded with
a 4.071
elapsed time at 303.37 miles per hour to land atop the field headed
into Saturday.