The world of
Rockingham Dragway can yield just about anything and chances are we’ve witnessed
it. That changed on Saturday afternoon when Neil Smith piloted a JCB backhoe to
a 17-second run at 85 miles per hour.

The nitrous cars got the
day off in Rockingham on Sunday. None of the nine bottle cars (amongst 35 entries) could crack
the record 6.106 bubble. Defending World Champion Mike Castellana was the first
alternate with a 6.115.

The
IHRA’s Pro Modified division was originally built on the
diversity of nitrous versus supercharged combination. After only seven years of
existence (1997), one combination totally dominated the class to the tune of
nine exclusive events in one season.

With $80,500 up for grabs and 56 of the best sportsman racers in the country
competing for their share of the pot, the ACCEL Survivor Series took center
stage Saturday night at the Universal Technical Institute World Finals held at
Rockingham Dragway.

The field consisted of the top eight racers in the seven
different Mr. Gasket Pro-Am classes who registered for the program and ran the
acceptable Mr. Gasket products in their race cars. Points accumulate all season
with eligibility being determined following the President’s Cup Nationals in
Budds
Creek, Md.

Super Rod racer Greg Slack made good on his promise to show
his ass – his jackass that is.

Slack has the young burro as a pet and decided to bring it to the
race track. The animal was penned up in the pits and spent much of the day
munching on straw.

Werner Enterprises will be stepping down as the primary sponsor on
the Top Fuel team of Kenny Koretsky driven my Clay Millican. The Omaha,
Nebraska-based company will step down following this weekend's event in
Rockingham.

Werner Vice President Dwayne Haug said the company has used drag racing
as a way to recruit drivers but the program has run its course.

SATURDAY - IHRA World Championship
Showdowns Set at World Finals

The stage is set for a frantic finish to the 2006 IHRA season. Four
of the five professional world champions will be determined during
Sunday’s elimination rounds at the Universal Technical Institute World
Finals in Rockingham, N.C.

Dale Creasy Jr. and Jack Wyatt are locked in a battle for the Torco
Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car world championship, and it will be
settled Sunday during final eliminations. Creasy held a slight lead
heading into the World Finals with 768 points, compared to Wyatt’s 746,
and he picked up a few more points by qualifying in the #2 position
with a 4.952 at 294.80 mph while Wyatt ended up No. 5 with a
5.045/253.35 pass.

The top eight competitors in each of the Mr. Gasket Pro-Am classes competed
Saturday at the Universal Technical Institute World Finals for the ACCEL
Survivor Series. With a total purse of $80,500, the winner and runner-up in each
class won $5,000 and $1,500 respectively.

Erson Cams Top
Sportsman:

Bob Harris,
6.935/197.68, defeats Ronnie Proctor, 6.873/197.19

IHRA Alcohol Funny Car racer Pete Osterio crashed his ride during Friday
night qualifying. He emerged uninjured but the same could not be said
for his car.

Dale Creasy Jr. and Jack Wyatt are battling to see who will end up on
top of the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car
championship points standings. Friday night Creasy gained the early
upper hand.

Creasy, a Beecher, Ill. resident, entered the season-ending Universal
Technical Institute World Finals in Rockingham, N.C., boasting a slim
20-point lead over Wyatt in the points race. His 4.952 run at 294.88
mph put him at the top of the qualifying sheet while Wyatt, with a
5.045/253.85 pass, finished right on his heels in the #2 position.

 Andrew Cowin (Wilmington, N.C.) grabbed the provisional #1
qualifier spot in the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel
class by leading a stellar evening Top Fuel qualifying session with a
4.574 pass at 317.34 mph. Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.), who
clinched his sixth consecutive Top Fuel World Championship at the
President’s Cup Nationals two weeks ago, was second on the list with a
4.591 run at 314.83 mph while Rick Cooper (Boise, Idaho), battling it
out for second overall in the world, was third after Friday’s session.

Troy Critchley (Wylie, Texas) pulled the biggest surprise of Friday’s
racing when he moved to the top of the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro
Modified qualifying sheet. He posted a 6.061 pass at a Rockingham
Dragway track record 236.17 mph. Critchley, who went off the end of the
track the last time he raced in IHRA competition at the Torco Northern
Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park earlier this summer, ripped
straight down the groove at Rockingham Dragway to claim the provisional
pole.

“Mark “Cowboy” Pawuk announced today that his Pro Stock Pontiac team
will forego the year’s two remaining races on the NHRA POWERade Series
schedule in order to regroup.

“I want to emphasize,” he said from his offices at Empaco Equipment
Corporation, “that this is not a retirement announcement. I can’t say
that thought hasn’t crossed my mind, but this is strictly a financial
and not emotional decision.