IHRA TEXAS NATIONALS - SAME DAY COVERAGE
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SUNDAY FINAL - LITTON MAKES EARLY
STATEMENT
Creasy Jr., Patrick, Hoover and Munroe also winners at first Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ event of 2007
Over the years Bruce Litton has grown accustomed to
the bridesmaid role, but he has never liked it. While Clay Millican was reeling
off six consecutive Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel world
championships Litton was always right there in his rear view mirror. The
Indianapolis-native finished second three times (’02, ’03 and ’04) and third the
three other years Millican was dominating the
class.
Now he is ready for his time in the sun.
Litton knocked off T.J. Zizzo in the final round of the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts to claim the early points lead and prove he is ready to go after the championship…a statement he made with the off-season hiring of tuner Nicky Boninfante. Boninfante was with Litton for most of his competitive Top Fuel seasons before leaving to pursue other opportunities while Litton slipped to fifth in the final 2006 championship points standings. Now, with Boninfante back, Litton is looking for big things this season.
“This team has really come together this year around Nicky Boninfante
and (crew chief) Richard Hartman,” said Litton. “We’ve worked so hard over the
years and especially over the winter. I’m looking forward to this
season.”
After knocking off Scott Weis in the first round, Litton had to deal with No. 1 qualifier Doug Foley in the semifinals. Foley shook his tires hard at the hit of the throttle early and clicked it off, leaving Litton to wait to see who he would race for the Ironman. He did not have to wait long as Scotty Cannon could not answer the semifinal bell and Zizzo soloed into the final round.
Litton had lane choice in the final and selected the right lane. Two years ago Litton suffered a horrific crash in that same right lane at the Texas Nationals, but has since put those demons behind him.
“We try to run our own race every time,” added Litton. “I knew he ran well all weekend. He was No. 2 qualifier, we were three. I felt like I needed to be on my game and leave on time. And we had some pretty good power all day. It all worked out for us.“
Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher,
Ill., began the defense of his 2006 Knoll Gas-Torco Racing
Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car world championship in grand style by knocking off the
defending Texas Nationals champion, No. 1 qualifier Gary Densham. Creasy almost
was not around to race Sunday as he needed the final qualifying shot Saturday
night to bump into the field. He took advantage, knocking off Del Worsham in the
first round and Jack Wyatt, who finished a mere five points behind him in the
points chase last year, in the semifinals.
Creasy then carded a 3.407 in the final round against a lifting Densham.
“We had the new car and we were struggling with it,” said Creasy Jr. “I almost brought out the old car because I knew it could go down the race track. But we have so much invested in it, time and money, and if we want to step forward we have to have this car so we stuck with it and it worked.”
“This is my first win (in the U.S.), so I finally have a trophy that doesn’t need a passport to go home,” added Creasy.
Ed Hoover, Gilbert,
S.C., had a successful return to San Antonio Raceway, the site
of his 2005 victory over Shannon Jenkins at the Texas Nationals.
Hoover finished outside the top ten in IHRA points standings last
season, but an early win has him thinking things have turned around a bit.
Hoover stopped Danny Rowe in the final with a 4.031
ET.
“This is great. We struggled all year last year, and now we’ve got a new car and this win is really big for us,” said Hoover. “We’re leaving here with a lot of momentum and we’re going to work real hard the rest of the season.
“This winter Al (Billes) spent 300 hours R&D and dyno time
working on the car. He helped make the difference today. This is a professional
class. If you’re not working, you’re not going to
win.”
Robert Patrick, Fredericksburg, Va., drove his ’07 Shelby Cobra to the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock Ironman defeating John Montecalvo, Center Moriches, N.Y., in the final round. Patrick, one of the preseason favorites to contend for the 2007 championship, proved to be worthy of such attention by carding a 4.156 at 173.29 mph to knock off Montecalvo’s 4.171 at 172.63 mph. Both drivers had identical 0.046 reaction times.
“The biggest thing I wanted to accomplish here was coming out with a win,” said Patrick. “Last year I qualified on the pole a number of times, had the fastest car in eliminations and got beat a few times on hole-shots and that kept me out of the championship chase. So I wanted to kind of redeem myself here.
“We got the win and I just couldn’t be happier for my team,” he
added.
Terry Munroe, Beaver, Pa., finally broke through in Alcohol Funny Car, stopping defending world champion Mark Thomas, Louisville, Ohio, in the final round with a 3.893 ET to claim his first-ever Ironman. Munroe finished fourth in the points standings last year, but could not get a win at either of his two finals last season.
“We’ve been doing Funny Car racing for five years. This is my fifth final round and I finally won one,” said Munroe. “This year, we put it in our minds that we are going to be serious about this. We are still looking for sponsors…we could be dangerous with the right funding.”
The Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ will make its second stop of the season in Rockingham Dragway April 20-22 for the IHRA Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts and Castrol.
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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - DEFENDING CHAMPION TOPS NITRO FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING
Gary Densham claims #1 slot in first-ever Knoll – Gas Nitro Jam™ eighth-mile event; Foley (Top Fuel), Commisso (Pro Modified), Patrick (Pro Stock) and Munroe (Alcohol Funny Car) also grab top qualifying honors
Last season Gary Densham, Bellflower, Calif., defeated Paul Lee in the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car final round to claim the first IHRA Ironman of the season at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts at San Antonio Raceway. This year the situation is completely different, but Densham is back on top.
Necessity being the better part of invention, IHRA officials made a historic decision following Friday qualifying at the Texas Nationals. Problems with the right lane caused them to create the first-ever eighth-mile Knoll – Gas Nitro Jam™ national event, even after completely resurfacing the entire final half of the right lane. All Friday runs were converted to eighth-mile runs using incremental times.
Densham’s Friday run, converted to a 3.322 at 253.56 mph,
held up for No. 1 qualifier honors after Saturday’s two qualifying sessions. Del
Worsham ended up second with a 3.327, 256.50 pass, also claiming “Last Man
Standing” honors Saturday. Defending world champion, Dale Creasy Jr.
(Beecher,
Ill.) had to sweat it out a bit, needing a strong run in the
Saturday evening session to move into the field. Creasy’s 3.394, 234.04 pass
moved him to sixth on the qualifying sheet and safely into the
field.
Paul Lee, last season’s runner-up, could not move into the field. Also notably absent from Sunday’s elimination ladder was NHRA standout Cruz Pedregon, who could not blast into the field on his last pass.
Doug Foley, Sewell,
N.J., claimed top qualifying honors in the Torco Racing Fuels
Pro Nitro Top Fuel class with a strong 3.111 pass at 268.65 mph. T.J. Zizzo had
a strong Saturday evening run to climb to second on the sheet with a 3.132.
Bobby Lagana Jr., who was second after the first session Saturday, fell all the
way to the bump spot when all was said and done 
with a 3.341 pass. Bruce Litton
was third while Scott Cannon, driving in his first-ever Top Fuel event, rounded
out the top half of the field with a 3.215 pass.
Ray Commisso, Toronto, Ont., is used to racing on the 1/8 mile strip, as was much of the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified class. Many tuned up for the IHRA season competing in ADRL competition, where the eighth-mile pass is the norm. Commisso put his ’67 Camaro at the top of the qualifying sheet with a 3.962 pass at 188.41 mph. In fact, two of the top three Pro Mod qualifiers are from the largest city in Ontario, Canada. Tony Pontieri, also from Toronto, finished third on the qualifying ladder by driving his ’57 Chevy to a 3.979, 189.04 pass.
Scott Cannon Jr., Lyman, S.C., ended up second, book-ended by the two Canadians, with a 3.963/184.75 run. Not only did Cannon Jr. end up second on the qualifying sheet, he took home “Last Man Standing” honors Saturday. Defending Pro Mod world champion Quain Stott, Columbus, S.C., could not move into the top half of the field in his final qualifying shot Saturday, ending up 14th.
Robert Patrick, Fredericksburg, Va., seems to have a handle
on his ’07 Cobra early as he drove to the top of the qualifying ladder with a
4.129, 172.89 hit Saturday evening. Patrick was clear of Steve Spiess,
Manhattan, Ill., by almost two hundredths as Spiess claimed second with a 4.184,
173.03 pass in his ’07 Cobalt. Spiess’ run was only good enough for second on
the sheet, but he did grab “Last Man Standing” honors Saturday night. Rob
Mansfield, Margate,
Fla., was third when final qualifying was
complete.
Defending world champion Pete Berner, Crete, Ill., almost ended up on the outside, looking in. His 4.195, 171.79 pass was only good enough for 15th on the final qualifying ladder.
A pair of ’05 Monte Carlos finished 1-2 in final Alcohol Funny Car qualifying. Terry Munroe, Beaver, Pa., took top honors with a 3.878 pass at 188.25 mph while defending world champion, Mark Thomas, Louisville, Ohio, was slotted second with a 3.884 pass at 193.57 mph. Laurie Cannister, Johnston, Ohio, claimed “Last Man Standing” honors and ended up fourth in final qualifying.
Professional eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 10:30 p.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The Texas Nationals is the first of twelve events on the 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts at San Antonio Raceway, the first of 12 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Foley, 3.111 seconds, 273.05 mph vs. 5. Terry McMillen, 3.218, 258.02; 2. T.J. Zizzo, 3.132, 262.03 vs. 6. Mitch King, 3.293, 241.28; 3. Bruce Litton, 3.158, 268.44 vs. 7. Scott Weis, 3.296, 253.23; 4. Scotty Cannon, 3.215, 258.27 vs. 8. Bobby Lagana Jr., 3.341, 249.16.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Gary Densham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 3.322, 253.56 vs. 5. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 3.372, 257.68; 2. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 3.327, 256.50 vs. 6. Dale Creasy Jr., Monte Carlo, 3.394, 234.04; 3. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 3.358, 254.28 vs. 7. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 3.428, 245.40; 4. Jon Capps, Monte Carlo, 3.362, 247.34 vs. 8. Jack Wyatt, Stratus, 3.450, 246.89.
Pro Modified -- 1. Raymond Commisso, Chevy Camaro, 3.962, 188.41 vs. 9. Danny Rowe, Chevy Corvette, 4.062, 182.72; 2. Scott Cannon, Pontiac GTO, 3.963, 184.75 vs. 10. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 4.077, 182.30; 3. Tony Pontieri, Chevy Bel Air, 3.979, 189.04 vs. 11. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 4.086, 180.38; 4. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 4.022, 184.14 vs. 12. Eddie Ware, Camaro, 4.092, 182.75; 5. Kirk Kuhns, Willys, 4.041, 187.94 vs. 13. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 4.095, 183.97; 6. John Russo, Camaro, 4.043, 185.36 vs. 14. Quain Stott, Corvette, 4.096, 182.38; 7. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 4.055, 179.52 vs. 15. Shannon Jenkins, GTO, 4.117, 180.50; 8. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 4.058, 183.59 vs. 16. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 4.117, 176.28.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Terry Munroe, Chevy Monte Carlo, 3.878, 188.25 vs. 5. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 3.904, 192.55; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 3.884, 193.57 vs. 6. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 3.906, 189.18; 3. Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 3.893, 184.55 vs. 7. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 3.960, 187.08; 4. Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 3.901, 188.67 vs. 8. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 4.048, 180.74.
Pro Stock -- 1. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 4.129, 172.89 vs. 9. Elijah Morton, Ford Mustang, 4.185, 170.30; 2. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 4.148, 173.05 vs. 10. Dan Sweeney, Pontiac GTO, 4.186, 172.45; 3. Rob Mansfield, Cobalt, 4.151, 172.94 vs. 11. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 4.188, 171.97; 4. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 4.163, 173.25 vs. 12. Dean Goforth, GTO, 4.189, 173.05; 5. John Nobile, Mustang, 4.167, 173.54 vs. 13. Jeff Dobbins, Ford Escort, 4.191, 170.79; 6. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 4.168, 172.87 vs. 14. Frank Gugliotta, Mustang, 4.192, 171.18; 7. Mike Corvo Jr, Cobalt, 4.170, 172.28 vs. 15. Pete Berner, GTO, 4.195, 171.79; 8. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 4.171, 171.93 vs. 16. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 4.203, 171.99.
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SATURDAY -
IHRA AMALIE OIL TEXAS NATIONALS TO BECOME EIGHTH-MILE EVENT
EVENT DELAY - RIGHT LANE IS REPAVED
IHRA and San Antonio Raceway officials have
altered the Saturday racing schedule for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals
presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
Apparently, the right lane is being repaved. A asphalt company was called in last night and crews worked through the night to repair damage. If all works as planned sportsman racing will begin at 11 a.m. with time-trials for all classes. At 1 p.m., the professional categories will begin the day’s first round of qualifying. The HOLT CAT “Night of Fire” and the final professional qualifying session will begin as scheduled at 6:30 p.m.
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FRIDAY - CANNON TOPS TOP FUEL QUALIFYING IN SAN ANTONIO
Scotty Cannon raced to the No. 1 Knoll-Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Top Fuel spot
with a 4.851, 299.00 pass during Friday qualifying at the Amalie Oil Texas
Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts at San Antonio
Raceway. Other No. 1 qualifiers include Gary Densham (Nitro
Funny Car), Ray Commisso (Pro Modified), Mark Thomas (Alcohol Funny Car) and
Robert Patrick (Pro Stock).
“Once you get back in the car, once they start the motor, everything kind of comes back to you,” said Cannon. “I’ve been lucky. My crew’s done a good job; Torco has given us the support to do what we have to. And that’s how we can do this. It makes me feel good. My hat’s off to the guys.”
This
year, IHRA has started an innovative program, the “Last Man Standing,” at all
Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam events, rewarding the quickest car at the end of each night.
To be eligible, that run must be a winning pass for the competitor. Therefore,
the No. 1 qualifier is not necessarily always the “Last 
Man Standing.”
Cannon, of Lyman, S.C., was making his Top Fuel debut. After a storied career winning six Pro Modified world championships and running NHRA Nitro Funny Car, Cannon has committed to chasing the IHRA Top Fuel championship racing an Evan Knoll Seelye-Wright Auto Group dragster. Cannon was the winner of the Top Fuel “Last Man Standing.”
Bobby Lagana Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y., sits in the second spot with a 5.020, followed by Bruce Litton and Scott Weis.
In Torco
Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car, Densham, of
Bellflower,
Calif., covered the quarter-mile in 4.863
seconds to take the top spot, as well as the “Last Man Standing.” Del Worsham,
Chino Hills,
Calif., 4.893, is second, followed by Bob
Gilbertson, Charlotte,
N.C., and Terry Haddock,
Lynwood,
Wash. Densham is the 
defending event winner.
Defending world champion Dale Creasy Jr. is currently not in the
field.
Toronto’s Commisso drove his ’67 Camaro to the No. 1 spot in the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified class with a 6.102, 233.96, earning him the “Last Man Standing.” Ed Hoover sits in the second spot with a 6.154, followed by Danny Rowe, 6.184, and John Russo, 6.216. Quain Stott, IHRA’s 2006 Pro Mod world champion, is currently 5th.
Defending Alcohol Funny Car world champion Thomas took top honors when the Louisville, Ohio, resident covered the quarter-mile in 5.901 seconds at 243.24 mph. Beaver, Pa.’s Terry Munroe won the Friday “Last Man Standing” prize with a 5.947, putting him second. Tony Bogolo sits on the bump-spot.
In
Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, Patrick took the No. 1 qualifying spot
with a 6.391, 216.72. Patrick, of Fredricksburg,
Va., was also the winner of the Quarter-Max
Pro Stock Challenge and
the “Last Man Standing.” He’s followed by Rob Mansfield,
Margate,
Fla., and Steve Spiess. Pete Berner, IHRA’s
defending Pro Stock world champion, sits outside of the field.
“This is exactly where I wanted to be,” Patrick said. “My engine builder Bob Ingles worked hard to get us here. He was out of commission with shoulder surgery for two weeks but he jumped right back in there and you see the results of his work.
“We were just a little off in the tune-up tonight, so we may have let a little on the table tonight. We’ll get back after it tomorrow and hopefully we will get even further than we did tonight. I am pleased with the start we are off to so far.”
Qualifying resumes at 9 a.m., with professional qualifying rounds three and four at 12 noon and 6:30 p.m.The Texas Nationals is the first of twelve events on the 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.
Results Friday after qualifying for the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts at San Antonio Raceway, first of 12 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top
Fuel -- 1. Scotty Cannon, 4.851 seconds, 299.00 mph; 2. Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.020,
258.42; 3. Bruce Litton, 5.501, 167.95; 4. Scott Weis, 5.644, 176.67; 5. Mitch
King, 6.774, 123.51; 6. Chris Karamesines, 8.711, 98.29; 7. T.J. Zizzo, 9.892,
81.50; 8. Scott Palmer, 11.499, 85.16.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Gary
Densham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.863, 307.23; 2. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.893,
279.79; 3. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 4.932, 283.25; 4. Terry Haddock,
Stratus, 4.952, 279.90; 5. Jon Capps, Monte Carlo, 5.037, 266.95; 6. Andy
Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 5.064, 282.24; 7. Jack Wyatt, Stratus, 5.180, 243.46;
8. Todd Simpson, Chevy Camaro, 5.321, 265.01.
Pro Modified -- 1.
Raymond Commisso, Chevy Camaro, 6.102, 233.96; 2. Ed Hoover, Chevy Corvette,
6.154, 231.12; 3. Danny Rowe, Corvette, 6.184, 232.23; 4. John Russo, Camaro,
6.216, 230.80; 5. Scott Cannon, Pontiac GTO, 6.217, 220.40; 6. Jim Halsey,
Camaro, 6.224, 227.69; 7. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.232, 232.35; 8. Burton
Auxier, Corvette, 6.240, 222.80; 9. Eddie Ware, Camaro, 6.243, 228.85; 10. Pat
Stoken, Camaro, 6.255, 224.70; 11. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.266, 235.64; 12.
Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.281, 211.30; 13. Shannon Jenkins, GTO, 6.328, 222.77;
14. Kirk Kuhns, Willys, 6.394, 217.28; 15. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am,
6.415, 195.14; 16. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 9.330, 92.35.
Alcohol
Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.901, 243.20; 2. Terry Munroe,
Monte Carlo, 5.947, 235.39; 3. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.969, 236.42; 4.
Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.018, 223.65; 5. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger,
6.044, 235.31; 6. Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 6.078, 217.95; 7. Rob
Atchison, Monte Carlo, 6.301, 237.59; 8. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 12.800,
63.30.
Pro Stock
-- 1. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.391, 216.72; 2. Rob Mansfield, Chevy
Cobalt, 6.410, 217.35; 3. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.414, 217.25; 4. Brian Gahm,
Ford Mustang, 6.429, 217.88; 5. Mike Corvo Jr, Cobalt, 6.445, 217.00; 6. Rickie
Smith, Cobalt, 6.449, 216.38; 7. John Nobile, Mustang, 6.450, 215.93; 8. Cary
Goforth, Cobalt, 6.471, 216.83; 9. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.482, 214.25;
10. Michael Bruno, Pontiac GTO, 6.485, 216.86; 11. Frank Gugliotta, Mustang,
6.485, 215.20; 12. Jeff Dobbins, Ford Escort, 6.486, 214.35; 13. John
Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.488, 216.31; 14. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.490, 212.53;
15. Dean Goforth, GTO, 6.508, 217.21; 16. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.551, 212.96.
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EVENT PREVIEW
Gary
Densham, a mainstay on the NHRA circuit, will be competing at the Amalie Oil
Texas Nationals for the second consecutive season in the Torco Racing Fuels Pro
Nitro Funny Car class. Last season, at the season-opening Amalie Oil Texas
Nationals, Densham knocked off Paul Lee to claim the first Nitro Funny Car
Ironman in IHRA competition since 1992.
“We
really had a lot of fun out there,” Densham said. “I’ve won many events and
championships throughout my career, and I can honestly say being able to win
the inaugural Nitro Funny Car event for IHRA ranks right up there.”
When
contacted in early March to see if he was coming back to San Antonio again this season, Densham did
not mince words.
“Of
course I am,” he said. “I have to defend my title, don’t I?”
If Densham
is to repeat as champion in San
Antonio he will have to drive through a very strong
field. Cruz Pedregon will be there as well as defending IHRA world champion
Dale Creasy Jr., class standout Bob Gilbertson, Rislone-sponsored Paul Lee,
2006 IHRA runner-up Jack Wyatt and Terry Haddock.
“The
class is getting stronger on the IHRA side,” Densham said. “There are a lot of
good cars and a lot of good racers. It should be a fun weekend.”
It
should be a challenging weekend for defending Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top
Fuel event champion Doug Foley. Foley, who finished fourth in championship
points standings last season, will be competing in IHRA competition for the
first time since his horrific crash at Toronto Motorsports
Park late last season.
“I
feel good,” Foley, who competed in Las Vegas and
Phoenix to get his feet wet prior to the San Antonio race, said.
“I’m trying not to think about it. Of course every time you stage the car it’s
in the back of your mind, but I really don’t think what happened in Cayuga is
going to be an issue.”
Mark
Thomas started his world championship campaign with a victory over rival Rob
Atchison in the Alcohol Funny Car final last year. It was his 24th career
national event victory and the first of three he would chalk up en route to the
title.
Frank
Gugliotta will be on hand to defend his Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock
title. Last year, after losing his ride a few months before the Amalie Oil
Texas Nationals, Gugliotta received an offer to drive for Charlie Taylor. This
year he will be campaigning a car for Rick Jones and Quartermax.
“I’m
looking forward to this year,” Gugliotta said. “This class keeps getting
tougher and tougher, but that’s what makes it fun.”
Both
drivers who competed in the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified final last
season may not be back this year as Glen Kerunsky and Tommy D’Aprile are still
trying to finalize plans for this season. Defending class world champion Quain
Stott will be on hand, however, looking to put LeeBoy back into the Winner’s
Circle. He will have a rough road ahead of him as Danny Rowe is looking to make
an early statement. Rowe, who finished second to Stott in the points race last
year, has named his new car “Unfinished Business.”
“We
feel like we didn’t do everything we could last year,” Rowe said. “Our goal
this year is to run better, win a few races and be a factor in the
championship. We have the car and crew to do it so we’re looking forward to San Antonio.”
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