IHRA TEXAS NATIONALS - EVENT NOTEBOOK
Sun, 2008-04-06 09:01
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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - FIRST TIME WINNERS HIGHLIGHT FINAL ELIMINATIONS; NITROUS CARS DOMINATE AND REST IN PEACE STINGRAY
BEGINNER’S LUCK, NOT – Most rookie Top Fuel drivers feel qualifying is enough of a debut experience.
Spencer Massey drove like a veteran in his rookie debut.
Then Massey won. Yes, he won in his Top Fuel debut. He doesn't even have his NHRA Top Fuel license but in the IHRA, he has them and the keys to the winner’s circle.
“Dream come true,” an ecstatic Massey said as he raised the trophy in the air. “It's something that I wouldn't have thought could ever happen. I mean, I thought it could've happened but I wasn’t expecting to win the race and everything. As soon as the light came on I couldn't believe it. It's bigger than winning my first A/Fuel race but it still hasn't hit me yet.”
Don’t even begin thinking the kid is spoiled by the early success.
“I'm not going to go out and assume that I'm going to win every round and stuff like that,” Massey pointed out. “I've got a really good car and a good crew but it was the right place at the right time.”
An experience like Massey’s can be overwhelming. He chose to channel the emotions into gratitude to those who provided the opportunity such as Top Fuel team owner Mitch King and even the man who set him up, Gene Snow, owner of the A/Fuel Dragster he drove to get to this point.
“I feel blessed just to be here,” Massey said. “Qualifying was my first goal and then going rounds rated next. I just kept focused on the race at hand and when you get into that mindset, you just forget about who’s in the lane opposite of you. You’re essentially racing yourself and guiding the car. You have to go from one end to the other and the acceleration comes much quicker.”
Massey is the current poster child for the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster, long lauded as a training ground for the nitro racers of tomorrow. He’s the defending NHRA Jeg’s All-Star champion.
“The experience definitely helped me,” Massey said, crediting his time in Top Alcohol dragster. “I was able to learn things much quicker because of the previous experience. There are many who have gone directly to Top Fuel without that experience, but it truly speeds up the process.
“I think there’s a lot to be said about a driver who gets the opportunity to put in time working on the car. The more you know about the car, the better driver you can be.”
Massey couldn’t say there is one area more difficult than another in transitioning from his A/Fuel Dragster to Top Fuel.
“Everything is exactly the same,” Massey explained. “The starting line procedure and everything you do in the car is the same. Just keeping this thing in the groove is really important. As soon as you get out of the groove, the tires are going to smoke.”
One might think speaking with the media might be the toughest challenge.
“That’s a whole new experience, for sure,” Massey added.
Massey is already using the experience to make him a better A/Fuel pilot.
“I think it’s going to help me be more aware of what’s happening with the A/Fuel car,” Massey said. “I think I'd actually be able to drive it better because now I'm going to be used to something faster so I think I'll be able to move and adjust. I think I'll make more right calls from this point.”
Evan Knoll remains in the hearts of the drag racing community during his medical leave of absence related to injuries sustained in a 2004 automobile accident. This tribute comes from Evan's daughters Betsy, Kim and Julia.
CHALK ONE UP FOR DAD – John Smith sat on the step of Terry McMillen’s trailer and as much as he labored to smile, the disappointment was clearly evident. He and McMillen fell victim to the proverbial fifty-cent part in the Top Fuel final.
McMillen rolled to the starting line with a broken car and hoped for a miscue from Massey. The rookie didn’t flinch.
“The throttle cable nut fell off on the burnout or just something happened with the throttle cable when we took it off after the burn out stopped,” Smith explained. “The throttle cable was loose when it came off. We’ve got a new team and stuff will happen.”
Smith admitted he saw the car for the first time on Thursday when he arrived in San Antonio.
“That was really the first mistake that we made all weekend so we put a good effort up for Terry, Amalie Oil and NAPA Auto Parts,” Smith added. “Terry has worked really hard to put the deal together. We made it to the final round so it was a pretty good weekend all in all. We’ve got a good baseline. All the guys were working well together and little things like this will happen. You win as a team and you lose as a team so that's what it's about.”
Smith missed out on a personal duel of his own in matching up against Paul Smith, his father and tuner for Massey. Win or lose, the moment meant a lot to Smith.
“It was a pretty cool deal because the last few races I actually worked on that car with my dad to get this deal squared away,” Smith explained. “You could see how the performance and the gain it's gotten. I'm really proud of my dad and everything that we've done and learned from him. To go up against each other, I wish I had a shot but I didn't. I'll have a shot this year I know it. This is a championship team and we've got to grow into it and keep working hard at making everything happen. We just need some time to gel.”
CHARTING NEW WATERS – Funny Car rookie Steve Macklyn almost got lost on the way to the winner’s circle and with good
Steve Macklyn found his way to the winner's circle thanks to a tow rope.
“If I hadn’t been sitting in the car with a tow rope attached, I’d never have found my way,” Macklyn admitted. “We had an incredible weekend where we came in just hoping to qualify. To come out here and beat Dale Creasy, Jr. in the final round was a dream come true.”
Those who know Macklyn knew he’d navigate his way. After all, he’s the same kid who proclaimed he was going to drive a Funny car back in 1978. Today he piloted the same Steve Pluger Funny Car formerly driven by Dale Pulde.
The Salt lake City, Utah-based Macklyn was competing in only his second career Funny Car race. His first was during last season’s IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“I owe this completely to my crew,” Macklyn said. “They gave me a good car to win despite me pooching a few things. This one was for them.”
Macklyn entered eliminations on the bump spot and defeated Jeff Diehl and veteran journeyman Jack Watt in the semis. He could have been very intimidated racing Creasy in the final round.
“I was more intimidated with myself,” Macklyn said. “I’m learning so much as I go along. I had to pedal early and I screwed up the burnout once. The good thing about being worried about yourself is you don’t have time to worry about him. Maybe that will change when I get more experience.”
Macklyn was tuned this weekend by Terry Manzer.
“I always felt we had a team capable of winning, I just didn’t know it would come this quickly,” Macklyn said. “This is a pleasant surprise and hope it isn’t the last.”
Could Macklyn have written a better script than what transpired in his story line? Maybe he could have or maybe not.
“It would have been identical except the story wouldn’t have included the truck blowing up,” Macklyn added. “And my mom would have been here.”
BEEN A WHILE - Jim Halsey considers himself a confident drag racer but up until the time he crossed the finish line ahead of
Jim Halsey chalked one up for the nitrous fraternity.
The last time a pair of nitrous entries battled in a final round of a Pro Modified event was the 2006 IHRA Motor City Nationals in Milan, Michigan. Mike Castellana’s victory over Harold Martin also represented the last time a nitrous car had won an IHRA Pro Modified event.
Credit the eighth-mile drag racing for this turnaround.
Halsey readily admits the nitrous combination has a reasonable chance in eighth-mile combination. The quickest nitrous combination was only .029 behind the top qualified blown doorslammer.
“The blower cars make a lot more power from the last half of the track than we do, they can run 2.04-2.05 back halves and I think the best we'd ever run was a 2.09,” Halsey added. “Having more eighth-mile races would make the class more entertaining. When you see guys like [nitrous racers] Billy Harper and Dennis Radford out here racing then you know the nitrous guys feel like they have a chance.”
Halsey’s yet to take advantage of the rules amendment allowing nitrous cars to increase their displacement as large as 820-inches. He estimates the larger motor will be in the car within three weeks and should debut in Rockingham. The motor he’s running in San Antonio displaces 800-inches.
He quickly credits this as the source of his three-second performances.
“We just fine tuned the engine and the car,” Halsey said. “We did quite a bit of testing to make sure everything was just right. That’s the key element.”
THE DEBATE RAGES – As long as there are two diametrically opposite combinations in Pro Modified such as the superchargers and nitrous car, there will always be a debate related to which one has a performance advantage.
There will always be the lingering questions asking if nitrous front-runner Jim Halsey will run the complete tour with the IHRA.
“Our plan is to run here and run Rockingham and we will evaluate our situation from there,” Halsey, a three-time finalist in IHRA competition revealed.
The season is early for Halsey and reasonably too early to determined whether or not the nitrous combination has a competitive chance against the blown entries.
“Based on what we did over the winter I think we picked up some power, it remains to be seen whether we gained on the blower cars any and if they made gains too,” Halsey said. “We'll just see how competitive we are and make the call from there.”
Rockingham will tell the complete story for Halsey’s remainder of the season schedule.
“The end of last year we picked up a bunch in the back half,” Halsey said. “We did some stuff in the winter but we haven't run any quarter mile races yet so it's hard to tell.”
DEM BONES AGAIN – Laurie Cannister had every reason to enter the IHRA season-opener intimidated and worried. Just
A former Pro Outlaw champion, Laurie Cannister resumed her winning ways in Alcohol Funny Car.
Cannister made a clean sweep of the Alcohol Funny Car field by qualifying low and sequentially eliminating Paul Noakes and Thomas Carter before beating three-time world champion Rob Atchison. She wasn’t intimidated in the least considering she’s a former champion herself dating back to the 2000 season.
“It’s unbelievable and great for a brand new team,” Cannister, who drives the Kalbones Grilling Sauce Funny Car, said. “I hope we keep the momentum for at least a little while because there are plenty of good teams out here.”
Cannister’s performance was strikingly similar to a baseball player walking up to the batter’s box with two strikes already against her and a strikeout ace on the mound. She was fortunate, as she pointed out, to have an excellent hitting coach in her husband/crew chief Dale Cannister in her corner.
“Dale put in a lot of studying and just made the right calls at the right time,” Cannister said. “We didn’t get any testing in at all and that caused concern. But we were on this weekend and when you are on, you are on.”
Cannister took the moment in stride, even with the added pressure of Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com predicting her to win the championship.
“I was surprised considering I had been out of the game for a while,” Cannister said. “It’s going to be anybodies game out here this year.
FUN AGAIN - Former Pro Modified racer turned Pro Stock Truck sensation Brad Jeter has made his way back to the
Brad Jeter has found a reason to return in drag racing in working with Scotty Cannon.
Jeter, of Greenville, South Carolina, has given up the wheel to serve as one of Scotty Cannon’s “crew chiefs” during his return to the Pro Modified class. He’s traded in the firesuit for the greasy confines of the clutch can of a doorslammer and any other between rounds maintenance needing to be done.
He’s not disgruntled with the reassignment. Instead, he’s having the time of his life helping a long time friend.
“You’ve got to give back to the people that give to you,” Jeter explained. “You know back over the years I couldn't have done what I done racing without Scotty Cannon. When Scotty needed some help and I had plans to race myself this year in Sportsman Top Dragster, I knew it was more important to help Scotty than to race.
“I've also got an opportunity to learn something about blowers and all with Scotty. I wouldn't have done this for anybody else except for little Scott or Scotty. Everything they done for me over the years made this an easy decision. I'm hoping I can help Scotty do this deal all year and see what happens at the end. The goal is to make these two cars as fast as we can possibly make them and be in the finals every Sunday.”
The longtime friends spend their time bracket racing on off-weekends with Jeter’s Top Dragster. This kind of racing provides a level of enjoyment for Jeter he’s been missing since those days of racing the trucks competitively.
“I went through a nasty divorce and I just didn’t want to race and got away from it,” Jeter explained. “I haven’t been back to an NHRA event since the days when I raced. It’s been about five years ago that all of this went down.”
For Jeter, he’s got a different outlook on everything. He’s moved on to brighter days and this opportunity to work with Cannon provides the perfect situation.
“The bad chapters are over and done with,” Jeter said. “I had some other issues going on for a while but I’ve got everything straightened out and my life is in order again and everything is going good. Just out here having fun.”
POSITIVE MOMENT – John Montecalvo was really in the mood for a bit of good news when he entered the gates of San
John Montecalvo had unfinished business from San Antonio last season.
Sometimes a driver has to make their own good luck. For the Long Island, New York-based driver, the luckier he got, the better he drove. He scored his eight career national event victory at the expense of Jeff Dobbins.
Having independent status can bring along its drawbacks and rewards.
“We have to drive harder now,” said Montecalvo. “That's the way it is. We've definitely got a set back losing Citgo but I said a long time ago we're not going to let it get us down. We're going to do what we've got to do here and we're out to win races. I've got a fantastic team.”
Montecalvo considers his combination of Sonny Leonard engines and Braswell carburetors as the impetus for more prosperous times such as this weekend brought forth.
“I think we've got a team to contend for the championship,” Montecalvo added.
Montecalvo might have the inside track towards the championship if the rest of the events only measured 660-feet. He’s reached the finals in two of the three events and the last two at San Antonio Raceway.
“I don't really care how far we race,” Montecalvo said. “As long as drag racing is drag racing, and I know a lot of people are upset with running the eighth-mile. They want the quarter mile but I wish everybody would agree to run 1000 feet and strike something in the middle. It's certainly over fast and it gets your attention but it also gets you pumped up because you had better hurry.”
The 1967 - 1968 Camaros and Firebirds have replaced the 1963 Corvette Stingray as the most-used body style in Pro Modified in 2008. The reasoning is to fit a larger tire. However, in this picture, Ed Hoover basketballs a set during the first round in San Antonio.
THE TORCH HAS PASSED – This season marks the tenth anniversary of former Pro Modified icon Johnny Rocca’s infamous exchange with the IHRA’s technical department. Rocca was showing his disdain for the plethora of 1963 Corvettes in Pro Modified.
Rocca’s conversation went something like this, “I want to build a 1963 Corvette, what colors are available?”
Rocca, who built a name with his radical, fender-skirted 1949 Mercury, might be happy that only two 1963 Corvettes were in attendance for the IHRA Texas Nationals. He would likely make another call soon.
The call likely would be along these lines, “I’d like to build a 1968 Camaro or Firebird, what colors are available?”
Nine of the 18 Pro Modified entries for the weekend were either A-bodied Camaros or Firebirds. The number could be ten if one categorized the Ed Hoover-driven Camaro in the group. His car was classified in tech inspection as a 1968 Camaro.
What the ’63 Corvette provided in aerodynamic ability, the new composite Camaro bodies makes up for in other areas.
“This Camaro is built to take the big top fuel tire and we couldn't put that on the Corvette,” Hoover explained. “When it gets hot and these tracks get greasy at 134 degrees, in the summer time it's hard to manage a little tire on a track like that.”
CAN YOU IMAGINE? – Dean Goforth, age 63, and Chuck Demory, age 66, might not be the youngest drivers in the IHRA’s Pro Stock division, but they sure didn’t act their ages in the first round of eliminations.
Goforth was the quickest of the two with an incredible .001 reaction and won the race with a 4.169 elapsed time to beat Demory’s 4.252. Demory was only .001 later off the starting line.
Can you imagine recording a .002 reaction time in Pro Stock and leaving the starting line second?
MAYBE YOU DON’T WANT TO IMAGINE – Dale Creasy, Jr. was also on the reaction time tear as he ripped off a .001 reaction in the semi-finals to eliminate low qualifier Bob Gilbertson.
Where did he pull that one from?
“Pick an orifice,” Creasy responded.
NO PRACTICE, NO PROBLEM – After winning back-to-back IHRA Funny Car championships, Creasy couldn’t really say whether or not the experience he earned was a factor in helping him experience a successful weekend.
“I’d like to say yes, but after qualifying I don’t know,” Creasy said. “We struggled through qualifying but it just wasn’t doing what we knew it could. We found some stuff on Saturday and by Sunday; the car was going what we knew it was capable of.”
Creasy is still looking for the source of his qualifying woes or maybe whether or not some could be attributed to a new Chevrolet Impala body. He was the seventh quickest qualifier in an eight-car field.
“I think we just missed something and now we have it back,” Creasy said, following his first round victory. “I think getting in three runs last year, while racing the eighth-mile, helped us this year. We simply had more information headed into the weekend.”
Prior to the season starting, Creasy was one of the Torco Race Fuels-sponsored teams who were forced to scale back their budgets when the major sponsor suspended their race team sponsorships while Evan Knoll tended to nagging medical issues. He scaled back the racing budget but not his support of Knoll, the sponsor whom he said provided the opportunity to chase his two championships.
“The whole situation was a shock to us like it was everyone else out here,” said Creasy. “After all he’s done for me I’m going to represent him for as long as I can afford to be out here.
“All it did was to limit me in the amount of testing I can do in between races. I’m going to go racing for as long as I can. I just didn’t want to spend money testing when I could use it to go racing. I’m sticking with Evan because he stuck with me.”
A NEW WORLD – Richard Freeman wondered what he was getting himself into when he decided to go IHRA mountain motor Pro Stock racing. When he pulled fifth gear for the first time with the 818-inch Jon Kaase engine, he found out.
“It sets you back and you better have a hold,” Freeman explained. “I mean that's all there is to it, you better be holding on.”
Freeman is no novice to drag racing having raced in the NHRA Competition eliminator ranks for almost 15 years. He made the decision to go Pro Stock racing last year.
Knowing the state of NHRA POWERade Pro Stock and the investment required he found the IHRA as the perfect alternative.
“Pro Stock racing isn’t cheap regardless of where you do it at,” Freeman said. “Plus, beyond the racing I have a family and particularly a three-year old daughter and that’s first and foremost in determining what I do.
“Add in there a business to run, so 11 or 12 races a year fits into our schedule. Besides that the people at the IHRA make us feel really at home here.”
Freeman’s Comp car provided an inkling of what driving a Pro Stock car would resemble. The experience couldn’t prepare him for 220-mile per hour doorslammer racing.
“I love the speed,” Freeman said. “I had never been faster than 195-miles per hour before this. There’s nothing like the launch in this car. When you go down the track and plug it into fifth, it keeps pulling.”
Freeman has witnessed some of the IHRA mountain motor Pro Stock racers transfer over to the 500-inch ranks. He said he could run a 500-inch car again, but the experience just wouldn’t be the same.
“I could do it, but I don’t think it would be nearly as much fun,” Freeman said.
HE’S BAAACK – Jon Yoak’s friends wondered if he’d fallen and hit his head and this prompted his return to IHRA Pro Stock as a team owner. Yoak teamed with his son Jon during the 1990s to win two world championships.
Yoak made a grand return with veteran driver Frank Gugliotta and the two posted the second quickest time in qualifying. Landing Friday’s provisional low qualifying effort provided the confirmation he’d made the right decision in returning.
“I haven't been doing it since 2002, and I got an opportunity to come back with Frank, and I couldn't be back with any better person to drive and tune and help,” Yoak said. “I guess that's one of the main reasons, plus I just kind of love to be out here.”
A little known factoid is this weekend’s return was not the first time Yoak and Gugliotta had teamed up. Six years ago they teamed up on a Pro Stock venture before Gugliotta was signed by Steve Thodos.
“I’d been sitting back and watching for about five years or so before I decided I really wanted to come back out here again,” Yoak added. “I guess I just couldn’t stay away from the track. If you're ever going to get out of this, you gotta stay away from the track. It's hard to quit when you keep hanging around.”
One could understand why he wouldn’t want to stay away considering the success he experienced with Jon. They won the titles in 1996 and in 2000.
“In 2001 he didn't want to it anymore so that's kind of where we were,” Yoak explained. “I really missed it so in 2002 so I bought an old car and at the time Frank had never raced before at this level. He'd done a lot of Top Sportsman and Quick 8 stuff. He and I raced maybe eight races that season and he attributes me as getting him started. Don’t know if we’ve determined that to be a good or bad thing yet.”
One might think Jon would resent someone else driving his father’s car.
“Didn’t bother him at all,” Yoak confirmed. “He’s happy and he made it clear that if I wanted to do that, he was happy with that. He’s a family man with two children and he looks over the dealership so I can come out here and do this. Jon has turned into a homebody and really enjoys his time at home. I can’t blame him.”
Yoak understands the rigors of drag racing and raced decades ago before bringing Jon up through the ranks. Did Yoak ever find himself living vicariously through his son?
“Maybe,” Yoak answered. “I always considered it an honor to race with my son. It was always something special. I see other fathers racing with their sons and I know how special it is.”
GROWN UP AROUND IT – Cary Goforth grew up watching his father Dean run up and down drag strips around the Midwest. His earliest recollection is in his toddler years and by the time he reached ten he was considered a seasoned aficionado of the sport.
Never did he envision in those days of assisting his dad with the family’s classic Road Runner and Camaro they would end up the only father and son tandem actively competing in IHRA Pro Stock.
“Everything he did was appealing to me,” Carey said. “He was my hero and I always loved watching him drive. Even though we race in the same class, I still find myself running up to the line to watch him run.”
Dean put in many years racing in the formative years of the Super Gas classes and won an ADRA [formerly AHRA] 9.90 title before stepping up to the IHRA Pro Stock division in 1986.
“I got bored with the 9.90 racing and went Pro Stock, but I couldn’t afford to stay there once I got up there,” Dean admitted.
Dean took about twenty years off before returning last season as a driver.
“I came back in 2005 with Jerry Haas driving for me and then Carey started in 2006,” Dean explained. “I thought last year was the perfect time for me to start again.”
So how does Dean rate the experience of racing with Cary?
“This is a complete family experience for us and I absolutely love it,” Dean said. “I have grandkids at the race track. We get along real good. We just do the best we can.”
For the elder Goforth, the experience is not really about winning.
“Not really,” Dean said. “I’m just out here having fun.”
Cary spins a different yarn about dad.
“Don’t let him tell you that it’s not about winning and losing,” Cary added. “I think he’s lying a little bit. It may not be against other people, but when we race against one another there’s some competition going on. He’ll get me on the tree and it’ll rub me wrong and vice versa. We just goof with one another. He just wants to win as bad as I do. We want to win here, we really do. We try real hard and everybody around here works really, really hard and I am proud of everybody here.”
If you wonder what might happen in an all-Goforth final? Better look for a staging battle of epic proportions.
“We’ll give everybody something to get all up in the air about,” Goforth admitted, smiling.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - PATRICK'S PINCH-HIT ENGINE, VERSATILE PALMER AND WHO MOONED UNKEFER?
BIG STATEMENT – Defending IHRA Pro Stock champion Robert Patrick brought out his big gun for the final session of
Robert Patrick returned to his trusted 2007 Bob Ingles engine and climbed to the top spot in Pro Stock qualifying.
“My team and my engine builder Bob Ingles really worked hard during the off-season and we tested awful hard for times like this,” Patrick said. “We had an engine in the car that we hadn’t run before and it could have run a 6.11 or so. That’s why we put last year’s race engine in the car.”
Patrick's Saturday evening performance earned him an extra 50 points towards defending his championship.
“The final run was good at the hit, but the track was weak in second gear – we trembled the tires a bit,” Patrick explained. “Other than that, it was a good run. We felt we left a little on the table with that one. The run could have been a 4.09.”
The remaining question is will Patrick go for the world record on Sunday?
“We are going to go out and make a consistent and hopefully winning run,” Patrick explained. “If we do that, I feel we can run quicker than the record. A 4.08 is possible if the conditions are right.”
MR. EVERYTHING – Dictionary.com defines versatile as - capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of
Scott Palmer races Top Fuel from the heart.
IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam racing defines versatile as Scott Palmer.
Palmer races an 8,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster on at least 12 weekends of the year and when not, chances are you’ll find him driving a 2,500-horse, suspended chassis Pro Modified doorslammer.
Each combination is unique in its driving challenges.
“My biggest problem in the Pro Mod is I tend to drive to the center line and get out of the groove,” Palmer said. “I have to be really careful when I drive the doorslammer and pay extra attention to what I’m doing.”
Palmer got his drag racing start behind the wheel of a doorslammer. He flirted briefly with an alcohol car before returning to the full-bodied car and then on to Top Fuel dragster.”
“We raced Door Slammers forever; ran at Tulsa at the midnight drags with the door car,” Palmer recalled. “Actually I went to Alcohol Funny car then we took the Alcohol Funny car drive train, put in a Pro Mod, ant then I got a Top Fuel car.”
The Top Fuel dragster would forever change the way Palmer looked at drag racing.
“Top Fuel racing is the toughest thing I have ever tried to do,” Palmer confided. “It's just brutal. It's hard on the crew guys; it's hard on your wallet and it's hard to find sponsors. It's just unbelievably hard. No one, unless they have actually done this could imagine how hard it would be. I can understand why people are drivers because there is so much responsibility on having a team.”
Case in point, Palmer neglected one key team owner responsibility headed into the San Antonio race weekend.
“We forgot to get rooms for the crew,” Palmer admitted. “You tend to overlook things when you are trying to get the car ready. You get your tires and parts and then forget food. You even let your crew’s transportation back and forth to the hotel slip your mind too. There's just a lot of little things that people don't realize go on behind the scene.”
Last season, Palmer took a break from the challenges of racing over his head in Top Fuel to return to the simpler choice of Pro Modified racing. He quickly realized how fun drag racing can be and fell in love with the sport all over again.
“We took the Pro Mod last year to a race at Bill and Timmy Woods track in Oklahoma, a little eighth mile track and we actually loaded it up and took it there on an open trailer,” Palmer said with a chuckle. “There were only two of us and we won the race and left with the money. We just had a great time and it's a lot less stressful.”
A couple of weeks later he was back in the Top Fuel dragster. Why?
“I have no idea,” Palmer said. “A friend of mine told me I fell and hit my head somewhere along the line. I think he's right.”
Don’t expect Palmer to tire any time soon of what some call “beating his head against the wall” in racing against the higher financed teams.
“Last year we were on a limited budget and had some sponsors pull back their sponsorships, which really hurt us because we had a good deal going,” Palmer explained. “Instead, we regrouped and went to less races and ended up running 4.50s and qualified sixth at Norwalk at the NHRA race, went to the semis at Tulsa and had a good year.
“All and all, we had a good year last year. We just have to work harder like most all under-funded teams. We have less crew, less money, you gotta watch the parts, you kinda got to take care of your stuff or it'll put you out of business.”
Palmer credits the generosity of Bill Miller [BME Pistons] and Tom Akers [Wizard Warehouse] for keeping him going by “sending me parts when they shouldn't have.”
“You know it's hard to do this without friends,” Palmer added.
“It makes it all worthwhile,” Palmer said. “I have a lot of crew guys, one of our crew guys just got his first win, he's on Antron Brown’s crew. A lot of them go and get jobs on bigger teams but they stick with me for a long time and they are loyal, they're still loyal. They call still and see how we're doing, check up on us. But we have guys here who have offers at big teams to go be a crew guy, but they stick it out with us.”
BIG TIME BOB – IHRA Announcer Bob Unkefer was convinced he’d reached the pinnacle of success in his driving career when
NHRA Stock racer and IHRA announcer Bob Unkefer reacts to an admiring fan in the winner's circle.
As Unkefer admitted, you couldn’t miss it among his cheering fans comprised of fellow sportsman racers.
Unkefer got mooned.
Yes, someone dropped trouser to show their posterior as Unkefer stood on stage.
“It was definitely not a sight to behold,” Unkefer admitted. “I had a friend tell me that it’s memories from the winner’s circle that I will never forget. I don't know that that's what I don't want to forget.”
Forget the mooning. Nothing could have brought Unkefer down that day from Cloud Nine.
“It is something I never thought would honestly happen in my wildest dreams,” Unkefer said. “I thought maybe I could win a division race somewhere along the line, you know I felt if the gods all lined up, and the sun and the moon and the stars were good, I might pull one off. Winning was just something I never in my wildest dreams thought would come to pass.”
Before you conjure thoughts in your mind, Unkefer is quick to point out he didn’t sleep with the trophy that night.
“I didn't sleep much at all that night to be honest with you,” Unkefer added.
Unkefer turned in one of the best performances of his driving career to win a trophy.
“There were some bulbs that went off in my head last weekend and I realized some things I needed to do and change and did for Sunday and it worked out,” Unkefer said. “Knowing the ranks of the guys that are out there and having sat up in the announcing decks and watched them and see what they can do round after round after round, it's still a battle just to come close.”
Having worked with the NHRA sanction for many years as an announcer, Unkefer put in many hours atop a winner’s circle podium talking to elated champions. He’s very familiar with what they experience now.”
“I can understand being tongue-tied, and having difficulty talking, it's just one of those things, it's emotion,” Unkefer said. “It's pure emotion.”
The emotions are overwhelming - even if you do get mooned while you’re on stage.
ONE CAR RACING – Terry McMillen walked around his pit area at San Antonio Raceway and he looked a bit disheveled. Maybe
Terry McMillen is adjusting to life behind the wheel of only one car.
He was running at a slower pace instead of hurriedly racing between his Top Fuel dragster and the Alcohol Funny Car he’d campaigned for many seasons. This year he’s a one-car man with the Top Fuel dragster getting the nod. The Funny Car is now in the capable hands of Paul Noakes.
“My heart right now is in a Top Fuel deal,” McMillen said. “I got great guys running the team and John Smith leading them. All my guys from last year are back so I'm really ecstatic about that but I have to tell you it's going to be really strange sitting outside that Funny Car watching a new driver take it down the track.”
McMillen may have chosen the dragster, but he’ll readily admit missing the experience of wrestling the flopper down the track.
“I'll always miss it,” McMillen admitted. “I think just because it's one of the harder cars to drive with the short wheel base and all that horse power. There are so many things going on inside.”
McMillen, who won one IHRA event in 2007, made his first run of the season during Friday’s lone qualifying session. When he hit the throttle, this was his first attempt, period.
“We tried all winter to get out and we've just had delays here and there and it just never allowed us, and obviously I have some obligations with my position at Torco race Fuels so that's kind of slowed me down a little bit,” McMillen said. “I’ve got the best guys in the world and I didn't really have to worry about it, because I knew they’d build me a good car. I expected me to be the weak link. I'm the guy who's probably going to be the lowest guy on the totem pole here in performance with the talent that I have right now.”
YOU LOST? – The race fans were lined up for an autograph and the Top Fuel driver wasn’t even competing.
Fuller interacts with the IHRA drag racing fans in San Antonio.
Fuller drives the CAT-sponsored entry on the NHRA tour. He’ll be racing next weekend in Las Vegas. This weekend was devoted to sponsor relations.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to an IHRA event and because I’m not racing, I get a lot of extra time to spend with the fans,” Fuller said, as he signed an autograph. “I’ve gotten to hang out with my old sportsman racing friends and add in that I grew up in this part of the country.”
Make no bones about it; Fuller enjoyed the experience.
“There’s a lot of people out here who don’t get the opportunity to come out and see us during an NHRA event, so this presents a good opportunity to for us to interact,” Fuller added.
Before undertaking the challenge of driving a Top Fuel dragster, drag racing fans will recall Fuller was an accomplished sportsman drag racer.
“I actually won a few IHRA national and divisional events,” Fuller said. “I raced quite a bit with the IHRA during my sportsman years. My brother won a world championship in IHRA.”
For Fuller, the toughest part of the weekend was probably in not being able to race. Parked to his right was a show dragster identical to his regular race vehicle.
“I was thinking about drumming up some crew members and firing that thing up,” Fuller said. “It would be neat to run an eighth-mile event.”
He couldn’t help but notice the other teams giving his car the once over. One team joked they might ‘borrow” the car over the course of the weekend.
“I wouldn’t be surprised, it might make a good parts car,” Fuller added.
DRIVIN’ THE BUBBLE TOP – Pro Modified journeyman Tommy D’Aprile arrived at San Antonio raceway just in time to see Mel
Pro Modified racer Tommy D'Aprile gets a second chance at Pro Modified racing thanks to team owner Mel Bush.
Apparently a few items came loose inside the trailer en route to the race.
“Nothing significant or nothing that hurt anything,” D’Aprile explained. “It was nothing that a little red duct tape couldn’t fix.”
One has to understand, nothing can really dampen the enthusiasm of D’Aprile, the up-and-coming driver who first burst onto the fast doorslammer scene in 2006 as the driver of Quain Stott’s Corvette honoring the U.S. Military fighting abroad.
The sponsorship dissolved and the upbeat D’Aprile rested on the sidelines until a new program came along. The Bush operation offered D’Aprile the opportunity to come out and play again.
“This is a great opportunity for me because the crew we have here has been with me for a long time,” D’Aprile said. “When you look at that, along with Mike Janis tuning the cars and maintaining them up in Buffalo, you have a great situation to be in.”
Bush chose the 1962 Bel-Air bubble top out of respect to his longtime friend Don Nicholson.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity,” D’Aprile said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do and when sponsorship fell through with Quain we had to sit out a little while but then this came along and I couldn’t be happier.”
When last season began and he was unsigned, D’Aprile never subscribed to the negativity which suggested his 15 minutes of fame was complete. He chose to stick close to his morals and he admitted this was what he felt would pay off in the end. This program, according to D’Aprile, is his reward.
“I never really felt the opportunity with Quain was going to be my last,” D’Aprile said. “We just ran when we could last year to fill the void. I learned that you have to do the best you can with what you have and you always have to treat people the way you’d want to be treated at all times. That’s very important.
“I think back and if it weren’t for Quain, I wouldn’t be here. He gave me my first shot. He gave me the confidence to let me know that I could drive. I have to credit him and I credit Mel now for allowing another opportunity.”
In the big picture, D’Aprile says, the fans are the determining factor when guys such as himself get another chance.
“We are entertainers, no matter what we do with the race car,” D’Aprile said. “We are going to do that because that is the business we are in. It’s important to get the fans involved regardless of what you do, even if you give one of them the opportunity to sit in the car. Our car is different and that provides us with the opportunity to get an inside track on being a fan favorite.
“This is not one of the Corvettes or Firebirds, it’s different,” D’Aprile said. “I think they can appreciate someone who strives to be different.”
BECAUSE DYNO DID – Team owner Bush drives a similar 1962 Bel-Air in the Top Sportsman division. He’s a hobbyist having
Mel Bush's Top Sportsman 1962 Bel-Air is a real looker.
What inspired this particular make and model in a class dominated by Corvettes, Camaros and Firebirds? For Bush, history made up his mind.
Bush was a good friend of drag racing legend “Dyno” Don Nicholson and wanted to build a car similar to a model and make his friend made famous.
“When I was just a kid I bought one of those 409s,” Bush said. “I’ve always liked this body style. They were a dominant force back then with others like Hayden Proffit and Dave Strickler.
Bush lives in Port St. Lucie after relocating from Utica, New York. He undertook the challenge as one of his first major moves into drag racing.
“Building the first car was a tough project,” said Bush, who drives the reasonable stock looking version in Top Sportsman. “Trying to find pieces for that car was the toughest part. We pulled a plug off of the stock 1962 Chevy to make the body for the Top Sportsman car. That was real difficult and took a long time to get the parts for it.
“When we started to do the Pro Modified car, we pulled a plug off of the Top Sportsman car. We modified it even more to improve the aerodynamics. The Top Sportsman car is not that aerodynamic, but it looks an awful lot like a real 1962 Bel-Air bubble top. The Pro Modified looks like one, but not as much.”
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – LITTON’S EARLY STATEMENT, MOTORCROSS RACER ADDS WHEELS AND THE EARLY CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLES
THE SPEED OF A CHAMPION – Bruce Litton learned a valuable lesson in the off-season. He found out the off-season passes
Bruce Litton learned in the off-season, the downtime for a championship season elapses quickly.
Litton scored the provisional pole position among the Top Fuel dragsters with a 3.125 elapsed time with a 271.95 lap on Friday evening.
Credit the No. 1 on his wing as the inspiration.
“I never thought I’d see the day we’d come in here with the No. 1 on the wing,” Litton said. “We’re awful blessed to be in this position. For us to get to do this, it is awesome. But, the championship is history and Friday started a new season where the points are all reset.”
He learned the off-season is here one day and gone yesterday. Litton said the off-season wasn’t much different than in years past when he finished lower in the standings.
“We really didn’t follow so much of a different pattern than we did in the years when we didn’t win a championship,” Litton said. “I fiddled around with my old and antique cars quite a bit. I enjoyed my off-season tremendously but I learned how quickly it goes by. I never really experienced an off-season go by this quickly.
“I think the older you get, the quicker it all goes by,” Litton said. “The winters go by faster and the summers do too. There’s a season for all things and you have to just enjoy the time you have at hand. Even when you are having a bad time, you have to find the good time in it. That’s what we’re here for.”
Just when Litton couldn’t think he could improve his blessings any more, something outside of racing crossed his path.
Ten days before headed to San Antonio, Litton learned he was going to be a grandfather with the baby due in November.
NO RESPECT AT ALL – Litton used the most recent NHRA POWERade events to tune up for his Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Top Fuel championship defense. He finished quarter-finalist in both outings.
Most of the time he was referred by announcers simply as Bruce Litton – Top Fuel driver and not Bruce Litton – IHRA World Champion. He said he tries not to let such a thing bother him.
“Sometimes it does,” Litton said. “We are all racers and a lot of those guys over there are my friends. There are a lot of good teams over there and we go over there to have fun racing with them. We go over there with no pressure on us and we do our best to represent Lucas Oil and the IHRA, for that matter. We just do our best to show there are some talented teams over here that run on a lesser budget.”
“It makes you want to step on it because they like to beat up on you,” “We just want to put our best foot forward.”
FASTBREAK
Dale Brand's Alcohol Funny Car is sponsored by a company specializing in making basketball rims. He provided a fine example of basketballing tires during Friday qualifying. Roger Richards caught Brand with all four tires off the ground.
MOST IMPORTANT RUN – Bobby Lagana, Jr. comes to the starting line for a qualifying pass aiming for the top spot but Friday
A run never meant more to Bobby Lagana, Jr. than Friday evening's run.
In fact, Lagana exited the car and quickly thrust his fist in the air as a sign of triumph.
“That run was unbelievable,” an elated Lagana said. “There’s no one sick on this team, but when you look at the adversity we went through this season to get to where we are at now – you’ll see how important this run was. This is a testament to the spirit Evan Knoll has instilled in us both as a friend and a car owner.”
As positive as Lagana tries to be, he’ll readily admit he didn’t expect so much from the first run.
“I fully expected the car to shake or smoke the tires because this is a completely new combination,” admitted Lagana.
Lagana is tuned this weekend by the tandem of Johnny West and Lance Larsen. He’s quick to point out they’re the difference between success and failure.
“They’re not fooling around,” Lagana said. “They are here to race and not play around. We were real before, but now we’re really for real.”
Did Lagana forget he was running 660-feet?
“Kinda,” Lagana answered. “I ran it to about 900-feet because the Lance Larsen tune-up usually kicks in at half-track. I thought for a moment and said, nah, I gotta run it a little further.”
IT’S A NEW WORLD – Lagana wasn’t hard to spot on Friday in the Top Fuel pits. He was the one smiling ear-to-ear. He caught a glimpse of the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com championship predictions where he’s given the nod to win the title.
“The only thing I can say is this goes right along with the whole storybook tale we’ve experienced to this point,” Lagana said. “We’ve got a truck and trailer with our name on it. A beautiful car and a pretty good amount of parts and an awesome crew. I have two of the best crew chiefs – Johnny West and Lance Larsen. Everyone is comfortable in the hotel at night and we have a motorhome at night, then you add in getting predicted to win the championship – that’s incredible.”
Yes, Lagana has the glow.
“I’ve had people walk up to me and point out just how much I am glowing,” Lagana said. “I’m look at them and ask, ‘How can I not be?”
“There’s not a single thing that could discourage me at this point. I’m 100% positive and that’s a fact.
Ironically this season is the tenth anniversary of Lagana’s near-fatal crash during the 1998 Empire Nationals in Rochester, NY.
“We’ve made it this far and I’m just amazed how much my life has come full circle,” Lagana admitted.
NEW KID ON THE CLOCK – Funny thing happened on the way to a drag race for Allen Middendorf several years ago. The
Allen Middendorf visited the drags several years ago. The former motocross champion made his nitro Funny Car debut this weekend.
“The first IHRA race I attended (as a spectator) was in San Antonio in 2003, which is why I am so excited to make my professional debut here,” said Middendorf. “The people in San Antonio were awesome fans and I’m amped that I can be a part of the races here. It was a just a dream a few years ago when I realized that I wanted to do this. Now here we are, and I am revved up and ready to go.”
In Middendorf’s decade long motorcycle career, he earned 26 wins and three championships. He’s diligently pursued his dream to become a Nitro Funny Car driver over the last five years.
“After going to my first drag race at my local track, I stumbled upon the IHRA and booked a flight to the first race, which was in San Antonio,” said Middendorf. “As I walked through the gates, I thought, ‘Here I am-WOW this is cool!’ After that day, I made the commitment to work my tail off seven days a week and to save every dime I made to invest in my racing dream.”
Middendorf learned during his pursuit that he had drawn the attention of a few teams, eager to see his success.
“I used to fly to the races, walk up to the pits and ask what I could do to learn the ropes,” Middendorf said. “Some people turned me away while others took me up on the offer. They would let me stay with them for the weekend where I would earn my keep by washing parts or cleaning the body. The teams would reward me with the awesome privilege to be on the starting line with the team.
“I would sit in the car, check out all the controls, and ask tons of questions to learn about driving a Funny Car. I‘ve paid for all my own drag racing schools, licenses, fire suits, marketing, etc. It's been a five year commitment but it has started to pay as I'm living the dream...”
THIS ISN'T RIGHT
IHRA Alcohol Funny Cars usually don't come with windshield wiper fluid or wipers yet Paul Nokaes is getting the windshield sprayed.
MR. VERSATILE – Remember the name Billy Gibson? He’s the guy who used to race dirt track and then converted to drag racing to pilot a Pro Modified entry. He moved over into Alcohol Funny Car and even tried his hand later in NHRA Pro Stock. Gibson’s nomadic ways even inspired him to put in a resume for the opening he and many others believed would be there with the Gary Scelzi announcement last year.
So where did Gibson end up? He’s driving the new 1970 Superbird built by Vanishing Point Race Cars for Richard and Thomas Patterson. Gibson says driving the car is a wild experience and while they are closer to finding the perfect combination for the car, it can be a handful at times – a normal trait for a Pro Modified entry.
He said the volatile nature of the class is one of the luring factors which brought him back to Pro Modified.
“I love racing the Pro Modified class because there’s plenty of excitement following the class.” Gibson said. “I love all of racing because I’ve been surrounded by it all of my life. I grew up in a dirt track racing family but my dad ended up talking me into drag racing.”
Gibson added being a versatile driver can have its rewards.
“I think any time you get to drive a different car, you get some measure of an education that will come in handy later in your career,” Gibson said. “If you can adapt to the changes, you will be a better driver for it.”
HECTIC OFF-SEASON – Two-time IHRA Pro Modified champion Mike Janis was happy with the off-season gains he made; so
Mike Janis debuted his beautiful new Firebird in competition this weekend.
“I think our test numbers show that our R&D program has made progress and that our new car can handle the power we will throw at it," Janis said.
New rules changes enacted for this season prevented the use of late-model body styles in competition. Janis abandoned his Chevrolet Cobalt last season in favor of a new 1968 Pontiac Firebird which he unveiled at this year’s Detroit Autorama.
"We have something to prove this year and we'd like to start off this season the same way we left last year," said crew chief Mike Janis Jr. "We know our engine program is second to none but just like the guy in the other lane it's all about getting it down the track. Our early testing shows promise and I feel we'll have something for the fans in Texas."
TOP GUN – Running a quick run in pre-season testing is strikingly similar to a baseball player hitting a home run in batting
Robert Patrick's team reloaded in the off-season. He drove to the third quickest time in Friday qualifying.
Robert Patrick’s testing run during the Eastern Spring Test Nationals in Valdosta, Ga., was the drag racing equivalent. The Fredericksburg, Va-based driver nailed his 1320-foot homerun with the quickest naturally aspirated run in drag racing history with a 6.266 elapsed time at 223.84 miles per hour.
True, Patrick’s run was in unbelievable and highly unlikely atmospheric conditions than likely he’ll face this weekend, but that’s okay -- the champion admitted he left a few hundredths on the table.
The competition might argue Patrick’s run was a quarter-mile run but he’s got that base covered as well. He carded a 4.062 elapsed time to the eighth-mile mark to eclipse his previously established record by .04 of a second.
Patrick hasn’t been reading his press releases and he’s very much aware testing and competition are two different scenarios.
“That stuff is great if you like to see your name floating around the internet, but the only thing that matters is what you do at the national events,” Patrick said. “What that run taught us is that we have traveled in the right direction with our off-season program and I’m excited about that.
“It doesn’t matter if you run a five-second run in testing, when you line up for your first run in qualifying – your score resets to zero and everyone is on the same level. We’ll wait until everything is said and done to get excited.”
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS - Patrick’s level of excitement might be tempered somewhat even when a celebratory moment arrives. Credit this change in temperament to the addition of Mike Bell to the team as an assistant alongside of longstanding tuner Rich Purdy.
“Mike has been there many times and we brought him in last year to help us at the last race,” Patrick said. “Mike has a calming affect on me and I can’t begin to tell you how exciting it is to have him here. He’s been at the top of the championship ladder and can relate to everything we’ve experienced on this team.”
Patrick isn’t so naïve to believe the No. 1 on the window will make the competition cower down.
“You had better believe they’re coming at me with the guns blazing,” Patrick pointed out. “Every year is a tough fight in this class, and we prepare accordingly. We’ll be ready for the challenge.”
NEW KID ON THE CLOCK – Former IHRA Top Fuel champion Gene Snow stood on the San Antonio Raceway starting line
NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster ace Spencer Massey made his Top Fuel debut on Friday evening.
Snow lauded Massey’s talents, even on a planned shut-off run.
"Spencer took to the car like a duck to water," commented Snow. "Of course, you kind of expect it from him because he's been driving the A/Fuel car for a couple of years now and he's been around these cars for a long time. For Spencer to have a .04 and .03 light the first time he's ever got behind the wheel of the car is just incredible. With this being an eighth mile race it's really a perfect scenario for a good leaver. Holeshots will make an even bigger difference on a short track. It should be fun to see him get out there and mix it up with the other drivers."
Massey, commonly regarded as one of the quickest leavers in the category posted stellar reaction times of .045 and .036 (.000 is perfect) on his two licensing laps.
Massey, 25, of Ft. Worth, Texas, completed the runs necessary to compete in this weekend's eighth-mile only event on Monday in Houston. On his only full 1/4 mile run, Massey carded a 4.80 second elapsed time at 298 mph in the Paul Smith tuned dragster.
"The first thing you notice is it's a lot louder," said Massey. "You can tell it has more power. The first 300 feet, it's like a fast A/Fuel pass, but after that it's a whole different animal. It's like the car launches all over again; it really sets you back in the seat. Procedurally, it's actually simpler than the A/Fuel car I drive. I don't have to worry about setting fuel pressure or the idle; the crew handles all of that. So all I have to do is hold the clutch in, hold the brake, and hit the throttle when it's time to go."
"After I made that full pass, I was grinning ear to ear," Massey continued. "It's been my dream all my life to drive in Top Fuel, and if nothing else ever happens, I can say at least I mashed the loud pedal on a Top Fuel car. It started raining before we could make another lap, but we'll finish that up after Atlanta. Racing this weekend in my home state will be a dream come true. I can't wait. Mitch, Paul, Bodie and the guys are great to work with and I'm really looking forward to it."
THEM BONES – Laurie Cannister prefers to be known as drag racer as opposed to her gender. However, on Friday night she
Laurie Cannister is a former world champion and showed the Alcohol Funny Car class why in Friday night qualifying.
“I’ve always driven like one,” Cannister said with a laugh. “I guess I’ve always driven like a girl who stole it.”
Cannister stabled the Alcohol Funny car provisional pole with a 3.842 elapsed time at 196.85 miles per hour. She lunged ahead of Tony Bogolo, Dale Brand and Thomas Carter.
“We shook the tires a little bit on that run, but I stayed in it,” Cannister said. “The car ran a really good number and I’m just glad to get that run out of the way because the nerves have calmed down. I’m ready to rock tomorrow.”
“Just to stay in front of guys like Dale Brand, if he would have hooked, we would have all been in trouble.”
THAT’S A SPICY MEATBALL – Frank Gugliotta, the driver known as “The Flying Meatball” has found a new entrée for his Pro
Frank Gugliotta drove Bob Yoak's Mustang to the top spot in Pro Stock.
“I have to take my hat off to these guys, they are working really hard,” Gugliotta said. “We have a good car, a good car owner, good engine builder and a good crew. We’ve got a shot at making this all happen.”
Gugliotta pointed out he’s been fortunate to land on some good teams and his latest venue is another winner.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been on some good teams,” said Gugliotta. “We have a good team and package.”
AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT – Scott Cannon, Jr. won the Friday evening Last Man Standing award for the Pro Modified division
Scott Cannon, Jr. scored a Last Man Standing to open the season. He won the award 11 times last year at 50 points per.
“The track was good and when we got in the show on the first session, we decided to bring out our big bat at night when the conditions got better,” Cannon said.
Cannon brought out the bat at least 11 times in 2007, and won 11 last man standing awards – a fifty championship point reward.
“I’d like to beat our 11 record this year,” said Cannon. “I want to get as many as I can.”
Such an incentive program forces many teams to treat every qualifying run with the same importance as an elimination round.
“This makes the guys going after the championship get after it with every run and not just back it down to be safe,” Cannon said. “Every pass means something. I won the championship by 55-points by going after it every run.”
Would he like the Last Man Standing program if he’d been on the losing end of the program in 2007?
“There’s a 50/50 chance I might like it,” Cannon said. “A 50/50 chance I might not.”
KABOOM
Mitch King exploded the supercharger during Friday evening nitro Funny Car qualifying.
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