Strong Nitro Fields to Headline Season-Opening Amalie Oil Texas Nation

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Strong Nitro Fields to Headline Season-Opening Amalie Oil Texas Nationals

 

 

 

(NORWALK, OHIO; March 25, 2007) -- The smell of burning nitro and the cackling of 7,000 horsepower engines will soon fill the air over San Antonio Raceway as the 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule opens April 4-6. Talented, deep fields in both nitro classes will make this 1/8th mile national event something you will not want to miss.

 

 

 

In Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel defending world champion Bruce Litton will begin his title defense in San Antonio, hoping to repeat the success he found in last season’s opener where he defeated T.J. Zizzo in the final round. Litton will have his hands full as a number of solid drivers, including Doug Foley (a 6-time winner on the IHRA circuit who holds the track speed record at San Antonio Raceway), Bobby Lagana Jr. (a 3-time Ironman winner), Terry McMillen (who won twice last season in his first year behind the wheel of a Top Fueler) and Kevin Jones (who won his first career Ironman last season at the Sooner Nationals).

 

 

 

Chris “The Golden Greek” Karamesines, a true Top Fuel legend who has driven in the class for over 50 years, will be in San Antonio as well. If you have never seen Karamesines in action this is the chance to see one of the true greats of the sport.

 

 

 

Fred Farndon, Galveston, Tex. resident Mitch King, Scott Palmer, Todd Paton and Mike Strasburg have also pre-registered to compete in the Top Fuel class at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals.

 

 

 

“This is a very strong field, 11 drivers competing for eight spots in the field so you know they are going to be going for it on every run during qualifying,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “When you look at the depth of this class it’s obvious any of the 11 drivers who have committed to the race so far could end up in the Winner’s Circle on Sunday. Bruce is the defending champion but everyone comes to San Antonio with a clean slate. It should be a lot of fun.”

 

 

 

Dale Creasy Jr. is looking for a three-peat in the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class. Creasy won the last two world championships, narrowly defeating Jack Wyatt by five points in the 2006 points chase before dominating the class in 2007. Creasy compiled an outstanding 23-5 round record in 2007 in rolling up an eye-popping six Ironman victories. He has nine career IHRA Nitro Funny Car national event wins, fifth on the all-time list just six behind Mark Oswald and 11 behind all-time leader Dale Pulde.

 

 

 

“We aren’t changing anything, we’re going to approach this season the way we’ve approached every season since we started doing this,” Creasy said. “The success last season was wonderful, but it’s in the past. Everyone is at zero now. Of course we would love to have the success like we had last year, but seasons like that don’t come around that often.”

 

 

 

Creasy also knows IHRA’s Nitro Funny Car class keeps getting stronger and stronger. Bob Gilbertson will be back with new Crew Chief Nicky Boninfante calling the shots. Matt Hagan has left the Pro Mod ranks to compete in the Nitro Funny Car ranks with 2006 IHRA Professional Crew Chief of the Year Jay Lewis calling the shots. Terry Haddock has stepped up his program immeasurably and has been using the early-season NHRA events to tune up for the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule. Jack Wyatt, who has finished second in championship points standings in each of the last two seasons, is expected to make it to each 2008 event and has to be one of the favorites to compete for the world championship again. Jeff Diehl, Andy Kelley, Mitch King, Steve Macklyn, Allan Middendorf, Todd Simpson and Mike Smith will also be in San Antonio with championship hopes foremost in their minds.

 

 

 

“At the beginning, when IHRA brought Nitro Funny Car back, I knew it was going to take a couple of years for the class to get going,” Creasy said. “The class is continuing to grow, the bump spots are getting tighter and the guys all have a lot more information. This class will be stronger and the class will keep getting better and better. We’ll just have to see what happens.”

 

 

 

Scott Cannon Jr. had a couple of things fall his way in winning the 2007 Torco Pro Modified world championship. First he was able to pull 41 points ahead of Mike Janis in bonus points for attending each national event on the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule (Janis did not make it to Edmonton). He also won an incredible 11 “Last Man Standing” awards, rolling up 55 bonus points there. The “Last Man Standing” program awards five bonus points to the driver who posts the quickest winning elapsed time during Friday and Saturday evening qualifying at each national event. Cannon ended up defeating Janis by 22 points.

 

 

 

“The Pro Modified points race was unbelievable,” Polburn said. “There was so much tension in every session…both qualifying and eliminations. It came right down to the wire and Scott Cannon pulled it off while winning just one national event all season. That just goes to show how important each and every qualifying run it.”

 

 

 

Pat Stoken, Ed Hoover, Quain Stott, Danny Rowe and Jason Hamstra are also some of the other strong drivers who should contend for the class championship this season.

 

 

 

The Alcohol Funny Car class is probably the most improved IHRA professional class from this point last year to this point in 2008. Defending champion Mark Thomas has seven career world championships, the most of any professional driver in IHRA history, and has worked hard this off-season to improve his program even more. But the field will be full of potential roadblocks.

 

 

 

Paul Noakes, who ran a limited schedule last season, has been to the final round eight times in his last 12 events. With Les Mellows turning the wrenches Noakes recently signed on with Terry McMillen and Hoosier Thunder Motorsports to drive the widely-recognized InstiGator at each 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam national event. Rob Atchison, Mellows’ old boss, will be looking for career championship #4. Laurie Cannister, who made her mark in the now-defunct Pro Outlaw class winning the 2000 world championship, stepped into an Alcohol Funny Car last season and took down the Ironman at the ’07 Torco President’s Cup Nationals in Budds Creek. Dale Brand turned the class upside down last season by running a sizzling 5.649 pass in Milan, Mich. to claim the Alcohol Funny Car speed record. Terry Munroe won twice last season, claiming both 1/8th mile national events which bodes well for him at the 1/8th mile season opener in San Antonio. Larry Dobbs, Tim Stevens, Neal Parker and Tony Bogolo also are expected to make some noise this season.

 

 

 

How much have the Alcohol Funny Car drivers stepped up their games? The quickest bump spot in IHRA history took place at the IHRA World Finals last season in Rockingham, a 5.833 bump spot that is a full hundredths of a second faster than the second quickest field.

 

 

 

“Everyone in the Alcohol Funny Car class is working so hard, and they have to if they want to be players in the points race,” Polburn said. “The natural rivalries in this class make it so much fun to watch. Mark Thomas against Rob Atchison, the two guys who have traded off winning the championship six of the last seven seasons with each winning three. Rob Atchison against Paul Noakes, two guys who grew up at the local tracks in Ontario who have bragging rights on the line every time they stage their cars against each other. Laurie Cannister and Mark Thomas, two very close friends who love to do battle. And they all can back it up with pure talent.”

 

 

 

Defending Torco Pro Stock World Champion Robert Patrick is ready for San Antonio. At recent testing he put together a string of six passes that each would have shattered the current IHRA ET world record.

 

 

 

“We’re pleased with how the car is running, but we’re not satisfied,” Patrick said. “We still have a lot of work to do. My team is ready to go. We’re going to do some more testing in Houston then head to San Antonio.”

 

 

 

Elijah Morton also turned some heads in Valdosta where he clocked a stunning 224.28 mph pass, a speed that would have shattered Brian Gahm’s current speed record of 223.95. Gahm has made a career of putting up numbers, he holds both ends of the world record heading into Rockingham, has won two career world championships, was the first member of the Quarter-Max 6.40’s Club, the Lenco 6.30’s Club and the Jerry Haas 6.20’s Club. Gahm sees no end in sight to the incredible numbers in Pro Stock.

 

 

 

“It’s not going to stop. As long as they keep building good race cars and the engine builders like John Kaase give good horsepower the numbers are going to keep going down,” Gahm said. “Everyone works so hard and the racers can always find that little extra. It’s going to be very difficult this year because everyone keeps getting better and better, but that’s what Pro Stock racing is all about.”

 

 

 

Familiar racers will be in new situations in 2008. 2006 Pro Stock World Champion Pete Berner will debut his new 2008 GXP in San Antonio. Frank Gugliotta will be behind the wheel of the 2008 Ford Bob Yoak bought from John Nobile. Canadian favorite John Koningshofer will be driving a new 2008 Mustang on the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Circuit. The Goforths, father Dean and son Cary, found plenty of power towards the end of last season and will be in the running all season. 2005 World Champion Steve Spiess and Wilson Manifolds-backed driver Rob Mansfield will also be in the championship mix in 2008.