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Coverage at SpeedZone is presented by "Team Ace" Racing.com Pro Page (covers Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Funny Car and the two exhibition nitro funny car class.) Click on this link to see the coverage of the Pro Nostalgia Funny Cars (IBAA) Nitro Harleys and the sportsman classes. Click on this link for the team Press releases July 8, 2009 Top Alcohol Funny Car A great performance this past weekend for the TAFC class. 9 Floppers ran in the exhibition class at the Rocky Mountain Nationals. With the dissolving of the class by the IHRA, Rob and Kim Reeves brought the class back to the event, and footed the bill themselves. According to the Reeve's, it is one of the most popular classes at the Northern facility and to not have the Alcohol Funny Cars at the event would be crazy. Since they are not an official IHRA class anymore, the cars (8 of 9) ran NHRA rules, meaning Screw Superchargers. With that in mind the big question was, how fast will they go, and how much lower will the track record (currently 5.72/252) be reset to? It did not take long to lower the record as Roger Bateman in his first qualifying run reset the ET record to a 5.655. Ken Webster reset the MPH record (253.61) on his first qualifier as well. By the time qualifying was complete, Bateman had lowered the record and took the MPH record as well, A 5.615/254.23 lit up the score board. Final qualifying 1 4 Roger Bateman, Calgary AB, '08 Mustang 5.615@
254.23& 254.23
------------ Not Qualified ------------
9 658 Jay Childs, Anchorage AK, '00 Avenger 6.272 220.26 220.62 Eliminations Round one................First pair out was #2 qualifier Ken Webster and #7 Nathan Sitko. A good light and another tenth by Sitko would be necessary if Nathan was to take out Webster and the Synoil team. While Webster has been a bit erratic at times this year, with bad lights and red lights, he was on his game in this round leaving .01 ahead of Sitko and running another low 5.70.
Nathan ran right on his previous laps, a mid 5.90 so he was back two car lengths at the finish line. The next pair saw #1 Roger Bateman dismantle #8 Jordan Pawlick. Bateman had a bunch at the tree, and extended his lead through the 1/4 mile. He went 5.66/253 to Pawlick's 6.12. It was the first competitive weekend for the Pawlick/Therres team running a screw blower, and they made headway on every run. Look for 5's from that team soon.
Trevor Lebsack the #6 qualifier upset #3 Rob Atchison in the next duo. Ace sponsored Atchison had been in the 5.70's, but he shook hard and had to overcome .04 at the tree as well. He could not do either, as he ran his slowest lap, a 5.95 to Lebsack's 5.89/241. The final pair saw #4 Scott Mcvey pair up with #5 John Evanchuk. After the harsh thrash on Friday night for the Red Wolf team, their goal was to run consistent 5.70's and have good lights. Evanchuk did leave first and he got an easy victory as McVey was troubled with tire shake. The Red Wolf Firebird turned in a 5.78/247 to dispatch of McVey's 6.25/243. Round two..........The semis saw Bateman face Evanchuk in one pair and Webster vs Lebsack in the other. Webster had the advantage in performance over Lebsack, and because of that Lebsack took a shot at the tree, he failed and went big time red (-.264),
It likely wouldn't have mattered though as Webster was on his game again leaving with a .o6 light and running another low '70 (a 5.72/253) Lebsack had issues as well, getting loose and coasting through to a 7.06.
Bateman had his race to loose, against Evanchuk, much like Webster. There was potential for an upset though as the Red Wolf driver was psychic at the tree with a .008 green. Bateman was way back, with a .087 light, Unfortunately for Evanchuk, the car went hard right at 60 feet, and he was forced to lift. Bateman takes the win with a 5.69/250. Final round................ The final round that the potential for side by side 5.60's @ over 250 as both had run those numbers. In reality the Synoil car driven by Webster was looking for a couple more hun, and likely the Protz father/son tuning tandem were trying to squeeze that extra bit out of their Impala.
The two car left as one, but at 150 feet Webster got loose and shook the tires, he had to pedal the car, and that was all it took for Bateman who did not rattle the tires at all on the weekend, race right down Broadway so to speak. The end result was a 5.66 for Bateman and a 5.90 for Webster. A good final, but not quite side by side 5.60's. A great job by Bateman driving and an equally good job by both he
and co-crew chief Ken Murray. They made seven runs total on the weekend
and the slowest was a 5.69. Very impressive for sure.
Sunday eliminations Pro Mod.............. Like all the other IHRA events, the Pro Mod class is suffering with car counts, The four IHRA races have seen 11, 16, 6 and 7 respectively reading into Edmonton. Only Kenny Lang and Ed Hoover have attended all events and they were the only regular here. Lucky that the West Coast Pro Mod series is relatively strong at this time as 10 of their regulars entered the event making this the second largest car count (12) of the year, what a difference a season makes. Granted the counts have been dwindling for the last few years, and with the uncertainty of the the entire series (new owners and rumors of a point series being extinct as soon as next year with match races at all events), the economy it is not a surprise the counts have been where they are. Qualifying was dominated by the two regulars, with Rick Di Stefano throwing his hat in the ring to a certain extent. Eliminations..........Round one
# 6 Vern Mills took on #7 Wayne Hofer, they race each other on a regular basis with the WCPM and were the closeest qualified pair. Hofer left first and went right down broadway, Mills got loose and was forced to lift after 500 feet. Wayne Hofer, Lethbridge AB, '63 Corvette, (0.069) 6.412 .216.06 def Vern Mills, Missoula MT, '55 Bel Air, Right lane, (0.144) 7.697 129.18
Ross Hogenson the quickest Nitrous Pro Mod driver in the field took on Dan Vogt (owner of two Vogt Bros. Pro Mods in the field). The team had a rod exit their #1 bullet Friday, and they had a nitrous explosion to go with it. The explosion blew the scoop into a pile of pieces. There was no scoop to be found that matched the opening they needed, so they made repairs to the old one, and the end result was the "Frankeinscoop" model #2009. Vogt made his best lap of the weekend, a 6.46, but he was .06 back at the finish line. Ross Hogenson, Lethbridge AB, '63 Corvette, Right lane, (0.130) 6.327 217.88 def. Dan Vogt, Regina SK, '63 Corvette, (0.046) 6.469 217.04
Joe Delehay the other top running Blown pro Mod in the field, had an off chance of challenging for the event, but in reality needed another tenth from qualifying. He faced Perry Thyr in round one and it was all Joe as he left first but had to pedal the car. He did and went through the finish line with a 6.35. Thyr's car never got up to speed and was done in round one Joe Delehay, Calgary AB, '68 Camaro, Right lane, (0.072) 6.351 223.02 def. Perry Thyr, Drayton Valley AB, '02 Camaro, (0.089) 12.296 83.31
Rick Di Stefano had Tom Meheden and on this run, Di Stefano put notice that he was in this to win. A great 6.11, that was to be the second quickest et of eliminations. Meheden ran a career best 6.64, but he was well back at the stripe. He is running an automatic in his car and it is starting to come around for him. Rick Distefano, Calgary AB, '53 Corvette, Right lane, (0.065) 6.114 231.48 def. Tom Meheden, Calgary AB, '94 Beretta, (0.168) 6.644 209.17
Kenny Lang layed down a solid 6.12 to take out the second Vogt car, driven by brother Tim. Vogt left first by over a tenth, and ran a 6.67. Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, '53 Corvette, Right lane, (0.159) 6.124 236.38 def. Tim Vogt, Regina SK, '94 Corvette, (0.060) 6.677 205.76
The final pairing should have been the biggest mismatch of the weekend, and Ed Hoover is lucky he faced a car that was a second back in qualifying. Hoover left second, and past Sjostrom by 100 feet, then all hell broke loose. He got loose and had to pedal the car a couple times to get it hooked up. Sjostrom motored down the left lane and was ahead to 700 - 800 feet. Hoover recovered and took a two and a half tenth stripe. Ed Hoover, Gilbert SC, '68 Camaro, Right lane, (0.146) 6.709 221.63 def. Wade Sjostrom, Edmonton AB, '92 Camaro, (0.109) 7.019 196.67
Round two...........Hoover got his car to hook up in round two but it was a still pretty good drag race against Wayne Hofer. Hofer had a slight lead off the startiing line and held it to 300 feet, but from there is was all Hoover as he motored to a 6.22 to 6.38 win.
E Hoover, Left lane, (0.079) 6.227 231.44 def. W Hofer, (0.053) 6.388 218.37 Kenny Lang ran another teen and he dispatched of Ross Hogenson. Ross had a chance on that run, as he had a tenth at the tree, but he got loose and was forced to lift, keeping him from running a .20 like in qualifying.
K Lang, Right lane, (0.165) 6.156 235.56 def. R Hogenson, (0.064) 7.426 124.00 Rickie "D" got a bye in round two as Delehay broke in his first round win. Di Stefano did not take it easy though, running another solid teen and really looked to be the guy to beat in eliminations. Low et both rounds so far.
R Distefano, Right lane, (0.294) 6.141 230.57 def. J Delehay, NT-No Show Semi finals...........Hoover had a single and parlayed it to low et of eliminations a great 6.10 E Hoover, Right lane, (0.067) 6.106 236.17 was unopposed
Kenny Lang dodged a bullet in the semi against his old team-mate Rick Di Stefano. Rick went red (said he saw yellow), Lang was really hopped up, then shook, he lifted, never saw that Di Stefano red lit and finally got the car to hook up. He got the win but lost want was proving to be very important.
K Lang, Left lane, (0.137) 6.706 227.46 def. R Distefano, (-0.020 foul) 7.869 145.50 Final round..............The all important lane choice went to Hoover and he used to to his advantage. He was on time, ran a strong 6.12. Lang was late, but it did not matter anyway, as Lang had issues from 40 feet on, and could only watch Hoover gain 20 points on Lang's now slim point lead. Kenny could have had a 48 point lead with the win, but he goes to Grand Bend leading by only 8 points.
E Hoover, Right lane, (0.050) 6.127 235.23 def. K Lang, (0.128) 13.265 64.55 Like the previous Edmonton National events, Pro Mod provided great entertainment, and a Canadian was in the finals again. Unfortunately the canuck did not get the win. Pro Mod points 1. Kenny Lang 436
Top Fuel.............. The four pairings in Top Fuel were: teammates #4 Del Cox Jr. vs #5 Mitch King, #3 Tim Boychuk vs #6 Terry Haddock, #2 Bruce Litton vs #7 Bobby Lagana Jr. and #1 Terry McMillen vs #8 Smax Smith. In the first pairing Haddock looked to be a bit of an underdog, as he struggled in qualifying. The trsck was a lot hottest on Sunday though as the sun was beating down on the surface adding 10-20 degrees to the track temperature. RIght off the bat you could see it would be a drivers round, as both cars lost traction. Haddock dod way earleir, but he apparantly came from the John Force school of Drag Racing as he, no word of a lie, pedalled his car for the entire 1320, smoking the itres all the way down track, Boychuk gave up pedalling by 900 feet and Haddock to the first pairing.
Terry Haddock, Woodinville WA, Agan-Hemi, Left lane, (0.117) 6.152 218.83 def. Tim Boychuk, Edmonton AB, McKinney-TFX, (0.105) 6.818 123.00 This one on paper should have been very close, but with two team-mates facing off and one sitting just a few points back from the series point lead, it would be an easy win for Del Cox Jr. as Mitch King would go up in smoke, right? Wrong............... This was a great ole drag racing and it starting much like the pairing in front of them. Both cars left strong, with Cox having a slight starting line advantage. He extended the lead, until 450 feet where he started to lose traction. King was also suffering through slight traction issues, but a quick pedal job and he hooked back up. From 600 feet on, the two were side by side, until more traction issues got to Cox, and he gave up the chase as 1000 feet. King, to the shock of all pundits, took the win. Talking to King after the race and he stated, while it might have made sense to roll over for Cox Jr. The team had an Edmonton sponsor paying the bills this weekend, and they would have wanted a straight up race. They got a great one and King gets props from SpeedZone.
Mitch King, Galveston TX, Hadman-BAE, Left lane, (0.107) 5.092 276.46 def. Del Cox Jr, Downey CA, McKinney-TFX, (0.083) 5.245 258.42 Bruce Litton faced the New York based Lagana and this one was a beauty. The two left together and were without tire smoke for the first 700 feet. From there, they both got loose and the pedal fest was on. Litton recovered the quickest around .05 second quicker and that was the margin of victory. They were within one mph of each other at the stripe.
Bruce Litton, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX, Right lane, (0.111) 5.508 214.45 def. Bobby Lagana Jr., Scarsdale NY, Hadman-BAE, (0.112) 5.559 213.77 Terry McMillen took on the duck in the field and probably THE lame duck should not have made the field as the Bob Leverich Top Fuel car driven by Smax Smith had no right making the field. They had an Injected nitro Dragster at the track, as Don St. Arnaud came to Edmonton in anticipation of making the field if there was a light car count. Two years ago A/Fuelers were legal for the class in the IHRA, but last year when the fields were full and the quality was pretty good, they took them out of the class. In reality the cars who tried to make the field were not competitive anyway, but if a good car tried, it certainly was possible to at least be #7 or #8. This weekend, the St. Arnaud car ended up just testing, since there were eight cars with blowers. Bob Otto was the crew chief for the Alberta construction worker and he had the car tuned up. In only the seventh pass on the car St. Arnaud went 5.31@260. The number would have put him in the #5 spot in the field. Too bad for the sanctioning body. It would have made for a better field. With the traction issues the teams were facing he could have done some potential damage. Only two cars in round one ran quicker than the two laps the A/Fueler made testing...sic! The final pairing was ugly, as Smith had issue getting the car in reverse and when he did and finally got to the starting line to stage, the sound was not pretty, you could sense in might get ugly. It did, the car dropped cylinders immediately and the flames were as distorted as you could imagine. At 300 feet, it was raw fuel and clutch etc. malfunctioning. It never did do a big kaboom, but he gave up by 600 feet. Probably just in time. McMillen lost traction as well, but a two second hard launch was more than enough for the win.
Terry McMillen, Elkhart IN, McKinney-TFX, Right lane, (0.118) 6.540 209.85 def. Smax Smith, Kimball MI, Swindahl-TFX, (0.151) 16.753 66.76 Round two............The semis were a lot more one sided than the pedal jobs in the opening round. Litton took on Haddock, and Haddock had a quick repair to do as the car was fired. A fuel line was loose and nitro was pumping out of the line. A quick shut off and they re-fired. The two left together and again Haddock had to pedal the dragster. Litton didn't and he ripped off the first "4" of eliminations, a strong 4.98/288 that easily defeated the 6.83 by Haddock.
B Litton, Right lane, (0.118) 4.987 288.21 def. T Haddock, (0.125) 6.837 127.10 Mitch King took on Terry McMillen in the other semi final. They were glued at the starting line, and then McMillen started to pull ahead. McMillen then started to haze the tires, while King's car stayed hooked up and he drove around McMillen with another low five, a 5.14/270 for the 3/4's of a second win.
B Litton, Right lane, (0.127) 4.908 299.26 def. M King, (0.091) 7.221 113.67 Over all not the Top Fuel show the event has seen in the last couple years, as there were only two 300 mph blasts and no 4.70s or better. The first round action was certainly exciting and Litton is a very popular driver up here. He extends his point lead with the win. As far as the A/Fuelers go, they should be back in the class, as the economy is in the toilet. Running 100% pop, a good tuner could easily get the cars to run 20's or teens. St. Arnaud according to Otto, would have run 20's for sure and possibly better. Based on the two runs and the improvement they made in each, I believe it. Top Fuel points 1. Bruce Litton 482 Final qualifying Top Alcohol Funny Car 1 4 Roger Bateman, Calgary AB, '08 Mustang 5.615@
254.23& 254.23 ------------ Not Qualified ------------ 9 658 Jay Childs, Anchorage AK, '00 Avenger 6.272
220.26 220.62 Pro Mod (Final) 1 6 Ed Hoover, Gilbert SC, *'68 Camaro 6.026 237.55
237.55 Top Fuel (Final) 1 3516 Terry McMillen, Elkhart IN, McKinney-TFX 4.834
287.78 287.78 Top Alcohol Funny Car (third) 1 4 Roger Bateman, Calgary AB, '08 Mustang 5.655 252.05
252.05 ------------ Not Qualified ------------ 9 658 Jay Childs, Anchorage AK, '00 Avenger 6.408 209.88 220.62 Pro Mod 1 6 Ed Hoover, Gilbert SC, *'68 Camaro 6.026 237.55
237.55 July 4, 2009 Friday qualifying ..........the Alcohol Funny Cars flew with the screw blowers. Roger Bateman shattered the old track record to the tune of a 5.65@ 253 (5.72 252 was the old mark held by John Evanchuk). Seven cars are in the fives so far. Top Fuel was marginal to say the least. Litton went 4.86, King went 5.02. Don St Arnaud in his A/Fueler was #3 but they will not count his runs due to the new TF rules implemented in 08. They know it looks bad but the "I" was a bit concerned they would not have a full field so they gave him conditions to come out. One was he could qualify #1 in the field but if there were eight cars with blowers on them he would be #9 in the field. He went 5.43/259 with three holes out from 900 feet down. "Automan" is hoping to run well down in the 30's or 20's in the car today. Since there are 8 with blowers (hard to call them Top Fuel since the Leverich car is there, and it is not a pretty site) St. Arnaud gets to run full pop, since his runs don't really count, so that is very cool. Pro Mod has 12 cars and the top couple are putting on a show. In round one Kenny Lang literally straddled the centre line for 700 feet but stayed in it to the tune of a 6.15. It was a crazy run! Di Stefano went 6.23 in his first and had two distinct pedal jobs. Should have been a low teen. Then Ed Hoover ripped everyone's soul out with an unreal 6.02@237. Incredible! Creasy and Haddock struggled a bit in AA/FC. Local Jason Duschene was on a great (for the Edmonton team) but he had a planned shut off at 900 feet. Went 5.66 would have been a 5.30 or so in my opinion. Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car Funny Cars were cool. The new Hogeson/Boychuk/Leong venture is bitchin! Tim went 700 feet on its maiden voyage. Will be in the fives for sure. It goes into Joey's shop for the final colors after this race. Will debut in living color at Mission. Joey Steckler showed me the design. I may be able to preview the rendering in the next few days. Mission will literally rock. Andy Beauchemin and four other Nitro Harleys were bad! Beauchemin then hopped into the "Tachman's" Nitro Flopper. Double duty in two polar opposite rides is awesome! Todd Lesenko's "Jolly Roger" Nitro Funny Car rocks! He went 6.08, and is stoked about hitting sea level air. Mission will be a blood bath!. At least 6 of the cars running there could be deep, and I mean into the fives. Tim Boychuk, you won't believe his weekend. First off he is one of the hitter cars in Top Fuel, one win already this year. He gets to mash the throttle in that class, then he gets to do the same in the new Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car, then for desert, he hits the IBAA group in his old Happy Hour Mustang. New owner Arvid is not finished licensing so he asked if Tim wanted another bit of fun...... he said why not! Triple duty, only in the IHRA for sure!!! Speaking off the IBAA, they were possibly the best I have ever seen them. They are on a 7.20 index but I think a few of the drivers got confused and though it as a 6.90 or 7.00 index, cause as least seven of the cars are will under. A few in the 6.80's. Do dry hops guys and you will be set. And Ron Sekura, you rock baby, 1400 foot burnouts are waaay cool!!! Here are the numbers: Pro Nostalgia Funny Car and Nitro Harley are here. Top Fuel 1 345 Bruce Litton, Indianapolis IN, Hadman-TFX 4.868
297.16 297.16 Terry Haddock did not run his TF car Friday Don St. Arnaud is #3 in my books after his 5.43/259
but the "I" has issues! Top Alcohol Funny Car (Two rounds) 1 4 Roger Bateman, Calgary AB, '08 Mustang 5.615@
254.23& 254.23 ------------ Not Qualified ------------ 9 658 Jay Childs, Anchorage AK, '00 Avenger 6.272 220.26 220.62 Pro Mod 1 6 Ed Hoover, Gilbert SC, *'68 Camaro 6.026 237.55
237.55 IHRA Friday report EDMONTON, Alb. -- Ed Hoover "Jim (Weinert) has done a great job on the track. I did not expect that kind of E.T. out of my car, but we just got a hold of it early and had a great 60 foot and a great eighth mile and that is where your E.T. comes from," Hoover said. "I didn't expect 6.02 here on the mountain. I figured it would probably go 10 or 11 at best, it was pretty surprising." Hoover's numbers were good enough to reset all of the track records at Castrol Raceway, joining a pair of Alcohol Funny Car drivers who also set new marks as records seemed to fall at will under the pristine drag racing conditions at the Canadian quarter mile. "We work on this thing every week and I am tuning it myself," Hoover said. "I never quit tinkering with it; I am never settled on a tune-up. We are trying a few things a little different this weekend and hoping they will pay off on Sunday." Behind Hoover and Lang was a trio of Alberta natives including Rick Distefano (6.231, 229.12) who made his IHRA return after a lengthy absence with the third spot through two rounds of qualifying. Rounding out the Pro Mod top five are Ross Hogenson (6.298) and Joe Delehay (6.309). While Hoover headlined the door slammer rounds, the nitro rounds saw an incredible night of racing in both Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car as the IHRA welcomed the nitro burning floppers back to competition in style. Dale Creasy Jr., Terry Haddock, Jason Duchene and Randy Bykowsky put on quite a show in Nitro Funny Car to round out the evening's competition rounds. While the Funny Cars put an end to the evening's qualifying sessions, Top Fuel got down to business in trying to determine the fastest rail car of the evening. Bruce Litton "It was a good run. We just wanted to go down to the finish line under power and just get something under our belt," Litton said. "The sun played a little bit of havoc, driving right in the glare, but we kept it in the groove and that is all you can ask. It worked out well." Mitch King (Galveston, Texas) was just behind Litton with a 5.044 E.T. at 286.80 mph while King's second car, driven by Del Cox Jr., qualified fourth (5.448). Tim Boychuk (7.509) was fifth. IHRA also welcomed Alcohol Funny Car back to the fold and the alcohol burning cousins of the nitro clan did not disappoint. Roger Bateman Both track records were reset during Friday's qualifying rounds as Roger Bateman (Calgary, Alberta) set the new E.T. mark with a 5.655 second lap at 252.05 mph to top the provisional qualifying charts while Ken Webster (Red Deer, Alberta) set the new speed record at 253.61 miles per hour, falling in line behind Bateman on the charts with a 5.761 elapsed time. Three-time IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion Rob Atchison was third on the charts with a 5.767 E.T. at 250.41 mph followed by Scott McVey (5.775) and John Evanchuk (5.807). Damian Cownden Andy Beauchemin (6.729) was third and Jason Arkinstall (6.747) was fourth, putting down top speed of the night at an incredible 218.90 miles per hour, one mile per hour shy of the world record. John Breckenridge (6.821) rounded out the top five. In Pro Modified Bikes it was Hope, British Columbia native Gary Christopher on top of the charts with a 7.154 elapsed time at 199.49 miles per hour. Gord Smith (Kelowna, British Columbia) is second with a 7.243 E.T. at 189.63 mph. Rounding out the Pro Mod Bikes are Rich Podszus (7.473), Kevin Shupac (7.975) and Tony Clizbe (8.089). In Pro Nostalgia Edmonton's own Rod Elliott topped the provisional charts with a 7.243 E.T. at 194.24 miles per hour. Ron Sekura (Drayton Valley, Alberta) was second on the charts with a lap of 7.243 seconds at 188.25 mph. Eddy Plaizier (7.254), Tim Boychuk (7.267) and Cal Tebb (7.272) rounded out the top five in Pro Nostalgia. Racing action will get back underway at Castrol Raceway at 10 a.m. Saturday morning leading up to the SMS Equipment "Night of Fire" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
July 3, 2009 All numbers courtesy Drag Race Central Pro mod qualifying round one 1 1 Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, *'53 Corvette 6.154
234.17 234.17 July 2, 2009 Top Fuel: 8 Cars entered for an 8 car field Bruce Litton 357 A/Fuel car Don St Arnaud Pro Mod A/FC Nitro Funny Car AA/FC Nostalgia Funny Car Pro Nostalgia FC Nitro Harley (not confirmed) Damian Cownden
July 1, 2009 Event Preview EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- The Nitro Funny Car segment will feature a match race between former IHRA champions Dale Creasy Jr., and Terry Haddock as they go head-to-head for champion's bragging rights. Creasy has another score to settle as well, as it was at this race one year ago that he suffered career-threatening injuries. He wants to show Castrol Raceway who the real boss is! In addition, there will be 11 classes in sportsman competition (Mod ET, Bikes, Top ET, Hot Rod, Stock, Super Rod, Super Stock, Quick Rod, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Junior Dragster).
If that weren't enough to blow the minds of even the most jaded thrill-junkies, hang on to your hats because there's even more. Friday and Saturday night fans will be treated to the sight and sound of Canada's only wheelstander, the Alberta-based '37 Chevy pick-up truck known as Full Tilt Boogie. Capping the Night of Fire shows each night will be the X-Treme Machine, the Florida-based mega-horsepower Jet-powered Freightliner. This one is guaranteed to light your fire! "We are thrilled to have River Cree on board as presenting sponsor," said Castrol Raceway owner Kimberly Reeves. "Just like Castrol Raceway, the River Cree Resort and Casino has much to offer its customers, and we hope this partnership will continue to grow into the future. July will be here before you know it and I can't wait to see all the racers and fans back here for the Rocky Mountain Nationals."
"This is a terrific partnership between River Cree, the IHRA, and Castrol Raceway. Race fans want excitement and they will find it at both the Rocky Mountain Nationals and at the River Cree Resort and Casino - it is a dynamic matchup between three successful brand names," said Heeb. "We are proud to support such a great event, especially one that is recognized as widely as the Rocky Mountain Nationals." "We are thrilled to have the River Cree Resort and Casino join the IHRA and Castrol Raceway for one of the biggest events of the year," added IHRA President Aaron Polburn. "We look forward to a unique and valued partnership with the River Cree now and into the future." The Rocky Mountain Nationals mark the mid-way point of the IHRA season, and the final results at Castrol Raceway will have a significant impact on the championship aspirations of many drivers and teams. This is one of the largest and most popular events on the IHRA schedule, so get out there and see for yourself just what the excitement is all about. To buy tickets online, go to www.ihra.com.
Two more sponsors added to this weekends event
"We are excited to have Paradise RV and SMS Equipment come onboard for the Rocky Mountain Nationals. It is always one of the biggest drag racing events of the year and we look forward to working together to put on a great show for the Edmonton race fans," said Castrol Raceway owner Kimberly Reeves. Paradise RV is a longtime supporter of Castrol Raceway and racing in general and was one of the first companies to be involved with the Rocky Mountain Nationals when the IHRA first traveled to Edmonton in 2003. "We are glad to be a part of this event. We do a great deal of business with people who are using our products for camping and spending time with their families as well as at the race track," said Craig Anstead, President of Paradise RV. "We are proud to be a part of Castrol Raceway and to support drag racing in Edmonton." Paradise RV is very active in its support of drag racing including working very closely with the junior dragster program. Paradise RV is also a major sponsor of IHRA Top Fuel driver Terry McMillen. Anstead is also a very close family friend of the Reeves family and enjoys working with them both on and off the track. "We have a long relationship with Paradise RV. They are a great supporter and sponsor and personal friends of ours," Reeves said. "They have also developed a great relationship with the River Cree and are working on a variety of promotions. We are excited to once again have them be a part of this event." SMS Equipment will serve as sponsor for the thrilling "Night of Fire" at the Rocky Mountain Nationals. SMS Equipment, headquartered in Acheson, Alberta, is one of the largest Komatsu Dealers in the world. SMS operates out of 45 locations across Canada and services the mining, construction, forestry and utility markets with Komatsu and other products. "SMS is pleased to participate in the Rocky Mountain Nationals and the Night of Fire at Castrol Raceway," said Harvey Erickson, Manager of Marketing for SMS Equipment. "This is a major event for the Edmonton region and we fully support the races and we look forward to a continuing association in the future." The SMS Equipment "Night of Fire" will include qualifying under the lights for the three IHRA professional classes along with several extras including Nitro Funny Cars, Alcohol Funny Cars, Nitro Harleys, Pro Stock Motorcycles, Pro Nostalgia, a wheelstander and the 20,000 horsepower "X-Treme Machine" jet semi. Racing action will get underway Friday, July 3 and run through Sunday, July 5 at Castrol Raceway.
Dale Creasy Jr. is back after last years serious crash
Instead, Creasy prefers the smell of nitro and the rush of 300 miles per hour in less than five seconds as his medicine - and so far it is working wonders for the 50-year-old Nitro Funny Car driver from Beecher, Illinois. Having sat out the past year with a broken leg and multiple fractures in the lower portion of his body, Creasy is ready to put the accident that resulted in over a dozen surgeries and the loss of a potential championship season behind him and return to the track where it all happened later this month - Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Dale Creasy Jr. Creasy will actually make his returned to drag racing last weekend at the IHRA Nitro Nationals at Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City, but it is his return to Castrol Raceway this week that has everyone talking. "I look forward to getting this off my back. That track got me and I know it is not the tracks fault, it is nobodies fault really, I just have to get back out there so I can tell the track I win," Creasy said. And for Creasy, getting back in a racecar and returning to the track where it all went down was all the motivation he needed to fight through the pain and the surgeries of the past year. "That was the driving force because it was one of those things where you can't let it beat you," Creasy said. "You have to get back out there and you have to try it and see what happens. It may take a while to get used to the routine again because I haven't done it in so long, but you don't forget."
Creasy had just completed a semifinal run against Grant Downing when the transmission broke off of the bell housing and began spinning around inside the car, hitting Creasy in the leg nearly two dozen times. "It began pulling the right leg over to the left side and started pulling it under the transmission," Creasy said. "I didn't know it was that bad because I couldn't see with my helmet on. It took everything out of the cockpit. Every part, wire, cable and hose - everything was twisted around." By the time the car came to a stop Creasy was left with a crushed tibia, broken ankle and broken big toe on his left leg and multiple fractures in his right leg.
Following the accident Creasy had to undergo over a dozen surgeries and has spent countless hours learning to walk and reuse his left leg. And while he still has trouble walking and has a ways to go before he is fully recovered, Creasy said he is more than ready to get back in a racecar and continues to use that as motivation to keep fighting through any obstacles that comes his way. "I just go through my routine every morning that I got from rehab and just keep working these legs," Creasy said. "It is going to take a while to get back to where I was, but it is getting better. I can get in the car and I can push the clutch down. It seems the biggest problem I have is just walking, but I am ready. "I got in it and warmed it up the other day and it all started coming back to me. I know I haven't done it in a while and it will take some time to catch up, but I can't wait. I think it will be a blast." Creasy made his very first competitive pass of 2009 against the man who stole the title from him last season, 2008 NFC champ Terry Haddock. The two will faced off at the first-ever Nitro Nationals at Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City last weekend.
While Creasy admits that the trip back to Edmonton will be a bit nerve-racking, he has plans to give the track a proper salute following his first pass of the weekend. "I told my brother that we are going to make a run in the same lane that got us and then I am going to get out and give that lane the bird. I want the track to know that I win," Creasy said with a laugh. While the IHRA was very disappointed to have to cut Nitro Funny Cars from the fulltime schedule in 2009, the sanctioning body is very pleased to welcome Creasy back to competition at its next two national events. "This is truly one of the best 'feel good' stories in the history of the IHRA," said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. "Dale is the poster child for never give up. The cars performance is secondary. "Dale's performance over the past year has been an inspiration to all of us. I can not wait to see him behind the wheel again." Now all that is left is for Creasy to shake off the cobwebs and jump back into the sport which has provided him the strength to get through the past few excruciating months. "We have all the protective gear and the car is as safe as it can possibly be," Creasy said. "I am not worried about it, we just have to get a few things sorted out and once we get those things worked out we will be fine. "This is something that less than 50 people in the world get to do and I truly feel lucky to be a part of that group. It is a feeling that is hard to explain, but I will tell you, it doesn't get any better than this."
Event Facts EDMONTON, ALBERTA --
WHO: The stars of the IHRA Nitro Jam Series, including Top Fuel drivers Bruce Litton, Terry McMillen, Bobby Lagana Jr., Mitch King, Del Cox Jr. and Edmonton native and Tulsa winner Tim Boychuk. Defending World Champion Kenny Lang, IHRA legend Ed Hoover and the never ending struggle for power between nitrous, supercharged and turbocharged engines. Tons of extras including Nitro Funny Cars, Alcohol Funny Cars, Nitro Harleys, Pro Stock Motorcycles, Pro Nostalgia, wheelstanders and the 20,000 horsepower "X-Treme Machine" jet semi. WHAT'S AT STAKE: In addition to the individual class purse up for grabs, divers will be competing for points with the ultimate goal of being crowned world champion at season's end. "NIGHT OF FIRE:" The Saturday "Night of Fire" show, featuring fireworks, the final round of professional qualifying under the lights - including the flame-burning Nitro-fueled Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Cars - and the earth-shaking "X-Treme Machine" jet semi and much more! SCHEDULE:
General Admission prices, single-day ticket purchased at gate
TELEVISION: See the IHRA Nitro Jam Series on SPEED. Check local listings or visit www.speedtv.com for air dates. PIT PASS: Every ticket includes access to the pit area. Go "backstage" and watch drivers tune their vehicles for the next round, get autographs, photos, and team merchandise. TRACK ELEVATION: 2,200’ above sea level |
Team Ace Race Car Photos
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