MEMORIAL DAY 'IRONMAN' BRACKET NATS AT ROCKINGHAM

The southeast's top professional bracket racers return to Rockingham Dragway May 27-30 for the annual Memorial Day at the Rock Bracket Nationals featuring a $10,000 Monday winner's purse and daily runoffs between the Top Eliminator and Footbrake champions for

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an IHRA "Ironman" trophy, the same trophy awarded to professional winners in the IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series.

"The racers are here for the money," acknowledged track owner Steve Earwood, "but we thought giving them the chance to race for an IHRA winners' trophy would be a bonus they would really appreciate. It might be the only chance most of these racers will ever have to win an 'Ironman.'"

Part of the IHRA Ironman Classic series presented by IHRA's Drag Review magazine, Memorial Day at the Rock will crown Top Eliminator and Footbrake champions on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Each day, the winners of the two categories will race for the "Ironman."  [5-23-2005]

SCHUMACHER OUT, GARLITS IN AT HUNTSVILLE RACE

"Big Daddy" Don Garlits will be the Grand Marshall of the event and will present the Top Fuel winner a check for $101,000. "Big" will also bring his Swamp Rat dragster for some trips down the track.

Although Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army-backed Top Fuel team have just withdrawn from the Rocket City Nationals scheduled for July 1-3 at Huntsville (AL) Dragway, the eighth-mile Top Fuel race will still be a barn-burner.

Team owner Don Schumacher says his race team needs some well-deserved time off. With only two weekends off between two sets of three-week-straight racing on the NHRA POWERade schedule, the team is looking for some down time.

IHRA champ Clay Millican becomes the favorite to win the big money, but he will have plenty of competition from Hartman Racing's John Smith and Josh Starcher, Bruce Litton, Tony Zizzo, Tim Gibson, Scott Palmer and others.

"With this big a payday, the teams will be going all-out to win," said Huntsville track owner George Howard. "They're going to use everything they have in their arsenal to win that check."

In addition, there will be a $10,000-to-win Pro Mod invitational, as well as classes for Outlaw 120.5, Limited Street, EZ Street, and 6.0 and 7.0 head-up cars. (Jeff Burk photo) [5-23-2005]