ROCKINGHAM'S 'IRONMAN CLASSIC'
TO BE COMPLETED THIS WEEKEND
If the weather holds off, bracket racers returning this
week, July 9-10, for the completion of Rockingham (NC) Dragway's
rain-interrupted Memorial Day Ironman Classic will have
an
opportunity to race for not one, but two $10,000 top
prizes. In addition, one driver will leave the event with
one of the prestigious IHRA "Ironman" trophies
awarded to professional and pro-am winners in the 12-race
IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series.
The $10,000-to-win Top Eliminator race halted by rain last
Memorial Day will be run on Sunday, July 10, with the winner
advancing to a one-race runoff with the Footbrake champion
for an IHRA "Ironman." The Free-Entry Footbrake
race scheduled for Memorial Day will also be run on Sunday.
An additional Free-Entry Footbrake race has been added to
Saturday's program as well.
The weekend racing schedule will begin with a Gamblers Race
in conjunction with Friday's regular test-and-tune program
followed by an additional $10,000-to-win Top Eliminator
race on Saturday.
Before rain stopped the event on Memorial weekend, John
Lassiter of Graham, Georgia Thomas of Lumberton and Rodney
Pleasant of Coats were the event's top winners. Lassiter
claimed a $5,000 share of the purse for his Sunday victory
while Thomas earned $2,500 for her Top Eliminator win on
Saturday. Thomas also claimed one of the two "Ironmen" awarded previously. The other was grabbed off by Roger Rhodes
of Pikeville, who, as the Sunday Footbrake champion, upset
Lassiter in the runoff. [7-8-2005]
EXCLUSIVE SAME DAY COVERAGE OF
WORLD SERIES IN DRO
DRO's Jeff Burk and Cordova Dragway owner Scott Gardner
have signed the
papers and DRO will be sending a crew to Cordova Dragway
to bring our readers exclusive, same-day coverage of the
oldest continuously running National event in drag racing.
DRO will send Burk, Chris Martin and Jeff Leonard to cover
the Wworld Series of Drag Racing on Aug. 26-27.
Garner says they will have a Top Fuel match race featuring
Don Schumacher's Army car and Scott Palmer, a four-car Fuel
Flopper show with one of the Pedregon brothers, Gary Densham,
DRO fav Jack Wyatt and a player to be named later, Fuel
Alts, Nostalgia Top Fuel -- and there are always a few surprise
entries of some sort. Beeee Theeereee! DRO
will be. [7-8-2005]
FOR THE RECORD, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
We ran a quote from driver Tim Gibson concerning his red
light at Huntsville in our coverage of that event. Mr. Gibson
wrote us a nice note informing us that we slightly misquoted
him and sending the correct quote. Since he was involved
in a very historic event (the hundred grand on the line,
not the red-light) the Agent decided it only fair to run
the actual quote. Here is Gibson's note to DRO:
"I guess there's a gap on the audio tape of my finish
line comments at Huntsville. Gee I don't know how that could
have happened. (Huntsvillegate?) For historical accuracy,
the following is from the 'official' transcript of what
was said: After I got out of the car I said to your guy:
'If you have a Barretta or a Walther PPK I'll just shoot
myself.' He asked me what happened. I said: 'It was a combination
of things. I had trouble with the throttle pedal and red
lit. I know what happened.' He said: 'So what did happen?'
I said: 'Part of it was my foot was in the wrong position
on the throttle and moving it threw off my timing. (I may
have used the word 'routine'). 'It was just a mistake on
my part.'"
We here at DRO are always glad to set the record straight
when we make an error. After all, the shame isn't in making
an error, it is in not correcting it. (Jeff
Burk photo) [7-8-2005]
