"We changed everything on the car," Millican
said, "I mean everything and it just wouldn't run
better than a 4.67. We changed the fuel system, the ignition.
We just had a bracket car. It ran 4.66, 4.66 and it would
have run 4.66 in the final but I stole a little bit (he
staged deeper than normal for the final round)
Millican went through the motions Sunday since he had
clinched the fourth straight Top Fuel title for owner Peter
Lehman and sponsor Werner Enterprises three weeks earlier
at Norwalk, Ohio. At Rockingham, World Championships were
on the line in three other professional categories including
Pro Modified, Pro Stock and Funny Car. Mike Janis just
had to qualify for the race to be crowned Champion for
the second time in four years, he did and he was.
On the other hand, the much-ballyhooed battle for the
Pro Stock title between Long Island, N.Y., neighbors John
Nobile and John Montecalvo required a little more work
from the pretenders to the title. The Championship was
decided when Montecalvo, needing only a first round win
on a track on which he was the winner last spring to clinch
the Championship, was late on the light and lost to another
potential IHRA Rookie of the Year candidate Rob Mansfield
on a holeshot even though Montecalvo’s Sonny Leonard
powered Chevy enjoyed a 6.479-6.482 performance advantage.
Nobile clinched by marching to the final round where he
lost to Brian Gahm of Lucasville, Ohio, whose World Finals
victory moved him into second place in the Points Championship
adding insult to injury for Montecalvo.
The race for the Funny Car Championship proved interesting
because the driver who entered the race in second place,
defending Champion Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, Canada,
managed to get around the pre-Rockingham leader, Mark Thomas,
for his second consecutive title.
Atchison’s Championship lacked the drama many had
anticipated, especially after he and archrival Mark Thomas
qualified first and second. But Fred Tigges evidently forgot
to read the script and drop-kicked Thomas in the quarters
with a fine 5.897/239 lap that gave the Championship to
Canadian Atchison. Tigges didn’t stop there-- he
also stopped Atchison in a close 5.910-5.936 final round
to claim his first Hooters tour victory.
"I actually felt bad about that," Tigges said
of his drama-ending victory over Thomas. "Even though
it's racing, we haven't run that many races this year and
those guys worked long and had to get where they were and
it's not really a good feeling to take it away from them."
Now that’s a refreshing attitude from a first time
winner.
Al
Billes dominated Pro Modified in his blown ’63 ‘Vette.
He qualified on the pole with a 6.10 IHRA E.T. Record just
edging out fellow Canadian Rick DiStefano, also in a supercharged
’53 ‘Vette who was the number 2 qualifier with
a stout 6.114. In fact three of the top four qualifiers
were from Canada and were blown as Carl “Big Dog”
Spiering put his ’63 ‘Vette in the fourth spot.
Billes wasn’t the quickest car in eliminations--
that honor went to the quickest nitrous racer at the event,
Mike Castellana. Castellana ran as quick as 6.17 in eliminations
but Billes ran a string of 6.19 for the win. He also advanced
four spots in the points to sew up second place in point
behind Mike Janis.
The race was delayed an hour and a half by morning rain
and delayed further by the cleanup from a rash of oildowns
but the IHRA crew got the final race of the season in and
crowned all of the Champions.
