HEAD OF THE CLASS!

IHRA Top Fuel Records Fall

By Larry Sullivan. DRO file photos by Jeff Burk

EPPING, N.H. - Top Fuel free agent Jim Head earned his first national event win of the season at the IHRA Amalie Oil North American Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, NH.

The veteran Columbus, Ohio racer defeated number one qualifier Clay Millican in the final after Millican and his eAuto.com Team set a new IHRA record with a 4.683 second elapsed time in the semi-final, against Bruce Litton. Litton, in turn, set a new IHRA speed record at 313.37 mph.

Head was ecstatic after capturing his first IHRA event title since 1989.

"We had hoped to do a lot better than we have so far and we stumbled a time or two. It turned around for us at Norwalk and has gotten better. I'm excited that our national record is now a 4.68 with the 25% overdrive and 90 in the tank. That's a big deal for me and so is this win."

The event tightened the battle for the IHRA Top Fuel championship with Millican overtaking Litton for second place in the standings. Litton, who bested points leader Paul Romine in the first round before falling to Millican in the semi's, fell to third in the points with 809, with Millican second at 821 to Romine's 826 with two Top Fuel races remaining.

Doug Vancil (left) ended a dry spell aboard the Vance & Hines Nitro Harley to win the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley crown. Vancil recorded a 6.562/206.70 to stop Steve Stordeur in the final round of competition.

"It has been a long season trying to put the pieces together to make this thing run," explained Vancil, whose last national event victory came at the 1999 Amalie Oil Nationals. "I think we have a halfway decent combination to win with now."

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