Going into the Saturday qualifying session at Cordova, Jim Oddy's Summit Racing Equipment-backed Pro Mod had made about 30 passes and according to driver Fred Hahn and owner/tuner Jim Oddy the car had never handled or hooked-up like they wanted it to. Obviously something was wrong as the defending World Champs missed qualifying at two events. The team continued to struggle at Cordova until they made a four-link bar adjustment on Saturday morning. That change made an instant difference and the car ran 6.274/223.80 to qualify in the fourth spot and then ran a 6.247/225.63 in the first round on Sunday. Engine damage in a second round win over Harold Martin put the team on the trailer but Oddy was smiling and promised that the team would be ready when the tour came to Leicester, New York in July. "We've got a car that Fred can drive now. Now I can start working on the engine program," Oddy said.

MINIMUM FIELD IN TOP FUEL...AGAIN
Despite improving the Top Fuel purse for 2001, IHRA continues to have minimum entries. There were only eight Top Fuel cars that qualified at Cordova with a bump spot of 5.70/169 by Louie Allison in "Pontiac Jack" Ostrander's fueler (lead photo).

LOW NUMBER OF PRO CAR ENTRIES
Fewer than a hundred Pro entries showed at Cordova. It's a long tow for many of IHRA's Southeast-based racers to the far side of Illinois. Despite that, Pro Modified lead the entry list with 29 cars, followed by Pro Stock with 20. There were however over 400 Sportsman entries which indicates a lot of support for the IHRA program in the Midwest...at least from the Sportsman.

ROCCA RALLIES, THEN "RECKS"

Johnny Rocca's popular '51 Merc Pro Mod got into the show with a last ditch effort in the final round of qualifying. Rocca tuned the Alan Johnson Olds motor up and driver Paul Athey rode the Merc to a 6.371/221.34 pass that got them in the show. Unfortunately on Saturday Athey crashed the 'Merc after a first round loss to Alan Pittman. Athey did a masterful job keeping the car on four wheels and from being totaled when it inexplicably made a left turn after the chutes came out. The was minimal damage but the car will require some repairs. Fortunately for Rocca he already had taken delivery of another '51 Merc and the team should be at Leicester for the next IHRA event.

HOOVER SWITCHES ON NITROUS
With little fanfare Ed Hoover has changed nitrous camps. Hoover, who has long been sponsored by the Barry Grant line of nitrous oxide products has evidently switched over to NOS as he had the NOS logo on the car for Friday's qualifying and Saturday's Eliminations. Hoover went to the final rounds in Pro Mod at Cordova and at the NHRA Pro Mod show the following weekend at St Louis.

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