Dantoni said he waited as long as PRO would allow, but when Miller couldn't make the call he was happy to take it easy with a 6.957 solo pass at 161.63 mph to take the win. "We were running low .70s all weekend, just getting ready to race the truck," Dantoni said. "That's all we're here for -- to race the truck."

ASH CRAFT

Without question, the "A for Effort" award in Atlanta had to go to Ross Stomp and crew when they found two damaged pistons in their '69 Nova after qualifying second with a 7.69 in Nostalgia Pro Street. They were able to fix one, at least to where it might work, but the second was beyond repair. "I honestly thought I was going home Saturday night," Stomp said. "Then someone said, 'What about that piston in the truck?'"

"That piston" happened to be an old piece for an 18-degree head that the team was using as an ashtray during those long hours on the road traveling to and from their base in Ortonville, MI. With no other option, Stomp enlisted the advice of engine guru Pat Musi, who told them where and how much to grind off so it would fit in Stomp's current 632 c.i. motor with 14-degree heads. A late-night reconfiguration session with an electric drill, a burr bit, and a five-inch stone grinder ensued, leaving Stomp to wonder what would happen on Sunday.

He needn't have worried. He ran a very respectable 7.76 at 174.91 mph to put away Russell Rowley in round one, went 7.73 at 176.17 against Jack Boer, then made an understandably sedate 16-second pass in a semi-final bye run. That set up a final run for the money against Rob Golobo and his 2002 Camaro, where Stomp's comeback ended with a 7.71 against Golobo's 7.66.

"We took the nitrous out of those two damaged holes, but ran a full load in the final since we had nothing to lose; we have to take it apart anyway," Stomp said later. "I'm amazed it ran as well as it did. I have to give all the credit to my guys. They worked so hard and, in fact, it was the first time the guy who cleaned up the cylinder heads had ever done anything like that, so he did just an amazing job."

CLASS WINNERS

Cincinnati, OH's Kenny Bennett qualified number one in Atlanta with Tony
Bischoff's unique '95 Olds Achieva, powered by a 646 c.i. Chevy, then
advanced to the Super Street final, where he beat Bill May and his '97 Dodge.