11/7/03

SOME WIN; SOME LOSE

he IHRA wrapped up its season a few weeks ago at Rockingham, NC, and as I look over the final point standings, it's apparent that each pro class featured racers who met expectations this year, some who surprised with their performances and a few who wound up with more disappointment than glory.

TOP FUEL

Clay Millican turned the championship trick for the third-straight time and there seems to be no end in sight for his winning ways in IHRA competition. It would seem merciful for the rest of the class if team owner Peter Lehman would finally pick up and attack the NHRA circuit full time. I suspect crew chief Mike Kloeber would support that move full force, as he no doubt would love to match his tuning skills on a regular basis with the best in the business.

Bruce Litton continues to impress, managing to take two wins away from Millican this year, but as long as the blue car is out there I'm afraid Litton is going to also fall into the disappointment category. The same can be said for Todd Paton, who finished a very respectable (albeit distant) third in the points, but his family team struggled to apply their nitro Funny Car knowledge to the dragster. If they get that sorted out, look for Paton to make a little more noise in '04. Special mention also belongs to Jack Ostrander, Bobby Lagana, and Grant Flowers, who all realized their first 300-mph-plus passes this year.

PRO MOD

After yet another mid-season rule change, there was a brief moment when I thought the 2003 Pro Modified championship might actually slip through the grasp of Mitch Stott, but in the end he prevailed just as many expected -- especially himself. More impressive in his efforts perhaps, was brother Quain Stott, who regained the consistent competitiveness that was missing in 2002 and raced to a third-place point's finish. Shannon Jenkins faded a little from his 2002 championship form, but still led the nitrous contingent this season by finishing fourth. Carl Spiering also warrants special mention for winning his first IHRA Pro Mod event, along with fellow Canuck Rick DiStefano, who was competitive with IHRA's finest despite running only a few events.

Disappointment was reserved for Al Billes, who was up in the points early, but never seemed to fully recover his form after a mid-season qualifying crash and wound up ninth. Also not realizing his full potential was Paul Athey with his 11th-place finish, the only driver to finish outside the top 10 after entering all 12 events.

FUNNY CAR

In the Alcohol Funny Car ranks, five-time champion Mark Thomas performed as usual, vying for top honors, but it was 2003 winner Rob Atchison who turned in the most impressive performance. Few would have predicted when he won his career-first race in the spring that the affable Canadian would go on to earn nine number-one qualifying spots, set seven track records, and record six wins after reaching the final round at eight of 11 races entered. That he did all this with the only Chevy-powered entry in the class just makes it that much more remarkable. Also impressive was former class champion Von Smith, who managed a seventh-place finish (nearly sixth!), despite arriving late to the party and entering only six of 12 events on the '03 schedule.

The biggest disappointment of the class had to be the guy who wasn't there, as Jimmy Rector declined to defend his 2002 championship, in favor of serving as co-crew chief on Thomas' entry, as well as on Mitch Stott's Pro Mod team. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of "the little round man" (as IHRA announcer Aaron Polburn calls him), in a driver's uniform.

PRO STOCK

Look up disappointment in the IHRA Pro Stock dictionary and you're likely to find a picture of Carl Baker, who led the points going into the final event at Rockingham, but failed to qualify. That opened the door for Brian Gahm to successfully defend his 2002 title. Also disappointed had to be Jason Collins, who was a front-runner halfway through the season, but faded to sixth when all was said and done, and I'm sure John Montecalvo was looking for more than seventh with his "not-a-hemi" Chevy.

Regardless, the most impressive in the mountain-motored pits had to be Frank Gugliotta. I think you'd be hard pressed to find many who even knew who "The Flying Meatball" was before the season began, but they know now. Gugliotta won the special-event Pro Stock shootout at Norwalk and drove his Cougar to a third-place finish in the points. Also making forward strides was Rick Jones, who early this year gave the Mopar faithful their first IHRA P/S win since 1979 with his hemi-powered Neon.

After going through an "iffy" time a couple of years back, Pro Stock has become one of IHRA's most interesting and competitive classes, so it's truly difficult to say how next year might play out. But I bet it's safe to say there'll be renewed effort in the Baker camp to make it to race day.

So that's it. I'm sure I've left a few out here and there, and you may have other opinions about who to place in each category; if so, let DRO know and I'll gladly revisit the issue.

Race safe,

tocher@dragracingonline.com

P.S. To everyone who wrote to us on the birth of our son, you have my own and Sue's greatest thanks for your kind thoughts and well wishes.