Career-Best Pass Puts Hagan on Nitro Funny Car Pole in Tulsa
Terry McMillen (Top Fuel), Mike Castellana (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock) also claim #1 qualifier honors at IHRA Sooner Nationals
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<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/HagenTulsa_564475.jpg" alt="HagenTulsa_564475" />
<br><font color="Navy">"This is my first year in a Nitro car and I’m in the points chase…things like that are not supposed to happen," Haban said.</font>
<P>Tulsa, Ok. (Aug. 23, 2008) – Matt Hagan knows he is defying all logic. After competing in the Pro Modified class for two winless seasons, Hagan, a Christiansburg, Virg. resident, decided to move up to the Nitro Funny Car class for the 2008 IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule.
He seems to have found his niche in drag racing.
Hagan has won two national events this season and, after claiming the #1 qualifier position as well as securing both IHRA Last Man Standing five-point bonuses available in Tulsa , has inched closer to current points leader Terry Haddock.
“We’re creeping up in the points,” Hagan said. “We made a crew chief change, brought John Smith in to tune the car with his father Paul consulting, and it’s starting to pay off. This is my first year in a Nitro car and I’m in the points chase…things like that are not supposed to happen. We’re going up against the best drivers in the world out here and we’re holding our own. It’s a lot of fun.”
Hagan used a career-best pass, a 4.994 at 306.26 mph, to claim the top qualifying spot at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine Boots and Academy Sports + Outdoors. Haddock is right behind him, ending up #2 on the ladder, with a 5.098/283.97 pass.
“(Crew chief) John (Smith) tuned the car down a little for the run tonight because he wanted to go for the points, and it still ran a good number,” Hagan said. “This team is really working hard. It’s kind of funny, it seems like the faster the car goes the easier it is to drive. Hopefully it will be really easy to drive tomorrow when eliminations start if you know what I mean.”
Hagan will square off with #5 qualifier Steven Macklyn in the first round while Haddock will take on #6 qualifier Todd Simpson.
Terry McMillen ( Elkhart , Ind. ) fired a huge 4.692/308.99 opening salvo during evening Top Fuel qualifying Friday. That number stood up after two Saturday qualifying sessions at Tulsa Raceway Park , and he will be the top-qualified car heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds.
“Doug Kuch has this car running very well,” McMillen said of his crew chief, who he brought on board for the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex in July. “The team is working hard and the goal is to go rounds Sunday. We want to put on a good show for the great fans in Tulsa . We also want to put on a show for our sponsors, Amalie Oil and Trick My Truck.”
Trick My Truck, the popular Country Music Television show, came on board as a sponsor for McMillen’s Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team this season. Tulsa Raceway Park provided the venue for a Trick My Truck reunion of sorts as numerous trucks that were “tricked out” on the show were on display over the weekend at the Sooner Nationals.
“It’s great having the Trick My Truck guys here,” McMillen said. “They are all huge motor sports fans and they’re having a blast.”
McMillen will face Edmonton resident Tim Boychuk, who qualified fifth, in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Bruce Litton ( Indianapolis , Ind. ), who entered the Sooner Nationals second in points, will square off with #6 qualifier Bobby Lagana Jr. Top Fuel points leader Spencer Massey ( Fort Worth , Tex. ) needed a big Saturday evening qualifying run to move from the wrong side of the bump spot into the field. His 4.719/310.48 put him #4 on the qualifying sheet and set him up to face car owner Mitch King, the #8 qualifier.
Mike Castellana (Westbury, N.Y.) is on a hot streak, and he is making a charge towards the top of the Torco Pro Modified points standings. His nitrous-assisted 1968 Firebird shattered the Tulsa Raceway Park track record Saturday night, posting a 6.029 at 235.72 mph. This number was also good enough to put him #1 on the final qualifying sheet and earn him his second five-point bonus of the event. His quickest winning pass of the Saturday evening qualifying session earned him Eaton Aeroquip Pro Mod Madness honors.
“The car has been very consistent,” Castellana said. “The motor is running well and we’re making the right tuning calls. We feel really good, really confident, heading into Sunday. It always takes consistency to win one of these things, you have to consistently get down the track.”
After starting the season strong, reaching the final round at two of the first four 2008 national events, Castellana fought through a bit of a slump. But after qualifying #1 in Martin two weeks ago and reaching the final round before nailing down top qualifying honors in Tulsa , the team seems to have righted the ship.
“It’s kind of been an up and down year,” he said. “We were going well, then lost it for a bit, now think we’ve found it again. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Castellana entered the Sooner Nationals second, behind Kenny Lang, in the championship points chase. Lang had a 477-430 advantage, but by claiming 10 bonus points and 16 points for qualifying #1 Castellana cut into Lang’s advantage. Lang qualified #6 on the sheet, earning 11 points, so his lead prior to Sunday’s elimination rounds will be 32 points.
Someone who does not have to worry much about points is Alcohol Funny Car driver Laurie Cannister. The Johnstown , Ohio resident has won five national events this season and came to Tulsa with an astounding 204-point lead. She continued her dream season by finishing on top of the AFC qualifying sheet at the Sooner Nationals.
Her 5.825 pass at 241.89 mph was a full four hundredths of a second quicker than #2 driver Tom Carter ( Victoria , Tex. ). Cannister will face Larry Dobbs, the #5 qualifier, in the first round of eliminations Sunday.
“We were on a pretty good pass Saturday night but we shook the tires,” Cannister said. “It seems like this track is better when the weather is hotter. The track was awesome this afternoon, but when it cooled off this evening it wasn’t as good.”
Cannister knows she, along with her car tuner and husband Dale, have some work to do to get ready for eliminations Sunday.
“We’ve been having tire-shake problems lately,” she said. “That’s soething we really have to figure out.”
Carter will go up against defending world champion Mark Thomas in the first round Sunday. Paul Noakes and Dale Brand rounded out the top half of the field, qualifying third and fourth respectively.
Pete Berner ( Crete , Ill. ) is doing everything he can to keep the Torco Pro Stock championship race interesting. He came to Tulsa third in the points behind front-running Jeff Dobbins and second-place Frank Gugliotta. But his qualifying efforts Friday and Saturday evening in Oklahoma made the statement that the points race is going to come down to the wire.
Berner cruised to the top of the qualifying sheet with a 6.403 pass at 218.87 mph, putting his 2008 GXP in the top qualifying spot for the third time this season. He also grabbed five bonus points for being the quickest winning car during Saturday evening qualifying…his second five-point bonus of the event.
“The difference between Jeff Dobbins, Frank Gugliotta, John Montecalvo and myself is just a few rounds, so picking up the bonus points and qualifying well is very, very important,” Berner said.
Montecalvo was second on the sheet with a 6.410/217.84 pass while Dean Goforth (6.415/218.19), Dobbins (6.418/217.21) and Gugliotta (6.420/215.55) rounded out the top five.
“All the guys out here are going at it tooth and nail,” Berner said. “We’re all leaving everything we have on the track, doing everything we can to run good numbers.”
The Skull Shine Sooner Nationals will conclude Sunday, Aug. 24. Professional eliminations will begin at 11am. Final eliminations are scheduled for 4:30pm. For more information, or to follow the race live, visit NitroJam.com or Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com 1-800-230-3030.
TULSA, Okla. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way Park , the eighth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Terry McMillen, 4.692 seconds, 308.99 mph vs. 5. Tim Boychuk, 4.956, 253.52; 2. Bruce Litton, 4.697, 298.54 vs. 6. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.979, 298.67; 3. Mike Strasburg, 4.718, 273.00 vs. 7. Scott Palmer, 5.026, 237.38; 4. Spencer Massey, 4.719, 310.48 vs. 8. Mitch King, 5.148, 227.50.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.994, 306.26 vs. 5. Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo , 5.143, 283.91; 2. Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.098, 283.97 vs. 6. Todd Simpson, Chevy Camaro, 5.248, 275.06; 3. Paul Lee, Camaro, 5.120, 292.77 vs. 7. Jeff Diehl, Monte Carlo , 5.362, 226.01; 4. Andy Kelley, Camaro, 5.124, 298.93 vs. 8. John Lawson, Chevy Impala, 5.384, 255.10.
Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.029, 235.72 vs. 7. Quain Stott, Chevy Corvette, 6.186, 233.84; 2. Jim Halsey , Chevy Camaro, 6.060, 235.06 vs. 8. Jason Stock, Corvette, 6.189, 227.11; 3. Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.104, 235.31 vs. 9. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.247, 230.41; 4. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.110, 232.15 vs. 10. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.248, 221.05; 5. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.114, 234.00 vs. 11. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.273, 225.56; 6. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.184, 232.87 vs. 12. Dave Pierce, Corvette, 6.286, 229.16.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.825, 241.89 vs. 5. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.922, 242.02; 2. Thomas Carter, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.865, 241.76 vs. 6. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo , 5.970, 228.04; 3. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.865, 240.85 vs. 7. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo , 6.015, 242.23; 4. Dale Brand, Camaro, 5.870, 240.47 vs. 8. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 6.040, 234.13.
Pro Stock -- 1. Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.403, 218.87 vs. 9. Robert Patrick, Ford Mustang, 6.448, 215.41; 2. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.410, 218.23 vs. 10. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.465, 214.25; 3. Dean Goforth, Cobalt, 6.415, 218.19 vs. 11. Trevor Eman, Ford Escort, 6.473, 217.81; 4. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.418, 217.35 vs. 12. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.482, 214.72; 5. Frank Gugliotta, Mustang, 6.420, 215.75 vs. 13. Chuck DeMory, Mustang, 6.483, 213.43; 6. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.434, 217.84 vs. 14. Richard Freeman, Cobalt, 6.498, 216.86; 7. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac GTO, 6.446, 217.14 vs. 15. Cale Aronson, Escort, 6.512, 214.89; 8. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.447, 215.34 vs. 16. Scott Hintz, Mustang, 6.519, 214.89.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk , Ohio , the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local-level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $21.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 10-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2008, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada . The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 85 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States , according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles , California , Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
Terry McMillen (Top Fuel), Mike Castellana (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock) also claim #1 qualifier honors at IHRA Sooner Nationals
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<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/HagenTulsa_564475.jpg" alt="HagenTulsa_564475" />
<br><font color="Navy">"This is my first year in a Nitro car and I’m in the points chase…things like that are not supposed to happen," Haban said.</font>
<P>Tulsa, Ok. (Aug. 23, 2008) – Matt Hagan knows he is defying all logic. After competing in the Pro Modified class for two winless seasons, Hagan, a Christiansburg, Virg. resident, decided to move up to the Nitro Funny Car class for the 2008 IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule.
He seems to have found his niche in drag racing.
Hagan has won two national events this season and, after claiming the #1 qualifier position as well as securing both IHRA Last Man Standing five-point bonuses available in Tulsa , has inched closer to current points leader Terry Haddock.
“We’re creeping up in the points,” Hagan said. “We made a crew chief change, brought John Smith in to tune the car with his father Paul consulting, and it’s starting to pay off. This is my first year in a Nitro car and I’m in the points chase…things like that are not supposed to happen. We’re going up against the best drivers in the world out here and we’re holding our own. It’s a lot of fun.”
Hagan used a career-best pass, a 4.994 at 306.26 mph, to claim the top qualifying spot at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine Boots and Academy Sports + Outdoors. Haddock is right behind him, ending up #2 on the ladder, with a 5.098/283.97 pass.
“(Crew chief) John (Smith) tuned the car down a little for the run tonight because he wanted to go for the points, and it still ran a good number,” Hagan said. “This team is really working hard. It’s kind of funny, it seems like the faster the car goes the easier it is to drive. Hopefully it will be really easy to drive tomorrow when eliminations start if you know what I mean.”
Hagan will square off with #5 qualifier Steven Macklyn in the first round while Haddock will take on #6 qualifier Todd Simpson.
Terry McMillen ( Elkhart , Ind. ) fired a huge 4.692/308.99 opening salvo during evening Top Fuel qualifying Friday. That number stood up after two Saturday qualifying sessions at Tulsa Raceway Park , and he will be the top-qualified car heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds.
“Doug Kuch has this car running very well,” McMillen said of his crew chief, who he brought on board for the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex in July. “The team is working hard and the goal is to go rounds Sunday. We want to put on a good show for the great fans in Tulsa . We also want to put on a show for our sponsors, Amalie Oil and Trick My Truck.”
Trick My Truck, the popular Country Music Television show, came on board as a sponsor for McMillen’s Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team this season. Tulsa Raceway Park provided the venue for a Trick My Truck reunion of sorts as numerous trucks that were “tricked out” on the show were on display over the weekend at the Sooner Nationals.
“It’s great having the Trick My Truck guys here,” McMillen said. “They are all huge motor sports fans and they’re having a blast.”
McMillen will face Edmonton resident Tim Boychuk, who qualified fifth, in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Bruce Litton ( Indianapolis , Ind. ), who entered the Sooner Nationals second in points, will square off with #6 qualifier Bobby Lagana Jr. Top Fuel points leader Spencer Massey ( Fort Worth , Tex. ) needed a big Saturday evening qualifying run to move from the wrong side of the bump spot into the field. His 4.719/310.48 put him #4 on the qualifying sheet and set him up to face car owner Mitch King, the #8 qualifier.
Mike Castellana (Westbury, N.Y.) is on a hot streak, and he is making a charge towards the top of the Torco Pro Modified points standings. His nitrous-assisted 1968 Firebird shattered the Tulsa Raceway Park track record Saturday night, posting a 6.029 at 235.72 mph. This number was also good enough to put him #1 on the final qualifying sheet and earn him his second five-point bonus of the event. His quickest winning pass of the Saturday evening qualifying session earned him Eaton Aeroquip Pro Mod Madness honors.
“The car has been very consistent,” Castellana said. “The motor is running well and we’re making the right tuning calls. We feel really good, really confident, heading into Sunday. It always takes consistency to win one of these things, you have to consistently get down the track.”
After starting the season strong, reaching the final round at two of the first four 2008 national events, Castellana fought through a bit of a slump. But after qualifying #1 in Martin two weeks ago and reaching the final round before nailing down top qualifying honors in Tulsa , the team seems to have righted the ship.
“It’s kind of been an up and down year,” he said. “We were going well, then lost it for a bit, now think we’ve found it again. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Castellana entered the Sooner Nationals second, behind Kenny Lang, in the championship points chase. Lang had a 477-430 advantage, but by claiming 10 bonus points and 16 points for qualifying #1 Castellana cut into Lang’s advantage. Lang qualified #6 on the sheet, earning 11 points, so his lead prior to Sunday’s elimination rounds will be 32 points.
Someone who does not have to worry much about points is Alcohol Funny Car driver Laurie Cannister. The Johnstown , Ohio resident has won five national events this season and came to Tulsa with an astounding 204-point lead. She continued her dream season by finishing on top of the AFC qualifying sheet at the Sooner Nationals.
Her 5.825 pass at 241.89 mph was a full four hundredths of a second quicker than #2 driver Tom Carter ( Victoria , Tex. ). Cannister will face Larry Dobbs, the #5 qualifier, in the first round of eliminations Sunday.
“We were on a pretty good pass Saturday night but we shook the tires,” Cannister said. “It seems like this track is better when the weather is hotter. The track was awesome this afternoon, but when it cooled off this evening it wasn’t as good.”
Cannister knows she, along with her car tuner and husband Dale, have some work to do to get ready for eliminations Sunday.
“We’ve been having tire-shake problems lately,” she said. “That’s soething we really have to figure out.”
Carter will go up against defending world champion Mark Thomas in the first round Sunday. Paul Noakes and Dale Brand rounded out the top half of the field, qualifying third and fourth respectively.
Pete Berner ( Crete , Ill. ) is doing everything he can to keep the Torco Pro Stock championship race interesting. He came to Tulsa third in the points behind front-running Jeff Dobbins and second-place Frank Gugliotta. But his qualifying efforts Friday and Saturday evening in Oklahoma made the statement that the points race is going to come down to the wire.
Berner cruised to the top of the qualifying sheet with a 6.403 pass at 218.87 mph, putting his 2008 GXP in the top qualifying spot for the third time this season. He also grabbed five bonus points for being the quickest winning car during Saturday evening qualifying…his second five-point bonus of the event.
“The difference between Jeff Dobbins, Frank Gugliotta, John Montecalvo and myself is just a few rounds, so picking up the bonus points and qualifying well is very, very important,” Berner said.
Montecalvo was second on the sheet with a 6.410/217.84 pass while Dean Goforth (6.415/218.19), Dobbins (6.418/217.21) and Gugliotta (6.420/215.55) rounded out the top five.
“All the guys out here are going at it tooth and nail,” Berner said. “We’re all leaving everything we have on the track, doing everything we can to run good numbers.”
The Skull Shine Sooner Nationals will conclude Sunday, Aug. 24. Professional eliminations will begin at 11am. Final eliminations are scheduled for 4:30pm. For more information, or to follow the race live, visit NitroJam.com or Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com 1-800-230-3030.
TULSA, Okla. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way Park , the eighth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Terry McMillen, 4.692 seconds, 308.99 mph vs. 5. Tim Boychuk, 4.956, 253.52; 2. Bruce Litton, 4.697, 298.54 vs. 6. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.979, 298.67; 3. Mike Strasburg, 4.718, 273.00 vs. 7. Scott Palmer, 5.026, 237.38; 4. Spencer Massey, 4.719, 310.48 vs. 8. Mitch King, 5.148, 227.50.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.994, 306.26 vs. 5. Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo , 5.143, 283.91; 2. Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.098, 283.97 vs. 6. Todd Simpson, Chevy Camaro, 5.248, 275.06; 3. Paul Lee, Camaro, 5.120, 292.77 vs. 7. Jeff Diehl, Monte Carlo , 5.362, 226.01; 4. Andy Kelley, Camaro, 5.124, 298.93 vs. 8. John Lawson, Chevy Impala, 5.384, 255.10.
Pro Modified -- 1. Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.029, 235.72 vs. 7. Quain Stott, Chevy Corvette, 6.186, 233.84; 2. Jim Halsey , Chevy Camaro, 6.060, 235.06 vs. 8. Jason Stock, Corvette, 6.189, 227.11; 3. Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.104, 235.31 vs. 9. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.247, 230.41; 4. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.110, 232.15 vs. 10. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.248, 221.05; 5. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.114, 234.00 vs. 11. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.273, 225.56; 6. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.184, 232.87 vs. 12. Dave Pierce, Corvette, 6.286, 229.16.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.825, 241.89 vs. 5. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.922, 242.02; 2. Thomas Carter, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.865, 241.76 vs. 6. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo , 5.970, 228.04; 3. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.865, 240.85 vs. 7. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo , 6.015, 242.23; 4. Dale Brand, Camaro, 5.870, 240.47 vs. 8. Tony Bogolo, Ford Mustang, 6.040, 234.13.
Pro Stock -- 1. Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.403, 218.87 vs. 9. Robert Patrick, Ford Mustang, 6.448, 215.41; 2. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.410, 218.23 vs. 10. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.465, 214.25; 3. Dean Goforth, Cobalt, 6.415, 218.19 vs. 11. Trevor Eman, Ford Escort, 6.473, 217.81; 4. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.418, 217.35 vs. 12. Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.482, 214.72; 5. Frank Gugliotta, Mustang, 6.420, 215.75 vs. 13. Chuck DeMory, Mustang, 6.483, 213.43; 6. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.434, 217.84 vs. 14. Richard Freeman, Cobalt, 6.498, 216.86; 7. Rob Mansfield, Pontiac GTO, 6.446, 217.14 vs. 15. Cale Aronson, Escort, 6.512, 214.89; 8. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.447, 215.34 vs. 16. Scott Hintz, Mustang, 6.519, 214.89.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk , Ohio , the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local-level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $21.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 10-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2008, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada . The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 85 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States , according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles , California , Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
