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MECHANICSVILLE, MD. (June 16, 2008) - Dale Creasy Jr. was in an unfamiliar place heading into the Torco President's Cup Nationals. Three races into the 2008 IHRA season Creasy, the two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car World Champion, had not found his stride and was without a victory on the circuit. He was also looking up at someone in the points standings... a position he was not used to after dominating the field last season.
Last year Creasy won two of the first three events on the IHRA schedule. He ended up winning six national events and wrapped the championship up after the eighth event on the 2007 schedule. This year he came to Maryland International Raceway with a pedestrian 2-2 won-loss record in 2008 elimination rounds and was 16 points behind Steven Macklyn in championship points standings.
At MIR, however, he found his groove. Creasy claimed the #1 qualifier position before rolling through the field to claim the Ironman, knocking off Todd Simpson in the final round to capture his 10th career victory. Creasy now sits fifth on the career IHRA Nitro Funny Car victories list, 10 behind all-time leader Dale Pulde. With five more wins Creasy will tie Mark Oswald for fourth on the list.
"Today was a day we had been looking for," Creasy said in the winner's circle at MIR. “When I woke up I was wondering if it was going to be a 'go fast' race track or a finesse race track. Either way we knew we had something for them. It worked out well."
With the track temperature approaching 140 degrees in the hot Southern Maryland sun, Creasy and his team was confident their experience would carry the day.
"We have a tune-up for hot weather from places like Grand Bend that we've been working on for the last two years," he said. "All the tracks are good until it gets this hot, but you can't do anything with a 140-degree race track. My brother (Crew Chief Steve Creasy) and all my guys worked hard on it and we got the job done. What a day."
Creasy not only won the event, he clocked his fastest pass of the year... a 300.40 mph run during Friday's evening qualifying session. In taking the points lead he also is sitting right where he wants to be.
"I told my guys before the race that we weren't doing badly this year, we just weren't doing what we did last year," Creasy said. "But last year was a season where if you would have written it down on paper no one would have believed it. We won the first two out of three events and kept going from there. We lost in the first round at the last race, lost in the first round the race before and went to the finals at the season opener in San Antonio. The cars are getting tougher and the drivers are getting tougher…we just have to adjust to it."
Heading into the July 4-6 Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, Creasy is 45 points clear of Paul Lee, who sits in second in the 2008 points standings. Matt Hagan is third, 56 points behind Creasy.
"We were close heading into this race and it's a long season, but you can't let anyone get away," Creasy said. "Once a driver gets away they start pushing it. But my guys have been through it before and they know how to fight through it. There's still a lot of pressure on us but we've been through it so we know what to do when we get there. I'm not saying we're going to win it again because there are a lot of good cars out here, but if it gets down to that I think we have an advantage because we've been through it two seasons in a row. My guys can handle it."
To learn more about Dale Creasy, Jr. and the Torco Race Fuels Nitro Funny Car visit Dale Creasy Jr.
photo used with permission © Roger Richards
Creasy Claims First Ironman of 2008 at President’s Cup
Claims 2008 points lead with 10th career national event victory
MECHANICSVILLE, MD. (June 16, 2008) - Dale Creasy Jr. was in an unfamiliar place heading into the Torco President's Cup Nationals. Three races into the 2008 IHRA season Creasy, the two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car World Champion, had not found his stride and was without a victory on the circuit. He was also looking up at someone in the points standings... a position he was not used to after dominating the field last season.
Last year Creasy won two of the first three events on the IHRA schedule. He ended up winning six national events and wrapped the championship up after the eighth event on the 2007 schedule. This year he came to Maryland International Raceway with a pedestrian 2-2 won-loss record in 2008 elimination rounds and was 16 points behind Steven Macklyn in championship points standings.
At MIR, however, he found his groove. Creasy claimed the #1 qualifier position before rolling through the field to claim the Ironman, knocking off Todd Simpson in the final round to capture his 10th career victory. Creasy now sits fifth on the career IHRA Nitro Funny Car victories list, 10 behind all-time leader Dale Pulde. With five more wins Creasy will tie Mark Oswald for fourth on the list.
"Today was a day we had been looking for," Creasy said in the winner's circle at MIR. “When I woke up I was wondering if it was going to be a 'go fast' race track or a finesse race track. Either way we knew we had something for them. It worked out well."
With the track temperature approaching 140 degrees in the hot Southern Maryland sun, Creasy and his team was confident their experience would carry the day.
"We have a tune-up for hot weather from places like Grand Bend that we've been working on for the last two years," he said. "All the tracks are good until it gets this hot, but you can't do anything with a 140-degree race track. My brother (Crew Chief Steve Creasy) and all my guys worked hard on it and we got the job done. What a day."
Creasy not only won the event, he clocked his fastest pass of the year... a 300.40 mph run during Friday's evening qualifying session. In taking the points lead he also is sitting right where he wants to be.
"I told my guys before the race that we weren't doing badly this year, we just weren't doing what we did last year," Creasy said. "But last year was a season where if you would have written it down on paper no one would have believed it. We won the first two out of three events and kept going from there. We lost in the first round at the last race, lost in the first round the race before and went to the finals at the season opener in San Antonio. The cars are getting tougher and the drivers are getting tougher…we just have to adjust to it."
Heading into the July 4-6 Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, Creasy is 45 points clear of Paul Lee, who sits in second in the 2008 points standings. Matt Hagan is third, 56 points behind Creasy.
"We were close heading into this race and it's a long season, but you can't let anyone get away," Creasy said. "Once a driver gets away they start pushing it. But my guys have been through it before and they know how to fight through it. There's still a lot of pressure on us but we've been through it so we know what to do when we get there. I'm not saying we're going to win it again because there are a lot of good cars out here, but if it gets down to that I think we have an advantage because we've been through it two seasons in a row. My guys can handle it."
To learn more about Dale Creasy, Jr. and the Torco Race Fuels Nitro Funny Car visit Dale Creasy Jr.
photo used with permission © Roger Richards
