[coverattach=1]SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (June 25, 2009) - It's the day he's been waiting on for nearly a year. Dale Creasy, Jr. will take over the driving duties this weekend on his 8,000 horsepower Nitro Funny Car during the IHRA Nitro Nationals at Rocky Mountain Raceways. Creasy's Beaver Shredding /Tek-Pak Nitro Funny Car is the same type of car that nearly ended the two-time IHRA World Champion's racing career last July in Edmonton Alberta. The freak accident in Edmonton left Dale with a badly mangled left leg, requiring nearly a dozen surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation.
"I've got a few butterflies," Creasy admitted about this weekend's race. "But I always do when I get in the car. You have to respect the power and speed of these machines."
Creasy's first race will be a grudge match against current defending IHRA Funny Car Champion, Terry Haddock. Creasy was leading in the 2008 points chase for a third consecutive title before the season ending injury. The two champions will clash in Salt Lake and then take their grudge match to the IHRA River Cree Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton the following weekend.
"Haddock's a great guy and I love to race him," Creasy said. "But the way things ended for us last season sets up the perfect scenario for a grudge match. I didn't get a chance to race Terry down to the wire for that championship. So maybe this is a way we can get some bragging rights."
Creasy will be doing a lot of grudge racing this summer, including match-ups with Jack Wyatt. Creasy edged out Wyatt by just five points in 2006 and again in 2007 he kept Wyatt in the number two spot in the championship hunt.
It doesn't matter to Dale Creasy who lines up next to him on the drag strip. It's a race - and he wants to win it. "This is something that less than 50 people in the world get to do," Creasy told IHRA.com. "I truly feel lucky to be a part of that group. It is a feeling that is hard to explain, but I will tell you, it doesn't get any better than this."
About Dale Creasy Jr.
Dale Creasy Jr. has been driving a Nitro Funny Car for over 15 years. He raced in NHRA competition and match raced for the majority of those 15 years before, in 2006, driving full-time on the IHRA circuit. His move to IHRA paid immediate dividends as he captured the 2006 World Championship in dramatic fashion, edging Jack Wyatt by a mere five points and clinching the title at the final race of the season…the World Finals in Rockingham.
Creasy followed up his incredible 2006 season with a dominant one in 2007 where he clinched his second consecutive championship with four races remaining on the schedule. He ended up winning the title by 340 points, again over second-place Jack Wyatt.
Creasy led the chase for a third straight world championship when a racing injury sidelined him for 2008. Creasy Family Motorsports continues to race with the help of Beaver Shredding, Tek Pak, Jet Label & Tape, MSD Ignition, GM Performance Parts, Red Line Synthetic Oil, VSI, Oakley, Fram Filters, PolyDyn TX7 and Stevenson Crane.
To learn more about Dale Creasy, Jr. visit Dale Creasy Jr.
"I've got a few butterflies," Creasy admitted about this weekend's race. "But I always do when I get in the car. You have to respect the power and speed of these machines."
Creasy's first race will be a grudge match against current defending IHRA Funny Car Champion, Terry Haddock. Creasy was leading in the 2008 points chase for a third consecutive title before the season ending injury. The two champions will clash in Salt Lake and then take their grudge match to the IHRA River Cree Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton the following weekend.
"Haddock's a great guy and I love to race him," Creasy said. "But the way things ended for us last season sets up the perfect scenario for a grudge match. I didn't get a chance to race Terry down to the wire for that championship. So maybe this is a way we can get some bragging rights."
Creasy will be doing a lot of grudge racing this summer, including match-ups with Jack Wyatt. Creasy edged out Wyatt by just five points in 2006 and again in 2007 he kept Wyatt in the number two spot in the championship hunt.
It doesn't matter to Dale Creasy who lines up next to him on the drag strip. It's a race - and he wants to win it. "This is something that less than 50 people in the world get to do," Creasy told IHRA.com. "I truly feel lucky to be a part of that group. It is a feeling that is hard to explain, but I will tell you, it doesn't get any better than this."
About Dale Creasy Jr.
Dale Creasy Jr. has been driving a Nitro Funny Car for over 15 years. He raced in NHRA competition and match raced for the majority of those 15 years before, in 2006, driving full-time on the IHRA circuit. His move to IHRA paid immediate dividends as he captured the 2006 World Championship in dramatic fashion, edging Jack Wyatt by a mere five points and clinching the title at the final race of the season…the World Finals in Rockingham.
Creasy followed up his incredible 2006 season with a dominant one in 2007 where he clinched his second consecutive championship with four races remaining on the schedule. He ended up winning the title by 340 points, again over second-place Jack Wyatt.
Creasy led the chase for a third straight world championship when a racing injury sidelined him for 2008. Creasy Family Motorsports continues to race with the help of Beaver Shredding, Tek Pak, Jet Label & Tape, MSD Ignition, GM Performance Parts, Red Line Synthetic Oil, VSI, Oakley, Fram Filters, PolyDyn TX7 and Stevenson Crane.
To learn more about Dale Creasy, Jr. visit Dale Creasy Jr.
