<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/Gahm.jpg" alt="Gahm" align="left"borders="0"/>
Runs quickest Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock pass in history during Friday qualifying in Grand Bend
GRAND BEND, Ontario ( July 20, 2007 ) – Brian Gahm, of Lucasville, Ohio, has made a habit of doing things first. He became the charter member of the Quarter-Max 6.40s club during the 2004 racing season. He then, after that club was filled up, was the first Pro Stock driver to run in the 6.30s to become the initial member of the Lenco Transmissions 6.30s club.
Friday, at Grand Bend Motorplex during the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, the fifth event of the 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series, Gahm did it again. His 6.299 pass at 220.66 mph was the quickest Pro Stock pass in recorded history and made Gahm the first member of the Jerry Haas Race Cars 6.20s Club.
“I like getting some of my money back from Haas,” Gahm, who drives a Jerry Haas-built 2007 Mustang with Jon Kaase power. “This is a brand new race car and it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m tickled to death. We contemplated what to do with the transmission and Cliff made the right call. He said tonight would have the best conditions of the weekend and we went for it.”
As he approached the end of the track Gahm wondered if his car was going to stay together.
“When I hit the high gear the thing was flat carrying
the mail,” he said. “When I got to the high side it was banging around and I thought the engine was coming apart. When they first told me I thought I heard them say a 6.39 because it was banging around so much. We were shooting for a 6.32 and would have been happy with that, but everything came together with the weather and it was a heck of a run.”
T.J. Zizzo slid into the provisional top qualifier spot in Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel with his 4.662 pass at 314.83 mph.
“I tell you what, we had to change a few things in Edmonton a couple of weeks ago and finished as the No. 1 qualifier,” Zizzo said. “We made a few more small changes for this race and things are working out so far. I have such a great crew that always puts me in position to do the best I can.”
Dale Creasy Jr. (Beecher, Ill.) claimed the provisional Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car top qualifying spot with a 5.062 pass at 300.73 mph.
“We were getting a little nervous because it looked like the Funny Cars were having problems getting down the track,” Creasy said. “But we were able to put a clean pass together. We’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
Scott Cannon Jr. (Lyman, S.C.) broke down a barrier as well during Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified qualifying. Cannon ran a career best 5.997 at 237.92 mph to claim both ends of the Grand Bend Motorplex track record and grab the provisional pole.
“My dad and I thought about it all day, thinking if we were going to back it down,” Cannon said. “We finally decided not to because the air was so good and you see what happened.”
Mark Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) has been to the Alcohol Funny Car final at each of the first four Nitro Jam national events this season. He qualified Friday like he intends on making it five-for-five, blistering the quarter-mile in 5.838 at 241.76 mph to end up on the provisional pole heading into Saturday.
Racing resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. , with professional qualifying rounds at 1 and 7 p.m. For more information, log onto IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation. The Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol is the fifth of eleven events on the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.
GRAND BEND , Ontario -- Results Friday after qualifying for the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, sixth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. T.J. Zizzo, 4.662 seconds, 314.83 mph; 2. Scotty Cannon, 4.768, 301.07; 3. Jim Cavalieri, 4.874, 282.60; 4. Mitch King, 5.945, 150.36; 5. Grant Flowers, 8.718, 91.24; 6. Bruce Litton, 10.032, 81.27; 7. Terry McMillen, 10.598, 85.60; 8. Todd Paton, 12.003, 72.43.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo , 5.062, 300.73; 2. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 10.028, 100.85; 3. John Lawson, Monte Carlo , 10.378, 88.93; 4. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 11.129, 83.01; 5. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 11.699, 89.12; 6. Paul Lee, Monte Carlo , 13.167, 55.98; 7. Mitch King, Chevy Corvette, 13.376, 73.24.
Pro Modified -- 1. Scott Cannon, Pontiac Firebird, 5.997, 237.92; 2. Ed Hoover, Chevy Corvette, 6.070, 234.70; 3. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.081, 233.44; 4. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.182, 234.21; 5. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.208, 226.77; 6. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.214, 226.96; 7. Joe Mulligan, Camaro, 6.237, 224.02; 8. Mike Castellana, Ford Mustang, 6.245, 226.70; 9. Shannon Jenkins, Pontiac GTO, 6.275, 230.41; 10. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.308, 229.04; 11. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.457, 229.90; 12. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.619, 217.56; 13. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.657, 165.70; 14. Mark Nielsen, Camaro, 6.748, 224.55; 15. Carl Spiering, Camaro, 6.920, 151.39; 16. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 8.198, 118.98.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo , 5.838, 241.76; 2. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.841, 242.41; 3. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo , 5.904, 233.52; 4. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo , 5.917, 243.37; 5. Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 5.924, 241.45; 6. Scott Wildgust, Monte Carlo , 6.016, 239.44; 7. Trevor Lebsack, Mustang, 6.119, 227.38; 8. Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.197, 214.25.
Pro Stock -- 1. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 6.299, 220.66; 2. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.346, 218.65; 3. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.352, 218.27; 4. Frank Gugliotta, Cobalt, 6.355, 217.91; 5. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.358, 218.37; 6. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.363, 219.22; 7. Rob Mansfield, GTO, 6.367, 218.19; 8. Elijah Morton, Ford ZX2, 6.412, 218.44; 9. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.414, 217.14; 10. Dean Goforth, GTO, 6.496, 213.77; 11. Ron Miller, Chevy Cavalier, 6.541, 212.56; 12. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 7.652, 130.96; 13. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 7.666, 127.75; 14. Anthony Paone, GTO, 11.454, 97.89; 15. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 11.847, 104.49; 16. John Nobile, Mustang, 15.338, 86.03.
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 $19.5 million Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, 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 70 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 Kumho Street Warriorz. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
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.”
Gahm Breaks Down 6.20 Barrier
Runs quickest Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock pass in history during Friday qualifying in Grand Bend
GRAND BEND, Ontario ( July 20, 2007 ) – Brian Gahm, of Lucasville, Ohio, has made a habit of doing things first. He became the charter member of the Quarter-Max 6.40s club during the 2004 racing season. He then, after that club was filled up, was the first Pro Stock driver to run in the 6.30s to become the initial member of the Lenco Transmissions 6.30s club.
Friday, at Grand Bend Motorplex during the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, the fifth event of the 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series, Gahm did it again. His 6.299 pass at 220.66 mph was the quickest Pro Stock pass in recorded history and made Gahm the first member of the Jerry Haas Race Cars 6.20s Club.
“I like getting some of my money back from Haas,” Gahm, who drives a Jerry Haas-built 2007 Mustang with Jon Kaase power. “This is a brand new race car and it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m tickled to death. We contemplated what to do with the transmission and Cliff made the right call. He said tonight would have the best conditions of the weekend and we went for it.”
As he approached the end of the track Gahm wondered if his car was going to stay together.
“When I hit the high gear the thing was flat carrying
the mail,” he said. “When I got to the high side it was banging around and I thought the engine was coming apart. When they first told me I thought I heard them say a 6.39 because it was banging around so much. We were shooting for a 6.32 and would have been happy with that, but everything came together with the weather and it was a heck of a run.”
T.J. Zizzo slid into the provisional top qualifier spot in Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel with his 4.662 pass at 314.83 mph.
“I tell you what, we had to change a few things in Edmonton a couple of weeks ago and finished as the No. 1 qualifier,” Zizzo said. “We made a few more small changes for this race and things are working out so far. I have such a great crew that always puts me in position to do the best I can.”
Dale Creasy Jr. (Beecher, Ill.) claimed the provisional Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car top qualifying spot with a 5.062 pass at 300.73 mph.
“We were getting a little nervous because it looked like the Funny Cars were having problems getting down the track,” Creasy said. “But we were able to put a clean pass together. We’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
Scott Cannon Jr. (Lyman, S.C.) broke down a barrier as well during Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified qualifying. Cannon ran a career best 5.997 at 237.92 mph to claim both ends of the Grand Bend Motorplex track record and grab the provisional pole.
“My dad and I thought about it all day, thinking if we were going to back it down,” Cannon said. “We finally decided not to because the air was so good and you see what happened.”
Mark Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) has been to the Alcohol Funny Car final at each of the first four Nitro Jam national events this season. He qualified Friday like he intends on making it five-for-five, blistering the quarter-mile in 5.838 at 241.76 mph to end up on the provisional pole heading into Saturday.
Racing resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. , with professional qualifying rounds at 1 and 7 p.m. For more information, log onto IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation. The Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol is the fifth of eleven events on the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.
GRAND BEND , Ontario -- Results Friday after qualifying for the Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol at Grand Bend Motorplex, sixth of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. T.J. Zizzo, 4.662 seconds, 314.83 mph; 2. Scotty Cannon, 4.768, 301.07; 3. Jim Cavalieri, 4.874, 282.60; 4. Mitch King, 5.945, 150.36; 5. Grant Flowers, 8.718, 91.24; 6. Bruce Litton, 10.032, 81.27; 7. Terry McMillen, 10.598, 85.60; 8. Todd Paton, 12.003, 72.43.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo , 5.062, 300.73; 2. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 10.028, 100.85; 3. John Lawson, Monte Carlo , 10.378, 88.93; 4. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 11.129, 83.01; 5. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 11.699, 89.12; 6. Paul Lee, Monte Carlo , 13.167, 55.98; 7. Mitch King, Chevy Corvette, 13.376, 73.24.
Pro Modified -- 1. Scott Cannon, Pontiac Firebird, 5.997, 237.92; 2. Ed Hoover, Chevy Corvette, 6.070, 234.70; 3. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.081, 233.44; 4. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.182, 234.21; 5. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.208, 226.77; 6. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.214, 226.96; 7. Joe Mulligan, Camaro, 6.237, 224.02; 8. Mike Castellana, Ford Mustang, 6.245, 226.70; 9. Shannon Jenkins, Pontiac GTO, 6.275, 230.41; 10. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.308, 229.04; 11. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.457, 229.90; 12. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.619, 217.56; 13. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.657, 165.70; 14. Mark Nielsen, Camaro, 6.748, 224.55; 15. Carl Spiering, Camaro, 6.920, 151.39; 16. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 8.198, 118.98.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo , 5.838, 241.76; 2. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.841, 242.41; 3. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo , 5.904, 233.52; 4. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo , 5.917, 243.37; 5. Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 5.924, 241.45; 6. Scott Wildgust, Monte Carlo , 6.016, 239.44; 7. Trevor Lebsack, Mustang, 6.119, 227.38; 8. Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.197, 214.25.
Pro Stock -- 1. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 6.299, 220.66; 2. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.346, 218.65; 3. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.352, 218.27; 4. Frank Gugliotta, Cobalt, 6.355, 217.91; 5. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.358, 218.37; 6. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.363, 219.22; 7. Rob Mansfield, GTO, 6.367, 218.19; 8. Elijah Morton, Ford ZX2, 6.412, 218.44; 9. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.414, 217.14; 10. Dean Goforth, GTO, 6.496, 213.77; 11. Ron Miller, Chevy Cavalier, 6.541, 212.56; 12. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 7.652, 130.96; 13. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 7.666, 127.75; 14. Anthony Paone, GTO, 11.454, 97.89; 15. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 11.847, 104.49; 16. John Nobile, Mustang, 15.338, 86.03.
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 $19.5 million Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, 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 70 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 Kumho Street Warriorz. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
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.”
