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NORWALK, Ohio (September 18, 2006) – Doug Foley left the first race of the IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series in San Antonio on top of the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel class. He won the race, taking out defending event and five-time world champion Clay Millican and, for the first time in his career, started the season with the points lead. However, midway through the year, Foley, of Sewell, N.J. had lost ground, finding himself 90 points behind Millican.
Not giving up, the Foley/Lewis Torco-sponsored Mach Accelerator team regrouped and made the best of the last three races, making up those 90 points and, most recently, sneaking by Millican to take a six point lead heading into Toronto Motorsports Park for the IHRA Canadian Nationals, September 22 – 24. Since winning his first career Top Fuel race at TMP in 2004, amazingly, Foley has never lost a round of competition at the facility.
“Going into Toronto, we have to feel good,” said Foley. “I haven’t lost a round there in my career, got my first win there. And we are at a point in the season when every single run counts.”
Foley’s not surprised he’s in the midst of such a close championship chase.
“Clay’s team has been superior over the last five years and we knew coming into 2006 that if we could get into this, it would be a close, back-and-forth chase all year,” added Foley. “We are all trying hard – Bobby (Lagana Jr.), Clay, Rick (Cooper, Foley’s teammate), Bruce (Litton) – and we are all right there. You just have to take it round by round now.”
Heading into Toronto, only one competitor – Bobby Lagana Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y. – has more than one win this year. The current top five: Doug Foley, 626; Clay Millican, 620; Bobby Lagana Jr., 511; Rick Cooper, 500; Bruce Litton, 497.
The Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class is proving to be another points chase that should come down to the very last race. Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher, Ill., has led most of the season, especially after gaining his first career win in June in Grand Bend, Ontario. But he hasn’t been able to pull away from the competition. Going into Toronto, Creasy leads Jack Wyatt by 14 points and Bob Gilbertson, Charlotte, N.C., hot off a win last week in New Hampshire, by 24 points. Also still in contention is Vinny Arcadi, who’s had a quick car all year, but has yet to win an event.
Calgary-resident Glen Kerunsky has led the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified points all year, going back to his season-opening win in San Antonio. Despite not winning again, he’s still sits No. 1, however, Danny Rowe and three other racers are within 100 points. Actually, Rowe, who has yet to win this season, is only three points from first place. Others still in the hunt include Quain Stott (-15), Mike Janis (-52) and Tommy D’Aprile (-87). Carl Spiering, of Jordan Station, Ontario, is currently in sixth place.
The Alcohol Funny Car class has come down to three competitors, two former champions and one first-time event winner. Rob Atchison, London, Ontario, after struggling all year to figure out his race car, has found the combination and following the New Hampshire race last week, leads former five-time world champion Mark Thomas by 38 points. Tom Carter, Cuero, Texas, has won three events this season, the most of any professional racer, and sits third, 89 points behind Atchison.
In Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, Tony Gillig has maintained his No. 1 position in the points standings and, despite recent runs by Robert Patrick, Pete Berner and Frank Gugliotta, has the largest lead in any of the professional classes. He’s 41 points ahead of Berner, 97 points ahead of Gugliotta and 105 points ahead of Patrick. Considering how close the Pro Stock cars are to one another, Gillig has driven well all year to pad his lead.
For more information on the IHRA Canadian Nationals, September 22 – 24, Toronto Motorsports Park, please contact Travis Reynolds at (419) 706-8631, [email protected], or Mike Perry at (419) 660-4213, [email protected]. Tickets are available at the track office or log onto www.torontomotorsportspark.com.
IHRA Returns to Toronto Motorsports Park for Rain-Delayed Canadian Nationals
NORWALK, Ohio (September 18, 2006) – Doug Foley left the first race of the IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series in San Antonio on top of the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel class. He won the race, taking out defending event and five-time world champion Clay Millican and, for the first time in his career, started the season with the points lead. However, midway through the year, Foley, of Sewell, N.J. had lost ground, finding himself 90 points behind Millican.
Not giving up, the Foley/Lewis Torco-sponsored Mach Accelerator team regrouped and made the best of the last three races, making up those 90 points and, most recently, sneaking by Millican to take a six point lead heading into Toronto Motorsports Park for the IHRA Canadian Nationals, September 22 – 24. Since winning his first career Top Fuel race at TMP in 2004, amazingly, Foley has never lost a round of competition at the facility.
“Going into Toronto, we have to feel good,” said Foley. “I haven’t lost a round there in my career, got my first win there. And we are at a point in the season when every single run counts.”
Foley’s not surprised he’s in the midst of such a close championship chase.
“Clay’s team has been superior over the last five years and we knew coming into 2006 that if we could get into this, it would be a close, back-and-forth chase all year,” added Foley. “We are all trying hard – Bobby (Lagana Jr.), Clay, Rick (Cooper, Foley’s teammate), Bruce (Litton) – and we are all right there. You just have to take it round by round now.”
Heading into Toronto, only one competitor – Bobby Lagana Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y. – has more than one win this year. The current top five: Doug Foley, 626; Clay Millican, 620; Bobby Lagana Jr., 511; Rick Cooper, 500; Bruce Litton, 497.
The Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class is proving to be another points chase that should come down to the very last race. Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher, Ill., has led most of the season, especially after gaining his first career win in June in Grand Bend, Ontario. But he hasn’t been able to pull away from the competition. Going into Toronto, Creasy leads Jack Wyatt by 14 points and Bob Gilbertson, Charlotte, N.C., hot off a win last week in New Hampshire, by 24 points. Also still in contention is Vinny Arcadi, who’s had a quick car all year, but has yet to win an event.
Calgary-resident Glen Kerunsky has led the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified points all year, going back to his season-opening win in San Antonio. Despite not winning again, he’s still sits No. 1, however, Danny Rowe and three other racers are within 100 points. Actually, Rowe, who has yet to win this season, is only three points from first place. Others still in the hunt include Quain Stott (-15), Mike Janis (-52) and Tommy D’Aprile (-87). Carl Spiering, of Jordan Station, Ontario, is currently in sixth place.
The Alcohol Funny Car class has come down to three competitors, two former champions and one first-time event winner. Rob Atchison, London, Ontario, after struggling all year to figure out his race car, has found the combination and following the New Hampshire race last week, leads former five-time world champion Mark Thomas by 38 points. Tom Carter, Cuero, Texas, has won three events this season, the most of any professional racer, and sits third, 89 points behind Atchison.
In Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, Tony Gillig has maintained his No. 1 position in the points standings and, despite recent runs by Robert Patrick, Pete Berner and Frank Gugliotta, has the largest lead in any of the professional classes. He’s 41 points ahead of Berner, 97 points ahead of Gugliotta and 105 points ahead of Patrick. Considering how close the Pro Stock cars are to one another, Gillig has driven well all year to pad his lead.
For more information on the IHRA Canadian Nationals, September 22 – 24, Toronto Motorsports Park, please contact Travis Reynolds at (419) 706-8631, [email protected], or Mike Perry at (419) 660-4213, [email protected]. Tickets are available at the track office or log onto www.torontomotorsportspark.com.
