Matt Hagan Finds the Nitro Funny Car Winner’s Circle at IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals despite Heavy Heart
Kevin Jones (Top Fuel), Carl Spiering (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Bob Bertsch (Pro Stock) also claim championships at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/mhr-canada-prev.jpg" alt="mhr-canada-prev" align="left"borders="0"/>
EDMONTON, Ab. (July 7, 2008) – Matt Hagan knocked off Grant Downing to claim the Nitro Funny Car title at the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, but his visit to the Winner’s Circle was less than joyous. Though his focus was on racing his mind was worlds away, on friend and teammate Dale Creasy Jr. at Royal Alexandria Hospital in downtown Edmonton .
Creasy suffered severe leg trauma following his semifinal round crash Sunday afternoon and was airlifted to the hospital. He was scheduled for surgery Monday with a broken right foot and compound fractures in his left leg. Creasy is the driver responsible for getting Hagan into a competitive Nitro Funny Car this season after he moved up from the Pro Modified ranks, and the win at Castrol Raceway. He considers Creasy his mentor and, after watching the life-flight helicopter take him away from Castrol Raceway, found it virtually impossible to keep his focus.
“That’s the toughest part. You can’t find out any information about what happened because no one knows,” Hagan said. “You watch your friend be taken away in a helicopter, then you have to get re-focused on doing your job. You try to stay focused but all you can do is think about Dale. It was a really tough deal.”
Hagan was able to focus enough to defeat Steven Macklyn in the semifinal. He then, after the rains washed away the final rounds Sunday, made a solo pass for the win Monday morning when racing resumed and Grant Downing, his finals competition, could not answer the call. Hagan made a strong lap for the fans Monday but blew the body off his Monte Carlo , causing a bit of cosmetic body damage. But he couldn’t have cared less about the car when he knew Creasy was scheduled for surgery a couple of hours later.
“Blowing the body off the car didn’t help things, but that was the least of it,” Hagan said. “Now we’re going to go to the hospital to see Dale. I’m giving him the trophy from this race because he deserves it. He’s helped so many people in this class and has been such a big part of my career. This Ironman isn’t mine, it’s his. I just hope he’s okay.”
Hagan is going to stop at chassis-builder Murf McKinney’s shop on the way home. He had to get his wheelie bars repaired after breaking them in the final round, but he has other things on his agenda as well.
“I want to talk to Murf to see if there is something we can come up with to better protect the driver’s legs in these cars,” he said. “These things are dangerous; we know that every time we strap ourselves in. But if we can come up with something to protect the driver better I think we should make every effort to do it. We all have families. I have a year-and-a-half old son and a wife. I want to make sure everything is as safe as possible. I know I’m taking a risk when I get in the car, but I want to eliminate risks that might be unnecessary. Murf is a smart man, hopefully we can come up with something to address this.”
Kevin Jones ( Berea , Ky. ) claimed his second career Ironman in the Torco Pro Nitro Top Fuel class, stopping Budds Creek winner Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final round. Jones is a fan of rain-delayed events…his first career victory came at the rain-delayed Sooner Nationals in Tulsa last season. Jones defeated Spencer Massey in the first round and Tim Boychuk in the semifinals to advance to the final round.
There, against Lagana, neither driver could put together a smooth lap. Both had to pedal their cars, but Jones was able to get his Interstate Batteries rail hooked up sooner and reached the finish line first with a 5.271 pass at 280.84 mph. Lagana clocked a 6.301 at 182.90.
Carl Spiering (Jordan Station, Ontario ) has not been a regular on the IHRA circuit this season, but when he shows up to race he always makes his presence felt. Spiering drove his Eaton-backed Corvette to the Pro Modified championship in Edmonton , defeating Thomas Patterson in the final.
“This is just terrific,” an elated Spiering said after the race. “We tried to stay on our game plan for this deal and it worked. We didn’t put down any big numbers, but neither did anyone else. We remained consistent throughout and it paid off.”
Laurie Cannister ( Johnstown , Ohio ) claimed the Alcohol Funny Car championship Sunday before the rains came, defeating Paul Noakes in the final round for the second time this season. Canadian Bob Bertsch claimed the Pro Stock Ironman in memory of his fallen crew member, John Weisler, who passed away during the President’s Cup Nationals in Maryland three weeks ago.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Monday's final results from the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway. The race is the fifth of 10 in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Kevin Jones, 5.271 seconds, 280.84 mph def. Bobby Lagana Jr., 6.301 seconds, 182.90 mph.
Nitro Funny Car -- Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 28.891, no speed def. Grant Downing, Monte Carlo, broke.
Pro Modified -- Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.555, 214.25 def. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.848, 192.36.
Alcohol Funny Car -- Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.906, 241.37 def. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.950, 238.43.
Pro Stock -- Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.533, 215.07 was unopposed.
Nitro Bikes -- Damien Cownden, 6.707, 211.59 def. John Breckenridge, 7.722, 179.61.
Pro Nostalgia -- Joey Steckler, Chevy Corvette, 7.509, 185.79 def. Brent Harris, Willys Coupe, 7.634, 168.94.
Quick 16 -- Scott Hearn, Dragster, 7.157, 186.54 def. John Childs, Chevy, 7.251, 192.71.
Super Stock -- Rick Paton, Camaro, 9.371, 140.80 def. Casey Setters, Firebird, 10.129, 133.50.
Stock -- Ed Matiejewski, Nova, 12.387, 105.04 def. Tim Richards, Malibu , 11.966, 106.49.
Quick Rod -- Mike Shannon, Dragster, 9.094, 157.72 def. Garth Giroux, Dragster, 9.047, 168.45.
Super Rod -- Tom Patterson, Corvette, 10.119, 137.51 def. Pat McNally, Camaro, 10.053, 148.56.
Hot Rod -- Chad Barclay, Maverick, 11.114, 132.82 def. Scott Hydaman, Chevelle, 11.065, 115.06.
Top ET -- Derek Rose, Acadian, 10.736, 117.82 def. Justin Ronnie, Camaro, 10.588, 128.65.
ET Bracket -- Derek Rose, Acadian, 10.741, 115.99 def. Darren Ursel, Nova, 10.556, 125.26.
Mod ET -- Darren Ursel, Nova, 10.530, 126.86 def. Mario Brun, Camaro, 12.000, 107.65.
ET Bikes & Sleds -- Dave Wiebe, Ninja, 9.423, 106.50 def. Shawn Graham, Kawasaki Z1R, 10.990, 125.80.
Junior Dragster -- Corey Thomas, Dragster, 10.322, 62.51 def. Ian Admiraal, LMH, 8.263, 76.69.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Final round-by-round results from the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Strasburg, 5.551, 224.85 def. Mitch King, 8.534, 84.69; Tim Boychuk, 5.082, 262.33 def. Terry McMillen, 11.225, 83.70; Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.990, 268.38 def. Bruce Litton, 5.051, 298.34; Kevin Jones, 5.194, 252.99 def. Spencer Massey, 5.252, 270.05; SEMIFINALS -- Lagana Jr., 8.018, 93.27 def. Strasburg, 17.996, 77.77; Jones, 4.797, 298.21 def. Boychuk, 4.982, 286.86; FINAL -- Jones, 5.271, 280.84 def. Lagana Jr., 6.301, 182.90.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.933, 196.96 def. Pat Stoken, Chevy Camaro, 7.812, 129.12; Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.197, 228.58 def. Gary Mason, Corvette, 6.413, 228.00; Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.165, 229.51 def. Ross Hogenson, Corvette, 9.504, 93.63; Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.096, 233.76 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 10.456, 86.38; Joe Delehay, Camaro, 7.900, 156.99 def. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 15.406, 56.24; Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.373, 231.28 def. Dan Vogt, Corvette, 6.556, 213.47; Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.316, 229.24 def. Lee Frank, Corvette, 6.436, 216.20; Jason Stock, Corvette, 6.292, 225.67 def. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.336, 233.03; QUARTERFINALS -- Spiering, 8.234, 209.75 def. Cannon, 10.524, 84.57; Delehay, 6.430, 226.20 def. Castellana, 6.522, 228.15; Patterson, 6.298, 229.16 def. Lang, 10.003, 92.13; D'Aprile, 6.136, 225.37 def. Stock, 6.341, 224.58; SEMIFINALS -- Patterson, 6.372, 227.84 def. Delehay, 6.576, 224.32; Spiering, 6.249, 227.61 def. D'Aprile, 6.301, 227.04; FINAL -- Spiering, 6.555, 214.25 def. Patterson, 6.848, 192.36.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Thomas Carter, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.908, 241.45 def. John Evanchuk, Pontiac Firebird, 6.036, 236.75; Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.973, 241.63 def. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 6.089, 233.60; Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.958, 240.72 def. Scott McVey, Dodge Avenger, 6.023, 234.94; Paul Noakes, Avenger, 5.955, 236.51 def. Jordan Pawlick, Avenger, 6.174, 219.26; SEMIFINALS -- Cannister, 5.841, 242.02 def. Carter, 6.076, 239.61; Noakes, 5.900, 238.26 def. Atchison , 5.951, 243.37;
FINAL -- Cannister, 5.906, 241.37 def. Noakes, 5.950, 238.43.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Bob Bertsch, Ford Mustang, 6.533, 215.07 was unopposed;
NITRO FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Impala, 5.250, 284.75 def. Cory Lee, Pontiac Firebird, 10.340, 92.61; Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.208, 238.22 def. Jeff Diehl, Monte Carlo, broke; Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo, 5.698, 201.61 def. Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.884, 229.24; Grant Downing, Monte Carlo, 5.529, 277.20 def. Jason Duchene, Chevy Camaro, 5.836, 202.36; SEMIFINALS -- Downing, 5.367, 219.40 def. Creasy Jr., 5.930, 173.96; Hagan, 6.671, 144.64 def. Macklyn, 8.181, 116.58; FINAL -- Hagan, no time, no speed def. Downing, DQ.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Bruce Litton, 438; 2. Spencer Massey, 405; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 371; 4. Mike Strasburg, 369; 5. Kevin Jones, 303; 6. Terry McMillen, 256; 7. Scott Palmer, 222; 8. Chris Karamesines, 108; 9. Tim Boychuk, 74; 10. Michael Gunderson, 50.
Pro Modified
1. Kenny Lang, 377; 2. Mike Castellana, 303; 3. Scott Cannon, 295; 4. Tommy D{Aprile, 265; 5. Mike Janis, 260; 6. Jim Halsey , 256; 7. Thomas Patterson, 213; 8. Jason Hamstra, 198; 9. Ed Hoover, 187; 10. Pat Stoken, 177.
Alcohol Funny Car
1. Laurie Cannister, 572; 2. Rob Atchison, 401; 3. Thomas Carter, 377; 4. Paul Noakes, 345; 5. Dale Brand, 232; 6. Mark Thomas, 221; 7. Larry Dobbs, 167; 8. (tie) Terry Munroe, 120; Tim Stevens, 120; 10. Tony Bogolo, 107.
Pro Stock
1. Jeff Dobbins, 327; 2. Elijah Morton, 300; 3. Frank Gugliotta, 292; 4. John Montecalvo, 284; 5. Pete Berner, 239; 6. Bob Bertsch, 218; 7. Richard Freeman, 183; 8. Robert Patrick, 157; 9. Cary Goforth, 154; 10. Rob Mansfield, 149.
Nitro Funny Car
1. Dale Creasy Jr., 392; 2. Matt Hagan, 348; 3. Terry Haddock, 293; 4. Steven Macklyn, 283; 5. Paul Lee, 271; 6. Andy Kelley, 188; 7. Jeff Diehl, 176; 8. Jack Wyatt, 168; 9. Todd Simpson, 165; 10. Cory Lee, 128.
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 an 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.”
Kevin Jones (Top Fuel), Carl Spiering (Pro Modified), Laurie Cannister (Alcohol Funny Car) and Bob Bertsch (Pro Stock) also claim championships at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/mhr-canada-prev.jpg" alt="mhr-canada-prev" align="left"borders="0"/>
EDMONTON, Ab. (July 7, 2008) – Matt Hagan knocked off Grant Downing to claim the Nitro Funny Car title at the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, but his visit to the Winner’s Circle was less than joyous. Though his focus was on racing his mind was worlds away, on friend and teammate Dale Creasy Jr. at Royal Alexandria Hospital in downtown Edmonton .
Creasy suffered severe leg trauma following his semifinal round crash Sunday afternoon and was airlifted to the hospital. He was scheduled for surgery Monday with a broken right foot and compound fractures in his left leg. Creasy is the driver responsible for getting Hagan into a competitive Nitro Funny Car this season after he moved up from the Pro Modified ranks, and the win at Castrol Raceway. He considers Creasy his mentor and, after watching the life-flight helicopter take him away from Castrol Raceway, found it virtually impossible to keep his focus.
“That’s the toughest part. You can’t find out any information about what happened because no one knows,” Hagan said. “You watch your friend be taken away in a helicopter, then you have to get re-focused on doing your job. You try to stay focused but all you can do is think about Dale. It was a really tough deal.”
Hagan was able to focus enough to defeat Steven Macklyn in the semifinal. He then, after the rains washed away the final rounds Sunday, made a solo pass for the win Monday morning when racing resumed and Grant Downing, his finals competition, could not answer the call. Hagan made a strong lap for the fans Monday but blew the body off his Monte Carlo , causing a bit of cosmetic body damage. But he couldn’t have cared less about the car when he knew Creasy was scheduled for surgery a couple of hours later.
“Blowing the body off the car didn’t help things, but that was the least of it,” Hagan said. “Now we’re going to go to the hospital to see Dale. I’m giving him the trophy from this race because he deserves it. He’s helped so many people in this class and has been such a big part of my career. This Ironman isn’t mine, it’s his. I just hope he’s okay.”
Hagan is going to stop at chassis-builder Murf McKinney’s shop on the way home. He had to get his wheelie bars repaired after breaking them in the final round, but he has other things on his agenda as well.
“I want to talk to Murf to see if there is something we can come up with to better protect the driver’s legs in these cars,” he said. “These things are dangerous; we know that every time we strap ourselves in. But if we can come up with something to protect the driver better I think we should make every effort to do it. We all have families. I have a year-and-a-half old son and a wife. I want to make sure everything is as safe as possible. I know I’m taking a risk when I get in the car, but I want to eliminate risks that might be unnecessary. Murf is a smart man, hopefully we can come up with something to address this.”
Kevin Jones ( Berea , Ky. ) claimed his second career Ironman in the Torco Pro Nitro Top Fuel class, stopping Budds Creek winner Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final round. Jones is a fan of rain-delayed events…his first career victory came at the rain-delayed Sooner Nationals in Tulsa last season. Jones defeated Spencer Massey in the first round and Tim Boychuk in the semifinals to advance to the final round.
There, against Lagana, neither driver could put together a smooth lap. Both had to pedal their cars, but Jones was able to get his Interstate Batteries rail hooked up sooner and reached the finish line first with a 5.271 pass at 280.84 mph. Lagana clocked a 6.301 at 182.90.
Carl Spiering (Jordan Station, Ontario ) has not been a regular on the IHRA circuit this season, but when he shows up to race he always makes his presence felt. Spiering drove his Eaton-backed Corvette to the Pro Modified championship in Edmonton , defeating Thomas Patterson in the final.
“This is just terrific,” an elated Spiering said after the race. “We tried to stay on our game plan for this deal and it worked. We didn’t put down any big numbers, but neither did anyone else. We remained consistent throughout and it paid off.”
Laurie Cannister ( Johnstown , Ohio ) claimed the Alcohol Funny Car championship Sunday before the rains came, defeating Paul Noakes in the final round for the second time this season. Canadian Bob Bertsch claimed the Pro Stock Ironman in memory of his fallen crew member, John Weisler, who passed away during the President’s Cup Nationals in Maryland three weeks ago.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Monday's final results from the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway. The race is the fifth of 10 in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Kevin Jones, 5.271 seconds, 280.84 mph def. Bobby Lagana Jr., 6.301 seconds, 182.90 mph.
Nitro Funny Car -- Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 28.891, no speed def. Grant Downing, Monte Carlo, broke.
Pro Modified -- Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.555, 214.25 def. Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.848, 192.36.
Alcohol Funny Car -- Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.906, 241.37 def. Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.950, 238.43.
Pro Stock -- Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.533, 215.07 was unopposed.
Nitro Bikes -- Damien Cownden, 6.707, 211.59 def. John Breckenridge, 7.722, 179.61.
Pro Nostalgia -- Joey Steckler, Chevy Corvette, 7.509, 185.79 def. Brent Harris, Willys Coupe, 7.634, 168.94.
Quick 16 -- Scott Hearn, Dragster, 7.157, 186.54 def. John Childs, Chevy, 7.251, 192.71.
Super Stock -- Rick Paton, Camaro, 9.371, 140.80 def. Casey Setters, Firebird, 10.129, 133.50.
Stock -- Ed Matiejewski, Nova, 12.387, 105.04 def. Tim Richards, Malibu , 11.966, 106.49.
Quick Rod -- Mike Shannon, Dragster, 9.094, 157.72 def. Garth Giroux, Dragster, 9.047, 168.45.
Super Rod -- Tom Patterson, Corvette, 10.119, 137.51 def. Pat McNally, Camaro, 10.053, 148.56.
Hot Rod -- Chad Barclay, Maverick, 11.114, 132.82 def. Scott Hydaman, Chevelle, 11.065, 115.06.
Top ET -- Derek Rose, Acadian, 10.736, 117.82 def. Justin Ronnie, Camaro, 10.588, 128.65.
ET Bracket -- Derek Rose, Acadian, 10.741, 115.99 def. Darren Ursel, Nova, 10.556, 125.26.
Mod ET -- Darren Ursel, Nova, 10.530, 126.86 def. Mario Brun, Camaro, 12.000, 107.65.
ET Bikes & Sleds -- Dave Wiebe, Ninja, 9.423, 106.50 def. Shawn Graham, Kawasaki Z1R, 10.990, 125.80.
Junior Dragster -- Corey Thomas, Dragster, 10.322, 62.51 def. Ian Admiraal, LMH, 8.263, 76.69.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Final round-by-round results from the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Strasburg, 5.551, 224.85 def. Mitch King, 8.534, 84.69; Tim Boychuk, 5.082, 262.33 def. Terry McMillen, 11.225, 83.70; Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.990, 268.38 def. Bruce Litton, 5.051, 298.34; Kevin Jones, 5.194, 252.99 def. Spencer Massey, 5.252, 270.05; SEMIFINALS -- Lagana Jr., 8.018, 93.27 def. Strasburg, 17.996, 77.77; Jones, 4.797, 298.21 def. Boychuk, 4.982, 286.86; FINAL -- Jones, 5.271, 280.84 def. Lagana Jr., 6.301, 182.90.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.933, 196.96 def. Pat Stoken, Chevy Camaro, 7.812, 129.12; Carl Spiering, Chevy Corvette, 6.197, 228.58 def. Gary Mason, Corvette, 6.413, 228.00; Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.165, 229.51 def. Ross Hogenson, Corvette, 9.504, 93.63; Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 6.096, 233.76 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 10.456, 86.38; Joe Delehay, Camaro, 7.900, 156.99 def. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 15.406, 56.24; Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.373, 231.28 def. Dan Vogt, Corvette, 6.556, 213.47; Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.316, 229.24 def. Lee Frank, Corvette, 6.436, 216.20; Jason Stock, Corvette, 6.292, 225.67 def. Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.336, 233.03; QUARTERFINALS -- Spiering, 8.234, 209.75 def. Cannon, 10.524, 84.57; Delehay, 6.430, 226.20 def. Castellana, 6.522, 228.15; Patterson, 6.298, 229.16 def. Lang, 10.003, 92.13; D'Aprile, 6.136, 225.37 def. Stock, 6.341, 224.58; SEMIFINALS -- Patterson, 6.372, 227.84 def. Delehay, 6.576, 224.32; Spiering, 6.249, 227.61 def. D'Aprile, 6.301, 227.04; FINAL -- Spiering, 6.555, 214.25 def. Patterson, 6.848, 192.36.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Thomas Carter, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.908, 241.45 def. John Evanchuk, Pontiac Firebird, 6.036, 236.75; Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.973, 241.63 def. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 6.089, 233.60; Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.958, 240.72 def. Scott McVey, Dodge Avenger, 6.023, 234.94; Paul Noakes, Avenger, 5.955, 236.51 def. Jordan Pawlick, Avenger, 6.174, 219.26; SEMIFINALS -- Cannister, 5.841, 242.02 def. Carter, 6.076, 239.61; Noakes, 5.900, 238.26 def. Atchison , 5.951, 243.37;
FINAL -- Cannister, 5.906, 241.37 def. Noakes, 5.950, 238.43.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Bob Bertsch, Ford Mustang, 6.533, 215.07 was unopposed;
NITRO FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Impala, 5.250, 284.75 def. Cory Lee, Pontiac Firebird, 10.340, 92.61; Matt Hagan, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.208, 238.22 def. Jeff Diehl, Monte Carlo, broke; Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo, 5.698, 201.61 def. Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.884, 229.24; Grant Downing, Monte Carlo, 5.529, 277.20 def. Jason Duchene, Chevy Camaro, 5.836, 202.36; SEMIFINALS -- Downing, 5.367, 219.40 def. Creasy Jr., 5.930, 173.96; Hagan, 6.671, 144.64 def. Macklyn, 8.181, 116.58; FINAL -- Hagan, no time, no speed def. Downing, DQ.
EDMONTON, Alb. -- Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Bruce Litton, 438; 2. Spencer Massey, 405; 3. Bobby Lagana Jr., 371; 4. Mike Strasburg, 369; 5. Kevin Jones, 303; 6. Terry McMillen, 256; 7. Scott Palmer, 222; 8. Chris Karamesines, 108; 9. Tim Boychuk, 74; 10. Michael Gunderson, 50.
Pro Modified
1. Kenny Lang, 377; 2. Mike Castellana, 303; 3. Scott Cannon, 295; 4. Tommy D{Aprile, 265; 5. Mike Janis, 260; 6. Jim Halsey , 256; 7. Thomas Patterson, 213; 8. Jason Hamstra, 198; 9. Ed Hoover, 187; 10. Pat Stoken, 177.
Alcohol Funny Car
1. Laurie Cannister, 572; 2. Rob Atchison, 401; 3. Thomas Carter, 377; 4. Paul Noakes, 345; 5. Dale Brand, 232; 6. Mark Thomas, 221; 7. Larry Dobbs, 167; 8. (tie) Terry Munroe, 120; Tim Stevens, 120; 10. Tony Bogolo, 107.
Pro Stock
1. Jeff Dobbins, 327; 2. Elijah Morton, 300; 3. Frank Gugliotta, 292; 4. John Montecalvo, 284; 5. Pete Berner, 239; 6. Bob Bertsch, 218; 7. Richard Freeman, 183; 8. Robert Patrick, 157; 9. Cary Goforth, 154; 10. Rob Mansfield, 149.
Nitro Funny Car
1. Dale Creasy Jr., 392; 2. Matt Hagan, 348; 3. Terry Haddock, 293; 4. Steven Macklyn, 283; 5. Paul Lee, 271; 6. Andy Kelley, 188; 7. Jeff Diehl, 176; 8. Jack Wyatt, 168; 9. Todd Simpson, 165; 10. Cory Lee, 128.
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 an 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.”
