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NORWALK, Ohio (July 5, 2007) -- Last season the walk-up crowd at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton made the Rocky Mountain Nationals the most heavily-attended race in the history of the facility. This season the fans are not taking any chances.
The advance ticket sales for the 2007 version of the Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam event in Edmonton by far exceeds anything ever seen before. Last year’s successful event, coupled with a star-studded field, combined to make the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsport Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels the hottest ticket in town.
“The ticket demand has been unbelievable,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said of the Rocky Mountain Nationals. “Rob Reeves and his staff have done an outstanding job of keeping up with the phones because, quite honestly, they are ringing non-stop. In fact our next three races, first in Edmonton, then in Grand Bend and finally in Martin, Michigan, are way ahead of last year’s ticket sales numbers. Edmonton should be an exciting weekend and really jump-start the rest of the season.”
Defending world champion Dale Creasy Jr. will look to defend his Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car 2006 victory against the strongest and deepest Nitro Funny Car field Alberta, Canada has ever seen. Jack Wyatt will make the trip to Edmonton to do battle with Creasy while Andy Kelley, the runner up in Tulsa, and Bob Gilbertson will also look to knock Creasy off his perch.
Gilbertson, in fact, will be competing in his “Jungle Jim” tribute body, something extra for the fans in Edmonton to enjoy.
The Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel class is also as strong and as deep than at any other time in IHRA history. T.J. Zizzo will enter Edmonton with the points lead but a number of different drivers are within striking distance. Bruce Litton, who was the runner up in Tulsa, is within a couple rounds of Zizzo heading into Castrol Raceway. Bobby Lagana Jr., Scotty Cannon and Doug Foley are also well within range of the front-running Zizzo.
“It’s early in the season and there is a lot of racing left,” Lagana said. “T.J. is off to a fast start and has a great car with a strong team so the rest of us really have to step up our games so he doesn’t run away with it. Edmonton is going to be a battle because it really is a pivotal race.”
Scott Cannon Jr. has had the strongest car thus far on the 2007 Nitro Jam circuit, but a number of different drivers have Cannon in their sights…including a nitrous car. Pat Stoken proved a nitrous car could compete in what last season was a blower car class, Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified. Stoken claimed the Ironman at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals, putting a nitrous car in the winner’s circle at a Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam event for the first time since Mike Castellana won in Budds Creek during the 2005 season.
Kenny Lang, Ed Hoover, Danny Rowe and defending world champion Quain Stott also are within 100 points of Cannon in the race for the championship.
In Alcohol Funny Car it looks like it will be, as usual, Mark Thomas and Rob Atchison battling it out for the championship. But Terry Munroe might have something to say about it, in the end, as well. Munroe won the first event of the season in San Antonio before Thomas claimed the Ironman at the Spring Nationals in Rockingham. Atchison held serve with an Ironman victory at Tulsa Raceway Park.
“Three winners in three events, that’s kind of cool,” Atchison said after his victory in Tulsa. “This class is so strong. It’s a battle any time you race Mark, Terry Munroe and his team are running well and there are others who can beat you. This is going to be very exciting all season because every round will be a big round.”
The same can be said for the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock class. John Montecalvo will head to Edmonton with the points lead, but that lead is by the slimmest of margins. Defending champion Pete Berner sits just one point behind Montecalvo on the strength of an Ironman victory in Tulsa. Robert Patrick, Brian Gahm, Rob Mansfield and Steve Spiess are also very much alive in the title hunt.
The CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels are scheduled for July 6-8. Pro qualifying will commence Friday, July 6 at 3 p.m. followed by a second pro qualifying session at 7:30 p.m. Saturday will offer two professional qualifying sessions as well, the first at 3 p.m. followed by the Cervus Contractors Equipment JCB Night of Fire beginning at 7:30.
Professional eliminations are slated to begin Sunday, July 8 at 10:30 a.m.
To order tickets for the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels visit IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation and click on the "Buy Tickets" link in the top-right corner. You can also purchase tickets at Drag Racing, Oval Racing, Motocross: Castrol Raceway.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONALS EXPECTED TO SHATTER PREVIOUS ATTENDANCE MARK
NORWALK, Ohio (July 5, 2007) -- Last season the walk-up crowd at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton made the Rocky Mountain Nationals the most heavily-attended race in the history of the facility. This season the fans are not taking any chances.
The advance ticket sales for the 2007 version of the Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam event in Edmonton by far exceeds anything ever seen before. Last year’s successful event, coupled with a star-studded field, combined to make the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsport Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels the hottest ticket in town.
“The ticket demand has been unbelievable,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said of the Rocky Mountain Nationals. “Rob Reeves and his staff have done an outstanding job of keeping up with the phones because, quite honestly, they are ringing non-stop. In fact our next three races, first in Edmonton, then in Grand Bend and finally in Martin, Michigan, are way ahead of last year’s ticket sales numbers. Edmonton should be an exciting weekend and really jump-start the rest of the season.”
Defending world champion Dale Creasy Jr. will look to defend his Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car 2006 victory against the strongest and deepest Nitro Funny Car field Alberta, Canada has ever seen. Jack Wyatt will make the trip to Edmonton to do battle with Creasy while Andy Kelley, the runner up in Tulsa, and Bob Gilbertson will also look to knock Creasy off his perch.
Gilbertson, in fact, will be competing in his “Jungle Jim” tribute body, something extra for the fans in Edmonton to enjoy.
The Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel class is also as strong and as deep than at any other time in IHRA history. T.J. Zizzo will enter Edmonton with the points lead but a number of different drivers are within striking distance. Bruce Litton, who was the runner up in Tulsa, is within a couple rounds of Zizzo heading into Castrol Raceway. Bobby Lagana Jr., Scotty Cannon and Doug Foley are also well within range of the front-running Zizzo.
“It’s early in the season and there is a lot of racing left,” Lagana said. “T.J. is off to a fast start and has a great car with a strong team so the rest of us really have to step up our games so he doesn’t run away with it. Edmonton is going to be a battle because it really is a pivotal race.”
Scott Cannon Jr. has had the strongest car thus far on the 2007 Nitro Jam circuit, but a number of different drivers have Cannon in their sights…including a nitrous car. Pat Stoken proved a nitrous car could compete in what last season was a blower car class, Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified. Stoken claimed the Ironman at the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals, putting a nitrous car in the winner’s circle at a Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam event for the first time since Mike Castellana won in Budds Creek during the 2005 season.
Kenny Lang, Ed Hoover, Danny Rowe and defending world champion Quain Stott also are within 100 points of Cannon in the race for the championship.
In Alcohol Funny Car it looks like it will be, as usual, Mark Thomas and Rob Atchison battling it out for the championship. But Terry Munroe might have something to say about it, in the end, as well. Munroe won the first event of the season in San Antonio before Thomas claimed the Ironman at the Spring Nationals in Rockingham. Atchison held serve with an Ironman victory at Tulsa Raceway Park.
“Three winners in three events, that’s kind of cool,” Atchison said after his victory in Tulsa. “This class is so strong. It’s a battle any time you race Mark, Terry Munroe and his team are running well and there are others who can beat you. This is going to be very exciting all season because every round will be a big round.”
The same can be said for the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock class. John Montecalvo will head to Edmonton with the points lead, but that lead is by the slimmest of margins. Defending champion Pete Berner sits just one point behind Montecalvo on the strength of an Ironman victory in Tulsa. Robert Patrick, Brian Gahm, Rob Mansfield and Steve Spiess are also very much alive in the title hunt.
The CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels are scheduled for July 6-8. Pro qualifying will commence Friday, July 6 at 3 p.m. followed by a second pro qualifying session at 7:30 p.m. Saturday will offer two professional qualifying sessions as well, the first at 3 p.m. followed by the Cervus Contractors Equipment JCB Night of Fire beginning at 7:30.
Professional eliminations are slated to begin Sunday, July 8 at 10:30 a.m.
To order tickets for the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels visit IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation and click on the "Buy Tickets" link in the top-right corner. You can also purchase tickets at Drag Racing, Oval Racing, Motocross: Castrol Raceway.
