SECOND-GENERATION CANNON SCORES FIRST PRO MODIFIED VICTORY; SCOTTY CANNON QUALIFIES FOR SECOND TF EVENT
ROCKINGHAM, NC – When Harry Chapin sang his famous rock and roll ballad – Cat’s in the Cradle – he must have had the Torco Race Fuels-sponsored father and son drag racing duo Scotty and Scott Cannon in mind.
Chapin crooned, “And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me.”
Twenty-six years ago, Scotty captured his first national event victory at the IHRA Spring Nationals when it was contested in Bristol , Tennessee .
Junior looked like a chip off the old block during Sunday’s IHRA Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway during Torco’s CompetitionPlus Pro Modified eliminations. The Lyman, South Carolina-based driver left no stone unturned as he captured his first career national event from the pole position. Even Dad didn’t do that.
Junior’s leap into the history books as one of the few to win his first national event from the pole position began with a five-second barrage in qualifying – the first back-to-back five-second runs in the history of IHRA Pro Modified racing.
He rocketed to a shocking 5.992 at 237.63 MPH run in today’s first session, which was in the middle of a gorgeous 80-degree day at The Rock. What made it shocking was the fact that almost every other competitor in Pro Mod had trouble getting down the track. He followed that up with a 5.998 during the US Air Force Night of Fire.
“We had her jacked up,” Junior said after Saturday evening’s blast. “We didn’t do too well at the last race, and we need all the points we can get.”
Junior’s got plenty of points in Rockingham. His list of victims included Harold Martin, Jim Halsey, Steve Vick and Kenny Lang in the final round.
Junior holds a thirteen-point lead in the championship standings over Danny Rowe, almost 26 years to the date the elder Cannon first assumed his first points lead.
Oh yeah … the elder Cannon.
Scotty qualified for his second consecutive Top Fuel event by driving Evan Knoll’s Seelye-Wright-sponsored to the seventh position with a 4.904, 303.84. His day, unfortunately, ended in the first round with a first round loss to eventual winner TJ Zizzo.
Scotty gets the last laugh in the whole deal though, he was tuning Junior’s car.
Cannon is sponsored by Evan Knoll’s Torco Race Fuels and Seelye-Wright Automotive Group.
The Seelye – Wright name carries every American manufacturer from General Motors to Ford to Mopar. They also have a prosperous Kia dealership and plan to add the Hyundai brand soon. Wright has been in business for over 25 years. Knoll became a partner in the thriving business last year.
For more information, visit Seelye Wright Automotive Group - Locations in Paw Paw, Kalamazoo, South Haven and Battle Creek, Michigan
Torco Race Fuels – Torco Racing Fuels
