ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Rookie
sensation Spencer Massey
kept his record perfect in
the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag
Racing series, upsetting
No. 1 qualifier Bruce
Litton for the second
consecutive race to win
the 37th annual Knoll Gas
Spring Nationals at
Rockingham Dragway.
Massey, 25, won the
season-opening Amalie
Texas Nationals at San
Antonio just six days
after qualifying for his
Top Fuel license and
hooking up with car owner
Mitch King. He beat
Litton in the first round
of that race. He stopped
the reigning series
champion in the final at
Rockingham.
A graduate of the Jr.
Dragster program which
provides a competitive
foundation for prospective
drivers under the age of
18, Massey began driving
Top Alcohol dragsters on
the NHRA circuit in 2006,
winning two NHRA national
events in a car owned and
prepared by drag racing
legend Gene Snow, who won
IHRA Top Fuel titles in
1990 and 1991.
Massey never trailed in
Sunday’s final. He had a
.038-.069 advantage at the
starting line and never
looked back., his 4.712
second, 313.51 mile per
hour effort covering
Litton’s 4.764 at 310.13
mph.
“I’m having a ball,”
Massey said. “I’ve had my
license for three weeks
and I’ve won two national
events. How can you beat
that? I owe it all to
(car owner) Mitch King and
(tuner) Paul Smith.
Paul’s got one of the best
tune-ups in the sport.
The car goes down the
track every time. All I
have to worry about is
cutting a light and
keeping it in the groove.
“I’ve been trying to work
on my lights in this car,”
Massey said. “I’ve been
trying some different
positioning but for the
final round I went back to
my normal deal like I did
in the A/Fuel car (he
drove previously). Bruce
was on his game. He was
ready for me. He had a
.069 light, which was very
respectable. We’re just
very honored to be in the
position we’re in (leading
the Top Fuel standings by
56 points).”
Other winners included
Funny Car rookie Matt
Hagan of Christiansburg,
Va., who upset No. 1
qualifier and track record
holder Paul Lee of
Wynnewood, Pa.; Carolina
favorite son Elijah
Morton, who upset
defending champion John
Montecalvo in the Pro
Stock final; and Laurie
Cannister of Johnstown,
Ohio, who kept her 2008
record perfect in the
Alcohol Funny Car class by
besting two-time former
series champ Rob Atchison.
In Pro Modified, Canadian
Kenny Lang proved that the
third time indeed is a
charm by driving his 1953
Chevy Corvette to an
uncontested victory over
defending champion Scotty
Cannon, to whom he lost in
last year’s Spring
Nationals. Lang has been
to only three IHRA tour
finals – all three at
Rockingham, where he was
runner-up to Mike Janis at
last October’s World
Finals.
“It was great that we got
the win,” Lang said.
“I’ve always wanted to win
an Ironman, but you want
to put a show on for the
fans and we weren’t able
to do that. We were
hoping to drop the car
down into the fives but we
know we have a really fast
car, a contending car.”
Pro-Am winners included
Brett Nesbitt of
McLeansville, N.C., who
doubled-up in Quick Rod,
adding the Spring
Nationals title to the
Summit All-Stars
championship he earned on
Saturday. Malinda
Bertozzi, wife of multiple
world champion Anthony
Bertozzi, claimed the Top
Dragster title while Sandy
Wilkins prevailed in Top
Sportsman, Bernard Weaver
in Super Rod, Marshall
Smith in Hot Rod, Jeff
Tripp in Super Stock and
Dan Fletcher in Stock.
Hagan got a gift in the
final when Lee’s car,
which had been flawless
all weekend, finally
stumbled. Lee was ahead
by two-tenths of a second
at half track and Hagan,
making just his second
Funny Car start, thought
his own Cinderella story
was over.
”I knew I had a bad
light,” Hagan said, “and I
said, ‘oh man, it’s over
now.’ It went into (tire)
shake. I pedaled it
(feathered the throttle)
real quick. When I went
around him, I was shaking
already. I’ve been after
one of these for a long
time. Two years in Pro
Mod. My tuner, Jay Lewis,
made it all happen for me
today. I couldn’t have a
better tuner.
“I was cheering in the
car but I didn’t see the
win light. When I got out
and everybody was running
over to the us with the
cameras, that’s when I
knew. (Compared to a Pro
Mod car) it’s super, super
fast. Your mind is
playing catch up all the
time, but now I’m
beginning to feel really
comfortable in the car.”
Morton used a starting
line advantage to get to
the finish line just ahead
of Montecalvo and win for
the first time since June
13, 2004 when he prevailed
in Grand Bend, Ont.,
Canada.
“Monte took us out in the
semifinals at San Antonio
(at the IHRA
season-opener),” Morton
said. “I was bound and
determined to pay him
back. Monte’s a good
driver, a good guy, but
this time we took the
‘W.’”
“We’ve been developing
our own engine program,”
Morton said, “and it takes
time (so) we’ve had to be
very patient. We had a
very consistent car today
and ended up with a
national win. I could
feel him coming up, but I
knew the (finish line)
stripe was coming up
quick. This is what I
call my home track, so
it’s great to do it right
here in Rockingham, North
Carolina.”
Cannister, who was away
from the sport for five
years, put herself solidly
ahead of Atchison in the
race for the 2008
championship. Her car was
quickest in every round.
In fact, her Kalbone’s
Grillin’ Sauce Chevy has
been quickest in all
qualifying and competitive
rounds this season.
The Pro Outlaw winner at
the 2000 Spring Nationals,
Cannister gave a shout out
to rival Dale Brand for
loaning her team front
tires and wheels for the
final round after she
returned from the semis
with chunks out of the
front tires.
Although she dominated,
Cannister had one anxious
moment in the very first
round when she was late
reacting to the starting
signal.
“I absolutely beat myself
up after that first
round,” she said, “but I
just tried to get it out
of my head and concentrate
harder. Luckily my crew
gave me a great car but in
the final we went up there
with No. 1 cylinder hurt
pretty bad. Actually, I
put the thing into third
gear and, right in the
lights, it just quit.
“It’s great to be on top,
but I know that once you
get to the top, it’s tough
to stay there. The good
thing is I know I have the
crew and the car and the
sponsor.”
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Final
round results from
Sunday’s 37th annual IHRA
Spring Nationals at
Rockingham Dragway, second
race in the 2008 Knoll Gas
Nitro Jam Drag Racing
Series:
TOP FUEL – Spencer
Massey, Fort Worth, Texas,
4.712, 313.52 mph, def.
Bruce Litton,
Indianapolis, Ind., 4.764,
310.13 mph.
NITRO FUNNY CAR – Matt
Hagan, Christiansburg,
Va., 2005 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo, 5.227, 269.35 mph,
def. Paul Lee, Wynnewood,
Pa., 2005 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo, 5.367, 244.83 mph.
PRO MODIFIED – Kenny
Lang, Grande Pointe,
Manitoba, Canada, 1953
Chevrolet Corvette, 6.540,
194.86 mph, def. Scott
Cannon, Lyman, S.C., 1968
Pontiac Firebird, broke.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR –
Laurie Cannister,
Johnstown, Ohio, 1999
Chevrolet Camaro, 5.716,
231.40 mph, def. Rob
Atchison, London, Ontario,
Canada, 2005 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, 5.876, 244.60
mph.
PRO STOCK – Elijah
Morton, Jacksonville,
N.C., 2007 Ford Mustang,
6.345, 219.65 mph, def.
John Montecalvo, Center
Moriches, N.Y., 2008
Chevrolet Impala, 6.336,
220.51 mph.
TOP SPORTSMAN – Sandy
Wilkins, Fuquay Varina,
N.C., 2002 Chevrolet
Cavalier, def. Travis
Harvey, Burlington, N.C.,
1968 Chevrolet Camaro,
foul.
TOP DRAGSTER – Malinda
Bertozzi, Ashland, Va.,
def. Edward Careccia, Mars
Hill, N.C.
QUICK ROD – Brett
Nesbitt, McLeansville,
N.C., 8.929, 171.66 mph,
def. Jacob Elrod, Lima,
Ohio, 8.919, 161.69 mph.
SUPER ROD – Bernard
Weaver, Madison, Va., 1984
Dodge Daytona, 9.887,
150.40 mph, def. Calvin
Butler, Marlintown, West
Va., 1998 Oldsmobile
Cutlass, foul.
HOT ROD – Marshall Smith,
Chester, S.C., 1964
Chevrolet Chevelle,
10.910, 120.51 mph, def.
John Furr, Oakboro, N.C.,
1972 Chevy Nova, 10.921,
139.05 mph.
SUPER STOCK – Jeff Tripp,
Jackson, N.J., 1984
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
def. Anthony Bertozzi,
Ashland, Va., 1998 Pontiac
Trans Am, foul.
STOCK – Dan Fletcher,
Churchville, N.Y., 1969
Chevrolet Camaro, def. Lee
Zane, Perry Hall, Md.,
1998 Pontiac Firebird,
foul.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. –
Round-by-round results
from Sunday’s 37th annual
IHRA Spring Nationals at
Rockingham Dragway:
TOP FUEL
Round 1 – 1. Bruce
Litton, Indianapolis,
Ind., 4.682, 300.20 mph,
def. Terry McMillen,
Elkhart, Ind., 9.574,
83.63 mph; 6. Spencer
Massey, Fort Worth, Texas,
4.765, 309.91 mph, def. 2.
Scott Palmer, Ozark, Mo.,
4.855, 265.43 mph; 3.
Bobby Lagana, Scarsdale,
N.Y., 4.691, 323.27 mph,
def. 7. Michael Gunderson,
Middleburg, Fla., 12.749,
76.38 mph; 4. Mike
Strasburg, Lindon, Utah,
4.735, 316.23 mph, def. 8.
Kevin Jones, Berea, Ky.,
4.947, 283.79 mph.
Semifinals – Massey,
4.709, 315.34 mph, def.
Strasburg, 5.037, 228.23
mph; Litton, 4.724, 315.27
mph, def. Lagana, 4.902,
254.81 mph.
FINAL – Spencer Massey,
Fort Worth, Texas, 4.712,
313.52 mph, def. Bruce
Litton, Indianapolis,
Ind., 4.764, 310.13 mph.
NITRO FUNNY CAR
Round 1 – 1. Paul Lee,
Wynnewood, Pa., 2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
4.931, 302.75 mph, def. 5.
Jack Wyatt, Corydon, Iowa,
2007 Dodge Stratus, 5.179,
234.27 mph; 6. Cory Lee,
Aliquippa, 2005 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, 5.417, 221.31
mph, def. 2. Terry
Haddock, Woodinville,
Wash., 2006. Dodge
Stratus, 13.905, 58.62
mph; ; 3. Andy Kelley,
Piedmont, S.C., 2002
Pontiac Firebird, 5.088,
291.45 mph, def. 7. Steve
Macklyn, Salt Lake City,
Utah, 2005 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo, 13.492, 79.93 mph;
8. Matt Hagan,
Christiansburg, Va., 2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
5.023, 285.29 mph, def. 4.
Dale Creasy Jr., Beecher,
Ill., 2008 Chevrolet
Impala, 5.123, 265.53 mph.
Semifinals – Hagan,
5.685, 279.03 mph, def. C.
Lee, broke; P. Lee, 4.884,
306.81 mph, def. Kelley,
5.252, 232.83 mph.
FINAL – Matt Hagan,
Christiansburg, Va., 2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
5.227, 269.35 mph, def.
Paul Lee, Wynnewood, Pa.,
2005 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo, 5.367, 244.83 mph.
PRO MODIFIED
Round 1 – 1. Mike Janis,
Lancaster, N.Y., 1967
Pontiac Firebird, 6.062,
237.75 mph, def. 9. Mike
Castellana, Westbury,
N.Y., 1968 Pontiac
Firebird, 6.151, 236.59
mph;; 2. Kenny Lang,
Grande Pointe, Manitoba,
Canada, 1953 Chevrolet
Corvette, 6.029, 236.84
mph, def. 10. Jason
Hamstra, DeMotte, Ind.,
1968 Chevrolet Camaro,
6.154, 211.43 mph; 3.
Scott Cannon, Lyman, S.C.,
1968 Pontiac Firebird,
6.068, 236.68 mph, def.
11. Mark Nielsen,
Brantford, Ontario,
Canada, 1968 Chevrolet
Camaro, 6.100, 234.09 mph;
4. Tommy D’Aprile, Port
Charlotte, Fla., 1962
Chevrolet Bel Air, 6.077,
235.47 mph, def. 12.
Burton Auxier Jr., Dixie,
West Va., 1953 Chevrolet
Corvette, 14.355, 57.84
mph; 5. Pat Stoken,
Eureka, Mont., 1968
Chevrolet Camaro, 6.197,
231.20 mph, def. 13.
Thomas Patterson, Spring,
Texas, 1941 Willys, 6.279,
224.36 mph; 14. Billy
Gibson, Chaptico, Md.,
1970 Plymouth Superbird,
6.183, 226.43 mph, def. 6.
Chip King, Semora, N.C.,
1969 Dodge Daytona, 6.156,
232.55 mph; 15. Jim
Halsey, Street Md., 1968
Chevrolet Camaro, 6.113,
229.16 mph, def. 7. Chris
Russo, Cedar Grove, N.J.,
1963 Chevrolet Corvette,
17.679, 58.16 mph; 8.
Quain Stott, Columbus,
N.C., 1963 Chevrolet
Corvette, 6.055, 236.88
mph, def. 16. Frederick
Scriba, Millersville, Md.,
1963 Chevrolet Corvette,
9.684, 104.44 mph.
Round 2 – Cannon, 6.586,
173.45 mph, def. Halsey,
9.413, 111.12 mph; Stoken,
7.332, 183.92 mph, def.
Janis, 8.484, 132.39 mph;
D’Aprile, 6.113, 235.43
mph, def. Stott, 6.174,
237.09 mph; Lang, 6.069,
237.46 mph, def. Gibson,
6.637,198.67 mph..
Semifinals – Cannon,
6.156, 229.51 mph, def.
Stoken, 7.302, 136.41 mph;
Lang, 6.035, 237.13 mph,
def. D’Aprile, 6.079,
234.21 mph.
FINAL – Kenny Lang,
Grande Pointe, Manitoba,
Canada, 1953 Chevrolet
Corvette, 6.540, 194.86
mph, def. Scott Cannon,
Lyman, S.C., 1968 Pontiac
Firebird, broke.
ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1 – 1. Laurie
Cannister, Johnstown,
Ohio, 1999 Chevrolet
Camaro, 4.750, 243.55 mph,
def. 5. Neal Parker,
Millville, N.J., 2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
5.880, 239.23 mph; 2. Dale
Brand, Sully, Iowa, 2001
Chevrolet Camaro, 5.921,
236.19 mph, def. 6. Terry
Munroe, Beaver, Pa., 2005
Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
5.924, 236.38 mph; 3.
Thomas Carter, Victoria,
Texas, 2005 Chevrolet
Camaro, 5.874, 242.76 mph,
def. 7. Larry Dobbs,
Welland, Ontario, Canada,
2001 Chevrolet Corvette,
6.752, 144.12 mph; 4. Rob
Atchison, London, Ontario,
Canada, 2005 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, 5.924, 245.05
mph, def. Mark Thomas,
Louisville, Ohio, 2008
Chevrolet Impala (in as
alternate for 8. Paul
Noakes, London, Ontario,
Canada, 2000 Dodge
Avenger), 5.908, 239.31
mph.
Semifinals – Atchison,
5.853, 244.56 mph, def.
Brand, broke; Cannister,
4.722, 243.90 mph, def.
Carter, 5.777, 240.00 mph.
FINAL – Laurie Cannister,
Johnstown, Ohio, 1999
Chevrolet Camaro, 5.716,
231.40 mph, def. Rob
Atchison, London, Ontario,
Canada, 2005 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo, 5.876, 244.60
mph.
PRO STOCK
Round 1 – 9 Jeff
Dobbins, Wilmington, N.C.,
2006 Ford Escort, 6.356,
218.76 mph, def. 1. Pete
Berner, Crete, Ill., 2008
Pontiac GXP, 6.321, 218.51
mph; 2. Frank Gugliotta,
Mt. Airy, Md., 2007 Ford
Mustang, 6.365, 215.82
mph, def. 10 Steve Spiess,
Manhattan, Ill., 2007
Chevrolet Cobalt, 6.397,
218.72 mph; 11. Cary
Goforth, Holdenville,
Okla., 2008 Chevrolet
Cobalt, 6.394, 217.98 mph,
def. 3. Robert Patrick,
Fredericksburg, Va., 2007
Ford Mustang, foul; 12.
Brian Gahm, Lucasville,
Ohio, 2007 Ford Mustang,
6.378, 219.29 mph, def. 4.
Rob Mansfield, Margate,
Fla., 2006 Pontiac GTO,
14.613, 58.28 mph; 5.
Elijah Morton,
Jacksonville, N.C., 2007
Ford Mustang, 6.335,
217.49 mph, def. 13.
Trevor Eman, Orlando,
Fla., 2006 Ford Escort,
6.448, 219.01 mph; 14.
Rickie Smith, King, N.C.,
2008 Chevrolet Cobalt,
6.429, 216.20 mph, def. 6.
Dean Goforth, Holdenville,
Okla., 2006 Pontiac GTO,
10.136, 90.94 mph; 7.
Richard Freeman,
Wynnewood, Okla., 2008
Chevrolet Cobalt, 6.472,
214.25 mph, def. 15. Bert
Jackson, Glen Allen, Va.,
2002 Chevrolet Cavalier,
6.793, 214.28 mph; 8. John
Montecalvo, Center
Moriches, N.Y., 2008
Chevrolet Cobalt, 6.361,
218.94 mph, def. 16. Jason
Collins, Rainbow City,
Ala., 2007 Chevrolet
Cobalt, foul.
Round 2 – C. Goforth,
8.101, 182.21 mph, def.
Freeman, 8.702, 110.09
mph; Gugliotta, 6.393,
218.02 mph, def. Smith,
6.418, 217.11 mph;
Montecalvo, 6.403, 219.36
mph, def. Gahm, 9.170,
200.81 mph; Morton, 6.373,
218.55 mph, def. Dobbins,
6.382, 219.94 mph.
Semifinals – Montecalvo,
6.341, 219.22 mph, def.
Gugliotta, 6.376, 218.09
mph; Moron, 6.357, 217.63
mph, def. C. Goforth,
6.397, 218.72 mph.
FINAL – Elijah Morton,
Jacksonville, N.C., 2007
Ford Mustang, 6.345,
219.65 mph, def. John
Montecalvo, Center
Moriches, N.Y., 2008
Chevrolet Impala, 6.336,
220.51 mph.
