TOP FUELROUND ONE: Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.335, 258.42 def. Spencer Massey, 6.888, 143.84; Bruce Litton, 4.896, 288.09 def. Kevin Jones, 4.950, 297.48; Mike Strasburg, 4.938, 282.84 def. Terry McMillen, 4.858, 298.47 SEMIFINALS: Lagana Jr., 4.941, 291.82 def. Strasburg, 6.190, 150.51; Litton, 5.143, 210.18 was unopposed FINAL: Lagana Jr., 4.869, 306.40 def. Litton, 4.998, 225.82. PRO MODIFIEDROUND ONE: Jason Hamstra, Chevy Camaro, 6.315, 227.73 def. Burton Auxier, Chevy Corvette, 6.446, 223.54; Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.116, 232.91 def. Steve Engel, Corvette, 11.441, 79.20; Mike Castellana, Pontiac Firebird, 6.547, 229.04 def. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 7.929, 131.96; Thomas Patterson, Dodge Charger, 6.196, 231.16 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.211, 232.47; Mike Janis, Firebird, 6.175, 235.43 def. Mike Stawicki, Camaro, 6.226, 227.11; Scott Cannon, Firebird, 6.215, 231.36 def. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.380, 228.89; Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.138, 235.51 def. Milt Decker, Corvette, 6.413, 215.31; Billy Gibson, Plymouth Superbird, 6.130, 231.20 def. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Bel Air, 8.173, 117.95 QUARTERFINALS: Janis, 6.113, 237.00 def. Hamstra, 6.434, 204.70; Castellana, 6.056, 239.74 def. Lang, 6.136, 236.71; Gibson, 6.141, 231.48 def. Patterson, 6.146, 224.70; Hoover, 6.122, 233.56 def. Cannon, 6.153, 235.47 SEMIFINALS: Hoover, 6.113, 233.84 def. Gibson, 6.306, 220.94; Castellana, 6.070, 239.40 def. Janis, 6.111, 239.36 FINAL: Castellana, 6.097, 238.93 def. Hoover, 6.102, 232.31. ALCOHOL FUNNY CARROUND ONE: Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 5.850, 242.10 def. Dale Brand, Camaro, 9.745, 92.30; Paul Noakes, Dodge Avenger, 5.815, 243.77 def. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.287, 186.33; Mark Thomas, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.848, 244.87 def. Thomas Carter, Monte Carlo, 6.295, 173.74; Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.868, 247.88 def. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 6.134, 236.30 SEMIFINALS: Noakes, 5.879, 243.72 def. Atchison, 6.129, 241.80; Cannister, 5.823, 245.27 def. Thomas, 5.806, 246.57 FINALS: Cannister, 5.780, 246.57 def. Noakes, 6.015, 238.17. PRO STOCKROUND ONE: Trevor Eman, Ford Escort, 6.486, 218.30 def. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 7.478, 186.72; Tom Lee, Ford Mustang, 6.435, 220.33 def. Bert Jackson, Chevy Cavalier, 7.249, 146.43; Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.417, 218.44 def. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.507, 215.10; Pete Berner, Pontiac GXP, 6.394, 219.44 def. Dean Goforth, Pontiac GTO, 6.475, 218.41; Jason Collins, Cobalt, 6.458, 219.40 def. Brian Gahm, Mustang, foul; Richard Freeman, Cobalt, 6.503, 218.58 def. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 8.641, 110.03; Frank Gugliotta, Mustang, 6.423, 217.46 def. Rob Mansfield, GTO, 6.416, 219.44; Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.421, 221.02 def. Robert Patrick, Mustang, 6.444, 218.05 QUARTERFINALS: Freeman, 6.545, 218.16 def. Eman, 6.462, 219.61; Collins, 6.616, 211.46 def. Dobbins, 7.266, 162.20; Morton, 6.711, 218.44 def. Lee, broke; Gugliotta, 6.424, 219.58 def. Berner, 6.395, 220.04 SEMIFINALS: Collins, 6.419, 220.30 def. Morton, 6.407, 219.54; Gugliotta, 6.437, 218.94 def. Freeman, 6.490, 219.47 FINAL: Gugliotta, 6.417, 219.86 def. Collins, 6.431, 219.83. NITRO FUNNY CARROUND ONE: Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Impala, 5.872, 167.09 def. Mike Smith, Chevy Camaro, foul; Terry Haddock, Dodge Stratus, 5.567, 196.19 def. Paul Lee, Chevy Monte Carlo, foul; Todd Simpson, Camaro, 5.781, 192.91 def. Steven Macklyn, Monte Carlo, 6.218, 157.06; Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 5.418, 239.78 def. Matt Hagan, Monte Carlo, 8.609, 94.83; SEMIFINALS: Creasy Jr., 5.118, 293.73 def. Kelley, 5.323, 280.14; Simpson, 5.434, 263.26 def. Haddock, 5.678, 202.82; FINALS: Creasy Jr., 5.080, 294.95 def. Simpson, 6.214, 159.99. |
The win was special for Lagana because his father, Bobby Sr., was at MIR with him and his brother Domenick was tuning his car for the first time. Lagana clocked a 4.869/306.40 pass in the final to top Litton’s 4.998/225.82.
“I have absolutely the best deal in life,” Lagana said. “My family is great, I have an awesome girlfriend, my brother is unbelievable. Dom is the most incredible person in my entire life. I told him he was tuning the car this weekend and we never missed a beat. I have everything I could possibly want.”
Mike Castellana proved the nitrous Pro Modifieds are back with a vengeance. Castellana knocked off Ed Hoover in the final round by clocking a 6.097 at 238.93 mph. Earlier in the weekend he posted the fastest speed by a nitrous Pro Modified car in IHRA history, posting a 239.14 mph pass.
”We really had a handle on this car all weekend,” Castellana said. “Shannon Jenkins and SpeedTech Nitrous Systems really gave me a great car. My son was here with me, so this was a great Father’s Day present.”
Castellana knocked off Pat Stoken, Kenny Lang and Mike Janis to reach the finals.
“This class is very strong,” Castellana said. “It doesn’t matter what round and where someone qualifies. Anyone can win when Sunday rolls around.”
Laurie Cannister (Johnstown, Ohio) continued her dominance in the Alcohol Funny Car class, winning for the third time in four national events. Cannister defeated Paul Noakes in the final round at Maryland International Raceway. Cannister won at MIR last season as well.
“Two for two here. It’s great we were able to start here, then come back to prove this wasn’t a fluke,” Cannister said. “The whole crew was great this weekend. We didn’t have any trouble with the track being hot or greasy, we seemed to have a handle on it. I know a lot of other teams had a tough time with the track but we just hung in there and did what we know how to do.”
Frank Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) was able to find the winner’s circle for the first time this year, defeating Jason Collins in the Torco Pro Stock final. The win was special for Gugliotta because it came at his home track.
“It feels great to win at home,” Gugliotta said. “I’ve been trying to win in Pro Stock here for a long time. I won in Top Sportsman here before, but winning one in Pro Stock has just eluded me. I’ve runnered-up but it seemed like I could never seal the deal. And I am really happy I could get a win for Bob Yoak. He was the first one to ever put me in a Pro Stock car and I really wanted to win him one. I finally did.”
RESULTS
Top Sportsman: Sandy Wilkins, Chevy Cavalier, 7.319, 164.17, def. Wayne Woodard, Cavalier, 7.401, 162.37.
Top Dragster: Gary Koebbe, Dragster, 7.075, 185.74, def. Steve Furr, Dragster, foul.
Super Stock: Craig Marshall, Pontiac Grand Am, 8.970, 145.02, def. Monty Bogan Jr., Pontiac Firebird, 9.588, 139.10.
Stock: Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.592, 113.74, def. Wayne Totard, Pontiac Grand Am, 10.720, 126.45.
Quick Rod: Danny Waters Jr., Dragster, 9.020, 155.79, def. Kathy Fisher, Dragster, 9.067, 158.45.
Super Rod: Cameron Manuel, Chevy Corvette, 9.890, 142.66, def. Steve Furr, Chevy Camaro, 9.889, 155.42.
Hot Rod: Chris Carpenter, Chevy Vega, 10.867, 132.32, def. Chris Nyerges, Chevy Camaro, 10.858, 136.19.