Words by Jeff Burk - Photos by John Edwin Mason and courtesy IHRA Media

The April date at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway has been on the IHRA calendar longer than any other event on the IHRA circuit. They actually started holding a Spring IHRA National Event at the “Rock” in 1971 (Ronnie Sox won Pro Stock). Since that first race drivers such as TV Tommy Ivo, Raymond Beadle, Don Garlits, Bob Glidden, Don Nicholson, Lee Shepherd, Kenny Bernstein, Darrell Gwynn, Fred Hahn, Ed McCulloch and many other Hall-of-Famers have made appearances in the Rockingham winner’s circle.

This year Del Cox (Top Fuel), Tim Tindle (Pro Mod) and Cary Goforth (Pro Stock) all picked up their first career IHRA victories and membership in a pretty elite club of professional drivers who have won at the spring IHRA event at the “ The Rock”.

TOP FUEL

Perennial IHRA Championship contender Bruce Litton is in a familiar place for him after the completion of the second race of the IHRA series. He has been to the final round twice, won once, and leads the points going into the third race of the season.

At the Rock an uncharacteristic engine explosion in the money round against IHRA Rookie-of-the-Year contender Del Cox Jr. gave Litton the points lead but Cox his first Top Fuel race win in any sanctioning body. Litton was leading the race when the engine let go, delivering a huge fireball which allowed Cox to drive around for his historic win. Litton ousted Tim Boychuk and Mitch King before meeting up with the rookie driver in the final round.