IHRA at San Antonio

Results courtesy FastNews Network
3/10/03

Thomas Patterson's "Head Hunter" took the first win of the season. (Richard Burk photo)

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series successfully completed the first of twelve scheduled stops with a record-setting performance at San Antonio Raceway in San Antonio, Texas. Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Mitch Stott (Pro Modified), Tony Bogolo (Funny Car) and Rick Jones (Sunoco Pro Stock) posted professional victories at the inaugural Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira. The race had been postponed from the previous week due to rain.

The event marked a new era for IHRA Top Fuel as sanctioning body officials rescinded supercharger and weight restrictions for the 2003 season and beyond. The rules may have been different, but the outcome proved to be the same as it has been since 2001.

TOP FUEL

Millican completed a 4.5-second barrage in his Peter Lehman-owned, Werner Enterprises dragster with a convincing victory over John Smith. The defending World Champion was clearly on his game as he posted a 4.598, 319.98 to easily cover the 4.731, 315.86 run from Smith's Prestone-sponsored dragster.

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Millican may have been off of his usual torrid pace before the event's postponement, but he more than made up for it a week later. With the win, he extended a performance record in IHRA competition that lists only one round loss dating back to 2001.

"The final round scared the crap out of me, I'll admit to that," said Millican. "I knew John had red-lighted, but then I started second-guessing myself and asking if he really did. That was just as well because I was late getting off of the line. I never really felt comfortable until my guys came on the radio and told me that we had won."

During the "Night of Fire" qualifying on Saturday evening, Millican became the first IHRA Top Fuel dragster pilot to record a 4.5-second run when he laid down a 4.591, 316.30 world record blast. He performed the required one-percent back-up in the first round of competition with a 4.608 elapsed time that beat Bob Hallock. Millican then extended his winning streak over Bruce Litton in the semi-finals with his slowest run of the day, a 4.639, 318.02.

For his part, Smith had a good day in the Virgil Hartman Top Fueler as he started from the third qualifying position and defeated Louie Allison and Don Sosenka to reach the final round.

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