Double the Pleasure

Words and photos by Ian Tocher
6/11/03

INWIDDIE, VA -- A win is always treasured, but when two come back-to-back the feeling is twice as nice. That was the sentiment for three of the four pro class winners at the IHRA's ACDelco Nationals presented by Chevrolet June 6-8, at Virginia Motorsports Park, as just one week after winning in Canada, Pro Stock driver Carl Baker, Funny Car's Rob Atchison, and Top Fuel ace Clay Millican repeated the feat, with Mitch Stott taking top honors in Pro Modified.

The Lehman Racing team celebrates after Clay Millican continued his
dominance of IHRA Top Fuel.

The race also saw two points leaders fail to qualify, a new engine debut in Pro Stock, a Top Fuel driver briefly hospitalized for non-racing related symptoms, allegations of racecar tampering in the Funny Car pits, and a family affair in the Pro Mod final.

WEATHER WOES

It seems the IHRA just can't catch a break this year when it comes to weather. Its season opener at San Antonio had to be postponed a week due to rain, wet weather also rescheduled elimination rounds for the next event at Rockingham to October, the recent Canadian race was completed under unseasonably cold conditions, and rain again

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washed away Saturday's planned activities at VMP, along with the hopes of several top racers who didn't get to make all their planned qualifying attempts.

Al Billes, the winner a week earlier at Grand Bend, ON, and Pro Mod points leader heading into the event, missed the cut, as did such other notables as Thomas Patterson, Ed Hoover, Johnny Rocca, and Chip King. Pro Stock's list of non-qualifiers included the likes of former class champ Floyd Cheek and veterans Tim Nabors, Ron Miller, and Doug Kirk, who only a few days earlier had become just the third Pro Stock racer ever to break into the 6.40s. In Top Fuel, which saw only one qualifying session, teenage driver Josh Starcher didn't make the field after his car refused to start on the line, and another big surprise was the DNQ of Funny Car points leader Mark Thomas after he blew up an engine in both of his qualifying attempts.