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Inaugural AC Delco Virginia Nationals
Richmond, VA (Apr. 20-22, 2001)

Notes| Results | Photos

NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
IHRA's first ever event at former NHRA facility is a record breaker. The event attracts the facilities all time high car count as 744 teams show to do battle. In fairness to NHRA -- IHRA car count includes ET Bracket tournament entries.

IHRA's Pro Modified class racers raise the bar once again performance wise. Pro Mod is drag racing's quickest ever field featuring a 6.334 secs bump which betters the 6.340 secs mark set at Rockingham three weeks earlier. 42 cars are entered for the eliminator.

Pro Mod is dominated during qualifying by supercharged cars as they take the first five slots. Event produces a darkhorse winner as surprise pole sitter, Mike Janis emerges victorious. Janis, from New York state had entered the 2001 racing season with only one career round win in the Pro Mod class to his credit. But Janis gave indications of things to come by running well and placing in the semi final round at the previous event in Rockingham. Janis carried forward that momentum to earn his first career IHRA national event championship. It's includes low ET of the event - 6.205 secs -- which is a career best. Janis takes out the nitrous-injected Parson Bros Corvette driven by Ronnie Hood in the final round.

IHRA's mountain-motor Pro Stock racers also find VMP track surface to their liking -- they establish the all time quick qualified field -- at 6.670 secs. That is first time in history that all 16-qualified cars have been sub 6.7 secs. Gene Wilson, proves his win at Rockingham three weeks before is no fluke as he scores again driving Charlie Hunt's 2001 Mercury Cougar. In the final round Wilson once again beats IHRA record holder Tom Lee in a wire-to-wire match. Both racers hit identical 6.655 elapsed times but Wilson's superior .445 RT is the difference.

Paul Romine earns his second win of the season in Top Fuel driving Doug Herbert's Carquest-sponsored dragster. Romine and his crew chief Mike McLaughlin are able to overcome the expensive breakage, which had plagued them so far this season and run trouble free through qualifying and then eliminations. Romine earned his 10th career IHRA event title when he beat a tire-smoking Jim Head in the final round.

Clay Millican has both low ET and top speed of the event at 4.687 secs and 312.86 mph in the Mike Klober-tuned Werner Enterprises dragster. Millican does a thrilling big time wheelstand in round one of qualifying and saves the car with some expert driving.

Legendary Shirley Muldowney makes her first appearance of the season but has a nasty outing. After smoking her tires on her first two attempts Muldowney has a monster fire during Saturday night's final session. Muldowney uses all of her driving skills to get her flaming machine stopped safely after a 4.95 secs 297.16 mph lap. A supercharger explosion and fuel fire caused the inferno. Damage is so severe Muldowney is forced to withdraw for Sunday eliminations.

Funny Car class racing at Virginia produces the quickest qualified field in IHRA history with a bump spot of 6.035 secs. Veteran Bob Newberry ultimately wins the race, beating Mark Thomas on a holeshot in the final round. Newberry combines a .415 light with a 6.026 secs which topples Thomas's much quicker 5.954 secs. Newberry had low ET in earlier action -- 5.819 secs -- Thomas had top speed at 242.67 mph.

FC action includes a sparkling performance by class newcomer Laurie Cannister who crossed over from the Pro Outlaw category. In only her second career start in the class, Cannister qualifies fourth (5.851 secs) and goes to the semi final round driving the Jeff Fowler-tuned ex Tony Bartone Camaro.

Nitro Harley racing produced the first career IHRA event win for Tony Mattioli who wins for veteran rider/owner Jim McClure. McClure is on the sidelines and will be a tuner for the year 2001 after crashing his motorcycle earlier this season Mattioli's win comes over the quickest Nitro Harley field in history. It took a run quicker then 6.734 secs to make the "fuel hog" show. The previous all time quick mark was 6.811 secs.

Nitro Harley racing features some big numbers. Doug Vancil has both low ET and top speed after a stunning 6.522 secs 220.19 mph lap.

IHRA experiments with it's Top Stock eliminator for the second time in it's history. Al Corda -- who won the inaugural demonstration eliminator at Norwalk last August, wins again driving his Pontiac Firebird. Corda is driving the only late model entry in the class Top Stock program is disappointing however as despite lots of hype only 12 cars show for eliminations.

Saturday's Quick 8 winners include Kenny Rucker (in Lizzard TS) and Eddie Lyons (in Lenco TD). Rucker drives his nitrous-injected Corvette to a 6.755 at 205.50 mph in the final to beat Tim Decoff's Nova. Eddie Lyons drives his cool 417 CID Ford-powered dragster to the title with a final lap of 6.351 secs at 211.06 mph.