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10th Carquest President’s Cup Nationals
Budds Creek, MD (Sep. 28-30th, 2001)

Notes| Results | Photos

NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
New York’s Mike Janis clinches his first career IHRA Pro Modified World championship title after a stunning record setting winning performance. Janis runs the quickest elapsed time in IHRA history during qualifying at an unheard of 6.112 secs at 230.53 mph in the Jan-Cen/Weber’s Corvette. By just qualifying, Janis mathematically clinches the 2001 world title -- but he doesn’t stop there. On Sunday he records his fourth victory of the season. Janis singles for the title when scheduled opponent Shannon Jenkins breaks in the burnout box. Janis’s 6.112 is an IHRA national record, backed up with a 6.173 secs run during eliminations.

Fred Hahn also comes away from the Maryland event with an IHRA national Pro Mod record. Hahn drives Jim Oddy’s Summit Racing Equipment Corvette to the fastest speed ever at 231.20 mph and backs that up with a 230.49 mph. Hahn also goes for the quickest ride of his career running a equally impressive 6.124 secs while qualifying second behind Janis. IHRA’s previous all-time quickest ET had been 6.179 secs. Needless to say the Janis and Hahn performances driving supercharged cars send IHRA’s nitrous-injected Pro Mod contingent into a rulebook feeding frenzy.

Gene Wilson also clobbers the IHRA national record book during the event. Wilson completely dominates again from a performance perspective unloading the quickest and fastest runs in Pro Stock history at 6.532 secs and 213.37 mph (!) driving Charlie Hunt’s Mercury Cougar. Wilson easily backs up both marks for IHRA national records but surprisingly falls short of victory lane. Wilson loses in a upset to Brian Gahm in the second round (6.604 secs to 6.632 secs). Gahm wins an all Ford Mustang Pro Stock final round over Terry Leggett by recording the quickest and fastest marks of his career at 6.592 secs and 211.10 mph. Gahm’s win is his second Pro Stock title of the season and kept Ford’s incredible unblemished season winning record in IHRA Pro Stock racing intact.

Lady Modified eliminator racer Ann Peto, from Ohio, survives a nasty spill during Friday’s second qualifying session. Peto’s 6-cylinder Mopar-powered J/Altered crashes at the finish line after the rear end or transmission appears to lock up. The car tumbles a number of times and Peto is extracted and taken to hospital by air ambulance. She suffers a slight compression fracture to her lower back and is thankfully released the next day.

Iowa’s Dale Brand flexes his muscle in alcohol Funny Car racing with a great winning performance driving the Co-Line Pontiac Firebird. Brand wins his third title of the 2001 season and resets the national ET record to 5.722 secs (the quickest Funny Car time in IHRA history). Brand uses a 5.773 secs in the final round to make that mark official and to also defeat opponent John Vouros. Vouros’s final round was the second of his career driving the potent CompetitionPlus.com Firebird -- he had also lost to Brand at Grand Bend in June.

Saturday Night’s Quick 8 titles go to Neal Parker in his fan favorite “Excavator” supercharged Fiat Coupe in Lenco Top Dragster and to Larry Plummer nitrous-injected Corvette in Lizzard Top Sportsman. Parker’s win comes from the pole after he hits both low ET (6.090 secs) and top speed (225.30 mph) during qualifying. Plummer’s win also includes low ET (6.492 secs and 214.72 mph). In the final he gets an easy winlight running 6.538 secs at 213.70 mph when opponent low qualifier Mark McHugh leaves before the tree is activated.

Ray Price wins the Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley division -- it is Price’s second win of the 2001 season. Price beats Doug Vancil in round one however Vancil clinches the overall IHRA World Championship title when his nearest points rival Steve Stordeur also loses in round one. Stordeur had paced the NH program with a 6.482 secs effort that was low ET of the meet.

Iowa’s Carl Moyer makes good on his recent revelations that he intended to retire from Pro Modified racing. Moyer qualifies his nitrous-injected ‘57 Chevy 8th with a 6.312 secs at 222.47 mph lap but when the sale of his cars is consummated on Saturday night he withdraws from Sunday’s competition. That development reinstates Quain Stott in the PM program as a first alternate. Stott’s first round good fortune is however short-lived. His 6.459 secs is no match against opponent Mike Janis who flies to a 6.173 secs at 229.90 mph.