22nd Bethesda Northern Nationals
Aug. 8-10th, 2003 Martin, MI
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Congratulations to Clay Millican who becomes IHRA’s all time winning Top Fuel class racer by earning his 26th career victory. That total eclipses the 25 wins recorded by legendary figure “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. Millican’s victory is his 6th of the season and includes both low ET (4.740 secs) and top speed (308.92 mph) driving Peter Lehman’s World Championship bound Werner Enterprises dragster.
Top Fuel racing includes a couple of inspiring efforts. “Turbo Tim” Cullinan places runner-up in the class driving his independent dragster which is tuned by Mike Smith. Cullinan, from Illinois, qualifies 2nd at 4.775 secs and rudely beats Grant Flowers and Bruce Litton on Sunday. In the final round however his tire-spinning 6.628 secs is no match for Clay Millican’s 4.740 secs effort.
New York’s Bobby Lagana Junior runs the best numbers of his career in Top Fuel. Lagana cards his first ever “four” at 4.952 secs in qualifying and with that wins a bet. He gets to shave fellow Top Fuel competitor Grant Flowers head. Lagana runs and even quicker and faster 4.870 secs at 302.48 mph in round one to upset Canada’s Todd Paton. That is Lagana’s first ever 300 mph recording. Lagana however is no match for Millican in the semi finals when he slows to a 12.35 secs.
Despite the new blower overdrive rules, Pro Mod racing features an all supercharged final round with Mitch Stott defeating Fred Hahn. Stott runs a 6.295 secs at 225.97 mph to win for the 3rd time this season and build on his overall points lead.
Pro Mod racing is however a pretty even affair with 8 nitrous cars and 8 supercharged cars qualifying. Recent IHRA Milan winner Mike Janis runs his “Widowmaker” Corvette to both low ET (6.212 secs) and top speed (228.85 mph) but exits in the semi final round to Fred Hahn.
Pro Mod class qualifying on Friday includes a serious incident for Canada’s Al Billes who collects the right side guardwall at high speed driving his recently delivered new ‘53 Corvette. Billes’s machine receives major right side damage and will be sent back to Tim McAmis’s shop for repairs. Billes receives a separated shoulder in the incident but is otherwise OK. He will run his ‘53 Studebaker at Norwalk and then likely for the rest of the season.
Canada’s Tony Pontieri has a strong showing at Martin driving his supercharged ‘91 Camaro. The Toronto-based driver qualifies for the first time in IHRA national event competition since 1997 when he rides the Hemi-powered car to a career best 6.299 secs at 221.89 mph. Pontieri beats Steve Vick’s nitrous-injected Camaro in round one however loses out to Fred Hahn in the second round.
Robbie Atchison moves even closer to a potential World Championship title in Alcohol Funny Car as he speeds to his fourth circuit win of the season driving the Erickson Manufacturing Firebird. Atchison’s team runs nothing but consecutive 5.8 secs elapsed times on Sunday to win including low ET of the meet at 5.835 secs. Atchison wins a dandy final round over multi-time IHRA Champion Von Smith -- winning a 5.855 secs to 5.889 secs pairing.
Pro Stock class racing features a first time winner as West Virginia’s Tim Bell scores the title. Bell is driving his brand new Ford Mustang at only it’s second ever IHRA national event race. Bell qualifies 4th at 6.605 secs and ultimately guns down overall points leader Jason Collins in the final round.
26 cars are entered in Pro Stock at Martin. The bump spot is a 6.643 secs held down by returning former IHRA World Champion Daniel Seamon who is behind the wheel of a 2nd Citgo Chevy team car fielded by John Montecalvo.
Elijah Morton also returns to the Pro Stock class driving the Mercury Cougar formally raced by Charlie Hunt/Gene Wilson and then by Billy Huff. On his third run ever in the car, Morton loses control and the car flips over at the finish line. Damage is however not too bad but is bad enough to force Morton to withdraw from competition despite making the program in the 12th slot.
Bob Motz returns to the IHRA circuit with his new Jet-powered Kenworth. It is Motz’s first event since crashing in late June. Motz’s new look machine dazzles the crowd with its usual flame throwing antics and makes a couple of safe and stable runs.
Top Stock goes to Maryland’s Joe Aluise Jr who wins his third straight IHRA national event driving his ‘63 Plymouth Belvedere. Aluise is the class of the field again clocking both low ET (9.905 secs) and top speed (132.61 mph). Aluise singles for the title when his scheduled opponent Monty Bogan does not appear for the final round as controversy in the class boils over. IHRA will hit Aluise with more weight for the next event and the overall future of the Top Stock class continues to hang by a thread. Only 9 cars show for competition at U.S. 131.
