Star Canadian drivers Al Billes and Robbie Atchison both earn major victories at IHRA's Motor City Nationals just west of Detroit, MI.

Billes, from Barrie, Ontario, wins his first IHRA event of the season and the 10th of his career when he drives the Stratford Motor Products '53 Corvette to a final round win over arch rival Mike Janis. Billes takes the win with a 6.460 secs at 225.11 mph while Janis, who had set top speed and low ET in earlier Pro Mod action, shakes the tires. Billes qualified #3 for the event and took out Fred Hahn, Mike Castellana and defending IHRA World Champion Mitch Stott in earlier action.

Robbie Atchison's win in Alcohol Funny Car is also his first of the season. Atchison, driving the Erickson Manufacturing-sponsored Pontiac Firebird reverses his recent final round fortunes while racing current points leader Mark Thomas. In the trophy dash, Robbie cuts a better light (.054 to .071) to win a close decision 5.950 secs 237.63 mph to 5.957 secs 241.32 mph. Thomas had beaten Atchison in three previous final round meetings this season.

Atchison's event win also includes low ET of the meet while qualifying at 5.848 secs, and round wins over Paul Noakes and Chris Sipple in earlier action.

Colorado's Louie Allison wins his first ever Top Fuel race. Driving for car owner Jack Ostrander, Allison holds off another first time IHRA finalist, Doc Sipple, for the event championship in a close match-up 4.924 secs to 4.917 secs. Allison's event win included a career best ET of 4.872 secs and upset wins over Tim Cullinan and Doug Foley.

Top Fuel round one produces a monster upset when Doc Sipple takes the measure of runaway points leader Clay Millican. Both drivers have tire spin problems but Sipple wins with a 5.463 secs 196.99 mph compared to Millican's 6.508 secs at 174.91 mph. For Millican it was his first round loss off the season and ended a 9-event winning streak dating back to Norwalk 2003. Remarkably, the loss was only the second time since 2002 that Clay Millican has lost in round one of IHRA Top Fuel competition.

Pro Stock racing at Milan is a very swift affair with 28 drivers producing a bump spot of 6.580 secs -- the third quickest field in IHRA history.

Rick Jones wins the class for all the Mopar fans wheeling his Illinois-based Quarter-Max Dodge Stratus to victory. Jones is super consistent on raceday -- including three straight 6.57 secs/211 mph laps during Sunday's final eliminations. In the championship round Jones uses a better starting line reaction time to defeat a quicker and faster Elijah Morton. Jones wins with a 6.571 secs 211.83 mph compared to Morton's 6.545 secs at 213.02 mph. Jones had beaten Robert Patrick, Steve Spiess and Frank Gugliotta in earlier competition.

The "Top" fields at Milan are real battlegrounds with 59 cars entered in Top Sportsman and 60 cars in Top Dragster. The 48-car TS bump is 7.339 secs and it takes a run quicker then 7.279 secs to make the 48-car TD cut. IHRA regulars Jackie Sloan (TS) and Nick Folk (TD) take home the hard fought wins.

IHRA offers up Top Stock racing at the event, which is sponsored by GM Performance Parts. Paul Mercure outran Matt Morgan in a final round battle of vintage Chevy Camaros during the Saturday night feature. Mercure won with a 9.900 secs 134.07 mph effort compared to Morgan's 9.990 secs at 134.60.

Top Stock racing was paced by runner-up Morgan who ran both low ET and top speed for the breed at 9.849 secs 135.13 mph to take the pole. Only 13 cars were entered in Top Stock class racing at Milan.