After being relegated to a surprising DNQ at the first two IHRA events this season, defending IHRA Pro Mod World Champion Mike Janis bites back hard by winning at Virginia’s ACDelco Nationals. It is the first win for Janis driving his Eaton-sponsored Dodge Stratus, an all new racecar for his team in 2005. Mike’s win comes from the pole after he runs a swift 6.132 secs to pace the field. He knocks off Charles Carpenter, Ed Hoover and Eddie Ware to set up a much anticipated final round duel versus Canada’s Al Billes. However Billes, who had run low ET of the meet at 6.128 secs in round one, could not make the call after damaging his motor during his semi-final round win. That allowed Mike an easy single to claim his 12th career victory.

Billes, making his IHRA debut driving Jim Oddy’s Summit Racing Equipment Dodge Stratus, could take some consolation with the fact that he did come away from the event as the IHRA Pro Mod speed record holder. Billes rewrote that mark to an amazing 236.22 mph (in round one) and used a 235.89 mph blast in round two as a back up. Billes already held the IHRA’s national ET record at 6.102 secs – set at Rockingham last fall.

Canada’s Robbie Atchison enjoyed a simply terrific weekend as he completely dominated Alcohol Funny Car class racing to collect his 11th career IHRA “Ironman”. Driving his Erickson Manufacturing Pontiac Firebird, Atchison was simply unstoppable while winning for the 2nd time this season. The London Ontario-based racer ran low ET during each and every qualifying and elimination round and while enroute pocketed both ends of the VMP track record at 5.762 secs and 243.11 mph.

Robbie turned back a strong event bid by the Amalie Oil-sponsored Dodge driven by Terry McMillen in the final round. McMillen gave it a go at 6.062 secs 235.35 mph however that could not run down Atchison’s 5.881 secs at 238.34 mph. The win put Robbie and Company #1 in IHRA points as they were able to leap frog over Mark Thomas who suffered a first round loss at the hands of Terry McMillen.

AFC class racing at Virginia was a strong affair with 19 cars attempting qualifying runs for the elite 8-car field. The entry list included a couple of new Chevy Monte Carlo machines driven by Jim Sickles and Neal Parker, the first seen in IHRA competition. Sickles qualified his new Meyer’s Super Stores machine #3 with a 5.869 secs and went to the semi-final round however Parker missed the cut when his 5.945 secs best was 9th.

Rick Jones produced a drag racing first at the ACDelco Nationals by winning in Pro Stock driving his new Chevy Cobalt. In fact the final round was for the second IHRA event in a row this season all Chevrolet with Jones beating out a 2nd new Chevy Cobalt driven by Steve Spiess. Jones rolled to an easy win at 6.465 secs at 216.90 mph as Spiess had problems and shut down.

Spiess’s R/U effort included some big speeds, the fastest of which was a 217.14 mph which flashed up in round one. Ford pilot Robert Patrick set low ET for the breed riding his Mustang to a 6.452 secs in the semi-final round. Unfortunately for Patrick that great ET could not get him by Rick Jones who beat him out of the gate and ran a winning 6.473 secs in the other lane.

The IHRA’s most winning Pro driver ever, Clay Millican, racked up his 40th career win at the event driving for Peter Lehman and Werner Enterprises. Millican blasted his final round opponent Doug Foley in the Saturday night event conclusion when he unloaded a terrific 4.568 secs at 320.36 mph (both track records) to win. Millican had beaten C.J. Nelson and Bruce Litton in earlier action.

Top Fuel R/U Doug Foley ran a 4.609 secs while winning his semi-final round match up over Roger Dean. That was a career best time for the Torco Fuels-sponsored dragster driver.

Saturday’s “Night of Fire” qualifying schedule featured quite an oddity as the program was delayed for nearly 30 minutes after one of the exhibition vehicles, Ken Nelson’s “Cool Bus”, oiled down the track. The delay came right in the midst of Pro qualifying much to fan dismay. IHRA officials made a rather inexplicable decision to allow the bus to run before right before Pro Modified qualifying was scheduled to began (!?) Both IHRA and Ken Nelson should both get detention for that miscue…

Friday’s event scheduled included the Moser-sponsored “Axle Mania”. The special Sportsman showdown event featured top ranked racers from within each of IHRA’s 7 Pro-Am classes in 1/8th mile competition, for big $$. Glen Ferguson, who has 3 IHRA World Championships to his credit prevailed in that 32-car bracket race to win the first prize of $22,500. Ferguson held off the Top Dragster driven by Jeff Brown in the final round.

And from the why do they even bother department…..There was yet another episode of Top Stock racing presented at Virginia Motorsports Park. Only 5 cars showed for the class with the win going to Paul Mercure over Matt Morgan. The IHRA was close to pulling the plug on this class last season due to flagrant lack of participation but decided to give it a reprieve. Unfortunately if VMP is any indication 2005 will see no improvement. Stick a fork in it already……If you want extra top notch Sportsman entertainment -- bring back the Top Sportsman and Top Dragster “Quick 8 Shootouts!”