Mike Castellana, by winning his 2nd race in a row and third of the season, moves into a solid first place standings in IHRA Pro Modified points. Driving his New York-based “Western Beef” Chevy Cavalier, Castellana defeats surprise finalist, Steve Bareman (new driver for Jim Oddy’s Summit Racing team) to win IHRA’s biggest event of the season. Castellana who had qualified #2 at 6.172 secs singles in the final round when Bareman’s ’53 Corvette develops a leak on its burnout. Bareman’s final round appearance comes after his first ever IHRA event qualifying effort and includes top speed of the meet at 232.23 mph.

Pro Mod racing attracts a 29-car field and is paced after qualifying by Maryland’s Jim Halsey who runs low ET of the meet at 6.165 secs. Halsey is however knocked out by Bareman in a super close semi-final round match-up 6.211 secs to 6.224 secs.

Canada’s Carl Spiering has another strong event driving the Eaton Cutler-Hammer ’63 Corvette. Carl qualifies 3rd (6.188 secs) and goes to the “final four” on Sunday which solidified his current 4th place points standing with three events remaining in ’05.

PM racing also included a couple of surprise qualifiers as relatively unheard of racers Milt Decker and Rick Moore both get in. Decker, driving his nitrous-injected ’63 Corvette qualified 14th while Moore earned the 6.273 secs bump in his cool nitrous-injected “Spiderman” Pontiac Grand-Am.

New York’s Mike Stawicki debuted his much anticipated new supercharged ’67 Camaro. With help from sponsor Darren Mayer, Mike did not qualify despite a best run of 6.333 secs. Stawicki’s new machine was however the recipient of the event’s “Best Engineered” Pro car.

IHRA’s “hottest” Pro Stock driver, Steve Spiess, completed a “natural hat trick” when he wheeled his ultra-powerful Chevy Colbalt to its 3rd straight circuit win. Spiess, from Illinois, leaves very little on the table again as he runs both low ET (6.456 secs) and top speed (217.11 mph) while taking the dominating victory. Spiess outguns chassis builder extraordinaire Rick Jones in an exciting all Chevrolet final round winning at 6.477 secs 216.83 mph to 6.504 secs 216.24 mph.

Pro Stock racing at Norwalk is a “monster” with no less then 27 mountain-motored machines making qualifying attempts. Sunday’s eliminations include strong semi-final round appearances by the Fords of Frank Gugliotta and Doug Kirk.

Huge news at the event was the shocking DNQ of Robert Patrick, who is #2 in World points. The normally super strong running Mustang is problem plagued and can only manage a 6.606 secs best which misses the quick 6.579 secs cut. Patrick’s DNQ combined with the runaway victory builds Steve Spiess’s overall points lead to an insurmountable 228.

PS racing did include the return of former World Nationals champion Canadian John Konigshofer to competition. “Johnny K” qualified #16 with a 6.579 secs but fell in round one to eventual winner Steve Spiess.

Also returning to PS class racing was Florida’s Rob Mansfield who debuted his spectacular new ‘05 Chevy Colbalt at the event. New car blues however kept the potent new machine from qualifying.

Top Fuel racing sees Clay Millican and his talented Werner Enterprises team win a class brawl over what was the most competitive field of the season. Millican is in fact out-qualified by two cars but still manages to record his 44th career IHRA victory.

TF racing features a swift bump spot of 4.789 secs and is paced by NHRA regular Cory McClenathan who was making his first career IHRA start. Cory runs both low ET and top speed during time trials (4.568 secs / 323.43 mph) and goes to the final but Millican will not have any of that -- as he wins a decisive final 4.752 secs at 303.98 mph to 4.901 secs at 285.59 mph. The victory puts Clay on the verge of clinching an unprecedented 5th straight IHRA Top Fuel World Championship.

Jim Sickles, from New York state, wins the Alcohol Funny Car title – his second victory of the season driving the Meyer RV Superstores Chevy Monte Carlo. Sickles, earned a lane choice advantage over favored opponent Robbie Atchison in the final round and that proved to be key as his 5.802 secs at 246.39 mph (top speed) easily defeated Atchison tire-shaking and shut off effort. Sickles had defeated Melinda Green-King and Mike Comella in earlier action.

Rob Atchison, driving the Erickson Manufacturing Firebird, did pace the 8-car AFC show with superb 5.769 secs which was arguably his single most impressive run of the year given the hot and poor atmospheric conditions that were present. Robbie defeated Chris Foster and Fred Tigges while advancing to his 7th final round of the season.

IHRA’s Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes are both jaw-droppers -- each producing all time record fast 48-car qualified fields.

In TS the bump spot was a stunning 7.004 secs and no less then 44 cars qualified in the “sixes”. The class was paced by Niagara Falls Ontario’s Joe Boniferro who, running a new generation Mopar motor from Dave Koffel, set both low ET and top speed at 6.426 secs and 217.95 mph driving his Dodge Avenger. The class title did however go to the super consistent Chevy Cavalier of Sandy Wilkens who beat the Ford Probe of Ronnie Proctor in the final round.

The TD title went to Jason Harris who in fact got into the eliminator as the 1st alternate with a run of 6.888 secs (!). Harris, from North Carolina held off Jeff Miles in the championship bout. TD qualifying was paced by Randy Fraker who drove the dragster owned by Wisconsin’s Jeff Schefus to 6.344 secs (low ET).

Top Stock racing produced a first time class win for IHRA star Sportsman racer Monty Bogan Jr who drove his Pontiac Firebird past the ‘70 Plymouth Duster of Sid Bonnecarrere in the final round. Both drivers ran 9.87 secs in the final however Bonnecarrere went red. Bogan Jr had defeated his teammate Bo Kenny, Paul Mercure and Tom Rix in earlier competition.

Bo Kenny, who had won the Top Stock title at the previous IHRA event at Martin Michigan, paced the field with a 9.823 secs driving his Firebird which held up as low ET of the meet.