IHRA’s annual touchdown at Royce Miller’s fabulous Maryland International Raceway lives up again to all it’s pre-event hype. Despite widely varied atmospheric conditions, the awesome track surface still serves up more new records.

Mike Castellana clinches the 2005 IHRA Hooters points championship in Pro Modified, in very dramatic style. Castellana is on the outside looking in going into the final qualifying session driving his Western Beef-sponsored Chevy Cavalier, but his talented team responds at the 11th hour with a tell-tale run of 6.160 secs at 231.00 mph to qualify #4. Then on Sunday Castellana goes on to his 4th win of the season. That combined with the first round losses of Shannon Jenkins and Carl Spiering and a 2nd round loss for Jim Halsey, settles the 2005 PM title. “The Champ” cruises to a 6.227 secs at 229.39 mph in the final when his opponent Mike Stawicki suffers mechanical woes and slows from his earlier quick pace.

Jim Oddy and his new driver Steve Bareman make huge noise at the event as they reset the IHRA national ET record to 6.050 secs during qualifying with their Summit Racing ’53 Corvette. Bareman had run an earlier 6.095 secs to back up the mark as official. The team is however denied in Sunday round #2 when a red-light start wastes a 6.108 secs compared to Billy Harper’s winning 6.230 secs. Harper, driving his nitrous-injected Dodge Viper was the defending 2004 event champion.

New York’s Mike Stawicki has a superb event driving his new supercharged ’67 Camaro. Mike raises a lot of eyebrows when he serves up a career best 6.131 at 229.59 mph to qualify #2. Stawicki’s final round appearance was his first in IHRA national event competition, and came after convincing round wins over Burton Auxier, Mike Janis and Scott Cannon.

Ohio’s Brian Gahm, who last won at Rockingham in October of 2004, wins in Pro Stock defeating the quickest assembly of Pro Stock cars in history. Gahm is able to do what few racers could in 2005, take the measure of Chevy pilot Steve Spiess. Gahm does benefit from a break however because in the final he is afforded an easy single for the title when Spiess suffers mechanical woes during his burnout and cannot make the run. Gahm, the 2002 IHRA World Champion, had defeated Peter Berner, Elijah Morton and Frank Gugliotta in earlier competition.

Pro Stock racing at MIR is a record smashing affair as for the first time in history all 16-qualified cars run in the 6.4 secs zone. The 6.485 secs bump beats out the previous all time quick 6.502 secs set at last years World Finals at Rockingham. Frank Gugliotta, who won the previous IHRA stop in New England in record setting fashion, is credited with both low ET (6.403 secs) and top speed (218.51 mph). Gugliotta’s Ford Escort however loses out on a holeshot to Gahm’s Mustang (6.446 to 6.474 secs) in the semifinal round.

Event runner-up Steve Spiess, who had clinched the 2005 IHRA Pro Stock points title at New England Dragway, won the prestigious Torco-sponsored Pro Stock Showdown which was run off on Saturday. Spiess carded amazing consecutive runs of 6.406, 6.403 and 6.406 secs to win that program and pocket a cool $20G. Spiess beat out determined Ford Mustang driver Tony Gillig in the final round: 6.406 secs 217.17 mph to 6.453 secs 215.17 mph.

Pro Stock racing included an inspiring performance from the Canadian-based car driven by John Konigshofer, from Otterville ON. “Johnny K” who has seen limited event action this 2005 season, hit his first ever “six-forty” -- a career best 6.475 secs at 215.58 mph to qualify his Mercury Cougar for the record fast field. John however felt the wrath of Steve Spiess in round one losing a 6.422 secs to 6.501 secs decision.

Clay Millican wrapped up an unprecedented 5th straight IHRA Hooters Top Fuel crown during the event. Millican won for the 45th time in his illustrious career when he downed a determined effort from Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final round. Clay scored driving the Werner Enterprises dragster with a 4.702 secs at 312.06 mph compared to Lagana’s 4.816 secs at 317.57 mph. Lagana had jumped out to a slight starting line advantage in the final round and his top end speed was a career best.

Millican’s event win included both low ET and top speed (4.568 secs / 320.20 mph) both MIR track records, and round wins over Roger Dean and Todd Paton.

Top Fuel racing on Saturday evening was however a big disappointment for the capacity crowd that attended. Despite there being 10 cars on the premises and overflow fan anticipation, only four cars (2 pairs) ran during the “Night of Fire” feature much to the dismay of IHRA officials.

Saturday night's Top Fuel situation was not the only class controversy. Canadian Todd Paton, who had qualified #4 with a very early shutoff run of 4.814 secs on Friday, beat out Louie Allison in round one with a fire-filled pass of 4.941 secs at 260 mph. The team made repairs in preparation for their semi-final showdown with Clay Millican and IHRA officials radioed the starting line that the team was enroute from their pit area and less than 30 secs away. The Werner Enterprises team however apparently chose to ignore that information and instead fired their car which nullified the Paton crew's hard work between rounds and sent Clay on a single. The Werner Enterprises team then had a similar scenario for the final when opponent Bobby Lagana Jr. was also late leaving his pit area. But in a reversal of stance the Werner team waited almost 7 minutes for Lagana's team to make it to the starting line(!)

Jim Sickles won his 3rd straight IHRA event in Alcohol Funny Car and by doing so has set up a dramatic season finale for that class at the upcoming IHRA World Finals at Rockingham.

Sickles, driving his Meyers RV Superstores Chevy Monte Carlo, was dominating, running both low ET and top speed of the meet to pace the field at 5.724 secs and 247.47 mph. He then defeated Thomas Carter, Larry Dobbs before taking an easy single when his final round opponent Chris Foster rolled the beams and fouled out.

Sickles’ victory moved him to win in only 5 points of season long points leader Robbie Atchison. Atchison, who qualified #2 at 5.725 secs, suffered a shocking and stinging (-.154) first round red-light to Chris Foster.

The AFC program at MIR was a good one with 19 cars making qualifying attempts and producing a 8-car bump spot of 5.901 secs – the 3rd quickest field of the season.

Saturday’s Top Stock class racing program featured a big win by Matt Morgan whose high-flying ’69 Camaro defeated Joseph Aluise’s Plymouth Belvedere in the final round. Morgan ran a winning 9.606 secs at 138.12 mph compared to Aluise’s 9.854 secs at 132.44 mph. Morgan had run an impressive 9.586 secs while winning in round two – reportedly the quickest run yet seen in IHRA Top Stock racing.