After two consecutive years of less then perfect weather conditions Mother Nature gives her full co-operation as version 4.0 of the Rocky Mountain National plays out under “Chamber of Commerce” sunshine. The 2006 Cars RV & Marine Rocky Mountain Nationals (Presented by Torco Race Fuels) at newly renamed and highly improved Castrol Raceway, attracts the biggest car and spectator count in event history. The three day race total is a massive 41,000 paid spectators!

Clay Millican who had won the previous two IHRA events at Edmonton but who had so far gone winless in 2006 – returns to the very friendly for his team confines of Canada and promptly racks up his first win of the season. Millican and his talented Werner Enterprises team looked steady and a lot more like they used to this weekend as they collected both the pole and low ET of the meet at 4.639 secs while pacing the field. In the TF final Clay spotted a slight lead to opponent Rick Cooper before running him down at 4.773 secs 306.88 mph to 4.838 secs 304.19 mph.

Millican’s win was the 10th of his career on Canadian soil and the 47th of his amazing IHRA Top Fuel career. He had beaten Chris Karamesines and Doug Foley in earlier competition with back-to-back 4.74 secs ET slips.

In Torco Race Fuels Nitro Funny Car, Dale Creasy Jr., enhanced his recent win at Grand Bend with another victory driving the Torco-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo. Creasy who qualified only 6th found his stride on raceday as he beat Terry Haddock and Mitch King to advance to the final round against IHRA Rockingham winner Jack Wyatt. Creasy was out of the gate first and won easily at 5.324 secs 285.23 mph while Wyatt aborted.

The Funny Car field featured a surprise pole sitter with New York’s Vince Arcadi setting both low ET and top speed at 4.942 secs and 310.70 mph. Arcadi who also did have an interesting top end close encounter with the guard wall during qualifying, won his first round but lost in the second frame to Wyatt – 5.105 secs to 5.253 secs.

At total of eight Nitro Funny Cars were present for the Edmonton event including first time IHRA class appearances for Alberta’s own Jason Duchene, Washington’s David Benjamin and Texan Mitch King (who also participated in Top Fuel).

Pro Modified racing at the Rocky Mountain Nationals was a truly spectacular program and produced the quickest 16-car PM field in Canadian history with a bump spot of 6.242 secs. That eclipsed the 6.251 secs mark set at Grand Bend two weeks earlier.

The eliminator saw 25 cars make qualifying attempts with South Carolina’s Scott Cannon leading the way with a low ET/top speed charge of 6.119 secs and 235.84 mph driving his Skull Gear Pontiac GTO.

The PM final round was an exciting Can-Am affair with Quain Stott’s Lee-Boy Corvette from North Carolina facing Kenny Lang’s Manitoba-based Corvette. In a great drag race – Lang got out of the gate first only to have Stott catch him at the finish line. Stott’s winning time was 6.271 secs 228.19 compared to Lang’s 6.232 secs at 227.00 mph. The win was Stott’s first since Grand Bend in 2004 and his 2nd at Edmonton – in fact his last three IHRA circuit wins have all come in Canada.

Lang’s superb runner-up finish came in his first career final round appearance as he managed to outshine all of the heavy Canadian Pro Mod pre-race favorites -- Rick Distefano, Glen Kerusnky and Carl Spiering. All three of those top rated drivers were first round victims at the event.

Pro Stock racing saw Frank Gugliotta increase his overall IHRA eMax points margin with a convincing win – his second of the season. Driving Charlie Taylor’s Ford Escort, the Maryland based driver set both low ET and top speed at 6.456 secs and 215.82 mph during time trials before blowing away the competition on Sunday. In the final Gugliotta turned back the game event effort of Jeff Dobbins who was also driving a Ford Escort.

PS racing did for the first time in Rocky Mountain Nationals event history feature a full 16-car field.

Alcohol Funny Car class racing saw Texan Tom Carter earn his 2nd career IHRA national event title. Carter, driving his Camaro, beat first time IHRA event participant Ken Kraus driver of the Canadian-based entry owned by Alberta’s George Goodwin. Carter won with a 5.962 secs 238.17 mph effort while Kraus’s Chevy Camaro shook the tires.

AFC racing at Edmonton attracted a strong 13-car entry list and produced a swift bump spot of 5.993 secs. Sunday’s final eliminations featured four Canadian qualifiers; Robbie Atchison, Trevor Lebsack, Roger Bateman and Kevin Therres. Robbie Atchison set top speed of the meet at 242.84 mph but lost in round two to Kraus due to ongoing tire shake issues.

Alberta fan favorite Roger Bateman drove the spectacular new Camaro owned by Winnipeg’s Brian Friesen. That machine, which was utilizing a “roots” supercharger for the first time ever, qualified #6 at 5.958 secs. Bateman however fell to Atchison in round one – 5.908 secs to 6.098 secs.

The Edmonton event featured special eliminators in Nitro Bikes and Pro Nostalgia Funny Car. The Nitro Bikes title went to Edmonton’s Ken Kent who powered to a final round 6.932 secs at 202.55 mph to defeat Robert Smith (from Langley BC). Edmonton’s Jay Mageau won the popular Pro Nostalgia Funny Car show on Saturday when he wheeled his immaculate ’57 Chevy past Tim Boychuck’s cool-looking Vega in the final round. Running on a 7.50 index – Mageau won 7.572 secs 180.24 mph to 7.633 secs 178.78 mph. Mageau’s victory was his 3rd in four years at the Rocky Mountain Nationals.

IHRA Sportsman racing featured a slew of Canadian winners including Randal Olynyk (Top Sportsman), Garth Giroux (Quick Rod), Mike Shannon (Super Rod), James Pahl (Hot Rod) and Ernie Penner (Super Stock).

The event’s added attraction Quick 16 title (run instead of Top Dragster) went to Scott Taylor (St. Isidore AB) and the grueling 130+ car ET Tournament was won by Geordie Castle’s Chevy S-10 from Sherwood Park, AB.

The only serious incident at the event occurred during Friday’s closing exhibition run when Alberta’s Kerry Watson lost control and crashed his amazing Full Tilt Boogie wheelstander. Thankfully Kerry was not injured however his popular machine did receive some heavy left side damage.

The event’s special awards were: