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20th Ironman for Team Atchison!
Bruce Biegler - October 25, 2007
 Ontario's Rob Atchison and the talented Erickson Manufacturing-sponsored race team closed out their 2007 IHRA drag racing season in style.
Led by his skilled tuner and engine building father Bob, the team had another stellar performance during last weekend's IHRA World Finals at Rockingham NC collecting their 20th career IHRA national event win and their 3rd for the 2007 racing season.
Robbie's victory came over the all time quickest Alcohol Funny Car field in IHRA history (5.833 secs bump) and he shot down newly crowned 2007 IHRA World Champion Mark Thomas in a spectacular head-to-head final round confrontation. In that race Rob combined a better starting line reaction time to take a holeshot victory; 5.922 secs 239.31 mph to 5.910 secs 243.06 mph.
That final round outcome did provide the team with some solstice. Their quest for a 2007 World Championship had ended the round before when Mark Thomas beat Neal Parker.
"Our plan going into Rockingham was to win the race pure and simple," said Robbie. "That was really all we could do with regard to controlling our own destiny. We did what we had to do but the Championship didn't work out for us this time. In reality we just about had it all -- if Parker had not redlit racing Mark in the semis -- we might have won the championship too."
Atchison's year end points total was 984 -- 15 behind (or less then one round) to Mark Thomas.
 Rob's march to victory lane came from the #5 qualifying slot. He defeated pole qualifier Laurie Cannister in round one (5.748 to 5.833 secs) and out-dueled Terry Monroe in a tire-shaking battle in round two.
The team entered competition using their Pontiac Firebird body instead of the Monte Carlo which they had run all season. The reason for that was nothing more then the fact the Monte Carlo body was being repaired.
"For whatever reason our Pontiac Firebird seems to be able to find it's way to the final round," Rob continued. "I have no problem running it and I like the nostalgia look."
Rob also had a message for the IHRA itself with regards to the future of the Alcohol Funny Car class category. The Rockingham event attracted no less then 17 cars for the 8-car field and came immediately after a similar strong class showing at Maryland International Raceway.
"I certainly hope that the IHRA will not continue to judge things based solely on the events in San Antonio and Tulsa," Rob added. "The AFC class is definitely better then it gets credit for. All the IHRA events in Canada and the Eastern U.S.A. have been very stout programs and heavily supported. The racing is fast, close and entertaining. At most events the IHRA's nitro Funny Car program can't stand up on its own. If anything it's one-legged and when it teeters it seems to land on the hoods of Alcohol Funny Car. I hope that realization is finally getting through."
(Bruce Biegler Photos)
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