KARNAC DRAG RACING NEWS

Sunday, May 27, 2007

OKLAHOMA RACING FANS PACK TULSA RACEWAY PARK

Densham, Litton, Cannon Jr., Atchison and Berner Top Qualifiers

TULSA, Okla. (May 26, 2007) – Gary Densham, Bellflower, Calif., took the No. 1 Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car qualifying position during the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park before a capacity crowd. Other No. 1 qualifiers include Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Scott Cannon Jr. (Pro Modified), Rob Atchison (Alcohol Funny Car) and Pete Berner (Pro Stock).

Densham held his ground from Friday night and picked up another Last Man Standing bonus with a 4.8878, 314.02. Tim Wilkerson is qualified second, followed by Jon Capps and Terry Haddock. Bob Gilbertson, who entered the race No. 5 in the point standings, did not qualify.

“We should have ran better today, but all of the sudden the car tried to run so fast,” said Densham. “It’s better to go down the racetrack than not go down. We are happy with tonight, but you don’t spend all this money on the car to run the same as you did before. The goal is to run faster. It’s a beautiful facility, so we should be running faster. Maybe we are expecting more than we should, but I don’t think there’s any excuse why the car isn’t running low 4.70s.”
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Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier Litton, Indianapolis, took the top spot during the final session with a 4.626, 310.98, to also take the Last Man Standing. Litton’s ET set the track record. Doug Foley’s 325.37 mph pass gave him the track speed record and placed him fourth. Mike Strasburg qualified second, followed by Friday’s low qualifier T.J. Zizzo.

In Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified, Cannon Jr. took the No. 1 spot with a track record 6.053. The current points leader, Cannon’s in position to extend that lead over the field. He’s followed by Mike Janis who set the track speed record at 235.89. Shannon Jenkins, who was Friday’s Last Man Standing winner, took Saturday’s as well to earn a total 10 bonus points.

Alcohol Funny Car low qualifier Atchison, of Ontario, Canada, is showing signs of why he’s a three-time former world champion, covering the Tulsa dragstrip in 5.820, 245.85 to set the track record. Larry Dobbs sits second, followed by Terry Munroe. Mark Thomas is fourth and won Saturday’s Last Man Standing for the class. Thomas is the defending world champion.

Berner used a track record-setting 6.370, 219.72, to jump to the top of the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock category, as well as earning the Quarter-Max Pro Stock Challenge bonus. Berner is the defending Knoll Gas Nitro Jam world champion, and is followed by two-time former world champ Brian Gahm and one-time champ John Nobile. Current points leader John Montecalvo sits fourth. The father-and-son team of Dean and Cary Goforth, of Holdenville, Okla., are seventh and tenth respectively.

Montecalvo won the Wayne-Dalton “Turn on the Lights” program for cutting the quickest light of professional qualifying. He earned it with a 0.033 reaction time.

Professional eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 10:30 p.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. For more information, log onto www.ihra.com. The Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors is the third of eleven events on the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.

TULSA, Okla. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Inaugural Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors at Tulsa Race Way Park, the third of 11 events in the $19.5 million 2007 Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Bruce Litton, 4.626 seconds, 310.98 mph vs. 5. Luigi Novelli, 4.701, 305.36; 2. Mike Strasburg, 4.633, 308.57 vs. 6. Scotty Cannon, 4.760, 308.99; 3. T.J. Zizzo, 4.644, 314.68 vs. 7. Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.795, 300.46; 4. Doug Foley, 4.667, 325.37 vs. 8. Scott Palmer, 4.797, 300.73.

Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Gary Densham, Chevy Impala, 4.878, 314.02 vs. 5. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.139, 296.96; 2. Tim Wilkerson, Impala, 4.929, 311.20 vs. 6. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Firebird, 5.176, 296.05; 3. Jon Capps, Monte Carlo, 5.051, 304.05 vs. 7. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Stratus, 5.180, 272.72; 4. Terry Haddock, Stratus, 5.065, 293.79 vs. 8. Todd Simpson, Chevy Camaro, 5.327, 216.48.

Pro Modified -- 1. Scott Cannon, Pontiac Firebird, 6.053, 233.72 vs. 9. Burton Auxier, Chevy Corvette, 6.198, 224.51; 2. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.097, 235.89 vs. 10. Rickie Smith, Corvette, 6.203, 225.41; 3. Shannon Jenkins, Pontiac GTO, 6.112, 231.79 vs. 11. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.212, 226.73; 4. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.145, 231.44 vs. 12. Matt Hagan, Camaro, 6.214, 229.70; 5. Danny Rowe, Corvette, 6.150, 231.60 vs. 13. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.238, 227.27; 6. Pat Stoken, Camaro, 6.165, 228.73 vs. 14. Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.242, 230.69; 7. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.187, 232.55 vs. 15. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.256, 226.09; 8. Eddie Ware, Camaro, 6.190, 228.42 vs. 16. Joe Mulligan, Camaro, 6.381, 230.65.

Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.820, 245.85 vs. 5. Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 5.977, 237.80; 2. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.863, 238.17 vs. 6. Trevor Lebsack, Ford Mustang, 6.018, 232.59; 3. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.876, 239.14 vs. 7. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 6.052, 234.82; 4. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.908, 242.15 vs. 8. Tony Bogolo, Mustang, 6.127, 226.47.

Pro Stock -- 1. Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.370, 219.72 vs. 9. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Mustang, 6.440, 216.48; 2. Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.395, 217.53 vs. 10. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.441, 217.42; 3. John Nobile, Mustang, 6.401, 217.53 vs. 11. Rickie Smith, Cobalt, 6.444, 215.58; 4. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.401, 216.86 vs. 12. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.457, 216.41; 5. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.401, 216.58 vs. 13. Brad Jeter, Ford Escort, 6.461, 215.44; 6. Robert Patrick, Shelby Cobra, 6.408, 216.31 vs. 14. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.462, 215.41; 7. Dean Goforth, GTO, 6.416, 216.90 vs. 15. Ronnie Humphrey, Escort, 6.469, 216.41; 8. Rob Mansfield, Cobalt, 6.427, 216.93 vs. 16. Doug Kirk, Cobra, 6.479, 212.83.