Cannister will be back 2001

CLINTON, PA. - After sweating a lot of bullets regarding the upcoming season, the Pro Outlaw World Champion decided that the best stress reliever was to be a Funny Car driver and run on the IHRA circuit. Cannister, 40, an executive assistant from Clinton, Pa., purchased a record-setting Funny Car from a well-known NHRA team and is hoping to have her program up and running by March.

As the tune goes, "A change will do you good," Cannister is already excited about the new challenge.

"I'm always up to a new challenge and this will certainly be a formidable one," explained Cannister, who won four national events in her rookie season of Pro Outlaw. "I am confident in my abilities, but that doesn't mean I'm not a little bit nervous. I am a little, but I think that comes with the territory. I think having as good a crew as I have, will make the transition much easier."

Another transition that Cannister will make is the jump to the Chevrolet camp after years of running a factory-sponsored Mopar.

"I'm disappointed that we couldn't reach an agreement with Mopar for this venture," explained Cannister. "I would like to thank them for their support over the years and I'm certain that maybe we'll meet up down the road again. I think we were good for one another when we were teamed up."

Cannister will largely be seeking major sponsorship to fill the void left by the departure of Nicorette/Nicoderm CQ. Until then, she will be sporting associate backing from Wolf Racing, Flatout Decals and Flatout Race Gaskets, as well as drag racing's largest Internet magazine, CompetitionPlus.com.

The date scheduled for her debut is the CompetitionPlus.com Spring Open, a pre-season test session hosted by Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va. The event will be contested March 8 - 11.

She plans to compete on the entire IHRA Pro Funny Car tour in 2001.

-Bobby Bennett