New England preview

IHRA Heads to New England Dragway for the 10th Annual Amalie Oil North American Nationals

With only three events left on the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series schedule, each round becomes more and more important. For racers heading to New England Dragway for the 10th Annual Amalie Oil North American Nationals September 9-11, it is coming down to the wire.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican, of Drummonds, Tenn., seemingly has his fifth consecutive World Championship locked up. After Millican's win at the Skull Gear World Nationals presented by PPG, he now has a commanding lead of almost 200 points heading into the home stretch of the season. Millican has won seven out of nine events. Doug Foley, of Sewell, N.J., must battle Bruce Litton, from Indanapolis, Ind., to hold onto second place in the points. Rounding out the top five are Rick Cooper in fourth place and Louie Allison in fifth.

In Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified, Mike Castellana, from Westbury, N.Y., heads to New England Dragway with a 65 point lead over Jim Halsey. Castellana has quietly overtaken his Awesome Motorsports teammate Shannon Jenkins, who has held the lead for most of the year. Halsey, from Street, Md., has come out of nowhere to give both Castellana and Jenkins a run for their money. Less than a hundred points separate the top four drivers, meaning these last three events are crucial. Castellana has now won three out of the last four events, and number four could bolster his chances for a first World Championship. Carl Spiering, from Jordan Station, Ontario, has had a strong season--which has seen him win the Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout--and currently sits in fourth place. Veteran Torco Pro Mod driver Ed Hoover, from Gilbert, S.C., sits in fifth.

In Funny Car, defending back to back World Champion Rob Atchison, from London, Ontario, had a mechanical failure in the final versus Jim Sickles at the Skull Gear World Nationals presented by PPG, but the Erickson Manufacturing team does not appear to be sweating it. Atchison still has a comfortable lead over Sickles, from Caledonia, N.Y., in the points standing and he looks to be sewing up his third consecutive championship in the next couple of events. Five- time World Champion Mark Thomas, from Louisville, Ohio, sits in third place, Tom Carter, from Cuero, Texas, is in fourth, and Chris Foster, from Davenport, Iowa, is in fifth.

In Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock, Steve Spiess, from Manhattan, Ill., heads to New England Dragway with a commanding lead over Robert Patrick. Spiess put more distance between himself and Patrick with another dominating performance which resulted in his fourth national event win of the 2005 season. Patrick, from Fredericksburg, Va., failed to qualify and knows he has some ground to make up over the closing three events if he wants to mount a serious charge against Spiess. Dan Seamon, from Bellevue, Ohio, sits in third, only four points in front of Tony Gillig, from Lake Bluff, Ill. Frank Gugliotta, from Mt. Airy, Md., rounds out the top five.

-ihra-