Back to Budds Creek
Sunday, September 30th

If Saturday was cold, Sunday is colder. In what could be called a not so bright move, I dress like it is mid-July. I have on shorts and a T-shirt. Once I get to the track I realize that my mode of dress will not cut it in 50-degree temperatures with a 10 mile an hour wind, I change into jeans and a sweatshirt.

There's a large tent close to where I am parked and the Sunday morning Racers for Christ service is going on inside. Since Sept. 11 is still fresh in my mind, It would have been good to go to the service. But by the time I get to the tent, the final amens are being said and the crowd is filing out. I am not the most religious person in the world, but for some reason on this Sunday it would have been nice to get a little religion.

Mike Janis Makes Good

Today is a big day for the Mike Janis team. With a little luck and a decent amount of traction, Mike can back up Saturday's 6.11 for an IHRA World Record. Mike has already clinched the 2001 IHRA Pro Mod Championship, so the ET and MPH record would be icing on the cake.

Later in the morning I catch Mike back at his trailer and congratulate him on the great year he has been having. Being the modest man he is, Mike credits his crew chief, Jerry Highway, Alcohol Guru Tom Anderson, and the rest of the team for his success. Mike is also quick to point out that his son Mike Jr. had a big part in the team's 2001 Championship.

Dad says that right after Christmas little Mike informs him that he feels the Jan-Cen team has a good chance to win the IHRA Championship and he thinks the team should go for it. Dad says "yeah, sure". Later during the winter, Dad comes home one day and finds his son field-stripping the Vette down to the bare chassis and prepping it for the upcoming 2001 campaign. All by himself! Between the team's commitment, the power the team has gotten out of the supercharged motor and the IHRA not screwing with the rules in mid season, 2001 was a dream for the Jan-Cen team from New York. Again, congratulations on a great year. You guys and gals deserve it!

I only wish my fellow photographer Steve Embling could have been at Budds Creek to share in the Janis' weekend. Steve, who is from New York, and is a friend of Mike Sr., has been a huge supporter of the Jan-Cen team all year. He would have been there in Maryland, but on the Thursday before the race he wrenched his back out of place and could not make the 8-hour drive. Sorry Steve, you missed what could be called the Pro Mod pass of the century.

The first round, for some unknown reason, starts 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. I am back in the pits wandering around when I hear the Canadian National Anthem (The IHRA always plays Oh, Canada no matter where the race is). I hate running through the staging lanes during the National Anthem and opening prayer but I have little choice if I want to see the first pair run.

During the first round Mike Janis does back up the 6.11 with a 6.173, but cannot grab the speed record. Minutes later Fred Hahn's Summit Vette runs an unbelievable 6.169 at 231.20 to set the all time IHRA Pro Mod speed record. Wow.. Back to back records at Budds Creek. At the time it looked like it was going to be a blower lovers dream final with the two New York Corvettes facing each other in the final. But this dream was not to be, as Hahn could not fire the Summit Vette in the second round, giving Ed Hoover a bye run to the semis.

In the finals it was Janis over a broken Shannon Jenkins in what could also have been a wild Nitrous vs. Blower race. I am keeping my fingers crossed hoping the IHRA doesn't punish the blower cars too much with the 2002 rule revisions. The blown cars are the best thing IHRA has, and they better keep them happy since the rival NHRA is going to do their best to woo the Pro Mods away from the gang in Ohio. A great man once said "Nitrous is nice, but I'd rather be Blown".

In other eliminators:

Brian Gahm's Mustang took out World Champ Gene Wilson's Cougar early in Sunday's eliminations and went on to grab the gold with a 6.592 - 211.10 to beat first time finalist Terry Leggett's decent 6.695 run. IHRA Pro Tom Lee also went out early in competition with his Mustang losing in the first round. It would be Tom's next to last ride in the Mustang. Starting in 2002, Tom will be driving the second Dodge Neon for Allan Johnson's team in NHRA Pro Stock competition. I wish the new team well. They'll need it. Racing in IHRA's Pro Stock is a Spring Dance compared to the cutthroat NHRA version where over 30 cars are at every race trying to get in the (16-car) show.

Dale Brand won Alcohol Funny car over the CompetitionPlus.com Firebird of John Vouros with a 5.773 to John's close 5.847 pass. Dale ran three straight 5.70's on Sunday, showing great consistency on a track that could come up and bite you on the butt if your combination wasn't just right. Dale's low ET of 5.722 was an IHRA record too.

Although points leader Mark Thomas lost in the second round, along with #2 man Jimmy Rector, he still left Budds Creek with 1,173 points over Rector's 1,059. Vouros is a distant third with an even 1000 points. With only one race to go for the season, Mark Thomas has another IHRA Championship wrapped up.

While I don't like the NHRA brand of motorcycle racing, I do like the IHRA style. Nitro Harleys!! Loud and fast and they smell like Top Fuelers!! Winning the President's Cup was the old man, Ray Price, with a slowing(?) 6.607 at only 191.40 mph taking out Johnny Mancuso's close 6.749.

Other Sportsman Action...

In NOS Top Sportsman, James Justice's 63 Vette defeated Jeff Solyan's Firebird with a 7.10 to Jeff's 7.358. Top Annihilator Dragster, Kevin Scales, 6.933 - 189.26 defeated Scott Duggins who lit the big red bulb. Hooker Modified, which is similar to NHRA's Competition eliminator except you cannot run below your dial in. If you do, you lose. The eliminator is usually full of Econo Dragsters, slower Altereds and a few NHRA carpetbaggers trying to make a quick buck. One of the exceptions to this bunch is the wild A/A of Pat Bennett. Pat is dialed in at a 6.94. Pat does not go many rounds with a combination like his. Scotty Stillings' A/ED Dragster wins over Tim Sloan's B/EA Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.629 at 130.38 to the Cutlass's slowing 10.976 at 83.91. Yawn...

In Dominator Quick Rod (Super Comp) Christa Schneider ran a great 8.909 at 161.19 over the fouling dragster of Joe Fisher. Holley Team G Super Rod (Super Gas) Jim Morrison (from the Doors?) driving his neat little Opel GT ran a not so "Light My Fire" 9.940 - 153.70. But it didn't mean much since his competition, Scott Lawton's Chevy Roadster, went to "The End" with a breaking out 9.877 - 135.16. Come on and touch me babe.... (Hey Phil: do ya think anybody out in drag racing land still remembers the Doors? I was there and I can hardly remember them...)

In Weiand Hot Rod (Super Street) Doug Wood's Oldsmobile Cutlass went under the 10.90 index with a 10.858 - 135.50 but since Johnny Cobb was going even further below the index at a 10.849 - 131.37 in his Monza, it didn't really matter. Finally, in Lunati Super Stock, perennial winner Anthony Bertozzi, in his late model Pontiac Grand-Am took out Bobby Smith's Camaro in the final, 9.560 - 121.17 to a 10.107 - 113.75.

Oops, I almost forgot Earl's Stock. Earl's Stock?? Mike Adams' Camaro beat Ricky Morris's Malibu in the final, 10.194 to the Malibu's 11.678. I have no idea what class these guys were running, or their indexes. But if you are living in the Pacific Northwest, you could probably care less too.

Have you detected a pattern here with each IHRA eliminator having their own unique name and sponsor? It's like Major League Sports where timeouts and replays have their sponsors too. The announcer will say, "We're going to take a Budweiser Timeout while the referees look at the "Kodak Instant Replay" right before the "Toyota Half Time Report" (only the Toyota one was real for those keeping score). With NHRA going bankrupt (Did I say that?) look for new sponsor involvement in 2002 from the California gang. Next up, "Little Debbie Snack Cakes Super Gas", followed by "Depends Stock Eliminator"... Stay tuned...

In wrapping up this edition of Fear and Loathing, I would like to say my only disappointment at this year's edition of the President's Cup was that George W. Bush was not in attendance. This is the President's Cup for God's sake. Usually there is a high ranking official in the stands somewhere. I know the President is busy keeping our country free of terrorists and anthrax, but he could have sent the Vice President or better yet.... Bill Clinton... The only president I saw was Bill Bader... I guess he will have to do...

Next up: the rescheduled Maple Grove NHRA Keystone Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania. As usual send your gripes and adoration to:
Hutch@delanet.com or Philip_R._Hutchison@dadebehring.com

Left: IHRA Pro Stock World Champ Gene Wilson ran 6.532 - 213.37
Right: President's Cup Pro Stock winner Brian Gahm (best of 6.592 - 211.10)


Left: Pro Stock runnerup Terry Leggett ran a best of 6.632 - 209.43
Right: Richard Penland lost in the first round (best of 6.679 - 209.33)


Left: Ronnie Davis ran strong in Top Sportsman with a best of 6.925 - 200.59
Right: Michael Faucher failed to qualify in Pro Mod with a 6.437 - 208.23


Left: Pat Donovan's '98 Firebird Top Sportsman ran 7.231 - 185.82
Right: Pat Bennett's wild A/A '63 Corvette ran 6.937 in Modified Eliminator


Left: Another look at IHRA's 2001 Pro Mod World Champion - Mike Janis
Right: Former IHRA Pro Mod World Champ Tommy Mauney failed to qualify


Left: Fuzzy Norton in the winners circle with his topless '00 'Vette
Right: Dean Mathauser's nine-second '67 Pontiac GTO