Bareman Dazzles the Field

Summit-sponsored Torco Pro Mod driver sets IHRA World Record during qualifying

By Mike Perry / IHRA.com

On a day when Torco Pro Stock was showcased at the track known for its Pro Stock excellence, Steve Bareman stole the spotlight with a record-setting qualifying effort.

After Bareman, from Elma, N.Y., set a provisional IHRA World elapsed time record in Saturday afternoon qualifying with a 6.095 the entire speedway was wondering if he would be able to run a 6.15 Saturday evening to back up the record. Bareman not only backed up the record, he carded a 6.050 to drop the record down even further and qualify #1 for the first time in his career.

Bareman, who teamed up with Jim Oddy when Al Billes was unable to continue to campaign for Summit Racing Equipment due to medical conditions, also holds the IHRA Torco Pro Mod speed record, 236.46, set two weeks ago in Epping. He is pleased to now hold both ends of the IHRA Torco Pro Mod World Record.

"We just wanted to get it down the track," Bareman said. "Jim makes a lot of power and we knew if we could get it down the track we would run a good number. I didn't think we'd run those kind of numbers. When you are in the car and they run so smooth you really don't know what kind of number you are running."

Bareman took his '63 Corvette to Oddy, who was in a conundrum after Billes suffered a pair of accidents earlier this season and was not medically prepared to continue this season.

"Steve has been a wonderful surprise," Oddy said. "We didn't know what we had for a driver or what we had for a team. We get to Norwalk, get into the show and he puts two hundredths on Shannon, then five hundredths on Vick, then a couple hundredths on Halsey. That's when I knew we had a driver. And like I explained to the guys earlier, with everything we went through this year, tonight made all that worth it. You have to have the downs with the ups. We were pretty down, now we're pretty up."

The Torco Pro Stock field was the quickest in IHRA history as the bump spot was in the 6.40's for the first time ever. Before the Torco President's Cup Nationals the lowest bump spot happened last season in Rockingham at 6.502. Larry O'Brien (Lakeshore, Ont.) posted a 6.485 to claim the #16 qualifying position at MIR.

Frank Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) continued his hot streak, backing up his Ironman victory in Epping, N.H. by qualifying in the top spot Saturday night. His 6.403/218.51 in his final shot at the track was a touch better than Steve Spiess (Manhattan, Ill.), whose 6.406/216.97 placed him second.

The Funny Car World Championship race remained tight as Rob Atchison (London, Ont.) laid down the number early, then Jim Sickles (Caledonia, N.Y.) answered late. Atchison entered the Torco Race Fuels President's Cup Nationals leading the Funny Car points race by 66 over Sickles. Atchison held the #1 qualifying post and the 16 points that goes with it, with a 5.725/246.71 pass Saturday evening.

Sickles, who has won two of the last three IHRA national events, used his last pass of qualifying to unseat Atchison and vault into the top spot. Sickles' 5.724/247.47 set a track Funny Car speed record and enabled him to gain one precious point on Atchison in the points race.

In Top Fuel Clay Millican (Drummonds, Tenn.) remained poised to claim his fifth consecutive World Championship. He entered the Torco Race Fuels President's Cup Nationals needing to go two rounds to clinch the '05 title. Millican laid down a 4.568 in Saturday afternoon qualifying to claim the top spot and held on when no one in the evening session could better that mark. Millican's 4.568 also established a new MIR ET record.

BUDDS CREEK, Md. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 14th annual Torco Race Fuels President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, the 11th of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Clay Millican, 4.568 seconds, 309.63 mph vs. 8. Roger Dean, 5.247, 200.26; 2. Doug Foley, 4.648, 320.13 vs. 7. Rick Cooper, 5.199, 198.85; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.727, 305.42 vs. 6. Bobby Lagana Jr., 5.087, 287.78; 4. Todd Paton, 4.814, 234.00 vs. 5. Louie Allison, 4.834, 288.33.

Pro Modified -- 1. Steve Bareman, Chevy Corvette, 6.050, 235.64 vs. 16. Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.331, 221.52; 2. Mike Stawicki, Chevy Camaro, 6.131, 229.59 vs. 15. Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.292, 223.28; 3. Scott Cannon, Studebaker, 6.157, 228.19 vs. 14. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.244, 224.88; 4. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.160, 231.00 vs. 13. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.241, 228.81; 5. John Russo, Camaro, 6.166, 229.08 vs. 12. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.234, 225.52; 6. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.180, 226.66 vs. 11. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.224, 230.49; 7. Mike Janis, Dodge Stratus, 6.187, 232.55 vs. 10. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.191, 231.60; 8. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.188, 230.45 vs. 9. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.189, 212.49.

Funny Car -- 1. Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.724, 247.47 vs. 8. Thomas Carter, Chevy Camaro, 5.901, 234.41; 2. Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.725, 246.71 vs. 7. Chris Foster, Dodge Avenger, 5.868, 237.96; 3. Frederick Tigges, Camaro, 5.780, 244.03 vs. 6. Mike Comella, Chevy Corvette, 5.864, 239.31; 4. Neal Parker, Monte Carlo, 5.852, 235.64 vs. 5. Larry Dobbs, Corvette, 5.858, 238.76.

Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.403, 218.51 vs. 16. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.485, 213.54; 2. Steve Spiess, Chevy Cobalt, 6.406, 216.97 vs. 15. John Konigshofer, Mercury Cougar, 6.475, 215.58; 3. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.407, 217.81 vs. 14. Ed Machacek, Chevy Cavalier, 6.470, 215.44; 4. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 6.433, 215.93 vs. 13. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.468, 214.04; 5. Jerry Haas, Cavalier, 6.436, 215.82 vs. 12. Elijah Morton, Escort, 6.467, 214.96; 6. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.438, 215.27 vs. 11. Bert Jackson, Cavalier, 6.461, 216.27; 7. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.438, 215.17 vs. 10. Doug Kirk, Mustang, 6.460, 216.79; 8. Daniel Seamon, Escort, 6.453, 216.24 vs. 9. Rick Jones, Cobalt, 6.455, 215.72.

BUDDS CREEK, Md. -- Final round-by-round results from the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock Showdown at Maryland International Raceway:

PRO STOCK SHOWDOWN:

ROUND ONE -- John Nobile, Ford ZX-2, 6.474, 214.72 def. Pete Berner, Ford Mustang, 6.479, 214.04; Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.473, 217.98 def. Rick Jones, Chevy Cobalt, 6.481, 215.72; Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.438, 214.89 def. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 10.435, 85.31; Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.406, 216.97 def. John Montecalvo, Cobalt, 6.581, 209.46;
SEMIFINALS -- Gillig, 6.448, 215.27 def. Gugliotta, 6.424, 217.91; Spiess, 6.403, 215.86 def. Nobile, 6.474, 215.31;
FINAL -- Spiess, 6.406, 216.17 def. Gillig, 6.453, 215.17.