Mike Janis Claims First Ironman of 2005 Season

Clay Millican, Rick Jones, and Rob Atchison Also Claim Wins at Virginia

Mike Janis is finally back in familiar territory.

The defending Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified World Champion was racing like anything but a world-beater this season, failing to qualify for the show in both San Antonio and Rockingham. He did not have a handle on his new '05 Dodge Stratus until a couple of weeks ago when things seemingly clicked during testing.

Shed no tears for Mike Janis, the Widowmaker is back.

Janis put up solid numbers all day, after qualifying in the #1 position, to advance to the final. In the first round he flirted with the IHRA E.T. record and set the track record with a 6.132/233.76 to put Charles Carpenter and his Embee Performance '55 Chevy on the trailer. In the second round he won a thriller against Ed Hoover, posting a 6.256/223.36 to Hoover's 6.295/226.47. Janis followed with another nail-biter against Eddie Ware in the semis when he carded a 6.216/231.99 to Ware's 6.278/224.10.

The tight racing Janis was forced to fight through led to an anticlimax in the final. Al Billes, who advanced through the other side of the ladder, used up his motor in the semifinals against Shannon Jenkins and was unable to answer the bell for the championship run.

"The first two races we were so close to hitting what we had here," Janis said. "But we went the wrong way and got lost for a bunch of runs. Last weekend I was really close to throwing in the towel and it has been a tough two months. It was getting to us but it all worked out. We needed this."

Though Janis was disappointed by not putting on a show for the fans in the final, he is more than happy to have earned his way back into the winner's circle.

"We earned this," Janis said. "All weekend long our guys made really good calls and my son made really good calls on the clutch. We would not have done this if not for him."

Drag racing history was made at the ACDelco Nationals as, for the first time, a pair of Chevy Cobalts squared off for a Pro Stock championship. Rick Jones secured the honor of taking home the first national event title ever when he drove past Steve Spiess in the final.

"We weren't really trying anything special, we were just trying to race the racetrack," Jones said. "We could have run faster, but we just tried to be real consistent."

Clay Millican continued his dominance in the Top Fuel class as he bagged his 40th career Ironman, an IHRA record, with his victory over Doug Foley in the final. It was the first time in three tries that Millican was able to get past Foley in the finals of a national event. Foley defeated Millican last season in Budds Creek and Norwalk.

Millican's 4.56 at 320.36 mph set the track record he established a few hours earlier during final qualifying.

"I won a couple national events when I was a sportsman and I had waited my whole life to do that," Millican said. "Now in five years I have won 40 of these. I would have never thought this was possible. What that is is the gathering of a fine group of people. We are a team/family. And we all have one common goal in mind that we always work towards."

In Funny Car Rob Atchison returned to his winning ways after seeing his points lead slip away to Mark Thomas last month. Atchison defeated Terry McMillan, who took Thomas out in the first round, for the second time in an event final this season to retake the points lead and put his 11th Ironman on the mantel.

"The car has a lot of performance," Atchison said. "It goes out and runs a number consistently. That is just a reflection of the work my father has put in over the winter and how hard the crew works. It is nice to get back on top."

DINWIDDIE, Va. -- Saturday's final results from the fifth annual ACDelco Nationals presented by Richmond Times-Dispatch at Virginia Motorsports Park. The $1.1 million race is the third of 12 in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Clay Millican, 4.568 seconds, 320.36 mph def. Doug Foley, 5.821 seconds, 152.73 mph.

Pro Modified -- Mike Janis, Dodge Stratus, 12.683, 94.73 def. Al Billes, Stratus, broke.

Funny Car -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.881, 238.34 def. Terry McMillen, Dodge Avenger, 6.062, 235.35.

Pro Stock -- Rick Jones, Chevy Cobalt, 6.465, 216.90 def. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 9.141, 93.26.

Top Stock -- Paul Mercure, Chevy Camaro, 9.682, 136.80 def. Matt Morgan, Camaro, broke.

Top Sportsman -- Wayne Rogers, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.999, 195.56 def. Jamie Silance, Chevy S-10, 7.156, 193.63.

Top Dragster -- Dave Elrod, Dragster, 7.418, 169.98 def. Henry Outhouse, Dragster, 7.361, 192.38.

Super Rod -- Bernard Weaver, Dodge Daytona, 9.902, 143.93 def. Mike Sparacino, Ford Ranger, 9.943, 133.53.

Hot Rod -- Scott Morgan, Chevy Camaro, 10.917, 134.08 def. Ed Pauley, Camaro, 10.943, 124.36.

Super Stock -- D.J. Raiser, Oldsmobile Starfire, 10.548, 125.88 def. Mark Alvey, Chevy Camaro, 16.782, 50.40.

ET Box -- Mason Harris Sr., Dragster, 7.875, 168.01 def. Chris Dagoli, Dragster, 7.499, 174.12.

ET No Box -- Brandon Tuck, Ford Mustang, 11.942, 109.45 def. Jeremy Minter, Plymouth Super Bee, 10.782, 112.37.

Moser "Axle Mania" (contested Friday) -- Glenn Ferguson, Ford Fairlane, 6.203, 109.82 def. Jeff Brown, Dragster, 4.736, 141.94.

Finals in Stock, Quick Rod, and ET will be contested Sunday.

DINWIDDIE, Va. -- Final round-by-round results from the Fifth annual ACDelco Nationals presented by Richmond Times-Dispatch at Virginia Motorsports Park, the third of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Bruce Litton, 5.095, 268.60 def. Rick Cooper, 5.387, 269.13; Doug Foley, 4.709, 305.63 def. Paul Athey, 7.777, 103.08; Roger Dean, 5.776, 222.77 def. Louie Allison, 12.404, 79.11; Clay Millican, 4.681, 300.33 def. C.J. Nelson, broke;  SEMIFINALS -- Foley, 4.609, 304.12 def. Dean, 5.004, 253.85; Millican, 4.644, 320.58 def. Litton, 4.845, 289.45;  FINAL -- Millican, 4.568, 320.36 def. Foley, 5.821, 152.73.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Ed Hoover, Chevy Corvette, 6.273, 227.88 def. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.262, 225.71; Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 6.243, 226.85 def. Steve Engel, Corvette, foul; Rick Moore, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.294, 223.25 def. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.282, 212.83; Al Billes, Dodge Stratus, 6.128, 236.22 def. Rick DiStefano, Corvette, 6.292, 225.75; Mike Janis, Stratus, 6.169, 232.51 def. Charles Carpenter, Chevy Bel Air, 6.759, 166.39; Burton Auxier, Corvette, 6.283, 222.14 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.240, 228.50; Eddie Ware, Willys, 6.386, 221.20 def. John Russo, Camaro, foul; Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.214, 226.39 def. Tommy D'Aprile, Corvette, 6.478, 222.40;  QUARTERFINALS -- Ware, 6.809, 219.51 def. Auxier, 20.157, 35.58; Janis, 6.256, 223.36 def. Hoover, 6.295, 226.47; Billes, 6.159, 235.89 def. Moore, 7.283, 142.81; Jenkins, 6.182, 227.23 def. Harper, 6.192, 226.81;  SEMIFINALS -- Janis, 6.216, 231.99 def. Ware, 6.278, 224.10; Billes, 6.194, 215.48 def. Jenkins, 6.172, 228.07;  FINAL -- Janis, 12.683, 94.73 def. Billes, broke.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Rob Atchison, Pontiac Firebird, 5.859, 239.40 def. Melinda Green-King, Dodge Avenger, 8.364, 105.63; Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.907, 239.23 def. Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.910, 236.75; Jim Sickles, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.918, 239.23 def. Terry Munroe, Firebird, 5.985, 225.48; Thomas Carter, Chevy Camaro, 5.922, 240.04 def. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.893, 235.02; QUARTERFINALS -- Atchison, 5.813, 239.95 def. Carter, 10.010, 84.20; McMillen, 5.931, 238.43 def. Sickles, 6.593, 182.62;  SEMIFINALS -- Atchison, 5.881, 238.34 def. McMillen, 6.062, 235.35.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Daniel Seamon, Ford Escort, 6.505, 217.04 def. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.535, 215.48; John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.499, 214.55 def. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 6.555, 213.60; Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.517, 215.07 def. Pete Berner, Mustang, 6.534, 212.73; Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.476, 216.24 def. Tommy Franklin, Cavalier, 6.532, 214.01; Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.477, 215.96 def. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 11.422, 76.19; Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.476, 216.41 def. Chuck DeMory, Escort, 6.541, 213.74; Rick Jones, Cobalt, 6.510, 215.89 def. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.571, 213.27; Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.461, 217.14 def. Frank Snellings, Mercury Cougar, 6.575, 213.74;  QUARTERFINALS -- Jones, 6.508, 215.89 def. Gugliotta, 6.529, 214.21; Gillig, 6.480, 214.21 def. Haas, 6.473, 215.82; Patrick, 6.468, 216.17 def. Montecalvo, 6.518, 214.18; Spiess, 6.473, 216.76 def. Seamon, 6.521, 215.89;  SEMIFINALS -- Spiess, 6.467, 216.03 def. Gillig, 6.487, 215.27; Jones, 6.473, 215.17 def. Patrick, 6.452, 216.69;  FINAL -- Jones, 6.465, 216.90 def. Spiess, 9.141, 93.26.

DINWIDDIE, Va. -- Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the Fifth annual ACDelco Nationals presented by Richmond Times-Dispatch at Virginia Motorsports Park, the third of 12 events in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Clay Millican, 380; 2. Doug Foley, 275; 3. Rick Cooper, 247; 4. Bruce Litton, 245; 5. Louie Allison, 203; 6. Roger Dean, 186; 7. Paul Athey, 182; 8. Bobby Lagana Jr., 99; 9. Mitch King, 85; 10. Chris Karamesines, 74.

Pro Modified

1. Shannon Jenkins, 239; 2. Al Billes, 224; 3. Ed Hoover, 210; 4. Quain Stott, 196; 5. Dennis Radford, 168; 6. Jim Halsey, 165; 7. Eddie Ware, 159; 8. Mike Janis, 151; 9. Harold Martin, 108; 10. Billy Harper, 107.

Funny Car

1. Rob Atchison, 292; 2. Mark Thomas, 244; 3. Terry McMillen, 213; 4. Thomas Carter, 203; 5. Jim Sickles, 197; 6. Chris Foster, 194; 7. Terry Munroe, 168; 8. Melinda Green-King, 156; 9. Mark Poyser, 94; 10. Tony Bogolo, 64.

Pro Stock

1. Steve Spiess, 281; 2. Robert Patrick, 228; 3. Jerry Haas, 211; 4. Daniel Seamon, 204; 5. Rick Jones, 197; 6. Pete Berner, 173; 7. Brian Gahm, 166; 8. Tony Gillig, 158; 9. John Nobile, 152; 10. (tie) Frank Gugliotta, 150. John Montecalvo, 150.

Results provided by the FastNews Network
Courtesy of Summit Racing Equipment
http://www.summitracing.com