The annual IHRA national held at Gilliam, Louisiana, could be called a good race but it was far from a great race. The great Pro Modified battle had IHRA and NHRA in their first head to head confrontation and NHRA won hands down.

The Pro Mod field at Gilliam was embarrassing to say the least. Only ten cars showed up to race for a 16-car field. At Atlanta, 20 plus cars showed up for only an 8-car field. It does not take a math major to figure this one out. Pro Mod winner Ed Hoover earned his win, running 6.20s all day, but after that, the ugliness starts. Mike Castellana could not get down the track all weekend. I don't think the car ran to the 330 mark under power. Pro Mod newcomer Danny McVey was running a Beretta that looked like it was built to 1990 standards. McVey got a very ugly win against Shannon Jenkins, who for once was not the Iceman when the AutoStart kicked the red light on.

The local Texas guys, like the IHRA regulars, stayed away but most of them hate quarter mile racing. The majority of the regular IHRA guys went for the fame and fortune of NHRA racing. A question to ponder for IHRA is: without full Pro Modified fields, what have you got? As for the racers, so much for the saying "dance with the one who brought you." You Pro Mod racers would not be here if not for IHRA. Pro Mod racers won't get star treatment with NHRA. Just ask Bob Rieger and look where they put the results of the race in National Dragster. OK, I'm off the soapbox.

Clay Millican showed why he is the champion with his win and low ET of the race. Don Reed with help from Jimmy Walsh had an excellent race with a 4.84. Jimmy Rector scored one for us big boys with his second win of the year. Laurie Cannister had the bad luck award, kicking out a rod and being DQ'ed after setting the pace for the rest of the field. Ray Price had a career day running 6.30s to set a new IHRA world record and to take the win.

Michael Lyons won another Modified race over Tony Stephenson. In Top Dragster, Christy Rice proved you did not have to be the fastest, just the most consistent, with her win in the final over Ernie Hilliard. The Joker, Monte Weaver, beat the King Ronnie Davis for Top Sportsman. Sid Bonnecarre scored a popular win in the legendary Cajun Flyer for Super Stock over Slate Cummings. Rusty Hall had a broken car in the finals but Gary Slaton did not know that. He red lighted the win away to Hall.

In Top Stock, Monty Joe Bogan beat teammate Mike Adams for a wild win.