NORWALK, Ohio. - If eight is great… nine is fine. The remarkable winning streak of Clay Millican and the Werner Enterprises Top Fuel team continued unabated at the IHRA Sunoco World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs! at Norwalk Raceway Park, Norwalk, Ohio.

The Drummonds, Tenn. driver defeated Bruce Litton of Indianapolis for the seventh time this season with a 4.758/309.34 pass to Litton's not-quite-enough 4.825/302.35. For the second time this season, the two engaged in a Top Fuel burndown while staging.

"I've been a slug on the tree all week long," said a jubilant Millican. "I told myself I had to get it together and we did."

"Nine is fine for Clay and the Werner boys," said an elated Millican. "The racing was so close today but when it counted Mike Kloeber pulled us through. He gave me what I needed and I gave him what he needed - another win."

Millican's undefeated streak almost ended in the semi-final round, where he narrowly defeated 17-year old Josh Starcher in the WIX Filters car.

"Josh beat me off the line and I had to get the Werner car hauling at the top end to defeat him," explained Millican. "Josh is going to be a fine Top Fuel driver and his time is going to come."

Millican's 21st IHRA Top fuel win was the tenth for the engine, known as "Gladiator."

"Gladiator" is "Nitro Dave Miller's" pet name for the engine and he and the team are giving me power that truly lives up to the name," added Millican.

Litton, who remains second in Top Fuel points defeated Paul Romine to go to the final. Romine had one of his best races of the season, qualifying second.

"One of these days I'm going to get married and not be a bridesmaid," said the upbeat Litton. "We're having a great season and the results show we've been to the final round seven times this season. We're going to get to victory lane this season."

Shannon Jenkins won his third Pro Modified victory of the year, defeating points leader Al Billes in a nitrous/supercharged final.

"I'm exactly where I want to be," said the man known as the "Iceman." "We should have gotten the win in Canada. We're doing exactly what we want to do and that is to whittle away at Al's (points leader Billes) points lead."

With three races remaining in the season, Billes leads Jenkins by the narrow margin of 669 points to 649.

Doug Vancil once again met Steve Stordeur in the Screamin' Eagle Nitro-Harley Davidson final.

"I guess this moves me closer to the championship, but I haven't really looked at the points," stated Vancil. "Steve is always tough to race against. He was on all weekend and I'm not sure what happened in the final. Apparently, Steve had some confusion when the Mancuso team staged the bike."

"I just lost my concentration," said Stordeur.

Vancil has led the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley-Davidson championship points all season.

For the first time in three races, Jimmy Rector of Vernon, Ala. returned to the winner's circle defeating five-time IHRA World Champion Mark Thomas in Funny Car.

Thomas, who is Ohio's largest dairy farmer and a Norwalk hero had his best result of the season, losing 6.035/233.72 to Rector's 5.844/239.19. Rector's reaction time of .450 to Mark's .527 determined the race's result.

"Not many people gave the Holbrook Performance team a chance heading into today," said Rector, affectionately known as "Little Round Man." We had problems in qualifying and I didn't sleep well last night, but we all pulled through.

"Today is my wife Karen's birthday and I couldn't think of a better way to thank the person who has stood by me all these years," added Rector.

Rector's win stemmed the late season charge of Dale Brand, who won the previous two events in Martin, Mich. and Toronto, and threatened to take the points lead.

Rector leads 903 points to 836 points.

Canadian John Konigshofer, who emerged as a national hero with his first win at the inaugural ACDelco Canadian Nationals two weeks ago won his second consecutive Sunoco Pro Stock final, defeating Elijah Morton. The final marked Morton's first-ever appearance in an IHRA Pro Stock final.

"The car is awesome; it does just what we want it to do," said the Otterville, Ont. native. "The first win was for my brother Joel, this one is for my brother Frank, and I guess I have to keep working to get one for myself."

Konigshofer becomes the second two-time winner Pro Stock winner this season.

Saturday night, John Montecalvo won the $50,000 Sunoco Pro Stock Shootout, defeating Doug Kirk. Montecalvo took home $20,000 in the shootout, featuring the top eight Pro Stock qualifying point leaders the past calendar year.

The next race on the 2002 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series schedule is the Amalie Oil North American Nationals at New England Dragway, Epping, N.H., September 6-8, 2002.

NORWALK, Ohio -- Sunday's final results from the 25th annual Sunoco World Nationals presented by Ethanol at Norwalk Raceway Park. The $1.1 million race is the ninth of 12 in the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Clay Millican, 4.758 seconds, 309.34 mph def. Bruce Litton, 4.825 seconds, 302.35 mph.

Pro Modified -- Shannon Jenkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.290, 222.95 def. Mitch Stott, Chevy Corvette, 7.413, 141.74.

Nitro Harley -- Doug Vancil, 6.641, 184.50 def. Steve Stordeur, foul.

Funny Car -- Jimmy Rector, Chevy Camaro, 5.844, 239.19 def. Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 6.035, 233.72.

Pro Stock -- John Konigshofer, Mercury Cougar, 6.633, 209.85 def. Elijah Morton, Ford Mustang, foul.

Matt Morgan defeated Joe Aluise Jr. in the Top Stock final Saturday night. Photo by Vic Cooke

Top Stock -- Matt Morgan, Camaro, 10.153, 130.62 def. Joe Aluise Jr., Belvedere, 15.932, 77.82.

NORWALK, Ohio -- Final round-by-round results from the 25th annual Sunoco World Nationals presented by Ethanol at Norwalk Raceway Park, the ninth of 12 events in the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Josh Starcher, 6.107, 160.27 def. Tim Cullinan, 12.169, 69.59; Bruce Litton, 4.860, 304.94 def. Jack Ostrander, 5.138, 291.89; Paul Romine, 4.884, 293.47 def. Bobby Lagana Jr, 5.956, 163.57; Clay Millican, 4.871, 258.22 def. Roger Dean, foul;

SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 4.832, 308.14 def. Starcher, 4.945, 292.84; Litton, 4.834, 305.01 def. Romine, 5.085, 272.45;

FINAL -- Millican, 4.758, 309.34 def. Litton, 4.825, 302.35.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Shannon Jenkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.351, 219.97 def. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, foul; Thomas Patterson, Chevy Corvette, 6.413, 224.43 def. Pat Moore, Chevy Bel Air, 10.405, 85.04; Tim McAmis, Corvette, 6.360, 222.69 def. Mike Janis, Corvette, 13.281, 62.35; Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.253, 226.62 def. Steve Vick, Camaro, 6.572, 218.83; Al Billes, Studebaker, 6.383, 222.07 def. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 9.533, 99.44; Troy Critchley, Corvette, 6.409, 222.47 def. Billy Harper, Dodge Viper, 13.503, 61.69; Mitch Stott, Corvette, 6.319, 223.21 def. Alan Pittman, Willys, 6.405, 221.78; Carl Spiering, Bel Air, 6.527, 209.62 def. Paul Athey, Corvette, broke;

QUARTERFINALS -- Patterson, 6.528, 187.96 def. Spiering, foul; M. Stott, 6.322, 221.49 def. Q. Stott, 6.276, 225.94; Billes, 6.376, 223.10 def. Critchley, 6.358, 221.89; Jenkins, 6.308, 222.25 def. McAmis, 6.363, 221.67;

SEMIFINALS -- M. Stott, 6.332, 207.88 def. Patterson, 6.575, 221.60; Jenkins, 6.326, 221.38 def. Billes, 6.349, 212.23;

FINAL -- Jenkins, 6.290, 222.95 def. M. Stott, 7.413, 141.74.

NITRO HARLEY:

ROUND ONE -- Doug Vancil, 7.409, 193.43 def. Ray Price, 9.473, 92.27; Mike Romine, 6.520, 202.64 def. Mark Cox, 8.022, 121.85; Steve Stordeur, 6.358, 219.15 def. Jack Romine, 6.622, 207.94; Mark Conner, 6.744, 210.80 def. Johnny Mancuso, 7.741, 130.34;

SEMIFINALS -- Vancil, 6.466, 206.07 def. M. Romine, 6.534, 205.88; Stordeur, 6.421, 213.64 def. Conner, 6.717, 188.62;

FINAL -- Vancil, 6.641, 184.50 def. Stordeur, foul.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Dale Brand, Pontiac Firebird, 6.161, 233.48 def. Mark Poyser, Ford Mustang, foul; Laurie Cannister, Chevy Camaro, 6.003, 239.31 def. Ronnie Midyette, Camaro, 6.961, 134.64; Fred Tigges, Camaro, 6.013, 235.72 def. Bunny Burkett, Dodge Avenger, 6.041, 235.80; Mark Thomas, Avenger, 5.894, 237.80 def. Terry McMillen, Avenger, 6.033, 234.17; Terry Munroe, Firebird, 6.025, 232.91 def. Mike Comella, Avenger, 6.331, 220.76; Jimmy Rector, Camaro, 5.855, 239.06 def. Joe Comella, Firebird, 6.088, 233.64; Rob Atchison, Firebird, 5.943, 234.53 def. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.939, 237.75; John Vouros, Firebird, 6.025, 234.41 def. Tony Bogolo, Oldsmobile Achieva, 6.024, 235.39;

QUARTERFINALS -- Tigges, 5.889, 238.34 def. Atchison, 5.982, 233.92; Thomas, 5.963, 218.94 def. Munroe, 6.068, 233.24; Brand, 5.862, 237.50 def. Vouros, 5.930, 234.82; Rector, 5.836, 240.38 def. Cannister, 5.911, 240.12;

SEMIFINALS -- Rector, 5.886, 238.47 def. Tigges, foul; Thomas, 5.873, 240.21 def. Brand, 5.917, 234.61;

FINAL -- Rector, 5.844, 239.19 def. Thomas, 6.035, 233.72.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Billy Huff, Mercury Cougar, 6.687, 208.39 def. Gary Henry, Chevy Cavalier, 6.672, 207.85; Steve Williford, Cavalier, 6.669, 208.49 def. Tim Nabors, Cavalier, 6.702, 207.72; Pete Berner, Ford Mustang, 6.657, 209.10 def. Carl Baker, Cougar, 7.560, 140.58; Jeff Dobbins, Ford Probe, 6.657, 210.41 def. Doug Kirk, Cavalier, 6.694, 208.26; John Bartunek, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.700, 206.45 def. John Montecalvo, Cavalier, 6.688, 207.27; Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.647, 209.20 def. Rick Jones, Dodge Neon R/T, 6.677, 208.20; John Konigshofer, Cougar, 6.674, 209.46 def. Dwayne Rice, Grand Am, 6.767, 206.04; Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.707, 207.88 def. Chris Holbrook, Cougar, 6.714, 201.88;

QUARTERFINALS -- Morton, 6.698, 208.04 def. Huff, foul; Konigshofer, 6.688, 209.36 def. Williford, 6.691, 208.30; Dobbins, 6.703, 208.91 def. Bartunek, foul; Gahm, 6.664, 208.07 def. Berner, 6.681, 207.62;

SEMIFINALS -- Morton, 6.685, 208.33 def. Dobbins, 6.686, 209.20; Konigshofer, 6.658, 209.52 def. Gahm, 6.660, 208.81;

FINAL -- Konigshofer, 6.633, 209.85 def. Morton, foul.

NORWALK, Ohio -- Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the 25th annual Sunoco World Nationals presented by Ethanol at Norwalk Raceway Park, the ninth of 12 events in the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Clay Millican, 1,118; 2. Bruce Litton, 930; 3. Paul Romine, 784; 4. Louie Allison, 545; 5. Josh Starcher, 514; 6. Roger Dean, 439; 7. Donald Reed, 394; 8. John Sipple, 278; 9. Jack Ostrander, 259; 10. Bobby Lagana Jr, 187.

Pro Modified

1. Al Billes, 669; 2. Shannon Jenkins, 649; 3. Ed Hoover, 569; 4. Mitch Stott, 494; 5. Mike Janis, 473; 6. Harold Martin, 369; 7. Fred Hahn, 360; 8. (tie) Thomas Patterson, 331; Alan Pittman, 331; 10. Quain Stott, 323.

Nitro Harley

1. Doug Vancil, 1,050; 2. Steve Stordeur, 979; 3. Ray Price, 801; 4. Johnny Mancuso, 777; 5. Mike Romine, 703; 6. Mark Conner, 700; 7. Joe Scatella, 322; 8. Mark Cox, 302; 9. Jack Romine, 277; 10. Jay Turner, 232.

Funny Car

1. Jimmy Rector, 903; 2. Dale Brand, 836; 3. Mark Thomas, 527; 4. Laurie Cannister, 529; 5. Mike Comella, 410; 6. Rob Atchison, 374; 7. Terry McMillen, 355; 8. Ronnie Midyette, 331; 9. John Vouros, 272; 10. Chris Foster, 232.

Pro Stock