Nick
02-19-2008, 01:24 PM
<img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a37/outlawpromodman/PatrickSB1.jpg" align="right" borders="0" width="275" height="192"> Patrick, Gahm, Hernandez confirmed for fourth Nitrojam.com Spring Blast at The Rock
(2-19-2008) NORWALK, OH – Reigning IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Robert Patrick of Fredericksburg, Va., and reigning NHRA Pro Modified Champion Josh Hernandez of Conroe, Texas, are among more than 40 drivers committed to this week’s fourth annual NitroJam.com Spring Blast pre-season test at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway.
The four-day speed fest will culminate in the crowning of Pro Modified and Pro Stock champions on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Despite his status as the current IHRA champion, Patrick will face a stiff test in the Pro Stock division in which three-time former IHRA champ and current Pro Stock record-holder (6.281 seconds, 223.95 miles per hour) Brian Gahm of Lucasville, Ohio, and 2005 World Finals winner Frank Gugliotta of Mt. Airy, Md., also are entered.
In Pro Modified, Hernandez gets the nod in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air replica tuned by former champion car owner and crew chief Jim Oddy. The Texas driver won six of the first eight races in the NHRA series last year to run away with the championship. He also is a past winner at The Rock where, on Oct. 22, 2006, he became the first Pro Modified driver to officially break the 6.00 second barrier (5.990).
Among those expected to challenge is former GM engineer and IHRA tour winner Harold Martin of Wixom, Mich., who was a major player in the development GM’s fuel injection system for passenger car applications.
One of the major pre-season tests for pros from both the NHRA and IHRA, the NitroJam.com Spring Blast also will feature the national record-holding Dodge Funny Car of Charlotte’s Bob Gilbertson as well as those of Andy Kelly of Piedmont, S.C., and former Pro Mod standout Matt Hagan of Christiansburg, Va. Also confirmed is the Top Fuel dragster of IHRA regular Bob Leverich of Kimball, Mich., and the Alcohol Funny Car of three-time IHRA series Champion (2003-2005) Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, Canada.
Gilbertson, who won last year’s World Finals at The Rock, is the IHRA Nitro Funny Car record holder at 4.841 seconds, 318.09 miles per hour, marks he established last September at Epping, N.H. In addition to his IHRA success, the Charlotte businessman also has won on the NHRA tour.
Although the track will be available for testing Thursday through Sunday, the competitive portion of the event is scheduled Saturday with qualifying runs at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. determining which drivers will compete for Pro Stock and Pro Modified bragging rights and $4,000 in cash bonuses in each class.
The four-day event also has yielded commitments from a number of IHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman drivers, Outlaw 10.5 drivers and motorcycle racers including the top two riders in last year’s MiRock Superbike Series contested at Rockingham Dragway and Maryland International Raceway: Dave Norris of Bryans Road, Md., and Ronnie Procopio of Wake Forest, N.C.
Norris became the first rider to break the 7.00 barrier on a non-turbocharged bike during last November’s Lee’s Fall Bike Nationals at The Rock.
(2-19-2008) NORWALK, OH – Reigning IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Robert Patrick of Fredericksburg, Va., and reigning NHRA Pro Modified Champion Josh Hernandez of Conroe, Texas, are among more than 40 drivers committed to this week’s fourth annual NitroJam.com Spring Blast pre-season test at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway.
The four-day speed fest will culminate in the crowning of Pro Modified and Pro Stock champions on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Despite his status as the current IHRA champion, Patrick will face a stiff test in the Pro Stock division in which three-time former IHRA champ and current Pro Stock record-holder (6.281 seconds, 223.95 miles per hour) Brian Gahm of Lucasville, Ohio, and 2005 World Finals winner Frank Gugliotta of Mt. Airy, Md., also are entered.
In Pro Modified, Hernandez gets the nod in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air replica tuned by former champion car owner and crew chief Jim Oddy. The Texas driver won six of the first eight races in the NHRA series last year to run away with the championship. He also is a past winner at The Rock where, on Oct. 22, 2006, he became the first Pro Modified driver to officially break the 6.00 second barrier (5.990).
Among those expected to challenge is former GM engineer and IHRA tour winner Harold Martin of Wixom, Mich., who was a major player in the development GM’s fuel injection system for passenger car applications.
One of the major pre-season tests for pros from both the NHRA and IHRA, the NitroJam.com Spring Blast also will feature the national record-holding Dodge Funny Car of Charlotte’s Bob Gilbertson as well as those of Andy Kelly of Piedmont, S.C., and former Pro Mod standout Matt Hagan of Christiansburg, Va. Also confirmed is the Top Fuel dragster of IHRA regular Bob Leverich of Kimball, Mich., and the Alcohol Funny Car of three-time IHRA series Champion (2003-2005) Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, Canada.
Gilbertson, who won last year’s World Finals at The Rock, is the IHRA Nitro Funny Car record holder at 4.841 seconds, 318.09 miles per hour, marks he established last September at Epping, N.H. In addition to his IHRA success, the Charlotte businessman also has won on the NHRA tour.
Although the track will be available for testing Thursday through Sunday, the competitive portion of the event is scheduled Saturday with qualifying runs at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. determining which drivers will compete for Pro Stock and Pro Modified bragging rights and $4,000 in cash bonuses in each class.
The four-day event also has yielded commitments from a number of IHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman drivers, Outlaw 10.5 drivers and motorcycle racers including the top two riders in last year’s MiRock Superbike Series contested at Rockingham Dragway and Maryland International Raceway: Dave Norris of Bryans Road, Md., and Ronnie Procopio of Wake Forest, N.C.
Norris became the first rider to break the 7.00 barrier on a non-turbocharged bike during last November’s Lee’s Fall Bike Nationals at The Rock.