In the semi’s Gilbertson’s 4.481/318.09 allowed him to drive around Arcadi’s respectable 5.02/264 lap, setting up the final round against rookie Lee in his ex-Ron Capps/Don Prudhomme Monte Carlo. Lee took a shot at the tree against Gilbertson but going red by .012 and giving the automatic win to Gilbertson, who legged it through the lights on fire nonetheless to record a 4.843/311.92 to take the win and the ET record and the all important FIVE points that comes with that achievement. Lee ran a respectable 4.961/293.86. The win was Gilbertson’s second IHRA win, the first coming in 1992 in Canada.
PRO STOCK
The IHRA mountain-motored Pro Stocks took gas-and-carburetors-only doorslammer racing to the next level at New England Dragway. Elapsed times of 6.30 were cheap and 220 mph came up on the boards more than once. It was many years ago that those numbers were the exclusive domain of the IHRA Pro Modifieds, but no more.
At this race Robert Patrick and his Jon Kaase Hemi-Ford-powered ‘06 Shelby Mustang literally made a pass that was reminiscent of the historic 5.62 lap that Don Garlits made in Top Fuel over 30 years ago or the 5.63 lap some ten years later that Garlits recorded at 
Indy at the U.S. Nationals.
In the final round Patrick ran a mind blowing 6.315/221.27 against Rob Mansfield’s Hemi-Chevy-powered Cobalt. Mansfield was the record holder going into that round at 6.344, which most rail birds considered to be untouchable, but he lifted in the final round, going just 6.483/192.96. Patrick, like Gilbertson in Funny Car, not only set Top Speed and Low ET for his class, but he also won the event.
As dominant as Patrick’s Mustang was -- he had no ET over a 6.37 in eliminations -- there were other cars and drivers that deserve a mention.
Steve Spiess ran off three straight laps in the 6.30 range before losing to Mansfield in the semis with a 6.368 to a 6.344, losing by .009 at the stripe! Pete Berner in a new GTO also had a couple of 6.30’s in eliminations.
This Pro Stock event proved that given the right conditions, mountain motored Pro Stocks can be very quick and fast. Just how quick are the gas burners compared to their gas burning, NOS-injected Pro Mod brethren? Well, let’s compare. Here are the incrementals for Patrick’s 6.31: 1.00 (60ft); 2.705 (330ft); and 4.100/176 (1/8th mile). Harold Martin’s eighth-mile times on a 6.298/226 lap are: 1.05 (60 ft); 2.771 (330ft); 4.14/180 (1/8th mile). Just imagine what one of those 822 cubic inch motors might run with a dose of nitrous.
