IHRA finale at Rockingham
A New Beginning?
The IHRA season finale at Rockingham was noteworthy for two reasons: it was the first chance new owner Ken Feld had to take a look at the IHRA in action, and it was the last time the Nitro Funny Car class will compete, unless a sponsor steps up to subsidize the class.
Ken Feld and a couple of Feld Entertainment executives got a ride in the Roy Hill Drag Racing School’s special three-seat dragster. Above are Robert Desatnick, Senior VP, Chief Marketing Officer, and Russ Belin, Regional VP, Event Marketing & Sales, Southeast Region.
NITRO FUNNY CAR
Two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car world champion Dale Creasy Jr. saw his season end due to injuries sustained in an accident at the June Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton. John Lawson, who drove the Creasy Family Motorsports #2 car at select races last season, slid into the top car’s seat to finish out the year. He ended the season with a flourish, claiming the Ironman at the season-ending IHRA World Finals in Rockingham.
Lawson took a solo pass to the championship when Jack Wyatt, the other finalist, could not answer the call for the final round.
Terry Haddock claimed the 2008 IHRA Nitro Funny Car world championship Sunday by defeating rookie Matt Hagan in the first round of eliminations at the 13th annual IHRA World Finals this weekend at Rockingham Dragway.
After qualifying No. 1 (4.963/297.16) as the only racer in the four-second zone and almost two-tenths of a second ahead of the closest racer, Haddock said his confidence was high heading into eliminations, but the pressure of facing Hagan in round one was enormous.
“When I pulled to the line against Matt, I was stressed out,” Haddock said. “I knew it wasn’t completely on the line, but this was my shot at putting him away and wrapping the whole thing up. I wanted to do everything right, just like we had so many times this season, so that was what I focused on, and the results are in the history books.”
When the lights climbed down the Christmas tree, Haddock took off and never looked back. Leading the whole way, the Woodville, Wash., resident decisively took the stripe, 5.053/284.03 to Hagan’s 5.703/184.25.
“I can’t thank my family, sponsors and crew enough for getting me here -- we all have earned this together. The crew has been with me through thick and thin, rain and shine, and they are the ones who put me in a car that could win rounds and races.”
After clinching the championship and getting the ‘weight of the world’ off his shoulders, Haddock prepared to take on Lawson in round two, with hopes of doubling up and winning the race. Those hopes, however, were dashed when the blower separated from the engine, sheering every retaining stud and ending the champion’s day.
“We were just so relaxed and relieved after we clinched the championship that we probably didn’t check things as closely as we should have and it just blew apart about half-way down the track. I wasn’t too worried, though, because we came to do what we had to do, and we were successful in making that happen,” Haddock said.