“You hate to win like that and always want to put on a show for the fans, but we’ll take it,’ Litton said. “My crew worked so hard to put a good car under me and I was pretty confident heading into the final.”
Litton made an engine change for this race returning to the TFX block and components that carried the team to the ’07 title.
“It was like slipping on a broken-in pair of blue jeans,” Litton said of his old motor. “That engine has been so reliable and we decided to make the change for this race. I guess it was the right call.”
Kenny Lang’s crew chief, Al Billes, has been making plenty of right calls as well. Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) won his second consecutive Ironman, backing up his win in Rockingham with a victory at the Motor City Nationals. Lang stopped Mike Castellana’s nitrous-powered ’68 Firebird in the final.
But the nitrous cars especially Montana racer Al Stoken and his Tim McAmis built Camaro served notice that a five-second pass is in the realm of possibility. Stoken recorded an all-time nitrous Pro Mod record ET and speed of 6.022/237.13. The 237.13 speed was nearly two miles per hour faster than the previous best of 235.26 that Mike Castellana recorded earlier this year. Stoken reportedly has a new Reher-Morrison 800+ Pro Mod engine and a Speedtech nitrous system. On the lap Stoken’s incremental times were: 60ft-0.995 sec., 330ft-2.646, 660ft-3.957/189.15mph, 1,000ft-5.075. The 189.15 at the eighth is just a tick slower than the ADRL speed record 189.26 held by Rickie Smith.
“Al’s a great crew chief and my team works so hard,” Lang said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to not make any mistakes because they always give me a flawless car and if we lose it usually is because of something I did. I don’t want to let the team down.”
Lang assumed the Pro Modified points lead with his win in Milan.
Dr. Tom Carter, a dentist from Cuero, Tex., did something no one else has been able to do this season…knock off Laurie Cannister in Alcohol Funny Car competition. Carter defeated Cannister in the final round at Milan Dragway to stop her eight-round winning streak. When Carter moved into the Alcohol Funny Car ranks in the 2006 season it was Cannister and her husband Dale who helped tune his car. At the Motor City Nationals he won the battle with his former teammates and close friends.
“Actually, it doesn’t matter to me who is in the other lane when I stage the car,” Carter said. “I’m trying to go fast and win no matter who I’m racing. But Laurie and Dale are great people and they’re having an incredible season. This is going to be an outstanding points race all year long.”
Carter, who set an IHRA national speed record with a 249.30 mph pass in the first round against Tony Bogolo, clocked a 5.802/248.43 pass in the final to top Cannister’s 5.842/242.98 package.
Jeff Dobbins and his Ford Escort had a dominant weekend in Milan, finishing at the top of the qualifying sheet, making a career-best 6.294 pass during qualifying and blowing through four elimination rounds to win the Pro Stock Ironman. Dobbins defeated Pete Berner in the final round in a race he felt fortunate to win.
“I have no idea why, but we lost power towards the end of the track,” Dobbins said. “Pete was charging hard and it seemed like the finish line would never get there. But we got it done. This was a great weekend.”
Dobbins took the title with a hole-shot victory, clocking a 6.369/219.86 pass with a .031 reaction time to knock off Berner’s .082-induced 6.333/220.73.