Carter moves to second with Martin win

MARTIN, Mich. - IHRA Alcohol Funny Car driver Thomas Carter kept his Championship hopes alive with his third win of the season during this past weekend's Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals in Martin, Mich. Carter once again used back-breaking consistency to take home the 'Iron Man' in his Jeff Fowler tuned Camaro.

Carter, a practicing Oral and Maxilliofacial surgeon in Victoria, Texas, qualified his 'Jawbreaker' Camaro fifth in the field with a 5.881 second elapsed time at 238.72 mph. In round one he scored a holeshot victory over defending three-time series champ Rob Atchison with a 5.926 at 230.45 mph to Atchison's quicker-but-later 5.870, then defeated Terry Munroe in the semifinals with a 5.932 at 239.10 mph.

Carter's final round opponent would be last year's No. 6 points finisher Terry McMillen. Carter stayed on track with another 5.955 at 238.76 mph in the heat to hold off McMillen's 6.139 at 231.68 mph.

"It's really great to get another win," said Carter. "The consistency of the car is really a testament to this crew lead by Jeff Fowler. We just came together today, and the biggest thing was beating Rob Atchison in the first round. I knew I had to do that, then after I did it I had to face Terry Munroe. So this win wasn't easy, but it really helps us."

The win puts Carter just 46 points behind points leader Mark Thomas and one point ahead of Atchison heading into the biggest race on the IHRA tour, the Skull Gear World Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, Aug. 24-27.

"We've been consistent, but you always want to go a little quicker," stated Thomas. "We have to just keep focusing on each run. We need to stay consistent, but work hard at getting just a little quicker every run. If we can do that, we might have a shot at winning the championship."

Photo courtesy Roger Richards, CompetitionPlus.com