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NORWALK, Ohio (August 28, 2007) – Last season at the venerable drag strip in Cayuga, Ontario – Toronto Motorsports Park – fans witnessed the heated competition in Nitro Funny Car, a class returning to the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series after a 14-year layoff.
Dale Creasy Jr. and Jack Wyatt were No. one and two in the standings nearly all season long. As they entered the IHRA Canadian Nationals, only three races remained to earn championship points, making it a very important stop for both competitors.
While Creasy won the race and left with the points lead, the championship chase ended a month later in North Carolina as the closest in IHRA history. Creasy edged Wyatt by a mere five points.
This season as drivers enter the IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource, September 7 – 9, Creasy has a somewhat controlling lead on the Nitro Funny Car class.
However, the Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel battle is the closest it’s been since Paul Romine topped Clay Millican by seven points in 2000. After finishing runner-up that season, Millican went on to claim an unprecedented six-consecutive world championships.
This year, the story has changed. T.J. Zizzo, a relative newcomer, leads veteran driver Bruce Litton by only 28 points, less than two rounds of competition. It’s been a back-and-forth battle all season. Litton held the lead after defeating Zizzo in the Top Fuel final at the first race of the year. Zizzo came right back and won the second race, and held the lead until Litton took it back at the beginning of August, only to lose it at the very next race.
Other points chases to watch:
The IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource will feature the Chevrolet “Night of Fire” Saturday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m. The “Night of Fire” features the final round of professional qualifying under the lights and a jet-powered racecar to cap-off the day. Professional eliminations begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
The IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource will be held at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, September 7-9. For more information, log onto IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation or Welcome to Canada's Newest Racing Facility - Toronto Motorsports Park.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource Next Event on Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series
NORWALK, Ohio (August 28, 2007) – Last season at the venerable drag strip in Cayuga, Ontario – Toronto Motorsports Park – fans witnessed the heated competition in Nitro Funny Car, a class returning to the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series after a 14-year layoff.
Dale Creasy Jr. and Jack Wyatt were No. one and two in the standings nearly all season long. As they entered the IHRA Canadian Nationals, only three races remained to earn championship points, making it a very important stop for both competitors.
While Creasy won the race and left with the points lead, the championship chase ended a month later in North Carolina as the closest in IHRA history. Creasy edged Wyatt by a mere five points.
This season as drivers enter the IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource, September 7 – 9, Creasy has a somewhat controlling lead on the Nitro Funny Car class.
However, the Knoll Gas Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel battle is the closest it’s been since Paul Romine topped Clay Millican by seven points in 2000. After finishing runner-up that season, Millican went on to claim an unprecedented six-consecutive world championships.
This year, the story has changed. T.J. Zizzo, a relative newcomer, leads veteran driver Bruce Litton by only 28 points, less than two rounds of competition. It’s been a back-and-forth battle all season. Litton held the lead after defeating Zizzo in the Top Fuel final at the first race of the year. Zizzo came right back and won the second race, and held the lead until Litton took it back at the beginning of August, only to lose it at the very next race.
Other points chases to watch:
- Scott Cannon Jr. leads the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified class over veteran Ed Hoover
- Defending Alcohol Funny Car world champion Mark Thomas leads three-time former world champ Rob Atchison, London, Ontario
- Robert Patrick leads the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock class by less than 50 points over Frank Gugliotta
The IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource will feature the Chevrolet “Night of Fire” Saturday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m. The “Night of Fire” features the final round of professional qualifying under the lights and a jet-powered racecar to cap-off the day. Professional eliminations begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
The IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource will be held at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, September 7-9. For more information, log onto IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation or Welcome to Canada's Newest Racing Facility - Toronto Motorsports Park.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz. More information can be found at IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
