Close points battles lead to numerous championship possibilities at Rockingham Dragway

The professional racers will not be the only ones who pull through the gates at Rockingham Dragway with everything on the line. Almost 20 different drivers will be slugging it out for world championships in seven different sportsman classes at the IHRA World Finals presented by the US Air Force, featuring the Universal Technical Institute Championship Sunday.

“There is so much on the line and no one has mathematically clinched anything,” IHRA director of competition and technical services Mike Baker said. “The World Finals is always a pressure-packed race and everyone brings their best to the party. I expect a lot of the points races to come right down to the wire. Sunday will truly be ‘Championship Sunday’ because we probably won’t know everything until the race is over.”

Jason Lynch (Pleasant View, Tex.) heads into the World Finals with a 40 point lead over Spring, Tex. resident Chris Gulitti. Lynch, with one national event victory this season in New England, is claimed out this season, but Gulitti, a three-time winner on the Summit Pro-Am Tour this season, has the opportunity to move up if he can advance into the late stages of the race. Gulitti has to go rounds to drop off his two 40-point national event claims (drivers claim their best four of six national events until they are out of claims) to have a shot at catching Lynch.

Jeff Brown (Marysville, Ohio) is in great shape in the Top Dragster championship points chase. Brown holds a 102 point lead over Marco Abruzzi (Warren, Ohio) at the top of the standings. Brown’s three Summit Pro-Am wins this season put him in the driver’s seat with 719 points while Abruzzi, the winner at the IHRA Spring Nationals, has a lot of work to do. Brown can pick up points on his lowest claim of the season, 40, while Abruzzi will need a miracle.

“He’s 102 points behind with one race left, I think I’m in pretty good shape,” Brown said. “This has been one of my greatest years ever racing, but it did not start out that way.”

On Dec. 10, 2006 Brown lost his entire racing operation to a garage fire. He started the 2007 calendar year with nothing, but has turned everything around.

“This year has been something I really could not have imagined,” he said. “We’ve worked so hard and a lot of people really helped us out. I really wanted to do well this year to thank everyone who helped me out.”

Anthony Bertozzi (Ashland, Virg.) has put himself into position to capture two world championships. He has one claim left in Stock and leads Jimbo Fields Gallatin, Tenn.) by 119 points in Super Stock. Bertozzi has been down this road before. He has 14 career IHRA sportsman world championships including six in Super Stock, but he has never won a Stock world championship.

“Winning the Stock title would be great because Stock is a class where you really have to drive the car,” Bertozzi said. “When I won the Top Dragster championship it was great, but all you had to do was let go of the button and floor it. In Stock there is a lot more involved even though it happens at a much slower pace.”

 2003 Stock champion Michael Beard (Seagrove, N.C.) is 60 points behind Bertozzi in the Stock class.

“I need a final round, a win or a runner-up,” Beard said. “Anthony has to go to the semifinals to start getting points. If I can get as lucky as I was in September I can possibly do something. I just hope I didn’t use all my luck up then.”

Danny Waters has put himself in position to clinch the Quick Rod championship with a strong showing in Rockingham.

Danny Waters Jr. (Lagrange, N.C.) heads to Rockingham with the Quick Rod championship well within reach. Waters, who has one national event victory this season to go with two Summit Pro-Am wins, will have to fight off Brett Nesbitt (Graham, N.C.), who comes to Rockingham Dragway 20 points behind.

“At this point, in a six round race I have to go to the finals to gain anything in the points race,” Waters said. But if I don’t pick up any points he has to win in the fourth round to tie me and win in the fifth round to pass me. I have the tie-breaker because I beat him head-to-head in Milan.”

Waters knows the pressure is on Nesbitt, but he isn’t very comfortable either.

“I’m sitting in the most comfortable position, but I’ve been biting my nails for two weeks,” he said. “Brett is the only driver who can pass me and he’s a great racer. If anyone can pull it off it’s him. But whoever wins we’ll still be really good friends.”

Steve Furr (Harrisburg, N.C.) and Brian Folk (Durand, Ill.) will come to Rockingham dead even in the Super Rod points chase. Furr, who has one national event win (Mopar Canadian Nationals) and four Summit Pro-Am victories to his credit this season, as does Folk…the winner at the Suzuki Motor City Nationals. Michael Hunt (El Paso, Tex.) is also in the hunt, sitting third 51 points behind Furr and Folk.

Finally, the Hot Rod championship points race has come down to five racers. Damien Hazelton (Ottawa, Ohio) leads heading into the season finale with 660 points on the strength of one national event victory (IHRA Canadian Nationals) and three Summit Pro-Am wins. John Furr (Oakboro, N.C.) is in second with 600 points, Kenny Underwood (Tampa, Fla.) third with 595 points, Tim Shuck (West Lafayette, Ohio) fourth with 590 points and Michael Harris (Norwood, N.C.) fifth with 589 points.