By Mike Perry

Bo Kenney

Team Checkmate Mike Keener and defending champion Paul Mercure

Monty Bogan Jr.

Paul Cambria

Joe Aluise Jr.

Jeff Teuton

Not Pictured: Danny Bird, Joe Ewing, Tom Rix

Paul Mercure won the 2005 IHRA Top Stock world championship to become the fourth different champion in the four seasons since the class started in the 2002 season. Many thought Mercure’s championship would be the last as the class, during ’06, was rumored to be on its last legs.

However, following the season the class rules were rewritten and an agreement reached to continue IHRA Top Stock for at least three more years. With special “invitation only” rules the Top Stock field is set for ’06. The 2006 Top Stock teams are: Bo Kenney (LGI Digital 2001 Firebird LS1), Monty Bogan, Jr. (Sex Z Pictures 2001 Firebird LS1), Paul Cambria (Hustler 2001 Firebird LS1), Mark Yamarino (Big Y Auto ’68 Camaro 385), Danny Byrd (Byrd Racing ’69 Camaro 385), Mike Keener and Paul Mercure (Checkmate ’68 Camaro 385), Joe Aluise, Sr. (Metro Trucking ’64 Belvedere 500), Jeff Teuton (Southland Dodge ’70 Duster 360), Joe Ewing (Ewing Racing ’68 Dart 360) and Tom Rix (Rix Racing ’74 Apollo 455).

Bo Kenney, who has been racing Top Stock for three seasons, played an active hand in the restructuring of the Top Stock class. He looks forward to the improvements.

“I think the biggest improvement is we will have full fields at every race,” Kenney said. “And with the new rules the class will be much more competitive. We want to see that parity so someone won’t jump out to a big lead early and no one will be able to catch him.”

The changes for this season are a drastic departure from the previous rules. Not only will each of the eight Top Stock events feature full eight-car fields, the season-ending championship will be decided on the track. At the President’s Cup Nationals in Budds Creek, Md. the top four in Top Stock points will square off in a $40,000 winner-take-all shootout. The final race will be featured on SPEED Channel’s coverage of the race.

“Out of all the developments in Top Stock, the one that may be the most exciting is the final champion’s shootout,” IHRA Vice President of Racing Operations Skooter Peaco said. “The top four in points at Maryland are going to race on Sunday for everything. The money, the pride, and most importantly, the world championship. It will be put up or shut up time.”

The fields are ensured to be tighter than ever as the rules were written so each car in Top Stock will run within a tenth of every other car in the class. Also, the championship points will be awarded to the car instead of the individual driver. This, Kenney thinks, could lead to some interesting surprises.

“I can’t name names, but there are a couple of Pro Stock drivers who told me they would like to drive a Top Stock car to see what its like,” Kenney said. “I would love to see some of the bigger names in drag racing take a shot at the track in one of these cars.”

Kenney also thinks fans who are seeing Top Stock for the first time, or even those who have seen it before, will be surprised by the improvements in the performance of the cars.

“When we open at Rockingham this year the fans will see the fastest cars in the world on nine-inch tires,” Kenney said. “I expect to see cars consistently in the 9.30 range. By Maryland all bets will be off. We could see cars run in the low 9’s or even as fast as the 8.90’s.”

During the ’05 season, car counts in Top Stock fell. In fact, there were only a five cars at a couple of races last season. After the campaign ended Kenney knew something had to be done, so he got together with people at IHRA and made it happen. He wanted to ensure the group of Top Stock racers, who are tighter than most other classes off the track, could continue to compete with and against each other.

“There isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t talk to all the other guys in Top Stock,” Kenney said. “Even during the winter we are talking all the time, always communicating. The feeling in Top Stock is that everyone wants everyone else to do well out there. There were some elements who caused some problems in the class last year, who didn’t buy into this feeling or thought process, and they are no longer able to compete in Top Stock and will not be able to as long as I’m around. We want to all compete against each other and put on a great show for the fans.”

Kenney invested $350,000 in the class when last season and this season are combined. He thinks it is a sound investment for his company, LGI Digital.

“I feel this is good exposure for our business,” he said. “Racing gives us an excellent venue to promote our company. This is a business venture for me and it has done very well. It is a great opportunity personally and a great opportunity business-wise. Right now I am looking at the Sportsman Drag Racing magazine and see one of my cars on the cover, with the logo right there for everyone to see. That is great exposure.”

Kenney also thinks IHRA is the right place for him to make this kind of financial commitment.

“The IHRA Family and the other racers in this class really made me feel comfortable in investing my company’s money,” Kenney said. “If not for the great IHRE tech guys, the IHRA officials and the other racers I would have just walked away from this. I really have to thank Aaron Polburn and the rest of IHRA from top to bottom. The IHRA’s people quality is a definite asset that I don’t think people give them credit for. I also really have to thank Paul Cambria. If not for Paul this deal would not have gotten done. All Top Stock drivers should realize this and thank him.”