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Sat, 24 Jun 2006, 01:03 AM

Arcadi Tops Nitro Funny Car Provisional Qualifying In Edmonton

Courtesy of IHRA Communications
Photo copyright 2006 BME Photography

Millican, Distefano, Thomas and Gugliotta #1 After Friday Qualifying

EDMONTON, Alberta --

Vinnie Arcadi

(June 23, 2006) - Jay Lewis has been on quite a hot streak lately. The veteran nitro tuner first chalked up career victory #1 in Grand Bend three weeks ago when he wrenched Bobby Lagana, Jr. to the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Ironman at the MOPAR Canadian Nationals. Friday, at the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco, Lewis put Vinnie Arcadi at the top of the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car qualifying sheet.

Arcadi set the track record at Castrol Raceway with a blistering 4.942 pass at 310.70 to claim the provisional pole position. He also eclipsed Gordie Bonin's track record set over 10 years ago in April of 1996.

It was not all smooth sailing for Arcadi, however, as he made contact with the wall after he crossed the finish line. His crew will have all evening to repair his 2000 Camaro.

Terry Haddock was in the #2 position after Friday qualifying with a 5.003 run at 308.50 mph.

Clay Millican, the five-time defending IHRA Top Fuel World Champion, vaulted into the top spot during the Friday Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel qualifying with a 4.639/303.64 pass. The Drummonds, Tenn. resident eclipsed Bruce Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.), whose 4.765 was good enough for him to sleep on the #2 spot of the qualifying ladder. Doug Foley, Rick Cooper and Bobby Lagana, Jr. rounded out the top five.

Rick Distefano
The Knoll Gas-Torco Pro Modified evening qualifying session had the Canadian fans on their feet. Two Canadians ended the day in the provisional top three on the Pro Mod qualifying ladder, with Rick Distefano saving the best for last.

Distefano, from nearby Calgary, shattered the Castrol Raceway track record with a 6.134/228.42 mph pass to jump to the top of the qualifying sheet. Scotty Cannon, Jr. (Lyman, SC) was second while Carl Spiering, from Jordan Station, Ontario, finished third with a 6.168 pass at 231.12 mph.

Frank Gugliotta
Frank Gugliotta (Mt. Airy, Md.) and Robert Patrick (Fredericksburg, Va.) put on a show for the Knoll Gas-Torco Pro Stock fans at Castrol Raceway with a side-by-side qualifying pass, both clocking identical 6.456 ETs, in the final pair of the evening qualifying session. Gugliotta took the provisional pole since he had the faster speed during the run. He also claimed the track record as well as logging the track speed record.

Gugliotta posted a speed of 215.82 mph in his '05 Escort while Patrick, behind the wheel of his '06 Mustang, was clocked at 213.27.

Mark Thomas (Louisville, Ohio) set the alcohol Funny Car track speed record at Castrol Raceway when he jumped to the top of the qualifying ladder with a 5.855/242.32 pass during the evening qualifying session. It is the continuation of a strong first part of the season for Thomas, who has won two of the three eMax National Events heading into the Rocky Mountain Nationals.

Trevor Lebsack (Slave Lake, Alberta.) and Rob Atchison (London, Ont.) closed out the provisional top three.

Professional qualifying for the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Race Fuels at Castrol Raceway resumes Saturday at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. with final round at 4:15 p.m.