S & S JIM McCLURE NATIONALS

VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK

SEPTEMBER 20^TH & 21^ST

Elimination Day at Virginia Motorsports Park

We are wrapped up here at VMP and the finale was every bit as exciting as predicted! I’m headed to the winner’s circle to talk to all the big winners.

Stephanie has the final numbers up..check them out and we will see you at The Rock for the huge season finale!!!

5:05pm

The semi-final rounds are underway kicked off by Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel..

And it will be Steve Dorn and Armon Furr in today’s final. A lot at stake for Dorn who could be set to make a huge move for the Team Latus Team in the points standings, and for Furr, a courageous return to the seat after his absence and recovery from his neck injury.

I’m headed to the staging lanes to catch all the action in all the classes as we prepare for a grand season finale in just a couple of weeks!!

Stay with us on the ladder pages to see the outcome of this weekend’s exciting event!!

2^nd round update on the Screamin’ Eagle wild point’s chase!

Third place in the standings heading into this race, Phil Schmidt has now been eliminated by Steve Dorn and now Dorn who came into this event in fifth place- stands to take charge of the point’s today should he go all the way. And check out Armon Furr’s run. He gets a huge holeshot on Mike Romine and advances to the semi’s and then Robert “Ziggy” Stewart upsets the No. 1 qualifier, Joey Sternotti!

The numbers are coming at you..

__

Oil down delay had us on hold for a while, but we are fired back up and trying to complete the first session of eliminations.

At 3:30pm we will fire up for another round of Top Fuel, then Pro Fuel and then back to more Sportsman classes.

Around 5:00pm, we head into the semis and then it looks like we will hit the finals today around 6:00pm! I’m taking my chances on making those schedule predictions..but just trying to keep inquiring minds up to speed on where we are in the program. Stephanie will keep punching the numbers for you at lightning speed and we will be back with any breaking news!

When we told you yesterday that this event was already well suited for Jim McClure, we weren’t kidding! Already today, the Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel field is shaking things up as the points leaders were eliminated one by one in the opening round! Conner and Vancil..out..Shigematsu..out..BUT hanging on is Phil Schmidt who could make a huge jump in the standings today. And look out for Sternotti and Dorn too. Both still in!

And a mention I left out yesterday..Welcome back Armon Furr who has been absent most of the year recovering from his broken neck. In Furr fashion, his recovery came quick and he’s back in the action and he advanced in his opening round!

Another note..Mike Romine is competing in both Top Fuel and Pro Fuel this weekend and he’s made his way through the opening round on both bikes..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTY ROMINE!!

Today’s show opener started with a tribute to the 19-time champion-Jim McClure with members from his H.O.G. club parading down the return road and the entire field of Top Fuelers and their teams on the starting line..and then firing them up for the first round..Phyllis and Betty!

I know “Da Judge” was smiling..we all were!

The action continues on the track under sunny pleasant skies with a temperature of 80 degrees expected today.

Stephanie is bringing you the results on the ladder pages round by round and all day long! Stay tuned!!

Qualifying Day at Virginia Motorsports Park

Final round wrap

Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel

What a show stopping grand finale!! Larry “Spiderman” McBride joined us in the tower for the exciting commentating, as the field was quick and fast and perfectly suited for Da Judge!!

The show closes with a 6.29 at 226mph from Joey Sternotti for his third top qualifying spot of the year! Mike Romine moves to No. 2 with a 6.36 and Mark Conner brings his best out in the last lap for a 6.38 at 212mph for the third spot. You can check out the entire order on the result pages, but take note..Tak Shigematsu barely made it in the field with a 6.88 at 199mph! Bill Furr and Mike Lehman did not make the field with a 6.91 and a 6.94!

Twenty bikes competed today and the field was hot!! Tomorrow is going to be a thrilling one as the chase for his championship title is long from being over!!

S & S Pro Stock

Big breaking news in the Pro Stock contest. Shaun Reno who qualified number one today is looking to regain his lead in the standings this weekend and that is now likely to happen soon after Eddie Lee does not make the field. How can that be you may ask? Lee struggled in his opening two rounds and decided to withdraw the bike and enter another one in the third round. Lee’s team pulled to the box in their one and only shot and could not get fired-thus they will not be on the ladder for tomorrow’s show and Reno has a huge opportunity.

Rush Pro Fuel

Douglas Horne and David Poague put on a show today! Horne opens up the show with a 6.811 at 206mph before Poague came out in the 2^nd round with a 6.611 at 195mph. In the third and final round, Horne fires back with an identical 6.611 and his better mph (206mph) gives him his top qualifying spot back at the end of the day. Horne not only hopes for his 4^th consecutive win tomorrow-but a first Pro Fuel National championship!

Rush Pro Gas

Dale Raudenbush is leaps and bounds closer to his national championship title today after his biggest contender, Mike Lozano did not show up to compete here in Virginia and Raudenbush took the No. 1 qualifying spot. Raudenbush’s best shot of the day was in the 2^nd round at 7.29/178mph.

Kresto Pro Drag

Rick Moore is headed for a third national championship, but today he found himself at the bottom of the pack in qualifying with a 7.93 at 136mph best. Taking the top qualifying spot today was his Mid-Continent racing teammate, Chuck Jones with a 7.43 at 174mph best.

K & K Marine Pro Modified

Greg Krenik secured his 2008 Championship title in today’s opening round with an 8.569-not far off of his record number (8.553). Krenik has earned his eighth top qualifying spot in Pro Modified for the season and tomorrow will compete for his eighth win.

Cutter’s Foam/Team Nila Street Pro

Lou Gerencer jumps over to Street Pro competition this weekend on the Team Nila entry and a 9.026 from Gerencer has been the best of the field today. With that, Gerencer takes the starting line tomorrow with double top qualifying spots. Andy Simon finished 2^nd with a 9.17 best on his 3^rd shot of the day. Simon, who has secured the Championship title, had a scary start on his 2^nd pass today when the bike got loose at the launch and headed for the tree, but recovered and made it down the track.

Bison Racing/Eagle Harley-Davidson Super Gas

We haven’t seen Shawn Vantucci all season, but he comes to Virginia Motorsports Park and comes off the trailer to clock a 9.707 against the 9.70 index and keeps the No. 1 qualifying position all day. The defending champ, Bob Drapp finished the day at No. 2 with a 9.713.

Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod

The point’s leader, Lou Gerencer clocks a strong 9.35 at 143mph in his opening round and it holds for the best of the day. Gerencer comes to the starting line for No. 1 qualifying intros for the eighth time this season!

S & S Super Sport

Joey Thompson, a popular nominee for “Rookie of the Year” started off the day with the No. 1 spot (10.323) and then Karen Wagner, a former Super Sport Champ takes the track in the 2^nd round and clocks a 10.308 and nobody touches that for the rest of the day. Wagner and Thompson went to the finals in Super Sport racing in Bristol, TN earlier this year with Wagner taking the win. Wagner heads to the starting line tomorrow with her first No. 1 qualifying spot of the season.

SSC 124 Challenge

Mike Roberts appears to be approaching a third national title. Roberts’s best time of the day was in the 2^nd round at 9.353/142mph and he is the No. 1 qualifier for the eighth event of the season.

Pingel Super Eliminator

Dennis Copley was the first leader today with a 10.91 before Gary Douglass was near perfection-10.902 and finishes the day No. 1. This is the second number one qualifying spot for Douglass in 08 Super Eliminator competition.

Drag Masters Hot Street

Bruce Croneberger III has recaptured his Championship status here at Virginia Motorsports Park today. Croneberger lead the field all day long. He started off with a 9.78 at 132mph in the opening round and bettered the number in round two-clocking 9.72 at 134mph. No one bettered that today and Croneberger takes his sixth top qualifying spot of the season.

SEP

Donnie Huffman lead off qualifying today with a 11.511 for the top spot before Chip Sutinen took over in the 2^nd round with a 11.502. In the third round today, Keith Carper came close to Sutinen’s number (11.504), but not quite enough, and Sutinen takes his first top qualifying spot of the season.

Screamin’ Eagle Destroyer

L. E. Tonglet gave it his best shot at bettering the national record today but so far he will hold on to the tie at 9.036. Tonglet clocked a 9.09 in the third and final round and holds on to the number one spot. It’s Tonglet’s third top qualifying spot of the season. He currently leads the point’s standings by just a handful of marks over Nick Gonatas Jr. Gonatas finished No. 4 in the qualifying field today.

Syn 3 ET

What an exciting round of ET qualifying the final round turned out to be!

Heading into the final round, Bill Rowe Jr. was the leader with a .017 reaction.

During the final session, three different riders took the top spot: Troy Young had it with a .009 before Ed Hillegass bettered it with a .006 and Bob Blevins even gave it a shot with a .008, but out came Bill Rowe Jr. for to wrap up the round with a .004! Take that he must have been thinking and Rowe holds on to the top spot at the end of the day.

Sixty bikes competed in today’s ET session.

3:30pm

Mike Romine closes out the 2^nd round of qualifying with a huge number ..6.36 at 212mph for the top spot in Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel. With that, we conclude the second session of the day and it is time to bring out the classes for the third and final round of the day!

Stay tune for the outcome of today’s qualifying action here at Virginia Motorsports Park!!

2:15pm

We are just a few minutes shy of beginning the second round of Pro qualifying as the sportsman classes wrap up their 2^nd round of the day. All is running along smoothly with only a few short delays.

A few notes: Look out for L.E. Tonglet in the Destroyer class..he’s right on top of the E.T. national record number. Tonglet came off the trailer with a 9.036-matching Michael Ray’s record set in Rockingham in 2007. There’s plenty of time left this weekend to back it up! Tonglet’s teammate, Douglas Horne danced around the MPH record himself with a 147.21mph pass in the 2^nd round-approaching Tonglet’s 147.81mph record he set in Georgia this year.

Championship Watch…Greg Krenik clinched his 2008 K & K Marine Pro Modified National Championship title after successfully making a qualifying pass this morning.

Bruce Croneberger secured the 2008 DragMasters Hot Street No. 1 plate and Andy Simon has secured the 2008 Cutter’s Foam Street Pro title.

Good morning from the S & S Jim McClure Nationals. We are set to begin today’s qualifying at 9:00am beginning with the sportsman classes and the Pro’s are due out at 11:00am.

A pre-fall chill greets us this morning and the afternoon temperatures are forecasted to be in the mid 70’s. A great weekend is ahead with over 200 racers teched in and sixteen classes competing for national titles.

We will be bringing you all the results round by round all day long and we’ll bring you any breaking news or delays right here!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Saturday, September 20^th

Sportsman qualifying begins 9:00am

Pro Qualifying begins 11:00am

Sunday, September 21^st

Sportsman Elimination’s begin at 10:30am

(As needed to narrow the fields to 16 or less)

12:45pm Opening Ceremonies

1:00pm Pro Elimination’s begin