Peter Gallen

For the fifth time this season Peter Gallen and Mike McIntire met in the finals of a Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car race. 

And for the fifth time this season Gallen walked away the victor. 

In front of a rambunctious Pittsburgh crowd in Gallen’s home state, the driver of the “Poverty Stricken” Vega cruised to his fifth win of the season and seventh consecutive victory over McIntire in a thrilling race at the inaugural Pittsburgh Nitro Jam Friday night at Pittsburgh Raceway Park. 

Gallen was joined in the winner’s circle by Robin Samsel in Pro Fuel who upset new points leader Bill Evans and Jay Turner picked up his series-tying third win of the year in Nitro Harley over Steve Dorn. 

   Robin Samsel 

“We were looking forward to this event being so close to our home and we made it count with another win over Mac tonight,” Gallen said. “This was our first time at Pittsburgh and I feel like it went pretty well. We have some more work to do for tomorrow, but we are certainly enjoying ourselves and look forward to another big night on Saturday.” 

Gallen, who lives just a few hours east in Broomall, Pa., spent Thursday traveling across the state to attend his daughter’s graduation before arriving at Pittsburgh Raceway Park Friday morning. Once at the track Gallen unloaded his well-known purple and gold nostalgia machine and went to work preparing for a big night at the closest Nitro Jam of the year to Gallen and his team. 

After picking up four wins over the last four events at races spread across the southwest, Gallen picked right up where he left off Friday evening with a round one victory over Greg Jacobsmeyer with a solid 4.929 elapsed time at 228.08 miles per hour in the event-shortened 1,000 foot distance. 

   Laurie Cannister made her nitro debut Friday in Pittsburgh 

McIntire then surpassed his rival with a 4.716, 235.73 shot in a win over former world champion Laurie Cannister who was making her nitro debut behind the wheel of the “Bullet Bob” Pontiac. 

In the final McIntire lit the tires and had to get out of the throttle early while Gallen raced right down broadway with a 4.880, 228.19 in picking up his 12th career victory. 

In Pro Fuel Robin Samsel dominated the dragster class, leading the way from start to finish picking up his third career victory. 

Samsel, piloting the “Predator” dragster, lead the qualifying round with a 4.601, 243.77 in a victory over Cherissa Smallwood, edging Evans for lane choice who ran a 4.615, 246.71 in a win over Michael Manners. With the round one win Evans overtook Manners in the championship standings. 

In the final Samsel kept up his strong start with a 4.712, 212.56 run in the final as Evans smoked the tires and failed to find his groove and Samsel pulled away for an easy win. 

   Jay Turner 

Wrapping up professional competition was the insane riders of the Nitro Harley division as veteran and former champion Jay Turner picked up his third win of the season over points leader Steve Dorn. 

Dorn lead qualifying with a 6.379, 130.59 shot in round one, but Turner wasn’t far behind with a 6.921, 111.50 pass. 

While both motorcycles were not running at their best, it was Dorn’s machine that actually went south first when his machine flamed out at halftrack in the final and Turner pulled away for the win. Turner ran a 6.212, 131.50 in the victory to Dorn’s 6.665, 116.97. 

Finishing out the night was an incredible showdown between the Grave Digger monster truck and Shockwave jet semi, the Chevy Rebellion wheelstander and Megasaurus. 

After a thrilling opening night at the inaugural Pittsburgh Nitro Jam on Friday, the teams will get back to work preparing for another big night of competition on Saturday. Saturday’s schedule includes local bracket racing throughout the afternoon followed by FanFest at 6:30 p.m. and two more rounds of Nitro Jam Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. 

   Megasaurus 

PITTSBURGH -- Friday's final results from the IHRA Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park. The race is the fifth of 10 in the 2011 Nitro Jam Series: 

PRO FUEL DRAGSTER DAY ONE
Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., dragster, 4.712, 212.56  def. Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., dragster, 7.160, 102.97. 

PROSTALGIA FUNNY CAR DAY ONE
Peter Gallen, Broomall, Pa., '74 Vega, 4.880, 228.19  def. Mike McIntire, Chesterland, Ohio, '69 Camaro, 12.097, 69.53. 

NITRO HARLEY DAY ONE
Jay Turner, Julian, N.C., 6.212, 131.50  def. Steve Dorn, Milwaukie, Ore., 6.665, 116.97. 

PITTSBURGH -- Final round-by-round results from the IHRA Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park, the fifth of 10 events in the 2011 Nitro Jam Series: 

PRO FUEL DRAGSTER DAY ONE:
ROUND ONE -- Robin Samsel, Dragster, 4.601, 243.77 def. Cherissa Smallwood, Innovative, 13.727, 45.63; Bill Evans, Spitzer, 4.615, 246.71 def. Michael Manners, Spitzer, 14.831, 65.34;
CONSOLATION -- Manners, 13.649, 66.27 def. Smallwood, broke;
FINAL -- Samsel, 4.712, 212.56 def. Evans, 7.160, 102.97. Samsel, 4.712, 212.56 def. Evans, 7.160, 102.97. 

PROSTALGIA FUNNY CAR DAY ONE:
ROUND ONE -- Mike McIntire, Chevy Camaro, 4.716, 235.73 def. Laurie Cannister, Pontiav Trans Am, 7.205, 146.34; Peter Gallen, Chevy Vega, 4.929, 228.08 def. Greg Jacobsmeyer, Dodge Challenger, 5.057, 213.88;
CONSOLATION -- Jacobsmeyer, 5.163, 210.08 def. Cannister, 7.053, 152.49;
FINAL -- Gallen, 4.880, 228.19 def. McIntire, 12.097, 69.53. 

NITRO HARLEY DAY ONE:
ROUND ONE -- Steve Dorn, 6.379, 130.59 def. Jake Stordeur, 7.242, 122.72; Jay Turner, 6.921, 111.50 def. Mike Scott, broke;
CONSOLATION -- Stordeur, 5.525, 192.06 def. Scott, 5.717, 196.08;
FINAL -- Turner, 6.212, 131.50 def. Dorn, 6.665, 116.97.