Lagana and Litton

From the beaches of south Florida to the mountains of Utah, the deserts of Arizona and everywhere in between, the 2011 IHRA Nitro Jam season was certainly one for the ages. 

With two new classes and plenty of new star power, the Nitro Jam series entered 2011 with the goal of improving on the incredible success of ’10 and continuing the tradition of providing thrilling motorsports entertainment for race fans across the nation. 

Along with the new nitro cars blazing down the quarter-mile, Nitro Jam also welcomed a pair of brand new stops on the tour and one trip to an old friend that brought about one of the largest crowds in the history of the International Hot Rod Association. Those new to the schedule included Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson and Pittsburgh Raceway Park in the Steel City, while Nitro Jam’s return to San Antonio Raceway produced perhaps the biggest, most exciting event in IHRA history. 

All told the Nitro Jam team racked up nearly 20,000 miles on the road this season with stops in Palm Beach, Fla., Baton Rouge, La., Tucson, Ariz., San Antonio, Texas, Pittsburgh, Pa., Salt Lake City, Utah, Edmonton, Alb., Grand Bend, Ont. and Martin, Mich. 

   Peter Gallen 

When all was said and done five drivers stood at the head of the class as Nitro Jam champions. Those drivers were Bobby Lagana Jr. in Top Fuel, Peter Gallen in Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car, Mike Manners in Pro Fuel, Steve Dorn in Nitro Harley and Ron Maroney in Nostalgia Fuel Altered. 

All five survived a grueling and exciting season of racing that all began on the shores of south Florida in the dead of winter and ended on a rainy summer afternoon in western Michigan. 

“It was another great year for us and everyone with the IHRA. We love racing over here. The fan support is great and we really enjoy the atmosphere and the interaction,” Lagana said. “And to top the year with the success we were able to have was just icing on the cake.” 

Lagana won the title in Nitro Jam’s quickest and fastest class for the second year in a row when he pulled away from friend and rival Bruce Litton to win the Top Fuel championship. While the two drivers spent most of the year racing each other mano-a-mano, the competition was still as fierce as ever with the two drivers putting down solid laps week after week. 

Despite the close racing, Lagana was still able to dominate this season with an incredible 11 wins in 14 races. Lagana compiled an impressive 19-9 round record and added the quickest and fastest passes of the year to his resume, running a 4.707 in San Antonio and 322.34 mph in Palm Beach. Lagana swept the Palm Beach, Tucson, Edmonton and Grand Bend events to wrap up championship No. 2, finishing the year with four straight wins. 

From struggling to just make it down the track less than five years ago to being the best Top Fueler in the IHRA Nitro Jam series today, Lagana has come a long way in his rise to the top. 

   Lagana, father Bobby Sr. and brother Dom 

Lagana’s opponent, Indianapolis native Bruce Litton, had three wins on the year in finishing in the runner-up spot. 

In Nitro Jam’s other nitro-powered dragster class it was once again Texas native Michael Manners and Floridian Bill Evans battling it out for the Pro Fuel championship. Last year the two entered the final race of the year separated by only a few points with Evans coming out on top, while this year it was Manners coming away victorious. 

Manners and “The Shredder” team entered the final race of the year with a three-point advantage and was able claim the championship with a consistent weekend in Michigan. Manners finished the year with 298 points, 13 points ahead of Evans and the “Black Pearl” crew. 

On the season Manners had four wins in seven finals including a pivotal weekend sweep in his home state at the San Antonio Nitro Jam in April, a weekend that would ultimately prove the difference in the standings. Manners also had a season-best 14-6 round record while laying down the quickest and fastest Pro Fuel lap of the year in Martin at 5.261, 276.01. 

   Michael Manners 

Evans finished the year in the runner-up spot with two wins in six final rounds and an 11-9 record. Robin Samsel finished the season third in the standings with two wins, while Cherissa Smallwood, who failed to win a single round through her first four races, broke through with her first career Ironman at the season finale to finish fourth. Texas native Kristen Dennis also had a win in the class. 

Nitro Jam’s most popular and competitive class in 2011 was Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car as Pennsylvania’s Peter Gallen claimed his first career championship behind the wheel of his 1974 “Poverty Stricken” Vega. After taking nearly 20 years off from racing, Gallen returned to the sport in 2009 and in only three years has risen to the summit of the nostalgia racing world. 

Gallen claimed his first nitro championship in dominating fashion, winning eight times with a 24-4 round record while resetting the IHRA record books multiple times and putting down the quickest lap in nostalgia racing history to end the season. 

Thanks to weekend sweeps in Baton Rouge and Martin and victories at six of the nine events, Gallen was able to amass 501 points, 227 points better than second place Mike McIntire. In addition to bettering his own record in the class, Gallen had a historical 5.557 lap in Martin to end the season. Gallen and the “Poverty Stricken” team also benefitted from a trip west where they proved they are one of the top teams in the game today. 

In the runner-up spot was McIntire in the “McAttack” Camaro who finished a deceptive distance behind Gallen. McIntire kept pace with the “Poverty Stricken” team throughout the season, but a scary accident in Grand Bend left the team on the sideline the remainder of the season. Prior to that McIntire racked up six finals and one win on his way to the runner-up spot. 

   Tim Boychuk 

In third place was the always consistent Greg Jacobsmeyer in the “Allstar Dodge,” followed by Washington native “Mr. Explosive” Mark Sanders and John Dunn in the “Dunn and Gone” Duster. 

With nearly two dozen drivers going for an Ironman throughout the season, a total of eight proved successful. Behind Gallen’s eight wins, Canadian Tim Boychuk and James Day had a pair of wins apiece, while McIntire, Sanders, Rick Krafft, Todd Lesenko and Paul Romine all hoisted Ironman trophies. 

Of the two new classes to the series in 2011, Nitro Harley proved just why they belong. Easily the most competitive class, no driver managed to sweep an event as the four riders traded wins throughout the season. 

And the man who led the way in wins this season is IHRA veteran Jay Turner. A former champion in the class in the early 2000s, Turner compiled an impressive six wins in 2011, but it still wasn’t good enough to keep up with Oregon’s Steve Dorn. Compiling perhaps the most miles of any driver on the tour, Dorn competed at every event on the Nitro Jam schedule, compiling an impressive five wins in 11 finals – reaching the finals at least once at every event this season. 

Thanks to that consistency, Dorn racked up a total of 413 points, 64 markers better than Turner. Dorn also had a class-leading 20-11 round record and was the only driver to break the 220 mph barrier this season, doing so at the season opener in Palm Beach. 

Behind Dorn and Turner was Mike Scott who finished with three wins and Randal Andras with one win. 

   Steve Dorn 

Wrapping up the professional classes was the brand new Nostalgia Fuel Altered division. Once banned from organized competition, the drivers of this class showed why with wild passes and near accidents almost every lap with high horsepower and short wheelbases. 

The class also brought some legendary names to the IHRA as stars such as “Nanook,” “Rat Trap,” “Pure Hell” and others took the stage. And when all was said and done the driver of “Nanook” gave the legendary machine its first championship thanks to the driving prowess of Arizona’s Ron Maroney. 

After a bit of a slow start to the year, Maroney caught fire the second half of the season with four wins in the last three events allowing him to pull away from Jason Richey and the “Pure Hell” team. Maroney finished the season with five wins in seven finals while compiling 409 points. 

   Ron Maroney

Richey, who competed in seven finals with only one win, finished in the runner-up spot just 14 points behind. 

In third was Chris Bennett, the hottest driver at the beginning of the year. Bennett competed at the first four events, winning six times, but his job as pilot in the U.S. Air Force didn’t allow him to continue the season. At the time of his departure, Bennett had a commanding lead in the class. 

In fourth place was Tom Padilla in “Nasty Benjamin” and in fifth was Jim Maroney in “Blind Faith.” Padilla finished with three wins and Maroney one. 

Thanks to all competitors on the 2011 Nitro Jam series for a great season. 

   Mike McIntire 

2011 Nitro Jam Event Summaries

PALM BEACH NITRO JAM – Palm Beach International Raceway / Palm Beach, FL 

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton
Pro Fuel: Bill Evans defeats Mike Manners; Mike Manners defeats Bill Evans
Prostalgia NFC: Mark Sanders defeats Paul Romine; Paul Romine defeats Peter Gallen
Nitro Harley: Steve Dorn defeats Mike Scott; Jay Turner defeats Steve Dorn
Fuel Altered: Chris Bennett defeats Jason Richey; Ron Maroney defeats Ron Hope

MARDI GRAS NITRO JAM – State Capitol Raceway / Baton Rouge, LA 

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bruce Litton defeats Bobby Lagana
Pro Fuel: Robin Samsel defeats Bill Evans; Bill Evans defeats Mike Manners
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeats Mike McIntire; Peter Gallen defeats Mike McIntire
Nitro Harley: Steve Dorn defeats Jay Turner; Mike Scott defeats Randal Andras
Fuel Altered: Chris Bennett defeats Ron Maroney; Jim Maroney defeats Chris Bennett

ARIZONA NITRO JAM – Southwestern International Raceway / Tucson, AZ  

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton
Prostalgia NFC: James Day defeats Mike Savage; Peter Gallen defeats Mike McIntire
Nitro Harley: Mike Scott defeats Steve Dorn; Steve Dorn defeats Mike Scott
Fuel Altered: Chris Bennett defeats Ron Hope; Chris Bennett defeats Jason Richey

SAN ANTONIO NITRO JAM – San Antonio Raceway / San Antonio, TX 

Top Fuel: Bruce Litton defeats Bobby Lagana; Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton
Pro Fuel: Mike Manners defeats Robin Samsel; Mike Manners defeats Bill Evans
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeats Mike McIntire; Rick Krafft defeats Mark Sanders
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeats Randal Andras; Randal Andras defeats Steve Dorn
Fuel Altered: Chris Bennett defeats Jim Maroney; Chris Bennett defeats Jim Maroney

PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM – Pittsburgh Raceway Park / Pittsburgh, PA  

Pro Fuel: Robin Samsel defeats Bill Evans; Mike Manners defeats Robin Samsel
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeats Mike McIntire; Mike McIntire defeats Peter Gallen
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeats Steve Dorn; Mike Scott defeats Jake Stordeur

SALT LAKE NITRO JAM – Rocky Mountain Raceways/ Salt Lake City, UT 

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bruce Litton defeats Bobby Lagana
Prostalgia NFC: James Day defeats Tim Boychuk; Todd Lesenko defeats Tim Boychuk
Fuel Altered: Tom Padilla defeats Jason Richey; Jason Richey defeats Ron Maroney

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NITRO JAM NATIONALS – Castrol Raceway / Edmonton, ALB 

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton
Prostalgia NFC: Tim Boychuk defeats Michael Grekul
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeats Steve Dorn
Fuel Altered: Ron Maroney defeats Tom Padilla; Ron Maroney defeats Tom Padilla

MOPAR NITRO JAM NATIONALS – Grand Bend Motorplex / Grand Bend, ONT 

Top Fuel: Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton; Bobby Lagana defeats Bruce Litton
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeats Tim Boychuk; Tim Boychuk defeats Peter Gallen
Nitro Harley: Steve Dorn defeats Mike Pelrine; Jay Turner defeats Steve Dorn
Fuel Altered: Tom Padilla defeats Jason Richey; Ron Maroney defeats Tom Padilla

NORTHERN NITRO JAM – U.S. 131 Motorsports Park / Martin, MI 

Pro Fuel: Cherissa Smallwood defeats Robin Samsel; Kristen Dennis defeats Mike Manners
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeats Greg Jacobsmeyer; Peter Gallen defeats John Dunn
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeats Jake Stordeur; Steve Dorn defeats Jake Stordeur
Fuel Altered: Ron Maroney defeats Jason Richey; Tom Padilla defeats Jason Richey