Martin: Series round seven preivew

It's Showtime: Nitro party returns to Michigan this weekend
Huge show on tap for Northern Nitro Jam at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park

MARTIN, Mich. (August 9, 2010) -- After a successful month spent north of the border the Nitro Jam series is ready for a return to the United States with one of the biggest nitro parties of the year at the Northern Nitro Jam this Friday and Saturday at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

Featuring nearly two dozen nitro-burning machines in addition to side-by-side jet trucks, the wheelstanding "Cool Bus," FanFest, the year's biggest and richest sportsman race, fireworks and more, the Northern Nitro Jam promises to be one of the biggest races of the year and it all takes place this weekend at the crown jewel of the Nitro Jam tour -- U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

Headlining the two day event is Nitro Jam's star attraction, the quickest and fastest machines on earth in Top Fuel Dragsters, in addition to two brand new classes making their Michigan debut. Among the new classes are the 100 percent nitro burning Pro Fuel Dragsters and the most exciting new addition to the series in years - Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car.

The brand new Nitro Jam will make its debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park this weekend

All three touring classes have put on an amazing show at each of the first six races of the season and with the recently resurfaced U.S. 131 Motorsports Park track ready to go, fans can expect near record runs and exciting side-by-side racing action all weekend long. Race fans at this weekend's Northern Nitro Jam can also look forward to a brand new format that packages the entire pro show into a new fan-friendly entertainment window with a different pro winner each night.

Through the first half of the 2010 season competition has never been tighter in Nitro Jam's premier class as Top Fuel titans Bruce Litton and Bobby Lagana have traded the championship lead back and fourth nearly half a dozen times already this season.

Coming into Martin Litton is currently the man on top, bringing with him five wins, three runner-up finishes and a narrow three point lead over Lagana. Lagana, also with five wins, has been the biggest surprise so far this season with a championship caliber year for the lowest budgeted team on the tour.

Behind Litton and Lagana is '08 Top Fuel World Champion and '09 NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Massey and Del Cox Jr. Between the quartet Cox, Massey and Litton have all won the Northern Nitro Jam at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park the same year as their championship.

Over 20 nitro vehicles will compete throughout the weekend in addition to dozens of extras including the side-by-side jet truck showdown

Not to be outdone the 100-percent nitro-powered Pro Fuel class has been just as exciting as their much larger cousins with low five-second runs at over 270 miles-per-hour. Minnesota based racer Jeff Hamelink currently leads the class with one win, having amassed 283 points through the first six races this season.

Bill Evans, driver of the "Black Pearl" Pro Fuel machine, is second with a series-leading four wins, followed by Michael Manners in the "Shreddar" Pro Fuel Dragster, Robin Samsel and Rich McPhillips.

By far the most exciting new addition to the Nitro Jam formula is the incredibly popular Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class. Featuring halftrack burnouts and on-the-edge racing, the new class has been a hit with fans as some of the best nostalgia cars in the country have joined the tour.

After a brief absence Nitro Funny Cars will return to U.S. 131 this weekend

Leading the new class is Steve Nichols, driver of the "Mill Road Boys" '70 Camaro, who has amassed 328 points via two wins and two runner-up finishes through 12 races this season. Friend and rival Peter Gallen, driver of the "Poverty Stricken" Vega, is just behind with 262 points. Gallen leads the class with four wins this year.

Greg Jacobsmeyer, driving the "All-Star Dodge" Challenger, is third, followed by Mike "McAttack" McIntire and John Dunn.

In addition to the traditional nitro classes the Northern Nitro Jam will also feature a collection of Nitro Bikes, pushing the nitro total to over 20 vehicles.

In addition to the regular racing classes the Northern Nitro Jam will also feature a huge assortment of thrilling exhibition vehicles. Headlining that list is the Michigan debut of side-by-side jet trucks as the Shockwave and Super Shockwave jet semis combine for 60,000 horsepower and enough force to actually register as an earthquake.

So far this season the jet truck showdown has been among the most popular attractions as the two jet machines put on an incredible fire show and shake the earth with each pass.

Don't miss one of the biggest shows of the season this weekend

The popular "Cool Bus" wheelstanding school bus will also be a part of the action at U.S. 131 with its light show and incredible quarter-mile passes on only two wheels, along with an incredible fireworks show and enough pyro to set the place ablaze.

And that's still not all.

In addition to the incredible pro show the Northern Nitro Jam will also feature the biggest and richest weekend for sportsman racers anywhere in the country. Featuring the regular Nitro Jam competition, the Moser Axle-Mania Shootout, the Harland Sharp Elite 8 Shootout and more, the Northern Nitro Jam has proven the place to race for sportsman competitors.

By far the biggest part of the Northern Nitro Jam is the Moser Axle-Mania Shootout as 32 drivers spanning IHRA's seven regular sportsman classes and one wildcard group compete for a $51,000 purse courtesy of Moser Engineering and a chance to be called the true sportsman champion.

The Moser Axle-Mania Shootout is contested on the eighth-mile and features eight classes of four cars. The drivers are then placed on a bracket and the 32 competitors then battle it out until only one survives Saturday night under the lights.

In addition to all the pro action the Northern Nitro Jam will also feature the biggest and richest sportsman race of the year

Last year Top Sportsman competitor Bruce Thrift took home his share of the $51,000 payday by defeating Scott Macy.

Another awesome new feature for 2010 is Fanfest. Prior to the start of the professional show each night racing will cease on the track and fans are invited to the pits to interact with the Nitro Jam experience like never before. Everything at Fanfest is geared towards giving fans a chance to actually be a part of the action.

Fanfest will get underway at 5:30 P.M. Saturday and Sunday. Fans will have an hour or more to explore the pits. Along with meeting the drivers and crews, several stations will be set up in the pit area for fans to interact with the event. Included in the list of fan activities is a chance to sign fan-favorite Bobby Lagana's Top Fuel dragster moments before he makes a 300+ mph pass, a coloring contest where fans can design their own Top Fuel dragster with the winning picture being used as an actual wrap on a dragster later in the season, a reaction time tournament with an actual IHRA tree and a chance to be the race director for a day as fans are selected to draw the first-round pairings of the professional rounds.

Fanfest will come to a close with Nitro Thunder as nearly two dozen nitro vehicles warm up at the same time, creating an experience unlike any other. And if it's more pyrotechnic entertainment you're seeking, each day's action is capped by an awesome fireworks display.

Don't miss a chance to be a part of the one of the biggest nitro parties of the year when Nitro Jam invades U.S. 131 Motorsports Park this weekend in Martin, Mich.

-source: ihra