In an emotional and nerve-racking finish to the 2009 IHRA season, John Montecalvo clinched his very first IHRA Pro Stock World Championship after nearly two decades behind the wheel.

And he did so without ever crossing the finish line first.

In dramatic fashion Montecalvo was able to claim his first ever IHRA World Championship without visiting victory lane. Instead he finished runner-up a series best four times in nine races and was the top qualifier three times to hold off Pete Berner and Frank Gugliotta.

The last time a driver was able to take home a championship without winning a race was Pro Stocker Jon Yoak in 1996.

Montecalvo’s best previous championship finish was third in ’08, ’04, ’03, ’02 and ’99.

John Montecalvo

“This championship is as much for my crew as for myself. Lois Anne is always by my side. Tommy, William, Bobby and Herb – I couldn’t have done it without them,” Montecalvo said. “They have worked hard for this day.

“Thanks to Sonny and Sonny’s Racing Engines, Rick Jones and RJ Race Cars, Pat with Ram Clutches, Dave Braswell and Doug Schreifer with Braswell Carburetors. All these guys are what made this championship a reality for this team. They’re the best in the business and they’ve helped me achieve something I have been after for a long time. And I’ve got to thank all our loyal fans who have pulled for us over the years. We finally got the championship for them.”

Smiles and tears filled the staging lanes as John, his wife Lois Anne and team celebrated a victory that was many years in the making. The joy written across each face of the Montecalvo team was an expression of the well-deserved payoff of years of dedication and hard work.

But it wasn’t easy and there were certainly some tense moments.

Montecalvo came into the weekend just 33 points ahead of Frank Gugliotta and 63 points ahead of Pete Berner. With such a close race one wrong move is all it would take for Montecalvo to fall short of claiming his first title.

The weekend started off as one might expect, with Montecalvo qualifying in the top spot with a 6.358-second pass at 218.30 mph in the one and only qualifying shot for the pros. He had nearly three hundredths on the rest of the field and was looking in prime shape to go out and quickly clinch the championship.

After rain stole the show on Friday night and then heavy dew cancelled the Saturday night session, Pro Stock was set to go into eliminations nearly 48 hours after their one run down the Rockingham drag strip, but only to the eighth mile.

Due to unsafe track conditions the entire World Finals program was shortened from the quarter mile to the eighth leaving many drivers scratching their heads Sunday morning.

The change in distance combined with cool temperatures and a very fast track left many drivers struggling in round one and Montecalvo was not immune to the troubles. Montecalvo came out for a first round bye run and attempted to take on the tricky track, but the track won in the opening session as it did with many of the drivers in Pro Stock’s first round.

Still, Montecalvo was able to get credit for a win and moved one step closer to clinching the title, needing just to get around Ned Katuran in round two to seal the deal.

John Montecalvo

In the second round Montecalvo rolled into the beams poised for a championship clinching run, but an unexpected malfunction caused the car to stumble and Katuran was able to coast to an easy victory.

With the loss Montecalvo’s championship fate now rested in the hands of Frank Gugliotta who was still a contender after two rounds of competition. If Frank lost in the third round, the championship belonged to Montecalvo. If he won, Gugliotta would take the honors.
 
As the fatal moments neared Montecalvo waited in his pits, claiming he would jump off the tower if he lost and not wanting to celebrate in front of Gugliotta’s team if he won.

As Gugliotta’s opponent Bob Bertsch rolled into the staging lanes, Montecalvo awaited word on his fate which was now out of his hands, but as Bertsch crossed the line in a hole shot victory over Gugliotta Montecalvo began to hear the cheers coming from his team who were eagerly watching the scoreboards.

 “I was sitting in the trailer, not even paying attention to whether Frank was running or not,” Montecalvo recalled. “Next thing you know we heard a scream and our guys rushed into the trailer to tell us we won. I didn’t believe them at first. I know I asked them four times if they were sure. It’s just unbelievable that this finally happened. We’ve come close so many times. All our hard work and years of chasing this thing finally paid off. Today made it all worthwhile.”
  
Montecalvo’s Championship comes after a long season with many ups and downs and an intense points chase.

As it seems to be the case in the incredibly competitive world of Mountain Motor Pro Stock racing, the championship came down to the last possible round with only a few points separating first from third.

Montecalvo and team

“I feel for Frank. I’ve been in their shoes and I know what it feels like. I have to commend him and his team. They played straight up, no gimmies. Richard Freeman puts on a first class operation. His three car team is a very welcome addition to Pro Stock and my hat’s off to them.
 
“I wish every racer could win a Championship just to know what this feels like. I’ve gotten calls from one end of the country to the other congratulating us. The support I’ve received from my peers and all who celebrate with us, makes this all come alive. It’s an incredible feeling.
 
“One of the best things about this is that I’ll now be able to defend my championship on IHRA turf. With the new Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association we will be back racing with the IHRA again next year. I couldn’t be happier with the chance to wear our number one next year and be able to race in the place we’ve known as home for so many years.
 
“This championship means more than I can truly express in words.”
 
With a smile that will surely last for days and maybe the entire 2010 season, Montecalvo couldn’t convey enough joy and gratitude for all who were a part of his incredible championship season.

Frank Gugliotta (near) vs. John Montecalvo