At the halfway point in the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series season, some interesting story lines have started to take shape. And those stories may become a little clearer once the dust settles from the upcoming ACDelco Canadian Nationals, being held July 29-31 at Toronto Motorsports Park.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican still controls his own destiny. Despite his early (for him) exit from the Dukes of Hazzard Motor City Nationals presented by GM Performance Division and brought to you by Heritage Newspapers, Millican remains the favorite heading into the third and final Canadian national event for the season. The Drummonds, Tenn. native holds a commanding lead of 185 points over second place Bruce Litton. Doug Foley, (Sewell, N.J.), who had been in second place for most of the season dropped to third, but is only eight points behind Litton. Louie Allison’s second straight win at Milan vaulted him into fourth place.

In Torco Pro Modified, Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins, from Tuscaloosa, Ala., took over the points lead from Al Billes. Jenkins has been using season long consistency to apply the pressure to a class that has seen six different winners in six events. Could his time come in lucky number seven? Jim Halsey, the surprising dark horse from Street, Md., remains in second place. The dangerous Ed Hoover, from Gilbert, S.C., is still hanging around, looking to make a charge in the last six events.

In Funny Car, the Rob Atchison Show rolls on, as he took his fourth win of the season. Atchison returns to his native Canada with an 85 point lead over second place Jim Sickles. Atchison, from London, Ontario and Sickles, from Caledonia, N.Y., put on a show with an exciting side by side final, with Atchison taking home the win. Mark Thomas, the multi-time Funny Car World Champion from Louisville, Ohio, dropped out of his tie for second with Sickles, but only by 23 points. Thomas Carter, who made some early season noise at San Antonio but faltering as of late, had a good weekend and has taken over fourth place from Terry McMillen and the Amalie Oil Instigator.

In Torco Pro Stock, Dan Seamon became the first driver in the class to win more than one race and ended up climbing back into the points race. Seamon is now third behind Robert Patrick, who had entered the weekend in first place. Steve Spiess, from Manhattan Ill., continues his remarkably consistent season, winning the Jon Kaase Pro Stock Engine Tuning Challenge for the event and taking home a runner up finish before leaving Milan Dragway with the points lead. But Patrick, from Fredericksburg, Va., is only nine points behind in second place.