"I'm just looking forward to getting back on the track," Creasy said. "There's nothing like a little nitro and Full Throttle drag racing to get your heart pumping."

St. Louis is a track that Creasy has fond memories. "I remember getting my first round win of 2002 against Frank Pedregon," Creasy said. "It really meant a lot to me. It was the first year we had a full sponsorship with Craftsman and at the time they were the event sponsor. So it meant a lot for our team to win a round at their race."

Creasy's career has ridden the up and down, roller coaster ride that many independent teams experience. His career highlight reel features back-to-back IHRA World Championships in 2006 and 2007. He also led the 2008 IHRA points standings before a season, and nearly career ending injury sidelined him for a year.

"Everyday I can get in this Funny Car is a great day," Creasy said. "There's no way to explain it and there's nothing quite like it. I hope someday we can find enough sponsorship to be back out here full time. Right now we're just thankful that Tek Pak and Beaver Shredding have given us the opportunity to come out here and be competitive."

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  - It's the day he's been waiting on for nearly a year. Dale Creasy, Jr. will take over the driving duties this weekend on his 8,000 horsepower Nitro Funny Car during the IHRA Nitro Nationals at Rocky Mountain Raceways. Creasy's Beaver Shredding / Tek Pak Nitro Funny Car is the same type of car that nearly ended the two-time IHRA World Champion's racing career last July in Edmonton Alberta. The freak accident in Edmonton left Dale with a badly mangled left leg, requiring nearly a dozen surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation.

"I've got a few butterflies," Creasy admitted about this weekend's race. "But I always do when I get in the car. You have to respect the power and speed of these machines."

Creasy's first race will be a grudge match against current defending IHRA Funny Car Champion, Terry Haddock. Creasy was leading in the 2008 points chase for a third consecutive title before the season ending injury. The two champions will clash in Salt Lake and then take their grudge match to the IHRA River Cree Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton the following weekend.

"Haddock's a great guy and I love to race him," Creasy said. "But the way things ended for us last season sets up the perfect scenario for a grudge match. I didn't get a chance to race Terry down to the wire for that championship. So maybe this is a way we can get some bragging rights."

Creasy will be doing a lot of grudge racing this summer, including match-ups with Jack Wyatt. Creasy edged out Wyatt by just five points in 2006 and again in 2007 he kept Wyatt in the number two spot in the championship hunt.

It doesn't matter to Dale Creasy who lines up next to him on the drag strip. It's a race - and he wants to win it. "This is something that less than 50 people in the world get to do," Creasy told IHRA.com. "I truly feel lucky to be a part of that group. It is a feeling that is hard to explain, but I will tell you, it doesn't get any better than this."

The most recent surgery to repair the calf muscle in his left leg was said to be a success. Creasy is looking forward to beginning the rehabilitation process.

"It's been a long ordeal," Creasy said from his room at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. "All the doctors have been great. This facility is great They're doing everything they can and I can't thank them enough."

In between surgery's Creasy was able to join his team for successful outings in Martin, Tulsa and Epping with his good friend John Lawson behind the wheel.

"It was really important for us to be back out there," Dale said. "We really wanted to do it as a 'thank you' to our fans and the IHRA for all of the support they gave to me, my family and my team. I also wanted to thank John [Lawson] for stepping in and driving our car for us. It meant a lot to everyone on our team to see our car out there again racing. John helped us with that opportunity."

"Rockingham will always be a special place for our team," Creasy said. "Tony Beyer from Tek Pak and Stan Ciesla from Beaver Shredding will be there with us in Rockingham. I couldn't think of two better friends and supporters to end the season with."

There are so many people that have helped us during the last couple of weeks that it's hard to know where to begin. The support and get well wishes have been truly overwhelming.

To Rob and Kim Reeves and the entire Castrol Raceway staff, thank you for your hospitality and making us feel like part of your family. We appreciate everything that you've done and the help that you provided while in Canada. We look forward to seeing you next year.

To the entire track safety crew, the job that you do and the help that you provide at times like this is greatly appreciated. Your help will never be forgotten. I'm thankful to each and every one of you for the great care that you provided. You're a great group of people. Thanks for everything that you do and the help that you continue to provide to all of the racers.

To our families, what would we have done without your support? Mom and Steve, you were by my side everyday in the hospital to take care of me and everything that needed to be done once we were able to come back home. Laurie and I appreciate everything that both of you did and continue to do even now that we're home.

To the staff at Royal Alexandra Hospital, we are so happy to be back home, but greatly appreciate everything you did while we were there. The entire staff all made a very difficult time easier and we can never thank you enough for all that you did and the great care that you provided to my family and me.

Last, but not least, to all my friends and fans. The get-well wishes and prayers have been amazing and have definitely kept our spirits high over the last couple of weeks. Thanks to all of you for your cards and postings on the Get Well Peanut website.

Dale and Laurie Creasy 
Creasy Family Motorsports

"I can't say enough about the entire staff here at Royal Alex," he said. "They have really made this stay as pleasant as possible, but I'm ready to go home."

The down time has given the 2-time IHRA Funny Car Champion time to think and reflect. "I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did, but having gone through this, it really makes you aware of the special people around you every day. Craig and the entire Trackside Safety crew did a great job of getting me out of my car. Every race, every lap, they're right there waiting to put themselves on the line to help racers. How can you say thanks for that?"

"There are a lot of great drag racing fans that have said a lot of prayers on my behalf, I'm certainly thankful for that," Creasy said. "But people like Rob and Kim Reeves and sponsors like Darrel and Rod and the entire Jet Label staff, have gone way above the call of duty. They treated me and (wife) Laurie and (brother) Steve like family. I could never thank them enough for all they have done."

Creasy will continue his recovery in Edmonton for the next several days and is expected to return home sometime the week of July 21st.

Creasy is also planning to be in attendance for the Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals, August 1-3 in Martin, Michigan.

"We won't be racing, but we'll have our truck and car there," Creasy said. "It's what we do. We're drag racers, it's my family and friends. I'll be there."

Doctors performed the three hour surgery to continue the reconstruction process of his left leg. Dale will undergo an additional surgery on Thursday.

"His spirits are really good," long-time friend Terry McMillen said after a conversation with Creasy. "I was kidding him about how he's going to be in great shape after all of this rehab. I told him I was going to have to get a trainer just to keep up with him. He just laughed and said that I'd have to give him at least one day of looking better than me."

The Creasy family would also like to send 'get well wishes' to crew member Denny Jameson. Denny underwent successful prostate cancer surgery. Denny is recovering in a Chicago area hospital.

Creasy told IHRA.com, "The transmission was spinning. Something broke and it locked up. There was nothing I could do."

Doctors spent five hours repairing Dale's left shin and leg. He is expected to stay at the Edmonton hospital for the next 7-10 days. The recovery process is expected to take between six to nine months.

Reports from the Creasy family shortly after Dale's surgery were encouraging as Dale was able to move his toes.

Doctors will continue to closely monitor swelling in Dale's left leg.

Well wishers are welcome to drop a post to Dale at Get Well Peanut or drop him an email at getwelldale@dalecreasyjr.com. Cards and letters are welcome and may be sent to:

Dale Creasy Jr.
1550 Mallard's Cove
Beecher, Illinois 60401

Somewhere near the finish line Creasy's car had a catastrophic parts failure in the drive line, his legs became entangled in the wreckage. He was air lifted to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta.

Creasy suffered broken bones in his right foot that will require a cast. His left leg suffered a crushed shin and a compound fracture that will require surgery. Creasy is scheduled for surgery between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mountain Time at Royal Alexandra Hospital.

The Creasy family asks that cards and well wishes be held until Dale returns home. The team also wants to thank Jet Label & Tape for the support they are providing to the family during this time.

For updates please check IHRA.com.

BEECHER, Ill. - In 2006 Dale Creasy Jr. continued on his road to the IHRA Nitro Funny Car world championship by knocking off Jack Wyatt in the final round at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton. Last season he advanced to the final again, falling to Terry Haddock with the Ironman on the line. Needless to say, Creasy is very comfortable at Castrol Raceway, where he will look to build on his 2008 points lead at this season’s Rocky Mountain Nationals July 4-6.

"I love that place, love everything about it," he said of Castrol Raceway. "We have a lot of great memories there and have made so many friends over the last couple of years in Edmonton. It’s a long drive up there which can be difficult on the crew guys, but once we get there we always have a blast. I can't wait to get things going again this year."

The Creasy Family Motorsports team is riding a wave of momentum heading into Edmonton. The last time out they visited the winner's circle, stopping Todd Simpson in the final if the President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. That win put the team on top of the 2008 points chase for the first time this season as he looks to claim his third consecutive IHRA Nitro Funny Car title. He currently leads Paul Lee atop the points standings by 45 points.

Castrol Raceway recently underwent a $100,000 facelift to its racing surface so the team's old information on the track will have to be adjusted. With 2007 Professional Crew Chief of the Year Steve Creasy in his corner, Dale Creasy is confident his team will be able to adapt to the new racing surface.

"I'm not saying this because he's my brother, but Steve is the best Crew Chief in the business," Creasy said. "No matter what gets thrown at him he always figures things out. And my team knows how to get things done so I have every confidence we'll be putting the right amount of power to the track. Edmonton had a really nice racing surface before… I'm looking forward to seeing how nice it is now."

When talking about the Rocky Mountain Nationals, Castrol Raceway and Edmonton in general the one thing Creasy looks most forward to is the fan support he receives.

"The fans in Edmonton are like nowhere else in the world," he said. "We get up at 8 in the morning to service the car and they're already there in the stands, drinking beer and having a good time. We make our last pass of the night at 10 or so and they're still there in the stands, drinking and having a good time. The love and support they give all the IHRA race teams is unbelievable. When we're in Edmonton it reminds me of the good old days 20 years ago when you couldn't move because there were so many people at the race. They pack the stands and let us know how much they appreciate us being there."

The CARS RV & Sport & Marine Rocky Mountain Nationals featuring the Cervus Contracting and JCB Night of Fire with the PartSource Championship Sunday will take place at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton July 4-6. There will be one Nitro Funny Car qualifying session Friday evening. Final qualifying takes place Saturday with one afternoon session and one in the evening in concert with IHRA's "Night of Fire." Final eliminations will begin Sunday at noon. For more information on the Rocky Mountain Nationals please visit www.nitrojam.com.

"I'd like to thank Donna and Danny Stevenson for their continued support," said Dale Creasy, Jr. "They put tires on my truck when I first got it and the relationship has been great ever since."

Donna Stevenson started Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. with one truck crane that she parked at the local gas station. Seventeen years later, she operates a multi-million dollar company employing over 70 men and women. That first crane has been "retired" and replaced with more than 100 pieces of equipment dispatched from our 27,000 square foot office and 7.5 acre yard in Bolingbrook,Illinois.

For more information please contact 630-972-9199 or their website at www.stevensoncrane.com

MECHANICSVILLE, MD - Dale Creasy Jr. was in an unfamiliar place heading into the Torco President's Cup Nationals. Three races into the 2008 IHRA season Creasy, the two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car World Champion, had not found his stride and was without a victory on the circuit. He was also looking up at someone in the points standings... a position he was not used to after dominating the field last season.

Last year Creasy won two of the first three events on the IHRA schedule. He ended up winning six national events and wrapped the championship up after the eighth event on the 2007 schedule. This year he came to Maryland International Raceway with a pedestrian 2-2 won-loss record in 2008 elimination rounds and was 16 points behind Steven Macklyn in championship points standings.

"Today was a day we had been looking for," Creasy said in the winner's circle at MIR. "When I woke up I was wondering if it was going to be a 'go fast' race track or a finesse race track. Either way we knew we had something for them. It worked out well."

With the track temperature approaching 140 degrees in the hot Southern Maryland sun, Creasy and his team was confident their experience would carry the day.

"We have a tune-up for hot weather from places like Grand Bend that we've been working on for the last two years," he said. "All the tracks are good until it gets this hot, but you can't do anything with a 140-degree race track. My brother (Crew Chief Steve Creasy) and all my guys worked hard on it and we got the job done. What a day."

Creasy not only won the event, he clocked his fastest pass of the year... a 300.40 mph run during Friday's evening qualifying session. In taking the points lead he also is sitting right where he wants to be.

"I told my guys before the race that we weren't doing badly this year, we just weren't doing what we did last year," Creasy said. "But last year was a season where if you would have written it down on paper no one would have believed it. We won the first two out of three events and kept going from there. We lost in the first round at the last race, lost in the first round the race before and went to the finals at the season opener in San Antonio. The cars are getting tougher and the drivers are getting tougher…we just have to adjust to it."

Heading into the July 4-6 Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, Creasy is 45 points clear of Paul Lee, who sits in second in the 2008 points standings. Matt Hagan is third, 56 points behind Creasy.

"We were close heading into this race and it's a long season, but you can't let anyone get away," Creasy said. "Once a driver gets away they start pushing it. But my guys have been through it before and they know how to fight through it. There's still a lot of pressure on us but we've been through it so we know what to do when we get there. I'm not saying we're going to win it again because there are a lot of good cars out here, but if it gets down to that I think we have an advantage because we've been through it two seasons in a row. My guys can handle it."