Sun, 15 Oct 2006, 02:29 PM Pro Stock Round 2 Eliminations

By Dan Bennett

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Inaugural Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Jim Yates                              25 Jeg Coughlin                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  7.685 189.63                     0.049 18.241  53.13
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Stanfield ) 0.055  6.656 207.11      (A Johnson   ) 0.039  6.632 208.78
 Qualified:            #15  6.625 207.02                        #7  6.604 208.33

Weather conditions: air temperature 65 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 30.12 inches, adjusted altitude 236 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

Still great conditions, but second round is always tough for Pro Stock setup. You have to back the car off a bit 99% of the time, but the hard part is knowing how much.

And this is one of the strangest ones I've seen. I've just experienced my first Pro Stock pedalfest.

Jeg's car's shook immediately and he stepped off the gas. Yates got a little further before the car whipped violently back and forth.

Yates realized what was happening a bit sooner and got back on the gas. Jeg followed soon after but at that point it was too late for Jeg to do anything but watch.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  357 Larry Morgan                          186 Tom Martino                  
E2                   0.047 10.656  77.46     ****WINNER****  0.005  6.653 208.62
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Koretsky  ) 0.053  6.629 208.04      (T Lee       ) 0.040  6.614 209.14
 Qualified:            #14  6.623 207.82                       #11  6.615 208.71

Both cars go right in with no staging games.

Morgan drops the hammer and the car swerves to the right, then left, then he manages to get it pointed in the correct direction. A lesser driver would have hit something.

In the meantime, Martino was killing the tree and making a nice pass with no drama.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 Mike Edwards                            1 Greg Anderson                
E2                   0.033 17.984  40.80     ****WINNER****  0.020  6.594 209.14
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Stevens Jr) 0.032  6.589 209.36      (V Gaines    ) 0.035  6.588 208.81
 Qualified:            #12  6.615 208.49                        #4  6.594 208.84

Edwards is very slow turning on his final light.

The tree flashes and Edwards follows Morgan's tracks almost exactly.

Anderson lays down a strong pass and will return.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Dave Connolly                           3 Jason Line                   
E2                   0.028 12.642  67.11     ****WINNER****  0.004  6.576 209.56
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Johnson   ) 0.032  6.622 206.80      (E Enders    ) 0.036  6.558 209.75
 Qualified:             #8  6.612 208.91                        #1  6.571 209.49

Connolly drives right in and lights both staging bulbs.

Line refuses to be shaken and takes his normal time going in. When the tree flashes, he sends a message to Connolly that he can play all the games he wants. To make things worse for Dave, his car moves to the centerline like the rest of the cars in the left lane this session.

After a .004 light, Line pulls out the quick time of the session. We're all getting used to the thought of calling him champ.

Dave Connolly's incremental times: 60ft-1.009 sec., 330ft-3.340, 660ft-6.277/074.98mph, 1,000ft-9.468

Line tells Anderson which lane to use and Martino gets his choice over Yates in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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