LAS VEGAS 2 - Pro Mod Friday Wrap Up

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Sat, 25 Oct 2003, 10:58 AM

Jenkins is the Baddest on Friday Qualifying in Vegas

By Bobby Bennett Jr., www.competitionplus.com

LAS VEGAS -- Some drivers need multiple runs to gain their best run. Then there are those drivers like Shannon Jenkins, who nail the best shot of the day with their first run out of the box. Hampered by problems that appeared during pre-qualifying warm-up, the four-time World Champion elected to sit out the first session during the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas. He then focused his undivided efforts on team owner/teammate Mike Castellana, who blasted out the quickest run of the session with a 6.335.

Known for his prowess with the nitrous combination, Jenkins returned in the evening session in his own car to produce the quickest lap on the first day of qualifications for the final stop of the ten-race AMS Pro Modified Challenge tour.

“We knew where to go and that’s where having a two car team has been beneficial to us,” explained Jenkins. “Our books from last year helped us out a lot also. We don’t normally race in this kind of atmospheric conditions so having some data to start with was a tremendous advantage.”

Following Jenkins in the second spot was Thomas Patterson, who overcame a broken transmission in the first session to record his quickest lap of the day. The Houston, Texas-based Patterson nailed down a 6.310, 221.82 during his final attempt on the first day of qualifying.

The nitrous car continued their superb performances as West Coast Pro Modified runner Dennis Radford held the banner proudly for Oregon as he laid down the third quickest run with a 6.328, 221.56 in his nitrous-injected Dodge Viper.

Von Smith and Castellana tied for the fourth spot with a 6.335, but when the tiebreaker was implemented, Smith was awarded the high position by virtue of a 226.39 blast. Castellana slipped into fifth with a 220.40.

Harold Martin made his AMS Pro Modified Challenge debut an impressive one as he landed in the sixth spot. The ACDelco-sponsored driver was in the top-half of the field entering the second session (6.37 elapsed time), but slipped despite improving with a 6.337, 223.65.

Chip King Jr. gave the Mopar Hemi fans something to cheer about as he parked his Dodge Avenger in the seventh spot with a 6.367, 218.30.

Scott Ray closed the round with a 6.372, 218.30 to land in the eighth spot with his CARQUEST-sponsored Corvette.

Friday Notes

Upset special – Headed into the final day of qualifying the top three points earners (Fred Hahn, Mitch Stott and Tim McAmis) were unqualified. Ironically, just one week earlier the trio had earned spots in the quickest-ever Pro Modified field.

Pro Modified Slalom – Troy Critchley had a fishtail of an experience in the opening session. During the course of the run, Critchley’s car sacheted from right to left the entire course of the quarter-mile. Critchley explained, “The car just wouldn’t settle down,” explained Critchley. “I certainly wasn’t doing it intentionally.

As exciting as Critchley’s lap proved to be, it paled in comparison to the one teammate Bill Hill laid down a few pairs later. The car got loose and crossed the centerline at the finish line. Miraculously, the car never struck the guardwall despite coming close to the barrier.

“It rattled my cage pretty good,” explained Hill. It was pretty spooky. I don’t know what happened. I hit that bump down there and I guess I had too much wheel speed. It started getting out from under me and all I could think of was getting the parachutes out to straighten it up. We’ll settle it down and come back.”

“I’ll outdo him next time, I promise,” added Hill.

Air up there – The trip to Las Vegas marks the only time that the AMS Pro Modified Challenge racers are exposed to the high altitude, dry air of the desert. That makes tuning a special challenge for both blower and nitrous racers. One racer went as far as to say that this was a prime example of Pro Modifieds having asthma.

“It’s certainly different and we aren’t used to running at this altitude,” points leading tuner Jim Oddy explained. “You have to think about everything bumper to bumper on this car to make it work right. You have to get it to get up on the tire and stay up there.”

Ironically, Oddy’s driver Fred Hahn matched up with Mike Castellana’s nitrous runner. It appeared that Castellana came to the line to let it all hang out while Oddy proved to be on the conservative side.

Castellana’s crewchief Shannon Jenkins denied being on kill for the run.

“We had good information for last year. We got aggressive and detuned the motor and let it rip.”

One shot wonder – Jenkins sat out the first session with a motor problem. Apparently the rocker arm stand became stripped. Jenkins added, We didn’t rush to get it fixed. Got all the information we needed off of Mike’s car.”

Cannon’s welcoming party – When asked what he thought about the return of Scotty Cannon into the Pro Modified ranks. Jenkins, the second winningest driver in the history of Pro Modified offered this assessment. “I heard this talk last year, but I didn’t see a car. The air is good come on over.”

Lightning quick – Following the last event in Dallas, New York Mortgage Banker Mike Ashley in his InfiNet-sponsored entry made several adjustments to his Pro Modified Willys to improve his reaction times. On the first day of qualifying the extra laps paid off as Ashley reeled off a .006 and a .031 reaction.