Fri, 16 May 2003, 03:25 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Larry Sullivan

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 34th annual K&N Filters SuperNationals presented by Pep Boys listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Zach Barklage Runs 6.261/225.75, Now #1
Right Lane: Ed Hoover Runs 12.661/81.97, Now #2

2:47 PM Barklage is 19, Hoover is a bit older than that. Barklage got the better of it on this pass, right down the groove, while Hoover was shaking and sideways, forced to abandon the run.

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Left Lane: Scott Ray Runs 11.498/88.44, Now #3
Right Lane: Dan Rowe Runs 6.305/217.11, Now #2

Ray's car got up on the wheelie bars and shook. Rowe went right down the groove, a good opening pass.

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Left Lane: Cody McManama Runs 6.379/219.15, Now #4
Right Lane: Marty McGinnis Runs 6.317/225.37, Now #3

Current weather conditions: 57 degrees, 74 percent relative humidity, the absolute barometer 29.93 inches, with a track temperature of 78 degrees under overcast skies.

The Sun is trying to burn through the clouds, but so far the clouds are winning. Both cars got off the line smoothly, but McManama trailed engine smoke on the top end of his run.

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Left Lane: Thomas Patterson Runs 6.310/224.96, Now #3
Right Lane: Mike Stawicki Runs 8.997/100.02, Now #6

Stawicki left hard, but shook at the gear shift and slowed. Patterson was all over the lane, but under power all the way through.

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Left Lane: Johnny Rocca Runs 6.633/180.65, Now #7
Right Lane: Al Billes Runs 6.159/229.47, Now #1

Rocca's "Dark Horse" '49 Mercury sports fender skirts and orange flames, a very "retro" look. He had his hands full all the way down the track, the car trying several times to cross the center line. meanwhile, Billes went right down the groove on a very strong run, the first car into the 'teens this weekend.

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Left Lane: Roy Hill Runs 6.159/230.57, Now #1
Right Lane: Mel Eaves Runs 7.513/130.42, Now #9

Hill seems to be getting the Mustang sorted out, running what may be a career-best elapsed time for veteran driver on a smooth, straight pass. Eaves fell back early and gave it up at half track. Hill was behind Billes' pace on the first half of the run, but made it up on the top end and took over the number one spot with a better speed.

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Left Lane: Troy Critchley Runs 6.241/226.05, Now #3
Right Lane: Bill Hill Runs 6.335/222.66, Now #8

Both cars made okay-looking runs, but will need to pick up the pace a bit to stay in the field under these conditions.

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Left Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 13.395/66.92, Now #16
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 12.811/80.95, Now #15

Shake, shake, shake.

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Left Lane: Mitch Stott Runs 6.160/229.00, Now #3
Right Lane: Fred Hahn Runs 6.195/213.33, Now #4

Either of these cars is capable of running low ET of the weekend on any given run, so it was a dream pairing. Hahn led to half track, but his car started smoking at 1,000 feet and then the engine gave up in a big cloud of smoke. Mitch Stott's incremental times: 60ft-1.014 sec., 330ft-2.670, 660ft-4.024/182.55mph, 1,000ft-5.180
Fred Hahn's incremental times: 60ft-1.021 sec., 330ft-2.678, 660ft-4.015/183.12mph, 1,000ft-5.181. The Safety Safari went to work in Hahn's lane after the run, starting at the 1,000-foot marker and extending just past the finish line. All they did was drag the track with the tractor, no "Green Stuff," so it must have been a light mist and not a heavy trail.

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Left Lane: Bill Kuhlmann Runs 9.775/103.14, Now #16
Right Lane: Chip King Runs 6.701/173.18, Now #13

Kuhlmann's car picked the left front tire up and shook. he pedaled, it did the same thing, so he shut it off. King got very close to the wall and shut it down.

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Left Lane: Wayne Torkelson Runs 6.268/224.25, Now #8
Right Lane: Tim McAmis Runs 6.126/231.79, Now #1

Pretty good pass by Torkelson, a stunning pass by McAmis, easily taking over the top spot with low ET and top speed of the event. Tim McAmis' incremental times: 60ft-1.021 sec., 330ft-2.661, 660ft-4.004/183.69mph, 1,000ft-5.154.

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Left Lane: Quain Stott Runs 6.323/229.63, Now #12

Stott's car spun the tires and got a bit sideways on the launch, killing his elapsed time.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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