Sun, 2 Sep 2007, 06:34 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Dan Bennett

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 Mike Castellana                         3 Josh Hernandez               
E1                   0.058  6.201 231.00     ****WINNER****  0.065  6.053 239.10
 Qualified:            #15  6.205 229.55                        #2  6.044 238.81

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 2,853 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

We still have a bright sun but it's getting lower in the sky. The track temperature has been dropping for the last half hour or so.

Nobdy wants to stage, and Hernandez finally bumps in. They leave pretty much together but the nitrous car just can't hang with the supercharged one.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1212 Scott Ray                            1986 John Russo                   
E1                   0.089 18.891  41.14     ****WINNER****  0.352  6.617 193.65
 Qualified:             #8  6.077 233.60                        #9  6.085 238.76

I'm not sure how to describe that. Ray left OK, but shut off pretty quickly as the car got sideways. I have no idea what was up with Russo's reaction time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shelly Payne                           51 Tommy Gray                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  6.133 236.63                     0.075  6.183 235.43
 Qualified:             #7  6.076 237.42                       #10  6.160 233.44

The cars leave together on time but Shelly slowly pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2813 Scott Cannon Jr                        21 Shannon Jenkins              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  6.036 238.51                     0.050 No Time      
 Qualified:             #6  6.072 236.26                       #11  6.164 233.92

It's a good race until Jenkins gets loose, changes lanes, and follows Cannon across the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  501 Mike Knowles                         1152 Tony Pontieri                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.072  6.340 225.82                     0.035 12.032  72.40
 Qualified:            #12  6.186 228.96                        #5  6.064 237.92

Pontieri shakes really hard on the way to 330 and clicks it off close to the wall. Knowles get a bit further before he gets loose but manages to drive through it.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Jay Payne                            4610 Harold Laird                 
E1                   0.077  7.773 124.53     ****WINNER****  0.074  6.152 231.87
 Qualified:             #4  6.062 237.88                       #13  6.195 230.69

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   30 Mike Janis                           5083 Cody Barklage                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.117  6.034 241.15                     0.097  6.197 222.47
 Qualified:             #1  6.020 240.59                       #16  6.208 230.84

This track, while capable of yielding some good numbers, is just a touch tricky right now.

The cars were right together until 330, when Janis started driving away.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  320 Steve Engel                          1512 Mike Stawicki                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  6.053 242.15                     0.074 12.887  65.95
 Qualified:             #3  6.062 241.41                       #14  6.196 229.39

Stawicki blows the tires off as he smokes them past 200 feet.

Engel nails it and lays down a very stout pass.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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