Sat, 17 May 2008, 05:54 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1211 Mike Ashley                             7 Harold Laird                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.043  6.001 240.68                     0.031  6.288 222.14
 Qualified:             #8  6.065 239.53                        #9  6.084 233.84

5:34 p.m. Laird gets off the line first but his car is a little sluggish in the first 60 feet. Ashley drives around him quickly, then Laird starts to drift to the right eating up more time. Ashley keeps it in the groove and goes on through for the win with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Rick Stivers                         1986 John Russo                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  7.329 145.38                     0.096  9.113  98.76
 Qualified:            #10  6.095 236.30                        #7  6.040 241.28

Stivers is behind early, then starts to make a move. he makes a hard move to the right, almost crossing the center-line about 500 feet out. Russo's car noses over at that point, not sure why, then Stivers gets back on the throttle and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2103 Joe Baker                             320 Steve Engel                  
E1                   0.060 12.106  86.67     ****WINNER****  0.014  6.126 239.27
 Qualified:            #11  6.097 234.86                        #6  6.039 240.68

Baker gets about 300 feet out and loses traction. Engel makes a decent pass and moves on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  402 Taylor Lastor                        1212 Scott Ray                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.082  6.427 187.52                    -0.144 12.523  60.50
 Qualified:            #18  6.258 234.25                        #5  6.021 236.09

Ray leaves way too early, gets about 300 feet out and clicks it off. lastor was on a good pass but backs off the throttle a little early.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1090 Raymond Commisso                       38 Danny Rowe                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.054  6.070 242.32                     0.098  6.055 238.55
 Qualified:            #13  6.117 242.02                        #4  6.020 238.98

Commisso leaves first and never looks back. Rowe stays with him for the first 300 feet, then Commisso starts pulling away and pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1152 Tony Pontieri                           8 Shelly Payne                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036  6.107 234.66                     0.065  6.090 235.76
 Qualified:            #14  6.148 234.86                        #3  6.009 234.04

Pontieri leaves first and starts to pull away. Payne starts to reel him in, cutting into his lead at every marker, but runs out of room, giving Pontieri the hole-shot win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Tim Tindle                            763 Kirk Kuhns                   
E1                   0.083  6.367 228.50     ****WINNER****  0.053  6.108 225.94
 Qualified:            #15  6.170 231.16                        #2  6.006 234.98

Kuhns gets away first and increases his lead at every marker. Not sure what went wrong with Tindle's car, just not running to it's potential.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                               1 Joshua Hernandez             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.041  6.029 237.21                     0.022  6.064 239.78
 Qualified:            #16  6.180 234.78                        #1  5.950 241.11

Payne just got in on the bump and gets the top qualifier for his efforts. Hernandez gets out of the gate first but Payne starts to gain ground quickly. Payne pulls even, then drives around Hernandez before they reach the 330 foot mark and pulls away for the win.

Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.015), 330 ft(0.014), 660ft(0.027), 1,000ft(0.023). MOV: 0.0166 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

In the next round it will be Ashley with lane choice over Payne, Comisso vs. Lastor, Kuhns vs. Stivers, and Pontieri vs. Engel.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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