Wed, 16 Sep 2009, 09:30 PM Battles Intensify as Pro Mods Crescendo in Charlotte

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer

CONCORD, N.C. -- The battles for championship points in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx intensifies this weekend as the series makes its eighth of ten stops, this time at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in metro Charlotte, N.C. The fight for first is as fierce as the battle to make the top eight heading into the final race at Las Vegas where the Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash will be contested.

Twenty drivers will face off this weekend at zMAX Dragway, a track that's been called the "Bellagio of Drag Strips." It is the first time the Pro Mod Challenge has visited the venue.

Front-runner Burton Auxier saw his once commanding lead drastically cut by Roger Burgess and Danny Rowe; both are within two round-wins of first. Mike Castellana, who had been in second place dropped to fourth, but is still within just a few rounds of the lead.

Joe Baker, Raymond Commisso, Jay Payne and Tim Tindle round out the top eight and will all be competing this weekend. Payne and Tindle at No.'s 7 and 8 are a little more than three round-wins ahead of the next closest drivers, but Brad Personett, Mike Knowles and Rick Stivers are all hot on their tails, hoping for a part of the $35,000 purse in the Matco Tools Clash.

Also joining the battle as spoilers and blockers are Melanie Troxel, Dennis Radford, "Tombstone" Tommy Gray, Scott Ray, Rickie Smith, Rick DiStefano, Tommy D'Aprile and rookie Kirk Wilmes. North Carolinan Chip King rounds out the field, promising one of the best shows in Pro Mod drag racing.

Drivers will also be competing for the B&J Transmissions Bonus, a $500 bounty paid to the winner of a first-round pairing selected at random before the race. Qualifying rounds are scheduled Friday at 2:00 and 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eliminations begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude Sunday. Regular updates are available on NHRA.com and DragRaceCentral.com, and daily recaps are available on CompetitionPlus.com and ProModChallenge.com. Brief round-by-round recaps are also broadcast via Twitter by following GSAProMods.

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