Sun, 5 Sep 2010, 03:56 PM Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dan Bennett

CLERMONT, Ind. - Notes from final, round 5 qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil listing lane, rider name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Wesley Wells Runs 7.054/191.24, Now #14; Best prior run: 7.157/189.90, Was #19

3:39 p.m. This is it for qualifying here at Indy. It's the fifth chance that only comes once a year.

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 29.09 inches, adjusted altitude 2,464 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Wells makes the most of it by picking up a tenth over his earlier run. I think we're going to see that was a huge run as the session progresses.

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Left Lane: Angie Smith Runs 7.118/186.82, Now #18; Best prior run: 7.096/184.88, Was #18
Right Lane: Mike Berry Runs 7.159/183.79, Now #20; Best prior run: 7.253/177.53, Was #21

Neither racer makes the show.

Craig Treble is on the bump spot at 7.084.

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Left Lane: Junior Pippin Runs 7.112/186.51, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.059/188.36, Was #15
Right Lane: Katie Sullivan Runs 7.288/183.39, Now #21; Best prior run: 7.218/183.24, Was #21

Sullivan looked like a bull rider as she had to manhandle the bike the entire front half of the track, both left and then ride. There was no way things were going to turn into a happy ending for her.

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Left Lane: Karen Stoffer Runs 6.957/192.17, Now #8; Best prior run: 7.022/189.63, Was #12
Right Lane: Redell Harris Runs 6.999/191.67, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.097/187.42, Was #19

Stoffer looks like the Old Karen as it's a very quick, straight run with no issues. Harris is right there with her as he ties his previous career quickest pass and jumps into the 12th spot.

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Left Lane: Douglas Horne Runs 7.187/185.00, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.016/187.76, Was #13
Right Lane: David Hope Runs 7.054/186.95, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.085/182.95, Was #18

Hope did a great job of driving as the bike wanted to bounce and move toward the center line. He's still able to squeak out a run quick enough to make the show and there's only two racers behind him who could bump him out at this point.

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Left Lane: Jim Underdahl Runs 7.086/189.95, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.996/191.29, Was #11
Right Lane: Craig Treble Runs 6.962/191.57, Now #9; Best prior run: 7.084/185.59, Was #18

I mentioned two possible bumpers but I was incorrect as it looks like Treble is the last remaining non-qualifier.

He ruins Hope's weekend as Craig makes a stellar charge on the Pistonator.

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Left Lane: Chip Ellis Runs 6.939/193.57, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.982/191.65, Was #11
Right Lane: Joe DeSantis Runs 14.513/45.55, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.041/187.60, Was #15

DeSantis' rpms sailed when he left and I never heard a shift. Ellis makes a strong move up the ladder.

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Left Lane: Michael Phillips Runs 6.919/196.39, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.956/193.10, Was #8
Right Lane: Shawn Gann Runs 7.009/190.43, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.976/189.20, Was #11

Phillips sets a new track speed record as he moves deeper into the top half. Gann slows slightly and stays in place.

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Left Lane: Steve Johnson Runs 7.016/191.54, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.946/192.44, Was #8
Right Lane: Matt Smith Runs 7.111/170.13, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.938/192.03, Was #6

This was a pretty good race until the big end. I didn't see what happened to Smith, but I hear Bob Frey saying that there wasn't any high gear.

Steve Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-1.124 sec., 330ft-2.954, 660ft-4.495/158.35 mph, 1,000ft-5.850.
Matt Smith's incremental times: 60ft-1.078 sec., 330ft-2.899, 660ft-4.449/157.59 mph, 1,000ft-5.848.

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Left Lane: LE Tonglet Runs 6.847/195.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.888/193.10, Was #3
Right Lane: Hector Arana Runs 6.874/192.91, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.900/192.66, Was #4

That was absolutely a space shuttle liftoff for Tonglet as he destroys the front half and runs the second quickest pass ever. Hey, conditions aren't THAT good!

Arana is right there and both bikes stay put.

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Left Lane: Andrew Hines Runs 6.836/196.76, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.815/195.17, Was #1
Right Lane: Eddie Krawiec Runs 6.930/195.25, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.867/194.94, Was #3

Hines re-sets the track speed record and this will end qualifying for Indy 2010. Race day tomorrow proves to be a real cliff hanger.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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