Sun, 01 Sep 2013, 19:47 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Mike Castellana                      2377 Von Smith                    
E1                   0.017  6.064 240.51     ****WINNER****  0.058  6.023 237.80
 Qualified:             #8  6.057 237.50                        #9  6.061 236.75

6:08 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 3,780 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

This should be a close race since the two qualified just a few thousandths apart and it turned out as advertised. Castellana had a big holeshot and ran within a few thousandths of his qualifying time, but Smith improved just enough to run him down and then hold him off in the lights.

Von Smith's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.006), 330 ft(0.035), 660ft(0.030), 1,000ft(0.014). MOV: 0.0005 seconds (approximately 2 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Kenny Lang                              8 Pete Farber                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.019  6.003 240.72                     0.091  6.045 241.37
 Qualified:             #7  6.039 240.17                       #10  6.064 240.47

This wasn't as close as the ETs make it appear because Lang had a huge holeshot and extended that lead over the first half of the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 T217 Tim Tindle                              1 Troy Coughlin                
E1                   0.064 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.063  5.977 244.43
 Qualified:             #5  6.006 242.71                       #12  6.069 233.44

Tindle had the early lead, but his car started fishtailing as he neared half track and the car took out the half-track timing markers. Then it turned back across the track and rolled up on the right side before hitting the left wall near the 1,000-foot marker. The car ended up on the wrong side of the wall, near the left scoreboard.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got the report and it is good: Tindle got out of the car on his own and walked to the ambulance.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5011 Mike Knowles                          205 Kevin Rivenbark              
E1                   0.080  6.005 241.58     ****WINNER****  0.035  6.033 234.74
 Qualified:             #6  6.037 240.17                       #11  6.064 235.89

7:30 p.m. Tindle's crash resulted in a lot of down time, partly because the impact split a couple of shot-filled weight bars and all of that had to be cleaned up before sending another pair of cars down the track.

Rivenbark earned this one on a holeshot, Knowles closing fast on the top end.

Kevin Rivenbark's incremental margins: 60ft(0.053), 330 ft(0.076), 660ft(0.064), 1,000ft(0.042). MOV: 0.0171 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 220F Kevin Fiscus                         1938 Eric Latino                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.098  5.977 240.98                     0.079 10.993  78.92
 Qualified:             #4  6.004 243.15                       #13  6.070 240.72

Latino lifted around the halfway mark, but Fiscus ran quicker than his qualifying run. However, he matched Troy Coughlin's ET and Coughlin had a better speed to get lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Danny Rowe                            377 Harold Martin                
E1                   0.077  9.947 101.55     ****WINNER****  0.115  6.034 230.80
 Qualified:             #3  5.990 242.89                       #14  6.074 234.00

Martin trailed early in the run, but Rowe shook and he lifted after pedaling once. Martin made his quickest run of the event, losing lane choice to Rivenbark by a thousandth

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1456 Mike Janis                           308W Jimmy Widener                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.145  5.976 241.15                     0.079  6.078 232.43
 Qualified:             #2  5.986 241.76                       #15  6.104 231.95

Widener had a big advantage at the green, but Janis ran him down to take the win.

Mike Janis' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.045), 330 ft(-0.035), 660ft(-0.019), 1,000ft(0.005). MOV: 0.0362 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

He faces Lang in round two and has lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 367J Jason Hamstra                          43 Rickie Smith                 
E1                   0.027 21.838  34.26     ****WINNER****  0.094  6.199 229.86
 Qualified:            #16  6.123 232.79                        #1  5.963 240.68

Hamstra shook hard immediately and had to lift. Smith also had his hands full, the car using up all of the lane. Rickie Smith managed to keep it between the lines, but won't have lane choice when he faces Von Smith in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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