Fri, 27 Oct 2017, 19:43 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 17th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals listing lane, driver 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: Rick Distefano Runs 6.143/232.47, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 5.955/244.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 12.546/67.82, Was #24

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 27.83 inches, adjusted altitude 4,619 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Distefano is making his second appearance in the NHRA Pro Mod series, his last race was the very first race of the series at Gainesville in 2010. He is out of the groove and over by the centerline early, but stays with it to go to the number 14 spot.

alBalooshi is stright down the groove to the number six spot. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.658, 660ft-3.947/192.66 mph, 1,000ft-5.036.

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Left Lane: Mike Knowles Runs 6.058/209.46, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.340/87.16, Was #19
Right Lane: Danny Rowe Runs 5.918/244.52, Now #6; Best prior run: 10.272/99.27, Was #24

Knowles with a clean pass to get in the show. Mike Knowles' incremental times: 60ft-0.992 sec., 330ft-2.616, 660ft-3.900/188.10 mph, 1,000ft-5.032.

Rowe was straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show. Danny Rowe's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.602, 660ft-3.895/191.57 mph, 1,000ft-4.995.

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Left Lane: Clint Satterfield Runs 6.327/232.63, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.235/240.17, Was #18
Right Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 7.185/136.69, Now #21; Best prior run: 10.252/90.18, Was #24

Satterfield slows from his time earlier today.

Frigo made a quick move toward the centerline and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Rahaim Runs 5.956/242.36, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.226/232.11, Was #17
Right Lane: Shane Molinari Runs 5.863/253.18, Now #3; Best prior run: 10.031/120.90, Was #24

Rahaim kept it hooked up to get in the show. Bob Rahaim's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.635, 660ft-3.931/191.46 mph, 1,000ft-5.029.

Molinari launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number three spot. Shane Molinari's incremental times: 60ft-1.005 sec., 330ft-2.668, 660ft-3.916/199.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.973.

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Left Lane: Steven Whiteley Runs 5.879/245.49, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.107/193.21, Was #17
Right Lane: Troy Coughlin Runs 5.857/254.47, Now #3; Best prior run: 9.466/106.78, Was #24

Whiteley gets into the top half of the show with a nice clean pass. Steven Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.610, 660ft-3.877/193.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.964.

Coughlin with a great pass, straight down the groove to the number three spot. Troy Coughlin's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.668, 660ft-3.917/199.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.971.

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Left Lane: Michael Biehle Runs 5.911/251.63, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.033/250.00, Was #16
Right Lane: Mike Janis Runs 5.908/242.32, Now #9; Best prior run: 9.452/94.26, Was #24

Biehle gets off the bubble up to the number ten spot. Michael Biehle's incremental times: 60ft-1.028 sec., 330ft-2.707, 660ft-3.954/198.06 mph, 1,000ft-5.016.

Janis was straight down the groove to the number nine spot. Mike Janis' incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.606, 660ft-3.887/193.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.982.

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Left Lane: Michael Bowman Runs 5.980/252.66, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.015/259.91, Was #16
Right Lane: Derek Menholt Runs 6.182/235.89, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.310/234.21, Was #23

Bowman gets in the fives to get off the bubble. Michael Bowman's incremental times: 60ft-1.040 sec., 330ft-2.757, 660ft-4.019/198.67 mph, 1,000ft-5.083.

Menholt improves, but not enough to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Steve Matusek Runs 8.601/129.97, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.969/243.90, Was #14
Right Lane: Jonathan Gray Runs 5.883/245.72, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.239/232.55, Was #23

Matusek was real loose and clicked it off.

Gray was straight down the groove into the top half of the show. Jonathan Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.613, 660ft-3.889/194.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.969.

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Left Lane: Harry Hruska Runs 5.966/222.91, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.907/249.58, Was #9
Right Lane: Chip King Runs 5.942/243.06, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.052/237.80, Was #19

Hruska with another good pass, but doesn't improve. Harry Hruska's incremental times: 60ft-1.017 sec., 330ft-2.691, 660ft-3.940/197.88 mph, 1,000ft-5.005.

King is straight down the groove to the number 13 spot. Chip King's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.617, 660ft-3.915/191.13 mph, 1,000ft-5.016.

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Left Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 5.887/246.75, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.876/247.38, Was #6
Right Lane: Billy Harper Runs 6.116/230.96, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.024/236.84, Was #19

Smith with another good pass, but will not improve. Rickie Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.623, 660ft-3.898/194.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.976.

No help here for Harper...

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Left Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 5.839/247.88, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.869/247.20, Was #5
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.914/245.90, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.996/243.02, Was #18

Castellana launched hard and kept it hooked up to move up the ladder two spots. Mike Castellana's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.591, 660ft-3.855/196.24 mph, 1,000ft-4.931.

Whiteley was straight down the groove to get in the show. Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.610, 660ft-3.901/192.38 mph, 1,000ft-4.995.

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Left Lane: Steve Jackson Runs 5.823/245.99, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.825/245.36, Was #1
Right Lane: Dan Stevenson Runs 5.804/252.66, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.835/252.95, Was #2

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up day one of qualifying.

Jackson kept it hooked up to improve on his earlier time, but is bumped back one spot by Stevenson. Steve Jackson's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.553, 660ft-3.823/194.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.908.

Stevenson launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Dan Stevenson's incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.621, 660ft-3.867/199.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.918.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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