Mon, 3 Sep 2007, 12:26 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Dan Bennett

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Jeg Coughlin                            2 Greg Anderson                
E1                   0.062  7.073 157.80     ****WINNER****  0.014  6.738 206.89
 Qualified:             #8  6.675 206.01                        #9  6.677 206.67

As with a lot of matchups this round, this race is huge. Who would have thought that two of the top cars in the class would meet first round and also be the first pair out?

It's rapidly getting warmer here and is turning into a normal summer day, quite a bit warmer than the previous days.

Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 29.21 inches, adjusted altitude 3,194 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

I spoke with Anderson last night and I believe he's genuinely concerned about this race. He admitted that he'd had great success at this track but said he was "scared to death" since neither he nor his crew had found why the Summit cars weren't running to potential.

He also doesn't have lane choice.

As any champion, Greg does what he has to to win. He nails one of the best leavers in the class dead to the tree.

Their numbers were otherwise equivalent until the top end when Jeg lifted for a reason I didn't catch.

Jeg Coughlin's incremental times: 60ft-1.025 sec., 330ft-2.858, 660ft-4.379/162.51mph, 1,000ft-5.745
Greg Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.841, 660ft-4.351/163.71mph, 1,000ft-5.648

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  357 Larry Morgan                          107 Kenny Koretsky               
E1                   0.119  6.947 203.71     ****WINNER****  0.060  6.763 205.76
 Qualified:             #7  6.669 206.35                       #10  6.678 206.29

Morgan, who has a great record here, lines up against his pal Korestsky.

Morgan lights one bulb, then Kenny goes in. Morgan stages first and Kenny takes his time lighting his last bulb.

Morgan is OK on the hit and then gets loose at the top of second gear while the car is really dancing around. That's all it takes for Koretsky to take the win in the "bad" lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1568 Justin Humphreys                        9 Richie Stevens               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036  6.692 205.76                     0.093  6.721 205.66
 Qualified:             #6  6.669 206.67                       #11  6.680 205.79

We have a staging battle. Neither car wants to light the last bulb. After a bit over 20 seconds, Humphreys finally gives in with Stevens taking his time to follow.

Stevens leaves last but gets outrun anyway.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  103 Max Naylor                             30 Steve Schmidt                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  6.706 205.82                     0.047  9.670  91.33
 Qualified:             #1  6.655 206.39                       #16  6.705 205.19

Obviously, these two have never faced each other until now.

Naylor continues his dream weekend with a solid win. Schmidt's car started moving around in 3rd and 4th and he has to step off the throttle.

Naylor will have lane choice over Anderson in the next lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Allen Johnson                         334 Craig Hankinson              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  6.702 206.67                     0.039  6.722 205.76
 Qualified:             #4  6.661 206.57                       #13  6.688 206.07

New driver Hankinson gives old hand Johnson everything he can handle. They leave dead even and then pace each other all the way to the finish line. AJ manages to pull out the win by about a fender.

Allen Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.812, 660ft-4.316/163.97mph, 1,000ft-5.611
Craig Hankinson's incremental times: 60ft-1.001 sec., 330ft-2.814, 660ft-4.324/163.37mph, 1,000ft-5.626

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Dave Connolly                           1 Jason Line                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.027  6.648 206.64                     0.047  6.691 206.86
 Qualified:             #3  6.659 206.32                       #14  6.694 205.82

This is the other end of the mega-matches.

This one's all about Coughlin as he really roughs up Line. Connolly runs the low ET of the weekend, leaves first, wins by a car and a half, and goes to the second round.

That was huge.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Kurt Johnson                            8 Greg Stanfield               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.031  6.698 205.63                     0.042  6.765 205.26
 Qualified:             #5  6.662 207.30                       #12  6.684 206.04

It's a good race, but Kurt surges ahead a bit more every time he grabs a gear.

Johnson (Kurt) has lane choice over Johnson (Allen) in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jim Yates                               4 Mike Edwards                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.056  6.706 206.01                     0.030  6.758 204.23
 Qualified:             #2  6.658 206.29                       #15  6.699 205.19

It's a treat to see Bill Jenkins standing on the starting line here in 2007. He's pretty much a national treasure and was here the first year Pro Stock was run.

The old guy is still pretty sharp, huh? Edwards leaves on Yates and is ahead almost to half track when that Jenkins Competition steam goes rolling by.

Koretsky will have lane choice over Yates next time up.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Apr 23- HOUSTON - Sunday Video
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Sunday Pro Mod Wrap Up
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Championship Points
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Championship Points
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Mickey Thompson Top Fuel Harley Series Point Standings
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Sunday Wrap Up
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Summary of Eliminations in Top Fuel
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Summary of Eliminations in Funny Car
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Summary of Eliminations in Pro Stock
Apr 22- HOUSTON - Summary of Eliminations in Pro Modified