Sat, 26 Apr 2014, 18:52 PM Pro Modified presented by J&A Service Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified presented by J&A Service at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 27th annual O'Reilly NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Danny Rowe                           2377 Von Smith                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.032  5.896 246.03                     0.032  5.919 242.71
 Qualified:            #10  5.930 246.53                        #7  5.914 242.50

5:29 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 29.77 inches, adjusted altitude 2,581 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Nice drag race to open the round. Identical reaction times and two flawless-looking runs. Smith led to half track, then Rowe edged ahead for the win.

Danny Rowe's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.007), 330 ft(-0.008), 660ft(-0.001), 1,000ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0236 seconds (approximately 8 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Pete Farber                          5450 Steve Matusek                
E1                   0.048  5.948 245.40     ****WINNER****  0.064  5.915 245.14
 Qualified:             #9  5.926 244.96                        #8  5.923 246.17

Another good race...Farber left first, but Matusek made that up in the first 60 feet, then he slowly pulled away to take the win.

Steve Matusek's incremental margins: 60ft(0.001), 330 ft(0.010), 660ft(0.010), 1,000ft(0.015). MOV: 0.0176 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5011 Mike Knowles                            3 Mike Castellana              
E1                   0.028  6.015 244.65     ****WINNER****  0.029  5.933 242.71
 Qualified:             #6  5.913 245.85                       #11  5.942 242.67

They left together, but Knowles had to pat the throttle about 200 feet out to settle the car down and that cost him about a tenth.

Mike Castellana's incremental margins: 60ft(0.001), 330 ft(0.057), 660ft(0.081), 1,000ft(0.087). MOV: 0.0810 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1456 Mike Janis                            303 Dan Stevenson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  5.905 246.17                     0.033  5.953 243.77
 Qualified:             #5  5.896 246.48                       #12  5.955 243.85

Another good race. Stevenson had a small edge at the green and led for the first couple hundred feet. Then Janis' power kicked in and he too the lead, slowly opening the gap the rest of the way.

Mike Janis' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.021), 330 ft(0.008), 660ft(0.020), 1,000ft(0.028). MOV: 0.0332 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  501 Ron Muenks                            377 Harold Martin                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.104  6.485 226.85                     0.139 No Time      
 Qualified:             #4  5.895 240.08                       #13  5.964 240.68

This was a missed ipportunity for Martin. The light turned green, but his car only moved a couple feet, then stopped. Muenks had his hands full, the car flirting with the wall for the first half of the run and he backpedaled at least once to get the car away from the wall.

Muenks races Janis next round, Janis has lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 220F Kevin Fiscus                            2 Troy Coughlin                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  5.918 246.98                     0.051  5.947 246.21
 Qualified:             #3  5.893 248.66                       #14  5.972 245.81

Turbo cars, a pair. Coughlin had the advantage at the green, but his car stumbled in the first 330 feet and Fiscus got out front to stay.

Kevin Fiscus' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.024), 330 ft(0.023), 660ft(0.024), 1,000ft(0.020). MOV: 0.0203 seconds (approximately 7 feet).

Fiscus will have lane choice when he races Castellana in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 5200 Steven Whiteley                         1 Rickie Smith                 
E1                   0.080  6.046 242.93     ****WINNER****  0.072  5.868 247.88
 Qualified:            #15  5.984 245.23                        #2  5.881 244.69

This one was Smith's race wire-to-wire. He left first and steadily opened the gap for the win, running low ET of the round. He will have lane choice against Rowe in round two.

Rickie Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.988 sec., 330ft-2.614, 660ft-3.881/196.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.959.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3382 Don Walsh                            1087 Jim Laurita                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  5.941 250.51                     0.102  5.909 245.67
 Qualified:            #16  5.998 247.52                        #1  5.847 247.38

Last pair. Laurita was late and that gave Walsh the holeshot win. Laurita made up the deficit by half track, but Walsh's turbo car was able to pull back into the lead on the top end, running top speed of the meet.

Don Walsh's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(0.014), 330 ft(0.012), 660ft(-0.003), 1,000ft(0.003). MOV: 0.0178 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

Don Walsh's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.669, 660ft-3.958/195.00 mph, 1,000ft-5.038.
Jim Laurita's incremental times: 60ft-0.985 sec., 330ft-2.632, 660ft-3.906/195.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.992.

Walsh will not have lane choice when he faces Matusek in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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