The blacktop boiled as track temperatures exceeded 121 degrees, giving way to the "challenge" of the Pro Mod Challenge. In the end, Mike Castellana took the pole at 6.050/234.90 in his nitrous-powered '68 Firebird.

"It's hot, it's sticky, and we just had too much power," Joe Baker, driver of the Matco Tools '68 Camaro, said after smoking his tires in the third qualifying session today. Baker finished qualifying in the No. 11 spot.

Baker wasn't the only driver struggling to find the right balance of power in qualifying however. Big 3 Turbos-driver Brad Personett agreed, saying, "You've got to be a lot more forgiving on hot tracks with your power." Forgiveness was definitely on Personett's side, landing number two with a 6.077/246.44 and taking high m.p.h. bragging rights.

With only a three-degree drop in track temperature when the first pair was fired, crew chiefs were scrambling for any advantage they could find.

St. Louis event winner Roger Burgess advanced with a hole-shot win against former Pro Mod World Champion Jay Payne with a of 6.139/237.71 to Payne's quicker 6.109/236.55. Burgess will face Tim Tindle in the second round of eliminations.

Burton Auxier faced Taylor Lastor in the first round, but got the easy win-light when Lastor's main fuel line broke loose, spraying the track with fuel after the burnout. Burton will meet Personett in round two.

Raymond Commisso got a confidence-builder when Danny Rowe redlit, giving away the win. Commisso will face current points-leader Mike Castellana in round two. Castellana beat Mike Knowles 6.078/234.41 to 8.355/109.87 in round one.

Knowles said of Castellana: "Mike's good. You know when you go up against him he's good. He's got a lot of laps, and he's been to a lot of races. We were getting at it too hard, and we've just got to work on finesse."

Eliminations are scheduled to conclude Sunday afternoon.

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer