Despite an abbreviated number of qualifying sessions due to scheduling and weather delays, the series enjoyed its quickest field in its nine-year history. The bump spot was a 6.120 held by Kirk Wilmes, more than a tenth quicker than the bump spot of 6.132 from 2008. Danny Rowe took low qualifier honors with a 5.943; Brad Personett ran top speed at 248.84.

Burgess' path to the winner's circle began with a stellar day-one qualifying run of 5.960 at 242.45 mph that gave him the provisional pole. In the second qualifier he suffered mechanical failure and was passed in the standings by Danny Rowe and Joe Baker to land No. 3. First round eliminations action paired Burgess with John Russo and his unique 2000 Chevy S-10 pickup where Burgess' 5.979 at 241.45 handily defeated Russo's 6.723 at 164.79 and set the tone for the remainder of his elimination rounds.

Second round, he slowed slightly to a 6.062 at 241.07 but still had much more than he needed to defeat Mike Knowles' tire-smoking 8.408 at 110.60 mph. In the semifinals, series points leader Burton Auxier nailed a nearly perfect .003 reaction time to try and surpass Burgess Al Billes-tuned machine, but Burgess' "Ancient Warrior" '67 Camaro had more than enough power to pass Auxier, 5.996 at 239.74 to 6.068 at 232.99.

In the finals, emotions were running high as the teams had to quickly refresh their cars to make the call to the starting line. Burgess lined up against Danny Rowe who had been running his Sterling Bridge '67 Camaro like a bracket car, besting Kirk Wilmes, Rickie Smith and Ike Maier with a 5.949, a 5.986 and a 5.973 after having qualified number one with a 5.943 at 245.54.

At the lights, Burgess cut a .027 reaction to Rowe's .045 and then the Duluth, Ga.-based driver never looked back. Rowe's car suffered engine damage and slowed to a 6.585 at 160 mph, while Burgess ran his best lap of the weekend of 5.956 at 241.80 to take the win. As he climbed out from his car, the first words out his mouth were, "This one is for Bobby."

Burgess said, "We came to this race with a very heavy heart, mourning the loss of our friend and teammate Bobby Monacelli. We didn't talk about it, but every member of this team was resolved to win this event in the honor and memory of Bobby.

"As we worked our way through the day going round by round, we all felt that Bobby was up there watching out for us and smiling as we won each round. The entire team worked tirelessly to get us through each round.

"We'll be sending our trophy and a poster-sized photo that all of the team members and series drivers have signed to Bobby's father, Clem, with the wishes and heartfelt message that Bobby is still a special part of all of us, and that we will miss him greatly," Burgess said.

With their finishes today, Burgess and Rowe joined Auxier and Mike Castellana in solidifying their positions in the Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash which pairs the top eight drivers in a race-within-a-race at the series finals in Las Vegas with a grand prize of $25,000 going to the winner. Also currently in the top eight with just two races remaining to set the field are Joe Baker, Raymond Commisso, Jay Payne and Tim Tindle.

Danny Rowe claimed the B&J Transmissions $500 Bonus by defeating Kirk Wilmes in the first round. B&J's co-owner Mike Strasberg selected the number 16 from a hat during the drivers meeting before the event, signifying that whoever was paired with the No. 16 driver would compete for the B&J Bonus.

Ohio Crankshaft was the featured series sponsor for the event, and was represented in competition by the company's general manager, Scott Ray. Despite failing to qualify because of mechanical issues, Ray said he was pleased with the weekend.

"We support the series because we love Pro Mods," Ray said. "We've raced every year the Challenge has been in NHRA, and as a company we feel it's important to show our support.

"We've been there through the ups and downs, are really excited about the direction Roger Burgess and Get Screened America are taking things. He has done an incredible job this season, and I think the performance of the cars shows the kind of quality Roger and his staff is bringing to this series.

"Indy is a showcase for every team, a real jewel in the crown of any competitor, so to be the featured sponsor is a privilege for us," Ray said.

Next on the schedule is the NHRA Nationals Sept 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Courtesy of Matthew Brammer