After once again qualifying in the top half of the 16-car Pro Modified field, comfortably nestled
into the No. 4 starting position with a 5.941-second blast at 241.15mph, Danny Rowe and the
Sterling Bridge '68 Chevy Camaro Pro Modified were paired with Tommy D'Aprile for the opening round
of eliminations. By way of a 5.977/242.93 combination, Rowe easily bested D'Aprile's 6.179/201.46,
earned top speed for the round, and moved on to the quarterfinals.
The Laguna Hills, California resident would then face 2008 GSA Pro Mod Challenge Rookie of the Year
Joe Baker in the second round. Despite a 5.986/242.76 run out of the Jimmy Rector-tuned '68 Camaro,
Baker edged out the veteran driver with a 5.960/241.63.
The 2009 Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge is quickly shaping up to be a battle for the
ages as the top three in the points standings are only separated by only 57 points. After the
quarterfinal round at this last weekend's NHRA Carolina Nationals, only one of those top four
remained in competition - current points leader Burton Auxier.
"There were a lot of upsets out here this weekend," said Rowe, who remains in the No. 3 position in
the points going into the final two races of the season. "We had an opportunity to gain some ground
on Burton [Auxier], but we came up a little short there in the second round against Joe [Baker]. He
has been a threat all season and we knew that we were going to make a good run to get around him,
but that's racing - we didn't quite have enough.
"With Castellana and Burgess both going out in round-two with us, though, we were able to hold onto
the No. 3 spot and encroach on Roger [Burgess]. We're only three rounds out of the lead, and with
two races left on the schedule, I'm still optimistic that we can win this championship.
"Again, we have two races left and we have definitely shown that we can run well, be consistent and
go rounds. We have to move forward to Richmond, which had one of the quickest fields in Pro
Modified history last year, and qualify at the top and just do our job on Sunday.
"We're seeing some great racing out here and Auxier has held onto the lead most of the season, but
nobody is just running away with it. You can count on us to keep working hard and doing what we
have to do to get it done."
Next up is the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Virginia on
October 9-11.
Information regarding Danny Rowe Racing can be found at http://www.dannyrowe.com
