Sun, 4 Sep 2005, 07:57 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CLERMONT, Ind. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 51st annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  247 Mike Bell                              14 Ed Hoover                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.016  6.236 230.33                     0.096  6.254 225.79
 Qualified:             #8  6.158 232.11                        #9  6.159 231.44

6:34 p.m. Bell hammered Hoover on the tree and then outran him for a surprisingly easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  320 Steve Engel                          1853 Thomas Patterson             
E1                   0.059 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.072  6.395 180.16
 Qualified:             #7  6.149 232.07                       #10  6.176 227.84

Engel came from behind to run Patterson down, but his car got out of shape on the top end, fishtailed, and crossed the centerline, DQ'ing his run, giving Patterson the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  671 Glen Kerunsky                           9 Shannon Jenkins              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.082  6.145 231.87                     0.035  6.207 226.35
 Qualified:             #5  6.144 226.47                       #12  6.198 228.46

No wild gyration this time, but Kerunsly had to come from way back to take the win in the last few feet of the track. Glen Kerunsky's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.047), 330 ft(-0.032), 660ft(-0.024), 1,000ft(-0.007). MOV: 0.0153 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Troy Coughlin                        1010 Troy Critchley               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.165  6.148 231.04                    -0.008  6.196 227.38
 Qualified:             #6  6.147 231.36                       #11  6.179 227.34

The battle of Troy...and Coughlin got the win when Critchley yipped.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2805 Bryan Seward                          314 Rick Stivers                 
E1                   0.158  6.173 231.04     ****WINNER****  0.105  6.194 232.11
 Qualified:            #13  6.221 229.20                        #4  6.141 233.92

Stivers, on a holeshot. Rick Stivers' incremental margins: 60ft(0.034), 330 ft(0.033), 660ft(0.038), 1,000ft(0.030). MOV: 0.0323 seconds (approximately 11 feet). He lost lane choice to Kerunsky, however.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Mike Ashley                          4302 Doug Palmer                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  6.147 231.00                     0.028  6.275 224.81
 Qualified:             #3  6.127 231.95                       #14  6.248 224.14

Ashley's car was out of the groove and moving around a lot in the first half of the run, but he did not lift and managed to win anyway, extending his lead all the way down the track. And, by a thousandth, he has lane choice against Coughlin in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  710 Jay Payne                              10 Ben Bray                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  6.167 234.13                     0.061  6.204 227.80
 Qualified:             #2  6.105 235.93                       #15  6.269 227.42

Bray, in his first race in the U.S.A, drew a tough opponent for his debut. He beat Payne away from the starting line and led all the way past the 1,000-foot timer, but Payne went by in the lights to take the win.Jay Payne's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.030), 330 ft(-0.050), 660ft(-0.034), 1,000ft(-0.011). MOV: 0.0137 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Zach Barklage                          57 Joshua Hernandez             
E1                   0.082  6.259 227.08     ****WINNER****  0.093  6.119 230.57
 Qualified:            #16  6.269 227.00                        #1  6.089 231.40

Hernandez made up Barklage's starting line advantage in the first 60 feet and then just drove away from him, running low ET of the round. He will have lane choice against Bell next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink