Mon, 10 Oct 2005, 02:07 PM CLASH Positions Set; $44,000 on the Line in Las Vegas

Courtesy of Duke Ritenhouse

ENNIS, Texas -- With the conclusion of AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by TLR qualifying at the O'Reilly Fall Nationals, the final positions for the eight-car FLOWMASTER Pro Mod CLASH bonus event have been determined.

Joshua Hernandez (Tommy Lipar Racing '57 Chevy) is the No. 1 qualifier for the third annual CLASH after accumulating 169 points for his qualifying results in the 14 most-recent AMS/TLR events. Hernandez, who had No. 1 qualifying finishes in Chicago, Belle Rose, La., and Indianapolis during the 2005 season, will face No. 8 qualifier Troy Coughlin when the first round of the CLASH gets underway Oct. 22 at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

Other first-round matchups include No. 2 Mike Ashley (159 points) vs. No. 7 Glen Kerunsky (105); No. 3 Jay Payne (154) vs. No. 6 Thomas Patterson (114); and No. 4 Troy Critchley (128) vs. No. 5 Chip King (115), who moved up two places in the CLASH standings after finishing No. 2 in Fall Nationals qualifying. The higher-seeded drivers will have lane choice in the first round.

Mitch Stott, currently a crewmember on Hernandez's '57 Chevy, won the first Pro Mod Challenge bonus event in 2003, defeating Shannon Jenkins in the final. Al Billes won last year's event, which was run in Las Vegas for the first time, by edging Jenkins in the final.

FLOWMASTER Pro Mod CLASH final standings
(No. 1 finishes in parentheses)

1.  Joshua Hernandez    169 (3)
2.  Mike Ashley         159 (1)
3.  Jay Payne           154 (2)
4.  Troy Critchley      128 (1)
5.  Chip King           115
6.  Thomas Patterson    114 (1)
7.  Glen Kerunsky       105 (1)
8.  Troy Coughlin       100
9.  Frankie Taylor       76
10. Kirk Kuhns           69