Sat, 22 Oct 2005, 10:09 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 4015 Frankie Taylor                         77 Troy Coughlin                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  6.487 176.47                     0.136 15.270  77.26
 Qualified:             #9  6.247 224.25                        #8  6.234 226.43

6:42 p.m. Coughlin's car shook hard and he lifted. That was a big break for Taylor because his car was all over the lane, barely missing the wall and the centerline enroute to the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1010 Troy Critchley                        671 Glen Kerunsky                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  6.235 228.27                     0.101  6.345 226.13
 Qualified:            #10  6.257 230.72                        #7  6.231 227.11

Critchley won the FLOWMASTER Pro Mod Clash yesterday and took the first step toward a "double" with a relatively easy win over Kerunsky, combining a big holeshoit with a tenth of a second better run to turn the win light on.

Two pairs, two upsets.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1853 Thomas Patterson                      247 Mike Bell                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  6.676 186.43                     0.164  7.455 133.53
 Qualified:            #11  6.267 225.41                        #6  6.213 230.17

Bell was late, but Patterson had problems with shake early in the run and was all over the lane on the top end, but he got the win light anyway, Bell slowing on the top end.

Three pairs, three upsets.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Mike Ashley                           631 Lee Smith                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036  6.197 227.88                     0.040  6.386 201.76
 Qualified:             #5  6.210 228.23                       #12  6.277 223.06

Ashley made his best run of the weekend and clinched the season-long title. Smith made a game effort, but sacrificed a bunch of parts in the lights.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1313 Chip King                            4610 Harold Laird                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.172  6.242 223.39                     0.076  6.477 187.26
 Qualified:             #4  6.202 230.10                       #13  6.292 224.73

Laird tattooed King on the tree and led most of the way, but could not hold him off on the top end, King taking charge beyond the 1,000-foot timer. Chip King's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.049), 330 ft(-0.068), 660ft(-0.068), 1,000ft(-0.004). MOV: 0.1395 seconds (approximately 38 feet). King will not have lane choice against Ashley in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  320 Steve Engel                           763 Kirk Kuhns                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.219  6.579 168.47                    -0.184  6.267 226.28
 Qualified:             #3  6.186 231.20                       #14  6.301 226.58

Kuhns went way red and Engel slowed on the top end, but he was quick enough to earn lane choice against Patterson next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  710 Jay Payne                             463 Brandon Pesz                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  6.221 229.90                     0.137  7.528 129.77
 Qualified:             #2  6.170 231.12                       #15  6.301 224.70

Payne left first and steadily opened his lead for an easy win and lane choice against Critchley in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  294 Dennis Radford                         57 Joshua Hernandez             
E1                  -0.041  6.544 178.42     ****WINNER****  0.108  6.167 230.21
 Qualified:            #16  6.307 222.47                        #1  6.096 231.44

Most of the drivers with lane choice took the left lane, but Hernandez elected to run on the right side, perhaps to get a better look at the Christmas tree. Radford left early and Hernandez ran low ET of the round to earn lane choice against Taylor next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink