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Sat, 11 Nov 2006, 06:57 PM

Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Tony Rizzo Runs 6.781/203.68, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.798/202.82, Was #25

3:13 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.07 inches, adjusted altitude 1,942 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.
Well, that didn't last long. Rizzo does his burnout and goes up to stage for his final qualifying pass. Before he can fully stage, Rick Stewart says "Shut them down!". Once again we have a delay for sprinkles.

3:19 p.m. ...time to try this again. Tommy Lee is on the bump spot at 6.723. Rizzo picks up a little, but it's just not enough to bump into the field.

Left Lane: Jose Maldonado Runs 6.783/204.66, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.761/204.88, Was #23
Right Lane: Kenny Koretsky Runs 6.746/205.98, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.784/206.35, Was #25

Koretsky picks up a little too and moves up three spaces to the #22 spot, pushing Maldonado back a spot.

Left Lane: Jim Yates Runs 6.714/206.13, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.735/205.19, Was #19
Right Lane: Ben Watson Runs 6.804/203.00, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.759/203.28, Was #23

Yates car moves around off the line and still has the power to bump into the field in the #13 spot. Watson's tune up goes the wrong way and he slows from earlier.

Left Lane: Erica Enders Runs 6.710/205.69, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.725/205.79, Was #19
Right Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 6.749/206.29, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.745/205.98, Was #21

Johnson's car wiggles at the hit, while Enders' car motors straight on down the track and picks up seven spots on the ladder. That will put Richie Stevens on the bump spot at 6.720.

3:25 p.m. More sprinkles and we are on hold again.

Left Lane: Tommy Lee Runs 6.691/203.34, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.723/205.91, Was #18
Right Lane: Max Naylor Runs 6.755/205.29, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.736/204.98, Was #20

3:31 p.m. Lee makes a major improvement and joins the other five cars that have run six sixties. Naylor has more speed this time, but can't improve on his prior ET's.

Left Lane: Richie Stevens Runs 6.717/205.63, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.720/205.76, Was #17
Right Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 6.725/206.10, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.723/205.85, Was #19

Stevens was just bumped out and Bob Panella is now on the bump spot at 6.715. He misses by .003 and will not make the show. Morgan is consistent, but doesn't improve enough either.

Left Lane: Bob Panella Runs 6.712/206.23, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.715/206.67, Was #16
Right Lane: Tommy Brown Runs 6.735/205.91, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.722/204.79, Was #18

Nice pass by Panella to move off the bump and into the #14 spot. Brown stays #18 and that will keep Jim Yates at the bump spot with a 6.714.

Left Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.697/206.23, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.714/206.23, Was #15
Right Lane: Dave Northrop Runs 6.712/206.39, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.710/206.16, Was #12

Coughlin's Slammer's Cobalt joins the six sixties group with a nice clean pass. Northrup runs the same as earlier.

Left Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 6.688/206.23, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.708/206.29, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 6.693/207.11, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.705/207.11, Was #9

All of a sudden, six sixties are cheap! Both cars move into the top half of the field without drama. Johnson to #4 and Edwards to #6.

Left Lane: Tom Martino Runs 6.704/206.20, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.707/206.35, Was #12
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.715/205.47, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.703/205.01, Was #10

Martino bumps it a few thousands and a spot on the ladder, while Krisher will stay #9.

Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.705/206.13, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.705/205.94, Was #12
Right Lane: Greg Stanfield Runs 6.722/206.54, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.699/206.04, Was #8

Gaines matches his prior ET and runs a little quicker. Stanfield slows.

Left Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 6.703/206.39, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.700/206.26, Was #9
Right Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 6.698/206.57, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.686/206.07, Was #3

Both cars run closer to their earlier times and stay in the same spots.

Left Lane: Jason Line Runs 6.663/207.59, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.667/207.21, Was #1
Right Lane: Greg Anderson Runs 6.668/207.18, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.669/206.99, Was #2

These two have a combined total of eighteen low ET honors in 2006 and they have jointly held down the top two spots seven times. Anderson improves in his lane, but Line will keep bragging rights for this race with a lot of momentum going into tomorrow's eliminations.

3:48 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink