Sun, 12 Nov 2006, 03:25 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Greg Stanfield                          5 Dave Connolly                
E1                  -0.010  9.419  94.05     ****WINNER****  0.028  6.684 207.24
 Qualified:             #8  6.699 206.04                        #9  6.700 206.26

11:57 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.20 inches, adjusted altitude 2,049 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Connolly has a 9 to 2 win advantage over Stanfield so far and qualified only .001 behind him. Stanfield has a 100 to 96 careen round win advantage.

Stanfield pushes the green too hard and gets the red by -.010. Connolly improves on his qualifying times to take the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Jeg Coughlin                            9 Ron Krisher                  
E1                   0.065 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.069  6.693 206.13
 Qualified:             #7  6.697 206.23                       #10  6.703 205.01

Coughlin, as a young "old timer", has a careen 303 to 142 career win ratio and has triumph 21 of the 31 one time that he has raced Krisher. He won here in 2005. Krisher has had a tough year and has qualified nine times from the 10th position.

Coughlin is all over the track off the line and has to shut off to save the shiny. He crosses over into the right lane before the lights and will not get a time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  186 Tom Martino                            44 Mike Edwards                 
E1                  -0.019  6.685 207.21     ****WINNER****  0.006  6.701 208.14
 Qualified:            #11  6.704 206.20                        #6  6.693 207.11

Edwards won here in 1996. Martino was the runner up here in 2005 and has a 3-2 win advantage over Edwards.

Martino goes red and gives the easy win to Edwards.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1186 Dave Northrop                           2 Kurt Johnson                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.010  6.711 206.76                     0.050  6.692 207.43
 Qualified:            #13  6.710 206.16                        #4  6.688 206.23

This is Kurt's 302nd race in Pro Stock and been to finals here five times with three wins. He beat Northrop in the only other time they met in eliminations. This weekend will be Northrop's ninth race in PS.

Big upset as Northrup drills the tree and leads the quicker Johnson to a close win.Dave Northrop's MOV: 0.0212 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Greg Anderson                         712 Bob Panella                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.031  6.641 208.10                    -0.020  6.938 172.23
 Qualified:             #2  6.668 207.18                       #15  6.712 206.23

Anderson comes into today's eliminations with an amazing 301 to 108 round win record in his short driving career. Panella has a combined sixty wins in his Pro Stock and Pro Stock Truck career. Anderson shows the power and streaks to low ET and MPH of the weekend. Both Track records. Panella make it easy for him with another red light. Anderson will have lane choice over Krisher in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   93 Allen Johnson                         430 Erica Enders                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.031  6.676 206.70                     0.056  6.713 206.51
 Qualified:             #3  6.686 206.07                       #14  6.710 205.69

Enders will be the 40th opponent that Johnson has faced in his career. She is making her twenty-seventh start and Johnson will be the 18th driver that she has raced against.

Johnson's Dodge Hemi power and his driving ability off the line makes it look easy and he takes a decisive win over Enders. He will keep lane choice over Edwards in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jason Line                             10 Jim Yates                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.051  6.634 208.68                     0.030  6.725 206.83
 Qualified:             #1  6.663 207.59                       #16  6.714 206.13

Line set a new track record this weekend carding his eleventh number one qualifying position, the seventh time this season. This will be the ninth time that Yates has qualified in the dreaded 16th spot, with only one round win from that position.

And the hits keep coming. Line makes the forth quickest run in NHRA history and retakes the ET and MPH records. Yates has the advantage off the line, but it's no contest by 100 feet out. Line will have lane choice over Connolly later today.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  203 Tommy Lee                              55 V. Gaines                    
E1                   0.075  6.698 206.92     ****WINNER****  0.002  6.698 207.11
 Qualified:             #5  6.691 203.34                       #12  6.705 206.13

Lee has 20 starts in NHRA PS and has qualified #5 for the third time. Gaines is making his 121st start and won in the only time they have met in eliminations.

Gaines takes no prisoners with his best performance of the weekend. Lee is a little late off the line and matches his ET to the thousandth. Gaines will have lane choice next round over Northrup.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink