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Sat, 6 Oct 2007, 03:20 PM

Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dan Bennett

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals 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: Jim Cunningham Runs 6.843/200.41, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.857/199.85, Was #24
Right Lane: Bob Benza Runs 6.772/204.60, Now #22; Best prior run: 6.748/204.54, Was #22

2:48 p.m.

The clouds are beginning to break up a bit though the sky is still pretty much full of them. The track has been in direct sunlight most of the last hour or so.

This is do or die for a lot of Pro Stock teams. Though the Cagnazzi cars are trying to run away from the field, being able to get a spot down in the order should be very do-able. Jim Yates is on the bump spot at 6.712.

Both cars are slower than 1.00 / 2.84 and that won't get it done this weekend.

Left Lane: Adam Flamholc Runs 6.771/203.86, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.790/203.61, Was #23
Right Lane: Craig Hankinson Runs 6.713/204.60, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.725/204.66, Was #20

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 69 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,717 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Hankinson has shown he's capable of qualifying, but it's going to take a very good hit for him to do it here.

Hankinson gets about as close as you can, but misses by a thou. The Swedes once again reset their career best ET.

Left Lane: Dave Northrop Runs 6.713/203.61, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.738/201.37, Was #21
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.697/205.76, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.721/206.07, Was #19

Bill Jenkins is in his usual place on the starting line watching Northrop staging the Grumpy-powered GTO.

Northtrop was quicker to halftrack but doesn't seem to have the top end steam. Krisher drives by him and gets in.

Dave Northrop's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.789, 660ft-4.301/162.49mph, 1,000ft-5.607
Ron Krisher's incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.798, 660ft-4.304/163.31mph, 1,000ft-5.602

Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.668/206.20, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.722/205.04, Was #21
Right Lane: Tommy Brown Runs 6.699/205.16, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.714/204.76, Was #20

Gaines blasts off the line with a front half that even looked faster. Both cars get in but probably only V will get to stay.

Left Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 7.091/195.39, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.708/206.13, Was #17
Right Lane: Jim Yates Runs 6.707/204.79, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.712/204.66, Was #19

Two world champions on the line, and neither are qualified.

Tom Hammonds is on the bump spot at 6.700.

Wow, that was pretty ugly. Neither car is going to race tomorrow. WJ had a very lazy 1.066 short time, for cryin' out loud. He's out of it for this year at this point,

Left Lane: Tom Hammonds Runs 9.829/92.69, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.700/205.51, Was #16
Right Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 6.681/205.82, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.712/205.44, Was #19

Hammonds is holding onto the bump but will need to step up here if the previous performances are any indications.

Hammonds looked to be on a decent pass until the GTO starts moving around and he has to lift to keep it off the wall. Edwards bolts past him into the order.

Tommy Brown is now on the bump spot at 6.699.

Left Lane: Kenny Koretsky Runs 6.703/205.69, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.692/205.69, Was #14
Right Lane: Greg Stanfield Runs 6.697/204.85, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.692/205.91, Was #13

Stanfield repeats but doesn't gain any breathing room.

Left Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 14.312/58.70, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.681/206.61, Was #11
Right Lane: Jason Line Runs 6.671/206.76, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.675/206.42, Was #9

KJ heads straight to the center line as soon as he lets out the clutch. Line looks like he's ready for race day as he repeats even in the hotter conditions.

Left Lane: Max Naylor Runs 6.660/205.60, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.679/203.92, Was #10
Right Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 6.688/204.85, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.663/205.85, Was #7

Naylor has just watched a couple of cars ahead of him try to change lanes when the clutch comes out. This might be interesting.

The big Hoosiers take care of him once again as he records the quickest short times of the session by a large margin. That .967 is about as quick as I've seen, and the 2.764 that goes with it is fantasy stuff, too.

Left Lane: Justin Humphreys Runs 6.657/206.83, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.656/206.89, Was #5
Right Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 6.659/206.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.660/206.73, Was #6

Humpreys is currently one position ahead of AJ. The Mopar fans say that's going to change.

Nope, even though the J&J car picks up a bit, it's still not as strong as the the RaceRedi GTO.

Left Lane: Greg Anderson Runs 6.669/206.57, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.652/206.99, Was #4
Right Lane: Richie Stevens Runs 6.662/206.23, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.646/207.15, Was #3

These guys were welded together. If they meet tomorrow, be ready for a race that's won on the starting line.

Left Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.655/207.15, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.645/207.27, Was #1
Right Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 6.662/206.99, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.645/206.67, Was #2

Jeg has only qualified #1 eleven times in his career, and here he's trying to change that to 12.

That's exactly what he does as he repeats with a huge run for the conditions.

Krisher hangs on to the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink