Sun, 21 Oct 2007, 11:14 AM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Torco Race Fuels CompetitionPlus Pro Stock at the 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, IHRA World Finals Presented by The U.S. Air Force featuring UTI CHampionship Sunday:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Steve Spiess                            5 Rob Mansfield                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.112  6.329 219.19                     0.042 11.420  77.47
 Qualified:             #8  6.342 219.04                       #16  6.429 214.11

10:49 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 29.84 inches, adjusted altitude 971 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

We start the first round of Pro Stock with the middle of the field qualifiers. Mansfield had a huge advantage off the line and then had the car go wacky about 100 feet out. A big move towards the guard rail got his attention and he had to lift to save the shiny. Spiess makes a far less dramatic run into second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Tom Lee                                43 Rickie Smith                 
E1                   0.103 15.779  52.49     ****WINNER****  0.145  6.347 219.29
 Qualified:            #15  6.429 215.24                        #7  6.337 219.22

Two bad lights and Lee's car is just a blur with big time tire shake. Smith has a great run and runs close to his best qualifying time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Frank Gugliotta                      5695 Dan Sweeney                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  6.338 219.72                     0.083 11.737  96.26
 Qualified:             #6  6.324 218.62                       #14  6.385 216.51

Gugliotta has a statistical chance at the championship, but he has to go three round further than the two current leaders. He gets a free pass to round two, as Sweeney spins the tires at the green.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jeff Dobbins                          177 Elijah Morton                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  6.311 221.02                     0.101  6.361 218.72
 Qualified:             #5  6.319 220.66                       #13  6.378 199.79

Both cars use a lot of lane off the line. Dobbins is out first and sends a message with the best ET of the round and fastest MPH of the event. Nice run, all thing considered.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  251 Cary Goforth                            9 John Montecalvo              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  6.341 219.36                     0.089  6.331 221.23
 Qualified:             #4  6.313 219.54                       #12  6.355 219.72

Great side by side race, with Montecalvo getting the best ET of the two. No joy though, as Goforth gets the hole shot win. Cary Goforth's MOV: 0.0096 seconds (approximately 3 feet).

Spiess will have lane choice in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 John Nobile                           335 Bob Bertsch                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.075  6.324 219.54                     0.093 14.493  58.95
 Qualified:             #3  6.305 219.47                       #11  6.351 219.58

Bertsch is the next to lose to the right lane shake and spin. Nobile makes another good pass into round two. He'll have lane choice over Smith later today.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Robert Patrick                        151 Dean Goforth                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.011  9.029 160.69                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #2  6.291 220.04                       #10  6.348 218.69

That was ugly. Patrick was there for the picking, with shake and spin at the hit. Goforth leaves before the tree and give the easy win to Patrick. He give up lane choice to Gugliotta in round two. This could be big.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Pete Berner                            21 Brian Gahm                   
E1                  -0.004 16.381  50.83     ****WINNER****  0.053  6.783 217.70
 Qualified:             #1  6.281 220.80                        #9  6.345 220.22

OH, WOW! Berner red lights by -0.004 and gives the Championship lead to Patrick. Gahm clicks it a little early and gives up lane choice to Dobbins in round two.

11:08 a.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink