Sat, 27 Oct 2007, 06:52 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual ACDelco Las Vegas 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:

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Left Lane: Tom Hammonds Runs 13.539/79.74, Now #26; Best prior run: 12.445/85.02, Was #26
Right Lane: Gordie Rivera Runs 6.862/200.83, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.853/201.13, Was #24

3:21 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 30.06 inches, adjusted altitude 3,169 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Hammonds has had problems getting off the line all day...and the problems continue. He rattles the tires, gets about 200 feet out and clicks it off. Rivera makes a trouble free run but doesn't improve.

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Right Lane: Todd Hoerner Runs 6.900/199.52, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.812/201.52, Was #21

Hoerner had a little wiggle off the line and slows from his earlier passes.

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Left Lane: Bob Panella Runs 6.834/202.58, Now #23; Best prior run: 6.833/202.79, Was #23
Right Lane: Ben Watson Runs 18.479/24.60, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.807/202.39, Was #20

Watson has traction problems early and clicks it off. Panella makes a decent run for the conditions but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Gene Wilson Runs 6.810/202.00, Now #21; Best prior run: 6.817/202.55, Was #22
Right Lane: Craig Hankinson Runs 6.824/201.70, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.794/202.76, Was #19

Wilson moves around a little off the line and can't improve enough to get in the show. Hankinson slows from his earlier runs.

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Left Lane: Matt Hartford Runs 6.793/203.06, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.784/203.34, Was #18
Right Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 6.810/202.39, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.779/202.64, Was #17

A couple of clean passes, no improvement.

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Left Lane: Kenny Koretsky Runs 6.793/202.82, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.773/203.34, Was #16
Right Lane: Jim Yates Runs 6.793/202.73, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.757/203.49, Was #14

A pretty good side-by-side but neither can improve.

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Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.757/203.37, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.773/203.65, Was #15
Right Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 6.806/203.65, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.757/203.58, Was #13

Gaines makes an improvement but not enough to move up in the order. Morgan slows and stays in the 13th spot.

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Left Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 6.766/204.14, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.757/204.66, Was #11
Right Lane: Greg Stanfield Runs 6.772/203.74, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.757/203.89, Was #12

Both drivers follow the trend this round, clean runs but neither improve.

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Left Lane: Max Naylor Runs 6.790/200.47, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.755/202.55, Was #10
Right Lane: Richie Stevens Runs 6.747/203.31, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.755/203.95, Was #9

An impressive run for Stevens, the quickest of the session so far, and he moves all the way to the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Justin Humphreys Runs 6.740/203.92, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.750/204.05, Was #8
Right Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.787/203.71, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.752/204.51, Was #9

Humphreys with an impressive run and he moves into the fourth spot. No help for Coughlin.

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Left Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 6.759/203.61, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.750/204.14, Was #8
Right Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 6.786/203.31, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.749/203.98, Was #7

Allen Johnson doesn't improve and stays in the eighth spot. Huge Countdown implications, he and Coughlin will meet each other in the first round tomorrow.

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Left Lane: Greg Anderson Runs 6.731/204.42, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.732/205.01, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.766/203.80, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.746/204.08, Was #5

Anderson goes straight down the track and improves a little over his earlier run. Krisher slows a little and will stay in the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Jason Line Runs 6.732/204.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.727/205.22, Was #2
Right Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 6.741/205.32, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.725/205.57, Was #1

Line was all over the track early in the run but hangs on for a decent pass. Connolly makes another decent pass and stays in the first spot.

In the first round tomorrow Connolly will take on Koretsky and if he wins will face the winner of the Allen Johnson-Jeg Coughlin match-up.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink