Fri, 24 Oct 2003, 05:35 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Jonathan Adams

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Harold Martin Runs 6.376/221.38, Now #1
Right Lane: Rick Distefano Runs 10.513/81.16, Now #2

2:00 p.m. It's 85 degrees right now, and the sun has been shining on the track all day. Martin makes a good run down the left lane, while Distefano is out of it early.

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Left Lane: John Scialpi Runs 6.466/218.02, Now #3
Right Lane: Dennis Radford Runs 6.432/219.72, Now #2

Pair of West Coast runners here. Good side-by-side race.

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Left Lane: Troy Critchley Runs 6.427/219.33, Now #2
Right Lane: Kirk Kuhns Runs 6.465/213.43, Now #4

Critchley was very loose a couple of times, but never lifted. There was smoke coming out of Kuhns' car in the lights, but no oil.

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Left Lane: Mitch Stott Runs 6.402/217.25, Now #2
Right Lane: Thomas Patterson Runs 7.326/141.27, Now #7

Stott with a little wiggle at 330, but still makes a nice run. Patterson shut off early.

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Left Lane: Fred Hahn Runs 8.934/113.62, Now #9
Right Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 6.337/221.02, Now #1

Great run for Castellana. Hahn shook a bit at the hit, and there was a wisp of tire smoke at about 60 feet, and he shut it down soon after.

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Left Lane: Dan Rowe Runs 6.889/157.41, Now #8
Right Lane: Mike Ashley Runs 12.314/77.57, Now #12

Ashley had troubles early and Rowe was on a decent pass until he clicked it just past half track.

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Left Lane: Bill Hill No Time, Now #13
Right Lane: Chip King No Time, Now #14

Hill shook and had a bit of tire smoke early, but recovered and was on a decent pass until the car made a hard right at the 1000-foot mark and ran over the mph cone and the e.t. cone. He was lucky to keep the car upright. King shut off early after suffering tire shake.

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Left Lane: Von Smith Runs 6.343/224.70, Now #2
Right Lane: Marty McGinnis Runs 6.592/213.47, Now #9

Both drivers with good, straight runs.

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Left Lane: Tim McAmis Runs 6.398/221.45, Now #4
Right Lane: Zach Barklage Runs 6.561/218.27, Now #10

Two Missouri runners here. Barklage is just 19-years-old. Pretty good runs for both drivers, but Barklage does not get in.

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Left Lane: Scott Ray Runs 6.404/217.39, Now #6

Ray is the first of a couple of singles to end this first session of Pro Mod qualifying. The bump is 6.465. Ray with the best 60-foot time of the round, a 1.024, and he will be qualified after this session.

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Left Lane: Wayne Torkelson Runs 6.441/216.00, Now #9

Torkelson is one of the best of the West Coast Pro Mod racers. He will be the last car down in this session. Torkelson rattled the tires at the hit, and moved around a bit early, but still made a decent run.

2:30 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink