Sun, 4 May 2008, 01:32 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations |
By Dan Bennett |
MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 12th annual O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Castrol:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 445 Greg Stanfield 10 V. Gaines E1 0.020 10.155 117.80 ****WINNER**** 0.044 9.327 127.01 Qualified: #8 6.615 207.50 #9 6.619 207.50The track has been in direct sunlight all day but the weather is really beautiful, though we won't see the performances from the previous days.
Gaines' long-time crew chief, Clyde West, was unable to make the trip as he was hospitalized earlier this week for an internal problem. The crew has been performing well regardless, and according to them it's crew chief by committee.
Stanfield is making his 125th start and holds a big 7-1 advantage when racing Gaines. V is making his 149th start, and he's qualified in the 9th spot more often than any other (17 times).
In one of the stranger pairs I've ever seen, both cars broke right off the line. Gaines was coasting faster and takes the win.
On the top end, Gaines is thanking Tom Martino for flying
in to assist the team.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 44 Mike Edwards 317 Rickie Jones E1 0.058 18.309 41.97 ****WINNER**** 0.030 6.812 205.85 Qualified: #7 6.614 208.30 #10 6.627 208.23Edwards won here in 2006, and Rickie is the 59th different racer to line up against him. Jones has qualified at all four of the races he has entered, but is still looking for his first round-win.
Well, lightning strikes twice in a row. Edwards shakes really hard and clicks it off.
Jones gets a little further until the car makes a quick move towards the centerline. Rickie gets
it straightened out and coasts to his first ever round win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
4 Allen Johnson 103 Max Naylor
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.040 6.624 208.94 0.038 6.630 204.70
Qualified: #6 6.608 208.81 #11 6.627 206.07
Allen Johnson has 2 runners-up here and is making his 306th round. Naylor is 0-2 against
AJ.These two cars put on a nice show and it's Hemi power on both sides. AJ pulls out a win in a close race.
Allen Johnson's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.023), 330
ft(-0.036), 660ft(-0.029), 1,000ft(-0.015). MOV: 0.0046 seconds (approximately 17
inches).
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
6 Kurt Johnson 6157 Todd Hoerner
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.056 6.581 209.36 0.061 6.619 208.65
Qualified: #5 6.598 209.39 #12 6.634 207.75
Kurt Johnson's crew won the Full Throttle award for their consistency in qualifying. Kurt has
two wins here and is making his 751st career start. Hoerner is the 77th different racer he's
faced. This is Hoerner's second start.After a bit of a staging battle, KJ just gets in before he's timed out. Kurt leaves first and lays down an amazing pass for the conditions.
Kurt Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.755, 660ft-4.231/166.66mph, 1,000ft-5.505
Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.70 inches, adjusted altitude 1,296 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Greg Anderson 1214 Matt Hartford
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.052 6.616 208.49 0.023 11.651 74.75
Qualified: #2 6.590 208.49 #15 6.640 206.86
Anderson and Line have qualified 1-2 20 times, and the last time they did it was here laste
year. Anderson has one win here along with 3 runner-ups. He's starting from the number two spot
for the 25th time. Hartford is making his 6th start for the year.Hartford gates Greg, but the Stratus gets crazy after the third gear shift and makes a huge move to the center line. Hartford manages to gather things up, but in the meantime Anderson laid down a decent pass.
The Summit car
will choose lanes over Rickie Jones next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Dave Connolly 351 Ron Krisher
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.039 6.668 208.10 0.088 6.641 207.62
Qualified: #3 6.595 208.36 #14 6.639 207.75
Connolly is the defending champion here at Gateway and is 6-4 versus Krisher. Ron is making
his 261st start and has five wins, two of which occurred here.According to past history, this should get settled on the starting line.
And that's exactly what happens as a very loose Connolly makes the holeshot count.
Allen Johnston gets lane choice over Dave the next time up.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Jason Line 1525 John Nobile
E1 0.007 12.809 66.19 ****WINNER**** 0.013 9.679 158.91
Qualified: #1 6.571 209.23 #16 6.641 208.39
This is Line's 14th time in the top spot, and he's been able to win the race 3 times from that
position. This is Nobile's 41st start.This is the first time Line and Nobile have faced each other in eliminations.
OK, this is STUNNING!
Nobile's first move was to the center line, and big. He shuts off. In the meantime, Line is ready to grab third and a ball of fire erupts from under the car. In all my years of Pro Stock, I have NEVER seen such a catastrophic engine failure.
Nobile has an easy time of chasing the coasting Line who's leaving a huge cloud of smoke.
We're down for a cleanup in the left lane. Look out the window - pigs might be flying by
and maybe somewhere a bear is using a Porta-John.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Jeg Coughlin 14 Jim Yates
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.032 6.619 208.01 0.041 6.623 206.57
Qualified: #4 6.597 207.40 #13 6.634 206.13
Jeggie won here in 2002 and is 26-9 when facing Yates, though Jim was the winner here in
1999.It's a pair of champions on the line and the only thing that could increase the weirdness factor of this round would be for both cars to back up to the starting line.
The winner here has the pleasure of taking on a very hot Kurt Johnson in the next round.
And in a race that restores our faith in normalcy, the cars put on one of the best races you could ask for. It's a very close race.
Jeg Coughlin's incremental margins: 60ft(0.017), 330 ft(0.007), 660ft(0.006), 1,000ft(0.008). MOV: 0.0134 seconds (approximately 4 feet).
KJ gets to choose lanes next time.
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