Sun, 18 May 2008, 05:02 PM Pro Modified Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1211 Mike Ashley                             3 Jay Payne                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.214  6.257 236.01                     0.090  6.469 229.90
 Prior rounds:
E1    (H Laird     ) 0.043  6.001 240.68      (J Hernandez ) 0.041  6.029 237.21
 Qualified:             #8  6.065 239.53                       #16  6.180 234.78

4:50 p.m. Payne gets a big advantage off the line, then he gets out of the groove and makes a move toward the center-line. He loses a little time and that was all Ashley needed. AShley drove around Payne just before half-track and pulled away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  763 Kirk Kuhns                              9 Rick Stivers                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.061  6.111 231.99                     0.050  8.410 113.68
 Prior rounds:
E1    (T Tindle    ) 0.053  6.108 225.94      (J Russo     ) 0.074  7.329 145.38
 Qualified:             #2  6.006 234.98                       #10  6.095 236.30

Stivers rattled the tires off the line, got out of the groove, then finally gave up on the run about 300 feet out. Kuhns went right down the groove to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1152 Tony Pontieri                         320 Steve Engel                  
E2                   0.052  6.255 198.79     ****WINNER****  0.009  6.118 238.17
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Payne     ) 0.036  6.107 234.66      (J Baker     ) 0.014  6.126 239.27
 Qualified:            #14  6.148 234.86                        #6  6.039 240.68

Engel gets off the line first and starts to pull away. Pontieri gets a little out of shape past half-track, then pulls the chutes a little early.

Kuhns will have lane choice by just .007 seconds over Engel.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1090 Raymond Commisso                      402 Taylor Lastor                
E2                  -0.016  7.411 215.37     ****WINNER****  0.065  7.265 188.73
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Rowe      ) 0.054  6.070 242.32      (S Ray       ) 0.082  6.427 187.52
 Qualified:            #13  6.117 242.02                       #18  6.258 234.25

Commisso leaves a little too quickly and gives Lastor the win.

Ashley will have lane choice over lastor in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink