Sat, 20 Sep 2008, 07:20 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  501 Mike Knowles                          237 Von Smith                    
E1                   0.225  6.197 235.97     ****WINNER****  0.115  6.195 228.00
 Qualified:             #9  6.069 238.34                        #8  6.062 235.19

4:38 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.45 inches, adjusted altitude 3,378 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Knowles is late off the line, Smith makes a good pass for the conditions and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Harold Laird                         1212 Scott Ray                    
E1                   0.126  6.053 236.05     ****WINNER****  0.030  6.028 235.97
 Qualified:             #7  6.055 237.17                       #10  6.069 218.76

Ray puts a big hole-shot on Laird, then makes his quickest pass of the weekend and pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   24 Troy Coughlin                         763 Kirk Kuhns                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.105  6.010 237.00                     0.063  6.250 231.00
 Qualified:            #13  6.120 234.45                        #4  6.016 235.80

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  488 Gaylen Smith                            6 Tim Tindle                   
E1                   0.068  6.144 226.58     ****WINNER****  0.050  6.059 235.02
 Qualified:            #11  6.098 232.51                        #6  6.042 235.64

tindle gets the advantage of the line, then pulls away all the way through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                              38 Danny Rowe                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.012  6.101 234.04                     0.081  6.066 237.80
 Qualified:            #12  6.107 207.88                        #5  6.029 239.78

Payne gets a great light and pulls off the hole-shot win. He will give up lane choice to Kuhns in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1152 Tony Pontieri                        6695 Rick Distefano               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.038  6.046 237.38                     0.038  6.157 229.08
 Qualified:             #3  6.007 238.68                       #14  6.122 230.96

They leave the line together, then Distefano pulls ahead. Pontieri starts to make up ground quickly and drives around before they reach the 330-foot mark.

Pontieri will have lane choice over Tindle in round two.

Tony Pontieri's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.018), 330 ft(0.012), 660ft(0.040), 1,000ft(0.075). MOV: 0.1118 seconds (approximately 38 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2103 Joe Baker                            4356 Kirk Wilmes                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  6.022 237.88                     0.072  8.827 102.89
 Qualified:             #2  5.971 241.24                       #15  6.278 226.92

Wilmes rattles the tires off the line and backs off the throttle about 300 feet out. Baker goes right down the groove and takes the win.

Baker will have lane choice over Ray in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  402 Taylor Lastor                           1 Joshua Hernandez             
E1                   0.138  6.072 229.55     ****WINNER****  0.095  6.027 239.95
 Qualified:            #16  6.339 220.48                        #1  5.964 242.02

Hernandez has the performance advantage, then Lastor gives him a head start off the line. hernandez goes right down the groove with his slowest pass of the weekend but still takes the win.

Hernandez will have lane choice over Smith in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink