Fri, 10 Oct 2008, 07:08 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia 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: Mike Castellana Runs 5.963/237.84, Now #2; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mike Knowles Runs 6.076/205.76, Now #13; No Prior Run

6:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.99 inches, adjusted altitude 1,468 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Raymond Commisso is on the bump spot at 8.281, so the field should change a lot this session.

These two were paired in the first session, but Knowles lost a good run when he clipped a timing block, negating both times.

There's the number Castellana has been looking for, coming oh-so-close several times before. Mike Castellana's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.598, 660ft-3.904/189.90mph, 1,000ft-5.018. Knowles made a good run, but Castellana "left him in the dust" and Knowles slowed on the top end. Now Tommy D'aprile is on the bump spot at 6.798.

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Left Lane: Kirk Kuhns Runs 6.020/235.02, Now #7; Best prior run: 18.245/42.40, Was #20
Right Lane: Joe Baker Runs 12.604/75.88, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.869/151.60, Was #17

Good pass for Kuhns after an aborted run in the first session. Baker's probloems continue, this time shaking hard immediately.

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Left Lane: Rick Distefano No Time, Now #20; Best prior run: 11.066/75.84, Was #20
Right Lane: Kenny Lang Runs 5.961/239.44, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.260/185.08, Was #16

Ricky D staged, then left without waiting for the tree. Lan g made a nice run, sliding in between Tony Pontieri and Castellana in the order. Kenny Lang's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.600, 660ft-3.904/190.00mph, 1,000ft-5.021.

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Left Lane: Raymond Commisso Runs 5.992/243.68, Now #6; Best prior run: 8.281/113.62, Was #19
Right Lane: Tommy Gray Runs 5.968/240.77, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.054/238.55, Was #13

Nice side-by-side show...Raymond Commisso's incremental times: 60ft-1.002 sec., 330ft-2.652, 660ft-3.957/191.02mph, 1,000ft-5.064.
Tommy Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.994 sec., 330ft-2.626, 660ft-3.923/190.57mph, 1,000ft-5.033. Huge speeds in both lanes.

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Left Lane: Tommy D'aprile Runs 6.033/234.41, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.798/152.87, Was #18
Right Lane: Scott Cannon Jr Runs 5.962/241.37, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.051/227.00, Was #14

The fives just keep on coming - two more good runs. Scott Cannon Jr's incremental times: 60ft-1.002 sec., 330ft-2.619, 660ft-3.920/190.43mph, 1,000ft-5.029.

D'Aprile had a fire on the top end and we were down for several minutes while the Safety Safari puit out the fire, then cleaned up the firefighting fluids.

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Left Lane: Mike Janis Runs 6.033/238.81, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.245/232.51, Was #18
Right Lane: Scott Ray Runs 6.571/152.50, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.042/234.86, Was #15

By the way, all the changes up to now put Tim Tindle on the bump spot at 6.073.

Good run by Janis. Ray had a great launch, but the run went sour around half track after getting there almost a tewnth of a second ahead of Janis.

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Left Lane: Tim Tindle Runs 5.969/238.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.073/238.22, Was #17
Right Lane: Taylor Lastor Runs 6.005/240.25, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.040/235.35, Was #15

Nice runs in both lanes and the top half of the field is now in the fives.

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Left Lane: Troy Coughlin Runs 10.403/83.67, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.038/239.74, Was #16
Right Lane: Chip King Runs 5.989/238.76, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.016/237.59, Was #11

Coughlin shook hard immediately. Obviously, King didn't have any real problems. Now Troy Coughlin is on the bump spot at 6.038.

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Left Lane: Joshua Hernandez Runs 12.028/70.09, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.019/241.32, Was #12
Right Lane: Danny Rowe Runs 5.997/238.89, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.976/240.51, Was #7

Hernandez shook immediately and stays twelfth. Another good run by Rowe, but no improvement.

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Left Lane: Jay Payne Runs 6.177/188.36, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.004/238.43, Was #10
Right Lane: Tony Pontieri Runs 16.398/62.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.947/242.84, Was #1

Last pair. Payne left hard, may have driven through shake (can't see out of the windows here once it gets dark). Pontieri shook immediately and coasted through.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink