Sat, 11 Oct 2008, 04:42 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   38 Danny Rowe                           1212 Scott Ray                    
E1                   0.109  5.956 241.93     ****WINNER****  0.121  5.919 238.22
 Qualified:             #8  5.964 242.23                        #9  5.967 236.96

4:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 30.13 inches, adjusted altitude 1,369 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Both were rather slow off the line, but it was a good, close race all the way, Ray coming from behind for the win. Scott Ray's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.022), 330 ft(0.022), 660ft(0.035), 1,000ft(0.032). MOV: 0.0259 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 Mike Castellana                       501 Mike Knowles                 
E1                   0.067  8.628 108.71     ****WINNER****  0.148  5.968 241.97
 Qualified:             #7  5.963 237.84                       #10  5.979 242.02

Castellana had a huge starting line advantage, but his car started rattling the tires and made a big move toward the centerline about 300 feet out. He had to lift and Knowles drove by for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1313 Chip King                              51 Tommy Gray                   
E1                   0.105  6.129 227.65     ****WINNER****  0.100  5.968 242.45
 Qualified:            #11  5.989 238.76                        #6  5.952 242.36

King's car moved left, then back to the groove, but that let Gray pull ahead to stay. King appeared to lose the engine in the lights, but the track was clean and the next pair fired after about a minute delay to check the track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  763 Kirk Kuhns                              6 Tim Tindle                   
E1                   0.102 12.995  62.12     ****WINNER****  0.054  5.953 237.71
 Qualified:            #12  5.990 236.17                        #5  5.941 238.55

Kuhns' car shook hard and got very sideways, forcing him to lift before going 100 feet.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1090 Raymond Commisso                       66 Kenny Lang                   
E1                   0.084  7.554 129.82     ****WINNER****  0.180  5.984 241.63
 Qualified:            #13  5.992 243.68                        #4  5.919 242.23

Now they start pairing up for round two.

Commisso rattled the tires on the launch and lifted. Lang made a full pass, losing lane choice to Tindle in the quarterfinals.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                            2813 Scott Cannon Jr              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  5.987 238.81                     0.105  5.941 241.97
 Qualified:            #14  6.004 238.43                        #3  5.916 243.33

Payne won on a holeshot and a great job of driving. His car made a big move out toward the wall on the launch and he managed to drive it back to the groove without lifting. Cannon was closing fast, ran out of room. Jay Payne's incremental margins: 60ft(0.045), 330 ft(0.041), 660ft(0.034), 1,000ft(0.024). MOV: 0.0111 seconds (approximately 4 feet). He faces Gray next round, Gray has lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1152 Tony Pontieri                         402 Taylor Lastor                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.021  5.950 241.84                     0.083  5.969 241.89
 Qualified:             #2  5.905 243.99                       #15  6.005 240.25

Pontieri's car wagged its tail a bit about 100 feet out, but he smoothly tamed it down and was never headed. Tony Pontieri's MOV: 0.0814 seconds (approximately 29 feet). He will have lane choice against Knowles in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Mike Janis                              1 Joshua Hernandez             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.070  6.180 236.51                     0.060 12.224  71.25
 Qualified:            #16  6.033 238.81                        #1  5.900 242.71

Last pair. Hernandez' chances of a backup run for the ET record went way as soon as his tires started shaking at the starting line. Janis made a smooth, hard run after driving through some early shake of his own. He was the only winner in the sixes and will not have lane choice when he faces Ray in the second round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink