Sat, 15 Nov 2008, 06:16 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Pro Stock at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Gordie Rivera Runs 6.826/202.97, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.787/204.05, Was #19
Right Lane: Ben Watson Runs 6.752/204.11, Now #19; Best prior run: 12.418/70.50, Was #20

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 19 percent, barometer 28.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,867 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Final session for the "Door Cars". Larry Morgan is on the bump spot at 6.694.

Rivera's car does a little dance off the line and he gets it straightened out to finish the run. Watson gets a clean pass, but can't find the tune up for the conditions.

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Left Lane: Richie Stevens Runs 6.742/204.82, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.692/206.13, Was #15
Right Lane: Bob Panella Runs 14.659/59.03, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.727/204.82, Was #18

Panella doesn't get to second gear before having to lift. Stevens makes the full pull, but will stay #15 for now.

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Left Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.714/206.45, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.678/206.95, Was #13
Right Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 6.692/206.48, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.696/206.35, Was #17

Coughlin will officially be the 2008 Pro Stock Championship at the end of this run

Let the celebration commence,as he gets to the end under power, but won't improve.Gray gets all of his pass to move from first alternate to the guaranteed bump spot.

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Left Lane: Jim Yates Runs 11.864/74.81, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.678/206.99, Was #12
Right Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 6.696/206.45, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.694/206.29, Was #17

Busted run for Yates and Morgan repeats his prior best. Yates will get to play tomorrow and Morgan won't.

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Left Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 6.670/207.88, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.677/208.59, Was #11
Right Lane: Vinnie Deceglie Runs 6.706/206.99, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.689/206.61, Was #14

Deceglie takes the long way down with a bunch of darting around.Johnson only cards a 1.020 sixty-foot time, but has the big end power to move into the current top half of the field.

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Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.665/207.11, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.676/206.42, Was #11
Right Lane: Greg Stanfield Runs 6.665/207.78, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.676/207.15, Was #10

They have sixty-foot times within 0.003 of each other and finish the run with identical 6.665 ET's. Both cars move into the top half of the field, with Stanfield getting the nod on MPH. Nice!

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Left Lane: Rickie Jones Runs 6.696/205.79, Now #11; Best prior run: 6.675/206.51, Was #11
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.662/207.18, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.668/207.18, Was #9

...and the hits keep coming, as Krisher moves his best mark a lot ,to move into the new top half of the field. Jones picks up some ET too and will stay #11.

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Left Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 6.649/208.07, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.659/208.36, Was #5
Right Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 6.650/208.46, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.660/207.75, Was #6

Both drives improve a tad and stay in their current qualifying positions.

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Left Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 6.643/207.69, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.648/208.07, Was #4
Right Lane: Jason Line Runs 12.872/68.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.637/208.01, Was #2

Line shakes hard at the hit and coasts on down. Nice pass for A. Johnson and he passes K. Johnson for the new #3 position.

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Left Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 6.643/207.91, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.644/207.91, Was #4
Right Lane: Greg Anderson No Time, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.634/208.20, Was #1

Ouch, Anderson does the burn out and is pushed back behind the line to be towed away.

Big move towards the center-line at the green for KJ and he still runs quick enough to recapture the #3 spot.

3:10 p.m. That ends the 2008 Pro Stock qualifying with Greg Anderson staying on top with a 6.634 and Richie Stevens will end up on the bump spot at 6.692.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink