Fri, 30 Apr 2010, 05:24 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Session #1 |
By Dan Bennett |
MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 14th annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:
Right Lane: Mark Hogan Runs 6.763/204.82, Now #1
3:13 p.m. We had a good session in Motocycles, so this should be pretty good for the cars. The track looks to be very good off the starting line, and we do have some unseasonably cool air. However, with the low pressure front moving in we've also gained a lot of moisture (as in humidity). We'll see very good but not great passes as long as the crew chiefs don't get greedy with the track conditions.
Mark Hogan starts off all the fun with a right lane single.
Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 69 percent, barometer 29.11 inches, adjusted altitude 2,768 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.
Nice pass for Hogan. That's
very impressive for a part time racer just pulling his car out of the trailer. It sounded a bit
soft going into second so the car may have been a touch light on the clutch.
Left Lane: Dave River Runs 6.893/198.03, Now #3
Right Lane: Steve Schmidt Runs 6.761/204.32, Now #1
Continuing the category of Pro Stock racers who live in states starting with "I", we get another pair.
Schmidt goes to the top, but won't stay there. Nice pass anyhow.
Steve Schmidt's incremental times: 60ft-1.011 sec., 330ft-2.835, 660ft-4.352/162.04 mph, 1,000ft-5.660.
Left Lane: Danny Gruninger Runs 6.765/204.76, Now #3
Right Lane: John Gaydosh Jr Runs 6.866/200.38, Now #4
Grunninger is in the Cunningham car with weekend. That 'stang sounded pretty good on the leave, as the rpms jumped right up and pulled the car through the gears. He goes into the #3 spot for now.
Left Lane: Erica Enders Runs 6.726/206.26, Now #1
Right Lane: John Nobile Runs 8.719/105.87, Now #7
These two took quite a bit of time getting staged, with Enders in last. Nobile shakes hard in second and third and gives it up. Enders goes to the top of the list. Those Fords seem to really like this cool air.
Erica Enders' incremental times: 60ft-1.006 sec., 330ft-2.821, 660ft-4.333/162.45 mph, 1,000ft-5.632.
Left Lane: Justin Humphreys Runs 6.709/205.26, Now #1
Right Lane: Steve Spiess Runs 6.717/205.91, Now #2
Even with the track seeming to be very good, we haven't seen anyone really killing the front half of the track. Look for that to change as more rubber gets put down.
Two new leaders as the beat goes on.
Left Lane: Johnny Gray Runs 6.694/206.32, Now #1
Right Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 12.015/80.23, Now #11
3:30 p.m. These two begin to stage and the starter shuts them off. Evidently we've got a glitch in the timing system as I see a reboot going on.
Lots of cars to come but at this point Enders' Mustang has top speed as yet.
I don't know how to explain what Warren's car was doing other than it was really, really, ugly. Coming off the chip, the engine seemed to snort or grunt and that was pretty much the end of it as it never tried to accelerate. It sounded like a second (or third!) gear start but I'd bet on a mechanical problem killing power at a critical point.
In the meantime, Gray just rockets down the middle to the top of the heap. JIm Yates is lending him a hand this weekend and it looks like a good investment so far;.
Johnny Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.999 sec., 330ft-2.803, 660ft-4.308/163.43 mph, 1,000ft-5.603.
Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.696/206.73, Now #2
Right Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 6.699/206.45, Now #3
V. Gaines' incremental times: 60ft-1.006 sec., 330ft-2.812, 660ft-4.314/163.79 mph, 1,000ft-5.607.
Kurt Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-1.005 sec., 330ft-2.810, 660ft-4.314/163.35 mph, 1,000ft-5.608.
Left Lane: Vinnie Deceglie Runs 6.712/207.27, Now #5
Right Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 6.718/198.09, Now #7
Big speed for Deceglie, big problems for Morgan as he slows big time on the top end. His Mustang was interesting to watch since I'm sitting almost directly behind it. I was surprised to see the rear end dip on the first few gear changes - these cars run electrically adjustable shocks and they're usually set pretty stiff on the very front of the track.
Left Lane: Rickie Jones Runs 6.712/205.98, Now #6
Right Lane: Ronnie Humphrey Runs 6.736/205.72, Now #10
Those passes actually looked a lot quicker than they were.
Rickie Jones' incremental times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.810, 660ft-4.321/162.63 mph, 1,000ft-5.619.
Ronnie Humphrey's incremental times: 60ft-1.009 sec., 330ft-2.832, 660ft-4.344/162.72 mph, 1,000ft-5.642.
Johnny Gray is still on the top of the heap.
Left Lane: Shane Gray Runs 6.695/206.39, Now #2
Right Lane: Bob Yonke Runs 6.735/205.51, Now #11
3:41 p.m.
This pair was getting ready to stage when the call came that we have sprinkles on the top end. The crowd's not wasting any time leaving the grandstands so even though I can't see it and it doesn't show on the radar - we got water.
3:55 p.m.
Not too bad, and we didn't even have to run the dryers.
So, the younger Gray asks the older Gray "how ya like me now?" as they hold the top two spots in the field.
Left Lane: Rodger Brogdon Runs 6.701/207.40, Now #6
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.684/206.51, Now #1
Once again, the wheelie bars are getting measured and Rick Stewart gives the sign to shut off the cars due to a light mist.
3:59 p.m. We've got five pairs to complete the session.
4:03 p.m. Another pair of burnouts and we're going to try again.
Krisher puts on an exhibition. The car blasted off the chip, and seemed like it couldn't wait to get into the next gear. A happy Pro Stock engine is a very quick Pro Stock engine.
Rodger Brogdon's incremental times: 60ft-1.013 sec., 330ft-2.822, 660ft-4.323/163.79 mph, 1,000ft-5.614.
Ron Krisher's incremental times: 60ft-0.999 sec., 330ft-2.801, 660ft-4.303/163.71 mph, 1,000ft-5.595.
Left Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.712/207.75, Now #8
Right Lane: Greg Stanfield Runs 6.720/205.63, Now #13
Stanfield looked really strong on the front half but couldn't put both ends together. Coughlin lays down a nice pass with that big Cagnazzi horsepower.
Left Lane: Jason Line Runs 6.716/206.61, Now #11
Right Lane: Greg Anderson Runs 6.729/206.07, Now #16
It's all Summit on the line for this pair.
Earlier in the session, Anderson and Jerry Bickel were having an extended conversation in front of the tower.
You don't often see this team miss with both cars in the same session, but it sure happened here. Among other flaws, both cars were snaky off the line instead shooting straight forward.
Left Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 6.661/208.55, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 6.644/207.75, Now #1
I don't see a single Pro Stock crewmember leaving the starting without a smile on their respective faces. No, they're not happy because once again Edwards showed them what REAL race cars do. The smile came from more of a "Are you kidding me? He puts two hundredths on the #2 guy, who's got two hundredths on the next guy? This is getting stupid!"
At least I think it went something like that. Seriously, lots of shaking heads as the crews went back to work on their stuff - which Edwards just turned into junk.
Allen Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.794, 660ft-4.292/164.31 mph, 1,000ft-5.579.
Mike Edwards' incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.780, 660ft-4.274/164.61 mph, 1,000ft-5.560.
Rickie Jones is on the bump spot at 6.712.
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