Fri, 18 Jun 2010, 07:28 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Rowe

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley 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 Janis Runs 6.122/234.21, Now #9; Best prior run: 15.271/68.10, Was #22
Right Lane: Jay Payne Runs 5.998/237.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 10.292/83.91, Was #20

7:04 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 28.46 inches, adjusted altitude 4,328 feet, track temperature 122 degrees.

Payne was able to keep the slicks stuck on this pass and he vaults all the way to the top spot with the first five of the weekend. Janis once again has traction problems and shuts down early.

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Left Lane: Von Smith Runs 6.030/240.51, Now #2; Best prior run: 12.578/84.53, Was #22
Right Lane: Scott Ray Runs 6.041/236.17, Now #4; Best prior run: 8.825/94.24, Was #21

Both of these drivers had traction problems in the first round, Smith early, Ray a little past half track. No problems here, both right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Joe Baker Runs 6.133/234.86, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.414/230.41, Was #22
Right Lane: Chuck Cheeseman Runs 6.278/228.31, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.400/225.94, Was #21

Baker skated around early in the run but kept the car under control and made a decent pass. Cheeseman improves but still doesn't get in the show.

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Left Lane: Kenny Lang Runs 6.159/227.77, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.258/217.67, Was #19
Right Lane: Tony Pontieri Runs 6.110/238.22, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.279/234.61, Was #21

Pontieri had traction problems early in the first round but is able to make the adjustments and makes a clean pass. Lang makes a clean pass but doesn't have enough to get in the field.

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Left Lane: Rick Stivers Runs 6.102/236.75, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.252/234.57, Was #20
Right Lane: Roger Burgess Runs 6.053/238.05, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.120/237.84, Was #11

Burgess was moving around all the way through the run, moves to the left, then almost takes out the timing blocks at the end of the track. Stivers moves around early but keeps it under control and gets in the field for now.

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Left Lane: Burton Auxier Runs 9.331/106.77, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.206/233.16, Was #20
Right Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 6.006/237.05, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.107/236.22, Was #10

Auxier rattles the tires off the line and clicks it off about 200 feet out. Smith makes another clean pass and moves all the way to the second spot.

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Left Lane: Mike Knowles Runs 6.161/234.66, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.183/235.35, Was #19
Right Lane: Ed Hoover Runs 6.099/235.02, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.096/235.02, Was #9

Knowles goes right down the groove and improves a little but doesn't get in the show. Hoover makes another clean run and stays in the ninth spot.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 6.144/237.80, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.154/238.38, Was #17
Right Lane: Raymond Commisso Runs 6.088/240.17, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.074/240.98, Was #8

Troxel improves on her earlier run but will stay in the 17th spot. Commisso slows from his earlier pass.

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Left Lane: Troy Coughlin Runs 6.081/233.76, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.123/234.49, Was #14
Right Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 5.993/239.10, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.068/235.60, Was #7

Castellana goes right down the groove with the quickest pass of the weekend so far and only the second in the five second zone to take the top spot from Payne. Coughlin goes right down the groove and moves up a few notches to ninth.

Mike Castellana's incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.644, 660ft-3.944/191.02 mph, 1,000ft-5.051.

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Left Lane: Brad Personett Runs 6.115/245.90, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.108/249.07, Was #12
Right Lane: Danny Rowe Runs 5.999/241.80, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.041/240.98, Was #5

Rowe is the third driver to make it into the five second zone this round but is unable to retake the top spot that he had after the first round. Personett makes a decent run but slows from his earlier attempt.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink