Sun, 23 Feb 2014, 14:23 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 V. Gaines                              10 Rodger Brogdon               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  6.573 210.28                     0.053  6.589 210.54
 Qualified:             #8  6.571 210.70                        #9  6.573 209.98

Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 24 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,628 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

This is the 400th race for V. Gaines. He won this race in 2008. Brogdon is 7 - 2 against Gaines in prior events. Gaines with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win by 0.0278 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Jeg Coughlin                           51 Dave Connolly                
E1                   0.037  6.993 163.91     ****WINNER****  0.028  6.551 211.30
 Qualified:            #10  6.578 211.43                        #7  6.565 210.77

Jeg Coughlin has won this race twice and that is the most wins for any active Pro Stock driver..The meeting between Jeg and Dave Connolly features two of the best drivers in the class. They have met four times in round one (Jeg is 3-1 in those races) and Jeg has been first off the line in each one of those contests and that could be a factor in this race. Coughlin is 11 - 8 against Connolly in prior events.

Connolly with the starting line advantage and then Coughlin has little wiggle and then pushes in the clutch. Connolly with a great looking pass with his quickest pass of the weekend. Dave Connolly's incremental times: 60ft-0.980 sec., 330ft-2.744, 660ft-4.214/167.68 mph, 1,000ft-5.480.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  800 Jimmy Alund                             2 Allen Johnson                
E1                   0.052  6.587 210.97     ****WINNER****  0.072  6.558 211.76
 Qualified:            #11  6.591 210.87                        #6  6.553 211.83

Jimmy Alund is the 66th driver that Allen Johnson has faced in his career. Allen won here in 2005. This is Alund's ninth race and he is looking for his first round win in Pro Stock. Alund with the starting line advantage, but Johnson was able to chase him down just before 1000-foot mark. Allen Johnson's MOV: 0.0093 seconds (approximately 3 feet). Alund with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Johnson is just a couple ticks of his qualifying time for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  445 Greg Stanfield                         11 Shane Gray                   
E1                   0.071  6.612 209.26     ****WINNER****  0.039  6.576 211.43
 Qualified:            #12  6.599 209.39                        #5  6.551 211.06

Stanfield is 4 - 2 against Gray in prior events. Gray with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  452 Steve Kent                              3 Jason Line                   
E1                   0.045  6.634 209.98     ****WINNER****  0.054  6.569 211.56
 Qualified:            #14  6.611 209.46                        #3  6.536 211.69

Line is 4 - 0 against Kent in prior events. Kent with the starting line advantage, but Line was able to grab the lead by 100 feet and took the win. Line will give up lane choice to Johnson in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   29 Shane Tucker                         4264 Chris McGaha                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.040  6.627 209.39                     0.134  6.571 211.53
 Qualified:            #16  6.645 208.62                        #1  6.530 210.60

Chris McGaha is just the 58th driver in the history of the class to qualify #1..The #1 Pro Stock qualifier has only won twice in the last 21 years at this event.

Tucker with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win by 0.0383 seconds (approximately 12 feet). tucker will give up lane choice to Gaines in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  666 Matt Hartford                           6 Erica Enders-Stevens         
E1                   0.052  6.645 209.49     ****WINNER****  0.016  6.531 212.09
 Qualified:            #15  6.613 209.72                        #2  6.531 211.23

Erica Enders-Stevens is the defending event champion. There has not been a back-to-back winner in Pro Stock at this event since Jim Yates did it in 1996 & 1997. This is the first time Hartford and Enders-Stevens have faced each other in eliminations. Enders-Stevens is out of the gate first and the quickest pass of the round. She matches her No. 2 qualifying E.T. and runs the top speed of the event. She will have lane choice over Connolly in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   12 Larry Morgan                          154 Vincent Nobile               
E1                   0.019  6.629 209.01     ****WINNER****  0.050  6.563 210.44
 Qualified:            #13  6.601 209.23                        #4  6.551 211.16

This is Larry Morgan's 28th race in Arizona. He has been here very year since 1987..Vincent Nobile won here in 2011. Nobile is 6 - 2 against Morgan in prior events. Morgan with the starting line advantage, but Nobile has the lead by 450 feet and never trailed from there on. Nobile with the second quickest pass of the round and he will have lane choice over Gray in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink