Sun, 15 May 2016, 12:34 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 36th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Jeg Coughlin                            5 Drew Skillman                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.050  6.648 208.17                     0.055  8.920 105.96
 Qualified:             #8  6.686 206.86                        #7  6.666 207.37

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.34 inches, adjusted altitude 1,881 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

Jeg Coughlin won three times at this event in Pro Stock. He also won in Comp Eliminator in 1997. Skillman is 2 - 0 against Coughlin in prior events. Coughlin with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win as Skillman had shake and clicked it off early. Coughlin with his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Vincent Nobile                          3 Allen Johnson                
E1                   0.036  6.602 208.78     ****WINNER****  0.027  6.600 209.79
 Qualified:             #9  6.688 206.70                        #6  6.649 208.46

Allen Johnson won this event in 2002. Johnson is 16 - 9 against Nobile in prior events. Johnson with the slight starting line advantage and then runs low E.T. of the event for the win. Nobile with the second quickest pass of the event in the losing effort. Allen Johnson's MOV: 0.0118 seconds (approximately 4 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Erica Enders                            4 Chris McGaha                 
E1                   0.021  6.644 207.91     ****WINNER****  0.033  6.624 208.33
 Qualified:            #10  6.701 206.16                        #5  6.648 208.39

Enders is 13 - 3 against McGaha in prior events. enders with the starting line advantage, but McGaha grabs the lead just past half track and takes the win. Chris McGaha's MOV: 0.0083 seconds (approximately 3 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  150 Kenny Delco                           730 Shane Gray                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.076  7.299 148.38                     0.067 11.690  76.83
 Qualified:            #11  6.714 205.85                        #4  6.620 207.75

Gray is 3 - 0 against Delco in prior events. Gray with the starting line advantage and then had severe tire shake and clicked it off. Delco then started to drift out of the groove and pushes in the clutch and coast to the finish line for the win. He will give up lane choice to McGaha in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   40 Alex Laughlin                         361 Bo Butner                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.059  6.664 205.57                     0.073  7.227 135.95
 Qualified:            #12  6.734 205.51                        #3  6.618 209.26

This is the first time Laughlin and Butner have faced each other in eliminations. Laughlin with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Laughlin with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He will give up lane choice to Johnson in the next round. Butner started drifting out of the groove and got real close to the centerline before he clicked it off and deployed the chutes.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  128 John Gaydosh Jr                         8 Jason Line                   
E1                   0.057  9.016 104.59     ****WINNER****  0.108  6.559 211.06
 Qualified:            #13  6.748 204.70                        #2  6.615 209.36

Line is 2 - 0 against Gaydosh Jr in prior events. Jason Line is the defending event champ. He also won here in 2011. Gaydosh with the starting line advantage and then made a quick move toward the wall and clicked it off. Line launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Jason Line's incremental times: 60ft-0.982 sec., 330ft-2.748, 660ft-4.220/168.41 mph, 1,000ft-5.490. He will have lane choice over Coughlin in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   55 V. Gaines                               2 Greg Anderson                
E1                   0.053  6.685 207.82     ****WINNER****  0.105  6.584 211.06
 Qualified:            #14  7.424 140.90                        #1  6.610 210.14

Greg Anderson has won here four times and that is tied for second most in the Pro Stock class. (Lee Shepherd won 4 times and Warren Johnson won 5 times). Greg's win in Houston was his 81st and that puts him in 7th place on the all-time NHRA win list...This is a 2-for-1 round, meaning the winner gets the bye into the semi-finals. Anderson is 30 - 7 against Gaines in prior events. Gaines with the starting line advantage, but Anderson has the lead by 330 feet and never trails from there on for the win. Anderson with his quickest pass of the weekend for the win. Gaines with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort. Anderson will get the bye in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink