Sun, 22 May 2016, 13:16 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 28th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Drew Skillman                           1 Erica Enders                 
E1                  -0.002  6.706 205.79     ****WINNER****  0.021  6.718 205.19
 Qualified:             #8  6.642 208.07                        #9  6.643 207.30

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.87 inches, adjusted altitude 3,277 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Erica Enders is the defending event champion. This is the 6th time this year that she is starting from the bottom half of the field. Enders is 4 - 3 against Skillman in prior events. Skillman is just a a couple ticks too quick on the tree and turns on the red light. Enders gets the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Allen Johnson                         677 Aaron Strong                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  6.655 208.20                    -0.002  6.692 205.19
 Qualified:             #7  6.636 208.20                       #10  6.658 207.24

Allen Johnson has three wins at this event and that is the second most wins for him at any event on tour (Denver, 6)..Aaron Strong is the 75th different driver that Allen has faced in his career. Strong is just a couple ticks too quick on the tree and turns on the red light. Johnson is straight down the groove for the easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Chris McGaha                            6 Vincent Nobile               
E1                   0.125  6.693 207.24     ****WINNER****  0.046  6.748 204.66
 Qualified:             #6  6.634 208.52                       #11  6.665 208.46

Nobile is 9 - 5 against McGaha in prior events. Nobile with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Vincent Nobile's MOV: 0.0242 seconds (approximately 7 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  730 Shane Gray                             25 Jeg Coughlin                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  6.653 207.91                     0.065  6.746 205.07
 Qualified:             #4  6.607 209.36                       #13  6.670 206.61

Jeg Coughlin won here in 2000 & 2013..Shane Gray won here in 2011. Coughlin is 10 - 4 against Gray in prior events. Gray with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Gray with the quickest pass of Race Day.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Greg Anderson                          55 V. Gaines                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  6.645 207.66                     0.077  6.789 205.32
 Qualified:             #3  6.600 209.30                       #14  6.767 206.45

Greg Anderson's 4 wins at this event are the most in Pro Stock, but he hasn't won here since 2007.V. Gaines is making his 310th start. Anderson is 31 - 7 against Gaines in prior events. Anderson is out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. He runs the quickest pass of Race Day. He will have lane choice over Nobile in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  361 Bo Butner                             538 Dave River                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.040  6.683 206.57                     0.065  6.777 202.42
 Qualified:             #2  6.591 209.59                       #15  6.777 203.86

This is the first time Butner and River have faced each other in eliminations. Butner with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Butner will give up lane choice to Johnson in the next round. River matched his qualifying time in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Jason Line                            547 Mark Hogan                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.045  6.647 208.30                     0.186  6.905 198.67
 Qualified:             #1  6.578 210.37                       #16  7.002 199.73

Jason Line's win in Atlanta was the 41st of his career and that moved him into 5th place on the all-time Pro Stock list. Jason, who has been to all seven final rounds so far this year, has never been to a final round at this event. He had also never qualified #1 here until this weekend. This is the 24th different event at which Jason has been #1..Mark Hogan is making his 12th start and is looking for his first round win. Line is 1 - 0 against Hogan in prior events. Line with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Line with the second quickest pass of Race Day and he will have lane choice over Enders in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   40 Alex Laughlin                          52 Deric Kramer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  6.653 206.89                     0.050  6.696 205.76
 Qualified:             #5  6.617 208.36                       #12  6.667 207.88

This is the 15th start for Alex Laughlin and it is his second best qualifying effort (#5)..It's the 37th start for Deric Kramer. This is the first time Laughlin and Kramer have faced each other in eliminations. Kramer with the starting line advantage, but Laughlin was able to chase him down around 500 feet and takes the win. Alex Laughlin's MOV: 0.0273 seconds (approximately 8 feet). He faces Gray in the next round and matched his E.T. but will give up lane choice due to Gray's faster mph in the round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink