Sun, 02 Oct 2016, 13:45 PM Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock Motorcycle at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 32nd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals:

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Karen Stoffer                        1628 John Hall                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.064  6.953 192.71                     0.041  6.989 189.87
 Qualified:             #7  6.925 193.88                       #10  7.013 188.75

1:28 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 79 percent, barometer 29.48 inches, adjusted altitude 1,946 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Karen Stoffer was the event champion here in 2006. Stoffer is 1 - 0 against Hall in prior events.

Hall was quicker at the tree and led this race to 1,000 feet before Stoffer got by him to take the win.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Hector Arana                            5 Hector Arana Jr              
E1   ****WINNER**** -0.045  6.928 194.86                    -0.056  6.844 195.34
 Qualified:            #12  7.175 194.91                        #5  6.880 193.02

Hector Arana, Jr. won here in 2011. Arana is 11 - 9 against Arana Jr in prior events.

A red light by Junior gives the win to the senior Arana. The older Arana left early too but Arana Jr. left the starting line first to get the foul.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jerry Savoie                           10 Scotty Pollacheck            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.048  6.913 195.79                     0.044 10.617  76.45
 Qualified:             #8  6.959 192.58                        #9  6.975 185.33

Jerry Savoie started the day number four in the points standings. Savoie is 7 - 3 against Pollacheck in prior events.

Pollacheck's motorcycle slowed at mid track.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7119 Melissa Surber                        574 Cory Reed                    
E1                   0.050  6.950 189.66     ****WINNER****  0.063  6.866 192.60
 Qualified:             #4  6.873 191.76                       #13  7.280 146.40

This is Melissa Surber's ninth career start. Today's number four is her highest qualifying position so far. This is the first time Surber and Reed have faced each other in eliminations.

Reed was second coming off the starting line but caught up to Surber at 60 feet. After that, he pulled away to take the win and earn lane choice over Arana in the next round.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  491 Angelle Sampey                          2 Eddie Krawiec                
E1                   0.101  6.863 193.18     ****WINNER****  0.002  6.760 196.19
 Qualified:            #15  9.986  81.35                        #2  6.811 191.29

Angelle Sampey won her first race here in 1996. She won this event five more times and has more wins at Maple Grove than any other motorcycle racer. She is starting this race from the number 15 spot in the order, after only one qualifying session. Riders who started in the 15th spot have only two wins in the 22 years that Pro Stock Motorcycle has been contested here. Eddie Krawiec has won this race three times and is number five in the points standings. Sampey is number two in the standings.

Sampey is 5 - 2 against Krawiec in prior events.

This time, Krawiec was quicker at the starting line and quicker on the track to take the win. Krawiec will have lane choice over Stoffer in round two.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  473 LE Tonglet                           1550 Joey Gladstone               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  6.846 195.93                     0.040  7.069 192.03
 Qualified:             #3  6.828 195.39                       #14  7.439 187.13

This is the first time Tonglet and Gladstone have faced each other in eliminations.

Tonglet and Gladstone came off the starting line at almost the same time but Tonglet pulled ahead to take the win.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Chip Ellis                              1 Andrew Hines                 
E1                   0.067 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.004  6.772 196.87
 Qualified:            #16 No Time                              #1  6.784 196.22

Andrew Hines is the defending event champion and has won here a total of two times. This is only the third time in his career that Ellis has started from the number 16 spot in the qualifying order. No rider has ever won the first round here when he or she has started in the 16th spot. Coming into this race, Hines was number one in the points standings and Ellis was number three.

Ellis' motorcycle launched and shut off as soon as he let the clutch out. It did the same thing yesterday in the only qualifying session. Hines will have lane choice over Savoie in the next round.

Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed----Bike#-Rider-(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   77 Angie Smith                             4 Matt Smith                   
E1                   0.058  6.944 189.71     ****WINNER****  0.057  6.876 193.88
 Qualified:            #11  7.081 188.04                        #6  6.901 191.13

Matt Smith has won here in 2008 and 2013. He has six wins and two losses against his wife, Angie Smith, in first round competition. Matt Smith started the day in 10th place in the points standings. M. Smith is 7 - 3 against A. Smith in prior events.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith came off the starting a the same time but Mr. Smith got to the finish line first for the win. He gave up lane choice to Tonglet in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink