Sun, 12 Feb 2017, 15:25 PM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Chris McGaha                           15 Tanner Gray                  
E1                   0.059  6.603 209.88     ****WINNER****  0.017  6.588 210.73
 Qualified:             #8  6.572 210.54                        #9  6.578 210.80

Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.96 inches, adjusted altitude 2,097 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

Tanner Gray is the 444th driver to qualify for an NHRA Pro Stock field.

Gray with a great light and never trailed for the win. He is just off his qualifying time for the win. Tanner Gray's MOV: 0.0578 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Jeg Coughlin                           52 Deric Kramer                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.018  6.574 210.24                     0.054  6.638 205.41
 Qualified:             #7  6.553 210.60                       #10  6.594 209.04

Jeg Coughlin won this race in back-to-back years of 1999 and 2000 and he was runner-up here four times….

Coughlin is 4 - 0 against Kramer in prior events.

Coughlin with a great light and never trailed for the win. Kramer made a move toward the centerline right at the hit.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Erica Enders                          666 Matt Hartford                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.007  6.564 210.77                    -0.006  6.614 209.59
 Qualified:             #6  6.553 210.90                       #11  6.596 210.44

Enders is 5 - 0 against Hartford in prior events. Hartford is too quick on the tree and turned on the red light give Enders the win. Enders with a great light, Enders with the quickest pass of race day.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Bo Butner                               6 Drew Skillman                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.025  6.550 211.43                     0.041  6.579 210.87
 Qualified:             #5  6.550 210.70                       #12  6.617 210.21

Drew Skillman was runner-up at this race in 2015….

Butner is 3 - 2 against Skillman in prior events.

Butner with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Butner with low E.T. of race day now.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Shane Gray                              8 Allen Johnson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.026  6.575 211.16                     0.035  8.845 101.72
 Qualified:             #4  6.547 210.97                       #13  6.621 208.33

Allen Johnson was runner-up here in 2003.

Johnson is 18 - 5 against Gray in prior events.

Gray with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Gray will give up lane choice to Butner in the next round.

Johnson's car made a quick move toward the centerline right ar the hit and he clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Greg Anderson                         150 Kenny Delco                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.019  6.549 211.49                     0.096  6.632 208.94
 Qualified:             #2  6.530 211.66                       #15  6.642 208.20

Greg Anderson has six wins at this event and that is the second most in the Pro Stock class (Bob Glidden, 7). Greg is the defending event champion….This is Kenny Delco's first appearance at the Winternationals since 1992 when he also started from the #15 spot.

Anderson is 2 - 0 against Delco in prior events.

Anderson with a great light and never trailed for the win. Anderson is straight down the groove with the quickest pass of race day for win and will have lane choice over Coughlin in the next round.

Delco with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Jason Line                           1465 Val Smeland                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.043  6.533 211.69                     0.061 11.376  79.29
 Qualified:             #1  6.525 211.53                       #16  6.840 202.94

Jason Line won here in 2009, 2011, 2014 & 2015. He was also runner-up to his Summit Racing teammate, Greg Anderson, last year. Jason's qualifying time of 6.525 is the second quickest in the class since they switched to fuel injection last year….This is Val Smeland's 7th start and he is looking for his first round win.

Line is 1 - 0 against Smeland in prior events.

Line with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Line runs low E.T. of race day and he will have lane choice over Tanner Gray in the next round.

Smeland pulls the front end and then has severe tire shake before he clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Vincent Nobile                        106 Alan Prusiensky              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.034  6.556 211.53                     0.006  6.624 208.94
 Qualified:             #3  6.547 211.10                       #14  6.638 208.49

Vincent Noble won the Winternationals in 2013….This is the first time that Alan Prusiensky has competed at the Winternationals in Pro Stock.

This is the first time Nobile and Prusiensky have faced each other in eliminations.

Prusiensky with a great reaction time, but Nobile is able to chase him down just before half track. Nobile was straight down the groove for the win and he will have lane choice over teammate Enders in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink