Sun, 17 Nov 2019, 15:29 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, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  150 Kenny Delco                           442 Aaron Stanfield              
E1                   0.040  7.515 139.26     ****WINNER****  0.035  6.632 209.23
 Qualified:             #8  6.576 210.47                        #9  6.576 209.85

Kenny Delco's first NHRA Finals event was in 1987. Aaron Stanfield is making his 11th start.

Stanfield is 1 - 0 against Delco in prior events.

Stanfield with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

Delco got loose around half track and pushed in the clutch.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   52 Deric Kramer                         4264 Chris McGaha                 
E1                   0.035  6.598 209.23     ****WINNER****  0.026  6.602 209.56
 Qualified:             #7  6.569 209.52                       #10  6.582 209.43

McGaha is 9 - 5 against Kramer in prior events.

McGaha with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win in a close one. Chris McGaha's MOV: 0.0057 seconds (approximately 21 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 410M Fernando Cuadra                       666 Matt Hartford                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.059  6.601 209.59                     0.067  6.599 209.43
 Qualified:             #6  6.565 208.68                       #11  6.585 210.44

Hartford is 1 - 0 against Cuadra in prior events.

Cuadra with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win in a close one. Fernando Cuadra's MOV: 0.0062 seconds (approximately 23 inches).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   40 Alex Laughlin                         799 Steve Graham                 
E1                   0.063  6.590 210.01     ****WINNER****  0.002  6.610 208.97
 Qualified:             #5  6.565 210.70                       #12  6.595 209.43

Laughlin is 4 - 0 against Graham in prior events.

Graham with a near perfect light and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Steve Graham's MOV: 0.0411 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Bo Butner                            1465 Val Smeland                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  6.573 211.03                     0.063  7.735 132.49
 Qualified:             #4  6.557 210.83                       #13  6.615 209.59

Bo Butner won here in 2017.

Butner is 5 - 0 against Smeland in prior events.

Butner with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Butner with the quickest pass of round one. He will have lane choice over Graham in the next round.

Smeland got out of the groove and over by the centerline before he pushed the clutch in.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Jason Line                             29 Shane Tucker                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.040  6.562 210.05                     0.024  6.650 208.78
 Qualified:             #3  6.544 210.01                       #14  6.628 209.07

Jason Line is 38 - 13 in round one when starting from the No. 3 spot. Shane Tucker is making his 32nd start.

Line is 2 - 1 against Tucker in prior events.

Tucker with the starting line advantage, but Line had the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win.

Line with the quickest pass of race day for the win and lane choice over Cuadra in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Erica Enders                            7 Greg Anderson                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.017  6.570 210.41                     0.016  6.575 210.31
 Qualified:             #2  6.538 210.93                       #15  6.646 187.73

Erica Enders was the winner here in 2014. Erica has won the race five times when starting from the No. 2 spot in the field including at the last race in Las Vegas. Greg Anderson has six wins at this event. This is only the ninth time in his career that he has qualified 15th and the first time since 2002. He has won twice in round 1 when starting from the No. 15 spot.

Enders with a tick advantage on the tree and never trailed for the win in a close one. Erica Enders' MOV: 0.0042 seconds (approximately 16 inches). She will have lane choice over McGaha in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Jeg Coughlin                          703 Joey Grose                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.044  6.570 210.28                     0.029  6.670 207.82
 Qualified:             #1  6.533 210.70                       #16  6.649 207.56

The No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock has won this race 16 times with the last win coming in 2008. Jeg Coughlin won this race in 1999, 2005 & 2007. This is the 32nd time he has been No. 1 and he has gone on to win the race just four times when starting from the top spot. Joey Grose is making his 19th start and is looking for his first round win.

Coughlin is 1 - 0 against Grose in prior events.

Grose with the starting line advantage, but Coughlin had the lead by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trailed from there on for the win. He will have lane choice over Stanfield in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink