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Sat, Oct 10, 01:07 AM

MEMPHIS - Pro Stock Qualifying Notes, Session # 2

By Ed Dykes

We're Makin' History, Here...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Pro Stock at the 11th annual Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone, listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, (best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run):

Left Lane: Mike Thomas Runs 8.318/118.33 Now #20, (Best prior run: 10.059/ 89.97 Was #28)
Right Lane: Jim Yates Runs 6.946/197.54 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 7.867/133.18 Was #18)

8:13 PM and if the track surface isn't too cool (at 70 degrees) this is going to be one killer session. Many of the crew chiefs are predicting a new national record, in fact. And Yates starts off the parade at the top, right here.

Left Lane: Jeg Coughlin Runs 6.935/198.17 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 9.932/ 92.47 Was #28)
Right Lane: Ron Krisher Runs 6.942/198.29 Now # 2, (Best prior run: 7.013/197.19 Was #10)

Yep, the conditions are killer, here. Thank goodness this race is no longer in the hottest part of the summer, for sure.

Left Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 13.066/ 60.24 Now #13, (Best prior run: 7.036/196.39 Was #13)
Right Lane: Bob Kropfield Runs 7.147/194.52 Now #18, (Best prior run: 7.139/194.83 Was #18)

Rickie blows the tires off right at the start, and throws in the towel... He'll have his work cut out for him tomorrow.

Left Lane: Mike Edwards Runs 7.016/196.85 Now #12, (Best prior run: 7.031/196.30 Was #12)
Right Lane: John Nobile Runs 6.950/197.71 Now # 5, (Best prior run: 6.966/197.74 Was # 6)

Edwards' ET may not be enough to keep him in the show after this session... the bump is Larry Nance's 7.069 already.

Left Lane: Allen Johnson Runs 7.059/194.24 Now #16, (Best prior run: 7.092/194.72 Was #17)
Right Lane: Richie Stevens Runs 6.951/196.87 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 6.962/197.10 Was # 6)

Johnson really 'basketballed' down the right side this afternoon, and was hoping for a lot better tonight.

Left Lane: Danny Coffman Runs 10.009/ 90.34 Now #29, (Best prior run: 17.417/ 45.60 Was #32)
Right Lane: Bruce Allen Runs 6.978/196.33 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 6.990/196.62 Was # 9)

Allen improves only marginally, but should be solidly in the show. Now the top 10 are in the sixes.

Left Lane: Mark Osborne Runs 6.919/198.47 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 6.974/197.80 Was # 7)
Right Lane: Steve Schmidt Runs 9.311/ 96.75 Now #26, (Best prior run: 9.162/102.17 Was #26)

Career-best lap for Ozzie Osborne, a 1.016 in the first 60' led to a big number on the board. The car really looked perfect off the line this time.

Left Lane: Arturo Delgado Runs 10.529/ 85.29 Now #25, (Best prior run: 8.841/108.63 Was #25)
Right Lane: Mark Pawuk Runs 6.941/197.57 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 7.000/196.56 Was #11)

Pawuk takes a 1.022 60' time and motors right on down that tricky right side.

Left Lane: Larry Morgan Runs 7.026/197.62 Now #11, (Best prior run: 6.998/197.13 Was #11)
Right Lane: Tom Martino Runs 7.028/196.82 Now #10, (Best prior run: 6.987/197.31 Was #10)

No help here, sorry.

Left Lane: Shawn Collins Runs 8.592/112.11 Now #21, (Best prior run: 8.043/125.73 Was #20)
Right Lane: Troy Coughlin Runs 7.002/ 0.00 Now #12, (Best prior run: 11.048/ 79.55 Was #31)

Collins had a good 1.022 in the first 60' but couldn't keep it going.

Left Lane: Ray Franks Runs 6.948/198.32 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 7.044/196.13 Was #16)
Right Lane: Warren Johnson Runs 6.881/199.55 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 6.949/198.17 Was # 6)

WJ gets within a hundredth of the national record (6.873), that's how quick it is here in the Land of Elvis.

Left Lane: Larry Nance Runs 6.997/196.67 Now #12, (Best prior run: 7.069/195.90 Was #18)
Right Lane: Gary Wiggins No Time Now #17, (Best prior run: 7.039/195.76 Was #16)

Nance gets his first ever six, but all eyes were on the Wiggins Firebird. He was out of shape right from the start, the car close to the centerline at 200', then he collected the 330' timing reflector, then corrected and *overcorrected*. The car was completely sideways at halftrack, up on two wheels and dragging the headers in a shower of sparks. Somehow it settles back onto all four, then crosses over and slaps the left side wall with the left rear of the car. Little damage is evident, but it was a spectacular ride.

Left Lane: George Marnell Runs 6.937/197.31 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 8.834/106.44 Was #25)
Right Lane: Jeff Wick Runs 11.823/ 73.36 Now #24, (Best prior run: 8.481/119.42 Was #23)

Stellar pass by the Tenneco Firebird team, they've struggled as of late.

Left Lane: Joel Bayless Runs 10.112/ 92.20 Now #31, (Best prior run: 10.288/ 89.28 Was #31)
Right Lane: Wayne Hutton Runs 7.164/189.26 Now #21, (Best prior run: 7.214/191.67 Was #21)

Another car out of the groove, Bayless coming very close to scraping the wall at halftrack.

Left Lane: Dester Cambron Runs 7.004/197.42 Now #16, (No prior time)
Right Lane: Pete Williams Runs 7.140/195.17 Now #22, (Best prior run: 9.452/ 95.37 Was #29)

Both cars have 1.05 60' times, but Cambron really came on downtrack. Now he gets to keep his fingers crossed for the rest of the session. That bumped Mike Edwards, by the way.

Left Lane: Kurt Johnson Runs 6.943/198.67 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 9.245/ 90.00 Was #30)

Looks like a couple of left lane singles to finish out the round... and Kurt bumps Cambron, lickety-split. Now Troy Coughlin is on the not seat, at 7.002.

Left Lane: V. Gaines Runs 6.953/197.43 Now #12, (Best prior run: 8.761/105.90 Was #28)

And that's it, the last car of the session jumps into the show and makes this an all-six-second field. So it's The Professor on top and Larry Morgan holding down the bump spot at 6.998... awesome.