Sat, Feb 6, 07:10 PM POMONA - Pro Stock Truck Round 1 Eliminations

By Darryl Jackman Tricky Left Lane Decides Many Races

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock Truck at the 39th annual NHRA AutoZone Winternationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   9 Mike Coughlin       7.674 172.98  Q   8 Bob Panella Jr      7.671 175.87
                  0.441  8.202 103.71 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.402  7.664 175.73

3:33 PM and the sun is peeking thru the clouds about 10% of the time, so the track temp is just 8-10 degrees higher than the 56 degree air temp. And Panella gets the holeshot of the day, just 0.002 seconds short of perfect, and takes the first win of the day. Couldn't tell why Coughlin slowed, sorry.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  10 Todd Patterson      7.675 175.21  Q   7 Craig Eaton         7.639 174.35
                  0.446  9.404 102.34 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.491  7.644 174.17

Patterson's Dodge makes a little move to the left right off the line, then a big move to the wall at half-track, forcing him to lift and let Eaton drive by for the win.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  11 Jerry Haas          7.682 175.25  Q   6 Randy Daniels       7.637 176.12
                  0.527  7.767 174.50 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.511  7.610 176.67

Daniels made three runs within 0.02 seconds in qualifying, and betters that here to take the win. Neither driver did a great job at the start, but Haas was never in this one.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  12 John Lingenfelter   7.687 175.39  Q   5 Brian Self          7.635 175.02
                  0.507 10.258  91.81 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.456  7.662 172.36

Lingenfelter didn't qualify until the last round, and here he moves toward the centerline then a big move toward the wall forcing him to step off the gas.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  13 Vinny Barone        7.696 175.18  Q   4 Brad Jeter          7.622 177.30
                  0.552  9.891  95.94 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.510  7.700 100.00

Again, the left side was way out of shape early, and Barone is forced to lift or put it into the wall.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  14 Grant Lewis         7.702 174.98  Q   3 Mark Osborne        7.615 176.01
                  0.441  7.850 173.56 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.458  7.624 176.12

Lewis is straight as a string this time, the first truck we've seen go right down the left side in a while, but it still wasn't enough and Osborne takes the win by 0.209 secs.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  15 Sondra Sikes        7.742 170.21  Q   2 Larry Kopp          7.598 176.88
                  0.465 23.947  42.78 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.514  7.586 176.47

There's a problem with Sikes' machine, and for a second we thought she wasn't even going to stage, but she does, only to roll slowly off the line at the green. And Kopp resets the track record, on what turns out to be a single run.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  16 Roy Simmons         7.763 170.67  Q   1 Tim Freeman         7.591 176.35
                  0.451  7.944 168.81 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.470  7.589 176.37

Simmons has the holeshot but not the horsepower, while Freeman nearly matches Kopp's record pace here. That's the final pair, only 8 trucks come back tomorrow.