Sun, 31 Oct 1999, 04:46 PM HOUSTON - Pro Stock Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 3 eliminations in Pro Stock at the 3rd annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  16 Mike Thomas         6.925 198.00  Q   12 Rickie Smith        6.918 198.47
   (B Allen     ) 0.441  6.888 199.64  E1   (K Johnson   ) 0.484  6.886 199.82
   (J Yates     ) 0.442  6.901 198.67  E2   (T Coughlin  ) 0.516  6.909 199.37
                  0.526  6.925 199.02  E3 *****WINNER***** 0.502  6.877 199.55

3:36 PM Thomas was trying to be only the second sixteenth qualifier ever to win an event. Smith was trying to keep up his reputation as king of the staging duels. Thomas went in first, Smith got the light, and then Thomas couldn't run the numbers and Smith could. He's still the king of staging duels.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  15 Jeg Coughlin        6.921 199.37  Q    6 Tom Martino         6.892 199.88
   (D Beverley  ) 0.489  6.857 200.86  E1   (A Johnson   ) 0.499  6.848 201.13
   (M Pawuk     ) 0.432  6.866 199.94  E2   (W Johnson   ) 0.486  6.855 200.83
                  0.444  6.837 200.77  E3 *****WINNER***** 0.432  6.843 201.22

These two are known for their reaction times and neither wanted to go in first. Jeg finally went in, then Martino. Martino got the holeshot against a good reaction time and then held on to win by a margin of victory = 0.006 seconds (approximately 21 inches), also earning lane choice against Smith in the final round.