Sun, 28 Oct 2001, 05:55 PM LAS VEGAS 2 - Pro Stock Round 3 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 3 eliminations in Pro Stock at the Inaugural AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 George Marnell      6.974 197.54  Q    7 Mark Pawuk          6.976 197.25
   (M Osborne   ) 0.461  6.987 196.85  E1   (R Smith     ) 0.450  7.032 196.04
   (R Krisher   ) 0.425  7.037 196.76  E2   (M Edwards   ) 0.539  7.045 196.22
                  0.350  7.017 196.82  E3 *****WINNER***** 0.458  8.535 114.98

2:42 PM Marnell defeated Pawuk in their only prior meeting this year and is the hometown favorite, having made the first run ever down "The Strip" last year. So much for the hometown advantage! marnell left way too soon and Pawuk advances to the final round despite a very off-pace run, his car moving around at half track.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Tom Hammonds        6.964 198.32  Q    1 Jim Yates           6.949 197.77
   (T Coughlin  ) 0.451  6.981 197.91  E1   (K Koretsky  ) 0.488  6.988 196.56
   (B Allen     ) 0.459  7.016 196.59  E2   (T Martino   ) 0.484  7.034 196.02
 *****WINNER***** 0.449  6.996 197.57  E3                  0.458  7.026 196.47

Yates beat Hammonds in their only prior meeting this year, in the first round at Brainerd, but Hammonds had lane choice here and put Yates in the right lane, a lane Yates said was at least a hundredth slower. Hammonds won this one at both ends of the track, with another good reaction time and another six-second run. Yates made a good effort, with his best reaction time of the day, and the loss makes his title chances slim indeed. Margin of victory = 0.039 seconds (approximately 11 feet). Hammonds will have lane choice against Pawuk in the finals and we'll have our fifteenth different winner in Pro Stock this season no matter who wins.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink