Sun, 29 Oct 2000, 12:18 PM HOUSTON-2 - Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Stock at the 4th annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Brad Klein          6.946 197.97  Q    9 Rickie Smith        6.947 198.61
                  0.464  7.379 149.70  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.477  6.971 198.76

12:12 PM Smith won here last year, but his prospects for a repeat win looked bad when Klein left on him with a small advantage off the line. But Klein's car started shaking the tires and skated over next to the wall, forcing him to lift while Smith went right down the groove.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Brad Jeter          6.941 197.88  Q   10 Tom Martino         6.950 197.16
 *****WINNER***** 0.524  6.961 198.03  E1                  0.467  7.080 192.71

Same story, switch the lanes, Martino with a decided starting line advantage only to lose that advantage when his car got out of the groove, over toward the wall, and started fishtailing. Margin of victory = 0.062 seconds (approximately 18 feet).

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Jim Yates           6.933 198.35  Q   11 Troy Coughlin       6.952 198.50
                  0.493  6.954 197.59  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.452  6.971 197.57

Troy was 2-1 against Yates this season coming into this round. Troy makes it 3-1 on a holeshot, the margin of victory = 0.024 seconds (approximately 7 feet).

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Mark Pawuk          6.928 197.94  Q   12 Darrell Alderman    6.952 198.26
 *****WINNER***** 0.453  6.941 198.35  E1                  0.388  6.955 198.17

Alderman held a 2-1 edge over Pawuk in prior races this year, but proved the old "win by the tree, lose by the tree" adage, going red and letting "Cowboy" advance easily with the quickest winning lap so far this round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Warren Johnson      6.924 199.17  Q   13 Robert Patrick      6.955 197.45
 *****WINNER***** 0.476  6.917 199.82  E1                  0.467  6.991 197.97

Patrick went in and staged quickly, trying to shake "the Professor," but WJ has been at this way too long for that to work and took his time, then ran away to win by a margin of victory = 0.065 seconds (approximately 19 feet). He runs low ET of eliminations so far, earning lane choice against Pawuk next round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Richie Stevens      6.909 197.71  Q   14 Jeg Coughlin        6.956 197.28
 *****WINNER***** 0.454  6.950 196.79  E1                  0.463  6.947 198.47

"The Kid" gave the 2000 Winston champion a driving lesson here with a holeshot win, the margin of victory = 0.006 seconds (approximately 21 inches). Stevens also gets lane choice against Troy next round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Ron Krisher         6.905 198.17  Q   15 George Marnell      6.956 196.79
 *****WINNER***** 0.432  6.901  19.91  E1                  0.497  6.979 197.19

Krisher left nothing on the table for Marnell to work with, a psychic light and low ET of the weekend (so far) the key to an easy win, the margin of victory = 0.143 seconds (approximately 41 feet). He has lane choice over Jeter next round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Kurt Johnson        6.902 199.55  Q   16 Larry Morgan        6.957 197.08
 *****WINNER***** 0.508  6.912 199.49  E1                  0.481  6.999 196.79

Morgan got the holeshot, but it wasn't nearly big enough to hold off KJ's second-low ET of the weekend. Kurt will have lane choice against Smith in round two.