Sun, 12 Jun 2005, 11:17 AM Pro Stock Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

GRAND BEND, Ont. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock at the 2005 Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, Sixth annual Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 John Nobile                             4 Pete Berner                  
E1                   0.053  6.589 211.86     ****WINNER****  0.028  6.606 209.85
 Qualified:             #9  6.564 212.36                        #8  6.563 212.43

11:02 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 83 percent, barometer 29.37 inches, adjusted altitude 2,409 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

We open with a holeshot victory for Berner, his excellent light enough to overcome Nobile's average light, but Nobile was closing fast. Pete Berner's incremental margins: 60ft(0.033), 330 ft(0.032), 660ft(0.024), 1,000ft(0.014). MOV: 0.0081 seconds (approximately 3 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   22 Doug Kirk                             381 Jerry Haas                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  6.544 212.19                     0.107  6.535 213.33
 Qualified:            #10  6.575 211.73                        #7  6.545 213.98

Kirk notches his first round win of the season with our second holeshot victory of the round, knocking out the #2 in points. Doug Kirk's incremental margins: 60ft(0.046), 330 ft(0.042), 660ft(0.036), 1,000ft(0.033). MOV: 0.0296 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  235 Chuck DeMory                            6 Rick Jones                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.139  6.612 208.10                     0.045  9.843  99.50
 Qualified:            #11  6.598 210.05                        #6  6.536 213.67

Jones lost traction on the left rear and almost collected the wall. Three pairs, two upsets.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  171 Larry O'Brien                          10 Tony Gillig                  
E1                   0.088  6.579 211.33     ****WINNER****  0.074  6.500 213.16
 Qualified:            #12  6.602 210.60                        #5  6.527 212.90

O'Brien needed a holeshot to even the odds and he didn't get it, then his car wandered out of the groove in the middle of the run. It probably didn't matter, Gillig ran low ET of the weekend so far, almost our first "forty" of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  112 Richard Penland                         7 Frank Gugliotta              
E1                  -0.029  6.566 208.91     ****WINNER****  0.034  6.538 212.83
 Qualified:            #13  6.634 209.14                        #4  6.526 213.00

Penland gave Gugliotta a free pass. Gugliotta had a good light and a strong run, but it was not strong enough to earn lane choice against Gillig next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  103 Daniel Seamon                           3 John Montecalvo              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  6.564 213.50                     0.034  6.639 211.03
 Qualified:            #14  6.639 212.03                        #3  6.515 213.27

Seamon won on a holeshot, aided by a big excursion by Montecalvo at half track. Montecalvo's car made a sudden move toward the centerline, getting very sideways, allowing Seamon to go by for the win. Daniel Seamon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.044), 330 ft(-0.041), 660ft(0.007), 1,000ft(0.030). MOV: 0.0439 seconds (approximately 14 feet). Seamon will have lane choice against DeMory in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  516 Ed Machacek                             8 Steve Spiess                 
E1                   0.073  6.582 210.14     ****WINNER****  0.083  6.516 214.31
 Qualified:            #15  6.664 208.33                        #2  6.508 214.83

Machacek didn't get much of an edge at the tree and Spiess ran away from him. Steve Spiess' MOV: 0.0565 seconds (approximately 17 feet). He will have lane choice against Kirk in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   44 Dwayne Rice                           262 Robert Patrick               
E1                   0.091  6.668 207.46     ****WINNER****  0.086  6.541 213.54
 Qualified:            #16  6.672 208.14                        #1  6.506 213.54

This is the first race Rice has qualified for with his new Cobalt. He was close to 330 feet, then his car got out of the groove and a bit sideways, allowing Patrick to pull away for the win and lane choice against Berner next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink