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NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge - Gainesville
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The
latest results from the first stop on the ten race AMS Pro Modified
Challenge tour
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By Bobby Bennett Photos by Roger Richards |
FINAL - Billes holds his ground; Scores victory for Canada
(3-21-2004) - Al Billes doesn’t mind shying away from all the fanfare and hoopla that sometimes permeates the Pro Modified community. On a day at the 35th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals when upsets reigned supreme, Billes, the seventh quickest in an eight-car field, looked anything but an underdog. The Barrie, Ont.-based engineer drove his 1953 Corvette to the first AMS Pro Modified Challenge event victory of the season. It was also his first one as well. Billes took out the #2, #3 and #4 and four ranked drivers in that order to seal the victory. When Ed Hoover blew the tires off at the hit, it marked the third driver to do so against Billes. “I just don’t get up into all of that talking stuff,” Billes said. “I just like to do my thing and keep a low profile. I don’t think it had any effect on our win today. We won because we made the right calls. Besides, I had to win this one for Mom and Dad; they do so much for me.”
Billes fired the first shot and it was the one heard ‘round the entire Pro Modified world. Billes ripped off a .001 reaction time and it proved to be more than he needed en route to a 6.246, 230.29 lap. Smith missed the combination and blew the tires off at the 1-2 shift. Beyond that, the quicker qualified cars of Hoover (Zach Barklage), Mike Janis (Rickie Smith) and Mike Ashley (Mitch Stott) advanced to the semis. Ashley proved to be the only winner to dip into the 6-teens all day with a 6.194, 229.88. In the next round, Billes scored another huge triumph with a quicker reaction and a 6.215, 230 as Ashley shook the tires so hard on his Unique Performance-sponsored Shelby G.T. 500 that it turned the car nearly sideways. Hoover, for his part, had a strong run to the final round. After earning his way into the field with the fourth quickest run, his first round opponent was 19-year old Zach Barklage, who was enjoying the event of his life. A personal best on Friday couldn’t help him against Hoover, who laid down a 6.246, 226.87. Barklage lost with a 6.325.
Hoover averted disaster on the top end as he easily covered low qualifier Mike Janis with a 6.216, 228.71. Janis was clearly off the pace of earlier, but encountered handling problems on the top end and drifted into Hoover’s lane. There was no contact for either car. In the final round, Hoover developed an air gap problem in his clutch and that was more than enough advantage for Billes to take advantage of. Billes was untouched to the stripe with a 6.206, 229.88. Hoover absorbed the loss with a 15.744.
SATURDAY - Janis vaults to the top in Saturday’s final session
(3-20-2004) - Mike Janis will admit it. He had to go all the way to St. Louis to qualify number one in Gainesville. That’s exactly how far the former IHRA World Champion, now sporting the livery of Eaton Automotive, had to reach into his notes to find the suitable combination that vaulted him into the top spot of final AMS Pro Modified Challenge competition during the 35th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals. Janis, competing in only his second NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge event since June of last year, thundered down the Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile with a 6.157, 230.94. Just as Mike Ashley’s day of domination was Friday, this day clearly belonged to Janis. “We just had to find some comparable data,” added Janis. “Since we are used to running IHRA events, where the tracks are prepared in a different way than the NHRA, we consulted the data book to find a good starting point. We came close to going down the track on Friday’s first session, but we missed it a little bit. “Mike (Ashley) ran quick in the final session today and that showed me the fourth session might end up being the quickest of the four.
“Of course I was to thank Eaton Automotive and all of our sponsors for making this possible.” Knocking on Janis’ door was none other than last season’s second-half dominator Von Smith driving the Tommy Lipar-owned Mustang. The former Top Alcohol Funny Car standout Smith stepped up with their best effort of the weekend, a 6.160, 231.30, after struggling to find their usual groove much of the first two qualifying days. Ashley, Friday’s superstar, made a valiant bid to retain his status by laying down a 6.175, 228.13 during the quick final session. The real treat for Ashley is that his run came before Janis and automotive legend Carroll Shelby, an endorser on his unique Shelby G.T. 500E, was there to see it. Ed Hoover rounded out the top half of the field with Paul Trussell’s supercharged ’63 Corvette. The original Pro Modified national event winner failed to improve in the final session, but made his mark in the third session by vaulting to the top, only to have his 6.190 edged out by Janis for the third session by speed.
Young Zach Barklage enjoyed his finest weekend ever by qualifying fifth on the strength of his first qualifying attempt. The 19-year old Barklage hit a personal best with a 6.201, 231.48. His speed held up as the best in qualifying. Defending IHRA World Champion Mitch Stott settled into the 6th spot with a 6.217, 230.06 in his Radiac-sponsored Corvette. Stott’s run came on his third qualifying attempt. Canadian Al Billes proudly waved the flag for his country as he put his new ’53 Corvette into the seventh spot with a 6.223, 229.24. Rounding out the field was the lone nitrous entry belonging to past Gators champion Rickie Smith. Smith’s best effort came during the third session with a 6.225, 224.21. Saturday Notes – Nurses, Surrender flags and a Rolling O...oh my!
Tough, tough field – Another slew of notable DNQs led to complaints of the standard eight-car program. As many as 23 entries were attempting to squeeze into only eight final eliminations positions. Among those bitten by the regulation were defending world champions Fred Hahn and Jim Oddy, past national event winners Mike Castellana, Danny Rowe and Thomas Patterson. Previous world championships had no bearing on the outcome as the top two winningest drivers in Pro Modified – Scotty Cannon and Shannon Jenkins were all left out in the cold when Saturday qualifying completed. Cannon would have been on the bubble of the 16-car show with a 6.280. No Medical Coverage – That’s exactly the response Tommy Lipar’s team was given when NHRA officials were presented with a request for the scantily clad Nurse Tiffany to go out on the starting line with the Dr. Moon’s Rage team driven by Von Smith. She was granted permission as long as she was in a team uniform. She might not have been a hit with NHRA officials, but in the Hot Bod contest on Wednesday’s Gainesville Ale House party, she reached the finals. Maybe a scantily clad team uniform is in order? You again? – One of the first round match-ups in Sunday’s final eliminations will pit Mike Ashley versus Mitch Stott. The two drivers have met up in the first two eliminations rounds at the Gators every year since 2002. Stott holds the edge in the battle. Waving the flag…of surrender – While Rickie Smith will be waving the flag for the nitrous camp in Sunday’s eliminations, the duo of Shannon Jenkins and Mike Castellana were waving another flag after the third session. Castellana mortally wounded one of the team’s primary motors forcing the team to withdraw and return to Alabama in order to prepare for next week’s IHRA opener in San Antonio, Texas. The Rolling O rolls on the next event – Six-time World Champion Scotty Cannon had a tough day in the office with his Oakley-sponsored 1953 Studebaker. After completely changing everything on the car following Friday’s frustrating performance, Cannon and his crew finally completed work at 6 AM Saturday morning only to be faced with the task of a 10:30 session. Both of Cannon’s two Saturday runs fell short of the 6.225.
FRIDAY - "Eleanor" rules in first day of Gainesville Pro Modified qualifying
(3-19-2004) - New York Mortgage Banker Mike Ashley learned a valuable lesson during the first day of AMS Pro Modified Challenge qualifying at the 35th annual MAC Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. Noted as one of the pioneering drivers of the class, the Unique Performance-sponsored driver because increasingly aware that a driver could endure the most frustrating season only to have all the frustrating memories erased and replaced with good fortunes and momentum from a new look and new car. The debut of Ashley’s new Shelby G.T. 500 was more than a tremendous outing. Ashley left no doubt that he was the driver to beat from the start of Friday qualifying. His 6.197, 229.47 was his first hit out of the box and a 6.20 provided an excellent back-up for the Chuck Ford-tuned machine. “It just goes to show you that hard work pays off,” explained Ashley, a past winner on the NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge tour. “This team has been through some tough times, but we never gave up. Quitting is not an option for us. Our effort today exemplified the meaning of true grit and effort. I think it’s just the beginning of even more good things to come.”
Ashley is content to take it all in stride, one day at a time. “I’m not naïve in this game,” Ashley added. “Tomorrow you can go hero to zero real fast. We’re not looking to do that. It’s just one round at a time for us. Each time we go out, we are in preparation mode. We keep preparing for the future.” Falling in order behind Ashley was the surprising effort of 19-year old Zach Barklage. The sophomore driver’s 6.201, 231.48 was enough to lead the field in the early going, and more than enough to cover the 6.217, 230.06 from Mitch Stott. Ed Hoover rounded out the top half of the field with a 6.217. The blown entries of Mike Janis and Von Smith were at the top of the game for the second half of the show.
The only nitrous cars that made the show were the members of the Awesome Motorsports group. Mike Castellana (6.240) and Shannon Jenkins (6.206) rounded out the eight-car field. A who’s who of non-qualifiers for the first day included
Rickie Smith (6.259), Scotty Cannon (6.280), Thomas Patterson (6.360)
and Jay Payne (6.733). Friday Notes - Ashley nails down top spot in first session, Nitrous testing and the Janis introduction to NHRA Pro Modified
Gone in 6.19 seconds - Mike Ashley has a way of rewarding new sponsors. Two years ago, he debuted his InfiNet Insurance and Financial Services sponsorship with a victory in the first outing. This weekend, Ashley debuted his new Shelby GT500E for sponsor Unique Performance. His reward this time? The New York Mortgage Banker went to the top of the qualifying order with a 6.197, 229.47 lap. Need a Little More Rage Dr. Moon – On his team shaking the tires on the first attempt, Von Smith’s crewchief Howard Moon quipped, “It was better than we thought. This track has always been good. We should have remembered that.” Zach Attack – Nineteen-year old former Pro Street racer turned Pro Modified runner Zach Barklage set the tone for the season in the very first pair of cars to travel the Gainesville quarter-mile. Barklage, of Lake Ozark, Mo., pushed his supercharged Grand am to a 6.201, 231.48. The run served as a personal best for the driver whose tuning chores are handled by Chad Wilson and Zach’s father Mark Barklage. Barklage added, “I am so happy right now. I had no clue that it would run that. I guess its hard to conceal the fact we had it on kill.” Cannon’s First Shot – Pro Modified’s winningest driver Scotty Cannon admitted his initial return to the class’ pecking order could have been better. Cannon successfully navigated the Gainesville Raceway surface for the sixth quickest lap of the first session with a 6.280, 225.67. ‘s Cannon added, “It felt good…the car was just weak…that’s all. We’ll have to turn up the wick because these boys don’t play. If I don’t I’ll be watching on Sunday. When asked if he felt as if he had something to prove on this day, Cannon added, “The only think I better prove is that I’ve got enough sense to get this car in the field.” The Nitrous Factor – After one session, the quickest of the nitrous cars was Rickie Smith. One thing that three of the four nitrous cars in attendance had in common was testing in Florida during the off-season. Although the teams tested south west of Gainesville in Bradenton, the sessions yielded very little input. According the Jenkins, “The tracks are prepared totally different. We couldn’t get down the track there and came over here and it went straight down. Jenkins was 7th after the first session and teammate Mike Castellana was one spot lower in 8th after the first session. Welcome to the NFL – Former IHRA World Champion
Mike Janis found out the hard way what happens to the new kid on
the block when they come over to the NHRA side. They are put at
the front of the qualifying list. Janis added, “I hate being
there. But, you have to earn your spot in the rear.” Janis
shook the tires and aborted his first attempt. Janis debuted a new
sponsorship with Eaton this weekend. Thursday Notes - "Eleanor" strolls in, Party Central on Wednesday evening and Cannon's return
Yes, she's fast and no, you can't touch her - Mike Ashley has collectively learned the art of change through many economic trends in business. It has all worked as a positive for him. Headed into this weekend’s NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals, the Unique Performance-sponsored driver will assume a new role on his Gotham City Racing team as the marketing flagship for Unique Performance’s Shelby G.T. 500E line of Carroll Shelby-endorsed musclecars. Change is a good thing, but with Ashley, the only thing that has changed is the car. Unchanged is the team’s desire to earn the number one ranking in the Pro Modified division. If history repeats itself in Gainesville for Ashley, this might be the season that the veteran Pro Modified driver gives credence to his team’s “Gone in 6.0 Seconds” moniker. He’ll even have the legend Shelby on hand to supervise.
Ashley’s first order of business before hitting the track for the first of two scheduled sessions on Friday took place on Wednesday evening as a special guest for a pre-race party at the Gainesville Ale House. It’s billed as a party, but the true meaning of the gathering is much larger. “We wanted to show the great people of Gainesville that the Pro Modified division is the best doorslammer category in drag racing,” explained Ashley. “We took part in this same program back in 2002 and the interaction with the fans that night made Pro Modified more personable. I think we gained a lot of fans because of that. “I think we gained a lot more this time. This is a very marketable class and it’s all about showing what a tremendous opportunity is out there for a prospective sponsor.” Overheard - "If NHRA would commit to make these things a class, both of us would jump in a Pro Modified." - Troy Coughlin Bring it on Better Homes & Gardens - On CompetitionPlus' prediction of Greg Anderson to finish 6th in Pro Stock points, Pro Mod tuner and TAFC Champion, Jimmy Rector opined: "Anyone could have read Home and Garden and gotten enough information to make a better pick than that." Still laughing, Rector further stated, "I like Bobby and love to bust his chops on things like this." Jimmy, I'm a married man...I don't need any help in that department.
- Bobby Stivers No Party Animal - Kentucky-based Pro Modified racer Rick Stivers was unable to make the AMS pre-race party at the Gainesville Ale House. During the trip to Florida, a 5-gallon jug of kerosene reportedly spilled on the floor of the rig causing the surface to peel. The crew was up all night cleaning instead of partying. Added Stivers, "A million dollar operation and we had a piece of duct tape for a lid. A little stupid can wipe out a lot of smart and hard work." One stinking round – Falling one round short of claiming the 2003 NHRA AMS Pro Modified Championship left Thomas Patterson with an abundance of emotions. Of course, the primary feeling running through his mind at the completion of the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, the tenth race on the ten-event tour; was one of frustration. One round was all that separated him from his first career world championship. That led to another problem for the Houston, Texas-based driver for Richard Patterson’s operation. How was he going to top what was already considered the best event of his career? “I was thinking the same thing,” answered Patterson. “We had a career season. One of the more valuable lessons we learned is just how important each round is. You never take those things into consideration until you lose a championship by one stinking round.” That’s exactly what kept him from putting the number one on his window in 2004, a final round loss to Von Smith. This year's NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals could provide another storyline. Just to think, had Patterson qualified his Vanishing Point Race Cars-built, 1941 Willys at last season’s NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals, he would be the champion today. Would have…could have…should have…are the phrases that come to mind for Patterson. The threat of rain on Saturday’s qualifying led officials to push the session forward by an hour. An overabundance of maintenance work prevented from making the call. “It was a bad deal,” added Patterson. “You will always run into those kinds of situations and you just have to deal with them the best you can."
One stinking championship? We want two - Top Alcohol Funny Car stadout turned Pro Modified terror Von Smith says a World Championship would be nice, but two is what he's gunning for. He wants an NHRA and IHRA title to add to his resume as driver of Tommy Lipar's Mustang. Smith is not stressing though. "The burden is not on me. I'm the lucky guy who gets to drive this Lipar Racing Mustang. The burden is on everybody else -- mainly the crew and sponsors. My work schedule allows me to get away when I need to and be where I need to be. The pressure is usually on everybody else."
The Harold Martin Show - Coming off a strong 2003 campaign, Harold Martin and his crew spent the off-season finding ways to improve their program even further. Having made what they feel are significant gains, they are ready to build on their success, and anxiously await their return to action this weekend in the Sunshine State. "We're pumped to get out there and begin our journey," said Martin. "You don't know how good you are until you stack yourself up against the best in the world, and the ACDelco Grand Am Racing team is excited to have that opportunity this weekend. "We think we've done a lot in preparation for the 2004 season. We've been cautious and careful not to lose what we had at the end of last year, but, at the same time, we've rolled up our sleeves and worked really hard in the R & D department to develop some horsepower. Now we need to make sure we harness it and capitalize on it in prime time." This event will mark Martin's first race at this legendary Florida facility, a task further complicated by the unique eight-car field used by the NHRA with the Pro Modified class. "Clearly, in my mind a professional race has always started with sixteen cars," said Martin. "Having to compete in a field half that size requires a lot of skill and a certain amount of luck, so you have to have those fortunes tied together. With only an eight-car field, every run must be a great one. "We'll enter this event with a certain degree of caution, because we can't say for sure that we have enough history under our belts to fully understand the NHRA tracks and track preparation. In addition, we don't have previous data on Gainesville Raceway to refer back to, so it brings a certain amount of humbleness to our approach. We're going to hope and pray that the weather is good and the track predictable. If not, we'll be behind the eight ball. "With all things being equal, we're confident of having the performance to compete at this level. However, with only an eight car field, there is no room for error, with the No. 1 qualifier just as easily being fifteenth."
Closing the Chapter – When the NHRA POWERade tour kicked off in Pomona, Ca., Scotty Cannon was in Douglas, Ga., with a cell-phone to his ear. The former Funny Car driver from Lyman, SC., was curious how his former comrades qualified. A week later, Cannon never called. He didn’t have time to. The six-time Pro Modified champion was too busy preparing his trademark 1953 Studebaker for a run at the NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge tour starting this weekend in Gainesville, Fla., at the NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals. Just like that, the Oakley-sponsored Cannon said goodbye to life as he knew it of the last four seasons and ushered in another run in the division that set him up for the opportunity to pursue a dream of racing against his hero John Force. “We’re ready for this,” Cannon explained, a sense of excitement stirring in his voice. “Some people have said I’m taking a step back, but I think I’m just taking a step to the side. Driving a Funny Car and a Pro Modified has a lot of parallels. One is just as hard as the other in some instances.” The Mohawk is still there, even though it has that weathered look these days. He’s back in the routine of working long hours and being on the run constantly. Just two weeks ago, the Pro Modified legend was elbow to elbow with veteran paint craftsman Barney Squires and his Performance Auto Crafters crew painting the rig Oakley red. “It’s still about the attitude,” explained Cannon. “Our number one goal was and still is to market Oakley’s product line. Just because I am running Pro Modified doesn’t mean that I am any less committed to keeping Oakley’s name in the spotlight. There could be no prettier a site than to see that Oakley logo in the winner’s circle. “You can bet your butt, I’m gonna do everything in my power to get it there. It ain’t gonna be easy though.” Opening New Chapter - Last season, a wearied Danny Rowe couldn’t help but feel that he’d been through three years in the span of one. The West Coast-based Pro Modified driver from Laguna Hills, Ca., experienced about as many misfortunes as a driver could, yet his never-quit spirit kept him coming back for more. New car bugs combined with various electrical gremlins proved to be the source of frustration for a driver that had more than proved his worth by winning two NHRA Pro Modified national events and a West Coast Pro Modified Association Championship. Content to put the memories of 2003 behind him and concentrate on 2004, Rowe’s foremost objective was to regain the same momentum that drove him to the final round at the 2001 NHRA U.S. Nationals. Pro Modified team owner Mike Ashley and his Gotham City Racing team always considered Rowe a formidable opponent despite any gremlin that may have hampered his efforts. It became clear that Rowe was the perfect driver to complete the expanding Gotham City team. Rowe is extremely excited headed into qualifying tomorrow for the NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. “I have high hopes for this year,” added Rowe. “Mike Ashley and his team represent a first class operation and I am proud to be involved. I have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to be a part of the InfiNet Insurance & Financial Network as well as Gotham City Racing.” When the union of East and West Coast was announced last October, the initial plan was for Rowe to drive the team’s award-winning 1941 Willys. That has since changed and Rowe will do battle in a 1963 Corvette. This classic Chevrolet features another rendition of the trademark Gotham City mural that has become a common feature for the Long Island, NY-based operation.
The Hoover Vacuum - Momentum can make or break a drag racer at the start of the season. Just one year ago, Ed Hoover and team owner Paul Trussell took delivery of a supercharged car a few weeks before the NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge kicked off its ten-race tour. Knowing the eight-car field was going to demand the best effort a team had to offer, Hoover began testing early in the season. He made appearances in Darlington and Virginia for a few acclamation outings and as desperately as he hoped to get the feel he’d experience the last two decades with a nitrous car – he couldn’t feel it. Two weeks earlier, he’d wounded his nitrous motor at the IHRA season-opener in San Antonio, Tex., trying to keep pace with the supercharged cars. The test session in Virginia yielded less than spectacular results. All Hoover could do was wave the white flag of surrender temporarily. Time has a way of healing all wounds, even if those scrapes are related to gaining seat time in a blower car. “We just didn’t have it all together,” explained Hoover, referring to sitting out last year’s NHRA Gatornationals. “We remained in battle with the nitrous car, all the while bringing the blower car up to speed. We’re ready to contend. Last year was our rookie season.” Stawicki's Got Speed? - The Pro Modified team
of Mike Stawicki and Jim Salemi are looking forward to improving
on their 2003 season. In preparations for the new season Stawicki
has secured some associate backing from Speed Transportation, Integrated
Quality Solutions, B.A. Enterprises, and NGK. Speed Transportation, a world wide shipping and transportation
company headquartered in the western New York area has been great
help to the team in 2004. "Every little bit of support helps
Jim and I be more competitive on the circuit. With the help of everyone
from Speed Transportation and I.Q.S we have more of the tools it
takes to run one of these cars throughout the season," said
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(3-18-2004) - What happens when you combine 5 of the most graphically appealing Pro Modified entries, the Gainesville Ale House, scores of hungry and passionate race fans, John Force, a hot body contest and a classic Shelby GT500E from Unique Performance? Well if you’re Kenny Nowling at Nowling Motorsports Management, you score a promotional home run.
It was just two years ago that Nowling orchestrated a kickoff party of the same magnitude that ushered in the AMS Pro Modified Challenge. The maestro was up to his same antics as emcee Bret Kepner brought a standing room-only crowd to a frenzy that should bring in a few more fans of the Pro Modified class, and of course, encourage ticket sales for the event this weekend in Gainesville.
Force, long known for his admiration of the class, stepped to center stage and proclaimed the NHRA’s exhibition division to be one that has always caught his eye. He gave credit to the teams for their creativity in themes by saying, “You gotta love these guys they put on the side of the car what they want to put.”
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That led to recognition of Mark Brown and Illusions Paint & Body for having painted four of five cars on display.
The five cars on display were Mike Ashley’s Unique Performance-sponsored 1967 Shelby GT500, Danny Rowe’s InfiNet-sponsored 1963 Corvette, Zach Barkledge’s supercharged Grand-Am, Von Smith in Tommy Lipar’s supercharged Mustang and the flagship for AMS Staff Leasing driven by Troy Critchley.
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Then there was the hot bod contest which was won by a college student named Erin. Of course, that stole the show for most of the partygoers of the male persuasion (and a few of the females)…except for the one Goodyear tire store employee who dropped in to see the cars.
Looking at the 001 limited edition “Eleanor” replica Shelby GT500E from Unique Performance, he rubbed his head and uttered, “Man, I’d give my firstborn child to drive this thing.”
