NHRA U.S. NATIONALS - BME PRO MODIFIED NOTEBOOK
CompetitionPlus.com will bring you the stories
behind the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in
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MONDAY FINAL RESULTS - BURGESS WINS EMOTIONAL GSA PRO MOD TITLE
Roger Burgess won his second event of the season and claimed the crown jewel of drag racing by winning the Get Screened America Pro 
Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx event at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Burgess defeated Danny Rowe in the final and moved into second place in the points-standings after seven of ten events have been completed. Burgess dedicated his win to the memory and honor of his fallen teammate Bobby Monacelli who passed away from a heart attack on August 10.
Despite an abbreviated number of qualifying sessions due to scheduling and weather delays, the series enjoyed its quickest field in its nine-year history. The bump spot was a 6.120 held by Kirk Wilmes, more than a tenth quicker than the bump spot of 6.132 from 2008. Danny Rowe took low qualifier honors with a 5.943; Brad Personett ran top speed at 248.84.
Burgess’ path to the winner's circle began with a stellar day-one qualifying run of 5.960 at 242.45 mph that gave him the provisional pole. In the second qualifier he suffered mechanical failure and was passed in the standings by Danny Rowe and Joe Baker to land No. 3. First round eliminations action paired Burgess with John Russo and his unique 2000 Chevy S-10 pickup where Burgess' 5.979 at 241.45 handily defeated Russo's 6.723 at 164.79 and set the tone for the remainder of his elimination rounds.
Second round, he slowed slightly to a 6.062 at 241.07 but still had much more than he needed to defeat Mike Knowles' tire-smoking 8.408 at 110.60 mph. In the semifinals, series points leader Burton Auxier nailed a nearly perfect .003 reaction time to try and surpass Burgess Al Billes-tuned machine, but Burgess' “Ancient Warrior” '67 Camaro had more than enough power to pass Auxier, 5.996 at 239.74 to 6.068 at 232.99.
In the finals, emotions were running high as the teams had to quickly refresh their cars to make the call to the starting line. Burgess lined up against Danny Rowe who had been running his Sterling Bridge '67 Camaro like a bracket car, besting Kirk Wilmes, Rickie Smith and Ike Maier with a 5.949, a 5.986 and a 5.973 after having qualified number one with a 5.943 at 245.54.
At the lights, Burgess cut a .027 reaction to Rowe's .045 and then the Duluth, Ga.-based driver never looked back. Rowe's car suffered engine damage and slowed to a 6.585 at 160 mph, while Burgess ran his best lap of the weekend of 5.956 at 241.80 to take the win. As he climbed out from his car, the first words out his mouth were, "This one is for Bobby."
Burgess said, "We came to this race with a very heavy heart, mourning the loss of our friend and teammate Bobby Monacelli. We didn't talk about it, but every member of this team was resolved to win this event in the honor and memory of Bobby.
"As we worked our way through the day going round by round, we all felt that Bobby was up there watching out for us and smiling as we won each round. The entire team worked tirelessly to get us through each round.
"We'll be sending our trophy and a poster-sized photo that all of the team members and series drivers have signed to Bobby's father, Clem, with the wishes and heartfelt message that Bobby is still a special part of all of us, and that we will miss him greatly," Burgess said.
With their finishes today, Burgess and Rowe joined Auxier and Mike Castellana in solidifying their positions in the Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash which pairs the top eight drivers in a race-within-a-race at the series finals in Las Vegas with a grand prize of $25,000 going to the winner. Also currently in the top eight with just two races remaining to set the field are Joe Baker, Raymond Commisso, Jay Payne and Tim Tindle.
Danny Rowe claimed the B&J Transmissions $500 Bonus by defeating Kirk Wilmes in the first round. B&J's co-owner Mike Strasberg selected the number 16 from a hat during the drivers meeting before the event, signifying that whoever was paired with the No. 16 driver would compete for the B&J Bonus.
Ohio Crankshaft was the featured series sponsor for the event, and was represented in competition by the company's general manager, Scott Ray. Despite failing to qualify because of mechanical issues, Ray said he was pleased with the weekend.
"We support the series because we love Pro Mods," Ray said. "We've raced every year the Challenge has been in NHRA, and as a company we feel it's important to show our support.
"We've been there through the ups and downs, are really excited about the direction Roger Burgess and Get Screened America are taking things. He has done an incredible job this season, and I think the performance of the cars shows the kind of quality Roger and his staff is bringing to this series.
"Indy is a showcase for every team, a real jewel in the crown of any competitor, so to be the featured sponsor is a privilege for us," Ray said.
Next on the schedule is the NHRA Nationals Sept 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
CURRENT POINTS STANDINGS (After 7 of 10 events)
1 Burton Auxier 506
2 Roger Burgess 470
3 Danny Rowe 466
4 Mike Castellana 443
5 Joe Baker 389
6 Raymond Commisso 375
7 Jay Payne 360
8 Tim Tindle 354
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9 Brad Personett 289
10 Mike Knowles 285
11 Rick Stivers 210
12 Taylor Lastor 200
13 Rickie Smith 178
14 Harold Laird 155
15 Kenny Lang 140
16 Kirk Wilmes 94
17 Tommy Gray 85
18 Ike Maier 72
19 Chip King 67
20 Melanie Troxel 65
21 Andy McCoy 63
22 Dennis Radford 51
23 Billy Gibson 42
24 Jason Stock 32
25 Vinny Budano 31
26 David Hance 31
27 Frank Patille 31
28 John Russo 31
29 Scott Christoffel 10
30 Tommy D'Aprile 10
31 Rick DiStefano 10
32 Adam Flamholc 10
33 George Landis 10
34 Scott Ray 10
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SUNDAY QUALIFYING - RAIN CLAIMS FINAL QUALIFIER; ROWE REMAINS ON TOP
Rain showers and live television scheduling conflicts forced NHRA officials to cancel the final round of qualifying scheduled in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. The field was set based on the two previously completed qualifying rounds.
Danny Rowe stayed on top of the class with his Saturday afternoon shot of 5.943 at 245.54 mph. Rowe has only qualified number one in Pro Mod Challenge competition once before, in 2001 at St. Louis, where he also went on to win the event. He has won one event this year so far, the event in Houston, in two final round appearances.
Newcomers Jason Stock, Ike Maier, and Dennis Radford along with John Russo all made the field that has the rookie from Oklahoma, Kirk Wilmes, on the bump spot with a 6.120. This is the quickest field ever for a U.S. Nationals, surpassing last season when Josh Hernandez took the pole with quickest ET and top speed at 5.993 at 241.20 and a bump spot of 6.132.
Local Indiana-resident Brad Personett has top speed of the meet so far at 248.84, and Rowe has low ET so far at 5.943 seconds.
Notably not making the field were Scott Ray representing the weekend's featured Pro Mod sponsor, Ohio Crankshaft; world ET record holder and the winner of the last event Raymond Commisso; and the Trane-backed Rick Stivers who was making his return after suffering a crash in St. Louis that sidelined him for several months. Also missing out were Adam Flamholc from Sweden, Canadian Rick DiStefano, Tommy D'Aprile and his beautiful '62 Bel Air, and Scott Christoffel from Oswego, Ill. who had suffered with back problems the entire weekend.
Eliminations are scheduled to begin Monday morning and run throughout the day, weather permitting.
AGATE:
1 Danny Rowe 5.943 245.54
2 Joe Baker 5.949 240.85
3 Roger Burgess 5.96 242.45
4 Jay Payne 5.963 239.27
5 Mike Castellana 5.963 237.75
6 Mike Knowles 5.977 240.64
7 Melanie Troxel 6.015 241.02
8 Rickie Smith 6.03 234.37
9 Tim Tindle 6.051 236.46
10 Burton Auxier 6.056 234.29
11 Jason Stock 6.079 232.95
12 Ike Maier 6.079 230.49
13 Brad Personett 6.099 247.88
14 John Russo 6.112 238.13
15 Dennis Radford 6.116 229.35
16 Kirk Wilmes 6.12 231.95
------- Not Qualified -------
17 Adam Flamholc 6.12 228.73
18 Raymond Commisso 6.131 241.97
19 Rick DiStefano 6.237 230.61
20 Tommy D'Aprile 6.301 187.47
21 Scott Christoffel 6.365 215.13
22 Rick Stivers 6.647 162.1
23 Scott Ray 9.166 87.79
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SATURDAY INDY DIARY - MATTHEW BRAMMER, GSA PRO MODIFIED SERIES COORDINATOR
Something really struck me today – that is, the way the Pro Mod series/class is unique. I’ve been involved with Top Alcohol, Funny Car, Top Fuel, Pro Stock Bike, and Pro Mod, and there’s just something about this group of people that is different. I don’t know if the other classes started out this way and then morphed/evolved into the states they are today – but I think the Pro Mods have something special.
Let me explain.
Today, all of the classes before us had difficulty getting down the track and keeping their oil in their cars. That put the whole show back several hours, and, as I went into the tower to announce our first scheduled round of qualifying, I was greeted by NHRA Senior VP Graham Light, with the words: “Matthew, I have to pull one of your qualifiers today. We pulled Alcohol yesterday, and now we have to pull you and a round of one of the Sportsman classes.”
Definitely not what I wanted to hear, but something I really knew was coming based on the tardiness of the schedule. I went down into the staging lanes, and informed all of the drivers of the change in schedule, and almost to a team, they said, “We understand.” (they didn’t like it – don’t get me wrong, but they understood.) They know that I was there, working for them, and they also know that Graham has a show to put on that features the nitro and other Pro classes. They saw that he tried to make it work by pulling a different class yesterday instead of pulling us then, too.
The fact is, the Pro Mod Challenge is currently a booked-in-show exhibition class. And as such, we are guests, so to speak. Some have argued that that’s not a prime position, but I beg to differ – we have the best stage on earth, but we get to make the rules. No other class can say that. The whole state of that is another topic completely with a whole lot of opinions, and I digress…
Moving on, after the round, I was in the pits, and instead of being depressed and moping around, the teams were talking with each other, telling stories, sharing a cold beverage of choice, and even playing soccer with the kids that had come with their team-member parents. There wasn’t division, separation or competitive angst – there was camaraderie – something that I never saw (in this form) in the Pro pits, and only witnessed in a lesser degree in the Alcohol pits. These teams fight like cats and dogs on the track, but are close friends back at the truck. And I think that’s awesome – and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Oh, by the way – Danny Rowe had a heck of a day – going from No. 23 to No. 1 – a great goal line to goal line run. And, Mike Castellana – wow – does he have the nitrous stuff down! Blasted to a 5.963 – awesome job! Hats off, too, to Jason Stock and Ike Maier, as well as John Russo and Dennis Radford – all running their first races with the Challenge this season, and all are in the show so far! Well Done!
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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - ROWE GOES FROM ZERO TO HERO IN SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Danny Rowe went from last place to the top of the pack Saturday in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Joe Baker and Mike Castellana also made big jumps in qualifying in the day's lone qualifying session.
On Friday, Rowe's '67 Camaro shook the tires at the launch, forcing the veteran racer to abort his run early and land dead last in the order. His position in the standings forced him to take the first pass in the run order, and the Laguna Hills, Calif.-resident fired a shot straight down the quarter-mile at 5.943 and 245.54 mph that none others in the class were able to surpass.
"On Friday, we were really aggressive with the car, trying to turn the earth, because we knew that we had something capable of running great numbers and we wanted to set the pace. Let's face it, there's a lot of good cars out here. Sometimes that approach works and you're a hero, and sometimes - like yesterday - you're a big zero," Rowe explained.
"Today, the guys did a great job with the car. We took a step back to re-think things, and Jimmy (Rector, crew chief) and the guys really calmed the car down, and we went straight down Broadway. Tomorrow, we just want to stay consistent with what we ran today, and then go rounds in eliminations," he said.
Joe Baker blasted to the No. 2 spot after improving his 5.983 from yesterday nearly four-hundredths to a blistering 5.949 at 241.20. Roger Burgess failed to improve on his class-leading run from Friday after the clutch pedal linkage broke off the clutch housing, dropping him into third place, and former U.S. Nationals winner Jay Payne also failed to run quicker than his 5.963 at 239.27 mph from Friday.
Mike Castellana made a huge move of nearly a tenth of a second into the top five, driving his Al Anabi nitrous-powered '70 Camaro to a 5.963 at 237.75 mph, and Mike Knowles also broke into the fives in his Knowles Enterprises/B&J Transmissions '63 Corvette with a blistering 5.977 at 240.64 mph. Knowles said, "It's nice, because we are able to make some changes in our setup and actually see a difference in our performance on the track. We had a really good run yesterday, and were able to step it up today. We're feeling really good going into tomorrow's last qualifier and eliminations."
Melanie Troxel jumped from eleventh into the No 7 spot, improving from a 6.107 to a 6.015. She said, "Of course we always want to be a little further up into the field, but we improved a lot over yesterday, and the car ran straight down the track. It was a pretty clean run, and if we can continue improving like that, you can't ask for anything more."
Rickie Smith rounded out the top eight, with a 6.03 at 234.37 mph.
In the bottom half are Tim Tindle, current points leader Burton Auxier, newcomers Jason Stock and Ike Maier, Brad Personett, John Russo in the S-10 pickup, Dennis Radford, and rookie Kirk Wilmes. Not qualified are Adam Flamholc from Malmoe, Sweden, Raymond Commisso, Rick DiStefano, Tommy D'Aprile, Scott Christoffel, Rick Stivers and Scott Ray.
Racing continues Sunday with one remaining qualifying session scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the first round of eliminations scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Eliminations conclude Monday.
AGATE:
1 Danny Rowe 5.943 245.54
2 Joe Baker 5.949 240.85
3 Roger Burgess 5.96 242.45
4 Jay Payne 5.963 239.27
5 Mike Castellana 5.963 237.75
6 Mike Knowles 5.977 240.64
7 Melanie Troxel 6.015 241.02
8 Rickie Smith 6.03 234.37
9 Tim Tindle 6.051 236.46
10 Burton Auxier 6.056 234.29
11 Jason Stock 6.079 232.95
12 Ike Maier 6.079 230.49
13 Brad Personett 6.099 247.88
14 John Russo 6.112 238.13
15 Dennis Radford 6.116 229.35
16 Kirk Wilmes 6.12 231.95
------- Not Qualified -------
17 Adam Flamholc 6.12 228.73
18 Raymond Commisso 6.131 241.97
19 Rick DiStefano 6.237 230.61
20 Tommy D'Aprile 6.301 187.47
21 Scott Christoffel 6.365 215.13
22 Rick Stivers 6.647 162.1
23 Scott Ray 9.166 87.79
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -
IN GOOD SHAPE - True to his word, Mike Knowles stepped up his game behind the wheel of his Knowles Enterprises/B&J Transmissions '63 Corvette Pro Mod and joined five other drivers in the five-second zone during qualifying for the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. He ended the day at No. 6 with a 5.977 at 240.64 mph.
"The competition is really stout out here, and we knew we were going to have to run some good numbers to stay in the top half of the field," Knowles said.
"We made some changes from our set-up yesterday, and they all worked perfectly. Believe it or not, I actually pedaled it and still ran a 5.97. It was pretty loose going down the track - that's about as far as you want to drive a Pro Mod car without putting the 'chutes out early.
"
It has a lot more run in it, and tomorrow we're planning on pushing it just a little more to see what we can get out of it. From there, we're going to go out to win this thing," he said.
"The great news for us is that when we make a change on the car, we can actually see a difference in our performance - which is huge when you're trying to tune for a particular track situation.
"We're in really good shape, and I'm excited to get after it and have a great day tomorrow," Knowles said.
TROXEL IMPROVES - Melanie Troxel drove her R2B2 Racing "VooDoo" '63 Corvette Pro Mod into the No. 7 spot after two days of qualifying in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Her teammates Roger Burgess and Raymond Commisso struggled with mechanical problems in the lone qualifying session of the day, leaving Burgess in the No. 3 spot and Commisso at No. 18 and not qualified heading into Sunday and the last chance to make the field at the "Big Go."
Troxel improved on her Friday marks by almost a full tenth of a second with her pass of 6.015 at 241.02 mph.
She said, "Of course we always want to be a little further up into the field, but we improved a lot over yesterday, and the car ran straight down the track. It was a pretty clean run, and if we can continue improving like that, you can't ask for anything more.
"I think the team is definitely pleased with the two runs we've had, and we're hoping to move up more tomorrow," she said.
Burgess was unable to improve on his time of 5.960 from Friday's session because of a broken clutch pedal and currently sits third in the field.
He explained, "When I staged the car, the clutch pedal where it attaches to the bell housing broke, the pedal went to the floor, the clutch engaged and pulled me through the lights, and I immediately clicked the engine off.
"It's a great thing it happened today during qualifying instead of tomorrow during eliminations, because that would have cost us a round. I'm sure Al (Billes, crew chief) and the guys will get everything squared out by tomorrow, and we'll have another chance to move up in the field, and then go rounds," Burgess said.
Commisso's '67 Firebird failed to make the field after only slightly improving from his 6.158-second lap from yesterday to a 6.131 at 241.97 mph today. The bump spot at No. 16 is a 6.120 at 231.95 mph, currently held by Kirk Wilmes. Commisso is sitting at No. 18.
Commisso said, "This is the funny part of drag racing. We tested for three days, put over 25 runs on it then, and the car worked from the first time I dropped the clutch until we buttoned it up in the trailer. It was running really quick to the 330 and to half-track. Then we come to the Big Go here at Indy, twice we drop the clutch, and twice we have an issue with the car. Something is wrong, but Al and the guys will figure it out and we'll use that one qualifier tomorrow and hopefully go right down Broadway.
"If we could have run one of the laps we had put down in testing here today, we would have been leading the pack, so we know we definitely can run the numbers and make the show. I don't know - something got lost between Martin, Michigan where we tested and here at Indy. We don't know what or where it is, is it in the trailer? The lounge? I'm not sure where it is, but hopefully we'll find it and put it back in the car and send it down the track tomorrow," Commisso said.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - BURGESS LEADS FIRST DAY GSA PRO MODIFIED
Roger Burgess led all Pro Mod racers in thrilling day one action in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Burgess' 5.960 at 242.45 mph was the top of three cars in the fives, with seven more in the 6.0's.
Burgess said, "The track was in great shape, and I was fortunate enough to lay down a better-than-average run. I'm really excited about the first day. It's the U.S. Nationals - and everyone came to win."
Just behind Burgess was Jay Payne in his Brad Anderson Enterprises '68 Camaro at 5.966. "It was a great way to start the weekend, but we really have to stay on it. We have a little breathing room, but we want to move up. The thing is, we really didn't work a lot on my car since the break, because the guys spent a lot of time getting (his teammate) Rick Stivers' car together - so to come out of the box and run a '96 - that's great," Payne said.
Joe Baker sits No. 3 with a 5.983, Mike Knowles is fourth at 6.013 and Tim Tindle sits fifth at 6.051.
Rickie Smith led the nitrous cars taking the provisional No. 6 spot at 6.053 with his Al Anabi teammate just behind him at 6.073. Newcomer Ike Maier from Ontario made a statement with a 6.079 out of the box to take No. 8.
Brad Personett ran top speed in his Big 3 Turbo '68 Camaro at 247.88 mph and landed No. 9 after the first day (6.099).
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK -
KING OF THE HILL - Roger Burgess led all cars in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx with a stellar 5.960 at 242.45 mph in the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. R2B2 Racing teammates Melanie Troxel and Raymond Commisso landed 11th and 15th respectively after the first round of qualifying.
"The track was in great shape, and I was fortunate enough to lay down a better-than-average run," Burgess said with a grin. "I think we pushed what it would take to the limit, Al Billes (crew chief) is great at that though. Things are only going to get better and faster as the weekend goes on."
Assisting Billes on Burgess' car this weekend is veteran racer and tuner Eddie Ware. Ware and Burgess have only crossed paths once before, at Atlanta in 2008 when they met in the finals with the win going to Ware. Ware takes on the responsibilities of former car chief Bobby Monacelli who recently passed away.
Burgess said, "Although I will never be able to replace Bobby, with his passing I need a little extra help with the car to be safe and competitive. Eddie is an experienced and accomplished Pro Mod driver, team owner and crew chief who had to park his race car this due to lack of funding. I feel fortunate that he was available on short notice to fill in for us.
"Johnnie Maguda and Toby Atkins are doing a great job in their first year crewing my car and we wouldn't be in the chase without their outstanding efforts this year. We have also added David "Huggie" Fears to the crew. Huggie worked on Melanie Troxel's Nitro Funny Car Team last year and is a great addition to the team."
Melanie Troxel drove the R2B2 Racing VooDoo '63 Corvette to the No. 11 spot with a 6.107 at 238.26 mph. Troxel said, "we spent a lot of time during testing working on Roger and Raymond's cars, and because my car was running so well, we only made one run on it and then put it away. The track seemed really good, and the car stayed stuck all the way down even though I got a little out of it. It wasn't a perfect run, but they never are.
"I think we're all really happy though with that as a first run out of the box at Indy. We've got a great place to start from," she said.
A performance of 6.158 at 240.98 mph put Commisso in the No. 15 spot, his first full lap since his car was totaled in an accident during an IHRA event in Grand Bend, Ontario. The world record-holder admitted he was nervous heading to the line, but said the butterflies were gone as he let the clutch go.
"I was a little nervous because that was my first full lap since that nasty accident in Grand Bend, I'll admit that, but everything went away really quickly once I left the starting line," Commisso said. "We had a little problem with one of the timers on the first part of the run, and then it moved around on me a bit after I put it into high gear. I drove it all the way to the end, though, and that's what's important to me right now.
"We've got three more qualifiers to move it up a bit, which I know we can and I'm anxious for tomorrow," he said.
Burgess added, "I'm really excited about how the first day turned out. It's the U.S. Nationals - and we came to win."
FORD ASSISTING KNOWLES - Knowles Enterprises/B&J Transmission driver Mike Knowles blasted down the quarter-mile at O'Reilly Raceway Park in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge with a 6.013-second pass to take a strong number four position after one day of qualifying in the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
"We've got some changes to make, and it will pick up tomorrow, but a 6.01 is pretty much where we thought we would be," Knowles explained. "We're excited about where we are but obviously we want to go higher.
"Our early numbers were a little slower than when we tested, which surprised us, but we ended up with a 240 mph run, which is good.
"Chuck Ford is helping me out with tuning the car, and he definitely knows what he's doing with a Pro Mod. We're going to make some adjustments for tomorrow, but overall, I'm really pleased," Knowles said
STIVERS BACK IN THE GROOVE - There are 23 cars competing in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge at the NHRA U.S. Nationals this weekend, and despite the fact that today's pass was the first full complete lap his new car has made, Trane Air Conditioning-sponsored Rick Stivers was able to pilot the '06 Stratus to a 6.647 at 162.10 mph and the 18th spot.
"It felt good leaving the line, but then it got a little lose on me and I short shifted it going into second gear," Stivers said. "At that point, I knew the run was over, I knew I couldn't go any farther, so I lifted before I hurt anything.
"That's the first full pass on the car, and even though we were testing, we had computer problems so we didn't get any data. Today, we got the data we needed, and we're ready for tomorrow.
"Brad's happy (Brad Anderson, car owner and team crew chief), I'm happy - and tomorrow look out. My teammate Jay (Payne) is No. 2, there's no reason I won't be in the top four or five tomorrow night," he said.
"I really needed to run straight today, and it did just that. It wasn't anything pretty, but it got us a baseline, which is what we were going for," Stivers said.
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - PRO MOD AT INDY HAS INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Burton Auxier has led the field with his nitrous-assisted '67 Camaro since winning the race at Bristol in May, swapping places with his Al Anabi-sponsored teammate Mike Castellana who led the standings after winning the first event in Gainesville. The whole team, which also features 2001 Pro Mod World Champion Rickie Smith, is hoping to maintain their stranglehold on the lead heading into the final stretch.
The series has yielded six winners in the six events thus far, and each of the other winners - Danny Rowe, Tim Tindle, Roger Burgess and Raymond Commisso - is also trying to break into the top spot and win the title.
Ohio Crankshaft, the featured Pro Mod sponsor for the event, will be represented by Scott Ray who is coming back to competition after being sidelined by health issues. Also back from the sidelines will be Trane-backed Rick Stivers behind the wheel of an all-new Brad Anderson-tuned Stratus.
Other front-runners include series regulars Joe Baker, B&J Transmission's Mike Knowles, Chip King in the Strutmasters.com Dodge Daytona, the fastest man in Pro Mod racing - Brad Personett in his Big 3 Turbo Camaro, and the quickest woman in Pro Mod racing, Melanie Troxel.
Boasting a truly international flavor, drivers from the countries of Canada and Sweden will be represented at the event. Hailing from the Great White North are Commisso, Rick DiStefano, Ike Maier, Tony Pontieri and Danny Rowe (by way of California). Adam Flamholc will be representing Sweden, having recently purchased the rolling operation turnkey from series competitor Taylor Lastor.
"To be able to come to an event like the U.S. Nationals for us is really a dream come true," said Flamholc, a machine shop owner. "We are a very low budget team, and everybody on the team is doing this just for the fun of it because we love it."
A father of three, Flamholc will be joined by some of Lastor's crew for the weekend as well as four of his countrymen in his debut in the Challenge.
"This season is my first in Pro Mod, and I ended up number two in the Scandinavian series. I'm really thankful to Taylor Lastor and TRE who builds my motors and MGP who built my car, as well as Amalie oil in Europe, Custom Graphics and YIT, the companies that helps me to make this dream became reality," he said.
Also making their first appearances in the Pro Mod Challenge this year will be Tommy D'April, Rick DiStefano, Dennis Radford and John Russo.
CHANGE OF PLANS - Jay Payne was going to use his FireIce Top Alcohol Funny Car to salute
the brave men and women of the Brownsburg (Ind.) Fire Department but a minor accident at last weekend's points race in Topeka, Kan., damaged the front end of the car and it is currently in the chassis shop being repaired.
"I called Michael at FireIce as soon as I saw the damage to the Funny Car and suggested we sticker-up the Pro Mod car and he thought it was a great idea," Payne said. "There was no way we were going to miss this chance to honor the Brownsburg Fire Department."
FireIce is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fire suppression gel that firefighters add to water in pumper trucks, helicopters, fire planes, and handheld extinguishers to help extinguish fires drastically quicker than water alone.
Payne will run the tribute on his Pro Modified car instead.
BURGESS, TROXEL AND COMMISSO RESOLUTE HEADED INTO INDY - Although adversity is difficult to endure, one lasting effect is clarifying focus; another is bringing people closer together to reach a common goal. The R2B2 Racing team led by drivers Roger Burgess, Raymond Commisso and Melanie Troxel has experienced huge emotional highs and extreme lows since their last Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge race, and the crew and drivers are more resolute than ever before. Coming into the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the sixth of ten Pro Mod Challenge events, each has prepared to bring their very best with the goal of winning the crown jewel of drag racing for the team.
The passing of teammate Bobby Monacelli affected the most change and joined the team in unspoken ways of the reality of life, and death. As they gathered to celebrate his life and laugh at stories, their bond strengthened.
By itself, an event like that could change a person's thinking, but for the team, it came on the heels of Commisso's own highs and lows: first winning his first Pro Mod Challenge event at Englishtown, N.J., and then a devastating crash at an IHRA race in Grand Bend, Ontario - an accident that left the world's quickest Pro Mod driver bruised and greatly disappointed as he watched his record-setting car get dragged from the track: practically totaled.
Burgess said, "All of the things that have happened are a part of the journey we're on. I mourn the loss of Bobby, and I'm so glad Raymond walked away with only a few bruises from Grand Bend. But here's the thing: we're focusing on everything that's going right, and moving forward having learned from our experiences.
"If you look at Englishtown, our team had a stellar weekend. Melanie got down the track well, improved at Grand Bend and then at the IHRA race in Martin she had her first five-second run. She's the quickest and fastest female Pro Mod driver in the world - and that's saying a lot about the team and the strength of our will.
"Of course, Raymond won Englishtown in the quickest-ever side-by-side Pro Mod drag race, and he set the world record to boot. I set personal bests there too of 5.945 at almost 243 - so, we're doing great. We just take things as they happen, one at a time."
Commisso added, "It's been a whirlwind, with a lot of highs and lows, but this team is closer and I think better than we were before. Al Billes has a look in his eyes that I haven't seen in a long time - it's like the eye of the tiger. He's ready for Indy, and we are too."
Troxel said, "We have tested since the IHRA events and everything else, and it went really well. I know we're all focused and ready to go. I think there's just more of a bond between each of us, and I know that will translate to our performance on the track. This weekend will be great. It's the U.S. Nationals, and of itself it's a huge race. For us, it just means more."
