2010 NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS - GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD NOTEBOOK


		EVENT NEWS EVENT NOTEBOOK GSA PRO MODS POINTS AFTER EVENT ROUND-BY-ROUND FINAL ROUND RESULTS			EVENT GALLERY

SATURDAY COMPETITION - PAYNE QUALIFIES NO. 1, LOSES IN FIRST ROUND TO TROXEL

Jay Payne raced to his first 2010 No. 1 qualifier in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series as qualifying came to an end Saturday at Houston Raceway Park.

Payne drove his 1968 supercharged Camaro to a 5.813-second run at 246.21 mph to take his first career No. 1 in the series, but Payne was unable to get around Melanie Troxel in the first round of eliminations.

Troxel, who also competes in the Funny Car class in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, was able to pull away from Payne in the first round, driving her 1963 Corvette to a 6.222 at 242.50. Troxel had qualified 16th, barely making the field, but was able to power past Payne to advance.

“You say never give up on race day, but there comes a time, especially in the Pro Mod class, because the window of what you can get away with in those cars is smaller than most classes,” said Troxel. “The second time I pedaled the car (Jay Payne) was at least eight car lengths ahead of me. I thought, ‘This is stupid, pedaling the car when he is that far out from me.’ It cleared up by half track and I decided to run it on through. By the time I got it in high gear, I thought I was reeling him in awfully fast.”

Eliminations will continue on Sunday.

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First-round pairings for the 23rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Pro Modified -- 1. Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.813, 246.21 vs. 16. Melanie Troxel, Chevy Corvette, 6.072, 243.99; 2. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.852, 251.20 vs. 15. Burton Auxier, Camaro, 6.010, 234.98; 3. Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.864, 249.35 vs. 14. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 5.992, 241.54; 4. Von Smith, Camaro, 5.879, 246.62 vs. 13. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.989, 238.81; 5. Mike Knowles, Corvette, 5.895, 245.81 vs. 12. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 5.978, 237.88; 6. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.913, 240.64 vs. 11. Tony Pontieri, Camaro, 5.960, 243.46; 7. Tim Tindle, Shelby Mustang, 5.923, 241.45 vs. 10. Joe Baker, Pontiac Firebird, 5.951, 243.50; 8. Rick Stivers, Dodge Stratus, 5.941, 243.90 vs. 9. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 5.943, 238.60.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Scott Ray, 6.118, 217.95; 18. Ed Hoover, 6.313, 164.55; 19. Khalid Balooshi, 6.764, 152.40; 20. Kenny Lang, 6.991, 148.43; 21. Roger Burgess, 7.275, 157.52; 22. Mike Janis, 8.403, 110.76.

First round-by-round results from the 23rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park:

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Rick Stivers, Dodge Stratus, 6.041, 211.43 def. Troy Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.071, 231.75; Joe Baker, Pontiac Firebird, 5.976, 240.51 def. Tim Tindle, Shelby Mustang, 9.568, 100.34; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.912, 241.89 def. Tony Pontieri, Camaro, DQ; Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 5.948, 237.84 def. Mike Knowles, Chevy Corvette, foul; Von Smith, Camaro, 5.881, 247.16 def. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.943, 241.20; Burton Auxier, Camaro, 6.872, 155.06 def. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, foul; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.919, 247.84 def. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 5.909, 243.11; Melanie Troxel, Corvette, 6.222, 242.50 def. Jay Payne, Camaro, 6.402, 173.25.

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SATURDAY - FRIDAY BOOMERS AND SATURDAY RAIN MAKE FOR TOUGH FIRST ROUND

NO THANKS TO THE RULE MAKERS –
radford_boomer

NHRA GSA Pro Modified racer Dennis Radford was one of a handful of nitrous racers who suffered engine explosions during Friday qualifying at the NHRA Springnationals.

For Radford, his issue was not tied to the dry air or parts failure. A recent rule change prohibiting automatic transmissions and automated shifting, Radford said, was the culprit which sent the hood scoop on his 800-plus cubic inch Plymouth Duster nearly 100 feet into the air.

“They took our automatic shifters away from us, so we have to manually shift,” said Radford. “We haven’t done that in a while. My motor shifts up there high and I was a .01 [of a second] too late and it bumped the rev-limiter and popped the hood scoop off. I can thank them for costing me about $2000.” The team replaced the damaged scoop and repaired the cosmetic damage to the front-end.

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FRIDAY - PAYNE TAKES PROVISIONAL TOP SPOT IN PRO MOD QUALIFYING AT O’REILLY NHRA SPRING NATIONALS

payne Jay Payne raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying lead Friday as the second round of NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying came to an end at Houston Raceway Park.

Payne, of Ontario, Calif., drove his supercharged 1968 Camaro to a 5.813-second run at 246.21 mph to the provisional top spot of the field. For Payne, it would be his first official No. 1 qualifier at the second event of the inaugural season of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

“We ran a potential world record in Gainesville (5.809) but we didn’t back it up so maybe this time we can get it done,” said Payne. “The No. 1 goal is winning the race. That never changes. If we can set a national record along the way, all the better.”

Raymond Commisso currently sits third in the field with a run of 5.852 at 251.20. NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Melanie Troxel is in the 16th spot just in the field with her Friday run of 6.072 at 243.99.

Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 1:15 p.m. along with the first round of eliminations at 4 p.m. Eliminations will continue on Sunday.

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Results Friday after the first two of three rounds of qualifying for the 23rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park.

Pro Modified -- 1. Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.813, 246.21; 2. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.852, 251.20; 3. Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.864, 249.35; 4. Von Smith, Camaro, 5.879, 246.62; 5. Mike Knowles, Chevy Corvette, 5.895, 245.81; 6. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.913, 240.64; 7. Tim Tindle, Shelby Mustang, 5.923, 241.45; 8. Rick Stivers, Dodge Stratus, 5.941, 243.90; 9. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 5.943, 238.60; 10. Joe Baker, Pontiac Firebird, 5.951, 243.50; 11. Tony Pontieri, Camaro, 5.960, 243.46; 12. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 5.978, 237.88; 13. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.989, 238.81; 14. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 5.992, 241.54; 15. Burton Auxier, Camaro, 6.010, 234.98; 16. Melanie Troxel, Corvette, 6.072, 243.99. Not Qualified: 17. Scott Ray, 6.118, 217.95; 18. Ed Hoover, 6.313, 164.55; 19. Khalid Balooshi, 6.764, 152.40; 20. Kenny Lang, 6.991, 148.43; 21. Roger Burgess, 7.275, 157.52; 22. Mike Janis, 8.403, 110.76.

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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK -

Burton Auxier grenaded an engine during an "odd" session on Friday.

SPOT CHECK DRAWS INFRACTIONS - Ed Hoover spent much of Friday morning at the NHRA Springnationals, thrashing to bring his engine up to code per the NHRA rulebook.

Hoover, a GSA NHRA Pro Mod racer from Columbia, SC, was one of eleven teams flagged for infractions, the result of a spot check of rules pertaining to supercharger opening and wheelbase. He was fine on the wheelbase, but .175 of an inch to large of an opening did him in on the supercharger.

“We just had to shrink the opening a bit,” said Hoover, as he worked away. “They had a rule that I didn’t know about. The supercharger I have is about four years old. They have made some rules since I had this supercharger built.”

Hoover is in his first full season on the NHRA GSA tour since 2002, when the series was considered an exhibition division. He won an exhibition race in 2001 and reached four final rounds in NHRA competition.

“It’s no big deal, just had to weld a little bit of it up,” Hoover said. “It all sounds easy, but you have to take it [supercharger] all apart.”

Hoover and one other driver had a supercharger infraction.

Seven teams were flagged for wheelbase violations.

The rulebook mandates the Pro Mod wheelbase is 115-inches. The teams outside of the rules were no more than a half-inch beyond the standard.

Traditionally chassis builders will stagger the two front wheels to provide the cars with better rollout. The adjusted front wheels will likely result in improved sixty-foot times.

Danny Rowe, a four-time winner on the NHRA series, found himself on the wrong side of the wheelbase check.

Rowe was given time Friday morning to rectify the issue.

“I’m glad they are checking this stuff,” said Rowe. “The fact we were on the long end of the rule … which we were a quarter-inch off … its good that they are checking the cars this closely. I think the fact they are going to check this is going to show consistency in the enforcement. That will make it exciting for all of us because there will be no question.

“I think this sends a strong positive message. I think it’s great the NHRA is putting in the time and effort to make sure this is all right. I think the fact they are concerned sends a strong message about our future.”

Likewise, Hoover isn’t bothered in the least with the NHRA’s spot check of the rules.

“A rule is a rule and you have to go by it,” Hoover said. “I am glad the NHRA has taken these steps, I want to race in a level playing field. I like to know that when someone wins a race there has been a fair shake. Vice versa, I want everyone to feel they’ve gotten a fair shake when I win.”

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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK -

LANG READY TO ROLL WITH GAINESVILLE MOMENTUM - Canadian Kenny Lang, a veteran Pro Mod racer who has won his share of races and series titles in other drag racing organizations, made history in March pm_winner as the first Pro Mod racer to ever raise a Wally – NHRA’s highly-coveted national event winner’s trophy – in an NHRA winner’s circle.

Lang flew under the radar by qualifying sixth in his green ’53 Corvette, but he ultimately raced to victory over Sweden’s Michael Gullqvist in the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals final round to win the inaugural race in NHRA’s newest touring series – the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Now Lang’s focus is on race No. 2 in the 10-race series, when the tour visits Houston Raceway Park, April 9-11 for the 23rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil. The race will be televised on ESPN2 HD.

“Looking at the caliber of cars in this series, our goal was to just try and qualify and maybe win a round or two,” Lang said. “I’m super-honored to be the first winner.”

While category heavy-hitters like Ray Commisso, Jay Payne, Roger Burgess, Melanie Troxel, Burton Auxier, Mike Knowles, Von Smith and Danny Rowe will be eager to grab their first Wally in NHRA Pro Mod competition at the ultra-quick HRP quarter-mile, Lang feels confident in his team’s ability to stay in the championship hunt throughout the season.

“I’ve won two IHRA championships, so I have some experience, but I know it’s going to be tough over here in this series,” Lang said. “We know what we’re up against, but we do our best. We’re probably one of the lower-funded teams in this series, but we do this because we love it.”

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars with an extremely diverse collection of vehicles, including ’63 Corvettes, ’68 Camaros, ’67 Mustangs, ’68 Firebirds as well as late model cars such as Burgess’ 2005 Corvette, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.

“These cars are on the edge all the time, and they can move all over the racetrack, and that’s something the fans love,” Lang said. “(At Gainesville) a lot of fans came over and told us they love watching the Pro Mods. I think we put on a pretty good show.”

TRYING TO KEEP PACE - The second stop of the season for the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series takes place this weekend during the 23rd annual O’Reilly dsb_0544_20100313_1941051167 Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. For past Pro Street world champion Troy Coughlin, this trip to the Lone Star State offers a chance to reel in his supercharged counterparts in the popular Pro Mod class, which became an official category this year.

"We saw some incredible numbers being posted at the first race in Gainesville (Fla.)," Coughlin said. "Some teams just blew the world record out of the water. That usually doesn't happen in drag racing. I mean, you'll see people gain a thousandth of a second here or there, but we saw improvements close to a tenth of second. It was remarkable.

"Our nitrous-powered JEGS.com Camaro is brand new and it was running pretty well but we have some work to do to catch up. We're a few hundredths off the top NOS racers, and they're almost nine hundredths off the best supercharged cars."

One thing that should help Coughlin immediately is a rule change eliminating automatic shifters. Coughlin won the world title in the Pro Street category last year under National Muscle Car Association sanction and his winning racecar required manual gear changes.

"I'm basically getting back into the Pro Mod equivalent of a Pro Street car with this new rule," he said. "It should definitely help us because it wasn't that long ago we were pulling gears in NMCA competition. It may have been longer for some of the others."

To get used to the new set-up and make sure his powerful car is in balance, Coughlin's team is testing in Dallas in anticipation of this weekend's race.

"Our new crew chief, Rickie Smith, is a multi-time world champion as a driver and he's there with the boys right now getting the car tuned up," Coughlin said. "I'll fly in Wednesday and the plan is to make as many passes as we need to for all of us to feel comfortable.

"We have all the parts and pieces we need to run well. If we can get the driver, the tune-up, and the car together we will be competitive. We're not expecting things to happen overnight but we do think Houston will be a lot better for us than Gainesville."