2010 NHRA SUPER NATIONALS - GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD NOTEBOOK
Mon, 2010-06-14 19:00
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MONDAY - SMITH WINS ANOTHER GSA PRO MOD TITLE
Von Smith was able to fight off mother nature and a tough field in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park to get his second win of the season and in his career in the series. In the finals, which were held on Monday due to rain postponing action on Sunday, Smith was paired up with Mike Castellana, who was in his first final round appearance of the year. At the start Smith held an early advantage and never looked back on his way to the end of the quarter mile. Smith posted a winning pass of 5.890 seconds at 247.52 mph to a losing run of 6.182 seconds at 196.87mph.
Smith qualified near the bottom of the ladder in 13th, but was able to string together four solid passes during the event to get the win. He defeated Troy Coughlin, Scott Ray and Raymond Commisso prior to making it to the final round.
The NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series returns to action starting on June 18th when they visit Bristol Dragway during the running of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Final round-by-round results from the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park:
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Pat Musi, Dodge Stratus, 5.935, 241.58 def. Ed Hoover, Chevy Camaro, 6.001, 239.06; Kenny Lang, Chevy Corvette, 5.993,
240.94 def. Mike Janis, Pontiac Firebird, 8.448, 108.67; Tony Pontieri, Camaro, 5.961, 242.76 def. Jay Payne, Ford Mustang, foul; Scott Ray, Corvette, 5.935, 238.93 def. Roger Burgess, Corvette, 6.038, 241.54; Von Smith, Camaro, 5.989, 243.19 def. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 6.001, 239.02; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.929, 241.50 def. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.090, 235.89; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.984, 246.71 def. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.099, 249.53; Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.935, 246.71 def. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 6.011, 237.38;
QUARTERFINALS -- Rowe, 5.977, 244.47 def. Lang, 5.998, 240.89; V. Smith, 5.969, 244.16 def. Ray, 5.920, 241.24; Commisso, 6.009, 244.96 def. Musi, 6.039, 238.85; Castellana, 5.932, 241.71 def. Pontieri, 5.967, 242.98;
SEMIFINALS -- V. Smith, 5.925, 245.85 def. Commisso, 5.966, 244.92; Castellana, 5.911, 241.84 def. Rowe, 12.124, 55.33;
FINAL -- V. Smith, 5.890, 247.52 def. Castellana, 6.182, 196.87.
Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park -
Pro Modified
1. Von Smith, 337; 2. Danny Rowe, 297; 3. Kenny Lang, 272; 4. Jay Payne, 258; 5. Troy Coughlin, 251; 6. Tony Pontieri, 207; 7. Mike Janis, 203; 8. Mike Castellana, 198; 9. Melanie Troxel, 195; 10. Dennis Radford, 193.
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SATURDAY - COMMISSO LEADS EIGHT DRIVERS INTO GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES QUARTERFINALS
Top qualifier Ray Commisso survived a close call in the first round of eliminations Saturday in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals.
Commisso was .043 behind at the tree against No. 16-qualifier Rickie Smith (.050 to .093) and he still trailed at 660 feet, but he delivered a 5.935 at 246.71 mph to catch and pass Smith (6.011, 237.38).
Commisso’s R2B2/ProCare Rx Camaro was in victory lane at the most recent Get Screened America Pro Mod Series event, in Atlanta, but it was Michael Gullqvist and not Commisso who drove it to Victory Lane. Commisso couldn’t attend the Atlanta event because he was home in Canada attending to family matters following the passing of his father.
Commisso will meet Pat Musi, who defeated Ed Hoover, in one of the four Sunday quarterfinal matchups. The other matchups are: Scott Ray vs. Von Smith, Danny Rowe vs. Kenny Lang, and Tony Pontieri vs. Mike Castellana.
Earlier Saturday, the field was set with the second and final round of qualifying and Commisso held on to the top spot when no one bettered his 5.815 at 250.64 mph from Friday night.
Houston winner and second-place-in-points Rowe was second in qualifying with a 5.848 at 249.26 in his Sterling Bridge ’68 Camaro, and just behind him in the qualifying order were Castellana (5.906, 240.55) and Troy Coughlin (5.921, 239.44), who was upset by Smith in R1.
The final three rounds of Pro Mod eliminations will be completed on Sunday.
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First round of Get Screened America Pro Mods from the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park:
ROUND ONE -- Pat Musi, Dodge Stratus, 5.935, 241.58 def. Ed Hoover, Chevy Camaro, 6.001, 239.06; Kenny Lang, Chevy Corvette, 5.993, 240.94 def. Mike Janis, Pontiac Firebird, 8.448, 108.67; Tony Pontieri, Camaro, 5.961, 242.76 def. Jay Payne, Ford Mustang, foul; Scott Ray, Corvette, 5.935, 238.93 def. Roger Burgess, Corvette, 6.038, 241.54; Von Smith, Camaro, 5.989, 243.19 def. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 6.001, 239.02; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.929, 241.50 def. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.090, 235.89; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.984, 246.71 def. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.099, 249.53; Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.935, 246.71 def. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 6.011, 237.38;
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FRIDAY - COMMISSO LEADS NHRA GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD QUALIFYING AT OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK
Ray Commisso raced to the qualifying lead Friday in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals.
Commisso powered his R2B2/ProCare Rx Camaro to a leading performance of 5.815 seconds at 250.64 mph to pace the 16-car field.
Commisso’s R2B2/ProCare Rx Camaro was in victory lane at the most recent Get Screened America Pro Mod Series event, in Atlanta, but it was Michael Gullqvist and not Commisso who drove it to Victory Lane. Commisso couldn’t attend the Atlanta event because he was home in Canada attending to family matters following the passing of his father.
But Commisso made a triumphant return to the track on Friday with the provisional No. 1 qualifying run.
"I’ve probably made 200 runs in that car this year, but that run there was nerve wracking for me. My dad passed away a month ago today. After I stuck the car in second gear, it gave me that quiver-shake it does when I’m on good run. I threw the chutes and it was a great relief. It was like I won the lottery," Commisso said.
"(Crew chief) Al Billes always takes a big swing. There’s no half-way with him, he’s not one to be cautious. He throws it down every time, and that’s what we’re here for. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t. Before I ran, Al put his head into the car and said, ‘I hopped this thing up, you’d better hang on.’ I knew I was going to be in for a good ride."
Houston winner and second-place-in-points Danny Rowe was second in qualifying with a 5.848 at 249.26 in his Sterling Bridge ’68 Camaro, and just behind him in the qualifying order were Mike Castellana (5.906, 240.55) and Troy Coughlin (5.921, 239.44).
One round of Pro Mod qualifying remains for Saturday at 2 p.m. The first round of Pro Mod eliminations will start Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. The final three rounds of Pro Mod eliminations will be completed on Sunday.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - TIME FOR THE E'TOWN SPEEDFEST
COUGHLIN'S FIRST PRO MOD WIN - Troy Coughlin vividly remembers his first victory in NHRA Pro Mod exhibition racing. During the 2005
challenge series he beat Zach Barklage in the NHRA SuperNationals final round to claim the event trophy.Coughlin says the best thing about winning that race at historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, was that on that particular weekend it was Father’s Day. Coughlin was able to dedicate the win to his famous racing father, Jeg Coughlin Sr. It is something he had watched his three other racing brothers do already on previous patriarch holidays.
“That was pretty cool,” Coughlin said. “I was the last of my brothers to win a race for dad on Father’s Day, so that is always one of the special races I will remember winning.”
As Coughlin returns to Raceway Park June 10-13 for the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals, he will be focusing on winning his first official Wally trophy in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. Should he win the race, he’ll be able to give his father an early Father’s Day present, as the traditional holiday falls one week later this year.
Coughlin is currently fifth in the point standings in his nitrous-powered JEGS.com ’68 Camaro. His best finish this season is a semifinal effort at St. Louis.
Coughlin and Jay Payne remain the only two drivers in the series who have qualified for all four events in the 10-race campaign. With an average entry of 26 cars at each event and only 16 starting positions, the competition to qualify for eliminations has been extremely cut-throat.
“This is the best of the best in Pro Mod racing,” Coughlin said. “It is unbelievable how this class has come together. Every driver out here has had success at drag racing’s highest levels. It’s incredible.”
After a distinguished career in NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock racing where he won two national events in 13 career final rounds and an all-star race victory, Coughlin was intrigued by the diverse engine combinations for the powerful doorslammer machines and made the transition to Pro Mod racing when NHRA first introduced the division as an exhibition category. Like brothers John, Mike and Jeg Jr., Troy also has competed in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where he earned a victory in Super Gas.
He says he feels good about his team’s chances to earn a victory in the historic inaugural season for Pro Mod in NHRA.
“We’re pretty close,” Coughlin said. “We need to minimize our mistakes. If I can do a good job driving I believe a win is just around the corner for this team. We’ve got to dig deep and make it happen.”
He says historic Raceway Park provides a great venue for the Pro Mod series.
“The track surface is so smooth there and depending on weather conditions it is usually a really fast racetrack,” Coughlin said. “This event is coming at a nice time in the season for us and it will be the halfway point of the schedule. It would be nice to get a win there and then focus on finishing the season strong.”
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, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.
“The fans love to see these cars make five-second runs,” Coughlin said. “It’s great to see the fans get behind the class they way they have. It’s very exciting racing.”
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