2011 NHRA SUMMIT NATS - GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD NOTEBOOK
Mon, 2011-04-04 03:30
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SUNDAY FINAL RESULTS - Khalid Balooshi raced to his second victory of the season Sunday in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.
Balooshi outran veteran drag racer Rickie Smith in the final round at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In a battle between two nitrous-injected ’68 Camaros, Balooshi posted a 5.983 at 237.13 in his Speedtech entry to power away from Smith, whose car trailed with a 6.012 at 237.71.
Balooshi’s car was very consistent throughout eliminations, as he posted similar 5.9-second runs in early round wins over Dennis Radford, Melanie Troxel and Danny Rowe.
With the victory Balooshi, from Doha, Qatar, now leads the series standings by 56 points over second place Smith. Defending world champion Von Smith is currently 10th in the standings after two events.
The NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series continues with the 24th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals, April 29-May 1 at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.
Get Screened America Pro Mod Series final round-by-round results from the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the second of ten events in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series:
ROUND ONE -- Kenny Lang, Chevy Camaro, 6.044, 241.63 def. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.146, 242.76; Roger Burgess, Chevy Corvette, 5.926, 251.91 def. Michael Gullqvist, Camaro, 9.268, 103.23; Donald Martin, Camaro, 6.134, 237.59 def. Jay Payne, Camaro, 6.742, 218.83; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 6.060, 239.70 def. Scott Ray, Corvette, broke; Melanie Troxel, Camaro, 6.034, 242.80 def. Von Smith, Camaro, broke; Troy Coughlin, Pontiac GTO, 6.049, 246.66 def. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.173, 234.33; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.975, 239.48 def. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.168, 229.00; Khalid Balooshi, Camaro, 5.988, 239.95 def. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 6.242, 223.95;
QUARTERFINALS -- Rowe, 6.005, 240.29 def. Martin, broke; Burgess, 5.977, 244.65 def. Lang, 5.983, 242.10; Balooshi, 5.984, 237.09 def. Troxel, 6.032, 242.10; R. Smith, 6.016, 236.63 def. Coughlin, 6.047, 246.17;
SEMIFINALS -- Balooshi, 5.970, 238.81 def. Rowe, foul; R. Smith, 6.019, 237.67 def. Burgess, 5.944, 246.48;
FINAL -- Balooshi, 5.983, 237.13 def. R. Smith, 6.012, 237.71.
Point standings (top 10) for Get Screened America Pro Mod Series following the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the second of ten events in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series
1. Khalid Balooshi, 194; 2. Rickie Smith, 138; 3. Danny Rowe, 137; 4. Roger Burgess, 118; 5. Kenny Lang, 112; 6. Ed Hoover, 88; 7. (tie) Raymond Commisso, 87; Brad Personett, 87; 9. Michael Gullqvist, 77; 10. Von Smith, 76.
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SATURDAY - QUALIFYING AND FIRST ROUND IN THE BOOKS
Roger Burgess claimed his first No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and opened eliminations with a victory Saturday in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series portion of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.
Burgess bettered his top qualifying performance of 5.956 seconds at 249.81 mph in his turbocharged Pro Care Rx 1953 Corvette in the first round of eliminations as he powered past Michael Gullqvist to take the win. Burgess posted the quickest run of the weekend with a 5.926 at 251.91 while Gullqvist’s ’68 Camaro made a hard move to the right at the hit of the throttle and trailed with a 9.268 at 103.23.
“It's game on now,” Burgess said after posting the impressive run. “We've got a competitive race car. The car is racing the way we want it to."
No. 2 qualifier Jay Payne was upset by Donald Martin while Gainesville winner and No. 3 qualifier Khalid Balooshi advanced to the second round with a win over Dennis Radford.
The other first round winners included Kenny Lang, Danny Rowe, Melanie Troxel, Troy Coughlin and Rickie Smith.
Second round pairings include Burgess vs. Lang; Smith vs. Coughlin; Martin vs. Rowe; and Balooshi vs. Troxel.
Eliminations continue Sunday at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Get Screened America Pro Mod round one results from the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
ROUND ONE -- Kenny Lang, Chevy Camaro, 6.044, 241.63 def. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.146, 242.76; Roger Burgess, Chevy Corvette, 5.926, 251.91 def. Michael Gullqvist, Camaro, 9.268, 103.23; Donald Martin, Camaro, 6.134, 237.59 def. Jay Payne, Camaro, 6.742, 218.83; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 6.060, 239.70 def. Scott Ray, Corvette, broke; Melanie Troxel, Camaro, 6.034, 242.80 def. Von Smith, Camaro, broke; Troy Coughlin, Pontiac GTO, 6.049, 246.66 def. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.173, 234.33; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.975, 239.48 def. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.168, 229.00; Khalid Balooshi, Camaro, 5.988, 239.95 def. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 6.242, 223.95.
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Final qualifying order for the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series at the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. DNQs listed after qualifying order.
Pro Modified -- 1. Roger Burgess, Chevy Corvette, 5.956, 249.81; 2. Jay Payne, Camaro, 5.971, 241.28; 3. Khalid Balooshi, Camaro, 5.986; 4. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 6.004, 238.81; 5. Troy Coughlin, Pontiac GTO, 6.009, 247.75; 6. Melanie Troxel, Camaro, 6.019, 243.81; 7. Danny Rowe, Camaro, 6.043, 242.15; 8. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 6.067, 242.23; 9. Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.101, 86.31; 10. Scott Ray, Corvette, 6.109, 231.60; 11. Von Smith, Camaro, 6.110, 240.17; 12. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.115, 235.64; 13. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.144, 246.66; 14. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 6.195, 218.65; 15. Donald Martin, Camaro, 6.200, 237.75; 16. Michael Gullqvist, Chevy Camaro, 6.208, 236.59. Did Not Qualify: 17. Mike Knowles, 6.221, 237.50; 18. Chip King, 6.234, 241.67; 19. Pete Farber, 6.273, 230.69; 20. Lee Frank, 7.182, 206.89.
FRIDAY RESULTS - BURGESS LEADS FIRST DAY VEGAS GSA PRO MOD QUALIFYING
Roger Burgess raced to the qualifying lead Friday in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of
the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.Burgess covered the quarter-mile distance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 5.956 seconds at 249.81 mph in his turbo-charged Pro Care Rx 1953 Corvette.
"The car has been running good," said Burgess, who switched from a supercharged combination from last year to a turbocharged tune up this season. "Even at the last race, it ran good, but it just didn't race good. We had some issues, but I think we've figured them out. Things are going to be a lot better from this point forward. Once we get this car sorted out, it's going to be a very consistent race car. My secret weapon here is (crew chief) Steve Petty. A lot of guys don't know who he is, but they are going to know who he is before the season is over, I can promise you that."
Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals winner and series points leader Khalid Balooshi was second in the 16-car lineup, posting a 5.986 at 238.09 in his nitrous-injected Speedtech ’68 Camaro.
Rickie Smith was third with a 6.004 at 238.81in his nitrous-injected ’68 Camaro and Jay Payne was fourth with a 6.005 at 239.14 in his supercharged FireIce ’68 Camaro.
The final Pro Mod qualifying session is set for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and will be followed by the first round of eliminations at 3:30 p.m.
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Results Friday after the first two of three rounds of qualifying for Get Screened America Pro Mod Series at the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The final round of qualifying will be held Saturday followed by round one of eliminations. Eliminations will continue on Sunday.
Pro Modified -- 1. Roger Burgess, Chevy Corvette, 5.956, 249.81; 2. Khalid Balooshi, Chevy Camaro, 5.986, 238.09; 3. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 6.004, 238.81; 4. Jay Payne, Camaro, 6.005, 239.14; 5. Troy Coughlin, Pontiac GTO, 6.053, 244.60; 6. Kenny Lang, Camaro, 6.067, 240.94; 7. Danny Rowe, Camaro, 6.088, 239.14; 8. Scott Ray, Corvette, 6.109, 231.60; 9. Ed Hoover, Camaro, 6.115, 235.64; 10. Melanie Troxel, Camaro, 6.122, 240.77; 11. Brad Personett, Camaro, 6.164, 242.58; 12. Dennis Radford, Plymouth Duster, 6.195, 218.65; 13. Michael Gullqvist, Camaro, 6.208, 235.68; 14. Mike Knowles, Camaro, 6.221, 237.50; 15. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.234, 241.67; 16. Pete Farber, Daytona, 6.299, 226.24. Not Qualified: 17. Lee Frank, 7.182, 206.89; 18. Von Smith, 7.886, 122.43; 19. Donald Martin, 8.629, 124.60; 20. Raymond Commisso, 13.731, 86.31.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK -
LEADING THE CHARGE - Being the fastest Pro Mod pilot in the world has proven to be of little value to drag racer Brad Personett, at least as he muddles through his latest task of moving to R2B2 Racing headquarters in Duluth, Ga.
"I'm in the middle of unpacking all my stuff right now," Personett said. "I bought a home in Duluth and I've been moving down there since the Gainseville race. It's not been a lot of fun, trust me. Between that and getting this racecar ready for Vegas, I can't seem to find enough hours in the day."
In Gainesville, Personett suffered an uncharacteristic parts failure. He immediately corrected the problems, then started unpacking boxes. He says it's probably a good thing he's been sidetracked by the move to prevent him from further tinkering that might lead to more trouble, a huge temptation when there is a lot of time between races.
"We regrouped and fixed a mechanical failure we hope will never happen again," Personett said. "We've not had the time to flip the car upside down and make a thousand changes, which is good because you can reach a point where you don't know how to get back. That's what's bad about a long time off. Like with the break between Norwalk and Indy, you can really screw yourself up if you mess around too much."
Personett probably doesn't need to do much for this weekend's Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event, which runs concurrently with the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. The last time the Pro Mods were at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the 2010 season finale, Personett's turbocharged '68 Pro Care Rx Camaro had the perfect tune-up and he walked away the winner.
"I've been keeping my eye on the weather," he said. "Hopefully we have a setup that will make us one of the cars to beat. Learning as we go has been an uphill battle with this turbo deal the last three years. We're at the point now where we can try different things but we always seem to go back to what works for us."
Canada's Ray Commisso, who drives a supercharged '68 Camaro as a teammate to Personett, said the hot, dry conditions of Southern Nevada are always a challenge.
"Vegas is not paradise for a blower car," Commisso said. "But we know we've got a good car and consistency is going to win on race day. So we'll try to find a steady tune-up and take this car all the way to the winner's circle."
Team owner Roger Burgess has entered his '53 ProCare Rx Corvette into the event and will be looking to improve on his single round victory from Gainesville. Also flying the R2B2 Racing banner will be Micke Gullqvist, a Swede who won the Atlanta race last season. Gullqvist will race a '68 Camaro from the R2B2 Racing shop.
Qualifying for the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series race at the 12th annual Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals gets under way at approximately 2 p.m. PDT on Friday. There will be a final round of qualifying Saturday morning with the first round of eliminations at about 3:30 p.m. that day. Eliminations will conclude on Sunday.
LOOKING TO CAPITALIZE - Rickie Smith is looking to one-up his quarter-final finish in Gainesville three weekends ago.
“I am excited for Vegas,” said Smith, the veteran nitrous racer. “We proved in Gainesville that we can hang with these boys, and I am hoping to show our worth again this weekend. We have an awesome car and I am ready to put this Chevy in the Winner’s Circle.”
The veteran driver is bringing his Carolina Drilling/Coffman Tank Trucks Chevy to the Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway sitting third in the point standings.
“I really have got to thank Larry Tutterow with Carolina Drilling and J.D. and Terrisa Coffman with Coffman Tank Trucks, cause I wouldn’t be at this race with out them,” said Smith. “It’s hard right now to find a sponsor, even when you are running well. Hopefully we can lock something down and race the rest of the season.”
Smith stands third in the points (only 34 points out of first) in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge.
THE BEST PLACE FOR BLOWN MONEY - There will be no fool’n around this weekend for the NHRA Pro Modified “Blown Money” Team when it comes to this (April Fools) weekend’s Summitracing.com nationals in Vegas. “Blown Money” team owner and driver, Mike Knowles, has his team focused on the prize; their first NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge victory.
After exiting the season opening Gator Nationals in round one,Knowles’ crew chief, Al Billes, and crew took some time to continue testing their new combination with pleasing results.
“Al and the guys stayed in Florida after the last race and put up some pretty good numbers. I’m really excited about our chances in Vegas especially because of our association with the Monte Carlo. They are great people and I love working with them,” said Knowles.
Knowles is referring to his long time association with the Monte Carlo Hotel and Resort. Knowles will once again be displaying his Pro Mod at the hotel and resort prior to the NHRA event. Knowles will have his new Tim McAmis Race Cars built “Blown Money” Camaro on display both Wed. and Thurs. March 30 and 31st before heading to the “Strip” for the event.
REVVED UP ABOUT TURBO CAR - When Troy Coughlin is asked about his turbocharged JEGS.com Pontiac GTO, which he'll be racing in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at this weekend's 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, the veteran racer breaks into a wide smile.
"This car is incredibly fast," said Coughlin, the only Pro Mod racer to qualify for every event in 2010. "It's the quickest car I've ever driven. I feel like a kid again because I find myself thinking about it at random times. I can't wait to get back to the track."
Coughlin will compete in Sin City with new crew chief Jake Hairston's racecar as he awaits delivery of his own Chevrolet Camaro, which is currently being built. The Hairston family won numerous West Coast races with the car, which is powered by a 396-cid turbocharged engine capable of five-second runs at more than 240 mph.
When Coughlin's Camaro is completed, it will run the same engine combination.
"I think we're going to see a time in the not-to-distant future when the turbos will run the same numbers as the supercharged cars at every event," Coughlin said. "There won't be great runs here or there; they'll happen every round. We tried the turbo combination four years ago but the parts and pieces available back then weren't reliable. Now they are, and we're seeing record runs just about every race from a turbo car.
"It's an animal to drive. The car pulls so hard and it really puts you back in the seat. You can feel it wants to run, and that's exciting."
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the perfect place for Coughlin to unleash his beast. The last time he was in town, at the fall event, he raced to the final four before bowing out to Melanie Troxel. One year prior, Coughlin's son Troy Jr. won the event in his JEGS.com Super Comp dragster, his first national event victory. Coughlin's brother Jeg has five Vegas trophies on his mantle.
"It's a great track and it's produced a lot of wonderful memories for our family," Coughlin said. "I'd like to add another one this weekend.
"The best thing for a driver is to pull through the gates knowing you have a legitimate chance to win the race. With Jake and the guys, I know I have the best crew, and this turbo racecar is capable of being the quickest hot rod at the track. It's a great feeling."
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