2009 NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS - GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD NOTEBOOK
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SUNDAY FINAL - BURGESS WINS FIRST CAREER PRO MODIFIED EVENT
performances
and thrilling wall-slamming action. The teams were racing not only to
beat one another Sunday afternoon, but also the rain that threatened to
delay the action again at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at
Gateway International Raceway as it had during Friday qualifying.After qualifying in the No. 2 spot with a 5.931/244.96, Burgess' road to the winner's circle began on Sunday with a single run when Rick Stivers failed to show after a harrowing qualifying crash on Saturday that saw the left-rear wheel sheared off the axle and slip up into the chassis of his Trane-sponsored '06 Stratus, and push him from the right lane to the left guard-wall, up onto the nose and then over on the back before coming to a stop on all four wheels and the Kentucky HVAC business-owner walking away from the scene without a scratch.
In round two, Burgess faced Mike Knowles in his Mike Strasberg-tuned '63 Corvette. Burgess blasted away with his Al Billes-horsepower and dispatched Knowles 5.953/243.28 to 6.217/228.65. The semi-finals paired Burgess with reigning IHRA champ Kenny Lang who broke and coasted down the track, giving the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-resident an easy pass, 5.928/243.06 to 14.000/59.73.
In the final, Burgess had to use every ounce of his accumulated driving skills to face nitrous-powered veteran Burton Auxier who had consistently been improving throughout the day but had failed to yet break the five-second mark. In the end, Burgess slapped a .018 to .040 holeshot on Auxier and crossed the line less than three feet in front of him to score his first ever event win. By the numbers, it was Burgess with a 6.002/240.08 over Auxier's quicker 5.988/237.75.
"What an incredible win for us today," an ecstatic Burgess said. "It was definitely thrilling all day, and to win in such a close race, I have to tip my hat to Burton and his whole Al-Anabi team, but I so happy the things worked out the way they did for us. Every man out here worked so hard for this, it is truly something we'll hold onto as our first win together.
"I couldn't be happier," Burgess said.
The racing action was marred by a breathtaking crash during the second round when Kenny Lang faced off against Pride, Louisiana-racer Harold Laird. At the green light, Lang took off and then sputtered to a slow crawl. Laird struggled to keep his '63 Corvette in the groove, eventually crossing the track and taking out the cone at the finish line before slamming the wall and rolling completely over and back onto the wheels.
Laird explained his perspective: "The car got out of the groove and moved over to the right a little bit, the right tire wanted to spin and the left one was still grabbing, and it just took me right across the track and into the wall. It happened so fast; I was going at least 200 m.p.h.
"I'm fine, my chest hurts. The safety equipment really did a great job - Tim McAmis builds a great car and it's a testament to the safety rules by everybody that I'm ok," he said.
"From here, we're just going to regroup. Driving one of these cars is like trying to tame a wild animal, but it's what we do - what we love to do, but we take the risk. We can't buy another car, so we'll just have to see what happens.
Laird added, "The main reason we're still here is God was looking out for us - there's no other reason. I give Him the glory. The impact of the wall, then the car does that barrel roll and you watch the bottom of the track come eye-level with you and the roof. It's indescribable and something I wouldn't wish on anyone because it's unimaginable. When you see the track upside down. You can't think when you're going through it."
Other notable action from the weekend included Jay Payne's No. 1 qualifying and personal-quickest 5.903/230.88 blast that was close to becoming a national ET record, had the California-racer been able to back it up. In the end, Payne had to settle for a GIR track record. Mike Castellana also delivered a nitrous-powered track ET record with a 5.969 in qualifying, and turbo-powered Brad Personett landed the track speed record with a blazing 250.88 mph pass in qualifying.
Up next for the get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals May 15-17 in Bristol, Tenn.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - WILD AND CRAZY DAY OF QUALIFYING
JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS - It was one of those days that defines Pro Mod racing, something unique unto itself. From blistering, 
record-setting runs to injury-defying crashes that make your heart stop and the hair stand - today's qualifying in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx was one of the most dramatic displays of Pro Mod horsepower and driver skill in recent history.
As the sun rose and shined through the magnificent arch across the Mississippi river, NHRA officials made the popular decision to run two qualifying rounds of Pro Mods at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals today and run the full eliminations on Sunday. The teams were excited and anxious to have two shots at the quarter-mile, and the first round proved to be a thrilling display.
Jay Payne set the bar in the first round that would hold throughout the day with a track ET-record setting 5.903/230.88 - a run that could serve as a national record if he backs it up within one percent - a 5.962 or better. Castellana also blasted to a nitrous-powered track ET record with a 5.969/236.59.
In the second round as the sun was setting, the track surface was stellar, according to crew chiefs and drivers, and the teams were ready to knock home runs on every pass. Straight out of the gate, Billy Gibson, subbing for Chip King in his lime-green '69 Dodge Daytona took a slight left at 1000-feet and scraped the wall, disqualifying himself from competition and setting the field.
After the track was cleared, Mike Ashley Racing's Joe Baker blasted to a No. 4 spot with a personal-best 5.957/242.45 in his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro.
"I could tell the track was there and that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] had us really hopped up - it felt good all the way down the track," Baker said.
In the next pair, R2B2 Racing-owner Roger Burgess shot up to the No. 2 position with a 5.931/244.96 statement that put teams on notice that his [crew chief] Al Billes horsepower was alive and kicking.
WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION - When Rick Stivers and Brad Personett took the lights, the fans got a show, undeniably, but not 
what they expected.
Stivers' '06 Stratus did its slight shimmy off the line as it applied the BAE torque to the track, but, as Stivers explained, "Then all hell broke loose - literally." According to video footage and photos taken by series photographer Roger Righards, the left-rear wheel sheared off the axle and slipped up into the chassis, pushing Stivers from the right lane to the left guard-wall, missing Personett by a whisker and a prayer. From there, the Stratus slammed the wall, slid, stood almost completely upright and landed on its top, then rolled back onto its wheels and came to a stop.
From there, Stivers got out of the car - completely unscathed and uninjured.
"It's one of those things - I used up one of my nine lives and I have to thank the guy upstairs for getting me out of that one. After I hit the wall, I was just flopping around - I don't really remember what was going on until I got out of the car," Stivers recalled.
"These cars are built so incredibly well - and Jerry Haas - thank you. And Brad Anderson - thank you. Everything these guys did saved me today and proved the safety things work," he said.
Stivers, who is sponsored by Trane, added, "They say it's hard to stop a Trane, but I have to think that hitting a concrete wall at 130 m.p.h. is definitely one way to do that. I'm just glad we didn't hit Brad and that I'm ok."
BY THE WAY - Amidst all the excitement, Brad Personett's run went by virtually un-noticed - until the amazing, record-setting numbers were noticed on the ledger: 5.954 seconds at an un-believable 250.88 m.p.h. When asked if his on-board computer agreed with the time-slip, Personett sheepishly said, "Yes. It does. I didn't want to run that fast, but, well, the track was amazing, the air temperature was like 60 degrees, and the car just took off and ran with it.
"I know that right now we're the only turbo car out there, and I don't want any un-due examination of the competition rules. It's no secret that we make a lot of horsepower, but applying it is still the hard part, and we're not quite there yet," he added.
Final Qualifying Order
1 Jay Payne 5.903 230.88
2 Roger Burgess 5.931 244.96
3 Brad Personett 5.954 250.88
4 Joe Baker 5.957 242.45
5 Mike Castellana 5.969 236.59
6 Kenny Lang 5.993 241.76
7 Tim Tindle 5.995 237.17
8 Burton Auxier 6.016 235.31
9 Danny Rowe 6.022 240.55
10 Mike Knowles 6.078 236.46
11 Raymond Commisso 6.085 238.22
12 Taylor Lastor 6.101 234.66
13 Kirk Wilmes 6.177 233.72
14 Harold Laird 6.244 234.37
15 Rick Stivers 6.252 231.91
16 Andy McCoy 7.797 129.45
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - THIRD STOP ON THE SCHEDULE READY TO ROCK
WINNERS READY TO ADD SECOND TROPHY - The Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx once
again returns to Madison, Ill. and Gateway International 
Raceway,
a mere five minutes from downtown St. Louis and a stone's throw from
the mighty Mississippi river. The premiere Pro Modified series joins
the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals this weekend and will feature 17 of
the nation's best drivers all competing for a coveted Get Screened
America Warrior and a $10,000 prize.
Contestants in the ninth Pro Mod Challenge event at Madison include:
Burton Auxier, Joe Baker, Roger Burgess, Mike Castellana, Raymond
Commisso, Chip King, Mike Knowles, Harold Laird, Kenny Lang, Taylor
Lastor, Jay Payne, Brad Personett, Danny Rowe, Rick Stivers, Tim
Tindle, Kirk Wilmes, and Andy McCoy.
Leading the nitrous-powered team from Al-Anabi and Qatar is current
points-leader Mike Castellana - no stranger to the winner's circle in
Madison, having won here in 2003. Castellana has already won once this
season, and his hoping his familiarity with the track will give him the
competitive advantage he needs to return to victory.
Still reveling in his win in the most recent Pro Mod Challenge event in
Houston, Danny Rowe also has a victorious history at Gateway. Rowe won
in 2001, the inaugural season of the Challenge, and again in 2004.
"I'm just excited to get back on the track, and I'm hoping the weather
cooperates to give us a great weekend," Rowe said. Forecasts call for
heavy rain on Friday and scattered showers Saturday and Sunday.
Floridian Tim Tindle is fresh from a victorious outing in IHRA
competition and said he is more confident heading into this weekend.
"We are hoping to carry the momentum over into St. Louis," Tindle said.
"We have been working really hard to deliver a competitive program and
I think we are headed in the right direction. The win at Rockingham,
more than anything, raised our confidence heading into this weekend's
race.
"Our plan is to run consistent and focus on one round at a time," Tindle said.
ON CLOUD NINE - Tim Tindle’s victory during his IHRA debut this past weekend at the IHRA Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway marked the team’s first victory of 2009.
"We are hoping to carry the momentum over into St.Louis," Tindle said. We have been working really hard to deliver a competitive program and I think we are headed in the right direction. The win at Rockingham, more than anything, raised our confidence heading into this weekend's race.”
”Our plan is to run consistent and focus on one round at a time,” Tindle said.
CARS TO BEAT - R2B2 Racing teammates Roger Burgess and Raymond Commisso certainly have the cars to beat every weekend. However neither driver has reached the winner's circle this season.
Both teams have dominated qualifying in their Al Billes-tuned and ProCare Rx/R2B2 Motors-backed Camaros. Burgess claimed the No. 1 qualifier in Gainesville, Commisso No. 1 in Houston (Burgess No. 2).
"It's no question the car is there - Al has definitely taken care of that. Now, the driver needs to step up - and that's exactly my plan this weekend," Burgess said with a smile.
For Commisso, the motivation isn't to continue, but instead to create momentum based on his qualifying success. He wants to translate that horsepower success into round-winning success.
"More than anything, I want to win rounds this weekend, one at a time, like Roger says. Roger has given me the opportunity of a lifetime to drive for such an awesome team, and I want to give him the results," Commisso said.
"I have broken a couple of habits and made some changes in my approach, so I really think this will be a great weekend for me and our whole team," he said.
REAL HORSEPOWER – Rick Stivers has been dabbling in a different kind of horsepower lately.
Stivers is the proud co-owner of Life Lesson, a $60,000 winner last weekend at Keenland Race Course in central Kentucky, and the veteran drag racer is now hoping his next win will come in the form of a Get Screened America Warrior and a $10,000 payday.
"I'm just a competitive person, I guess. I love horsepower, and whether it's got four legs or four wheels, I'm driven to race it and win," Stivers said. "Winning with our horse was a thrill, and we've come so close to a win this season, it's time to get things straight and take a win on the dragstrip, too."
It's not easily overlooked that Stivers has been the strong horse in both races this season: in Gainesville he finished in the semifinals; in Houston he was runner-up. He also holds the distinction of having the most five-second passes to date this season, proving his Brad Anderson-tuned and Trane-backed '06 Stratus is "one bad hotrod."
"We joined Brad's team this season, and I have to say that everything has really jelled. He obviously has the technology and the brains to make these cars go, and I've worked incredibly hard to make my driving better and better every lap.
"And, on top of all of that, we've got Trane onboard, backing us - and their tag line, 'it's hard to stop a Trane' is really proving true for us all.
"This weekend, I'm focused more than ever to get out there and get the win," he added.
THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS – St. Louis certainly works for Joe Baker. The driver for Mike Ashley’s Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro has made two second-round showings thus far this season and is anxious to get to the finals and ultimately the winner's circle.
"I know that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] has had a lot of success here, tuning [team owner and two-time world champion] Mike Ashley to a win in '07, and I'm sure that the confidence that comes from having that notch in his belt will extend to the way he approaches things this weekend," Baker said.
"As a driver, we're always told to focus on repeating our steps every time, and to work on consistency - which is definitely something I do, but when you have the swagger that comes from a good history, it just does something to the way you think, and it's all good."
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