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Dave Connolly was up to his usual starting line heroics in the first round of Sunday's Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, leaving the starting line first and getting to the finish line first against Tommy Lee.
Connolly's .019-second reaction to Lee's .049 spelled the difference, giving Connolly's SKULL Gear Chevy Cobalt a miniscule one-thousandth of a second winning margin with a 6.649-second time to Lee's 6.640 on a near-perfect day for racing following three rain-plagued days stretched out over two weeks. It was Connolly's quickest Pro Stock quarter-mile run.
Connolly tried to make it two hole-shot wins in succession in the quarterf inals, this time against Jason Line, but it didn't follow the opening round's script - primarily because Line recorded the quickest Pro Stock time in NHRA history, setting the record at 6.609 seconds with a 208.46 speed. While Connolly matched his 6.649-second time, he did run his fastest speed, 208.46 mph.
The Elyria, Ohio, driver remained third in POWERade Points with 1270. He trails Line (1453) and Greg Anderson (1397).
Only three races remain, and the first - the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond - begins a three-day stand Friday.
Connolly Reaches Quarterfinals at Maple Grove
Runs Career-Best
Dave Connolly was up to his usual starting line heroics in the first round of Sunday's Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, leaving the starting line first and getting to the finish line first against Tommy Lee.
Connolly's .019-second reaction to Lee's .049 spelled the difference, giving Connolly's SKULL Gear Chevy Cobalt a miniscule one-thousandth of a second winning margin with a 6.649-second time to Lee's 6.640 on a near-perfect day for racing following three rain-plagued days stretched out over two weeks. It was Connolly's quickest Pro Stock quarter-mile run.
Connolly tried to make it two hole-shot wins in succession in the quarterf inals, this time against Jason Line, but it didn't follow the opening round's script - primarily because Line recorded the quickest Pro Stock time in NHRA history, setting the record at 6.609 seconds with a 208.46 speed. While Connolly matched his 6.649-second time, he did run his fastest speed, 208.46 mph.
The Elyria, Ohio, driver remained third in POWERade Points with 1270. He trails Line (1453) and Greg Anderson (1397).
Only three races remain, and the first - the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond - begins a three-day stand Friday.
