[coverattach=1](3-16-2009) GAINESVILLE, Florida – Teamwork was the name of the game for the Pro Modified powerhouse Al Anabi Racing this weekend in Gainesville during the season-opening Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge. The lone nitrous cars in a vast field comprised of a majority of supercharged hot rods, and even a turbocharged entry; Mike Castellana, Rickie Smith and Burton Auxier knew it would be an uphill battle going in, but found success in a combined group effort from the entire team.
While still a relatively new concept in the Pro Modified ranks, the multi-car Al Anabi Racing program was able to prove that the age-old adage “two heads are better than one”, and three race cars for that matter, still holds true.
Veteran driver Burton Auxier was able to solidify his spot in the 16-car field in just the first qualifying session with a stout 6.10/232.79mph pass that would hold up for the No. 15 spot going into Sunday’s elimination rounds. Spread across the middle of the field and separated only by one-hundredth-of-a-second, Mike Castellana and Rickie Smith occupied the No. 8 and No. 10 spots when qualifying closed with a 6.04/232.19mph pass recorded for Castellana and a 6.05/234.45mph run for Smith.
In route to his first final round of the 2009 season, Castellana made quick work of reigning IHRA Pro Modified world champion Kenny Lang in the first round by way of a 6.03/232.19mph blast down the historical Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile. No. 1 qualifier Roger Burgess and his supercharged, alcohol burning ’68 Camaro met Castellana in the second round, but he wouldn’t have quite enough to catch the Al Anabi Racing/Western Beef ’68 Pontiac Firebird driven by Castellana, who posted his best run of the weekend with a 6.01 at 236.55mph.
Despite seemingly all odds, including seasoned Pro Mod drivers Danny Rowe, teammate Rickie Smith and Rick Stivers, Burton Auxier faced off with his other teammate Mike Castellana for an all-nitrous, all Al Anabi Racing final round in the Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge. Castellana would get off the line first with a tragic-for-the-competition .008 reaction time and plow through the traps to the tune of a 6.04 at 228.77mph, defeating Auxier’s slowing 6.17 at 229.12mph.
“It was really a great weekend,” started Castellana. “We struggled on Friday and got in the show on the last shot. It was a high pressure situation, really bringing it down to the wire, but we made a good team effort and put this Al Anabi Racing Firebird solidly in the show. From there, it was like clockwork; everyone pitched in and helped everyone – a true example of working as a team.”
Castellana continued, “It was a good weekend for Al Anabi Racing. To have all three cars qualify and go some rounds, we just couldn’t ask for more. We had three of the team cars out here this weekend and it really let us concentrate on those cars, ultimately allowing us to bring home a win for Sheikh Khalid.”
Perhaps as exciting as the Al Anabi final was the seemingly equal performance of all the different engine combinations in the field. The supercharged contingent still has a firm grasp on the top qualifying spots, but the performance of the nitrous cars in eliminations show that they have what it takes to run the big numbers.
“We know we got some left,” said Castellana, in regards to the performance of the Al Anabi Racing nitrous Pro Mods. “We’re pushing them as much as we can, but I think the future looks good for nitrous racing. Parity amongst the different combinations is good for the whole class, and I think the blower guys are glad to see us running with them.”
All in all it was a great weekend for the entire Al Anabi Racing team, and a testament to the drag racing brain trust involved, including tuners Shannon Jenkins, Brandon Switzer and Rickie Smith.
The next Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge is slated for March 27-29 at the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas.
While still a relatively new concept in the Pro Modified ranks, the multi-car Al Anabi Racing program was able to prove that the age-old adage “two heads are better than one”, and three race cars for that matter, still holds true.
Veteran driver Burton Auxier was able to solidify his spot in the 16-car field in just the first qualifying session with a stout 6.10/232.79mph pass that would hold up for the No. 15 spot going into Sunday’s elimination rounds. Spread across the middle of the field and separated only by one-hundredth-of-a-second, Mike Castellana and Rickie Smith occupied the No. 8 and No. 10 spots when qualifying closed with a 6.04/232.19mph pass recorded for Castellana and a 6.05/234.45mph run for Smith.
In route to his first final round of the 2009 season, Castellana made quick work of reigning IHRA Pro Modified world champion Kenny Lang in the first round by way of a 6.03/232.19mph blast down the historical Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile. No. 1 qualifier Roger Burgess and his supercharged, alcohol burning ’68 Camaro met Castellana in the second round, but he wouldn’t have quite enough to catch the Al Anabi Racing/Western Beef ’68 Pontiac Firebird driven by Castellana, who posted his best run of the weekend with a 6.01 at 236.55mph.
Despite seemingly all odds, including seasoned Pro Mod drivers Danny Rowe, teammate Rickie Smith and Rick Stivers, Burton Auxier faced off with his other teammate Mike Castellana for an all-nitrous, all Al Anabi Racing final round in the Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge. Castellana would get off the line first with a tragic-for-the-competition .008 reaction time and plow through the traps to the tune of a 6.04 at 228.77mph, defeating Auxier’s slowing 6.17 at 229.12mph.
“It was really a great weekend,” started Castellana. “We struggled on Friday and got in the show on the last shot. It was a high pressure situation, really bringing it down to the wire, but we made a good team effort and put this Al Anabi Racing Firebird solidly in the show. From there, it was like clockwork; everyone pitched in and helped everyone – a true example of working as a team.”
Castellana continued, “It was a good weekend for Al Anabi Racing. To have all three cars qualify and go some rounds, we just couldn’t ask for more. We had three of the team cars out here this weekend and it really let us concentrate on those cars, ultimately allowing us to bring home a win for Sheikh Khalid.”
Perhaps as exciting as the Al Anabi final was the seemingly equal performance of all the different engine combinations in the field. The supercharged contingent still has a firm grasp on the top qualifying spots, but the performance of the nitrous cars in eliminations show that they have what it takes to run the big numbers.
“We know we got some left,” said Castellana, in regards to the performance of the Al Anabi Racing nitrous Pro Mods. “We’re pushing them as much as we can, but I think the future looks good for nitrous racing. Parity amongst the different combinations is good for the whole class, and I think the blower guys are glad to see us running with them.”
All in all it was a great weekend for the entire Al Anabi Racing team, and a testament to the drag racing brain trust involved, including tuners Shannon Jenkins, Brandon Switzer and Rickie Smith.
The next Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Challenge is slated for March 27-29 at the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas.
