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As the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads into Richmond for the Virginia NHRA Nationals, the penultimate event of the 10-race season, Joey Martin is eager for another shot at the top. Martin, second in the points standings, missed a perfect opportunity to take over the top spot at the most recent event, the Fall Nationals in Dallas.
In round two, while Martin looked on from behind, points leader Jay Payne was upset by his wife, Shelly, leaving the door open for second-place Martin and third-ranked Joshua Hernandez. When Hernandez also fell in that round, everything appeared to be in place for Martin to take over first.
But Martin, who had by far the fastest car of that round, fouled by three-thousadnths of a second, squandering a 6.07, which was low e.t. of the round by the unheard of margin of two-tenths of a second.
"I had a chance to leave with the lead and threw it away," said Martin, who won the Englishtown and Memphis events earlier this season. "My opponent was nowhere close to me, and I red-lighted. I saw it when I left the line, and I couldn't believe it. I guess the adrenaline was pumping too much. Payne and Hernandez had already lost, and I told myself I couldn't screw it up, but I did. I was focused on the Tree – over-focused, I guess. It was like I could see the electricity going to the bulb."
All is not lost, however – far from it. Martin trails Payne by just 13 points with two races left on the schedule.
Payne and Martin will be joined by Shelly Payne (who overtook Hernandez and for third), former U.S. Nationals winner Jim Halsey, six-time event finalist Troy Critchley, sixth-ranked Rick Stivers, Matt Hagan, and other stars of the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge.
Thanks to Shelor Motor Mile, drivers will be competing for an extra $5,000 – $1,000 to the low qualifier, and an extra $1,000 for the winner, $500 for the runner-up, $350 for the semifinalists, $200 for the quarterfinalists, and $125 to first-round losers – and nobody wants that money more than Martin.
"That's two races in a row that I messed up," he said. "Maybe I'm trying too hard. If you just do your deal, everything's cool. When you try too hard, it doesn't work. I've been beating myself up over this deal, but I won't be discouraged when I get there. This is a championship team. It's all there. Now, I've just got to get it done."
Martin set on redemption in Richmond
As the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads into Richmond for the Virginia NHRA Nationals, the penultimate event of the 10-race season, Joey Martin is eager for another shot at the top. Martin, second in the points standings, missed a perfect opportunity to take over the top spot at the most recent event, the Fall Nationals in Dallas.
In round two, while Martin looked on from behind, points leader Jay Payne was upset by his wife, Shelly, leaving the door open for second-place Martin and third-ranked Joshua Hernandez. When Hernandez also fell in that round, everything appeared to be in place for Martin to take over first.
But Martin, who had by far the fastest car of that round, fouled by three-thousadnths of a second, squandering a 6.07, which was low e.t. of the round by the unheard of margin of two-tenths of a second.
"I had a chance to leave with the lead and threw it away," said Martin, who won the Englishtown and Memphis events earlier this season. "My opponent was nowhere close to me, and I red-lighted. I saw it when I left the line, and I couldn't believe it. I guess the adrenaline was pumping too much. Payne and Hernandez had already lost, and I told myself I couldn't screw it up, but I did. I was focused on the Tree – over-focused, I guess. It was like I could see the electricity going to the bulb."
All is not lost, however – far from it. Martin trails Payne by just 13 points with two races left on the schedule.
Payne and Martin will be joined by Shelly Payne (who overtook Hernandez and for third), former U.S. Nationals winner Jim Halsey, six-time event finalist Troy Critchley, sixth-ranked Rick Stivers, Matt Hagan, and other stars of the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge.
Thanks to Shelor Motor Mile, drivers will be competing for an extra $5,000 – $1,000 to the low qualifier, and an extra $1,000 for the winner, $500 for the runner-up, $350 for the semifinalists, $200 for the quarterfinalists, and $125 to first-round losers – and nobody wants that money more than Martin.
"That's two races in a row that I messed up," he said. "Maybe I'm trying too hard. If you just do your deal, everything's cool. When you try too hard, it doesn't work. I've been beating myself up over this deal, but I won't be discouraged when I get there. This is a championship team. It's all there. Now, I've just got to get it done."
