Payne picks up first win of season at Virginia Motorsports Park
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/JEGS_Pro_Mod_08.jpg" alt="JEGS_Pro_Mod_08" align="right"borders="0"/>
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 12) -- Veteran racer Jay Payne became the seventh winner of the JEGS ProMod Challenge season Sunday by beating first-time finalist Scott Ray in the money round of the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
It was the first win of the season for the 2006 series champion and it stole some of the attention away from a nip-and-tuck championship battle between reigning titlist Josh Hernandez and Tony Pontieri, who are now just 20 points apart in the JEGS points with one race left.
"This is our first final this year so it feels great to be back in the heat of the action," Payne said. "I know I can't catch Hernandez and Pontieri and that is a little discouraging but it doesn't take anything away from this win.
"We have been on the bad side of the luck game but we seemed to be on the right end of it this weekend and we managed to get to the winner's circle. Our car wasn't running as well as we would have liked so our two holeshot wins were key today."
Starting eliminations Saturday night as an afterthought after qualifying in the No. 14 position, Payne posted a huge holeshot upset against first-round opponent Scott Cannon Jr. that instantly made his Valvoline team contenders for the race title.
By Sunday morning, tuner Brad Anderson had figured out the perfect set-up for their Camaro and Payne was able to outrun quarterfinal opponent Tommy Gray, 5.963 to 6.031. Mike Knowles was his next victim, which set-up a big finale with Ray.
The race was decided at the starting line when Payne left in .051 seconds to Ray's regrettably late .209 start. Even though he was outrun by almost a tenth of a second, Payne's huge head start delivered a very comfortable win, with his 6.058 beating Ray's 5.960.
"My team is great and is a big part of all the success we've had," said Payne, who is third in the points. "Between the crew, my wife Shelly, and my kids always being here for support, I have it made. I'm a lucky guy."
The 16-car field was the quickest in history, ranging from Hernandez's 5.900 to Mike Janis' 6.033. Hernandez's top-qualifying run was the quickest in history but he didn't back it up for an official record, meaning he couldn't collect the 20 bonus points that go with setting a national mark. That honor consequently fell to Pontieri, who backed up his 5.905-second run in the second round of qualifying.
After Hernandez lost in the first session of eliminations and Pontieri advanced, the door was open for Pontieri to take the point lead outright at this event. But he faltered in Round 2 and had to settle for closing the gap on Hernandez to 20 points, or the equivalent of one round of action.
The final stop of the 10-race JEGS ProMod Challenge occurs Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/JEGS_Pro_Mod_08.jpg" alt="JEGS_Pro_Mod_08" align="right"borders="0"/>
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 12) -- Veteran racer Jay Payne became the seventh winner of the JEGS ProMod Challenge season Sunday by beating first-time finalist Scott Ray in the money round of the third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
It was the first win of the season for the 2006 series champion and it stole some of the attention away from a nip-and-tuck championship battle between reigning titlist Josh Hernandez and Tony Pontieri, who are now just 20 points apart in the JEGS points with one race left.
"This is our first final this year so it feels great to be back in the heat of the action," Payne said. "I know I can't catch Hernandez and Pontieri and that is a little discouraging but it doesn't take anything away from this win.
"We have been on the bad side of the luck game but we seemed to be on the right end of it this weekend and we managed to get to the winner's circle. Our car wasn't running as well as we would have liked so our two holeshot wins were key today."
Starting eliminations Saturday night as an afterthought after qualifying in the No. 14 position, Payne posted a huge holeshot upset against first-round opponent Scott Cannon Jr. that instantly made his Valvoline team contenders for the race title.
By Sunday morning, tuner Brad Anderson had figured out the perfect set-up for their Camaro and Payne was able to outrun quarterfinal opponent Tommy Gray, 5.963 to 6.031. Mike Knowles was his next victim, which set-up a big finale with Ray.
The race was decided at the starting line when Payne left in .051 seconds to Ray's regrettably late .209 start. Even though he was outrun by almost a tenth of a second, Payne's huge head start delivered a very comfortable win, with his 6.058 beating Ray's 5.960.
"My team is great and is a big part of all the success we've had," said Payne, who is third in the points. "Between the crew, my wife Shelly, and my kids always being here for support, I have it made. I'm a lucky guy."
The 16-car field was the quickest in history, ranging from Hernandez's 5.900 to Mike Janis' 6.033. Hernandez's top-qualifying run was the quickest in history but he didn't back it up for an official record, meaning he couldn't collect the 20 bonus points that go with setting a national mark. That honor consequently fell to Pontieri, who backed up his 5.905-second run in the second round of qualifying.
After Hernandez lost in the first session of eliminations and Pontieri advanced, the door was open for Pontieri to take the point lead outright at this event. But he faltered in Round 2 and had to settle for closing the gap on Hernandez to 20 points, or the equivalent of one round of action.
The final stop of the 10-race JEGS ProMod Challenge occurs Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
