4-1-2011) LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Fresh off a final round appearance at the season-opener in Gainesville, Florida a few weeks ago, Danny Rowe heads into the second-stop on the Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series tour with a full head of steam.
“We really had a tremendous weekend at the Gatornationals,” says Rowe, checking in via cell phone en route to the fabulous Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “We knew we were in for a drag race against Balooshi in the final, and I was fired up, but we didn’t quite have enough to hang on for the win. We’re happy to hang around late on Sunday and be in the final though – earning those oh-so-valuable championship points – and we’re feeling good about Vegas, as well as the 2011 season as a whole.”
There’s little reason not to feel good for Danny Rowe and company as they burst onto the scene the season with their race program firing on all eight cylinders. Not only was Rowe a machine on the starting line, but crew chief Jimmy Rector had a tune-up in the Sterling Bridge ’68 Camaro that had everyone’s attention.
“I can’t say enough about this team,” continues Rowe. “I’m glad that we’re getting off to a good start, but our approach to these races rarely changes. We’ve got some stiff competition out here, so you can’t take anything for granted; every qualified team is capable of winning. We have to keep this pace and not settle for anything less than late-round appearances on Sundays.”
Though Pro Modified is known for its anything-can-happen nature, Rowe’s Sterling Bridge-backed supercharged Camaro looks like a sure-bet after the last event in Florida.
“After the rule change that was handed down over the offseason, Jimmy [Rector] worked around the clock to make sure we’d not be behind the eight-ball performance wise this year,” says Rowe. “We certainly had favorable conditions in Gainesville, but that applies to everyone – and this Sterling Bridge team was right in the thick of things. We’ve got a lot of racing left to do, but we can’t help but feel confident about our performance at this point.”
Another big outing at the series’ first of two visits to Las Vegas Motor Speedway would have Rowe better positioned early in the season than ever before, and that bodes well for what is sure to be a tightly contested championship battle.
The Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will get underway this Friday, April 1st, with two qualifying sessions scheduled for 1:45 PM and 4:30. Qualifying continues on Saturday, April 2nd, at 12:45 PM and the opening round of eliminations at 3:15. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday, April 3rd, at 11:00 AM.
NHRA Pro Modified Points Standings (After 1 of 10 races)
Khalid Al-Balooshi, 93
Danny Rowe, 71
Rickie Smith, 59
Kenny Lang, 57
Roger Burgess, 47
Ed Hoover, 45
Brad Personett, 45
Raymond Commisso, 44
Michael Gullqvist, 35
Mike Janis, 35
NHRA officials recently announced the 10-race television package for the Pro Modified series, which will air highlights and coverage of this weekend’s NHRA SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Saturday, April 9th, at 4:00 p.m.
“We really had a tremendous weekend at the Gatornationals,” says Rowe, checking in via cell phone en route to the fabulous Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “We knew we were in for a drag race against Balooshi in the final, and I was fired up, but we didn’t quite have enough to hang on for the win. We’re happy to hang around late on Sunday and be in the final though – earning those oh-so-valuable championship points – and we’re feeling good about Vegas, as well as the 2011 season as a whole.”
There’s little reason not to feel good for Danny Rowe and company as they burst onto the scene the season with their race program firing on all eight cylinders. Not only was Rowe a machine on the starting line, but crew chief Jimmy Rector had a tune-up in the Sterling Bridge ’68 Camaro that had everyone’s attention.
“I can’t say enough about this team,” continues Rowe. “I’m glad that we’re getting off to a good start, but our approach to these races rarely changes. We’ve got some stiff competition out here, so you can’t take anything for granted; every qualified team is capable of winning. We have to keep this pace and not settle for anything less than late-round appearances on Sundays.”
Though Pro Modified is known for its anything-can-happen nature, Rowe’s Sterling Bridge-backed supercharged Camaro looks like a sure-bet after the last event in Florida.
“After the rule change that was handed down over the offseason, Jimmy [Rector] worked around the clock to make sure we’d not be behind the eight-ball performance wise this year,” says Rowe. “We certainly had favorable conditions in Gainesville, but that applies to everyone – and this Sterling Bridge team was right in the thick of things. We’ve got a lot of racing left to do, but we can’t help but feel confident about our performance at this point.”
Another big outing at the series’ first of two visits to Las Vegas Motor Speedway would have Rowe better positioned early in the season than ever before, and that bodes well for what is sure to be a tightly contested championship battle.
The Get Screened America NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will get underway this Friday, April 1st, with two qualifying sessions scheduled for 1:45 PM and 4:30. Qualifying continues on Saturday, April 2nd, at 12:45 PM and the opening round of eliminations at 3:15. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday, April 3rd, at 11:00 AM.
NHRA Pro Modified Points Standings (After 1 of 10 races)
Khalid Al-Balooshi, 93
Danny Rowe, 71
Rickie Smith, 59
Kenny Lang, 57
Roger Burgess, 47
Ed Hoover, 45
Brad Personett, 45
Raymond Commisso, 44
Michael Gullqvist, 35
Mike Janis, 35
NHRA officials recently announced the 10-race television package for the Pro Modified series, which will air highlights and coverage of this weekend’s NHRA SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Saturday, April 9th, at 4:00 p.m.
