[coverattach=1]MADISON, Ill. (May 2, 2009) - It was one of those days that defines Pro Mod racing, something unique unto itself. From blistering, record-setting runs to injury-defying crashes that make your heart stop and the hair stand - today's qualifying in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx was one of the most dramatic displays of Pro Mod horsepower and driver skill in recent history.
As the sun rose and shined through the magnificent arch across the Mississippi river, NHRA officials made the popular decision to run two qualifying rounds of Pro Mods at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals today and run the full eliminations on Sunday. The teams were excited and anxious to have two shots at the quarter-mile, and the first round proved to be a thrilling display.
Jay Payne set the bar in the first round that would hold throughout the day with a track ET-record setting 5.903/230.88 - a run that could serve as a national record if he backs it up within one percent - a 5.962 or better. Castellana also blasted to a nitrous-powered track ET record with a 5.969/236.59.
In the second round as the sun was setting, the track surface was stellar, according to crew chiefs and drivers, and the teams were ready to knock home runs on every pass. Straight out of the gate, Billy Gibson, subbing for Chip King in his lime-green '69 Dodge Daytona took a slight left at 1000-feet and scraped the wall, disqualifying himself from competition and setting the field.
After the track was cleared, Mike Ashley Racing's Joe Baker blasted to a No. 4 spot with a personal-best 5.957/242.45 in his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro.
"I could tell the track was there and that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] had us really hopped up - it felt good all the way down the track," Baker said.
In the next pair, R2B2 Racing-owner Roger Burgess shot up to the No. 2 position with a 5.931/244.96 statement that put teams on notice that his [crew chief] Al Billes horsepower was alive and kicking.
As each run got better and better, the anticipation of more excitement filled the standing crowd - and when Rick Stivers and Brad Personett took the lights, the fans got a show, undeniably, but not what they expected.
Stivers' '06 Stratus did its slight shimmy off the line as it applied the BAE torque to the track, but, as Stivers explained, "Then all hell broke loose - literally." According to video footage and photos taken by series photographer Roger Righards, the left-rear wheel sheared off the axle and slipped up into the chassis, pushing Stivers from the right lane to the left guard-wall, missing Personett by a whisker and a prayer. From there, the Stratus slammed the wall, slid, stood almost completely upright and landed on its top, then rolled back onto its wheels and came to a stop.
From there, Stivers got out of the car - completely unscathed and uninjured.
"It's one of those things - I used up one of my nine lives and I have to thank the guy upstairs for getting me out of that one. After I hit the wall, I was just flopping around - I don't really remember what was going on until I got out of the car," Stivers recalled.
"These cars are built so incredibly well - and Jerry Haas - thank you. And Brad Anderson - thank you. Everything these guys did saved me today and proved the safety things work," he said.
Stivers, who is sponsored by Trane, added, "They say it's hard to stop a Trane, but I have to think that hitting a concrete wall at 130 m.p.h. is definitely one way to do that. I'm just glad we didn't hit Brad and that I'm ok."
Amidst all the excitement, Brad Personett's run went by virtually un-noticed - until the amazing, record-setting numbers were noticed on the ledger: 5.954 seconds at an un-believable 250.88 m.p.h. When asked if his on-board computer agreed with the time-slip, Personett sheepishly said, "Yes. It does. I didn't want to run that fast, but, well, the track was amazing, the air temperature was like 60 degrees, and the car just took off and ran with it.
"I know that right now we're the only turbo car out there, and I don't want any un-due examination of the competition rules. It's no secret that we make a lot of horsepower, but applying it is still the hard part, and we're not quite there yet," he added.
After the debris was cleared, the remaining drivers used extreme caution getting down the track, with none improving on their previous markers.
Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday morning and run throughout the day.
Final Qualifying Order
1 Jay Payne 5.903 230.88
2 Roger Burgess 5.931 244.96
3 Brad Personett 5.954 250.88
4 Joe Baker 5.957 242.45
5 Mike Castellana 5.969 236.59
6 Kenny Lang 5.993 241.76
7 Tim Tindle 5.995 237.17
8 Burton Auxier 6.016 235.31
9 Danny Rowe 6.022 240.55
10 Mike Knowles 6.078 236.46
11 Raymond Commisso 6.085 238.22
12 Taylor Lastor 6.101 234.66
13 Kirk Wilmes 6.177 233.72
14 Harold Laird 6.244 234.37
15 Rick Stivers 6.252 231.91
16 Andy McCoy 7.797 129.45
As the sun rose and shined through the magnificent arch across the Mississippi river, NHRA officials made the popular decision to run two qualifying rounds of Pro Mods at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals today and run the full eliminations on Sunday. The teams were excited and anxious to have two shots at the quarter-mile, and the first round proved to be a thrilling display.
Jay Payne set the bar in the first round that would hold throughout the day with a track ET-record setting 5.903/230.88 - a run that could serve as a national record if he backs it up within one percent - a 5.962 or better. Castellana also blasted to a nitrous-powered track ET record with a 5.969/236.59.
In the second round as the sun was setting, the track surface was stellar, according to crew chiefs and drivers, and the teams were ready to knock home runs on every pass. Straight out of the gate, Billy Gibson, subbing for Chip King in his lime-green '69 Dodge Daytona took a slight left at 1000-feet and scraped the wall, disqualifying himself from competition and setting the field.
After the track was cleared, Mike Ashley Racing's Joe Baker blasted to a No. 4 spot with a personal-best 5.957/242.45 in his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro.
"I could tell the track was there and that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] had us really hopped up - it felt good all the way down the track," Baker said.
In the next pair, R2B2 Racing-owner Roger Burgess shot up to the No. 2 position with a 5.931/244.96 statement that put teams on notice that his [crew chief] Al Billes horsepower was alive and kicking.
As each run got better and better, the anticipation of more excitement filled the standing crowd - and when Rick Stivers and Brad Personett took the lights, the fans got a show, undeniably, but not what they expected.
Stivers' '06 Stratus did its slight shimmy off the line as it applied the BAE torque to the track, but, as Stivers explained, "Then all hell broke loose - literally." According to video footage and photos taken by series photographer Roger Righards, the left-rear wheel sheared off the axle and slipped up into the chassis, pushing Stivers from the right lane to the left guard-wall, missing Personett by a whisker and a prayer. From there, the Stratus slammed the wall, slid, stood almost completely upright and landed on its top, then rolled back onto its wheels and came to a stop.
From there, Stivers got out of the car - completely unscathed and uninjured.
"It's one of those things - I used up one of my nine lives and I have to thank the guy upstairs for getting me out of that one. After I hit the wall, I was just flopping around - I don't really remember what was going on until I got out of the car," Stivers recalled.
"These cars are built so incredibly well - and Jerry Haas - thank you. And Brad Anderson - thank you. Everything these guys did saved me today and proved the safety things work," he said.
Stivers, who is sponsored by Trane, added, "They say it's hard to stop a Trane, but I have to think that hitting a concrete wall at 130 m.p.h. is definitely one way to do that. I'm just glad we didn't hit Brad and that I'm ok."
Amidst all the excitement, Brad Personett's run went by virtually un-noticed - until the amazing, record-setting numbers were noticed on the ledger: 5.954 seconds at an un-believable 250.88 m.p.h. When asked if his on-board computer agreed with the time-slip, Personett sheepishly said, "Yes. It does. I didn't want to run that fast, but, well, the track was amazing, the air temperature was like 60 degrees, and the car just took off and ran with it.
"I know that right now we're the only turbo car out there, and I don't want any un-due examination of the competition rules. It's no secret that we make a lot of horsepower, but applying it is still the hard part, and we're not quite there yet," he added.
After the debris was cleared, the remaining drivers used extreme caution getting down the track, with none improving on their previous markers.
Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday morning and run throughout the day.
Final Qualifying Order
1 Jay Payne 5.903 230.88
2 Roger Burgess 5.931 244.96
3 Brad Personett 5.954 250.88
4 Joe Baker 5.957 242.45
5 Mike Castellana 5.969 236.59
6 Kenny Lang 5.993 241.76
7 Tim Tindle 5.995 237.17
8 Burton Auxier 6.016 235.31
9 Danny Rowe 6.022 240.55
10 Mike Knowles 6.078 236.46
11 Raymond Commisso 6.085 238.22
12 Taylor Lastor 6.101 234.66
13 Kirk Wilmes 6.177 233.72
14 Harold Laird 6.244 234.37
15 Rick Stivers 6.252 231.91
16 Andy McCoy 7.797 129.45
