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COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) - It's déjà vu all over again. Josh Hernandez won the battle of the quickest field ever in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. from the No. 1 qualifying position all the way to the winner's circle at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
Hernandez is a perfect three for three in AMS Pro Mod competition this year - taking home the AMS Eagle for the third time this season with his final-round win over No. 2 qualifier Doug Palmer. Palmer's Voodoo Racing/R2B2 '63 Corvette was shut off at the line because of a fuel line leak in the final round leading to an anti-climactic win for the Houston native, but according to Hernandez, a win is a win, ugly or not.
"I know Doug and his guys must be kicking themselves, because we actually got too aggressive and smoked the tires after the hit, but, that's racing," Hernandez said.
Palmer was racing in his first event of the season, having recently moved from the role of owner/driver to just driver. After a brief hiatus from racing, Palmer is right on track with the tuning help of veteran Al Billes.
"I really was thinking we'd do well this weekend, because Al has a great blower program," Palmer said. "I didn't imagine we'd be in the final, but, I know that, for me, a driver can drive anything, and even after time off, it's like riding a bike. Drivers drive, and that's what I do."
>From Hernandez at the top to Quain Stott at No. 16, the field was the quickest ever in the history of AMS Pro Mod competition. Stott's qualifying time of 6.164 eclipsed the previous low-bump spot of 6.182 set in Indianapolis 2006.
The right lane was the real winner of the weekend, producing a win for every race contended in the class. Rick Stivers, driver of the Chuck Ford-tuned '67 Camaro said the left lane was just too difficult to navigate.
"I was hoping we would be able to go against the trend, but when I saw Tim [Tindle] go up in tire smoke at exactly the same place everyone else had, I knew our chances were pretty slim," Stivers said.
Stivers was defeated by Danny Rowe in the first round, 6.183 to 11.623.
The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
###
Summary of Eliminations:
Round 1:
Matt Hagan 6.144 237.30 def. Tim Tindle 11.021 75.95
Shelly Payne 6.022 236.67 def. Cody Barklage 6.874 218.16
Danny Rowe 6.183 222.91 def. Rick Stivers 11.623 71.48
Troy Critchley 6.037 239.57 def. Bryan Seward 6.082 236.09
Jay Payne 6.031 238.68 def. Tony Pontieri 6.200 231.12
Raymond Commisso 6.066 237.71 def. Mike Stawicki 6.105 234.41
Doug Palmer 5.981 238.68 def. Eddie Ware NT-No Shw
Joshua Hernandez 5.972 238.93 def. Quain Stott 6.130 235.10
Round 2:
J Hernandez 6.057 238.68 def. M Hagan 6.133 236.26
R Commisso 6.089 240.25 def. D Rowe 6.109 234.82
J Payne 6.116 235.39 def. T Critchley 6.082 234.09
D Palmer 6.055 238.30 def. S Payne 6.873 223.21
Round 3:
J Hernandez 6.034 240.55 def. J Payne 6.097 235.64
D Palmer 6.082 237.88 def. R Commisso 6.079 239.65
Round 4:
J Hernandez 11.009 109.42 def. D Palmer BROKE
Low ET: Josh Hernandez 5.972 seconds
Top Speed: Raymond Commisso 241.97 MPH
Current Point Standings After Three Events
1 Josh Hernandez 1709
2 Raymond Commisso 1016
3 Troy Critchley 1015
4 Jay Payne 599
5 Dan Rowe 597
6 Bryan Seward 588
7 Tim Tindle 501
8 Tony Pontieri 497
9 Doug Palmer 440
10 Scott Cannon 438
11 Steve Engel 393
12 Matt Hagan 390
13 Shelly Payne 367
14 Mike Bell 330
15 Eddie Ware 279
16 John Russo 276
17 Cody Barklage 263
18 Mike Stawicki 261
19 Scott Ray 258
19 Rick Stivers 258
21 Mike Janis 238
22 Chip King 160
23 Zach Barklage 154
24 Brandon Pesz 130
25 Quain Stott 126
26 Isaias Rojas 25
26 William Rojas 25
26 Angel Garcia 25
26 Troy Coughlin 25
Final Qualifying Order
1 Joshua Hernandez 5.974 241.28
2 Doug Palmer 5.996 238.64
3 Raymond Commisso 6.003 241.97
4 Jay Payne 6.007 238.17
5 Troy Critchley 6.03 240.08
6 Dan Rowe 6.052 235.35
7 Shelly Payne 6.057 235.23
8 Matt Hagan 6.067 237.3
9 Tim Tindle 6.07 235.1
10 Cody Barklage 6.11 235.89
11 Rick Stivers 6.116 236.13
12 Bryan Seward 6.118 235.1
13 Tony Pontieri 6.123 234.21
14 Mike Stawicki 6.146 230.53
15 Eddie Ware 6.159 231.95
16 Quain Stott 6.164 236.22
------
17 Scott Ray 6.178 228.5
18 Steve Engel 6.178 225.18
19 Zach Barklage 6.292 213.77
20 Troy Coughlin 6.36 229.98
Three in a row for Hernandez
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 29, 2007) - It's déjà vu all over again. Josh Hernandez won the battle of the quickest field ever in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. from the No. 1 qualifying position all the way to the winner's circle at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
Hernandez is a perfect three for three in AMS Pro Mod competition this year - taking home the AMS Eagle for the third time this season with his final-round win over No. 2 qualifier Doug Palmer. Palmer's Voodoo Racing/R2B2 '63 Corvette was shut off at the line because of a fuel line leak in the final round leading to an anti-climactic win for the Houston native, but according to Hernandez, a win is a win, ugly or not.
"I know Doug and his guys must be kicking themselves, because we actually got too aggressive and smoked the tires after the hit, but, that's racing," Hernandez said.
Palmer was racing in his first event of the season, having recently moved from the role of owner/driver to just driver. After a brief hiatus from racing, Palmer is right on track with the tuning help of veteran Al Billes.
"I really was thinking we'd do well this weekend, because Al has a great blower program," Palmer said. "I didn't imagine we'd be in the final, but, I know that, for me, a driver can drive anything, and even after time off, it's like riding a bike. Drivers drive, and that's what I do."
>From Hernandez at the top to Quain Stott at No. 16, the field was the quickest ever in the history of AMS Pro Mod competition. Stott's qualifying time of 6.164 eclipsed the previous low-bump spot of 6.182 set in Indianapolis 2006.
The right lane was the real winner of the weekend, producing a win for every race contended in the class. Rick Stivers, driver of the Chuck Ford-tuned '67 Camaro said the left lane was just too difficult to navigate.
"I was hoping we would be able to go against the trend, but when I saw Tim [Tindle] go up in tire smoke at exactly the same place everyone else had, I knew our chances were pretty slim," Stivers said.
Stivers was defeated by Danny Rowe in the first round, 6.183 to 11.623.
The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge heads next to Madison, Ill. For the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals next weekend, May 4-6.
###
Summary of Eliminations:
Round 1:
Matt Hagan 6.144 237.30 def. Tim Tindle 11.021 75.95
Shelly Payne 6.022 236.67 def. Cody Barklage 6.874 218.16
Danny Rowe 6.183 222.91 def. Rick Stivers 11.623 71.48
Troy Critchley 6.037 239.57 def. Bryan Seward 6.082 236.09
Jay Payne 6.031 238.68 def. Tony Pontieri 6.200 231.12
Raymond Commisso 6.066 237.71 def. Mike Stawicki 6.105 234.41
Doug Palmer 5.981 238.68 def. Eddie Ware NT-No Shw
Joshua Hernandez 5.972 238.93 def. Quain Stott 6.130 235.10
Round 2:
J Hernandez 6.057 238.68 def. M Hagan 6.133 236.26
R Commisso 6.089 240.25 def. D Rowe 6.109 234.82
J Payne 6.116 235.39 def. T Critchley 6.082 234.09
D Palmer 6.055 238.30 def. S Payne 6.873 223.21
Round 3:
J Hernandez 6.034 240.55 def. J Payne 6.097 235.64
D Palmer 6.082 237.88 def. R Commisso 6.079 239.65
Round 4:
J Hernandez 11.009 109.42 def. D Palmer BROKE
Low ET: Josh Hernandez 5.972 seconds
Top Speed: Raymond Commisso 241.97 MPH
Current Point Standings After Three Events
1 Josh Hernandez 1709
2 Raymond Commisso 1016
3 Troy Critchley 1015
4 Jay Payne 599
5 Dan Rowe 597
6 Bryan Seward 588
7 Tim Tindle 501
8 Tony Pontieri 497
9 Doug Palmer 440
10 Scott Cannon 438
11 Steve Engel 393
12 Matt Hagan 390
13 Shelly Payne 367
14 Mike Bell 330
15 Eddie Ware 279
16 John Russo 276
17 Cody Barklage 263
18 Mike Stawicki 261
19 Scott Ray 258
19 Rick Stivers 258
21 Mike Janis 238
22 Chip King 160
23 Zach Barklage 154
24 Brandon Pesz 130
25 Quain Stott 126
26 Isaias Rojas 25
26 William Rojas 25
26 Angel Garcia 25
26 Troy Coughlin 25
Final Qualifying Order
1 Joshua Hernandez 5.974 241.28
2 Doug Palmer 5.996 238.64
3 Raymond Commisso 6.003 241.97
4 Jay Payne 6.007 238.17
5 Troy Critchley 6.03 240.08
6 Dan Rowe 6.052 235.35
7 Shelly Payne 6.057 235.23
8 Matt Hagan 6.067 237.3
9 Tim Tindle 6.07 235.1
10 Cody Barklage 6.11 235.89
11 Rick Stivers 6.116 236.13
12 Bryan Seward 6.118 235.1
13 Tony Pontieri 6.123 234.21
14 Mike Stawicki 6.146 230.53
15 Eddie Ware 6.159 231.95
16 Quain Stott 6.164 236.22
------
17 Scott Ray 6.178 228.5
18 Steve Engel 6.178 225.18
19 Zach Barklage 6.292 213.77
20 Troy Coughlin 6.36 229.98
