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QUICKEST PRO MOD FIELD EVER
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More than 50 Pro Mods from three countries were on the
grounds at Rockingham Dragway for the IHRA CARQUEST World Finals, with
47 making qualifying attempts.
Defending series champ Mike Janis led the way, grabbing
the number-one spot with a 6.130-secs blast on Saturday night at 228.77
mph. The Pro Mod class missed having its first all-6.20s field by just
.004, as Paul Athey wound up 16th at 6.303 and 221.45 mph. Only Billy
Harper in the 11th spot ran slower than 220 mph in qualifying, going
6.277 at 218.90 mph.
BRAND SWEEPS FUNNY CAR FIELD
Sully, IA's Dale Brand qualified number one, set low ET
of the weekend, and won the Funny Car portion of the CARQUEST World
Finals in convincing fashion. Brand paced the field with a 5.765 qualifying
pass, followed by Laurie Cannister, defending series champ Mark Thomas,
and newly crowned champion Jimmy Rector.
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| After finishing second to Jimmy Rector this
season, Dale Brand said he's going after the championship with a
vengeance in 2003. "We've got some unfinished business," he said. |
Brand easily handled Bunny Burkett in round one, then
beat Canadian Rob Atchison in the quarter finals. He then ended the
Cinderella tale of number-20 qualifier Philip Hooper in the semis. Hooper
made it in on Sunday because several qualified cars couldn't make repairs
in time to race, then received gifts from Neal Parker and Rector, who
both broke on the line.
On the other side of the ladder, Thomas made it through
Mike Etter, John Vouros, and Cannister to reach the final, where he
faded to a 6.349, while Brand ran a winning 5.847 at 235.80 mph.
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