<< PREVIOUS PAGE

PRO MOD

Barrie, ON's Al Billes ran the only teen in Pro Mod qualifying to sit atop the 16-car field with a 6.194-secs pass, then rather easily handled Mark Nielson, Dale Brinsfield, and Paul Athey before taking care of 2001 class champ Mike Janis. In the final, Janis left first by .038 secs, but encountered serious tire shake almost immediately and let off, while Billes charged through with a 6.248 at 225.67 mph.

"We actually had a bit of trouble getting the car to run the way we wanted it to," Billes claimed. "We had a little stumble in the semifinals (6.62/225.56), but after that it ran really good."

The win vaulted Billes up to a first-place tie in IHRA Hooters Pro Mod World Championship points with Mitch Stott, who won the race at San Antonio. Stott ran low E.T. in the class at Grand Bend with a 6.145-secs pass in the first round, but narrowly lost to Janis in the semis.

PRO STOCK

After missing the cut at the season opener, then qualifying second at the rain-postponed Rockingham event, Carl Baker solidly placed his Summit Racing-backed 2002 Cougar sixth in the 16-car Pro Stock field at Grand Bend. Baker beat John Bartunek in the opening round, then took out former championship-winning crew chief Gary Henry in round two with a stellar 6.495-secs pass that made him the second member of the Quarter-Max Pro Stock 6.40s Club.

In the semis, Baker got into a rare Pro Stock pedaling contest with reigning world champion Brian Gahm, who earlier in the day became the first Pro Stock driver to break into the 6.40s when he went 6.485 against Charlie Peppers in round one. Gahm then secured the official IHRA E.T. record by going even quicker in round two against John Montecalvo with a 6.476 in his Gahm's Car & Truck Parts 2003 Mustang. His good fortune ran out against Baker though, as the Summit car regained traction first and posted a 7.256-secs win.

NEXT PAGE >>