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| Commisso takes his first win in record-setting performance at E-Town |
 ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 14, 2009) - The day started with the looming question of whether or not there would be any racing at all in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge because of heavy clouds and intermittent sprinkles of rain at the United Association NHRA SuperNationals, but after a delay of nearly an hour to dry the racing surface and start racing, the sun burned off the fog and the track conditions at Raceway Park ripened to a day that crew chiefs and drivers only dream of. It will long be remembered as one of the best days ever in Pro Modified competition. Records fell nearly every lap down the track, and just when you thought it couldn't get any better or quicker, it did. In the end, R2B2 Racing driver Raymond Commisso came out on the very top - qualifying number one, setting the world record for quickest-ever Pro Mod ET at 5.856 seconds, and ultimately winning the event in the quickest-ever side-by-side race. Commisso took top qualifying honors on Saturday with a 5.894 at 244.60 mph, and the Toronto, Canada-based restaurant owner never looked back. His first round of eliminations netted a 5.896 over local-favorite Dave Hance, and in round two he took the line 22 inches in front of Mike Knowles who set a personal-best mark of 5.929 at 242.80 mph to Commisso's quicker 5.894 at 244.83 mph. In the semifinals, Commisso was paired with 'Tombstone' Tommy Gray who had been burning up the track all weekend, posting 5.882 and 5.917-second efforts in eliminations and flirting with claiming the Pro Mod Challenge record himself. The hype of what looked to be a monster matchup, however, quickly disappeared as Gray suffered engine problems and coasted down the track, watching Commisso deliver a sizzling 5.881-second performance and step into the finals where he would meet Danny Rowe. Rowe qualified No 3 with a 5.927 at 242.63 mph, and had a solo run of 5.952 at 244.16 in round one when Vinnie Budano failed to make the call. Second round, Rowe dispatched Tim Tindle 5.926 to 5.996, and then took out Al-Anabi nitrous-heavy hitter 'Tricky' Rickie Smith, 5.923 at 243.15 mph to Smith's injured and limping 6.303 at 193.71 mph. Because of the initial weather delays and several oil-downs and accidents in other classes, the final round was run at just after 9 p.m. - long past the 7:30 p.m. Old Bridge Township local curfew. The air had cooled but the track kept its heat from the sunshine, and the conditions were perfect for setting records. Commisso took a slight starting-line advantage and pulled away from Rowe for the win and the National ET record, scoring an amazing 5.856 at 245.58 mph to Rowe's best effort of the weekend and new personal-best of 5.899 at 243.94 mph. "What can I say," Commisso asked as he reveled in the day. "Everything just lined up for us today, and Al [Billes, crew chief] and all the team did an amazing job of tuning this car. "Every lap just kept getting better and better, and when we reached the finals and I saw the win light come on, there aren't words to describe how I felt. It has been since 2006 that I've been racing in NHRA competition, and this is my very first win - and it feels wonderful. "I have to thank Roger Burgess for giving me this opportunity and for putting together such an awesome team - everything is first class and the very best. He is such an amazing man and has become such a close friend and mentor to me. I'm forever grateful," Commisso said. Brad Personett turned the fastest speed ever for a Pro Mod and the quickest-ever ET for a turbo-powered car at 5.959-seconds at a whopping 251.34 mph in his losing-effort against Tommy Gray in the first round. For the nitrous fraternity, Al-Anabi/Speedtech/Western Beef driver Mike Castellana turned in the quickest-ever nitrous pass of 5.942 at 237.21 mph in his first-round loss to Mike Knowles. Also notable, Melanie Troxel gave fans a glimpse at the unpredictable and thrilling side of Pro Mod racing, making a spectacular save in her first eliminations round in the R2B2 Racing Voodoo '63 Corvette, quickly recovering from a hard dive to the right when the tires shook at the hit of the throttle. She lifted and coasted past the finish line, disappointed with the loss but glad she was able to react and keep the car from damage. Official Points standings After Six of Ten events 1 Burton Auxier 434 2 Mike Castellana 409 3 Danny Rowe 368 4 Raymond Commisso 365 5 Roger Burgess 354 6 Joe Baker 352 7 Tim Tindle 322 8 Jay Payne 305 9 Brad Personett 258 10 Mike Knowles 231 11 Taylor Lastor 200 11 Rick Stivers 200 13 Harold Laird 155 14 Kenny Lang 140 15 Rickie Smith 125 16 Tommy Gray 85 17 Chip King 67 18 Andy McCoy 63 18 Kirk Wilmes 63 20 Billy Gibson 42 21 Melanie Troxel 32 22 Vinny Budano 31 22 David Hance 31 22 Frank Patille 31 25 George Landis 10 |
