NHRA News: Rowe wins NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge (9/26/2004)

Rowe wins NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge

9/26/2004

Danny Rowe won the NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge, an NHRA exhibition class, being held in conjunction with this weekend's NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, near Dallas.

In the opening round, teammates Dennis Radford and Kirk Kuhns, both in '01 Vipers, squared off against each other. Kuhns' supercharged Viper took the win light over Radford's nitrous-powered Viper.

Other first round match ups saw Mike Ashley, in the "Gone in 6.0 Seconds" Unique Performance/InfiNet Insurance/Carroll Shelby '67 Mustang, turn back Jay Payne's '67 Valvoline Camaro on a hole shot. Payne, competing in two classes, went on to win Alcohol Funny Car Tommy Gray, Jr., in the Tommy Lipar Racing ''04 Mustang won easily over Zach Barklage's '04 Grand Am and Danny Rowe, teammate to Ashley, in the '63 InfiNet Insurance Corvette took a runaway win over No. 1 qualifier Fred Hahn, in the Jim Oddy-owned, Summit Racing-backed '01 Corvette.

Two good races highlighted the semifinals with Tommy Gray, Jr. and Danny Rowe turning on win lights. Gray (6.266/229.04) defeated Ashley (6.276/224.62); while, Rowe (6.246/228.34) bested Kuhns (6.279/228.42). Rowe earned lane choice for the final round.

The final round was another exciting session. Rowe was out first and never gave up the lead. It was a 6.230-second pass at 229.16 mph for Rowe and 6.300 seconds at 226.47 mph for Gray.

For Rowe it was his third final round of 2004 and second win. Since 2001, when the NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge became an NHRA exhibition class, he has been in five final rounds and won three.

"We've really been working hard to get our stuff together," said Rowe. It's been great. All the guys on the crew have been working hard and have done a phenomenal job. This is a real good win for us.

"We're real close on points and this win will help us going in the final race in Vegas. The 16-car field there will be a real challenge but with 500 points on the line it will make it real exciting."

Fred Hahn ran low elapsed time (6.207 seconds) and top speed (231.28 mph) of the event.

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