The final round  (Adam Cranmer photo)

Smith’s win over 2012 NHRA Pro Mod Champ Troy Coughlin was interesting to say the least. The fans cheered an apparent staging duel between Coughlin driving his Steve Petty-tuned turbo Vette and Smith who is renowned for his starting line expertise. The only trouble was it was not a staging duel at all as both drivers lit the pre-stage bulb but then sat on the starting line, neither staging.

"I wasn't ready to stage, and we actually had a problem with the transbrake," Coughlin said. "It wasn't engaging, so thank God he didn't stage or we might have been in a little bit of trouble with that one."

Finally, Coughlin got the transbrake to engage, and he spooled up the turbochargers and staged. He and Smith had nearly identical lights, but Coughlin soon ran into trouble.

"The car took off, and I felt like it was running pretty nice," Coughlin said. "We were both pretty close on the Tree, and then it just started bobbling the front end. All of a sudden the front end started coming up, and I said, 'It's not supposed to do that,' so I started pulling my foot back."

In somewhat of a surprise, the Pro Mod Finals consisted of two nitrous cars. Castellana, in his eighth career NHRA final round, won his fifth title shoeing his Al-Anabi Racing nitrous Camaro to 5.865 seconds at 244.52 mph. But the race was over before Smith moved his Camaro. Castellana did a bad job of red-lighting with a otherworldly .004 RT. Smith’s respectable .065 RT virtually guaranteed a victory for Mr. Castellana who ran a 5.890 at 245.72.

The Pro Mod series next event is the NHRA SpringNationals at Houston April 25-27.


(Adam Cranmer photo)

ROUND ONE -- Steve Matusek, Ford Mustang, 5.986, 242.76 def. Jim Laurita, Chevy Camaro, 8.587, 97.67; Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.937, 247.79 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.006, 245.76; Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 5.967, 244.29 def. Mike Knowles, Camaro, 6.055, 223.47; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.890, 245.40 def. Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.898, 247.57; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.949, 246.93 def. Dan Stevenson, Camaro, 7.352, 131.68; Troy Coughlin, Chevy Corvette, 5.898, 245.00 def. Jason Hamstra, Mustang, 7.136, 148.09; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 6.109, 241.32 def. Todd Tutterow, Mustang, 16.066, 103.14; Mike Janis, Camaro, 6.407, 203.12 def. Jim Bell, Mustang, 7.322, 168.77;
QUARTERFINALS -- Castellana, 5.962, 243.72 def. Whiteley, 5.916, 246.12; Rowe, 5.919, 246.48 def. Matusek, 5.996, 241.41; Commisso, 6.049, 245.81 def. Janis, 8.849, 105.55; Smith, 5.915, 244.92 def. Coughlin, 7.701, 121.00;
SEMIFINALS -- Castellana, 6.088, 238.55 def. Commisso, 6.157, 240.64; Smith, 5.918, 245.85 def. Rowe, 5.889, 248.25; Castellana, 6.088, 238.55 def. Commisso, 6.157, 240.64; Smith, 5.918, 245.85 def. Rowe, 5.889, 248.25;
FINAL -- Castellana, 5.865, 244.52 def. Smith, 5.890, 245.72.