CONCORD, N.C. -- Leah Pruett raced to her first victory of the season Sunday in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx portion of the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries.
Pruett also claimed her second victory in three final round appearances at zMAX Dragway, as well as her third career victory by outrunning Mike Knowles in the final round. With the victory she moves to fourth in the points standings.
"It feels phenomenal," Pruett said. "To think that the three times I've been here in this car, I've reached the finals all three times and won twice. At the beginning of this race, I had a good feeling about getting to the final round and back in the winner's circle."
Pruett, who qualified ninth in her ProCare Rx Ford Mustang, raced to early round wins over team owner Roger Burgess, top qualifier Don Walsh and Kevin McCurdy. In the final she powered her Mustang to a winning performance of 5.936 seconds at 246.44, while Knowles shut off his '68 Camaro near mid-track.
"That final round was one of the edgiest passes I've had in this car in a long time," Pruett said. "If it would have been anything but a final round, there would have been a little bit of lifting going on. It was pretty gnarly. All I knew was that I didn't see him, which means I was in front of him. All that meant I had to keep going. That would have been the worst feeling in the world to see someone go flying by you."
Mike Castellana advanced to the semifinals and maintained his series points lead over second place Rickie Smith, who lost in the first round.
The penultimate race in the 10-event NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by ProCare Rx will be held Sept. 28-30 with the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at the Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the Fifth annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMax Dragway. The race is the eighth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx.
PRO MODIFIED:
1. Leah Pruett; 2. Mike Knowles; 3. Kevin McCurdy; 4. Mike Castellana; 5. Danny Rowe; 6. Don Walsh; 7. Donald Martin; 8. Todd Tutterow; 9. Rickie Smith; 10. Rick Stivers; 11. Roger Burgess; 12. Steve Matusek; 13. Doug Winters; 14. Troy Coughlin; 15. Shannon Jenkins; 16. Pete Farber.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Final round-by-round results from the Fifth annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMax Dragway, the eighth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx:
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Leah Pruett, Ford Mustang, 5.993, 249.49 def. Roger Burgess, Chevy Corvette, 6.048, 251.34; Kevin McCurdy, Chevy Camaro, 6.093, 235.51 def. Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 11.168, 80.46; Donald Martin, Camaro, 5.889, 247.25 def. Steve Matusek, Mustang, 6.062, 249.63; Mike Knowles, Camaro, 6.073, 237.92 def. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, foul; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 9.953, 90.86 def. Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, broke; Todd Tutterow, Plymouth Duster, 5.912, 250.69 def. Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.969, 244.21; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.904, 246.66 def. Rick Stivers, Camaro, 6.025, 236.63; Don Walsh, Mustang, 5.884, 254.81 def. Doug Winters, Chevy Bel Air, 6.499, 178.26;
QUARTERFINALS -- Knowles, 5.888, 245.14 def. Martin, 8.428, 112.55; McCurdy, 6.866, 165.36 def. Tutterow, foul; Castellana, 5.931, 241.07 def. Rowe, 5.909, 246.98; Pruett, 6.010, 242.23 def. Walsh, 7.044, 155.69;
SEMIFINALS -- Knowles, 9.991, 89.33 def. Castellana, foul; Pruett, 5.883, 248.61 def. McCurdy, 8.285, 114.54;
FINAL -- Pruett, 5.936, 246.44 def. Knowles, 9.088, 102.78.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Point standings (top 10) following the Fifth annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at zMax Dragway, the eighth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx -
Pro Modified: 1. Mike Castellana, 560; 2. Rickie Smith, 532; 3. Don Walsh, 488; 4. Danny Rowe, 477; 5. Leah Pruett, 476; 6. Troy Coughlin, 475; 7. Donald Martin, 409; 8. Pete Farber, 377; 9. Mike Knowles, 324; 10. Steve Matusek, 319.
