Pro Mod: Las Vegas preview

Change, points and a shootout in store for Pro Mod drivers at Vegas

LAS VEGAS (October 25, 2004) -- Change, points and a shootout highlight this weekend's NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge, an NHRA exhibition class, being held in conjunction with the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

First, the change. Since its inception in 2001, all fields for the NHRA Pro Mod Challenge have consisted of eight cars. That has changed for the upcoming Las Vegas event. The ladder will move to the more conventional 16-car field.

The 16-car field also gives way to a change in the point system for the Pro Mods. At Vegas the winner will receive 500 points and the runner-up 400. The two semifinalists will be awarded 300 points each. Quarterfinal finishers earn 200 points, while the first round finishers receive 100 points. A driver can earn additional points for setting either an elapsed-time or speed record or both. Both E.T. and speed records are worth 100 extra points each.

Those points, plus those awarded for qualifying (16 points for the No. 1 qualifier down to 1 point for the No. 16 qualifier), brings the most points that are available to a single driver to 716 points. With the Las Vegas event being the last race on the 2004 NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge schedule and the final event at which a driver can earn points, this means that only three drivers remain in contention for the DRO/NMM Cup, awarded to the driver that finishes No. 1 in the final point standings.

The three drivers are Mike Ashley (with 1843 points), Al Billes (1526 points) and Danny Rowe (1313 points). It's going to be a shootout to see who is awarded the DRO/NMM Cup on Sunday night at the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge awards banquet at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Speaking of shootouts, eight drivers have their sights set on winning the second annual AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Shootout, a special race-within-a-race, which will take place on Oct. 30 during qualifying. The Shootout features the most consistent Pro Mod qualifiers throughout the NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge season with a winner take all purse of $10,000.

The opening round pairings for the Shootout are:

1.) Mike Ashley ('67 Shelby Mustang) vs. 8.) Mike Castellana ('68 Camaro)

2.) Fred Hahn ('01 Corvette) vs. 7.) Zach Barklage ('04 Grand Am)

3.) Von Smith ('04 Mustang) vs. 6.) Mike Janis ('63 Corvette)

4.) Al Billes ('53 Corvette) vs. 5.) Shannon Jenkins ('68 Camaro).

-nhra-