Hernandez sweeps the Lone Star State
Press Release For Immediate Release Hernandez sweeps the Lone Star State ENNIS, Texas - It was a day of unexpected and unpredictable excitement in AMS Pro Mod action at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, and in the end, just like it has five other times this year, the last man standing was Josh Hernandez and his Dr. Moon's Rage '68 Camaro. The Conroe, Texas resident drew a challenging side of the ladder, including fierce battles with Scott Bailey, Tony Pontieri, Jay Payne and Harold Laird to get to the winner's circle. Jay Payne, who had a bye first round, had been on fire - delivering consistent numbers: 6.011/239.27 in his uncontested lap and 6.067/238.68 against Shelly Payne's 7.391/153.23 in round two. In the semifinal match between Hernandez and Jay, the two giants were fast off the tree, .029 for Hernandez and .031 for Payne, but the Dr. Moon's Rage Camaro never trailed, taking the stripe 6.012/240.21 to 6.046/239.57. "Any time I run Jay, I know I'm in for a battle, because he's got one of the baddest hot rods out here," Hernandez said. In Saturday night round-one action, Phillips, Neb. Resident Raymond Vettle and his stunning bright orange '70 Barracuda, leveled a surprising upset when heavily favored series sponsor Tim Tindle got sideways and shut down his '67 Shelby Mustang and watched as Vettle took the win light with a 6.508/210.54. Tindle said, "I couldn't buy a break if they were on sale. When the tires broke free and I saw the wall, I just shook my head and said to myself, 'that didn't just happen, did it?' We'd been running so well, finally, I was really hoping I'd get farther into the field. But, that's racin'." Runner-up Harold Laird in his Terry Coyle-tuned '63 Corvette left a wake of powerhouses en route to his U.S. Nationals rematch with Hernandez. Laird dodged a huge bullet in round one when hard charging Canadian Raymond Commisso in his R2B2 Motors Camaro shook hard and shut off before reaching the finish line. Commisso qualified tenth with a 6.127/233.16, but said he gave the tricky right lane too much power in the first round and smoked the tires. At the line, Laird turned in a 6.088/235.80 to Commisso's 10.653/68.61 to begin the march to the final. Round two sparked controversy when No. 2 qualifier and new Texas Motorplex track speed record holder John Russo was timed out against Laird, costing him the win in what, on paper, should have been an exciting duel. According to NHRA officials, Russo had started the seven-second staging timer when his tire broke the laser beam, despite the incandescent lights not fully illuminating. Russo said, "It didn't seem like seven seconds, that's for sure, but, we took a look at the computer, and reviewed NHRA's computers too, and I must have passed through and started the clock. They were correct and I did time out. I'm really disappointed, because I know we had a great car ready for that round. We've found a few things in this car, and I think our speed record proves that." Russo set the speed mark at 241.80 in his first round win over 'Turbo' Troy Coughlin in his JEG'S.com yellow and black twin turbo. Laird, on the other hand, was breathing a sigh of relief, as his Corvette ran an off-pace 6.267 but grabbed the win light and passed to the next round. In his semifinal match, Laird blasted past Steve Engel, delivering a 6.106/234.53 to defeat Engel's 6.177/238.81. The final round was a re-match of the U.S. Nationals, pairing Laird and Hernandez, with Hernandez taking the win this time even before the race was won, as Laird fouled, leaving the line .033 seconds before the tree was activated. Laird said, "I knew we'd have our hands full with Josh in the other lane, and I had to try something. He's always so quick off the line, I tried to cut a light on him, but it just didn't work out. "In the end, though, to make the finals twice in a row is nothing short of amazing, especially since we had such a hard time even getting out here at the beginning of the year. Terry has done a great job for us, I can't thank him enough," he said. Not only did Hernandez leave with the event win, he also was crowned the 2007 World Champion of the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. on Saturday after eliminating all possibilities of being passed in the points race. In a ceremony held prior to the first round of eliminations, BAE founder Brad Anderson handed him a $25,000 check along with the coveted BAE Championship Cup. Anderson said, "These guys really deserve this award. They worked hard all year, and definitely dominated the class. It really gives me pleasure to award them the title of World Champion." "This weekend was just over the top," Hernandez said. "We've had an incredible season, and to win this for this amazing team -- it's really all about them. Dave Wood, Tommy Lipar, Howard Moon - all of these guys. They are the ones who deserve it. In just three years of Pro Mod racing, Hernandez has ascended to the top after winning the Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and placing third last year in the BAE Championship battle. Along with his team and sponsors, his wife, two sons, and his parents joined Hernandez when he received the award. Low ET: Jay Payne 6.011 seconds Top Speed: John Russo 241.80 MPH (Track Record) Final Qualifying Order: 1 Jay Payne 6.012 239.02 2 John Russo 6.022 241.63 3 Tim Tindle 6.051 236.51 4 Josh Hernandez 6.063 238.09 5 Tony Pontieri 6.073 235.15 6 Steve Engel 6.097 239.87 7 Harold Laird 6.098 235.80 8 Rick Stivers 6.098 226.77 9 Shelly Payne 6.100 236.80 10 Ray Commisso 6.127 233.16 11 Scott Ray 6.226 228.00 12 Mike Knowles 6.268 229.78 13 Scott Bailey 6.356 226.62 14 Raymond Vettel 6.408 221.02 15 Troy Coughlin 6.844 225.63 AMS Pro Mod Challenge Points BAE Championship (After 8 races) Josh Hernandez 4104 (Clinched Championship) Jay Payne 2191 Raymond Commisso 2185 Tony Pontieri 1784 Steve Engel 1673 Tim Tindle 1571 Troy Critchley 1356 Shelly Payne 1248 Harold Laird 1220 Scott Ray 1120 John Russo 1007 Mike Janis 850 Doug Palmer 841 Rick Stivers 813 Scott Cannon 801 Matt Hagan 653 Bryan Seward 613 Dan Rowe 597 Troy Coughlin 531 Mike Stawicki 520 Cody Barklage 516 Raymond Vettel 507 Mike Knowles 491 Tommy Gray 394 Mike Bell 330 Zach Barklage 283 Eddie Ware 279 Andy McCoy 254 Chip King 185 Shannon Jenkins 131 Brandon Pesz 130 Scott Bailey 129 Joe Mulligan 129 Mike Castellana 127 Quain Stott 126 John Deflorian 25 Angel Garcia 25 Mike Moran 25 Isaias Rojas 25 William Rojas 25 Dan Saitz 25 Gene Terenzio 25 ### Media Contact: Matthew Brammer - Active Marketing pr@activemarketing.com 623-879-4290 For more information about the AMS Pro Mod Challenge presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc., please visit the series website: www.AMSpromods.com. About AMS Pro Mods: The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Modified Challenge, presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. pits the very best blown, nitrous, and turbo-charged Pro Modified drag racers against one another for the coveted BAE Championship Cup and a combined a purse and championship fund of more than $365,000. On a national platform at ten NHRA national events, the AMS Pro Mods are at the pinnacle for Pro Mod racers worldwide. Often called some of the most challenging straight-line racing in the world by drivers and crew chiefs alike, the cars utilize different combinations of methanol-burning engines in late-model full-body chassis and produce around 2,500 horsepower. The cars also utilize full suspension and must be equipped with working doors on each side of the vehicle to maintain aesthetically "car-like" appearance. Top performance numbers for the quarter-mile races are in the high five-seconds at speeds in excess of 245 mph. About AMS Staff Leasing: AMS Staff Leasing is the title sponsor and original founder of the series, now in its seventh year with the NHRA. AMS is one of the nation's largest Professional Employer Organizations (PEO), primarily serving the construction industry. AMS specializes in providing integrated and cost effective services by contractually assuming substantial employer rights, responsibilities, and risks with employees assigned to its clients. Founded in 1991 in Dallas, Texas, AMS currently assists thousands of clients and more than 40,000 employees through their specialized PEO program. AMS helps contractors outsource non-revenue-producing tasks, saving their clients time and money. About Tindle Enterprises Tindle Enterprises Inc. (T.E.I.) is a locally owned contracting company in Freeport, Fla. that specializes in underground utility and quality site construction. The company serves the Florida panhandle and continues to grow to meet the high demand. The company is firmly established with a set of strong values: Total Dedication, Excellent Performance, and Individual Customer Satisfaction. # # #