Yes, Jim Yates was pleased to start 11th Sunday in the season-opening NHRA Winternationals, but he really preferred to be in the Pro Stock top eight so he could get lane choice at Pomona Raceway.
Yates’ qualifying best of 6.671 seconds did, ironically, come in the right lane, but not even a two-hundredth of a second head start (. 019 to. 038) against Jeg Coughlin in the first round was enough to get the win. Yates was timed in 6.708 seconds at 206.10 mph to Coughlin’s 6.668 at 207.27.
“The trouble is you have to get to the finish line first, †said the veteran Yates, driver of the Wiley X/Sea Ray Boats Pontiac GTO. “I thought we made a pretty good run considering we were in that right lane. It is so important to get lane choice here. Jeg is a handful but I thought we had a chance to get him.
“I guess it’s time to start thinking about Phoenix. â€
The Checkers Kragen Schuck’s Nationals is scheduled at Phoenix, Feb. 23-25.
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