Hernandez
finds success on IHRA tour by
winning first career IHRA eMax Drag
Race
ROCKINGHAM, NC –
Josh Hernandez, a driver on the AMS
Rage team, entered this weekend’s
IHRA Spring Nationals having
experienced success in two different
sanctioning bodies. After defeating
Glen Kerunsky in the final round at
Rockingham Dragway, he can add a
third to his list of triumphs.
Hernandez is now an IHRA national
event winner.
“That was tough,”
Hernandez said. “We just stayed with
the proven combination and worked at
it all day. This was an incredible
thing for the AMS Rage team.”
The team has
already won an NHRA AMS Pro Modified
Challenge event and reached the
final round of an American Drag
Racing League event so far in 2006.
Hernandez
qualified in the show at the 11th
spot with a reasonable 6.201 at
231.28 miles per hour.
Crew chief Howard
Moon methodically stepped up the
pace and the opening round of
eliminations. By virtue of the
IHRA’s new elimination pairing
system, Hernandez was paired with
the third qualifier Rick Distefano.
Hernandez ran his
best elapsed time of the weekend
with a 6.185, 228.27 to eliminate
Rick Distefano, who posted a 6.194,
228.27.
Hernandez
maintained the torrid pace with a
6.191, 228.23 to eliminate Burton
Auxier, Jr., in the quarters.
With the heat
bearing down on the track, the AMS
Rage team focused on their
combination knowing full well their
success was dependent on making it
down the track under power.
Hernandez then
leaned on his starting line skills
to draw a victory in the semi-finals
over Quain Stott. He snagged a .062
starting line advantage and despite
his car moving around in the lane,
he still had enough of an advantage
to secure the victory with a 6.248,
227.54. Stott lost with a 6.195,
229.51.
In the final
round, Hernandez retained his
lightning-quick reactions as he beat
Kerunsky off of the line, when his
opponent shook the tires, Hernandez
drove unchallenged to a 6.274,
228.07 victory.
The team travels
to Bristol, TN next weekend for
NHRA's thunder Valley Nationals and
the AMS Pro Mod Challenge series.
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