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A M A P r o s tar U .S . Dra g Racing Championships Round S : M ontgomery Motors p o rts Par k P HOTO S t aking the win , wh ich m ak es it fiv e fo r the season . Davis was th e to p qualifi er at 6.87 second s, wh ich also made him the only rid er in the sixes, as forme r champ Robe rt G i ard t o o k t he sec ond spot wi th a 7 .00 elapsed tim e. Davis was th e only bik e in the sixes o n Sund ay as well , us ing a p a ir o f 6 .94s t o m ak e his fifth fin al. On th e other sid e of th e ladder, Giard strugg led but wa s st ill able t o adva nce to his th ird fin al of th e season . Neither rider had his best run of the even t in the fi na l , but D a v is got there fir st , gett ing a hol eshot and turn ing in a 7 .1 5 to Giard 's 7.46 to take the wi n and extend his p oints l ead t o o ver 100. As u su al , th e Fast b y Gast Pr o Mod series was o ne of the m ost spirited of Profess i onal c la sses . Point s le ader Ch ar li e Fa rra r t o ok t he t op qualifying po siti on , runn in g 6 .8 5 at 188 o n th e C& W Kawa saki , w hi ch edged o ut m ids eason st ando ut Scott Val etti (6 .8 7) and number -two plate ho ld er As hley O wens (6. 89 ) . Farrar march ed to th e fi na l usin g a pa ir of 6.80s to t ake o ut roo k ie D an Vas ilik and veter an S tev e Dr a k e , w hi le Ow ens made his fi rst fin al of the seaso n w ith a ho l esh ot d ec isi on in th e semifinals, wh ich put an end to Val et ti's two -ra ce win streak . Ow ens got a sl ig ht hol eshot in the final, bu t Farra r edged h im out in the big end 6 .89 to 6 .9 1 to t ak e his third win of the year and take a 131 point lead o v e r M immo Marciano i n t o the World Finals in Gainesv ille. By M A TT P OLI T O By D RA G B I K EPHO T O S . C O M MONTG OMERY, AL, OCT. 4-5 he AMA/P ro star m otorc yc le drag ra c ing sea so n started i t s w ind down w ith the Schnitz Fall Nation al s at Montgomer y Motorsports Park in Pros tar's home state , A labama . With the op en ing ev ent of th e season post poned and still to be run in conjunc tion with the World Finals, Alabam a doesn 't ha ve th e points implications it u su a ll y d o es . S ti ll , so me stepped close r to th e cove te d num ber -one plate wh ile others are locked in po ints b at tl e s tha t will on l y be settled in Gainesvill e. In T o p F u e l La rry " S p id e rrn a n " M cB rid e kep t his u n b eaten st reak in t act, com ing from t he number-one q ual ifying spot t o the wi n ners ' circle . McBride had th e hot lap of the eve nt, running a 6 . I 0 at 223 mph in qu ali fyin g, but st r ugg le d i n eli m inations, being unable to put to gether a cl ean run. McBride was able to advance to the f in al , wh ere he m et Ron Web b , who has been co nsistent in his infrequent appearanc es th is season. T he final was a tire -sm ok ing duel, w ith McBride t aking the win 6 .66/198 to Webb's 6 .95/180 . In the O ri ent Exp ress Funnybike class T ravis D avi s c o nti nued on his pat h to th e season champio nsh ip on t he Cycle M ast er s turbo Kawasak i. Dav is sk ipped t h e last stop on the Prostar tou r , A t co , N ew Jersey, but pi ck ed up where he l eft off at Indy , T 36 NOVEM BER 5 , 2003 • cue e nevvs In the Accel Pro Stock cl ass Keith Denn is loo k s like he is w ell o n his way to the number-on e plate with his fourth w in of the seas on . Denn is to ok J o e Maras c o's MSP Suzuk i to t he pole at 7.20 and lo oked flawl ess with an earne d bye in th e semifinals. The final saw D enn is fa cing Ro n Cla rk , wh o wa s appearin g in his sec ond fin al of th e season . Cl ark got the ho leshot but w as not m at ch for Denni s, runni ng an off -pace 7 .52 as Denn is too k the wi n with a 7 .2 3 . When Chip Ellis took th e fi rst three events in the Suzuk i Formu la Sup er b ike class o n th e m ight y T eam Kawa saki Z X - 1 2 R, he lo oked untouchable. When T o m Miceli took the win at the fourth event of the sea son o n t h e Yoyodyne /Wo rld Wide Bear ing s Hayabusa of Del Fl ores, it looked li k e a flu k e. With Miceli scoring his fourth str aight win , he look s every b it a pla yer. Yet Elli s still has th e qu ick er b ik e. He qualifie d in th e number -o ne spot a t 8 . 0 7 /1 66 i n f r o nt of a st ro ng 8 . 13 /1 6 2 b y Mic e l i. Ell is ha d t he advantage in eliminations but in the m on ey ro und hit the tr ee too q uic kl y and turn ed on t he re d li ght b y o ne t h ou sandth o f a seco n d , t hrowi ng away a 8 . 16 to Mic eli' s 8 .2 1. Th e unbeat en str ea k o f Ri c k e y Gadson and the Tea m Kawasaki ZX 12 R Streetbike Shootout bike c ame to an end at Alabama . Gad son lock ed up the c h a m pi o n shi p with an unprecedented six str aight event win s and looked like he was go ing to make it seve n straight, leading the fi eld in quali fying with a 7 .79 at 18 2 to edge out his ma in c om peti t io n this seaso n, B arr y H ens on o n t he Stotz St ree t X tr em e / V e l o ci t y Ra ci ng H ond a Blackbird wh o tu rned in a 7 .84/180 . Gad son co nti nued o n -pace in eliminations , scor in g l o w e .t. o f e ve r y round go ing into th e fi nal inc lud ing th e qu ick lap of th e eve nt, a 7. 79/183 in h is sec ond round single. Gad son m et Hen son in t h e f ina l as he had three tirnes this season . Gad so n got the holeshot but fell back in th e top end , r unn in g an off-pace 8 .09 as Henson took his first-ever Prostar win with an 8.0 I at 182 m p h. CN Montgomery Moto rsports Parle Montgomery , Alabama Results : October 4-5, 2003 [Round B of 91 TOP FU EL : 1. L a rr y Mc B r ide (Kaw) 6.667/1 98 .67 ; 2. Ron Webb (MCU) 6.95/180.46. FUNNYBIKE : I . T ra v i s D avi s (Ka w) 7. 158/1 96.12 ; 2. Robert Girard (Kaw ) 7.462/193 .75. PRO MOD : 1. Charlie Farrar (Kaw) 6.89 0/183: 2. As hle y Owens (S uz) 6 .9 11/1 84.57. PRO STK: 1. Keith Denn is (Suz) 7.238/184.23: 2. Ron Clark (SUI) 7.528/176.22 . F· S/ BK : I. Tom Micelli (SUI): 8.2 11/163.22 : 2. Chip Elli s (Kaw) 8.162/164.11. STR EETBIKE SHOOTOUT: 1. Ba rry Hen son ( Ho n ) 8 .010/182.40 : 2 . Ric k ey Gadso n ( K a w) 8 .090 /182.48. TOP GA S : 1. Mike Ko nopacki (Kaw ) 8.230/157.15 : 2. Brian Schultz (Kaw) 8.234 /160.22 S/ COMP: I. Rob Sche nz (Kaw) 8.947 /1 47 .20 ; 2. Bruce Sauer (Kaw) 8.970/1 42.18. S/GAS : 1. Mik e Coulso n (Suz) 9 .908: 2. Ron Wooda ll 9.929 . 600 S/SPT: I. Chip Ellis (Kaw) 10.0 14/135.86; 2. Chad Millholland (Kaw) 9 .993/ 135.0 1. HOT ROD CRUISER : 1. Mark Underw ood (Yam) 9.482/ 138.69; 2. Michael Ray (Yam ) 9.753/120 .32. PRO ET: I. Roy Hagadom (SUI) 9. 132/135.25; 2. Clint Hilla rd (SU 9.957 /1 35.82. I) STREET ET: 1. Roc ky Ward (SUI) 9 .00 2/148.98 ; 2. Chris Bennett (Kaw) 9.305/1 49.35. Upco ming Round : Round 9 • Gainesville, Rorid a, November 13-16