MIR Pro Stock Open 97-09-15

For immediate release. Bill Pratt 301-870-9876 / bilden@erols.com

Quick Results - Yates Wins 23rd Annual MIR U.S. Pro Stock Open

Budds Creek, Md., September 15 -- NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Jim Yates disassembled a quality Pro Stock field this evening in winning the 23rd Annual U.S. Pro Stock Open at Maryland International Raceway. Yates qualified number one, then defeated Wayne Bishop and Robert Patrick before meeting former World Champion Warren Johnson in the final. Johnson qualified second and defeated Tom Martino and Mike Edwards to meet Yates. On that run, Yates unloaded an unreal 6.931 second track record at 196.64 mph to drive around WJ's holeshot-assisted 6.984 at 196.90 mph pass. Yates' first round 6.962 defeat of Bishop had reset the track also. Joining Yates and Johnson in the six second zone was Frank Iaconio, who recorded a superb 6.997 second run in Barry Grant's Firebird the first round. Unfortunately for Frank, Robert Patrick's holeshot-aided 7.03 took the round win. All qualifers except for one were in the 7.0 zone or quicker. In 'Frantic Eight' competition, Amar Riley defeated a field of Mountain Motor Pro Stocks, Nitrous Top Sportsman Cars, and Supercharged Pro Mods. In the final, Riley's nitrous-assisted Trans Am ran 6.94 seconds at 197 mph to defeat Bob Bailey's similarly-powered Monte Carlo at 7.07 seconds, 193 mph. Dave Hill won the Heavy Eliminator final over Butch Parrett, and the Super Pro purse was split three ways as the midnight curfew prevented running that category to completion.